Reseda (plant)
Gelber Wau ( Reseda lutea)
Reseda, also called mignonette or Wau, is a genus in the family of Resedagewächse ( Resedaceae ). The mignonette are the only occurring in Central Europe genus of the family.
Description
The mignonette are one to perennial herbaceous plants. The leaves are simple or pinnately divided. At the bottom they usually have two teeth.
The flowers are in the axils of bracts. You are zygomorphic, have four to eight sepals, as many yellow, whitish or greenish petals, 10-25 stamens and a stamp. This consists of a einfächrigen, superior ovaries from three to four carpels. A stylus is missing. There are three to six scars.
The capsule fruit is already as unbefruchterer ovary open up and remains open to maturity.
Etymology
The scientific name derives Reseda ',' alleviate ' the Latin resedare =, silent from. Various species have been used as a remedy for illness or incantations. In German Mignonette is used since the 18th century. The German name Wau is derived from Wouw or Wouwe, the Dutch name for the dyer 's rocket. The first evidence for this German names come from 1632 and 1647, since 1738 the name Wau is also used in technical works.
Species
In the genus there are 55 species of which 20 occur in Europe. They are found in Central Europe:
- White Wau ( Reseda alba L.): an ornamental plant, rare wild
- Gelber Wau ( Reseda lutea L.)
- Dyer 's rocket ( Reseda luteola L.): Alteingebürgertes cultural relic with native Mediterranean.
- Fragrant mignonette ( Reseda odorata L.), also known as the Garden Reseda. Rarely cultivated and verwildernd. Home Cyrenaica.
- Small Mignonette, devil's claw - Mignonette, Rapunzel - Wau ( Reseda phyteuma L.): including home in the Pannonian region in Austria.
In Europe, moreover, occur (selection):
- Reseda glauca L., in Spain and France
- Reseda inodora Rchb. , In South-East Europe
- Reseda media Lag, in Southwest Europe, in North Africa
- Reseda suffruticosa Loefl. , Spain
Trivia
In his song " Talking " wrote the satirist Georg Kreisler the mignonette in the form of a one-syllable rhyme.