Contents
PROPERTIES OF ROUGH STAR-THISTLE
What is knapweed?
Common noun: Rough Star-thistle, Knapweed
Scientific noun: Centaurea aspera L.
Family: Daisy family – compositae.
Habitat: Dry places with grass. Uncultivated lands.
Characteristics of Knapweed
A very ligneous plant till 50 cm tall. Stems hairy below. Very rough leaves; lower ones stalked and divided; upper ones without stalks toothed or undivided. Big, single flower- heads till 2 cm wide of white or purple flowers.
Picking up and storing: The plant must be collected in Spring when in full bloom. It must be stored in dark place in a clean airtight container.
Medicinal properties of Knapweed
Internal use
- Hypoglucemiant: (It diminishes the quantity of sugar in the blood and urine) Infusion of the flower heads twice a day, in the morning and before going to bed. It is a very bitter infusion that must be taken without any kind of sugar or sweet. It is advisable to analyze the levels of sugar in the body after two weeks of treatment to decide the amount of plant that must must be used in the infusion.
More information about plants.
This article was endorsed by Elisenda Carballido - Dietitian nutritionist. Postgraduate in Phytotherapy and master in Nutrition and Metabolism.
