Saururaceae

Houttuynia cordata, leaves and inflorescence, with four white bracts and many hüllblattlosen flowers

The lizard's tail plants ( Saururaceae ), also called pig tail family, are a family in the order of the pepper -like ( Piperales ) within the angiosperms ( Magnoliopsida ). The family is native to the northern temperate latitudes ( Holarctic ).

• 4.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

It is a biennial to perennial, herbaceous plants. They form rhizomes or stolons as outlasting. There are Siebröhrenplastide S type available. The stems are divided.

The simple change-constant and spirally or two lines on the stem distributed leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade, very fleshy and aromatic. The simple leaf blades are usually oblong or ovate and heart-shaped or rounded at the base. You do not Parallelnervatur. The stomata are cyclocytisch. There are Stipules present, which are usually fused with the petioles.

Generative features

In terminal, racemose inflorescences aged men or the flowers are borne. The attraction of pollinators often serve bracts ( bracts ).

The small flowers are hermaphroditic and radial symmetry. Bracts absent. It is a circle with three or two circles, each with three or four fertile stamens present. and three to five, mostly above constant, carpels present. Androecium and gynoecium are fused along its entire length or only at the base or not. The two-celled pollen grains have no or an aperture and are sulkat. The usually three, four, or rarely five most upper constant or only when Anemopsis under constant carpels are free or partly covered up completely to unilocular ovary. The usually three to four or rarely five pens each end in a scar. In parietal placentation are usually to 20 to 40 ( to 50) orthotropic to hemianatrope, bitegmische tenuinucellate or crassinucellate ovules available.

Are formed more or less fleshy follicles or capsule fruits. The plants of the genus Saururus form multiple fruits. The seeds contain endosperm sparse and abundant starch grains containing Perisperm. The embryo is rudimentary and tiny at seed maturity.

Ingredients

On ingredients cyanidin and the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin are found in all species. They contain essential oils and accumulate calcium oxalate crystals in.

Systematics and distribution

The distribution is Holarctic from temperate to tropical regions in eastern Asia, in the southern United States and Mexico.

To the family of lizards tail family ( Saururaceae ) include only four genera with a total of only about six or seven types:

• Anemopsis Hook. & Arn. Contains only one type: Californian lizard's tail (. . Anemopsis californica ( Nutt. ) Hook & Arn ): The home ranges from western North America to northern Mexico; At the prefers wet, alkaline, salty locations or coastal marshes 0-2000 m above sea level

• Gymnotheca involucrata SJPei: It grows along roadsides and in moist places in forests at altitudes between 700 and 1000 meters in the southern Sichuan.
• Gymnotheca chinensis Decne. It occurs in northern Vietnam and China. In the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan, thrives in rivers and in valleys at altitudes of (100 to ) usually 600 to 2000 meters.

• Houttuynia cordata Thun. Chameleon plant The trivial name refers to the different colored leaves of a single cultivar among many, but which is often used as a single in Europe. It is native to Japan, Taiwan, China, Java, and in the Himalayas and there as an important herb in numerous varieties in cultivation.

• American pig tail ( Saururus cernuus L.): This marsh plant from North America, is used as an aquarium plant. The leaves have a sweet fragrance. Naturalises comes the kind also found in northern Italy.
• Asian pig tail ( Saururus chinensis ( Lour. ) Baill. ): The home is Asia (India, Korea, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan ( including the Ryukyu Islands) and the Philippines ).

Use

From Houttuynia cordata the fruit, leaves and underground parts of plants may be eaten and the medical effects were investigated. The drug of Houttuynia cordata ( Japanese: " Segiun " = "New Energy in the river " ) from its leaves relieves swelling.

Saururus cernuus is used as an aquarium plant.

Swell

• The Saururaceae in APWebsite family. (Section Description and systematics)
• The Saururaceae at DELTA by L. Watson & MJ Dallwitz family.
• George F. Buddell II & John W. Thieret: Saururaceae in the Flora of North America, Volume 3: Online. (Section Description and systematics)
• Nianhe Xia & Anthony R. Brach: Saururaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 4, 1999, p 108: Online. (Section Description and systematics)
• Eckhart J. Hunter, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller: Excursion Flora of Germany. Volume 5 Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants. Oxford University Press. Berlin, Heidelberg, 2008. ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8