Walker
Useful properties and use of medicinal walnut
Botanical characteristics of the walker
The walker is a one-, less often biennial herbaceous plant. Its height reaches 15-50 cm, the stem is erect, spread out, branched, round. Basal leaves are pinnately dissected, with oblong-ovate toothed terminal feathers. The upper leaves are small, sessile, lanceolate, serrated spear-shaped (sometimes arrow-shaped).
The flowers of the plant are small, pale yellow in color. They are characterized by the presence of four petals up to 4 mm long, six stamens and one pistil. Flowers are collected in spike-shaped brushes. Walker pods adhere closely to the stem. The plant bears fruit with fluffy lanceolate-subulate pods, the length of which is 10-15 mm. The seeds are about 2 mm long and are characterized by a reddish-brown color and an angular shape. The seeds are poisonous.
The plant begins to bloom in May and ends in November.
The walker grows in the European part of Russia, in the Far East, in the Caucasus, in Siberia. It can be found as a weed on roads, in gardens, near buildings, in vegetable gardens and fields - in all places where weeds grow.
Useful properties of the walker
The walker is a medicinal plant, it is used in folk medicine.
To prepare medicinal infusions and decoctions, all parts of the plant are prepared: flowers, leaves, stems and pods are used. It should be noted that the herb is not dried, but used fresh. Collect it during the flowering period.
The walker in its composition contains substances, the presence of which explains the healing capabilities of the plant. In the aerial part, tannins, cardenolides, flavonoids, thioglycoside glucobrassicin, and glycosides were found. Essential mustard oil, palmitic, eicosene, arachidic and oleic acids, vitamin C were found in the seeds.
Application of the walker
The walker is used by traditional healers in many countries to treat a number of diseases. It is worth noting that the herb is used exclusively in traditional medicine.
For a long time, infusions and decoctions based on the walker were used to treat pneumonia, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, secretory insufficiency, gastritis, inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system, as well as general weakness of the body.
Infusions were also used externally: for treating wounds, treating abrasions, stomatitis, catarrhal sore throat, bruises and even scabies.
The walker has pronounced anti-inflammatory, expectorant, diuretic, astringent properties, and is also recognized as an effective means of increasing appetite.
It is believed that infusions from the walker help cure cancer.
Recipes for infusions and decoctions from a walker
Recipe number 1: 1 tablespoon of raw materials (herbs of a walker) must be poured into a container and pour 250 ml of boiling water. The resulting mixture should be infused for 2 hours, then strain thoroughly. The use of honey is allowed. Reception scheme: 1 tablespoon 20-30 minutes before meals 4-5 times a day. You need to take the product warm. This infusion is prescribed for the treatment of hoarseness of the voice, respiratory tract (bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis), scurvy, problems with urination, edema.
Recipe number 2: you need to take fresh, carefully chopped leaves of a walker, pour an equal amount of water, leave for 1 hour and squeeze the leaves. The resulting juice is recommended to drink in sips throughout the day, 50-100 g per day. It is prescribed as an effective diuretic and expectorant.
Losel's walker
Loesel's walker is an annual cruciferous plant. A single erect stem with hard pubescence, can reach a height of 1 meter. The leaves are alternate, pinnately incised or pinnately divided, also covered with hard pubescence. The flowers are yellow and collected in a long panicle. The fruit is a pod, the seeds of which can be colored red-brown or yellow.
The plant blooms throughout the summer from May to September, bears fruit - from June to late autumn.
The natural area of Losel's walker is the entire territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, Europe, Mongolia, Central Asia, the Far East and Iran. This type of walker grows in meadows, on the banks of rivers, lakes and reservoirs, along roads, in wastelands.
Infusions and decoctions from Losel's walker do not have any healing effect on the body, therefore this plant is not used in folk and traditional medicine. Due to its simplicity in cultivation, Losel's walker is successfully used as feed for herbivores.
Walker tall
The tall walker is a one- and two-year-old cruciferous plant. A coarse single stem in the lower part is covered with hard pubescence, reaches a height of 20 to 80 cm. The lower leaves are pinnately-divided, the upper ones are pinnately dissected. The flowers are numerous, painted in a pale yellow color, collected in a brush. The fruit is a pod 5–8 cm long. The seeds are small (1–1.2 mm long) and brown in color.
The high walker blooms throughout the summer period (from June to August), bears fruit in July-September.
The natural area of the tall walker is almost the entire territory of Russia (except for the northern regions), Ukraine, Belarus, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Moldova. The plant prefers to grow in nutrient-rich soil (including saline). This species is widespread almost everywhere - it is found on roadsides, wastelands, river banks, vegetable gardens, meadows, etc.
The tall walker is successfully used as a forage plant for herbivores.
Contraindications to the use of a walker
A decoction of the drug walker should be used with extreme caution in case of hypertension, pyelonephritis, nephritis in the stage of exacerbation and individual intolerance.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
