The perennial herbaceous plant Calamagrostis epigeios, in Russian called terrestrial reed grass, is probably familiar to every European living in a temperate zone. Thick islands of fluffy spikelets are found in abundance in meadows and forests. They are widely used in decorative gardening and for decorating bouquets; some medicinal properties of this plant are also known. At the same time, reed grass is a weed that significantly complicates the process of natural regeneration of the forest.
What can be called terrestrial reed
The Latin name of the genus of this plant comes from two words of the Greek language: "calamos" and "agrostis", which means "reed" and "field mushroom". It came into scientific use thanks to Dioscorides, the ancient Greek naturalist and military doctor.
In the people, the terrestrial reed grass is often called a warrior, white grass, zharovets, forest broom or broomstick, marten, cutter, contour, imp, fireman, rearing, dry wood, chapolota, chapuga, chapapolis steppe, mice, wheat grass, little pink.
In addition to terrestrial reed, there are other species of reed (acacia, reed, grayish, harvested), also widespread in nature.
Ground reed: description
This is a perennial plant with a height of 80 to 150-160 centimeters, belonging to the family of cereals. It is characterized by a long, creeping relatively thick horizontal rhizome. It is significant that, even being crushed, but retaining one living bud, the rhizome can give life to a new plant.
The stalks of the ground reed are strong and straight, rough, have two widely spaced nodes. Leaf blades of gray-green color can be flat and wide (up to 10 millimeters) or folded and narrow.
An inflorescence of a veynik is a thick lush panicle 20-30 centimeters long, consisting of many spikelets. Spikelets, as a rule, are from five to seven millimeters long, greenish or violet, collected in dense bunches. Spikelet scales are almost equal to each other. The hairs under the flowers are almost twice as long as the last. Characteristic is the absence of a spikelet rudiment.
The ground vein blooms all summer in the morning, bears fruit in August - September. Its fruit is an elongated caryopsis, it falls along with bracts of scales.
Distribution area
Terrestrial reed grass is widespread in many areas of Europe and Asia, mainly in the natural zones of the temperate climatic zone. It is found on other continents as an alien plant.
It grows in abundance in the European part of the former USSR, in the southern regions of Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Caucasus, in the south of the Far East, in Central Asia, in the Crimea.
This plant inhabits mainly mixed and coniferous forests of moderate density, upland meadows, river floodplains. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil, but is also found in moist shrubs, as well as in swampy meadows. Loves the light. It tolerates salinity. In the areas of deforestation and fires, dense thickets of terrestrial reed grass often form.
In addition to terrestrial reed grass, the formation of grass cover is often dominated by a giant field moth, creeping wheat grass, some species of bluegrass and other field grasses.
Medicinal properties
Traditional medicine uses rhizomes and young shoots of this plant as a medicine. An infusion of them is recommended for use as a remedy against inflammation. Vejnik medicinal raw materials are harvested in late autumn or early spring. Rhizomes and shoots should be rinsed with cold water, and then dried outdoors in the shade.
A decoction from the rhizomes of the terrestrial vein has a diuretic effect and is used as a disinfectant for the treatment of a number of urinary tract diseases caused by infections.
The broth is prepared as follows: ten to fifteen grams of dry raw materials should be poured with one glass of water. Bring to a boil and boil for fifteen minutes. Next, the broth should be cooled and filtered. The recommended dose is one tablespoon, repeated three to four times during the day.
Useful qualities
In addition to some medicinal properties, terrestrial reed has other useful features. He has a long strong rhizome, he is "active" and very unpretentious. Due to this, this cereal is often specially sown where there is a need to strengthen the sandy soil - on various mounds and dumps of mines.
Often this culture is specially grown in gardens as an ornamental plant, as an element of landscape design of the site. Veinik is very cold-resistant, if necessary it is able to endure prolonged waterlogging. In this regard, it remains decorative until winter frosts. Shelter in winter is not required.
Cut spikelets of terrestrial vein - a beautiful component of winter bouquets of dried flowers and herbs.
Formally, the reed is considered fodder grass, but the hay obtained from it is of very mediocre quality.
It is also mentioned that it can be used as raw material for making paper.
