Dove’s-bone glueweed, also known as inflated glueweed, bladder glueweed and smartweed respectively, belongs to the clove family. However, although the plant belongs to the so-called glue weeds, it is not sticky.
Occurrence and cultivation the dove’s crook glue weed.
Dove’s-bone glue weed contains minerals, bitter substances, vitamins and sopanines and has a metabolism-stimulating effect. Dove’s-bone glueweed is a herbaceous plant about 20 to 50 centimeters tall. The erect stem ends in a forked inflorescence, with the flowers all facing in one direction. The leaves are blue-green, smooth and lanceolate. The stem leaves grow up to seven centimeters, while the basal leaves only reach four centimeters in size. The sepals form a white calyx tube that is about two centimeters long and inflated, which is how the name dewcrop came about. The corollas are waxy and have a fine powdery coating. The whitish flowers thrive in a cyme and have small incisions on the petals. The flowers are very fragrant, attracting butterflies and hymenoptera. For bumblebees, however, the nectar is inaccessible. Therefore, they bite open the end of the flower and get to the nectar without pollinating the flower. The roots extend up to two meters into the ground, so that the plant can supply itself with water even in dry conditions. If the flowers are squeezed between the index finger and thumb while they are still closed, a loud cracking sound can be heard. Dove’s-head glueweed blooms from May to September and is found in western Asia and temperate European latitudes, respectively. It also grows in North Africa, Australia and North America. The plant prefers dry, calcareous meadows and soils and sunny locations. It tolerates very well a single mowing, because then it sometimes even produces a subsequent bloom. The dove’s broom can propagate by seed, by cuttings or by branching of the roots. Further spread is possible by wind or self-propagation. The plant is hardy and does not require fertilizer. There are also a number of subspecies of the dove’s-foot primrose, such as the common dove’s-foot primrose, the gravel primrose or the beach primrose. The generic name of the plant is “Silene”, which is derived from Silenos, the teacher of Dyonysos. Silenos was very often depicted as bloated and pot-bellied, such as in the painting “Drunken Silen” by Rubens.
Effect and application
Dove’s-head primrose is a relatively undemanding perennial that is very suitable for wild or rock gardens. It blooms throughout the summer and for this reason is a well-suited eye-catcher. In the past, the roots of the plant were used to make soap suds, and the young shoots can be picked and prepared as vegetables. In addition, they are also suitable as an ingredient for a salad or as a wild herb that provides a taste of peas and licorice. Especially in Italy, the tender leaves are also very popular for pasta or risotto. As a medicinal plant, pigeon pea glue herb has very little importance today. It contains minerals, bitter substances, vitamins and sopanines and has a metabolism stimulating effect. Therefore, the plant can be used for metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, eye inflammation and skin diseases.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The plant is good for a spring cure, where the young shoots are used as soup ingredients and vegetables, respectively. For vegetables, take the shoots whose size is still less than five centimeters. In this way the metabolism is stimulated. The shoots taste slightly tart and then become bitter over time. Finely chopped, the glue leaves can also be mixed with beaten eggs and then used for scrambled eggs or an omelet. Furthermore, the plant is also suitable for the preparation of herb butter or herb curd. For a salad, the leaves are washed and tree nuts are coarsely chopped. The nuts are then roasted in a frying pan without adding fat. Then eggs are hard boiled, peeled and cut into slices. For the dressing, finely chop onion and mix with aceto, oil and salt. Then spread the glue cabbage on plates, pour the dressing over it and garnish with the egg slices and the roasted nuts.For a herbal dip, mix half cream curd, sour milk, salt, pepper and ketchup, as well as finely chopped herbs of dove’s broom, thyme, wild thistle, ribwort and meadow ragwort. For easily inflamed, chapped and dry skin, a root decoction can be used for baths or ablutions. For a bath, the root of the plant is dug up and then cleaned. Then it should dry in an airy and warm place. After drying, the root is cut into pieces. For a decoction of pigeon crab leek, one tablespoon of the root is mixed with 250 ml of water and must infuse for a few hours. Then the mixture is brought to a boil and strained. The decoction can be used as an additive for partial baths or baths. If you want to prepare a tea, take a teaspoon of the crushed root and pour 250 ml of hot water over it. The tea must steep for three minutes and is then strained. One to two cups of it can be drunk per day, and the tea is used in case of a stuck cough, to promote menstruation or to stimulate metabolism. In the past, the fresh juice of the plant was also drip for conjunctivitis, but this should not be used today.