Where does cotton grass grow in what zone? Cotton grass vaginalis. Security measures taken

Cotton grass is a rather rare plant in landscape design. Despite the fact that it feels good in different climatic zones in the wild, it will not take root in every area. Before planting it near the house, you need to make sure that the owner will be able to maintain all the conditions for the successful growth of cotton grass. There are certain risks associated with this plant that you need to be prepared for.

Brief description and photo of cotton grass

Landscape designers love cotton grass for its hardiness and decorative inflorescences in the form of soft balls

This plant is found in swamps almost throughout Russia; it is frost-resistant and moisture-loving. It belongs to the sedge family, that is, it is a tall grass from 30 cm (some varieties may be lower). Many people know cotton grass because of its small white inflorescence that resembles a fluffy ball of cotton wool. The leaves are bright green, dark, and quite dense. There are about 30 species of this plant in total, but only a few of them are used in landscape design.

In nature, cotton grass fields look truly fantastic

This plant is perennial. It begins to bloom every year in the spring, with the arrival of warm weather, with pale yellow flowers, after which a puff is formed, which is of main value when decorating a site. Growing in one place for a long time, it forms voluminous hummocks. It reproduces mainly due to the root system, so to prevent cotton grass from taking over the entire area, new shoots will have to be uprooted annually. The fluffy “caps” can remain on the plant until late autumn, but usually begin to dry out at the end of summer.

Properties and use in folk medicine

Cotton grass has become widespread in folk medicine, but official medicine does not recognize its medicinal properties and cannot be found in pharmacies. People have used this plant for centuries to treat inflammatory processes in the body. This culture has a pronounced diuretic effect and can remove uric acid salts.

For problems with the gastrointestinal tract, a decoction of this herb helps relieve pain, improves digestion, and acts as a mild laxative. It has a sedative property; an infusion of dry herbs is drunk for insomnia and anxiety. In some cases, the decoction is used as a local application for joint pain.

What varieties can be planted for cultural cultivation?

Of the 30 varieties of this plant, the following are usually used in landscape design:

• vaginal swamp (for a beautiful puff);
• Scheichtser (for low height);
• narrow-leaved (for an inflorescence consisting of several flowers).

Less decorative are multi-spikelet and broad-leaved. Cotton grass is often used for planting on the site. The height of this species is from 30 to 80 cm, the flower is about 3 cm in diameter, dense, and has a uniform white color. The flower is pale yellow, inconspicuous, appears with the first warmth. By the beginning of summer, a powder puff forms in place of the flower, which acquires a brown tint by autumn. The flowers are no longer suitable as an ornamental plant, so they can be cut off. This will not affect the propagation of the crop. Loves light and moisture, not suitable for southern Russia. Most often used to decorate ponds.

A good option for planting cotton grass would be to place it in the coastal zone of an artificial reservoir on the site

For an area without a pond, use Scheichzer cotton grass. She is short in stature, from 10 to 30 cm, and her puffs are very voluminous. It does not form tussocks during growth, so it can be planted on a lawn with decorative forbs. This is a frost-resistant species, suitable for growing in northern regions with short summers and snowy winters. Loves open space and acidic soil.

White clumps of cotton grass will add extraordinary beauty to a green lawn; it goes well with other ornamental types of grasses

Angustifolia cotton grass also likes cool weather, but is very sensitive to moisture and light. It is found throughout Russia, including summit swamps in the mountains of the South. The height can reach 80 cm, and the less space this type has, the higher it grows. The puff is white, loose, and the fibers can flutter beautifully in the wind. In early spring, an inflorescence of several spikelets appears, on which pale flowers are formed. Usually there are 4-5 flowers in such an “umbrella”, and then in their place there will be the same number of puffs.

It is better to use cotton grass on your own site without mixing it with other flowering plants.

How cotton grass can be used to decorate an area

In landscape design, cotton grass is most often used to decorate ponds. The plant loves a sufficient amount of moisture and good light. Sometimes gardeners try to create alpine hills using cotton grass, but these endeavors fail.

It is not recommended to plant cotton grass next to other plants, since it has a strong root system, which over time begins to actively develop and can “survive” its less resistant neighbors.

Combinations of white and peach shades are especially charming

The plant loves bright light and open spaces. For this reason, you should not plant cotton grass along the walls of the house; you need to allocate a separate place for it. Along the edges of a decorative pond, you can plant it next to ordinary sedge, but you need to monitor its further spread. In 4–5 years, it is capable of completely populating the banks of a pond, cutting off access to it. Low-growing species can be planted separately on the lawn, but you must also be prepared for the fact that you will have to deal with new shoots in the spring.

Only owners of vast lands can afford to decorate reservoirs with cotton grass.

Planting and further care

For planting you can use:

• seeds;
• ready-made plants.

It must be borne in mind that it is difficult to bring a finished plant from a swamp on your own, since not all cotton grass will take root with damaged roots. But in specialized greenhouses you can order ready-made seedlings, specially prepared for landscaping. It is best to use seeds; you can also buy them ready-made.

The seeds are not soaked in advance, but are planted directly into the ground. Despite the abundance of seeds in the powder puff, this plant does not reproduce by self-sowing. In nature, seeds are carried by grass-eating animals, while the plant itself also reproduces thanks to the root system.

What conditions must be created for cotton grass:

• acidic soil rich in organic matter (you can use homemade compost);
• a large amount of moisture (in nature, a plant always has access to water, so it will be most comfortable for it either with daily watering or on the shore of a reservoir);
• good lighting (grows well in open areas of swamps; it will be uncomfortable in the shade of a large tree).

After planting the seeds in the soil, water the bed, and then you can additionally add organic fertilizer or plant humus. In the future, additional feeding of the seedling may be required if it grows poorly. To better retain water at the roots of the plant, you can create a composition of mosses and lichens.

It is important to understand that creating an alpine hill with cotton grass will not work. She does not like dry soil and close proximity to other plants. Ideally, this culture should be created with conditions similar to those natural for its habitat in wildlife. She feels great where many plants do not take root. For this reason, the fluffy beauty is most often used to decorate areas in regions with cold climates.

So, although cotton grass grows in swamps in nature, it is quite capricious in landscape design. At the same time, it does not require careful maintenance and is suitable for people who do not like to tinker in the ground for a long time. You can plant it with seeds or ready-made sprouts; it is only important to choose the right place. The soil should be acidic, rich in peat. Cotton grass needs a lot of light and moisture. And in order to avoid colonizing the entire area, it is enough to uproot the new shoots that have appeared on the plants in the spring.

Eriophorum gracile Koch
Family Sedgeaceae, Sytaceae - Suregaceae

Status in adjacent regions. Included in the Red Books of Ryazan (category 3), Tambov (3), Lipetsk (2), Kursk (1), Volgograd (0) regions.

Spreading.

Holarctic taiga species, growing mainly in the forest zone of Eurasia. The boundary of its continuous distribution in the European part of Russia passes through the non-chernozem zone, where the species is quite common, but rare in the Central Black Earth Region. In the Voronezh region. - on the southern border of the range: Novokhopersky, Verkhnekhava (VGPBZ), Bobrovsky districts.

Description.

Long-rhizomatous herbaceous perennial 25-60 cm high. Stems are smooth, thin. The leaves are narrow-linear, 0.7-2 mm wide, triangular, grooved at the base, often rough; basal up to 20 cm long, stem - 4.5 cm. Inflorescence of 3-6 ovoid spikelets, sessile on rough curved stalks of unequal length, with 1-2 brownish covering leaves. The stalks of the spikelets are cylindrical, covered with light curly hairs. The puff is oblong-obovate. Covering scales are grayish-green, obtuse. The fruits are oblong-wedge-shaped.

Features of biology and ecology.

Blooms in May. The fruits ripen in late June - early July. Reproduction is by seed and vegetative (rhizome). In the Voronezh region. lives on terraced and near-terrace sphagnum and sedge bogs.

Number and trends of its change.

On the territory of the VSPBRZ it is known only for swamps along the river. Ivnitsa, according to T.I. Popov, which was used by S.V. Golitsyn when compiling a summary of the flora of the reserve. In subsequent years, the species was not found during special floristic studies. Probably, the habitats of the species were destroyed during peat mining in the northwestern part of the reserve in 1960-1970. The status of species populations in other locations requires clarification.

Limiting factors.

The narrow ecological amplitude of the species and the location of the region on the southern border of its range. A small number in the area of ​​habitats suitable for the growth of the species. Swamp drainage and peat extraction.

Security measures taken.

Protected on the territory of the All-Russian State Nature Reserve.

Monitoring known and searching for new populations of the species. Expansion of the area of ​​the Khopersky reserve with the inclusion within its boundaries of swamps and reservoirs, which are the habitat of this and other rare wetland plants.

Information on the conservation of the species in culture. No information available.

Information sources: 1. Popov, 1916; 2. Kamyshev, 1972; 3. Tsvelev, 19886; 4. Golitsyn, 1961; 5. Starodubtseva, 1999; 6. Materials... 2007. Compiled and photo: N. Yu. Khlyzova.

Syn: cat, white lumbago.

A perennial herbaceous plant that forms dense turf. Shows pronounced medicinal properties, in particular anti-inflammatory, diuretic, etc. Valuable early spring food for many wild animals (deer, elk, etc.).

Ask the experts a question

In medicine

Cotton grass is not recognized by official medicine, since it is not a pharmacopoeial plant. At the moment, the plant is used only in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic.

Contraindications and side effects

As such, vaginal science does not know any contraindications to the use of cotton grass. The plant is non-poisonous, but despite this, when using its beneficial properties for medicinal purposes, the correct dosage should still be observed, and consultation with a doctor is advisable. Experts do not recommend using cotton grass during pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood, due to little knowledge of the plant.

On the farm

Cotton grass plays an important role in peat-forming processes, making up the bulk of cotton grass peat.

In the light industry, cotton wool puffs, as well as other species, were actively used at the beginning of the twentieth century, especially in paper production, in textile production in the manufacture of cloth fabrics, for stuffing pillows, and also as an admixture to sheep wool, cotton, and silk.

In landscape design

Cotton grass is very decorative during the fruiting period, thanks to the pure white or bright red puffs on the fruits. It is promising for use in landscape design when decorating reservoirs, river banks, and ponds.

In other areas

Cotton grass is a valuable food all year round for all herbivores of the tundra, including deer and elk, as well as waterfowl (for example, geese, ducks, etc.). In veterinary practice, a decoction of cotton grass herb is used to treat enteritis and colitis in calves.

Classification

Cotton grass (lat. Eriophorum vaginatum) is the type species of the genus Cotton grass (lat. Eriophorum), of the sedge family (lat. Cyperaceae). The genus includes about 20 species of herbs growing in cold, temperate and partly subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Of these, 1 species is in South Africa and 14 species are in the territory of the former USSR, growing mainly in the tundra, forest zone and alpine mountain belt.

Botanical description

Cotton grass is a perennial, 30-90 cm in height. Forms dense turf and hummocks. The leaves are green, numerous, very narrow, up to 1 mm wide, basal, three-rowed, flat or linear-subulate, triangular, with closed sheaths without a tongue or with a membranous narrow border or cilia. Stem leaves with an underdeveloped blade and a swollen sheath. The inflorescence is capitate, consists of a single apical spikelet 3-4 cm in diameter. The flowers are inconspicuous, very small, bisexual, protogynous. The perianth is reduced to thread-like bristles (hairs), which grow strongly during fruiting and form a large white puff that looks like a piece of cotton wool. The biological significance of the hairs is great - an adaptation to anemochory and fixation of seeds on a bare, moist substrate due to their hygroscopicity. Ovary superior, 1-locular. The gynoecium is syncarpous, consisting of 3 carpels. The fruit is nut-shaped. It blooms in April-May and overwinters in a green state.

Spreading

The plant is distributed everywhere, especially in the entire north of European Russia, usually in the non-chernozem zone, as well as in the zone of deciduous forests, in the steppe zone it becomes very rare, and in the south it practically disappears. Prefers sphagnum and lowland swamps (an edifier of swampy moss tundras), as well as swampy pine forests, often in large numbers. It often forms hummocky tundras on ridges or flat areas in the northeast. It also grows in both dry and watered parts of swamps.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

Cotton grass is usually used as a medicinal raw material. The raw materials are collected during the formation of white tufts and dried as usual. At the same time, the fluffy spikelets themselves are collected separately. Store raw materials in paper bags in dry rooms.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of vaginal cotton grass has not been studied enough. The epidermis of leaves and stems is impregnated with silica (silicic acid). Essential oil was found in the rhizomes. In addition, the content of proteins, sugars, vitamins and microelements in cotton grass is quite high.

Pharmacological properties

Cotton grass has anti-inflammatory, diuretic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and sedative properties. It has a very positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as on increased irritability. Cotton grass flushes uric acid salts from the body.

Use in folk medicine

Cotton grass has valuable medicinal properties and is used very effectively in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic. An infusion of the herb with cotton grass fruits is recommended as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, and sedative. Used for gastrointestinal diseases and disorders of the digestive tract, as well as to relieve pain due to intestinal tenesmus, arthritis, and rheumatism. A decoction of the grass and fruits of cotton grass is used in folk medicine as a sedative for various nervous disorders, epilepsy, etc. A decoction of the plant's herb is also used for various infections, diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. Also, cotton grass grass in the form of napara is used as a diaphoretic for colds and fever. Cotton grass steam is used internally (long-term) for gout and joint pain, as it flushes uric acid salts from the body, and also externally - in the form of local baths and warm poultices to the sore spot. The spikelets of the plant are brewed as tea and used in the same cases.

3. Biological encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov) 2nd ed., corrected. M.: Sov. Encyclopedia. 1989.

4. Elenevsky A.G., M.P. Solovyova, V.N. Tikhomirov // Botany. Systematics of higher or terrestrial plants. M. 2004. 420 p.

5. Polozova T. G. On the ecological and biological characteristics of species of the genus Eriophorum L. in Western Taimyr // Biogeocenoses of the Taimyr Tundra (Ed. B. A. Tomilin). L.: Nauka, Leningrad department, 1980. P. 131-144.

6. Skvortsov V.E. Flora of Central Russia. M. 2004. 481 p.

7. Timokhina S. A., Bondareva N. V. Eriophorum L. Cotton grass // Flora of Siberia. T. 3: Cyperaceae / Comp. L.I. Malyshev et al.: In 14 volumes - Novosibirsk: Science, Sibirsk. department, 1990. T. 3.S. 11-15.

8. Yuzepchuk S.V. Cotton grass (Eriophorum L.) // Flora of the USSR. In 30 volumes / Ch. ed. acad. V. L. Komarov; Ed. volumes B.K. Shishkin. M.-L.: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1935. T. III. pp. 26-37.

9. Shantser I.A. Plants of central European Russia (Field Atlas). M. Publishing house KMK. 2007. 470 p.

- (Eriophorum), a genus of plants of the family. sedge Perennial herbs with creeping or shortened rhizomes. The flowers are bisexual, protogynous, in spikelets, solitary or collected in an umbellate inflorescence. Perianth from many. white, rarely reddish... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

A genus of perennial grasses in the sedge family. OK. 20 species, in the cold and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in the tundra, forest zone and alpine mountain zone, often in swamps, wetlands). Peat formers, feed for... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

COTTON COTTON, cotton grass, female. (bot.). A perennial marsh grass that develops many long, shiny white hairs (fluff) when mature. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Exist., number of synonyms: 2 whitehead (6) plant (4422) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

- (Eriophorum) genus of plants of the sedge family. Perennial herbs with creeping or shortened rhizomes (in the latter case, P. form tussocks). The stems are triangular or cylindrical, the basal leaves are long, the stem leaves are shortened or... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Y; and. Swamp grass fam. sedge, the seeds of which have long shiny white hairs (fluff). P. is a good food for deer and elk. P. bloomed. * * * cotton grass is a genus of perennial grasses of the sedge family. About 20 species, in cold and temperate zones... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

cotton grass- švylys statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Šeima. Viksvuoliniai – Cyperaceae Juss. atitikmenys: lot. Eriophorum eng. cotton grass; cottonsedge vok. Mitzker; Wollgrass rus. cotton grass lenk. wełnianka… Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

- (Eriophorum L.) generic name of plants from the sedge family (Cyperaceae), group Scirpeae. These are perennial herbs growing in turf; their stems are cylindrical and triangular; in some species shoots also develop. The leaves are linear, from... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

G. A perennial wetland herbaceous plant of the sedge family with fruits covered with long silky hairs. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass, cotton grass (Source: “Full accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak”) ... Forms of words

Books

• Duel. Issue 2, A. Golubev, Boris Vorobyov, V. Mashkin, V. Osipov, V. Fedotov, M. Baryshev, Markin E., Nikolai Agayants, Eduard Khrutsky, The collection opens with the story “Under the Hooves of a Centaur,” which tells about the first the days and background of the fascist ultra rebellion in Chile. The story "Missing" is dedicated to the Soviet... Category:

Cotton grass can be found everywhere in the temperate and cold zones of the Northern Hemisphere, most often in damp forest clearings, near water bodies, in swamps, and marshy meadows. People call it “hare’s tail”, “squirrel”, “whitehead”. About 20 species of plants are known, the most common of them are: narrow-leaved, reddish, broad-leaved, vaginal, slender cotton grass.

The plant is considered the most valuable food for wild animals. Since it incredible Beautiful During flowering, it is grown for decorative purposes and is also used in floristry. The ground part is used in traditional medicine recipes.

Description and chemical composition

The plant has creeping rhizomes, sometimes, for example, in cotton grass, the roots are shortened, capable of forming hummocks. The average height is 0.4 m, but sometimes it stretches up to a meter. The stems are single, the leaves are narrow-linear, flat, triangular or linear. Numerous flowers collected in spikelets are bisexual. Flowering occurs in April-May.

The perianth consists of many hairs, which, growing, take the form of a fluffy brush, most often white. Fruit– triangular or tetrahedral nuts up to 3 mm long, with a short nose.

The chemical composition of the plant has practically not been studied; all that is known for certain is that the grass contains quite a lot of silica, and it also contains pectin, xylan, proteins, vitamins, sugars, and a number of microelements. The roots contain essential oil.

Beneficial features

Cotton grass with the right application can bring real benefits to the human body. It is used for medicinal purposes in the following cases:

Use in folk medicine

To date, cotton grass has not found use in traditional medicine, but in folk recipes use ground Part plants.

Contraindications for use

Contraindications to date, no drugs from the plant have been identified, it is only known that it does not have poisonous substances.

Therefore, given that the plant has not been thoroughly studied, it should not be used by pregnant women, as well as during lactation. For the same reason, it is not recommended for children.

Growing and care

Cotton grass Can grow on a personal plot, if it is possible to create familiar conditions for it.

Preparation and storage

Cotton grass is harvested during flowering. In September, fluffy spikelets are collected. Drying is done in the shade. Raw materials must be stored in dry rooms, placed in paper bags. Once a diagnosis has been made by specialists, you can always turn to the recipes of traditional healers and carry out treatment using unconventional methods, or in parallel with medication, but all this must be done under the supervision of a doctor.