Рубрика: en

A tree with gray smooth bark. The leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, with 9–17 leaflets; the leaflets are elongated and sharply serrated. The inflorescence is a dense corymb. The flowers have a bitter almond scent, are white, with a five-toothed hairy calyx and 5 petals; there are 20 stamens; the receptacle is cup-shaped. The fruit is a false, berry-like, juicy, bright orange with remnants of the calyx at the top. Inside, there are 2–7 crescent-shaped brown seeds. It blooms from May to June. The fruits ripen in August-September, remaining on the tree until deep winter.

It grows in coniferous and broad-leaved forests in the understory as a medium-sized tree, along forest edges and clearings, and in shrub thickets along river and lake shores. It is widespread in the forest zone of the European part of Russia and Siberia, extending to the Far North, and grows high in the mountains of the Caucasus. It is cultivated in gardens and parks.

Rowan fruits — Fructus Sorbi, also called berries by harvesters, are collected from both wild and cultivated trees. The clusters are harvested in late autumn after frost, when the fruits acquire a more pleasant bitter-sour taste. Fresh berries can be stored throughout the winter in a cold room or frozen. They are dried in dryers or in a cool oven. Before drying, the berries are removed from the pedicels.

Fresh berries contain up to 18 mg% carotene (calculated for dry weight), vitamin P, vitamin C (40–200 mg%), organic acids (citric and malic acids), a bitter substance, sorbitol alcohol, and the corresponding sugar sorbose (ketose), amino acids (up to 235 mg%), including arginine, asparagine acid, α-alanine, histidine, glycine, lysine, tyrosine, cystine, cysteine, and others, traces of essential oil, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium salts, and others. The seeds contain fatty oil and the glycoside amygdalin, while the leaves contain about 200 mg% of vitamin C, flavonols astragalin, hyperoside, kampherol-3-soforoside, quercetin-3-soforoside, and isokercitrin. The bitterness of the fruit is due to the monoglycoside of parasorbic acid (0.8%). The bark contains tannins.

Berries are used as a polyvitamin raw material with a significant carotene content, as the fruits of rowan surpass several carrot varieties in carotene, and the vitamin P content places rowan among the top fruit and berry crops. Dried berries are included in vitamin collections or brewed separately like tea. Fresh berries are processed into vitamin syrup, jam, and are used in the confectionery and liqueur industries.

In folk medicine, rowan fruits are used for stomach disorders as a diuretic and hemostatic agent.

The important healing properties of rowan are related to the presence of sorbic acid in its fruits, which is responsible for its choleretic effect.

FAMILY — LEGUMINOUS (PAPILIONACEAE) — FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE)

Climatic conditions determine the growth of wild species that belong only to the papilionaceous subfamily — Papiloconaceae, which, with a few exceptions, are not medicinal plants.

Herbaceous plants, shrubs, or trees. The leaves are alternate, usually compound—pinnately or palmately compound, often with stipules. The flowers are characteristic, irregular, with separate petals, typically 5 (4) sepals fused; the corolla consists of 5 petals: the upper petal is usually larger («flag» or «sail»), 2 lateral petals («wings») and 2 lower petals, often fused completely or partially («boat»); there are 10 stamens, usually 9 fused and 1 free, but sometimes all 10 are fused or free; the pistil is 1, with a superior, elongated ovary. The fruit is a pod, usually opening into two halves, though sometimes not opening or splitting into segments. Seeds are attached to the pod walls, and they do not have endosperm.

Many species in this family contain alkaloids. Numerous plants rich in tanning agents, various glycosides, flavonoids, and coumarins have been identified. Some species contain gum in the stems, such as the well-known tragacanth gum from Astragalus, which has technical uses.

All species of leguminous plants contain starch and significant amounts of protein, with some, like peanuts, containing oil. Some species also contain mucilage in their seeds and pods, and saponins. Tropical and subtropical species often produce resins and balsams in their stems.

The chemical composition of these plants is diverse, but botanical relationships are clearly noticeable. The extensive subfamily of leguminous plants is divided into 10 tribes. In the 1st and 2nd tribes, all 10 stamens are free, while in some genera of the 3rd tribe, all 10 stamens are fused only at the base; in others, they are entirely fused, or one stamen is free.

Species from the 1st and 2nd tribes (48 species) contain alkaloids. These belong to the lupinane or lupine alkaloid group, which contains quinolizidine rings in the core structure and forms numerous derivatives (cytisine, pachycarpine, thermopsin, etc.).

In the 4th and 5th tribes, plants are mainly alkaloid-free, except for derivatives of betaine like trigonelline (e.g., Trigonella); glycosides are predominant.

The 6th tribe is the most extensive (including the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis). In this tribe, various active substances are formed — some species contain alkaloids, while others are alkaloid-free or contain traces of alkaloids. However, even those with alkaloids do not belong to the lupine alkaloid group.

The 7th tribe is alkaloid-free or contains traces, and includes plants with cardiac glycosides (e.g., Vasel); the 8th tribe consists of fossil plants; the 9th and 10th tribes primarily consist of edible garden plants.

SOPHORA PACHYCARPA — SOPHORA PACHYCARPA C. A. MEY
A perennial herbaceous plant with a deep and powerful root system. The stems are branching, abundantly leafy. The leaves are imparipinnate (different from Thermopsis). The flowers are numerous, cream-colored, gathered into long, dense, spike-like inflorescences, with all 10 stamens free. The pods do not open, are brown, finely hairy, short, thick, club-shaped, with a faint constriction in the middle (the characteristic feature of the genus is non-opening pods, while the short pods are typical for this species). Usually, 1–2 seeds develop. The seeds are brown, with a rounded scar, and slightly shiny. It flowers from April to June and fruits in June to July. The plant is toxic. It grows in the deserts of Central Asia and as a weed.

It contains alkaloids of the lupinane group: in the herb, 2–3% (up to 6.4%), in seeds, 2.2%. The main alkaloid of the herb is pachycarpine (containing 2 quinolizidine rings). Hydriodide of pachycarpine is a ganglioblocking agent used in the treatment of peripheral vascular spasms and to enhance labor. It is available in tablets of 0.1 g, in ampoules of a 2–3% solution, and in powder form.

The seeds contain cytisine, sophocarpine, matrine, and others.

Sophora griffithii — a shrub growing in Central Asia; alkaloids found in the leaves include pachycarpine, cytidine, N-methylcytisine, and others.

A similar alkaloid composition has been found in poisonous Central Asian shrubs such as Ammothamus Lehmannii Bge. and Ammodendron conollyi Bge., which belong to the same tribe. Both species contain pachycarpine among their alkaloids.

A highly branched shrub, densely covered with white woolly hairs. The leaves are simple, obovate. The flowers are purple, in clusters, with 10 fused stamens. The fruit is oval, bladder-like, up to 5 cm in length. It grows in Central Asia and in the deserts of Kara-Kum and Kyzylkum.

Alkaloids have been isolated — spherozine, smirnovine, and smirnovinin. The shoots contain smirnovine (0.052%) in the spring (May), which is a monoacetyl derivative of spherozine, and in the autumn (August) they contain spherozine (0.09%) and smirnovinin (0.36%). These alkaloids have hypotensive properties. From the total alkaloid content, diisopropylputrescine is produced semisynthetically, which, in the form of its dihydrochloride, is marketed under the name «Isoprin»; it has both hypotensive and sedative properties.

It is prescribed in tablet form (0.025 and 0.05 g) or in 2 ml ampoules of a 2% solution for hypertension of stage I and II. Tablets are taken 2–3 times a day, with the treatment course lasting 7–10 days.

Family — Crassulaceae

A perennial herbaceous plant reaching a height of 40–80 cm, with a thickened fusiform root. The leaves are succulent, fleshy, and opposite (distinguished from Sedum purpureum (L.) Schult., which has alternate leaves), elongated elliptical (while the related species Sedum telephium L. has rounded or oval leaves), stem-clasping, 5–13 cm long. The inflorescence is dense, corymbose, 6–10 cm wide. The flowers are small with a whitish-pink speckled corolla, 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 10 stamens, almost equal in length to the corolla. The fruit is a complex leaflet. It fruits from July to October.

It grows in the central and western regions of the European part of Russia, in broad-leaved forests.

The plant’s classification as a succulent prompted research into its potential use as a biogenic stimulant, similar to aloe. This research was conducted at the Zaporizhzhya Medical Institute.

The juice of S. maximum contains citric, oxalic, and malic acids, as well as traces of alkaloids. When the leaves were stimulated using Filatov’s method (leaves were kept in the dark at +5°C for 2 weeks), the amount of citric and oxalic acids doubled.

The preparation «Biosed,» a water extract of S. maximum prepared similarly to biogenic aloe preparations, has been approved for use. It is indicated for stimulating metabolic processes, similar to aloe-based products. Biosed is available in ampoules of 1–2 ml for subcutaneous or intramuscular injection (maximum daily dose 3–4 ml); the course of treatment is 20–30 injections. The drug is contraindicated in cases of peptic ulcer disease.

Other succulent species of the Crassulaceae family, such as Sedum album L. (white stonecrop), Sedum telephium L. (orpine), and Sempervivum ruthenicum (Koch.) Schmit et Lehm. (Russian houseleek), are also being tested for biogenic stimulants.

Family — Euphorbiaceae

The Euphorbiaceae family contains lechery-producing plants, with tree-like, shrub-like, and herbaceous species. The leaves are alternate. The flowers are unisexual, with distinct male and female floral structures. The inflorescences vary in shape. The ovary is superior, typically with three cavities. The fruit is generally a three-celled capsule.

It is an extensive family, and almost all plants are poisonous; the toxic compounds include alkaloids, resins, and proteins.

The family is divided into two subfamilies:

1. Phyllanthoideae Subfamily: Develops two ovules per cavity and lacks latex. This subfamily contains the alkaloid-bearing Securinega. This is the only wild plant of this family used in scientific medicine.
2. Crotonoideae Subfamily: Develops a single ovule per cavity. This section includes cultivated plants such as castor oil plant (Ricinus) and tung tree (Aleurites). Both have seeds rich in oil, containing a toxic protein substance called toxalbumin. Castor oil acts as a laxative, and tung oil is used for technical purposes. The seeds of the tree have caused poisoning incidents.

Among the wild plants, the genus Euphorbia is of particular interest. All species bear latex with more or less toxic resins called euphorbin, which irritate mucous membranes and cause blistering of the skin. When ingested in proper doses, they act as powerful laxatives, and some species contain alkaloids. Species from the genus Euphorbia are under study.

Previously, the pharmacopoeia included the resin from Euphorbia obtained from the African species Euphorbia resinifera Berg, used to treat furuncles.

SECUROGIRA SUFFRUTICOSA (PALL.) REHD.

A spreading dioecious shrub up to 1.5 meters in height, with thin, straight, light yellow shoots and gray bark on older branches. The leaves are small, glabrous, inversely elliptical, alternate, with tiny leathery stipules. The flowers are unisexual, small, and inconspicuous, greenish in color. The male flowers are clustered in bunches of 3-12 on short pedicels. The sepals are 5, concave, oval, without petals; the stamens are 5-6, protruding from the calyx; the rudimentary ovary is usually trivalvate. The female flowers are solitary or rarely in clusters of 3-8, on longer pedicels (up to 1 cm); the ovary is spherical, with three styles. The fruit is a drooping, three-celled capsule, flattened on top, with three lobes, each containing two seeds. The seeds are smooth, bluntly triangular, with a thin shell. It flowers from June to July and fruits in September.

It grows singly or in small groups on rocky slopes and sandy-gravel deposits, less frequently on forest edges. It is found in the Russian Far East along the Amur River and its tributaries, extending west to Nerchinsk.

The plant material is collected by cutting the leaf-bearing tops of stems and branches, from the bud phase to the fruit maturation phase, from June to September. The plants contain alkaloids: 0.3-0.8% in the leaves, 0.2% in the stem tops, and much less in the fruits. The main alkaloid isolated is securinine.

According to literature, Securinega suffruticosa contains alkaloids such as suffruticodine, suffrutikonine, allosecurinine, dihydrosecurinine, and securinol, while the species growing in Japan contains virosecurin. The roots of the plant from India mainly contain allosecurinine. Related species in the genus contain gordenine (flugrin), viroallosecurinine, and virosin. The composition of alkaloids and their quantitative ratio in different forms and varieties of Securinega suffruticosa varies significantly depending on geographical conditions and developmental phase.

Nitric acid securinine is used internally and subcutaneously as a stimulant for the nervous system. It acts similarly to strychnine, but weaker, and the medication is less toxic.

It is prescribed as a tonic for asthenic conditions, neurasthenia with rapid fatigue, hypotension, paresis, flaccid paralysis, and sexual weakness due to functional disorders of the nervous system.

Excessive doses of securinine can lead to poisoning similar to strychnine, with difficulty swallowing, painful tension in facial, occipital, and other muscles, leading to convulsive contractions in skeletal muscles.

The prescribed dosage is tablets of 0.002 g, twice a day, or a 0.4% solution (in bottles), 10-20 drops twice a day, or a 0.2% solution (in ampoules) of 1 ml subcutaneously once a day. The course of treatment lasts 30-35 days.

An annual herbaceous plant with angular stems. The leaves are pinnately compound, with 11-15 wedge-shaped leaflets, notched at the top and with a thin tip. The flowers are in umbels, with 6-8 flowers per umbel. The corolla is yellow, boat-shaped with a beak, with 9 fused stamens and 1 free stamen. The pod is indehiscent, long, flat, and many-seeded. It blooms in May-June. It grows in Crimea and Eastern Transcaucasia.

The plant contains steroid heart glycosides, but is not used in medical practice.

A dioecious vine with a woody stem up to 8-10 m long and more, about 2 cm thick, with a long root. The leaves are petiolate, elliptical, pointed, with a wedge-shaped base, entire, with red petioles. The flowers are in the leaf axils, one or several on long pedicels, with 6-9 tepals. Staminate flowers have 5 stamens fused into a column. Pistillate flowers have a cylindrical receptacle bearing numerous two-celled pistils. As the receptacle matures, it elongates 20-50 times; each pistil turns into a berry, forming a fruit resembling a hanging spike (developed from one flower), densely populated with sessile red berries (up to 10-40), each containing 2 seeds. The seeds are yellow and kidney-shaped. The bark and leaves have a lemon scent. It blooms in mid-June, and the berries ripen in September-October. One vine produces 4-5 kg of berries. The pulp has an extremely sour taste; the skin is sweet; the seeds have a burning taste with an unpleasant odor. The fruits — Fructus Schizandrae and the seeds — Semen Schizandrae are used. Even when ripe, the fruits of Schizandra are not particularly pleasant-tasting. Since ancient times, the Goldi hunters have made sure to stockpile dried Schizandra berries. It was long noticed that a person who eats a handful of berries can chase wild animals all day without getting tired and without eating.

It has been established that Schizandra fruits stimulate the central nervous system and have a positive effect on conditioned reflex activity.

Schizandra tinctures are used for general asthenia and heart diseases.

The fruits of Schizandra chinensis contain several organic acids — citric, malic, succinic, tartaric, as well as sugars, tannins, and coloring compounds. The fatty oil of Schizandra seeds contains a significant amount of vitamin E.

It grows in the Far East, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions, in the Manchurian-type cedar-broadleaf forests; it is most commonly found at altitudes of no more than 500-600 meters in shrubs, along stream valleys, and in the upper reaches of mountain rivers, but it is absent in the floodplains of large rivers and in swampy areas.

Hunters from the Goldi tribe have pointed out the stimulating effects of Schizandra when tired.

The active compounds are schizandrin, isolated as a crystalline non-nitrogenous substance, and schizandrol methyl esters of polyoxyphenols, belonging to lignans — compounds of the dibenzocyclooctadiene series. Their total content in the seeds is 3% and in the bark, 5%. They are dissolved in the essential oil found in the fruit peel. Dry berries contain 350-580 mg% of ascorbic acid. The berries have a very high content of organic acids: citric (10-11%), malic (7-10%), with some tartaric acid (figures are calculated for the dry mass of whole fruits, but acids are only found in the pulp); the pulp also contains sugars, pectin, etc., but no schizandrin.

The whole plant contains essential oil: in the peel and pulp of the fruits, there is only 0.3%, in the seeds, 2% (found only in the inner layer of the seed coat). It has an unpleasant odor. The seed coat contains schizandril and related compounds, as well as sterins, resins, and others. The bark of the stem contains essential oil with a lemon scent (2.5-3%), while only traces of it are found in the roots. The seed kernel is rich in semi-drying fatty oil (33%).

It was introduced into medical practice as a stimulating and toning agent for mental and physical fatigue and to enhance night vision.

Tincture made from the seeds or fruits (1:5 in 95° alcohol) is used, 20-25 drops 2-3 times a day.

FAMILY — CHENOPODIACEAE

Herbaceous plants or shrubs with alternate leaves. The flowers are regular; the perianth is simple, 5-lobed, membranous. The ovary is superior. The fruit is a dry nut enclosed in the persistent perianth, rarely a berry-like fruit. The embryo in the seeds can either surround the endosperm in a horseshoe shape, or have spirally twisted cotyledons, with almost no endosperm. The embryo cells contain fatty oil, while the endosperm cells contain starch, which is absent in the second type of seed.

Alkaloids and betaine derivatives have been found in a number of species in this family. Saponins are also present; the saponin is oleanolic acid. Many species have an abundance of organic acids in their green parts. Essential oil is rare (for example, in Chenopodium ambrosoides); tannins are either absent or present in small amounts. A characteristic feature of the family is high ash content, especially among halophytes; besides calcium oxalate, potassium nitrate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, and calcium carbonate have been found. The survival of these plants in saline deserts is due to the high concentration of salts in their cell sap, which exceeds the concentration in the soil moisture, allowing these plants to absorb water from the soil.

Widely distributed in the Caspian Depression is the leafless saltbush—Anabasis aphylla. Its alkaloid, anabasine sulfate, has no medicinal value and is used as an agricultural insecticide.

RICHTER’S SODA, CHERKESS — SALSOLA RICHTERI KAREL

Among the saltbushes, which are typically herbaceous plants or semi-shrubs, Salsola richteri stands out due to its tall growth. This is a large shrub or small tree with gray bark and thin, milk-white twigs. The plant has a xerophytic appearance, adapted to life in the desert. The leaves are cylindrical, thread-like, 4–8 cm long, and develop in spring, but leaf drop begins in May, and by autumn, only a few leaves remain. The flowers are small, brown, with two semi-circular bracts, located at the tips of the twigs in the axils of the leaves, forming a broken spike-like inflorescence. The perianth is 5-lobed, with the lobes meeting at the center, and during fruiting, the base of the lobes extends into horizontal, winged, membranous protrusions that are pink or reddish in color. The fruit, along with the wings, is round and wheel-shaped, 1–1.5 cm in diameter, with two opposing blunt tubercles at the bottom.

Salsola richteri is a xerophyte, inhabiting sandy dunes and clayey takyrs. Its range is confined to the desert zone of Central Asia. It is commonly found in the sands of the Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts, throughout Turkmenistan, except in the mountainous regions. Along with Haloxylon species, Calligonum species, and Salsola paletzkiana, it is a characteristic landscape plant of the sandy deserts; it is often used for sand stabilization near settlements and along railways.

The fruits of Salsola richteri – Fructus Salsolae Richteri – are harvested by hand with the thin twigs from September to November before the frost, when the majority of the fruit has fully developed. The raw material is dried by laying it out in the sun on some kind of bedding. The winged protrusions of the fruit lose their color during drying. Occasionally, early-collected raw material in the form of twigs with flowers and leaves is used.

Alkaloids such as salsoline, salsolidine, and traces of salsomine have been isolated from the fruits. Salsoline is a derivative of isoquinoline (1-methyl-6-oxy-7-methoxytetrahydroisoquinoline) and has a free oxy group, while in salsolidine, it is replaced by a methyl group. The fruits contain about 18% ash; saponins are absent.

The raw material is sent to an alkaloid plant for extracting salsoline and salsolidine. Both alkaloids lower blood pressure and are mainly prescribed for hypertension. Salsoline is more active than salsolidine.

The pharmaceutical industry produces salsoline hydrochloride in tablets of 0.03 g and in combined tablets with papaverine, theobromine, etc.; the dosage is 1 tablet three times a day. It is also available in ampoules as a 1% solution, injected subcutaneously 1–2 times a day.

As an undesirable impurity, the fruits of Salsola paletzkiana may be encountered, distinguished by the shape of the bracts, which are noticeable from the underside and bear a horn-like projection 1–3 cm long. This species does not contain alkaloids, and its galenical preparations can raise blood pressure.

FAMILY — WILLOW FAMILY – SALICACEAE

Dioecious trees or shrubs with simple, alternate leaves. The flowers are unisexual, without a perianth, located in the axils of bract scales, and gathered in catkins. The ovary is superior. The fruit is a capsule; the seeds have a tuft of hairs. They bloom in early spring, before the leaves appear or simultaneously. They are wind-pollinated.

Species often contain tannins, with the highest concentration found in the bark, and they are also present in the leaves. Members of this family contain glycosides such as salicin, populin, and others, which release salicylic acid and its derivatives. Flavonoids, especially quercetin, have been found in the leaves and bark. Chrysin pigment and others may be found in the wood. Essential oil is present in the buds of poplars. Alkaloids are found in the leaves and inflorescences in trace amounts.

In medicine, the genera Salix and Populus have some importance.

The bracts are entire-edged, and the buds are covered by a single bud scale in the form of a cap. The stamens are 1–5, rarely up to 12. Willow species grow throughout the entire Union. Willow bark – Cortex Salicis – is collected from various shrub species in early spring when sap begins to flow. The bark contains many tannins and is used as a tanning agent in the leather industry. In medicine, a decoction of the bark (10:200) was used as an astringent. Additionally, it contains the glycoside salicin, which releases salicylic acid; therefore, the decoction of the bark was used as an anti-inflammatory agent for rheumatism.

The catkins of different willow species are particularly rich in salicin.

Goat Willow – Salix caprea L.
Catkins, collected in early spring, have a tonic effect on heart activity in animal experiments.

COMMON RASPBERRY — RUBUS IDAEUS L.

A branching thorny shrub 1–2 meters high with a perennial rhizome that develops biennial above-ground stems. In the first year, the stems are herbaceous, green, and covered with thorns. By winter, they become woody, lose their thorns, and in the second year, they flower and bear fruit, after which they wither and dry out. However, new stems grow from the same root every year. The leaves are alternate, compound, odd-pinnate, with 5(7) leaflets; the upper ones are trifoliate. Leaves are green on the top side and gray-felted underneath. Flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-white, and have five petals. The fruit is a red aggregate drupe consisting of 20–30 or more drupelets, easily separating from the conical receptacle supported by a calyx. Blooms in June–July; fruits ripen in July–August.

Wild raspberries are widespread in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia and Siberia, thriving most abundantly in forest burns and clearings. They are often found in open areas on hills, near rivers and ravines, along forest edges, and in forest glades. They grow in sparse spruce and mixed spruce-deciduous forests, less luxuriously in pine forests with a shrub undergrowth. Occasionally found in dry pine woods with moss and lichen cover. They are less common in the mountains of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Mature wild raspberry fruits without the conical receptacle, colloquially (and incorrectly) called berries — Fructus Rubi idaei — are harvested only in dry weather.

The collected fruits are spread in thin layers (1–2 fruit deep) on screens under the sun for 1 day to wilt, then dried on sieves or screens in layers 2.5–3.5 cm thick in dryers at 30–50°C or in a mild oven, where they dry within a few hours. After drying, blackened fruits are discarded.

Wild raspberries are considered more suitable for medicinal purposes than cultivated varieties; their fruits are smaller but less watery, more fragrant, and more tart than cultivated raspberries.

The fruits contain organic acids, primarily malic, citric, tartaric, and salicylic acids and their salts; sugars (about 3%); traces of essential oil; mucilage; proteins; and many pectin substances. The vitamin C content ranges from 64 to 93 mg%.

Recently discovered in raspberries are alcohols (ethanol, isoamyl, phenylethyl); ketones (acetone, diacetyl, β-ionone); anthocyanins (cyanidin); catechins (d-catechin, l-epigallocatechin); and sterols (β-sitosterol, an antagonist of cholesterol).

Dried raspberries are brewed like tea, either alone or as part of diaphoretic mixtures, and are used as a home remedy for colds (a cup of hot tea at night). Decoctions and infusions of raspberry leaves or stems are widely used in folk medicine to treat colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, and coughs as an expectorant. Infusions of flowers and leaves are also used to treat hemorrhoids.