The healing power of sumac (tetra)
Stinkwort, has the scientific name Cotinus coggygria, also known as tetra, of the Stinkwort family (Anacardiaceae). It is widely distributed in Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean, where it is prized for its medicinal properties and ornamental qualities. Location in Bulgaria - in scrub and oak forests, on dry and stony soils, often on calcareous terrain, in the plains and foothills up to 800 m altitude. It is found almost all over Bulgaria.
Description
A shrub or low tree up to 4 m high, with a deep root system. Young twigs green or reddish, glossy, glabrous; old ones brown. Leaves simple, 3-10 cm long and 2-7 cm wide, ovate or broadly elliptic, glabrous or fibrous, green above, grey-green beneath. The inflorescences are located at the apex of the branches. Flowers unisexual or bisexual; sepals 5, elliptic or lanceolate; petals 5, oblong, pale yellow, twice as long as the sepals; stamens 5, shorter than the petals, attached to a disk; ovary upper, unisexual . Flower pedicels strongly elongate after flowering, covered with long yellowish green or reddish spreading hairs - these hairs give the plant its ornamental effect after flowering. Blooms in May-July. The fruit is dry, obovate, 3-5 mm long and 1,5-2 mm wide, dark brown after ripening. Seeds are heart-shaped, with longitudinal furrows, greyish brown.
Application
The herb has astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. It is known as a natural antibiotic against infections and inflammations.
Benefits of Sumac:
Sumac has been known to people since ancient times and is widely used in traditional medicine. In Bulgaria and other Balkan countries, it is especially popular as a medicinal plant. Hundreds of years ago, folk medicine revealed that the leaves of the plant contain many valuable components: flavonoids, essential oils, and beneficial biochemical substances. Their combination is healing, effective both for surface wounds and stubborn injuries or purulent wounds. For this purpose, the plant has strong anti-inflammatory, astringent, and healing actions that fight bacteria and help tissues recover faster. Sumac also combats pain and swelling, quickly reducing the discomfort caused by injury.
Nowadays, it is also used to treat gum inflammation, acne, skin swelling caused by various diseases, purulent pimples, and many other skin problems.
Sumac can also be used to treat internal ailments such as diarrhea and dysentery. Bulgarian folk healers have historically used it as an effective remedy against stomach acidity, ulcers, shortness of breath, and phlegm. It is also used for deep inflammations that cause coughing up blood and even kidney diseases.
Text: Elena Topalova, Sports-Intellectual Club "Ahridos"
Photos: framar.bg, bilki.bg
