Subfamily Asteraceae - Sage grass family (part 2): Edelweiss
5. Helichrysum genus
Helichrysum ( scientific name : Helichrysum ) is a genus of Asteraceae that is an herbaceous or shrub. The genus is a large genus of about 500 species, widely distributed throughout the Eastern Hemisphere, especially in southern Africa, Madagascar, Oceania, but also common in tropical Africa, the Mediterranean region, the peninsula of Asia Minor and India, and a few species are found in other parts of Asia and Europe. There are only 2 wild species and 1 habituated cultivar in China.
(1) Morphological characteristics
Herbaceous, shrub or subshrub, often covered with white cotton wool or fur; The leaves are alternate or sometimes opposite, fully marginal. Cephalic inflorescences are solitary at the end of branches or arranged in umbels, rarely axillary, with a few or most of the same or heterogeneous florets, surrounded by a few or 2-3 layers of female flowers and the rest are hermaphroditic flowers, with solid or sometimes internal fruitlessness. Total bracts hemispherical, bell-shaped, spherical or tubular; The total bracts are multi-layered, shingled arranged, the lower part is thick, dry and membranous, tight or loose, erect or unfolded, stained. The flowers are flat, raised or tapered, with fossa holes, sometimes hairy or tray-like at the edges of the fossa. Female flowers have a filamentous corolla, teeth on the upper part, or 2-3 short lobes, the peduncle branch is linear, somewhat flattened, truncated or spherical at the apex. Amphoteric flower tubular, slightly broader in the upper part, with 5-4 teeth or lobes; The anthers are basal halberd-shaped, with fine tails or hairy ears; The peduncle branches are nearly cylindrical and the apex is nearly truncated. Crown hairs are 1 layer or sometimes multi-layered, slender, or the top of the male corolla hairs is thicker, separated or more or less combined into a ring at the base. The fruit is 4-5 ridged, glabrous, with papillary protrusions or silky hairs.
(2) Helichrysum
Helichrysum (scientific name: Helichrysum bracteatum), also known as maltollum, chrysanthemum, non-withering flower, Asteraceae perennial herb, but often cultivated as an annual plant, the plant height of up to 120 cm, native to Australia, China has introduced a large number of this chrysanthemum, is a high-quality flower bed and flower arrangement, dried flower raw materials. Flowering from early summer to late autumn, firm stem, slender leaves, head-shaped inflorescence, flower color of red, yellow, orange, white and purple and other colors, tongue with metallic luster, large bracts glossy paper, flower diameter 3-5 cm.
Helichrysum proved to be very suitable for horticultural cultivation. It has developed and spread in Germany since the 1850s.
Helichrysum is native to Australia. Widely cultivated all over the world. Like light, like warm and humid environment, not hardy, avoid extreme heat. It can grow in general soils, but it grows best in sandy loam soils and sunny soils. Summer growth stops, and most can not flower. Helichrysum should not be fertilized too much, so as not to be colorful.
Helichrysum blooms and is a larger plant, which is an excellent garden flower, which can be used as a flower bed and flower garden, or arranged for natural planting on the edge of the meadow, and dwarf varieties can be used as flower bed materials or potted ornaments. Helichrysum because of its flower color brilliant and bright, after drying the flower type, the flower color does not fade for a long time, such as wax made, so the name Helichrysum, is a good material for making dried flowers, is a unique natural "handicraft" in nature.
6. Edelweiss
The genus Leontopodium (scientific name: Leontopodium) belongs to the Asteraceae family, containing more than 30 species, distributed in Europe and Asia, including the famous European alpine edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum, also known as European thin snow grass or edelweiss), Leontopodium discolor (distributed in Japan, Korea and East Asia) and Leontopodium microphyllum (endemic to Taiwan). Its scientific names come from the ancient Greek language: λέων (léōn, lion) and πούς (pódion, feet) to describe its fluffy, slightly solid "petals" (actually bracts).
It is a perennial herbaceous or subshrub that grows in montane shrublands, grassy slopes and understory forests. The altitude is 1000-2000 meters. There are about 56 species in this genus, mainly distributed in the mountains of the cold, temperate and subtropical regions of Asia and Europe. There are more than 40 species on the mainland, mainly concentrated in the west and southwest.
(1) Morphological characteristics
It is a perennial herbaceous or subshrub, clustered or clumped, sometimes cushion-shaped. Covered with white, gray or yellow-brown cotton wool or fur. Leaves are alternate, full margin, spoon-shaped, oblong, lanceolate or linear, with or without sheath. Several bracts, around the inflorescence, unfold, forming a star-shaped bract group, or a few upright, sparse bracts.
The cephalic inflorescence is mostly arranged in dense or more evacuated umbel inflorescences, each with mostly homomorphic or heterogeneous florets; or hermaphroditism, i.e. males with central florets, females with peripheral florets, sparsely central cephalic inflorescences with male florets or with male and female florets and peripheral cephalic inflorescences with only female flowers; or hermaphroditic, i.e. all cephalic inflorescences with only male or female florets. Total bracts hemispherical or bell-shaped; Total bracts are several layers, shingled or nearly equal in length, central grassy, brown or black at the apex and edges, membranous or several dry membranous, and the outer total bracts are covered with cotton wool or soft hairs. The flower holder is hairless and has no pallets.
Male flowers (i.e., sterile hermaphroditic flowers) corolla tubular, upper funnel-shaped, with 5 lobes; The anthers have small tail-like ears at the base. Peduncle 2 shallowly lobed, truncated at the apex; Ovary infertility. The female corolla is filamentous or tubular, with 3-4 fine teeth at the apex; The peduncle has elongated branches. The lean fruit is oblong or oval, slightly flattened. Crown hairs have mostly separated or basal synths, nearly equal length hairs, the lower part is thin, often with fine teeth, and the upper part of the male corolla hair is thicker, with teeth or serrations.
(2) Edelweiss
Edelweiss (scientific name: Leontopodium leontopodioides) is a plant of the genus Edelweiss in the family Asteraceae. It usually grows at an altitude of 100-3200 meters in arid grasslands, loess slopes, gravel lands, mountain grasslands, and rarely grows in wet land. Sunny, hardy, drought-tolerant, barren- and slightly resistant to moisture. The Fireline Grasslands are produced at high altitudes in Europe and South America; It is also found in Mongolia, North Korea, Japan, Russia, and China. It is widely distributed in eastern Xinjiang, eastern and northern Qinghai, Gansu, northern Shaanxi, Shanxi, southern and northern Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang and the Shandong Peninsula.
(1) Main value
Ornamental: Edelweiss plant shape small and exquisite, silver gray leaves, with white head-shaped inflorescence, is a beautiful alpine flower, for the European Alps famous flower, suitable for rock garden planting or pot ornamental and dried flowers to appreciate.
Medicinal uses: the aboveground part of the medicine, can clear the heat and cool blood, diuretic, indications for the treatment of influenza, acute and chronic nephritis, urethritis, urinary tract infections. It is used in whole herbs and is effective in the treatment of proteinuria and hematuria.
(2) Plant culture
Known as the "Garden of the World", Switzerland has designated Edelweiss as the national flower and has made Edelweiss a symbol of honor and friendship. Austria also designates Edelweiss as its national flower.
In Austria, edelweiss symbolizes bravery, because wild edelweiss grows on the harsh mountains, and it is difficult for ordinary people to see its beautiful face, so people who have seen edelweiss are heroes. Once upon a time, many young people in Austria risked their lives to climb steep cliffs just to pluck a edelweiss and offer them to their sweethearts, because only Edelweiss could represent the determination to sacrifice everything for love. There are many legends about edelweiss in Austria. It was believed that the King of Edelweiss could guide the pickers to find the flowers they had been looking for for a long time, but if anyone uprooted the flowers, that person would fall into the abyss.
7. Genus Cottonwood
Phagnalon is a genus of Asteraceae that is a subshrub or perennial herb. There are about 40 species in the genus, mainly distributed in the Mediterranean region, western Asia, Central Asia and western Himalayas.
(1) Morphological characteristics
Shrub, subshrub or perennial herb, covered with white cotton wool or glabrous. The fruit is small, slightly flattened and without grooves. The crown hairs are 1 layer with a few fine, hard hairs. The leaves are alternate, narrow, and fully margined or with shallow teeth. Cephalic inflorescences are small or small, solitary at the end of branches or densely clustered in clusters of umbelliferous, with mostly heterogeneous florets, discoid, with multiple layers of female flowers on the periphery and fewer amphoteric flowers in the center, all of which bear fruit. The total bracts are broad bell-shaped or inverted ovate; The total bracts are multi-layered, shingled in a arrangement, lanceolate to drill-shaped, dry, dry at the apex, tapering on the outer layer, and hairy on the back. Flower topin, no pallets or small nest holes. The female corolla is filamentous, with 2-3 fine teeth at the upper end; The peduncle is thinly branched and blunt or rounded at the apex. Amphoteric corolla tubular, slightly enlarged in the upper part, with 5 lobes; The anthers are fully margined at the base, or arrow-shaped, or sometimes with a tiny tail. The fruit is small, slightly flattened and without grooves. The crown hairs are 1 layer with a few fine, hard hairs.
(2) Cotton chrysanthemum
Phagnalon niveum is a species in the genus Lycaenidae in the family Asteraceae. It grows at an altitude of 2000-2700 meters. It is found in northwestern Himalayas, Kashmir and Afghanistan.
【For more wonderful articles, please pay attention to the WeChat public account "Earth Creatures and Human Civilization"】