Healing centaury: secrets of traditional medicine

Description and range of centaury

Among the people, centaury has received several other names: centuria (centarium), sevensilnik, heartworm, spool, golden leaf, tirlich-grass, as well as centaury umbrella and small. This herbaceous annual, less commonly biennial, is a member of the Gentian family and grows up to half a meter in height. On its single straight stems with four sides there are small oblong leaves, collected at the root into a rosette, and closer to the top of the stem - sessile, lanceolate-shaped. The root system of the heartwood itself is large and highly branched.

The time for the spool to bloom is in the summer and lasts from June to July-August: the plant is decorated with small pink bright flowers in the form of stars (up to 1.8 cm), which are collected in dense inflorescences and subsequently produce fruit-boxes.

The plant is widespread in Ukraine, Russia, as well as in many countries of Central Asia, Europe and North America. Centaury prefers open, sunny places: meadows, clearings, forest edges, river banks and hills.

Herba Centaurii - centaury grass (Centaurii herba - centaury grass)

Raw materials containing “pure” bitterness Herba Centaurii - centaury herb (Centaurii herba - centaury herb)

Collected during the flowering phase and dried above-ground parts of one- and two-year-old wild herbaceous plants of centaury (common centaury) - Centaurium ethraea Rafn. (= C. minus Moench, C. umbellatum Gilib., Erythraea centaurium (L.) Borkh.) and beautiful centaury - Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce (= Erythraea pulchella (Sw.) Hornem.) from the family. gentians - Gentianaceae; used as a medicine and medicinal raw material.

Red centaury reaches a height of 50 cm. The root is taproot, weakly branched. The stems are tetrahedral with blunt ribs, forked-branched only near the apex. The lower leaves form a long-lasting rosette; they are oblong-obovate, the stem leaves are opposite, sessile, lanceolate. The flowers are five-membered with a short calyx and a bright pink corolla with a long tube. The inflorescence is a corymbose thyrsus. The fruit is a capsule. Blooms from June to August, bears fruit in August - September.

Predominantly Central Asian-European species. In the CIS, its range in the European part extends from southern Transcaucasia to the latitude of St. Petersburg and Vologda. Isolated locations are noted in the vicinity of Barnaul (Russia), in the south of Central Asia and in the north of Kazakhstan (Fig. 67).

The beautiful centaury is distinguished by its smaller size (height up to 20 cm), the absence of a basal rosette of leaves, a sharply ribbed stem and a dark pink corolla.

This is a European-West Asian species. In the European part of the CIS, its range occupies the territory from the extreme south to the coast of the Gulf of Finland, covers the entire Caucasus, partly Central Asia, Kazakhstan, reaching the west of Western Siberia (Russia).

Centaury grows in floodplain meadows from plains to highlands, in wet flood meadows, forests

Rice. 67. Distributions of Centaurium erythraea (1) and Scutellaria baicalensis (2) within the former USSR; triangles mark isolated locations of Centaurium erythraea; shaded circles indicate isolated localities of Scutellaria baicalensis

Genciopicrin

(gentiopicroside)

NOSN

HE

Amarogentin

clearings, edges, thickets of bushes, fallow lands, along the outskirts of swamps. The beautiful centaury is able to tolerate greater salinity compared to the west. red.

The main procurement area was the Ukrainian Carpathians. Although centaury trees have a fairly wide range, the need for raw materials is not met.

Chemical composition. The whole plant contains monoterpenoid bitters: gentiopicrin (gentiopicroside), amarogentin, svertiamarin, etc., 0.6-1% alkaloids, the main one is gentianine. The grass also contains tannins: ascorbic and oleanolic acids; Seven xanthones were found (gentisin, mangiferin (alpizarin), etc.). The raw material concentrates Se, Cu, Zn.

He

OGIc Svertiamarin

Gentianine Gentisin

HE

Mangiferin (alpizarin)

HE

Harvesting, primary processing and drying. The collection of raw materials is carried out in July - August, during the flowering period, while the basal leaves are preserved. Cut off the above-ground part of the plant with a knife or sickle above the basal leaves. The cut grass is placed in baskets with flowers in one direction.

Dry the grass in dryers at a temperature of 40-50 ° C or in attics, less often under sheds with good ventilation, laying them out in a thin layer so that all the inflorescences are located in one direction.

Standardization. The requirements for the quality of raw materials are regulated by the State Fund XI.

External signs. Whole raw materials consist of flowering shoots. The stems are tetrahedral with blunt or sharp ribs, glabrous, branched in the upper part. The leaves are opposite, sessile, with five veins, oblong-obovate or lanceolate, glabrous, entire. Inflorescences are corymbose. The flowers are actinomorphic, five-membered, with a double perianth. Corolla with a long cylindrical tube and a five-part bend. The color of the stems, leaves, calyx is yellowish-green, the corolla is pinkish-violet and yellow. The smell is weak. The taste is bitter.

Ground raw materials - a mixture of pieces of stems, leaves, flowers of various

Rice. 68. Centaury red:

upper (a) and lower (b) leaf epidermis from the surface: 1 - stomata; 2 - folding of the cuticle; c — leaf mesophyll: 1 — prismatic crystals; 2 - drusen: 3 - vein

forms passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm.

Microscopy. Leaf preparations from the surface are analyzed. Single prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate in mesophyll cells, sometimes crystals fused crosswise, are of diagnostic value. The epidermis of both sides of the leaf has convoluted walls, with the cell walls of the lower epidermis being more convoluted and the cells smaller than those of the upper epidermis. The stomata are anomocytic (Fig. 68), and diacite stomata are sometimes found in beautiful centaury.

Numerical indicators. Whole raw materials. The total content of xanthones in terms of alpizarin is not less than 0.9%; humidity no more than 14%; total ash no more than 7%; ash, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, no more than 1.5%; roots, including those separated during analysis, no more than 2%; organic impurity - no more than 1%, mineral - no more than 1%.

For ground raw materials, in addition to the indicated indicators, the content of particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm is determined (no more than

5%) and passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 0.5 mm (no more than 10%).

Storage. Store on racks in dry, well-ventilated areas. Shelf life: 3 years.

Usage. Used in the form of an infusion as a bitterness to stimulate appetite, for gastritis with reduced secretion, for some dyspepsia, diseases of the liver, gall bladder and kidneys; included in the bitters. The herb extract is included in the preparations Depuraflux and Canephron.

In large doses, centaury preparations can cause digestive upset.

Some types of centaury are used in homeopathy.

Collection, preparation and storage of medicinal raw materials

For medical use, the above-ground part of the plant, including the rosette, is collected. The best time to collect raw materials is the beginning of the flowering period; You need to make sure that the lower leaves do not have time to turn yellow. The stems are cut with a sickle or knife at a height of five to eight centimeters , laid out on paper in a small layer or tied in bunches and dried in a dark and cool room (in the attic, under a canopy). In addition to natural drying, you can also use a dryer to speed up the process; in this case, the temperature is set to 40-50 degrees Celsius. The harvested material can be stored in cloth bags or paper bags for no more than two years.

There are differing opinions on the question of which species is used for medicinal purposes. Some believe that only the lesser centaury has healing properties, while others consider the common centaury, umbelliferous, and beautiful centaury to be miraculous. Before you start collecting herbs, you should consult with a specialist.

Composition and properties of centaury

All parts of the herbaceous crop have medicinal properties, but the herb is most often used for medicinal purposes. The raw materials are collected in July before flowering and dried for further use.

Attention! The plant is practically odorless, but has an extremely bitter taste.

The chemical composition is varied:

• essential oils;
• bitter glycosides (erythrocentaurine, eritaurine, etc.);
• alkaloids (gentianine predominates);
• organic acids;
• flavonoids (rutin, quercetin);
• waxes;
• tannins;
• phytosterols;
• mineral salts.

Thanks to this unique set, centaury is able to enhance the secretion of the gastrointestinal tract and bile secretion. The bitter taste of the herb stimulates the appetite. It has hepatoprotective properties, a mild laxative effect and is even used as an anthelmintic. In addition, centaury has other properties:

• anti-inflammatory;
• antispasmodic;
• antimicrobial;
• diuretic;
• restorative.

Chemical composition of the herb

The secret of the recognition of spool by both folk and traditional medicine lies in the rich chemical and biological composition of its stems and foliage. The core contains such useful substances as alkaloids, organic acids, vitamins, carbohydrates, essential oils, resins, phytosterols, macro- and microelements (iron, tin). It is believed that the plant owes its pharmacological properties to the alkaloid gentianine; it also contains gentiopicrin, whose antihelminthic effect has been officially confirmed experimentally.

Contraindications and interesting facts

No matter how useful centaury is, it also has contraindications for use. This applies to the following conditions and diseases:

• pregnancy;
• lactation;
• children under 12 years of age;
• peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines;
• gastritis with high acidity;
• intolerance to herbal preparations;
• simultaneous use with alcohol.

People who are overweight should take this medicinal herb with caution, because... Appetite will increase.

Finally, some interesting facts about centaury:

1. The plant is used as a flavoring in herbal bitters and is an ingredient in vermouth.
2. Used to get rid of head lice (infuse 2 tablespoons of the herb in a glass of boiling water for about half an hour, cool and apply to the scalp for 1-2 hours; rinse).
3. The flowers of the plant open only in sunny weather.
4. Centaury flowers are engraved on the grave of the famous English romantic poet William Wordsworth, an ardent admirer of nature.
5. The Celts believed that centaury brought good luck.
6. In the Middle Ages, it was considered a supernatural herb that helped drive out evil spirits.

In the modern world, using the unique properties of centaury, general practitioners, herbalists and traditional healers successfully expel illnesses from the body.

Medicinal properties and benefits of centaury

The use of seven-strength is accompanied by a wide range of positive effects on individual organs and the entire body as a whole. As a rule, the herb is recommended for use by people suffering from gastrointestinal disorders, since centaury has a pronounced tonic and stimulating effect on intestinal motility. In addition, decoctions and teas from this plant will help in the fight against constipation, worms and lack of appetite, so it is often used to treat anorexia caused by nervousness.

Thanks to its antiseptic properties, spool will become a faithful assistant in restoring normal physical condition in the postoperative period, while having a calming effect on the nervous system that has suffered a stressful situation. In addition to being used as part of complex therapy for serious diseases such as cholecystitis or chronic hepatitis, centaury can also be consumed as a tea for common headaches and to remove bile from the body.

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and healing effect, spool is effective in the fight against certain skin diseases - their treatment requires external use of a folk remedy in the form of compresses or rubbing.

According to reviews from those who have tried to use centaury, the medicine begins to act from the first days of use. These include pregnant women, who note an improvement in the functioning of the digestive tract, the disappearance of headaches and constipation, as well as a general increase in the tone of a weakened body.

Centaury (Centaurium)

According to one legend, the Latin name of the plant genus (Centaurium) is associated with the centaur Chiron (Kentaureion), who knew medicinal plants well. It was the centaury grass that helped Chiron recover from the wounds inflicted by Hercules. Asclepius (son of Apollo) studied healing with Chiron and became a famous physician. Asclepius cured Greek heroes with centaur grass (centaury).

According to another version, the name of the plant comes from the words centum - “one hundred” and aurum - “gold”, which means “one hundred gold”. This name speaks of the high medicinal value of centaury.

Also in the Middle Ages, there was a legend about a rich man who promised to give 100 gold pieces to the poor if he was healed of a serious illness. In a dream, he saw an angel who left the rich man a bunch of grass. The rich man gave money to the poor and was healed with this herb. The medicinal herb was called Centaurium, which translated means “100 gold”.

In Ancient Greece, centaury was used for diseases of the digestive tract, especially of an inflammatory nature. The Roman physician Dioscorides used the plant to heal wounds and cleanse the body. Because of the bitter taste of the plant, the Romans called it the bile of the earth.

Benedict Crisp noted that centaury "quickly dries up purulent mud." Avicenna in the “Canon of Medicinal Science” mentioned the treatment of many diseases with the plant, in particular tuberculosis. Arab doctors recommended using centaury to stimulate appetite and for gallbladder diseases.

Centaury was widely used in the Middle Ages. In those days, so that no one would guess about the medicinal plant, doctors wrote “100 gold” in the recipe. One doctor mistakenly added another zero, and the plant became known as centaury.

Medieval Armenian medicine used centaury for hemoptysis and pleurisy, and the juice for lice. In a poem about herbs, Odo of Mena speaks of the plant's treatment of many diseases, and also mentions that the plant "helps to glue wounds and promotes their scarring." Paracelsus also highly valued centaury. Italian physician Peter Matioli used the plant to treat paralysis, cerebral hemorrhage and epilepsy. Enemas from the plant were used for diseases of the sciatic nerve, ointment as an anesthetic, and infusion as an anthelmintic. The herb of the plant was used to treat purulent wounds, suppuration in the ears, the juice was used to treat eyesores and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. Centaury, boiled in wine, was used for liver diseases, pleurisy, hemoptysis and fever. Sebastian Kneipp considered centaury one of the best remedies for the common cold, inflammatory diseases, diseases of the digestive system and liver, and skin diseases.

Use of centaury in folk medicine

Infusions and tinctures are usually prepared from dried spool, but it can also be added to herbal teas and decoctions. Below are the most popular folk recipes today.

Infusion recipes

• Infusion for decreased appetite. For cooking you will need two tbsp. raw materials: they are placed in an enamel container with 200 ml of heated water and kept in a water bath for fifteen minutes. Then the mixture is cooled for about an hour, filtered, squeezed and again brought to a volume of 200 ml using boiled water. The resulting infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a couple of days. To obtain the desired effect, drink 125 ml of warm infusion 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
• For increased acidity, constipation and heartburn. 20 gr. The zolotnik is filled with a liter of water and kept for half an hour in a water bath. Take 0.2 l.
• A simple recipe for chronic gastritis. Pour boiling water over a tablespoon of seven-strength tea and wait for half an hour. Take 1 spoon before meals.

Benefits of centaury (video)

Alcohol tincture of centaury

The tincture is prepared in a ratio of 10 to 1 , that is, 50 grams of raw materials are taken per 500 ml of seventy percent alcohol. Infuse the mixture in a cool place for three weeks. The product is taken once, 10 drops. Alcohol tincture is effective in eliminating symptoms such as nausea, flatulence, heartburn, etc.

Cure for alcoholism with centaury

When dealing with such a common problem as alcoholism, you can also seek help from the heart as part of complex therapy. To prepare the infusion you will need four parts spool and one part wormwood. The raw materials are mixed and poured with boiling water in the ratio liter/4 tbsp. Leave for exactly 60 minutes covered. Directions for use: 1 spoon ½ hour before meals three times a day.

Medicinal fees with centaury

• Against ARVI and influenza. In this infusion, seven-strength is one of the three components; You also need to take equal parts of chamomile and three-leaf chamomile. 4 tbsp the mixtures are placed in 600 ml of boiling water, then infused for 30 minutes; These 0.6 liters are drunk in three doses in one day. The drug copes well with feverish conditions.
• Choleretic agent for inflammation of the gallbladder. The collection consists of sevensilica, calamus root and sandy cumin flowers. Equal parts of the components are placed in 600 ml of cold water overnight, and in the morning they are boiled for 5 minutes in a water bath. Take on an empty stomach and then after meals throughout the day.
• "Gastric collection". It contains valerian root, spool and chamomile flowers, taken in equal proportions. The raw material is boiled in water (for 250 ml - 6 g of mixture) for 30 minutes and consumed four times a day, 50 ml in a warmed form.

Recipe for tincture with centaury for worms

To prepare, take 250 ml of vodka and 2 tbsp. raw materials. The tincture is prepared for 2 weeks in a dark room; You need to shake it every day. Take: 30 minutes before meals, 15 drops per tablespoon of plain water.

State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR edition 11 part 2 1990 (GF 11 part 2) Page. 311. Centaury grass.

48. HERBA CENTAURII CERTAURY GRASS Collected in the flowering phase and dried herb of one- or two-year-old herbaceous plants: centaury - Centaurium erythraea Rafn [syn.: Centaurium minus Moench, Centaurium umbellatum Gilib., Erythraea centaurium (L.) Borkh] and goldfish syachnik beautiful - Centaurium pulchellum (Sw.) Druce [syn.: Erythraea pulchella (Sw.) Hornem], family. Gentians - Centianaceae. External signs. Whole raw materials. Stems are glabrous, simple or branched, tetrahedral, sometimes with winged ribs. Leaves are sessile, opposite, with five veins, the middle ones are oblong-ovate, glabrous, entire, with five veins, the upper ones are oblong or linear-lanceolate. Inflorescences are apical, corymbose. The flowers are correct. The calyx is fused-leaved with five lobes. Corolla with a long cylindrical tube and a five-part bend. There are five stamens. The color of the stems, leaves and calyx is yellowish-green, the corolla is pinkish-violet, yellowish-pink and yellow. The smell is weak. The taste is bitter. Crushed raw materials. Pieces of stems, leaves and flowers of various shapes of yellowish-green, pinkish-violet, yellowish-pink and yellow, passing through a sieve with holes of 7 mm in diameter. The smell is weak. The taste is bitter. Microscopy. When examining the leaf from the surface, epidermal cells on both sides with curved walls and folded cuticle are visible. The epidermal cells of the underside of the leaf are smaller in size and have more convoluted walls. The stomata on both sides of the leaf, mostly on the lower side, are surrounded by 2-3 parastomatal cells (anisocytic type); on the underside of the centaury leaf there are stomata of the diacite type. In the mesophyll cells of the leaf, small single prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate are visible, sometimes cruciformly fused crystals and, less often, small drusen are found. Numerical indicators. Whole raw materials. The amount of xanthones in terms of alpizarin is not less than 0.9%; humidity no more than 14%; total ash no more than 7%; ash, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, no more than 1.5%; roots, including those separated during analysis, no more than 2%; organic impurity no more than 1%; mineral impurity no more than 1%. Crushed raw materials. The amount of xanthones in terms of alpizarin is not less than 0.9%; humidity no more than 14%; total ash no more than 7%; ash, insoluble in 10% hydrochloric acid solution, not more than 1.5%; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.5 mm, no more than 10%; particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm, no more than 5%; organic impurity no more than 1%; mineral impurity no more than 1%. Quantitation. An analytical sample of raw materials is crushed to a particle size that passes through a sieve with holes 2 mm in diameter. About 5 g (exactly weighed) of crushed raw material is placed in a flask with a capacity of 250-300 ml, 150 ml of 60% alcohol containing 5% hydrochloric acid is added, weighed, connected to a reflux condenser and heated in a boiling water bath for 3 hours. After cooling to room temperature, the flask is weighed again and brought to its original mass with the same alcohol. The contents of the flask are filtered through a funnel with a diameter of 70 mm with a paper filter into a flask with a capacity of 250 ml, discarding the first 5 ml of the filtrate; 2 ml of the filtrate is added to a column with a polyamide sorbent. The column is washed with water (50 ml) at a rate of 3.5-4 ml per minute, and the aqueous eluate is discarded. The amount of xanthones is eluted with 50 ml of 95% alcohol, monitoring their progress in visible and UV light along the yellow zone. When the zone reaches the lower part of the sorbent, the eluate from this zone is collected in a 50 ml volumetric flask. The eluate volume is adjusted to the mark with 95% alcohol and mixed thoroughly. To 5 ml of eluate add 5 ml of an alcohol solution of aluminum chloride (0.05 mol/l) and after 15-20 minutes the optical density is measured on a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 410 nm in a cuvette with a layer thickness of 10 mm against the background of a control experiment. In parallel, the optical density of a solution of the State Standard Sample (GSO) of alpizarin mixed with an alcohol solution of aluminum chloride (0.05 mol/l) is measured. The content of the sum of xanthones in terms of alpizarin in absolutely dry raw materials in percent (X) is calculated by the formula: where D is the optical density of the test solution; D0 is the optical density of the alpizarin GSO solution; m0 is the mass of alpizarin GSO in grams; m is the mass of raw materials in grams; W is the weight loss when drying raw materials as a percentage. Notes. 1. Preparation of the sorbent: 300 g of polyamide granules (OST 6-14-70) are placed in a flask with a capacity of 5 liters, 1.5 liters of concentrated acetic acid are added and heated on an electric stove with a closed spiral until the granules are completely dissolved. The resulting solution is cooled. The precipitate that forms is filtered off on a Buchner funnel under vacuum and washed with water until neutral. The washed and filtered polyamide is placed in a round-bottomed flask with a capacity of 3 liters, 1.65 liters of 80% alcohol are added and boiled in a water bath with reflux for 1 hour. The precipitate that forms is filtered off on a Buchner funnel under vacuum, the precipitate is washed with 1.5 liters of acetone. The resulting polyamide is dried in a fume hood for 30-40 minutes, after which it is brushed through a sieve with holes 1 mm in diameter. The resulting product is scattered onto parchment paper and air dried for 10 hours. The finished polyamide is stored in glass jars with a ground stopper. Shelf life 3 years. 2. Preparation of the column: 1.5 g of polyamide sorbent is placed in a glass with a capacity of 50 ml, 30 ml of water is added, mixed and the suspension is transferred to a column with a diameter of 2 cm, a height of 28 cm with a porous glass filter and a cotton swab placed on it, previously moistened with water . The column is filled with the drain valve open, the water is drained, leaving a column of water 1 cm above the sorbent. 3. Preparation of a solution of the State Standard Sample (GSO) of alpizarin: about 0.05 g (exactly weighed) of the State Standard Sample of alpizarin (in terms of 100% substance) is dissolved in a mixture of acetone - water (1: 1) in a 100 ml volumetric flask ; 1 ml of the resulting solution is transferred to a 25 ml volumetric flask and the volume of the solution is adjusted to the mark with 95% alcohol. Shelf life 1 month. 4. Carrying out a control experiment: a column with polyamide, prepared as indicated above, is washed with 50 ml of water at a rate of 3.5-4 ml per 1 min. The aqueous eluate is discarded and the column is washed with 50 ml of 95% alcohol, which is collected in a 50 ml volumetric flask, then the volume of the eluate is adjusted to the mark with alcohol and mixed. 5. Preparation of an alcohol solution of aluminum chloride (0.5 mol/l): 12.5 g of aluminum chloride is placed in a 1-liter volumetric flask, dissolved in 95% alcohol and the volume of the solution is adjusted to the mark with the same alcohol. Package. Whole raw materials are packaged in fabric bales of no more than 30 kg net, crushed - in fabric or flax-jute-kenaf bags no more than 15 kg net. The crushed raw materials are packaged in 100 g bags in type II paper bags, followed by placement in cardboard packs 8-1. Shelf life: 3 years. Bitterness (appetite stimulant).

Features of growing centaury in the garden

Medicinal herb seeds can be easily found in the wild. This plant will adapt well to life on any soil, but will develop more successfully on fertile soil. In addition, before sowing, you need to make sure that the soil is free of aggressors such as sow thistle and wheatgrass.

The sowing procedure is quite simple: mixed with sand in proportions of 1 to 4-5. The material is sown superficially in pre-watered furrows. The ideal time is early spring. After the sowing procedure, the bed should be covered with polyethylene: this way the seedlings will sprout faster. Young plants need to be closely monitored and watered frequently. Centaury grows slowly but surely, giving the owner a generous harvest in the second year of life.

To simplify the planting procedure, you can first propagate seedlings at home. You need to start doing this in February-March. Grown plants are planted in open ground at a distance of 7 cm from each other.

Description of the plant and a little history

Among the scientific brethren, centaury is called Centaurium erythraea. According to one version, this name is associated with the mythological inhabitant of Olympus - the centaur Chiron, a great connoisseur of medicinal herbs and educator of the god of healing Asclepius. One day he received a serious wound from a poisoned arrow, and was healed only thanks to the juice of a delicate flower, known today as centaury. For a long time this medicinal plant was called centaur herb.

According to another version, the name comes from the addition of the Latin “centum” - one hundred, and “aurum” - gold. But someone once made a small mistake in his treatises, and “one hundred” turned into “thousand”, and thus the name centaury was born, which has come down to our times.

The Slavs, no less than the ancient Greeks and Romans, revered the medicinal herb, and affectionately called it sparkle, zolotnik, sardushnik, redflower, cornflower-redflower and seven-flowered.

Centaury blossom

The grass grows on any type of soil in temperate zones of Europe, western Siberia and the European part of Russia. Erect tetrahedral stems reach a height of 15-30 cm. The leaves are oblong-elliptic or lanceolate. The pinkish-purple, five-petaled flowers form clusters that grow parallel to the stem (see photo) and are intertwined with the leaves.