Mokritsa (chickweed)

Middle woodlouse is an annual herb of the genus Zvezdchatka, Clove family. It is also known as medium chickweed, midge, mokrichnik, mokrichka, gryzhnik, canary or bird grass, runner.

Other names are possible as well. wood lice are very common.

The Latin name is Stellaria media.

An annual, ground cover plant, no more than 10 cm high.

• Weak stem, cylindrical, spreading along the ground, branched, covered with hairs, slightly leafy, rooting at the base. Can reach a length of up to 35 cm.
• Oval leaves, slightly pointed, at the base along the edge with cilia. The lower leaves are petiolate, while the upper ones are sessile.
• The flowers are small and white, collected in spreading inflorescences. The petals are bipartite, the flowers look like stars. They have a long pedicel. Blooms all summer.
• As a fruit, an oblong dark brown box with rounded seeds. Begins to ripen in July.

There are about 120 types of starfish. Only in Russia they can be found several dozen varieties.

Consider the most common.

Despite its medicinal properties and culinary use, it is considered a weed. It is difficult to fight it, the plant alone produces 15,000 seeds, which can sprout even after 5 years.

• Herbaceous plant, perennial, up to 0.5 m high,
• Oval leaves (basal leaves disappear by the time of flowering), thin root.
• Blooms in the summer months.
• Likes highlands, forests, meadows, ravines, can be found under bushes and along rivers.
• Is a honey plant.
• Apply leaves and shoots, but collected before the flowering period.
• Edible, helps with joint pain. Stops diarrhea. Decoctions help to cope with swelling of the legs and ringworm.

• Perennial herbaceous plant.
• It has branched stems with 4 faces. They can be recumbent or rise to a height of up to 40 cm.
• Oblong, lanceolate, sessile leaves up to 1.5 cm long.
• As a fruit - a box, ovoid, with seeds. Blooms in May until early autumn.
• It loves shady places with damp soil, so it grows along ponds and swamps.
• It is used as a compress for eczema and scrofula.

• Perennial pubescent plant.
• It has a straight stem (up to 60 cm in height) and a thin rhizome.
• The leaves are shaped like a heart, along the edges of the cilia.
• It has white, elongated, single flowers.
• As a fruit, a box with flaps, elongated or rounded.
• It loves fertilized loose soil, therefore it is found in forests, peat bogs, meadows, under bushes and along the banks of reservoirs.
• Used for oncology and fungal diseases of the skin.

• Perennial not tall grass, (no more than 30 cm) with a creeping rhizome.
• It has straight, erect, branched stems.
• Pointed, hard leaves, so the grass is also called lanceolate.
• The midrib of the leaf is slightly rough.
• It has large and white flowers.
• Blooms in April and May.
• Round box as a fruit.
• Prefers woodlands.
• Used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hemostatic agent.
• Effective in the treatment of purulent wounds, tumors, ulcers, bedsores, scabies.

• Perennial herb, no more than 35-40 cm high.
• Branching stems with 4 faces, spread along the ground.
• Opposite leaves, 4x40 mm in size, sharp. The flowers are collected in spreading inflorescences.
• Blooms in May.
• As a fruit, an oblong box.
• It loves moist soils, so it can be found on the banks of water bodies, in sparse forests, in meadows and cultivated fields as a weed.
• Collect all parts of the plant, except for the root, only during flowering.
• Helps with abscesses, heart pain, hyperthyroidism.

The woodlouse loves damp or well-moistened soil, therefore it most often grows on damp forest roads, forest edges, clearings, near streams, rivers, and weedy places. Can be found near housing and gardens.

The planet mainly grows in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It is found almost throughout the Russian Federation.

All above ground parts of the plant are used.

For harvesting grass:

1. Collect wood lice during flowering, when they are juicy and soft. The entire weed is grasped whole and carefully pulled out from the root.
2. Then everything is cleared of the earth and laid out to dry. It is necessary to choose a dark place, but well ventilated. The air temperature should not exceed 45 C.
3. Dried grass is crushed.
4. It is recommended to store in a cloth bag or a glass jar with a lid. Shelf life 9 months.

• Woodlouse is an aggressor weed, displacing all other plants from its site.
• Propagated by seeds and vegetatively.
• One plant produces about 15,000 seeds.
• Very viable seeds.They can lie in the ground for up to 5 years and germinate. Moreover, even unripe seeds germinate.
• In one season, the grass gives 2-3 generations.
• Excellent honey plant, blooms all summer.
• If not weeded out, it forms a beautiful, lush carpet. Some varieties are ornamental and are specially bred.
• Keeps the soil moist under it, creating an excellent environment for the development of bacteria, fungi and insects.

Nutritional value per 100 gr. wood lice herbs:

• Vitamins: C, E, A (carotene).
• Sinapoic acid, triterpene saponins.
• Trace elements: magnesium, iodine, copper, zinc, potassium, cobalt, iron.
• Flavonoids.
• Phytocides.
• Alkaloids.
• Tannins.
• Lipids.
• Wax.
• Essential oils.

• regenerating;
• antiseptic;
• painkiller;
• hemostatic (stops bleeding);
• vasoconstrictor;
• sedative;
• choleretic;
• expectorant;
• laxative.

In addition, it affects the body as follows:

• immunostimulating;
• tonic;
• restorative;
• rejuvenating;
• softening;
• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• normalizes metabolism.

• Allergic reactions and individual intolerance.
• Hypotension (when taken orally, wood lice lowers blood pressure).
• With caution during pregnancy and lactation.
• Young age.

In addition to the herb itself, woodlice juice is actively used for medicinal purposes for various problems with the liver, stomach, kidneys, lungs, thyroid gland, and oncology.

It is used for diseases such as colitis, pleurisy, asthma, stomach ulcers, gastritis, arthritis, rheumatism, osteochondrosis, hemorrhoids, gout, bronchitis, epilepsy.

Stimulates lactation, but should be taken with caution, because. allergic rashes are possible, incl. at the baby. Helps with mastopathy.

Gauze moistened with juice can be applied for inflammation of the skin, rashes, swelling, ulcers.

Daily intake of juice helps with migraines, relieves fatigue and irritability, improves memory. An excellent remedy for avitaminosis.

Juice is recommended to be consumed diluted in water 4 times a day. 1 tsp fresh juice and 1 tsp. honey in a glass of water.

Potatoes (4 pcs.) Cut into small cubes, pour 1 liter of water and put on fire. Using vegetable oil, onions and carrots lightly fry in a pan, simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add sautéed vegetables and finely chopped medium starfish (100 gr.) to boiling water to potatoes.

A few minutes before readiness, add chopped parsley and dill (a small bunch). Salt to taste. Serving on the table, season with sour cream, you can add more greenery directly from the plate.

For 100 g of chickweed: 100 g of beet tops, a small bunch of dill, parsley and green onions, 1 red onion, 2-3 hard-boiled eggs, sour cream. Grind all the ingredients, mix, salt, add sour cream.

1 carrot, 1-2 cloves of garlic, a bunch of woodlice, sour cream or olive oil. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, crush the garlic, finely chop the wood lice. Mix everything, salt, season with butter or sour cream.

Fresh woodlice, green onions, 1 hard-boiled egg, sour cream. Cut the ingredients, mix, salt and season with sour cream. For piquancy, you can add green feathers of garlic.

For 1 medium toast, 25-30g of butter and woodlice, a couple of cloves of garlic, parsley for decoration. Spread bread with butter. Grind wood lice and garlic, mix and put on bread. Top with parsley leaves.

Peel and chop 2 tangerines and 2 medium apples. Load everything into a blender, incl. 2 tbsp. water and a handful of chickweed. Turn on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Pour the cocktail into glasses.

250g wood lice, 50g horseradish, honey, 2 liters of water. Grind the ingredients well. Pour in water and leave for 4 hours. Strain. At the end, add honey to taste.

For the preparation of medicinal infusions, decoctions and poultices, all parts of the wood lice, except for the root, are used, mainly fresh. They note a wide range of medicinal properties of wood lice.

Mokritsa is used to treat the following diseases:

• Asthma, cough, bronchitis, tracheitis.
• Stomach pain, gastritis, diarrhea, hemorrhoids.
• Cystitis, kidney stones.
• Laryngitis.
• Erosion, cyst, fibroids, menstrual irregularities, leucorrhoea.
• Diseases of the thyroid gland.
• Neurosis, PMS.
• Colds, acute respiratory infections.
• Swelling, swelling, relieving fatigue in the legs.
• Joint pain, rheumatism, gout, cervical osteochondrosis, arthritis.
• Anemia, anemia, hemoptysis.

Also, due to its medicinal properties, wood lice will cure:

• Abscesses, inflammations, furunculosis, carbunculosis, trophic non-healing ulcers.
• Oncology.
• Increased blood sugar.
• Inflammation of the eyes.
• Hypertension, ischemic heart disease.
• Skin rash, dermatitis, eczema.
• Problems with lactation.
• Dizziness, weakness.
• Hepatitis, cholelithiasis.
• Avitaminosis, scurvy.
• To relieve fatigue in the legs, it is enough to put green twigs of wood lice in the shoes.

2 tbsp asterisks pour boiling water (1 tbsp.), put on a slow fire and hold for no more than 10 minutes. Infuse for half an hour, then strain. Take before meals 50 ml 3 times a day.

This decoction is also suitable for those who have menstrual irregularities, delays or severe menstrual pain. The course of admission begins 1 week before menstruation. Drink 2 times a day before meals.

Pour a glass of boiling water 1 tbsp. herbs. About half an hour to insist in an enamel bowl. Strain. If necessary, add water to restore the original volume. Take 50 ml 4 times a day shortly before meals.

Pour 100 g of medium starch with a glass of hot water and leave for about an hour. Wet tampons with infusion. Used at night. The course lasts 5 days, with the same break, then the course of treatment is repeated.

Steam the herb and apply as a compress.

Fill a 3 liter jar with fresh chickweed. Pour 500 ml of vodka, fill the rest with boiled water. Insist 21 days. Squeeze the grass and strain the infusion. Consume 1/3 cup daily. The course is held for 2-3 weeks.

Pour fresh leaves of stellate medium (1.5 tablespoons) with boiling water (1-1.5 tablespoons). Infuse for about an hour, then strain. Take half a glass before meals 4-5 times a day. This recipe is suitable for hypertension.

1 tablespoon pour 300 ml of clean water. Insist 14 days in a dark place. Take diluted before meals (20 drops per 1 tbsp of water).

Squeeze out the juice Rinse eyes 2 times a day.

Make a lotion from a decoction of wood lice and apply to the affected area for 15-20 minutes. You can do this procedure several times a day.

0.5 tsp woodlice juice and 0.5 tsp. honey consumed daily before meals 3 times a day.

• It is a dietary plant, eaten.
• The juice of the starfish is useful. Can be consumed in its pure form, 0.5 cup before meals 3 times a day or mixed with fruit and juice. Take within 3 months.

• Rejuvenating face mask: 1 tbsp. fresh chopped chickweed and 1 tsp. mix honey and cream. Keep on face for about 15 minutes, then wash off.
• For withered skin, compresses help. Soak a small terry towel in the decoction of wood lice and apply on the face. Place another dry towel on top. leave the compress for 20 minutes, then wash.
• From blackheads and Acne, daily washing with a decoction of wood lice helps, the skin itself becomes noticeably softer and softer.
• Baths with a decoction of woodlice have a cleansing effect, improving the metabolism in the skin. 2 tbsp woodlice (dry or finely chopped fresh) pour 1 liter of boiling water. Insist in a thermos for about 2 hours. Pour the strained broth into the bath.

• Blooms all summer, excellent honey plant.
• They call it bird grass, because. She is very fond of poultry. Add to feed.
• Used as a dye for wool, gives a blue color. You can also get a light green dye.

They reproduce both by seeds and vegetatively. Sow preferably before winter or in the first half of spring. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other in open ground (after 2 picks).

They prefer well-moistened soil, slightly acidic and fertilized. They love sunny places.

It is very difficult to get rid of asterisks. She is very hardy, does not get sick, is not affected by pests. Even unripe seeds can germinate. And for the season gives 2-3 generations.

Therefore, it is very important not to initially bring the weed to your site. Weeding should be done not only in the beds, but also near the house and behind the fence. The grass should be pulled out by the whole bush along with the root. Weeded wood lice should not be placed on the ground: seeds may crumble or pieces of stems will remain that quickly and easily take root. It is better to collect grass immediately in a bucket or other container with sides.

Plucked chickweed can be dried or fed to poultry. If you take it to a compost heap, then it must rot in at least 3 years, otherwise there is a risk of bringing the weed back to the beds.

If the weed managed to drop the seeds, then you should wait for them to germinate. Then they sleep with a chopper.

A more radical method is herbicides. The land cultivates only after the harvest of the entire crop. The substance decomposes completely, usually within 2 weeks, so it will not harm crops in the next season.

Woodlouse is very sensitive to all changes in humidity and air temperature. from here a popular sign appeared: if the wood lice did not bloom in the morning, it means it will rain.

And in the old days, magicians believed that in order for a wish to come true, you need to eat 7 petals of wood lice at dawn.