Among the hundreds of plants growing on our planet, there are high giants, there are extraordinary beauties that everyone admires, and there are completely inconspicuous, modestly spread on the ground. Few people notice them under their feet. But among such plants there are unique and very useful species. Plown is one of them. These plants appeared long before the dinosaurs, but then they were the height of a multi-storey building. Today, the crowns can stretch upwards by only 30-50 cm, but their stems reach a length of 50 m or more. What are they? How do they live? What are the benefits?
Etymology of the name
In Russian, they called the plant a clown for the peculiarity of growth. Its stems creeping on the ground constantly give growth, moving further and further from the starting point. At the same time, the old part gradually dies and dries, and young stems grow further. It seems that the plant flows from one place to another. In the scientific world, his name is the lycopodium, which can be translated from Greek as “wolf paw”. In different regions, people call him a potter and a bulan (because the popuns are used in metallurgy), Zelentsy (since he is green in winter and summer), a tundra (since he spreads under his feet), a sorcerer (because he is credited with magical properties).
Distribution area
This plant is cosmopolitan. Different types of mugs can be seen on all continents. Only in Antarctica there are none yet. These modest plants feel great both in the frosty Arctic and in the sultry tropics. They are in the temperate zone, in the tundra, in Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Mediterranean, in the Far East, in many states of America (Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa), in New Zealand, in the foothills of the Cordillera, in the forests of Europe, in Scandinavia.
In nature, plunders prefer coniferous forests, mostly pine, as they have more light. However, they can be found in deciduous forests, on the plains and in the foothills, in the subalpine zone and in the mountain forest. Often they are observed at an altitude of more than 2000 meters.
general description
All representatives of the plunae are members of the Plaunova family. These are evergreen perennials forming spores. More famous among these plant forms are ferns, the flower of which they so dreamed of finding in the old days desperate romantics. Now we know that spore plants do not bloom. This fully applies to the plunas.
The appearance of its various species may vary somewhat, but in general it can be said that they all form stems that creep on the ground and extend quite far from the mother's root. Over the entire length of the stem, the cocks form lateral shoots, which some people call branches. They grow vertically up. In height, "twigs" are different (from 15 to 50 cm). Roots are also formed on stems at certain intervals.
There are such cocks that climb the trunks of trees, hanging down the lace of the side stems. However, they are not parasitic plants, because they use trees only as a support.
The leaves of different species of the crowns are different. In some, they resemble green scales, in others - spiky thorns, in others - small needles (like in fir trees, only soft and tender). There are species with linear leaflets, with lanceolate, with flat, with cylindrical.
Many stuns are poisonous, so you need to handle them carefully.
Witches Circles
The root system of the plunks is well developed, but it cannot be called powerful. Most species have 2-4 main roots, rarely exceeding 50 cm in length. 11-12 thin roots depart from them, as well as from the base of the stem.
Most representatives of the crowns grow in such a way that they move from one mother’s root to any one side with a continuous green carpet. But there are also species that grow in different directions, leaving the mother root in the center. The life span of the overgrown parts of the plant is about five years, after which they die and dry out.
If the clown grows in all directions, dying begins in the center of such a green meadow. Gradually, a dry spot increases in diameter, forming a kind of circle. In its center you can see the earth and dead stems, and around the circumference are green shoots full of life. Previously, people believed that in the place of such circles evil forces emerge from the earth and tried to circumvent them on the tenth road. The people christened them “witch’s circles” (rings), and the clown called them a sorcerer. Note that the same mystical circles form many mushrooms - talkers, fly agaric, mushrooms, morels. In diameter, they can reach from 40 to 200 meters.
Club-shaped
To date, 70 species of pods have been described (according to other sources - about 600). Of these, about 20 species grow in Russia. The most widespread is the club-shaped clown, the gametophyte of which develops up to 20 years. Recall that a gametophyte is the multicellular phase of some plants that forms germ cells.
The club-shaped clown was called, because at the ends of its shoots there is a thickening, in shape resembling a mace. They are especially clearly visible during dormancy (in winter). The club-shaped clown has strongly branching stems, on which grow vertical shoots up to half a meter high. The leaves of representatives of this species are small needle-shaped, which makes its shoots resemble spruce branches. Spore-bearing spikelets are located at the ends of shoots on very thin legs. In the sun, spores ripen in July, and in the shade - closer to September.
Plaun ram
This very winter-hardy species is distributed practically throughout the territory of the Russian Federation (with the exception of Crimea). The stalk is lying. Several shoots, densely covered with rigid multi-row leaves, can rise up from it at once. They are narrow, pointed, directed up. The ram growth is very small - only up to 4 cm. It does not form spore-bearing spikelets. His spores are located right in the axils of the leaves. In some plants, they are replaced by viviparous buds.
Flattened
This plant can also be seen throughout Russia. The lateral shoots of this type of muzzle are a bit like thuja branches. From the stem, they fan out, and all shoots are located in the same plane. The leaves are pointed at the end, have a scaly shape. At the ends of some shoots, 3-4 spore-bearing spikelets are formed. A feature of this species is that its stems lie in the ground to a depth of 15 cm, which makes them look like real roots.
Plown year
This plant is found in Ciscaucasia, in Eastern and Western Siberia, in Transcaucasia, in the Arctic, in the European part of Russia, in the Far East. This type of muzzle prefers mossy moist forests, swampy birch forests, and in the mountains rises to the upper zone.
From its creeping and well-rooted stem, shoots 10-30 cm high extend upwards. They are covered with needle leaves, flat, pointed, slightly curved down.
The plown is dark (dull)
Externally, this plant is very similar to tiny Christmas trees, since its stems are hidden in the ground, and only single side shoots are visible on the surface. Each such "stalk" rises up to 30-40 cm. It is crowned with one spore-bearing spikelet, vaguely reminiscent of the inflorescences of some conifers. Depart from it to the sides, like twigs, thinner shoots covered with needle leaves. In Russia, this species is found in the Far East.
Breeding
Since these plants do not form flowers, they developed other breeding methods that allowed them to survive to this day and feel excellent, despite the abundance of more highly organized angiosperms in the neighborhood. Plauna and horsetails are very ancient vascular plants that reproduce by spores. In addition, they are able to reproduce vegetatively - pieces of stems and viviparous buds, which, once on wet ground, form roots and give life to a new individual.
Reproduction by spores is called sexual. Note that for the description of this process in spore-bearing plants, including plunds, several complex terms are used that are far from human biology. Consider what they mean:
- Strobiles (for simplicity they are called spore spikelets) are transformed shoots on which sporangia are located.
- Sporangia are organs producing spores.
- Gametes are cells involved in sexual reproduction.
- Sporophyte is a plant that produces spores.
- Gametophyte is a haploid phase, gametes are produced. In this phase, many cells form, but they all have the same (haploid) set of chromosomes. Simply put, a gametophyte is a plant that forms germ cells.
- Anteridia - male cells (contain sperm cells).
- Archegonia - female cells (contain eggs).
Now you can easily understand how sexual reproduction of the plunks occurs. At the first stage, they are all sporophytes. At the same time, strobiles are formed on many vertical shoots of plunas, containing a lot of sporangia. Hundreds of thousands of microscopic spores mature in them. In most species, they have a round shape and are covered with two shells.
When sporangia burst, unusually light spores fly around and at some point fall to the ground. Under favorable conditions, they germinate. Incredibly slowly, a tiny plant, a gametophyte, develops from each. Many types of pluns require 20 years to do this!
Gametophytes are similar to small mushrooms with a cap diameter of up to 30 mm. They have rhizoids (filamentous processes that perform the functions of the roots), but no leaves and stems.
For spore plants, it is very important that gametophytes simultaneously have both archegoniums and anteridia, which gradually mature. When they become ready to merge, archegonium secrete citric acid. Scientists suggest that this substance activates the movement of sperm to them. Most clowns require a minimum amount of water to reach the anteridia. Upon fusion, an embryo is formed - a small sporophyte. At first, it exists due to the gametophyte nutrients, but soon starts up roots and begins an independent long life.
The meaning of the pluns
These modest plants, since they are poisonous, animals do not eat. Only slugs and snails can enjoy them. However, for a person, the cocks are extremely important. Almost all species growing in Russia are used in medicine. The club-shaped clown was especially widely used. About two dozen useful substances were found in this plant, including fatty oil (up to 50%), alkaloids, carotene, lutein, steroids, lipids, fatty acids, nicotine, phenylcarboxylic acids, sucrose, carbohydrates and others.
In official medicine, spores of the plunders are used. They make baby powder, pour pills with them, they are part of the Acofit preparation (used for radiculitis).
Folk healers use spores, stems, and lateral shoots of the clowns. Using these plants, more than fifty diseases of the internal organs, skin, and nervous system are treated, including enuresis, gastritis, nephritis, cystitis, diarrhea, gout, eczema, diathesis, varicose veins, hypertension, gout, hemorrhoids, pneumonia, rickets and many others.
In metallurgy, spores of the plunders are also used. They pour molds on shaped castings.
Pyrotechnics use spores to make sparklers, all kinds of fireworks.
Spores have also found application in veterinary medicine as a wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic agent.
Harvest spores in the second half of summer. To do this, very carefully cut strobiles and put them in a cloth bag. At home, spores are shaken and dried in a place where there is not the slightest breeze or draft.