White-hoofed hybrid
.Petasites hybridus (medicinal) - Petasites hybridus. Family. Asters - Asteraceae.
A full-fledged synonym for the generic name of this plant is podbel. Both names perfectly characterize the morphological feature of the plant. White-hoofed hybrid has a very large rounded-heart-shaped leaf (like a hoof) with a grayish woolly pubescence on the underside. Not only are the leaves (all of which are rooted) original, but also the development of the whitebud. The first to appear in spring, in April-May, are not the leaves of whitebush hybrid, but a fleshy peduncle, studded with flower buds, which quickly blossom. Many tubular flowers of whitebud hybrid (reddish, dirty-purple) are collected
:fig1:
in baskets, which form a powerful cyst-like inflorescence (Fig. 27). And only after the end of flowering appear leaves, reaching in favorable conditions very large sizes (25 x 35 cm), and they rise to a height of up to 60 cm. At the time of full development, the leaves of whitebush hybrid resemble inverted umbrellas. White-hoofed hybrid is a perennial rhizomatous plant; it often forms thickets, its exuberance causing an association with something ancient, Mesozoic.
Whitebark hybrid is often found at the contact of water and land, extending its thick rhizomes both on the shore and in the water. The most luxuriant thickets of white-hoofed hybrid are still confined to the most coastal, well-warmed strip. Typical habitats of the white-hoofed hybrid are river banks, ditches, damp forest meadows. The habitat of the hybrid whitebush covers almost the entire European part of the USSR, except for tundra, northern and middle taiga. The hybrid whitebush is also widespread in the Caucasus and the Crimea.
Used quite widely in the people, white-hoofed hybrid has recently attracted increasing interest in scientific medicine. The study of rhizomes showed that they contain saponins (about 8 %), tannins (about 5 %), essential oil, flavonoids, resins, alkaloids. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with strong antispasmodic action were isolated from rhizomes of whitebush hybrid. They also contain inulin, but no starch. The presence of manganese (especially in the leaves) in the plant of whitebush hybrid manganese has also been established. In experiments it was shown that extracts from rhizomes of whitebuckthorn hybrid have hypotensive, antispasmodic and anticoagulant effects. So perhaps the glory of the white-hoofed hybrid is yet to come. Nowadays, the leaves of whitebush hybrid are included in various teas used to treat gastritis and stomach ulcers, as well as some malignant tumors.
In folk medicine are used mainly leaves of whitebush hybrid: in fresh form - as a wound-healing agent, in a decoction - for coughs. Other properties of white-hoofberry hybrid are also given: diaphoretic, diuretic, antiasthmatic, anthelmintic.
Quite close to the described white lacewing, a species with the same ecology, widespread in the Caucasus and in the western parts of our country, as well as Georgian white lacewing.
Marsh bark
.Marsh whitefly - Calla palustris. Aroid family - Agaseae.
"I'll never forget the first encounter I had with white-winged swampgrass... Behind the squashing horsetails, I saw some extraordinary flowers on the sunset mirror. They looked like little white sails. It seemed like a breeze and they would glide over the copper-pink surface... The flowers of the marsh whitefly have no petals; they are replaced by a covering leaf that has acquired the shape of a wing or sail. How and why did this metamorphosis happen? The ordinary leaf shifted to the inflorescence, became white and became a beacon for the plant... And the color of the signal flag chose the best: white is clearly visible in the night twilight" (Yu. Linnick).
Marsh whitefly is a close relative of the beautiful ornamental calla lilies, which came into culture from South African swamps. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thick horizontal rhizome growing 5-40 cm annually. Leaves are lacquer green, broad, heart-shaped. Marsh whitefly stands out with its white bracts fringing the inflorescence. It has masses of small, unsightly flowers gathered in a cob. When ripe, the cob of whitebark marsh cob becomes bright red, composed of cherry-sized berries that enclose small seeds. The wing of the marsh white-wing is like a barometer arrow: sticking up - wait for good weather, the more it deviates - the closer the rain. Apparently, for this they also call it the white companion (Fig. 28).
Marsh whitefly often forms dense thickets along swampy banks of rivers and lakes; it is also found in lowland bogs, especially forest bogs. In black alder forests, white-winged bogwort grows large and strong, while in bogs with sphagnum carpet - small and depressed. The marsh whitefly is widely distributed in taiga, steppe and mountains of the European and Asian parts of the USSR; the marsh whitefly is common in the Far East.
Marsh whitefly is poisonous, but when dried or boiled, the poisonous properties are lost. Glycosides of the saponin type are found in the herb and rhizomes of white-winged marshwort, giving the plant a pungent taste. There are resins, starch, sugars in whitefly marsh. The herb also contains flavonoids, organic acids and a lot of vitamin C (up to 0.214 %). Fresh juice of whitefly marsh sap causes inflammation of the skin, and if ingested, vomiting and a state of stupor. Then comes a drop in heart rate, seizures. Swamp whitefly is sometimes poisoned by animals. Having eaten a fresh plant, the animal shows restlessness, it begins to salivate heavily, breathing becomes tense, pulse - frequent and weak. If a cow or horse eats a lot of white-winged marsh grass, death comes quickly.
In folk medicine, preparations of whitefly rhizome are sometimes used as an antidote for snake bites and as a local irritant.
Fig2:
and as an analgesic for rheumatism. Fruits of white-winged marsh fruit are used in constipation - as a laxative. The marsh whitefly was often called marsh breadbasket, referring to its nutritional qualities. An old botanical manual says, "Breadbreadbasket bogwood has a filament thick, 3 inches or more tall, long-rounded, the heart leaves are caudate, the covering is white above and green below... Its fresh root has a pungent, acrid, peppery odor. This root is the most useful for the human race. In case of famine or lack of ordinary bread, bread is made from it." The recipe for the preparation of flour from white-winged marsh marsh in the people was written in detail, and it was strictly adhered to, knowing the poisonous properties of the plant. Collected rhizomes of whitefly marsh rhizomes were well washed, then chopped and dried, then ground, and the resulting flour was boiled. The liquid was drained off, the grounds were dried and the product was ready. Fresh bread with a dash of this flour tastes nice and sweet.
A Kamchatka species of whitefly, Lysychiton kamchatskyi, is found in Kamchatka and Sakhalin (Fig. 29). Its generic Latin name is of Greek origin and means "losing its cloak": its covering withers and falls off after flowering (in contrast to the white-winged marshwort). There's a great description of the lysychiton: "Its large white coverts have a strong scent, pleasant in the woods and less pleasant at close quarters. It is wonderfully picturesque by streams when its white "sails" are streaked with sunshine and reflected in the water... After the flowers appear, grow unusually beautiful leaves that reach 0.5 meters long. The leaves are less poisonous and are used for fattening pigs" (E. Egorova)..
