Bistort

Medicinal Herb : Bistort
Plant Description

A number of tuberous roots are produced from the S- shaped root stock from the upper side where there are large oval leaves with heart shaped bases of bluish green color on the upper side and ash grey tinged purple, underneath both leaf stalks and blades which is about 6 inches long.

The flower stalk is 12 to 18 inches high and is very erect, slender, unbranched and bears leaves smaller than the root leaves. The flowers are produced in May and June and again in September and October.

The fruit is three seeded; the ripe fruit is small brown and shinning.

Parts Used

Root stock and rhizome

Constituents

Bistort is said to contain tannin, and lot of starch. It also contains some gallic acid and gum.
Culinary uses

* American bistort (polygonum bistortoides) is an important source of food used by American Indians living in the mountain west. Its roots are edible either raw or fire roasted. Its flavor is similar to chestnuts.
* Seeds of bistort herb are dried and used in ground flour to make bread. They are also roasted and eaten as cracked grain.

Medicinal uses

This herb is used in various bodily ailments.

* Its powder is used to apply on cuts and wounds to stop bleeding.
* Effective in jaundice.
* Expel the venom of the plague.
* Helpful in measles and smallpox, and in other infections.
Bistort root is one of the strongest astringent medicines in whole of the vegetable kingdom and highly styptic. It is an old remedy to treat internal and external bleeding including.

* Excessive menstrual flow.
* Hemorrhaging from the lungs and stomach.

Its high astringent helps to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, bedwetting, spongy gums and vomiting.
Its can be used internally in diarrhea, dysentery, peptic ulcers and irritable bowl syndrome.
Externally it can be used to treat wounds, fissures and burns.
Medicinal Herbs