Cardamine pratensis
Meadow Cress ( Cardamine pratensis)
The Meadow Cress ( Cardamine pratensis) is a perennial plant of the genus bitter cress ( Cardamine ) and belongs to the family of cruciferous plants ( Brassicaceae). The distribution area includes large areas of the northern hemisphere. It dominates with its white to pale purple flowers from late April to mid-May often the appearance of nutrient-rich wet meadows.
- 3.1 Aurorafalter
- 3.2 Leafhoppers
- 7.1 folk medicine
- 7.2 use as food
Description
Appearance
The meadow foam herb grows as overwintering green, perennial, herbaceous plant, the plant height usually 15 to 55 (8 to 80) achieved centimeters. It forms a relatively short, cylindrical with a diameter of up to 5 mm, bulbous - thickened rhizome as Überdauerungsorgan. The upright, unbranched stem is round in cross section, initially containing marrow and later hollow and hairless or sparsely hairy in the lower part.
Laubblatt
The thin leaves are borne in basal rosettes and are alternate on the stem distributed; the veins are raised. The usually 2 to 7 ( 1 to 10) inches long stalked basal leaves have a length of 30 centimeters, are pinnate or simple unpaired and have two to 15 pairs of rounded leaflets. The terminal leaflets of basal leaves petiolate is 1.5 inches long and with a diameter of 0.3 to 2 inches circular to broadly obovate with a mostly rounded, rarely almost kidney - or wedge- shaped base, scalloped edge and a rounded top. The basal leaves have on each side of their rachis two to eight ( up to 15 or no ) lateral leaflets, which are at most equal to the terminal leaflet; they are stalked or sessile, circular, ovate to broadly obovate with notched or scalloped edge. There are usually two to twelve (up to 18 ) bald, short -stalked, 2-17 cm long, stem leaves fiederteilige available. The pedunculated or seated end portion of the stem leaves is linear with a length of usually 1 to 2.5 ( up to 3.5 ) cm and a width of usually 5 to 8 ( up to 10 ) mm, oblong, ovate or lanceolate. The stem leaves have on each side of their rachis two to eight ( up to 15 or no ) lateral leaflets, which are at most equal to the terminal leaflet; they are stalked or sitting and decurrent, similar in shape as the base leaves and usually have a smooth or rarely toothed margins.
Inflorescence
The heyday of meadow foam herb extends depending on the location from April to June and even July. The flowers are borne in a terminal, racemose inflorescence, however, occur in the upper part of the stem often another small, racemose inflorescences. In rainy weather and darkness bend the flower stems and the closing blooms play a nodding position.
Flower
The hermaphrodite flowers are cruciform with the typical Brassicaceae the floral organs. The four upright or spreading, green, free sepals have a length of usually 3-5 ( 2.5 to 6 ) mm and a width of 1 to 2 millimeters an oblong or ovoid shape with membranous margin and the base of the two lateral sepals is saccular. The four free, nailed petals have a length of usually 0.8 to 1.5 ( 0.6 to 1.8 ) cm and a width of usually 3 to 7.5 (up to 10 ) mm a wrong - ovoid shape and a rounded or ausgerandetes upper end. The colors of the petals range from rare white across mostly whitish and pale -pink purple with darker veins up. Of the six stamens in the middle pairs have 5 to 10 millimeters long stamens and the lateral pair of 3 to 6 mm long stamens. The yellow dust bags are usually 1.2 to 2 millimeters for a length of narrow oblong ( 0.8 ). The stamens are three times as long as the sepals about. The only carpel contains 20 to 30 ovules. The durable, generally squat pen has a length from 1 to 2.2 ( 0.5 to 2.7 ) mm.
Fruit and seeds
The thin, usually 1.2 to 2.5 (0.5 to 3) cm long fruit stems are erect, ascending or nearly straddling at the fruit stand axis. The sheets have a length of 2.5 to 4.5 ( 1.6 to 5.5 ) inches, a lineal shape and a diameter of (1.2 to ) is usually 1.5 to 2.3 mm and a circular cross section bare flaps. The pale brown seeds are elongated with a length of usually 1.2 to 1.8 ( up to 2 ) mm and a diameter of 1 to 1.4 mm. The fruits mature from June to August.
Chromosome numbers
The chromosome numbers be 2n = 16, 24, 28-34, 38-44, 48, 56, 96, so basic chromosome number x = 8 It is polyploidy in front and examinations have to heptaploide diploid populations after.
Ecology
The meadow foam herb is a perennial semi- rosette plant with thin, creeping rhizome. The rosette is often evergreen.
The flowers are " nectar leading disk flowers " with a transition to "funnel flowers". Nectar is secreted plenty of small nectaries at the ovary base, he's just bees and butterflies accessible; Hoverflies harvest the pollen. The flowers are also the main source of pollen sand bee ( Andrena lagopus ). Like other cruciferous vegetables are the Narbenpapillen kutinisiert so that can germinate only those pollen grains on them, which also produce cutinase, so the cutin -resolution enzyme. Flowering period is from April to June / July.
The pods jump on when ripe, scattering the single-row seed. The Meadow Cress thus uses a propagation strategy, known botanically as Ballochorie. The meadow foam herb belongs while the juice pressure spreaders, which are rare in the European flora as opposed to the Austrocknungsstreuern. Tire the pods, the cell sap pressure and the walls of the pod swell increases. If a certain pressure is exceeded, the walls of the pod tear open explosively. Through the energy liberated in the seed is up to 2.4 meters widely scattered.
The meadowfoam is a Lichtkeimer / Light germinator.
If basal leaves of the herb meadow foam touching the wet ground, often form at the attachment points of the leaflets rooted leaf buds. From these independent plants grow. This autonomic self- propagation, which is botanically called Blastochorie, the plant provides a spread even sure if the site conditions or wet cold weather prevent maturation of the seed pods.
Synecology
The flowers of the meadow foam herb are very rich nectar and are pollinated by many insects.
Aurorafalter
Together with the garlic mustard meadow foam herb is the preferred food plant of the caterpillar of the Aurora moth ( Anthocaris cardamines ). The Orange Tip, which uses the Meadow Cress as a nectar plant, lays her eggs mostly from the flower stems. The caterpillars feed on these plants until July or August, pupate in a so-called belt doll and then hibernate.
Leafhoppers
Among the also living in the meadow foam herb insect counts about 5 to 6 mm long and variably colored Leafhoppers ( Philaenus spumarius ). Meadowfoam cicadas live on herbaceous plants whose sap they suck. You create their host plants from their eggs, which hatch larvae in April and May, which also suck the sap. By pumping air bubbles from the air pocket in a protein-containing fluid which deposited the larvae from the anus, the foam is generated. The foam protects the larva is seated against enemies, but receives primarily required for the development of humidity and temperature. These distinctive foam nests can also be found on the ragged robin and grasses.
Occurrence
The distribution area of meadow foam herb ranges from Europe to the Arctic climate zone in northern Asia and North America. It comes in Asia in Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang and western Xizang. In North America it occurs at altitudes between 0 and 1000 meters, while most populations neophytes from Europe, but it seems also to give populations which are originally native to North America.
It is to be found in various habitat types. It is one of the most common plant species in Central Europe.
As the site fresh to moist fat and wet meadows as well as breaking and alluvial forests of hill and montane zone to be preferred at altitudes of about meters. Through a management moist meadows, the spread of this species is strongly encouraged. In nutrient-rich herbaceous and perennial weeds corridors, to nutrient- rich waters, springs and spring -run, and in Hochstaudenfluren and thickets of the mountains, the species is found.
System
The first publication of Cardamine pratensis was made in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 2, pp. 656
There are many subspecies and varieties have been described, all of which are now synonyms of these or other species. Synonyms Cardamine pratensis L. are: Cardamine Lej nemorosa, Cardamine praticola Jord, Cardamine rivularis Čopyk, Cardamine udicola Jord, Cardamine ullepiciana Borba, Cardamine pratensis L. subsp.. .. pratensis Cardamine pratensis subsp. atlantica ( Emb & Maire ) Greuter & Burdet, Cardamine pratensis subsp. genuina Čelak. des inval. , Cardamine pratensis subsp. major Tomšovic, Cardamine pratensis subsp. picra De Langhe & D' hose, Cardamine pratensis subsp. ullepiciana ( Borbás ) Jay, Cardamine pratensis var atlantica Emb & Maire, Cardamine pratensis var carpatica Zapalł. , Cardamine pratensis var dentata Schur, Cardamine pratensis var flore - pleno Neilr. , Cardamine pratensis var grandiflora Endl. , Cardamine pratensis var grandiflora Neilr. , Cardamine pratensis var grandiflora Schur, Cardamine pratensis var macrantha Schur, Cardamine pratensis var parvifolia Wimm. & Grave. , Cardamine pratensis var Pleniflora Schur, Cardamine pratensis var pseudo- hirsuta Schur, Cardamine pratensis var pubescens Wimm. & Grave. , Cardamine pratensis var subrivularis Schur, Cardamine pratensis var typica Beck des inval ..
Name
The species name Cardamine pratensis is composed of the generic name Cardamine, which is derived from the Greek word κάρδαμων cardamom for cress and the epithet pratensis, which comes from Latin and can be translated as "on meadows growing ".
The usual common name in German-speaking meadow foam herb or simply Cress may refer to the presence of foam nests of froghoppers ( Aphrophoridae ) at this plant. These are in spring so often that is also referred to as " cuckoo saliva " or " witches spit " in the vernacular nests of the plant have given the popular name " cuckoo flower".
However, the name Cardamine also allows for a different interpretation, since a passed with meadowfoam seed lawn may well give the impression as if it were covered with foam: " Looking at such a level in the middle of corn to a time of day where by the by warm sunshine rise to that famous undulating movement of the air, the whole area as a lush foam appears covered, which may well have caused the emergence of the name Cardamine. "
As a widespread and conspicuous Wiesenblume the meadow foam herb has a number of other regionally very different popular names. These include Bettbrunzer, blue Brunnenkressich, meat flower, flower Gauch, Harnsamen, Mayflower, Mary Flower, Pinksterbloem, prairie herb Storchenschnäbli, Straw Flower, Water herb, meadow cress and wild watercress.
Use
Folk medicine
Meadow foam herb contains as ingredients mustard oil glycosides, bitter substances and vitamin C.
Lady's - tea is used in folk medicine for rheumatism and other painful conditions. Healing effects are mainly based on the contained vitamin C, as well as mustard oil glycosides, which have a stimulating effect on the kidneys and liver in particular. This effect owes the Meadow Cress also the popular names Bettsoicher, Harnsamen and Gries Bluemel. The active ingredients contained in Meadow Cress act but also irritating to the stomach and kidneys, and may only be enjoyed in moderation.
Use as a food
The young leaves collected before flowering, as well as the young plants are edible and taste due to the Senfölglykosids contained cress similar and slightly spicy. They are used in salads, herbs in soups, as a spice for cottage cheese and cream cheese as well as in sauces.
Use as an ornamental plant
Since the 17th century the meadow foam herb is cultivated as an ornamental plant, where one form is offered with double flowers. The species is recommended for wild plants gardens.
Flower of 2006 and hazard
The Meadow Cress was elected to the flower of the year 2006. The Nature Conservation Foundation and Hamburg Foundation for the Protection of endangered plant based its decision for that many places still common species so that this habitat type should be made aware of the choice of such a Feuchtwiesenart to the increasing threat. From the decline of such areas, more and more grassland species are affected in their distribution. Thus, the stocks of the meadows foam Krauts are already so far back that this species is classified as endangered and there received the Red List status 3 in Saxony -Anhalt and Mecklenburg- Vorpommern.