Sundew – uses and health benefits

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Sundew is a genus belonging to the sundew family The botanical name of the sundew is Drosera. The genus consists of about 200 species, making it the second largest genus of carnivorous plants. Typical for the sundew are their leaves, which are covered with adhesive glands and attract prey.

General overview

Sundew usually grows as a perennial herbaceous plant, more rarely it is an annual. The plant forms rosettes, grows upright or climbs up other plants. It can reach heights of growth of up to one meter, with the height depending on the species. Climbing species of sundew can grow much taller and live more than 50 years. Sundews are highly specialized in taking up nitrogen by catching insects. For this reason, the dwarf sundew species completely lack a special enzyme called nitrate reductase. This enzyme is normally necessary to absorb nitrate bound in the soil.

Sundew reproduces vegetatively by means of aerial stolons and stolons. In some cases, tubers or brood scales can also form. The small, clear droplets that are on the plant are characteristic of the sundew. These drops are a sticky liquid. Insects assume it is nectar, so they settle on the sundew. However, the insects stick to the drops and become prey to the sundew.

Occurrence and cultivation

Sundew is widespread in large parts of the world. The main areas of distribution are in South America, Australia and southern Africa. Only a few species are widespread in North America and Eurasia. The origin of the sundew is believed to be in Africa or Australia. In Europe there are only three species, namely the round-leaved, the long-leaved and the middle sundew. The round-leaved sundew has its natural habitat in the high moors of the northern Black Forest.

In most cases, sundew grows in temporarily to permanently wet areas. The plant prefers nutrient-poor and acidic soils as well as strong sunlight . For these reasons, it is often found in bogs, swamps, heaths, and on inselbergs. Numerous species grow in association with peat mosses, which draw specific nutrients from the soil and increase acidity. Since sundew feeds on insects , it can also thrive in nutrient-poor areas.

Application and effect

The sundew has been used as a medicinal plant in Europe since the 12th century . All parts of the plant can be used except for the roots. For example, the herb of the sundew contains the substance plumbagin, which is derived from a special naphthoquinone. Naphtoquinone is believed to be responsible for the healing properties of sundew. Naphtoquinone has an antitussive and antispasmodic effect . Other ingredients of sundew are, for example, flavonoids , mucilage , tannins , malic acid, bitter substances , citric acid, formic acid, anthocyanin and various essential oils. There are a number of ways to use sundew medicinally. For example, the sundew can be taken in the form of ready-made preparations.

The plant can also be used as a tea or for external use in the form of a tincture. Nowadays, mainly finished products made from sundew are consumed. However, the traditional use of sundew is to make a tea. For this purpose, a cup of boiled water is poured over a teaspoon of sundew herb. The brew is left to stand for about ten minutes. The tea is then strained and drunk in small sips. One to two cups of sundew tea are usually drunk per day.

What does sundew help against?

importance to health

Sundew has been used in naturopathy since the late Middle Ages. The plant was primarily used to treat coughing. In later times, sundew was also used as a remedy for epilepsy, tuberculosis, infertility, warts and even psychosis. Nowadays, sundew is used in most cases in connection with diseases of the respiratory tract, such as cough, whooping cough, spasmodic cough, bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ready-made preparations or teas are suitable for internal use, with which coughing complaints can be combated. The sundew shows its antispasmodic and expectorant effect , so that the patient can easily cough up the mucus. In addition, the sundew has an anti-inflammatory effect that can be used, for example, in inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Sundew is also said to have an antibiotic effect . The plant is said to be able to fight certain bacteria associated with whooping cough, bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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