Characteristic features of the plant, recommendations for growing anacyclus in open ground, the reproduction of saliva, possible difficulties in growing, facts for flower growers, species. Anacyclus is also found in botanical literature under the name Slyunogon. Plants of this genus are included in the Asteraceae family, which are often called Asteraceae. With their outlines, they resemble a large chamomile (Matricaria). For the most part, these are annuals that have a herbaceous form of growth. The natural distribution area covers the lands of the Mediterranean, as well as the northern regions of the African continent, the Middle East and Turkey. In culture, among all the diversity, only individual varieties are used, and there are those that have spread far beyond their natural "lands". The genus has up to 12 species.
| Family name | Astral or Compositae |
| Life cycle | Annuals or perennials |
| Growth features | Herbaceous or ground cover |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative |
| Landing period in open ground | May June |
| Disembarkation scheme | 0.2-0.4 cm between plants |
| Substrate | Lightweight well-drained |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.05-0.85 m |
| Color of flowers | White, silver, yellow, reddish orange |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Baskets |
| Flowering time | May-October |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Borders, rabatki, rock garden, rockeries |
| USDA zone | 4, 5 |
Anacyclus gets its name from the combination of the Greek words “ana” and “kuklos”, which translate as “like” and “circle” or “ring”, respectively. If you add it, you can get a "ring flower", which gives an idea of the structure of the marginal flowers in the inflorescence. In Russian, the plant bears a name associated with the term in Latin and the representative of the flora is called in accordance with the transliteration "anacyclus" or "anacyclus". Since some species are successfully used in medicine, because of its properties it is called "saliva".
All anacycluses vary in height from 5 cm to 85 cm, but often the height of the plants is 40 cm with a total diameter of almost 30 cm. Stems can grow upright or creep along the soil surface. Their outlines are thin, characterized by strong branching and increased strength. Thanks to the shoots, a spreading bush is formed. The foliage is mainly located in the root zone, gathering in rosettes, or it can grow alternately on the stem.
The contours of the leaf plate are double- or thrice-pinnately dissected, but very rarely they are pinnatipartite, composed of narrowed segments of a linear-lanceolate shape. On its branches, leaves grow, painted in a dark green color, with a silvery sheen.
During flowering, the formation of inflorescences occurs, which have the shape of a basket, the diameter of which is close to 5 cm. Usually, white reed flowers are located along the edge, which surround the flower disk. It is made up of small tubular flowers of yellow color. These small flowers are bisexual. In rare cases, marginal flowers are not available, such as Anacyclus valentinus. The receptacle has bracts. The flowering process can take the period from late spring to early October.
When the fruits ripen, seeds with a smooth surface are formed. On the sides, they have flat compression and are provided with colorless wings. Such wings continue from above into the ears.
Typically, saliva is used to decorate an alpine slide or rockery, it is used in gardening a rabatok or as a curb plant.
Recommendations for growing anacyclus: planting and care in the open field
- Choosing a place for disembarkation. Since the plant in nature settles on rocky slopes with clay or pebble soil, where it is rather dry, and there is also a lot of sun (if we take into account the regions of Turkey, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the north of the African continent). In this case, the southern location of the flower beds is preferable. Therefore, Anacyclus should be located next to retaining walls and masonry, slabs, curbs, but there is information that it will be fine even in partial shade.
- Watering. The plant is drought-resistant. Only if there are very hot days in summer, then it is recommended to moisten the soil under the bush. If the weather is rainy and cold in summer, then watering is not carried out, since stagnant moisture negatively affects the root system.
- Landing. The saliva can suffer from waterlogging of the soil, therefore, when planting in a hole (if the soil is not too rocky and sandy), it is recommended to lay a drainage layer. It is often medium-sized expanded clay, broken brick.
- Substrate for planting, the saliva should have good drainage properties, be sandy and light, but it shows its growth perfectly even on very poor soils. If there is drainage, it can grow on calcareous and fertile soils, light and loosened loams, which are mixed with leaf humus. The same amount of coarse sand is added to such a composition.
- Fertilize anacyclus mainly with the arrival of autumn days, using phosphorus-potassium preparations, only a small dosage is used. It responds well to complex mineral preparations.
- General advice on care. Since the shrub can multiply by self-seeding, it is important not to allow this. Otherwise, your rock garden or rocky garden will take on a sloppy look. Therefore, it is important at the time to remove faded inflorescences-baskets and stems on which they formed. It is recommended to regularly prune shoots that are too elongated in order to stop the growth of the curtain. Weeding should be done while the bush has not grown too much. With the arrival of spring, it is recommended to lightly tamp the soil on a stone hill and add fresh soil mixture.
- Wintering. It is recommended to shelter with agrofibre, fallen dry leaves or spruce branches, as Anacyclus does not like getting wet from snow or melt water.
- Use in landscape design. The plant, although it is customary to grow on rocky areas, decorating the gaps between stones and slabs, but due to the fact that the shoots spread beautifully on the soil surface, saliva can be used as a ground cover, forming whole clumps or growing as a pot culture. In the latter version, you can plant anacyclus in pots, hanging baskets or containers. It will look good as a tapeworm, planting a plant all alone. But it should be borne in mind that it tends to grow, thanks to the spreading shoots. Therefore, many growers try to limit such shrubs with special metal rims, beyond which the shoots and roots will not be able to "move".
Due to the fact that Anacyclus flowers are very reminiscent of chamomile, and also stand perfectly in a vase, they are used for cutting in the creation of phytocompositions.
Reproduction of saliva from seeds or by dividing a bush
To get a new anacyclus plant, it is necessary to sow seeds or divide the overgrown mother bush.
For growing from seed to seedlings, the sowing material is used immediately after ripening. It should be placed in seedling boxes filled with a nutrient medium, for example coarse sand and peat mixed in equal proportions. Stratification is often carried out when the seeds are kept in cold conditions for almost a month (a common refrigerator compartment is suitable). After they are distributed over the soil surface and then sprinkled on top with sifted river sand. The box is placed in a room with a temperature of about 18 degrees and uniform humidity values.
Crops will require constant diffuse lighting, which is provided by round-the-clock illumination. After 14–20 days, you can get the first seedlings of the saliva. After that, it is recommended to lower the thermometer column a little (by only a few degrees), but at the same time reduce the amount and volume of irrigation. After three pairs of leaves are formed on the seedlings, you can dive the anacyclus in separate pots (it is better to use peat pots) or transplant to a selected place in the flower bed. In the latter version, the distance between the seedlings is maintained at 20–25 cm, but in rare cases, reaching up to 40 cm.
The seeds can be placed in open ground between May and June, when the weather is warm and the sun shines with a light breeze. Moreover, after the plants take root, they do not change their place, so it is important to immediately think about a suitable flower bed. Sometimes sowing is carried out in the fall, only in this case the seed should be placed in the ground to a depth of almost two centimeters. When the first shoots appear in a couple of weeks, the substrate around them is gently loosened up, weeds are removed and the seedlings are thinned out.
It is not uncommon for the saliva to multiply by self-seeding. When dividing an overgrown bush, it is undermined with the help of a sharpened garden tool and divided. After that, the delenki can be planted separately in a prepared place, while the distance between them can be about 40 cm.
Possible difficulties in growing anacyclus
The plant is practically not affected by diseases and, due to the substances it contains, is not of interest to pests. However, if drainage was not used during planting or the plant was planted in places near groundwater, then its root system suffers from waterlogging and may begin to rot.
Facts for florists and saliva photos
Due to the fact that the saliva has a long flowering and tends to form a large number of buds, it is often used as an ornamental culture. The plant can form clumps and serve as a ground cover due to the outlines of the foliage. Many varieties are used in medicine for the manufacture of drugs that have many properties. It can also serve as a spicy aromatic culture.
The first description of the genus of these plants was given in the middle of the 18th century (1753) by Carl Linnaeus, who published it in Species Plantarum. In order to use Anacyclus as a base for medicinal products, root harvesting is recommended. Harvesting is carried out in the autumn after September-October, at which time the vegetation process ends. Drying is carried out in the fresh air or in a room with good ventilation. If the roots are dried and ready for use, then their color becomes grayish-brown, their length is about 25 cm.
Mainly medicinal properties are possessed by the variety Anacyclus pyrethrum, which include analgesic and salivary effects. This is because in the root processes there is a poisonous substance that is an alkaloid - pellitorin, and besides this, anacyclin and pellitorin, multiple essential oils with inulin. Also, drugs based on it can stop toothache. If the roots are ground into powder, they are used to treat rheumatism or paralysis symptoms. By introducing the herb salivary into certain herbal mixtures, they will help cure impotence. This property is used in the drug Tentex Forte. This remedy is a herbal remedy, produced by its only pharmaceutical company in the world - Himalaya. It is prescribed for erectile dysfunction, since it has the properties of stimulation and general toning of the human body, and also has the ability to stimulate androgenic activity.
Types of anacyclus
- Anacyclus officinalis (Anacyclus pyrethrum) also found under the names German chamomile or Spanish chamomile or Slyunogon officinalis. It is used to relieve the symptoms of toothache, and stimulates the secretion of saliva. It is often found under the name Anacyclus depressus or Anacyclus depressus, which, according to the Plant List encyclopedic database, are one and the same species. They are a medium-sized plant with shoots spreading along the soil surface, while its height is 10 cm. Thanks to the branches, a curtain of spreading outlines is formed, 30 cm in diameter. The leaf plates resemble a herringbone shape. The petals in the buds on the back have a pinkish tint and therefore they stand out effectively against the background of foliage. The size of the flowers varies from 2.5 cm to 5 cm. The flowering process takes place from late spring to mid-summer. There is evidence that a similar species in the sale of flower shops is found under the name "Garden Gnome", in Germany the plant is called Silberkissen (Silberkissen), which translates as "Silver Pillow". This form is a perennial with leafy plates of openwork outlines, a rich grayish-green hue.
- Radiant Anacyclus (Anacyclus radiatus). This variety is not popularized enough. The color of the flowers is a pure golden hue, which stands out effectively against the background of dark green leaf plates.
- Anacyclus valentinus. This species is fairly well described in the plant encyclopedias providing data in Spanish. It has a one-year life cycle, the stems grow straight, they are covered with leaf plates with a deep dissection of the surface. During flowering, buds are formed, opening into inflorescences-baskets of bright yellow color. The diameter of the inflorescences is almost 2–2, 5 cm. Visible ligulate flowers are absent, although they are present, but their length is very short.
- Anacyclus clavatus. This plant is a rare "guest" in the culture, since the bush is distinguished by its spreading outlines. An annual with stems approaching 60 cm in length. The flowers have the shape of daisies, while they open up to 2 cm in diameter. Differs in two waves of flowering - in spring and in autumn days.
- Anacyclus depressus. It has inflorescences in the form of baskets, which are formed on creeping shoots. The height of the plant rarely exceeds 10 cm, so it prefers to grow in a sunny place, it can multiply by seed sown in open ground.
- Anacyclus ciliatus (Anacyclus ciliatus). The variety is considered a real rarity and information about it can be found only in a few reference books on botany. It is an endemic plant in Azerbaijan, mainly found in local park areas classified as national reserves. Prefers dry clay slopes or pebbled places located in lowlands or in the lower mountain belt.
- Anacyclus Anatolian (Anacyclus anatolicus). This species is very little studied and considers the territories of Turkey to be its native lands, where the specific name came from.
- Anacyclus homogamos. It is also a poorly known species. In the inflorescence-basket there are no reed flowers.
