Traditional medicine widely uses a wide variety of plants in recipes. Some of them are considered poisonous, but they do not cease to be healing. One of the most interesting and unusual can be called the plant of Peter the Cross.
Petrov cross - a parasite plant
This type of Latin is called Lathraera squamaria - Peter's ordinary cross, or scaly. Sometimes it is also called the king of grass, earthen grapes or thawed.
Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it does not have its own green leaves - does not contain chlorophyll, it receives nutrients from the roots of other plants, mainly trees. Petrov cross sticks to the rhizome of trees and receives everything necessary for life from them - by itself, it does harm to trees. Such vital activity allows this plant to rarely appear on the surface of the earth - only for the purpose of reproduction, for only a few weeks in the spring. The rest of the time the Peters cross spends underground, sometimes not appearing even for several years.
External structure and view
Petrov cross is a remarkable plant; at the first acquaintance it makes a strange impression. You may not even immediately realize that these are flowers - the absence of greenery makes its appearance unusual. Peter's cross flowers are pink, can be almost burgundy. They fit tightly to each other, growing from a thick white stem.
The plant does not bloom for long; few people manage to see it. The main part is the rhizome, it goes deep into the soil. In a peter's plant, the cross root often develops at right angles, which explains its name. During propagation, small bolls are formed in the place of flowers, in which seeds ripen. They look like poppy seeds. After ripening, the bolls open and the seeds spill out onto the ground - this is where the external life of the plant ends, the stems die off and the plant goes inside the soil.
Of particular interest to biologists are the scales on the leaves of this culture - they slightly resemble the structure of carnivorous insectivorous species, and for some time it was believed that the Peter cross refers to them. It was later found that the plant does not feed on insects, despite the fact that they periodically get stuck in these scales. The main purpose of this structure is the evaporation of water.
Where grows
Petrov cross grows in forests, prefers to parasitize on bird cherry, hazel, alder. In the spring, sap flow begins in these trees, this gives the parasite an excellent opportunity for vegetation. Peter's cross grows slowly and imperceptibly, the first 10 years it is not visible above the ground at all - the rhizome is growing. The plant is common in Europe, in the Caucasus. On the territory of Russia there is only one species - a scaly or ordinary Peter cross. Sometimes found in Pakistan, India, Western Europe, Asian countries.
Kinds
Scientists-botanists distinguish several species of this plant - Peter the Hidden Cross, Latin name Lathraea clandestina, purple (Lathraea purpurea), Japanese (Lathraea japonica), Balkan (Lathraea rhodopea) and scaly, or ordinary (Lathraea squamaria).
All of these species are slightly different from each other in appearance and habitat.
Use in medicine
Peter's cross is a poisonous plant that causes severe poisoning. That is why it must be used extremely carefully for medical purposes - only after the recommendation of a doctor or an experienced herbalist. In folk medicine, the entire plant organism as a whole is used - both roots and flowers. Peter's cross is a grass that contains a lot of alkylating substances. The plant needs them for a parasitic way of life - such substances destroy the cell, break it into separate pieces and build their cells on its basis. Due to this, their vital activity is preserved. This property is widely used in the treatment of various tumors, cancer - plant substances destroy cancer cells, since the connection between amino acids in such cells is weaker than in healthy ones. In addition to the fight against tumors, Peter's cross is applicable in diseases of the kidneys and liver, and is widely used in gynecology - to normalize the ovulation process, to increase the muscle tone of the uterus, or to stimulate the egg for fertilization. Sometimes used for swelling and dropsy.
