Hemlock (Conium), or omegas, is a herbaceous biennial of the Umbrella family. The plant is most common in Europe, Asia Minor, North America. Inhabits meadows, forest edges, limestone slopes. Near residential buildings it grows like a weed, since it does not have decorative features. And if it is grown where, then only as a medicinal plant.
Hemlock herb description
The genus includes 4 species. But the more famous spotted hemlock, which is cultivated and used for medicinal purposes.
The plant has an oblong fusiform root. The stem is glabrous, hollow inside, and outside it is covered with threadlike depressions, enveloped in a grayish downy. Reaches a height of about 180 cm. At the bottom of the stem there are red-brown spots, which is why the hemlock was positioned as a spotted one.
In the first year of life, only basal leaves appear, growing on petioles and resembling parsley in shape. The rest of the leaves appear only in the second year. They are smaller than the lower leaves, simple in structure, without petioles, practically sessile.
Small flowers are collected in miniature white umbrellas, which are combined into paniculate inflorescences with 12 to 20 rays.
The flowering period begins in July. And already in August-September, you can harvest the fruits. These are rounded light brown ribbed boxes. When ripe, they crumble into small half-fruits, 3-4 cm in size. And the plant itself disappears.
A distinctive feature of the hemlock is the mouse smell, thanks to which this poisonous plant can be identified.
Growing a hemlock from seeds
It is best to grow hemlock from seedlings. At the end of winter, the collected seeds are soaked. After their swelling, they are sown in an ordinary seedling substrate. It is deepened shallowly, by 2-3 cm. To create a greenhouse effect, cover with foil or glass. They are placed in a warm room. No special conditions for germination are required. They are looked after like any other flower seedlings.
In mid to late May, the sprouts are transferred to soil fertilized with humus. The distance between seedlings is 80-90 cm, and the location of the plantings is the sunny side of the site. Good watering is essential. You can skip the planting procedure in boxes, and immediately transfer the swollen seeds to the ground.
Hemlock care in the garden
Hemlock can grow where in winter the temperature is at least minus 30 degrees. There must be a snow cover, which allows the biennial plant to overwinter. In its absence, hemlock is covered with branches, straw. The weed is found on wastelands, along roads and along river banks, in abandoned garden plots. It grows violently, especially on nutritious soils.
Collecting and storing hemlock
All parts of the plant, except for the root, are classified as medicinal raw materials. These are leaves, inflorescences, stems and fruits. The grass is harvested at the beginning of flowering, always in windy weather. It's June-July. Approach the hemlock from the direction of the wind.When collecting the hemlock, you should be as careful as possible: wear rubber gloves, do not inhale toxic fumes, keep children away, do not taste the hemlock.
Remove the grass with a sharp knife, pruner or scissors. They choose rough and tough stems and discard them as unnecessary. The remaining grass is spread on a cloth surface or paper in a thin layer.
Dried in the shade at a temperature not exceeding 20-25 degrees, provided there is good ventilation. Grass is stirred from time to time so that it dries out evenly, does not rot and does not get wet. As soon as the leaves begin to grind well in the hand, and the stems break with a bang, it is considered that the raw material is ready.
The fruits are harvested when fully ripe. The drying process is the same as for grass. In the finished fruit, the seeds begin to fall out from their umbrellas.
The finished raw materials are laid out in glass jars with tight lids and stored in a dry, dark place. Shelf life is no more than 2 years. It is forbidden to select a storage space accessible to children. And also put jars next to food.
Diseases and pests
One can only note the fungal infection of the hemlock, and even then in the absence of good drainage, and stagnation of fluid in the root system. At the first symptoms, diseased plants are removed, and the rest are treated with fungicidal compounds.
Hemlock: benefit and harm
Healing properties
Recently hemlock is becoming more widespread in folk medicine and homeopathy. This is not surprising. The plant, along with poisonous alkaloids, contains retinol, ascorbic acid, tannins, essential oils necessary for the body.
Due to their rich composition, preparations based on herbs and seeds have a positive effect in the following areas: pain relief, strengthening of immunity, wound healing, sedation, disinfection, elimination of malfunctions of blood vessels and heart, treatment of chronic infectious diseases, fight against tumors and neoplasms ...
Hemlock herb treatment excludes dairy products, canned foods and fatty oils, alcoholic beverages from the diet. And also it is necessary to minimize salt and sugar.
Contraindications
Hemlock leaves are similar to parsley. When assembling, do not confuse these copies. Otherwise, you can get poisoned. The unpleasant smell of the plant often leads to headaches and irritation. And non-observance of the rules of preparation and storage can lead to unpredictable consequences. The first symptoms of poisoning include: nausea, increased blood pressure, arrhythmia, irritability, tremors, dilated pupils, pallor of the skin, speech disorders.
You cannot treat the poisoning yourself. You should immediately call a doctor at home and get qualified help.
Since the plant contains poisonous components, it is hardly possible to do without consulting a doctor. With certain deviations in the body, hemlock is contraindicated. These include: elderly or children's age, periods of pregnancy and lactation, general depletion of the body, impaired immunity, liver and biliary tract diseases, rehabilitation after surgery.
Hemlock recipes
Tincture for alcohol.To prepare the infusion, take the following components: alcohol and fresh green product in a volume ratio of 2: 1. Shredded raw materials are poured with 96% alcohol, tightened with a tight lid and left in the refrigerator for 18 days.
Water infusion.The tincture is prepared from dry raw materials and water, so it turns out to be more gentle and soft. For cooking, mix 1 tsp. herbs and 250 g of boiling water. Insist 2-3 hours in a thermos or other sealed container. Then filter and store the infusion in the refrigerator.
Vodka tincture.The selected container is filled by a third with green or dry hemlock grass. The remaining two parts are filled with vodka, closed with a lid and insisted for 21 days, regularly shaking the vessel.
Hemlock ointment.This ointment, which relieves pain, heals skin diseases, is prepared from herbs, seeds and olive oil. 50 g of raw material is placed in a glass bottle, 500 ml of oil is poured, mixed and closed. Insist 3 weeks, and then use as directed.
The described remedies are taken depending on the complexity of the disease according to the appropriate scheme, which is determined only by the doctor.
