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CULTURAL AND WILD PLANTS
May lily of the valley. Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application
Directory / Cultivated and wild plants Content
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism Sort by: Convallaria Family: Liliaceae (Liliaceae) Origin: May lily of the valley is native to Europe and Western Asia. Area: May lily of the valley grows in Europe, Asia and North America. Chemical composition: Lily of the valley contains glycosides, including convallotoxin and convallidoxide, which can cause cardiac arrhythmias when consumed in large amounts. The plant also contains alkaloids, carotenoids and flavonoids. Economic value: Lily of the valley is often used in landscaping and as an ornamental plant due to its fragrant white flowers and beautiful green leaves. In medicine, May lily of the valley is used as a cardiotonic to treat heart disease and improve blood circulation. The plant is also used in the cosmetics industry for the production of perfumes and other fragrant products. Legends, myths, symbolism: In ancient Greek mythology, the May lily of the valley was associated with the goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. It was said that she created lilies of the valley to draw attention to her beauty and youth. In medieval mythology, the May lily of the valley was associated with the goddess Diana, goddess of the hunt and virginity. It was said that she loved lilies of the valley and used them to create wreaths. Symbolically, the lily of the valley was associated with the concepts of purity, tenderness, spirituality and modesty. The plant has also been used in rituals associated with the spring solstice and the awakening of nature.
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. Description, illustrations of the plant Lily of the valley. Legends, myths, history
According to an ancient pagan legend, once, a long time ago, the lily of the valley fell in love with the beautiful spring and, when she left, mourned her with such burning tears, so that blood came out of his heart and stained the tears. When the lily of the valley fades, a small round berry grows - flammable, fiery tears, with which the lily of the valley mourns the spring, the round-the-world traveler, scattering her caresses to everyone and not stopping anywhere. The lily of the valley in love also silently endured his grief, as he carried the joy of love. In connection with this pagan tradition, a Christian legend may have arisen about the origin of the lily of the valley from the burning tears of the Most Holy Theotokos at the cross of her crucified son. There is also a belief that on bright moonlit nights, when the whole earth is engulfed in deep sleep, the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by a crown of silver lilies of the valley, is sometimes one of the happy mortals for whom unexpected joy is preparing. According to an old Russian legend, the sea princess Volkhova fell in love with the young man Sadko, and he gave his heart to the favorite of the fields and forests, Lyubava. Saddened, Volkhova went ashore and began to cry. And where the princess's tears fell, lilies of the valley grew. Other legends say that lilies of the valley grew from the beads of Snow White's crumbling necklace. They serve as flashlights for the gnomes. They live in small forest men - elves. Sunbeams hide in lilies of the valley at night. From another legend, we learn that lilies of the valley are Mavka's happy laughter, which scattered like pearls through the forest when she first felt the joy of love. They also say that drops of sweat that fell from the sultry body of the huntress Diana turned into lily-of-the-valley flowers. According to ancient Greek myth, the goddess of hunting Diana, during one of her hunting trips, wanted to catch the fauns. They ambushed her, but the goddess rushed to run. Beads of sweat flew from her flushed face. They were incredibly fragrant. And where they fell, lilies of the valley grew. Some argue that lilies of the valley are nothing more than sunbeams, which gnomes use at night as lanterns. Spring days pass, the lily of the valley fades, and a bright red berry appears in place of the snow-white flower. In Bohemia (Czechoslovakia), lily of the valley is called tsavka - "bun", probably because the flowers of the plant resemble round delicious buns. There are many legends about the origin of lily of the valley. If the snow-white and fragrant flowers of the lily of the valley were personified with something joyful and beautiful, then its red berries in many cultures symbolized sadness for the lost. In England, they said that lilies of the valley grow in the forest in those places where the fabulous hero Leonard defeated the terrible dragon. The Celts believed that this was nothing more, nothing less than the treasures of the elves. According to their legend, young hunters, having ambushed wild animals in the forest, saw an elf flying with a heavy burden in his hands, and tracked down his path. It turned out that he was carrying a pearl to a mountain of pearls that towered under an old sprawling tree. Unable to resist the temptation, one of the hunters decided to take a tiny mother-of-pearl ball for himself, but when touched, the mountain of treasures crumbled. People rushed to collect pearls, forgetting about precautions, and to the noise of their fuss, the elven king flew in, turning all the pearls into fragrant white flowers. And since then, elves have been taking revenge on greedy people for the loss of their treasure, and they love lilies of the valley so much that every time they rub them with napkins woven from moonlight. Not only legends, tales, poems were dedicated to a charming flower, holidays and festivities were held in his honor. From time immemorial, lily of the valley has been associated with purity, tenderness, fidelity, love and the most sublime feelings. From lilies of the valley were wedding bouquets for young brides, symbolizing youth and purity. In ancient times in Germany, lilies of the valley were brought as a gift to the goddess of the rising sun, radiant dawn and spring, Ostara. And when holidays were held in honor of this goddess, everything around was decorated with lilies of the valley. Boys and girls gathered in the outskirts, kindled fires and danced until the flowers in their hands withered. Then they threw wilted flowers into the fire, sacrificing them to the goddess. Since the XNUMXth century, on the eve of May Sunday, the French celebrate the feast of lilies of the valley. Lilies of the valley were considered a symbol of love. If a girl pins a flower given by a young man to her hair or dress, then this means that she agrees to get married, if she throws it on the ground, then his proposal is not accepted. In 1967, the lily of the valley became the national flower of Finland. Stylized images of the lily of the valley are placed on the fields of the coats of arms of the cities of Weilar (Germany), Lunner (Norway) and Mellerud (Sweden). Author: Martyanova L.M.
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis (Convallaria transcaucasica utkin). Botanical description, habitat and habitats, chemical composition, use in medicine and industry
Synonyms: vannik, culprit, raven, smooth, hare salt, hare ears, convalia, kokushkin ears, lily of the valley, lily of the valley, lyanushki, molodilnik, forest tongue, etc. Perennial herbaceous plant 15-30 cm high, of the lily family (Liliaseae), with a thin creeping horizontal rhizome. The aerial part of the plant is represented by two basal, oblong-elliptical, bright green leaves 10-20 cm long, 4-8 cm wide. Between the leaves there is a flower arrow bearing a loose one-sided brush of 6-20 fragrant white flowers. The fruit is a red-orange globular berry. Seeds are light yellow, 3-4 mm long. Flowering in April-June, fruiting in August-September. Range and habitats. The range of the species (including populations of Keizke lily of the valley and mountain lily of the valley) covers all of Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, China, and North America. It is found in the European part of Russia, Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Primorye, Sakhalin and the Kuriles. Lily of the valley grows in deciduous and pine, as well as in mixed forests, on the edges and clearings. It develops especially well in floodplain oak forests, on rich soil with good moisture and a neutral reaction. Chemical composition. In addition, lily of the valley contains a number of cardiac glycosides: glycoconvalloside, vallarotoxin, mayaloside, convallatoxoloside, deglucocheirotoxin, saponin convallarin. The seeds of lily of the valley contain convalloside and other glycosides, and the roots contain convalamarin. On hydrolysis, it yields aglyconconvallamyretin, two molecules of 1-rhamnose, and one molecule of glucose. Gathered in May, tear off the entire arrow and leaves at the base. Application in medicine. Lily of the valley preparations are widely used for heart disease. Galenic forms - tincture and dry extract of lily of the valley - are prescribed mainly for heart neurosis, more often in combination with preparations of valerian, motherwort, hawthorn, etc. The relatively weak effect of galenic forms of lily of the valley is explained by the decomposition of lily of the valley glycosides in the gastrointestinal tract. Other uses. Despite the fact that the fragrance of May lily of the valley is one of the most widely used in the perfume industry, it is obtained exclusively synthetically. The plant does not contain enough essential oil to be obtained by distillation. By extraction with non-polar solvents, lily of the valley absolute can be obtained, which has not found wide use in perfumery. Although it has a pleasant smell, it still loses to synthetic compounds that more accurately convey the aroma of a flower and are also cheaper. Some researchers argue that the smell of lily of the valley "gives self-confidence, causes creative activity, perseverance and sobriety of thought." Decorative plant. Authors: Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N.
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. Botanical description of the plant, area, methods of application, cultivation
The scientific (Latin) name "Convallaria" was given by Carl Linnaeus after its Latin name - Lilium convallium, which means - "Lily of the valleys". The English name - Lily of the Valley - repeats this meaning. In Russian, the word "lily of the valley", apparently, was borrowed from Polish. According to traditional ideas, May lily of the valley is the only species of the genus Lily of the valley (Convallaria). At the same time, several subspecies considered within the May lily of the valley are sometimes distinguished into separate species. Herbaceous perennial plant 15-30 cm tall. The underground rhizome is horizontal, creeping, not thicker than 5-7 mm, the roots are small, numerous, fibrous. The rhizome bears near the top a few pale small grassroots leaves, half-hidden in the ground. Above-ground shoots shortened. The lower leaves are followed by two (rarely three) large, completely entire, broadly lanceolate (or oblong-elliptical) pointed basal leaves, between which there is a large bud at the top of the rhizome. A flower-bearing stem protrudes from the corner of the lower leaf, clasping both green leaves from below. The flower-bearing stem is leafless, or bears leaves only under the inflorescence; rarely - with filiform leaves. An inflorescence-brush of 6-20 flowers is located on the flowering stem, facing mainly in one direction. Long curved pedicels - with membranous bracts. The flowers are drooping, have a simple joint-leaved round-campanulate perianth 4-9 mm long and 3-7 mm wide, white (rarely pale pink) in color, with six recurved lobes. There are six stamens, they are with thick and short filaments attached to the base of the perianth. The ovary is round, ending in a short column and a small stigma. The inflorescence has been formed in a bud since the summer of the previous year. Flowering time - May-June. Propagated by both seeds and vegetatively - rhizomes. When developed from seeds, it blooms in nature in the seventh year of life. The next year, the apical bud continues as a rhizome and again brings two (as an exception - three) large leaves, but the flowering stem rarely appears annually. The fruit is an orange-red spherical berry 5-10 mm in diameter, containing one or two almost spherical seeds. The berries remain on the plant for a long time. Fruiting in June - early July. The range of the species (including populations of subspecies) covers the whole of Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, China, and North America. It is found in the mountainous Crimea, in the European part of Russia, in Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Primorye, on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Lily of the valley grows in deciduous and pine forests, as well as in mixed forests, on edges and clearings. It develops especially well in floodplain deciduous forests, on rich soil with good moisture and a neutral reaction. In untouched habitats, it grows very widely, sometimes creating a continuous cover. The yield of dry shoots in communities where lily of the valley prevails (in complex pine forests, oak forests and lily-of-the-valley aspen forests) is 6-30 kg/ha. Shade tolerant plant. In natural habitats, lily of the valley is intensively destroyed, especially near large settlements, due to trampling during the collection of flowers and medicinal raw materials. When collecting flowers and leaves, it is unacceptable to tear plants (leaves and peduncles) with your hands, since the rhizomes and leaf buds laid down for the next year are damaged. The most harmless way for plants is to cut leaves or flower stalks.
Lily of the valley is known for its high content of cardiac glycosides, of which at least 20 varieties have been identified in the plant. Among them (per 100 g of dried plant material) are steroid glycoside (0,005%), convallatoxin (0,03-0,04%), as well as convallatoxol, convalloside, etc. Saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, steroidal saponins, polysaccharides were also found. and others. The essential oil has a delicate rich aroma. May lily of the valley is an inedible and poisonous plant. All its organs, including berries, contain convallatoxin. Eating berries is especially dangerous for children. May lily of the valley is a well-known medicinal plant included in the pharmacopoeias of many countries. Lily of the valley was first introduced into Russian scientific medicine by S. P. Botkin. The main active ingredients are cardiotonic glycosides (cardenolides), derivatives of strophantidine, strophantidol. The main ones are convallatoxin, convalloside, convallotoxol. From the May lily of the valley, substances used for the manufacture of cardiac preparations are obtained. Glycosides help strengthen the heart muscle, regulate energy and lipid metabolism in case of impaired blood circulation due to atherosclerosis of blood vessels and coronary insufficiency. It has been established that glycosides improve hemodynamics and affect the excretory system, improving the outflow and removal of excess fluid. Grass (Herba Convallariae), leaf (Folium Convallariae), May lily of the valley (Flores Convallariae) flowers are used as raw materials. These are the aerial parts of wild plants collected during the flowering period, dried at a temperature of 50-60 ° C or in the air in the shade. In a sandy forest, where lily of the valley forms low light green shoots with two, and often with one leaf, the yield of its shoots is 6-10 g / sq.m (air-dry weight), in oak forests, on rich soils, lily of the valley shoots are dark green, with two, often with three leaves, and their yield increases to 30 g/sq.m. Cardiotonic preparations are produced from raw materials: tincture and Korglikon. In addition to cardiotonic agents, a total flavonoid preparation, convaflavin, is used as a choleretic agent for cholecystitis, cholangitis, etc. All organs of the lily of the valley are poisonous, the main poisonous substance is the steroid glycoside convallatoxin. Therefore, the use of all drugs and fees should be agreed with the doctor. It is dangerous to use lily of the valley for those who suffer from cardiosclerosis, endocarditis, myocarditis, as well as for violations of the liver and kidneys. May lily of the valley is used in decorative gardening and in medicine. As for its use in perfumery, despite the fact that the fragrance of lily of the valley is one of the most widely used in the perfume industry, it is obtained exclusively synthetically. The plant does not contain enough essential oil to be obtained by distillation.
Lily of the valley. Botanical description, plant history, legends and folk traditions, cultivation and application
What could be simpler and at the same time more charming than a lily of the valley? A few white bells, as if made of porcelain, on a long stem and a pair of light green leaves - that's all; yet how beautiful, how graceful! The lily of the valley is especially beautiful in its forest setting, on a lawn among a rare forest, surrounded by a mass of bright green foliage. Or how beautiful it is in a bouquet, lined with a border of its leaves! But the best thing about it is the intoxicating smell. This is one of the most subtle pleasant smells, which can only be compared with the smell of violets and mignonette. True, the lily of the valley should never be left in the room where they sleep - its smell can cause a headache. But on the other hand, how pleasant it is to inhale its refreshing aroma in the air, especially in the forest, when it is brought by a breath of breeze! Now the lily of the valley serves us only as a decoration, and only sometimes, like a bouquet on Trinity Day, when we go to church with it to pray, does it receive some symbolic meaning. The poet says: "At the turn of spring and summer, // Keeping the old testaments, // No one will go out without a bouquet // On the feast of Trinity Day. // Pets of gentle May - // Violets, lily of the valley and lilacs - // The Lord's temple, fragrant, // They will decorate generously on this day." But there was a time, and a very long time ago, when the ancient Germans dedicated the lily of the valley to the goddess Ostara, the goddess of the rising sun, the radiant dawn and the herald of spring. In honor of her, on Easter (and Easter is still called Ostern in German from her name), bonfires were lit and festivities were held, at which all young girls and boys decorated themselves with lilies of the valley - like flowers of love and happiness. This holiday lasted as long as the lilies of the valley held, and then, when the flowers withered, they were thrown into fires and burned as a pleasant sacrifice to Ostara. The German poet F. Weber in his poem "Thirteen Lindens" says about this: "God of love, o white Balder, favorably accept our greetings, flowers pure as our heart, we lay at your feet ..." And, bypassing the sacrificial stone, they threw sacred herbs, white bells (lilies of the valley) - these bright flakes, those bright sparks in the fire..." With these flowers, the young women went from early dawn on the eve of the festival to the sacred key and washed their faces with water in order to preserve its freshness and beauty for as long as possible. This medieval belief is deeply rooted in some areas of Saxony, such as in Altmark, where even now you can see girls going to wash themselves with spring water at Easter in order to preserve their beauty. With the disappearance of paganism, the goddess Ostara was replaced in the folk tale by the Blessed Virgin; and now there is a belief that on bright moonlit nights, when the whole earth is engulfed in deep sleep, the Queen of Heaven, surrounded by a crown of lilies of the valley shining like silver, sometimes appears to those happy mortals for whom she is preparing some unexpected joy ... And in England, in Sussex, there was an interesting legend about the battle of Tolbiac (now Zulpich, Germany) of St. Leonard (one of the companions of Clovis, who converted to Christianity) with the terrible dragon Sin. Three days, day and night, St. Leonard fought tirelessly with him, sometimes completely losing strength and hope to cope. But, finally, with the help of God, on the fourth I saw with pleasure how a terrible monster, dragging a long tail, disappeared into the depths of the forests, never to appear again. It was the victory of Christianity over the pagan filth. This struggle cost dearly. Leonard: his hands and body were severely wounded by the fangs and claws of the dragon, and traces of blood flowing from his wounds could be seen in the places of the struggle. But the Lord marked these stains of spilled blood and sanctified them, growing in their place the flowers of purity and holiness - lilies of the valley. Pious wanderers even now meet these white-painted traces of battle everywhere in the surrounding forest, and those who listen attentively can, as they say, even hear the snow-white bells of lilies of the valley ringing a victory hymn ... As an echo of medieval customs, one can still find in some villages in France the custom that has survived to this day to celebrate the "lily of the valley festival" every year. It always happens on the first Sunday in May. On this day in the afternoon, the inhabitants of several neighboring villages gather in the nearest forest for lilies of the valley. Not only young people go, but also old people, so as not to leave the youth alone. In the forest they go in a crowd, trying not to disperse far in it, and, having collected as many lilies of the valley as possible, they return home by night. The next day, collected lilies of the valley decorate windows, fireplaces and tables in houses, and lilac flowers are often mixed with lilies of the valley. Then they set the tables, put a snack and invite the youth to breakfast. Everyone has a snack, chats merrily, laughs, sings songs in honor of the culprit of the holiday - the lily of the valley, which is at the same time a symbol of spring, and dances. This is where the lily of the valley begins to play its role. The invitation to dance comes, as always, from the side of the guys, but the girls express their consent not with the help of words, as usual, but with the help of a lily of the valley. It happens in the following way. Guys and girls each have a bouquet of lilies of the valley. The girls attach it to the bodice, and the guys - to the buttonhole of the frock coat. When a guy invites a girl to dance, the girl, as a sign of consent, gives him her bouquet, which he puts in a buttonhole and, in turn, gives her hers, which she pins to her bodice. Once having chosen each other, young people no longer part all evening and all the dances dance together. Now such a choice expresses only mutual sympathy and is limited only to dancing throughout the evening; but in the old days the bunch of lilies of the valley had a much deeper meaning: it expressed in some way the consent of young people to marry, and this very evening usually ended with an announcement of who was marrying whom and who would marry whom. If a guy, for example, wanted to show his feelings to a girl, then he asked her for a pin and pinned her bouquet on his chest. Refusing to give him a pin meant that the girl did not want to be his wife. If the guy was proud or shy, then before asking the girl for a pin, he offered her his bouquet. The girl who accepted the bouquet and pinned it to her chest, thus expressed her sympathy for him and her consent to marry him. Throwing a lily of the valley on the ground had a different meaning: it could simply express coldness of feelings, and disagreement with marriage, but at the same time stepping on it meant antipathy, disgust and even anger. An even more distant echo of the medieval custom is the picnics and walks of the inhabitants of the city of Hanover in the suburban forest of Eilereide, which were held in the twenties of the last century, in which lilies of the valley grew in such abundance that in places they formed continuous glades. The charm of the glades strewn like snow with these flowers and the intoxicating smell rushing from them, as contemporaries say, defied any description. At the place of the walks, tents were set up for drinking coffee, Maitrank, lemonade and other soft drinks, as well as tents for smoking and snacks. The festivities ended, as in the festivities in France, with dances, the favorite among which was the so-called German waltz. (Maitrank is a refreshing drink formerly made in Germany using the woodruff herbaceous plant.) All the roads to the forest these days were filled with masses of townspeople of all ages, wandering from early morning until late evening through the forest and collecting lilies of the valley. And no one returned home without huge bouquets of these flowers, which then decorated all the rooms and even the front doors of the houses ... (Now in many European countries, the lily of the valley is protected, and collecting it for bouquets is prohibited.) Now the lily of the valley is also the favorite flower of the Parisians. And on the 1st of May, when the workers, wishing to express their solidarity with the rest of the workers of the world, appear with a red carnation in their buttonholes, the rest of the Parisians go around decorated with white lilies of the valley as the emblem of the "outpouring of hearts", therefore the first of May in Paris is called the Day of the Lily of the Valley. On this day, the demand for lilies of the valley is so great that they are brought from the provinces in whole wagons, not counting the millions of flowers that are artificially expelled in greenhouses around Paris. Everyone in Paris looks at the one who does not have lilies of the valley in his hands, on his chest or in his buttonhole on this day with some bewilderment ... After the flowering of the lily of the valley, as you know, a red round berry grows. One German legend says that these are not berries, but burning, fiery tears, with which the lily of the valley mourns the ending spring, for which he ignited with strong, wordless love. Yes, and spring itself was not indifferent to a small flower, elegantly dressed in a little white dress, hiding under a wide green leafy umbrella. But spring in a brilliant dress and golden curls, this wonderful, cheerful, cheerful creature is a world traveler around the world. She does not find peace anywhere and, scattering caresses to everyone, does not stop at anyone. And so she charmed, so enchanted our flower that he blossomed from inner happiness, fell head over heels in love with the charmer and began to live only her life ... But the spring passed, disappeared without a trace and left the poor fellow in the middle of a forest weighed down by the summer heat. The lily-of-the-valley endured the heavy grief as silently as he carried the joy of love; but his little flowers fell off, and in their place, from the very heart, fiery-red drops of tears poured out - berries. In connection with this pagan tradition, perhaps, a Christian legend arose about the origin of the lily of the valley from the burning tears of the Most Holy Theotokos, which she shed while standing at the cross of the crucified Son. These burning tears fell in large drops on the ground, and in this place pure white lilies of the valley arose, which, crumbling, turned into red fruits resembling drops of blood ...
Lilies of the valley are also associated in some places in Germany with legends about the White Maiden, indicating secret treasures. This White Maiden appears there on moonlit nights with a bouquet of lilies of the valley and keeps close to the place of the treasure. Such an appearance, for example, is observed every seven years near the Wolfarstweiler castle in Hesse, and, most curiously, some plots belonging to several volosts of these places are obliged, according to an agreement once concluded, to pay annually as interest for the use of land a bouquet of lilies of the valley. Obviously, once there was a noble baron - the owner of these lands, who, not wanting to burden the peasants for the use of his lands with a cash tax, decided to collect from them annually a quitrent in the form of a bouquet of lilies of the valley. The baron himself and this agreement have long since disappeared, but the legend has survived, and the rent in the form of a bouquet of these flowers continues to be paid as carefully as before. The bell-shaped, drop-like shape of the flowers of the lily of the valley also led to the fact that they began to be credited with healing properties. In explanation, it should be noted that in the Middle Ages, the healing properties of plants, according to a very strange look, were determined by their external form. So, having the form of a curl or a pretzel, plants (wormwood, burnet, speedwell) were considered an excellent remedy for headaches; having thin hairy leaves (asparagus, dill) - a means that strengthens the hair; flowers, the shape of which somewhat resembled an eye (rose, daisy, eyebright), - a cure for eye diseases. Thyme and aconite), somewhat similar to the ear, were considered a remedy for ear diseases; sorrel, the leaf of which resembles the tongue, is for diseases of the tongue, and nettle, covered with burning hairs, is an excellent remedy for stabbing. (Euphrasia) - a low herbaceous plant from the norichnikov family, with small white-pink irregular flowers; widespread in European territory; sometimes used as a medicinal plant. Aconite, or wrestler, is a tall herbaceous plant from the buttercup family; very poisonous ; grown as an ornamental; used in homeopathy.) As a result of all this, the lily of the valley, which has the form of drops of liquid, was considered an excellent remedy for paralysis. To prepare the medicine, it was necessary to collect the flowers before sunrise, while they were still covered with dew, and insist on malvasia (wine). This infusion was a famous remedy called Aqua apoplectica Hartmanni (Hartmann's Water for Apoplexy). But what the medieval physicians somehow groped for turned out to be a really powerful remedy for palpitations in our time. This healing remedy in the form of the now well-known lily of the valley drops is a strong rival of the digitalin infusion, which was for a long time the only remedy for heart disease. In addition, the English also make an elixir from the infusion of lily of the valley flowers on the water, known as golden water, as it is sold in gilded and silvered bottles, and serves to strengthen the nerves and against headaches. This elixir was at one time even used as a protective remedy against various kinds of contagious diseases. Dried flowers and shoots of lily of the valley, finely ground into powder, were used as a snuff for colds and headaches and, together with chestnut seeds, formed the main basis of "Schneeberg" snuff. However, while benefiting humans in one form or another, these flowers are extremely harmful to poultry. There have been more than once cases when chickens and other birds, having pecked at them, were poisoned and even died. In addition, the smell of lily of the valley is deadly for some flowers. However, such, so to speak, hostility of some flowers to others, manifested through smell, is also noticed in other flowers. So, mignonette and rose can not stand each other. To be convinced of this, it is only necessary to place their plucked flowers in a glass of water. In less than half an hour, the nearby flowers will begin to wither, while the flowers of other plants placed right there will retain their former freshness. In the same way, it has a deadly effect on other flowers and lily of the valley with its smell: it mercilessly kills almost all of its smelling neighbors; especially does not like lilac, and therefore lilac, placed in the same vase with lily of the valley, always quickly fades. But if some flowers have such a depressing effect on their neighbors, then sometimes the opposite happens. So, for example, mignonette blends perfectly with heliotrope and even, as it were, helps to enhance its smell. In the same way, lily of the valley gets along well with forget-me-not and even gives it a special freshness and charm. In the ancient Slavic lands, Saxony and Silesia, lily of the valley is called "scab" - bark. They say that they were successfully treated there in the past for scabs - scab, and in German Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) the lily of the valley is called tsavka - "bun", because the row of its hanging flowers somewhat resembles a row of rose buns. In the same lands, and partly, as they say, in Russia, girls rubbed and still rub their cheeks with the juice of its root to cause a blush. Delivering pleasure to a person in May, the lily of the valley has recently become one of the favorite flowers for forcing in winter. For this, the rhizomes of wild lily of the valley are artificially cultivated. And then planted in a pot with wet moss and placed in a warm place on a stove (Russian) or even on water heaters, they gradually develop and bloom in their full beauty in the middle of winter. True, its flowers now smell faintly, but nevertheless, the beauty of their form leaves nothing to be desired. Usually cultivated in this way, lilies of the valley, placed in baskets or jardinieres, are one of the most elegant decorations for rooms or dining tables. And whoever has seen them in greenhouses, when they are being driven for sale by almost whole clearings, knows what a beautiful sight they present. When raising lilies of the valley artificially, they are often cultivated in special-shaped vessels with holes, sometimes looking like a ball, sometimes vases, sometimes eggs. Growing out of these holes, lilies of the valley, with careful care, grow so densely over the vessel that it itself becomes completely invisible. Especially original and beautiful form are eggs. Such huge lily-of-the-valley eggs, decorated with white and pink silk ribbons, are one of the most charming Easter gifts and, being displayed before Easter in the windows of flower shops, always attract attention. Many poets and writers were fond of this lovely flower, but the French writer Henri Murger, the famous author of The Life of Bohemia and the Latin Quarter, who went every spring to admire them in the vicinity of Paris, especially loved them. One day he came to the magazine's office with the manuscript of a novel that they couldn't wait for from him. - Where did you disappear, what happened to you? - exclaimed the editor of this magazine, Bulloz. We have completely lost hope of seeing you. “I lived in lilies of the valley,” answered Murger enthusiastically. - In Lilies of the valley? Where is it, I do not know something like this area. “This is not a locality,” answered Murger, smiling, “I was in the forest in Fontainebleau, where I go every spring to admire how lilies of the valley, dear to my heart, bloom; admired them for whole hours and now. - Child! - exclaimed with contempt Buloz, who recognized nothing but his journal, - a true child! But this child was a poet, a poet imbued with a love of nature, who found rest among her, who, as can be seen from his charming novel Camille's Vacation, found his consolation in her. This old novel has been forgotten, but every lover of nature will read it now with pleasure. In conclusion, let us give a little German riddle about the lily of the valley, in translation it sounds like this: “I know one bell well, it shines brightly throughout the country. no one heard its ringing. It also did not hang on any of the bell towers. It only shines and flaunts in the depths." Author: Zolotnitsky N.
May lily of the valley. Application in medicine
Perennial herbaceous plant of the lily family. Blossoms in May - June, fruits ripen in June - July. The fruit is a two-seed orange-red berry, inedible. All parts of the plant contain glycosides. The most important of them are convallatoxin and convalloside, which actively act on the heart. Glycosides are accompanied by the steroidal saponin convallorin. In addition, there is an alkaloid mayalin, starch, a small amount of essential oil, citric and malic acids. The plant is poisonous. For the first time, the May lily of the valley was proposed by F. I. Inozemtsev for the treatment of epilepsy, and after research at the clinic of S. P. Botkin, plant preparations firmly entered medical practice as a valuable heart remedy. Lily of the valley preparations are used for neurosis, compensated and subcompensated heart defects, cardiosclerosis. They are effective in acute and chronic heart failure. Korglikon, konvazid and other drugs are characterized by a fast, but short-term strophanthin-like action. Lily of the valley is often combined with valerian. Its cumulative properties are manifested to a weak degree. In Bulgaria, the underground part of the lily of the valley is used for cardiac neurosis in the menopause, for endocarditis, arrhythmias; in England, flowers are used to strengthen the nervous system, with migraines. In domestic folk medicine, the plant was used internally as a sedative and diuretic, for heart diseases, especially for tachycardia, for regulating heart rhythm, for edema, thyroid diseases, epilepsy, fever, throat diseases; externally - with eye diseases, rheumatism. Lily of the valley preparations that are not purified from saponins are contraindicated in gastritis and acute diseases of the liver and kidneys. It is not recommended to use them with significant organic changes in the heart and joints, acute myocarditis, endocarditis and pronounced cardiosclerosis. Authors: Dudnichenko L.G., Krivenko V.V.
Lily of the valley. Botanical description, plant history, legends and folk traditions, cultivation and use
When the sun poured warmth around itself, a small silver lily of the valley stretched wide leaves from the spruce shade towards its rays. I soaked up a few moments and began to sing a hymn to spring. The whole forest, from flowers to birds, began to sing along with the lily of the valley: after all, the lily of the valley is the best flower of the May forest. The stem of the lily of the valley is studded with small white jugs, turned upside down. And from each jug, the finest, incomparable aroma flows in abundance. And since there are a great many such jugs, everything around is thrilled with pleasure, taking fragrant aromatic baths. It is worth standing for a few moments, and it will seem that the flowers swayed by the breeze seem to be whispering with someone. According to German tradition, they whisper with the spring. Spring endowed the lily of the valley with love for life, and he always thanks her with warm, affectionate words. After the flowering of lilies of the valley, a large red berry appears in place of the crumbled petals. The legend assures that this is not a berry at all, but burning tears with which the lily of the valley mourns the parting with spring. Spring, though loved the lily of the valley, but not for long. Forever young, she is very restless. All her life, traveling from south to north, she does not find peace for herself and, scattering caresses to everyone, does not linger with anyone for a long time. In passing, she caressed the lily of the valley. However, she soon left and left the spring flower for the hot summer. And the lily of the valley drooped from grief, its small flowers fell off, and in their place fiery-red tears poured out - berries. And according to an old Russian legend, the sea princess Volkhova fell in love with the young man Sadko, and he gave his heart to the favorite of the fields and forests, Lyubava. Saddened Volkhova went ashore and began to cry. And where the tears of the princess fell, lilies of the valley grew - a symbol of purity, love and sadness. In some ancient tales, lilies of the valley are sprouted beads from Snow White's crumbling necklace; in others, the happy silvery laughter of the mermaid Mavka, which rolled like pearls through the forest when she first felt the joy of love; thirdly, droplets of sweat that fell from the double body of the huntress Diana turned into lily-of-the-valley flowers; fourthly, lilies of the valley are nothing more than sunbeams, which gnomes use at night as lanterns. The scientific name of the flower convalaria mayalis comes from the Greek words: "kanvalis" ("valley"), "lirion" ("lily") and "mayalis" ("blooming in May"). In fact, the plant belongs to the lily family and blooms in May June. Its wide, pointed leaves are similar to fallow deer ears, which is why they are called in old Polish: "lanye ush ko" - "landushka". Young Poles do not agree with old Poles; according to their assumption, the plant is called lily of the valley for its smooth leaves: "smooth" - "lily of the valley". Supporters of the third theory claim that the lily of the valley got its name from the word "incense", that is, a charmingly delicate smell. However, regarding the scientific name: convalaria mayalis - lily of the valleys, most Europeans are unanimous. The Czechs and Slovaks call the plant "konvalinka", the Poles and Ukrainians - "konvalya", the Danes - "lilikonval", the British - "lily-of-zeveli". Only the Germans call the flower a May bell, and the Bulgarians call it a girl's tear. From time immemorial, lily of the valley has been associated with purity, tenderness, fidelity, love and the most sublime feelings. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky loved them very much and dedicated poems to flowers, which were then set to music by the composer Anton Arensky. Not only legends, poems and tales are associated with a small silver flower, but also many festivities. danced until the flowers in their hands withered. Then they threw them into the fire, sacrificing to the goddess. Since the seventeenth century, the French have been celebrating the feast of lilies of the valley, which is traditionally held on the eve of the first May Sunday. Before the holiday, young people go to the forest for lilies of the valley, decorate rooms and window sills with them, and then arrange feasts and dances. Young men, inviting girls to dance, give them a bunch of lilies of the valley. And if the girl accepts the invitation, she returns her bouquet of lilies of the valley to the boy in exchange, and sometimes this modest gift connects them for life: giving consent to marriage, the bride pins her husband’s bouquet of lilies of the valley on her chest, when she rejects the offer, she throws it on the ground. The day of the first of May in France is called the day of lilies of the valley, when these flowers, like carnations, are pinned to clothes, symbolizing the solidarity of workers. Author: Krasikov S.
Lily of the valley. Application in cosmetology
In the old days, lily of the valley berries were considered a rare delicacy, now they are considered poisonous in the Kaluga province of the Russian Empire, berries have long been collected for making compotes and jelly, as well as for the treatment of colds, bleeding, runny nose, female diseases. Occasionally, lily of the valley berries are used to prepare tonic masks that relieve skin fatigue, smooth wrinkles and improve complexion. Egg yolk or sour cream is added to the gruel of crushed berries, applied in a thin layer on gauze, which is applied to the face for 15-20 minutes. Wash off the mask with a wet cotton swab. Lily of the valley fruits can be dried outdoors or preserved in alcohol. In this case, before grinding, the fruits are kept for 30 minutes in water after extraction from alcohol. Suitable for masks and various freshly prepared vegetable and fruit juices. They are used both in pure form and by adding a certain amount of glycerin, olive or almond oil, egg yolk or cream. A thin layer of cotton wool moistened with juice is applied to the face and neck, covered with a warm soft towel and kept for the right time. Remove masks with a damp cotton swab or wash off with warm water. The mask is best done and kept lying on your back, eyes closed and relaxed. Dry skin after the mask is lubricated with a nourishing cream or powdered with oily powder. Fruit juice masks are recommended daily as long as fresh fruits and vegetables are available. Author: Reva M.L.
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
Ethnoscience:
Cosmetology:
Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!
May lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing
May lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a beautiful and popular plant that is used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Cultivation:
Preparation and storage:
Lily of the valley contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmias and poisoning, so care and dosage must be taken when using it as a medicine. It is best to use lily of the valley under medical supervision.
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