Clover pink flower formula. Creeping or white clover. Red clover - Trifolium pratense L
Trifolium pratense L.
Brief information and illustrations
Red clover - Trifolium pratense L. " style="border-style:solid;border-width:6px;border-color:#ffcc66;" width="250" height="334">
style="border-style:solid;border-width:6px;border-color:#ffcc66;" width="300" height="225">
style="border-style:solid;border-width:6px;border-color:#ffcc66;" width="250" height="333">
Other names: Balash, White porridge, God's bread, Wolashok, Elm, Gogolechka, Golovok, Gorshatnik, Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Woodpecker, Stallion, Hare's feet, Scrofula grass, Ivasik, Ivilnik, Izmetnik, Ilyushnik, Kalachiki, Crucian carp, Red clover, Kovrizhki, Rug, Goat's eye, Komanitsa, Konevicnik, Konevnik, Konychina, Konyushina, Konyushka, Seals, Krasnogolovka, Kuklas, Lapushka, Lapushnik, Fever grass, Fever grass, Horseman, Horsewoman, Makushnik, Malitsa, Manushnik, Honey cake, Honey cake , Medovnik, Lungwort, Meadow bluegrass, Nukisha, Nuts, Butts, Bee bread, Bee lover, Bee picker, Smoktushki, Sucker, Sukhovershnik, Treushnik, Trefoil, Troezelie, Trinity, Troyan, Bread, Khreshchatka, Apples, Yasholnik.
Diseases and effects: anemia, lung diseases, upper respiratory tract, bronchial asthma, shortness of breath, malaria, scrofula, painful menstruation, inflammation of the bladder, allergic skin diseases, vasculitis, baldness, graying of hair, vitiligo, urolithiasis, scrofula, bleeding, wounds, burns, abscesses, felon, conjunctivitis, rheumatism, suppuration nail bed and fingers, skin tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases of the ears and eyes, rickets, boils, eczema, frostbite, bedsores, ulcers, vitamin deficiency, uterine bleeding, anemia, exhaustion, tumors, diabetes, inflammation of the ovaries.
Active substances: trifolin, isotrifolin, isorhamnetin, quercetin, asparagine, tyrosine, ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, coumaric acid, sitosterols, vitamin E, vitamin K, B vitamins, carotene, alkaloids, essential oil, resins, bioflavonoids, pigments, trifolesin.
Time to collect and prepare the plant: May - September.
Botanical description of red clover
Clover- a perennial, less often biennial, herbaceous plant of the family Legumes (Mothaceae) — Fabaceae (Leguminosae).
Root core, branched, well developed. Reaching a depth of up to 2 m, it has small nodules in which bacteria live, extracting nitrogen from the air.
Main stem short, reduced. flowering stems ascending, grow from the axils of the basal leaves, reaching a height of 15-60 cm.
Leaves Trifoliate, petiolate, with broadly ovate leaves. The lower leaves are finely toothed along the edge, and the upper ones are entire, elongated-ovate. At night the leaves are folded. Individual leaves most often have an arrow-shaped white pattern.
Flowers small, red or pink, zygomorphic, collected in inflorescences - loose round or slightly oblong single, and more often paired heads with a wrapper of two upper leaves. The size of the flowers is 1-2 cm in length. Meadow clover blooms from spring until frost.
Fetus- ovoid single-seeded bean.
Distribution and habitat of red clover
Clover in Ukraine and the European part of Russia is found everywhere in meadows, pastures, pastures, gently sloping banks of reservoirs, along roads, and often forms a continuous meadow cover.
Harvesting red clover
For medicinal purposes, inflorescences with upper leaves are prepared. They do this throughout the summer.
Inflorescences with apical leaves are plucked by hand or cut off with a knife; the whole inflorescence with wrapper, without peduncles, is loosely placed in baskets and quickly dried in the shade, under a canopy or in a dryer at a temperature of 60-70 ° C, making sure that the raw materials do not dry out, since when this loses its value. Store inflorescences in a dry, shaded place in a closed container for 2 years, and herbs for 1 year.
Sometimes roots are prepared as medicinal raw materials and dried in the usual way.
Chemical composition of red clover
The grass and inflorescences of meadow clover contain glycosides trifolin and isotrifolin, isorhamnetin, quercetin, asparagine, tyrosine, ascorbic, salicylic and coumaric acids, sitosterols, vitamins (E, K, group B), carotene, alkaloids, essential oil, resins, bioflavonoids.
Red clover leaves contain ascorbic acid and pigments. The antifungal substance trifolesin was isolated from the roots.
Pharmacological properties of red clover
Red clover has an expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic, hemostatic and antiseptic effect.
Use of red clover in medicine
Currently, clover is used only in folk medicine.
Infusion and decoction of fresh or dried clover inflorescences are used for anemia, lung diseases, upper respiratory tract diseases, bronchial asthma, shortness of breath, malaria, scrofulosis, painful menstruation, and inflammation of the bladder. They are also taken for allergic skin diseases, vasculitis, baldness, graying of hair, vitiligo, urolithiasis, scrofula.
Flavonoids contained in clover prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood, so the plant is used to prevent atherosclerosis.
Fresh crushed leaves and heads, as well as fresh plant juice, are used externally to stop bleeding, heal wounds, for burns, abscesses, panaritiums, in the treatment of conjunctivitis, and also for rheumatic pain.
Fresh juice of the plant is effective against suppuration of the nail bed and fingers, skin tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases ears and eyes.
Externally, clover is used for baths for rickets in children, allergic skin lesions, as well as in the form of lotions and poultices for boils and eczema. It is used externally and for frostbite, bedsores and ulcers.
An aqueous infusion of clover is used for vitamin deficiencies.
Clover blossom tea - recognized folk remedy with uterine bleeding.
Clover is also used for anemia, exhaustion, tumors, and diabetes.
A decoction of meadow clover roots is indicated for inflammation of the ovaries and as an antitumor agent.
In Central Asia, the juice of fresh grass has long been used to heal wounds, and a decoction of dry grass has been used for malaria as a diuretic.
Dosage forms and method of use of red clover
Decoction of clover inflorescences. Brew 250 ml of boiling water and 20 g of inflorescences, cook for 15 minutes, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 50 ml 3-4 times a day for urolithiasis, chronic cough, bronchial asthma, anemia, scrofula. Use externally as a lotion for burns, frostbite, bedsores, abscesses, to wash festering wounds and ulcers.
Clover herb infusion. Brew 200 ml of boiling water and 40 g of herbs, leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 50 ml 3-4 times a day for coughs and colds.
Clover inflorescence infusion. Brew 200 ml of boiling water for 30 g of flower heads, leave for 1 hour in a warm place in a sealed container, then strain. Take 50 ml 4 times a day 30 minutes before meals for chronic cough, gastritis, skin diseases, colitis, cholecystitis, diathesis. Wash wounds, ulcers, apply lotions to inflamed areas, carbuncles, boils.
Tincture of leafy clover tops. Pour 500 ml of 40% alcohol or strong vodka into 40 g of raw materials, leave for 14 days, strain. Take 20 ml before lunch or before bedtime for atherosclerosis with normal blood pressure accompanied by headaches and tinnitus. The course of treatment is 3 months with a break of 10 days. After 6 months, the course of treatment can be repeated.
Contraindications to the use of red clover
There are no contraindications or side effects when using meadow clover preparations.
The use of red clover in nutrition
Young shoots and leaves are used to make salads, flower heads are used for soups, the leaves are dried and pickled.
Dried and crushed clover leaves are added to wheat flour when baking bread.
Pickled red clover leaves
Young leaves are washed, allowed to drain, placed tightly in prepared jars, filled with marinade (as for tomatoes), sterilized and hermetically sealed.
Used as a side dish for meat dishes.
Other information about clover
The Latin name for clover is Trifolium pratense, meaning three-leaf (trifolium), meadow (pratense).
Clover has great value in meadow forage production as a high-protein plant. It is also a good honey plant.
Often, various types of clover are planted on lawns for decorative purposes.
For a long time in agriculture Instead of leaving a field fallow, it is often planted with meadow clover. Not only has it been used as livestock feed, but it also improves soil fertility. The fact is that clover roots have nodules in which bacteria live, extracting nitrogen from the air, which is a very important nutrient for the plant. It is these bacteria that subsequently fertilize the soil.
The essential oil obtained from clover is used in perfumery to produce various aromas.
Clover in history and mythology
Clover cultivation began in the 14th century. Northern Italy, from where the culture spread to Holland and then to Germany. In 1633, red clover came to England. In Russia it has been cultivated since the middle of the 18th century.
In Germany, clover was carried with them to protect against witchcraft. Clover that grew under the gallows, or that had received the blood of an executed person, was especially valued. In England, clover was placed in cattle pens to protect them from all types of evil spells.
Clover, namely its leaf with three petals, symbolizes the divine triad, the triple aspect of life - the unity of body, soul and spirit. Clover, full of energy, also symbolizes vitality.
The ancient Celts saw clover as a sacred magical plant. The white seamyg clover has long been considered the national symbol of Ireland. It was part of the emblem of the Irish regiments in the British army and was banned in the 19th century by Queen Victoria after the shamrock became the emblem of the liberation uprising. This state of affairs was called “wearing green,” and violation of the ban was punishable by the gallows.
Traditionally, the Irish “wore green” to welcome spring. According to legends, green clothes helped to gain the favor of fairies and improve crop prospects. Today, the shamrock clover, along with the English rose and Scottish thistle, adorns the British flag and is an important element of decoration accompanying the festivities in honor of St. Patrick.
According to legend, when St. Patrick explained to the Irish the essence of the trinity of the Holy Trinity, he picked a clover leaf and declared: “The three clover leaves mean the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the stem means God, who is the beginning of everything.” With this argument, Saint Patrick finally defeated his flock.
The Irish cross is also stylized as a clover leaf on a stalk.
The rare four-leaf clover is considered a symbol of good luck in the modern sense.
For the Chinese, clover symbolizes summer.
Clover in dreams
Clover in the dream book of Mandrake's Labyrinth
Most of the characters of the legume order belong, in fact, to the family Papilaceae. They differ from mimosa by irregular flowers, which usually have 10 free or fused stamens, as well as by single-pinnate leaves. Among the moths, herbs and shrubs predominate.
Meadow chin(Lathyrus pratensis) (Fig. 82, 1) is a typical moth plant and is extremely widespread on the edges of forests, meadows, and coastal bushes.
For practice, it is easy to collect flowers and fruits of the tree, since it blooms and bears fruit simultaneously during the entire growing season. For analysis, it is better to store flowers dry.
China is a perennial plant, and underground it has a long rhizome, with the help of which it reproduces *. Once eaten by livestock, it is easily renewed, which increases its value as a pasture plant.
* (The rhizome of the china must be presented on herbarium sheets so that there are nodules on the lateral roots.)
Its stems are weak and climbing. The leaves are pinnate. On the main axis of the leaf, the meadow rank has only one pair of leaflets, and the apex turns into a simple or slightly branched tendril. At the base of the leaf there are leaf-like stipules. A simple tendril and large stipules are important generic characteristics of the rank. With the help of tendrils, the stem of the tree clings to other plants. Chin and meadow flowers are collected in clusters of two to ten on each. The petals are bright yellow.
Let's start exploring the flower with the calyx. Putting the flower on the magnifying glass table, we will see that the calyx is fused-leaved, at the top of its tube there are five thread-like teeth (Fig. 82, 2). It is easy to notice that the teeth are unequal and the calyx tube is somewhat oblique along the edge. Studying the corolla, we see that it is also irregular and its upper petal is much larger than the others. For further analysis of the flower, use needles to open the calyx lengthwise, unfold it and move it to the side. The upper large petal is called a sail or flag. To consider relative position petals, it is necessary to disassemble the corolla into parts, starting with the sail. To do this, holding the lower part of the flower with one needle, we will pull the sail back with the other. Soon we will feel that the sail is somehow connected to the side lobes. Continuing to carefully pull back the sail, we will finally release it, and at the same time the entire mechanism of its connection with the side lobes will be revealed to us. At the lower part of the bend of the sail, small outgrowths (ears) protrude, which fit into the corresponding pits located on the side petals. By grasping the side petals, the sail is attached to them. The side petals of the moth flower are called wings or oars. These petals also need to be separated. By doing this, we will see that they are connected to the lower part of the rim, the so-called boat, according to the same principle. Putting the boat on its side, we can see its keel. It is a seam at the place where two petals grow together to form a boat (that’s why the boat is attached to the receptacle by two free nails). The shape of the boat from the side and the shape of its tip, which is called the beak, are of great systematic importance. Now use needles to push the edges of the boat apart. At the bottom we will see the stamens and pistil, which should be removed. Having separated the boat at the base, we turn it completely around, put oars on both sides of it, and a sail on top. As a result, we will see the rim of the chin in disassembled form (Fig. 82, 3).
So, the perianth of the rank is double, five-membered, the calyx is fused, the corolla is separate-petalled, except for two petals that form a boat (in some moths these are also separate). The flower is irregular, so-called zygomorphic. Now let's move the stamens and pistil into the field of view of the magnifying glass. We will see that the stamens have grown together in threads and surrounded the pistil with their tube, with one outer one (the stamen directed towards the sail) remaining free. Let's bend this stamen with needles and unfold the stamen tube, moving the pistil to the side for now. The threads of the stamens at the top are free and easy to count. The flower has ten stamens, nine of them are fused, and one is free. The shape of the edge of the stamen tube is of very great systematic importance. If the threads of the stamens are all fused at the same height, then the edge of the tube will be straight; if some threads seem to be lagging behind, then its edge will be oblique (Fig. 82, 4, 5). The rank's tube has a straight edge. This feature distinguishes the closely related genera of moths - chin and pea - from lentils and peas, in which the edge of the stamen tube is oblique. Now let's work on the pestle. Its ovary is long, the column is flat, curved (as it was inserted into the recess of the boat). What is important here is the structure of the apex of the style (under the stigma). Putting the pestle under a 20X magnifying glass, examine the column carefully. The column under the stigma is flattened and covered on one side with a continuous row of hairs. Its column of rank is well distinguished from the genus Pea (Vicia), in the species of which the column at the top is thread-like and uniformly fluffy all around or with a beard of hairs (Fig. 82, 6, 7). At its base, the pistil is surrounded by a nectar-bearing ridge. If we open the ovary with needles along the concave (abdominal) seam, we will be convinced that it is single-locular, there are many ovules in it and they are located in two rows along this seam. When ripe, the bean opens with two flaps from top to bottom (along the seam and along the vein). China flower formula: K (5) C 1+2+2 A (9)+1 G 1.
China is pollinated by bees and bumblebees. The brush of hairs on the style is an adaptive phenomenon. Pollen from the anthers spills out and is retained by these hairs, and when an insect visits its body, it is removed from the brush and carried to other flowers.
Clover(Trifolium pratense) (Fig. 83, 1, 2) serves as an example of such species of moths in which the petals grow together with each other and with the stamen tube.
Clover is a ubiquitous plant, one of the most valuable herbs for its nutritional value.
The inflorescence of clover is the head (Fig. 83, 2). When describing it, we note the shape, presence or absence of an involucre of apical leaves. The head is oblong-oval, at its base there is an involucre of slightly modified apical leaves.
Let's take a head of meadow clover, pre-steamed in hot water, and separate several flowers from it for analysis. When performing this work, you need to pay attention to the size of the pedicels of individual flowers, since some types of clover differ from each other in this feature. Red clover has sessile flowers in the head. In a flower, we consider the calyx, hairy, with long subulate and also hairy teeth, of which the lower one is much longer than the rest. The hairiness of the calyx is a good (for determination in the field) distinctive feature of meadow clover from the very similar medium clover (Trifolium medium), in which the calyx is completely bare or only slightly pubescent (Fig. 83, 3, 7). U various types In clover, the number of veins on the calyx tube also varies. The number of calyx veins in meadow clover is ten. Having opened the calyx with needles and unfolded it, we note that in the upper part of its tube, on the inner side between the teeth, there are tufts of hairs, together forming an internal hairy ring. Having removed the cup, we will see that the petals are completely fused with each other and only their bends are free (Fig. 83, 4). Thus, among moths, fusion of the corolla also occurs.
Then you should consider the remaining parts of the flower. In conclusion, let's find ripe clover fruits and examine them. They are single-seeded and essentially belong to the category of nut-shaped fruits.
What unites these diverse plants in the legume order? General features they have the following:
1) the upper unilocular ovary, which turns into a fruit - a bean;
2) compound leaves with stipules;
3) the presence of nodule nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the roots.
Legume fruits are morphologically very diverse (see Fig. 80), which is caused largely by methods of distribution (wind, animals).
Several other large orders of flowering plants are morphologically related to the order Rosaceae.
1. Class – dicotyledons or magnoliopsids (Dicotyledones, Magnoliopsida), family – moths or legumes (Leguminales, Fabales), genus – clover (Trifolium), species – meadow clover (Trifolium prаtense).
2. Herbaceous perennial.
3. Autotrophic-symbiotrophic.
4. Taproot, deep-reaching, with well-developed lateral roots.
5. On the roots there are nodules of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, located
rum 2-3 mm. Old plants have a caudex.
6. Height depends on the place of growth and mowing (25-60 cm), erect, erect.
7. Elongated shoots.
8. Sympodial.
9. Lateral.
10. The stem is cylindrical, slightly ribbed.
11. Leaf arrangement – alternate, scattered.
12. The leaf is trifoliate with adherent stipules, oval-shaped plates with a triangular transverse light stripe. The edges are jagged, the base is rounded, with a slightly pointed apex.
13. Pinnately reticulate venation.
14. Pubescence depends on the place of growth: in dry months
tah more powerful.
Generative sphere
1. The flower is collected into an inflorescence - a head.
2. Flowers are bisexual, zygomorphic.
3. Double perianth.
4. The calyx is fused from five leaves, one clove is larger than the others. The calyx leaves are pubescent.
5. Corolla zygomorphic, moth type: 1 – sail, 2 – oars, 2 – fused together into a boat.
6. Receptacle is flat.
7. Androecium bifraternal: 9 stamens fused, 1 free.
8. The gynoecium is apocarpous, formed by one carpel.
9. Superior ovary.
10. Flower formula - Ca (5) Co 1+2+(2) A (9)+1 G (1) .
11. Flower diagram
Rice. 7. Clover Flower Diagram
12. The fruit is a bean in a bag of sepals.
13. Meadow clover grows in dry and flooded meadows, along the edges of forests and as a weed in fields.
14. Red clover is part of various phytocenoses, assimilates and binds free nitrogen from the soil air, which remains for other plants in this place. It colonizes poor soils first and improves the structure of cultivated soils. Is a good food, medicinal plant, honey plant.
Study of the flora and vegetation of the area
Practices
Flora- this is the totality of all plant species inhabiting a given territory. The study of flora involves identifying all plant species in a particular area or individual plant community (forests, meadows, etc.). In practice, students must see, identify and remember a certain number of species, learn to recognize them in nature by their vegetative and generative organs. Plants subject to protection are included in the list of rare and endangered species.
The objects of study in field practice are the flora and vegetation cover of the territory. On each excursion, plants are collected, the characteristics of individual systematic groups and genera, biological, ecological characteristics of species, etc. are discussed. Each excursion brings some floristic finds, new ideas about the typical habitats of certain plants - this is how knowledge about the flora is gradually accumulated and replenished terrain. On excursions, students get acquainted with the plant communities that make up the vegetation cover of the territory. The composition, structure, ecology of phytocenoses, their location in vegetation, etc. are studied, thus students become familiar with the basics of geobotany. Under the guidance of a teacher, they carry out simple observations and geobotanical work on excursions, mastering the appropriate techniques.
The placement of plants living in any territory is not
randomly, but are subject to diverse and complex patterns. The study of these patterns constitutes the range of issues that geobotany deals with. The vegetation cover of any territory consists of plant communities (associations), or phytocenoses.
Plant community or phytocenosis are called a natural combination of several or many plant species in a given area of territory, which are in a state of interdependence both among themselves and with the environment. The plant species that make up the community, different in morphological structure (life forms) and other characteristics, are similar to each other in some ways general requirements to the habitat, therefore capable of living together. The totality of plant communities makes up the vegetation cover, or vegetation, of any territory.
Phytocenosis develops in certain places on the basis of certain conditions of existence, depends on the conditions of existence, influences the environment and creates a certain phytoenvironment.
Any phytocenosis is always inhabited by animals and microorganisms. A phytocenosis together with animals is called a biocenosis. In biocenoses, plant communities play a leading role, since their constituent elements, autotrophic plants, accumulate solar energy, create organic matter and enrich the atmosphere with oxygen for all organisms on Earth. A collection of plants, animals and conditions environment in a certain area is called biogeocenosis.
Each phytocenosis is characterized by certain characteristics. Phytocenoses are studied on test plots, the size of which depends on their properties and characteristics. The number of sample sites should correspond to the extent of the territory occupied by the community and the degree of its heterogeneity. For carrying out descriptions, the square shape of the sites (10x10, 20x20 m, etc.) is convenient. For a more detailed identification of the floristic composition of large territories, several (many) small ones are planted in them: 100 or 50 m2 in forests, 1 or 0.5 m2 in herbaceous communities.
The set of plant species included in a phytocenosis is called Flo-
ristic composition, or floristic richness. The frequency of occurrence of the same species in different parts of the phytocenosis is called the constancy of these species. High floristic saturation and a large number of constant species indicate the stability of the phytocenosis.
Under structure phytocenoses imply the quantitative relationship of the species composing it, their relative location in space. Important role The composition of ecobiomorphs plays a role in determining the structure of a plant community. The mutual selection of species in the plant community, in the process of its formation, is expressed in the arrangement of plants at different levels, the so-called tiers. There are above-ground and underground tiers. Tiering is characteristic of temperate forests, where the tiers of trees, undergrowth and undergrowth, herbaceous or herbaceous-shrub, moss or lichen-moss, are clearly distinguished.
Signs habitat or biotope– nature of the relief, exposure, nature and properties of the soil, groundwater level, etc.
Species saturation or quantitative ratio of species. Abundance is determined by the number of individuals inhabiting a given community. When taking into account the abundance of herbaceous communities, an eye method is used - a method for assessing abundance: background plants, abundantly, scatteredly, rarely occurring species.
Edifiers determine the structure of the community, create the internal environment, and create certain conditions for other plants.
Dominants– species predominant in number of individuals, biomass, having large area horizontal projection of above-ground parts onto the soil surface and playing a leading role in the community.
Assectators– these are accomplices, “fillers” of the phytocenosis.
Projective coverage determined by looking at the vegetation cover from top to bottom and express this indicator as a percentage per 1 m 2. Determine by eye how much of the soil is covered by the above-ground parts of a given species. Projective cover is a more objective indicator than abundance, more accurately reflecting
It determines the degree of participation of each species in the formation of the phytocenosis.
A characteristic feature of a community is aspect, or physiognomy, i.e. appearance phytocenosis at the moment.
Occurrence characterizes the frequency of standing of individuals of a particular species on a sample plot, which does not always correspond to a high abundance.
Vitality. Within the community, one specimen grows and develops very well, blooms and bears fruit, others only grow well, but do not bloom, some specimens certain types weakly vegetate. Vitality is determined by points: excellent, good, immediate, bad.
A plant community is not a systematic concept (as in taxonomy - genus, species, etc.), it is plant associations of both large and small volume. A forest in general is a large plant community (phytocenosis), distributed into a number of smaller units. A community or phytocenosis should be understood only in a general sense. The elementary unit of classification of phytocenoses is association. An association is a collection of vegetation areas that have the same physiognomy, structure, species composition and are located in similar habitat conditions. Each specific phytocenosis considered in nature is a representative of a certain association that is found in other places under similar conditions. Associations are united into groups of associations, then into classes of associations, and the latter into formations, etc. The names of associations are compiled according to dominants and edifiers.
Clover is a plant that grows in temperate climates. Moist soil is well suited for cultivation; drought negatively affects its growth. During the growing season, low temperatures are favorable. The seedlings safely tolerate light frosts. Severe frosts with sufficient snow cover do not have a negative effect on clover. Sow grass in the spring, having previously treated and fertilized the soil.
Growing conditions
This plant belongs to the Clover genus, the Legume family, and the Moth subfamily. Europe is considered its homeland. It is cold-resistant, its seeds germinate at 2-3 degrees, shoots appear in 5-8 days. It loves moisture; if there is a lack of it, growth slows down, and sometimes the plant dies.
On the other hand, if the plant is overwatered, it will lie down. Clover (described below) is shade-tolerant, unpretentious to soils, but prefers sod-podzolic, gray forest and black soil, and does not like saline soils. It belongs to green manure plants, forming nodules containing nitrogen on its roots. It has valuable nutritional properties due to its high protein content and is used as a fodder crop. Meadow clover is an excellent honey plant, but only bees with long proboscis can collect honey. Since time immemorial it has been used in folk medicine.
Description of clover
The genus of clover is called Trifolium in Latin, meaning trefoil. This name is given for the structure of the leaves. All types of clover have a trifoliate structure; plants with four leaves are quite rare. At night they fold and rise, and at dawn they straighten out. The main stem is shortened, contains large number basal leaves, in the axils of which flower stalks grow. The stems are drooping, ribbed, hollow or filled inside. The shape of the bushes is semi-loose or sprawling. tripartite structure and contain white spots in the middle of the leaf blade. Color from bright to dark green. The ovoid shape of the stipules is pointed. They are fused with the leaf petiole and are slightly drooping. The flowers are small (red, pink, yellow, white and other colors) collected in inflorescences in the form of a spherical head, in some species - brushes. Each flower has a green calyx and a five-petal corolla with a moth-like structure. The flower contains one pistil and ten stamens. The fruit is leathery with 1-2, less often 3-6 seeds.
They are very small and colored different types clover from light yellow to dark brown, have a bean-shaped shape.
Inflorescences and flowers
Many people confuse the inflorescence with flowers, for example, the red cap of a clover is an inflorescence called the head.
The inflorescence consists of small flowers located quite close to each other. Their advantage is that they are easier to spot by insects. This increases the pollination efficiency. There are complex or simple inflorescences. In clover the latter is represented:
- Head. The thick main axis is slightly shortened, on top of which there are flowers on short stalks in a close cluster.
- With a brush. Small pedicels extend one after another from a common axis, and at their ends there are flowers.
Growing clover
Seeds purchased from a specialized store are effective for propagating clover. The area cleared of weeds and treated is sown. Having sown them in early spring, seedlings can be expected in about ten days. The root system forms very quickly and stems and leaves begin to grow immediately. This unpretentious plant is easy to grow. It is enough to apply fertilizer and water in dry weather.
Types of clover
This is a widespread culture in Russia. It is mainly used for animal feed, but there are also decorative varieties of clover that decorate lawns, alpine hills, and lawns. There are about 300 types of clover, the most common include:
- Meadow - its height is from 40 to 65 cm, used as a fodder crop. It has an extensive root system that enriches the soil with nitrogen.
The leaves are trifoliate and compound. The flowers form a simple clover shaped spherical head. Color ranges from bright red to red-violet. The seeds are brownish, small, and bean-shaped.
- Mountain is a perennial plant with roots penetrating deep into the ground. Stems are not branched, cylindrical. ellipse, jagged along the edges, with a smooth surface. The clover inflorescence is white, ball-shaped, and blooms in mid-June. The bean-shaped fruit contains light brown seeds that ripen throughout the summer.
- Red - used for livestock feed and in cooking as a vitamin supplement. The leaves contain sugars, protein and fats. It is used to make salads and added to bread.
- Reddish is a perennial, large plant up to 60 cm high. The leaves are large, three-lobed, blooms in early July. The crimson-red inflorescences of clover are shaped like a brush. It blooms for a long period and is listed in the Red Book.
- Pink is a hybrid plant obtained from white and red clover. The leaf blades are oval, bluntly pointed and serrated. The taproot reaches a depth of up to two meters, the lateral branches branch up to 50 cm. Small clover flowers are collected in spherical heads and are white, pink and pink in color. The fruit is oblong, two-seeded. Dark green seeds
Clover for the lawn
The perennial unpretentious plant clover is often used to decorate lawns and lawns. White clover is most suitable for this, since it is low-growing, has thin stems, and after mowing the area looks quite neat.
The plant is best planted on loamy and sandy loam soils with slight acidity. In addition, clover does not need to be sown annually; it quickly spreads throughout the entire area and completely covers the entire surface. The plant begins to bloom in the second year. Small spherical clover inflorescences cover the entire sown area with a white carpet. These dwarf fluffy flowers will delight you twice a season, starting in May and ending in October.
Advantages of white clover over other lawn grasses
- One-time landing. The lawn lasts for a long time, clover is an unpretentious plant, it grows quickly after trimming with a trimmer.
- Greenery looks great from spring to fall.
- Does not require weeding, filling all free space with shoots.
- Minimal lawn maintenance costs.
- Clover flowers, collected in inflorescences, are not whimsical.
- No feeding required. Nitrogen-rich nodules that form on plant roots fertilize the soil.
Useful properties
Clover is a natural immune stimulant. Infusions and decoctions from this plant improve the body's defense response. It has long been used to cleanse the liver and blood, and restore impaired intestinal functions.
Clover contains vitamins A, C, E, B and the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium. The aerial part: flower, inflorescence, and fruit of meadow clover are rich in alkaloids, glycosides and essential oils. The plant has an antitumor effect. It is used as an effective remedy for all types of cancer. The content of flavonoids in its composition strengthens the walls of blood vessels and improves their elasticity. Its choleretic, antimicrobial and antisclerotic properties are highly valued. Clover honey added to green tea removes toxins from the body. The astringent properties of the plant are used to stop various types of bleeding. In cosmetology, clover is used to cleanse the skin, removing purulent and acne rashes.
Use in cooking
Clover is used as a main dish or as an additive. Nutritional value have flowers and leaves of the plant, they are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be used to make salads. Light vegetable or vegetable soups are also prepared from it. meat broth. Add egg and sour cream to the finished dish. Clover powder obtained from dried leaves is used to season soups. It is also added when baking bread and muffins. For those who are watching their figure, nutritious clover cutlets, to which cabbage and quinoa leaves are added, are suitable.
Conclusion
Clover has long been used in livestock farming to feed animals; its nutritional properties are not inferior to concentrated feed. It has a good effect on the soil structure, supplying it with nitrogen fertilizer.
Some species of this plant are valuable honey plants. has a pleasant taste and aroma, does not crystallize, and is of high quality. Long flowering and a high content of pollen and nectar in clover inflorescences provide good honey productivity.
Red clover - Trifolium pratense L.
Legume family - Fabaceae
Other names:
- red clover
Botanical characteristics. Red clover is a biennial or perennial plant with a taproot, abundantly branched. Stems 15-50 cm high, usually 2-5 in number, ascending, sparsely hairy. The leaves are trifoliate, the lower ones are on long, the upper ones are on short petioles; the leaflets of the lower leaves are obovate, the upper ones are oval or ovate, usually more pubescent below. The inflorescence is a head, rounded-spherical or ovoid, usually surrounded below by apical leaves and their expanded stipules. The flowers are irregular, 11-14 mm long, sessile. The calyx is tubular-bell-shaped, hairy in the pharynx, light green or brownish, with 5 narrow straight teeth, the corolla is light to dark flesh-red, sometimes lilac, fused at the base with the stamen tube; 9 stamens fused and 1 free. The fruit is a single-seeded ovoid bean, the seed is ovoid, flattened, yellowish or brownish. Blooms from May to September.
Spreading. Distributed throughout the southern and middle lane Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia (absent in semi-deserts and deserts), Western and Eastern Siberia.
Habitat. It grows in moderately wet and dry meadows, in light forests, along forest edges, often along the edges of fields and field roads.
Preparation. Flower heads are prepared and collected during flowering (from spring to autumn).
Chemical composition. In meadow clover flowers, glycosides trifolin and isotrifolin, essential oil, alkaloids, resins, fatty oil, isoflavonoids, coumarins (coumestrol, coumaric acid), trifolysin (which has fungicidal activity), compounds with estrogenic properties, vitamins (ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamin E, B vitamins).
Ascorbic acid and pigments were found in the leaves.
The herb contains coumaric and salicylic acids, phytosterols, vitamins E, C, carotene.
Storage. In a dry place, in a well-closed container.
Medicines. Flowers, infusion, tincture.
Application. In medicine, infusion and tea from flower heads are an expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic and antiseptic; they are used for colds, as well as for anemia and malaria.
Traditional medicine recommends crushed leaves scalded with boiling water to be applied to festering ulcers, abscesses, burns and wounds.
In folk medicine, a decoction of clover inflorescences is also used as a wound-healing, astringent for the treatment of pulmonary and kidney diseases, bronchial asthma, malignant tumors, atherosclerosis, externally - for burns, in the form of poultices - for abscesses.
To treat atherosclerosis, use a tincture, which is prepared as follows: 40 g of dried clover flowers are infused in 0.5 liters of 40° alcohol (or vodka) for 10 days, then filtered and taken a tablespoon 2-3 times a day. within 3 months. After 6 months, the course of treatment is repeated.
An infusion of clover flowers is used for hypertension and headaches. To prepare the infusion, brew a tablespoon of flowers with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, filter, drink 1/3-1/2 cup 3 times a day.
To treat burns, lotions are made from clover flowers. To do this, 2-3 tablespoons of dried flowers are scalded with boiling water, wrapped in gauze and applied to the sore spot.
