Daisies: Beautiful fragrant flowers and medicinal plants

Each of us, more or less, has once passed through a temple yard, a temple yard, or someone's park or garden and encountered tall trees with white or red flowers, emitting a fragrant aroma. It is Dai tree, a familiar tree in the life of our people. Grown a lot for ornamental purposes or for shade. But what not everyone knows, this plant is also used to make medicine to treat many diseases. Its parts from flower, leaf, resin, stem, root each have their own healing effect. So what are its specific features and uses, let's find out in the article below.

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• 1. Characteristics of Daisies
• 2. Origin, distribution
• 3. Parts used, collected, processed and preserved
• 4. The chemical composition of the plant
• 5. Pharmacological effects of Daisies
• 6. Uses of Daisies
• 7. How to use medicinal herbs on Daisies
• 8. Some remedies from Daisies

1. Characteristics of Daisies

Dai ( Plumeria rubra L. var. acutifolia (Poir.) Bailey) tree, also known by the familiar name Porcelain, belongs to the oleander family. It is a small tree, about 2-4m high, with a round, stout body, diversely branched, rough. The soft body is cut with pus flowing out, easy to break. The bark is gray-white with scars left by the leaves. The root system of the tree is enlarged, the root is large.

The leaves are large, staggered, often concentrated at the tips of the branches. The leaf blade is thick and large, lance-shaped, the base is narrow and the tip is pointed, the margin is intact, the upper surface is glossy. Leaf veins are feathery, midrib is prominent. When the leaves fall, they leave scars on the branches. In November, the branches become bare of leaves because they have all fallen off (so it is also called the leper).

Dai flowers grow in clusters on a common stalk about 30-50cm long at the tip of the branch. Flowers are white at the edge, yellow on the inside with stamens attached to the corolla tube (there are also varieties of Dai with pink to red flowers are also commonly grown). Petals thick, funnel-shaped, very fragrant. Usually flowers have 5 petals, but there are also cases of 6, 7 petals. Flowers usually appear in spring to summer.

The tree is difficult to bear fruit. The fruit is cylindrical, about 10-15cm long, the seeds have thin wings.

Daisies are beautiful and very fragrant, also one of the parts used to make medicine

2. Origin, distribution

Dai tree is native to the Americas, is a plant that likes dry, sunny soil, very afraid of waterlogging. Due to its fragrant, beautiful and perennial flowers, it has become popular all over the world, even becoming the national flower of Laos and Nicaragua.

In Vietnam, the tree is often planted in the courtyards of temples, shrines, and mausoleums. Perhaps because according to Buddhists, this is a sacred tree in the tree of heaven (that is, vitality, the soul of the universe, heaven and earth).

3. Parts used, collected, processed and preserved

3.1. Parts used of the dandelion plant

Almost the whole plant from bark, root bark to flowers, leaves, resin, all can be used as medicine.

3.2. Harvesting, processing, preserving

Flowers: people collect the flowers at the time of their new bloom, from May to November. The flowers are picked and dried in the shade or lightly dried at 40 - 500C until dry.

Stem bark and roots: taken from old trees. Separate into small pieces, hang or dry gently to dry.

Leaves and resin: can be obtained all year round.

Store these medicinal herbs in a dry place, avoid moldy, crushed, avoid wet places, avoid direct sunlight to reduce the quality of the medicine.

4. The chemical composition of the plant

According to research, it was found that in the bark, there is a glucoside called agoniadin, slightly soluble in water, alcohol, ether, and sulfur carbon. Soluble in nitric acid and sulfuric acid.

The sap contains an acid called plumeric acid, which is soluble in boiling water, alcohol, and ether, and is analyzed at 1300C.

The flowers are found to have an antibiotic called fulvoplumerin and also have a cool-smelling essential oil.

The roots, leaves and bark contain a bitter substance called plumeric. It is a white, crystalline powder, odorless, bitter, soluble in water, in alcohol. This substance is not present in flowers.

5. Pharmacological effects of Daisies

The antibiotic fulvoplumerin was found to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Experiments on rabbits and dogs showed that Dai flower has the effect of lowering blood pressure. Dried flowers have a stronger effect than fresh flowers. The antihypertensive effect appears rapidly and is relatively stable. In particular, it does not dilate blood vessels.

The leaves and sap of Daisies can cure boils and swelling

6. Uses of Daisies

According to traditional medicine, it is found that the flowers of Daisies have the effect of clearing heat, harmonizing taste, laxative, and lung tonic. Often used to treat cough, weak lungs with sputum, constipation, acute enteritis or bloody dysentery, edema, urinary retention. Note that this medicine is not used for people with systemic weakness, diarrhea and pregnant women.

The bark of the body can clear heat, clean up, clear water, and disinfect. Used to treat edema, less urination or long-term constipation, inflammation of the teeth.

The sap of the tree, in addition to the effects of bark, is also used to treat calluses, swelling, and boils.

Leaves cure sprains, joints, boils.

7. How to use medicinal herbs on Daisies

• For flowers: usually used as decoction, dose 12-20g.
• Bark: dose 4 - 8g for laxative, 8 - 20g for laxative. Or you can use 12-30g soaked in alcohol to treat toothache.
• Tree sap: often applied to treat scabies, inflammation.
• Leaves: Crushed and applied, or cooked into a paste, applied to the wound.

8. Some remedies from Daisies

8.1. Laxative remedy

Take 4-5g of thin, fragrant, sharp bark with 200ml of water, divided into 3 times to drink during the day.

If you want to have a cleansing effect to treat constipation, use a larger dose, about 10-20g.

8.2. Medicine to lower blood pressure

Finely chopped dried daisies 100gr, finely chopped dried yellow chrysanthemum flowers 50gr, Hoa Hoa (yellow star) 50gr, Quyet Minh Tu (black star) 50gr. All grind into powder, every day use 10-20g to make tea.

8.3. Remedy for joint misalignment, sprain

Use a handful of crushed Dai leaves, apply to the painful area.

8.4. Remedy for toothache from Daisies

Use 10-20g of root bark soaked in 200ml of white wine, gargle twice a day, absolutely do not swallow.

Daisies is a familiar plant, easy to find to make medicine. However, anyone needs to be careful when using it, especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is best to consult a doctor to avoid unwanted consequences. We look forward to receiving your feedback as well as your companionship in the next articles. SignsSymptomsList is here to help!

Dr. Bui Khanh Ha