Narcissus is a perennial bulbous plant of the Amaryllis family, delighting gardeners with bright white-yellow flowers that bloom in spring. Despite the fact that the flowering period of daffodils lasts only 10-12 days, they are planted both in household plots and in city flower beds, grown in greenhouses and cut into bouquets. However, in addition to ornamental, this plant has a number of healing properties for which it is valued in folk medicine. There are many types of narcissus; narrow-leaved narcissus is common in Russia.
In folk medicine, bulbs and flowers of narcissus are used. The bulbs are harvested in July: they are dug up, washed in running water and dried in the open air for a month (under a canopy). Store bulbs in plastic containers.
Flowers are harvested as they bloom during the flowering period (April-May) and dried in a well-ventilated place for 10-14 days. Store dried flowers in cloth bags or plastic containers. The shelf life of harvested bulbs and flowers is no longer than 1 year.
Composition and scope
Narcissus is rich in: tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, mucus, lipids, fatty acids.
Narcissus is used to treat:
- mastitis, tumor formations;
- rheumatism, knee pain;
- boils, inflammatory skin diseases;
- loose stools (including with blood);
- male infertility, inflammation of the prostate and adenoma;
- pain in the uterus;
- bladder diseases.
Narcissus is also used to disinfect and accelerate wound healing.
Recipes
Tincture for cough, bronchitis, whooping cough:
- 1 part dry narcissus herb;
- 10 parts vodka.
Grind the herb of daffodil, fill it with vodka and let it brew for 10 days. Then strain the resulting tincture and take 3-10 drops 3 times a day. This remedy will also help with loose stools, vomiting and headaches.
Skin fungus tincture:
- 3 bulbs of narcissus;
- 500 ml of vodka.
Grate the onions, cover with vodka and infuse for 7 days in a dark place. Then strain the resulting tincture. Wipe the affected areas of the skin several times a day. Also, this tool can be used to treat lichen, psoriasis and joint pain.
Narcissus juice for pain in the bladder and uterus:
- 3 drops of narcissus bulb juice;
- 1 tbsp water sweetened with honey.
Mix juice with water and drink.
!This treatment is contraindicated for pregnant women, as it can cause an abortion!
Oil from sciatica and hemorrhoids:
- 1 part narcissus bulb;
- 4 parts vegetable oil.
Grate the narcissus bulb on a fine grater, pour vegetable oil and leave to infuse for 7 days. Then strain the resulting oil. You need to store it in the refrigerator. For the treatment of sciatica and joints, rub oil on sore spots at night. To treat hemorrhoids, soak gauze pads with oil and apply them to inflamed veins for 2-3 hours.
Mastitis ointment:
- 1 part narcissus bulbs;
- 1 part rice porridge or rye flour.
Grind the narcissus bulbs and mix with thick rice porridge or rye flour. Apply the resulting ointment on the chest and wait for the mass to dry, then rinse with warm water. Repeat 2-3 times a day.
This ointment can also be used to treat sciatica and joint pain.
Infusion from mastitis:
- 1 daffodil bulb (medium size)
- 500 ml of boiling water.
Pour boiling water over the narcissus bulb and leave to infuse for an hour. Wipe the chest with the resulting infusion daily. This infusion can be used for treatment and prevention.
Infusion from adenoma:
- 1 tbsp narcissus bulbs;
- 400 ml of boiling water.
Grind the narcissus bulb, take a tablespoon of the resulting slurry and pour boiling water over it. Then put the resulting mixture for half an hour in a water bath. Cool the finished broth for 15 minutes and strain. Take 30-40 ml 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Sometimes, for example, in case of poisoning, it is necessary to induce vomiting. In this case, the narcissist will also help.
Infusion to induce vomiting:
- 1/4 of an onion or 1-2 dried narcissus leaves;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
Pour the vegetable raw materials with boiling water and let it brew for 10 minutes. To induce vomiting, you need to drink 3-5 glasses of such a remedy.
Lotion from purulent wounds and ulcers:
- 3 parts of a narcissus bulb;
- 1 part honey.
Grate a narcissus bulb on a fine grater, mix it with honey, apply it on a dense cloth and apply it to the diseased area of the skin, fixing it with a bandage. This lotion should be changed 1-2 times a day.
Ointment for burns and wounds:
- 100 g of narcissus bulbs;
- 100 g cow's butter;
- 100 g of vegetable oil;
- 100 g pork fat;
- 100 g goat fat;
- 100 g beeswax;
- 100g rosin;
- 10 g incense;
- 10 g of propolis.
Put the fat, oil and wax in an enamel saucepan, bring to a boil over low heat, add the rest of the ingredients and boil the mixture for 10 minutes. Strain the finished ointment through gauze and apply on sore spots. Also, this ointment can be used to treat skin cancer in the early stages.
Freckle lotion:
- 1 bulb of narcissus;
- 200 ml apple cider vinegar.
Grate the onion and pour over the apple cider vinegar. Let the lotion brew for 10 days, strain and wipe the freckled areas.
Contraindications
Narcissus is a poisonous plant, so everyone should take medicines based on this plant with caution. It is important to remember that narcissus affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis. A large number of daffodil flowers indoors causes headaches and nausea in many people.
Treatment with narcissus is categorically contraindicated:
- children;
- pregnant women, nursing mothers;
- people prone to allergic reactions;
- with individual intolerance.
“Daffodils are the heroes of our time. The power of their charm and charm acts on us like a magnet, but contacts with them are very "toxic" - disappointment is inevitable. So why do they attract us so much and then destroy us?
Sometimes we are so immersed in our own thoughts that we do not notice anything around. And suddenly a stranger attracts our attention: forgetting about all our worries, we literally cannot tear ourselves away from him.
THE EPIDEMIC OF NARCISSISM
More and more people have been infected with the "narcissism virus" in recent decades. The typical narcissist is a flamboyant, ambitious egocentrist, charming and brusque. He - well adapted to the modern world - has every chance to make a successful career, make and maintain profitable acquaintances, easily captivate the hearts of the opposite sex. Narcissists are the heroes of our time: many not only admire them, but also want to be just like them.
Narcissism is cultivated by modern society, encouraged in the media and the Internet space. It is worth turning on the TV, and we find ourselves on a reality show, each participant of which likes to be in the public eye and is ready for anything for the sake of popularity. Social media seems to be tailor-made for narcissists. This is an ideal place where you can express yourself, build the image that you want to demonstrate. Moreover, in the virtual world, it is often far from reality. And the names - MySpace, Twitter, Facebook - are real program declarations! Narcissists really bask in the glory, replenishing the list of friends daily, telling about new victories and achievements in their blogs.
In connection with the epidemic of narcissism, contact with the "infected" is almost inevitable, we meet them everywhere: at home, at work, on vacation. If narcissists were just klutzes or common rogues, interactions could easily be avoided. But the strength of their attractiveness, charm, charm acts like a magnet, and we are more and more drawn to them. However, contacts with them are very "toxic", and disappointment is inevitable. Therefore, it is important to be aware of who we are actually dealing with. Why do they attract so much and then destroy? Let's see what a narcissist is. After all, if you are forewarned, then you are forearmed.
HOW TO COUNT NARCISS?
People of a narcissistic warehouse are complex contemporaries. They are definitely a “surprise box”: personalities woven from paradoxes that are difficult to identify and understand. Let's try to highlight the main "signs" of a typical narcissist.
Brilliant persons
The narcissistic ego provides the wearer with a high level of superiority, an overwhelming "brilliance" and grandiosity that borders on megalomania. It is paradoxical that behind this “packaging” there is a lack of self-sufficiency, inner emptiness, depression and anxiety. The inner world of a narcissist is filled with negative experiences. This largely determines his defensive behavior: he is driven by the desire to create an image of a brilliant personality in the eyes of others and hide his own vulnerability even from himself.
The main thing in the life of such a person is to be different from the rest, to be different from everyone else, not to get lost in the “gray” crowd, to be a figure against its background. He would rather be known as "unformatted", crazy, rather than seem unremarkable to others. The narcissist constantly demonstrates his “chosenness”: in clothes, words, lifestyle. If he talks about his family, then as about the ideal, about the house - as about the exceptional, even if in fact everything is quite prosaic. In an effort to convince others of his own greatness, the narcissist idealizes everything connected with him. Colorful grotesqueness is his style.
Cold seducers
Treating people is another paradox of narcissistic behavior. Narcissists have little interest in others, but cannot live without them. They need an audience to enthusiastically admire, assent and applaud - this is an indispensable fuel for the narcissistic ego.
Narcissists can do spectacular things, give compliments, radiate warmth, show hyper-generosity and generosity - do everything just to lure another bewitched environment into their orbit. At the moment of "seduction" they use their charms "one hundred percent" and seem to us just extraordinary people. Therefore, they know how to instantly win sympathy, and then manipulate the "captives": they control all actions, control their attention and attitude. Narcissists like to dominate.
In communication, they use special tactics: they speak expressively, gesticulate violently, pause meaningfully, abruptly change the topic of conversation and make it clear to others that only their opinion is worthy of attention, and, of course, they are waiting for laudatory comments from their interlocutors addressed to them. We do not immediately notice that we are only objects and we are simply being used. After all, daffodils, at first glance, are extremely charming, kind, responsive, intelligent, witty. But do not forget that in fact they are cold and incapable of experiencing deep warm feelings for anyone. The show ends as soon as the cameras turn off.
Two-faced Januses
The next facet of the paradoxical narcissistic personality is the tendency to devalue other people, combined with dependence on their admiration.
The narcissist chooses an environment that supports ideas of his exclusivity. He idealizes those who treat him with due admiration. But even from the slightest neglect, he becomes furious, and the daredevil, who allows himself "too much", instantly devalues, throws him off his pedestal. Anyone who dares even the slightest bit of criticism is immediately guilty of insulting His Majesty. The narcissist himself in such cases immediately builds a wall of alienation and moves away. Distance is a defensive reaction to such a painful rejection. In this case, his message is unequivocal: “Since you don’t appreciate me, I don’t need you!” Moreover, the “offended” is convinced that either narrow-minded people or envious people can not be crazy about him: “You envy me because you are a loser!” Having made this conclusion, the narcissist no longer perceives the opinion of the "ill-wisher", he generally ceases to exist for him.
Consumers of love
The narcissist mistakenly believes in his own independence and thinks that he does not need anyone. But he needs to receive love from others. The emotions that a loving person gives are necessary to fill the inner emptiness. Therefore, he is looking for someone who is able to experience real feelings, seriously get involved in relationships. The narcissist himself is incapable of loving, not only another person, but also himself.
Close sincere contacts are not for him, because they give rise to dependence, and dependence on anyone provokes fear. Therefore, he always keeps his distance and controls his own emotions. The narcissist is adept at hooking the other, using, for example, the "principle of least interest": the less interest he shows in a relationship, the more power he has.
The narcissist's favorite game is cat and mouse. He either brings the person closer, then pushes him away, and if he feels that he is “flirting”, he breaks ties, and the partner remains at a loss and bewilderment of what he was guilty of. After “alliance” with a narcissist, many admit that they feel squeezed out, unable to make any new contacts. They say: “I don’t want anything anymore!”, “This is not for me, that’s enough!”, “I’m tired!”, “It’s better to be alone!” ... But this is how he defends himself from new injuries and disappointments.
Short-termism and promiscuity are key strategies in the narcissist's relationship with others. So he is protected from new injuries and disappointments. The “victim” is used to the maximum and emotionally squeezed out. And the “victim” herself, if not inclined to “self-torture”, nevertheless opens her eyes and ceases to idealize her idol. For him, such feedback is unbearable! That's why the narcissist is constantly looking for new admirers - to get the next dose of love. It is not surprising that his relationship with one person cannot last long.
According to Western psychologists, a person who meets a narcissist feels happy for four months. After this time point, he notes that things are drastically deteriorating. Ironically, the four-month mark in a relationship with a non-narcissist is the time when partners begin to derive maximum satisfaction from the union.
SAFETY
Interaction with a person of a narcissistic type is a serious test. If there is strength and interest, or we simply cannot imagine our life without it, we can try to save the relationship. But at the same time, you need to understand well the characteristics of your partner and be aware: there is a great danger that, having obeyed him, we will change ourselves. The narcissist usually seeks out people with strong feelings of guilt and shame and is easier to manipulate. He makes them suffer and then suffer with the question: “What did I do wrong, because everything was fine ?!” - and he feeds on these emotions. Therefore, do not forget that all efforts to maintain contact with such a partner should have a limit. Everything cannot be tolerated. If you feel that it is impossible to outline acceptable boundaries for you, you need to go away. The main thing to understand is that the narcissist enjoys being a narcissist. We can't change it, no matter how much we want to. We are just fuel for his "grand" fire. And you should try to accept the ended relationship not only as a valuable experience, but also as an unforgettable, albeit short-lived, holiday: fireworks of emotions, extraordinary courtship, special gifts, penetrating glances, grandiose plans for the future - after all, it all happened. And, therefore, you should not engage in self-destruction: blame him and feel sorry for yourself. It is better to evaluate everything maturely and put the most vivid memories in your life piggy bank.
IN CONCLUSION…
We all have narcissistic qualities. Let's try to accept that a narcissist lives in each of us, the only question is how pronounced it is. Self-confidence, ambition, the ability to self-present, the ability to easily find a common language with other people, win them over and manage them help us survive in the modern world. But in a hypertrophied form, these qualities can lead to unpleasant and even destructive consequences.
Understanding this will help not only reconcile us with other narcissists, but also control the narcissism in ourselves. And that means not to repeat the sad fate of that beautiful mythical young man who fell in love with his reflection, could not tear himself away from him and died of self-love.
In order to prevent poisoning, health officials advised supermarket managers not to lay out yellow daffodils for sale next to shelves with fruits and vegetables.
Grocery store workers have been asked to display spring flowers separately from groceries as they can cause indigestion, vomiting and, in severe cases, can land a person in a hospital bed.
Public Health England warns in a letter to management at major retailers that a large number of non-English speaking foreign shoppers are at risk for mistaking the flowers for vegetables.
For fear of poisoning among customers, supermarket workers are asked not to display spring yellow daffodils for sale near the grocery shelves or at the entrance to the store.
The appeal cites a case in which an entire family fell ill and required hospitalization after they bought daffodils and ate them without thinking they were flowers.
According to The Grocer magazine, the most common mistake is that the bulbs of daffodils are mistaken for onions, and the flowers themselves are often confused with vegetables and even green onions that are popular in China.
Yellow daffodil poisoning is incredibly common in Britain, and the flowers are a leading cause of accidental poisoning.
According to Public Health England, their National Poisoning Information Service received medical advice last year from 27 people who had to be treated for poisoning caused by eating yellow and white daffodils.
According to them, over the past six years, symptoms of this kind of poisoning have been recorded in 63 patients.
Public Health England chief medical officer Professor Paul Cosford warned in the appeal: "Yellow daffodils are poisonous when eaten and can cause poisoning."
“We know of a case in Bristol a few years ago where a number of non-English speaking buyers bought yellow daffodils and cooked them into a meal, thinking they were not flowers but vegetables.
Some of them required hospitalization."
Are yellow daffodils the real 'yellow menace'?
Despite the completely harmless appearance, all parts of the yellow daffodil are poisonous and can cause poisoning if eaten.
Most often, poisoning occurs due to the fact that people mistake daffodil bulbs for onions.
The stems and leaves are also often confused with a vegetable popular in China, which is used as a stuffing for dumplings. When eaten, they can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Despite the severe course of the disease, most of the poisoned recovered, and they did not need special treatment.
However, the poison contained in a small piece of a daffodil bulb is enough to kill a dog. And if the animal gnaws leaves or flowers, then this can lead to severe poisoning. Activists of the "Blue Cross" (Blue Cross - a voluntary society that provides free veterinary care to animals - approx. translation.) discourage dog owners from planting yellow daffodils in their garden.
Narcissus is the scientific name of Narcissus L. It is also called Narcissus Poeticus. The very name of this flower comes from the word ‘narkao’. This Greek word means stupefaction and intoxication. The flower received this name because of its intoxicating aroma or the poisonous features of the bulbs, known for a very long time. The second word in the name poeticus (poetic) shows the popularity of this plant among poets of all times and peoples. This flower is very popular in literature, second only to the rose.
The genus Narcissus includes forty species that are part of the Amaryllis family. In culture, there are a large number of hybrid forms and 25 species.
This plant is a bulbous perennial. The leaves are green, linear and basal. Flowers usually either come in clusters or are arranged singly. They are large. The flowers can be double or simple, slightly drooping, with a stupefying aroma.
The crown (corolla) of a flower is created by outgrowths of the perianth lobes. This part is cup-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular, of various lengths, and usually differs from the perianth lobes in color.
The fruit of the flower is a fleshy capsule. The plant flowers in May-June. Seeds are angular or rounded, there are many of them. Bulbs can be rounded, ovoid or flask-shaped, with two renewal buds.
Habitat
Daffodils can be found in Japan, China, Northern and Central Europe, on the rocky and wooded slopes of the uplands of Southern Europe, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean. Some types of plants are driven out in winter to decorate rooms and are part of the spring decoration of summer cottages.
In Russia, you can find narrow-leaved narcissus.
Chemical composition
Roots, leaves, inflorescences, bulbs contain fatty acids, mucus, lipids, alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins. The bulb, leaves and shoots contain mucus, which can negatively affect allergy sufferers, causing reddening of exposed skin on the hands. In different types of daffodils there are alkaloids that can cause poisoning of various degrees in animals.
Medicinal properties and uses of narcissus
Scientists in Japan determined in 1971 that narcissus alkaloids could be used to treat certain types of leukemia. Animals suffering from Rausch's leukemia could live longer in this case.
Hippocrates at one time used medicines from plants of the Amaryllis family, trying to cure malignant tumors.
Among the alkaloids, lycorine and galantamine were isolated.
The use of galantamine: polyneuritis, muscle atrophy, sciatica, consequences of poliomyelitis.
The beneficial properties of lycorine make it possible to use this alkaloid as an expectorant to alleviate the condition of patients suffering from acute and chronic inflammation of the lungs and bronchi with copious amounts of sputum.
In folk medicine, the healing properties of this flower were used to treat male infertility. In ancient Greece, a healing oil with a pleasant aroma was created to increase sexual desire.
The beneficial properties of daffodils allow them to be used as a wound healing and analgesic agent. In the East, the leaves of the plant became an excellent remedy for pain in the knee joints and head, as well as for diseases of the sciatic nerve and hemorrhoids.
The use of this by women made it possible to avoid the appearance of tumors and mastitis. To do this, they washed the chest with infusion. Pounded leaves are good for healing wounds.
And now herbalists recommend a decoction of the root to cure inflammation of the prostate and adenoma, as well as male infertility.
Narcissus oil is good for relaxation, it heals the nerves. The root is used for pain in the joints and nerve tumors. Essential oil allows you to get rid of cold and hard tumors in the abdominal cavity.
The plant is used for pain in the bladder and uterus.
Contraindications
The oil from this plant should not be used by pregnant women and children. Before use, an allergy and individual intolerance test should be carried out.
Collection and preparation
Bulbs and flowers are harvested in July.
Recipes
- Dry grass is ground, then insisted on vodka for 10 days. The ratio should be 1:10. After that, it is required to strain and take 3-4 times a day, 3-10 drops for the treatment of vomiting, diarrhea, cough, bronchial catarrh, bronchitis. Helps with whooping cough and headaches.
- Infusion of roots helps with mastitis. To make it, you need to take a medium-sized onion, pour boiling water over it (half a liter). Insist 60-70 minutes.
Synonym: jonquil, geranium.
Narcissus is a genus of monocotyledonous perennial herbaceous plants from the Amaryllis family, with a dense, underground bulb, leafless stem, and a single flower or few-flowered umbellate inflorescence. The genus includes 54 primary and 59 hybrid species (according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). All species of the genus are poisonous, contain the alkaloid narcissin.
The plant is poisonous!Ask the experts
In medicine
Narcissus is a non-pharmacopoeial plant and has no use in official medicine. However, research on the medicinal properties of narcissus has been going on for a very long time. Even Hippocrates used medicines from the Amaryllis family for the treatment of malignant tumors. And in 1971, in Japan, scientists determined that the alkaloids contained in narcissus can be used in the treatment of certain types of leukemia. Animals diagnosed with Rausch's leukemia lived longer when treated with narcissus alkaloids. Currently, scientists believe that the alkaloids found in the composition of the narcissus can help in the treatment of many diseases, including oncology, but further, more accurate studies are needed. It is known that the essence of narcissus flowers is actively used in homeopathy as a remedy for severe coughs, bronchitis, runny nose and frontal headaches.
Contraindications and side effects
Narcissus is a poisonous plant. Essence and tincture of narcissus, as well as its oil, should never be used by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children. This toxic plant should also be used with great caution by allergy sufferers.
In perfumery
The narcissus flower has a very strong, intoxicatingly sweet aroma. In ancient times, essential oil was extracted from the inflorescences of this plant, which was used in perfumery. It was described by Dioscorides. Now, due to the emergence of inexpensive synthetic flavors with a similar smell, narcissus essential oil is rarely used.
In horticulture
Narcissus is an incredibly popular garden plant. There is no exact data on the number of varieties of this flower, at present there are more than 12 thousand of them.
This perennial is unpretentious, its bulbs take root on the most meager soils. However, it is desirable that the soil be sufficiently fertile and light. When planting, it is better to add sand to clay soils, and humus to poor soils. It will not be superfluous to introduce fertilizers - superphosphate and potassium salt.
The best time for planting daffodils is the end of August - the beginning of September. Best of all for these flowers is a sunny or slightly shaded place, closed from drafts. Daffodils are planted in rows or groups on alpine hills, lawns, flower beds.
Daffodils can grow in one place from 3 to 10 years. They are transplanted when the bulb is heavily overgrown with children, degenerated into a large bush, the daffodil began to bloom weakly or stopped blooming altogether.
Classification
Narcissus (lat. Narcissus L.) is a genus of monocot plants of the Amaryllis family (lat. Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil.).
Currently, daffodils are divided into 13 groups (12 groups - garden flowers, 13 group - natural species and forms).
Group #1. Tubular (Trumpet) - the length of the flower tube is equal to or slightly longer than the length of the perianth lobes. There is one flower on the peduncle.
Group #2. Large-cupped - the length of the crown is no more than one third of the length of the perianth lobes and at the same time it is less than the length of the perianth. There is one flower on the peduncle.
Group #3. Small-cupped (Small-cupped) - the length of the crown should be no more than one third of the length of the perianth lobes. One flower on a peduncle.
Group number 4. Terry (Double) - on the peduncle there can be either one flower or several. The perianth is terry, the crown is also terry. This group is the most popular in horticulture and is divided into 5 more subgroups according to the shape of the flowers.
Group number 5. Triandrus (Triandrus) - this variety has a small crown, and the perianth lobes are slightly bent back. There are several small flowers on the peduncle. Varieties of this group are characterized by signs of three-stamen narcissus (N. triandrus).
Group number 6. Cyclamenoid (Cyclamineus). In this variety, the perianth segments are bent back very strongly. The tube is quite long, very narrow, protruding beyond the perianth lobes. One flower on a peduncle.
Group number 7. Jonquilla and Apodanthus - on the peduncle one or more medium-sized flowers with a strong aroma.
Group number 8. Tacetate (Tazetta) - on the peduncle there are several rounded flowers. The tube is very short. The aroma is strong. They need shelter.
Group number 9. Poetic (Poeticus) - characterized by a very large flower. The perianth segments are snow-white, the crown is flat, small. The main difference of this variety is a bright border on the crown, red or orange.
Group number 10. Hybrids N.bulbocodium (Bulbocodium) - only one flower is located on the peduncle. Weakly developed perianth lobes. The difference of the variety is a large, specific bell-shaped crown.
Group number 11. Split-crown (Split-corona: Collar and Split-corona: Papillon) - the crown is divided by more than half. In some cases, it is adjacent to the perianth, in others, on the contrary, it lags behind it. This is the youngest group, separated into a separate one only in 1975. It is further divided into 3 subgroups.
Group number 12. Other daffodils (Miscellaneous) - varieties that are not included in any of the other groups.
Group number 13. Species, wild forms and their hybrids (Species).
Botanical description
Garden or hybrid daffodils are perennial herbaceous plants 20-50 cm high from the Amaryllis family, with fairly dense bulbs and ribbon-shaped leaves of various widths. Leaves (in the amount of 2-6 pieces per plant) are linear in shape, flat or with keels on the underside, bluish-green, usually grow almost vertically and are only slightly inferior in height to peduncles. Peduncle green, usually with two longitudinal edges. The flowers are located on the very tops of leafless stems and are shrouded in membranous veil. Flowers are arranged one by one or several at once, depending on the variety. The perianth of the narcissus is petal-shaped, similar in shape to a tubular funnel, at the top turning into a horizontally straightened or slightly bent down limb. The limb consists of six identical parts. In its mouth there is a crown in the form of a small bell or a small shallow saucer. The crown can be lobed or solid. The six stamens are attached in two rows at the very top of the tubule. The ovary is lower, trihedral, the ovules are located in several rows in each nest, attached in the inner corners. The stigma is blunt, and the style is filiform. The fruit of the narcissus is a small three-celled box that bursts into three parts along its wings.
Spreading
In nature, there are about sixty species of narcissus, growing mainly in southern Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia. In culture, 25 species and a large number of hybrid forms are used, which are combined under the name "hybrid narcissus". They are planted in almost all countries of the world.
Distribution regions on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Bulbs and flowers of daffodils are harvested for medicinal purposes. Bulbs are harvested in July: they are cleaned from the ground, washed and dried in the open air from three weeks to a month, then placed in plastic containers.
The flowers are dried in the open air under a canopy for one and a half to two weeks, then packed in plastic containers or fabric bags.
It is necessary to store raw materials in a dry place. The shelf life of raw materials is 12 months.
Chemical composition
Triterpenes, flavonoids, mucus and fatty acids, as well as tannins and alkaloids lycorine and galantamine were found in the roots, inflorescences, leaves and bulbs of narcissus.
Pharmacological properties
Narcissus is a plant that has no use in official medicine, however, due to the alkaloids galantamine and lycorine included in its chemical composition, the plant has some medicinal properties. The lycorine contained in the narcissus endows it with expectorant properties and can be used as a remedy for acute and chronic inflammation of the lungs and bronchi with a large amount of sputum that is difficult to remove. Galantamine, contained in the plant, affects the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system, enhances the contractility of smooth muscles.
Application in traditional medicine
In folk medicine, both narcissus bulbs and its flowers are used to treat inflammatory diseases of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and tumor-like formations. It is believed that it helps well with mastitis (infusion wash the chest). The bulbs of the plant are crushed and applied to the site of inflammation, boils and carbuncles to accelerate their "ripening". Narcissus oil is used as an external remedy for hemorrhoids, pain in the knee joints and sciatica.
Ancient recipes describe the use of narcissus to treat bloody diarrhea.
In ancient Greece, the healing oil of narcissus was used to increase sex drive and treat male infertility. In the East, the leaves of these flowers served as a remedy for pain in the knee joints, headaches, pinched sciatic nerve and hemorrhoids. Pounded narcissus leaves were used to heal and disinfect wounds.
Now herbalists recommend a decoction of narcissus root for the treatment of inflammation of the prostate and adenoma, as well as male infertility.
Narcissus oil is good for relaxation, it heals the nerves. The root is used for pain in the joints. The plant is used for pain in the bladder and uterus.
Historical reference
The scientific name of the daffodil is Narcissus L. It is also called Narcissus Poeticus. There is no consensus on the origin of the word "narcissus". Most scientists are inclined to believe that it was first used in the 5th-6th centuries BC and came from the Greek word "narkao", which meant "to stupefy", "stun". It is believed that the word "narcissus" was first introduced by Hippocrates. But there is another version of the origin of this word. In the Persian language there was a term "nargis", which meant "freeze", "stiffen". Both variants of the origin of the word have the right to life. The fact is that the strong smell of poetic narcissus - the most famous species in those days - could cause a severe headache, intoxicate. It is believed that the words "anesthesia" and "narcissus" are the same root.
Homer wrote about the paralyzing properties of narcissus juice. It is now known that absolutely all types of daffodils are poisonous, even rodents do not eat the bulbs of the plant - great fans of bulbs.
In The Canon of Medicine, Avicenna wrote about the daffodil:
"Narcissus root, especially when mixed with chaff meal and meyom, removes thorns and arrowheads. Narcissus reduces freckles and bahak; narcissus root in vinegar helps especially with this. Narcissus dries wounds and sticks them tightly, even tendon ruptures. Rubbed with honey Narcissus is applied on fire burns, on nerve wounds and on deep-seated ulcers.When mixed with vetch and honey, it cleanses the ulcers of dirt.
Narcissus oil is good for the nerves, and medicinal dressings are made from its root for tumors of the nerves, with their knots and for pain in the joints.
Narcissus oil dissolves hard and cold tumors in the obstruction of the chest, if rubbed on the chest. Narcissus helps with pain in the uterus and in the bladder. If you drink 4 dirhams (dirham - 3 g) of narcissus in water sweetened with honey, it expels the fruit alive or dead. Narcissus oil opens up a contracted uterus and helps with uterine pain."
In the language of flowers, narcissus means deceptive hopes, desires, selfishness.
According to an ancient Greek legend, a young and handsome young man, Narcissus, very cruelly refused a nymph who confessed her love to him. The nymph, dying of grief, cast a spell on him: "May he also fall in love with the first person he sees." On a hot afternoon, young Narcissus leaned over to drink from a stream and saw his reflection. Never seen a Narcissus of such beauty before. He lost his peace and eventually died from his strange love. Where he was last seen, a fragrant white flower of cold beauty grew. Since then, the mythical goddesses of retribution, the Furies, have adorned their heads with wreaths of daffodils. Narcissus is an ancient symbol of selfishness and selfishness.
Narcissus as a garden plant has been known for a long time, it was grown in England at the end of the 16th century. Wild plants were used to create basic varieties of complex hybrids. Traditionally, specialists from the UK, the Netherlands, the USA and New Zealand are engaged in the selection of daffodils. In order not to get confused in the huge variety of varieties, a single international classification of cultivated varieties of narcissus was introduced. The registration of daffodil varieties in this classification is handled by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Literature
1. Chopik V.I. Ornamental herbaceous plants for the open ground of the USSR. In 2 volumes / N. A. Avrorin. - L .: Science, Len. otd., 1977. - T. 1. - S. 106-111.
2. E. N. Zaitseva, E. T. Novikova. Introduction of daffodils // Introduction and methods of culture of flower and ornamental plants. - M.: Nauka, 1997. - 168 p.
4. Narcissus, plants from the Amarillaceae family // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
