Common chickweed

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Common chickweed
Common chickweed (Stellaria media)

Common chickweed ( Stellaria media )

Systematics
Order : Clove-like (Caryophyllales)
Family : Carnation family (Caryophyllaceae)
Subfamily : Alsinoideae
Tribe : Alsineae
Genre : Star chickweed ( Stellaria )
Type : Common chickweed
Scientific name
Stellaria media
( L. ) Vill.
Stellaria media , fruits and seeds
Stems with leaves
The stem is hairy in one line
blossom

The Common chickweed ( Stellaria media ), including chickweed , chickweed (probably in relation to the creeping, round and coiled stems), chicken Shard , Mäusegedärme or Hustdarm called, is a plant of the family of the Pink family (Caryophyllaceae).

The common chickweed is widespread as a cosmopolitan worldwide. Their adaptability results from the usually polyploid set of chromosomes and is also reflected in the variety of forms of the clan . The widespread " weeds " can be used as wild vegetables and medicinal plants.

description

Chickweed is an annual herbaceous plant . Their prostrate 3 to 40 cm long stems often form smaller lawn carpets. The cross-section of the single-row hairy stem is round. The leaves are ovate and pointed. The leaves that grow in the lower stem area are usually short stalked, the upper leaves are attached directly to the stem.

The flowers are in little-flowered, umbel-like dichasias . They have both five sepals and five petals , so they have a double perianth . The petals barely rise above the sepals. The white petals, which are almost deep to the base, are about 3 to 5 mm long and broadly lanceolate. Sometimes they are completely absent. In the center of the flower there are three styles, which are surrounded by about three to ten stamens with purple anthers . In mild weather or in sheltered areas, the plant will retain its ability to flower all year round.

The five- or six-lobed capsule fruit is about 3 to 5 mm long and hangs downwardly curved on the fruit stalk. The reddish brown seeds are 0.9 to 1.3 mm in diameter and have flat blunt bumps.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 40, 42 or 44.

Pollen in glycerine 400x
Stellaria media pollen, 400x

ecology

Chickweed

The chickweed is a summer annual creeping therophyte or a winter annual, more rarely a biennial plant with a spindle-shaped flat root . The cotyledons and leaves perform sleep movements and show a day / night position. They unfold around nine in the morning in dry weather and bloom until evening. In damp weather, the flowers remain pulled together.

The hairline on the stem, a characteristic distinguishing feature, supports the plant with the water supply. Dew drops run along this line to the nearest pair of leaves, where some water is taken up if necessary. The remaining water is directed downwards via the hairline.

The flowers are small, white "nectar-bearing disc flowers". Nectar is secreted at the base of the stamens , and only in sunny weather. The insect visit is sparse. Hymenoptera , two-winged winged and fringed winged winged (Thysanoptera) are found as pollinators . Since the flowers are hermaphrodite, usually takes self-pollination place by the stamens to the stigma hinkrümmen.

The fruits are puffed capsules that spread their seeds as self- spreaders. Ants continue to spread the papillary seeds after they have been scattered. In addition, there is also spread by humans, e.g. B. over soil during gardening and by adherence of the seeds to shoes.

The chickweed is an archaeophyte , has accompanied humans since the Stone Age and is found today in temperate latitudes worldwide.

It is very easy to spread and reproduce and quickly covers freshly tilled soil with a lawn. A plant can produce up to 15,000 seeds, and two to three generations can grow per year . Even in winter, new plants can emerge from the germinated seeds. The herb and seeds are eaten by birds, which is also what the German common name refers to. Summer specimens survive for about five months, hibernating plants for about a year. A vegetative propagation through torn off stem parts that take root is also possible.

The chickweed is usually referred to as a " weed ", but its use should not be underestimated, especially in crops such as vineyards and gardens, as the dense, flat and up to 40 cm long runners protect the soil from drying out in summer and from direct cold effects in winter and generally reduce erosion .

On the other hand, chickweed occurs as a pest in winter cereals - less often in summer cereals - in maize and potato cultivation and in grassland . It is a vector for aphids ( Myzus persicae and Aphis fabae ), which can transmit the cucumber mosaic virus .

Occurrence

The chickweed is common worldwide; it is often found in patchy weed meadows, on fields, in gardens and vineyards, on paths, rubble sites and on banks. It prefers moist, nutrient-rich soils that can also be in the shade. It is widespread from the plains to the mountains. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises in the Tyrolean part on the summit of the Jöchelspitze on Schaflagern up to 2226 m above sea level.

According to Ellenberg , it is a weak acid to weak base pointer, a pronounced nitrogen pointer and an order character type of nutrient-rich arable and garden weeds (Polygono-Chenopodietalia), but also occurs in societies of the Secalietea or Bidentetea classes.

Pointer values ​​according to Ellenberg

factor value scale Designation / explanation
Light number 6th 1-9 Partial shade to semi-light plant
Temperature number X 1-9 indifferent
Continental number X 1-9 indifferent
Humidity number 4th 1-12 Dry to freshness indicator
Response number 7th 1-9 Weak acid to weak base
Nitrogen number 8th 1-9 pronounced nitrogen pointer
Life form T - Therophyte

Systematics

The following species are summarized under the species group chickweed ( Stellaria media agg.):

  • Common chickweed ( Stellaria media (L.) Vill. S. Str.) With the synonyms Alsine media L. - Sp. Pl .: 272 (1753) and Stellaria media subsp. media
  • Large-flowered chickweed or riparian chickweed ( Stellaria neglecta Weihe )
  • Pale chickweed ( Stellaria pallida (Dumort.) Crepin )

use

Pain-relieving medicinal plant qualities are ascribed to the chickweed. In addition to the possible healing effects, this plant also has a value as a food or luxury food. Their taste is reminiscent of young raw corn. As little as 50 grams of chickweed salad roughly corresponds to the daily vitamin C requirement of an adult. Due to the saponin content , however, it should not be eaten in large quantities.

Vitamins , saponins, flavonoids , coumarins , minerals , oxalic acid , zinc and essential oils are known as ingredients . It is used in many different ways in naturopathy. An extract from the fresh plant is used to treat rheumatism and joint pain. It is used as a tea for external and internal use. They can also be used as a fresh feed additive for ornamental birds and rodents.

However, due to the high rate of reproduction and early seed formation, it is often viewed as a particularly annoying weed.

See also: Hain chickweed

swell

literature

  • Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 .
  • Heinz Ellenberg : Vegetation of Central Europe with the Alps in an ecological, dynamic and historical perspective (=  UTB for science. Large series . Volume 8104 ). 5th, heavily changed and improved edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1996, ISBN 3-8252-8104-3 .
  • Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany. A botanical-ecological excursion companion to the most important species . 6th, completely revised edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2005, ISBN 3-494-01397-7 .
  • Gerhard Leuchs: More than just a weed. In: Nürnberger Nachrichten. 14./15. June 2008.
  • Profile at medicinal herbs info
  • Kraut und Rüben ( Memento of March 3, 2010 in the Internet Archive ): Info on ingredients and use

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dietmar Aichele, Marianne Golte-Bechtle: What is blooming there? Wild flowering plants of Central Europe. 54th edition. Stuttgart 1991, p. 40.
  2. ↑ Angela Kern: "Medicinal plants in the garden and customs . 1996. Retrieved on August 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ Proof of the alternative name "cough bowel" in the Palatinate dictionary of the University of Trier
  4. ↑ a b Chen Shilong, Richard K. Rabeler: Stellaria. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (Eds.): Flora of China . Volume 6: Caryophyllaceae through Lardizabalaceae . Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2001, ISBN 1-930723-05-9 , pp. 15 (English). , PDF file , online .
  5. ↑ Oskar Sebald: Guide through nature. Wild plants of Central Europe . ADAC Verlag, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-87003-352-5 , p. 78 .
  6. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 1, IHW, Eching 2001, ISBN 3-930167-50-6 , p. 492.
  7. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition, page 373. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5

further reading

  • Margot Spohn, Marianne Golte-Bechtle: What is blooming there? The encyclopedia: over 1000 flowering plants from Central Europe. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10326-9 .
  • Rolf Wisskirchen, Henning Haeupler: Standard list of fern and flowering plants in Germany. With chromosome atlas . Ed .: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (=  The fern and flowering plants of Germany . Volume 1 ). Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3360-1 .

Web links

Commons : Common chickweed  album with pictures, videos and audio files