Russian Experience: The Russian name is Podsolnechnik,“ Under the Sun”. Sunflowers are inseparable from Russian daily life as a plant of decoration, food and medicine. It may be difficult for the new generation to believe that the Sunflower originated in North America. Archaeological discovery reveals Sunflower seeds found in clay containers over 3,000 years old, indicating that the original people of this continent knew how to cultivate and use this essential plant. In 1510 the Spaniards were the first to bring the Sunflower species to Spain, where Madrid Botanic Garden started its cultivation for decorative purposes only, as the flowers resembled giant Chamomile and Daisys. Botanist Lobelius, in the sixteenth century, gave us the first botanical description, named Helenithus annuus, which was also grown for decoration only. A Russian Tzar, Peter the Great, first observed the Sunflowers while visiting Holland. His order for seed supplies were filled and Russia soon started cultivation, at first experimentally in St. Petersburg Botanic Garden but soon small farms in the Ukraine and central Russia were producing comparatively larger and healthier species, due to the rich black soil. Peter the Great truly succeeded, as the plants grew to over 15 ft. A pleasurable discovery soon found persons of all ages enjoying the seed-meat as dried or roasted tit-bits when entertaining. The pressed oil was found to be superior and the handsome plant soon had another purpose. The practical usefulness of the Sunflower brought about The Academy of Science Review in 1779 when Russia’ s capital was St. Petersburg. There botanical and commercial description of Russia’ s Sunflower was established.
In 1835 a practical gardener in the Ukraine cultivated the first commercial Sunflower plantation. Within fifteen to twenty years the waste areas of central Russia, Ukraine, south Russia and many parts of Siberia were covered. It is hard to imagine a garden without a Sunflower plant( Vishaya Schkolla, Moscow, 1963). For the past 100 years the Russians have known the Sunflower as a source of nourishment as well as a decorative flower. Folk Medicine of Bello-Russia use the whole head( basket) of the Sunflower when the seeds begin to ripen. They cut this into small pieces, add soap chips, Nastoika( vodka) and place in the sun for nine days. The aged liniment is used externally for rheumatic pain. Decoctions made from the flowers are taken internally as Nastoika, 1 part flowers to 5 parts vodka, 30 – 40 drops three times a day. Soft, pulpy stem parts are used as tea for fevers( Bogdanovich, 1895). Clinical: Many oil preparations of ointments, liniments and medical compounds; decoction of the seeds for jaundice, malaria, heart conditions, diarrhoea, kidney and bladder( Bello-Russ. Academy of Science, Minsk, 1965); oil as dietic food is a part of daily life; decoction or tea from flowers and leaves for malaria( Atlas, Moscow, 1963).
The Sunflower serves as an illustration of how a plant can travel around the world and come back as anew-found food thought, somehow transformed but still native of one’ s own country. Nutrition takes many forms and sources and the towering Sunflower is one of the almost perfectly balanced foods, yet to be experienced by the majority.
SWAMP BEGGAR’ S TICK Bidens connata, Muhl. N. O.: Compositae)
Common Names: Cockhold Herb, Beggar’ s Tick, Spanish Needles, Devil’ s Pitchfork. Features: This is a common weed, found in wet grounds, rich fields, swamps and ditches from New England to Missouri. The herb has a smooth stem, 1 – 3 ft. high. The leaves are lanceolate, opposite, serrate, acuminate, and decurrent on the petiole. The terminal florets are yellow, and can be seen in August; the fruit is a wedge-formed achenium. Medical Part: The herb.