Many of us are looking forward to the arrival of spring, because the appearance of buds, green leaves and flowers in itself is already uplifting. Some plants growing in our forests, even under the snow, form young shoots, the so-called primroses. In early April, you can watch the goose onion , crossache, anemone, chistyak and, of course, the crested flower blooming. Photos of the most common species you will see below.
Description
Western and central regions of China are considered to be the birthplace of corydalis, a flower grows mainly in deciduous forests, creating dense curtains. In the genus of these undemanding perennials, more than 300 species. However, many of us do not even know how the flower of Corydalis looks. Outwardly, it is very similar to a delicate fern, the height of the plant reaches 30 centimeters.
During the flowering period (mid-spring or early summer), you can admire the yellow, pink, white, red and lilac flowers developing on the bare upright stems. For growing a flower, woodland, stone gardens are suitable, and the plant also feels good near ponds. Corydalis grows in nature in the forest; some of the species can be found in European Russia and Southern Siberia.
Representative of the Dymyankov family
Corydalis plant belongs to the family of dicotyledonous plants, close to poppies. The genus has close four hundred species. Many of them grow in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The name comes from the Greek word translated "helmet", due to the shape of the flower.
A perennial herb has a tuberous root system. Leaves basal with a bluish bloom, strongly dissected. Cystic inflorescences slightly rise above the foliage. Flowers are small in size, yellow, pink and bluish-purple in color.
Corydalis, like snowdrop, tulip, sprout, crocus, is an ephemeroid plant, since it has a short growing season. These plants delight us with their flowering in early spring, when nature has not yet indulged in the middle strip of Russia with greenery. As soon as the seeds ripen, yellowing begins, and later on the death of the aerial parts of the plant.
Development features
Before breeding corydalis, you need to find out how the plant develops. After flowering (this occurs approximately in April-May), the aboveground parts quickly die off, and the ripened seeds fall to the ground. Tubers with accumulated nutrients remain in the soil. At this time, there is still almost no foliage on trees and shrubs.
After flowering, the Corydalis, like other spring ephemeroids, disappear, appearing again the next year. So that the place where the flowers grew is not empty, you can plant various short-rhizome plants blooming in summer or autumn: colchicum, lilies or irises. So your site will turn into a real conveyor of flowering plants. Also, for planting, you can choose a place under the ornamental shrubs: lilac, rose or Weigel.
Corydalis flower (plant description is given in this article) looks great in combination with perennial plants, which much later begin to build up aboveground mass. So, for example, Corydalis decorate a flower bed when phlox or hosts are barely visible. By autumn, plants will rise, closing their large leaves, and hide the void thus formed after the death of the aboveground part of the ephemeroids.
The low growth of Corydalis allows wonderful decoration of the alpine hills. It is enough to find a place for them near a small bush that will shade a flower.
Bloom
Corydalis - a flower described earlier that appears in early spring. White, yellow, pink, purple or purple tubular flowers appear on 7-20-cm stems. Gardeners are especially interested in the variety Corydalis (photos of the most common species are given in this material) tortuous. This plant has rather unusual blue flowers .
How is the crested crest (flower) propagated?
Description of breeding methods will help you grow wonderful flowers in your flower bed. If you want corydalis in your garden, you can just transplant the plant from the forest, the main thing is to leave a large lump of land. When digging a flower, do not forget that its roots are quite deep. Corydalis can also breed with seeds.
In culture, plants run wild, spreading long distances from the planting site. Quite often, ants spread seeds to various places. Corydalis is usually found in the shade of trees, where the ground is covered with fallen leaves. Since flowering begins very early, they do not interfere with the growth of other crops.
In nature, Corydalis chooses places in the forest with humus soil, and in culture, it takes root on the usual. Excessive moisture, bright lighting and sodding of the earth are detrimental to her.
Corydalis distillation
For agrotechnical use, which is used to produce flowers during off-season, only dense crested fish is suitable. Only large, undamaged tubers are taken for distillation. For a pot with a plant, choose a cool dark place (recommended temperature is 5 degrees), where it will be for 9 weeks. If you could not find such a place in the house, you can wrap the pot in a dark bag and put it in the refrigerator.
When forcing, it is necessary to periodically monitor the drying of the soil. Particular attention is paid to the temperature regime, only in this way will the plant begin to bloom. Equally important is good lighting. After the corydalis has faded, watering is not stopped until the leaves turn yellow, then the pot is put in the refrigerator until spring.
Common species
In the shade of trees, the forest Corydalis grows beautifully, including the most frequent representative of Corydalis solida. This is an elegant 15-20-centimeter plant with delicate, as if lacy leaves and helmet-shaped flowers. Particular attention is paid to the variety George Baker, which is characterized by bright red-pink inflorescences.
Yellow Corydalis is found in nature in the mountains in western Europe. The plant forms a spherical bush, reaching a height of 20-40 centimeters. Grows in groups, creating floral carpets on the ground. The leaves of this plant variety are light green in color, cirrus, tubular bright yellow flowers are collected in a brush.
Hollow Corydalis is a flower (the useful properties of the plant are described in this material), reaching 20-30 cm in height. Deep-lying, hollow, spherical tubers of a plant in diameter grow up to 3 cm. A straight stem ends with a multi-flowered brush. The leaves of this species are petiolate, bluish, tender, twice or thrice triple. The length of whole, oblong, sharp bracts is 2-3 times longer than pedicels. The cup consists of two small sepals. The zygomorphic 4-petal nimbus, as a rule, is violet-pink (in some cases white), reaches a length of 22-25 mm. A thick spur is formed by the upper lobe. 6 stamens are fused with threads in several bundles. Anther of Corydalis hollow single-nosed. The fruit is an oblong, pointed, drooping pod-shaped 10-12 mm box. The seeds of the plant are black, small-pointed, brilliant, with a diameter of 3 mm, with a caruncle. Flowering occurs in April-May, the ripening of fruits is May-June.
Hollow Corydalis grows in the middle lane and in the south of European Russia; you can meet it in the deciduous forests of Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don and Saratov.
Another famous species is Siberian Corydalis. This annual plant grows on roadsides, clearings, old burnt areas and along the old uproots of Eastern Siberia near Lake Baikal. Flowers are yellow and pale yellow. The fruits are a horizontally deflected or drooping, oblong capsule with black shiny seeds with a diameter of not more than 1.5 millimeters. Flowering begins in May-June.
Corydalis Severtsova is a perennial plant, reaching a height of 10 centimeters, with a round tuber with a diameter of 1.5 to 4 centimeters. Opposite, two-tailed leaves of a yellow or orange-yellow hue. Flowering of this variety occurs in March-May.
The difference between Ledebour's Corydalis from other species is pink flowers with a thick spur curved upwards. Plant tubers contain up to 1.24 percent alkaloids. In some species, the presence of sanguinarine was found, but it is impossible to solve the problem with raw materials at their expense, since the size of the tubers is insufficient.
Beneficial features
For medicinal purposes, only tufts of tufts are suitable, they can be harvested only after fruiting. They must be cut into thin slices and dried. The remaining parts will not be needed because they contain toxic substances.
Preparations made from the tubers of the plant have analgesic and antispastic effects, which is why they are used for arterial hypertension, seizures, intestinal diseases and Parkinson's disease. In addition, Medicinal Corydalis has anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antioxidant and hypnotic effects, normalizes hormonal levels in the weak half of humanity.
Application
Special decoctions and infusions are prepared from the tubers of the plant, which help with diseases of the nervous system, trembling paralysis, neuralgia, damage to joints, ligaments and muscles, bruises, arthrosis and arthritis. A powder made from the roots of Corydalis is used for insomnia, liver diseases, increased nervous irritability and gynecological diseases, accompanied by malfunctions of the menstrual cycle.
The drug "Sanguirythrin"
Corydalis is used for the manufacture of the medical drug Sanguirythrin, which is used for myopathy, disorders of the motor system caused by diseases of the nervous system. The ointment must be rubbed onto the affected area twice a day, if necessary, an exclusive dressing will be required. The drug is moderately toxic, so burning may occur during use. In this case, treatment will have to be stopped immediately. "Sanguirythrin" is prescribed with extreme caution to patients with epilepsy, hyperkinesis, bronchial asthma and angina pectoris.