Bladder Campion is a perennial plant, 40-100 cm tall. Stem bare, erect. Leaves lanceolate or lanceolate-ovate, length up to 10cm, width up to 3cm, bluish, lower ones narrowed on short stems.

The flowers are arranged on short peduncles. Flowers white with split lobe. During the day, the flowers are half-closed, at night they open and smell strongly, thus attracting their main pollinators - night butterflies. The plant blooms from June to September.

The above-ground part of the plant is harvested for medicinal purposes. The plant is harvested during flowering. After harvesting, the plant is thoroughly rinsed, then it is piled on sieves and dried in a well-ventilated room.

Store bladder Campion in a dark place, in tightly closed paper bags, for no longer than 2 years.

Rarely, the fruits of the bladder Campion are also harvested for medicinal purposes - this usually happens in mid-autumn.

The chemical composition of bladder Campion has not been fully investigated. However, it is known that the plant contains triterpene saponins, flavone glycoside saponarin, resins, organic acids, tannins, flavonoids: vitexin, isovitexinorientin, homofientin; sinapic and ferulic acids, ascorbic acid, traces of alkaloids and coumarin.

Medicinal significance

Bladder Campion has a diuretic, emollient, soothing, sedative, tonic and pain-relieving effect. The plant is also used to treat skin lesions.

Due to the fact that the saponin silenoside is also present in the plant, the common plantain is able to provide significant support in various digestive tract diseases, such as the treatment of chronic gastritis.

Bladder Campion tea is widely used in folk medicine to treat dysentery, chronic bronchitis, gastritis, kidney and bladder diseases, and is also used to reduce heartburn and as a sedative. In the spring, salad from a fresh plant helps to avoid avitaminosis.

Decoctions of the flowering plant are used in leucorrhoea, vaginitis and metritis, as well as to treat gastritis, kidney and bladder diseases.

Ordinary sponge has softening properties, so it can also be safely used in baths. A decoction of the plant can be used in compresses to treat scabies and rosacea. The juice of bladder Campion will help to treat conjunctivitis, as well as a mouth rinse in case of toothache. Plant extracts are used for severe headaches and premenstrual syndrome.

In ancient times, a decoction of the roots of fennel was used to treat tuberculosis.

Not recommended for use

It is prohibited to use the ordinary scallion in case of colitis, constipation, gastritis with reduced content of gastric juice. Of course, the plant should not be used during pregnancy and lactation, nor should it be given to small children.