Northern orchid, growing in our latitudes, is called the orchid, and love it not for its decorative properties.
The root of the flower found its use in traditional and traditional medicine, cooking.
Description
Orchis, or "cuckoo's tears," refer to perennials of the Orchid family. Outwardly, it is a single stem 25-50 cm tall, depending on the variety. In northern orchids oblong lanceolate leaves.
Did you know? The Latin name for the orchid, Orchis, is translated as "testicle". This unusual name of the flower received for the shape of the tubers.
On the stem, like an ear, there are flowers of bright color. Orchis bloom from spring to midsummer. In August, fruits are formed, filled with small seeds. 
The main feature of the orchid is its root, which is a pair of oval tubers. Here the plant accumulates nutrients for which lovers of traditional medicine appreciate it.
Depending on the species, wild species can grow on the sunny glade or forest edge, and on the wetlands. Gardeners grow domesticated plants that differ from wild-sized flowers.
Read also about other representatives of orchids: phalaenopsis, dendrobium, wande, cymbidium, cattley, tselogine, venerian shoes, miltonia.
Types of Orchis
The genus includes hundreds of plant species. Almost half of them can be found on the lands of the CIS countries, the rest grow in Africa, North America, the Canary Islands and the Caucasus.
The plant suffered for its medicinal properties: most species are listed in the Red Book. Plantations of northern orchids are specially grown as ingredients for medical products.
Did you know? The second name, "cuckoo's tears", was given to the genus thanks to an old legend. She talks about how the children did not want to take care of their mother, and she turned around as a cuckoo and flew away. Regretting her decision, the mother began to cry. Where her tears fell, flowers grew.
Orchis
Orchis male - a perennial tuber plant. It is characterized by short brushes with crimson flowers. The structure of the leaves and the stem corresponds to the genus. The flowering period is May-June.
The species can be found in the Caucasus, the Urals, in Ukraine and in the nearby territory of Russia. It grows in non-coniferous forests, adapts to different types of soil, but does not live well on wet and sour soil.
In the male orchid tubers contain elements that are used in preparations for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract. They are also used in cystitis and as an anesthetic.
Medicines, where this plant is included, have a tonic and wound-healing effect. In veterinary medicine is used against infertility.
Orchis spotted (spotted finger)
Orchis is a spotted forest species of the Palchatkokornik plant of the same family. The roots of the flower are two tubers: one is old, dies off, and the second is young, provides the plant with the main part of the nutrients. They differ in shape from tubers of other varieties.
On a long stem there are up to 8 spotted leaves, for which the species got its name. The flowers are light lilac, have a helmet shape. In the fruit-box, which ripens by the end of summer, there are many small seeds.
Habitat spotted species - forests of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia. Tubers are valued for their content of dextrin, pentosan, methylpentozan and other useful substances. Their collection is carried out in the period from late spring to June, when the plant blooms. Used when diseases of the digestive system.
Did you know? Thanks to the etymological dictionary of the Russian language by Max Vasmer, it has long been known that this spotted flower has long been used as the main ingredient of a love potion.
Orchis
Orchis is a classic representative of its kind: it has two well-developed tubers, one straight stalk, at the bottom of which several leaves grow. Blossoms kind of pale pink flowers.
You can meet the orchid orchid in Russia and the Caucasus. It grows best in meadows and glades with dry soil with a high calcium content.
From the tubers create drugs that increase potency, drugs for the respiratory system and the digestive system. In addition to medicine, helmet-shaped used in cooking. Previously, they cooked soups from it and added powdered powder to the dough, but now dishes with its tubers are rare.
Burnt Orchis (Neotene burnt)
Burnt Orchis, a representative of the genus Neotinia, approached the extinction trait. It has two oval tubers. One of them develops a kidney, which then becomes a new root.
For the burnt appearance, small two-colored inflorescences are characteristic: the “helmet” of the flower is bright red, and the “lip” is white with red splashes.
The species grows in Belarus, Ukraine, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, Anatolia and the European part of Russia. It is suitable for the slightly alkaline soil of non-coniferous forests.
Collect this kind of orchid at the end of June or July. Old tubers are not used, and young ones are made by salep. A decoction of it is assigned when gastrointestinal tract diseases inflammatory nature, poisoning. The seeds of the species help with epilepsy.
Composition
"Kukushkin tears" are popular for their tubers. They contain:
- mucus (50%);
- starch (30%);
- mineral salts;
- calcium oxalate;
- polysaccharides;
- glycosides;
- dextrin;
- essential oil;
- protein and pectin compounds;
- sucrose;
- methylpentozane, etc.
Various bitter substances, carotenes, coumarin, quercetin and glycoside poroglossin are found in the stem, leaves and flower.
Important! The composition of the plant and the percentage of substances may vary depending on the specific species.
Medicinal properties
The tubers of the plant contain mucus, which has an enveloping, hematopoietic, anticonvulsant and tonic effect. She is taken inside, doing an enema with her.
Traditional healers use dried root flour - salep. The infusion based on salep is unique in its properties, they are being treated:
- diarrhea;
- tuberculosis;
- depression;
- gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis;
- catarrh of the bladder;
- infertility;
- inflammation of the appendages;
- anemia;
- asthma;
- impotence;
- bronchitis;
- physical and nervous decay.
Application recipes
In folk medicine there are many recipes for the use of dried root: external use, decoctions, compresses. It is used to improve the condition of the elderly, the rehabilitation of children after physical exhaustion.
Learn more about the benefits of medicinal plants: celandine, coltsfoot, nettle, euphorbia palassa, bedstraw (real and soft), Phrygian cornflower, sedge, Adam root, birch, Althea, cuff, Hypericum, burdock, arnica, cornflower, Black root .
Salep for colds
Salep helps against colds. It is produced by grinding a dry plant tuber.
At 200-250 ml of cold milk, dilute 1 tablespoon of orchid powder. The container is set on fire and constantly stirred until the liquid thickens. For taste, you can add honey, sugar or spices to the drink. In Turkey, salep is a very popular drink that is drunk with cinnamon. 
Infusion of the orchid
There are several types of tincture of cuckoo tears. For cooking non-alcoholic tincturewhich a child can drink, the flour from the tubers is poured with boiling water, hot milk or broth, stirred, poured into a jar. Children's dose - 4 teaspoons in 24 hours. Adults can use a glass of this drug per day.
Apply also alcohol recipe tincture, popular among men to improve potency. To prepare the tincture you will need:
- 1.5 Art. l Salepa;
- 500 ml of cognac;
- pounded half a loaf of rye bread.
All ingredients are mixed and infused for two months. The resulting mass is pressed under pressure, burn the residue and add the ashes back to the bottle. Then insist another two months.
Important! Take alcoholic tincture should be carefully, no more than a teaspoon per day.
With diarrhea and hemorrhoids
In case of diarrhea, the non-alcoholic extract from salep described above is drunk.
To help with hemorrhoids, will have to do a special enema.
For it, a cooled tincture of Salep on water is used, adding to it a quarter of a teaspoon of crushed flax seeds.
Less commonly, mucus from freshly harvested tubers is used in a similar manner.
Orchis from impotence and inflammation of the prostate gland
The most effective for maintaining male power is considered spotted variety. If there is an opportunity to grow the tree alone, then it is recommended to eat a couple of tubers during the flowering season without drying. For taste, you can drop a little olive oil on them.
For inflammation of the prostate gland will help a special tincture of the flowers of the orchid in olive oil. Mix them up 1:10. Tincture is taken before breakfast and dinner for 10 g.
For the treatment of problems with men's health, purslane, highlander bird, goldenrod, purple stonecrop, burning bush, avran officinalis, milkweed, thyme are used.
Contraindications
Experts are still continuing to investigate the medicinal properties of orchid tubers, but no contraindications to their use have been found. Root-based preparations are safe for humans. They are allowed to take when breastfeeding and children.
Important! Unlike tubers, the stem can cause diarrhea.
But do not overdo it. When consuming a plant, stick to the dosage. This is especially true of recipes related to male potency. 
Collecting and harvesting
The root of the plant is harvested during or immediately after flowering. It is then that it contains a high concentration of beneficial macro and micronutrients.
Tubers are thoroughly washed, doused with boiling water. Dry them in a special dryer or in the shade with good air circulation. Do not overheat the product or leave it in direct sunlight. A tuber is considered to be properly dried if it is slightly translucent.
You can store the product in cartons or linen fabric, so it retains its properties for up to 6 years.
Cuckoo tears are harvested and harvested in the same way as tubers. The rest of the plant is not used for medical purposes.
Important! Remember that the orchid is protected by law. His collection is carried out only on special plantations.
The healing properties of the orchid destroy it: there are few northern orchids left in the world. In most countries, the plant is protected, cultivated. But, knowing its unique properties, you can improve your own health in a natural way, by buying ready-made powder or by growing "cuckoo tears" on your own.
