Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Bush, in good condition, it reaches up to five feet tall. During the first year of cultivation is a rosette of leaves at ground level, where the stem itself out in the second year of life, the latter turn out, oval leaves with serrated edges, which are coated with a villus call clears, it's pretty thick and gives a white or yellowish coloration. For its perfect development environment what are the best places rocky, rural areas and near mountains, thus being more common in the north of the country.

FLOWERING

The flowers, yellowish-white, have the peculiarity of having the calyx and corolla soldiers in one piece and divided both into five lobes. They are located at the end of the stem, forming large, compact clusters. The ideal time to look at the flowers covers the months from May to October. Harvesting is done in the flowering season, pending the opening of the flowers, what happens at midmorning. Drying is carried out as quickly as possible, taking advantage of the sun but avoiding the presence of wind in any case. To improve the process is placed on the sample of newspaper to absorb moisture, while avoiding the obscuring of flowers, a fact which indicates the loss of much of its activity. Store in jars with topaz-thus avoiding the deleterious effect of light on the sample-and hermetically sealed to prevent moisture from the environment can alter it.

APPLICATIONS

Contains large amounts of mucilage, saponins, triterpenes, carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, traces of essential oil and harpagoside. Used as an expectorant, cough suppressant, soothing and anti-inflammatory. Therefore is indicated for respiratory diseases such as pharyngitis, bronchitis and asthma. . Furthermore, its high content of mucilage is also recommended to regularize the intestinal transit. Its anti-inflammatory qualities gives optimum effect in the case of abraded skin, burns and hemorrhoids.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion of flowers. It adds three grams of dried flowers in 250 milliliters of water and boiled, leaving it in contact for ten minutes after the expiry of this time, filtered through a cotton sieve is capable of retaining the stamens, as these can cause irritative cough . It can be taken before three main meals a day.
Decoction. Are added 80 grams of flowers and leaves in a quart of boiling water, leaving it at that temperature for ten minutes, then filtered and allowed to temper, to perform washing of wounds and also used in the form of enema, in cases of diarrhea.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Escrofulariaceas
HABITAT: Mallorca and Northern Peninsula
FLOWERING: May and summer
PART USED: Flowers, leaves and roots
CASTILIAN: Guardalobo
CATALAN: Tripó
BASQUE: Ostaza
GALICIAN: Barbasco

USES

Fort Expectorant, Antitussive Strong, Strong anti-inflammatory.