Scrophularia nodosa
Knotted figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa )
The Figwort or node figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa ) is the most common in Central Europe representative of the plant genus of brown Wurzen ( Scrophularia ).
Features
It is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the stature heights between 50 and 100 centimeters. The name Figwort refers firstly to the nodular swellings on the surface of the rhizome, on the other, the brown flowers of the plant.
The plant has an erect stem, the most branches only in the inflorescence. He is sharp square, at the height of the inflorescence with pronounced edges, but is not winged.
The leaves are undivided or at most at the base with one or two small side lobes. Your margin double serrate.
The flowers are in terminal rispenähnlichen thyrsi. The crown is brown-red front, at the bottom rather greenish. The sepals are rounded at the front and often bordered narrow membranous. Otherwise, the flower structure corresponds exactly to the scheme described in the article about the Brown Wurzen.
Ecology
The Figwort is a Hemikryptophyt and a stem plant.
The flowers are vorweibliche "Revenge flowers". First, the scar appears on the crown entrance, you can see at the same place the four successively maturing anthers. The female and the male phase, take every 2 days. Pollinators are bees and wasps, especially moths wasps; So it is a wasp flower. Pollination is the belly side. Finally, self-pollination is possible. In North America, the home of the species, hummingbirds were observed as pollinators. The flowering period is from June to July.
The fruit capsule is formed from two carpels; it opens wandspaltig during drought. The small seeds are up to 1 mm long and 0.08 mg heavy. They spread as granules flyer. Since the fruit stalk is elastic and woody, a seed dispersal than wind and animal spreader and editing dissemination. The seeds are cold to germinate. Fruit ripening is from August to October.
Vegetative propagation after flowering is done by underground runners.
Dissemination
The Figwort arrives in Europe and western Asia before to the Caucasus and western Siberia. To eastern North America it was introduced.
It grows in moderately rich, moist places in forests, forest edges, in thickets or on river banks.
Others
The plant has been used in folk medicine against a variety of ailments, such as swollen lymph glands against, against skin disorders and wound healing in diseases of the throat or as a diuretic.
Scrophularia nodosa finds application as an active ingredient in homeopathic medicines. The effect ascribed particularly against swelling, eczema and ulcers is scientifically not confirmed.
Pictures
- Flower detail ( front view)
- Flower detail ( side view)
- Detail of the stem
- Habit