Steppe zone. Botany. What grows in the steppe
steppe zone
A steppe is a territory whose zonal vegetation is made up of communities of herbaceous xerophytes. The steppes stretch in a wide strip across the European and Asian parts of Russia from west to east to the river. Obi. In Eastern Siberia, steppes are found in separate patches. Steppe plants have adapted to life in arid conditions. Natural steppes remained only in nature reserves and sanctuaries, the rest of the steppe land was plowed under crops. The soils of the steppes are chernozems of various types.
The steppes have a continental type of climate with hot, dry summers and cold winter with stable snow cover. The amount of precipitation (300 - 500 mm) is less than the amount of evaporation, therefore, in the steppes, plants are in conditions of lack of moisture.
The maximum precipitation in the form of showers occurs in the middle of summer, during the heat period. Plants do not have time to absorb moisture, and it quickly evaporates. The evaporation of water is also accelerated by the drying summer winds, which almost constantly blow in the steppes. Sometimes dry winds blow - withering, hot winds.
Steppe plants are herbaceous xerophytes, all of them are quite drought-resistant and well tolerate the lack of moisture. These are mainly dense bush grasses, primarily species of the genera feather grass (Stipa), fescue (festuca), thin-legged (koeleria). Some legumes grow in the steppes, such as clover species. (Trifoliuni), sainfoin (Onobrychis), astragalus (Astragalus), tumbleweed, or kermek (Static, rice. 252), wormwood (Artemisia, see fig. 226), etc.
The steppes are characterized by steppe ephemeroids that bloom in early spring and cover the steppe with a multi-colored carpet; by summer, the above-ground part dies off, and the underground living part is preparing for flowering next year. Ephemeroid plants include bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa), types of tulips (Tulipa), bows (Allium) and etc.
In addition to perennial ephemeroids, ephemera are also common in the steppes - annual plants, all life cycle which takes place within a few weeks. These are the types of grains (draba),
bed bug (Lepidium), sickle-shaped hornhead (Ceratocephalafalcata) and etc.
In the steppes, as a rule, on the border with the forest zone, you can also see shrubs: blackthorn, or wild plum (Prunus spinosa), wild almond, or bean (Amygdalus dad), types of spirea (Spiraea), Karagans (Caragana).
When moving from north to south, the following patterns are observed in the steppes of the European part: 1) the herbage becomes more and more rarefied; 2) the colorfulness of the steppes is waning, the number of dicots in the floristic list is decreasing; 3) perennials predominate in the north, to the south the role of annuals increases and the number of narrow-leaved grasses increases; 4) a number of feather grasses are replaced: from Stipa joannis up north to S. ukrainica on South; 5) the species composition is depleted (from 30 species in the north to 12 in the south).
All these features of the steppes made it possible to divide them into three subzones.
Northern, or meadow, steppe are characterized by alternation of oak forests and steppe vegetation, and forest areas are found only along beams and depressions, in conditions high humidity. Some geobotanists distinguish this subzone as the forest-steppe zone. The humidity of the meadow steppes is higher than in other subzones, the grass cover is higher (up to 1 m) with a predominance of forbs from meadowsweet (Filipendula), sage (Salvia) etc. Broad-leaved grasses grow here: pubescent sheep (Helictotrichon pubescens), wheatgrass medium (Agropyron intermedium) and others. There are quite a few narrow-leaved grasses - feather grass and fescue. Meadow steppes are characterized by species diversity. So, in the Central Chernozem Reserve, there are up to 90 plant species per 1 m 2. During the growing season, there is a change in aspects (yellow, white, blue, blue, etc.).
Subzone of forb-fescue-feather grass steppes characterized by an increase in the role of narrow-leaved turf grasses and greater drought resistance of plants. Among the herbs here you can find prickly thorn (Phlomispungens), drooping sage (Salvia nutans) and etc.
Fescue-feather grass steppes- the most southern and are distinguished by very rare and low herbage (up to 40 cm). Narrow-leaved turf grasses dominate here - fescue, Lessing's feather grass (Stipa lessingiana)", annual ephemera; some ephemeroids; of life forms, "tumbleweeds" predominate (swing panicled - Gypsophila paniculata). The species composition of the herbage is poor (no more than 15 species per 1 m2).
Siberian steppes have many similarities with European ones. Beyond the Urals, due to the much less dissected relief, the steppes in the Asian part of the country stretch in a continuous strip to the river. Obi. On the vast depressions of Siberia, a large role among the steppes
play "zaymischa" - grassy swamps on solonetzes and solonchak soils, where steppe species combined with plants in more humid habitats. In floristic terms, the Siberian steppes are poorer than the European ones, and in the extreme east of the steppe zone, species of Mongolian origin can be found.
In the Siberian steppes, subzones of forb-turf-grass and turf-grass steppes are distinguished.
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked state in the world located in Central Asia. It is dominated by a large flat steppe (grassy land) stretching from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of Western Siberia in the northern part to the deserts and oases of Central Asia in the south. various climatic and natural areas countries allow a wide range of species and structural diversity of the flora of Kazakhstan.
Characteristic
Kazakhstan has a very clear division into soil and vegetation zones. In the north, beyond 52° latitude, a band of black soils occupies 9% of the country's total land area. This soil is relatively thin, practically unsuitable for agriculture without irrigation. The same applies to the southern belt of dark chestnut-brown soil, on which a program of reclamation of virgin lands was carried out.
In many respects, most of Kazakhstan is poor in fertile soils. The overall picture is dominated by gravel, sands and loams, while deserts, semi-deserts and steppes occupy 84% of the country's territory. However, the vegetation has perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions.
Saxaul ( Haloxylon listen)) is a shrub or woody plant with moisture-absorbing needle-like leaves and long, deep roots that thrives in the desert. It grows slowly and produces extremely hard and resistant wood. If the plant becomes too dry, it sheds its leaves. Unfortunately, this wood is systematically plundered for barbecue, and if the state does not intervene, saxaul will soon be found only in nature reserves.
Karagach (ligature) - quite hardy deciduous tree, with 20m pile-like roots and is therefore planted as a windbreak in erosion sensitive areas.
Tamarisk is a genus of shrubs and woody plants from beautiful colors, which are well adapted to life on scarce soils, and their charming flowers and berries adorn the yellow-brown desert landscape.
Bulbous plants wait out the harsh winter of the steppe and come to life in April-May, when melt water penetrates the soil. During this short period, in addition to small steppe tulips, you can see wonderful cistanches, ferulas, eremurus, graceful lilies, crocuses and anemones; even garlic has attractive flowers. Many cultivated garden plants are descendants of the local flora - the steppes and protected mountain valleys of Kazakhstan.
At the end of May, stripes of the common poppy cover the vast steppe like a purple carpet. Only a month later, when everything dries up, the time comes for more modest plants. Many unpretentious types of drought-resistant and hardy grasses, sedges and shrubs give the steppe a characteristic look.
In the foothills, grassy steppes give way to sagebrush meadows. The meat of the sheep grazing here is known for its exceptionally aromatic taste, and these grassy areas are popular with many other herbivores. On the numerous slopes of the highlands, the elegant Tien Shan spruce grows like an arrow, and the juniper forest covers the valleys. The wild apple, pear, cherry and apricot trees that grow in the lower mountains are relatives of fruit trees. Marigolds, primrose, edelweiss and gentian grow abundantly in mountain meadows under glaciers. In the alpine zone of the Tien Shan, it is contained twice more species plants than in the Alps.
A wide variety of plants thrive in the fertile wetlands of the lower river valleys. Torgai forests border on rivers when they flow through semi-deserts and steppes. In some places, primeval millennial forests have been preserved. The most surprising is the forest located downstream of the Charyn River, where a mixed willow and ash tree has been preserved since the last ice age. It is also worth noting the high pine forests in Ertis.
The vegetation of Kazakhstan includes 5,700 plant species, of which 700 are endemic, 2,000 seaweed species and 485 lichen species. As an example, below is a list of some of the country's native flora species:
Cherry bush ( Prunus fruticosa)
Shrub cherry, or steppe cherry - view shrub plants originally from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Western Siberia, Xinjiang, China, Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic. Grows best in loamy soils and requires plenty of sunlight. The plant has dark brown bark and the color of its leaves changes from dark green to yellow during autumn. The flowers are white in May, and the red fruits ripen in early August. Steppe cherry grows on the outskirts of the forest, forming thickets. The fruits of the plant are light dark red in color with a sour taste.
Iris Ludwig ( Iris ludwigii)
This plant mainly grows in East Kazakhstan and is easy to spot because of its crowding. Flowers range from purple to blue. Iris Ludwig grows up to 30 centimeters in soils with good drainage and open areas for receiving sunlight, which abound in areas for grazing and agricultural activities. In late August - early September, the plant releases seed capsules.
Nedzvetskaya Semirechenskaya ( Niedzwedzkia semiretschenskia)
This plant was named after the Russian botanist Vladislav Nedzvetsky. It grows on dry and rocky slopes. Nedzwiecki has purple flowers that appear between late April and August. Found in the Altai Mountains of Kazakhstan, Siberia, Russia and Central Asia. The preferred habitat of the plant are steppes, meadows, gravelly slopes and thickets of feather grass. The Nedzvetsky Semirechenskaya is listed in the IUCN Red List as an endangered species. The main threats to the plant are overgrazing and other agricultural activities.
Starfruit chastukhovy ( Damaceium alisma)
Starfruit chastukhovy - a plant of swampy places growing in Kazakhstan, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Russia and France. Favorably grows in swamps and ponds, where it grows up to half a meter in height. Flowers appear from June to August. According to the IUCN Red List, the species is classified as Vulnerable. Plant populations are highly fermented and continue to decline due to habitat loss, reduced growth area due to pastures, and water level stabilization. There is no evidence of a reduction in the negative factors causing the decline in the plant's numbers, and soon the starfruit may soon qualify for the category of endangered, since 50% of the range and the previous population size have been lost.
Bedstraw madder ( Galium rubioides)
This species is found in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Europe. The plant prefers wet areas such as swamps and streams. It has needle-shaped green leaves and the flowers can be green, yellow, or white. Bedstraw madder is grown because of its pleasant aroma and is widely used in the perfume and beverage industries. The plant grows up to 100 cm tall with broad leaves that can be up to 15-20 cm long. The fruits and roots are reddish in color.
Tulip late ( Tulipa tarda)
Late tulip is a perennial plant with green leaves and yellow flowers. This species is native to Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries and grows in rocky areas. Blooms in April and May. It grows from a bulb and has a leather tunic. The flowers are yellow with white tips, while the stamens and pistils are yellowish.
Kazakhstan is a country with a beautiful environment, but most of its native plants are threatened with extinction due to risks such as grazing and habitat loss due to human activity. best method Conservation of native flora is the first priority for the protection of plants at high risk of extinction.
The steppe zone is characterized by a flat landscape and a complete absence of trees. That's why, vegetable world represented mainly by herbs. In the temperate zone of Eurasia, grasses grow (varieties of feather grass, bluegrass, couch grass, legumes) and bulbous plants. Shrubs are rare. A powerful sod layer formed by the interlacing of grass rhizomes, as well as the duration of dry periods and lack of moisture, prevent the germination of tree seeds.
A video film about the steppes of Ukraine will help you get a better impression of the nature of the steppe zone of Eurasia.
In the spring, the steppe of the temperate zone strikes with a riot of colors: plants of the bulbous family bloom beautifully.
The most beautiful feather grass is the most common steppe plant of the cereal family, forming a sod layer. Ripened seeds, thanks to the awn attached to them, covered with a white edge, fly over long distances.
The “gray-haired” fields of flowering feather grass, a typical plant of the steppe, look very unusual.
The most typical representative of the steppe can rightfully be considered wheatgrass. This perennial herb has a very dense, tough rhizome that forms numerous shoots and penetrates even overdried soil. The height of wheatgrass in a favorable period reaches 1 m in height, during the flowering period the plant throws out an ear.
In the east of North America, meadow prairies are located, which are characterized by rich herbage, strong soil cover and instability of the alternation of drought and rainfall. The territory of the Great Plains is similar to the steppes of Eurasia and is rich in tall grasses. Here grow: feather grass, Gerardi bearded man, Gram grass, phloxes, dicots, asters. In the west, the prairies are drier, so the absolute majority of plants are low-growing cereals, wormwood, bulbous, and in the southern regions - cacti.
This is a turf grass that grows in the form of a bush, its roots contribute to the formation of turf. The height of the plant reaches 2.5 m in height, the leaf width is up to 1 cm. It is very decorative, it turns orange or dark red in autumn.
Pampas in South America low level average annual precipitation, have more sparse vegetation. They are characterized by grass-sedge herbage, alfalfa, barley, succulents, one of the subspecies of which are cacti. 
Steppe - a belt of plains in the temperate and subtropical regions, covered mainly with low grassy vegetation. The Eurasian steppe stretches for 8000 km from Hungary in the west through Ukraine, Russia and Central Asia to Manchuria in the east. Mountain ranges interrupt, dividing it into separate fragments.
Steppe soils are rich in minerals, but contain little organic matter due to little rain. The annual precipitation is approximately 960 mm (of which 460 mm is rain and 500 mm is snow) in the northern regions of the steppe and about 360 mm (of which 260 mm is rain and 100 mm is snow) in the south. Summer lasts from four to six months, with average temperatures around 21-23° C. Winter lasts for three to five months with temperatures ranging from -13° to 0° C. There are also few trees in the Steppe, so there are often strong and cold winds or dust storms.
Plant world of the steppe
The steppe flora usually consists of plants such as small shrubs and grasses that can withstand drought and lack of nutrients in the soil. There are also trees, but only along the banks of the rivers. Tall grasses growing up to one and a half meters in height are found near trees near water sources. Lower grasses - up to one meter in height - can be found in areas closer to deserts. Due to the dryness of vegetation, sometimes in summer time grass catches fire and fires spread very quickly, covering large areas.
Grasses predominate among the vegetation of the steppe, growing in small bunches, between which a bare soil cover is visible. Different types of feather grass are widespread, such as John's feather grass ( Stipa pennata). It often occupies vast territories. In densely overgrown areas of the steppe, species of feather grass flourish, characterized by a much larger size. On arid, infertile steppes, small species feather grass. Also found various kinds from the genus Tonkonog ( Koeleria). They grow everywhere in the steppes, but are especially common east of the Ural Mountains, and some species serve as excellent food for grazing.
Since the steppe is very diverse, the flora that grows in the steppes also varies greatly depending on the region. Regarding most plants, there is no general opinion as to which of them belong exclusively to the steppe species.
The flora of the steppe differs, for example, from the forest, in its resistance to heat and drought. The color of the plants is usually grayish or gray-green, the leaf plates are small, and the cuticles are thickened. In most steppe grasses, leaves have evolved adaptations to curl up in dry weather, protecting them from extreme moisture loss.
Among the steppe flora, there are plants that have an important economic importance. This is mainly fodder vegetation that grows in the steppe and forms pasture lands. Other valuable steppe plants for humans are melliferous and medicinal herbs. Cereals and legumes also deserve special attention, but among other plants united by the concept of forbs, there are also valuable species.
Below is a list of some plants of the steppe zone with a brief description and photo:
Common mullein
This biennial reaches one and a half meters in height, its leaves have felt pubescence. Spike inflorescences of mullein dotted yellow flowers. The flowering period lasts from July to September. All parts of the plant are widely used in medicine. Decoctions and infusions from the leaves are used as expectorants, analgesics, anticonvulsants.
Adonis spring
Spring Adonis is a rhizomatous perennial from the buttercup family. It tolerates strong temperature fluctuations well, and reaches 20 cm in height. The erect stems are covered with small green leaves. Bright yellow flowers stand out against their background. They open early in the morning and close in the afternoon, and on cloudy days they do not open at all. The flowering period is April - May. The life expectancy of a plant in one place is about 50 years. Adonis preparations are used in folk medicine more than a century with heart disease and diseases of the nervous system.
slender-legged crested
A representative of the cereal family prefers dry fields. The height of the thin-legged comb is 65 cm. The lower leaves are pubescent, the stems have a dense base. The inflorescence is an elongated panicle, the shade of which varies from green to silver. The plant bears fruit profusely. Infusions from the leaves have a wound-healing effect.
Schizonepeta multinotched
It is a good honey plant, grows on hillsides and meadows. The plant has a woody root and a simple stem, the height of which can exceed 60 cm. Pinnately dissected leaves have 3–5 lobes. Shizonepeta, or anise grass, blooms from June to August. Purple flowers collected in an ear. The plant has a high nectar productivity. Shizonepeta has been used in folk medicine for many centuries: a decoction is used as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory drug. The plant is part of the hypoallergenic cosmetics. In cooking, it is used as a seasoning, especially for fish dishes.
Iris leafless
Herbaceous perennial is considered a rare species, therefore. Iris, or iris, is found in thickets of steppe shrubs and along river valleys. The rhizome of the plant is short and creeping. The height of the peduncle is about 50 cm. The leaves, covered with a bluish bloom, appear later and grow higher than the peduncle. The flowers themselves are large, purple in color. The middle is colored yellow. You can admire the irises in late May - early June. The fruit is a box that opens with flaps. Some forms are characterized by remontance, that is, the ability to bloom again.
Cornflower blue
The plant belongs to the Compositae family. The period of his life can be one or two years. During this time, the cornflower is extended by 60 cm. The green mass is thin and pointed, covered with a felt coating, the lower leaves are trifoliate-lobed. Flower baskets are located singly. They are painted along the edges. blue color. Flowers in the middle of the plant are purple. The flowering period falls on June - July. This species is considered weed, its favorite habitat is rye crops. The fruits of the cornflower are smooth achenes with a red tuft. Marginal flowers, colored blue, are often harvested and dried. They are the basis for various medicinal collections. Seed powder is used to treat skin inflammations.
Bluegrass meadow
A perennial plant from the grass family very quickly builds up a dense turf. Withstands waterlogging, severe frosts and drought. Bluegrass reaches full development in the fourth year of life. The rhizome of the plant does not penetrate deeper than 100 cm, so bluegrass forms loose sods. The bright green leaves are narrow and rough. Spikelets form a pyramidal panicle. Meadow grass meadow is a valuable pasture plant. It is high-yielding, rich in proteins and vitamins.
White sweet clover
A biennial from the legume family reaches a height of 2 m. The root is taproot, up to two meters deep. Excellent honey plant. The plant is photophilous and very cold-resistant. The leaves are trifoliate, small white flowers are collected in brushes. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and acidic soils; arid, stony and saline steppes are an ideal place for growing sweet clover. The flowering period falls on June - August, even in dry summers the plant produces a lot of nectar. White sweet clover is widely used in medicine as an antiseptic, anticonvulsant, analgesic and hypotensive agent.
steppe sage
The perennial plant prefers meadows and grassy slopes of the steppe and. The height of the pubescent stems is 80 cm. It blooms in the second year after planting. purple flowers collected in a tall inflorescence. These bright brushes stand out noticeably against the background of green grass. Sage blooms from May to July. The aerial part of the plant is used in medicine and cosmetology. The leaves of the plant are used as a medicinal raw material. They have anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. In folk medicine, it is used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of internal organs.
Feather grass
A perennial herbaceous plant belongs to the grass family. The height of an adult plant is 80 cm. A special feature is silver panicle inflorescences. The feather grass forms a thick turf. The plant has succulent stems, so it is actively used as feed for sheep and horses. The fruit, a caryopsis, is equipped with upwardly directed hairs and a special awn. It spreads seeds hundreds of meters from the mother plant.
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Vegetation
The Rostov region is occupied by two zones of vegetation: feather grass steppe zone And semi-desert zone, or wormwood-fescue steppes. The first occupies most of the region, and the second - only the extreme southeast (in the upper reaches of the Sal and Manych). Steppes are called vast flat spaces covered with grassy vegetation, well adapted to the conditions of an arid climate. Here is how A.P. Chekhov described them in the story “The Steppe”: “Before the eyes of those who were traveling there was a wide, endless plain intercepted by a chain of hills. Crowding and peering out from behind each other, these hills merge into a hill that stretches to the right of the road to the very horizon and disappears into the purple distance; you go, you go and you can’t make out where it begins and where it ends.”
Feather-grass steppes in the past occupied large areas on the Don. At present, they are almost completely plowed up. In order to restore the picture of real steppe vegetation, we must turn to those few areas of steppe virgin lands that are still preserved in various parts of the region. Some of them are registered and protected.
Vegetation map of the Rostov region
Up to 400 species of various herbs and shrubs grow in the virgin steppes of the Don. The main cover is formed turf cereals growing in dense turf bushes: feather grass, fescue And celleria. Are of lesser importance rhizomatous cereals: bonfires, wheatgrass And bluegrass angustifolia.
In addition, growing in the steppe legumes: yellow alfalfa,fine-leaved vetch, sainfoin, licorice and others. These are valuable fodder grasses. Found in abundance in the steppes forbs: drooping sage And steppe (cornflowers),adonis (Adonis),steppe peony (voronets), steppe aster (sage),Tumbleweed: katrans, kermeks, swing and others, and in the downed places - wormwood.
tipchak
Alfalfa
drooping sage
A special group is made up of early spring plants with a short period of development: ephemera (annual)— beetroot,ranunculus and others as well ephemeroids (perennials)— bluegrass bulbous (thin-legged),tulips, goose bows, crocus and some others.
Buttercup
Tulip
Ephedra (Kalmyk raspberry)
Bulbous mint (thin-legged)
Wild almond (bean)
goose bow
In drier steppes are common shrubs — romantic (feverfew) And rods (outstretched kochia).
From bushes grow on flat ground wild almond (bean) And dereza (Siberian), along the beams - turn, and in drier places - shrub-ephedra (Kalmyk raspberry).
From the group of "lower" plants there are mosses, seaweed nostoc, lichens And mushrooms.
Steppe plants are well adapted to a dry climate: they have a number of adaptations that reduce evaporation. However, they strongly evaporate water, which protects them from overheating by the sun. A powerful root system serves them to supply water from great depths.
During the hottest hours of the day, evaporation exceeds the intake of water from the soil, and without protective devices, the plant may die. That is why some herbs have very narrow, hard leaves that roll up into a tube in dry weather (feather grass, fescue), others are densely covered with hairs (steppe aster, wormwood) or a wax coating. Only early spring plants do not have any adaptations to retain moisture. They finish development before the onset of drought.
The zone of feather grass steppes on the Don is divided into two subzones. The northern and western parts of the region are subzone of forb-feather grass steppes. The soils here are chernozem, precipitation is up to 500 mm. There are a lot of forbs and legumes in these steppes. There are few ephemera. The herbage is thick and tall.
During the growing season, the steppe changes its appearance several times. There is a rapid change of colorful pictures (change of aspects). Already at the end of March-April, against the brown background of the steppe, yellow islets of adonis (Adonis) and yellow stars of goose onions appear, a little later - purple and yellow irises (cockerels), and in some steppes in huge number blooming red and yellow tulips.
From the end of April and most of May the steppe is green. During this period, shrubs bloom: wild almonds (bean), blackthorn and dereza - pink, white and yellow spots. Fiery red steppe peonies bloom. Bulbous bluegrass develops from cereals at this time.
Around May 20, mass flowering of feather grass begins, and the steppe becomes white. With great artistic power, M. A. Sholokhov conveys the beauty of the steppe at this time in the novel “Quiet Flows the Don”: “The feather grass has matured. The steppe was clad in swaying silver for many versts. The wind resiliently crushed it, swooping in, roughening it, driving gray-opal waves first to the south, then to the west. Where flowing air ran
stream, the feather-grass bent prayerfully, and for a long time a blackening path lay on its gray ridge. Against the feather grass background, large blue islands of drooping sage and vetch stand out, white fragrant balls of katrans, pink flowers thyme and many other flowering plants.
In the second half of June, the grasses begin to turn brown, but the steppe is still motley. Blue thickets of steppe sage, yellow thickets of alfalfa, pink islands of sainfoin, balls of some tumbleweeds and a number of other plants bloom.
In early July, most of the plants fade, and the steppe becomes brown. Only in rainy years, when the tyrsa feather grass develops strongly, does it remain golden-green in places. At the same time, late tumbleweeds bloom: purple balls of kermek and others. In September the steppe is brown. This monotony is broken by the flowering of the steppe aster, wormwood and a few other plants. At the end of November - in December the steppe is covered with snow.
Feather Lessing
Sainfoin
less colorful subzone of fescue-feather grass steppes. It occupies the eastern part of the region, with the exception of the extreme southeast. The soils here are dark chestnut and chestnut, precipitation falls from 400 to 300 mm.
Of the cereal grasses, fescue and feather grass predominate, there are few forbs. Subshrubs, chamomile and prostrate kochia are common. There are much more ephemera here. Herbage is sparse and low. Thickets of shrubs are found only along the beams.
The southeastern regions of the region are occupied by wormwood-fescue steppes, or semi-deserts. There is little precipitation here - up to 300 mm. Light chestnut soils with spots of solonetzes predominate. Fescue, gray wormwood, chamomile, steppe aster, and prutnyak grow. The herbage is low and sparse. On salt licks, the herbage is even more sparse. Fescue, white and black wormwood and others grow here.
depressions- small rounded depressions - have dark-colored soils and bright juicy greens. The herbage on them is dense and tall. It is dominated by couch grass, pontic wormwood, licorice.
Reed (bulrush)
Kamysh (Kuga)
Soleros
Vegetation cover Don floodplain (zaimishcha) heterogeneous: here grow and meadow, And marsh, And aquatic, And saline grasses.
Meadow vegetation consists of grasses, mainly couch grass, various sedges, legumes - vetch, clover, licorice and meadow forbs - watercress, plakun-grass (lossweed), sorrel.
swamp vegetation occupies large areas along the lower reaches of the Don and in the floodplains of other rivers. Reed (bulrush) And reeds (kuga) form huge thickets here. They also grow in swampy areas. cattail (chakan), iris (cockerels),calamus, various sedge and others. For salt marshes, formed in the floodplains of rivers and near salt lakes, are characteristic soleros,sweda, kermeks, saline wormwood, shrub sarsazan, bush tamarisk and a number of others.
In river floodplains, part of the land is occupied by hayfields and pastures, and part is plowed under garden and other crops. Some swamp grasses are used for economic purposes: reed and reeds are used to make reed slabs and others. Construction Materials. From the cane you can get a protein paste - a valuable animal feed, as well as cellulose.
weed plants, which grow in the fields, bring great harm agriculture. This thistle field, couch grass, colza (field mustard),kurai, mice, amaranth, dodder, bindweed and many others. The main measures to combat them are proper tillage and care. cultivated plants. Recently applied chemicals weed control, so-called herbicides.
Surepka
Kurai
Many wild plants are used to make medicines. These include calamus, lily of the valley, spring adonis, celandine, shepherd's purse, gray jaundice, licorice, medicinal sweet clover, marshmallow, oregano, motherwort, black henbane, elecampane, yarrow, medicinal chamomile, coltsfoot, medicinal dandelion and other.
honey plants serve: sweet clover, alfalfa, sainfoin, clover, colza, sage, thyme, bruise, oregano.
Lesov there are few in the Rostov region: they occupy only about three percent of the territory. They grow in the northern part of the region, mainly in the upper reaches of the beams and floodplains.
Celandine
Altey
Oregano
Melilot officinalis
Adonis (spring)
Valerian
Jaundice gray
Clover
Thyme
Scaffolding located in beams is called ravine. They consist of oak, ash, maple, elm, linden, aspen, pear, apple, as well as shrubs: black maple, viburnum, buckthorn, euonymus, privet, elderberry. Blackthorn, wild rose, hawthorn and others grow along the edges.
floodplain forests the composition of tree species is similar to ravine. Grow in damp places aspen, aspen, alder And and you.
There are no ravine forests in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Thickets grow here along the banks of the rivers willow, and in the beams - turn.
In the eastern regions of the region, forests grow in floodplains in only a few places. There are no ravine forests at all. Thickets of shrubs are found only along the beams.
Much attention is paid to artificial afforestation on the Don. Several forestries, forestries and more than three dozen forest protection stations of the region create new forests and forest belts on sandy massifs, on the banks of reservoirs, on the slopes of ravines and gullies. Trees protect the fields from destructive dry winds, help to accumulate moisture in the soil, strengthen the banks of rivers and reservoirs, the slopes of gullies and ravines, and stop the movement of sand.
In recent years, much has been done to create state forest belts that run in our region along the banks of the Don (from Voronezh to Rostov) and the Northern Donets (from Belgorod to the confluence with the Don). The third lane goes along the watershed of two tributaries of the Don - Khopra and Medveditsa - from Penza to Kamensk.
forest plantations have great value. They not only have a beneficial effect on natural conditions, but also improve and decorate the life of a Soviet person. That is why the Law on Nature Protection requires the conservation and enhancement of tree and shrub vegetation.
Natural herbaceous vegetation also affects the climate, the water regime of rivers, and enriches the soil.
It also has great economic importance: it serves as a food base for animals, provides medicinal and technical raw materials. Therefore, on pastures, it is necessary to observe the timing of grazing, overseeding of grasses in order to improve the herbage, etc.
Over the past decades, hundreds of thousands of hectares of virgin lands have been plowed up in our region. Wheat crops, orchards and vineyards are now spread over these areas.
But this does not mean that we do not value the natural steppe vegetation and do not protect it. Currently, wildlife sanctuaries have been created in many districts of the region. Here you can only mow hay. There are such reserves in Malchevsky, Salsky, Zimovnikovsky, Remontnensky and other areas. In addition, near the station Persianovka to the north of Novocherkassk, on the territory of the Donskoy Agricultural Institute, there is a protected area of the steppe.
Residents of cities and villages, and schoolchildren in the first place, should take care of the natural resources of the region, protect forests from fires and predatory cuttings. Nature is a national wealth, and everyone should love and protect it.
Questions and tasks.
1. What vegetation zone is our area in? Name the main types of natural vegetation.
2. What useful plants available in your area?
3. What tree species do windbreaks and forests consist of? Do you care for them, do you protect them?
4. Are there places in your district that are declared nature reserves? Take a tour there and collect plants for the herbarium.
5. What activities could your school take to protect protected areas?
https://linkyou.ru/ linkyou.ru.
What plants grow in the steppe?
- Mountain steppes with lush alpine vegetation and high mountains, characterized by sparse and inconspicuous vegetation, mainly consisting of grains and breakwort.
- Meadow. Steppes, characterized by the presence of small forests that form glades and edges.
- Real. Steppes with feather grass and fescue growing on them in great predominance. These are the most typical steppe plants.
- Saz - steppes, consisting of plants that adapt to an arid climate, shrubs.
- Desert steppes on which desert grasses grow tumbleweed, wormwood, prutnyak
- It is also necessary to say a few words about the forest-steppes, which are characterized by the alternation of deciduous forests and coniferous forests with areas of steppes, since the plants of the steppe and forest-steppe differ only in subspecies.
The steppe has its embodiment on any continent except Antarctica, and on different continents it has its own name: in North America it is the prairie, in South America it is the pampas (pampas), in South America, Africa and Australia it is the savannah. In New Zealand, the steppe is called Tussoki.
Let us consider in more detail which plants grow in the steppe.
Plant species of the steppe
- Krupka. This is an annual plant of the cruciferous family, growing in the highlands and in the tundra. There are about 100 varieties of grains, typical for our steppes. It is characterized by a branched stem with oblong leaves, crowned with tassels of yellow flowers. Flowering period April - July. In folk herbal medicine, krupka is used as a hemostatic, expectorant and diuretic.
- Breaker. It is also an annual plant, about 25 cm long and with oblong leaves, many flower arrows, each of which ends in an inflorescence consisting of tiny white flowers. Prolomnik is used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic and hemostatic, as well as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy.
- Poppy. Depending on the species, it is an annual or perennial herb with flower buds on long peduncles. It grows on rocky slopes, near mountain streams and rivers, in fields, along roads. And although poppies are poisonous, they are widely used in herbal medicine as a sedative and hypnotic for insomnia, as well as for some diseases of the intestines and bladder.
- Tulips are perennial herbaceous plants of the steppe of the lily family with large and bright flowers. They mainly grow in semi-desert, desert and mountainous areas.
- Astragalus. This plant has more than 950 species of various colors and shades, growing in desert and dry steppes, in the forest zone and in alpine meadows. It is widely used for edema, dropsy, gastroenteritis, diseases of the spleen, as a tonic, as well as for headaches and hypertension.
- Feather grass. It is also a variety of herbs. There are more than 60 of them, and the most common of them is the feather grass. It is a perennial plant of the grass family. The feather grass grows up to 1 meter tall with smooth stems and spinous leaves. Stipa is used as a decoction in milk for goiter and paralysis.
- Mullein. This is a large (up to 2 m) plant with hairy leaves and large yellow flowers. Studies of the plant have shown the presence of many useful substances in its flowers, such as flavonoids, saponins, coumarin, gum, essential oil, aucubin glycoside, the content of ascorbic acid and carotene. Therefore, the plant is actively used as a food additive in salads and hot dishes, drinks are prepared, and they are also eaten fresh.
- Melissa officinalis. It is a perennial tall herb with a pronounced lemon scent. The stems of the plant are crowned with bluish-lilac flowers, which are collected in false rings. Lemon balm leaves contain essential oil, ascorbic acid, and some organic acids.
- Camel's thorn is a semi-shrub, up to 1 meter in height, with a powerful root system, bare stems with long spines and red (pink) flowers.
The camel's thorn is widespread in the riverine space, grows along ditches and canals, on wastelands and irrigated lands. The plant contains many vitamins, some organic acids, rubber, resins, tannins, essential oil, as well as carotene and wax. A decoction of the plant is used for colitis, gastritis and stomach ulcers.
- Sagebrush. It is a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant found almost everywhere. The whole plant has a straight stem with thin pinnately divided leaves and yellowish flowers collected in inflorescences. Wormwood is used as spicy plant and the essential oil is used in perfumery and cosmetics. Wormwood is also important as a fodder plant for livestock.
- So, we have considered only some types of steppe plants. And, of course, the differences in the landscape leave their mark on the appearance of the herbs growing on it, but, nevertheless, some general properties. So steppe plants are characterized by:
- Branched root system
- bulb roots
- Fleshy stems and thin, narrow leaves
Even more interesting
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What is STEP?
Steppes are the most species-rich communities of drought-resistant plants - xerophytes. They are common where the climate is warm but there is not enough rainfall to allow a forest to grow. Steppes - "a type of vegetation represented by a community of drought-resistant perennial herbaceous plants with a predominance of turf grasses, less often sedges and onions." If we analyze the geographical distribution of steppe landscapes on the globe, we will find -
Xia that the most typical steppes are formed in the inner regions of the mainland. Steppe zones of the temperate zones of the northern and southern hemispheres, characterized by a dry climate, treeless watersheds, dominance of herbaceous, predominantly cereal vegetation on chernozem, dark chestnut and chestnut soils.
The area is dominated by steppes, which are changed by pasture digression and represent short-grass pasture communities with dominance of fescue and sagebrush. Small fragments of the hay-growing variants of the steppe have been preserved, among which the southern, northern and central variants are distinguished, which represents the transition between the northern and southern ones. In the steppes of the central variant, if they are not disturbed by grazing, feather grass-pinnate, Zelessky, narrow-leaved are common. In addition, there are fescue and forbs are very abundantly represented. The steppe also includes shrubs - caragana, spirea, gorse, broom.
In addition to the mountain steppes, solonetzic steppes have been preserved in small fragments on the plain, which usually include wormwood Lerkha, Gmelin's kermek, and false couch grass. For the steppe on gravelly soils, it is characteristic
the participation of species - petrophytes, i.e. stone-loving ones - protozoa, thyme, mountain grate, Siberian cornflower and others. Such steppes are especially easily destroyed by pasture digression. The yield of steppe hayfields is up to 4-5 q/ha
Hay, the productivity of steppe pastures as a result of overgrazing is low and amounts to no more than 15-20 c/ha of green mass
throughout the pasture period. According to the classification, according to the research of Professor Mirkin B.M. , all the steppes of the Republic of Bashkortostan can be divided into two main types - meadow and typical. Meadows are common in the forest-steppe zone, and in the steppe zone they gravitate towards the slopes of the northern exposure.
Typical steppes occupy areas in the steppe zone of the republic.
Mordovnik ball-headed
A biennial or perennial herb from the Asteraceae family. The height of the plant reaches 1.5 m. The stem is single, straight, branched at the top. It is covered with glandular hairs. The leaves are twice pinnately dissected, large, 10 to 25 cm long and 4 to 10 cm wide. Rosette leaves with a petiole, the rest are sessile, amplexicaul. From above they are green, and from below they are covered with white felt, there are small spines along the edges. The flowers are collected in spherical inflorescences, they are bluish-white in color. Spherical heads have a diameter of 4-5cm. Seed fruits. It grows in river valleys, among shrubs, on the edges of island forests, in wastelands.
The plant population on the Roman-gora hill is represented by single plants. Occasionally there are "islands" of 5-10 plants. In general, the plants are in good vital condition.
Yarrow
Perennial herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. A plant with an upright stem. In the conditions of Belarus, its height ranges from 48 to 72 cm. Several shoots of stems depart from a thin creeping rhizome. The leaves are basal - lanceolate, doubly pinnately dissected into narrow small slices. Stem leaves shorter, pinnately dissected.
Stem leaves are shorter, pinnately dissected, divided into a large number of lobules. The inflorescence is corymbose, consisting of many flower baskets. The flowers are small, white, pink-purple or reddish. Blooms in June-August, a very long time.
It grows on the hill everywhere, where there are patches of meadow steppe. It is especially common on the southern side of the slope in gentle places, where cattle graze more often and closer to the Asly-Udryak river.
Asparagus officinalis
Perennial herbaceous plant from the lily family. The stem of asparagus is erect, reaching a height of up to 150 cm, strongly branched. The branches on the stem depart at an acute angle. The leaves are reduced to scales, modified shoots resembling leaves are formed in the axils of the stem. Underground stem straight, smooth. It is juicy, etiolated, forming shoots extending from the rhizome. These stems are used as vegetable plant. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow. Perianth of six petals with 6 stamens.
The fruit is a red globular berry. Blooms in June - July. Asparagus grows in meadows, among thickets of shrubs, and is also found in the steppe, on the slopes of the mountains.
It is quite rare in the study area. Found in areas adjacent to the forest belt and located between rows of trees inside the forest belt. The population is represented by single plants.
Adonis spring
Perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family. Adonis has a two-stroke development - at the beginning
Early flowering is different, and then the stem and leaves are formed. Flower early in spring - from the end of April, in May. A bush in which there are up to 20-30 pieces of flowers blooms from 40 to 50 days. The very first flowers, as a rule, are large, but they are pale yellow, golden, apical, solitary, abundantly visited by bees. Adonis at the beginning of flowering has a bush height of 10 to 15 cm, and in the fruiting phase it reaches 30-70 cm. In each bush, there are from 2 to 15 generative and from 4 to 23 vegetative shoots.
Found throughout the study area. The population consists of more than 150 plants that are in good vital condition.
Budra ivy
Perennial, herbaceous plant from the mint family. Budra has a creeping and branched stem, it takes root, forming new stems. The leaves are petiolate, opposite, crenate-toothed, rounded kidney-shaped. They are covered with hairs. Flowers 3-4 pcs. located in the axils of the middle stem leaves, they are small, two-lipped, violet-blue or bluish-lilac in color. Pedicels 4-5 times shorter than the calyx, equipped with subulate bracts. The calyx is covered with hairs; its teeth are triangular, finely pointed. The height of the rising stems ranges from 10 to 40 cm. It blooms in May-June.
It grows along the ravine and on the south side of the slope. Numerous population, studied at the beginning of flowering.
St. John's wort
A perennial herbaceous plant from the St. John's wort family. The stem is straight, 45 to 80 cm high, glabrous, with two faces. Leaves oblong-ovate, entire, opposite, sessile. Translucent dotted receptacles are scattered on the leaves, which resemble holes - hence the name - perforated.
The flowers are numerous, golden yellow in color, collected in a broadly paniculate, almost corymbose inflorescence. The sepals are acute with an entire margin. Petals twice as long as the sepals, blooms in June-July. The fruit is a three-celled multi-seeded basket, opens with 3 valves. The rhizome is thin, several stems depart from it.
Found only in one place on the eastern gently sloping side of the hill. Presented by 8-15 plants.
Veronica oak
Perennial herbaceous plant. Keeps green shoots all year round. The leaves are arranged oppositely, in the axils of the brush are not regular flowers. The flower has 2 stamens and 1 pistil. The fruit of Veronica is a flattened box.
Grows in meadow areas of the steppe of the study area. Plants are evenly distributed among other species. Often found on the outskirts of the forest belt.
Awnless bonfire
Belongs to the grass family. It has smooth stems, reaching a height of one meter. The leaves are flat and wide. Spikelets are collected in an inflorescence - a sprawling panicle. Bonfire is not bad fodder grass, blooms from late May to June. From the creeping rhizome, many high erect shoots of peduncles depart.
In plant communities, the hill is a species that forms the environment, because. occurs uniformly often almost everywhere.
sporysh
Annual, herbaceous plant from the buckwheat family. A small plant with a height of 10 to 40 cm. It has straight stems, prostrate, branched. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate, small, with a short spine.
The flowers are in the axils of the leaves, distributed evenly throughout the plant. The corolla of the flower is pale pink. The fruit is a trihedral nut. It blooms from May to October. It grows along the roads, on the streets, in the yards, on pastures. On pastures where there is a large load of livestock, all types of plants suffer, only knotweed remains.
This species is well expressed at the foot of the hill from the side of the river and animal stalls. Almost never found in the main system.
Common colza
Herbaceous plant from the cruciferous family. Bright green rosettes of colza from bizarre lyre-shaped. pinnately dissected leaves are seen in large numbers in the fields plowed last autumn. Blooms in May-June. With an abundance of sun and moisture from the melted snow, a flower-bearing shoot with a brush of yellow flowers quickly stretches near the colza. The fruit is multi-seeded, opening with two valves. Good honey plant.
It grows unevenly in the vegetation cover of the hill and is found in a large way from the side of the field, located closer to the eastern slope.
Kozelets purple
Hemicarps at the base with a hollow swollen leg, 12 mm long, ribbed, light gray. Stems erect and ascending, furrowed, simple and branching. Basal leaves on long petioles, pinnate and dissected, with narrow linear lateral segments. Baskets are cylindrical, the involucre is slightly cobweb, then naked, its leaves are lanceolate, sometimes with a horn-shaped appendage. Flowers yellow, marginal reddish on the outside.
It grows on a hill on the lawns between the trees of the forest belt. It occurs moderately often, the population consists of single plants that are located at a relatively small distance from each other - from 40 to 60 cm.
Karagan
Belongs to the legume family. Shrub with gray straight thin branches, with four contiguous obovate leaves with a wedge-shaped base and thorns at the top; flowers are golden yellow with a wide obovate sail, blunt boat, concentrated 2-3 on single peduncles, which are twice as long as the calyx, pods up to 3 cm long, glabrous, cylindrical, 1-4 seeds.
Grows mainly on the western slope of the mountain, in a ravine and a ravine adjoining it with north side.
Nonea dark
Belongs to the borage family. The whole plant is covered with protruding stiff hairs and sparse glandular ones. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, the lower ones are narrowed in petioles, the rest are sessile, semi-amplex. Bracts lanceolate, longer than flowers, dark red-brown. The calyx is bell-shaped, incised to one part. The lobes of the calyx are lanceolate. Nuts are reticulate-wrinkled.
It grows everywhere on the hill, it was studied and determined at the beginning of flowering.
Bell
Belongs to the bell family. Flowers numerous, in large branched inflorescence. Corolla funnel-shaped bell-shaped, blue or white. Stem with dense foliage. The leaves are large-serrate, glabrous or pubescent.
Grows in communities of studied plants between cereal plants. It is rare, there are only about 30 plants counted in the population.
Veronica longifolia
Belongs to the family Norichnikovye. The leaves are unequally serrated to the very top, with finely pointed,
Simple or to the base of the b.ch. double serrations, oblong or linear-lanceolate, acute at the base, heart-shaped or rounded, often whorled. The inflorescence is a terminal dense raceme, lengthening up to 25 cm, sometimes with several lateral racemes; flowers on pedicels, almost equal to calyxes. Corolla blue about 6 mm. Long, with a hairy tube inside. The whole plant is glabrous or with short grayish pubescence.
The distribution of this plant in the studied ecosystem is moderately rare. Grows as individual plants or 2-3 individuals.
Violet amazing
Belongs to the violet family. Stem up to 30 cm.
height. The petioles of large broad-heart-shaped stem leaves are grooved, pubescent only on the convex, downward-facing hairs. Stipules of stem leaves are large, entire, stipules are large, rusty-red.
On the hill grows in places with low grasses or among low grass cover, likes stony areas of the surface.
forest anemone
Ranunculaceae family. Perennial. Stem leaves not fused, similar to basal leaves, short-haired. Flowers are yellow-white.
It grows in small "families" between pine trees and separately on open slopes on the eastern and northern sides of the Roman-gora hill.
field bindweed
Belongs to the bindweed family. Naked or scattered drooping plant with recumbent, creeping or climbing shoots. Flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter, usually collected in 2-3 or solitary. Bracts in the form of a pair of small linear leaflets are located oppositely in the middle of the pedicel, do not reach the calyx. Corolla pink, rarely white.
Grows in areas with other meadow plants from the side of the ravine and the river.
Onosma Preduralskaya
Belongs to the borage family. Pedicels very short, much shorter than the bracts. The whole plant is hard-rough. The stem is straight, simple, rarely branched, covered with stiff, erect bristles and dense down. Basal leaves are numerous, petiolate, linear, stem sessile, linear-lanceolate.
Likes open sunny places with rocky soil. Grows in crowded bushes. Very interesting during the flowering period. There are not many plants on the Roman-mountain hill on the south side. Numerical accounting showed about 20 plants.
Wormwood flat
Belongs to the Compositae family. The root is vertical, woody, developing branched flower-bearing shoots and straight ribbed reddening branched flower-bearing stems. Leaves of sterile shoots and lower stem leaves are twice-, thrice-pinnately dissected, their lobules are narrowly linear 3-10 mm long, slightly pointed, middle and upper stem leaves are sessile, bracts are short, narrowly linear. The outer leaflets of the involucre are oval, almost round, convex, green along the back, the inner ones along the edge are broadly membranous-marginated.
Well expressed as a cover plant on the southern slope of Roman-gora hill. Plants are smaller than usual, indicating oppression by grazing pressure.
Plants of the steppe zone
The VEGETATION of the steppes consists of various herbs that can tolerate drought. In some plants, the stems and leaves are strongly pubescent or have a developed wax coating; others have stiff stems covered with narrow leaves that curl up in the dry season (cereals); still others have fleshy and juicy stems and leaves with a supply of moisture. Some plants have a deep root system or form tubers, bulbs, rhizomes.
The steppe zone is one of the main land biomes. Under the influence, first of all, of climatic factors, zonal features of biomes were formed. The steppe zone is characterized by a hot and arid climate during most of the year, and in spring there is a sufficient amount of moisture, so the steppes are characterized by the presence of a large number of ephemera and ephemeroids among plant species, and many animals are also confined to a seasonal lifestyle, falling into hibernation in arid and cold season.
Steppe almond. Photo: Sirpa Tahkamo
The steppe zone is represented in Eurasia by the steppes, in North America by the prairies, in South America by the pampas, and in New Zealand by the Tussock communities. These are spaces of the temperate zone, occupied by more or less xerophilous vegetation. From the point of view of the conditions for the existence of the animal population, the steppes are characterized by the following features: a good view, an abundance of plant food, a relatively dry summer period, the existence of a summer period of rest or, as it is now called, semi-rest. In this respect, steppe communities differ sharply from forest communities. Among the predominant life forms of steppe plants, cereals stand out, the stems of which are crowded into turfs - turf grasses. In the Southern Hemisphere, such turfs are called Tussocks. Tussocks are very tall and their leaves are less rigid than those of the tufts of steppe grasses of the Northern Hemisphere, since the climate of communities close to the steppes of the Southern Hemisphere is milder.
Rhizome grasses that do not form turfs, with single stems on creeping underground rhizomes, are more widely distributed in the northern steppes, in contrast to turf grasses, whose role in the Northern Hemisphere increases towards the south.
Among the dicotyledonous herbaceous plants, two groups stand out - the northern colorful forbs and the southern colorless. Colorful forbs are characterized by a mesophilic appearance and large bright flowers or inflorescences, for southern, colorless forbs - a more xerophilic appearance - pubescent stems into leaves, often leaves are narrow or finely dissected, flowers are inconspicuous, dim.
Typical for the steppes are annual ephemera, which fade in the spring after flowering and die off, and perennial ephemeroids, in which, after the death of the ground parts, tubers, bulbs, and underground rhizomes remain. Colchicum is peculiar, which develops foliage in the spring, when there is still a lot of moisture in the steppe soils, retains only underground organs for the summer, and in autumn, when the whole steppe looks lifeless, yellowed, gives bright lilac flowers (hence its name).
The steppe is characterized by shrubs, often growing in groups, sometimes solitary. These include spireas, caragans, steppe cherries, steppe almonds, and sometimes some types of juniper. The fruits of many shrubs are eaten by animals.
Xerophilous mosses, fruticose and scale lichens, sometimes blue-green algae from the genus Nostok grow on the soil surface. During the summer dry period, they dry up, after rains they come to life and assimilate.
In the steppe there are plants that are rather nondescript, perhaps that is why they are unfamiliar to many: grits and daggers.
They appear among the first on dry ridges, sand mounds, hills and hills.
Krupka from the cruciferous family is most often found in the highlands and in the tundra. The total number of its species in our country reaches one hundred. The most common are Siberian grains (found in meadows, dry tundra, alpine and subalpine lawns almost throughout the country, including the Arctic and the mountain systems of Central Asia and Siberia), as well as oak grains (widely distributed, except for the Arctic, in fields, dry meadows and steppes). Outwardly, these grains are very similar to each other.
Krupka oakwood is an annual plant with a branched, leafy stem up to 20 centimeters tall, in the lower part of which there is a basal rosette of oblong leaves, and in the upper part there are loose tassels of yellowish flowers. It blooms in April-July. The chemical composition of grains has been poorly studied, it is only known that alkaloids are contained in the aerial part. The plant was used in folk herbal medicine as a hemostatic agent along with the shepherd's purse. It is believed that the aerial part, together with the seeds, has an expectorant and antitussive effect, as a result of which it is used for whooping cough and various bronchial diseases. An infusion of herbs is popular as an external remedy for various skin diseases(rashes and others), especially of allergic origin in children (at the same time, they take an infusion or decoction of herbs externally and internally as a blood purifier) o Plant seeds are popular in Chinese medicine, which are used as an expectorant and diuretic.
Krupka Siberian is a perennial with dark yellow flowers. Deserves, like the oak groats, study for medical purposes.
There are 35 species of primroses from the family of primroses in our country, distributed mainly in the mountains of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia. The most common is the northern breakwort - a small, up to 25 centimeters, annual plant with a basal rosette of medium-sized oblong leaves and, as a rule, numerous, up to 20 pieces, flower arrows up to 25 centimeters high, each of which ends with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, consisting of 10-30 tiny white flowers. There is a northern breakwater almost throughout the country - in the forest-steppe, steppe, forest and polar-arctic zones: on upland and steppe meadows, rocky slopes, in sparse pine and other forests, and he especially loves it. willingly occupies plowed clearings and deposits like a weed.
The plant has long been used for medicinal purposes by the people of our country. Recently, medicine has been studying the possibility of obtaining contraceptive (contraceptive) drugs from it. The conducted studies have given nice results- the age-old folk experience of using the prolomnik was fully confirmed. It is believed that the prolomnik has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, its decoction or paste is used for leucorrhoea in women and gonorrhea in men, hernia and goiter, gastralgia, urolithiasis, especially widely - with sore throat (gargle and take it orally). Prolomnik is also known to be used as an anticonvulsant in epilepsy and eclampsia (seizures, including in children), as well as a diuretic and hemostatic agent.
The grits are oak. Photo: Matt Lavin
Tumbleweeds are a peculiar life form of steppe plants. This life form includes plants that break off at the root collar as a result of drying out, less often - rotting, and are carried by the wind across the steppe; at the same time, sometimes rising into the air, sometimes hitting the ground, they scatter the seeds. In general, the wind plays a significant role in the transfer of seeds of steppe plants. There are a lot of flying plants here. The role of the wind is great not only in the pollination of plants, but the number of species in the pollination of which insects take part is less here than in forests.
Features of steppe plants:
but) small leaves. The leaves of steppe grasses are narrow, not wider than 1.5-2 mm. In dry weather, they are folded lengthwise, and their evaporative surface becomes even smaller (adaptation to reduce evaporation). In some steppe plants, leaf blades are very small (bedstraws, kachima, thyme, gerbils, saltworts), in others they are divided into the thinnest slices and segments (gills, adonis, etc.).
b) pubescence. A whole group of steppe plants creates a special "microclimate" for itself due to abundant pubescence. Many species of astragalus, sage and others protect themselves from the sun's rays with the help of pubescence and thus fight drought.
c) wax coating. Many use a layer of wax or other waterproof substance that is secreted from the skin. This is another adaptation of steppe plants to drought. It is possessed by plants with a smooth, shiny surface of the leaves: spurges, gills, Russian cornflower, etc.
d) The special position of the leaves. Avoiding overheating, some steppe grasses (naeolovaty, serpuhi, chondrils) place their leaves edge to the sun. And such a steppe weed as wild lettuce generally orients its leaves in a north-south vertical plane, representing a kind of living compass.
e) Coloring. Among the summer steppe grasses, there are few bright green plants, the leaves and stems of most of them are painted in dull, faded colors. This is another adaptation of steppe plants that helps them protect themselves from excessive lighting and overheating (wormwood).
e) Powerful root system. root system 10-20 times greater than above-ground organs in mass. There are many so-called soddy cereals in the steppe. These are feather grass, fescue, thin-legged, wheatgrass. They form dense tufts, having a diameter of 10 cm or more. Turf contains a lot of remnants of old stems and leaves and has a remarkable ability to intensively absorb melt and rain water and retain it for a long time.
g) Ephemera and ephemeroids. These plants develop in the spring when the soil is sufficiently moist. Thus, they have time to fade and bear fruit before the onset of the dry period (tulips, irises, saffron, goose onions, adonis, etc.).