Crazy cucumber is an annual or perennial plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Its characteristic feature is the ability to throw seeds over long distances when the fruits ripen. This culture contains many useful substances, and therefore has medicinal properties. Due to this, the plant is often used in folk medicine. Some people grow the crop to decorate arches, fences, and gazebos.
Description of the plant
This culture is considered very unpretentious. It is found on sea coasts covered with pebbles, in wastelands, on roadsides, and in deserts.Crazy cucumber reproduces by seed. Before planting, the grains need to be soaked, after which they can be planted in greenhouses, greenhouses or flower pots.
Crazy cucumber is characterized by a whitish tap root system. It has thick climbing stems that spread along the soil or climb upward. On the outside they are covered with stiff hairs and do not have antennae. The length of the stem can reach 1 meter or even more.
The leaves are distinguished by an alternate arrangement and are on long, fleshy petioles measuring 5-15 centimeters. They have a lobed or heart-shaped-ovoid shape, 5-10 centimeters long and 4-8 centimeters wide. The foliage is green on top, gray-tomentose underneath and covered with a large number of short hairs.
The flowering of the crop begins in July and lasts until September. It is a monoecious plant with dioecious flowers. They are large in size, emerge from leaf axils and have a yellow-green color. The corolla has the shape of a bell and 5 blades. The female flowers are solitary and borne on long stalks. In this case, the male ones form axillary racemes on long peduncles.
Fruit ripening occurs in August-October. The fruit resembles in shape an elongated pumpkin of a bluish-green hue. Its length reaches 4-6 centimeters. The outside of the fruit is covered with spiny bristles. At the same time, it is quite juicy inside. Visually, the fruit looks like a thick cucumber.
At the stage of fruit ripening, even the slightest touch or breeze leads to their sharp separation from the stalk. Through the resulting hole, many seeds with mucus are thrown out. They are distinguished by their dark brown color, smooth surface and elongated shape.The length of the fruits reaches 4 millimeters.
Chemical composition
The composition of the mad cucumber has not been fully studied. However, it has been established that the stems and roots of the plant contain carotenoids, alkaloids, and steroids. They also contain organic acids, vitamins C and B1, and compounds that contain nitrogen. These fragments also include fatty acids. The fruits contain vitamins B, C, A. In addition, they contain various alkaloids and elatericin.
Beneficial features
Crazy cucumber has many beneficial properties. With its help you can get the following results:
- cope with diarrhea;
- achieve healing of trophic ulcers and wounds;
- improve the condition of gout and rheumatism;
- eliminate skin diseases, including fungal ones;
- cope with neuralgia;
- eliminate sinusitis and inflammation of the nasal mucosa;
- cope with kidney diseases;
- strengthen the immune system;
- improve the condition of colds;
- get rid of swelling;
- cope with liver diseases;
- stop the growth of malignant cells.
Instructions for procurement of raw materials
Various fragments of the crop - unripe fruits, roots, grass - can be used as medicinal raw materials. To harvest the above-ground part, the stems need to be cut, divided into fragments, washed and dried in the shade. To determine the readiness of the raw materials, you need to try to bend the stems. They should break easily.
It is recommended to collect roots in the fall. First you need to dig them up, remove the soil and wash them with water. After this, dry it outside in the sun or place it in a room with good ventilation, and then dry it.
The fruits are usually used fresh. Juice or infusions are made from them. The fruits can also be dried.To do this, you need to cut them into 2 parts and dry them in the sun. It is recommended to keep the finished raw materials in a closed glass container and use them within a year.
How the plant is used
The processed raw materials can be used for the manufacture of various drugs. Externally, mad cucumber is used to combat the following pathologies:
- Fungal infection. In this case, you need to take 200-250 grams of fresh fruits and pour 3 liters of boiling water. Leave the broth to infuse for 2-3 hours. If desired, you can put 1 small spoon of honey in it. The infusion can be used for foot baths.
- Haemorrhoids. Prepared fruits need to be boiled in sesame oil. After which the mixture must be cooled and used for its intended purpose.
- Gout. To improve the condition of this pathology, you need to squeeze the juice from cucumber fruits, mix it with vinegar and use it as compresses on sore areas of the body.
Also, formulations based on crazy cucumber are suitable for internal use. They can be used to treat the following pathologies:
- Runny nose. Fresh juice from the fruits of the plant must be combined with milk and dropped into the nose.
- Angina. In this case, it is recommended to mix the juice of the plant’s fruits with honey and olive oil. Apply the resulting mixture to the throat 2-3 times a day.
- Helminthiasis. To destroy worms, you need to take 1 small spoon of culture fragments and pour 250 milliliters of boiling water. Infuse the mixture for 1 hour, then strain and drink half an hour before meals three times a day. A single dosage is 5 grams. This remedy helps cope with swelling and acts as a laxative.
The fruits of the mad cucumber are also used in cooking. They taste like persimmons.Young 10-day-old fruits are suitable for fresh consumption. They should still be green. More mature specimens cannot be eaten as they have a very bitter taste. These cucumbers should be soaked in salt water for 12 hours.
After this, you need to peel the fruits, and stew the pulp or use it to make salads. It is also permissible to salt and marinate crazy cucumbers.
Precautionary measures
It is important to consider that crazy cucumber is considered a poisonous plant that should not be eaten without consulting a specialist. The juice and pulp of the culture can cause nausea and vomiting. The plant also often causes increased drowsiness, abnormal stools with blood, and headaches. If the juice gets on the skin, there is a risk of burns and ulcers.
To neutralize the negative effect of the plant, it is worth using other herbs. These include anise, parsley, sabur. However, an experienced herbalist must select the optimal proportions.
Crazy cucumber is a unique plant that brings great benefits to the body. In order for the culture to give the desired effect, it is important to use it correctly, strictly following the instructions.
