Scrophularia

Knotted figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa ), illustration

The Brown Wurzen ( Scrophularia ) are a genus of flowering plants in the family of the figwort family ( Scrophulariaceae ).

Features

It shares the genus Scrophularia roughly into two groups. One group contains biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, whose stems are at most sparsely branched at the base and not become woody. The outgoing from the midrib of the leaf lateral veins are connected by lateral veins of the second order, so that a net-like venation arises. The always polyploid members of this group are found primarily in the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere.

In the other, mainly native to the Himalayan group, however, the lateral veins of the leaves are unbranched. The stems of the plant species of this group become woody at the base and are often heavily branched. These types are always diploid. Some are half- shrubs.

The stem is quadrangular, winged also in many species. The leaves are opposite, with some species in the uppermost part of the plants alternate. In general, the blades are approximately triangular, and cut or notched.

The paniculate, racemose, zymösen or knäueligen inflorescences are usually at the end of the stems, but can also be in the leaf axils. The rather inconspicuous flowers are zygomorphic and ( or four ) fünfzählig. The five sepals are fused only at their base. The five brownish to dirty red petals are fused Roehrig. The short and broad at the base and greenish corolla tube ends significantly zweilippig. The lower lip is divided into three short lobes, two of which stand upright on the side, while the middle lobe is straight forward. The long upper lip is divided into two rounded lobes. There are four stamens present. The staminodes are scale-like rare or absent. The scars are capitate to bilobed.

The capsule fruits contain many seeds.

Dissemination

The figwort species are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in temperate latitudes to southern Asia. Diversity center ( center of biodiversity ) is the Himalayas. In Europe and North America is found only a small part of the species.

While the diploid taxa prefer dry locations, can be found growing outside of the Himalayas polyploid species often in open woods, in bushes or in more or less humid forb communities.

System

The figwort was formerly used as a remedy for the Scrophula, a form of tuberculosis. Therefore, the genus has its scientific name Scrophularia.

Depending on the view, the genus Brown Wurzen ( Scrophularia ) contains between 120 and more than 300 species. In central Europe, we find the following types:

  • Water figwort ( Scrophularia auriculata L.)
  • Dog- figwort ( Scrophularia canina L.)
  • Hoppes figwort or alpine dog - figwort, Alpine figwort ( Scrophularia juratensis Schleicher )
  • Figwort or Common figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa L.), the most common in Central Europe Art
  • Himalayan figwort or Scopoli - figwort ( Scrophularia scopolii Hoppe)
  • Winged figwort ( Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. ): Ordinary Wing figwort ( Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. Subsp. Umbrosa )
  • Notched Wing figwort ( Scrophularia umbrosa subsp. Neesii ( Wirtgen ) E. Mayer)

Other European species ( selection):

  • Shrubby figwort ( Scrophularia frutescens L.)
  • Scrophularia heterophylla Willd.
  • Scrophularia lucida L.
  • Strangers figwort ( Scrophularia peregrina L.)
  • Scrophularia ramosissima Loisel.
  • Three-leaved figwort ( Scrophularia trifoliata L.)

Swell

  • Deyuan Hong, Hanbi Yang, Cun -li Jin, Manfred A. Fischer, Noel H. Holmgren, Robert R. Mill: Scrophularia. In: Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven (eds.): Flora of China. Volume 18: Scrophulariaceae through Gesneriaceae, Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 1998, ISBN 0-915279 -55- X, page 11, PDF file online. (English )
  • W. R. Barker: Scrophularia. In: Gwen J. Harden (ed.): Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3, New South Wales University Press, Kensington 1992, ISBN 0-86840-172-2, pp. 573, limited preview on Google Book Search, online ( with minor changes ) (English ).
  • Ian Bertram Kay Richardson: Scrophularia L. In: TG Tutin, VH Heywood, NA Burges, DM Moore, DH Valentine, SM Walters, DA Webb ( eds.): Flora Europaea. Volume 3: Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1972, ISBN 0 - 521-08489 -X, pp. 216-220 ( limited preview on Google Book Search ).
  • Karol Marhold: Scrophulariaceae: Scrophularia. In: Euro Med Plant Base - the information resource for Euro - Mediterranean plant diversity. Berlin 2011.
Asterids
143772
de