Gubo-color family: description

In this article, we want to talk about the family of labial flowers. According to the latest data, there are about two hundred genera - 3,500 species. They are distributed almost all over the world. Do not grow only in Antarctica and Artik. They are also few in the taiga zone, they prefer the tropical mountain regions. Family Gubotsvetnye - a very peculiar representative of the flora. Plants that are related to it are of interest primarily as suppliers of medicinal raw materials of natural origin.

Appearance of plants

Plants that are part of the family Gubotsvetnye, outwardly have a characteristic structure. They are very easy to recognize by the flower, which has a long tube and a two-mouthed yawn, reminiscent of the open mouth of a fairy creature. Such a distinctive feature is only the family Gubotsvetnye. Inflorescence of this species is practically not found in other plants.

As for fruits, they also have an unusual shape. The fruit of the labiate family consists of four single-seeded, in the form of nuts, lobules.

Another distinguishing feature is the opposite arrangement of the whole leaves. Stems, as a rule, have a tetrahedral shape. Characteristics of the family Gubotsvetnye will be incomplete, if not to mention the strong aroma, which is characteristic of a greater number of plants. The phenomenal aroma is explained by the presence of glands on different parts of plants, which release complex essential oils. It is because of the presence of these oils that the plants of the Gubotsvet family are widely used as medicinal, aromatic and industrial crops. On the most common of them we'll talk further.

Family Gubotsvetnye: representatives

Representatives of this family are very diverse. Most of them are semishrubs and grasses. However, in the subtropics and tropics, shrubs are very common. A prominent representative is the widespread in the Mediterranean, rosemary, medicinal. It is an evergreen shrub with small linear leaves and purple flowers.

The family of labial flowers (photo is given in the article) is also represented by trees, but they are found only in the tropics. Some of them reach a height of fifteen meters. But, as a rule, woody labial flowers do not grow more than five meters.

Herbaceous clear-water

Grass family gubotsvetnyh - a standing plant, it does not require support. However, there are also creeping species (for example, thymus buds). And such a plant, like a creeper, creeping, has not only erect shoots, but also in the axils of the leaves arches grow, rooted in the earth with their tops (like a mustache in a strawberry).

Root system

Plants retain their main root throughout their life. Sometimes there are cases when it dies and it is replaced by subordinate roots, which depart from the stem itself or from its creeping shoots. Rhizomes are characteristic for a larger number of labial flowers.

Much less often there are plants with root offspring, like the survivor of Geneva. In coastal species that grow on wetland soils, sometimes the roots look like tubers, which local people use for food.

Structure of leaves

Representatives of the family have, as a rule, integral, sometimes entire leaves. But sometimes there are naked species, such as ornamental sage. In this case, the plant is covered with a thick layer of hairs (Cretan porridge, Crimean iron).

Flowers of labial flowers

As we noted earlier, flowers have a special structure. Family Gubotsvetny characterized by the fact that the latter they are, as a rule, bisexual. They are located in the axils of the leaves. Only a few species have single flowers. Most often they are collected in inflorescences in two pieces, which form the so-called spikelet. Some species even have spines, which are designed to protect the plant from eating animals. Such species are found in the mountainous regions of Central Asia (hare).

As a rule, both the calyx and the corolla of the labial flowers consist of five leaves, fused into a tube. In general, the calyx is of a variety of forms: bell-shaped, tubular, funneled, globular. Its modifications are connected with an attempt to adapt to the spread of fruits. The calyx can change color, becoming very bright, to attract the attention of birds and animals, can grow, increasing the sail, to spread the seeds by the wind.

Family Gubotsvetnye - plants that have in each flower four stamens, fixed on the corolla tube. In some tropical species, the stamens coalesce together. Below their location is a hairy ring, which is designed to protect the nectar.

Anthers of labial flowers can be of a variety of forms. Everything depends on the degree of adaptation of the plant to pollination. Sometimes there are real complex "mechanisms", like a sternum and a skullcap.

Although gubo-color is more characteristic of bisexual flowers, many representatives along with them have females with stamens. Much less common is male flowers. An example of such a plant is a herbaceous plant of the family of labial buds, a companion sheath (weed).

Fruit

Family Gubotsvetnye, whose representatives are considered by us, differs in that all plants have a characteristic structure of the fetus. As a rule, it consists of four parts, in each of which there is one seed. The very shape of the fetus can be very different. Corolla in fruits usually falls, but the calyx certainly remains and grows. In mature seeds there is no endosperm.

The outer shell of the lobes often has a hilly shape, which promotes the spread of seeds.

Places of growth

Representatives of this type of flora, such as the family Gubotsvetnye (Zhanotkovye), are distributed throughout the world. Especially there are many of them in countries with Mediterranean flora (from the Canary Islands to the Western Himalayas). But in the taiga such plants are practically absent. Paradise for labial flowers is tropical mountainous areas. Especially there are many in South and Central America. In Australia, there are only endemics of this continent, only about one hundred species. Even poorer was New Zealand, there is only one type of mint and one type of scutellum, as well as one representative of the Tetrahondra genus. But in the Hawaiian Islands quite a lot of labiate, they are represented by two endemic genera.

Plants of this family prefer to grow on open mountain or plain places. More dry soils are suitable for them. Among them there are very few meadow and forest plants. In rain rainforests, only a few are able to survive, since the labiate does not tolerate excessive moisture. As for the present aquatic species, they do not exist in nature at all. There are only a few genera, some of which grow on the shores of marshes and reservoirs. An example is the perennial herbaceous plant of the labiate family - mint, as well as the sculler and zyuznik.

Pollination of plants by insects

The relationship between the labial flowers and the insects that pollinate them is quite complex and is the result of a long process of evolution. Those plants of this family that have the most simply arranged florets are pollinated by flies and hymenoptera, since it is not difficult to obtain nectar from them.

In gubottsnyh, having a more complex structure of the flower, nectar is not so easy to obtain. It is at the bottom of a long tube. Pollination of such species are engaged in butterflies and hymenoptera, very rarely large flies-murmurs.

A unique device in the form of a lever, which makes it possible to reach the nectar of an insect, has sage. Insects need to contrive to get what they came for. In the subtropical and tropical regions of America, plants pollinate small birds of the hummingbird. In the same way, as with the hummingbird, the butterflies of the family of witches act. They hover around the flowers and at the same time suck the nectar with their beaks, touching the head of the stamens.

Some plants from the family of the labiate have such a structure of the flower that the insect, sitting down on it, clings pollen to its belly and then carries it away. Very rare species can self-pollinate.

It should be noted that gubottsnyh has its own ways of attracting the attention of insects, for example, in the form of separate bright parts of the flower.

Plant adaptability to spreading

As to reproduction, the overwhelming majority is spread by the wind. In the process, single-seed fetuses participate, the sailness of which increases due to hairs or pterygoid outgrowths. In Africa, the genus Tinnea is very common. So, its fruits are armed with tibia-shaped scutes that help spread the seeds.

Some species preserve the stems for a long time in dry form, gradually the seeds themselves are scattered by the wind. On the other hand, on the contrary, they very quickly break off from the ground and are carried by winds along the steppes, thus dissipating the fruits. Such a rolling-pitch effect is characteristic for some varieties of sage, cats, zopnik. The longer the fruit will be in the cup, the longer the distance they will be transferred. It is for this reason that many labiatets have reliable devices for retaining seeds.

Other types, on the contrary, are arranged in such a way that the fruit falls with the cup and due to it has a large sail that allows it to spread over long distances.

Among the labial flowers there are many plants that spread with the help of living beings. At the same time, they have no less interesting devices that help them in this. Some of them are eaten by birds and animals, others cling to appendages for their wool and human clothes. Each species has found its way of spreading.

In the tropics some fruits are covered with a fleshy shell (in the form of a berry), which attracts animals and birds, while others are greased with a sticky substance that allows them to stick to wool or feathers.

But the adaptability to the spread of some species in general is amazing. For example, some varieties of darkness and vitality have substances that serve as food for ants, it is with their help and spread fruits. The Brazilian herbaceous plant is arranged in such a way that in its internodes there is always a colony of ants.

Those labo-color that have chosen their habitat for the coast of rivers and marshes, have floating parts of the fruit, and therefore spread by water, sometimes with the help of animals.

Application

The grass, shrub, liana, semishrub of the family of labial flowers are all diverse forms of the same family. Many of them are essential oil crops, and therefore are of particular interest to humans. Such plants include: basil, sage, shandra, dubrovnik, rosemary, lavender.

Lavender is a semi-shrub of the labiateous family. There are more than twenty-five of its species known. In many countries, it is cultivated exclusively for obtaining unique essential oil. And some species of this interesting plant are of interest as ornamental medicinal mead.

Basil also refers to shrub and semi-shrub plants. In the subtropics and tropics grows about 150 of its species, some of them give valuable essential oil. In addition, basil is widely used as a condiment in many cuisines of the world.

The famous sage also has a variety of varieties, some of them are the honey trees and a source of aromatic oil. In Russia it is common in the steppe zone.

Perilla is a representative of annual labial flowers. This is an exclusively oilseed culture. It is grown in Asia and Japan, China and North Korea, and even in the Far East. From the seeds are obtained food and technical oil. In addition, some species have decorative use, and are also excellent honey plants.

Medicinal herbs of the labiate family

Since ancient times, the clear-cut in the people have been valued for their medicinal properties. And now they are actively using their healing substances. In our regions the most known are such varieties: mint, motherwort, sage, zyuznik, drop of medicinal , etc.

Sage is not only an oilseed crop, but also a medicinal plant of the family of labiate. It is actively used for irrigation and rinsing of the throat and mouth.

Basil is good for loss of appetite, with constipation and flatulence. Sometimes it is used as a rinse for the throat, for compresses with the wounded wounds.

Oregano is also a medicinal plant of the labiate family, used to treat intestinal and gastric diseases, as well as bronchitis. It should be noted that it is the oregano oil that is part of many ointments for rubbing, which are good for rheumatism. Also, the plant is used as a spice, for example, in Italian cuisine to make a famous pizza. The essential oil of this plant is wonderful. And in Indian medicine, oregano is used not only for the treatment of gastric diseases, but also for nervous disorders.

Famous since childhood peppermint is a part of many tea gatherings that help in the treatment of the liver, gall bladder, intestine and stomach. In general, it can be found in many gatherings. In addition, at home, it is brewed as a simple tea, because the drink is very fragrant, pleasant and has a sedative effect.

Dubrovnik vulgaris is used as a gastric medicine for diseases of the gallbladder and intestines. In addition, it has the property of exciting appetite and helps with bronchitis.

Marjoram is familiar to us as a seasoning. It improves appetite, stimulating the formation of bile and gastric juice. Its tincture has an antiseptic, spasmolytic, diuretic and tonic acting. Marjoram is used for gastritis and chronic cholecystitis, flatulence and headaches, cycle disorders, insomnia, vomiting.

Pikulnik good at coughing and various lung diseases. In addition, it has blood-purifying properties, is used for diseases of the gallbladder and liver.

Kidney tea is a remarkable diuretic that is widely used in diseases of the urinary tract.

Savory has a beneficial effect on the stomach, contributing to the allocation of juice, so it is used to stimulate the appetite. Brewed in the form of tea, it is used for coryza and coughs.

Thyme is used in medicine as an expectorant.

Within the framework of the article, we talked only about certain medicinal plants of the labiate family. In fact, there are a lot of them, it's impossible to tell about everything. But the fact that they actually help with various kinds of diseases is evidenced by long-term practice of their application in different countries of the world.

Gubotsvetnye around us

I would like to note that the plants of the labiate family grow not only in the wild. You will be surprised, but among the cultivated plants on our flower beds are enough representatives of this group, for example the same salvia, pleasing us with their bright flowers before the arrival of frost.

In addition, some flowers growing on the windowsills of our apartments also belong to the labiate: koleus, Swedish ivy, mole tree. They have grown fond of mistresses for the unpretentiousness and bright color for a long time. They do not need special care, but they always delight in their beauty. In the summer, plants grow well on the balcony, and in winter in the apartment. They prefer bright lighting, so put them on the southern side.

As for irrigation, it should not be very frequent. And in the winter, rather, rare. As we said earlier, the labiate does not tolerate excessive moisture, this also applies to house representatives.

Recently, a plant such as rosemary has become very fashionable. It is not only used as a seasoning, but also grown at home. True, the plant does not like high temperatures and dry air of central heating (can even discard the leaves and begin to dry out). It has a good decorative appearance, especially interesting during flowering, when everything is covered with small blue or blue flowers. During the summer, some landladies even plant such house plants in the open ground, where they feel themselves perfectly. But before the arrival of cold weather, rosemary should be returned back home, as it will not suffer frost. This culture is good for home use not only because of the decorative appearance. The plant produces a pleasant aroma, purifying the air, since it has bactericidal properties.

Instead of an afterword

Among the plants that surround us in everyday life, there are many of those belonging to the family of labial flowers. As we have seen, they not only decorate our houses and flower gardens, but are also widely used in medicine and perfumery. But we did not even think about the existence of many of them, the more we did not know that they belonged to such a vast family.