Veratrum nigrum L.
Family Melantia - Melanthiaceae

Status in adjacent regions. It is included in the Red Data Books of the Tambov (category 3), Belgorod (5), Saratov (1) regions.

Spread.

East European-Siberian-Central Asian species, the range of which covers Central Europe, the Balkan Peninsula, West. and Vost. Siberia, Far East, the northeastern part of Central Asia, Japan and China. IN middle lane European Russia is known from all regions of the Central Black Earth Region, as well as Kaluga, Moscow,

Penza, Ryazan, Saratov, Tula regions In Voronezh oblast: Repyevsky (environs of Novosoldatka village, ravine forest - VU: 1), Khokholsky (Gremyachye level - VOR: 1), Semiluksky (environs of Russko-Gvoz-devskie Vyselki, Tochilsky ravine; env. Semidubravnoe village - VOR: 2; 3), Olkhovatskiy (western Kobizi level - VOR: 4), Gribanovskiy (environs of Verkhny Karachan village) districts.

Description.

Perennial short rhizome herbaceous plant height from 75 to 100 cm. The stem is straight, juicy, thick. Leaves are large, broadly elliptical, entire, with arcuate venation, longitudinally folded; glabrous below, located mainly in the lower half of the stem. The edge of the leaf sheaths of the lower leaves is wedge-shaped curved, which makes the species in the vegetative state well different from the hellebore Lobel (V. lobelianum Bernh.), In which it is slightly curved. Flowers from dark red to black-purple color (in Veratrum lobelianum Bernh. - yellow-green), on pedicels almost equal in length. The perianth is simple, six-part. Inflorescence is a long dense apical panicle. The fruit is a capsule.

Features of biology and ecology.

Blooms in the 4-5th year of life. Blooms in July-August. Nectar and a strong (but unpleasant for humans) smell attract various representatives of the order of Diptera, mainly carrion and black meat flies, as well as beetles. The fruits ripen in September. Propagated by seeds and to a lesser extent vegetatively as a result of the isolation of shoots during the decay of old generative individuals. It grows in deciduous forests, along forest edges, glades, on meadow-steppe and steppe slopes, among shrubs.

The number and tendencies of its change.

Not enough information. It is necessary to conduct special studies to confirm the growth of the species in known locations and to identify new ones.

Limiting factors.

Haymaking, overgrazing, uprooting of steppe bushes.

Security measures taken.

Protected on the territory of the Khopersky complex nature reserve.

Control over the state of known populations of the species, organization of the protection of habitats of the species in Repyevsky, Khokholsky, Semiluksky, Olkhovatsky districts in the status of protected areas.

Information about the preservation of the species in culture. It is cultivated in the botanical gardens of Moscow (Moscow State University, VILAR, GBS RAS), St. Petersburg (VIN RAS), Omsk State University, Chita (Transbaikal branch of Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS), Kirovsk (Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute), Tomsk State University, Barnaul ( South Siberian Botanical Garden of Altai State University).

Sources of information: 1. Protoklitova, 1961; 2. Kamyshev, 1976; 3. Kamyshev, 1978; 4. Grigorievskaya, 2006; 5. Cadastre ... 2001. Data of Herbariums - VU: 1. A. Krylova (1958); VOR: 1. Without collector (1952); 2.S.V. Golitsyn (1934); 3. A. Fedoseeva (1933); 4. Kozyrkova, Bezmogarychnaya (1959). Compiled by O. V. Prokhorova; photo: M. L. Zaitsev.

Hellebore

Chemeritsa Lobel

Chemeritsa Lobel. Veratrum lobelianum Bernh. Liliaceae family.

Perennial poisonous plant, up to 1 m high. Rhizome is cylindrical, obliquely ascending, black-brown outside, with remnants of sheaths of dead leaves and numerous white adventitious roots. Stems are straight, rounded, pubescent at the top. Leaves are alternate, stalk-enveloping, broadly elliptical, pointed. The flowers are greenish, small, in a paniculate inflorescence. Blooms in July-August. The fruit is an ovoid triangular capsule.

Distributed in forest and forest-steppe zones, mountain-forest and subalpine belts throughout the entire region. Grows in wet meadows, thin forests, subalpine meadows.

The plant contains resinous, sugary, slimy, tannins, dyes, organic acids, a large number of alkaloids, among which is especially poisonous protoveratrin. The roots are most rich in alkaloids.

Recently, a hypotensive effect of protoveratrin has been discovered, which is used to treat hypertension, epidermophytosis and inflammatory processes. New drugs Loverat A, Loverat 2 and 3 have been received.

IN folk medicine used externally against neuralgia, gout; rheumatism, scabies and lice.

Hellebore preparations are widely used in veterinary medicine and agriculture as an insecticide. It is necessary to use the drug very carefully: when ingestion of more than 1 g of hellebore, strong excitement, drooling, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes death occur.

Medicinal raw materials - rhizomes and roots - are harvested in autumn and dried in a ventilated room. When drying, a bandage of four rows of gauze moistened with water should be worn, since hellebore (especially dry) can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes.

Chemeritsa black

Black hellebore. Veratrum nigrum L. Liliaceae family.

A perennial herb with a thick, upright rhizome and filamentous roots. The stem is straight, 70-130 cm high. The lower leaves are broadly elliptic, narrowed towards the base, glabrous, the upper ones are linear-lanceolate.

The flowers are black-purple, located in a branched inflorescence. Blooms from late June to July. The fruit is an ovoid capsule.

Distributed in the areas of forest, forest-steppe zones and mountain-forest belt. It grows in pine, birch and fir forests, in floodplain meadows, meadow, less often stony slopes, in forest glades, among shrubs.

The plant contains steroid-type alkaloids, amino acids, vertramarine glycoside, sugars, fat, starch, triterpenes, resins, gum, dyes and tannins, and mineral salts. Of the alkaloids, pervine, rubinervin, and verazine were found in the roots, and in the leaves of yervin (Antsupova, 1967).

Application in folk medicine - similar to Lobel's hellebore. In the folk medicine of Siberia (Utkin, 1931) it was used for headaches, the root tincture was drunk for pain after childbirth, or for the same purpose they ate the dry root. The plant is used as an insecticide.

It is necessary to use the plant and preparations from it very carefully, since they contain poisonous alkaloids.

Krylov G.N., Stepanov Z.V. Green Pharmacy of Kuzbass. Kemerovo. 1979

A photo: . Zdoroviegizn.ru, Beauty-things.com

In open meadows, floodplain meadows, in the valleys of rivers and streams, you can find an unusual plant, which stands out sharply among the rest of the herbs for its monumental and majestic appearance. At least a meter high, and often much higher, with large oval-oblong corrugated leaves, it becomes especially beautiful at the time of flowering. At this time, tall peduncles are advanced, bearing clusters of white, greenish or maroon flowers.

I have known hellebore since childhood - I had to meet it in the taiga glades of our Siberian forests and in Altai in the high-mountain belt, where it forms whole thickets. Let's get to know this unusual plant better.

Chemeritsa in Altai. A photo

Botanical description

Genus hellebore (Verаtrum) belongs to the Melantia family and includes 27 species of mainly herbaceous perennial plants... They are widespread in all countries of Eurasia and in general in the Northern Hemisphere. In Russia, 7 species grow, the most common and most famous are Lobel's hellebore, including white and black.

All species are vigorous plants with a strong, straight stem and characteristic large (up to 30 cm long) leaves. They have a slightly elongated elliptical shape, sessile, stalk-enveloping, folded leaf blade. The leaf vein is very pronounced, arched - for this and other signs, scientists attribute hellebore to monocotyledonous plants.

Chemeritsa is quite close to the Liliaceae family, given the structure of leaves and flowers. Under the ground there is a short, vertically running rhizome, from which many thin roots depart. The flowers are large enough, collected in paniculate inflorescences. Each flower has 6 petals and 6 stamens.

Hellebore flower. Photo from the site zakupator.com

Chemerits are long-livers. They live up to 50 years, and begin to bloom at the age of 10-15 years. The plant is quite beautiful, but this beauty is dangerous: all hellebores are extremely poisonous. They contain alkaloids in their composition, in particular veratrine.

Chemeritsa Lobel

Chemeritsa Lobel (Veratrum lobelianum) it got its name from the naturalist Matthias Lobel, who lived in the 16th century. Otherwise called puppeteer... The plant fully corresponds to the description given above, and is a tall, powerful bush up to 160 cm in height.

Differs from other species in color, size and shape of flowers. They are light, yellowish-green, rather large - up to 2.5 cm in diameter, and consist of six wide-open petals. Collected in clusters, which in turn form a panicle up to 60 cm long. Flowering lasts from June to August, after which the fruit capsule is formed.

(Veratrum album)grows in European countries, where it is found in meadows with rich moist soil, along floodplains of rivers and springs, and can grow in the alpine belt of mountains. Slightly smaller than the previous species: the height of the pubescent stem varies from 50 to 150 cm. The leaves are up to 20 cm long, the lower ones are wide, the upper ones are much narrower. Above the leaf blade is smooth and folded, on the underside there is pubescence.

White-green flowers up to 1.5 cm in diameter bloom in July. Flowering lasts a month. Rhizomes of this particular species are used to prepare tinctures - insect pests. Also, white hellebore is used in folk medicine.

Chemeritsa black

Chemeritsa black (Veratrum nigrum)widespread in our country - from the European part to the Far East, as well as in China and Japan. A powerful thick stem reaches 130 cm in height, the leaves are very large - up to 40 cm, corrugated.

During flowering, the plant looks very decorative: the inflorescence in the form of a large panicle consists of numerous densely arranged dark red flowers with a black tint up to 1.5 cm in diameter. Bloom begins in July. Unpretentious and very winter-hardy species, does not like stagnant water.

Chemeritsa green

Homeland of hellebore green (Veratrum viride) - swampy and damp places in the taiga zone or deciduous forests of North America. It grows no more than 100 cm tall.

The leaves are large, oblong, broadly oval, tapering upward. Light green slightly pubescent flowers reach 1 cm in diameter. The hellebore of this species forms a beautiful paniculate inflorescence, flowering occurs in mid-summer. A tincture of the fresh roots of this plant is used to make homeopathic medicines.

Hellebore maak

Maak's hellebore ( Veratrum maackii) is an oriental species that lives in Japan, China, in the south of the Far East. It grows on the edges of forests, in thickets of bushes, in swampy meadows.

Chemeritsa Maak. Photo from flower.onego.ru

Forms large bushes up to 120 cm tall. Hairy stems with thin ribs bear elongated leaves up to 40 cm long and 7 cm wide. The inflorescence in the form of a brush or panicle is strewn with black-purple flowers up to 1.5 cm in diameter.

Chemeritsa daurskaya

The distribution area of \u200b\u200bthe daurian hellebore (Veratrum dahuricum) - Siberia and the Far East, where it grows in wet meadows. The bush is 50 to 120 cm high, the stem is pubescent in the upper part.

Broadly elliptic leaves, enveloping the stem, are covered with light gray pubescence below. The panicles are spreading, wide, pyramidal, formed by yellowish-green flowers up to 1.2 cm long.

Growing

If you decide to grow hellebore in your garden, it is best to plant it in a slightly shaded place and where there is more moisture, it is possible in partial shade of trees. It is good if there is an area in the garden where spring moisture or water after rain lingers.

The soil is loamy with the addition of sand and well-rotted organic matter - or, fertile and nutritious. It should be remembered that this plant does not like acidic soil. It is advisable to immediately place it in a permanent place, since it lives for a very long time, it is difficult to endure a transplant, and she does not need it.

In the spring, it is useful to add compost or rotted manure to the soil under the hellebore bushes. In the middle of summer, when the time for flowering comes, complex feeding is recommended. After the flowers dry up, the peduncles are cut off, but for the winter the aboveground part is not removed, but left until spring. The plant does not need shelter.

Seed propagation

The hellebore can be grown from seeds, although you have to tinker with them a little. Sowing is carried out in early March in loose light soil to a depth of 0.5 cm. The container with the crops is wrapped in polyethylene and placed in the refrigerator for stratification for 1.5-2 months. After that, the box is taken out and placed in a warm place.

As soon as sprouts appear, the film is removed. The seeds do not germinate all at once, the process can take a long time - up to several months. Seedlings, as they grow, are transplanted into a greenhouse, where they remain until next spring.

It will be easier to grow seedlings immediately in the garden, but for this, the seeds are sown in the fall in the ground, choosing a site with loose fertile soil. Seedlings will appear in the spring. After a while, they are thinned out, leaving a distance between the plants of 25-30 cm.

Vegetative propagation

In spring, hellebore can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. To do this, after the emergence of seedlings, dig up the entire root ball and carefully release it from the ground, trying not to damage the fragile roots. Cut it into pieces so that one or two buds remain on each division.

The divided parts are planted in prepared holes at a distance of 30-50 cm. Immediately after planting, the cuttings are shaded and regularly watered for the first time.

Why is hellebore in the garden

Now let's think about whether to plant hellebore in the garden and why. Of course, this plant is very effective and decorative. But precisely because of its power and monumentality, it is completely unsuitable for small areas.

The best place for hellebore - large landscaped gardens. It is on a fairly extensive territory that this plant will manifest itself in all its glory. It will look great both in a large array and as a single bush against the background

Chemeritsa is a rhizome perennial herb with a strong, erect stem. The thickened root is close to the soil surface. A lot of filamentous processes with a thickness of up to 3 mm depart from it to a great depth. The height of the ground part is 50-150 cm. From the ground itself, the shoot is covered with large sessile leaves, which are arranged in a spiral. Oval leaf plates have smooth edges and a pointed edge. Embossed veins are visible over the entire surface of the leaf. Its length is 25-30 cm. In the lower part, there is a dense, tomentose pubescence.

The hellebore herb has lived for more than half a century, but it blooms quite late. The first inflorescences appear at 16-30 years of age. They form at the top of the stem. Yellow, white or greenish flowers, about 1 cm in diameter, densely stick around the stem. The buds open in mid-July and remain until the end of summer. Pollination takes place with the help of insects or wind. In August, the first fruits appear - flattened seed pods with soft walls. They contain long brownish seeds.

All parts of the plant are poisonous. Access to hellebore children and animals should be limited, and hands should be thoroughly washed after working in the garden. Beehives should not be placed near the flower. Even if the bees survive, their honey will be unusable.

Popular types

The hellebore genus has 27 species and several hybrid varieties. 7 of them grow on the territory of Russia. The most popular are the following:

The plant is distributed in coniferous forests from the Caucasus to Siberia. The variety has medicinal properties due to the high content of alkaloids, mineral salts, amino acids and vitamins. Herbaceous perennial grows up to 2 m in height. The powerful stem is covered with large folded leaves of bright green color. Yellowish-green flowers are located in paniculate inflorescences up to 60 cm long.

The variety can be found in alpine meadows or open mountain slopes. It is used in folk medicine due to its high alkaloid content. This plant does not exceed 1.2 m in height and is distinguished by a particularly fleshy rhizome. The length of the lower leaves is 30 cm. Closer to the top, they become smaller and narrower. At the top of the stem is a branched panicle of small white flowers.

The height of the stem can reach 1.3 m. Large folded leaves at its base grow up to 40 cm in length. They are arranged alternately in a spiral. The apical leaves are grouped in groups of 3. The flowers are dark red with brown streaks in a paniculate inflorescence. The rim diameter is 1.5 cm.

Reproduction of hellebore

Hellebore propagates by sowing seeds or dividing a bush. Seed propagation is considered less efficient and requires considerable effort. Fresh seeds without preliminary preparation are sown in October-November immediately in open ground... The crops are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth and carefully moistened. In the spring, the first shoots appear. The grown plants are dived and transplanted to a permanent place. A distance of 25 cm should be kept between seedlings. Young hellebore should be regularly watered and shaded from direct sunlight.

In regions with harsh and snowless winters, it is recommended to grow seedlings first. Seeds are sown in March, in shallow boxes with moist sand-peat soil mixture. They are buried 5 mm, covered with foil and placed in a refrigerator or other cool place. After 5-8 weeks, the boxes are moved to a heated room. With the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed. Seedlings appear unevenly, germination may take several months. Seedlings are grown in a greenhouse until next spring and only then are they planted in open ground.

In April-May, hellebore can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. The plant is carefully dug up and freed from the earthy coma. It is important to keep the roots thin. The roots with shoots are cut into several parts so that at least one bud remains on each. Delenki are immediately planted in a new place with a distance of 30-50 cm. At first, the plants must be shaded and watered more often.

Growing features

Hellebore care is quite simple. The main difficulty lies in finding the right landing site. It is advisable to pick up a partially shaded area. You can plant the hellebore under trees with a thin crown or near a fence that will hide the sun at noon.

The soil should be reasonably light and well-drained. Loams with compost and sand are excellent. The plant will not develop on acidic substrates. It is advisable to immediately choose the right place, because hellebore does not like transplants.

The hellebore needs frequent watering with small portions of water. Although it can tolerate droughts, it becomes most decorative with regular irrigation. The soil should be constantly slightly moist, but waterlogging is unacceptable.

To maintain decorativeness, you should cut off wilted peduncles. Shoots and leaves are not cut for the winter. It is better to remove parts damaged by cold weather in early spring. Chemeritsa is distinguished by good frost resistance, because it grows to the very border with the Arctic. The plant does not need shelter for the winter.

Using

Due to the large, corrugated foliage, hellebore looks spectacular in flower beds or group plantings in the middle of the lawn. You can plant a plant along the banks of water bodies. Flowers look more expressive against its background. The best neighbors will become eremurus, phlox or gladioli.

A few decades ago, hellebore was used as an effective anthelmintic, diuretic and laxative. However, due to the toxicity today, doctors strongly do not recommend using plant-based preparations inside. Ointments and alcoholic tinctures continue to be used externally for seborrhea, rheumatic pains, gout, head lice and fungal diseases of the skin and nails.

We continue to acquaint you with rare plants of the Prioksko-Terasny reserve.

Among the bushes in the floodplain and in the upland oak forests along the Oka, black hellebore is occasionally found. It is a large perennial, up to 1m in height. From a distance, the plant seems rough, but if you look closely, the beauty and unusual juicy color of its inflorescences conquers with its originality and dissimilarity to the plants we are used to.

The hellebore has a strong stem, a short fleshy rhizome with rare underground shoots. At the base, the stem is covered with sheaths of last year's leaves, with numerous longitudinally ribbed, folded along the leaves. The lower leaves are broadly elliptical, hollow. A large number of black-purple flowers are collected in large cluster inflorescences. The flowers are star-shaped.

This herbaceous plant is long-lived, its life is about 50 years, and the hellebore usually blooms in the 16-30th year of life. The black hellebore blooms in July-August.

The whole plant is poisonous. hellebore are poisonous to bees, eating hellebore pollen, they die. Black hellebore has always been used in folk medicine: the infusion of its rhizomes heals wounds and abrasions well.

it amazing plant can easily disappear when plowing land. Therefore, it is so important to preserve it in the reserve.

Photo by O. Kalinina