Forest ringelkraut
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Forest ringelkraut ( Mercurialis perennis ) |
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The forest ringelkraut ( Mercurialis perennis ), also called permanent ringelkraut and wild hemp , is a type of plant from the genus of the jingle herbs ( Mercurialis ) within the family of the milkweed plants (Euphorbiaceae).
description
The forest ringelkraut grows as a perennial (plurienn-hapaxanth) herbaceous plant and reaches heights of 15 to 30 centimeters. Although it belongs to the milkweed family, it has no milky sap . It has simple, square stems with leaves at the top (only with scaly leaves at the bottom ). The leaves are clearly stalked, elliptical to oblong- egg-shaped and about three times as long as they are wide.
The flowering period extends from April to May. The forest ringelkraut is dioeciously separated sexes ( diocesan ), so there are female and male plants with either female or male inflorescences . The flowers are small, green and reduced. The male flowers have numerous stamens .
The fruits are two- to three-pod capsule fruits with solitary partial fruits.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 42 or 64-66.
ecology
The forest ringelkraut is a rhizome - geophyte , which may be evergreen in the Atlantic climate . There is abundant vegetative reproduction through branched runners , which is why male and female plants are often separate and can each form extensive stands of the same sex, as is also known from other perennial dioecious plants due to their clonal spread. Think of the great nettle , Japanese knotweed , sea buckthorn or the small valerian .
When drying, for example in the ( herbarium ), the plant parts usually take on a blue-black metallic sheen due to the formation of indigo . Its leaves smell unpleasant.
The flowers are unisexual and smell fish-like due to amines . Pollination takes place by insects and by the wind . The species is windblown .
The development of seeds is possible even if there is no pollination ( apomixis ).
Distribution and location
The forest ringelkraut is common in Europe and the Middle East.
It is found frequently and socially in herbaceous beech and coniferous forests, also in oak and ash floodplain forests or in tall herbaceous fields. It prefers moist, nutrient-rich and base-rich, loose soil in rather shady locations. It shows seepage water . It often occurs in large groups in clay and limestone areas. According to Ellenberg , it is a nitrogen pointer and an order character of the noble deciduous mixed forests and related societies (Fagetalia sylvaticae).
The forest ringelkraut rises in the Allgäu Alps on the southern slope of the Kegelkopf in Bavaria to an altitude of 1850 meters.
Taxonomy
The first publication of Mercurialis perennis was by Carl von Linné . The generic name Mercurialis is derived from the god Mercury , who is said to have discovered the healing powers of the bingel herb.
particularities
It was in this species that Rudolf Jacob Camerarius discovered the sexuality of plants in Tübingen in 1694 .
Medical importance
Healing effect
In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, bingelkraut was considered effective for stomach constipation and as a means to quickly stimulate menstrual bleeding, and it was also used for eye problems and blocked ear canals. The laxative effect has been proven. Forest bingelkraut is rarely used as a medicinal plant today. In homeopathy, it is used as an ointment for purulent, inflammatory skin diseases (e.g. milk congestion or mastitis)
Toxicity
All parts of the plant have the highest active ingredient content when the fruit is ripe . The dried herb is said to have no effect. The whole plant is generally considered to be less toxic.
The main active ingredients are saponins , methylamine, trimethylamine .
Symptoms of poisoning: The effect as a laxative is to be ascribed to the saponins. Poisoning in humans is hardly to be expected.
The ingestion of Mercurialis species can cause gastroenteritis and damage to the kidneys and liver in horses, pigs and ruminants . Symptoms often only appear after a few days: salivation, appetite, indifference, moaning, torticollis as a characteristic feature (crooked neck position), rising, then falling temperature, red-blue coloration of the urine (with ruminants also the milk), pounding heartbeat with frequent, small pulse , increasing weakness. Death can also occur.
literature
- Manfred A. Fischer , Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
- Dankwart Seidel: Flowers. Determine accurately with the 3-check. 2nd revised edition. blv, Munich / Vienna / Zurich 2001, ISBN 3-405-15766-8 .
- 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 .
- Ingrid and Peter Schönfelder : The new book of medicinal plants. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3-440-12932-6 .
- Lutz Roth, Max Daunderer , Kurt Kormann: Poisonous plants plant poisons. Occurrence, effect, therapy. Allergic and phototoxic reactions. With a special section about poisonous animals. 6th, revised edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-86820-009-6 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas. 8th edition. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , page 634.
- ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 187.
- ↑ Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. Birkhäuser, Basel / Stuttgart 1976, ISBN 3-7643-0755-2 , p. 244.
- ↑ Hans Zotter : Ancient medicine. The collective medical manuscript Cod. Vindobonensis 93 in Latin and German. Academic printing and Verlagsanstalt, Graz 1980 (= Interpretationes ad codices. Volume 2); 2nd, improved edition, ibid. 1986, ISBN 3-201-01310-2 , p. 150 f. (to the Mercurialis plant ).
- ↑ L. Roth et al .: Poisonous Plants - Plant Poisons - Poisonous Plants from AZ, Emergency Aid, Allergic and Phototoxic Reactions. 5th enlarged edition. Nikol-Verlag, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-86820-009-6 , pp. 495-496.
Web links
- Mercurialis perennis L., Perennial ringelkraut. In: FloraWeb.de.
- Spreading northern hemisphere.
- Mercurialis perennis L. In: Info Flora , the national data and information center for Swiss flora .
- Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia ).
