10 BIODIVERSITY, OCCURENCE OF ORGANISMS AND THEIR EXTINCTION IS THE RESULT OF EVOLUTION

Medicinal plants in human settlements

In towns and villages, common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) of the Asteraceae family commonly grows in the lawns. Its flowering stem, which is collected, contains essential oils, bitter substances and tannins. It is effective for improving digestion, it is antispasmodic, and it increases bile production. In trampled lawns, common daisy (Bellis perennis) of the Asteraceae family grows, whose inflorescences (anthodium) are effective for migraines, or ribwort plantain (Plantago major), which can stop bleeding.

Medicinal plants accompany us in everyday life. Many of us start the day with breakfast that inseparably consists of a cup of tea from Camellia sinensis (Thea sinensis), which are leaves of shrubs or trees that grow up to 15 meters in size, and they are at home in southern China and southeast Asia and contain caffeine (up to 4.5%), tannins, essential oils and flavonoids. The leaves are either blanched in hot water and are dried only, then we talk about green tea, or they are fermented and then dried, which is black tea.