Snake knotweed is a herbaceous perennial from the buckwheat family. Other names of the plant - cancerous cervixes, large serpentine, snake root.

The erect, serrated, non-branched stem of the plant reaches a height of 1-1.2 meters. The stem leaves are small, pointed, oblong in shape, their petioles grow together with the stipules, forming filmy tubes - the so-called trumpets. The basal leaves of knotweed are large with long winged petioles.

The inflorescence is a long spike (tassel) formed by small pink flowers at the top of the stem. The fruits of the knotweed have the appearance of a triangular, smooth, dark brown nut. Its length is from 3 to 4.5 mm.

Flowering time is May-June. The fruits ripen in June-July.

The plant is widespread in the temperate climate zone. Snake knotweed grows best in moist acidic soils: its thickets can be found around reservoirs, in swampy peat and damp floodplain meadows, as well as in forest clearings.

Chemical composition

The scope and properties of snakeweed are determined by the chemical composition of the plant. Its roots contain:

• Tannins (up to 25%);
• Starch (up to 26%);
• Dyes;
• Calcium oxalate;
• Gallic (nut) acid;
• Ellagic acid (this substance is one of the most effective natural anticarcinogens);
• Catechins;
• Ascorbic acid.

IN chemical composition stems, leaves and flowers present large number bioflavonoids (including cyanidin, kaempferol and quercetin), as well as ascorbic acid.

Useful properties

The most valuable properties of snakeweed are:

• Anti-inflammatory;
• Astringent;
• Resorptive;
• Hemostatic;
• Antimicrobial;
• Sedative (calming);
• The ability to regulate the functional activity of the digestive organs.

The astringent properties of the plant appear gradually as it is active ingredients undergo splitting of juices.

Indications for use

The serpentine, thick rhizomes of the plant, bent in the shape of a cancerous neck, are used as medicinal raw materials. The properties of snakeweed knotweed harvested in early spring or autumn are most pronounced.

Scientific medicine considers it appropriate to use snakeweed for:

• Inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes;
• Intestinal disorders;
• Dysentery;
• Bleeding;
• Cholera;
• Cystitis;
• Colpitis;
• Cholecystitis;
• Scurvy;
• Burns;
• Dyspepsia;
• Chronic pancreatitis;
• Animal bites.

IN folk medicine The use of snakeweed is indicated for:

• Peptic ulcer;
• Gynecological diseases;
• Dysentery;
• Bleeding (including heavy menstruation And internal bleeding);
• Inflammation of the urinary and gallbladder;
• Nervous disorders;
• Acute and chronic diseases intestinal tract(mainly for colitis);
• Chronic diarrhea;
• Urethritis;
• Rectal fissures;
• Inflammatory otolaryngological diseases (infusion of flowers is effective in the treatment of ear diseases), gingivitis, stomatitis.

Externally, decoctions and infusions of knotweed rhizome are used in the form of lotions for ulcers and bleeding wounds.

A decoction of the rhizomes of the snake knotweed has proven itself as an effective diuretic for urinary and cholelithiasis, cystitis. In combination with other medicinal plants, it is used to prepare decoctions for irrigation and washing the vagina for leukorrhea (leukorrhea).

Contraindications

Taking serpentine drugs is contraindicated during pregnancy, breastfeeding, individual intolerance. They should also not be taken by people suffering from frequent constipation.

The plant is non-toxic and rarely causes side effects, however, it should be remembered that long-term use Knotweed can cause constipation.

Home remedies from snakeweed

For pulmonary, uterine, intestinal or gastric bleeding, peptic ulcer, cholecystitis, chronic pancreatitis, rectal fissures, cholelithiasis, dyspeptic disorders, 20 g of crushed raw materials are poured into a glass of water and boiled over low heat for half an hour. The medicine is infused for 45 minutes, filtered and brought to its original volume. Take one tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals.

If there are stones in the urinary or gallbladder, for cholecystitis, cystitis or colpitis, 20 g of crushed snakeweed root is poured into a liter of water and boiled over low heat for 20 minutes, then left for one hour, strained and taken three times a day, one tablespoon (before meals).

For the treatment of diarrhea, flatulence, intestinal colic and dysentery, pour 15 g of root into a thermos, pour a glass (200 ml) of boiling water, leave for 8 hours, strain and take a tablespoon 3-4 times a day.

To prepare tea from snakeweed, 2 teaspoons of crushed root are poured into 250 ml of boiling water in a thermos and, shaking occasionally, infuse for 5 hours. The finished medicine is filtered and taken hot.

An effective remedy for colitis is wine powder. To prepare it, the roots are crushed into a powdery mass, after which 25 g of the resulting raw material is poured into 2.5 liters of dry red wine and simmered at a very low boil for 10 minutes. The finished broth is infused until cooled and filtered. It should be taken 4 times a day, a quarter glass.

Alcohol tincture of snakeweed is prepared as follows: 100 g of medicinal raw material is poured into 0.5 liters of alcohol (70%) and, shaking occasionally, infused in a cool, dark place for 15 days. The finished tincture is filtered and taken 2-3 times a day before meals, 30-40 drops.

For pharyngitis, tonsillitis, gingivitis and stomatitis, pour 4 tablespoons of crushed roots into a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. This aqueous infusion of snakeweed is used warm as a gargle and oral cavity. The frequency of procedures is 3-6 times a day.

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Serpentine knotweed (Serpentine major) is a non-toxic perennial flowering plant. herbaceous plant. Its scientific name – bistorta officinalis – translated from Latin means “medicinal serpentine”. This representative of the flora has many other names found in folk medicine: cancer necks; snakeroot; meadow knotweed; viper grass; coil.

In nature, this plant is very common. It can be found in the tundra zone, forest belt, and steppe zone. He prefers regions with a temperate climate. Its habitats are mainly wet meadows and the banks of various reservoirs. In such conditions, the plant forms abundant thickets, especially on peat soils. You can also see knotweed on forest edges or in sparse bushes. This plant is light-loving, so it is not found in shaded areas.

Snake knotweed is a good honey plant. Its feed value for animals is similar to that of oats. Early shoots and leaves of the plant can be eaten. They are most often used as an ingredient in soups or salads.

A decoction of serpentine root has an astringent, wound-healing, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effect and is widely used in medicine. Coloring properties plants determine its use in dyeing wool yellow and deep black. Highlander is also used for tanning leather and in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Botanical characteristics

The plant has an erect single stem with a small number of branches, reaching a height of 30 to 150 cm, covered with leaves and thickened at the nodes. The lower leaves are attached to the stem by a long petiole, and the upper ones are almost sessile. They are smooth, slightly pubescent, oblong in shape with a pointed top and base and a slightly wavy edge. The leaf length is up to 30 cm, width - 1-7.5 cm, with the lower leaves being much larger than the upper ones. The leaves are bluish underneath and dark green on top.

The name of this plant is due to the shape of its rhizome: short, thick, somewhat flattened, sharply curved and most similar to a snake. Its surface is covered with transverse folds, so it resembles a cancer neck. The rhizome is colored on top dark- brown, and the inside is pink.

The plant is flowering, the flowering period is from May to June, in June-July the fruits ripen, shaped like a nut, shiny, brown, with a diameter of 3-4.5 mm. The flowers are fragrant, pink, small, with long protruding purple stamens, collected at the top of the plant in a thick, beautiful spike 1.5-7 cm long.

Propagated by seeds and cuttings of rhizomes. The plant produces few seeds, and they germinate poorly, so the population of snakeweed, given its active harvesting by humans, is gradually declining.

Rules for the procurement of medicinal raw materials

Of all parts of the plant, the root is actively used in folk medicine. The time for its collection is the period when the plant does not bloom - September-October and early spring (before the leaves grow).

Suitable for workpiece hard roots, reaching a length of 5-10 cm and a thickness of 1-2 cm. In order not to cause irreparable harm to nature and not cause the extinction of this species, when harvesting snakeweed, you need to follow simple rules:

• for an area of ​​2-5 square meters leave at least one plant untouched;
• discard seeds into the hole remaining after removing the root;
• collect rhizomes again in this place only after 8-12 years.

The extracted rhizomes should be thoroughly cleaned: remove the soil, small roots, basal leaves, and remaining parts of the stem. Then they need to be washed and laid out thin layer for drying. You can dry the roots outside under a canopy or in well-ventilated rooms. You can use the attic for these purposes. Drying in an electric dryer with artificial heating is also not prohibited, but for preservation useful properties The temperature of the rhizomes should not exceed 40.

The faster the raw materials are dried, the better, since with slow drying the rhizomes may become moldy and turn brown, then their use will be impossible.

Dried rhizomes of the plant are perfectly stored in well-ventilated, dry rooms; it is better to use bags or boxes for storage. The maximum shelf life is 6 years. Roots that are covered with black areas, kinks, or with brown pulp inside should not be used. The prepared raw materials should not smell and have a bitter, tart taste.

Chemical composition

The healing effect of snakeweed is due to the presence of many valuable elements in it, including:

• tannins (15-20%);
• starch (about 26%);
• gallic acid and catechin;
• flavonoids;
• elaidic and ascorbic acids;
• proteins;
• glucose;
• vitamin C;
• provitamin A.

The most valuable are tannins, which provide the intense astringent and anti-inflammatory effect of the serpentine on the human body.

Indications for use

The medicinal effect of the serpentine has long been studied; it was actively used in ancient Chinese and Indo-Tibetan medicine. The range of indications for use is very wide and includes:

• and duodenum;
• cholelithiasis and urolithiasis;
• internal bleeding (from the lungs, stomach, intestines, uterus);
• dysentery;
• cystitis and cholecystitis;
• female diseases (vaginitis, leucorrhoea);
• scurvy;
• inflammation in the mouth or skin;
• and gingivitis;
• toothache;
• burns and others.

Chinese traditional medicine uses rhizomes of the serpentine plant in antitumor therapy. The early shoots of the plant are rich in vitamin C, so they are used for vitamin deficiency, and ear diseases are treated with infusions of knotweed flowers.

Folk recipes with snakeweed

To prepare a decoction from the serpentine, 10 g of highly crushed (the size of the pieces should be less than 3 mm) root must be mixed with 0.2 liters of water. The mixture is covered and boiled in a water bath for half an hour. It must be stirred frequently. Then the broth is filtered. You need to drink it strictly before meals three times a day, 1 tbsp. l.

If you infuse the root in a thermos in the ratio of 15 g of root per 0.2 liter of boiling water, and then strain, you will get an infusion of this medicinal plant, which must be consumed 1 tbsp. l. three times during the day. This infusion will help cope with diarrhea, colic, and bloating.

In the treatment of ulcers and furunculosis, compresses from the coil are very helpful, the decoction for which is made as follows: add 0.5 liters of boiling water to 15 g of the root, then the resulting mixture is slowly boiled for 20 minutes and allowed to brew for 1 hour, after which it is filtered. The compress is used three times a day, applied to the sore spot for a period of 20 minutes to an hour.

To prepare an infusion for rinsing with inflammatory phenomena in the oral cavity, to 4 tsp. roots, you need to add 1 cup of boiling water and let the mixture brew for 20 minutes. After filtering, rinse your mouth with this infusion. Rinsing should be done up to 6 times a day. The rinse infusion should be warm.

To carry out douching for female diseases, you will need the following infusion: add half a liter of boiling water to 15 g of crushed roots and leave to infuse for 1 hour. The strained warm infusion should be douched twice a day.

Powder from rhizomes is used for disinfection open wounds, cuts, ulcers, eczema. Its use also contributes quick stop bleeding. In such cases, you can also apply compresses using a decoction of the serpentine or its tincture.

Doctor's opinion

Knotweed or snakeweed is rich in tannins and anti-inflammatory substances. He is good auxiliary for the treatment of diseases gastrointestinal tract, cholecystitis and urolithiasis. It should not be taken if you are prone to constipation. Knotweed combines well with traditional medications, but it is important to follow the dosage and doctor’s recommendations.

This herb is also known in the treatment women's diseases inflammatory etiology. It is contraindicated during the period of bearing and feeding a child, in case of individual intolerance and a tendency to allergies.

Contraindications for treatment

The use of snakeweed is strictly contraindicated for children under 2 years of age, as well as for acute forms diseases urinary tract. Another contraindication for using snake oil is during pregnancy.

When used internally for a long time due to high content tannins, infusions and decoctions can cause constipation. You should refrain from using such compounds and hypersensitivity stomach.

Although snakeweed has a number of healing properties, it must be used for treatment carefully, carefully monitoring your condition. It is best to carry out such therapy under the supervision of a doctor.

Snake knotweed - also known as darter, turtledove, crayfish. Outwardly, this plant does not at all resemble a snake, but its rhizome, intricately curved, has a completely snake-like shape. In Russia, the snake knotweed is distributed throughout the entire territory. Most often found on the edges of swamps, along rivers, in damp meadows, loves peaty soils and closely located groundwater. IN lately Due to the drainage of swamps, snakeweed is less common. ABOUT healing properties The snake mountaineer was known back in the times of Hippocrates and Galen. In Europe, the plant became widely used in medicine in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Appearance of the snake mountaineer

It is a herbaceous perennial plant reaching one meter in height. The rhizome is woody, thick, serpentinely curved, with many thin roots, when broken it has pink. The stem is single, straight, cylindrical, glabrous. The leaves at the root are large, oval-ovate in shape, turning into long petioles, the upper leaves are smaller in size, sessile, oval. The leaf blades themselves are bluish-gray below, pubescent, and dark green above. The flowers are small, pink, collected at the top of the stem in a thick cylindrical spike (up to 7 centimeters in length). The fruit is a smooth nut, brown in color and three sides. Snake knotweed blooms in late spring - early summer, the fruits ripen until mid-summer.

Use of knotweed in medicine

WITH medicinal purposes They use the underground part of the snake knotweed, namely the rhizomes with roots. They should be harvested in the first half of autumn or spring, before the leaves appear. After digging, the rhizome is cleaned of soil, remains of the stem, roots, leaves, and then washed in cold water and dried on outdoors. But it is better to dry it in a dryer at a temperature of up to 40 degrees. Dried rhizomes have outside transverse folds(look like cancer necks). Usage period is up to 6 years. The color of the resulting raw material is pink with a brown tint inside, and dark brown on the outside. The taste is bitter, astringent, and has no odor.

Chemical composition and properties of the plant

Snake knotweed contains a lot of tannins, starch, vitamin C and K, flavonoids (rutin, avicularin, hyperoside), and also contains gallic acid, catechin, macro and microelements (lead, boron, potassium, magnesium, iodine, iron , selenium, nickel, calcium, strontium, vanadium, barium, aluminum, chromium, manganese, copper), calcium oxalate, dyes.

In connection with which it has wide range beneficial properties: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, sedative, hemostatic, reparative, enveloping, analgesic, tonic, immunomodulatory, in addition, snake knotweed increases male potency and regulates the activity of the digestive system.

Knotweed in the treatment of diseases

Rhizomes with snake knotweed roots are often used in herbal medicine collections. various diseases. All of the following collections are prepared and used as follows: 8 grams of collection in 350 milliliters of boiling water, leave for 4 hours in a warm place, drink everything 3 times before meals.

Digestive system.

1. Acute gastritis(course of treatment up to 1 month, then change the collection or take a break): snakeweed rhizomes, Icelandic moss, St. John's wort grass, mint leaves - the same.
2. Gastritis with increased secretion, chronic(course of treatment up to 1 month): snakeweed rhizome, yarrow herb, celandine, St. John's wort, watch leaves, mint, chamomile flowers - equally.
3. Gastritis with decreased secretion, chronic(course up to 1 month): rhizomes of valerian, snakeweed, calendula flowers, blue cornflower, plantain leaves, wormwood herb, rowan fruits - the same.
4. Peptic ulcer: snake knotweed rhizomes, anise fruits, jasmine herbs, oregano, lemon balm leaves, fireweed, calendula flowers - the same.
5. Chronic duodenitis(course of treatment up to 1 month): rhizomes of licorice, valerian, calamus, snake knotweed, celandine herb, knotweed, dried grass, hop fruit - the same.
6. Chronic enterocolitis with diarrhea(course up to 1 month): rhizomes of isod, knotweed, leaves of periwinkle, blackberry, raspberry, tansy and clover flowers, mint grass, raspberry shoots - the same.
7. Haemorrhoids without heavy bleeding(up to 1 month): rhizomes of peony, rhubarb, snake knotweed, angelica, watch leaves, strawberries, lemon balm, walnuts and hazelnuts, poplar buds, steelhead roots, thyme herbs, toadflax, calendula flowers, mullein - equally.
   For microenemas for hemorrhoids (up to 150 milliliters per enema, 2 times a day): snakeweed rhizomes, oak bark, strawberry leaves, fireweed, raspberries, tartar flowers, chamomile, bags shepherd's grass– equally.
8. Chronic cholecystitis and cholangitis(up to 1 month): rhizomes of gravilata, snake knotweed, gravilata, corn silk, tansy flowers, calendula - the same.
9. Gallstone disease: snakeweed rhizome, wormwood herb St. John's wort, bird knotweed, yarrow, agrimony, budra, corn silk, dandelion roots, dill fruits, rose hips - the same.
10. Chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis: rhizomes of wheatgrass, snakeweed, verbena herb, St. John's wort, horsetail, agrimony, yarrow flowers, tansy, rosehip fruits, birch leaves - the same.

Urinary system.

• Pyelonephritis, prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis: rhizomes of yellow capsule, snakeweed, wheatgrass, steel grass roots, rue grass, cinquefoil - the same. Reproductive system.

Women's diseases.

• Inflammatory processes(colpitis, salpingoophoritis, endometritis): rhizomes of river gravel, snakeweed, dandelion roots, leaves of birch, blackberry, plantain, flowers of clover, linden, toadflax grass, plantain, agrimony, yarrow, common wormwood, woodruff, sage - the same.
• Metrorrhagia: rhizomes of bergenia, peony, snake knotweed, river gravel, horse sorrel, whole strawberries, yarrow flowers, viburnum, woodruff grass, horsetail - equally.

Male reproductive system.

• Impotence: snake knotweed rhizomes, roots of parsley, dandelion, leaves of lingonberry, wintergreen, fruits of barberry, lemongrass, rose hips, St. John's wort, common wormwood, horsetail, celandine, Tribulus, calendula flowers - equally. Respiratory system.

Other diseases

1. Inflammation in the upper respiratory tract(sinusitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, colds): snake knotweed rhizomes, Icelandic moss, lilac flowers, calendula, linden, tansy, poplar buds, chicory roots, thyme herbs, meadowsweet - equally.
2. Varicose veins: rhizomes of calamus, snakeweed, elecampane, willow bark, capitula grass, flowers of viburnum and meadow clover - the same.
3. Hemorrhagic diathesis: rhizomes of bergenia, snake knotweed, blackberry leaves, alder fruit, chamomile flowers, chistema herbs, yarrow, meadowsweet, nettle, St. John's wort - the same.
4. Eczema and dermatitis: snake knotweed rhizomes, geranium herbs, heather, smokeweed, bedstraw, centaury, common wormwood, nettle, woodruff, horsetail, mint, linden flowers, chamomile, clover - the same.
5. Neurodermatoses: rhizomes of licorice, snakeweed, wild rosemary shoots, nettle herbs, heather, agrimony, motherwort, mantle leaves, blackberries, calendula flowers - the same.
6. Pyoderma: snake knotweed rhizomes, burdock roots, calendula and chamomile flowers, yarrow herbs, drop caps, shepherd's purse, sage leaves - equally;
   locally: snake knotweed rhizomes, heather shoots, urban gravilate grass, lemon balm, celandine, clover flowers, burdock roots, plantain leaves, pine needles - equally.
7. Neuritis and neuralgia: snake knotweed rhizomes, immortelle flowers, lilac, pine, white mistletoe, black nightshade shoots, nettle grass, meadowsweet, verbena, sweet clover - the same;
   locally (ointments): snakeweed rhizomes, heather shoots, pine buds, linden flowers, eucalyptus leaves, peppermint herbs, St. John's wort, sage, celandine - the same.

The plant alone can be used for the above diseases, plus vitamin C hypovitaminosis and diseases of the oral cavity, but with less effect than the herbs.

Snakeweed Knotweed Home Remedies Recipes

1. Extract from the rhizomes of snakeweed in 70% alcohol in a concentration of 1:1, drink 20 drops three times a day before meals.
2. Decoction of knotweed snake rhizomes: about 0.2 liters ordinary water 10 grams of crushed raw materials, cook for half an hour in a water bath, cool, drink a tablespoon before each meal.
3. Infusion of rhizomes of snakeweed: for the same volume of boiling water, 20 grams of raw material, infuse for 8 hours in a thermos, take orally as well.

In production pharmaceutical drugs snake knotweed does not apply.

Contraindications to the use of snake knotweed:

pregnancy, increased coagulability blood.

The plant is not toxic, but long-term use Constipation may occur, so when using snakeweed preparations for a long time, you need to take breaks (up to 2 weeks).

General practitioner Naumov Yu.N.

Snake knotweed grass can safely be called a “universal plant.” It is used in medicine, and in ornamental gardening, and in cooking, and in winemaking, and in agriculture for feeding livestock. In addition, this plant is used in the leather industry for tanning. different types leather, as well as in light industry for dyeing woolen fabrics.

Snake knotweed (serpentine, crayfish, turtledove, snake root) - Polygonum bistorta l. (bistorta officinalis raf.)– belongs to the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).

The plant got its name from its curved, snake-like rhizome, which is also very similar to crayfish necks. The specific name of the plant (Polygonum bistorta) comes from the Latin words “bis” - twice and “torta” - twisted.

What does snake knotweed look like and where does it grow?

Great serpentine or snake knotweed is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thick, somewhat flattened, serpentine-curved, woody rhizome, from which numerous thin roots extend. The rhizome is dark red with a brown tint, brownish-pink when freshly broken, with numerous scars in the upper part, which are the remains of leaves and stems. Stems numerous or solitary, simple, six-node, erect, up to 100 cm high, fused with fused stipules, covered with stipules bottom part internodes.

As can be seen in the photo, the leaves of the snake knotweed are alternate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, with a slightly wavy edge:

The leaves are wedge-shaped or slightly heart-shaped at the base, glaucous below, short-pubescent, glabrous above or slightly covered with curly hairs. According to the description, the inflorescence of the snake knotweed resembles a thick, dense, cylindrical ear. The flowers are regular, pale pink with membranous, sharply pointed bracts, the perianth is five-parted almost to the base, preserved with the fruits. The fruit is an ovoid or oval, triangular, shiny, dark brown or greenish-brown nut. Blooms in May - June; the fruits ripen in June - July.

The snake knotweed is a grief-nemoral Eurasian species. Grows in the forest zone of the European part of Russia, in Western and Eastern Siberia, on Far East. Widely distributed from the Southern to the Polar Urals, becoming rare only in the steppe zone of the Trans-Urals.

It grows in flooded meadows, grassy swamps, marshy banks of reservoirs, in ditches, sparse forests, on their edges and clearings, among thickets of bushes. In the Arctic, it lives in damp areas of moss and shrub tundra and meadow areas; in the mountains - in subalpine and alpine meadows and in mountain tundras. Often found in acidic, peaty soils.

In the Asian part of Russia it is represented by a number of close substitute geographical races:

Beautiful knotweed - P. nitens (Fisch. et S. A. Meu.) V. Petrov ex Kom.- grows in the mountains of Central Asia together with snakeweed in the Altai Mountains and Tarbagatai.

Elliptic knotweed - P. ellipticum Willd. ex Spreng.,

Thinning knotweed - P. attenuatum V. Petrov ex Kom.

Foxtail knotweed - P. alopecuroides Turcz.- in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

Pacific knotweed - P. pacificum V. Petrov ex Kom.- in Primorye and Sakhalin.

Manchurian knotweed - P. manshuriense V. Petrov ex Kom.- in Primorye and Amur region.

Half-eared knotweed (Regel's knotweed) - R. subauriculatum V. Petrov ex Kom. (P. regelianum Kom.)- in Primorye, Amur region, on Sakhalin and the Okhotsk coast.

Snake knotweed differs from these species mainly in larger, thinner, but dense leaves, six-node stems, lower bracts, gradually turning into a long pointed point; even its uppermost bells, as a rule, have small leaves. All these species are close to the snakeweed and many authors consider them as its varieties or subspecies.

These photos show what different types of knotweed plants look like:

The subspecies grows in the Caucasus - Red snake knotweed - Polygonum bistorta L. subsp. carneum (S. Koch) Coode et Cullen, previously identified as a special species - Polygonum carneum C. Koch. It is characteristic of the subalpine and alpine zones of both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Its coenoareal is confined to the subalpine zone of the central part of the Greater Caucasus. In the alpine belt, this knotweed is most often found in small-grass formations with cobresia, in geranium wasteland meadows, caraway-sedge meadows, whitewhiskers, peaty meadows, and in thickets of subshrubs.

The snake knotweed plant of this variety grows on slopes of any exposure, sometimes forming small thickets. In the subalpine zone it is found in all types of mesophilic meadows. It is especially abundant in the central Caucasus, where in some cases it dominates the cenosis, second in abundance only to cereals. The lower limit of distribution coincides with the upper limit of the forest. Sometimes found in light pine forests and meadow glades. The altitudinal limits of distribution of the snakeweed or serpentine knotweed are from 1500 to 3500 m above sea level.

The serpentine is listed in the Red Book of the Kurgan Region.

Reproduction of snake knotweed, procurement of raw materials and application

There are two possible ways to propagate snakeweed: by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds are sown in autumn to a depth of 3 cm. Shoots appear in spring. When sowing in spring, the seeds germinate within 3 weeks. The roots are harvested from the second year of the plant’s life in autumn or early spring. The rhizomes are dug up, washed in water, the stems, remaining leaves and numerous short roots are separated. Dry outdoors or in a warm room.

The rhizomes are collected in the summer, after flowering. It is possible to harvest raw materials in the spring before the stems begin to grow. To regenerate thickets, it is recommended to leave one plant per 2–5 m2. Repeated harvesting in the same areas is possible no more often than after 8–12 years, since the population recovery period is estimated at 7–10 years.

In the last few years, the procurement of raw materials has decreased significantly, because due to the drainage of swampy meadows and forests, knotweed thickets have greatly decreased. Observations of the regeneration of thickets after harvesting were not carried out, and there is also no information about the duration life cycle plants.

The use of the rhizome of the snakeweed has been practiced since ancient times as astringent for gastrointestinal disorders. Currently, the anti-inflammatory, astringent, antimicrobial, hemostatic, soothing, and deodorizing properties of knotweed preparations have been established. IN scientific medicine they are used for gallstone disease, diseases bladder, internal bleeding, diarrhea.

Snake knotweed is a good honey plant.

This plant is also used for food. Its young leaves, after removing the middle veins, are boiled, and the British even prepare a traditional Easter dish from the young shoots. The rhizomes of snakeweed are also edible, but due to their very high content tannins, they first need to be soaked for a long time. They are fried or dried and ground into flour, which can be added when baking bread.