Text丨Heart beads are long, typesetting丨Heart beads are long
Last week, I accompanied my daughter to Kuangshan Park to collect plant specimens (do homework), walked along the path for about 10 meters, and saw a plant that I had never seen before next to a big rock, with slender leaves, which turned out to be "Nulou (lóu) dish".
At that time, it had not yet bloomed, but the flower bones had already begun to take shape.
I went several more times to see its flowers, and finally I saw it bloom. Today, I will talk to you about [Nulou Cuisine].
01
Female Lou Cai, an annual or biennial herb of the genus Caryophyllaceae.
The basal leaves are clustered, inverted-lanceolate or narrowly spoon-shaped, with an acute apex and a particularly well-defined midrib. The leaves are 4-7 cm long.
The stems are more erect, the stems are knotted, and the internodes are expanded, like caryophyllus. The stems are solitary or several, some branched and some not.
The stem-bearing leaves grow at the stem nodes, opposite, and the leaves are elongated, inverted-lanceolate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate.
Its stems and leaves appear to be smaller than those of basal leaves.
If you look closely, you will find that the whole plant of Nulou is covered with a layer of gray pubescence.
The height of the female Lou Cai is 30-70 cm. I saw two (clusters), one of them was taller and already had buds, and the other was just transitioning from the seedling stage, so it would take some time for them to bloom.
02
The flowers of the female cabbage, at the top of the plant, panicles.
The calyx is ovate bell-shaped, and when it is not blooming, the calyx is like a "bell" with its mouth facing upwards, and the petals inside are tightly hugged together, poking out a little bit.
When the flowers bloom, the petals inside lean out, stretch out in all directions, and fold back slightly.
The petals are interesting, they look like 10 petals, but they are actually 5 petals, and each petal is 2 lobes.
From the front, below the petals, near the calyx, there are some small, short "small petals" growing out of the inner circle, which is its "secondary corolla".
The word "corolla" is relatively new to me, I used to know about plants in a rough way, but today I have learned a new word.
Floraically says that the petals of the nu are white or reddish. The one I saw had white petals.
I ran to Kuangshan until the third time before I saw its flowers. Fortunately, when I saw its white and elegant flowers, I felt that those runs were worth it.
According to sources, it blooms from May to July. Here in Jinan, in April, it can't wait to open, is it because of the recent period of high temperature?
03
The young stems and leaves of the female Lou cabbage can be eaten. Its basal leaves, clusters, delicate and green, such wild vegetables, look very tempting.
I don't know if my friends have eaten this wild vegetable, you might as well share it.
According to research, it is present in the ancient plant monograph "Saving the Famine Materia Medica" and "The Illustrated Examination of Plant Names". However, at that time, it was not called "Nulou Cai", but "Wang Bu Liuxing".
And now recognized as "Wang Buliuxing" is another caryophyllaceae, officially known as "wheat blue cabbage" in Chinese, with pink flowers, a bit like noodle dishes.
Wang Buliuxing, in different eras, does not refer to the same plant, this "sense of age" of plants, which is very interesting.
Nu Lou Cai is also a herb, the whole herb into the medicine, called "Nu Lou Cai", many folk herbs, it is included. It is said to be "bitter in taste, bitter in taste, and flat in nature." Promote blood circulation and regulate menstruation, and lower breasts. ”
When checking the information, I also found such a piece of information, in the past, in some areas, the root of Nulou vegetables was often used to pass off as "Beisha Shen".
It can be used as a counterfeit of northern sand ginseng, and it seems that some characteristics, such as the form, are somewhat similar to northern sand ginseng. I haven't dug up its roots, so I don't know what it looks like.
Nulou vegetables, tender stems and leaves are edible, and the whole herb can be used as medicine. Small wildflowers, but they have great uses.
It is full of vitality, grows in the rocks, and can grow so lush, and the flowers can be so elegant, which is really admirable.
About the Author
Heart-Beads: Intermediate Agronomist, Plant Lover. Welcome to "Wandering Grass and Trees" to share plant knowledge and experience the beauty of the countryside. The heart of grass and trees, the taste of the countryside, savoring, wandering!