Medicinal plants of swamps and ponds. Swamp grasses: photos and descriptions

Swamps, with their excessive moisture and high acidity, are not the most comfortable place to live. Nevertheless, a number of plant species managed to adapt to these conditions. Who is included in the plant communities of swamps? And what are swamps?

Swamps are widespread throughout the globe. They occupy large areas in different climatic zones, each of which has waterlogged areas with established special type swamp vegetation. That is, there is no separate zone of swamp climate; swamp plants in tropical and temperate latitudes differ significantly in their species diversity.

Within each climatic zone, there is also a very large difference in swamp landscapes: in origin, environmental conditions and associated plant groups. Let's stop at the swamps of temperate latitudes, richly represented in the zone of summer-green deciduous and boreal coniferous forests.

Formation conditions

In the zone temperate climate Huge areas of swamps are found in Eurasia and North America.

One of the largest swamps is located in Siberia - Vasyugan (54,000 km2).

Also, significant swampy areas lie in the north-west and central parts of Russia, Belarus, Finland and Scandinavia.

In any climatic zone, the formation of a swamp is associated with excessive and stagnant moisture, which has several reasons. First of all this humid climate, in which more precipitation falls than moisture evaporates from the land surface, and under certain terrain features, moisture stagnates or water flow is completely absent. The flat terrain with small depressions and close standing groundwater causes waterlogging. This is facilitated by the compacted bare horizon characteristic of heavy soils, the so-called ortshtein, which prevents water from seeping down the profile. The situation in large areas of temperate climate is aggravated by permafrost (soils that do not thaw even in summer), which also serves as a waterproof barrier.

There are options

According to the origin and method of moisture entry and nutrients The main types of swamps are distinguished:

• lowland (topogenic)
• riding (ombrogenic)
• transitional, which have features of the first two.

There are also flat swamps that arise when water bodies become overgrown, and swamps aapa-type, which are characteristic of the subarctic climate in flat terrain or underlying frozen substrate.

Thus, in nature there are many types of swamps - from classic lowland and upland through many transitional variants, differing in the characteristics of the relief and underlying rocks, the initial complex of soil and plant conditions and the history of their origin. Species composition plant communities wetlands depend on a gradient of several environmental factors.

Lowland marshes

Lowland marshes- as their name suggests - they form in floodplains, along the banks of lakes and artificial reservoirs, as well as in relief depressions, often of glacial origin. They feed groundwater and surface water runoff. Thus, lowland swamps constantly have an influx of water, usually rich in nutrients, the composition of which determines the range of plant species of a particular swamp community.

Plants of lowland swamps prefer fairly rich soils and at the same time are able to withstand prolonged flooding with water. In relation to soil and air moisture, they belong to hygrophytes, and in relation to soil richness, most of them belong to eutrophs.

Among the tree species, representatives of the genus should be distinguished Willow, often a shrubby growth form, and black alder (Alnus glutinosa). Of the herbs found three-leaf watch (Menyanthes trifoliata), swamp napper (Epipactis palustris), marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre), swamp calligraphy (Calla palustris) , broadleaf cotton grass (Eriophorum latifolium), sedges, reed grass. The predominant group of mosses is hypnotic moss, in particular species of the genus Drepanocladus (Drepanocladus), Paludella (Paludella), Calliergon (Calliegon), Scorpidium (Scorpidium) etc.

succession

Swamps are interesting because in the history of their formation you can clearly trace the stages succession(change) of plant communities, sometimes this process occurs over several years and can literally be observed: for example, swamping of the shore of a pond, an oxbow lake in the floodplain of a river or a small lake. Larger-scale swamping processes do not occur so quickly and depend on many reasons, in particular periodic long-term climate fluctuations and hydrological changes, anthropogenic impacts on nature (building roads, water drainage, drainage).

Overgrowing of a reservoir

Bottom up

In nature, the change in vegetation of bogs usually occurs from lowland to raised peat, i.e., from a richer composition of moisture-loving and eutrophic species to a more specialized group of plants adapted to life on high-moor peatlands poor in nutrients. This happens due to a gradual increase in the height of the peat cushion from year to year, the accumulation of plant residues in conditions of waterlogging and the associated lack of oxygen, as well as due to the increased acidity of the surrounding water. At the beginning of the formation of the ground cover of sphagnum moss, the process of waterlogging is in the stage of a transitional swamp.

Vegetation changes from eutrophic to mesotrophic: it grows from woody fluffy birch (Betula pubescens) in a depressed state, willow pentastamen (Salix pentandra), low birch (Betula nana) in large quantities. At higher elevations you can find abundance wild rosemary (Ledum palustre), of herbs predominate angustifolia cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolia) and sedges, but in a different set of species - hairy sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), yellow sedge (Carex flava) etc. Hypnosis mosses are gradually replaced by representatives of the genus Sphagnum (Sphagnum).

The bog grows upward, the connection of plant roots with the layers of rich lowland peat weakens. Subsequently, in the most elevated part of the peat cushion, conditions for an oligotrophic, or raised, bog develop. There is no recharge from groundwater and surface water flowing down from the relief; nutrition and water supply occurs only through precipitation.

From forest to swamp

Another type of swamping - from forest to swamp - also occurs in several stages, and the eutrophic stage can fall out or immediately, with a certain topography, go along the upland type - in conditions of moisture and minerals supplied exclusively from the atmosphere. Then typical raised bogs– dominance of sphagnum mosses, which are able to exist without a substrate. Forming a dense cushion, they grow upward, while their lower part constantly dies off with the formation of acidic peat, which is poor in ash substances.

In addition to sphagnum, a limited range of species grows in such conditions, most of which are oligotrophs. From woody plants - mainly Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in a depressed state. A special group of specialized shrubs and shrubs from the heather family includes common podbel (Andromeda polyfolia), bog myrtle (Chamaedaphne calyculata), cranberry (Oxycoccus) and some others. Herbaceous plants are often found

(Eriophorum vaginatum), marsh sedge (Carex limosa).

Raised bogs

Sphagnum is coming

The microclimate of raised bogs is very different from the surrounding forest areas. The level of evaporation from the surface of swamps is higher than from the flat surface of water, so the air is saturated with vapor. Areas of raised bogs are open to the sun and winds; strong temperature changes are observed during the day; in the spring they last longer, and in the fall frosts begin earlier. No less important is the environment-forming role of sphagnum, which is an example of a strong edifier, i.e. a plant that determines the living conditions for other organisms.

The roots of grasses, shrubs and single pines are found both in the living sphagnum moss itself and in the peat formed from it. The root-inhabited layers of moss and peat are oversaturated for most of the year with stagnant, i.e., immobile, and therefore oxygen-poor water. We repeat, high-moor peat is also poor in nutrients, but it is rich in organic acids, which determine its strongly acidic reaction.

A layer of sphagnum moss is a good insulator: when on hot sunny days the hummocks in a bog can dry out and become very hot, the peat and water below remain cool (as do the rivers flowing from the swamps). Most likely, this set of conditions led to the formation of a group of oligotrophic species from the family heather, in which a xeromorphic leaf structure is observed, despite excess moisture.

Heather is often found in swampy forests

Many plants of upland swamps have a structure, thanks to which organic substances that are in abundance in the surrounding water become available to them. In oligotrophic swamps there are interesting - sundews (Drosera), butterwort (Pinguicula) And sarracenia (Sarracenia), which in their own way solved the problem of lack of mineral nutrients. Sphagnum moss quickly grows upward, and to counter this, some types of bog plants form long rhizomes, while others are able to constantly form new adventitious roots every year.

Plants are the basis for the functioning of living nature. Only they can transform solar energy into the energy of organic compounds, which is available for use by any living organisms, microorganisms, plants and animals.

Plakun Verbolistii- a perennial plant from the Plakunov family, 50-150 cm high. The stems are erect, tetrahedral. The leaves are opposite or in rings of 3-4, narrowly lanceolate, heart-shaped or rounded at the base. Flowers 1-4 on noticeable stalks. Petals are pink or purple. Pollination occurs by insects, especially bees and butterflies. Blooms in July and August. Grows in wet meadows, swamps, banks of ponds, forest edges, on corals, petrified trees and snags. In ancient times, the plakun verbolistium was used in folk medicine. Today it is used only as a red coloring in the confectionery industry. Honey plant.

Red fingerroot is a perennial plant 20-60 cm high. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, without spots, with the greatest width at the base, erect.

The flowers are violet-pink, collected in a dense cylindrical multi-flowered spike, devoid of nectar. Grows in swamps, swampy and wet meadows. Pollinated by bumblebees. It blooms in spring, when most honey plants are just entering the flowering stage.

The bright color of the flowers makes the plant easily visible from a considerable distance, although the flowering period is short (a week or two). Insects rarely visit palmroot flowers until they build nests and find a constant source of food. All species of this family need protection.

Swamp iris- a large perennial from the iris family, up to 150 cm high. The flowers are large, bright yellow, and have two biological forms. Some are adapted to pollination by bumblebees, others small insects. Blooms in June-July. The entire plant is poisonous, especially when freshly picked. Swamp iris juice irritates the skin and has emetic and laxative properties. In ancient times it was used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Marsh iris oil has applications in homeopathy and the cosmetics industry. Grows in wet meadows, in floodplains, and near ponds. Latin name comes from the Greek Iguz, meaning rainbow goddess or rainbow.

Marsh marigold- perennial plant 15-50 cm tall. The stem is hollow and branched, the leaves are shiny, fleshy, dark green, oval or ovate. Numerous, quite large yellow flowers pollinated by flies, bees and beetles. Blooms from March to May, providing meadows early spring characteristic appearance. Poisonous plant, especially during flowering and fruiting, which is passed by livestock. Lost in the form of hay poisonous properties. In ancient times, marigold juice was used to color the butter. Seeds float in water, making sowing easier. This species is losing habitat due to the drainage of wet lands.

Marsh dry grass- a perennial plant from the sedge family, growing in separate small tussocks 25-70 cm high. The stems are smooth, the leaves are narrow with a sharp tip. The flowers of the marshweed are collected in spikelets, which droop after pollination. It blooms in April-June, giving the impression of a “snow-covered swamp”. After flowering, the perianth bristles elongate, resulting in the stalk resembling a white, fluffy head. The plant is pollinated by the wind. Found in wet meadows and marshy areas.

River gravity- a perennial plant 25-70 cm high. The stem is erect, red-brown with hairs. The leaves are large and hairy. The flowers are drooping, reddish or pale yellow with red-brown veins. They are pollinated by bumblebees, bees and flies. Flowering lasts from May to June. The fruits have bristles and are carried by animals. It is found in wet meadows, along rivers and in marshy areas.

Cuckoo color- a perennial plant from the clove family, 30-90 cm high. The stem is erect, branched at the top. Lower leaves oblong, upper narrow-lanceolate, placed in pairs crosswise, which allows better use of sunlight. The flowers are delicate pink with deeply dissected petals. They are pollinated by insects with a long proboscis, such as butterflies. Blooms from May to July. Foamy formations can often be seen on the leaves of this plant. This is the secretion of insects whose larvae feed on cuckoo sap.

Buttercup caustic- a perennial plant from the buttercup family, 20-100 cm tall, with a branched stem. The leaves are palmately divided on long stalks. The higher the stem, the shorter the legs and the more split ends. Multi-flowered plant. Golden-yellow honey-bearing flowers close at night when it rains. Buttercup blooms from May to August. Poisonous, the juice causes skin burns. However, once dried it is harmless. Distributed in meadows.

Forget-me-not swamp- a perennial plant 15-50 cm high. The stem is simple, pubescent. The leaves are lanceolate, planted spirally. The flowers are small, blue, with a strong scent. The flowering period lasts from May to September. Flowers are pollinated by bees, butterflies, flies and beetles. Forget-me-not grows in wet meadows, along the banks of streams, ponds and canals.

Common loosestrife- a perennial plant from the Primrose family, 50-120 cm high. The stem is erect, highly branched at the top. The leaves are oppositely set, often with red specks. The flowers are collected in small paniculate apical inflorescences in the leaf axils. Blooms from June to August. Flowers are pollinated by flies. Grows in damp places, in swamps, along the banks of rivers and lakes. Green and yellow dyes are made from the leaves, and extracts from the roots dye fabrics brown and black. The Latin name was given in honor of the head of the personal guard of Alexander the Great, the later king of Thrace, who discovered its medicinal properties.

The swamp is a community perennial plants, which are capable of growing in conditions of abundant moisture with running or standing water. Swamp soil contains little oxygen, and often nutrients (mineral salts) that plants need.
There are different types swamps There are sphagnum swamps (they are also called peat bogs). Among the plants there, sphagnum moss predominates, and there are swamps where sedges predominate. Other herbs also grow with them. These swamps are called grassy (or lowland). Swamps, where you can find not only perennial grasses and mosses, but also many trees and shrubs, are called forest swamps.
In a meadow, in a forest, along the banks of rivers and lakes, along the road there are often areas with increased content water in the soil. Plants adapted to life in waterlogged conditions also settle here.

Swamps are usually divided into three types: lowland, raised and transitional. The share of lowland swamps accounts for 50% of the area of ​​all swamps in the region, upland swamps - 26%, transitional swamps - 19%, swamps mixed type - 5%.

There are more than 600 lowland swamps in the region. They are usually found in river floodplains. Their surface is moistened by waters rich in mineral salts; The degree of decomposition and ash content of peat are the highest here. Characteristic sign lowland swamps - good development of herbaceous vegetation - sedge, watchwort, rush grass, horsetail, cinquefoil, marsh marigold, spleenwort, chastukha, whitewing, etc. Green mosses occupy a significant place in the ground cover. Woody vegetation is mainly represented by alder, willow, and sometimes birch and spruce. The main groups of associations of lowland bogs are spruce forests, birch forests, alder forests and grass-marsh willow forests (sedge, shift, horsetail, etc.). The number of species of medicinal plants in lowland swamps rarely exceeds 5, of which commercial thickets are most typical for alder and alder.

Raised bogs are most often located on watersheds. The water reserves in them are replenished by precipitation, so the peat here is poor in mineral salts, with a relatively low degree of decomposition and low ash content. There are 278 raised bogs in the region. Dominant plants of raised bogs - sphagnum mosses with high moisture capacity. Another characteristic plant of raised bogs is the low-growing pine. Ledum, Cassandra, andromeda, blueberry, swamp cranberry, black crowberry, cloudberry, round-leaved sundew, cotton grass, marsh Scheuchzeria, Naumburgia, and various sedges are also often found here. The main groups of raised bog associations are represented by dwarf shrub-sphagnum pine forests, treeless dwarf shrub-cotton grass-sphagnum and cotton grass-sedge-sphagnum communities.

Transitional swamps occupy an intermediate position between upland and lowland. They are moistened both by precipitation and by spring and running waters. Characteristic plants transitional swamps are: in the upper tier - pine and birch with an admixture of spruce and alder; in the ground cover - green and sphagnum mosses; in the grassy ravine there are sedges, cinquefoil, vakhta, naumburgia, and in some places cranberries, blueberries, and lingonberries. Associations of transitional swamps are represented by pine and birch forests, sedge-sphagnum and cotton grass-sedge-sphagnum treeless communities.
Some, especially large, bogs have a mixed character of peat deposits and vegetation. One part of them consists of the upland type, the other - the transitional or lowland type. Such swamps have all the plant associations characteristic of each type, containing up to 10 species of medicinal plants in one swamp.

Typical plants of lowland swamps

Marsh sedge
(Carex limosa L.) sedge family
Long-rhizomatous perennial with adventitious roots with reddish-golden root hairs. Stems are 20-50 cm tall, at the base with whole reddish-brown scale-like leaves and leaf-bearing sheaths. Leaf blades are 1-2 mm wide, grayish-green, usually shorter than the stem. An inflorescence of 2-4 more or less closely spaced spikelets, the top of which is staminate, up to 3 cm long, the rest are pistillate, on thin long stalks, elliptical, drooping. The covering leaf of the lower spikelet without a sheath or with a short sheath, up to 4 mm long, is grooved, usually not exceeding the inflorescence. The covering scales of pistillate flowers are pointed or wedge-shaped, longer than the sacs, approximately equal in width, pale or reddish brown, sometimes lighter in the middle. The sacs are 4-5 mm long, elliptical, gray, covered with papillae, with veins, on a very short stalk, sharply narrowed at the top, almost without a spout. Blooms in May-June, bears fruit in June-July. A common type of sphagnum bogs, also found in swampy coniferous forests, along peaty banks of reservoirs, and on rafting grounds.

Three-leaf watch. Photo: Frank Vassen

Tripartite sequence
(Bidens tripartita L.) Asteraceae family
Stems are erect, branched. Leaves 3-5 are dissected, with toothed segments. There are 5-8 outer leaves. There are no false-lingulate flowers. Achenes are wedge-shaped, flattened, with 2 awns; sometimes 3-4 awns develop, but then they are covered with cones. It blooms in summer and autumn. In damp meadows, banks of water bodies, wastelands and as a weed in crops. Medicinal plant, distributed throughout the country.

Pepper Knotweed
(Polygonum hydropiper L.) buckwheat family
The stem is branched. The leaves are lanceolate, the lower leaves have short petioles, the upper leaves are sessile, all sharp, smooth. The flowers are greenish or pink, in sparse, interrupted spikes. The perianth is 4- or 5-leafed, covered on the outside with a mass of turned glands. Stamens 6-8. The nuts are triangular, brown. Blooms in summer and autumn. It usually grows along the banks of fresh water bodies, ditches, roads, and grassy swamps. A spicy, medicinal and dyeing plant with a characteristic pungent peppery taste.

Swamp whitewing
(Calla palustris L.) araceae family
The rhizome is long, thick, jointed. The leaves are long-petiolate, heart-shaped, pointed, shiny. The peduncle is approximately equal in length to the leaves. The spathe is flat, with a pointed top, one-sided, and during flowering the inside is snow-white. Flowers without perianth, small, bisexual. There are 6 stamens, rarely more. The ovary is unilocular, with a sessile stigma. The fruit is red berries with abundant mucilage surrounding the seeds; collected in a short thick cob. Blooms in the first half of summer.

Horsetail
(Equisetum palustre L.) horsetail family
Perennial plant 10-40 cm tall. The stem is jointed, with hollow internodes. The leaves are reduced to small scale-like teeth, fused into toothed sheaths enclosing the bases of the internodes. It has a long rhizome, on which nodules filled with starch often form. Stems are 3-4 mm in diameter, sharply angular-furrowed, usually branched. Sheaths with 5-8 broadly lanceolate, black-brown or black teeth. Spore-bearing and vegetative shoots are almost identical, always green. The spikelets are usually solitary; rarely, spikelets are found on lateral branches. In this case, the lower branches can reach the same height as the upper ones. Distributed throughout Russia. It grows along the banks of reservoirs, in swamps and marshy meadows. One of the most poisonous horsetails.

Alder sticky or black
(Alnus glutinosa L.) birch family
Tree up to 35 meters tall, often multi-stemmed. The bark is dark brown, young shoots are reddish or olive-brown. The leaves are round or obovate, crenate-toothed, notched at the apex. Dark green, glossy, sticky when blooming. Anther catkins are terminal, collected in racemes of 3-5, pendulous. Women's earrings are “cones”. Collected in groups of 3-5 on legs that are usually longer than them. Nuts with a leathery, very narrow wing, reddish-brown, flattened, up to 2.5 mm. Blooms in April. The seeds ripen in September-October. Spreads by seeds. Lives up to 100 years. Nodules containing nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes are developed on the roots. Distributed in all regions of Central Russia. Forms extensive frequent plantings in low-lying, often flooded swamps (alder swamps), as well as along rivers and forest streams.

Lady's slipper
(Cypripedium calceolus L.) orchid family
A genus of plants from the orchid family, characteristic of the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. About 20 species of herbaceous plants with large single flowers at the tops of the stems. The two outer petals are fused almost to the top, the lip is swollen in the shape of a shoe, with two lobes at the base. In the forests of Russia and Western Europe there are: yellow lady's slipper (C. Calceolus L.) with red-brown flowers and a yellow lip, V. b. red (C. macranthum Sw.) - blood-red flowers and V. b. speckled (C. guttatum Sw.) with green and purple petals with white spots.

Typical plants of raised bogs

Naumburgia racemosaceae
(Naumburgia thrirsiflora Rchb.)
The grass is 25-40 cm high. The rhizome is long, creeping, with shoots. Stems are erect, reddish pubescent or almost glabrous. The leaves are sessile, opposite, less often whorled, 5-10 cm long and 0.5-2.5 cm wide. The flowers are small in dense axillary racemes. The lobes of the calyx and corolla include 6-7 pieces, less often 5. The corolla is yellow with red-brown dots, 5-6 mm long. Blooms in summer.

Cotton grass
(Eriophorum polystachyon L.) sedge family
Perennial with an elongated horizontal rhizome. The stem is 20-70 cm tall. Leaf blades are 3-5 mm wide, bluish-green, usually grooved at the bottom, with a long trihedron at the top; all leaves have a tongue in the form of a narrow filmy strip. Spikelets number 3-7, on drooping smooth or rough peduncles, 10-15 mm long during flowering, and 3.5-4 cm long during fruiting. The covering scales are brownish-gray or reddish, usually white-membranous at the edges and on top. Anthers 3-5 mm long. The fruits are 2.5-3 mm long and up to 1 mm wide, almost black, glossy. Blooms in May-June, bears fruit in June-July.

Shiksha Siberian
(Empetrum sibiricum V.Vassil.) Family of cactus.
Low creeping shrub, highly branched from the base. The bark of old branches is red-brown; young branches are elongated, covered with curly hairs and sessile glands. Leaves are 5 - 7 mm long, narrow-linear, alternate or false whorled-close, loosely located, directed downward, wrinkled when dry, slightly shiny, almost matte, young leaves with glands along the edge on noticeable legs. The flowers are small, solitary, in the leaf axils at the tops of the branches, three-dimensional, with several bracts, unisexual or bisexual. The fruit is a black spherical drupe, about 5 mm in diameter, with 6 - 9 seeds. Grows in humid forests, bushes and sphagnum bogs. Distribution: Central Siberian Plateau, Sayan Mountains, Sayano-Baikal region, Baikal Highlands, Dauria in the basin of the lower Argun and Shilka rivers, the river basin. Gazimur.

Pemphigus vulgare
(Utricularia vulgaris L.) bladderwort family
A plant with stems up to 1 m long immersed in water. Trapper bubbles up to 3.5 mm long sit on green leaves. The leaves are repeatedly pinnately dissected, up to 5 cm long, arranged spirally. Leaf lobules and outer segments with cilia. Corolla 12-22 mm in diameter, orange-yellow with reddish-brown stripes; upper lip with turned-up edges, shorter or slightly longer than the protuberances in the lower lip. The spur is long (up to 9 mm) and thin (2 mm). The anthers of the stamens are stuck together. The pedicels bend in an arched manner after flowering. Blooms in the second half of summer.

Blueberry
(Vaccinium myrtyllus L.) lingonberry family
Deciduous shrub with sharp-edged branches. The leaves are thin, light green, open places turning red in autumn. The shape is ovoid and elliptical, finely serrated, 1-3 cm long. Flowers solitary, drooping. Corolla is pitcher-spherical, 3-4 cm long with 4-5 teeth. Anthers with long appendages. The berry is spherical, 6-8 mm in diameter, black, usually with a bluish coating or less often, without a coating, shiny. Blooms in spring.

Podbel multifolia
(Andromeda polifolia L.) Ericaceae family
The leaves are oblong-oval to linear, with curled edges on top with a depressed middle vein, green, shiny, matte white underneath with a waxy coating, 1-2.5 cm long. The racemes contain 2-6 flowers on long (up to 1.5 cm) pink stalks; flowers drooping, pink, 5-6 mm long; corolla pubescent inside. The anthers are dark red. The style is slightly shorter than the corolla. The capsule is spherical, 2-5 mm long. Blooms in spring and early summer.

Blueberry
(Vaccinium uliginosum L.) lingonberry family
Blueberries are the healthiest berry. Contains organic acids, vitamins, sugar, tannins. It is also rich in biologically active substances, thanks to which it is useful in the treatment of radiation sickness and many other serious diseases. Blueberries, like honeysuckle berries, stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and increase its digestive function. They are recommended for use in cases of gastric catarrh, enterocolitis, dysentery, pyelitis, and scurvy.

Without water, no living organism can exist. But it should be in moderation; an excess of moisture causes the displacement of air from the soil and leads to the fact that plants begin to experience a lack of oxygen. However, there are marsh plants that feel comfortable even in such conditions. There are a great many varieties and names of swamp plants, as well as flowers that grow in the swamp.

Features of wetlands

A swamp is an area of ​​terrain with a characteristic excess of moisture, populated by shrubs and marsh flowers that can grow in conditions of excessive soil moisture. In addition to its low oxygen content, swampy soil is reduced level micronutrients necessary for plant life. This article will consider not only the most common plants, but also flowers in the swamp, the name of which can be found in many medicines. There are three types of swamps based on the diversity of flora:

• Sphagnum or peat bogs. The most common plant is sphagnum moss. Sundews and cranberries are quite common.
• Grassy swamps. The main representative of the plant world in them are sedges. In addition, other grasses and mosses grow here.
• Forest swamps. In addition to the flora found in other types of wetlands, shrubs, shrubs and trees grow here.

In addition, there are three types of swampy areas based on the method of filling the soil with water:

Under the influence of substances released by sphagnum, dead plants decompose. Residues that have not undergone decomposition turn into peat over time.

Marsh sedge

A tincture prepared with black alder bark has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect and is used in the fight against colitis. The decoction is used as a hemostatic agent for inflammatory processes in the intestines. In addition, decoctions are used for acute respiratory diseases, inflammation of the nasopharynx, wounds, suppuration and ulcers.

An infusion is made from the leaves of the plant, which is used for colds and coughs, gout and rheumatism. Decoction baths help get rid of the feeling of fatigue and pain in the legs.

Extracts of sticky alder are often included in toothpastes and other preparations for rinsing teeth and mouth. In addition, the catkins of the plant are one of the components of the gastric collection.

The main representatives of the flora of raised bogs

Cotton grass

A member of the sedge family. The rhizome of the plant is elongated, horizontal. The stem can reach 70 cm in height. Cotton grass leaves are from 3 to 5 mm wide and have a so-called tongue. From 3 to 7 spikelets are formed on the peduncles. Flowering occurs in May-June, fruits ripen by June-July. The seeds are shiny, black, about 2.5-3 mm long and 1 mm wide.

The stems, inflorescences and leaves of cotton grass have been used in medicine. An infusion of cotton grass is used to treat the following ailments:

• duodenal ulcer,
• stomach ulcer.
• colitis,
• gastritis,
• other.

Due to the astringent properties of the plant, it is advisable to use it in the form of decoctions for diarrhea.