Anthyllis vulneraria

Real -vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. Pseudovulneraria )

Real -vetch, Common Vetch, Common Vetch or fir clover ( Anthyllis vulneraria ) is a species of the genus Anthyllis ( Anthyllis ). The Artepipheton vulneraria derives from the Latin vulnerarius ( = wound ). Also, the popular name Wundklee or " wound herb" refers from the use in folk medicine for healing wounds and as a cough suppressant.

Description

The perennial herbaceous plant reaches heights of growth of about 5 to 40 centimeters. This species has a short, more or less ästiges and many-headed rhizome and ascending or erect stems.

The basal leaves are up to four pairs of leaflets, but the heyday of these are already missing often. The terminal leaflet up to 8 centimeters long and are thus considerably larger than the other lateral leaflets. The stem leaves consist of two to seven pairs of leaflets. The leaves form is long - elliptic.

The flowers are in many-flowered flower heads. The golden crown is 9-19 mm long. Occasionally these are also whitish, orange or red color. The weißzottig hairy calyx is inflated after the heyday and has uneven teeth. The flowering period is from June to September.

All ten stamens are fused in spite of nectar production to a tube that is only long-tongued insects such as bumble bees or butterflies thus accessible. The flower possesses a pumping mechanism: Upon depression of the boat by the pollinator is drained by the pen plunger of the pollen. The scar is sticky only after scuffing the delicate surface of cells.

The relatively easy one to zweisamigen nuts are encased in a dry cup and disseminated primarily by wind. Fruit ripening takes place from July to October.

System

Steppe kidney vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. Polyphylla )

This very rich in forms type occurs in numerous subspecies, which are not yet sufficiently researched. In Europe, about 24 different subspecies occur. There are also intermediate forms and hybrids.:

• A. v. subsp. polyphylla
• A. v. subsp. vulneraria
• A. v. subsp. pseudovulneraria
• A. v. subsp. alpicola
• A. v. subsp. carpatica
• A. v. subsp. versicolor

Occurrence

The distribution area of the real thing wound clover covers the whole of Europe and North Africa ( Atlas Mountains ). As the site dry meadows and dry grasslands, roadsides, embankments, quarries but also preferred coastal dunes. Especially on calcareous soils. The plant grows from the plains to alpine regions.

Ecology

The plant belongs as deep roots, as well as the root nodules with nitrogen -fixing bacteria air to the main Rohbodenfestigern or - pioneers. This plant is grown on Erdabrissen and avalanche cracks, on roadsides in many cases. The plant itself is hostile fertilizer and its pervasiveness through eutrophication and decline in sheep grazing from. The lowland form of the real thing wound clover is a good fodder plant.

Ethnobotany and folk medicine

Due to the content of saponins and tannins the flowers were held in high esteem and have been used for treatment of wounds and ulcers. Possibly the use of the doctrine of signatures goes back, as the flowers are often run red.

The Real Wundklee was also regarded as magic herb. In the cradle he was supposed to protect small children from the " decry " ( = Hex ), of which the name derives cry clover.

The many common names reflect the level of awareness of the plant: Schöpfli, wool clover, Bärenpratzen, rabbits clover, clover cat, Katzenbratzerl, cats taping, Mother of God - Schühlein, Frauenkapperl, Taubenkröpferl, fir clover. Other popular names are pharmacists clover, bear clover, clover beard, Yellow clover, gold button, Kretz herb, Russian clover, Schafszähn, summer clover and cotton flower.

Other common names are, or were, in part only regionally, including the names Bädönikli (Schaffhausen), Bärndazen (Ziller Valley), Bergkraut ( East Prussia, Courland), fleabane ( Silesia), wild beans, Fräulischlössli (Graubünden), Frauenkäppeln ( Lechrain ) Frauenschuhli ( Lucerne, Berne ), Frauenthrän (Luzern, Bern ), Gichtbleamen ( Transylvania), Geeler rabbits clover, Hendelweis (Silesia ), Hergött - Schühalein, Iven, Kanferkrut, Katzendöpli ( Lucerne), White Cat clover, Our women Krapflein (Ziller Valley), a tear ( Lucerne, Entlebuch ), wool flower ( Moravia, Pomerania, Silesia), wool clover (Bernese Oberland), Kidney Vetch (Silesia ), wound herb ( Bern ), wound Wurz and Zehali (St. Gallen at Will hill).