Small-flowered willowherb

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Small-flowered willowherb
Small-flowered willowherb (Epilobium parviflorum)

Small-flowered willowherb ( Epilobium parviflorum )

Systematics
Order : Myrtle-like (Myrtales)
Family : Evening primrose family (Onagraceae)
Subfamily : Onagroideae
Genre : Willowherb ( epilobium )
Section : Epilobium
Type : Small-flowered willowherb
Scientific name
Epilobium parviflorum
Schreb.

The Small-willowherb ( Epilobium parviflorum ) is a plant from the genus of willowherb ( Epilobium ) within the family of Onagraceae (Onagraceae). It is best known for its alleged effects on prostate disorders. The German part of the name "Kleinblütig" does not mean that the species has particularly small flowers. This only applies in comparison with related species such as the shaggy fireweed ( Epilobium hirsutum ) .

description

Shaggy willowherb ( Epilobium hirsutum ) (left) and small-flowered willowherb ( Epilobium parviflorum ) (right), illustration by Jacob Sturm

Vegetative characteristics

The small-flowered willowherb is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches heights of 18 to 100 (up to 160) centimeters. The shoot axis branches in the upper part, the lower part is shaggy and gray in color. In the upper part of the stem axis, short, glandular hairs mix between the villi.

Flowers of the small-flowered willowherb ( Epilobium parviflorum )

The leaves are not stalked and are alternate. They are weakly toothed, with 15 to 60 teeth per side, and hairy protruding. The leaves at the base of the plant are seldom short, but the petiole is never longer than 3 millimeters. The leaf shape is narrowly elliptical to narrowly lanceolate, they are between 3 and 12 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. The base is rounded, the tip sharpened.

Generative characteristics

The inflorescence and the hermaphrodite, radially symmetrical flowers are upright. The perianth is fourfold. The flowers sit on stalks 0.5 to 1.8 centimeters long. The sepals are between 2.5 and 6 millimeters long and keeled. The petals are 4 to 8.5 millimeters long. The flower color varies from light pink to dark purple. The scar is in four parts. Each flower has eight stamens . The ovary is underneath and very long and narrow.

The 3 to 7 centimeter long capsule fruit is hairy or very rarely bald. After ripening, the fruits pop very easily on four sides and release. The brown to black seeds are 0.8 to 1.1 millimeters in diameter and have conspicuous seed hairs.

The flowering period is between June and September. The fruits are ripe between July and October.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 36.

Occurrence

The distribution area extends from the Canary Islands, Azores , Madeira , Morocco , Algeria over large areas of Europe, the Middle East , the temperate zone of Asia to China . There are also natural occurrences in Japan and Korea. Neophytic populations exist in New Zealand and North America .

The small-flowered fireweed grows preferentially in damp locations near rivers or in swamps. But it also often occurs in damp mountain meadows and slopes. In Central Europe it is a type of character of the Convolvulo-Epilobietum hirsuti from the Convolvulion association, but also occurs in societies of the Artemisietea or Bidentetea classes. It seldom descends deeper than 300 meters or climbed higher than 2,500 meters. Dörr and Lippert report from the Allgäu that in the Alps it only climbs up to 1200 m in valleys.

The small-flowered willowherb often thrives in northern Germany at sea level and even occurs in Baden-Württemberg at the lowest point in the Upper Rhine Plain at 95 meters above sea level.

ingredients

The small-flowered fireweed is rich in flavonoids ; most of them are glycosides and their content in the plant varies by 1.5%. Aglycones that are not bound to sugar are myricetin , quercetin and kaempferol . The plant contains between 4 and 14% tannins , mainly tannins , which can be derived from ellagic acid ( macrocyclic ellagitannins ), but also simpler gallotannins .

The species contains around 0.55% β-sitosterol , a phytosterol . In addition, there are also caprylic acid , capric acid , palmitic acid and stearic acid .

Use as a medicinal herb

In folk medicine, the small-flowered fireweed is believed to have a beneficial effect on prostate ailments. It is also less commonly reported to help with bladder and kidney diseases. Scientific tests have shown that an extract from the plant has an antibacterial effect and inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli .

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literature

  • Jiarui Chen, Peter C. Hoch, Peter H. Raven: Epilobium. In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (Eds.): Flora of China . tape 13 : Clusiaceae through Araliaceae . Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2007, ISBN 978-1-930723-59-7 , pp. 414 (English, online ). (English).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jiarui Chen, Peter C. Hoch, Peter H. Raven: Epilobium. In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (Eds.): Flora of China . tape 13 : Clusiaceae through Araliaceae . Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2007, ISBN 978-1-930723-59-7 , pp. 414 (English, online ).
  2. ↑ a b 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 , pp.  684 .
  3. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings . Volume 2, IHW, Eching near Munich, 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 248.
  4. ↑ Network Phytodiversity Germany, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Distribution atlas of fern and flowering plants in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 2014, ISBN 978-3-7843-5319-7 , p. 323.
  5. ↑ Georg Philippi : Onagraceae (Oenotheraceae), evening primrose plants . In: Oskar Sebald, Siegmund Seybold, Georg Philippi (eds.): The fern and flowering plants of Baden-Württemberg . tape  4 : Special part (Spermatophyta, subclass Rosidae): Haloragaceae to Apiaceae . Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1992, ISBN 3-8001-3315-6 , pp. 48-49 .
  6. ^ V. Steenkamp, ​​MC Gouws, M. Gulumian, EE Elgorashi, J. van Staden: Studies on antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of herbal remedies used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis . In: Journal of Ethnopharmacology . tape 103 , no. 1 , January 2006, p. 71-75 , doi : 10.1016 / j.jep.2005.07.007 , PMID 16122891 .

Web links

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