Ruprecht's herb

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Ruprecht's herb
Ruprecht's herb (Geranium robertianum)

Ruprecht's herb ( Geranium robertianum )

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden II
Order : Cranesbill (geraniales)
Family : Cranesbill family (Geraniaceae)
Genre : Cranesbills ( geranium )
Type : Ruprecht's herb
Scientific name
Geranium robertianum
L.
Geranium robertianum with pollinator
Ruprecht's herb, with a bright flower
inflorescence
G. robertianum :
seeds and centrifugal mechanism
The jug-shaped calyx is covered with 1-4 mm long glandless hairs and shorter glandular hairs. The sepals have a 1.5–2.5 mm long awn.
Leaf discolored dark red by light protection pigments
The plate of the petals is narrow-obverse-shaped.
Ruprecht's herb ( Geranium robertianum )

The Ruprechtskraut ( Geranium robertianum ), also called Stinkender Storchschnabel or Stinkstorchschnabel , is a plant in the family of the cranesbill family (Geraniaceae).

description

It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant that reaches stature heights of up to 50 cm. It grows very branched, is hairy to smooth and exudes a strong, unpleasant scent due to the essential oil. The three to five-part hand-shaped leaves are 3 to 4 cm long and 3 to 7.5 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 1.8 to 4.4 cm long.

The paired, small flowers are hermaphroditic, radially symmetrical and five-fold. The five sepals are 5 to 7 mm long. The five pink petals are twice as long as the sepals. The five nectaries are fused in a ring. The purple anthers are 0.4 to 0.6 mm long. The scars are pink.

The flowering period extends from April to autumn. The flowers are mostly male and are mainly pollinated by bees.

The split fruit is 1.9 to 2.3 cm long.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 64.

ecology

The species is annual (summer annual or winter annual) or a biennial semi-rosette plant. It is very shade-friendly and still viable at 1/25 to 1/40 of normal daylight (even less with seedlings). With the help of the leaf joints, she can align the leaf blades precisely to the greatest incidence of light. This allows it to grow in cave entrances. On the other hand, the plant also tolerates full sunlight, whereby it turns dark red due to light protection pigments.

She is a spreading climber d. H. the petioles of the lower leaves and z. Sometimes the side shoots bend down at leaf joints and thus act as a support on the substrate. That is u. a. advantageous when growing on rocks and walls, especially since the leaf stalks outlast the death of the leaf blade.

The flowers are mostly pre-male "small funnel flowers ", which are mainly pollinated by bees ; But self-pollination is also successful, in that when there is no sunshine, the flowers are bent downwards by curving the flower stalk.

The fruits are 5-compartment capsules or split fruits. When ripe, the solitary, nut-like fruit flaps suddenly become detached from the central column due to drying out and are thrown as a whole up to 6 m away (desiccation spreader). Velcro spreading is also possible through strands of hair on the fruit .

Distribution and locations

Ruprecht's herb is a common cranesbill species in Europe , Asia and North Africa . The main habitat are shady, nitrogen-rich locations, often on scree. It is a character species of the Epilobio-Geranietum robertiani from the association Alliarion, but also occurs in societies of the associations Tilio-Acerion, Alno-Ulmion or in disturbed societies of the order Fagetalia.

It is generally found in the Alps up to an altitude of 1700 meters. In the Allgäu Alps, however, it occurs in the stone scree between Lechleiten and the Hundskopfalpe even at 1770 m above sea level.

Ruprecht's herb was also imported into other climates as a garden plant. For example, you can find it around San Francisco , California . In the US state of Washington it is now even regarded as a pesky weed. In North America, however, it is only found below 100 meters of altitude.

Use in the garden

Of all the cranesbill species , Ruprecht's herb was probably the first to be cultivated in the gardens. This is believed to be because it was used for medicinal purposes more often than other cranesbills. Records about the "Herba Roberti" existed as early as the 13th century.

Today Ruprecht's herb is rather rare in the garden, as there are more attractive cranesbills. However, since it also appears in the garden by itself, it is always tolerated as an ornamental plant.

Use in medicine

Ruprecht's herb was used in traditional folk medicine as a remedy for gynecological problems , toothache, bruises, fever, gout, kidney or lung ailments, herpes and nosebleeds. The infusion from the plant was used as a tonic and was also considered effective against diarrhea. Applied to wounds, it is said to have an antiseptic effect. Due to the peculiar smell of the grated leaves, it is also considered a mosquito repellent plant.

Geranium robertianum is also used as an active ingredient in homeopathic medicines. The ascribed effects, especially against urinary tract infections and diarrhea, have not been scientifically confirmed.

etymology

The name should refer to St. Ruprecht , the first bishop and state saint of Salzburg. He is said to have taught the use of the medicinal herb. A connection with the Old High German expression rōtpendet (reddish), which refers to the color of the plant, is also possible. In Tabernaemontanus (1664) the species is referred to as red ruff , after the red runny disease , for which it was also used as a remedy. Other common German names are Robertskraut , Gottesgnadenkraut , Wanzenkraut and Stinkender Storchschnabel .

swell

literature

Web links

Commons : Ruprechtskraut ( Geranium robertianum )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. Page 628. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  2. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 172.
  3. ↑ Geranium robertianum in homeopathy
  4. ↑ Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Birkhäuser, Basel / Boston / Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-7643-2390-6 , p. 540.