Serenoa

Serenoa or serenoa (Serenoa) is a monotypic genus of plants that belong to the Palma family. At the moment, its species is especially common - creeping serenoa (Serenoa repens), which grows in the south-eastern territory of the United States (in Florida, Arkansas and Texas). As a rule, serenoa can be found along the coasts or in pine forests, although the plant is often observed on the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as on the islands of the Caribbean.

In general, the plant got its name in honor of Sereno Watson, an American botanist. By the way, many synonyms of the name of this palm are known, but the main one is Sabal serrulatum, under which serenoa is often mentioned within the framework of alternative medicine. Nevertheless, this often introduces some confusion: the fact is that the sabal is a separate genus of palm trees, which has many species.

Meanwhile, the serenoa is a small slow-growing palm tree, which is mostly about 2-4 meters high, although sometimes you can find individual specimens reaching six meters. On the herbaceous trunk of the palm, cambium is completely absent, that is, during the growth of the plant, cell division does not occur and, accordingly, their diameter of the trunk and roots does not increase.

Small flowers of serenoa yellowish-white color are distinguished by a rather pleasant subtle aroma - they are collected in dense panicles, the length of which can be more than half a meter. It is on them that the fruits of serenoa are formed - sweet to taste reddish-black drupes of oval shape, the length of which hardly exceeds two to three centimeters. It is noteworthy that outwardly the fruits of serenoa are very similar to olives or dried dates.

The fruits of serenoa are not only a very tasty treat, but also a benefit to the body. For example, American natives since ancient times consume the berries of this palm tree fresh, claiming that this contributes to the general tone of their body. In addition, men especially appreciate the fruits of serenoa - they use them in order to increase libido and stimulate potency.

The healing properties of serenoa fruits are due to the presence of a large number of active substances in these berries: phytosterols, sitosterols, essential oils, fatty acids, flavons, tannins, enzymes and carotene. That is why it is interesting that not even knowing about such a rich composition, the ancient Indians used the fruits of serinoa as an effective means in the fight against various ailments.

Today, the fruits of serinoa are also used in official medicine as a natural adjuvant for the treatment of impaired prostate function. The most famous names for serenoa fruit preparations are Prostamol, Prostavit and Permixon.