Caltha palustris
Marsh Marigold ( Caltha palustris)
The marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris) is a plant of the family Ranunculaceae ( Ranunculaceae ).
Name
The specific epithet palustris is derived from the Latin word palus for "Swamp " from pointing out that the Marsh Marigold is found in damp locations.
More German trivial name rather play on the golden yellow flower color. It is called depending on the region as lard flower, buttercup, eggs flower, meadow gold or gold rose. However, the most common local name is Marigold. In Switzerland, this plant is known as the Bach Bummele.
Description
General appearance
The marsh marigold is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches heights of growth between 15 and 60 centimeters, depending on location. She has a strong rhizome, the " rhizome ". The stems are arching, ascending to erect. At the top of the hollow and leafless stems are branched and mehrblütig.
The dark green, glossy leaves often have a diameter of up to 15 centimeters, are heart - to kidney-shaped, undivided and notched at the edge. The basal leaves are long-petiolate; the other hand, sitting on top of the stems have almost no petiole.
The flowers
The simple shell flowers are bright golden yellow due to carotenoids. They consist usually of five broad oval tepals that are up to two inches long. A calyx is not available. On the tepals visible regions are detected only for UV - sensitive animals, which were interpreted as juice times. Numerous yellow stamens are set around five to fifteen closely related carpels. The nectar glands are located at the base of the ovary. The flowers appear as early as March and bloom depending on the location until April or June. Occasionally, in the period from July to October a weaker second bloom.
The flowers contain very abundant pollen and nectar. They are pollinated by beetles, flies and bees, hoverflies in particular are frequently observed on the flowers.
When it rains, the flowers are open and fill with water. The anthers and stigmas at the same height as the water level so that it comes to self-pollination ( pollination rain ).
The fruits
From any carpel fertilized a slimmer bellows developed, the mature follicles are arranged in a star shape. The ripe dark brown seeds are about 2.5 millimeters long and arranged in two rows in the Balgfrüchten.
Dispersal strategies of Marsh Marigold
The marsh marigold is adapted ideally to a spread with the help of water. As with many other Ranunculaceae dry with increasing maturation of the fruit thin walls of the bellows fruits and gradually open along the ventral suture. However, remains closed, the lower portion of this follicle. This only opens when the follicle swells from rain or contact with water.
The seeds of marsh marigolds are fixed in the immature state with small, short stems on the fruit wall. Are the seeds mature, dried from this stem. The star-shaped bellows fruits are mature upward. Meeting Raindrops on these fruits are, the loose seeds washed out and spread by the impacting raindrops. Due to this propagation mechanism to count the Sumpfdotterblume to Regenschwemmlingen (called Ombrochorie ).
The seeds of marsh marigold are also buoyant ( so-called Nautochorie ). They are provided with a floating web, which consists of air-filled cavities, and which holds the seeds on the surface. Using this distribution mechanism marsh marigolds are able to spread along the shore of a body of water.
Dissemination
The marsh marigold is native to Europe, temperate and northern Asia, and northern and arctic North America. Makes it one of the circumpolar represented plants. In Europe it is widespread north to Iceland and Arctic Russia.
Site requirements, plant sociology
The marsh marigold grows in marshy meadows, to springs, streams and ditches. It is also found in fracture and riparian forests. Changing water level can withstand the kind of good. The moisture value ( F-number ) in the nine -point scale according to Ellenberg is 8 Common companion plants of the marsh marigold are meadowsweet, cabbage thistle, snakes knotweed, marsh forget- me-not, ragged robin and black alder. Phytosociological Caltha palustris is the eponymous Verbandscharakterart the marsh marigold meadows ( Calthion palustris). These are nutrient-rich wet meadows and tall herb fringe wet - wet locations. Furthermore, it is Begleitart in alder forests ( Alnion ) in hardwood floodplain forests ( Alno - Ulmion ) and in reed beds ( companies Phragmitetalia ) and the source communities ( Montio - Cardamine Talia ).
Diseases
The marsh marigold is attacked by the rust fungus Puccinia calthae and Puccinia calthicola with spermogonia and Telien.
Endangering
To population declines of Sumpfdotterblume occurs when wet meadows dried up, straightened streams and ditches culverted ( piped ) are. The loose housing of dairy cattle, in which the cows are fed with grass silage has led indirectly to population declines. To simplify the mechanical mowing the meadows were leveled and thus sinks and depressions eliminated, the plant offered good site conditions due to the water accumulating there. The marsh marigold is currently classified only on the Red List of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Berlin and Hamburg as an endangered species, but is nationwide in decline.
The marsh marigold as a garden plant
Since then, it has become customary to apply even in private gardens ponds or ditches, the marsh marigold in the garden is commercially available. Horticulture efforts have thereby also produced some varieties that differ from the original type:
- Caltha palustris ' Monstrosa ' is a kind of yellow flowers filled with pomponartig
- Also filled yellow flowers, the variety Caltha palustris ' Flore pleno ' on
- Single flowers in the color white has the variety Caltha palustris var alba
The rich insect life on the Marsh Marigold and her interesting propagation mechanism via follicles can be observed only on the unfilled varieties and most of the original type.
The marsh marigold, from an educational perspective
Especially in children, the Marsh Marigold is especially popular. So already Hieronymus Bock wrote in his 1539 published standard work Kreütter The Book: "The children have their kurzweil and joy with disen beautiful gold flowers. If jezunder nit especially inn the drug use. "
The marsh marigold as a poisonous plant
Marsh marigolds are classified as slightly toxic to toxic. Symptoms of poisoning are mainly contained Anemonine, saponins, Aporchinalkaloide (among Magnoflorin ) and Triterpenlacone (among Caltholid ) due. In sensitive people can cause poisoning symptoms noted by the external contact with the plant, causing the skin and mucous membranes become irritated. This can result in the face after four to five hours to rash and occasionally swelling.
The consumption of components of the marsh marigold may cause dizziness, vomiting and cramps and water retention. Depending on the severity of poisoning by consumption of plant constituents is one of the countermeasures, induction of vomiting, ingestion of activated charcoal and gastric lavage.
Use
Livestock grazing prevents the seizure of marsh marigolds.
Use as food, beverages and tobacco
Despite the toxicity of the plant, the marsh marigold in the past was used as a food Dye plant for dairy products as well as beverages. The leaves of the marsh marigold have been traditionally used in Spanish cooking as a salad green. In the English kitchen, she was used for refinement and flavor staining of country wine and vinegar. The buds of pungent-tasting plant were in poor times, as a substitute for capers, have today, these distortions become very rare.
Are plant ingredients cooked, reduces the toxicity. Frequently, therefore, at least a two-time change of the cooking water was recommended.
The boiled roots as well as the not yet blossomed buds had previously been considered edible. The flower buds were doing pickled and eaten as a substitute for capers. They were referred to as " German capers ". Due to the Anemonin content, it may, after copious consumption of such " capers " come to vomiting, diarrhea and skin rash. From today's perspective, one should refrain from the consumption of components of the marsh marigold.
Use in herbal medicine
In the Roman and Greek antiquity, the Marsh Marigold was not known as a medicinal plant. In the doctrine of signatures, the plant was not considered to be helpful in gallbladder and liver complaints, because the yellow flower color set a reference to the liver forth. The marsh marigold was added cooked and drunk in wine.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the distilled water from the marsh marigold was recommended for the external treatment of "dry eye infections and all kinds of diseases of the eyes ."
In the actual folk medicine, the Marsh Marigold was only sporadically used as a medicinal plant. The herbaceous components were used in Central Europe earlier in skin diseases, and menstrual disorders. In Russia, it was used as a diuretic and laxative agent. The fresh leaves were also regarded as a wound healing agent and launched for insect bites, in addition, it is through their property can cure dry injuries such as fractures, COPD or scabby wounds as wet marsh plant. In evidence-based medicine, the Marsh Marigold is no longer used; the current use of the plant for skin rashes, bronchial diseases and menstrual cramps only limited to homeopathy.
The marsh marigold in superstition
Like many other spring plants was also the marigold among many nations as demons defensively. Collected at Walpurgis and scattered before the door of the cattle barn, they should hold the witches. They were also to feed the cattle, so that the butter throughout the year has a nice yellow color. In Denmark, Sweden and Ireland ( collected at Walpurgis and Georgi ) plant was considered also as magic powers.
Flower of 1999
The marsh marigold was selected in Germany for "Flower of the Year 1999". With this choice should be made aware of the representative species loss caused by the straightening of streams and the drainage formerly wet meadows and fens.