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Blue cornflower: description, beneficial and harmful properties, photos. Cornflower flowers - Nice decor with beautiful vegetation! (81 photos)

Blue cornflower: description, beneficial and harmful properties, photos. Cornflower flowers - Nice decor with beautiful vegetation! (81 photos)

The flowers are dried well, spread in a thin layer, protected from direct rays of the sun and stored in a dark place. Dried flowers are bright blue, odorless, and have a bitter and slightly astringent taste.

The healing characteristics of the culture were known in ancient times. The therapeutic effect of the plant's petals is due to their composition. They contain resinous and tanning components, organic acids, microelements useful for the human body and nutrients. The surviving manuscripts describe in detail the treatment of severe wounds and warts with crushed cornflower seeds.

The scientific name of the plant is Centaurea, it was given to him by the botanist Carl Linnaeus, in honor of the mythical creature. The specific name of the culture cyanic comes from the Greek language and is translated as “dark blue”. There is a second famous legend from Ancient Rome, which talks about the young and beautiful Cyanus, who loved the plant very much for its decorative effect and rich blue hue.

He died unexpectedly, and his relatives found his body in a grain field. The goddess of nature Flora, who was revered by the young man during his lifetime, turned him into a cornflower of blue color. From that time on, the plant began to be named in his honor.

The Russian name of the plant comes from the Greek language: Basilikon is translated as “royal potion”, and the name itself is often associated with the common name Vasily.

Use for treatment

IN folk medicine often use infusion or tea from the petals of the marginal buds in the presence of chronic kidney disease, Bladder and dropsy.

Blue cornflower is used as a natural choleretic drug for diseases of the liver, biliary tract and jaundice. Cornflower infusion is often used to improve appetite and the functioning of the digestive system.

Care and propagation of red begonia at home

Blue cornflower is also often used as a diaphoretic, bactericidal and antipyretic drug in the presence of colds, severe fever, nervous disorders, headaches, dizziness, general malaise, eye diseases and skin rashes.

  • To do this, take one teaspoon of the plant’s flowers and pour a glass of boiling water. The resulting product is infused for thirty minutes. Use ¼ cup from three to four times per day, twenty minutes before meals;
  • Blue cornflower tincture helps improve the condition of the nervous system, has a positive effect on the human cardiovascular system, and is used as a medicine in the presence of bleeding in the uterus. The plant helps well with barley and conjunctivitis. In this case, lotions are prepared from cornflower flowers, which are used to wash the eyes.

Improvement of hair structure

Take one tablespoon of inflorescences - baskets and pour 200 milliliters of liquid, add 200 ml of vinegar to the tincture. The product is left to infuse for half an hour, cooled and filtered well. The resulting solution is rubbed into the hair structure. Used for washing hair as a rinse, it accelerates the process of hair growth.

Cornflower buds are added to various herbal mixtures as a cleansing component.

Known varieties

Cornflower has about 500 species. Each of them is distinguished by a special leaf shape, color, overall stem height, as well as rhizomes . The most known species crops are:

Growing a liverwort flower: planting and caring for the plant

Planting a plant

The best time to plant cornflower in the soil is spring. The soil should be well warmed up by this time. Most often, planting occurs at the end of April. You can use different types of soil for cornflowers, even with the addition of lime. To do this, you need to loosen it well and plant the flowers at a distance of about fifty centimeters from each other.

This will help the flower to fully form. After filling the hole, the soil should be slightly compacted. This method will help eliminate the formed emptiness, and the culture will take root firmly. Cornflowers prefer sunny places, therefore, when planted in the shade, they develop poorly and stop flowering.

Meadow cornflower and its species

























Cornflower is an ornamental plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. Cornflower inflorescences are very diverse - there are many shapes and colors.

The plant is widely known in Europe, Asia and America. There are more than 500 varieties of the flower.

Cornflower tolerates extreme cold and scorching sun well. Long flowering, which is usually observed from July to September, can be achieved using abundant watering and fertilizing.

It is advisable to plant flowers while maintaining a distance of 20–30 centimeters.

The history of cornflower

Cornflower has been known since ancient times; many myths and legends are associated with it. A wreath of beautiful blue flowers was even found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

In legends Ancient Greece Cornflower is mentioned as a healing agent, the juice of which was used to treat the centaur Chiron’s terrible wounds. Centaurea cuanus is the scientific name of the plant, the literal translation of which is centaur flower.

The Russian name is associated with a legend telling about Vasily, a young man who was transformed by a mermaid into a beautiful blue flower.

Cornflower was the favorite flower of the world famous fabulist Krylov.


Varieties of cornflowers

There are several types of cornflowers:

  • mountain - height does not exceed 40 cm, blooms in summer (June - July) with blue flowers;
  • whitened - the name is given due to the original color of the leaves (with a white edge below). The flowers have pink color, with a white center. Tall species, reaching 80 centimeters;
  • large-headed - a species whose height exceeds 1 meter, has huge buds and spectacular yellow flowers;
  • beautiful cornflower - soft pink flowers framed by grayish-white leaves. Height does not exceed 40 cm;
  • rough - grows up to 1 meter, blooms with beautiful crimson-red flowers;
  • beautiful cornflower - grows only up to 20 cm, known for its round flowers, with a pinkish-purple hue.

Use in folk medicine

Cornflower inflorescences are a storehouse of healing components. The plant is effective in the fight against many ailments:

  • eliminates itching due to eczema;
  • quickly helps cope with the symptoms of diathesis;
  • relieves jaundice;
  • perfectly relieves puffiness;
  • eliminates rheumatic pain;
  • has a pronounced choleretic and diuretic effect;
  • is an excellent remedy for relieving pain and inflammation;
  • used in the treatment of gynecological diseases.

Before using infusions and decoctions prepared from cornflower, consult a doctor.

Disembarkation and care

To propagate perennial cornflowers, seeds are used, which are planted in the spring (April - May) in soil enriched with nutrients.

Plant propagation is also possible by division. The bush, previously selected for division, is dug up, an indentation (10 cm) is made from the root and the shoots are cut off.

The roots are thoroughly washed and cut into 2-3 sections; daughter buds must be present in each of them.

Abundant and lush flowering can be achieved by fertilizing, which is done before flowering begins. To collect the seeds, you must wait until the petals wither and the core of the inflorescence acquires a dark shade.

Dried inflorescences are picked and stored in a dark, dry place for 2–3 weeks, then the seeds are shaken out of the head and planted in the ground in the spring.

Cornflower is an unpretentious plant, requiring only loosening the soil and regular watering.

Decoration of flower beds

Cornflowers in flower beds go well with plants that bloom at the same time as them, such as poppy or calendula.

They form a wonderful colorful meadow. The shrubs available on the site will be perfectly shaded by tall species of cornflower, and for decoration alpine slides On the contrary, low-growing varieties are suitable.

IN landscape design used for landscaping slopes. Plants located in a flower bed around cornflowers should be restrained, discreet shades.

Centaurea cyanus L.

Cornflower Centaurea is a genus of herbs in the Asteraceae family. In Russia it grows almost throughout the country, the most common species are blue cornflower and meadow cornflower, both types of cornflowers are medicinal plants.

Blue cornflower is found in all grain crops in our fields - among spring and winter crops of wheat and rye, it grows along the edges of fields, along roads, in wastelands. A small number of cornflowers in the fields, according to research, increases the yield of grain crops. This is an annual or biennial plant with a straight branched stem up to 50 - 80 cm high.

There are many legends about the bright blue color of field cornflowers. One ancient Greek legend tells how one day heavy ears of rye turned to the blue sky with a complaint that they could not see it when they were bowing under the weight of the grains. The sky promised that it would come down to them, and it came down to them, and when it rose again, the pieces of the sky that remained among the ears of rye turned into blue flowers, over which ears of grain are now bending and looking at them, rustling and whispering.

Blue cornflower probably spread along with rye and wheat, and in ancient times was brought to Central Europe from Mediterranean countries.

Let's return to the description of blue cornflower. Lower leaves cornflowers are petiolate, pinnate, higher up the stem - sessile, linear. The leaves are pubescent with hairs.

The flowers are collected in single baskets located at the ends of the stems and branches. The marginal flowers in baskets are funnel-shaped, enlarged blue, sometimes blue or white, sterile. The internal flowers are blue-violet, tubular, bisexual, form fruits - oblong cylindrical achenes 3÷5 mm long, gray with a thick reddish crest, with the help of which they spread with gusts of wind.

Blue cornflower blooms in June - July; about 6,000 achenes are formed on one plant. In folk medicine, marginal asexual flowers are used for medicinal purposes.

Cornflower flowers contain flavonoids, bitter glycosides, carotene, ascorbic acid, coloring matter. They are collected by hand when the cornflowers are in full bloom, trying to avoid the internal, tubular flowers, which in some cases degrade the quality of the raw material.

The flowers are dried, spread in a thin layer, protected from bright light, and stored in a dark place. The dried flowers are bright blue, odorless, and have a bitter, astringent taste.

The healing properties of blue cornflower have been known since ancient times. Therapeutic effect cornflower petals are due to the presence of tannins, mucous, resinous substances, organic acids, and microelements in them. Ancient manuscripts describe the treatment of deep wounds with crushed cornflower seeds and the removal of warts.

The scientific name of blue cornflower Centaurea was given by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in honor of the mythical centaur Chiron, who widely used medicinal herbs, and cornflower juice healed his wounds and the wounds of the heroes of his time.

The specific name cyanuc is derived from the Greek word kyanos - dark blue, indicating the color of the flowers. Another legend of Ancient Rome tells about the young handsome Cianus, who was very fond of the color blue. He died unexpectedly and was found in a grain field. The goddess Flora, very revered by the young man during his lifetime, turned him into a blue cornflower, since then both the flower and the color began to be called cyanus - blue.

And the Russian name of the genus cornflower - from the Greek word basilikon means royal potion, and this name is also associated with the name Vasily, popular among the people.

Cornflower blue application

In folk medicine, an infusion or tea from the marginal flowers of the cornflower inflorescence is used for chronic diseases of the kidneys, bladder, spasms, swelling, and dropsy.

Blue cornflower is used as a good choleretic agent for diseases of the liver, biliary tract, and jaundice; Cornflower infusion is used to stimulate appetite and improve digestion.

Blue cornflower is used as a diaphoretic, antipyretic, and bactericidal agent for fevers, colds, nervous system disorders, headaches, eye diseases, and skin irritations.

Infusion of blue cornflower flowers:

One tsp. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the flowers and leave for 30 minutes. Drink 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Blue cornflower infusion soothes nervous system, has a good effect on the cardiovascular system, and is used for uterine bleeding.

For conjunctivitis, barley, use an infusion of flowers in the form of lotions to wash the eyes during inflammation.

To improve hair growth:

One tbsp. l. pour 200 ml of boiling water over the cornflower inflorescences, add 200 ml of vinegar, leave for 30 minutes, cool, strain. Rub into scalp hair, use for shampooing and rinsing hair, stimulates hair growth.

In scientific medicine, cornflower is used in the treatment of the liver, gastrointestinal tract and metabolic disorders.

Cornflower flowers, as a cleansing agent, are part of many complex herbal preparations.

Collections of medicinal herbs with cornflower application

For kidney diseases and urinary tract , especially with edema of renal and cardiac origin:

  • cornflower flowers - 3 parts
  • angelica root - 3

One table. l. pour 2 cups of boiling water over the mixture and leave for 20 minutes. Take 3-4 times a day, 1/4 cup as a diuretic. Store the infusion in the refrigerator for no more than two days;

  • cornflower flowers - 1 part
  • bearberry leaves - 3
  • licorice root - 1

One tbsp. l. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the mixture and leave for 30 minutes. Take 1/4 cup 3 - 4 times a day 15 - 20 minutes before meals as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Decoction for washing eyes with eyebright:

  • 1 tsp. cornflower flowers,
  • 1 tsp. eyebrights,

Pour two teaspoons of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, boil for 2÷3 minutes over low heat under a lid, cool, strain, filter through cotton wool. Place 2-3 drops into the eyes and rinse the eyes with this infusion 3-4 times a day.

Baths with a decoction of herbs with cornflower petals are used for diathesis in children; baths are used locally for joint diseases.

Contraindications:

  • Hypersensitivity, individual intolerance to drugs containing cornflower.
  • Cornflower preparations are contraindicated to be taken orally during pregnancy.
  • Before taking medications with cornflower, consult your doctor.

Watch the video of blue cornflower application:

Cornflower blue

Blue cornflowers are a good honey plant; the flowers produce thick greenish-amber honey with a pleasant almond smell.

The tubular flowers of cornflower can be used to make blue dye.

Meadow cornflower description application

Meadow cornflower Centaurea jacea L. is a perennial rough plant with an erect, ribbed, branched stem up to 1 m tall with lilac-purple flowers collected in 1-2 groups at the tops of the stems. It grows along paths, roads, in meadows and clearings in the European part of the country and in Altai.

The marginal flowers have a leukoid corolla, sterile, designed for beauty and attracting insects; in the middle the flowers are tubular, bisexual, pollinated by insects, bees especially love nectar, this is a good honey plant.

Meadow cornflower blooms in June - July; inflorescences and grass are used for medicinal purposes. Cornflower inflorescences are harvested and dried during the flowering period, the grass is cut throughout the summer.

In folk medicine, an infusion of cornflower herb is used for stomach pain, headaches, jaundice, dropsy, and heart disease.

Externally, the infusion is used for bathing children with diathesis, for baths for rheumatism, as a lotion for eczema and purulent wounds. Poultices are used to treat muscle strains.

The infusion is used in the form of lotions for irritation of dry skin of the face, neck, hands, eczema and seborrhea of ​​the head. The infusion is used as a lotion for conjunctivitis, night blindness, with furunculosis.

Meadow cornflower flowers contain flavonoids, alkaloids, mucus, ascorbic acid, and mineral salts.

An infusion of cornflower flowers has an antispasmodic and analgesic effect.

Preparation of infusion from cornflower flowers description:

One tbsp. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over a spoonful of flowers and leave for 30 minutes. Drink 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day 20 minutes before meals. Apply the same infusion externally.

To stimulate appetite and improve stomach function:

One tsp. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the flowers, boil over low heat or a water bath for 10 minutes, leave for 1.5 hours, strain, squeeze. Drink 1/3 cup in small sips three times a day before meals.

From the inflorescences of meadow cornflower you can get yellow paint for dyeing fabrics.

Bright colorful flowers of cornflowers at the height of summer not only delight us with their beauty, but can also bring great health benefits if we pay attention to their healing properties!

Read also about the medicinal properties of plants:

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Be always healthy and beautiful!

Cornflower, medicinal properties and the contraindications of which we will consider in the article are annual plant, the representative homeland is considered to be the Mediterranean. It grows in Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan. The plant is often found on forest edges and roadsides.

Legends

Many legends are associated with the origin of cornflower. According to one of them, the centaur cured a wound inflicted by Hercules with the juice of the plant. According to Roman beliefs, a certain young man named Cianus wore dark blue clothes. The goddess Flora did not like this, and she turned him into a flower. And in Ukraine they say that once a peasant named Vasily was mowing rye. The mermaid liked him and decided to bewitch him. Vasily followed her, spellbound. And she, not wanting to let go, turned him into a cornflower (photo of flowers in front of you), which resembles water in color.

Magic

This plant is attributed magical properties. They say that flowers can protect people from evil spirits. For example, on the day of Ivan Kupala, girls wash themselves with infusion from this flower so that evil spells cannot overcome them. And on the wedding day, the bride and groom were baptized with a bunch of cornflowers. It is customary to consecrate them on August 14, the day of Makovei or the First Savior. They also make wreaths from them and keep them at home for a whole year. Cornflower is also mentioned in folk songs. Medicinal properties and contraindications have long been known in folk medicine. Even Hippocrates knew about this flower. It is still used today in the treatment of many ailments.

Science has about 700 species, and they are not only blue, but also white, black, yellow and purple. However, the classic cornflower is blue in color.

Collection, preparation of raw materials and storage

The flowers are collected throughout the summer while they are in bloom. The best ones are those that have fully blossomed. The raw material is blue flowers, which are separated from the tubular bases to achieve best quality medicine.

The plucked flowers are ventilated by placing them in a cool, dark place. If the raw material is prepared correctly, it will turn blue, have no odor, and if you taste it, the cornflower will be bitter. Flowers are stored in glass containers or paper bags for two years.

If the sun's rays hit the plant during drying, the cornflower flowers will lose their medicinal properties and become useless for traditional medicine. This, by the way, can be seen by the color - it will turn white.

Compound

The fact that cornflower has medicinal properties and contraindications is explained by its composition. It includes the following microelements and substances:

  • potassium;
  • magnesium;
  • calcium;
  • copper;
  • iron;
  • vanadium;
  • chromium;
  • cobalt;
  • luteilin;
  • selenium;
  • Pelargonin chloride.

The plant contains a lot of:

  • vitamin C, which normalizes the functioning of the central nervous system, activates the activity of the endocrine glands and normalizes hematopoiesis;
  • carotene, an immunostimulating substance, as well as an excellent antioxidant;
  • resins that have antibacterial, disinfectant and immunomodulatory effects;
  • coumarins, which reduce blood clotting, and also have astringent, antiseptic and diuretic properties.

Useful properties of blue cornflower

It has long been used in folk medicine healing properties plants. Antipyretic and diuretic drugs are prepared on its basis. An ancient Roman doctor named Galen treated patients’ kidneys with the plant. Until now, cornflower is used for problems in the genitourinary system, for example, neuritis or cystitis.

Other medicinal properties of cornflower include choleretic and cleansing. Thanks to the first, the plant treats liver diseases. Cornflower protects the body from viruses and infections. And the cleansing property is actively used during diets. By removing unnecessary water, cornflower promotes rapid fat burning. Decoctions from it normalize digestion and help eliminate toxins and waste, eliminating harmful substances.

The positive effect of the flower on vision is known. So, for blepharitis, cotton pads soaked in an infusion of cornflowers are applied to the eyelids. The same remedy will relieve fatigue after long work at computer.

Contraindications

First of all, you should not discount individual intolerance. Some trace elements make the plant toxic. It's about about the potentially dangerous cyanide components that cornflower contains. Medicinal properties and contraindications vary greatly in percentage terms, however, it must be borne in mind that the plant is slightly poisonous. Therefore, its use is prohibited for pregnant women, as well as women during lactation and children. It is also known that folk remedies for uterine bleeding, it is not used. Moreover, if you have such a problem, you cannot use it in any form. The coumarins contained in cornflower are very strong anticoagulants; they inhibit blood clotting.

Application

For those who want to normalize the digestive process, improve appetite, or recover from a cold, it is useful to drink tea brewed with cornflower. The flowers are added to black or green tea, and the drink is drunk twenty minutes before meals. It actively eliminates toxins. A healing mixture is also prepared from various components. To do this, take a teaspoon of bearberry and pour 500 milliliters of boiling water and leave on the fire for 3-4 minutes, after which add the same amount of cornflower, cool the solution and leave for several hours. Take the medicine three times a day according to Art. spoon.

Recipes

The following tincture will have an excellent effect as a diuretic for edema and to increase appetite. Take one part of the flowers and pour ten parts of vodka. The medicine is infused for two weeks, after which it is filtered. Take twenty drops before meals, diluted in a tablespoon of water at room temperature.

The decoction is good for making eye lotions for inflammation and fatigue. Take a teaspoon of flowers, add boiling water to a glass and keep on fire for several minutes. Then leave for an hour, filter, moisten cotton pads in a cool broth and apply to the eyelids. It is also taken orally, two tbsp. spoons three times a day an hour before meals for sore throat, bronchitis and laryngitis.

They also prepare an infusion for colds. These same recipes are folk remedies for diarrhea in children and adults, stomach pain and kidney disease. The cooking recipe is as follows. Three teaspoons of cornflowers are poured with 400 milliliters of boiling water, left for a couple of hours, and then filtered. Take the product 4 times a day 15 minutes before meals.

Cornflower for beauty

Look at the cornflower! The photo of the flowers shows how beautiful these plants are. It's no surprise that they are widely used in the beauty industry. The flower has a beneficial effect on the skin of the face, eyelids and hair.

The plant extract is included in many cleansing lotions sold in stores. But they also prepare it themselves. For this, two tbsp. spoons are poured with two glasses of boiling water and left for an hour. It is useful to wash your face in the morning or wipe your face. It is also frozen and rubbed with an ice cube. It perfectly tones the skin and tightens pores. Cornflower is especially suitable for oily and combination skin, as it reduces sebum production and the appearance of acne. If you use it constantly, your face will become matte and fresh.

When working at the computer for a long time, cornflower infusion becomes an indispensable remedy. Compresses are made with it on the eyelids. They also wash the skin around the eyes after removing makeup and before applying cosmetics to the face.

The infusion will help breathe strength into weakened and lifeless hair. It is rubbed into the roots after washing your hair. It’s also good to simply rinse your curls. Cornflower will help stop hair loss and get rid of dandruff.

Herbalists recommend doing flower baths. They relieve fatigue. This is facilitated essential oils, included in the plant. Preparing a bath is simple. A glass of flowers is poured with boiling water, left for an hour and poured into the bath. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes.

Use in cooking

Cornflower seeds are used as a seasoning. They are added to gravies, sauces, salads, and hot dishes. The leaves are used for pickling and added to pates and sausages. All dishes with cornflower acquire a special, refined taste.

Conclusion

These are the medicinal properties and contraindications they have. Of course, the plant is worth trying for treatment. But before you start taking it orally, you need to make sure there are no contraindications, and also consult a doctor.

There are about 500 species of cornflower, which are distributed mainly in the temperate and subtropical zones of Eurasia, Africa and America. Botanists different types Cornflowers are distinguished by the shape of their wrapper leaves. The basal leaves of perennial cornflowers remain green all year round. This is explained by the fact that they have two periods of regrowth: spring, when the leaves formed in spring live until August, and autumn, when the leaves grow in September-October and remain until spring.

Cornflowers are unusually prolific honey plants, with each flower, as a rule, being the only one on the stem.

The flower basket is surrounded by several types of leaves: outer (oval) and inner (in the shape of a medical lancet). Both varieties are covered on the outside with a filmy coating. Bright flowers and abundance of nectar are traditionally a means of attracting pollinating insects. Cornflower reproduces by seeds, which can remain viable for 10 years! Shoots develop within 10 days.

Near a field where rye or wheat is earing, you can almost always find a very beautiful blue flower. They call it or cornflower because it grows in the fields, or blue cornflower- for the blue-blue color of flowers.

Although field cornflower is beautiful, grain growers do not favor it and consider it a weed. This weed interferes with those plants that are sown in the field - it takes away their nutrition and moisture, and when it grows very strongly, it shades and suppresses them. In addition, field cornflower is of little use as food for domestic animals. And this plant even causes diseases in horses.

Blue cornflower was once the favorite flower of Emperor Wilhelm I, and then it became a symbol of the German people. In France, the cornflower is the emblem of one of the political parties. Blue cornflower is grown as a medicinal and ornamental plant. According to one myth, the centaur Chiron was treated with this flower.

Medicinal properties. Galenic preparations of blue cornflower flowers have diuretic properties, which are due to the anicyanins they contain. In addition, blue cornflower flowers have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and minor choleretic properties.

IN practical medicine blue cornflower is sometimes prescribed as a diuretic for edema of renal and cardiac origin in the form of an aqueous infusion. Included in diuretic tea.

Contraindications. Due to the plant containing highly active compounds with a cyanogen component, it is necessary to be careful in its use.

Dosage forms, route of administration and doses. Infusion of blue cornflower flowers: 1 tablespoon of raw material is placed in an enamel bowl, poured with 200 ml of hot boiled water, covered with a lid and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, filter, and squeeze out the remaining raw material. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 1 tablespoon warm 3 times a day as a mild diuretic, choleretic and antimicrobial agent.

Collecting and drying blue cornflower. Medicinal raw materials are the blue marginal flowers of blue cornflower. Fully blossomed flowers are harvested. For this purpose, flower baskets are cut or torn off, and then the marginal funnel-shaped blue flowers are plucked out of them, being careful not to capture the inner tubular ones. The fewer of the latter there are, the better the quality of the raw materials. The collected raw materials are sorted, the receptacle, internal tubular and faded marginal flowers, as well as other impurities are removed and immediately dried in a warm, shaded room (in the light, the flowers quickly fade and the raw materials are of poor quality). It is recommended to dry under shelters, spreading it in a thin layer on clean paper, or in dryers at a temperature of 40-50 °C. The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years. Dry raw materials are odorless, retain a bright blue color, and have a bitter-astringent taste.

Chemical composition. The marginal flowers contain anthocyanins and coumarins. Of the anthocyanins, cornflower is characterized by cyanine (the blue pigment of cornflower), and of coumarins, chicorin.

But there is another cornflower, which everyone treats with great respect. This cornflower grows in meadows, and that’s why it’s called meadow. It is not difficult to recognize meadow cornflower. Its flowers are collected in the same beautiful basket as that of the field cornflower. Only the flowers themselves are not blue, but lilac or purple.

Meadow cornflower blooms in June and blooms until autumn; sometimes even in September you can find flowering baskets of this plant.

And the working bees fly to the purple flowers of the meadow cornflower. And the honey collected from these flowers is light yellow and tastes very pleasant. Therefore, beekeepers advise specially breeding this plant.

If field cornflower is of little use for livestock feed, then meadow cornflower is good forage plant. When there are a lot of meadow cornflowers in a meadow, hay from such a meadow is considered very nutritious. The meadow cornflower is not afraid of the scythe - it will be one of the first to raise its leaves after mowing. This plant is perennial; it has a rhizome hidden in the ground, from which new meadow cornflowers will rise and bloom every spring.

Blue cornflower, or sowing cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers collected in inflorescences. Inflorescences are baskets that end stems and branches. Wrappers are 12-15 mm long and 5-9 mm wide. The marginal flowers in the baskets are large, funnel-shaped, blue, sterile; internal ones are smaller, tubular, purple, bisexual.
Leaves below are pinnate or trifoliate, with petioles, dying early; middle and upper - linear, sessile.
Height 20-70 cm.
Stem branched.
Fruit- oblong gray achenes up to 4.5 mm long with a reddish tuft.
It blooms in June-August, the fruits ripen in August-September.
Lifespan: One-biennial plant.
Habitat: Typical habitats: crops of rye, wheat, other grains and row crops, young fallow lands, poorly cultivated fallows. It has a pronounced ability to coincide its development cycle with the development cycle of the grains it infests. Due to the improvement of agricultural technology and the use of herbicides in many fields, cornflower has disappeared completely or its numbers have sharply decreased.
Prevalence: Found in many regions of Eurasia and North America. In our country, blue cornflower is widespread in the European part, southern regions of Siberia and Far East. IN Central Russia blue cornflower is common in all areas.
Medicinal properties: The marginal flowers have medicinal uses. An infusion of them is used as a mild diuretic for diseases of the kidneys and bladder. In folk medicine, cornflower flowers are used in the treatment of many other diseases, including in the form of lotions for some eye diseases.

Cornflower (Centaurea jacea L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers lilac-purple or crimson. The baskets are spherical-ovate, collected in a common corymbose inflorescence. The involucre leaves have light brown filmy, unequally toothed appendages at the apex.
Leaves ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, pointed, green, rough on both sides with sinuous scattered hairs.
Height 20-100 cm.
Stem erect, branched in the upper part, less often simple, often lilac-purple, ribbed-furrowed, noticeably thickened under the baskets.
Root short woody.
Fruit- achene without tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time:
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: Meadow cornflower grows in meadows, steppes, forest edges, clearings, and roadsides.
Prevalence: European species listed in North America. In Russia, it is widespread in the European part, introduced to the Caucasus, Siberia and the Far East. In Central Russia, meadow cornflower is found in all regions.
Addition: A good honey plant.

Phrygian cornflower (Centaurea phrygia L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The baskets are spherical-ovate, collected in a common corymbose inflorescence. Wrappers 14-20 mm long and 12-17 mm wide; involucre leaves, except for the innermost row, with a black or brown bent appendage, fringedly dissected into hair-like lobules; the appendages of the middle leaflets of the involucre are almost black, wider than the leaflets themselves and separated from them by a constriction. The flowers are purple or dark pink.
Leaves: Leaves are lanceolate, finely toothed at the edges, narrowed towards the base, but not stem-encompassing.
Height: from 30 to 150 cm.
Stem: Stems are erect, branched in the upper part, less often simple, often lilac-purple, ribbed-furrowed, noticeably thickened under the baskets.
Root: With a woody rhizome and cord-like roots.
Fetus: Achene with a tuft of serrated bristles.
Flowering and fruiting time:
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: Phrygian cornflower grows in meadows, light forests, forest edges, clearings, and thickets of bushes.
Prevalence: European look. In Russia it is found in the European part, as well as in the southwest Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is distributed, apparently, in all regions.
Addition: A good honey plant.

Cornflower (Centaurea pseudophrygia C.A.Mey.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The baskets are ovoid, collected in a common corymbose inflorescence. The involucres are almost spherical or ovoid, 15-20 mm long and 8-15 mm wide; the appendages of the middle leaflets of the involucre are brown, without constriction, and continuous with the leaflets themselves. The flowers are pink, pink-purple, rarely white.
Leaves: Leaves are green, broadly lanceolate or oblong, rough with hard hairs.
Height: from 30 to 120 cm.
Stem: The stem is erect, ribbed-furrowed, bare or slightly cobwebby, noticeably thickened under the basket, pale green or lilac-purple, branched, less often simple.
Root: With a woody rhizome and thick, cord-like roots.
Fruit: Achenes with a tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms from June to September, the achenes ripen in July-October.
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: False-phrygian cornflower grows in clearings, forest edges, meadows, and thickets of bushes.
Prevalence: European look. In Central Russia it is found in all regions, more often in the south.
Addition: In the Penza and Voronezh regions, and to the north, a highly branched one is found as an alien Hairy-headed cornflower (Centaurea trichocephala Bieb.) with a densely hairy branched stem, narrow-lanceolate leaves and smaller baskets with oblong-ovate involucres 13-15 mm long and 6-10 mm wide.

Spreading cornflower (Centaurea diffusa Lam.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The baskets are ovate-cylindrical, collected in a general spreading paniculate inflorescence. The involucres are cylindrical, 8-10 mm long and 3-3.5 mm wide; their leaves have three veins and a prickly pointed tip. The flowers are usually pale pink or whitish.
Leaves: Leaves pinnately dissected into narrow linear pointed lobules.
Height: from 10 to 50 cm.
Stem: Stems are erect or ascending at the base, strongly branched, ribbed-furrowed, sharply rough, scattered cobwebby like the leaves.
Fruit: Brownish achenes with a barely noticeable tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms from June to October, the achenes ripen in July-October.
Lifespan: Biennial plant.
Habitat: Spreading cornflower grows on embankments railways, wastelands, outskirts of fields.
Prevalence: European-Caucasian-Asian Minor species. In Russia, it is distributed in the southern half of the European part and in the Caucasus, and is introduced into Eastern Siberia (Buryatia). In Central Russia it grows in the chernozem belt; in more northern regions it is found sporadically as an alien plant.
Addition: On river sands and railway embankments in Central Russia, two similar, but less branched one-biennial species are noted, which have 3-5 veins on each involucre leaflet, and the appendages of the involucre leaflets with membranous ears: Majorov's cornflower (Centaurea majorovii Dumb.), registered in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Moscow, Saratov regions, having ovoid-conical involucres and a ribbed stem, sharply rough at the top of the ribs, and Sophia's cornflower (Centaurea sophiae Klokov) specified for Voronezh region, with oblong-ovate involucres and a stem rough with conical tubercles.

False spotted cornflower (Centaurea pseudomaculosa Dobrocz.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The baskets are ovoid, collected in a common broad paniculate inflorescence. The involucres are ovoid, 10-14 mm long and 10-13 mm wide; involucre leaves with five veins; the appendages of the outer and middle involucre leaves are dark brown, with 6-9 fimbriae on each side. The flowers are pink.
Leaves: Lower leaves are twice dissected, with petioles; upper ones - pinnately dissected or whole, sessile; The terminal lobes of the leaves are linear, 1-4 mm wide.
Height: 30-70 cm.
Stem: Stems are erect, branched, ribbed-furrowed, sharply rough.
Fruit: Brown achenes with light ribs and a short tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms in June-August, the achenes ripen in July-October.
Lifespan: Biennial plant.
Habitat: False-spotted cornflower grows in the steppes, dry meadows, forest edges, clearings, and roadsides. In the Non-Black Earth Region, this plant is found as an alien along roads.
Prevalence: European species, extending slightly into Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is common in the black earth belt.
Addition: In the Voronezh, Lipetsk, Penza and Tambov regions, a closely related species is occasionally found Bieberstein's cornflower (Centaurea biebersteinii DC.), more densely cobwebby pubescent, its involucres are oblong-ovate, 10-11 mm long and about 7 mm wide, the appendages of the outer and middle leaves of the involucre are light brown, with 4-6 fimbriae on each side; The terminal lobes of the leaves are narrow, 1-1.5 mm wide. Rarely found in the Bryansk region Rhine cornflower (Centaurea rhenana Boreau), having a corymbose inflorescence and black appendages on the outer and middle leaves of the involucre.

Cornflower (Centaurea scabiosa L.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: The baskets are large. The outer and middle leaves of the involucre have black-brown or almost black large (2-6 mm long) appendages and long cilia along the edge. The flowers are pink; The marginal flowers in the basket are somewhat larger than the middle ones.
Leaves: Leaves are pinnately divided or pinnately lobed, the lower ones have long petioles, the upper ones are partially sessile.
Height: 40-120 cm.
Stem: Stems are erect, branched at the top.
Fruit: Achenes 3.5-4.5 mm long, pappus whitish with a brownish-gray tint, 4-5 mm long.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms from June to September, the achenes ripen in July-October.
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: Rough cornflower grows in meadows, steppes, forest edges, clearings, and thickets of bushes.
Prevalence: European-North Asian species. In Russia, it is distributed in many areas of the European part, in Siberia; brought to the south of the Far East (Primorye). In Central Russia it is found in all regions.
Addition: Honey plant, quite decorative. In the steppes, meadows and fallow lands, mainly in the areas of the chernozem belt, European Cornflower (Centaurea apiculata Ledeb.), which has a small appendage on the middle leaflets of the involucre, 0.8-1.8 mm long; its baskets are ovoid; the flowers are pink, the marginal flowers in the basket are somewhat larger than the middle ones. Several other types of cornflower with pink flowers introduced into the territory of Central Russia or have a narrowly localized range in the south of the black earth strip.

Russian cornflower (Centaurea ruthenica Lam.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Baskets are ovoid. The involucre leaves are leathery, greenish, but with dark-colored veins; the outer and middle leaves of the involucre are without appendages, sometimes with a narrow (up to 1 mm wide) membranous border. All the flowers in the basket are light yellow.
Leaves: Leaves pinnate.
Height: 50-140 cm.
Stem: Stems are erect, simple or branched at the top.
Fruit: Achenes with a whitish or brownish tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms in June-August, the achenes ripen in July-September.
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: Russian cornflower grows in the steppes, on limestone and chalk outcrops.
Prevalence: Predominantly European-Central Asian species. In Russia, it is distributed in the southern half of the European part, Ciscaucasia and the south of Western Siberia. In Central Russia it is found in the chernozem zone and in the non-chernozem regions bordering it.
Addition: A polymorphic species, within which several forms are distinguished, sometimes recognized as independent species. In the chernozem belt on chalk, perennial Oriental cornflower (Centaurea orientalis L.) With yellow flowers, thin-skinned and comb-ciliated involucre leaves along the edge.

Marshall's cornflower (Centaurea marschalliana Spreng.)

Description of appearance:
Flowers: Single baskets. The involucres are broadly ovate, about 15 mm long and 12-14 mm wide; the appendages of the middle leaflets of the involucre are serrated-fringed along the edge. The flowers are purple.
Leaves: Basal leaves are pinnately dissected, with long petioles; stem - whole or pinnate.
Stem: Stems are recumbent, erect at the end, 7-35 cm long, simple or branched. Flowering stems emerging from the axils of the basal leaves are densely covered with erect hairs.
Root: With an ascending branched rhizome.
Fruit: Achenes with a tuft.
Flowering and fruiting time: It blooms in May-July, the achenes ripen in June-October.
Lifespan: Perennial.
Habitat: Marshall's cornflower grows in dry pine forests, steppes, sands, and outcrops of chalk and limestone.
Prevalence: A European species, common in our country. In Central Russia it is found in the black earth zone, as well as in many areas of the Non-Black Earth Region (except for the northernmost).
Addition: Polymorphic species; a form with a narrow ovoid involucre 15-22 mm long and 8-14 mm wide, having entire appendages at the middle leaflets of the involucre or with 3-5 short fimbriae, often distinguished as independent species Sumy cornflower (Centaurea sumensis Kalen.), confined in the southern regions of Central Russia to pine forest sands, steppe and rocky slopes.

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