It has a stem, narrow, spirally arranged leaves; instead of roots, thread-like outgrowths in the lower part of the stem are rhizoids. Its feeding method is the same as that of algae, since moss contains chlorophyll and is green in color.
Sphagnum moss.
The stem is thin, the main shoot is erect, branched. The side shoots are arranged in bunches; at the top of the main stem the shoots are twisted into a head. All branches are densely covered with small leaves. There are no rhizoids; the lower end of the stem, immersed in water, gradually dies. The bark of the sphagnum stem consists of large water-bearing cells. Many such cells are found in the leaves. In this regard, sphagnum absorbs and retains large amounts of water.
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Kukushkin flax |
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1. Where and on what soil does it grow? |
Swamps, acidic, poor nutrients |
Wet places |
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2. What is the color of the stems and leaves? |
The stem is colorless, the leaves are green | |
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3. Are there rhizoids? | ||
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4. Where are the spores located? |
In a box |
In a capsule (sporophyte) on a female plant |
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5. Is the stem branched or not? |
branchy | |
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6. How are the boxes arranged? |
Group at the top |
Alone at the top of a female plant |
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7. How do the leaves differ in their internal structure? |
Have dead aquifer cells |
No aquifer cells |
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8. Economic importance |
Moss propagation
Bryophytes have a characteristic organizational feature: the sexual generation - gametophyte, on which sex cells (gametes) are formed, and asexual - sporophyte, where spores are formed.
Gametophytes of cuckoo flax are dioecious. At the top of male and female plants, sexual reproductive organs develop. After fertilization on female plants, a sporophyte is formed from the zygote - a capsule sitting on a long stalk. The box has a lid, which disappears by the time the spores ripen. The spores spill out and are dispersed by the wind. IN favorable conditions after a few days or weeks they germinate into a gametophyte. Green mosses are also characterized by vegetative reproduction - by body parts and special buds.
Questions :
– What is the limiting factor for mosses?
– Why are mosses a dead-end branch in evolution?
The importance of sphagnum mossesin nature.
1. Sphagnum absorbs and retains large amounts of water.
2. Sphagnum, growing in dense turf, causes waterlogging of soils.
The appearance of calcium salts in the water or soil on which sphagnum grows has a depressing effect on it. In this regard, liming of soils is a means of combating the growth of sphagnum and waterlogging of soils.
3. Sphagnum plays a role in peat formation
Deep peat is dense and black. The plant particles that formed the peat became charred.
Peat taken from the top layer of a moss bog is loose and brown in color. In such peat, parts of sphagnum are clearly visible. Sphagnum is a peat former.
Additional Information.
Peat - sedimentary rock consisting of incompletely decomposed plant remains. In its natural state, it is a relatively homogeneous mass of black or brown color in composition and color. Used as fertilizer, fuel, chemical raw materials.
From 1 ton of absolutely dry peat you can get:
3500–3700 kg of organic fertilizer;
30–35 kg of wax;
200–220 kg of feed yeast;
150–180 kg of activated carbon;
650–700 kg of growth stimulants;
350–500 kg of dyes.
How do people use mosses?
Man began to use mosses in his farming a very long time ago. Already in the Stone Age it was an irreplaceable material at hand, as evidenced by archaeological excavations, the most ancient of which date back to the early Mesolithic (stone knife with a moss lining on the handle). A warehouse of Bronze Age knives and scrapers, tightly packed in a homogeneous mass of mosses, was found in Germany. Analysis showed that it is sphagnum moss Sphagnum palustre, and the rest is green floor moss Hylocomim splendens.
Mosses were used both as soft bedding and as a material for caulking cracks in homes - the latter is widespread in our time. The Scandinavian peoples have moss Fohtinalis antipyretica they caulked cracks in ancient dwellings, believing that it protected against fire.
From cuckoo flax ( Polytrichum commune) due to its flexibility, relatively large size and strength, brooms, ropes and packaging material have long been made.
In terms of its reserves, peat ranks second among fossil fuels after coal. It is used as fuel in natural form(lumpy peat) or after appropriate technological processing.
The primary products of dry distillation of peat (coking and gasification) are valuable chemical raw materials from which artificial wax, paraffin, phenols, acetic and nitric acid and much more are produced.
Peat is also used as a building material for thermal insulation and cladding.
Peat is an excellent material for creating powdered filter and decolorizing carbons. It can be used to filter water and other liquids.
Peat bedding for livestock is made from high-moor peat with a degree of decomposition of no higher than 25%. Due to the high moisture- and gas-absorbing properties of peat, it is softer, more elastic, dry, warm and hygienic compared to straw, and as a result, the health of pets is better.
Peat planting pots are made from high-moor sphagnum peat with a degree of decomposition of 30–45% and a humidity of 75–85% with the addition of manure and superphosphate to increase the nutrient content.
Sphagnum peat and sphagnum are an ancient folk remedy for healing purulent wounds and abscesses. The bactericidal properties of sphagnum moss are due to its content iodine and a special substance - sphagnola, an aromatic hydrocarbon derivative of benzene acid (a powerful antiseptic).
The eighties of the last century marked the beginning of the widespread use of sphagnum in surgery as a dressing material. It was widely used in this capacity during the Great Patriotic War. But subsequently, cotton wool, as more convenient to use, replaced sphagnum from surgical practice.
In the middle of the 20th century, a sphagnol extract was obtained from sphagnum using the extraction method, which kills streptococcal and staphylococcal bacteria.
Thanks to these biochemical features (the release of sphagnol and iodine into the external environment), the water in the sphagnum bog is always ready to be consumed raw, without the risk for travelers to “catch” any disease. The water of many taiga rivers, originating in high sphagnum bogs, is colored brown, which gives it iodine, which is contained in such water in large quantities.
Conclusions.
Swamp is a biocenosis that includes several hundred species of plants and animals.
Swamps supply a lot of oxygen to the atmosphere and play a large role in purifying it from pollutants (the mass of absorbed dust reaches 3 t/ha).
Swamps influence the formation of heat and radiation balance, and influence the water regime of neighboring territories.
Their large surface area increases evaporation, which moderates the climate.
Protection of wetlands is necessary, mainly because they are an integral part of the biosphere, determining the ecological balance of the environment.
Economic development of swamps should be carried out with a careful study of these valuable biogeocenoses.
Syn.: common polytrichum, common polytrichum, long moss, cuckoo moss, red moss, king's curls, cuckoo's belly.
Cuckoo flax or common polytrich is a perennial spore plant, a leafy green moss from the family Polytrichaceae. In folk medicine, the plant is endowed with diuretic, laxative and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ask the experts a question
In medicine
Kukushkin flax is not a pharmacopoeial plant and is not used in official medicine, but in folk medicine it is used as a diuretic, laxative, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory agent. Seed infusion cuckoo moss endowed with expectorant, emollient, enveloping, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Contraindications and side effects
U cuckoo flax There are no contraindications, but scientists warn that if taken for a long time in large doses, the plant can lead to general poisoning of the body. It is believed that the use of cuckoo flax may contribute to the development of diabetes.
In cosmetology
Infusion of cuckoo flax has a beneficial effect on the hair and scalp. It stimulates hair growth, fights baldness and has antiseborrheic properties.
In gardening
Gardeners use cuckoo flax not only as ornamental plant, but also as a way effective recovery soil acidity with its help.
In other areas
In Rus', kukushkin flax has been used since ancient times as insulation. They were used to lay logs during construction. This moss not only perfectly stored heat and provided air exchange, but also absorbed excess moisture on rainy days and gave it away on dry days. Also, due to its bactericidal properties, cuckoo flax prevented mold from developing, preventing the wood from rotting. Therefore, moss is still used as an inter-crown compound in the construction of log houses, although it has low elasticity compared to the latest materials.
Classification
Kukushkin flax (lat. Polytrichum commune) – a genus of leafy green mosses, perennials from the family Polytrichum (lat. Polytrichum), division mossy (lat. Bryophyta). The genus includes about a hundred species, the most famous of which is cuckoo flax (lat. Polytrichum commune L.). In addition to it, cuckoo hair flax (lat. Polytrichum piliferum Schreb.) and cuckoo juniper flax (lat. Polytrichum juniperum Willd) are often found. In total, 13 species of cuckoo flax grow in Russia.
Botanical description
Kukushkin flax is a green, leafy, perennial moss, quite large for this type of plant. In the lower part of polytrichum there are primitive analogues of roots - rhizoids. Initially, cuckoo flax develops a horizontal primary stem, without leaves. Then a secondary one appears, erect, with narrow and long, dark green leaves arranged in a spiral, covering the entire plant. Each leaf has an assimilation plate and a large main vein. Lower leaves take the form of scales. The secondary stem of cuckoo flax can be either branched or simple.
Polytrichus vulgaris - dioecious plant. On some of its shoots antheridia (male genital organs) develop, on others - archegonia (female). Fertilization of cuckoo flax cannot occur without water. Polytrich grows in thick turf and rainwater or heavy dew, flowing down, helps sperm find their way to female eggs. From the fertilized egg, a new plant is obtained - a sporophyte. On the “leg” of cuckoo flax, a capsule grows - a sporangium - a special organ in which plant spores mature. When the spores ripen, the cap falls off the capsule and they are carried away by the wind. Finding themselves in favorable conditions, the spores germinate and begin from a thin thread of the primary stem. new life cuckoo flax.
Spreading
Cuckoo flax can be found in the boreal zone of temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, as well as in Mexico, on several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including New Zealand, and also in Australia. Common cuckoo flax moss prefers to grow on the outskirts of swamps in coniferous forests. Kukushkin juniper flax prefers pine groves and grows in clearings. Cuckoo hair flax, the shortest of all types of this moss, can be found on dry soil and open spaces.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Cuckoo flax can be collected all summer, but for medicinal purposes it is preferable to harvest it at the very end of the season, when the spore seeds ripen. The plant is dried in the shade or in a ventilated area, spread on cloth or paper. Having collected the stems, the seeds are collected from the substrate.
Chemical composition
The chemical composition of cuckoo flax is considered poorly understood. Perhaps this is why the plant is not used in official medicine. It is possible that the expansion scientific knowledge about cuckoo flax will lead to its inclusion in the number of pharmacopoeial plants. In the meantime, it is known that the stems and seeds of cuckoo flax contain essential oil, resinous substances and glycoside.
Pharmacological properties
Medicinal properties cuckoo flax have not been the subject of serious scientific research and have not been confirmed by experiments or clinical trials. Because the chemical composition Since the plant has been little studied, based on the available data we can only confidently assert that cuckoo flax can act as a laxative, effectively combating constipation. As a diuretic, the plant can be beneficial for edema, dropsy, and kidney stones.
Use in folk medicine
In folk medicine, infusions and decoctions of cuckoo flax are recommended to be drunk for constipation and kidney stones, for dropsy and edema, for severe cough, bronchitis and pneumonia. Cuckoo flax tea is considered a healing remedy for pain from stomach colic and cholelithiasis. It is recommended to drink this drink to improve the condition of the gastrointestinal tract. In homeopathy, cuckoo flax is used for hemorrhoids, menstrual pain, bronchitis and diarrhea.
Cuckoo flax seeds are brewed as an expectorant and enveloping agent. This decoction can also act as a laxative. Herbalists believe that an infusion of cuckoo flax seeds can help treat nervous diseases, oliguria, gonorrhea and dysmenorrhea. Powder from crushed seeds is used externally as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Historical reference
Cuckoo flax moss received its unusual name for two reasons. Firstly, its elongated stems really look like fiber flax, and secondly, its variegated boxes resemble the speckled wings of a cuckoo. Beneficial features cuckoo flax like construction insulation have been known for a long time. Many Russian monuments wooden architecture It is cuckoo flax that is stored in its crevices. In villages, moss was often used for uterine bleeding. To do this, the plant decoction was boiled, diluted with red wine and drunk, sweetened with honey. This same drink was considered effective means from “stabbing in the chest.”
Literature
1. Zalesova E. N., Petrovskaya O. V. “Complete Russian illustrated dictionary-herbal and flower garden”, published by A.A. Kaspari, St. Petersburg, 1898 - 278 p.
2. " Modern encyclopedia medicinal plants", Compiled by: Vladimir Preobrazhensky, Baro-Press, Moscow, 2001 - 128 p.
Kukushkin flax is one of the well-known deciduous mosses. The plant is quite small, its height reaches only 20-30 cm. The stem of the moss is covered with miniature leaves that absorb moisture and contribute to the rapid waterlogging of the area. It reproduces by spores and quickly colonizes a large area of soil. It can be found in forests, mountains, meadows, and swamps, where they contribute to the formation of a dense canopy.
Harvesting moss
Kukushkin flax is harvested at the end of summer, when the spores ripen. The entire green part of the herb is collected, dried, and then used as tinctures, decoctions and medicinal teas.
An herbal infusion is prepared from 1 tbsp. l. dry raw materials and 200 ml hot water. Leave for two hours, then filter and apply 4 times a day, 1 tbsp. An infusion of seeds is prepared and used in the same way, but when it settles, it is kept for an hour less.
Application in medicine
To date, the composition of cuckoo flax has not been sufficiently studied, so it is not used in traditional medicine, but experienced herbalists use it in folk medicine. What is known is that flax has a laxative effect, since it contains resinous substances, essential oil and the glieoside linamarin.
Kukushkin flax is used:
- to stop severe uterine bleeding;
- with a strong cough;
- with pneumonia;
- for bronchitis.
An infusion of cuckoo flax herb is used for dropsy, edema, constipation and kidney stones. The infusion from the seeds has slightly different pharmacological properties, so it is used as:
- emollient;
- anti-inflammatory;
- expectorant;
- enveloping agent.
This infusion is used in the treatment of neurasthenia, oliguria, dysmenoria, gonorrhea and as a laxative. Cuckoo flax can also be used externally as a powder.
The plant is also used in homeopathy. It is used for hemorrhoids, menstrual irregularities, bronchitis and diarrhea.
Teas from this type of moss are used to reduce pain from stomach colic, dissolve kidney and gallstones, and also improve the condition of the digestive tract. The infusion can be used to rinse the scalp for dandruff and hair loss. As a result of such procedures, the hair is toned and strengthened.
Other Applications
Kukushkin flax was used not only in folk medicine, but also in construction wooden houses as a sealant. Over time, many builders abandoned it, as it has a low degree of elasticity.
The plant is one of the main components of peat, which is used as fuel. But its most interesting use is as malt in the production of whiskey.
Kukushkin flax is used in gardening as a medicinal and ornamental plant. Thanks to its properties, moss restores the acidity of the soil, where in the future any type of plant can be grown.
Contraindications
If dosages are not followed and long-term use of infusions or decoctions of cuckoo flax can result in poisoning of the body.
Kukushkin flax is a plant that in the territory Russian Federation most common in the forests of northern and middle zone. Favorable conditions for it are observed in taiga swampy forests, swamps and wet meadows. The plant belongs to the genus of the bryophyte division. There are more than a hundred of its varieties found on the planet. Kukushkin flax, which forms cushion-shaped tufts, is often found in the tundra and mountainous areas. Polytrichum vulgaris (the second name of the plant) is the most widespread in the CIS countries.
Great importance of the sun
Kukushkin flax loves light very much. That is why in dark spruce forests, even if the soil there is damp and fertile, it will be limited in growth and development. With sufficient quantity sun rays the plant rapidly stretches, actively capturing new areas and covering the soil with a dense carpet. The ground under cuckoo flax dries out much more slowly, which is why its growth gradually leads to swamping of the area.
Description
Cuckoo flax moss is distinguished by rather tall stems (their length is 10-15 centimeters, but forty-centimeter plants are also found). The conductive system ensures the movement of water and nutrients along the stem.
origin of name
The described plant has straight stems of a brownish color. They bear small dark green leaves that resemble flax in miniature. But the boxes that appear on female plants evoke associations with a cuckoo perched on a kind of pole.
The structure of cuckoo flax
The plant in question is classified as a leafy perennial moss. Its size is large; in the lower part of the stem there are rhizoids - primitive analogues of roots. There are no leaves on the primary horizontal stem. The secondary stem can be either simple or branched. It is erect, the average length is within fifteen centimeters. Each leaf has a main large vein. Kukushkin flax, the structure of which is quite simple, has scale-like lower leaves.
Functions of the stem
The main role of this part of the plant is supporting. The conductive capacity of the stem is no less important. It acts as a link between the leaves and the root system. The stem also performs some secondary functions. Among them is maintaining the supply of nutrients.
Reproduction and development
The plant reproduces in the following ways: sexually (gametes) and asexually (spores, shoots). They alternate.
How exactly does the cuckoo flax plant reproduce? The spores that the plant produces are in a sporangium (box) on a stalk. After ripening, they spill out of this natural storage. Under favorable conditions, spores form a multicellular thread, and from it, in turn, several gametophytes appear (this happens by budding). A gametophyte is a green perennial shoot that has leaves and rhizoids (root-like formations). The latter take salts and iodine from the soil. Leaf cells provide the synthesis of all other necessary substances. Based on this, it can be argued that the gametophyte is an independent organism.
After some time, the gametophyte stops growing. Then the cuckoo flax begins to reproduce. In the center of the rosette of leaves (location - at the top of the stem) male and female genital organs develop. The first are represented by antheridia (the name comes from Greek word“anteros”, which means “blooming”), in which mobile gametes - sperm, as well as archegonia - female genital organs, which are responsible for the formation of a stationary female gamete - the egg, undergo a development cycle.
Male plants are characterized by the presence of more large leaves, colored female specimens do not have such leaves.
When a rainy period or high water occurs, sperm (male cells) are able to swim to the egg. As a result, they merge. Upon completion of the fertilization process, a zygote appears (this word comes from the Greek “zygotos”, which translates as “joined”). This is the first stage of embryo development. On next year From the fertilized zygote, a capsule (sporogon) develops, located on a rather leafless plant. Subsequently, the capsule becomes the site for the development of spores. This natural repository is very fragile. It sways even in a light breeze. After the cap falls off and the spores fall out, the germination of a green branched thread - a pre-spring - is observed. Note that for a successful result it is necessary that the spores enter an environment favorable to them, in which case the cuckoo flax will reproduce.
On the pre-bud, buds are formed, from which female and male specimens of the plant emerge. Thus it can be seen that life cycle The development of mosses includes a sequential alternation of asexual and sexual generations. During evolution, this feature was developed in many plants, including cuckoo flax.
Propagating this vegetatively makes it easy to obtain a thick green carpet on personal plot. It is enough just to place a small piece of moss on a damp area. However, one should take into account the ability of this plant to swamp its habitat.
Use for various purposes
If you remove the leaves from the cuckoo flax, you can get flexible, hard threads formed by the central stems. Our ancestors used this natural material for making brushes and brooms. Once soaked and combed, the stems made an excellent base for mats, rugs, baskets and blackout curtains. It is noteworthy that during excavations of an early Roman fort in England, the remains of baskets made from cuckoo flax were found. The pieces date back to 86 AD.
Previously, cuckoo flax was widely used in the manufacture of cloaks for warriors and travelers. The resulting garments were particularly durable. In addition, they had decorative value.
Healers advise using this type of moss to activate the digestive system, eliminate stomach colic and dissolve kidney and gallstones.
Kukushkin flax, the structure of which allows it to be used in gardening in decorative purposes, has a positive effect on the soil. So, this plant is capable of normalizing soil acidity in a maximum of two seasons. After this, on the restored soil you can successfully grow any garden plants. Dead parts of moss will serve as an excellent fertilizer.
The most unusual use of cuckoo flax is as malt in the production of whiskey.
Natural insulation
Kukushkin flax can effectively protect a structure from the penetration of cold and moisture. The fact that moss does not rot is greatly appreciated. Its placement between the logs of the log house allows for moss to be used fresh for these purposes. Before laying natural insulation, it must be thoroughly cleaned of twigs, sticks, cones, grass and other inclusions.
Sphagnum moss
This plant belongs to the genus of white (peat) mosses. 320 of its species have been identified. Sphagnum is predominantly represented by bog mosses, which form dense clusters that form either large pillows or thick carpets on the ground. But in humid forests, sphagnum is much less common. This plant resembles Kukushkin flax with its erect stem, reaching ten to twenty centimeters in height. The leaves of sphagnum are single-layered and placed on fascicle-shaped branches. The leaves contain many aquifer cells with pores that actively absorb water. This fact determines the plant’s greater moisture capacity. In areas where these mosses appear, raised bogs quickly develop.
Every year the stems in the lower part of the plant die off. They form peat. Further growth of the stem is ensured by the apical branches.
Note that sphagnums play important role in the formation and existence of swamps. As mentioned above, dead areas of moss form peat deposits. Peat formation is possible due to stagnant waterlogging, the provision of an acidic environment by mosses and the lack of oxygen. Under these conditions, rotting processes do not occur and sphagnum does not decompose. Peat is a valuable product from which wax, ammonia, paraffin, alcohol, etc. are obtained. It is widely used in medical practice and in construction. Moss acts as a biofuel and an effective fertilizer.
How is sphagnum useful?
Many folk recipes and official medicine include this component. And all because sphagnum moss is beautiful antiseptic and reliable dressing material. It helps heal purulent wounds due to its ability to absorb a large number of moisture. In this indicator, sphagnum is superior to the best varieties absorbent cotton wool. This moss is capable of producing a bactericidal effect due to the presence of sphagnol - a special phenol-like substance that inhibits the development and vital activity of E. coli, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and some other pathogenic microorganisms.
Flower growers actively use sphagnum moss to grow indoor plants. It is a component of the substrate, a mulch layer or performs drainage functions. Moss is not rich in nutrients, but it gives the soil the required looseness. The excellent hygroscopicity of sphagnum explains its ability to evenly distribute moisture. The presence of sphagnol determines the bactericidal properties of the described type of moss, which allows you to effectively care for the roots of the main plant, preventing the development of diseases and decay.
From a distance, mosses resemble a carpet or fur of greenish, red or brown color. Up close you can see that the carpet fibers are stems with leaves. Moss leaves usually consist of one layer of cells. The stems of mosses carry the leaves towards the light. Many mosses have thin projections on their stems called rhizoids, with which they cling to the ground.
Green cuckoo flax moss is a small plant, usually no more than 20 cm. Cuckoo flax has brownish-green, unbranched stems, densely covered with narrow leaves.
Mosses grow in thick tufts. Rainwater helps sperm reach the tops of female plants. They penetrate the eggs, fertilization occurs, and a zygote is formed. The following year, a spore capsule develops from the zygote. The spore lands on moist soil and germinates, forming a thin green thread. The thread branches; buds appear on it, from which shoots of moss grow.
What are we doing? Consider the green cuckoo flax moss plant.
Find: stem and leaves, rhizoids (thin brown outgrowths), stalk and capsule (at the top of the stem).
Examine the sheet under a microscope and sketch it in your notebook.
Determine the shape of the stem (branched, unbranched).
Determine whether the plant is male or female.
Look under a magnifying glass lengthwise cut boxes with a lid and find spores inside. Examine disputes under a magnifying glass.