2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Spectators / Gleditsia / is a genus of trees and shrubs of the legume family. There are 12 species in North and South America, Asia. Only 1 species is grown in Bulgaria - Gleditsia triacanthos, brought from America. Hawthorn is used as a hedge, an ornamental plant, and its seeds have been used for food by the Indians.
The spectators / Gleditsia triacanthos / is a tree up to 40 m tall. The spectator has a widely spread crown, with shiny black-brown simple and branched spikes on the trunk and branches. The root system of this species is well developed. The bark of the tree is gray-brown and shallowly cracked. The leaves are simple or double-pinnate, with 8 to 14 pairs of pinnate leaves, the leaflets oblong - lanceolate or lanceolate - elliptical, pointed, glabrous.
The flowers of the sagebrush are almost sessile, polygamous, yellow-green, in compact clustered inflorescences in the axils of the leaves. The corolla is almost correct. The fruit is a flat bean up to 30-35 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide, slightly crescent-shaped and longitudinally twisted, shiny, multi-seeded. Spectacles bloom in June and July. It originates from North America, but is widespread in many parts of the world. In Bulgaria it is found both as a park tree and a roadside tree around Sofia, Stara Zagora and others.
Composition of the spectator
As part of viewers include triterpene saponins, anthraquinone glucosides, flavonoids, tannins, mucous substances, vitamin C and traces of vitamin K. The leaves contain the alkaloid triacanthine and amines.
Growing gazelles
Spectators often planted to inhibit erosion. The lower part of the stem and the low branches are equipped with impressive, strong and branched thorns, but there is also a natural variety of this tree, which is without thorns, but is less common in nature. This species is widely grown around the world as an ornamental tree. The caretaker is also planted to create windbreaks. The caretaker is rarely seriously ill, the damage is most often caused by rabbits, deer and livestock.
The roots of the hornbeam are deep, filamentous and widely spread. Gladiolus is a strong and wind-resistant tree with fast growth. It is propagated by seeds, the germination of which is preserved for a long time due to their dense shell. Germination is facilitated by scarification - mechanical, with hot water or acid. St. John's wort seeds grow most successfully on clay soils, on which they tolerate shade.
If your soil is alluvial or another type, it is necessary to provide the small trees with full sun for optimal development. With age, the tree can adapt to almost any soil type and climate, but grows fastest on soils with PH 6.0 to 8.0. The spectators is tolerant of flooding, while withstanding drought and some salinity. It grows better on nitrogen-poor soils than many other trees.
Spectators begins to bloom when the leaves are almost fully grown, in early May, sooner or later depending on the specific microclimate. The pods ripen from September to October and usually fall off, but some part remains on the tree until next spring.
The leaves of the gazelle acquire a beautiful yellow color in autumn. Spectacles are also suitable for creating bonsai. Around children's playgrounds, schools it is recommended to use its variety "Jnermis", which is without thorns on the branches and stems. The variety "Sun Bursf" is a new, low variety (5-20 m), with golden-yellow leaves at a young age, which towards the end in summer they turn green and form a small number of fruits.
Collection and storage of gazelles
In our folk medicine are mainly used the young leaves of viewers. They are harvested 8 to 30 days after the buds of the tree have developed. Then they have the richest content of effective substances. The collected material is cleaned of excess impurities and dried in ventilated rooms in the shade, spreading a thin layer and stirring so as not to steam.
The best quality results are obtained in an oven at a temperature of up to 80 degrees. Drying begins at a lower temperature and gradually rises to 80 degrees. From 6 kg of fresh leaves 1 kg of dry leaves is obtained. The dried leaves of the sagebrush are gray-green in color. They have a slightly tart, pungent taste. Their smell is faint, uncharacteristic. The processed material is distributed in standard weight bags and stored in dry and ventilated warehouses.
Benefits of the viewer
St. John's wort has antispasmodic, cleansing, vasodilating and lowering blood pressure. There is evidence that the herb promotes the formation of red blood cells. The pharmacological activity of the herb is determined by the content of the alkaloid triacanthin in its leaves. The leaves are used to treat spastic conditions and colic, peptic ulcer disease, colitis, bronchial asthma, spasms of the bile and urinary tract, anemia, angina and others. Peeled fruits have a laxative effect in chronic constipation.
Sperm causes loosening of the gastrointestinal muscles and eliminates spasms, while anthraquinone glycosides irritate the colon and thus facilitate the movement of intestinal contents, ie. have a cleansing effect. In addition, the herb loosens the muscle fibers of blood vessels, resulting in their dilation and can be used to lower blood pressure. In this regard, the herb has a stronger effect than papaverine, which is considered the best antispasmodic.
Sperm pods are used by wild animals. They are a favorite food of white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, pigs, possums and raccoons. Pets such as sheep, goats, cattle also feed on them. Sometimes the grouse forms dense bushes and provides excellent cover for wild birds. Plants of this species are extremely attractive to pollinating insects.
Folk medicine with a spectator
Bulgarian folk medicine offers a decoction of the leaves of viewers as a medicine against spastic conditions and colic, in peptic ulcer disease, colitis, bronchial asthma, spasms of the bile and urinary tract, etc. Peeled fruits have a laxative effect in chronic constipation.
Prepare a decoction of the young leaves by pouring 20 g of leaves with 300 ml of water. Boil the decoction for 5-10 minutes. The prepared liquid is filtered and taken 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
Decoction of the floors of St. John's wort is prepared as follows: Pour a tablespoon of chopped dried fruit with a teaspoon of boiling water. Let the decoction boil for 30 minutes. After cooling, strain and add water so that the water content becomes another glass. Drink 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
