Bratoszewice

The native range of this species is Mediterranean to Western Siberia and Iran. Bees feeding plant. Edible plant - leaves and young shoots raw or cooked, can also be dried for later use, very rich in vitamins, especially A, B and C; seeds are commonly used as sprouted, added to salads, used in sandwiches, or cooked in soups; an appetite-stimulating tea is made from the leaves. Herbal plant - the plant has an oestrogenic action and could prove useful in treating problems related to menstruation and the menopause; a poultice of the heated leaves has been applied to the ear in the treatment of earache; the leaves are rich in vitamin K which is used medicinally to encourage the clotting of blood; the root is febrifuge and is also prescribed in cases of highly coloured urine; extracts of the plant are antibacterial. Usable plant - nitrogen absorber, often grown as a green manure; the plants extensive root system makes it useful as a soil stabilizer.