Cicerbita
Alpine Milchlattich ( Cicerbita alpina)
The Milchlattiche ( Cicerbita ) are a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). There are herbaceous plants, their flowers resemble those of the Common chicory.
Description
These are annual, biennial or perennial plants, which occasionally can also achieve more, a meter plant height. The plants carry milk juice.
The roots arise secondarily from the rhizome. Most species of the genus are stem - hemicryptophytes, that is, the overwintering buds are at the surface and form a long stem. This stem is unbranched in the lower part, above, in the inflorescences, it branches. The stalk is always busy with hair. The lower leaves are usually large and pinnate with a triangular terminal lobe, which is significantly greater than the side lobes. The leaf margins are toothed.
The flowers are borne in terminal baskets this. Again in racemes or panicles The individual baskets are surrounded by two rows of bracts, the outer rows are shorter. The bracts surrounding the enlarged inflorescence axis ( these hairless always ), on which in turn are arranged, the individual flowers. The flowers consist of four circles ( sepals, petals, androecium and gynoecium ), they are fünfzählig and hermaphrodite (at least on the flower in the center of the inflorescence, the outer can also be pure female). There are different colors before: yellow, blue or white flowers. There are only ray florets present, they are zygomorphic. The sepals are imbricated reduced. The petals are fused into a tube in the lower part, the upper part is extended band-or tongue-shaped and ends with five teeth. The five stamens have free stamens, but the anthers are fused together and surrounded the pen annular. The under constant ovary consists of two carpels, the only stylus is divided into two deep.
The fruits are achenes fusiform, they wear a white pappus. The fruits have on the outside at one to three longitudinal wires. The pappus consists of two circles: an inner and an outer made of hair from short eyelashes. The fruits are not beaked (in contrast to similar genus Lactuca ).
Dissemination
The species of the genus in Europe, widespread in temperate Asia, North America and North Africa.
Systematics and botanical history
The genus of Milchlattiche ( Cicerbita ) is classified within the Aster family in the subfamily Cichorioideae and there in the tribe Cichorieae. The genus was erected in 1822 by Karl Friedrich Wallroth that they ' separated out from the genus Sonchus using the different shaped pappus. For the name Cicerbita There are two explanations: from the Latin cicer ( Kicherebse ), in relation to small fruits, or of Cicharba, the name of a medicinal plant, which already appears in medicamentis Marcellus Empiricus ' De.
For a long time the name Mulgedium in use, erected in 1824 by Alexandre Henri Gabriel de Cassini; it is still used by some authors. The name comes from Mulgedium mulgere, " milk ", and refers to the milky juice of plants.
Species in the genus Milchlattiche (selection):
- Cicerbita acuminata ( Freyn ) Grossh.
- Cicerbita alpina (Alpine Milchlattich ) ( L.) Wallr.
- Cicerbita bourgaei ( Boiss. ) Beauverd
- Cicerbita conrathiana Beauverd
- Cicerbita cyanea ( D.Don ) Beauverd
- Cicerbita grandis ( C.Koch ) Chrshanovski
- Cicerbita lessertiana ( DC.) Mamgain R. & R. Rao
- Cicerbita macrantha ( C.B.Clarke ) Beauverd
- Cicerbita macrophylla ( Big Leaf Milchlattich ) ( Willd.) Wallr. subsp. macrophylla
- Subsp. uralensis ( Rouy ) P.D.Sell
In addition, the following hybrids occurs:
- Cicerbita × favratii Wilczek - the parent species are Cicerbita alpina and Cicerbita plumieri
Use
The Milchlattiche be used as food. One type ( Cicerbita tianshamica ) is sometimes used as an ornamental plant.