Decorative bow: types, planting, care, reproduction. Plants with spherical inflorescences - the highlights of country beds

Globularia (Globularia) or Sharovnitsa is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Plantain family ( Plantaginaceae). The genus includes more than 20 species that grow in the northwestern part of Africa, central and southern parts of Europe, southwestern Asia, the Caucasus, and the Crimea. Among the representatives of this genus there are herbaceous plants, shrubs and shrubs.

The plant owes its name to the original spherical inflorescence, which is characteristic of all representatives of this genus. Most wild species inflorescences are blue or blue-violet, although varieties with pink and white inflorescences are currently bred.

The leaves are rigid, on short petioles, collected in rosettes. In nature, it is found on stony soils, dry plains, light forests, preferring slightly alkaline soil.

Globularia creeping (G. repens). An evergreen semi-shrub that forms a dense curtain up to 5 cm tall. Flowers lavender- of blue color bloom in May-June and bloom for 1 month. The plant is drought-resistant, frost-resistant, not demanding on soil conditions. Decorativeness depends on the illumination, so you should choose an open sunny place for planting. This type perfect for alpine slides.

Globularia heart-leaved (G. cordifolia). The species is quite widespread in the mountainous regions of Europe. Forms curtains up to 10 cm tall. natural look has purple-blue flowers. The inflorescence is a hemispherical head. In culture, varieties with white and pink flowers have become widespread.

Globularia point (G. punctata). This species reaches 20-24 cm in height. Blue flowers bloom in June. The plant is unpretentious, but can suffer from frost in snowless winters.

Globularia hairiflora (G.trichosantha). It is considered a relic species, which is listed in the Red Book of Russia and Ukraine. Shoots bearing flowers reach 25 cm in height.

The plant is easily propagated by seeds, but in some species the germination rate can be very low. Seedlings bloom in the third year. nature is dominated vegetative propagation. Creeping shoots easily root at the nodes, forming new plants. In culture, vegetative propagation by dividing the bush or cuttings is also preferable.

Low-growing species are great for planting on alpine slides and terraces. AT good conditions forms a solid carpet. Tall species are suitable for rabatok.

Looks good in monoculture, as well as in compositions with subulate phlox, dwarf carnations or contrasting bright colors like roses.

Irina Zolotykh

2012 - 2016, . All rights reserved.

In angiosperms, flowers can be solitary or collected in inflorescences. inflorescences are groups of closely spaced rather small flowers. In this case, the flowers in the inflorescences are collected in groups in a certain order. On this basis, inflorescences are divided into different types.

The advantage of inflorescences is that this increases the efficiency of pollination. It is easier for insects to notice a fairly large inflorescence than small flowers. In addition, it is more convenient to fly from one flower to another.

There are simple inflorescences and complex ones, consisting of a number of simple ones of the same type.

Usually the appearance of the inflorescence is reflected in its name. So inflorescence brush has the following structure. From the common axis of the inflorescence, small pedicels depart one after another, at the ends of which flowers sit. By appearance it may resemble a brush. Such an inflorescence is found in bird cherry, cabbage, colza, etc.

Panicle- this is an inflorescence, which is a complex brush, when simple brushes depart one after another from a common axis. The panicle is found in oats, lilacs, etc.

spike inflorescence differs from the brush in that the flowers do not have pedicels. They sit directly on the common axis of the inflorescence. The ear is typical, for example, for plantain. At complex ear it is not flowers that depart from the common axis, but spikelets of the second order. And already flowers grow from their axes. A complex ear is characteristic of many cereals (wheat, rye).

inflorescence cob has a thick fleshy axis. Many small flowers without pedicels grow from this axis. The cob is typical, for example, for corn.

At inflorescence umbel each flower has its own pedicel. This umbrella looks like a brush. However, if the pedicels of the brush grow from different places common axis one after another, then at the umbrella the pedicels grow all together from one place - the top of the common axis. The pedicels of the umbrella flowers are of the same length and therefore form an inflorescence in appearance really similar to the dome of the umbrella. In this case, one can imagine that the pedicels play the role of the spokes of an umbrella, and the common axis of the inflorescence is its handle. Umbrella is characteristic of cherry, apple, primrose. complex umbrella found in carrots and parsley.

Shield in appearance it may look like an umbrella, but if you look closely, the pedicels do not grow from one place, like an umbrella, but from different places, like a brush. Unlike the raceme, the lower pedicels of the scutellum are much longer than the upper ones. As a result, the flowers of the inflorescence are located approximately at the same level in the form of a dome or a flat shield.

Another widespread inflorescence is basket. It can be observed in asters, dandelions, sunflowers. The basket has a wide flat, but thickened inflorescence bed. On this bed sit many small flowers without pedicels. FROM outside around the circumference of this inflorescence grow green leaves that perform a protective function. All together, such leaves are called a wrapper. The inflorescence basket can be mistaken for one large flower.

inflorescence gtin can be observed in clover. The head differs from the basket in a thicker rounded inflorescence bed.

There are other types of inflorescences, as well as other ways to classify them.

Decorative and houseplants in most cases, they bloom with single flowers located at the ends of the shoots. However, in most plants, small flowers are collected in groups called inflorescences.

What it is?

Consider what an inflorescence is in biology. This is a part of angiosperms or flowering plants, consisting of a floral structure of various modifications and developing from flower or mixed buds. Individual flowers are arranged close to each other in a certain order.

The basis of any inflorescence forms the main axis or the axis of the first order. Branching or non-branching lateral axes are attached to it. They are called second order axes. All subsequent branches are the axes of the third, fourth, etc. orders. On the last branch, called the pedicel, a flower develops.

Kinds

Depending on the complexity of branching, simple and complex types of inflorescences are distinguished.

The simple type consists of axes of two orders. Complex groups of flowers form branches of three, four or more orders. The table "Inflorescences" describes the main varieties of the two types.

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Rice. 1. Scheme of simple and complex inflorescences.

There are complex, so-called aggregate inflorescences, which consist of partial (simple or partial) inflorescences. For example, simple baskets or umbrellas are formed at the ends of a branching panicle. Aggregate inflorescences include a panicle of umbrellas, a panicle of baskets, a brush of baskets, a shield of baskets, an ear of baskets.

Rice. 2. Aggregate inflorescences.

Meaning

The complex branching system of flowers is of biological importance. The flowers form fruits, but pollination is necessary for the ovary, which occurs naturally or with the help of pollination by insects. Small flowers collected in groups solve the problem of pollination in several ways:

• attract insects - small flowers not as noticeable and fragrant as their accumulation;
• carry pollen - inflorescences located at the ends of the branches are accessible to the wind;
• increase pollination area One bee can pollinate several flowers at once.

Inflorescence- This is a system of modified shoots of an angiosperm plant that bears flowers.

The biological advantage of inflorescences over solitary flowers is to increase the probability of pollination of flowers of anemophilous and entomophilous plants. Due to the compact arrangement of flowers in the inflorescence, the insect will visit them much more per unit of time. In addition, flowers collected in inflorescences are more visible among the greenery of leaves than single ones. Many drooping inflorescences sway easily under the influence of air movement, thereby contributing to the dispersion of pollen. Successful pollination is also facilitated by non-simultaneous blooming of flowers in the inflorescence. The number of flowers in an inflorescence can be different: from 1–3 (peas) to tens of thousands (agave) and hundreds of thousands (cattail) and even much more (corif calla has up to 6 million flowers).

Inflorescences are laid inside flower or mixed buds. In many plants (elder, lilac, hyacinth), the inflorescence appears as a single whole due to the activity of one meristem.

Any inflorescence has main axis, or inflorescence axis, and side axles, which branch into varying degrees or not branched. Their final branches are pedicels they bear flowers. The axes of the inflorescence are divided into nodes and internodes. Bracts are located on the nodes of the inflorescence, bracts are on the nodes of the pedicels.

According to the method of branching, they distinguish two inflorescence type :

1) monopodial (bothric, racemose, indefinite) inflorescences - the number of lateral branches is indefinite; the main axis is clearly expressed; the development of flowers is carried out in an acropetal order (from the base to the top) or centripetally, if the flowers are located in the same plane; monopodial branching is characteristic;

2) sympodial (cymose, apical, certain) inflorescences - the number of branches is certain and constant within the species; the main axis of the inflorescence is not expressed, but a false axis is formed, which consists of axes of various orders; flowers develop basipetally (from the top of the inflorescence to the base) or centrifugally (from the center to the periphery), if they are in the same plane, so the oldest flower in sympodial inflorescences is at the top of the axis or in the center of the inflorescence; branching is more often sympodial, less often false dichotomous.

monopodial inflorescences divided into simple and complex. In simple inflorescences, flowers are located directly on the axis of the first order (sessile) or on pedicels. In complex monopodial inflorescences, simple inflorescences are located on the main axis.

5.1. Simple monopodial inflorescences

Simple monopodial inflorescences (Fig. 18) include:

Rice. 18. Simple monopodial inflorescences:

1 - ear; 2 - earring; 3 - cob; 4 - brush; 5 - shield; 6 - an umbrella; 7 - head;

8 - basket

1) simple spike - numerous flowers do not have pedicels and sit on an elongated axis of the first order (vervain, plantain);

2) earring - drooping ear, i.e., an ear with a soft axis, bearing unisexual flowers; after flowering, it usually completely falls off (willow, poplar);

3) cob - inflorescence with a thickened axis and sessile lateral flowers; the cob is usually surrounded by a leaf, which is called a veil or wing (calamus, calla);

4) brush - flowers on pedicels of the same length are arranged spirally on an elongated axis in the axils of the bracts (lupins), or there are no bracts (cabbage, bird cherry, lily of the valley);

5) shield - a kind of brush, but the pedicels of the lower flowers are much longer than the upper ones, so the flowers are located in the same plane (pear, hawthorn);

6) umbrella - the main axis is shortened, the pedicels are almost the same length and come out of close nodes (susak, onion, cherry);

7) head - inflorescence with a shortened club-shaped extended axis of the first order, no pedicels, or they are very short (clover);

8) basket - an inflorescence with an axis expanded in the form of a disk and sessile tightly closed flowers; the axis of this inflorescence is called bed; apical leaves are crowded and form a wrapper (sunflower, chamomile, aster).

Exist different groups perennials, differing in the shape of inflorescences, which, if used correctly, can make the flower garden more balanced and harmonious. For example, flowers with capitate spherical inflorescences-buttons are designed to become a dosed accent, thus the missing touch in the overall picture. landscape composition. They, like signal lights, will direct your attention to certain areas in the garden, setting the rhythm and lightness. For convenience, I made a selection of seven spectacular perennials with capitate inflorescences for a polka dot garden. Some of them are familiar to you, and some will become a discovery.

1. Primula finely toothed

The hit parade of plants with spherical inflorescences is opened by finely serrated (lat. Prímula denticulata). It is this type of primrose that has a characteristic bright spherical inflorescence up to 10 cm in diameter. Dense flower balls rise above the flower bed and hover at a height of 30 cm thanks to strong and thick peduncles. The base of the bush is decorated with no less beautiful wide and wrinkled leaves 20–40 cm long, oblong-oval in shape with notches along the edge. But they do not appear immediately, but only after the peduncles brightly present their spherical inflorescences.

To grow this primrose, it is enough to provide it with partial shade, perhaps under the crown of trees in trunk circle. The flower is unpretentious to the soil, prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soil with the addition of sand and compost. In the spring, a growing outlet can be fed nitrogen fertilizers. But the main thing is the stable maintenance of moisture!

The flowering time of fine-toothed primrose begins in late April - early May and lasts more than a month.

The flowering time of the finely toothed primrose comes in late April - early May and lasts more than a month, which cannot but rejoice. Color palette"balls" of primroses is quite diverse. You can choose snow-white balls of the Alba variety, purple Violet, rich raspberry Rubra, pink Deep Rose, lilac-blue Cashmeriana and Lilak.

The homeland of the primrose is the highlands of the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, China, Nepal. It will harmoniously decorate an alpine hill, decorative ponds or flower beds, decorated with small decorative stones and dump. Fine-toothed primrose will also be good as a tapeworm along the paths in the curb, as well as in the container garden and on the windowsill.

2. Decorative bow, or allium

Onion, or allium (lat. Allium), is a perennial from the Amaryllis family. Perhaps this is the brightest and most recognizable "ball" among all flowering perennials with spherical inflorescences! As you can guess from the name, allium - close relative edible onion and garlic. And, despite the outward superiority of a lush head of hair, its origin will definitely give out a characteristic garlic smell if you rub the stems or leaves a little.

Onions bloom in early summer and, depending on the type and variety, may be present in the garden until the end of August. Among the huge species diversity There are both edible and purely decorative specimens. But in ornamental gardening, species such as giganteum onion, blue onion, Christopher onion, Schubert onion, Karataevsky onion are more often used. You can read more about the types and varieties of onions in. I can only say that each type and variety of allium is decorative in its own period, from May to August, which makes it possible to extend its presence on the site for almost the entire season.

The height of the stems also varies, starting from 10 cm, like that of the Karataevsky onion, and ending with such a giant as the Giant onion, 1.5 m tall. Lush inflorescence balls of different diameters can be, depending on the type and variety, pure white, lilac, lilac, blue and almost red.

The advantage of these plants is unpretentiousness in cultivation. The main thing is to provide a sunny place, with well-drained breathable light soil.

In the landscape, bows are often assigned alpine slides or rockeries. But the most spectacular combination allium - with all kinds of cereals, simple perennials for natural garden, roses and evergreen conifers. Blue-purple "giant dandelions", like beacons, will focus attention, emphasizing the beauty and structure of other plants and the landscape. By the way, which is important, many species remain decorative even after flowering, adding zest to the garden with their huge balls of dried flowers.

3. Mordovnik

"Blue sea urchins" in the people, or mordovnik - in botany (lat. Echínops), - this is the name of a perennial herbaceous capitate-floral thorn from the Aster family. In nature, mordovnik grows on arid slopes, in steppes and desert ravines on Far East, in the countries of Southern Europe, Asia, capturing the borders of North Africa. Drought resistance, frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the soil and stable decorative effect from July to September make the muzzle in demand in our gardens.

Drought resistance, frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the soil and stable decorative effect from July to September make the muzzle in demand in our gardens.

In ornamental gardening, three types of mordovnik are popular.

● Ballhead. On stems with a height of 1 to 1.5 m, blue prickly balls with a diameter of 6 cm flaunt. The leaves are prickly along the edge and on the upper plate. Blooms from June to August. Used in mixed plantings natural style.
● Ordinary. It has a more modest size, namely a height of 40–60 cm, and small blue inflorescences-heads up to 4 cm in diameter. It begins to bloom in July. Used in rockeries.
● Broad-leaved. An intermediate view between the two described above. The height of the felt stem is from 30 to 75 cm. It blooms from May to June, so its beauty is less durable than other species. Grown mainly for medicinal purposes.

Increasingly, mordovnik appears in mixed plantings in the new wave style, as decorative ornament rockeries, in floristic bouquets, where it can act both as a fresh cut and as a dried flower.

Mordovnik is a wonderful companion, a constructor element for creating the necessary rhythm mixed fit from unpretentious perennials. He rarely acts as a tapeworm, but effectively complements the company of cereals, yarrow, gelenium, asters, rudbeckia, sage, purple echinacea, panicled phlox, anise lofant, highlanders.

4. Sharovnitsa, or globularia

If you are looking for groundcover, strewn with fluffy pompom inflorescences, pay attention to the charcoal, or globularia (lat. Globularia), from the plantain family. She is not demanding at all, loves calcareous loose soils and sunny places frost-resistant and drought-resistant. And this is not surprising, because in nature the habitats of the charcoal are rocky, sun-drenched plains and scree in the Caucasus, northwest Africa. It will quickly take root in the garden and create a blue fluffy carpet on alpine slide, lawn or wherever you wish.

Will create a blue fluffy carpet on an alpine hill, lawn or wherever you wish.

There are about 20 species of charweed, but few are used in horticulture. There are three species that are not listed in the Red Book and will feel good in our climate.

● Creeping Sharovnitsa (dwarf)- from May to June it can be seen on the alpine hill. Outwardly, it is an evergreen shrub no higher than 6 cm with lavender balls.
● Heart-leaved charcoal- in May forms dense cushion-like thickets about 10 cm high with bright spherical inflorescences 2 cm in diameter. The palette of shades is replete with variety - from light blue to deep purple. There are also hybrid forms with white, pink inflorescences.
● Point charcoal- up to 25 cm tall with blue inflorescences up to 2 cm in diameter. Blooms from the second half of May to the end of June. A cultivar with white flowers has been bred.

The advantage of globularia is its evergreen decorative look, which persists even after flowering. So, having planted it in a border, in a rocky garden, as a ground cover in a flower bed, you can not worry about decorativeness throughout the season. Sharovnitsa is combined with stonecrops, young, low-growing cereals, suitable as upholstery lower tier for roses and other tall bright perennials.

5. Burnet officinalis

hemorrhagic officinalis flower

Common burnet (Sanguisórba officinalis) is a perennial herb from the rose family. In nature, it can be found in upland and water meadows, forest edges, along river banks. It is frost-resistant, unpretentious, can tolerate both sunbathing and partial shade. It does not differ in large bright flowers and dense foliage, its charm is in lightness, airiness and elegance! This effect is achieved thanks to small cone-shaped inflorescences, which are held on very thin peduncles, which makes them almost invisible. This plant will play only in the circle of its companions - fluffy cereals, roses and other brightly flowering perennials.

This plant will play only in the circle of its companions - fluffy cereals, roses and other brightly flowering perennials.

It is the burnet officinalis that has inflorescences resembling burgundy small balls, in the remaining 12 species they are more elongated, spike-shaped. Herbaceous shoots, covered with pinnate leaves, grow up to 150 cm in height. The hemorrhagic flower blooms from July to August. Details about the popular species and varieties of this plant can be found in

6. Santolina

Santolina (lat. Santólina) is a Mediterranean guest from the aster family, an evergreen perennial fragrant shrub with bright yellow or white inflorescences-balls 2 cm in diameter. Perhaps it is this palette that you are missing for the “polka dot garden”. Santolina blooms almost the entire season, from June to August. The plant is low, from 10 to 60 cm, with simple, depending on the species, feathery leaves, often covered with a silvery down.

Santolina blooms almost the entire season, from June to August.

Sun- and heat-loving plant, prefers poor soils, moderate watering, rejuvenating pruning and shelter for the winter.
When choosing santolina for the garden, pay attention to the following types: greenish santolina - with cream flowers and bright foliage; Santolina cypress with decorative openwork leaves silver color and yellow balls-inflorescences; Santolina pinnate with snow-white flowers.
In the landscape, santolina will come in handy as a silvery lush background for bright perennials, as well as for decorating borders, and even as a low hedge. It will harmoniously look among boulders or gravel crumbs. Compatible with other perennials mediterranean style such as lavender, sage, boxwood or conifers dwarf forms. It will also perfectly complement the composition with leucanthemum, mint and catnip.

7. Armeria

Armeria (lat. Armeria) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the lead family, the owner of ideal spherical inflorescences. This plant is also native to the Mediterranean, growing naturally on rocky slopes near the sea, illuminated by the bright sun. Some species of this flower can be found in our latitudes. spherical inflorescences armeria bloom in May, bloom for about two months and re-bloom in September.

Most often, alpine armeria (A. alpina), prickly (A. pungens), soddy (A. caespitosa), seaside (A. maritima), as well as beautiful armeria (A. pseudarmeria) are grown, the description of which is worthy of a separate article. Summing up, we can say that each of the species has its own stem length - from 15 to 60 cm, linear-lanceolate leaves 12 cm long, growing from a basal rosette, and a capitate lush inflorescence (pink, white, red shades) from 2.5 up to 5 cm in diameter.

For growing a seaside drought-resistant plant, it is necessary to choose a sunny site with well-drained light sandy loamy soil, avoid lime. Winters without shelter. In the garden can decorate rocky gardens, decorative pond, as well as all sorts of bright flower beds. Used in floristry as a dried flower.

The garden can be decorated with rocky gardens, a decorative pond, as well as all kinds of bright flower beds.

When creating flower beds, it is always useful to learn from the most talented landscape designer– Nature! She shows us true beauty her gardens, mixing colors and shapes in such a way that we unquestioningly agree, admiring her impeccable taste and sense of harmony. Watch how nature draws pictures on a simple meadow or field, what colors and forms it weaves into its flower round dance. A conscious approach to creating a flower garden will definitely give positive result. And if you agree that the shape of each inflorescence plays a role in the overall flower arrangement, I promise to continue this topic in future articles.