The large and light flowers of the three-leaf watch are clearly visible in deep twilight and even at night. They, as if carrying a vigil, warn the wanderer that there is a swamp or swamp nearby. Therefore, they called this plant - watch.
Botanical description
In Latin, the name of this plant sounds like Menyanthes trifoliata L, in medicine - trifoli leaves (fibrini folium), and among the people - water trefoil, booburnis, grass watch, trehapnik, trifol, lapushnik river, fever. The watch is a grassy perennial plant with a long, creeping, massive, rhizome rising from the water. The stem usually reaches 15-30 cm in height, without leaves. At the top of the stem is a flower. Inflorescence itself looks like an elongated brush with a length of 3 to 7 cm with a lot of flowers, which rises above the leaves. 
Flowers trehlapnika with five petals, pink in the bud and white - opened, with a diameter of 2 cm, fused fringed petals resemble a funnel. The fruit is an ovate-rounded multi-seed box with two wings. The light green trifoli leaves are relatively large, glossy, triple, and elongated. They appear in early spring, die in late autumn. Flowering trifoli proceeds in May and June, and the fruits ripen in July and August. Reproduction, mainly vegetative, much less - seed and rhizomatous.
Learn more about such medicinal herbs as: yarutka, walker, onosma, creeping bitchuk, centaury, astragalus, bonfire, bedstraw, lespedeza, serpentine head, sedge, bookfoot, pike, yasnotka and zubrovka.
Spread
The trehlapnik grows in the northern hemisphere in the temperate climate zone of America, Europe and Asia. It is found in the forest swamps of Belarus and Ukraine, in the forests of the European part of Russia, as well as in the Far East and Siberia. It grows mainly in acidic and inorganic, peaty soils, in swamps, on the banks of lakes, rivers and ponds, marshy meadows, in running water, in forest and forest-steppe zones. He loves the neighborhood with sedge, marsh cowberry, calla, marsh spruce, and together with them is able to form large grounds. 
Chemical composition
The chemical composition of the plant is very rich in substances for the human body that help get rid of many ailments. Since only leaves are used in medicine, it is necessary to dwell on their chemical composition in more detail. They contain: flavonoids, vitamins C, P, B4, bitterness, carotene, iodine, phytosterols, foliamentin, tannids, alkaloids, ethane, methane, phosphoric, hexadecanoic, oleic, linoleic and tannic acids.
Did you know? Trifoli leaves are used as an ingredient in the manufacture of liqueurs and flavored beers.
Medicinal properties
The main substances by which the metabolic process takes place and is regulated, the growth and development of the trehlapnik are bitter glycosides. By stimulating the taste endings of the mucous membrane of the tongue and oral cavity, glycosides reflexively enhance the digestive process, stimulate the appetite and increase the secretion of gastric juice. In addition, this plant increases peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, activates the secretion of bile, shows anti-inflammatory and laxative effects. Also trifol has the ability to cleanse and disinfect the skin.
Medical applications
In the distant past, the leaf-tree was taken as a poisonous plant because of its bitterness. The very first data on the use of bobovnik in healing belong to the times of the Middle Ages, and from the XVII century, information appears about the use in alternative medicine. Nowadays, this plant has found the widest application in traditional medicine. Orally, the herb is used for coughing and pulmonary tuberculosis, hemorrhoidal bleeding, gastritis with acidity below the norm, as a choleretic agent, with ailments of the liver and gall bladder, with chronic constipation.
Choleretic effect also has such plants as: celandine, willow, frantranthus fragrant, whitehead, linden, birch, St. John's wort, oxalis and mountain arnica.The plant is applied externally for periodontal disease, stomatitis, gingivitis, catarrhal sore throat and trophic ulcer. The herb is used in tinctures and healing mixtures (sedative, choleretic). Practicing its use in homeopathy: for glaucoma, cold chills, neurocirculatory dystonia. In traditional medicine - as a drug to increase appetite, from migraines, edema, with diseases of the liver and gallbladder, colds infectious diseases, malaria. In addition, this plant is effective for failures in heart rate and as a sedative.
Harm and contraindications
Preparations based on this plant (except for fees) are forbidden to be used if the acidity of the stomach is higher than normal, with hypertension, excessive susceptibility to iodine and with individual intolerance to the components of the herb. You should refrain from using trehlapnik women during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
Preparation of raw materials
Leaves are harvested after the plant has faded, that is, in July and August, when the leaves grow in full force. Young leaves and leaves from the top do not touch - when dried, they will become black. The leaves are taken exclusively formed, they are cut with a petiole about 3 cm. To preserve the color of the leaves, their primary light drying is carried out in the air in the shade. For subsequent drying, the leaves are transferred to the attic room or placed in special dryers, the raw material is spread out in a thin layer and, occasionally turned over, dried at a temperature of + 35-40 ° C. The end of the drying process is determined by the degree of fragility of the petioles and main veins of the leaves. By all the rules, the finished leaves should be green, trifoliate, thin, odorless and bitter in taste.
Storage conditions
Raw materials can be stored in a dry place inaccessible to light for a maximum of two years.
Often they make preparations based on periwinkle, mountain ash, citronella oil, dodder and hawthorn.
Preparations based on the three-leaf watch
On the basis of the three-leaf watch, the following drugs can be found:
- Vigor (balm);
- Vigor-Santo (solution);
- Bittner's Original Big Balsam;
- "Trivalum" (combination preparation of plant origin);
- "Levabro" (phytopreparation).
Preparation of healing potions
Healing potions with bobovnik are presented in the form of tinctures, decoctions, tea, compresses, etc. Let us consider the most common types and recipes.
Important! Before using medicinal drugs with this plant in the composition should consult with your doctor.
Infusion
The recipe for this healing drink is extremely simple. It is not difficult to cook at home. It will take 1 tablespoon of crumbled leaves of bobovnik and 200 ml of boiling water. The leaves should be steamed, insist for an hour and strain. Drink the infusion should be 3-4 times a day, 1/3 tablespoon. It helps with asthma, severe shortness of breath, cough, cold and just to increase your appetite.
Another infusion is prepared as follows: 1 tablespoon of crushed leaves of bobovnik pour 0.5 cups of boiling water. Infused for 1 hour and taken three times a day and 1 tbsp. l Will help with lung diseases, tuberculosis. Infusion from diseases of the oral cavity can be prepared if you take 2 tbsp. l crushed watch sheets, pour 200 ml of boiling water over them, leave for 40 minutes, and then strain. Rinse this infusion should be the oral cavity, if you have inflammation of the gums or stomatitis, and with catarrhal sore throat - gargle. 
Can also be used in lotions as a remedy for skin diseases, long-term non-healing wounds or ulcers. And another recipe for infusion of fever. Take 1 teaspoon of crushed leaves of the plant, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for half an hour, then strain. It is necessary to consume the composition by a quarter of a tablespoon four times a day before eating with pulmonary tuberculosis, gall bladder and liver ailments, poor appetite, chronic constipation, worms and a lack of vitamins.
Did you know? The water trefoil is an excellent honey plant.
Tincture
Preparation of tincture does not require much effort, but differs in preparation time from the infusion. Take 40 g of crushed watch leaves and fill them with a glass of vodka (you can take alcohol diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio). Insist means for twenty days, then strain. Receive 10-15 drops (add water to a glass) three times a day. Tincture stimulates appetite, stimulates the liver and pancreas, is a choleretic drug and is useful for low-acid gastritis. Another option tincture such. 100 g of fresh leaves pour 1 liter of vodka. Leave to infuse for 2 weeks. 
After this, filter the tincture and take 100 mg at bedtime for fever. For rheumatic joint pain, you can make this tincture. For 400 ml of vodka, take 2 tablespoons of dried leaves of the three-leaf watch. Insist the drug for 2 weeks, then be sure to strain and transfer to a new container. It is necessary to use tincture 4 times a day (adding 5 drops to a glass of water) for rheumatism, and you can also use it when rubbing if your back hurts, aching in your chest or “twists” your knees.
Decoction
In the preparation of the broth, too, is nothing complicated. It is good for low acidity of the stomach, liver and gall bladder ailments, pulmonary tuberculosis and a lack of vitamins. Take 200 ml of boiling water and 10 g of leaves of fever. On the steam bath, hold the tool for 15 minutes, then insist 45 minutes. Then the broth must be filtered. To the resulting mixture, add 200 ml of boiled water. 
Use a decoction of 0.5 tablespoon three times a day for half an hour before meals. The usefulness of the three-leaf watch for the human body can not be overestimated. This is recognized as non-traditional and official medicine. If you use this plant in compliance with the rules of dosage and duration of the course, then it will bring only benefit!
