Cowslip
It belongs to the family prvosenkovité (Primulacea). Cowslip is a perennial herb with a short but rather strong and almost vertical rhizome cylindrical, covered with numerous yellowish roots. The rhizome grows storey leaf-rosettes formed by elongated egg-shaped leaves and heavily svraskalými. On the back is gray-green leaves and hairy. The flowers are greenish-yellow puffy eye and a tubular, extended above the crown with orange patches in the mouth. The fruit is a capsule.
It grows best in semi-shade, but the sun in any good garden soil. Because of its appearance is especially suitable for natural gardens and the surrounding cottages. Among its aliases include primrose, primula, or goose. It is spread almost all over Europe, eastwards to western Asia. Unlike the related higher Primrose (Primula elatior), grows primarily in the warmer locations uplands and lowlands.
The underground parts contain saponin (primulová acid 5-10%), oil (up 0.08%), glycosides, esters of salicylic acid, etc. The leaves contain about 2% saponins flowers contain saponins and flavonoids. All plant parts contain ascorbic acid, primulovou, carotene, etc.
Cowslip is most used as a medicinal agent to facilitate coughing, less for its diuretic effects. It is used for bronchial inflammation, influenza, exposure to cold and other occasions. Coughing makes substantial content of saponins. However, because saponin may be in the hemolytic effect of higher doses, it is necessary to drink infusions of the drug with caution. The root contains a 4x to 5x more saponins than other parts of the plant. On the contrary, leaves are high in vitamin C. The cowslip is also an excellent honey plant.
