Mouse pea is a perennial plant that blooms from June to September. The culture is not used in official medicine, but it is often used to prepare folk remedies. The plant contains many useful components. Thanks to this, the culture can be used to eliminate swelling, heal wounds and relieve pain. It is important to take into account that the plant contains toxic components.
Description of the plant
This herbaceous crop has a branched stem that reaches a height of 130-150 centimeters. It is covered with small gray fibers on top. The pinnate leaves look a little like acacia. There are curled tendrils at the tips of the branches. They contribute to the growth of culture. With the help of these elements, the plant clings to other surfaces.
During flowering, which lasts from June to September, the branches of the crop bend somewhat to the ground. At the same time, the plant looks very decorative. Its flowers can be purple, white or ultramarine in color.
Often there are up to 40 buds of unusual shape on 1 branch. They reach 10 millimeters in length. Elongated petals bloom only at the ends of the flowers. Two of them have a darker color and contrasting veins, and two have a lighter color. Such unusual combinations add zest to landscape design.
The most common types of mouse peas include the following:
- Fence - actually found along fences. This culture wraps its tendrils around the picket fence. Sometimes she covers the surface with a continuous carpet. The plant is characterized by pink-purple or purple flowers. The stipules of the crop contain nectary pockets that attract ants. They help repel parasites. Beans are the narrowest of the crop types. After ripening they acquire a black color.
- Common - its flowers form clusters and can be purple or pink in color. The seeds contain toxic alkaloids. However, the seeds have an unpleasant taste, which is why no one eats them.
- Forest - found in forests and clearings.This culture is characterized by white five-membered flowers, which have purple veins near the throat. The leaves are round or ovoid in shape and are arranged in pairs of 6-10 pieces. This variety is considered the longest. The scourge reaches several meters.
- Seeding is a low-growing, branched variety that is used for making silage. To do this, the plant is combined with oats or barley. The crop is also used as a honey plant. In the absence of care, seed peas quickly run wild and lose their commercial characteristics. If the plant is planted in late August or early September, it can be used as green manure. In this case, the crop saturates the soil with nitrogen substances and loosens heavy soils.
- Narrow-leaved - the flowers are purple-violet in color. They can be solitary or growing in pairs. The leaves are distinguished by a pairwise-linear arrangement of 4-8 pieces. Branched tendrils are present at the tops of deciduous cuttings. The annual plant reaches a maximum of 80 centimeters. In most cases, its dimensions do not exceed 40-50 centimeters. The culture is considered very unpretentious.
- Kashubian - has a purple-violet corolla with drooping flowers up to 1.5 centimeters in size. The culture develops best in sandy soil. That is why it is often found in Central Asia. Kashubian peas also grow in the south of the European part of Russia. A distinctive feature of the culture is its long creeping rhizome.
- Hairy - distinguished by thin tetrahedral stems and a thin, long creeping rhizome. The stems rarely reach 1 meter in length. During growth, the crop rests on other upright plants. It is characterized by small flowers up to 5 millimeters in size. They form clusters of inflorescences.
Chemical elements in it
Fresh culture contains the following components:
- flavonoids;
- carotene;
- vitamin E;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- ascorbic acid.
The seeds contain the following components:
- proteins;
- starch;
- hemagglutinin anti-A.
The shell includes the glycoside vicianin, which is a narcotic substance. This is why the plant has a bitter taste. The tubers of the crop contain bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air. In autumn the plants die off. In this case, nitrogenous substances remain in the soil.
Useful properties of peas
Mouse peas can be used to combat many pathologies. For this, fresh or dried herbs are used. Young greens during the ripening of beans are used in cooking to make healthy salads. It is also added to soups and stews.
Thanks to the use of peas in folk medicine, the following results can be achieved:
- stop bleeding and heal wounds;
- cope with seizures and achieve a calming effect - the composition is used as an addition to therapy for neuroses and epilepsy;
- eliminate swelling due to kidney pathologies and dropsy;
- achieve a diuretic effect;
- accelerate the maturation of abscesses;
- soften tumor formations;
- eliminate inflammation of hemorrhoids;
- obtain an antioxidant effect in case of threat of poisoning by toxic substances;
- improve the permeability of vascular walls and prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis;
- cope with the symptoms of hepatitis C, viral pneumonia, influenza;
- improve the condition of arthritis and bronchitis - in this case, the product is used to prepare compresses.
Contraindications
Mouse peas contain a large amount of toxic substances, so they must be used very carefully.Before using culture-based products, you should consult your doctor. Compliance with the dosage is of no small importance.
Products based on mouse peas are prohibited from being used in the following cases:
- pregnancy;
- lactation;
- salt metabolism disorders;
- dehydration of the body.
Where is the plant used?
Culture is used in a variety of spheres of life - in folk medicine, agriculture, cooking.
Medicine
In official medicine, culture is used quite rarely. Medicines are made based on the plant, but they are positioned as insufficiently studied. Probably the reason lies in the weak effect of medicinal substances that are extracted from vetch.
Synthetic drugs are cheaper and more accessible. However, research continues to be carried out. Perhaps scientists will be able to reduce the cost of production processes associated with obtaining medicines from different fragments of a culture.
Household and other areas of application
Sometimes fields are specially sown with this legume and used as a honey plant. In this case, the green mass can be used as silage for cattle. It is also suitable for the production of grass meal and hay.
How to treat with peas
In the summer, the plant's grass and its roots are harvested for medicinal purposes.In this case, the green mass must be spread in an even layer in a well-ventilated room and dried until it begins to crumble in your hands.
The roots must be dug out carefully to damage as little as possible. They need to be dug out of the ground, washed in running water and dried in a draft. Medicinal raw materials must be stored in closed paper bags for 2 years.
For bronchitis
To cope with bronchitis, you need to take 3 tablespoons of chopped dry herbs and pour 2 glasses of cold water, heat to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. After this, the composition must be cooled for at least 2 hours. Then you need to strain it and drink 60 milliliters before meals.
For hepatitis
In this case, it is recommended to take 20 grams of dry crushed roots and pour a glass of boiling water. Then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Then leave the broth for at least 3 hours. It needs to be strained, squeezed and taken 50 milliliters 3 times a day. This must be done before eating.
For swelling
To get rid of swelling, it is recommended to take 20 grams of dry herb, add a glass of cold water and, slowly heating, bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and leave to steep for 2 hours. Strain the finished mixture and take 2 tablespoons three times a day.
Open wounds
In this case, you need to take a mixture of dried stems and leaves, add half a glass of boiling water and leave for 3-4 hours. If you don’t have a thermos, you can wrap the container in thick woolen cloth. Then a cotton-gauze napkin must be well moistened in the resulting composition and applied to the affected area.To increase the effectiveness of the product, it is recommended to alternately use lotions and compresses made from brewed hibiscus flowers.
Cough
When a cough occurs, take 3 tablespoons of dried mouse pea grass and pour 2 cups of boiling water. The resulting mixture should be left under a woolen cloth or cotton blanket and left for 2 hours. Then you need to strain the composition and take half a glass 3 times a day.
To speed up the process of removing phlegm, you need to combine an infusion of mouse pot and mustard compresses. In this case, you need to add 2 drops of citric acid solution to the composition. This product enhances the effect of mustard powder.
How to pick peas
Mouse peas are recommended to be collected in early summer. This should be done before the beans ripen. The harvesting period coincides with the collection of nectar by bees. In this case, you can harvest stems with leaves and tendrils, as well as flowers.
To obtain a medicinal composition, it is recommended to cut the stem 10-15 centimeters from the rhizome. The root itself must be carefully dug out with a spatula so as not to damage the lateral processes. After this, you need to rinse the roots clean in running water and dry.
It is recommended to keep the collected medicinal raw materials in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight. It must be stored in a cool place. In this case, you should not use tin cans or plastic bags. For storage it is allowed to use linen or paper bags.
Mouse peas are a medicinal crop that is often used in folk medicine. This culture contains a large number of valuable components. It is important to use it correctly, strictly following the instructions. Otherwise, there is a risk of poisoning the body.
