The flora of our planet is extremely diverse and beautiful. A huge number of different life forms of plants provides not only aesthetic pleasure, but also brings very tangible practical benefits: it is a food source, decorative elements, a supplier of medicines, a source of clean and fresh air filled with oxygen and so on.
Among all the life forms of plants, a large place is given to herbs, both cultural and wild. They occupy almost 50% of the total mass of the flora of the planet, so we will consider them.
Herbs: General Description
Most often herbs include plants that have a slightly modified shoot. That is, in the classical sense, the shoot should include a stem, leaves and a flower. So, not all structural parts can be observed in herbs. Often the stem is modified, the leaves take on such a shape and size that help to adapt to the maximum environmental conditions.
Of course, all herbs have a flower, as a reproductive organ. However, in size, shape and color, they are also very different. This factor will depend on the pollination method of a particular plant species.
Wild herbs - a very large group, including representatives from almost all known families of angiosperms. The names of the herbs are very diverse. There are both historically established "names" and scientific data on binary nomenclature (in Latin, the first name is genus, the second is species). For example, Leonurus heterophyllus, or Motherwort diverse.
The root system, branching of the shoot, the structure of the flower and leaves - all these botanical characteristics will be based on a specific genus and type of plant, therefore it is impossible to identify any common morphological characters for all wild herbs.
Grass classification
Different signs can be used as the basis, but the most commonly used division of herbs is:
- Annuals - buttercups, cornflowers, ageratums, cinquefoil, dope, poppies, chamomiles - the names of herbs in this group can be listed for a very long time, since they are numerous.
- Biennials - mallow, euphorbia, melilot, lupine, forget-me-not, bell, viola and others.
- Perennial - begonia, anemone, alissum, St. John's wort, reed, iris, sour, oregano, elecampane and others. The names of herbs in this category reflect their purpose. Obviously, this includes many medicinal well-known species.
In addition to such a classification, another can be cited. The basis is the area of human use.
- Medicinal herbs - celandine, succession, thyme, chamomile, sage, calendula, blood pot, lily of the valley and others.
- Cultivated agricultural plants - vegetables, fruits, cereals (cereals).
- Spicy herbs - ginger, fennel, horseradish, anise, parsley, basil, lemon balm, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, laurel and so on.
- Ornamental herbs - ornamental cabbage, euphorbia fringed, Daurian moon seed seedling, rejuvenation, incense, kohiya, rogers and many others.
At the place of growth, all herbs can be divided into mountain, forest, meadow, marsh, desert, steppe and garden gardens (weeds and cultivated plants).
Wild herbs of Russia
There are a lot of such representatives. Almost all wild herbs, names and photos of their representatives can be seen in any relevant encyclopedia. Let's try and we will examine in more detail the variety of Russian wild herbs.
More than 900 species are known alone, but there are many others. According to climatic zones, their distribution is uneven. It is known that most of the plants, including herbs, are located in the more southern, southeastern and eastern regions of our country. The northern, northwestern and western regions are densely populated, but not so diverse in species composition.
So, we can cite as an example the region of Siberia (Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East, all nearby areas, up to Chukotka). Here the most common wild-growing herbs, whose names are as follows:
- leaf leaf;
- Anchors
- dandelion;
- sorrel;
- shepherd’s bag;
- primrose;
- viburnum;
- wingbell;
- Highlander;
- a canoe;
- different sedges;
- feather grass;
- sagebrush;
- quinoa;
- celandine and many others.
Among these, you can find both medicinal and ordinary species. One thing unites them - these are representatives of the flora living in wild conditions. Herbs are plants that are simply impossible to embrace in one article. Too many of them. The European part of Russia is represented by a variety of beautiful flowering herbs that form entire rugs of variegation, making the wildlife unimaginably beautiful. Among them are such names of herbs as lingonberry, common loosestrife, veronica oak, raven eye, common heather, Fischer clove, forest geranium, hard-leaved starlet.
Due to the good climatic conditions, the central strip of Russia is famous for its many medicinal species of herbs, which also create beautiful summer, spring and autumn landscapes with their flowers. These are such as fragrant, lily of the valley bought, young shoots, oak grove, common chamomile, nightshade, blueberries, cedar, hawk and others.
On mountainous areas and their forbs we will dwell in more detail later.
China forest
A beautiful perennial plant with a bright pink color of the corolla of the flower and a beautiful honey aroma that attracts pollinating insects from June until September autumn days. Many pasture animals choose this particular wild beauty for nutrition, as there are a lot of proteins and carbohydrates in its roots, stalk and leaves. Belongs to the family of Moth (Legumes). The main economic importance - as a perennial, carries out annual soil drainage, participates in soil formation processes, goes well to livestock feed. It has no medicinal value.
Acid buttercup
Very widespread plant belonging to the category of poisonous. It is found in almost all bands of Russia, has a high adaptability to environmental conditions. Includes several types of grass, the names and photos of which can be seen below.
Varieties of buttercup:
- caustic ("night blindness" in the common people);
- Kashubsky;
- creeping;
- Chistyak spring;
- garden and others.
It is not suitable for pasture animals, since the shoot of the plant is poisonous. After drying to a state of hay, it becomes safe. In medicine, the usual is not used, but in the alternative it is very common as a remedy for rheumatism, open wounds, boils, with tuberculosis and burns.
Mountain grass
The most famous among these are, of course, Altai herbs. A huge amount of cosmetics, medicines, tinctures, balms, ointments is created on the basis of extracts of these miraculous plants.
After all, the very air of this mountainous area seems to be healing. Almost all plants grown on the rocky surfaces of Altai are medicinal. The animals that eat these herbs are the strongest and healthiest. People who apply fees from these places for treatment have fewer chronic diseases than people in other areas.
Some Altai herbs that have received popular recognition and are most often used by man:
- red brush (Rhodiola fourfold);
- milk thistle;
- gold rod;
- hodgepodge;
- penny;
- boron uterus (orthilia one-sided);
- Veronica is black;
- White bloodroot;
- small basilica;
- squat;
- burnet;
- common calendula;
- Melilotus officinalis;
- calamus;
- umbrella hawk;
- medicinal marshmallow;
- chokeberry aronia;
- immortelle sandy and many others.
Balms are very common, which combine several herbal components at once. They help with a variety of problems: they cleanse, soothe, tone, normalize blood pressure, restore sleep, relieve headaches and chronic fatigue, and more. Such wild-growing mountain herbs, the names of which were given above, are very valuable objects of medicine.
Milk thistle
Another name for this Altai grass is milk thistle. This plant has long been revered as a very good medicinal assistant. Infusions from different parts of the grass help against liver diseases, cleanse the intestines and eliminate inflammatory processes, relieve swelling and treat jaundice and many other ailments.
The plant itself sometimes reaches 1.5 m in height. The leaves are very beautiful, with a white border and a dissected edge. The flowers are similar to cones of a rounded shape, dark pink or purple. A very valuable property of milk thistle, which allows its use in both folk and traditional medicine, is the complete absence of side effects.
A beautiful appearance allows you to use it not only as a medicinal, but also as an ornamental plant in many gardens.
Rhodiola four-petalled
In common people - a red brush. Endemic plant of the Altai Territory. One of the most popular among these mountain herbs. It is used in medicine both folk and traditional for the treatment of female diseases of the pelvic organs, infertility, male prostatitis, inflammation. Helps to stop bleeding, normalizes the cardiovascular system, helps in the treatment of various kinds of viral and bacterial diseases.
Outwardly very interesting, unusual herbs. The description is as follows: small plants growing on rocky surfaces, with narrow leaves closely spaced to each other. The flowers are not noticeable, pale, but the fruits in the form of leaflets are very bright, red. The shape of the leaves resembles a brush, for which this plant got its name.
The most common medicinal herbs
This group includes a lot of representatives around the world. In Russia, they are also very diverse. Indeed, almost all plants (with the exception of highly toxic ones) contain useful alkaloids, essential oils, resins, tannins, minerals and other components that allow them to be used as medicinal herbs. The names of the most common and famous representatives of this group, growing on the territory of our country, are as follows:
- pharmaceutical camomile;
- eyebright ;
- White bloodroot;
- coltsfoot;
- Melissa officinalis;
- umbilical umbrella;
- boron uterus;
- common raspberries;
- large plantain;
- motherwort five-bladed;
- ordinary calamus;
- Golden root;
- fragrant collision;
- Red viburnum;
- calendula;
- Schisandra chinensis;
- wild rose;
- prickly Eleutherococcus;
- echinacea;
- succession;
- celandine and many others.
Obviously, listing all the plants is simply impossible, as their species diversity is too great.
Aloe tree
Of domestic potted plants, a century or aloe is often used as a medicine. This is a succulent plant with thick fleshy leaves topped with thorns. Aloe juice contains many (up to 200) different nutrients. They help to treat open wounds, inflammations, bacterial and viral ailments.
The most common spicy plants
Since ancient times, they have been used as medicinal, but most often as food additives that make dishes refined, original and very fragrant. Some names of spicy herbs in Russia are summarized in this article: horseradish, dill, parsley, celery, parsnip, black pepper, cardamom, peppermint, lemon balm, mustard and some others.