Actaea spicata
Ähriges Baneberry ( Actaea spicata )
The spiked Baneberry ( Actaea spicata L.) or simply Christoph herb is a plant of the family Ranunculaceae ( Ranunculaceae ). It is the only Central European species of the genus Christoph herbs.
Description
The spiked Baneberry is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 30 to 60 ( 70) cm. The entire plant is weakly branched. The 30 cm long, stalked leaves are pinnate twice ternate. The edge of its egg-shaped or egg - lance-shaped sections is irregular and coarsely serrated. Torn they have a sharp unpleasant odor.
The four-part flowers are small, white and appear in dense terminal or lateral racemes. The single flower has a perianth of four white tepals and four nectar leaves. The nectar leaves are kronblattartig designed and narrow shaped. The tepals fall off relatively early. The 15 to 20 stamens are longer than the tepals. The Upper constant ovary is leaved and contains several ovules. The fruits are black berries, which reached about 1 cm in length.
The flowering period extends from May to July. Fruit ripening extends from July to September.
The chromosome number is 2n = 16 ( in exceptional cases 18, 26, or 30).
Ecology
The spiked Baneberry is a Hemikryptophyt or Geophyt in terms of its way of life. It has a knotty rhizome.
The flowers are flowers biologically vorweibliche disk flowers. The kronblattartigen nectar leaves have no nectaries. Pollinators is, however, an abundant pollen supply available. Typical pollinators are especially beetles.
The berries ( Balgbeeren ) are often visited and eaten by birds. The seeds pass through the bird gut without prejudice and be endochor spread. The seeds are cold to germinate.
Vegetative propagation, a self- propagation in the broad sense, is via the rhizome.
Toxicity
The berries and seeds are from ancient times as toxic, but could be a toxic effect not yet be confirmed. From eating is still not recommended.
Occurrence
The spiked Baneberry happens to Western Siberia almost throughout Europe. In the south it is found exclusively in the highlands, in the remaining area mainly there. In Germany it is scattered in front, in the southern mountains and the Alps it has spread, however.
The spiked Christoph herb grows on moist and calcareous ground in shady mountain and ravine forests, preferably in deciduous and pine forests on nutrient - and base-rich, humus-rich, loose, stony or pure clay soils. She is a local Kennart of Fraxino - Aceretum ( broadleaved Acerion ), but also comes in Hordelymo Fagetum before, sometimes in thickets ( Berberidion ) or Hochstaudenfluren ( Adenostylion ). They inhabited altitudes up to 1900 m above sea level.
Use
The species is often cultivated as an ornamental perennial.
She took earlier as a medicinal plant in popular belief a significant role. Today, she finds only in homeopathy for rheumatism pain of hand and finger joints application.
Common names
Also the following names as a label or were, sometimes even regional, use: fleabane ( Switzerland, Alsace ), Beschreikraut ( Henneberg ), Christophelskraut ( Switzerland, Swabia, Prussia), Saint Christophelskraut, Saint Christphskraut (Württemberg, Middle High German ), Christoph Wurz, fire herb ( East Prussia ), Fleckachrut (St. Gallen Rhine Valley ), Pagan wound herb ( Silesia, Göttingen ), witches herb ( Aargau, Zurich, Glarus, Augsburg ), black cabbage, Black pure root, comfrey (Silesia ), Wolf Wurzen ( Switzerland ), Wolves Wurz ( Old High German ) and Wuhlefswurzel ( Transylvania). Especially for the fruit, there is the name of mother berries ( Eifel).