MEDICINAL PLANTS

The Belesa is an annual herb belonging to the family of plumbaginaceae. This family belongs to the group or gamopetalous sympetalous plants, ie plants which petals are all linked together, as soldiers forming a single piece. It is a family of little interest from the medical point of view. It is an herb that dries every year in winter, returning to shoots in spring. The stems are branched stems, with deep longitudinal grooves, the leaves are corrugated, rough to the touch and edges denticulate. The flowers are small spikes at the tops of the sticks. It breeds mainly on the edge of fields and roads, often in debris or ruins of old farmhouses. It is common throughout the peninsula, except in the Mediterranean area.

FLOWERING

The Belesa blooms in summer and autumn. Are collected for medicinal use of roots and leaves. It is a plant whose handling by inexperienced persons may be dangerous and are therefore, recommended that both the collection and subsequent treatment is carried out by specialized personnel.

APPLICATIONS

Belesa root contains a bitter substance called plumbagina. According to recent research, this substance would be in the root cortex. When isolated, as yellow crystals. Both the roots and the leaves fresh, mashed and applied topically, produced a reddening and swelling of the skin instantly, to the point of blistering fast. This property is known as rubefaciente and vesicant. With poultices prepared with this plant have tried to remedy many ills, like pain from sciatica, lumbago, persistent headaches, etc.. But, generally, what has been achieved is severely inflamed skin, with consequent inconvenience caused thereby. Seems to be more effective against scabies and other eruptive diseases of the head. In any case it should be handled with extreme care. Another bad use to which it was given to this herb as a remedy to heal tooth pain rebels, so he told himself that it is enough to chew, but as you can imagine, that caused the effects were extremely unpleasant-so much so that one indeed, she forgot the toothache.

ADMINISTRATION

Liniment. To combat scabies are prepared a liniment Belesa based compound. This will crush 100 g. Root of this plant and added to 1 l. Boiling oil, mix well and strained through a cloth, squeezing the maximum residue. This mixture is applied to the body part damaged by scab. It is a very effective remedy, but due to their high vesicant must be very careful. There are variants of the mixture less aggressive.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Plumbaginaceae
HABITAT: Hedges aggregates of Catalonia and Castile
FLOWERING: Summer and autumn
PART USED: Root and leaves
CASTILIAN: Blesa, matapeces
CATALAN: Faverola, malbec

USES

Moderate rubefacient, Moderate Vesicant, Mild scabies.