|
Arabic
Bengali
Chinese
English
French
German
Hebrew
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Malay
Polish
Portuguese
Spanish
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese|
CULTURAL AND WILD PLANTS
Mistletoe. Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application
Directory / Cultivated and wild plants Content
White mistletoe, Viscum album. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism Sort by: Mistletoe (Viscum) Family: Mistletoe (Viscaceae) Origin: Mistletoe is native to Europe and Asia. Area: Mistletoe is found in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is a parasitic plant that grows on a variety of trees including oaks, apples and spruces. Chemical composition: Mistletoe contains various biologically active substances, including viscotoxin, lectin, alkaloids and flavonoids. It also contains organic acids such as malic and tartaric acids and trace elements such as potassium, iron and manganese. Economic value: Mistletoe has decorative value and is often used as a Christmas decoration. In folk medicine, it is used to treat various ailments, including arthritis, headaches, and skin conditions. However, it should be borne in mind that mistletoe contains toxic substances and its consumption can be dangerous. It is also necessary to be careful when using it in medicine and use it only under the supervision of a qualified specialist. Legends, myths, symbolism: In Germanic mythology, mistletoe was considered a sacred plant associated with the goddess of love, Fria. According to legend, the arrows of the god Balder were made from mistletoe branches, and when Balder died from being hit by these arrows, Friya wept tears that turned into mistletoe berries. Therefore, in the German tradition, mistletoe was considered a symbol of love, friendship and life. In Celtic mythology, mistletoe also had a special meaning and was associated with the god of knowledge and wisdom, the Ring of Fire. Mistletoe was considered a symbol of vitality and eternity, and its berries were used in magical rites. In Christian symbolism, mistletoe is associated with Christmas and is considered a symbol of life and immortality. According to legend, during Christmas, mistletoe takes on a special power, and its berries bring good luck and protect against evil. In general, white mistletoe symbolizes life, immortality, love and friendship, and its berries can be used as amulets and accessories for magical rites.
Mistletoe white, Viscum album. Description, illustrations of the plant Mistletoe, Viscum album. Myths, traditions, symbolism
Favorite in modern times as a symbol of the Christmas holiday, a plant that was considered sacred in the ancient world in some cultures. The semi-parasitic plant, which robs its host of water and minerals, was seen as intermediate (neither tree nor bush) and, according to legend, appeared where lightning struck a tree (mainly oak). Mistletoe growing on oaks was especially valued, for example, in Ancient Rome and among the Celtic Druids. According to Pliny, the Druids cut the plants with golden sickles, picked them up with a white handkerchief and then, along with the slaughter of a bull, brought them as a gift to the gods. Mistletoe was considered a "panacea" and, due to its evergreen nature, a symbol of immortality. According to R. von Ranke-Gravs, there is a legend that the mistletoe was perceived as the sexual organ of an oak, and when "the druids cut it off with a golden sickle for ritual purposes, they carried out its symbolic castration. The viscous juice of mistletoe berries was considered as oak sperm, which has a strong rejuvenating effect (hilus - milky juice)."
The English custom of hanging mistletoe on Christmas Day may have its origins in the Celtic appreciation of this plant. In German mythology, mistletoe, due to the conspiracy of the insidious Loki, became in the hands of the blind god Khed a deadly spear that brought death to the god of light and vegetation, Baldur; only after the death of the gods and the whole world, Baldr and his murderer get the opportunity to start a new life in the new paradise kingdom of Gimla. In this myth, mistletoe is a symbol of a tool, harmless in itself, but due to harmful spells, it becomes disastrous. Author: Biedermann G.
White mistletoe, Viscum album. Botanical description of the plant, area, methods of application, cultivation
Perennial evergreen semi-parasitic plant, tk. receives water and mineral nutrition from the host plant, and the organic matter photosynthesizes independently (has its own chlorophyll-bearing system). Mistletoe parasitizes on many tree species and its selective ability is very wide. From deciduous species, it is found on poplar, linden, willow, maple, birch, elm, hawthorn, less often oak, walnut, hornbeam, white acacia, and from garden species it affects apple, pear, plum. Another physiological race lives on coniferous trees - on pine and fir. Externally, the mistletoe looks like a green ball attached to the branches of the host plant. With branching roots, the mistletoe penetrates under the bark and into the wood of the host tree, forming numerous suckers in it. The stems of the mistletoe are 30-100 cm long, green or brownish-green in the lower part, forked-branched, woody, jointed, bare, easily broken at the nodes, forming a spherical bush with a diameter of 20-40 (120) cm. The leaves are sessile, opposite, arranged in pairs at the ends of the branches, leathery, thick, pale green, oblong-lanceolate or elliptical, narrowed towards the base, obtuse at the apex, entire, 5-7 cm long and 0,3-1 cm wide with a parallel venation. They fall in the fall in the second year of their existence. Mistletoe is a dioecious plant, less often monoecious; flowers are unisexual, inconspicuous, yellowish-green, with a simple three- or four-parted perianth, crowded in threes (rarely five or six) at the ends of the shoots, in the forks of the stem. Staminate (male) flowers - about 4 mm long, sessile; their perianth with a short tube and ovoid limb lobes; stamens three or four, without filaments; anthers on the outer side completely adhered to the perianth lobes, on the inner side with numerous holes, giving the surface of the perianth leaf a sieve appearance. Pistillate (female) flowers are smaller, about 2 mm long; lateral - seated; medium - on a short leg; perianth with four obtuse ovate lobes; the pistil is short, with a semi-inferior single-celled ovary, with one ovule and a sessile, thick, cushion-shaped stigma. Blooms in March - April. The fruit is a false berry - spherical or slightly oblong, juicy, one- or two-seeded, sometimes with a notch at the top, about 10 mm in diameter, green when unripe, white when ripe, translucent. Seed - large, densely covered with sticky, mucous pulp, formed from the inside of the receptacle, grayish-white, heart-shaped or oval-heart-shaped, rich in endosperm, about 8 mm in diameter, covered with a thin membranous peel with flat or convex edges. Seeds may contain one to three embryos. The fruits ripen in August - September. The dispersal of mistletoe occurs mainly in the way of endozoochory, i.e. its seeds are dispersed by birds. However, the presence of seeds in the gastrointestinal tract of birds is not a necessary condition for their germination, as previously thought. In Europe, mistletoe is distributed by waxwing, various types of thrushes - fieldfare and mistletoe, as well as blackhead warbler, for which its fruits are food. Birds land mainly on the upper branches of the sparse crowns of old trees, which are well lit and warm, which is necessary for the germination of mistletoe seeds. The location of branches in the tree crown, the angle between them and the trunk determine important competitive parameters in the host-parasite relationship, which positively or negatively affect the dynamics of mistletoe damage. Thus, an increase in the angle between the branch and the trunk contributes to the potential damage to the tree by the parasite, and vice versa - a dense forest, in which trees grow tall and do not have a spreading crown, is practically not exposed to infection, foci of infection are not viable here, they die due to lack of light. The relatively short flight distances of birds and the rapid passage of seeds through their gastrointestinal tract explains the formation of foci of infection of a local type and, in general, its moderate spread. Mistletoe parasitism is a typical phenomenon in park forests and alleys. Alleys affected by mistletoe can serve as a means of spreading mistletoe on the principle of so-called bridges. The spread of infection over long distances is associated with migratory birds. Thus, a study of damage to mistletoe black pine, which grows in southwestern Europe in the French Alps, showed that the distribution of the semi-parasite coincided with the main flight paths of the mistletoe. Distributed in Western and Central Europe, in the Baltic countries, Belarus, Ukraine, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in Asia Minor and East. It occurs in the southern half of the European part and in the North Caucasus. It is common in the southern, black earth regions of Russia, practically absent in the Non-Black Earth region. In some countries on the northern border of the range (for example, in the Baltic countries), mistletoe is protected and listed in the Red Books. White mistletoe contains the following biologically active substances: nitrogen-containing compounds - gamma-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine (shoots), choline (fruits, leaves); terpenoids - alpha-amirins, beta-amirins, betulinic acid, ursulic acid; triterpene saponins - emuteroside; alkaloids - tyramine, lupanine; flavonoids - isorhamnetin (leaves, flowers), quercetin (leaves, flowers), rhamnetin (leaves, flowers); histamines; organic acids - caffeic, chlorogenic; mannitol; vitamin E The plant is generally inedible, but its berries are readily eaten by birds in large quantities without harm to their health. However, the leaves and stems of mistletoe are poisonous and if ingested can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Mistletoe is a medicinal and gum plant. In ancient times, shoots were used for epilepsy, hysteria, dizziness, etc. In scientific medicine, young shoots with leaves of mistletoe (Stipites Visci cum foliis) or leaves alone, both fresh and dry, are used. Mistletoe branches are used for hypertension and as a tonic for intestinal atony. A liquid extract from young leaves is used for pulmonary and nasal bleeding. The drug akofit, which includes an infusion of fresh mistletoe leaves, is used to treat rare types of neuralgia. Mistletoe preparations dilate blood vessels and are used to treat angina pectoris, a shriveled kidney. Previously, a decoction of young shoots, preparations "Omelen" (thick extract) and "Viskalen" were used in medicine as a vasodilator for hypertension. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies mistletoe as a banned product until proven safe. Mistletoe injections are only legal in the US in clinical trials. The leaves and stems are poisonous and if ingested can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In folk medicine, mistletoe is widely used as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy, hysteria, dizziness, as a hemostatic agent for uterine and hemorrhoidal bleeding. An aqueous decoction is drunk with increased blood pressure, headaches, heart disease and nervous diseases, asthma, rheumatism, diarrhea, pulmonary tuberculosis and tumors, with prolonged menstruation and as an anthelmintic. Externally, mistletoe leaves and fruits are used for rheumatism, gout, swelling of the lymph nodes, to soften abscesses. On the basis of mistletoe, medicines used in anthroposophic medicine for the so-called mistletoe therapy of cancer have been created. In homeopathy, the essence of fresh berries and leaves is used. Mistletoe is a real disaster for the green spaces of Western and Eastern Europe. This semi-parasitic plant successfully captures more and more new territories, expanding the range of host plants. The defeat of trees by mistletoe reduces their durability, and landscapes lose their decorative effect. In addition, mistletoe is one of the main causes of tree dieback. The main measures to combat the spread of the parasite are:
In winter, berries are a favorite food of some birds. Glue is extracted from the berries, which is used to control pests of fruit trees and against flies. Leaves and young shoots are of nutritional value, as they contain a lot of protein and fat. In the Caucasus, they feed sheep, in Western Europe - cattle. They gather berries and leaves in autumn and winter, breaking them off on trees. When harvesting branches from tall trees, pruners or hooks are used. The raw materials are dried under sheds or in warm rooms, spreading it in a thin layer on paper or fabric. Dry leaves are packed in bags or bales weighing 25-50 kg, stored in dry, well-ventilated, darkened rooms.
White mistletoe, Viscum album. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
Ethnoscience:
Cosmetology:
Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!
White mistletoe, Viscum album. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing
White mistletoe (Viscum album) is a shrub that grows on trees and is used in medicine and in religious ceremonies. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing mistletoe: Cultivation:
Workpiece:
Storage:
Before using mistletoe as a medicine, you should consult your doctor.
▪ Garden bean (common bean, horse bean) ▪ Mulberry (here, mulberry tree) ▪ Play the game "Guess the plant from the picture"
The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven
09.05.2024 Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5
09.05.2024 Energy from space for Starship
08.05.2024
▪ Mobile phones are not associated with brain tumors ▪ Smart bracelet shock therapy ▪ Bioelectronic mini-laboratory ▪ Dogs understand words and intonations just like humans ▪ Virtual mobile operator Google Project Fi
▪ site section Voltage converters, rectifiers, inverters. Article selection ▪ article A slap in the face to public taste. Popular expression ▪ article Which country is located between the Tigris and Euphrates? Detailed answer ▪ article Garage traffic light. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering ▪ article Lever scales. physical experiment
Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews
www.diagram.com.ua |
We recommend interesting articles Section 
See other articles Section 
Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:
All languages of this page