Butchers Broom Powder Powder

Introduction

Butcher's broom, Ruscus aculeatus, is a low evergreen Eurasian shrub of the lily family (Liliaceae), with flat shoots known as cladodes that give the appearance of stiff, spine-tipped leaves. Small greenish flowers appear in spring and are borne singly in the center of the cladodes. The female flowers are followed by a red berry, and the seeds are bird-distributed, but the plant also spreads vegetatively by means of rhizomes. Ruscus aculeatus is very hardy, thriving in almost any soil or situation, its root is thick, striking deep into the ground. When dry, it is brownish grey, 2 to 4 inches long and 1/3 inch in diameter, having somewhat crowded rings and rounded stem scars on the upper surface and many woody rootlets below. If a transverse section is made, a number of vascular bundles in the central portion are to be seen. It is often planted in shrubberies or edges of woods, on account of its remaining green after the deciduous trees have shed their leaves. It is also widely planted in gardens and has spread as a garden escape in many areas outside its native range. The matured branches used to be bound into bundles and sold to butchers for sweeping their blocks, hence the name: Butcher's Broom. It is frequently made into besoms in Italy.

Function

• Improve chronic venous insufficiency

• Treat Varicose veins

• Prevent Atherosclerosis

• Vasoconstriction (blood vessel narrowing) effects

• Tone up a sluggish venous system and reduces capillary fragility

• Treat venous circulatory disorders (especially for women complaining of a heavy sensation in the legs, and leg cramps, itching and swelling)

• Enzymatic effect reduces pain and swelling

• Treat hemorrhoids

• Anti-inflammatory