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CULTURAL AND WILD PLANTS
Primrose spring (primrose real, primrose officinalis, spring primrose, primrose officinalis). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application
Directory / Cultivated and wild plants Content
Spring primrose (real primrose, medicinal primrose, spring primrose, primrose officinalis), Primula veris. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism Sort by: Primrose (Primula) Family: Primroses (Primulaceae) Origin: Europe, Asia, North America Area: Spring primrose is found in the forests and meadows of Europe, Siberia, Japan, and North America. Chemical composition: Primrose roots and flowers contain saponins, carotenoids, flavonoids, essential oils, organic acids and other biologically active substances. Economic value: Primrose spring is used in medicine as an antipyretic, antitussive and anti-inflammatory agent. Also used as an ornamental plant to decorate gardens and parks. Legends, myths, symbolism: In Celtic mythology, the primrose was associated with the goddess of love and spring, Bridget. It was said that the primrose was her favorite flower and symbolized her return to earth after hibernation. In ancient Germanic mythology, the primrose was associated with the goddess of love and beauty, Fria. It was considered a symbol of her beauty and grace. In medieval Europe, primrose was used in amulets and talismans to protect against disease and evil spirits. Primrose symbolizes spring, rebirth and renewal. It is also associated with love, beauty and grace.
Spring primrose (real primrose, medicinal primrose, spring primrose, primrose officinalis), Primula veris. Description, illustrations of the plant Primrose. Legends, myths, history
Many nations have their own legends about primrose. From the depths of the Middle Ages, an interesting folk tale about the origin of primrose has come down to us. Being on guard at the gates of paradise, the apostle Peter dropped a bunch of keys to the kingdom of heaven. Falling from star to star, the keys flew to our land. Falling to the ground, the bunch of keys went deep into it, and a yellow flower grew out of the ground, similar to the keys of the apostle. Although the angel, sent after the keys, quickly returned them to the Apostle Peter, every year in the spring flowers grow from their imprints, opening the arrival of warmth and spring with their flowering. Since the plant blooms in spring, on the eve of summer, and the yellow flowers in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence really look like a bunch of miniature keys, the people poetically call the primrose the keys to summer, the key, the keys. Among many Slavic peoples, primrose was revered as golden keys that open the way to the entire green kingdom in spring. Throughout the long winter, the heavenly Lada languishes in the captivity of thick clouds and fogs. But in the spring, the goddess of love, sun and harmony, washed with spring waters, comes into the world with generous gifts. Where the first lightning fell, primroses grow to unlock the bowels of the earth with their keys for the lush growth of grasses, bushes and trees. According to one of the ancient Greek legends about primrose, primrose came to earth from heaven. The inquisitive young man studied all earthly sciences and decided to learn the heavenly world. But for this, he needed to forge the golden keys, go along the silver-star path to the center of the Galaxy and open the gates. It is not at all easy to do this, because the path to the gates of the Galaxy was guarded by numerous stars. But the young man was persistent. He forged the golden keys and went through the Milky Way. There was silence on the way, only numerous stars slightly rustled their silvery wings, flying from place to place. And suddenly in this silence voices began to be heard: "Don't tremble!" - said the star on the right. "Forget everything!" - added the star, shining in front of the young man, and looked at him with deep sadness and sadness. However, the young man did not flinch and continued to walk forward. “Forget everything!” the burning star repeated ahead. “Forget everything! Forget the verdant earth, and your youth, and childhood. look at the son disappearing into the stellar nebula ... " And then the young man could not stand it. His arms and legs trembled, the stars swirled in his eyes, his ears rang, and when the daredevil woke up, it turned out that he was lying on the ground. And the golden key, which he held in his hands, took root in the ground and turned into a primrose flower. There is another legend about the origin of primrose. In one of the beautiful meadows there lived a blond elf princess who fell in love with a handsome young man, but for some reason he did not notice her. In desperation, the princess asked the sorceress for the young man to reciprocate. And the sorceress turned the princess into a primrose flower, which is the first to bloom in spring, and it is absolutely impossible to pass by it. Since then, the village youth goes to admire these flowers as soon as the snow melts. According to the Old Norse sagas, these are the keys of the fertility goddess Freya, with which she opens the spring. This goddess is beautiful, young, charming. Her necklace is a rainbow, which the dwarves forged for her. And where this rainbow necklace touches the ground, golden keys fall from it to the ground and, having fallen, turn into a primrose. According to ancient Greek legend, the primrose arose from the body of the young man Paralysos, who died of love, whom the gods, out of compassion, turned into a fragrant flower; hence it was believed to cure paralysis, and in medicine it was until recently called the "paralytic herb." The legend of the royal primrose. Volcanologists claim that primroses predict volcanic eruptions. Each volcanic eruption on the island of Java took a lot of human lives until the inhabitants paid attention to the plants that were found only here, on the slope of the fire-breathing mountain. It was a royal primrose. Interestingly, she bloomed flowers only on the eve of a volcanic eruption. Now the inhabitants of the villages nearby from the volcano systematically monitor the savior plant and, as soon as it begins to bloom, hastily leave the villages. And they say that the primrose has never let them down. Now scientists are interested in this property of primrose. Caucasian highlanders claim that the magical purisula - royal primrose - growing high in the mountains, once blossomed at an inopportune time. The whole tribe, seeing the blooming purisula, hastily left their native lands, in which an earthquake soon broke out. People went further and further west until they came to a country very similar to their homeland. Having settled here, the Caucasian Iberians gradually turned into the Pyrenean Iberians - the ancestors of modern Basques, which is why Georgian-Balkan ties can be traced in their language and in some elements of culture. It is difficult to say whether this was so, but these connections are indeed found. In Germany, these flowers are also called keys for their resemblance to a bunch of old church keys. In some areas of Germany, these are the keys to marriage. There was such a belief that the girl who was the first to find a primrose flower on Easter holidays would undoubtedly get married that same year. Even in the days of the Celts and Gauls, primrose was part of the love drink. In England, it was believed that tubular-bell-shaped drooping primrose flowers are a refuge for fabulous fairies and gnomes in times of bad weather. They sing praises to the flowers that shelter them, rejoicing that they can find shelter in golden corollas in heavy rain, when the bright rays of the month are covered with clouds. That lucky person who hears the singing coming from the magical flowers of the primrose will live in joy and prosperity for many years. Primula is credited with the magical property of opening hidden treasures. According to legend, a woman dressed in white with a golden key appears in the fields. All primroses plucked in her presence gain the ability to open treasures hidden deep underground. At the same time, she says that a person can take any wealth, but let him not forget "the best" - meaning a flower, to use it next time. Primroses are also called primrose, as they appear in the spring among the first flowers. The people also call them "rams" - young leaves, wavy and pubescent, look like the backs of lambs; "keys" - flowers are collected in an inflorescence, resembling a bunch of keys. In Germany, a soothing tea is brewed from dried flowers, the British eat a salad of young primrose leaves, and the anise-scented roots are used as a spice. In Switzerland, Poland and some other European countries, an effervescent drink is prepared from the infusion of fresh flowers and honey. Author: Martyanova L.M.
Spring primrose (true primrose, medicinal primrose, spring primrose, medicinal primrose), Primula veris L. Botanical description, distribution, chemical composition, features of use
Primulaceae family - Primulaceae. Perennial plant 15-30 cm high. The rhizome is short, the roots are cord-like. The leaves are ovate or ovate-oblong, wrinkled, crenate along the edges, collected in a rosette. The flowers are bright yellow with a honey smell, collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. The fruit is a brown ovoid multi-seeded capsule. Blooms in May - June. The fruits ripen in July. It grows in forests, on edges, slopes, in thickets of shrubs, oak forests, along river banks. It is found in forest and forest-steppe zones almost throughout Europe. The roots contain up to 10% saponins, primulic acid, glycosides, essential oil, ascorbic acid. About 2% of saponins were found in the leaves, vitamins in a significant amount - ascorbic acid, carotene, tocopherol; in flowers - saponins and flavonoids. The content of ascorbic acid in the leaves reaches 0,0059% (dry weight). Essential oil was obtained from the roots after fermentation with a yield of 0,06-0,08%. The composition of the essential oil includes methyl esters of m-methoxysalicylic and n-methoxy-beta-resorcylic acids. Flowers and leaves have a pleasant spicy smell and a sweetish taste, they are used in alcoholic beverage production and used as a salad plant (especially in England and Holland). All parts of the plant are used in medicine around the world. The roots are used as an expectorant for bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, influenza. The rhizome extract with primrose roots is an integral part of anti-asthmatic drugs. A number of herbal preparations derived from primrose roots are prescribed as an expectorant. Primrose preparations have low toxicity and are several times more active than senega root.
Primrose roots also have a weak diuretic and diaphoretic effect, increase gastric secretion, and improve metabolism. Leaves (fresh or dry), a good remedy for the treatment of hypo- and beriberi. The essence of a fresh flowering plant is used in homeopathy. Primrose flowers have long been used in folk medicine for heart disease (especially with tachycardia), as an antitussive, expectorant, for insomnia, migraine, rheumatism, gout, for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, as well as for furunculosis, as wound healing. Primrose flowers are an export item. Plant roots are recognized as the official medicine of Romania. From the flowering above-ground part, you can get brown-olive paint. Primula is used in veterinary medicine. In early spring, spring primrose is used as an ornamental plant. Good honey plant. In terms of their effect on the body and use in medicine, large-cup primrose (large-cup primrose - Primula macrocalux Butige), high primrose (high primrose - P. elatior (L.) Hill.) and stemless primrose (primrose primrose - P. vulgaris Huds) are close to the spring primrose (P. acaulis Jacq.). Authors: Dudchenko L.G., Kozyakov A.S., Krivenko V.V.
Spring primrose, Primula veris L. Botanical description, habitat and habitats, chemical composition, use in medicine and industry
Perennial herbaceous plant 15-20 cm high, primrose family (Primulaceae). The rhizome is oblique, unbranched, short, seated with whitish, cord-like roots. Leaves basal, ovate. The flower arrow is one (or several), carries an inflorescence - a simple one-sided umbrella. The flowers are large, bright yellow with an orange spot at the base of the corolla lobes. The fruit is a multi-seeded ovoid brown box. Seeds spherical, 1-1,5 mm long. Blooms in May. Range and habitats. The plant is found in forest and forest-steppe zones almost throughout Europe; found in the Caucasus, Turkey and Iran. Prefers meadows, sparse forests, edges, clearings, shrubs. Chemical composition. In the roots of the plant, saponins were found in an amount of 5-10%, essential oil - 0,08% and glycosides: primulaverin (primulaveroside), primverin (primveroside), primulagenin, which belongs to triterpene compounds. Saponins are found in leaves, saponins and flavonoids are found in flowers. All organs of the plant contain ascorbic acid. In terms of dry matter, the leaves contain 5,9%, and the flowers 4,7% of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), a small amount of carotene was found in the leaves and roots. Application in medicine. The plant is widely used in folk and scientific medicine. For medicinal purposes, a spring primrose leaf (lat. Folium Primulae veris) is used, which is collected at the beginning of flowering of the plant and quickly dried at a temperature of 100-120 ° C to preserve ascorbic acid; less often under a canopy and in attics, and a rhizome with roots (Rhizoma cum radicibus Primulae), dug up in autumn. Leaves containing up to 5,9% ascorbic acid, saponins, are used as a tea for beriberi; leaf powder is also added to the first courses. Rhizome with roots contains up to 10% triterpene saponins. Their aglycones are primulagenins A, D, SD. It is used as a decoction as an expectorant. Flowers are used in the form of decoctions and infusions for migraines, neuralgia, colds, gout and rheumatism, insomnia, cough. Alcoholic tincture of flowers is used as a sedative for insomnia and overexcitation. An infusion of leaves is used for gout, kidney and bladder diseases. A decoction and tincture of the root are prescribed as an emollient and expectorant for coughs, as a diuretic. Outwardly, a decoction is used for rinsing with inflammation of the throat, larynx and bronchitis. The homeopathic remedy Primula is prescribed for the treatment of catarrhal gastritis, coughs and as a sedative for insomnia. Other uses. Leaves and stems are edible and can be added to salads, soups. Early honey plant. Because of the long flower tube, the bees take little nectar and some pollen. One flower releases 0,035 mg of sugar in the nectar; honey productivity 2-5 kg/ha. The concentration of sugar in the nectar is 58,5%. In the broad-leaved forest, the highest nectar productivity is 0,1 kg/ha with 5 plants per 1 m2. The productivity of pollen by the anther is 0,3 mg, by the plant 20,0 mg. Widely known as an ornamental plant. Prefers fertile well-drained soils, according to other sources - clay and loamy soils. Likes partial shade and abundant watering. The plant is propagated by seeds, division of plants older than three years and root cuttings. Authors: Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N.
Primula officinalis (Primula officinalis), Primula veris. Description of the plant, area, cultivation, application
It grows everywhere in dry meadows, in thickets of shrubs, along river banks, in mixed and broad-leaved forests. Perennial herbaceous plant 10-30 cm high, appears in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. The stem is a flower arrow, erect, round, juicy, without leaves, ending at the top with an inflorescence. The rhizome is short, simple or many-headed, fleshy, brown in color, covered with scales and numerous thin, cord-like white roots. Leaves up to 8 cm long, oblong-ovate, wrinkled, wavy at the edges, covered with velvety villi resembling the skin of a young ram, form a basal rosette on winged petioles. Blooms in April - May. The flowers are bright, golden yellow, at the top of the peduncle are collected in umbellate inflorescences, with a honey smell. The fruit is an ovoid brown capsule with numerous seeds. Ripens in June - July. It cracks only in favorable weather, in bad weather the boxes are closed. Primrose leaves contain saponins, vitamins C (up to 590 mg), E, group B, glycosides, organic acids, essential oil. Saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, vitamin C, carotene, essential oil, manganese were found in the roots. For economic purposes, an olive-colored dye for fabrics is obtained from the grass and flowers of the primrose officinalis. The food uses fresh leaves, flower arrows, collected after the snow melts. They are eaten raw, put in salads, vinaigrettes, side dishes. In early spring, they are very useful as a high-vitamin product. Two leaves of primrose are enough to satisfy the daily requirement of the body for vitamin C. Salad with primrose. Rinse the leaves with cold water, chop, put on diced boiled beets, salt, season with sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with dill, parsley and green onions. 100 g of primrose leaves, 100 g of beets, 25 g of green onions, 25 g of sour cream (or mayonnaise), salt, dill and parsley. Salad with primrose and nettle. Chop the primrose leaves, blanched nettle leaves and green onions, add canned green peas, salt the chopped hard-boiled egg. Top with sour cream or mayonnaise. 100 g of primrose leaves, 100 g of nettle, 25 g of green onion, 50 g of green peas, 50 g of sour cream (or mayonnaise), salt. Salad with primrose, cheese and sausage. Grind primrose leaves, add finely chopped cheese, sausage or meat, hard-boiled egg, green onions, canned green peas, salt. Season with sour cream or mayonnaise, sprinkle with dill and parsley. 100 g of primrose leaves, 100 g of sausage, 1 egg, 25 g of green onion, 50 g of green peas, 50 g of sour cream (or mayonnaise), 50 g of cheese, salt, dill and parsley. Soup with primrose. Boil the grits in salted meat broth until half cooked, add potatoes, primrose leaves and simmer over low heat until tender. Season with browned carrots and onions, sprinkle with dill and parsley. 500 ml of broth, 40 g of cereals (millet, rice, buckwheat, oatmeal), 50 g of potatoes, 50 g of carrots, 50 g of onions, 20 g of fat, 150 g of primrose leaves, salt, dill and parsley. Shchi with primrose. Boil carrots, potatoes in salted broth, add sorrel, primrose leaves, browned onions and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Before serving, put slices of hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, dill and parsley into bowls. 500 ml of broth, 150 g of primrose leaves, 100 g of sorrel, 50 g of carrots, 50 g of potatoes, 30 g of onions, 30 g of tomato sauce, 1 egg, 25 g of sour cream, salt, dill and parsley. Borscht with primrose. In a salted broth, boil chopped beets, carrots until half cooked, add cabbage, potatoes, boil over low heat until tender, put primrose leaves, browned onions, season with tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Before serving, put slices of hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, parsley and dill into bowls. 500 ml of broth, 50 g of beets, 50 g of carrots, 30 g of onions, 50 g of potatoes, 100 g of primrose leaves, 100 g of cabbage, 50 g of tomato sauce, 1 egg, 25 g of sour cream, salt, parsley and dill. Meatballs with primrose. Add finely chopped onion, sautéed flour, milk or water, salt, ground black pepper, primrose powder to minced meat, mix thoroughly. Form meatballs from the mass, bread them in breadcrumbs, fry in oil or fat, put in a saucepan, put primrose leaves, onion sautéed with carrots, pour in meat broth, sour cream or tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with dill and parsley before serving. 400 g minced meat, 50 g onion, 20 g flour, 30-50 ml milk, 50 g butter, 40 g primrose powder, 30 g carrots, 100 g sour cream, spices, salt, dill and parsley. Potato casserole with meat and primrose. Add potato starch, salt to mashed potatoes, mix. Place half of the mashed potatoes on a warm, oiled and breaded frying pan, level, put minced meat from boiled meat, mixed with browned onions, finely chopped primrose leaves, cover with the remaining mashed potatoes, brush with sour cream, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven. 500 g of mashed potatoes, 300 g of minced meat, 200 g of primrose leaves, 50 g of onion, 50 g of sour cream, 30 g of butter, 20 g of crackers, salt to taste. Pork stewed with primrose. Cut the pork into small pieces, fry until a pink crust forms. Separately, fry cabbage, onions, carrots, potatoes, mix with pork, add dill seeds, cumin, bay leaf, primrose leaves, salt and simmer over low heat until tender. Sprinkle with dill and parsley before serving. 500 g of meat, 50 g of butter, 100 g of cabbage, 50 g of onion, 50 g of carrots, 100 g of potatoes, 200 g of primrose, spices, salt, dill and parsley. Primrose seasoning. Pour primrose powder with chilled boiled water, add tomato sauce, let stand for 2 hours. Use as a seasoning for meat, fish, vegetable dishes. 10 g of primrose powder, 25 ml of water, 25 g of tomato sauce. Rice casserole with primrose. Mix thick rice porridge with cottage cheese, primrose root powder, beaten egg with sugar, add raisins, mix. Put the mass on a greased pan or baking sheet, grease with a mixture of eggs and sour cream and bake in the oven. Serve with jelly, sour cream, butter, sweet sauce. 200 g rice porridge, 150 g cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 20 g sugar, 8 g primrose powder, 50 g sour cream, 20 g raisins. Omelet with primrose. Cut young primrose leaves, stew with vegetable or ghee for 10-15 minutes over low heat, salt, pour over a mixture of eggs and sour cream and bake in the oven. 100 g of primrose leaves, 3-4 eggs, 20 g of oil, 50 g of sour cream, salt to taste. Powder from primrose leaves. Grind dried primrose leaves into powder. Store in a dry place in closed jars. Use for dressing the first, second courses, sauces, salads, sauces, drinks. Powder from primrose roots. Grind dried primrose roots and rhizomes into powder. Use for dressing soups, borscht, meat, fish, vegetable dishes, snacks, drinks. Store in paper bags, glass jars in a dry place. Drink from primrose flowers. Rinse the primrose flowers, pour cold water over them, keep at room temperature until fermentation begins, add honey or sugar. Store in a dark cool place. 250 g of primrose flowers, 1 liter of water, honey, sugar to taste. Primrose tea. Mix dried leaves or roots of primrose and St. John's wort in equal amounts, chop. Brew like tea. Drink with sugar, honey, jam, xylitol, sweets.
In folk medicine, the roots, rhizomes, leaves and flowers of primrose officinalis are used. They have a diuretic, diaphoretic, tonic, vitamin effect, facilitate expectoration of sputum, improve the function of the adrenal glands, and the secretion of gastric juice. Infusion of primrose roots. Infuse 5 g of roots in 200 ml of boiling water for 2 hours, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for constipation, insomnia, general weakness, poor appetite, cough, dizziness, kidney and bladder diseases as a diuretic. Infusion of primrose leaves. Infuse 5-10 g of leaf powder in 200 ml of boiling water for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day with poor appetite, general weakness, cough, hypovitaminosis, scurvy, pneumonia, bronchitis, gout, rheumatism. Infusion of primrose flowers. Infuse 25 g of primrose flowers in 200 ml of boiling water for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 100-200 ml 1-3 times a day, with migraine, dizziness, chronic constipation. A decoction of primrose herbs. Boil 20 g of chopped herbs in 200 ml of water for 20 minutes, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough as an expectorant. A decoction of primrose roots. Boil 20 g of primrose roots in 400 ml of water for 15 minutes, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day for respiratory diseases, rheumatism, gout, diseases of the kidneys, bladder. No contraindications were found. Grass, leaves, flowers, roots, rhizomes of primrose officinalis are harvested. The aerial part of the plant is harvested during flowering, dried immediately in the sun or in a dryer, oven, oven at a temperature of 40-50 ° C. With slow drying, the amount of vitamin C is significantly reduced. Dried leaves are greyish-green, with a honey smell, the taste is sweetish at first, then burning-bitter. Flowers are harvested without cups in April - May, dried in the air. Dried flowers - blossoming yellow corollas of a faint smell, sweetish taste. Rhizomes with roots are dug up in the fall, after the aerial parts of the plant wither, or in early spring before flowering. They are shaken off the ground, the stems are cut off, washed in cold water, lightly dried in the air and dried in dryers, ovens, ovens at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. Dried rhizomes are reddish-brown, in scales. Roots whitish, 3-10 cm long, bitter, astringent taste, slight odor. Store in multi-layered paper or canvas bags, on racks in well-ventilated areas. Shelf life of leaves and flowers - 1 year, rhizomes and roots -3 years. Primrose officinalis in autumn can be transplanted into flower pots or boxes and grown indoors. Authors: Alekseychik N.I., Vasanko V.A.
Primrose (primula officinalis), Primula officinalis L. Description, habitats, nutritional value, use in cooking
Primrose is a perennial herbaceous plant from the primrose family, with a rosette of basal ovate-oval felt leaves, with a bare stem 15–20 cm high. At the end of the flower arrow is an umbrella with drooping golden yellow flowers. The fruit is a brown ovoid multi-seeded capsule, surrounded by a calyx and opening at the top with 10 teeth bent outwards. Blooms in May. It occurs in forest clearings, meadows, along the edges of roads and between bushes in deciduous and mixed forests. Well propagated by seeds. The green parts of the primrose contain from 500 to 6000 mg% of vitamin C, up to 3 mg% of provitamin A (carotene), a large amount of flavonoids, up to 2% of saponins in the leaves and up to 10% in the roots. When dried, primrose retains 80-95% of vitamin C. One or two leaves are enough to satisfy a person's daily need for vitamin C. It is probably no coincidence that primrose is grown in Holland and England as an early vegetable plant for making vitamin salads. It grows well in gardens and greenhouses, on windows in boxes and flower pots. Primrose has long been considered a medicinal and food plant. Primrose roots, which smell anise, are used to flavor dishes, wines and teas. Author: Koshcheev A.K.
Spring primrose. Interesting plant facts
When the glade turns green with might and main with herbs, sparkles with bright petals, consider that the time has come for the spring primrose - primrose. It is his stalks, similar to bundles of golden keys, that will now come across in the forest clearing, and in the thickest of the deaf. After all, the buds on the trees have just unglued, and so far everywhere is equally light, at ease. Bumblebees buzz in the young thickets, butterflies flicker. Primrose smells of honey, sweet nectar. But most valuable in it is the healing power of vitamins. It's a pantry of ascorbic acid, so necessary for man and animals. Just one eaten leaf of primrose fills the daily need of our body for vitamin C. It is not for nothing that in England and Holland, spring primrose is bred in vegetable gardens as salad greens. Yes, and domestic folk medicine, he was not alien. A pinch of powder from the leaves and flowers of this herb, brewed in half a glass of water, has long been known as a drink of vivacity and health. It was also taken into the arsenal of a green pharmacy: not only leaves and flowers, but also roots are recognized as medicinal raw materials in spring primrose. Even birds and hoofed animals found out about the miraculous power of small grass. Sheep feast on it in spring, deer and geese in summer. And this is despite a general ban on the entire family of primroses, imposed by the inedibility of many species. So, our primrose did not blunder here either. And what a beauty she is - known not only to naturalists! Gardeners have long tamed the dwelling of glades and meadows. In early spring, plant lovers bloom right on the beds. The primrose is also called rams: for woolly, whitish leaves, or maybe for the resemblance of flowers to ram's horns. Sheep seem to prefer the number five. Look at the flower, its bright yellow corolla has five sharp teeth, inside the tube there are five short stamens with one pistil. The nectar lies so deep in the flower that the bees cannot reach it; only bumblebees and butterflies can do this. Spring primrose needs cross-pollination and is naturally adapted to welcoming the right insects. Here, for example, a bumblebee sat on a flower. The pistil here is short, and the hairy insect touched the stamens with its head. After tasting the nectar and getting dirty with pollen, the bumblebee took off from one plant and flew to another. Now the style of the pistil of the flower turned out to be long, so that the head of the bumblebee was flush with the stigma. The pollen has been applied. So that it does not get wet from the rain, the flowers, located in an umbrella, droop in one direction. "In May, overnight, the shafts are overgrown with grass," remarks the folk clerk. Indeed, the green spring unfolded wildly: in a matter of days, cereals grew high; the fragrant herbs thickened, thickened. The golden keys of the primrose, with which, as if spring, unlocks real warmth, are now more and more clogged with ankle bells, drowned out by a continuous net of marianniks and veronica. It's time to wilt the green stalk, it's time for the leaves - velvety, wrinkled, narrowed into a winged petiole. Over the summer, they will spread out in breadth, lengthen, in order to fully deposit nutrient reserves in the rhizomes. Aging, the leaves cling to the ground, smooth out. They are arranged in a funnel so that rainwater flows directly to the roots. Indeed, in summer, plants often lack moisture, but this green hoarder will quench their thirst even with shallow watering. In addition, its leaves themselves are adapted to withstand the heat: the plates are covered with felt, which reduces evaporation. Primrose fruits are hidden in a box that cracks only in favorable weather; sealed tightly in rain and cold. In the fall, when the grass finally fades, the seekers of medicinal raw materials begin to sample the rhizomes. In primrose, they are short, oblique, with cords of roots. The excavated rhizomes are washed, dried a little, then dried. An infusion of roots (10 grams per cup of boiling water), taken in a tablespoon three times a day, relieves cough and bronchitis. In the old days, in peasant everyday life, the roots of rams were also used for consumption and fever. To do this, they were boiled in milk, decanted and drank the cooled broth. In the spring, primrose roots are harvested before flowering, later they are not suitable for medicinal purposes. And yet, for rams, it is mostly not the roots that go to the pharmaceutical collection, but the leaves and corollas of the petals. Only healthy, green leaves are plucked, while the flowers are taken when they have blossomed and without grassy calyxes. Raw materials are dried in the sun or in a non-hot oven, stored in glass jars. In terms of vitamin C content, the leaves are three times richer than inflorescences and ten times higher than the rhizomes themselves. Vitamin E and saponins, also valued in medical practice, were also found in them.
The spring primrose has many wild relatives, because there are at least five hundred species of primroses on the globe. Many of them are found in the temperate zone and in the alpine belt of mountains. Among the 65 species of primrose, only spring primrose (Primula veris) has significant medicinal power. This weed is legendary. The ancient Greeks believed that she was able to heal from all the ailments that a person suffers from. True, the ancient healers themselves prescribed spring primrose more from paralysis, which is why it was nicknamed paralytic grass. In the Middle Ages, rams fell into the category of magical means. Sorcerers and healers tried to find "magic beginnings" in a lovely spring flower, and the juice of the plant was added to a brew that was passed off as a love potion. They, they say, can dry the chosen one or the chosen one. There were many legends around a beautiful flower, sometimes poetic, funny. According to the ancient Germanic sagas, the spring primrose is nothing but the keys of the goddess of spring - Freya. Imito she unlocks real warmth after a long winter. Freya herself is young, charming, adorned with a rainbow necklace. Wherever her rainbow falls, golden keys will fall, and flowers will appear from them. In legends, everything is simple. The Danish folk tale assures that the fabulous Elf Princess herself has been turned into a primrose. It turned out like this. Once the spirits released a pretty elf to the ground, and then take it and love the young man there, forgetting about your homeland. The end is sad; as punishment, the spirits turned the elf into a primrose, and her lover into an anemone, which blooms at the same time with her, and fades away at the same time. The English have a primrose - also a favorite flower. It is cultivated in gardens and vegetable gardens, taken with them on travels, it is an indispensable gift to a dear person. Festivities and festivities were organized in honor of the primrose, poets composed inspired lines about it (recall Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream"). According to English legends, dwarfs hide in primroses, and if you go out on a meadow on a moonlit night in spring, the lucky ones will hear a chorus of gentle voices coming from flowers sprinkled with dew. A lot of fiction about lambs was also found among Russian peasants. As for the beneficial properties of this herb, they have been known to our people since ancient times. The sweetish flower arrows of the rams were collected and eaten, soothing and diaphoretic teas were prepared from the leaves and flowers, and, on occasion, ointments against eczema. In regional dialects, spring primrose is known as the first-born, cow's tears, lamb tow, ryast (because it blooms early). Once upon a time there was a custom: they throw rams under their feet and trample them - for longevity. They said about the weak: “He won’t trample on his cassock, he won’t live until another spring ...” Among flower growers, both ground and potted primroses enjoy the same respect. Of the latter, we point to the widespread cyclamen with tubular lush flowers. Indoor primroses keep no more than two years, otherwise their flowering weakens. Soil forms also have subtlety - for the winter, nutrient soil is poured around each bush so that the plants do not freeze out. Propagated by dividing the rhizomes, this is done in the spring or on the slope of summer. And another knot for memory: fresh humus is harmful for all primroses, Showing off, smiling at the May sun, lovely spring primroses exude a honey aroma - rams. Treat them sensibly, where there is little - do not tear in the wild. May they bring joy to us every year. Author: Strizhev A.N.
Primula, Primula veris. Botanical description, plant history, legends and folk traditions, cultivation and use
Who does not know those arrows of lovely yellow flowers, which at the beginning of summer dot our forest edges and clearings in abundance? Their leaves and stems, covered with white fluff, emit a pleasant spicy pharmaceutical smell. Especially like this smell, as well as the sweet taste of their stem, our village children, who tear them in a lot and chew them with pleasure, like some kind of delicacy. These flowers bear the scientific name of primroses (Primula veris) - primrose, as they appear among the first flowers in spring; among the people, they are known under the name of rams (probably for their shriveled, Khiva-like leaves), and in Germany - under the name of keys (Schlusselblume). The last name was given to them for the similarity of their color arrangement with a bunch of ancient church keys. (Smushka is a skin taken from a newborn lamb. Khivinka is a breed of sheep.) The following interesting legend has developed about the origin of these flowers in the Middle Ages. “Once, when the apostle Peter, who was entrusted with the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, was on guard at the entrance to paradise, he was suddenly informed that someone, having obtained fake keys, intended to enter there without his permission. Struck by such terrible news, the apostle frightened, he dropped his bunch of golden keys from his hands, and it, falling from star to star, flew to our land. Wanting to intercept her, the apostle sent an angel hastily after her; but before the angel could carry out the order given to him, the bundle had already fallen to the ground, crashed deep into it, and from it grew a yellow flower, similar to the keys of the apostle. And since then, although the angel took with him the keys of St. Petra back, but their faint imprints remained on the ground, and every year flowers grow from them, which unlock the door for us to warm weather, to a warm summer ... " The song is known about these flowers, like keys, unlocking spring in Ukraine: "Death Week (4th week of Lent, when winter begins to seem to die), where did you put the keys? I gave them to Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday, where did you go keys? I gave them to Green (Clean) Thursday. And you, Thursday, to whom did you give them? I gave them to St. Yuri." And here is St. Yuri (April 23) gets up, throws them on the ground, and the first velvet grass and the first flowers grow out of them - primrose. Finally, according to the ancient Germanic sagas, the primrose is also considered the keys of the goddess of spring - Freya. This goddess is beautiful, young, charming. Her necklace is a rainbow, which the dwarves forged for her. And where this rainbow necklace touches the ground, golden keys fall from it to the ground and, having fallen, turn into a primrose. Even more poetic and fantastic is the legend that has developed about a species related to this primrose - a red primrose-auricula growing on high, inaccessible mountain slopes. This lovely flower is an object of passionate desire for young mountaineers. To get it in the mountains and decorate your hut with it is considered by the mountain youth to be the height of youth and happiness; and therefore, every young man who for some reason leaves his native mountains keeps the dried primrose as a precious memory of his homeland, of his relatives and all the people dear to his heart, and never part with it. Probably for this reason, the legend that has developed about her is based on love for her homeland and dear family. “Once upon a time,” the legend narrates, “one ardent young man, who, in his passion for science, wanted to ascend from earth to heaven and, trying to resolve thousands of questions that bothered his mind, strove higher and higher into transcendental spaces. From one country he moved into another, from one sea to another, penetrated into the worlds of underground spirits, creating and moving everything under the earth, penetrated into the worlds of underwater spirits, controlling everything and creating everything that is in the water, reveled with greed in their knowledge and finally turned into a giant in knowledge , mind and bodily strength. With a blow of his fist, he could smash rocks to smithereens and, by the power of his mind, divide, decompose and destroy everything that exists on earth. He was omnipotent in destruction. But with all such terrible power to create a new one, however, he could not, could not to create even the slightest blade of grass, which his feet mercilessly trampled on ... And then discontent and anger seized him, and again he began to wander through the mountains, rising higher and higher to the sky and seeking even deeper knowledge and resolution of a thousand new burning questions. And for long days and nights he wandered like this, full of anxiety, not seeing an end, fixing his eyes on the clouds during the day, and at the stars at night, until at last a ray of hope flashed to him. In his hand he carried a golden key, which he managed to make with the help of all the spirits friendly to him. This key was supposed to open access to the sky, as soon as he managed to rise above the clouds, to the threshold of eternity. And now, on a quiet spring night, he had already reached the highest earthly peak - where no man had yet penetrated. There were clouds below him. Not a single sound came from below. Not the slightest breeze was felt. The stars shone in all their beauty and majesty, and their rays formed before him, as it were, a silvery bridge, along which he could ascend to the threshold of heaven. And he walked along his brilliant path with wide-open eyes, without turning around, higher and higher ... "Don't tremble," the star on the right told him. "Don't turn around," the star on the left told him. “Forget everything,” added a bright star shining in front of him, and at the same time looked at him with deep, endless sadness ... And the young man did not tremble, did not turn around, and kept the key ready, since now he was already not far from the eve of eternity. - Forget everything! - the star repeated, and the young man was ready to put the key into the lock, which shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. - Forget everything! she repeated to him once more, “forget both the verdant earth, and your youth, your childhood, forget everything and forever. Forget your homeland, forget your brothers and sisters, your father, forget your dear mother who nursed and nurtured you... Here the hand of the young man could not stand it and trembled. He turned around ... and at the same moment, with a roar from the silvery rays of the stars, flew through the clouds to the green, coming to life in the spring earth. For a long time he lay there, as if immersed in a deep sleep. When he woke up and looked around, everything disappeared like a dream, and only in his hand did he continue to hold his golden key, which during the night turned into a spring flower and took root in the verdant land dear to the young man - his homeland ... " Primula has been known since ancient times and was considered the medicinal flower of Olympus. The ancient Greeks called it "dodecatheon", that is, the flower of the twelve gods, and believed that it contained a healing principle against all diseases - therefore, it was something like that universal panacea - a cure for all ailments, which was so vainly searched for in the Middle Ages. (Dodecatheon is now an independent genus, also belonging to the primrose family.) In addition to the primrose, later this property was also attributed to the oilwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) and some other plants. But among the Greeks, it was exclusively attributed to our primrose (Primula officinalis), and its origin was said to have arisen from the body of the young man Paralysos, who died of love, whom the gods, out of compassion, turned into this aromatic plant. As a result, in ancient times it was mainly treated for paralysis (paralisis) and pain in the joints, so that in medicine it is still often called paralytic grass (herba paralisis arthrica). The ancient Celts and Gauls also believed in the miraculous power of primrose. They called it samolus and met with great secrecy, on an empty stomach and barefoot, by their priests (druids). When picking, these priests, in addition, had to put their collecting hand under the left half of the robe and, picking the flower, hide it in the dress without looking, since only in this case the plant completely retained its healing power. The juice of this flower was among the Druids also part of the famous love drink "filter", which was brewed at midnight from verbena, blueberries, moss, wheat, clover and honey. But then the flowers had to be picked before the new moon. The drink thus composed was put on fire, and the young priestesses had to heat it up with their breath until it boiled. This drink was considered omnipotent. It was enough to drink a few drops to kindle with the strongest love for the one or the one with which it was offered. Such love potions already existed in antiquity, and they even say that the famous writer Apuleius, who lived in the 60nd century AD, e., used a similar drink to fall in love with himself and force him to marry a rich elderly widow named Pudencia, and even seemed to make the potion itself. The relatives of this widow took him to court, pointing out that she was already 15 years old and that, having been a widow for more than XNUMX years, she had never even shown a desire to remarry. And the widow herself, as they say, confirmed that he bewitched her with his drink. However, Apuleius managed to defend himself so cleverly that he won the process. In addition to the juice of plants, these love potions also included various substances that still made the blood hot, such as Spanish flies, remora fish meat, and especially some original substance called hippomania and representing a black growth that sometimes appeared on the forehead of newborns. foals. Belief in the supernatural influence of primrose, so widespread in the Middle Ages, passed into more recent times. In Piedmont, they still believe that it has miraculous power to avert the delusion of the devil, drives away demons and makes the bones of innocently dead people come out of the ground. It is said in Brittany that it gives fever to children when they play with it for a long time. In Ukraine, these flowers are called "ryast" (various plants were called this name in various regions, including the blueberry) and are considered a talisman that protects life. But in addition to these miraculous influences, the primrose was and is also attributed to the magical property of the well-known tear-grass - to open hidden treasures, which happens especially often, according to German peasants, if it is found in a blooming state on Christmas night or on the day of the conspiracy at Shrovetide. At this time, according to their belief, a woman often dressed in white with a golden key, wearing a crown on her head (in all likelihood, this is the ancient German goddess Freya) appears in the fields, and all primroses plucked in her presence acquire the ability to open hidden treasures. So, one day in late autumn, a shepherd found such a primrose near the ruins of Blankenbork Castle, in Swabia, and, plugging it into his hat, went home. Suddenly he felt that his hat had become surprisingly heavy. Taking it off, he saw that his flower had turned into a silver key. At the same time, a white woman rose up in front of him, as if from the ground, who said that with this key she could open the doors of Hirschberg that had never been opened before and take from there everything that he liked, but only let her not forget "the best" there. The shepherd went and collected pockets full of treasures there, but in a hurry he forgot the best thing (the primrose flower), and therefore, when he decided to go there again, he no longer found either the place or the treasures. The same thing happened another time with a shepherd of sheep. Narvav at the same time of primroses, he was led by the same white woman to the place of the treasure, and his flowers suddenly turned into keys. With one of them, he unlocked the door that suddenly appeared before him and saw, to his greatest surprise, in front of him a whole row of boxes filled with sheep's teeth. Not knowing what to do with them, he mechanically took a few handfuls of them and, filling his pockets with them and completely forgetting about the flower-key, went home. Meanwhile, at night, all these teeth turned into pure gold. Then he decided to go to this place again, but he could no longer find it, because, like the first shepherd, he forgot "the best" there. Finally, there is also a legend that Bertha (Odin's wife), the queen of heaven, who, according to ancient Germanic mythology, sends down beneficent rain to the earth, sometimes also appears in the form of a white ghost, lures the children she likes with the help of lovely primroses and leads them along the road overgrown with these flowers, to some mysterious door protruding from the mountain. This door leads to an enchanted castle. As soon as the child touches it with a flower, it slowly opens, and the lucky man enters the marvelous hall, all lined with vases planted with delightful primroses. Each of these vases contains countless treasures. Having taken treasures from there, however, the primrose must certainly be put back, since otherwise the one who took the treasure will be relentlessly pursued by a black dog all his life. In some parts of Germany, this flower is also called the key of marriage (Heirathsschlussel), since there is a belief that the girl who first finds a primrose in the field on Easter will certainly get married that same year, and therefore any such girl is looked upon as bride. In some areas of Germany, this flower is considered, on the contrary, the flower of rejected love (verschmahter Liebe), and there was even such a song: "I'm walking along the meadow, // Gathering primroses, // I tear primroses - // I weave wreaths from them, // I weave wreaths from them and clover, // Farewell love - my treasure." According to Danish legends, the primrose is an enchanted elf princess. Since this elf was released by her queen to the earth. There she fell in love with a young man and completely forgot her homeland. Then, as punishment, she was turned into a primrose, and the young man into a spring anemone. And now they bloom early together and die early together. Such are the legends that exist about the primrose in Germany and Denmark, but there are many legends about it even in England. where it is usually called cowslip, and in some places it is called a magic flower (Fairy-cup), since it is believed that in its petals on all days of the year, except May 1st, little fairies and tiny fabulous old gnomes take refuge. As a result, many different charming legends are told about her. So, for example, in Lincolnshire they say: “Just listen to what wonderful sounds rush from the primroses every moonlit night, when the dew glistens on the grass. the months are replaced by gloomy clouds. As soon as large drops of rain begin to fall on the ground, the crowds of these tiny fairy-tale creatures become excited. Their thin dresses, either light or dark, like the shadows of leaves, fall, and their frightened faces look out with fear from under the stalks of grass, carefully looking out: is it possible to see where their primrose friends are? Seeing their favorite plant, they instantly climb up its stalk and climb into the nearest flower. common harmonious choir. And happy is that mortal who hears this singing - one of the wonderful songs of the realm of fairies. Primula was sung by the best English poets, especially Shakespeare - she is mentioned in many of his works. Thus, in The Tempest, the angel Ariel sings: "I feed on the same food as bees // And I like to rest in the yellow primrose, // In its marvelous cup, curled up, I sway, // Only owls in the slums will begin to howl." Shakespeare sings of her in the fairy tale "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and calls her the fairy queen's pensioner dressed in golden clothes. Elf sings: "I serve the miraculous queen // At the hour of midnight silence. // You see the primroses on the lawn - // Her guardians, // Do you see the painted spots // On their golden clothes? // Those are expensive rubies - // A gift from expensive sorceresses. // I rush to collect / Drops of morning dew / And hang a dewdrop / I want to every primrose. In order to explain such a strange name “pensioners”, it must be said that starting from 1539, the English kings had a custom to keep with them a special guard of 50 bodyguards, who were called pensioners, since they were given a special, luxurious for that time, content (50 pounds sterling per year), two horses and a magnificent dress made of golden brocade. And so, alluding to the golden clothes of these court pensioners of Queen Elizabeth of England, Shakespeare calls the primroses the pensioners of the magical queen. But primroses have gained particular importance in England since they became the favorite flower of the famous Lord Beaconsfield, who since one event in his life, not a single day - whether in winter or summer - has never appeared anywhere without this flower in his buttonhole.
To explain this constancy in relation to the same flower, it must be said that in England there is a custom among high society people, considered extremely fashionable, to wear flowers in their buttonholes. At the same time, it is considered the height of chic to wear a once chosen flower at any time of the year, which, of course, only very rich people can afford, since most flowers cannot be had all year round unless they are artificially bred in greenhouses. As to Lord Beaconsfield's choice of the primrose, and his attachment to it, the following romantic story is related. “Once Lord Beaconsfield, while still a young man and bearing the modest surname Disraeli, was invited to a ball in Buckinghamshire to one of his influential relatives. Walking there with one of his friends through the halls, he noticed a wonderful wreath of primroses that adorned the head of one lovely young lady, and said: “It can’t be that these primroses were artificial, they have too much life in them, as if they had just been plucked in the garden. His comrade, however, was of a different opinion and argued that they were artificial, but only remarkably well made. Word for word, an argument arose, and it came to a bet. “These primroses interest me so much,” said Disraeli, “that I must certainly know the truth. Here are 5 guineas, let's make a bet and ask the beauty herself to solve our dispute. A comrade who knew the lady asked her permission to introduce Disraeli to her and told her about their bet. "It's a pity," she replied, "but you lost your bet: Mr. Disraeli is quite right - they are real live primroses, I myself picked them this morning in my garden and wove them into a wreath." Saying this, she took one of the primroses out of her hair, and, giving it to Disraeli with a smile, said: - Convince yourself of your victory! Delighted, Disraeli stuck a flower in his buttonhole and did not part with it all evening. The next day, making a visit to the beauty, he was delighted to receive again a primrose from her, and from that time on he had the good fortune to receive a flower every day during his stay in Buckinghamshire. But this lovely lady ended very sadly. Riding somehow on a horse she did not know, she fell and hurt herself so much that she caught consumption and quickly died out from exhaustion. Shortly thereafter, Disraeli came to Buckinghamshire for the second time, but he only found the grave of the beautiful Mabel - that was the name of this lady - and, having chosen only primrose from all the luxurious flowers that covered her, he took her with him as a dear memory. From that time on, the primrose became his favorite flower, and he never parted from it again. Wherever he was: whether in parliament, whether at a ball, whether at the reception of the queen, or simply at home - everywhere he could be seen with a primrose in his buttonhole; and speaking of a young, untimely deceased beauty, he never called her otherwise than Primula veris, or Primrose, as the cultivated species of this flower is called in England. And now every year on April 19th, when the anniversary of the death of this great statesman of England is solemnly celebrated in London, all those present wear a primrose in his buttonhole or chest in memory of him, and his grave is constantly covered with a thick carpet of these flowers ... " On this day there are so many who want to adorn themselves with Beaconsfield flowers that around Parliament and all the streets adjacent to it, countless florists barely have time to receive money from buyers who, having decorated the buttonhole of their frock coat or jacket with flowers, hasten to take a place in the procession in front of the statue of Beaconsfield. This is a patriotic pilgrimage to Westminster, which began in 1881 (the year of Beaconsfield's death), and the decoration of the monument is renewed invariably. These cares for perpetuating the memory of the glorious English premier were taken over by the Primrose League, founded in 1889, which has branches in all the wealthy centers of the United Kingdom. Having at its foundation only 950 people, it now has about 2.000.000 members. It is headed by President Balfour and Chancellor is the Duke of Norfolk. Many women are among its members. The purpose of the League, in addition to concerns about perpetuating the memory of Beaconsfield, is also the protection and dissemination of conservative ideas. The 25th anniversary of his death was especially solemnly celebrated. On this day, the entire base of the statue was literally buried in wreaths, bouquets and garlands of laurels and primroses, on which the motto flaunted: "Power and freedom - nothing is difficult." And the crowds of admirers were so innumerable that the area around the monument and along all the adjacent streets was a continuous sea of heads. The primrose was also the favorite flower of the Prince Consort - Queen Victoria's husband, and therefore, when Beaconsfield died, the queen brought him a wreath of primroses with the inscription: "His flower." Everyone believed that this was an allusion to the love of Beaconsfield's primrose; however, it turned out that by the word "his" Victoria meant none other than her late husband, and sent a wreath with such an inscription to show how she honors the memory of Beaconsfield. But in general, it must be said that for some reason the primrose is especially popular with the British and is an expensive flower that reminds them of their homeland. They say that at one time the sending of primroses from England to Australia to the English who moved there took on extraordinary proportions. Every settler certainly wanted to have this flower, which reminded him of his dear homeland, and keep it in his flower garden, although he knew that it would grow with difficulty there. The famous German traveler Ida Pfeiffer tells that one day, while traveling through the East Indies, she came to visit an English magnate, who, having shown her his entire luxurious garden with remarkably beautiful tropical flowers, stopped her attention on a bush of several primroses that he brought with him from England and cherished in every possible way. “They are dearer to me,” he said, “all these luxurious flowers. These are the flowers of my dear homeland. The same is reported by Sir Hobhaus, who traveled along the banks of the Hellespont. “I recognized every English villa,” he says, “by the presence of primroses in its garden. In general, wherever an Englishman settles, if he has a garden, you will certainly see primroses in it. It is the essential accessory of his garden. Our wild primrose, our primrose, has many related species, scattered over all parts of the globe, many of which are cultivated in our greenhouses and gardens, bearing a common name with it, and differing only in scientific Latin. So, no doubt, everyone knows those white, pink and red primroses with split fluffy leaves, which constitute one of our most common winter flowers at Christmas and Easter, and those purple, blooming profusely almost all year round, primroses collected by umbrellas, wonderfully beautiful the leaves of which are kidney-shaped, and the hairs covering them cause a very itchy rash on the hands if they are somehow carelessly touched. However, it is very easy to get rid of this rash: you just have to wash your hands immediately with cologne or even just wine alcohol. (It should be borne in mind that in some people, contact with some types of primrose causes allergic reactions, which are not at all easy to remove.) Both of these primroses come from China: the first is called the Chinese (Primula sinensis), and the second (dangerous) is the obconica primrose (Pr. obconica). But the most beautiful of all is the primrose, which is called auricula in the hostel and among gardeners. Her homeland - Styria, Switzerland and Carinthia - generally high mountainous countries of Central Europe. From these auricles such a mass of lovely varieties was obtained that at one time they competed with carnations and at the beginning of the XNUMXth century were the most fashionable flower. At this time, not only horticultural merchants, but many even wealthy flower lovers built greenhouses for them and tried by artificial pollination, as was the case with tulips, to get their own new varieties. Especially famous then were the Dutch velvety auricles, whose flowers were really like velvet, and the English ones, which received such a strange name from the fact that their entire stem, leaves and even the flowers themselves were covered with a delicate powdery coating. Crazy money was paid for such auricles, and having a whole collection of them was considered the height of happiness. Such lucky people were envied, as if they were the owners of extraordinary treasures, and they traveled to them from everywhere, if only to admire their rare flowers. Indeed, the culture of these English auricles, who looked like some kind of powdered courtiers dressed in luxurious multi-colored dresses, presented many major difficulties. They had to be cultivated only in special pots covered with glass caps, since the delicate coating that covered them, which made up all their charm, could not stand the slightest breath of the breeze, not the slightest moisture: it descended, even if somehow accidentally breathe on the flower. The King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm III was especially fond of this variety of Auricula. He called them "the court staff of King Louis XIV" and every now and then went to admire them to the then famous Berlin gardener Bush, who had a wonderful collection of them. Cultivated in abundance, this variety, no doubt, was something unusually original, but there were, however, many lovers who preferred it to the variegated velvety auricles, which were called "bizarre" (fancy). The flowers of these auricles, also called bear's ear (Oreilles d'ours) in French, were very diverse: white, red, yellow, blue, dark purple. These auricles played (and still play) a big role in Italy during Holy Week. They are called there the flower of the passions of Christ and they clean the shroud and the altars of churches this week. Returning home after the Vigil, on Passion Friday, every pious Italian brings such a flower home with him along with a candle and keeps it as a shrine throughout the year until the next Good Friday. Auricula, like many fashionable flowers, has more than once provided gardeners and even some private individuals with the opportunity to make a good fortune for themselves. They say that one Jew, thanks to these flowers, not only became rich, but even made himself a high position in the world. This Jew was simply engaged in selling flowers from house to house and traveled from one city to another, as a result of which he knew everywhere all the outstanding lovers of floriculture. One day he came to one of these amateurs to ask if he would like to give him some assignment. - Yes, - he answered, - I would like to send one of my friends, a lover like me, a few pots of my best powdery primroses, but I don’t know how to make sure that they don’t lose their plaque during transportation. Would you like to deliver them? - I'll think, - said the Jew, - how to do it. And the next day he appeared with a glass box. Having placed the flowers in this box, he delivered them in complete safety. The lover who received them, who at the same time was the owner of a huge gardening, seeing the flowers delivered to him in such a wonderful form, was delighted with the ingenuity of the Jew, gave him a large sum to expand trade and made him his commission agent. And thanks to this support, the young Jew conducted his business so well that in a few years (1797) he became a wealthy banker, gained universal respect for himself and took an eminent position in the government of the city of Amsterdam. Empress Catherine the Great was also a great lover of these flowers. She even had a whole room filled with Saxon china, which depicted these flowers. They say that once, having honored with her visit one of the nobles, a great lover of flowers, she was so seduced by the collection of auricles in his greenhouse that she said that she did not need anything better than this treat. Flattered by such praise, the courtier asked the empress for permission to present this collection to her. The Empress accepted this offering with great gratitude, and the next day the entire collection was transferred to the Winter Garden of the St. Petersburg Palace. In conclusion, to the uses of primrose in ancient medicine that we have listed, let us add that in times closer to us, dried flowers were used in Germany as a nerve-strengthening tea, called Halle breast tea, and mixed with wine, which is known from preserved in Mecklenburg, issued in 1789 by the order of the city of Neustadt, where it is ordered to collect as many primroses as possible to supply them to the court wine cellar. In addition, in England, young leaves of primroses are eaten as a salad in spring, and the roots of the plant, which have a spicy, aniseed smell, are used as spices. Finally, the dried plant is often used for rheumatism, and in Switzerland, from a fermented decoction of fresh flowers and honey, they prepare at home an excellent fizzy refreshing drink, something like the famous German "Maitrank". Author: Zolotnitsky N.
Primrose. Botanical description, plant history, legends and folk traditions, cultivation and use
Primroses, or primroses (from the Latin "primus" "first"), have long been known to people, as evidenced by numerous legends and traditions. So, in some places in Germany there was a belief that the girl who first found a primrose would certainly get married this year. A Danish legend tells of the heavenly princess Elf, who descended to earth, where she fell in love with a handsome young man and did not return to heaven. As punishment, the gods turned the recalcitrant princess into a primrose, and the young man into a spring anemone. The ancient Scandinavians considered primroses the keys of Freya's spring. The legend tells that a rainbow served as Freya's necklace, and where this necklace touched the ground, golden keys fell out of it, turning into primroses. They also call the primrose dodecatheon, that is, a flower against all diseases. And in Switzerland, it is considered a talisman of happiness and an emblem of love for the motherland. In Slavic antiquity, primroses were called gap-grass because it supposedly helped to find and tear underground treasures. Another name for the flower is spring primrose. It is also popularly called the flower-key for the fact that it probably unlocks the doors to warm weather, to a warm summer. According to one of the ancient Greek legends, the primrose came to earth as follows: one inquisitive young man studied all earthly sciences and decided to know heaven. But for this, he needed to forge golden keys, go along the silver-star path to the center of the Galaxy and open its gates with golden keys. It is not at all easy to do this, because the path to the gates of the Galaxy was guarded by numerous stars. But the young man was persistent. He forged the golden keys and went through the Milky Way. There was silence, only numerous stars slightly rustled their silvery wings, flying from place to place. And suddenly in this silence voices began to be heard: - Do not tremble! - said the star on the right. - Forget everything! - added the star, shining in front of the young man, and looked at him with deep sadness and sadness. However, the young man did not flinch and continued to walk forward. - Forget everything! repeated the burning star ahead. Forget everything! To forget the verdant earth, and one's youth, and childhood To forget, to forget forever the homeland, brothers and sisters, to forget the father and mother, who pull their hands after them and look sadly at their son disappearing into the starry nebula with tearful eyes ... And then the young man could not stand it. His arms and legs trembled, spinning, the stars rang in his eyes and ears, and when he woke up, it turned out that he was lying on the ground ... And the golden key, which he held in his hands, took root in the ground and turned into a primrose flower. According to another legend, the ancient Greeks called the primrose the flower of the twelve gods. According to legend, the gods once gathered on Olympus in such numbers to decide the fate of the young man Paralysos, who was stricken with paralysis. It was decided to turn it into a flower, which began to be considered a remedy for all sorts of diseases, including paralysis. This is also evidenced by one of our popular names for primrose - "paralytic grass". Druid priests brewed a love drink from it, which was in circulation in many countries. Gathering flowers for medicinal and magical purposes according to a special ritual, they went to the collection barefoot and on an empty stomach; the flower was plucked, putting a hand under the left hollow clothes, and, without looking at it, wrapped it in a clean rag.
According to medieval legend, primroses are nothing but the keys to the gates of paradise, which accidentally fell out of the hands of the watchman dozing in heaven - the apostle Peter. Peter rushed to catch them, but it was too late: the keys fell to the ground, and primroses grew from them. There is an English legend according to which little fairies and tiny fairy old gnomes take refuge in the primrose. They sing praises to the flowers that shelter them, rejoicing that they can find shelter in golden haloes in heavy rain, when the bright rays of the month are covered with clouds. If the rain catches the dwarfs on the way, they quickly look for primroses, climb the stalks into the flowers and sing a song. Listen, and you will hear it if you stand nearby, and if you hear it, you will live in joy and prosperity. On a moonlit night, fairies are hung from dewdrops to primroses, and they shine on them like small chandeliers. And here is what the ancient Russian legend tells about these flowers ... All the long winter, the heavenly Lada languishes in the captivity of thick clouds and fogs. But in the spring, when the fiery flower of Perun - lightning - breaks the walls of the dungeon, the goddess of love, sun and harmony, washed with spring waters, comes into the world with generous gifts - rain and warm weather. In the same place where the first lightning fell, primroses grow in order to unlock the bowels of the earth with their keys-flowers for the violent growth of grasses, bushes and trees. Volcanologists claim that primroses predict a volcanic eruption. So, the royal primrose on the island of Java in the mountains of Pangrango blooms only on the eve of a volcanic eruption, and people, seeing the blooming royal primrose, gasp not with joy, but with horror. According to biologists, the miraculous prophetic ability of a flower is explained by the effect of ultrasound on its capillaries, in which ultrasonic vibrations sharply accelerate the movement of fluids. It is quite probable that the vibrations of the perturbed bowels of the earth accelerate the metabolic processes in the tissues of the plant so much that it suddenly blossoms. And the Caucasian highlanders claim that the magical purisula - the royal primrose - grows high in the mountains of the Caucasus. One day, a whole tribe, seeing a blooming purisula, hastily left their native lands, in which a catastrophe soon broke out. The tribe went farther and farther west until they came to a country very similar to their homeland. Having settled here, the Caucasian Iberians gradually turned into the Pyrenean Iberians - the ancestors of modern Basques, which is why Georgian-Basque ties can be traced in the language and in some elements of culture. It is difficult to say whether this is so, but these connections are indeed found. Primrose has been known for a long time. Back in the XNUMXth century, under Catherine II, it was bred in greenhouses, and in the Winter Palace there was a room entirely lined with porcelain depicting these flowers. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, primrose avricula competed in Europe with cloves. She was bred under glass, and the Dutch velvety and English mealy avrikula were especially famous. For a thick powdery coating, crumbling even at the slightest touch, the flowers were jokingly called "the courtiers of Louis XIV." Few owned them. The richest collection of such primroses with flowers from white to blue had the famous German gardener Bush. Fabulous money was paid for these flowers. In Italy, avricula was called the flower of passions, because fortunes were made on the trade in primroses. But the primrose has not only a decorative value. In Germany, the dried flowers of the plant are used to make tea, which supposedly strengthens the nerves. The English eat the young leaves of primroses as a salad: the roots, smelling of anise, are used as a spice. In Switzerland, Poland, France, Sweden and Belgium, an effervescent drink is prepared from the infusion of fresh flowers and honey, which is used as a refreshing drink in summer. In the spring, when a person is in dire need of vitamins, primrose comes to the rescue of people, the leaves of which contain not only a large amount of vitamin C, but also carotene. Primroses of various species grow in the Swiss Alps, and on top of the Himalayas, and in China, and in Japan, and even on the harsh islands of the Strait of Magellan. But the most pleasant thing is that the wild medicinal primrose golden rams - blooms in our meadows, forest edges, pleasing the eyes and giving people health. Recently, gardeners have paid much attention to these plants. Two hundred names of primroses are known, with a variety of flowers: brown with golden edging, purple with a yellow eye, purple and blue. Primroses are bred with flowers measuring five and a half centimeters in diameter and having fifty flowers per pedicel. However, some types of primroses can cause allergies and even burn your hands. Author: Krasikov S.
Spring primrose (real primrose, medicinal primrose, spring primrose, primrose officinalis), Primula veris. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
Ethnoscience:
Cosmetology:
Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!
Spring primrose (real primrose, medicinal primrose, spring primrose, primrose officinalis), Primula veris. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing
Spring primrose is a plant valued for its medicinal properties and beautiful flowers. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing: Cultivation:
Workpiece:
Storage:
Please note that a doctor or herbalist should be consulted before using spring primrose as a medicine.
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