home · Other · Properties of the herb Ivan da Marya. Medicinal plant Ivan-da-Marya. Application in medical practice

Properties of the herb Ivan da Marya. Medicinal plant Ivan-da-Marya. Application in medical practice

Ivan da Marya is very beautiful and delicate plant. According to legend, a guy and a girl who loved each other very much and did not want to be separated turned into this flower. The flower is a symbol of fidelity. Popularly it is also called: mark grass, linden grass, meadow bell, jaundice. The name combines several herbaceous plants, having a rather peculiar root system, erect stem. The plant can reach 50 cm in height.

Description: Ivan-da-Marya is a union of two herbaceous plants, the flowers of which have two distinctive characteristics - bright colors, usually yellow and purple, or blue.

Spreading

The plant has a European distribution area. It grows in the forest and forest-steppe European part of Russia, in western Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Siberia. Most often on chalk slopes, in forests, in damp peat meadows.

Flowering, harvesting and harvesting

Ivan da Marya blooms yellow and blue flowers. Flowering period is from June to September. In September, fruits appear on the plant in the form of small boxes with seeds.

They are used as raw materials for decoctions and tinctures. aboveground part plants, that is: stems, flowers, leaves and fruits.

Collection is carried out during the flowering period, cutting off the stems sharp knife, plucking off leaves and flowers. Accordingly, if the fruits of a plant are needed, you should wait until they are fully ripe.

Dry the raw materials in a dark, cool, ventilated place, laying them out on a cloth or newspaper in an even layer.

The prepared dry raw materials should be stored for no more than 10 months.

Application

Ivan-da-Marya is not so much an ornamental plant as a medicinal one. It is used as:

  • anti-inflammatory;
  • healing;
  • insecticidal.

The following diseases are treated with a decoction:

  • diathesis;
  • eczema;
  • scabies;
  • lupus;
  • rheumatism;
  • epilepsy;
  • wounds of various origins;
  • heart problems;
  • problems of the gastrointestinal tract.

Recipes

To treat skin diseases, such as scabies, eczema or diathesis, it is necessary to take baths with herbal infusion. To prepare the infusion, 3 tbsp. raw materials are poured with a liter of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours. Then filter and pour into a bathtub with warm water. You need to use the bath for about 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week.

Heart problems, dizziness, neuralgia, epilepsy, intestinal and stomach diseases Treat with infusion according to the following recipe: 1 tbsp. raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water. I insist for 30 minutes in a thermos or in an insulated container. Strain and take half a glass several times a day.

To treat open wounds, use fresh, finely chopped Ivan da Marya herb. It is given the state of a paste and applied to the affected area.

Restrictions on use

As such, the plant has no contraindications, but it should be remembered that in large quantities The plant Ivan da Marya is very poisonous. Accordingly, it is necessary to follow the exact recipe when making decoctions.

Symptoms of overdose are:

  • dizziness;
  • weakness;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • drowsiness.

If the above symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.


In every corner of the world there are religions whose teachings are based on the magic of herbs. Both sorcerers and modern doctors claim that plants have energy and healing properties that have not yet been studied by man. One of the most mysterious herbs is Ivan da Marya.

Our ancestors did not know about doctors and pills. But they improved their health with the gifts of nature. Newborns were bathed in decoctions, girls washed themselves with perfumed water for beauty, and the sick were given tinctures to feel better.

Of course, with progress, some knowledge was forgotten forever. But still some information has survived to this day. Today, herbs help improve health, cleanse the body, and even attract good luck or win the heart of a loved one.

Ivan-da-Marya belongs to the paraphyletic group of plants. Popularly, this flower is also called adam-i-eva, lungwort, brother and sister, yellowwort, copperhead, fireflower, oak grass, yellowwort, fireweed, meadow bell.

There is a beautiful but tragic story associated with this plant. Legend tells that once upon a time there lived a brother and sister - Ivan and Marya. Fate separated them in childhood. Many years passed and relatives met. The guy and girl immediately fell in love and even decided to get married. Then it opened terrible secret their kinship. In order to never part, the young people turned into beautiful flower. According to another version, this was the Lord’s punishment for the fact that blood relatives got married. Purple and blue symbolize the guy's shirt, and yellow symbolizes the girl's scarf.

The Slavs believed: if you collect flowers on the night of the New Year, the plant will protect your home from harm throughout the year. This herb drives away evil spirits, protects the family and increases love between a man and a woman.

The grass is harvested in the summer, during the flowering period. The leaves are dried on outdoors. You can meet this specimen in fields and light forests. The plant is distributed in the European part of Russia, in the steppes of Ukraine and in the Caucasus. Keep the grass away from others medicinal plants. Shelf life 10 months.

Ivan da Marya helps with inflammation. Lungwort is used to heal wounds. It is also used for headaches, stomach diseases and skin problems.

Bath tinctures are made from this specimen. To do this, take 3 tablespoons of chopped, dried grass and pour 1 liter of boiling water. The liquid must be infused for at least two hours. After which the wounds are washed with a decoction.
Treats the plant and epilepsy. 1 spoon of herb is poured into a glass hot water and leave to infuse for half an hour. Then filter and drink one spoon several times a day.

But you should be very careful. If the grass is not prepared correctly, it may contain toxic substances.

Ivan-da-Marya (oak grove) is the most famous plant among the maryanniks. There are about 30 species of marianberry, which are common in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the presence of green leaves, the roots of maryanniki form haustoria, with which they attach to the roots of other plants in order to suck from them nutrients. In most species of marian grass, parasitism is required for complete life cycle. They grow in forests, bushes, edges, clearings, clearings, damp meadows, fields, some are weeds. They reproduce only by seeds equipped with a fleshy appendage (arylloid), which attracts ants, which, eating it, take away the seeds. The most common in Russia oak maryannik, or Ivan-da-Marya, And meadow marianberry.

From a distance it seems that Ivan-da-Marya It blooms with yellow and blue flowers at once. But if you come closer, you will see that the flowers of this plant are yellow (often have an orange tint), and above them there are beautiful blue leaves, which seem to cover these yellow flowers. The yellow flowers and blue leaves above them make Ivan-da-Marya a very elegant grass. Ivan-da-Marya usually blooms in our area at the end of May and blooms until September. The seeds are large, about 5-6 mm long, with a succulent appendage that attracts ants. Oak grove grows along the edges, light forests, and clearings. In folk medicine, oak grass was used for skin diseases: eczema, diathesis.

There is a fairy tale telling the origin of the name of this plant: “It was a very long time ago. Ivan and the beautiful Marya went into the forest to pick berries. But a storm arose and thunder struck. There was nowhere to hide from the weather. Marya sat down near a bush, and brave Ivan blocked her from the rain. and winds. The bad weather died down. Ivan and Marya returned home, and in the place where brave Ivan saved the beautiful Marya from the bad weather, forest grass rose with bright yellow flowers and beautiful blue leaves that covered the yellow flowers. So people gave it to forest plant In memory of Ivan and Marya, the name is Ivan-da-Marya."

It is curious, but the name “Ivan-da-Marya” applied not only to maryannik, but also to a number of other plants that combine blue and yellow colors: for example, to tricolor violet and pansies.

Mariannik meadow does not stand out with such a bright color: its flowers are smaller, they are whitish with yellow spot on the upper and lower lips, less often - entirely yellow. The bracts are greenish, but often bear 2-3 pairs of large teeth at the base. The epithet “meadow” does not correspond to the growing conditions of this species: it lives in forests, including coniferous ones, along the edges of sphagnum bogs.

Oak forest maryannik, or Ivan-da-marya (Melampyrum nemorosum L.)

Meadow grass (Melampyrum pratense L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The flowers are collected in a sparse apical racemose inflorescence, all facing the same direction. The bracts are green, broadly lanceolate, rounded at the base, entire or with 1-4 subulate teeth. The calyx is 2-3 times shorter than the corolla, with four linear, sharp teeth drawn upward. The corolla is yellow (the tube is sometimes white), 10-12 mm long, with a straight tube.
Leaves: Leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, long-pointed, usually entire, sessile or with a short petiole.
Height: 15-30 cm.
Stem: Stem erect, simple or with one or two pairs of thin branches, glabrous or pubescent at the top.
Fruit: Ovoid capsules that dehisce on one side.
It blooms all summer - from June to September, the fruits ripen starting in July.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: Meadow grass is a plant of forests, bushes, forest edges, clearings, and clearings.
Prevalence: European-West Siberian species. In Russia, it is distributed in the European part, including the Arctic region, in Western Siberia and in the west of Eastern Siberia. In Central Russia it grows in all regions. In the Non-Chernozem Region, meadow grass is a common plant; in the chernozem zone it is found less frequently, mainly in pine forests.
Addition: A good honey plant. The seeds serve as food for upland game. Wood grouse eat green leaves. In Central Russia, in coniferous forests of the non-chernozem zone, mainly in the northern part, it is found Wood grass (Melampyrum sylvaticum L.)- a European species, habitually similar to meadow grass, differing from it in the smaller size of the corolla (length 5-7 mm), dark yellow color, bent (rather than straight) tube and capsule, opening with two valves, with oblong brownish seeds.

Comb weed (Melampyrum cristatum L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The inflorescence is spike-shaped, very thick and dense, tetrahedral. The covering leaves of the flowers are yellow-green or light purple, sharply widened at the base, folded lengthwise, with raised unevenly combed, sharp-toothed and ciliated edges; in the upper part, narrowed at the lower leaves into a lanceolate-linear, downward curved, entire, sharp apex 3 cm long; the upper covering leaves have a tip about 1 cm long, usually directed upwards. The calyx is long-ciliated along the ribs, with four lanceolate, sharp, unequal teeth. The corolla is two-lipped, yellowish-white, with a bright yellow lower lip, less often purple.
Leaves: Leaves are opposite, lanceolate or linear, lower ones up to 4 cm long, entire, with short petioles; the upper ones are sessile, up to 8 cm long, spear-shaped or irregularly toothed at the base.
Height: 10-35 cm.
Stem: The stem is erect, simple or branched in the upper part, tetrahedral.
Fruit: Oblong-ovate, arched capsules.
Seeds: Dark brown.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms all summer, from May to August, the fruits ripen starting in June.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: It grows in light, mostly deciduous forests, on forest edges, clearings, in river floodplains, in swampy and saline meadows and in steppes.
Prevalence: European species entering western North Asia. In Russia, it is distributed in the European part, in Western Siberia and in the west of Eastern Siberia. In Central Russia it is found in all regions, but rarely in the northern regions.
Addition: Covered with sparse white bristly hairs. A good honey plant.

Field grass (Melampyrum arvense L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Flowers are collected in the apical long dense cylindrical spike-shaped inflorescence. Covering leaves of flowers (all or only the upper ones) are pink or purple, ovate-lanceolate, comb-shaped; the teeth sometimes bear two rows of black dots-scales that secrete nectar. The calyx is tubular-bell-shaped, shortly pubescent, with four linear-subulate teeth, often arcuate. The corolla is purple, two-lipped, its lower lip has yellow spots.
Leaves: Leaves are opposite, lanceolate or linear, thick, entire or with 2-4 long sharp teeth.
Height: 15-50 cm.
Stem: Stem erect, rounded, branched. The branches are thin, sticking up.
Fruit: Obovate capsules with a small curved nose.
Seeds: Oblong dark brown.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms from June to September, the fruits ripen starting in July.
Lifespan: Annual plant.
Habitat: It grows in forests, in clearings, forest edges, in thickets of bushes, and in the steppe.
Prevalence: European species, entering the Caucasus and Siberia. In Russia, it is distributed in the southern half of the European part, in the Ciscaucasia, Dagestan and in the south of Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is found in the black earth belt.
Addition: Covered with white short appressed hairs. It reproduces by seeds, which have a fleshy appendage and are spread by ants. A good honey plant. Close view Silver bract (Melampyrum argyrocomum (Fisch. ex Ledeb.) K.-Pol.) also found in the steppes of the black earth belt. It differs from field herb in the white or pale yellow covering leaves of the flowers and the same color corolla, as well as a crescent-shaped downward curved capsule.

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Many people have known from childhood what the Ivan da Marya flower looks like, others have simply heard about it, but have never seen it. But what kind of plant is this, and why did it get such a name? It will also be useful to consider how it is used in folk medicine, and what beneficial properties Ivan da Marya has.

Flower: description and other names

This plant can go by different folk “names”, such as jaundice, zheltyanitsa, Ivan's grass, linden, marksman's grass, meadow bellweed and Ivan-da-Marya. But these are not all names, since this herb is long years attracted the attention of many people who happily gave her new “nicknames”. But scientifically it is referred to as the oak forest maryannik from the maryannik genus, the norichnikov family. But among the people, the name Ivan da Marya mostly stuck.

The flower (photo shown above) is an annual and can grow from 15 to 60 centimeters. Its stems are drooping, its leaves are pointed and green. The bright yellow flowers are collected in several inflorescences, each of them has a two-humped, irregular shape. The flowers are decorated with serrated purple bracts. After flowering, a small ovoid fruit appears. The oblong seeds ripen in the capsule and acquire a brown, almost black tone. They are food for forest game. Due to the abundant secretion of nectar, the flower is classified as a honey plant.

"Character" of the plant

Why was it called Ivan da Marya?

Most plants do not have such a contrasting color, which is why the Ivan da Marya flower has acquired legends and beliefs. Each nation told its own version of the appearance of the flower, but in every such story there were lovers who wanted to be alone. This one bright flower became a symbol of fidelity. Since ancient times, it was believed that blue is the color of men, and yellow, accordingly, is feminine. But even the names Ivan and Marya were not accidental, because in those days they were the most common and could symbolize any couple in love.

Common Legends

The first story is about two lovers whose names were Ivan and Marya. The couple went into the forest to pick mushrooms. But suddenly clouds came, lightning flashed, and rain poured down. The beautiful Marya was frightened, but Ivan shielded her from the bad weather. After the storm ended, the lovers ran home. After a while, in this place where the guy protected the girl from bad weather, a beautiful yellow flower, and a purple leaf bent over him, which “enveloped” him, just as Ivan shielded Marya.

There is another legend about the Ivan da Marya flower. In one forest lived a shaggy Leshy, who had no friends and frightened passers-by. But one spring he noticed a beautiful yellow violet, which he immediately fell in love with. Her name was Maryushka. The goblin admired her, but the violet did not even look at him. One day he could not stand it and admitted that he was fascinated and asked her to marry him, but Maryushka simply turned away. He promised to collect stars for her, but the beauty said that she did not want anything from him. She loved Ivanushka, who was blooming lilac next to her. And these two violets got married and began to live together on one stem. And the goblin went away to grieve. These are the stories people wrote in past times. But besides the legends, the Ivan da Marya flower is famous for its healing properties.

Medicinal characteristics of the plant

The plant has the ability to have anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects. Herbalists use a decoction of marianberry to treat stomach and heart diseases. Also, its infusion can be added to baths to get rid of eczema, rheumatism, and skin tuberculosis.

Grass collection

For cooking medicines use all above-ground parts: fruits, flowers, leaves and stems. Plant harvesting begins in May and ends in September. The fruits can be found from July to September. The plant needs to be dried in a ventilated room. After this, it is kept separate from other herbs. It is worth remembering that the plant quickly wastes its healing properties, so its shelf life limit is 10 months.

Warning

Anyone who decides to use the Ivan da Marya flower for treatment needs to remember that it is poisonous, so it is important to exercise caution, especially when taking the plant internally. The seeds contain aucubin. It can act as a narcotic and also have an irritating effect. This is usually expressed in drowsiness, decreased cardiac activity and weakness. If after using this drug you notice the listed symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Infusion recipes

If you have scabies, a rash or scrofula, you can prepare a decoction that is added to the bath or used for local wiping. To prepare, pour three tablespoons of herbs into a liter of boiling water. You need to leave for two hours, after which the product is filtered.

If a person experiences dizziness, hypertension, epilepsy, heart disease, neuralgia, or problems with the gastrointestinal tract, another infusion of the same herb is prepared. To prepare, a glass of boiling water is poured into a container with a tablespoon of oak grass. After half an hour has passed, the product is filtered. You need to take half a glass twice a day.

In order to heal wounds faster, you can use fresh ground herbs. The powder from Ivan da Marya has the same effect.

If you need to get rid of harmful insects, a decoction of the fruit is prepared.

Ivan da Marya: indoor flower, perennial

Some plant lovers would like to have this beautiful flower in their flower garden. It’s worth saying right away that maryannik is a wild herb. But there are other types indoor flowers, which housewives call Ivan da Marya. It can be noted that they differ in many ways from maryannik. Among such house plants may be tuberous begonia. Ivan da Marya is also called campanula. But she also has another name - “Bride and Groom”. The indoor flower Ivan da Marya (photo shown above) also differs from the real one in that it is perennial and reproduces not only by seeds, but also by cuttings.

The memorable name of the flower Ivan da Marya is known to many. It has long been a symbol of love and fidelity. The bright color makes it noticeable, and medicinal properties plants contribute to a fairly wide use in folk medicine.

The herbaceous annual has a lot of other common names. Ivan's grass, jaundice, linden, all these are names of one plant. The botanical name of the flower is maryannik oakbravny, belongs to the family of norichinaceae.. Often found in meadows, forest clearings and forest edges. It receives nutrients from the soil, air and by sucking on neighboring herbs. Often the seeds are carried by ants.


Mariannik oak (Ivan da marya) - annual flower

After flowering is complete, large black seeds appear in a small egg-shaped capsule., which often serve as food for birds. It is the seeds that are especially poisonous.

The plant is poisonous. It must be used with caution.

Useful properties of the flower

Ivan da Marya is widely used as a medicinal plant. Its anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and antiseptic properties have long been known. It is used externally, as lotions, and for preparing baths, as well as internally, in the form of decoctions..


Fruits and aerial parts are used. For cooking herbal collection The plant is harvested during flowering. The collected raw materials are dried in a shaded, well-ventilated place and store no more than 10 months.

Use in folk medicine

Use is justified in treatment:

  • skin diseases;
  • neuralgia;
  • hypertension and dizziness;
  • gastrointestinal diseases;
  • heart diseases.

Before using any product traditional medicine, consultation with a doctor is necessary.

Several traditional medicine recipes

In the treatment of skin diseases

3-4 tablespoons of herbs are brewed with 1 liter of boiling water. After 2 hours, the infusion is filtered and added to the bath. This bath is effective for scabies, various rashes and diathesis.

When healing wounds and abrasions


A lotion made from fresh, finely chopped parts of the plant perfectly heals wounds and abrasions.

In the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, neuralgia, dizziness, hypertension and heart disease

Use a decoction prepared in a thermos:

1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry herb is brewed with 1 cup of boiling water and infused in a thermos for 30 minutes. The broth is cooled, filtered and taken half a glass 3 times a day. Taking the decoction relieves joint and rheumatic pain, reduces arterial pressure. When using the decoction, the dosage must be strictly observed to avoid accidental poisoning.

Use during pregnancy and lactation

Since the plant is poisonous, its use by pregnant and lactating women is strictly contraindicated. Taking medications based on maryannik can harm not only the woman, but also the child..

Contraindications for use

The intake and use of drugs based on Ivan da Marya is contraindicated for people with allergies, Should be used with caution by frail and elderly people. The decoction must be stored carefully to prevent accidental consumption by children.


Overdose may cause weakness, drowsiness, dizziness and nausea, as well as depression of heart rate. If any of these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Is it possible to grow in the country

The plant world is large and diverse. Some are decorations, others heal and help in solving everyday problems, others combine several amazing qualities at once. Nature, which created this magnificent palette of colors, properties and aromas, is an unsurpassed creator. We continue to admire her talent over the centuries.