Description of the plant, how to plant and care in a personal plot, breeding rules, methods of combating diseases and pests, interesting notes, types.
Oxytropis can also be found in botanical literature under the name Ostrolodka. This representative of the flora belongs to the subfamily Moths (Faboideae), which is part of the extensive family of Legumes (Fabaceae). All the varieties included in the genus, and their number according to various sources reaches more than three hundred units, mainly grow in Asia and Europe, preferring both temperate and cold climates. They can also be found on the North American continent. If we talk about European lands, then most often sharks grow in a temperate climatic zone, which falls on the Carpathian region. They can settle not only in high-mountainous regions, but also "climb" into the tundra plains.
| Family name | Legumes |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous, occasionally semi-shrub or shrub |
| Breeding method | Seed or vegetative (by dividing an overgrown bush) |
| Landing period in open ground | Disembarkation is carried out in the spring when frosts recede. |
| Landing rules | Saplings are placed no closer than 10-20 cm, depending on the type |
| Priming | Loose, depleted, dry, sandy, stony, calcareous or saline |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5–8 (slightly alkaline or neutral) |
| Lighting degree | Sunny place or partial shade |
| Humidity parameters | Watering infrequent, drought tolerant |
| Special care rules | Does not tolerate waterlogged soil |
| Height values | 0.05–0.2 m, in rare cases 1 m |
| Inflorescence shape | Racemose |
| Color of flowers | Pinkish or deep pink, pale yellow, sky blue, snow white or lilac blue, as well as lavender or dark purple |
| Ripening period of disputes | June-July to late August |
| Decorative period | Spring-summer |
| Application in landscape design | Rock gardens and rockeries, next to large boulders |
| USDA zone | 4–7 |
The genus got its name due to the fusion of words in Greek "oxys" and "tropis", which means "edge" and "keel" or "boat", respectively. All this characterizes the outlines of the formed pods of the plant, similar to the contours of the boat. Among the Slavic peoples, there are the following nicknames - gosrokilny hairy, vastralocator walasists, which, in fact, also gives an idea of the appearance of the fruit.
All types of shards are perennials with a herbaceous form of growth, but there are dwarf shrubs or dwarf shrubs among them. In height, the plant varies within 5–20 cm, but there are specimens reaching a meter. They are characterized by a powerful elongated rhizome located deep below the surface of the soil. The plant also forms a basal rosette through short stems.
Stems can grow both erect and creeping along the soil surface. There are varieties such as Oxytropis pilosa or Tatra (Oxytropis campestris), which have pubescence on the shoots and on the back of the leaf blades. If the species is characterized by stemlessness, then it has the ability to form compacted sods of small size. The leaf plates are characterized by odd-pinnate outlines. Their color is a rich emerald hue. A rosette is usually formed from the foliage in the root zone.
The process of flowering in shark fish occurs during the summer months, starting from June-July. The flowering stem originates from a leaf rosette in the form of an arrow, the top of which is decorated with flowers. At the same time, small inflorescences with a racemose shape are collected from the flowers. The number of buds in them is both small and high in number, the brushes take capitate or elongated outlines. The color of the petals in them is pinkish, pale yellow, sky blue, snow-white or lilac-blue, as well as dark purple.
The calyx in the flower looks like a tube or a bell. The corolla is large or medium in size. The top of the boat is drawn back, turning into a pointed nose. The boat is a pair of lower petals spliced along the leading edge. Such petals cover a pistil with stamens. The length of the flower reaches approximately 1.5 cm.
After the pollination is over, the fruits ripen, which, in the shark, have the appearance of beans or pods. They are characterized by an oblong, oblong-linear or spherical-swollen shape. When the pods are fully ripe, they begin to open along the seam on the abdomen.
The plant is not capricious in its care, and even when the flowering period is over, it will delight the eye with its pubescent or silky leaf plates. At the same time, it is important not to violate the rules of agricultural technology.
Ostrovodnik: growing in the open field, planting and care
- Landing place The shark should be well-lit and dry. However, partial shade may also work. They prefer coolness.
- Soil for a sharp boatman are selected with looseness and dryness, as well as a small amount of nutrients. It is recommended to use drainage or a sand pillow to protect the rhizome from waterlogging. However, in this case, the substrate must be able to retain moisture in order to nourish the root system. Recommended soils are sandy, stony, limestone or saline.
- Landing a shark boat. It is best to place seedlings in open ground in the spring and summer, so that successful adaptation and rooting takes place before the cold weather. It is important to choose the right landing site right away so that it is warm and protected from drafts. For planting, it is recommended to lay a sand cushion (a layer of river sand) in the hole, which will serve to protect the root system from waterlogging. The depth of the planting hole is dug out of such a size that the root system can easily fit into it, but you need not forget about the stock, since the taproot will grow deeper. After planting, the soil around the bush is compressed and moistened.
- Watering when caring for a shark fish, it should not be carried out often, since an excess of moisture negatively affects the plant. This is especially true for the winter season. It is also important to note the drought resistance of the plant.
- Fertilizers when growing sharks, you should not use it, since in nature it grows on rather poor soil.
- The use of a sharp boatman in landscape design. Since the plant loves open and sunny locations, but at the same time cool and partial shade, you can plant bushes next to large boulders or fill the free space in rock gardens or rockeries. Since there are varieties with creeping shoots in the genus, using them you can form a dense covering for the lawn. Landing is possible when decorating borders and mixborders.
Read about farming techniques for growing mimosa in your backyard.
Breeding rules for the shark
Basically, it is possible to propagate pungently by seeds or vegetatively, separating an overgrown bush.
Reproduction of the shark with the help of seeds
This method is considered to be the main thing that makes the plant similar to astragalus. Seed germination will be better if the weather is cold. There is no great need to scarify the seeds (damage the seed coat a little), but if this operation is carried out, then the number of germinated will be greater. Seeds are distributed, without covering, on the surface of the soil laid in the seedling box. The soil can be taken peat-sandy. Then cover the container with a film to ensure greenhouse conditions.
As soon as the first shoots appear, the shelter is removed. When leaving, the soil is only sprayed a little, not leading to waterlogging. It is recommended to dive the seedlings of the spitfish as soon as a pair of real leaves unfold on them and as early as possible, so that subsequently the root system is less exposed to injuries. If time is lost, then after the dive, a good part of the seedlings will not take root. The transplant substrate is used the same as for planting. It is also better to use peat-humus pots, from which the seedlings are not removed, but together with them they are placed in a planting hole in a flower bed.
After the dive has been carried out in individual pots, the seedlings are grown during the first year. So during the winter, the appearance of the plant will resemble a bunch of grayish-green color, but when leaving at this time it is important to maintain a not too high level of humidity. If this rule is not followed, the seedlings will die. After spring comes and the soil warms up, it is recommended to transplant to a prepared place in the garden.
Reproduction of the shark by dividing the bush
Over time, the plant tends to grow and lose its decorative effect, therefore it is recommended to perform division. So in the spring-summer period, a bush is dug out, the remnants of the soil are washed off from its rhizomes and divided into not too small parts with a sharpened knife. All sections need to be sprinkled with crushed charcoal, but if this is not the case, pharmacy activated charcoal will come in handy. It is immediately recommended to plant at the selected place, providing shading and watering for the first time.
Read more about breeding broom in the garden
Methods of combating diseases and pests when growing a shark fish
The plant has leaf plates on which slugs can covet, completely gnawing them. After such attacks of gastropods, only a small bunch of the bush remains, which may not recover. To combat such "uninvited guests", it is recommended to use traps or metaldehyde preparations (for example, Meta Groza), you can collect pests by hand.
Aphids can also be a problem, as these small green bugs suck out nutrient juices and cause the leaves to turn yellow. It is recommended to spray with insecticidal preparations, like Aktara or Aktellik.
The red spider mite is a more serious pest for the sharkfish and, covering everything with cobwebs, turns beautiful silvery-gray leaf plates into a spotty resemblance of a plant. Here you can also not do with a powerful systemic insecticide, which is Karbofos or Fitoverm.
Their diseases, which this representative of legumes is exposed to, can be:
- blackleg, contributing to the decay of the base of seedlings and their death;
- downy mildew, in which all the leaves from above are covered with reddish-yellow spots, gradually merging into one, while tissue death occurs;
- rust, characterized by a mottling of a reddish-brown hue and the destruction of leaves over time.
To combat these diseases, spraying with fungicides such as Fundazol or Bordeaux liquid should be performed after all damaged parts of the bush have been removed.
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Curious notes about the shardman
Ostrolodka is a perennial, the medicinal properties of which have long been known in folk medicine. Basically, a decoction is prepared from it, used for neuroses and neurasthenia, as well as to eliminate the manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia. Its strong sedative and narcotic effect was noticed, as well as the ability to heal wounds, resist microbes and inflammations, and tone the body. For example, in Mongolian folk medicine, healers prepared a remedy for anthrax cure from a shark boat. The use of the plant requires special care, because when inhaling the vapors, decoction on this plant, dizziness and drowsiness may occur.
However, official medicine does not use the shark, and he is not included in the pharmacopoeial list. There are also a number of contraindications for the use of drugs based on this representative of the flora, since the plant is poisonous. Women during pregnancy and lactation, as well as pediatric patients, should not use ointment remedies.
On the territory of America oxytropis or oxytropis is called "locсweeds" and therefore many people mistakenly confuse it with Astragalus (Astragalus). However, the first representative of the flora, although it is characterized by common features, but the main difference is that the tops of the lower petals in the ostolodka have a sharpening, in contrast to the blunt form in astrogalus.
Types of sharpshooter
Oxytropis pilosa
distributed in the southern regions of Siberia, as well as in the lands of the Caucasus and Europe. Perennial, herbaceous growth.
Important
The plant is poisonous, which should be taken into account when planting in flower beds in places where children or pets have access.
Stems and leaves are covered with dense pubescence of whitish hairs. Shoots grow both straight and can rise from the base, their outlines are thickened, there is a reddish tint. They do not exceed 20–50 cm in height. Leaves vary in length within the range of 5–10 cm. The unpaired leaf plates are composed of 7–14 leaf lobes, which are arranged in pairs. The outlines of leaflets are oblong, their length is 10–20 mm and a width of no more than 3–5 mm. On both sides, the leaves are characterized by such dense pubescence that they look shaggy.
During flowering, which lasts from May to July, flowering stems are pulled out of the leaf rosette, also having a protruding pubescent cover. The height of the peduncles exceeds the size of the leaves. The top of the peduncles is decorated with racemose inflorescences, made up of a large number of buds and therefore very dense. Many brushes are formed, they are characterized by elongated or oblong-oval outlines. The corolla of the flower is colored in a light yellowish tint and its flag reaches 12-14 mm in length. A boat with a pair of lower petals is greatly shortened and no more than wings.
After the flowers are pollinated, the fruits ripen, with a leathery and short-pubescent surface. They are semi-nested, with a groove on the vertical side. Fruits grow upright, on a shortened stalk. Inside the beans, seeds ripen, rounded-kidney-shaped, compressed on both sides.
Oxytropis campestris
also found under the name The Tatra sharkman. The native area of growth falls on the territory of the Balkans, it is found in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Carpathians, therefore it is an alpine variety. The leaf rosette is formed by pubescent leaves. The length of the inflorescence, which appears on the shortened peduncle, is 5-15 cm. The surface of the flower-bearing stem is densely pubescent. Outlines of racemose inflorescences in the form of a capitate ball. The flowers that are there have a whitish-yellow color of the petals. The boat, which is the corolla of a flower, is painted in a dull grayish-purple color scheme. Reproduction of the species is seed. Recommended for planting in well-lit rock gardens with a drained substrate. Does not tolerate soil locking.
Dirty oxytropis (Oxytropis sordida)
Usually grows in tundra regions, it is found in the subalpine and mountain tundra zone of Eurasia, which stretches from Fennoscandia to the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in a southern direction to the northern Mongolian regions. A perennial plant with a herbaceous form of growth and a rhizome that goes deep into the soil layer. It is also characterized by power, which contributes to its ability to stay even on a loose substrate. When flowering, yellowish-whitish, almost white or purple, with a slight pinkish flowers open. From them, the formation of compacted capitate inflorescences occurs. The height of the inflorescences is 15–20 cm. The flowering process takes place from the beginning of summer to the first half of August.
Oxytropis carpatica
prefers to settle in nature on rocky calcareous soils, mainly the distribution area covers the Tatra Mountains in Czechoslovakia. A plant with a herbaceous form of growth, does not differ in large size, and its stems are in height in the range of 10-15 cm. It is characterized by ascending upright flowering stems. In the root zone, they form a rosette of pinnate leaf plates. The color of the petals in the flowers is bright blue, sometimes even taking on a bluish-purple hue. The boat (corolla) has a narrowing at the top that converges into a pointed tip. The flowering process occurs throughout the summer months.
Oxytropis kusnetzovii
has a distribution area that covers not only Siberia, but also the northern regions of Mongolia. It grows in the highlands, preferring alpine meadows, the banks of streams with damp and stony soil, lichen tundra with gravelly soil, in rare cases it descends to the upper part of the belt characterized by forests.
It is characterized by the absence of a stem, but by the presence of a slightly branched caudex, represented by a thickened aerial formation resembling a stem, as well as a rather powerful rod-shaped rhizome. The length of the leaf plates is 5–10 cm, they have an odd-pinnate division. There are 10-15 leaf lobes, they have lanceolate or elongated ovoid outlines. The length of the leaflets ranges from 5–10 mm with a width of only 2–4 mm. Their color is green, the surface has pressed hairs or almost bare.
During flowering, flowering stems are formed, which are slightly higher in height than the foliage, they are also covered with elongated, spaced whitish hairs. From the flowers, capitate inflorescences are collected, which, as the buds fade, begin to lengthen. The calyx has a tubular-bell-shaped shape. Its length is 8–10 mm, its surface is also covered with hairs of black and white colors, while the latter are more elongated. The color of the corolla (boat) is purple, there is a wide-oval limb, divided into two lobes. The boat has a sharpening of about 1 mm.
When the beans ripen, but they are characterized by an oblong-ovoid shape, their length is measured 12–20 mm and a width of 5–6 mm. The beans also have an elongated, thin nose. The color of the fruit is black or white, with a hairy surface coating.
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Video about the sharpshooter:
