Lythrum salicaria
Usually purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria )
The Ordinary purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria ) is a plant from the family of Lythraceae ( Lythraceae ). It is valued as a food plant of the caterpillars of the family of Peacock eyes and nectar dispensers, among other things Tagschmetterlingen, and it grows in moist locations.
Description
The purple loosestrife is a perennial, herbaceous plant, which reaches stature heights of up to 2 meters and a width of 1.5 meters. It is a Hemikryptophyt, with up to 50 upright, some way branching, hairy, four or more -edged stems can grow from the rhizome. The leaves are narrow - lanceolate to oval. The result leaves have a rounded to heart- shaped leaf base; at hand, enter the nerves out clearly. They grow sitting ( sessile ) in threefold whorls or opposite, alternate above. Submerged sprouts develop a ventilation tissue ( aerenchyma ), which supplies the rhizome with oxygen.
Each spiked or racemose inflorescence may consist of one hundred and more flowers. From June to September this purple pseudo-spikes are seen. The flower has six or five more than 1 cm long petals that are freely and grow out -tube, double- toothed axle cups. When flower structure is trimorphic Heterostylie ago: There are three different types of flowers (on different plants):
- Flowers with long pistils and medium long and short stamens
- Flowers with medium length pencils and long and short stamens
- Flowers with short pistils and long and medium-length stamens
The pollen is green at the long-stalked stamens and large, yellow on the other and smaller. Cross-pollination is ensured by the scars of the long pen the longest, have the shortest of the short Narbenpapillen. Charles Darwin showed that out of 18 possible combinations only 6 bring a full seed production ( "legitimate pollination "). The legitimate pollination is seven times more successful than the " illegitimate ". A "legitimate " Pollination occurs when the pollen delivered anthers of one flower on the same level as the scars of another flower.
A single plant can produce up to three million seeds that are carried along by wind and water. The fruits consist of a bivalve capsule that springs open when ripe. The seeds are equipped with mucus hair and Easily adhere firmly to water birds, which they spread in this way. They germinate in almost all sufficiently moist soil next spring.
Occurrence
Usually loosestrife often grows and spreads in reed beds and marshes, on the shores of lakes and ponds, rivers, streams and canals and ditches. He prefers the deeper layers and is somewhat warmth, but also comes ahead in middle mountain areas. The locations are particularly wet or alternating wet, sometimes flooded, nutrient-rich, humus marsh soil, such as gley.
The Ordinary loosestrife is eurasia table - sub-oceanic common, especially in Europe, Asia and Australia. In North America, it is an established neophyte ( see below).
Ecology
Flower visitors are mainly hoverflies, but also bees and butterflies. Purple loosestrife is a nectar dispenser of special value. It is also an important food plant for the caterpillars of the genus Peacock Eye ( Saturnia ).
Ingredients and use
Loosestrife contains the glycoside Salicarin, pectins, resins, essential oil, abundant tannins and flavone vitexin.
In times of need you ate the young shoots, leaves and the inside white base axis as a vegetable. Due to its high tannin content between 9% ( root ) and 14 % ( flowers) is tanned in the 16th century and leather with purple loosestrife juice. In addition, so wood and ropes were impregnated to prevent rapid decay in the water.
The purple loosestrife has been used since ancient times as a medicinal plant. According to Pliny the loosestrife was used against eczema. Dioscorides recommended it to spitting of blood and dysentery. As a remedy flowers and the rootstock of blood loosestrife be used. Folk medicine uses it in case of diarrhea, blood flow and dysentery. For this purpose, 1 to 3 grams of root with two liters of water to be boiled.
Was used loosestrife, for example, during the cholera epidemic in the 19th century. The plant has strong astringent, bactericidal, haemostatic and diuretic properties due to the tannins. That the loosestrife was used as a hemostatic agent, gave him perhaps his name (or the color of its flowers). The red dye is colored sugar earlier.
In a study of the diet of the Mediterranean country 's population, it was found that the plant is an anti-diabetic ( type 2 ) has protective effect.
Use as an ornamental plant
The Ordinary loosestrife is scattered used as an ornamental plant for Gewässersäume. He is in culture at least since 1596. There are numerous varieties.
Loosestrife as a neophyte in North America
In North America the Common loosestrife stands since its introduction by humans in the 19th century in the reputation for being an annoying " weeds ". Once introduced as a medicinal and attractive garden plant, the type spread rapidly. In areas in which to expand loosestrife stocks, they can affect the flow rate of rivers and canals. But there is no evidence that the loosestrife displaces native species. 29 North American species use the ordinary purple loosestrife and there are many reports that loosestrife is auskonkurriert by native North American species. A study of 41 locations in Ontario has shown that there was no significant difference in species richness of vascular plants, whether loosestrife was present or not. Not even with increasing stand density of purple loosestrife.
Nevertheless, the Ordinary loosestrife is fought in North America. As a successful measure the exposure of insect pests has been found who specializes in loosestrife (including the weevil Hylobius transversovittatus and the leaf beetles Galerucella pusilla and G. calmariensis ).