What is kurai? Plant or musical instrument? Both are correct. The umbrella family is united in one word - kurai. But it is also called a musical instrument, which is made from their dried stems.
The best for these purposes is the Ural rib-fruit. No wonder this plant has become a symbol of Bashkiria. There he is treated with respect and even depicted on the coat of arms.
It should be said that kurai is a plant that has a burning toxic juice. If it comes into contact with the skin, it causes a burn, and if it gets into the eyes, it causes blindness. But people have adapted to such a neighborhood, especially since some members of this family have healing properties.
Pride of Bashkiria
Ural ribwort has become a symbol of Bashkiria for a reason. In addition to the fact that a longitudinal flute is made from it - the national Bashkir instrument, it has healing power. For medicinal purposes, the herb and roots of this plant are used. Stems, leaves and roots are rich in nutrients, including essential oils, coumarins, saponins, acids, flavonoids.
Infusions and decoctions are made from properly harvested raw materials. They are drunk atinfection of the body with helminths. They are also useful for various skin diseases. With panaritiums, boils, abscesses, ulcers, poultices from the roots of this plant are applied to wounds. Decoctions are drunk for various pulmonary diseases. In addition, the powder made from the roots is able to stop bleeding, soothe pain, and heal wounds.
There are many of them
Ural ribwort or kurai is a plant that grows not only in Bashkiria. Representatives of his family spread not only in Russia, for example in Siberia, but also in Mongolia, Japan, Korea, and China. It is easy to recognize, as the umbrella family includes plants with flowers of a certain type. This gave the name to the whole family.
Ural ribwort blooms in June-July. On its flower-bearing shoot there are several brush-like flowers. Moreover, the central ones are larger than the lateral ones. The thickness of the stem is 1-2 cm. It reaches a height of 70-120 cm. Its leaves are triangular, pinnate.
There are others
Kurai is a plant that can be different. This name can also be used to refer to other representatives of the umbrella family. For example, angelica (angelica). It is also called the beautiful word “angelica”, because it is so useful that, according to legend, the Archangel Michael himself used it to heal the sick.
Angelica flowers are also umbrella-shaped. It differs from other plants of a similar type in its specific smell coming from the rhizomes. Its flowers are green until ripe, and then change it to white, yellowish.or pinkish. Its trunk is large and hollow. Angelica loves to grow along ponds.
Very helpful
Kurai is a medicinal plant. Angelica is no exception. But angelica officinalis is suitable for harvesting raw materials. And his fellow angelica forest is not suitable for these purposes. They treat intestinal disorders with angelica infusions, where it normalizes the microflora. It is used in urology as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. It will also help cleanse the body of parasites. The juice of this plant helps otolaryngologists fight otitis and tinnitus. Vitiligo and psoriasis are also treated with its juice.
The properties of this plant are being studied in various countries. For example, in Japan, angelica is used to prepare preparations that improve blood circulation and help recover from a stroke. And in China they consider it very useful in the fight against women's ailments. Kurai is a flower that helps to normalize hormonal balance, gives strength, restores energy. In addition, it replenishes the loss of iron during menstruation and makes them less painful. He will also cope with the negative manifestations of menopause.
But there is another representative of the umbrella, which is known as a harmful and dangerous weed.
Description of hogweed
This plant is called Heraclium. It is not difficult to guess that it received it in honor of the mighty hero. Indeed, this plant is large, powerful, strong and it is very difficult to fight with it. The people call it hogweed. Although at first glance it is not clear what this plant has to do with food, because itnot what it is, it is impossible to take it in hand.
The fact is that earlier, during the food shortage, it was really used for food. They cooked soup, made candied fruits, and vodka was made from the roots. It also serves as an excellent fodder for livestock. That is why it began to be grown in our country. The idea was submitted by I. V. Stalin. But during the time of perestroika, the planting of this grass was no longer controlled, so over time they grew, and now you have to spend a lot of effort fighting this weed.
Insidious Weed
To be fair, not all varieties are dangerous. Some of them, growing, for example, in the Caucasus, Siberia, Crimea, are not poisonous. But the one that grows in the middle lane should be feared. It is not for nothing that young children are taught not to even come close to hogweed. All parts are poisonous. Even the smell of this plant can cause allergies or burn the nasopharynx. And if the burns received from contact with hogweed are very extensive, then the person may die.
A cunning mechanism works in this case. The plant itself does not burn a person. Its juice, when it comes into contact with the skin, deprives it of the ability to protect itself from the effects of the sun. In this case, a person may not even notice that his integument is damaged. He will pay attention to this only after some time, when the coumarin contained in the plant begins to act. Then, under the influence of the sun, terrible burns form on the skin, which will heal for a very long time.
Symptoms of coumarin poisoning are nausea, lethargy, and headache. Therefore, one must be careful not to come into contact with unfamiliar plants while walking outside the city. If contact nevertheless occurred, you should immediately consult a doctor, covering the skin from sunlight. Allergy sufferers should take antihistamines.
How to deal with it?
It is best to study the appearance of poisonous plants in the area where you live in advance. Hogweed has large green leaves that can grow up to half a meter in length. He himself grows in height by 1.5 meters. But this is on average, in fact, it often grows above a person's head. Its stem is hollow inside, covered with villi on top.
Cowweed blooms in the middle of summer, when it is especially dangerous. Its flowers are large, which are inflorescences, consisting of many small umbrellas, which, in turn, are made up of tiny flowers.
Yes, kurai is a flower, but it is better not to put it in a vase. If this plant has begun to creep up to your house, you definitely need to fight it. Otherwise, it will kill all other plants. The fact is that other representatives of the plant world cannot survive near the hogweed. They die from his poison.
How to deal with this weed? You can mow its thickets by wearing safe clothing, preferably water-repellent, goggles, boots and gloves. Can be burned when the plant dries out in the fall. Sometimes young sprouts are dug up. But cow parsnip roots are powerful and often survive even if they are damaged. The main thing is not to stop and wage an irreconcilable struggle until complete victory.
Not so bad
And yet the man himself is to blame that he has to fight with cow parsnip. Wouldn't it be better to grow it under control, as it was originally intended. After all, such an unpretentious and tenacious plant, also actively growing, is an excellent and inexpensive feed for livestock. In addition, it also has medicinal properties. Infusions from cow parsnip treat diseases of the digestive tract, relieve muscle spasms, cleanse festering wounds, and have a calming effect. So everything is in the hands of man. And he decides how to make a dangerous plant his friend.
