Common privet

Common privet
	Common privet ( Ligustrum vulgare ), inflorescence
Systematics
	Asterids
	Euasterids I
Order :	Mint family (Lamiales)
Family :	Olive family (Oleaceae)
Genre :	Privet ( ligustrum )
Type :	Common privet
Scientific name
	Ligustrum vulgare
	L.

The common privet ( Ligustrum vulgare ), also known as common privet , rain willow, leg wood, octopus bush, octopus grape, fence bar, dogwood (risk of confusion with species of the genus Cornus , see dogwood ) is a plant species in the olive family (Oleaceae).

features

illustration

The common privet grows as a deciduous or semi- evergreen shrub that reaches heights of 1.5 to 4.5 meters. In mild climates, such as those found in southern Europe, the leaves do not fall until the leaves shoot in the next spring.

Habit

The common privet grows as a richly branched shrub. It has upright, flexible branches, its short shoots are often arranged in a whirling manner. Young twigs have an olive-green-brownish bark that can be glabrous or finely hairy at the tip. The gray-brown, bare bark of older branches is covered with light-colored lenticels .

leaves

The opposite or in threefold Wirteln arranged leaves are short stalks (1 to 3 mm). The simple, somewhat leathery leaf blade is 2.5 to 8 cm long and 0.8 to 2 cm wide and lanceolate to elliptical. The widest part of the leaf is roughly in the middle - in contrast to the oval-leaved privet , where it is significantly closer to the base of the leaf blade . The leaves are hairless. In autumn the leaves are usually dark green and often turn purple.

blossoms

The flowers are elongated, pyramidal, paniculate inflorescences at the tips of the new shoots. The fragrant, hermaphrodite flowers are four-fold with a double flower envelope . The four sepals are 1.5 mm long fused with 1.5 to 2 mm long calyx lobes. The four white to cream-colored petals are fused into a 1 to 2 mm long corolla tube, which ends in four 3 mm long corolla lobes. Nectar is deposited at the bottom of the corolla tube. The two stamens have about 2 mm long stamens protrude somewhat out of the corolla tube and culminate the two-lobed stigma. Two carpels have become an under constant ovary grown.

fruit

The fertilized flowers grow into egg-shaped to spherical, glossy black berries . The intensely black color of the two-seeded berries is due to a high concentration of anthocyanins .

Chromosome number

The species has chromosome number 2n = 46.

Occurrence

The common privet is the only species of the genus privet ( Ligustrum ) native to Europe . It occurs in northwest Africa and in Europe to the Caucasus countries and to northwest Iran. It likes to grow on warm, moderately dry, calcareous clay or loam soils. In Central Europe it is a species of the Pruno-Ligustretum.

In the Allgäu Alps, it rises up to 1200 meters above sea level at the southern foot of the Grünten .

Toxicity

Privet berries are poisonous, and consumption can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The effect is certain to occur when a larger amount has been eaten. The leaves contain the glucoside syringin , which makes them poisonous as well. Skin contact when cutting the plant can lead to skin irritation, known as privet eczema .

At least the three glycosides ligustroside and oleuropein and syringin are mentioned as toxic ingredients of the privet . Further alkaloids are formed from these substances during processing with ammonia (artifacts). It is assumed that similar reactions can also take place in the organism ( in vivo ).

use

Privet hedge

Ornamental plant

This shrub species, like several Japanese Ligustrum species, is cultivated in gardens to create hedges . Mostly evergreen varieties like 'Atrovirens' are used for this. Privet is very cut resistant and is therefore often used for shaped hedges.

Wood

The extraordinarily hard wood of the common privet is characterized by a purple-colored core. It is smooth, tough and strong and is suitable for woodturning and carving work as well as for making tool handles. In the past it was used for pegs for shoemakers and grapevines for viticulture. The flexible young twigs were used for basket work.

dyeing

The ripe berries of the common privet were also used as a coloring agent after exposure to frost. A deep blue shade forms on wool. It was pre-pickled with iron or aluminum salts or with soda. The berries were already mentioned in this capacity in the Upper German coloring book from the 15th century (Cgm. 317, Bavarian State Library, Munich). In addition to the ripe berries, the leaves, the yellow twigs and the bark are also used for coloring.

The berries contain glucosides as a coloring component; the leaves and bark are rich in flavonoid pigments and also contain a small amount of tannins . By using different stains and different dyeing processes, colors from yellow to green to blue can be achieved.

The red to blue juice of the privet berries was also used for painting. The red hue was achieved by adding sulfates , the purple by adding urine , and the blue by mixing with lime and potash . The berry juice was also used regionally to color wine.

The importance of the privet for animal life

Flower visitors

The Ligusterblüten, the nectar at the base of the corolla tube and on the wall of the ovary deposit are of bees and some fly species sought. As pollen source to use honey bees as well as Andrena - and furrows bee species the flowers. Pollen is offered all day from the bloom, with the best time between 6 and 8 a.m.

The flowers are also sought out by various types of butterflies, including white flies , small foxes , common piebald butterflies , great ox-eye , brown forest birds , white-headed meadow birds , plum hairstreak and several species of rams .

The privet as a habitat for butterfly caterpillars.

The privet is home to a number of species of wrench, such as the night swallowtail , lilac , spring cross-wing, and spotted treetop, as well as about a dozen small butterfly species. Occasionally the shrub is also populated by the skull- and-neck caterpillar , which mostly lives on the nightshade family .

The privet was named after the 9-12 cm large privet hawk ( Sphinx ligustri ), which as a caterpillar often, but not exclusively, eats on privet.

Privet berries as animal food

A total of 20 species of birds have been observed eating the privet berries, such as blackbird , song thrush and bullfinch . The black berries are often only consumed in late winter and then excreted and thus spread. The germination of the seeds is promoted by frost.

A number of rodents also eat the fruit.