Hay flowers
Hay flowers (Flores graminis), also called grass flowers, are a detritus mixture of flower parts , seeds , smaller pieces of leaves and stems from various meadow plants. They mainly consist of the grasses couch grass , brusque , meadow lolch , meadow fescue , meadow timothy , meadow foxtail , stalk grass and ball grass . The harvested hay is only freed from coarse stalk parts, sand, dust and earth by sieving it several times. In the country, hay flowers are all parts of the plant that the pitchfork does not catch on the threshing floor . It is not uncommon for a thick layer of hay flowers to lie on the floor.
In addition to the substances occurring everywhere in the plant kingdom, different amounts of flavonoids , tannins , essential oils , coumarins and furanocoumarins can be detected.
use
The folk medicine used hay flowers for envelopes , pads and baths for pain relief, sedation and relaxation of tense muscles and increase blood circulation . Hay flower baths, wraps and poultices are considered in folk medicine to strengthen the immune system and are used with success for colds and fevers as well as rheumatism . Hay flowers are also used externally for menopausal symptoms , vegetative dystonia , skin conditions , kidney and bladder problems. Sebastian Kneipp was already convinced of the positive effects of hay flowers - however, evidence-based medicine only attributes hay flowers to be effective as a local thermal therapy for rheumatic diseases. Hay flowers should not be used for open injuries, acute inflammations and acute rheumatic attacks. Side effects or allergic reactions are only to be feared in very rare cases. When using hay flowers as a bath or topping, detailed knowledge of the exact preparation is required, otherwise failures cannot be ruled out. Hay flowers are also often found in herbal mixtures and sachets. Here they primarily serve as a carrier for the essential oil contained in the mixture. Furthermore, like the hay itself, hay flowers are of course used to feed animals (e.g. for chickens, horses). In feed mixes, hay flowers are shown as an ingredient.
literature
- Pahlow, Mannfried (pharmacist): The great book of medicinal plants. Healthy through the healing powers of nature. Weltbildverlag, 2005, ISBN 3-8289-1839-5
- K. Hiller, M. Melzig: Lexicon of medicinal plants and drugs. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, 1999, special edition Weltbild, 2003, ISBN 3-8274-1499-7
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gentle Medicine: Home Remedies - Where Grandma Was Right . In: geo . ( geo.de [accessed on August 13, 2018]).
- ↑ Power of nature - "The hay flowers" - Gsund & Frisch. Retrieved August 13, 2018 .