Lysimachia nummularia

Creeping Jenny ( Lysimachia nummularia )

The Creeping Jenny ( Lysimachia nummularia ), also called Münzkraut or penny - loosestrife, is a species of the genus loosestrife ( Lysimachia ) in the subfamily Myrsinengewächse ( Myrsinoideae ) within the family of Primrose ( Primulaceae ).

Name

The generic name Lysimachia refers to the ancient generals, Lysimachus, Alexander the Great began as one of the Diadochi. Lysimachus to the legend, discovered first this plant genus.

The species name nummularia (Latin nummus = coin) and the German name refers to the similarity of the leaves with small coins ( pennies ) to.

Distribution and occurrence

The moneywort is occurring in temperate areas of Europe and Asia Art It is now offered as an ornamental plant and thus has found worldwide distribution. At some locations, it is also wild and is therefore considered in some regions outside of Eurasia as a neophyte.

The moneywort thrives mainly on moist, nutrient- rich soils. In the garden there is often planted on the banks of ponds, as it is an excellent ground cover plant.

Description

When moneywort is an evergreen, creeping, perennial herbaceous plant that grows like grass on suitable soils. It reaches a height of only five centimeters. The glandular- dotted, against constantly arranged on the stems leaves consist of a short petiole and a rounded or elliptical leaf blade with a blunt tip. The length of the sheets varies between 1.5 and 2.5 cm, the width is from 1.5 to 2 centimeters.

The stalked to 30 millimeters long, bright yellow colored five petals arise separately from the leaf axils. They have a double perianth. The hairless, at the base heart-shaped sepals are about 3 to 5 millimeters long. The corolla lobes develop a length to about 15 millimeters. Although the flowers are pollinated by insects, the flowers are often sterile and show little fruit set from. The seeds of the rare resulting capsule fruits are spread out over water and people. The plant spreads mainly from vegetatively. It enters into up to 50 centimeters long above ground creeping runners that take root at the nodes and separated from the mother plant. This so-called Blastochorie as vast spread form is rare in the plant kingdom. The blastochore propagation of most plants - used as a complementary spread strategy - for example, wild strawberries.

Use

It is used as an ornamental plant. In addition to the green, there is a yellow, visually appealing form, the Gelbblättrige moneywort ( Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea ').

Use in herbal medicine

In folk medicine the moneywort was formerly used as a cough suppressant. Therefore, it was planted in medieval cottage gardens. The occurrence may therefore occasionally even have a pointer function for an earlier human habitation.

In Central Europe the moneywort no longer plays a role in herbal medicine. In Eastern Europe, it is sometimes still used for diarrhea, rheumatism, bleeding and consumption.

Use in the aquarium

Moneywort can also be grown in not too warm aquariums. Up to 25 degrees, the stem plant is permanently suitable for the submerged culture. The growth is then vertically with little branched stems. At the water values ​​Lysimachia nummularia is no specific claims. Due to their rapid proliferation, also (as marsh plant ) over water, it is ideally suited to extract nutrients from the water.