In a field or in a meadow, you can often see a tall, with large leaves plant with catchy flowers. This is a meadow goat-breeder, known for its beneficial properties. Experienced gardeners grow it not only for decorative purposes, but also for eating, as well as preparing medicinal infusions and decoctions.
Plant description
This two-year-old plant belongs to the family of asters and its appearance resembles a giant dandelion, reaching up to one meter in height. Branched, with a pink tint, the stem of the goat-breeder is covered with linear-lanceolate bright green leaves with a bluish tint. During the flowering period, which begins in May and lasts 1 month, large baskets with reed flowers of golden yellow color appear on the plant. Then, seeds with long tufts in the form of fluffy balls are formed in their place. For their resemblance to a goat beard, this plant got its name.
Despite the fact that the plant is home to the Mediterranean, meadow goat-breeder has been known in Russia for a long time. Its popular names sound like "oat root", "white root", "damn beard." The plant has its own interesting features:
- Flowers open towards the sun at dawn, and by lunchtime they close in tightly squeezed buds.
- At the age of 3, or even 5 years, the plant can again begin to bloom, turning into a perennial.
Growing Features
The meadow goat-breeder is very unpretentious and does not need specific care. Caring for it comes down to watering, loosening the soil, weeding weeds and top dressing. In the first year of life, it is recommended to remove peduncles, preventing the plant from blooming. Otherwise, the root will become too hard and unusable. The parts of the plant that remained in the autumn in the garden are covered with non-woven material, and they are perfectly preserved until next spring. The goat-breeder can grow well on any, even poor in composition and dry soils. Nevertheless, if you need to grow a juicy and tasty vegetable, you need to plant it on fertile soil with the subsequent maintenance of its moisture.
Healing properties
The health benefits of this plant have long been known. Its roots contain a high concentration of a special substance inulin, which is vital for patients with diabetes mellitus. Up to 15% of the daily norm of potassium is contained in 100 g of goat-breeder, which allows its use in cardiovascular diseases. The plant is rich in vitamins of the PP and B groups, protein, fiber and vegetable proteins.
The chemical composition of the plant has not yet been fully studied, but it is known that the meadow goat breeder described here contains, in addition, minerals such as phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, calcium, etc.
Thanks to studies, the high ability of this plant to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins has been proven. Its diuretic, wound healing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects are widely used in folk medicine.
Application in traditional medicine
The meadow goat-breeder (a photo of it can be found in this article) is used in the treatment of many diseases. For the preparation of medicines, the roots, leaves and stems of the plant are used. A decoction of the roots is prepared as follows: 10 g of raw materials pour a glass of water and cook for half an hour on low heat. After that, leave to infuse for 2 hours and strain. Accepted for coughing, bronchitis as an expectorant, as a diuretic for diseases associated with the genitourinary system.
To prepare the infusion, take a tablespoon of dried goat leaves, pour a glass of boiling water and insist for 5 hours. You can take up to 6 times a day, one spoonful. Trays of infusion are used for edema and rheumatism.
With diathesis, scrofula, you can wash itchy patches of the skin surface with a decoction. Shredded fresh leaves of the goat-breeder, applied to festering wounds and ulcers, have an elongating and healing effect. They are used to treat pressure sores and various skin problems. The roots and stems of this plant are used as an effective anti-zingotic agent.
Recent studies have shown that meadow goat-breeder has a positive effect on potency. In addition, he belongs to one of the most popular aphrodisiacs.
Cooking use
Not only as a therapeutic agent, but also as a most valuable dietary product, meadow goat-breeder is used. The beneficial properties of the plant are perfectly combined with its taste.
It is a very nutritious, but at the same time low-calorie product. The leaves, roots and stems of the plant are used for food. The greens are pre-beaten and placed in boiling water for 3 minutes in order to get rid of bitterness. The peel is removed from the roots and boiled for 5 minutes in salted water. The leaves and stems of the plant are used for the preparation of salads, vinaigrettes, side dishes. Root crops can be consumed fried and boiled. They are put in various vegetable dishes and soups. The most popular recipes:
- Capricorn root with egg. Previously, it is cut into small pieces and, laid out in a frying pan, add the egg and butter on top and sprinkle with chopped onions. Bake in the oven until cooked.
- Vitamin salad. To prepare it, you will need 200 g of chopped fresh herbs, 50 g of green onions, sour cream and green peas. When fresh cucumbers and boiled potatoes are added to the salad, it will be even tastier.
- Fried roots. Boiled in salt water and rolled in breadcrumbs, they are fried in a pan with vegetable oil. One serving will require 250 g of roots.
