An annual headgrass is a perennial herbaceous plant that occurs along the shores of ponds and marshes. It differs in bright juicy shades of greenery and round spines of flowers, for which it got its name.
Description
This plant is isolated not only as a separate species, but also has its own family of yellowheads. Belongs to the class of monocotyledonous department of angiosperms. In total, there are more than 20 species that live in coastal waters or forest thicket. In the wild, the mangrove can be found in the Caucasus, Europe, Turkey, North America and North Africa. It feels good in the area from subtropical to temperate climate. Separate specimens are found in the south of Siberia.
The root system of the manor is threadlike, highly branched. The stems are thin grassy, reaching a height of 20-80 cm. They can be dense standing or soft floating. Foliage elongated bright green. The maximum length of the leaves is 2 m with a width of 3 mm to 3 cm. The leaves are slightly longer than the stem, they are sessile, often fleshy or in the form of soft ribbons. The upper leaflets are much shorter than the lower ones. Along the entire terrestrial part of the plant, the smallest tubules-air ducts pass for breathing.
Flowers are sessile or have short pedicels, collected in multiple spherical inflorescences. The diameter of such a ball during flowering is 1.5 cm, and when the seeds ripen, it reaches 2.5 cm. The fruits have small spines, for which they are compared with a hedgehog.
Ball-shaped heads are located on the stem in the form of a spike-shaped, sometimes branched inflorescence, up to 70 cm high. In different varieties, they are located crowded or at a distance. Flowering begins in mid-August or early September.
The fruits of the plant ripen in the fall and get enough sleep. Due to the spongy structure, they stay for a long time on the surface of the water (from 6 to 15 months), which contributes to the spread of the plant. Having sunk to the bottom, the seeds germinate.
Varieties
The headwood tree is straight or branched up to a height of 50-150 cm. It has two types of roots:
- creeping - lateral processes are removed to the sides to search for nutrients;
- erect - fix the plant in one place.
Narrow hard leaves sit tightly on the stem, in shape resemble foliage of irises. On one stalk there are small stamen (6-12 pea-sized) and larger pistil flowers (up to 5).
The headspace is simple. Differs in a soft form of shoots, they float freely on a surface. The maximum stem length is 120 cm.
The gooseberry go unnoticed. It differs in highly branched upright shoots, on which up to 3 female and 20 male flowers bloom. The height of the plant is 120 cm.
Cowberry differs in long (up to 2 m) and thin (1-5 mm) leaves. The stem is shorter than the foliage with a few flowers. In total, up to 3 stamen and pistil heads are attached to the shoots on short legs. Flowering occurs from June to July, and in August the fruits ripen.
Northern Gooseberry different wider and longer foliage. The average vein of the leaves is not very pronounced and is better visible in the lower third. Leaf plates are flat convex, dense, do not shine through in the light. The stems are floating and erect, shorter than the leaves. Simple inflorescences consist of male and female heads. The upper flowers sit tightly on the stem, and the lower ones are set aside on a dense peduncle. Male flowers are tightly attached to female.
Crowded hedgehog has a short erect stem 20-40 cm high. Long leaves with a triangular section, 8-12 mm wide. A short inflorescence 5-7 cm long contains 1-2 stamen and 3-5 pistillate flowers. Flowering occurs from July to August, the fruits ripen in a month.
Small headquarter or small in height reaches 30-70 cm. Stems are floating or erect, they have from 4 to 9 internodes. The leaves are thin, translucent in the sun, 15-30 cm long and 0.3-1 cm wide. The short peduncle contains up to 2 stamen and up to 4 pistillate flowers.
Breeding
It is convenient to propagate the head of wood by dividing the bushes. To do this, in the spring, an adult plant at the age of 3-5 years is dug up and disassembled with its hands the rhizome into divisions. Each of them is immersed in flooded soil in a new place. The landing depth is up to 50 cm below the water level.
For seed cultivation, seedlings are preliminarily obtained. In containers with muddy flooded soil, seeds are placed to a depth of 2 to 3 cm. After germination, the root develops first. The first leaves appear only 1-1.5 months after germination. In late spring, tubs are immersed in open water or transplanted to a permanent place.
Caring for the head
The annual headland tree prefers still or weakly flowing water; it can be found in both fresh and slightly saline water bodies. For landing, choose sunny areas. In care, the plant is unpretentious, dispenses with watering and fertilizing. Its weak long leaves are easily damaged in strong winds, so it is recommended that they provide shelter. In the natural environment, the mangrove is adjacent to more durable amphibian plants.
Creeping roots contribute to the growth of bushes, therefore, from time to time, unwanted self-seeding should be thinned out and removed so that the territory does not acquire a groomed appearance.
When planting in artificial ponds, caution should be exercised, since the rhizomes are quite aggressive and can damage the film shelter at the bottom of the pond.
The plant is highly frost resistant and does not require additional shelter in the winter. In the spring, dried-up shoots are cut off.
Using
The headwood is distinguished by high decorative properties. Its bright soft greens will revive the coastal zone of natural and artificial reservoirs. It can be used as a tapeworm or in combination with stronger and darker amphibians. Due to the rapid spread along the coastline, it is used only in large bodies of water, in your own garden it is worth stopping at a small or floating variety.
In addition to decorative, it also has a practical purpose, because the roots strengthen the coastal layers of the soil, and shoots contribute to the purification of water. The bushes are characterized by low toxicity, therefore, they are suitable as a forage crop for waterfowl, as well as nutria and muskrats. Beekeepers value this aquatic vegetation as a good perganos.
Medicines based on acne
The following substances were found in the composition of the stems and leaves of the mangrove:
- vitamin C;
- alkaloids;
- saponins;
- tannins.
In combination with numerous micro and macro elements, the plant is a true healer. Decoctions from it help to calm down and establish a dream. Separate components have a stimulating effect on the circulatory system and serve as natural immunomodulators.
In folk medicine, the cap is a painkiller and vasoconstrictor. It stabilizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract and female genital organs (with painful and heavy periodic bleeding).
