One of the earliest plants of the tundra is vaginal cotton grass. Spectacular large hummocky turfs, bright greens and unusual fluffy inflorescences attract attention and look very interesting. The plant is valued not only as a fodder, but also as a valuable peat-forming agent, and is also actively used in garden and park design.
Vaginal gunny: spread
This species, belonging to the genus Pushica, has a very extensive range, which includes regions of North America, Eurasia with a cold and temperate climate. The northern border of distribution reaches New Earth. It grows almost everywhere in Russia, including in the middle lane. The most characteristic habitat of the plant is sphagnum and sphagnum-sedge bogs, mainly supreme, that is, fed by precipitation. This is the main factor by which the vaginal cotton grass differs from closely related species (narrow-leaved and broadleaf). The latter prefer key and lowland swamps.
In addition, the species is actively settled on overgrown lake shores, in swampy coniferous forests, usually pine, as well as in moss tundra. The high growth rate and resistance to environmental factors make it possible to form thickets and extensive hummocks in a short time.
Roots, stems, leaves
All representatives of the Fluffy genus are perennial herbs with a height of 30 to 70 cm, less often 90 cm. In the process of growth, they form large and dense sods or bumps. The species under consideration, in contrast to others, has a shortened rhizome with fibrous branchy roots, and not creeping. The stem of the plant is erect.
Fluffy vaginal name received in connection with the presence of a special part of the sheet located at the very base. It is expanded in the form of a tube or groove and covers a stem up to 12 cm long (pictured above). In the harsh northern climate, it protects the lower basal trihedral leaves from frost. Stem sheaths can be red-brown, pink-brown, sometimes with a yellowish tint, the edges are fibrous.
Flowers and fruits
Bisexual flowers are collected in a single multifloral spikelet, located at the top of the shoot. A striking feature of the genus of plants is the presence of perianth from soft and smooth bristles (hairs), most often white. It was this trait that determined the name of the entire genus of plants.
After the vaginal cotton grass (see photo in the article) fades, the hairs grow significantly, exceeding the fruit many times in length, and form a fluffy “hat”, or the so-called ovoid or spherical puff, up to 3-4 cm in diameter. Their biological significance is in adaptation to anemochoria, that is, the spread of seeds with the help of wind, as well as the ability to fix on wet soil due to its high hygroscopicity.
The fruit is nuts of an oblong trihedral shape of brown, and sometimes with a yellow tint color, sizes - up to 3 mm in length and 1.3-1.5 mm in width. Flowering periods depend on the place of growth, in Russia - April-May.
Vaginal fluff: meaning
All members of the genus are active peat-forming agents; some species are especially valuable in that they constitute the bulk of peat, known as “grassy”. Previously, puffs were used for stuffing pillows, creating wicks, hats, tinder, admixtures for sheep wool, cotton or linen, silk fabrics and in paper production.
Due to the wide range of growth, vagina cannabis is an important fodder plant, one of the first in spring in natural areas with poor vegetation (sphagnum and transitional bogs, tundra, swampy deciduous forests). One centner of grass contains 25.2 feed units and a significant amount of digestible protein (3 kg). The plant is the main component of the year-round diet of reindeers, which even in winter dig it out from under the snow cover. In spring, moose and lemmings, waterfowl eat it.
Use in traditional medicine
The plant is not recognized as a medicinal product by official medicine. However, in traditional methods of treatment, it is used as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Science has not established contraindications as such, the plant is not poisonous. However, it should be used, like any other medicine, with caution, observing the dosage.
Chemically, the composition of cotton grass vaginalis is not fully understood. It is known that the epidermis of stems and leaves is impregnated with silicic acid, which explains their rigidity. Rhizome contains essential oil. In general, the plant is rich in protein, sugars, trace elements and vitamins.
Vaginal fluffer has diuretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative properties, has a positive effect on the digestive tract, relieves irritability, and promotes leaching of uric acid salts from the body. Plants use grass for infusion, decoction, steam, spikelets - for brewing.
Use as an ornamental plant
In landscape gardening, plants of the Osokovye family are used very actively, including vaginal cotton grass. The description of the plant would be incomplete without mentioning its use as a decorative one. Large and dense turfs of bright green color look bright and interesting, the effect doubles with the appearance of numerous snow-white “puffs”.
Since the plant is a typical inhabitant of sphagnum bogs, waterlogged flood meadows, marshy forests, then it is necessary to choose the appropriate place on the site. It is best to plant cotton grass in shallow water, along the edges of a pond, artificial pond or swamp. In this case, the lighting should be full, only slight shading is permissible. The plant prefers acidic water and soil (silty, with the addition of peat).
The main care for the vaginal cannonis in the garden will be to maintain the necessary level of soil moisture, which should not dry out. It is recommended to remove wilted inflorescences early in the spring, since the seeds stay on the plants for a long time - this is a factor limiting the growth of turf. Representatives of the sedge family are prone to rapid and uncontrolled proliferation.
Use cotton grass when decorating rockeries, heather garden, the banks of ponds, planting it in groups or small massifs. Faded inflorescences look beautiful when decorating bouquets of fresh flowers or compositions of dried flowers.