Ligustrum vulgare
Common Privet ( Ligustrum vulgare), inflorescence
The Common Privet ( Ligustrum vulgare), also Common privet, privet, leg wood, ink berry bush, ink berry grape, fence ties, dogwood called ( confusion with species of the genus Cornus, see Dogwood ) is a species in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ). He is the only native European species of the genus privet ( Ligustrum ) and occurs in central and southern Europe and the Caucasus countries.
- 2.1 ornamental plant
- 2.2 wood
- 2.3 dyeing
- 3.1 flower visitors
- 3.2 The privet as a habitat for butterfly caterpillars.
- 3.3 privet berries as food for animals
- 5.1 Notes and references
Features
The Common Privet grows as a deciduous or semi- evergreen shrub that reaches the plant height of 1.5 to 4.5 meters. In mild climate records, such as those prevailing for example in southern Europe, the leaves fall only at the leaves sprout from next spring.
Growth form
The Common Privet grows as well-branched shrub. It has upright, flexible branches, his short shoots are often arranged lively. Young branches have a olivgrünbräunlich colored bark that can be bald or hairy fine tip short. The gray-brown, bare bark of older branches is staffed with bright lenticels.
The arranged opposite or in whorls tridentate leaves are short-stalked ( 1-3 mm). Simple, slightly leathery leaf blade is at a length of 2.5 to 8 cm and a width of 0.8 to 2 cm wide lancet to elliptical. The widest part of the leaf is located approximately in the middle - in contrast to Ovalblättrigen privet, in which it is located much closer to the Blattspreitengrund. The leaves are glabrous. In the fall, usually dark green leaf color is often held over into violet.
Flowers
The flowers are in elongated, pyramidal, paniculate inflorescences at the tips of the Neuaustriebs. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite cruciform with a double perianth. The four sepals are fused 1.5 mm long by 1.5 to 2 mm long calyx lobes. The four white to cream-colored petals are fused into a 1 to 2 mm long corolla tube, which ends in four 3 mm long Kronlappen. At the base of the corolla tube nectar is deposited. The two stamens have about 2 mm long stamens protrude slightly out of the corolla tube and culminate the two-lobed stigma. Two carpels are fused into one inferior ovary.
Fruits
The fertilized flowers grow into egg-shaped to spherical, glossy black berries. The exterior intense black color of the berries zweisamigen based on a high anthocyanin concentration.
Toxicity
The berries of privet are poisonous, eating can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The effect is a safe if larger quantity has been eaten. In leaves, the glucoside Syringin contained, whereby they are also toxic. Skin contact with the cutting of the plant can cause skin irritation, the so-called privet eczema.
As toxic ingredients of Ligusters least three glycosides Ligustrosid and oleuropein and Syringin be called. Other alkaloids arise from these substances in the workup with ammonia ( artifacts). It is believed that similar reactions can also take place in an organism (in vivo).
Use
Ornamental plant
We cultured these shrub species, as well as several Japanese Ligustrum species in gardens for planting hedges. These mostly evergreen varieties like ' Atrovirens ' is used. Privet is very cut resistant and is therefore often used for hedges form.
Wood
The extremely hard wood of the ordinary Ligusters is characterized by a violet colored core. It is smooth, tough and strong and is suitable for turnery and carving, as well as for the production of tool handles. Previously we used it for pegs for shoemakers and Rebstangen for viticulture. The flexible young branches are used for basketry.
Dyeing
The ripe berries of Commons Ligusters were used by frost action as a dye. On wool is a deep blue color forms. It was vorgebeizt with iron or aluminum salts or with soda. In this function, the berries were already in the Upper German Färbebüchlein from the 15th century mentioned ( Cgm.317, Bavarian State Library, Munich ). In addition to the ripe berries, but also leaves, branches, the yellow and the bark can be used for dyeing.
The berries contain glucosides as a coloring agent; the leaves and bark are rich in Flavonoidfarbstoffen and also contain a small amount of tannins. By using different stains and different dyeing procedures shades can be achieved through green to blue from yellow.
The red to blue juice of the privet was also used to paint. The red color was. By the addition of sulfates, the purple by adding urine, the blue achieved by mixing with lime and potash Regionally, the berry juice was used to dye wine.
The importance of Ligusters for the animal life
Flower visitors
The Ligusterblüten which deposit their nectar at the base of the corolla tube and the wall of the ovary, are visited by honey bees, wild bees and some species of flies. As pollen source use honey bees as well as sand bees and furrows bee species the flowers. The pollen will all day offered by the flower, with the fastest time 6-8 clock.
The flowers are visited by various butterfly species, including all four Pieridae, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Fritillary, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Perlgrasfalter, plum Hairstreak and several Widderchenarten.
The privet as a habitat for butterfly caterpillars.
The privet is a home to a number of species such tensioners night night dovetail, lilac tensioner, cross wing and spotted tree tensioners and a dozen small butterfly species. Occasionally, the shrub is also inhabited by the caterpillar of the skull enthusiast who lives in the nightshade family most.
The name derives from the privet was for the 9-12 cm Ligusterschwärmer ( Sphinx ligustri ), the colonized as a caterpillar often, but not exclusively privet hedges.
Privet berries as food for animals
A total of 20 bird species were observed during the digestion of privet berries, such as blackbird, thrush and bullfinch. The black berries are often eaten only in late winter and then excreted and disseminated by it. The germination of seeds is promoted by frost.
Also, eat a variety of rodents, fruit.
Pictures
Inflorescence closed.
Inflorescence open.
Swell
- Description in the Flora of New South Wales. (English )
- The top German Färbebüchlein, Handwriting, end 15tes century, Gm.317, Bavarian State Library in Munich. Färberezepte
- Stinglwagner, Haseder, Erlbeck: The Cosmos forest and forest lexicon, Kosmos Verlag, ISBN 978-3-440-10375-3
- Ligustrum vulgare'Atrovirens
- Earlier scientific description (fr)