Primrose is perennial cabbage-like herb, one of the first heralds of spring. A flower with several petals sprouts from short rhizome above ground and a 20 cm long pedicel carrying several dark yellow, funnel-shaped, downward-bending flowers.
Flowers – Primulae flos are used as active part of plant, drug, and they need to be thoroughly and quickly dried. They have pleasant smell of honey and sweet taste. Whole flowers with pedicels should be collected in nice and dry weather.
Saponosides bear the healing properties of this plant, present in calux of flowers and to lesser extent in pedicels. Flowers are also abundant with flavonoids, as well as vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
The drug is used for preparation of infuse, warm drink, by steeping in hot water, largely used as expectorant, healing of cough which usually begins as dry and later becomes productive, causing breathing difficulties. Throat is irritated and phlegm cannot be coughed out.
Primrose tea facilitates the irritation in upper respiratory inflammation, dilutes phlegm and provides discharge.
Alone or combined with other teas, Primulae flos is used to treat lung diseases, upper respiratory infection with phlegm, cough with thick mucus, bronchitis and colds with coughs.