Herbaceous plants. Types of herbaceous plants What applies to herbaceous plants list
Herbaceous plants are the most common, as they are found in all natural areas, anywhere in the world. There are far more of them than trees and shrubs combined. Herbaceous plants can be very different from each other in appearance, but they all share the same structure.
Characteristic features of herbaceous plants
Herbaceous plants are the life form of higher plants, the main feature of which is a soft aerial stem. That is, if a plant does not have a strong woody stem, it can be safely classified as a herb.
Herbaceous forms of plants consist of the following parts:
- root system most often consists of a large number of small, thin roots, among which there is no large, main root. This type is called fibrous root system. The roots absorb moisture from the ground, accumulate active substances in themselves.
- Stem soft, meaty, juicy. With its help, water and nutrients are delivered from the roots to the leaves, flowers, and fruits.
- Leaves . The sizes, colors and shapes of the leaves can be very diverse. It is in them that most of the active substances, minerals, essential oils that determine their medicinal properties.
Rice. 1. Leaves of herbaceous plants.
- flowers . An important component of plants from which the fruit is formed.
- Fruit herbaceous plants are a real storehouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They contain seeds, thanks to which further reproduction of plants occurs.
In nature, in addition to soft types of stems, there are also various lignified forms. Examples of herbaceous shrub plants are garden peonies, pinnate carnation, marsh wild rosemary.
Classification of herbaceous plants
Depending on the lifespan and all herbaceous plants divided into 3 main groups:
- Annuals . The ground part of the plant dies off completely with the onset of cold weather. At the same time, annual grasses have time to completely go through all stages of development.
- Biennial . Full life cycle of such plants is from 12 to 24 months. In the first year of life, they form roots, stems and leaves, after which they fall into a dormant state in winter. In the spring, the plants “come to life” again to bloom and bear fruit.
- perennial . The peculiarity of these plants is that with the advent of winter they shed their leaves, leaving only underground organs viable: bulbs, rhizomes, tubers. These organs have the so-called renewal buds - spare buds, from which a new full-fledged plant is formed in the spring.
Rice. 2. Asters and chrysanthemums are autumn herbaceous plants.
Also, all herbaceous plants are divided into wild (live in forests, meadows, fields) and cultivated (man grows on garden plots, agricultural fields).
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Among the herbs there are real giants. So, in the southern part of Siberia, Delphinium or Larkspur grows high - a perennial poisonous herbaceous plant that can grow up to 4 meters.
Meaning and use of herbs
Man has long used herbs to his advantage:
- Herbaceous plants are cultivated throughout the world for food purposes, as well as as a forage base for domestic animals.
- Herbs have been actively used for medicinal purposes for many years. AT traditional medicine such plants as chamomile, celandine, calendula, oak bark, sage and many others have found wide application.
- Of particular value are spices which are used in cooking as a condiment. These are cumin, parsley, dill, basil, garlic.
Rice. 3. Parsley.
What have we learned?
When studying the topic “Herbaceous Plants” in the program of the world around us for grade 1, we learned what the main difference between herbaceous plants is. We found out on what grounds they are classified, what is their application.
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The name "grass" combines many plants. As a matter of fact, this family is one of the largest in the vegetable kingdom, and about ten thousand of its members are scattered around the world. When you look at very simple grass leaves, you might think it's something very primitive, and you'd be wrong. Herbs are the product of a long evolution. So sometimes their flowers are not even considered flowers. The fact is that grasses grow in open spaces, where the wind almost always walks, and therefore they do not need other pollinators. If they do not have to lure insects, bats or anyone else, then there is no need for bright large flowers. On the contrary, the flowers of the herbs are small, inconspicuous, with tiny scales instead of petals, and they grow in inflorescences on tall stems that expose them to the wind.
Herbs need only one thing - an abundance of light. They are not able to grow in deep forest shade. But they easily endure many hardships that would cripple or destroy plants of other families. They withstand not only the frequent lack of rain, but also the scorching sun. They survive fires: if the fire devours their leaves, the root system near the soil surface is rarely damaged. They even withstand constant plucking by grazing animals or mowing with a lawn mower.
Such remarkable endurance is explained by the peculiarities of the growth of grasses. The leaves of most other plants develop from buds on the stem, along with a complex network of vessels that carry the sap, and quickly reach their final size and shape. If they are damaged, they will plug the destroyed vessels to prevent the leakage of juice, but there is nothing more they can do to help themselves. The leaf of grass is arranged differently. His vessels do not form a network, but stretch straight along its entire length. The growing point is located at the base of the leaf and remains active until the end of the plant's life. If the top of the leaf is damaged or torn off, it grows from the base until it regains its length. In addition, grass spreads not only through seeds, but also by throwing horizontal stems along the ground, each articulation of which is capable of producing leaves and roots.
The fibrous roots of herbaceous plants grow so much that they form a tangled layer several centimeters thick in the soil - the so-called sod. It holds the soil in place even during a drought, does not allow the wind to carry it away, and as soon as the rains pass, new leaves will appear in a day or two.
These hardy, well-adapted plants appeared relatively recently. In the era of dinosaurs, they did not yet exist, and therefore herbivorous lizards had to be content with horsetails, cycads and conifers. When the new trees in the forests began to bloom differently than the conifers, and the lakes were covered with water lily stars, the dry flat plains beyond the forest edges were still bare land. And only some twenty-five million years ago, when the era of reptiles ended and the rapid expansion of mammals began, grasses finally began to master the plains.
Nowadays, herbaceous plants cover a quarter of the entire land. The grassy plains have many names: pampa - in the south South America, llanos - in the Orinoco basin in the north, prairies - in North America, steppes - in Asia and north of the Black Sea, veld - in southern Africa and savannah - in the eastern part of this continent. These are all very fertile areas. Individual herbaceous plants can live for several years, after which they are replaced by new sprouts, but dead leaves turn into humus, which loosens and enriches the soil, and opens air into it. Among the herbs, partly sheltered by them, small flowering plants thrive - vetch and other legumes, which accumulate nitrogen in their root nodules, daisies and dandelions, collecting small flowers in beautiful inflorescences, and all sorts of other species belonging to other families, accumulating nutrients in bulbs and rhizomes. An ever-growing grass that endures droughts and floods, grazing herds and fires, is juicy in wet areas, dry and tough in arid areas, but is nevertheless edible and provides easily available food for a wide variety of animals. As a matter of fact, a hectare of a grassy plain is able to feed noticeably more units of live weight than any other locality.
There is no steppe without wild animals grazing, it simply degrades - either overgrown with shrubs, or accumulating a huge layer of “felt” of dry grass that no one eats. It will eventually burn like a powder keg. Therefore, all other reserves, which have in their composition areas of grassy steppes, are forced to fight this “felt” - or mow it down, or even set it on fire in order to free the land. The ideal steppe is best maintained under conditions of moderate ungulate grazing.
Growing herbaceous plants from seed is as widespread as growing potted or even alpine plants. Although most varieties of herbaceous plants are selective and require vegetative propagation, many of them, such as delphiniums and lupins, can be successfully grown from seed.
Seeds of many cold-resistant plants, especially those ripening in late summer or autumn, must be kept in the cold before germination in order to bring them out of dormancy.
If the plants flower in the spring and the seeds are formed in the summer, then the latter, as a rule, do not have a dormant period; they are harvested and sown slightly green. Seeds germinate very quickly, and seedlings appear before the onset of winter.
In some herbaceous plants, especially members of the legume family, such as lupine, the seeds have a very dense skin. This prevents early germination: it takes time for the skin in the soil to break down and the seeds to begin to absorb water. To speed up the germination of these seeds, their skin is cut with a safety razor blade and thus facilitate the flow of water into them; in addition, the seeds can be rubbed with coarse sandpaper or other abrasive materials.
The rest period in some herbaceous plants, such as lilies and peonies, proceeds in a rather peculiar way, delaying the emergence of seedlings. If sowing is carried out in the winter-spring period, with an increase in temperature, the seeds begin to germinate, but at the same time one root system is formed. For the development of stems, the plant needs to survive another period of winter cold. As a result, seedlings appear only in the spring of the second year.
Ornamental herbaceous plants are easy to grow and care for. Most ornamental grasses are unpretentious and grow well on ordinary soil, fertilizers have to be applied extremely rarely. They are rarely susceptible to insect pests and diseases.
Herbaceous plants in the forests of our country are much more common than shrubs and trees combined. The length of their stem, as a rule, is small, although there are quite tall ones - banana, reed, corn, etc.
The feature that characterizes herbaceous plants is the soft or succulent aerial stem. There is an opinion that these types of grass are the result of the evolution of woody representatives of the flora. Scientists came to this conclusion by comparing their anatomical structure with the anatomical structure of one-year-old branches of related tree species.
Herbaceous plants are divided into several types according to their life span: annuals, biennials and perennials.
Annuals include those whose entire life span is one growing season, i.e. one season that is favorable for their growth. As a rule, the seeds of such plants germinate in the spring, then they reach their normal size, bloom, bear fruit, and then die off completely. These are millet, cucumber, tomato, corn, flowering aster, petunia, wild quinoa, cornflower, wood lice, etc.
Biennial herbaceous plants have two growing seasons: during the first, their vegetative organs are formed, after which the leaves die off, and the roots remain, and in the second year, shoots grow from the buds, the plant bears fruit, and then dies. These are beets, cabbages, and carrots known to us, which cannot stand the cold on their own, so gardeners usually dig them up and store them in basements or cellars in order to plant pre-selected seeds in the spring. Wild biennials are burdock, thistle, cumin, chicory.
However, the vast majority of species known to us are perennial herbaceous plants, many of which do not reach the flowering period either in the first or even in the second year of their life, but five to ten years after seed germination. The period of flowering and fruiting they repeat up to twenty years. Every year, new ground shoots are formed from the buds, which die off by the end of the growing season, however, not entirely: only the upper part dies, while what is at or below the soil level remains. Sometimes the shoots spread along the ground, pressed against it with plant debris covered with it.
Almost all herbaceous plants of the forest are perennial, many of which hold their place for a long time, while, thanks to their long roots and ground shoots, they spread in different sides, capturing new habitats.
This variety is poorly propagated by seeds, since in the forest the soil is almost always covered with a thick layer of fallen needles or leaves, which makes germination difficult, and such litter is not an obstacle to the vegetative propagation method.
Many types of winter-green grasses grow in the forest, which are safely hidden under a thick layer of snow. They are shade tolerant and tolerate the absence of light well.
However, the forest is not the only habitat for perennial herbaceous plants. Many of them grow well in meadows, glades, in general, in any open place. Here, as a rule, they grow much more magnificently, and they bloom and bear fruit much more abundantly.
Herbaceous forest plants are always very sensitive to soil conditions: the presence of nutrients and moisture, so they can be called a kind of indicator of the state of forest land. That is why many of them are closely related in their distribution to the type of forest: some grow among deciduous trees, others among coniferous trees.
However, it is worth noting the fact that among herbaceous plants there are also those that have a very wide distribution area, independent of the type of soil. These are the so-called indifferent plants.
In the vast expanses of our Motherland - in the tundra and steppes, in the mountains and on the plains, in swamps and fields - over twenty thousand wild and ornamental plants grow. These include two thousand different trees and shrubs, and the remaining eighteen thousand are herbaceous plants. What are they? First of all, it is a life form, consisting of a root system and shoots (stems and leaves), and capable of enduring the cold season for one or several years in a row.
early flowers
Under the influence of the spring sun, the color of the svidina bark becomes red, the aspen bark acquires a greenish tint. In trees and shrubs, active swelling of the buds begins, and in coniferous plants, green pigments are renewed.
At this time, early representatives of perennial herbaceous plants begin to modestly peek out from under the snow cover. Their name speaks for itself, associating with the first thaw: snowdrops. These wonderful flowers are listed in the Red Book. In urban areas, they can be found infrequently due to compacted soil and lack of bedding. Unfortunately, these representatives of perennial herbaceous plants are an attractive object for collecting for the purpose of further sale, and therefore are endangered.
On wastelands, slopes, near construction sites, you can also find early "wild" flowering herbaceous plants. These include white anemone (oak), liverwort, yellow anemone (buttercup), goose onions, corydalis.
A little later, yellow coltsfoot inflorescences appear. This is a perennial pioneer plant, the first to populate new territories. In early spring, only flower-bearing shoots grow at the coltsfoot, but towards the middle of summer, large beautiful leaves with a smooth surface appear.
Simultaneously with the coltsfoot, such a perennial herbaceous plant as butterbur blooms. At the very beginning of spring, its shy inflorescences with dark red petals appear on the surface of the soil, and it also prefers to unfold wide leaves in the middle of summer.
What do herbaceous plants look like?
The most common sign of this life form is the fact that they do not have a perennial ground part that is able to survive an unfavorable season or season. However, this criterion applies only to those plants that live in a variable seasonal climate: "summer-winter". A perennial herbaceous plant that grows in the territories of the southern tropics or deserts, gets a very impressive size. Such growth is achieved precisely due to the presence of a perennial aerial part.
In this regard, in order to distinguish between herbaceousness, biologists use another criterion - the fact that there is no lignification of the ground part, which must be juicy, fleshy, incapable of secondary thickening, and also highly diluted with soft tissues. But even these signs do not always work. The fact is that trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants are separated from each other by many intermediate forms. In addition, lignification to varying degrees is characteristic of many types of grasses.
The structure of a herbaceous plant includes a root system and a shoot. The shoot is formed by leaves, stem and flower part.
Let's look at the main types of herbaceous plants.
Variety of species
Perennial grasses have underground or creeping stems that exist for several years. Above-ground shoots have a much shorter lifespan: they tend to die off completely after a year. Renewal buds remain in their place, from which new shoots grow.
Herbaceous annual plants die off completely by the end of the growing season or at the end of flowering and fruiting. The following season, they reappear from seed. Annuals include the following types of herbaceous plants: white gauze, dill, wild radish, camelina sowing. Thus, during one season they have time to completely go through the whole life cycle.
The genus of perennial herbaceous plants also includes herbal biennials. Justifying its name this species lives for two years. During the first year, a shoot is formed, which has rosettes of basal leaves and a taproot. Only in the second year does a flowering shoot begin to develop. At the end of the flowering and fruiting phase, the entire plant dies.
The genus of biennial herbaceous plants differs from annuals in the remnants of last year's leaves on the base of the stem, and from perennials in the absence of a rhizome, tuber or bulb. In addition, two-year-olds do not have traces of last year's dead stems.
A perennial herbaceous plant also tends to die off at the end of the growing season. Despite this, a significant part of the plant remains alive underground during the breaks between seasons. With the beginning of the warm period, new roots and a young stem begin to develop from living tissue. Similarly, such forms of underground shoots as bulb, corm, rhizome and tuber develop and grow. All perennial herbaceous plants have this characteristic feature. Examples of this are parsnips, carrots, mint, peony, ferns. Perennial grasses are divided into four groups among themselves: super-early, early, medium, late. A sign of difference is precocity, or the length of the growing season.
Herbaceous plants differ from non-herbaceous plants in that they lack an aerial stem that remains alive throughout the dormant season. Trees, shrubs and vines in the new year grow shoots from the aerial part.
Of particular interest are fast-growing herbs. Their description is expressed in only one name: pioneer plants. This life form is the first to populate a new habitat, defining an anagene-free species.
Dimensions
There are places where very tall herbaceous plants grow. Examples of this are the Sikhote-Alin mountains, where the height of vegetation reaches from three to three and a half meters. In the Sayans of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the average size of grasses is two meters. Separately, it should be noted giant herbaceous plants, whose names are high larkspur and narrow-leaved fireweed. The size of their stems averages from three to four and a half meters. Umbrella, cereal, aster herbaceous plants are also characterized by a tendency to gigantism. Their names are on our hearing almost every day, and a banana is an example of this. Due to its impressive height (about fifteen meters), it is often called a tree, which is an erroneous estimate. The powerful stem of a banana is not a trunk, so it belongs to herbaceous plants.
If we do not take into account such a sign as the degree of lignification, the tallest vegetation is bamboo. Its stem is a long straw that grows up to thirty-five meters.
Benefits and Applications
Since ancient times, plants and herbs have been used by man to meet his own economic and domestic needs. Their cultivation has also been developed towards use as pet food. Spicy herbaceous plants used in Food Industry. Examples of this are rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano. As a rule, in cooking, herbs are used to improve the taste of food. Such seasonings include dill, parsley, mint, cumin, garlic.
Medicinal herbs have been widely used in medicine at all times. To this day, the lavender flower is used as a sure remedy for insomnia, colds, and helps hypertensive and hypotensive patients overcome pressure drops. Sage as a remedy for colds and infectious diseases upper respiratory tract is used for the manufacture of tinctures and solutions for rinsing. Mint, chamomile, wormwood, calendula, plantain and many other meadow herbs are mentioned in the writings of doctors who lived thousands of years ago.
Using herbs to decorate the territory
Herbaceous plants near the house, planted to improve the landscape, belong to the group of ornamental plants. There are many options for beautiful design of the territory. This is the creation of various flower beds, flower beds, borders, groups and arrays, modular flower beds, single plantings, parterres and bosquets, as well as the creation of thematic gardens, consisting of one-, two-, multi-color representatives of the flora.
Herbaceous plants near the house are used to create various compositions that bloom in a certain period: in spring, summer or autumn. Such flower beds are compiled based on the conditions of the object: illumination, soil composition, air temperature, and so on.
Herbaceous plants near the house, planted to improve the landscape, belong to the group of ornamental plants. There are many options for beautiful design of the territory. This is the creation of various flower beds, flower beds, borders, groups and arrays, modular flower beds, single plantings, parterres and bosquets, as well as the creation of thematic gardens, consisting of one-, two-, multi-color representatives of the flora.
Herbaceous plants near the house are used to create various compositions that bloom in a certain period: in spring, summer or autumn. Such flower beds are compiled based on the conditions of the object: illumination, soil composition, air temperature, and so on.
There are a variety of design techniques: carpet planting, a color spot on the lawn, a decorative wall, the design of a near-stem circle of trees, flower towers, as well as the design of balconies.
Herbaceous plants near the house, planted to improve the landscape, belong to the group of ornamental plants. There are many options for beautiful design of the territory. This is the creation of various flower beds, flower beds, borders, groups and arrays, modular flower beds, single plantings, parterres and bosquets, as well as the creation of thematic gardens, consisting of one-, two-, multi-color representatives of the flora.
Herbaceous plants near the house are used to create various compositions that bloom in a certain period: in spring, summer or autumn. Such flower beds are compiled based on the conditions of the object: illumination, soil composition, air temperature, and so on.
There are a variety of design techniques: carpet planting, a color spot on the lawn, a decorative wall, the design of a near-stem circle of trees, flower towers, as well as the design of balconies.
There is a conditional division of ornamental plants into flowering and decorative foliage. In the process of selecting an assortment, priority is given to flowering plants, in particular, the timing, duration and color of flowering. Some meadow grasses and large-flowered plants can be classified as beautifully flowering, and cereals, ferns, mosses can be attributed to ornamental foliage.
agricultural crops
Herbaceous plants used for utilitarian purposes are distinguished into a separate group. As a rule, a separate zone on the site is allocated for their planting and cultivation. With such an arrangement, it is more convenient to care for them, as well as to carry out general preventive treatment against diseases and pests using chemicals. This group of plants has an attractive appearance, so their planting is organized in such a way that they look decorative. To do this, equip walls, spirals, slides and other structures.
curly herbs
When planting miniature vines, the goals associated with the arrangement of small elegant structures are pursued. An example of this is the landscaping of decorative lattices, trellises, fences, decorative arcs, metal structures, containers, and so on.
Plants for ponds
In this group, green inhabitants are divided into deep-sea, floating, coastal, oxygen generators and swamps. Oxygenerators live under water all the time, only occasionally raising flowers to the surface. In the first case, the root system of the plant is located in the soil at the bottom of the reservoir, and the leaves with flowers are at the very top. In the second case, the entire green organism floats on the surface of the water. Coastal herbaceous plants are rooted in underwater soil, and stems with leaves grow in the air. For marsh representatives of the flora, it is important to constantly stay on the shore of a reservoir in moist soil. It must be remembered that each of the above groups of plants performs certain functions that can affect the state of the general environment of the reservoir. In this regard, when choosing an assortment, it is necessary to take into account these factors.
Landing technology
Annual herbaceous plants are planted in the ground in the spring with seedlings or seeds. With the planting of heat-loving species, it is better to wait and wait for the end of all frosts. The vast majority of annuals tolerate transplantation both at the beginning of summer and during the flowering period.
Delenki usually plant a perennial herbaceous plant. The flower is best placed in a permanent place in spring or early autumn. A plant that blooms in the spring should be transplanted in the fall. You should be aware that after transplantation, each plant begins a period of recovery and dormancy, during which care for it should be more thorough. This lasts for annuals one to two weeks, for perennials - from one to two growing seasons.
The best types of herbaceous plants
At the time of the extraordinary diversity of these representatives of the flora, choosing the right species is not an easy task. Below are the top ten perennial herbaceous plants that bloom profusely over a long period, are also relatively undemanding to external conditions and are most resistant to diseases and pests. They will respond to a small amount of complex mineral fertilizer with lush flowering and rapid growth.
- Geranium Rozanne. This hybrid has large blue flowers and massive soft foliage. This is the only type of geranium that blooms throughout the summer period. In height, such specimens reach fifty centimeters. With regular watering, it blooms very well and grows on the sunny side, but on dry land it is necessary to provide it with partial shade.
- Pin. This, at first glance, common plant, is actually not so simple. Such a gentle creature constantly pleases with an abundance of yellowish inflorescences, which continuously replace each other all summer. The pin is officially recognized as one of the longest flowering perennial herbaceous plants. Conditions for keeping - sunlight and not too wet soil. The maximum height of an adult plant is sixty centimeters.
- Catnip Fasena. This hybrid is of garden origin. With its appearance, other varieties became unnecessary. Gray leaves appear in early spring, and beautiful purple-blue inflorescences delight the eye from May until the first frost. Very suitable for places with hot and dry climates, the only condition is to prevent getting wet. Grows up to sixty centimeters in height.
- Echinacea. Today, this type is very common. Fatal Attraction is one of the best representatives of its family. Abundant flowering pleases the eye with pink buds on black pedicels. It thrives in full sun in moderately fertile soil. The size of an adult plant reaches eighty centimeters.
- Astrantia. Being long-lived, this variety is not too picky about environmental conditions. The duration of flowering is not inferior to annuals. It is desirable to plant in a shady place, carefully monitoring the soil moisture. Grows up to a hundred centimeters.
- Oak sage. One of the most undemanding plants, which has many varieties that differ in shades, height and shape. The most common are the classic Mainacht, Viola Klose, Caradonna. If you cut off faded inflorescences in early summer, you can achieve re-blooming. Optimal growing conditions are sunny and moderately fertile soil. The combination of large arrays of oak sage looks very impressive and makes an unforgettable impression.
- Veronicastrum virginiana. A modest inhabitant of the prairies, this flower has recently become a favorite with flower growers. It looks great in the landscape of naturalistic styles, bending the outlines of ornamental grasses with its vertical line. Such demand provoked the emergence of dozens of new varieties, but Diane remained a classic. Grow in fertile soil on the sunny side. Adult specimens reach one hundred and twenty centimeters in height.
- Burnet Sanguisorba. This variety is universal, because it develops and grows well in any light. It will feel good both in the sun and in the shade. This plant will fit perfectly into a naturalistic style flower garden. Thanks to the shiny green leaves of the burnet, it looks elegant and noble. Due to the undemanding to growing conditions, this plant is popular among flower growers. An adult plant grows up to one meter in height.
- Coreopsis whorled. Because this tousled shrub, surrounded by a cloud of yellowish flowers, looks unphotogenic in pictures and photographs, it rarely attracts attention. However, being in a common garden flower garden, coreopsis attracts the eye with its bright color and contrast, leaving no one indifferent. It is best to plant a flower in moderately fertile soil, where it will receive abundant sunlight. Under such conditions, coreopsis grows up to forty centimeters in height.
- Weinik is short-haired. Choosing between valuable and unpretentious ornamental grasses, choosing a particular type is quite difficult. Closer to autumn, many cereal plants rise in the fields, competing with each other in beauty. The short-haired reed grass seems to have been specially created for this time of year. Covered with small dewdrops on an early foggy morning, this plant effectively stands out from the others. A neat and decorative appearance creates an extreme photogenic and decorative effect. The short-haired reedweed grows well on the sunny side in moderately fertile soil, but it will also feel good in partial shade. The maximum height of an adult plant can reach one hundred and twenty centimeters.
Thus, herbaceous plants are a life form having stems and leaves that die off at the end of the growing season on the soil surface. Them distinctive feature is the absence of a tree trunk above the ground. Herbaceous plants are classified according to their life span into annuals, biennials and perennials. appearance and growing conditions - decorative, agricultural, climbing and aquatic.
Herbaceous plants are found in every natural area and on every continent. They are extremely common and familiar to almost everyone. What are their most famous species and what are the features of such representatives of the flora?
Oxalis ordinary
This is a perennial, the height of which does not exceed ten centimeters. Like other plants, oxalis is distinguished by a creeping rhizome. The leaves have long petioles and heart-shaped leaves that fold lengthwise. Flowers solitary, with a white corolla, occasionally purple or lilac. The fruits look like light brown boxes. Oxalis blooms in May or June. The fruits ripen by August. Oxalis is distinguished in which the rhizome grows, and the seeds spread from the boxes. Many other herbaceous plants, examples of which will be given below, also use these methods. Oxalis is found in damp coniferous forests, its thickets tend to form a continuous cover. It can be eaten: the leaves are rich in vitamin C, suitable for soup, seasoning, salad, tea.
Stinging nettle
When compiling a list that includes perennial herbaceous plants (everyone knows examples of them), it is definitely worth mentioning this. Nettle is a perennial, reaching a height of one and a half meters. The plant has a long horizontal rhizome. The period of flowering and fruiting continues all summer. Seeds are used for propagation: one plant can produce up to twenty-two thousand of them. Nettles can often be seen along roadsides and fences, in wastelands, most often it creates dense thickets. The plant can be used for food and medicinal purposes. From young shoots, you can cook green cabbage soup, and as a prophylactic, nettle is used when there is a lack of vitamins in the body. In addition, preparations based on it are used to stop blood, to stimulate the gallbladder. Folk recipes use nettle for hair care. The plant is suitable for feeding pigs, birds, cows. From the stems it is possible to make a fiber suitable for making cloth or ropes, and the leaves with the rhizome were previously used as a natural dye.
Large celandine
The perennial plant reaches a height of almost a meter. Celandine has straight and branched stems with leaves, the upper side of which is green and the lower side is gray. Herbaceous plants, examples of which were given above, bloom rather inconspicuously. Quite another matter - celandine. It has bright yellow flowers, arranged in umbrellas. The fruits are pod-shaped capsules with many seeds. Any part of the plant contains orange juice. Celandine blooms from May to August, and the fruits appear in July. You can meet the plant along roads and dwellings, in ditches, abandoned parks and gardens. It is used in veterinary medicine and medicine, as well as as an insecticide: celandine powder can protect cultural plantings from garden beetles. The juice is used to remove skin growths, and the grass is used to dye wool in yellow and red tones. If all herbaceous plants, examples of which were given above, can be eaten, then celandine is poisonous. It is not suitable for forage purposes.
River gravel
Photos and names of which are not so well known are also worthy of mention. For example, river gravel, reaching seventy centimeters in height and characterized by strong roots and a thick dark red stem. The plant has several flowers in the form of bells, with pinkish petals covered with brown veins. The fruits are distributed by people and animals, they have special trailers. Gravilat blooms in June. The fruits ripen in July. You can see the gravel along the edges of swamps or reservoirs, as well as in meadows and in the bushes. Its roots are used in folk medicine and for making paint. This genus of herbaceous plants is harmless and suitable for making a fresh salad or a green seasonal soup.
Thistle marsh
Listing herbaceous plants, photos of which everyone can easily recognize, it is worth naming this species. Sow thistle is a perennial that can grow up to two and a half meters in height. The plant contains milky juice. Sow thistle is distinguished by a small powerful rhizome and arrow-shaped leaves. Its inflorescences resemble baskets located at the very top of the stem. They are distinguished by their yellow coloration. Fruits that ripen by August look like tetrahedral achenes. You can meet marsh thistle on the shore of a reservoir, quite according to the name - near a swamp, in bushes on moist soil, as well as in floodplains: in such areas, plants can be seen in the grass, by the road or in a ditch.
This is the name of the life form of higher plants. Among them there are poisonous varieties and those that can be eaten. Tea is brewed from individual herbs, infusions are made for internal and external use. AT different types contains various useful substances (in the root or in the shoots), extracts of which are also used in perfumery, the production of cosmetics, household chemicals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic alcoholic beverages.
Avran
(lat. Gratiola officinalis) is a poisonous herbaceous plant common in Central and Eastern Europe. There are many common names for avran: God's grace, grace, feverish grass, horse tinder, moknets, deer grass, draciol, bloodthirsty. The Russian-language name is of Turkic origin and means "sick" in translation.
Aloe
To get the maximum benefit from aloe, you need to know some tricks for biostimulating the leaves of the plant. But on the other hand, if you manage to carry out the preparatory procedures correctly, aloe will clearly show its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, bactericidal and other therapeutic properties.
Altey
Marshmallow (or rather, the root of the plant, which is more often used in medicine) in some cases may well replace drugs for the treatment of the digestive and respiratory organs, serve as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent, and become the basis for medical cosmetics. But for this you need to know and observe a few simple rules procurement and processing of raw materials.
Pansies
Eastern guest - tricolor violet - known to us as "pansies" in flora"specializes" in the treatment of cardiovascular, skin and gynecological diseases. In addition, pansies can help with problems with the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system. But there are also quite serious limitations for the use of pansies in therapy.
Aster
In medicine, flowers, and roots, and stems, and leaves of the plant are used. Each of these plant elements of asters contains a specific set of substances with which they treat various diseases - from bronchitis to uterine bleeding. But in order for herbal medicine to help, you need to know how to prepare a healing remedy from asters correctly.
Astragalus Woollyflowered
Those who think about eternal (or at least very long) life pay attention to astragalus woolly-flowered. Legends say that the ruling elite regularly turned to woolly astragalus in search of a way to extend life. The plant can really solve a number of health problems if you know how to use it and be careful.
wild rosemary
In case of respiratory diseases, they use rosemary herb in the form of infusions, it is also a diuretic, disinfectant and antiseptic.
Oil from the rosemary plant is an ideal remedy for the common cold.
periwinkle
There are many beautiful legends about periwinkle, emphasizing the importance of this plant in folk culture and medicine. BUT modern research only confirm the powerful healing potential of periwinkle, which can manifest itself as a vasodilator, calming nervous system, reducing pressure and relieving from a number of other health problems.
Valerian
Valerian in herbal preparations is usually responsible for the calming effect, diuretic function and restoration of the digestive tract. However, its possibilities are much wider. Both in scientific and folk medicine, valerian is successfully used in the complex treatment of diseases. thyroid gland, asthma, epilepsy and some other serious diseases.
cornflower
Decoctions and infusions of cornflower are used for: inflammatory and chronic diseases of the kidneys, inflammation of the urinary tract, edema, urolithiasis, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, urethritis, cystitis, pyelitis, nephrosis, decreased vision, diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Helps to resolve problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Elecampane
Elecampane preparations improve sputum expectoration, reduce intestinal secretory activity, normalize metabolism, stimulate the formation of bile, increase diuresis, and have antimicrobial and antihelminthic properties. Inside, elecampane preparations are used for chronic and acute bronchitis, enterocolitis, functional diarrhea, colitis, chronic and acute pharyngitis, gingivitis, tracheitis, difficult-to-heal wounds, and periodontal disease.
St. John's wort
This is a dangerous plant. Allergies, conflict with a number of medications, adverse reactions and other "troubles" threaten those who have not figured out the specifics of the application herbal preparations. But with a reasonable approach to therapy, St. John's wort can improve the condition with cholecystitis, hepatitis, gastritis, correct biliary tract dysfunction and many other, even quite rare, pathologies.
Blooming Sally
In Ivan tea medicinal properties have leaves, shoots, and roots. In folk medicine, it is used to treat ulcers, colitis, prostatitis, insomnia, and headaches. To this list, with the external use of a medicinal plant, conjunctivitis, bedsores, psoriasis are added. The success of willow-herb in the treatment of these and other diseases gave scientists the desire to more seriously engage in the scientific study of the healing potential of this herb.
Calendula
Tinctures, decoctions and teas that produce a therapeutic effect are prepared from inflorescences, petals and leafy tops of calendula. In folk medicine, they are used for inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, hypertension, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, neuroses and a number of other diseases. But medicines are also made from calendula, which are prescribed for anemia, stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, and tumors. However, caution is needed in the use of medicinal calendula.
Clover
There are hundreds of clover species, and most of them are used in medicine due to the formation of vitamins E and C in the leaves, the “antimicrobial” trifolirizine in the roots of the plant and the whole “bouquet” useful substances- in clover inflorescences. An overdose and an ill-conceived combination of clover with drugs can cause a negative reaction, but with a rational approach, clover can significantly facilitate the treatment process and make it more effective.
Hemp
Grows in Western Siberia, the Volga region, Altai in the European part of Russia. Nowadays, this plant is cultivated in almost all countries. Officially, the plant is allowed to grow and use only in Colombia. In other states, cultivation, consumption, distribution or possession is criminalized.
Nettle
Despite the fact that nettle leaves are more often used in folk medicine, rhizomes, seeds, and inflorescences have a healing effect. Substances from nettle roots, for example, can be found in pharmacies anticancer drugs, means for the treatment of burns, choleretic drugs. However, the full list of therapeutic possibilities of nettle is much wider.
Red brush (rhodiola)
Not everyone has heard about Rhodiola (red brush) in our area - the plant settles in a cold climate and / or in mountainous areas. However, it is not without reason that it is called "Siberian ginseng". Scientific medicine experimentally proves the ability of Rhodiola to prevent the oxidation of red blood cells, suppress lymphosarcoma metastases, have a neuroprotective effect, normalize metabolic processes, and more. In folk medicine, the healing potential of this herb is used even more widely.
Burnet
There are about 27 types of burnet, but not all of them are the most famous and useful. Burnet preparations help with various types of bleeding, such as uterine bleeding, hemoptysis, gastric, heavy menstruation, hemorrhoidal, etc. Externally, burnet is used as a means of promoting the healing of wounds, abrasions and cuts.
Lavender
Lavender is a semi-shrub, up to 60 cm high. Distributed in India, Arabia, southern Europe, northern and eastern Africa, and even canary islands. There are about 30 varieties of this shrub. Lavender is widely used in cooking, household chemicals, the production of soft and alcoholic drinks, toilet soap, deodorants, air fresheners, perfumes and cosmetics.
burdock
The beekeeper will say about burdock that it is a wonderful honey plant. Culinary - that burdock can be added to salads, broths and make drinks from it. But the most “useful” list of possible uses for burdock will be from a representative of traditional medicine. Dozens of diseases will appear in it, in which burdock improves the condition of patients. And recently, scientists have also become interested in the therapeutic potential of burdock.
Poppy
Harvesting poppy for medicine today is produced on an industrial scale. Scientists are working on highlighting the features of the therapeutic effect various kinds plants and the search for new ways to use it. Poppy alkaloids, morphine, codeine, papaverine are part of antispasmodics, analgesics, sedatives. But poppy is even more widely represented in folk medicine.
Coltsfoot
When harvesting plant materials, coltsfoot leaves, due to inexperience, can be confused with burdock leaves, and flowers with dandelion flowers. And although the therapeutic effect of the use of all these plants may overlap, the therapeutic effect produced by the coltsfoot is specific and unique. His the main objective- diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, which is reflected even in the Latin name of the herb.
Melissa
Not every medicinal plant it is possible to grow at home on the windowsill or on the balcony, but lemon balm can be. However, is this herb worth such labor? If you think that it can only be taken as a mild sedative, then probably not. But in folk medicine, lemon balm is also effectively used as a laxative, antispasmodic, antiemetic, stimulant of biliary tract motility and secretory function of the stomach, a cure for hypertension, atherosclerosis, toxicosis and many other diseases.
Mint
Mint is grown on an industrial scale, which is not surprising, given the rich historical experience of its use, the number of diseases in which it helps and the number of useful substances in the composition. Moreover, new and unexpected possibilities for the use of mint in medicine, dietetics and cosmetology are only now being discovered by scientists in the course of scientific research.
Tansy
The name itself comes from the Czech or Polish word "pizmo", which means "musk", that is, the smell of organic origin. In fact, all plants of this species have a very strong saturated aroma, and the smell is emitted by every cell of this plant.
Plantain
For many children, acquaintance with herbal medicine begins with plantain. A plantain leaf applied to a wound stopped the blood, relieved inflammation and relieved pain. Unfortunately, knowledge about plantain is often limited to this "childish" experience. Meanwhile, the biologically active substances contained in its leaves cope with gastrointestinal problems, skin pathologies, and respiratory diseases. And this is not the whole list of possibilities of this plant.
Sunflower
Type of herbaceous annual plants. The stem grows up to 3 m high, straight, covered with hard hairs. Leaves are oval-heart-shaped, dark green up to 40 cm long, covered with hard, short, pubescent hairs. Flowers of large diameters are 30-50 cm, during the day young sunflowers turn to the sun .
Sagebrush
"God's tree" - wormwood - can both cure and poison (some types of wormwood are deadly for herbivores). But people have been interested in the possibilities of this plant for so long that they have learned to take the best from wormwood and treat it with the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, skin diseases etc. And in last years scientific interest in the active substances in the composition of this herb is only increasing, which leads to the discovery of new, sometimes unexpected, properties of the plant.
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