MEDICINAL PLANTS

The Rapunzel is a biennial herb, classified within the family campanuláceas. Within this family are only interested in plant medicine. This herb has a small root shaped turnip and the stems erect, striate and low-rise, the basal leaves are elongated, with slightly scalloped edges, the higher are scattered and have pointed shape. The flowers are very crowded panicles, each with its spokes. One grows in meadows, slopes, woodlands and hedgerows of most of the country, mostly in mountainous areas.

FLOWERING

In lowlands, Rapunzel starts flowering in May. In mountainous areas did not begin until summer, lasting until September. Interested harvest the root, although it is a medicinal plant in the strict sense, as we now see.

APPLICATIONS

The Rapunzel in itself has little medicinal worthwhile to be taken into account. In some cases the seeds have been used, but without any remarkable activity. It is considered a plant with astringent and vulnerary addition to whet the appetite. In practice, the best use we can give is in salads, useful for diabetics. The reason is that the root contains no starch, but a polymer fructofuranose, yielding fructose under hydrolysis, this polymer is called inulin, and is perfectly compatible with the diets for diabetics. This way you can prepare delicious salad Rapunzel root base. In spring it is not difficult to find this root, previously cleaned up in all the squares of the people of Catalonia. Insulin is properly purified, is also used to determine kidney function. This test is performed at the laboratory and, logically, the inulin used in pure form, not the root of Rapunzel or any other plant. The family of campanuláceas not characterized by large species with medicinal properties, as mentioned earlier, but in the field of nutrition in people with diabetes, is gaining ever more acceptance of using different carbohydrate polymers to glucose. The group of diabetics in the world and specifically in Spain, is broad enough to devote a good deal of time researching new food sources.

ADMINISTRATION

Root. Peeled and cleaned properly, can prepare various salads, to everyone's taste. In some cases eaten cooked with oil and sugar and other can be served directly by adding just a little pepper.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Campanulaceas
HABITAT: Forest fresh
FLOWERING: May
PART USED: Root
CASTILIAN: Ruiponce, respionzo
CATALAN: Repunxó
BASQUE: Arbitxiki

USES

Strong astringent, Moderate Vulnerary, Appetizer Leve, .