How to get rid of upturned acorn grass. Amaranth upturned: general information and interesting observations of scientists from the UK

Shchiritsa thrown back, or Amaranth upturned(lat. Amaranthus retroflexus) is an annual herbaceous plant of the amaranth family ( Amaranthaceae).

Description

Shchiritsa is thrown back. Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Tome "Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz", 1885

Thickets of upturned acorn

Herbaceous annual, mostly pale green, sometimes with a reddish tint. The stem is erect, 20-160 cm high, simple or branched, grayish with dense short hairs, slightly angular. The leaves are quite large, ovate-rhombic, obtuse or somewhat notched at the apex, with a small spine. The upper side of the leaf is bare, grayish-green, the lower side is reddish; the underside of the leaf, edge and petiole are short hairy. The petiole is almost equal in length to the leaf blade or slightly longer than it.

The flowers are small, inconspicuous, collected at the ends of the shoots in false-spike-shaped (very dense paniculate) erect inflorescences, branching in the lower part. The bracts are herbaceous, lanceolate, pointed, almost twice as long as the perianth. The perianth consists of 5 leaflets. The plant is monoecious; in male flowers the perianth lobes are lanceolate, in female flowers they are oblong linear; spatulately widened at the top, obtuse or slightly notched, with a short point at the apex, whitish, membranous, with a thin light green midrib, usually not reaching the apex.

The capsule is single-seeded, shorter than the perianth, and opens with a lid. Seeds ~1 mm, flattened, lenticular, black or black-brown, shiny, with a sharp edge along the edge.

Chemical composition

Betacyanins (amaranthine, isoamarantine, betanin, isobetanin) were found in the roots; in the leaves - the nitrogen-containing compound betaine 0.96%, fatty oil, containing acids (bound): myristic, palmitic, stearic, linoleic, linolenic. The seeds contain fatty oil 4.3-7%, its composition contains acids (bound) (in%): palmitic 18.9, stearic 1.9, oleic 51.5, linoleic 27.9. The plant contains alkaloids, betaine.

The leaves of the acorn plant contain vitamin C, a lot of calcium (~5.3% in terms of dry weight) and cellulose, the seeds contain fiber, protein, fats, starch, sugar, and tannins.

Spreading

The natural range occupies only the prairies and the Great Plains region of the United States; in other areas of North America this species is introduced. There are conflicting opinions about the time and place of introduction of this species from North America to the Old World. A number of researchers believed that the upturned acorn was brought to Italy in the 14th century; according to other sources, the plant was brought in the form of seeds from the state of Pennsylvania to the Botanical Garden of Sweden, where it was examined by C. Linnaeus in 1750, and from where it spread throughout Europe.

In the first half of the 19th century, upturned aphid was found in various regions of Russia. In the Saratov Right Bank it was first recorded in 1851. Already by the beginning of the 20th century, the contours of the range of the upturned acorn were basically formed. This plant was widespread in all agricultural provinces of the European part of Russia. In addition, there were primary foci of spread in various regions of Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western and Eastern Siberia, as well as in the Far East. In subsequent years, rapid dispersal of the weed from primary foci and the merging of individual areas of distribution into a continuous area were observed. By the beginning of the 1930s, the northern border of the distribution of the upturned acorn was the line Leningrad (St. Petersburg) - Vologda - Kirov - Perm - Tobolsk - the northern part of Baikal - the mouth of the Amur.

The range covers all of Western Europe, with the exception of England and northern Scandinavia; Asia Minor, Syria, Africa, Mongolia, China. In Russia, it is distributed throughout the European part, with the exception of the northernmost regions, in the Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia.

Common in all natural and administrative regions of the Saratov Right Bank, including the Rtishchevsky district.

Features of biology and ecology

A common weed. It is found in fields, vegetable gardens, wastelands, landfills, plantations of various crops, meadows and steppe slopes, coastal cliffs, along the banks of reservoirs, near roads, in populated areas, along roadsides, and is often found near railway embankments.

It blooms and bears fruit in June - September. One plant can have up to 117,400 seeds. Ripe seeds are knocked out of the inflorescence by the wind, passing people, animals and cars and are carried across the field by rain and spring streams. The seeds tolerate negative temperatures well and remain viable for 30-40 years in barn storage.

The first leaf is short oval or ovate-rhombic, notched at the apex, rapidly tapering towards the base, 8-10 mm long and 6-8 mm wide. The petioles and stem are covered with small curly hairs. At first, the seedlings are extremely weak and have, as it were, a period of delayed development, when very weak growth of the above-ground parts is observed and mainly the root system develops. At this time, the plants need sunlight, without a sufficient influx of which they die. After the first leaves appear, the growth of the seedlings, stem and subsequent leaves proceeds very quickly.

Economic importance and application

In medicine

Herbs (stems, leaves, flowers), roots, leaves are used for medicinal purposes.

In various countries, an infusion of the herb is taken for chronic inflammation of the uterus, and a decoction of the flowering tops is taken for the treatment of goiter.

An aqueous infusion of the acorn herb is used in folk medicine for colitis, intestinal colic, constipation as a laxative, as a hemostatic agent for hemoptysis, heavy menstruation and hemorrhoidal bleeding. An aqueous extract from plants collected in the flowering phase and dried has protistocidal and bactericidal properties. A decoction of the roots of the acorn plant is used against guinea worm and jaundice.

An infusion of leaves is a weak diuretic. A decoction of the leaves is used in folk medicine for headaches and tumors, and when roasted, it is used for dysentery.

In other areas

On natural grass pastures, cattle, sheep and horses do not eat. Freshly cut grass is readily eaten by rabbits. The seeds can be used as bird food. Young plants are eaten by pigs. The entire plant is suitable for silage, which is readily eaten by animals.

Young boiled acorn leaves are used as spinach greens for preparing salads, soups and main courses; seeds - as a cereal, they are suitable for dietary nutrition.

In August, bees collect a lot of pollen from the ashes.

Category and status

A malicious segetal weed of row crops (cotton, corn, soybeans, etc.), less commonly of grain and annual fodder. Often found in large quantities in potato and beet plantings.

Literature

• Vinogradova Yu. K., Mayorov S. R., Khorun L. V. Black Book of the Flora of Central Russia (Alien plant species in the ecosystems of Central Russia). - M.: GEOS, 2009. - P. 99-104
• Elenevsky A. G., Radygina V. I., Bulany Yu. I. Plants of the Saratov Right Bank (flora summary). - Saratov: Publishing house Sarat. pedin-ta, 2000. - ISBN 5-87077-047-5. - P. 27
• Forage plants of hayfields and pastures of the USSR / ed. prof. I. V. Larina. - T. II Dicotyledons (Chloranthaceae - Legumes). - M., L.: State Publishing House of Agricultural Literature, 1951. - P. 297-298
• Lavrenova G.V., Lavrenov V.K. Encyclopedia of medicinal plants. Volume 2. - Donetsk: Donetsk region, 1997. - P. 422
• Nikolaychuk L. V., Zhigar M. P. Healing plants: Medicinal properties. Culinary recipes. Application in cosmetics. - 2nd ed., stereotypical, - Kh.: Prapor, 1992. - P. 210-211
• Weeds of the USSR. T. II / ed. B. A. Keller. - L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1934. - P. 148-150
• Flora of central Russia: Atlas-determinant / Kiseleva K.V., Mayorov S.R., Novikov V.S. Ed. prof. V. S. Novikova. - M.: ZAO “Fiton+”, 2010. - P. 211-212

Rtishchevo and Rtishchevsky district in topics
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Administrative territorial division

Althaea officinalis L. Amaranth family – Amaranthaceae

Botanical characteristics

An annual herbaceous plant up to 1 m tall. It grows everywhere, as a weed, in crops, orchards, orchards, in vacant lots, and along roads.

The root extends and penetrates far into the depths. The stem is straight, branched, pubescent. The leaves are alternate, ovate-rhombic, elongated into a petiole at the base, with a notch at the apex. The fruit is lenticular black. Blooms from June to September. Fruits until late autumn.

Several species grow. The most common ones are:

• Shchiritsa thrown back– A. retroflorum – pinkish-green plant, flower-bearing branches are collected in a compact panicle;
• Schiritsa tailed– A. cordatus – with purple hanging panicles.

All types of acorns are medicinal, but the tailed acorn has the most healing properties.

Plant parts used

All parts of the plant serve as medicinal raw materials. Raw materials are collected during the entire growing season of the plant: leaves - before flowering; flower panicles - during flowering; seeds - as they ripen; roots - in autumn.

Amaranth as a valuable food crop attracts attention all over the world. In the USA, the Amaranth Institute and research centers are studying this crop and introducing it into the food industry. This is explained by the fact that the plant contains a large amount of biologically active substances, mainly in the seeds from which amaranth oil is obtained.

Chemical composition

All parts of the plant contain nitrogen-containing compounds, betacyanidins: amaranthine, betanin, organic acids, vitamins, dyes, microelements.

In addition, amaranth seeds contain a large set of amino acids, including essential ones, as well as protein with a high protein content (up to 18%). The protein of amaranth seeds is equated to the protein of human milk. In terms of nutritional value, amaranth protein is significantly superior to cow's milk protein and almost 1.5 times greater than soy protein.

Amaranth seed oil contains a large set of unsaturated acids and organic acids. The main component of the seeds is squalene (more than 8%). Squalene is a component of human skin and is directly involved in the oxygen exchange of tissues and organs, protects the body from radiation, and ensures the body's resistance to various diseases.

Application and medicinal properties

In the experiment, aqueous extracts of the aerial part of amaranth have bactericidal, protistocidal and diuretic effects. Fatty oil has anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and antifungal effects. A decoction of the roots is effective in the treatment of jaundice and guinea worm. Fresh juice and infusion exhibit antitumor activity.

In folk medicine, amaranth in the form of infusions and decoctions is used in the treatment of tumors of various etiologies and localizations, internally and externally; for the treatment of fungal diseases, as a hemostatic agent for various bleedings, for liver and heart disease, gastrointestinal infections; externally - for eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, erosions, endometriosis, colpitis.

A decoction of roots and seeds is used for dysentery; in the form of baths - for various skin diseases, allergies, diathesis, rashes, often with string and chamomile.

Fresh juice in a 1:5 dilution is used to rinse the mouth, for inflammation of the mucous membranes. The juice of a flowering plant is an effective, rejuvenating, cosmetic product that strengthens hair roots and promotes their growth.

The oil is used for burns, bedsores, insect bites, and scars.

Young leaves are eaten; seeds - as a seasoning for dishes.

Preparation

• For decoction take 15 g of roots or aerial parts, chop, pour in 200 ml of boiling water, leave in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes, filter. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day before meals.
• For getting infusion take 20 g of leaves, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, cool for 45 minutes, filter. Take 2-3 times a day, 1/3 cup before meals.
• For bath take 300-400 g of raw material, pour in 2 liters of boiling water, boil in a saucepan for 15 minutes, cool for 10 minutes, filter and add to 1/2 bath 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes.

The annual plant common acorn is a weed that many have encountered in gardens and fields, on roadsides. Not everyone knows that traditional healers consider this herb a medicinal plant containing many beneficial substances necessary for humans.

Description

Common aphid, beetroot, rubella, amaranth - all these are names of one plant that are used in different regions of our country. And that's not all: the plant is known as velvet, cockscomb, and axamite. It refers to small red flowers that are collected in inflorescences - dense, spicate-paniculate, rather long. Common acorn flowers remain on the plant for several months.

This is an ancient plant that began to be cultivated in South America as a grain crop. In Spain it was considered a flower of evil spirits, which is why it was prohibited there. The common acorn appeared in Europe in the 16th century, and in Russia in the 19th century. In Sweden, a special order was even established for shiritsa.

This is an annual herbaceous plant with a tall, thick stem up to one meter high with oblong-lanceolate, alternate, pointed leaves covered with purple-red spots. Flowering begins in August with small flowers that are collected in paniculate spike-shaped inflorescences. Common aphidum blooms until frost.

The seeds of the plant are shiny small grains of black color. Today, about a hundred species of plants belonging to this family are known, which grow in moderately warm regions. Most of them are weeds.

Some types of agaric are considered valuable food crops. Today, decorative varieties have been bred that decorate garden plots in the fall. The dried flowers of this plant bring back pleasant memories of summer during the long, cold winter. Translated from Greek, amaranth is translated as “unfading flower.” Under natural conditions, amaranth can be found in China and India.

Application of shiritsa

In many countries of Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa, agaricum is classified as a fodder and medicinal plant. The grains are used to make flour, confectionery and drinks. Fresh and dried leaves are fried, steamed and canned. In Asian cuisine, the common acorn herb is used as a tasty vitamin supplement for salads, fish, and meat. In Greek cuisine, agaric sprouts are poured with olive oil, lemon juice is added and used as a side dish for fish dishes.

In folk medicine they are used as a means to strengthen the body. Chinese healers use oil from acorn seeds to treat tumors and fight aging. Shchiritsa oil contains the unique element squalene (we will talk about it in more detail below). Common aphid seeds are recommended for use as additives in dietary products: baked goods, cereals, confectioneries and

Ashiritsa flour has biological value and is a source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins C and PP. It does not contain gluten and may well become the basis of the diet for patients with celiac disease, without the addition of wheat flour. In Russia, this plant is grown as an ornamental plant and for animal feed. When it gets into a garden or field, common acorn grass, a photo of which you can see in this article, grows quickly. It is considered a weed that is very difficult to control.

Common aphidum: beneficial properties

Despite the fact that amaranth, or amaranth, is a weed plant, and previously it was most often used to feed livestock, over time people noticed its beneficial properties and began to use it for treatment. Each part of the common acorn has a rich biological and chemical composition:

• proteins, including albumins and globulins;
• fats;
• dietary fiber (fiber);
• carbohydrates;
• tocotrienol form of vitamin E;
• carbohydrates;
• squalene;
• amino acid lysine;
• flavonoids (rutin, quercetin and trefolin);
• phospholipids;
• ascorbic acid;
• B vitamins;
• retinol (vitamin A);
• niacin;
• pectins.

The plant contains a huge amount of micro- and macroelements: calcium and potassium, manganese and magnesium, fluorine and sodium, zinc and iron, copper and selenium. The leaves and seeds of the common acorn contain fatty oil, saturated with bound acids (oleic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic). The roots contain:

• amaranthine;
• isoamaranthine;
• isobetanin;
• betanin;
• alkaloids.

Squalene

It is especially necessary to dwell on this substance, which is part of the plant. Squalene is a triterpene hydrocarbon belonging to the group of carotenoids. Its peculiarity is to help saturate the cells of the body with oxygen.

Taking an active part in metabolism, squalene affects cholesterol levels. Moreover, it has antimicrobial properties. This substance is often used in cosmetology. Its pronounced anti-aging properties are used in the production of anti-aging cosmetics.

Common aphidum: medicinal properties

Due to its rich vitamin and mineral composition and high energy value, folk healers and doctors of traditional medicine actively use this amazing plant in their practice. Preparations based on it are indicated for the treatment of:

• some diseases of the genitourinary system;
• children's nocturnal enuresis;
• restoration of the body in case of anemia, vitamin deficiency and loss of strength;
• painful sensations from hemorrhoids;
• atherosclerosis;
• overweight and obesity;
• diabetes mellitus, as a preventive measure;
• neurosis.

How does recovery happen?

Decoctions and infusions of the plant are used to treat skin damage, dental diseases (periodontal disease, stomatitis), and healing of ulcers of the gastrointestinal system. Shchiritsa stimulates:

• saturation of organs and tissues with oxygen;
• immune system to resist viruses;
• the formation and development of cancer cells is prevented;
• cleanses the blood of infections;
• heavy metals and toxins are removed;
• visual acuity improves;
• recovery from serious illnesses and radiation therapy is accelerated;
• regenerative functions are activated.

Recipes based on shiritsa

The healing properties of the common acorn are used in many preparations based on this plant. We will introduce you to some of them.

Root decoction

To prepare this medicinal product, you will need fifteen grams of dry crushed raw materials, which are brewed with boiling water (200 ml). Then the container with the herb is placed in a water bath and boiled for thirty minutes. The mixture is allowed to cool for ten minutes and filtered. Take a third of a glass twice a day.

Infusion of leaves

Twenty grams of dry leaves pour 250 ml of hot boiled water. Boil in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. The product should be infused for forty-five minutes, after which it should be strained and the composition can be taken in a third of a glass twice a day.

Infusion of leaves (fresh)

Pour one tablespoon (tablespoon) of crushed herb leaves into 200 ml of boiling water. Wrap the container and let the product sit for about forty minutes. Strain and take a quarter cup of honey with honey for acute stomach pain three times a day.

Shchiritsa oil

This substance, obtained from grains, is rich in squalene. It contains vitamin D, which is necessary for the full synthesis of the hormone. In addition, it is beneficial for human skin and has many medicinal properties. Amaranth seeds are rich in vitamin E - the best antioxidant. Oil from ashiritsa grains is superior to sea buckthorn oil in all respects.

Bath decoction

Brew crushed dry herb (400 g) with two liters of boiling water and simmer for another fifteen minutes over low heat. Let the product sit for half an hour and pour it into the bath. This therapeutic bath is recommended three times a week for skin diseases. The duration of the procedure is no more than half an hour.

Vodka tincture

Pour dry acorn grass (flowers and leaves) with vodka and place in a dark place for two weeks. Strain and take a teaspoon (teaspoon) diluted in a small amount of water before meals for diseases of the genitourinary system.

agaric juice

For diabetes, gastritis, and liver pain, folk healers recommend taking ashiritsa juice mixed with homemade sour cream and cream. The juice is prepared as follows. Juice is squeezed out of fresh leaves after passing them through a meat grinder or grinding them in a blender. You can use a juicer.

The juice is mixed in a 1:1 ratio with cream. It should be taken three times a day with a tablespoon (tablespoon) after meals.

Treatment of enuresis

Pour 250 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon (tablespoon) of crushed acorn inflorescences along with the seeds and place the container in a water bath for twenty minutes. After the specified time, leave the product to cool completely. Then strain and take a spoonful (teaspoon) with 50 ml of water. Take three times a day thirty minutes before meals and before bedtime. The course of treatment lasts two weeks.

Rejuvenating Blend

This is a unique composition that removes toxins and other harmful substances from the body. To prepare it, you will need acorn, St. John's wort, birch buds and chamomile, one tablespoon (tablespoon). Brew two tablespoons of the mixture with 500 ml of boiling water, let the mixture brew for three hours and strain it. The mixture is taken twice a day, one glass - in the morning on an empty stomach and at night, adding a teaspoon of honey (teaspoon). The infusion should be warmed before use. Repeated use of this rejuvenating mixture is carried out no earlier than two years later.

Contraindications

Like all medicinal plants, ashiritsa has restrictions on taking medications based on it. These include:

• cholelithiasis;
• pancreatitis;
• gluten enteropathy;
• urolithiasis disease;
• individual intolerance;
• cholecystitis.

Shchiritsa is an unpretentious herbaceous perennial, common in many European and Asian countries, in the southern part of America (in tropical and subtropical regions), as well as in almost the entire territory of Russia and the CIS countries. There are more than eighty different species in its family. In our regions, you can most often find “Tailed” and “Upturned” acorns. Among the five most tenacious and viable weeds, it occupies almost a leading place. The botanical name is amaranth, and among the people the grass has many other “names” - “red root”, “beetroot”, “rubella”, “velvet”, “cockscombs” and “axamitnik”.

Amaranth "Green Amaranth" is known to many summer residents and gardeners as a malicious and even aggressive weed with a straight branched stem with a pubescent surface, diamond-shaped leaves, small green flowers in spicate inflorescences and a long taproot. The weed is resistant to drought and frost; its seeds can remain viable for several decades.

The plant easily propagates by self-sowing. One crop can produce several thousand seeds. Grass grows and develops well in almost all types of soil at air temperatures from 6 to 40 degrees Celsius. The flowering period lasts from the beginning of June to the end of September, and fruit ripening continues until the arrival of the first frost.

Ways to control weeds in the country house and garden

Shchiritsa is a weed that cannot be defeated by ordinary weeding and digging up the soil. These procedures, on the contrary, contribute to the rapid growth and development of grass, as they help seeds located in the ground at a depth of about 10 cm or more to move closer to the soil surface, to warmth and light. In summer cottages in the Moscow region, after digging or loosening the soil, you can notice a massive appearance of acorn grass. How to get rid of this obsessive weed? There are several proven ways and methods of struggle.

1. When digging up the soil in the garden in autumn and spring, it is recommended to very carefully manually select all the roots of herbaceous plants (large and even small parts), without leaving the weeds the slightest chance to germinate.
2. Weeding of a summer cottage should be regular. They must be carried out before the agarica begins to bloom.
3. You can quickly destroy massive weed seedlings using mulching. The area should be covered with light-proof material (for example, thick cardboard, opaque film, old plywood, roofing felt or thick non-woven material). In such conditions, without access to light and at high temperatures under the film (especially on hot days), seeds and young plants die.
4. Weeds may die due to depletion of their vitality, which they will need in large quantities if the plants are regularly cut to the ground. By frequently cutting off the growing upper part of the weed, the root part will begin to work hard for the appearance of young shoots and, in the end, the supply of vital energy will run out and the plant will die.
5. Shchiritsa will not grow in vegetable beds and between them if all free land space is sown with marigolds or calendula. These plants are natural insecticides and do not provide opportunities for the development of weeds. If aquilegia is bothering you in a flower garden area, then aquilegia will come to the rescue.
6. Chemical treatment of the area is, of course, an extreme measure, but sometimes you cannot do without its help. Herbicides effectively affect all weeds, including acorn grass. It is recommended to use such popular preparations as “Glyphos”, “Hurricane”, “Tornado”, “Lapis Lazuli”, “Roundup” in summer cottages and gardens.

Prevention measures

Preventive measures will make weed control more effective. There will be many times less shchiritsa if:

• When mulching the area, do not use dry grass with seeds;
• Do not use fresh manure as organic fertilizer;
• Do not use mature grass for making compost;
• After harvesting the vegetables, sow the area with green manure.

Are there any benefits to the herb?

The plant, which is harmful to the garden and garden, has many beneficial and healing properties. All its parts contain a huge amount of useful elements, microelements, acids, amino acids, vitamins, essential oils, fiber and protein.

In our country, ashiritsa is used in traditional medicine recipes and is considered a medicinal product; abroad it is used as a fodder crop, as well as in the food industry and in the national cuisine recipes of Greece, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Shchiritsa oil is a valuable component in Chinese medicine and cosmetology.