Garden report

Garden report
	Gartenmelde ( Atriplex hortensis ), illustration
Systematics
Order :	Clove-like (Caryophyllales)
Family :	Foxtail family (Amaranthaceae)
Subfamily :	Chenopodioideae
Tribe :	Atripliceae
Genre :	Report ( Atriplex )
Type :	Garden report
Scientific name
	Atriplex hortensis
	L.

The garden melde ( Atriplex hortensis ), also called garden melde , Spanish lettuce , Spanish spinach and orache , is a species of plant in the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae). It is one of the oldest cultivated plants and is or was used as a vegetable , salad , medicinal , dye and ornamental plant. It was voted Crop of the Year by the German Nature Conservation Union in 2000 .

description

Vegetative characteristics

The Gartenmelde is an annual herbaceous plant and reaches heights of up to 2.5 meters. The above-ground parts of the plant have a lightly floured surface and are often red overflowed. The stiff, upright, green-striped stem is branched obliquely or protruding and has a obtuse square cross-section.

The alternate leaves are arranged in a petiole and a leaf blade. The petiole is 0.3 to 4 inches long. The leaf blade, which is matt dark green (or red) on both sides, is superficially indented and is 5 to 25 centimeters long and 3 to 18 centimeters wide, oblong-ovoid to triangular, with a spear-shaped or bluntly cut base. The leaf margin is serrated with entire or shallow indentations. In the course of the development of flowers and seeds, the leaf shape changes to narrower oval leaves (see picture of the red garden log with fruit clusters).

Red garden log with still unripe fruit heads

Green garden log with still unripe fruit heads

Fruit cluster

Inflorescence (with predominantly ♂-flowers)

Inflorescence (with predominantly ♀-flowers)

Female flower with two bracts and without perigone (♀ '), female flower without bracts and 5 tepals (♀ ") and male flower (♂)

♂ bloom

Female flower with two bracts, anterior right removed

Inflorescence and flower

The Gartenmelde blooms in the temperate latitudes from July to September. The flowers are in the axilla of bracts in clusters in terminal or lateral, compound, spike-like inflorescences.

The green or red flowers are male, female or hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodite flowers (without bracts) contain five elongated bracts ( tepals ), as well as five stamens and a horizontal ovary . In purely male flowers the ovary is absent, in female "horizontal" flowers the stamens are not developed. The female always "vertical" flowers are of two bracteoles wrapped, bloom do not exist, they contain only a vertical ovary.

Fruit and seeds

The fruit cluster is often very overhanging because of its weight. The vertical fruit remains covered by the semitransparent preceding leaves, which enlarge to about 15 millimeters at the time of fruiting, have short stalks and are only connected to one another at the blunt or slightly sanded base. The shape of the prophylls is rounded to ovate, with entire margins and not or barely pointed. Their surface shows a network-like veining. In the "horizontal" flowers, the bracts surround the horizontal fruit.

A thin pericarp surrounds the seed. These false fruits are shaped differently, flat, rounded, winged, 5 to 10 millimeters in size. There are two types of seeds ( heterocarpy ) that occur in both vertical and horizontal flowers. The yellow-brown seeds with a diameter of 3 to 4 millimeters and a matt and translucent seed coat can germinate immediately. The black seeds with a diameter of only 1.5 to 2 millimeters and a smooth, thick, leathery seed coat only germinate after two years.

Chromosome number

The number of chromosomes is 2 n = 18.

ecology

Gartenmelde is a C ₃ plant with normal leaf anatomy .

The pollination is done by self-pollination or wind pollination, the transfer of pollen by insects is possible.

The spread of the diaspores , it is the false fruits, takes place as a wind spreader, glider pilot, rain swamp.

ingredients

Like many other vegetables , the Gartenmelde is rich in vitamins (A, C) and minerals ( calcium , potassium , magnesium , phosphorus ) and protein . Similar to spinach , it also contains oxalic acid , but in a smaller amount than this. The seeds of the garden log contain saponin , which explains their laxative effect.

Occurrence and origin of the culture form

The garden report is widespread throughout Europe, in the Mediterranean region, across Central Asia to China . Her home is the Middle East and the Orient . It is rarely found in the tropics .

Archaeological finds suggest that it has been cultivated for thousands of years. The species Atriplex aucheri , which occurs in Central Asia, is suspected to be a wild form . On the other hand, taste tests make breeding from the gloss report ( Atriplex sagittata ) seem unlikely, as it leaves a burning, bitter taste.

The message was already well known to the Greeks , and at that time it was not only cultivated in the Mediterranean countries , but also as far as Tibet and Bengal . The earliest description comes from Theophrastus (371–287 BC). The Greeks called the plant Atraphaxis , Andraphax or Chrysolachanon , which means "golden vegetable" and probably refers to the yellow-green, coin-like fruits. The Romans called the message Atriplex , probably because of the triangular ("triplex") leaf shape. The Romans then brought the plant to Central Europe, similar to the Swiss chard . Early archaeological evidence is kitchen waste in Roman castles . The use of the Gartenmelde as food in Europe was only pushed back with the introduction of spinach around 1200.

In Germany, the Gartenmelde is cultivated relatively rarely today. It occurs inconsistently wild in fields and short-lived weed meadows.

Taxonomy

The garden report ( Atriplex hortensis ) belongs to the genus Atriplex section Atriplex . It belongs to the tribe Atripliceae in the subfamily Chenopodioideae within the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae). This family now includes the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae).

The first description of Atriplex hortensis was carried out in 1753 by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum 2, p 1053. Atriplex hortensis was used as a type species (lectotype) of the genus Atriplex selected.

Synonyms of Atriplex hortensis L. are Chenopodium hortense (L.) EHL Krause and Atriplex microtheca Moq.

There are at least four varieties of the garden notification:

'Yellow Melde' or 'White Melde' ( Atriplex hortensis var. Atrosanguinea ): This cultivar with light green, almost yellow leaves is the most widely grown.
'Green Melde' ( Atriplex hortensis var. Hortensis , synonym: Atriplex hortensis var. Sativa ): It is a strong plant with a strong, angular, branching stem and has dark green, rather round, smooth-edged leaves.
'Rote Melde' ( Atriplex hortensis var. Rubra L.): It attracts attention with its carmine-red stems and leaves. The undersides of the lower leaves are bright pink. Their brown seeds are slightly kidney-shaped and dark red-brown. This form is mainly grown as an ornamental plant ( dried flower ), but can be used in the kitchen just like the other varieties.
'Halbrote Melde': this form is seldom grown.

Common names

In the German-speaking countries, the following other common names are or were used for this plant species, sometimes only regionally : Burckhart, Grünkraut ( Silesia ), Loboda ( Niederlausitz ), Malten, Matterskraut ( Göttingen ), Meilde ( Middle High German ), Melda, Meld, Mell ( Mecklenburg , Altmark , Eifel ), Melle (Dortmund, Göttingen, Unterweser ), Melta ( Old High German ), Milde (Middle High German), Groot Mill ( Pomerania ), Milt (Middle High German), Milten (Middle High German), Molta (Old High German), Heimisch Molten, Molte ( Austria ), Muolta (early Old High German), Muolhta (early Old High German), Mylde (Middle High German) and Mylden (Middle High German).

use

Food plant

Gartenmelde is either prepared like spinach or young leaves are used raw in salads. In France , the garden melde is eaten with sorrel . When cooking the red variety, the leaves do not lose their color, although the cooking water can still color a soup. The taste of the leaves is pleasant with a bitter component. Gartenmelde is more pleasant for children than spinach, probably because of the lower oxalic acid content.

The seeds are also edible when cooked. When ground, they served as a flour additive in times of need. They contain vitamin A, but also saponins.

Medicinal plant

The Gartenmelde was previously used as a versatile medicinal plant. The leaves have a diuretic effect ( diuretic ). Leaves and seeds served as emetics ( emetics ) and laxatives ( purgatives ). They were also used to stimulate the metabolism as a spring cure and for nervous exhaustion . In folk medicine, it was also used to treat lung diseases . Applied externally, the leaves are said to help with gout . The seeds were given mixed with wine for jaundice . Rubbings from the juice of the whole plant were considered a folk remedy for skin diseases and ulcers in the throat.

Dye plant

A blue dye can be obtained from the seeds. It was already known in the Middle Ages that Melde could dye hair black and fabrics green.

Renewable raw material

The garden log can be grown for the production of biomass . In Sweden this yielded yields of 14 tonnes per hectare, in southern areas higher yields can be expected. After the protein is extracted from the leaves, more than 13 tons of biomass are left as a by-product that can be used to make biofuels .

Ornamental plant

The red-leaved cultivars of the Gartenmelde are used in the garden as leaf decorations.

cultivation

In the temperate latitudes, the Gartenmelde is cultivated in a similar way to the spinach . From February onwards, the seeds are sunk 2 cm deep into the ground at a distance of 30 to 60 cm in an open area, and later thinned out. The garden log is used as a young plant, i.e. after about 40 to 60 days depending on the weather. Repeated sowing is therefore useful. It grows best in full sun, but then also needs water accordingly - in dry weather the plants grow more slowly and form seeds earlier.

The Gartenmelde tolerates drought (30 to 140 mm of precipitation annually), frost , even acidic soils (pH 5.0 to 8.2), heat, salt, sand and weeds. The yield is 450 to 800 kg of leafy vegetables per hectare . 14 t of biomass per hectare are possible, of which 1 t is protein. The cultivation is mainly non-commercial.

The plant is sometimes regularly and heavily attacked by lice . In the garden, it is sufficient to remove the relevant stem.

literature

Oliver Christoph Schwarz: Contributions to the biology, chorology, ecology and taxonomy of the neophytic report Atriplex micrantha and related species. Dissertation Uni Stuttgart, 2004. pdf full text. (Sections Description, Origin of Cultivated Forms)
Ulla Grall: The garden report - useful plant of the year 2000 - reporting obligation in the garden !? - with recipe for Melde-Tarte. ( Memento from April 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
from: James A. Duke: Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983, unpublished.
Gelin Zhu, Sergei L. Mosyakin, Steven E. Clemants: Atriplex hortensis. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (Eds.): Flora of China . Volume 5: Ulmaceae through Basellaceae . Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2003, ISBN 1-930723-27-X , pp. 362 (English). , PDF file , online (section description).
Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait. 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Atriplex hortensis L., Garten-Melde. In: FloraWeb.de.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Atriplex hortensis at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
↑ ^a ^b Gudrun Kadereit, Evgeny V. Mavrodiev, Elizabeth H. Zacharias, Alexander P. Sukhorukov: Molecular phylogeny of Atripliceae (Chenopodioideae, Chenopodiaceae): Implications for systematics, biogeography, flower and fruit evolution, and the origin of C4 Photosynthesis. In: American Journal of Botany. Volume 97, No. 10, 2010, pp. 1664-1687.
↑ Garden notification . In: BiolFlor, the database of biological-ecological characteristics of the flora of Germany. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
↑ ^a ^b Pertti Uotila: Chenopodiaceae (pro parte majore). In: Euro + Med Plantbase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Berlin 2011. Atriplex hortensis on PESI portal .
^ First description scanned into the Biodiversity Heritage Library
^ Georg August Pritzel , Carl Jessen : The German folk names of plants. New contribution to the German linguistic treasure. Philipp Cohen, Hannover 1882, p. 51 ( online ).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Entry in Plants for A Future .