Solidago gigantea
Giant Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea )
The giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea ), also Late Goldenrod, Tall Goldenrod and Proud Heinrich called, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae (Asteraceae). The species names are confusing inasmuch as the type described here both earlier flowering, and generally remains lower than the Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis).
Description
The Giant goldenrod is a perennial herbaceous plant (up to 250 ) achieved the stature heights of 50 to 200 centimeters. It forms rhizomes, (rarely to 250 cm) reach lengths of 50 to 150 cm. Its stalk is leafy dense, branched only in the region of the inflorescence, glabrous, red, often bluish pruinose and pilose something more than the upper part. The leaves are sessile, narrowly lanceolate, usually serrate, rarely entire.
The pyramid-shaped, Rispige total inflorescence contains numerous short -stalked, upward, basket- shaped part inflorescences. The a diameter of 2 to 8 mm -looking flower heads contain tubes and ray florets. The basket bottom is bare. The florets are slightly longer than the 3 to 4 mm long sleeve. The flowering period extends from late July to October.
Ecology
The Giant goldenrod is a root - Kriechpionier and therefore can form dense populations that can comprise over 300 shoots / m by clonal growth of its rhizomes. Through the good viable Rhizomfragmente this type can spread vegetatively, such as running water or garden waste.
The flowers are pollinated by bees and bumblebees. Are produced ( about 15,000 per inflorescence ) very numerous flight fruits that are spread from late autumn to spring with the wind.
Despite their widespread use in Germany, which often occurs in dense stands, judge goldenrod in protected biotopes relatively little damage to the plant and animal world, since most ruderal sites are populated. A nationwide suppression of the Goldenrod stocks anyway neither realistic nor justified by their harmful effects. Moreover, one should bear in mind that their flowers numerous wild bees, butterflies and hoverflies provide food in an otherwise poor flowers late summer. ( Recent research has shown, however, that goldenrod occurrences of a much poorer pollinator species can provide habitat than the air displaced by it of vegetation. )
However, it must be mentioned that especially in high valleys and other biotopes - the Goldenrod spreads increased, since it can be adjusted quite well to changing biotic factors as assimilationist - which are not up to the current changing climatic conditions so spontaneously. So it is only a matter of time until it displaces native species.
Occurrence
The Giant goldenrod is native to the United States and southern Canada. It has been introduced as an ornamental plant for bees and to Europe about 100 years ago, now wild and naturalized, so a neophyte.
You can find them here with us today, especially in verlichteten alluvial forests, on shores and dumps. She loves moist, nitrogen-containing clay. After Ellenberg it is a light plant and a Klassencharakterart perennial nitrogen - herb communities ( Artemisietea vulgaris).
Ingredients and use
The dried, whole or crushed, flowering, aerial parts of the plant are used as a tea-drug. Important ingredients are flavonoids and triterpene saponins. You diuretic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory. Accordingly, preparations are applied from the plant for irrigation therapy for inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract in urinary calculi and kidney gravel.
Swell
- Info at pharmakobotanik.de
- Description of the neophyte in FloraWeb
- John C. Semple, Rachel E. Cook: in Flora of North America, Vol 20: Online (English )