Distinctive features of isopyrum, recommendations for care, advice on the reproduction of an equal tree, interesting facts, species. Isopyrum is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, which includes many dicotyledonous, angiosperm representatives of the flora (such plants have two opposite cotyledons in the embryo). He revered the lands of Eurasia, China and Japan, as well as Siberia and Central Asia with his native land of growth. The number of varieties reaches 30 units. There is a North American genus Enemion, sometimes considered part of the genus Isopyrum.
Most of all, the plant loves to settle in forests with spruce and hornbeam plantations, where there are maple trees. Also, in any oak forests (spruce-ash or lime-trees), where there are maples, you can often find this unpretentious early flowering plant. It can be surrounded by the following herbal green "neighbors" in the area - ferns, saty, oxalis and coppice, anemone and similar flora representatives in deciduous forests.
The plant is found in the literature under the name of the equicarp or pseudo-catchment. It bears its scientific name because of the merger of two Greek words "isos", meaning "the same" and "pyros" - "wheat". This phrase reflects the outlines of isopyrum leaflets, so reminiscent of wheat grains.
This representative of buttercup is a perennial herbaceous plant. It has a rhizome, often horizontal, with creeping root processes, unbranched, underground, but in some varieties it takes on a tuberous shape. The height of the stems varies between 25–45 cm. Thin shoots are erect, with a spreading or ascending shape, and can be both strong and weak. The leaf plates located in the root zone have elongated thin petioles, while the stem ones grow in opposite order or whorled. Their outlines are openwork, similar to fern fronds, differing in one-, two- or three-feathering. The leaves are three-lobed, thin at the tips.
The flowers are small, regular, slightly drooping, with whitish petals. They usually grow singly in the leaf axils, in rare cases they can gather in loose short panicle inflorescences. The perianth has a simple or double shape, cupped. The number of sepals varies within 5-6 units, their outlines are petal-shaped, whitish color. The petals are small in size, they can be modified into nectaries, or they may not be there. In nectaries, the outlines of a small leaf with a shape slightly resembling a tubular one, there is a saccular bend at the base. This gyrus is like the rudiment of a spur, covered on the inside by nectar-bearing tissue. The stamens are multiple, with narrow-headed filaments. A pair of carpels is formed, sometimes three pieces. The flowering process mainly takes place in March-April, when the grass has not even risen yet.
The fruit appears in the form of a leaflet, their number is plural, the outlines are flat, when ripe they become spreading. At the top with a refined spout.
The plant is an ephemeroid, as it is included in the group of perennial specimens of flora, in which the growing season is very short and falls only on favorable times. Most often, until leaves appear on the trees (early spring period), under which isopyrum often grows, and they do not shade, this rare green inhabitant of the planet has time to grow and bloom. After the leaflet fruits are formed, all life processes in the isopropyl are suspended, and it begins to accumulate strength for the next life season. Its entire above-ground part dies off completely, but life glimmers in the underground roots and with the arrival of spring days isopyrum is ready to recover.
Basil is a popular variety of Isopirum basil, which from the middle of the 18th century began to be cultivated in European gardens. At the moment, a fairly rare representative of the flora in our household plots. Basically, the isopropod is ranked among endangered species and is distributed in protected areas.
Also, do not be afraid that isopyrum will grow too much - the plant is rather non-aggressive. The growth rate of this green modest is rather slow, but during flowering, you want so much that the planting takes up almost the entire space of the garden.
Young leaves of the isoplane appear, making their way through the layer of fallen leaves, as soon as the snow cover melts and begin to unfold very quickly, despite the still spring cold and possible falling snow. By mid-April, a bright greenish speck is already visible on the flower bed, into which the isopyrum carpet stops. And by the middle of April days, the color of the "rug" changes to whitish. Due to the large mass of snow-white flowers towering above the foliage on long flowering stems.
Recommendations for growing isopyrum, care
Choosing a landing site. The plant is shade-tolerant and you can find a place with partial shade. Direct sunlight is harmful to growth. Although the isopropyl is also a moisture-loving representative of the flora, prolonged waterlogging will damage it, therefore, when planting, it is necessary to take into account the presence of high-quality drainage. It can be medium-fraction expanded clay or crushed stone, laid in the hole before planting.
When planting isopyrum, the soil should be light and have drained qualities, this will help the plant to tolerate the melting of the snow cover without damage. For planting, you should not fertilize the soil too much, the bifurcate shows excellent growth on ordinary garden soil, but it is quite stable on the poor, however, it should be borne in mind that it shows great decorativeness on light, loose and preferably sandy loam. It is also recommended to add leaf humus or compost there. For the winter, the plant does not require shelter, as it has winter-hardy qualities. According to many reports, it can winter well in the Moscow region, that is, it corresponds to the winter hardiness zone 4.
Application. When grown in a garden, with proper care, it can grow into clumps (flower beds or beds of the same type of plants that do not cut garden paths, intended for inspection only from the outside) up to 70 cm in diameter. They decorate the soil with such plantings of an equal tree next to deciduous trees or shrubs, and such plantings near curbs or rocky hills also look good. Can be planted in rockeries or rock gardens. Without transplantation, such curtains behave perfectly for 30 years.
How to propagate isopyrum on your own?
To get such a rare plant on your site, you can reproduce by dividing an existing bush, cutting rhizomes or sowing seeds.
It is recommended to divide the bush in the fall, when the processes of accumulation of nutrients and the formation of kidneys are completed. The isopyrum bush is carefully dug around the perimeter and removed from the substrate. Then, using a well-sharpened knife, a division is carried out, but it is important that each division has a sufficient number of roots. Then the parts are planted into the prepared holes.
As soon as the seeds of the isopropyl ripen, it is recommended to collect and plant them in the summer, hibernating under the substrate with the arrival of autumn, the sprouts will hatch. If germination is carried out at home, then double stratification is performed: the first is warm, within 3 months, and the second is cold up to 2 months.
A part of the rhizome with a bud is cut out after the flowering process (at the end of May or at the beginning of summer), it is planted to a depth of 5 cm. In autumn, foliage should not be removed, since it serves as a natural mulching and, decomposing, gives isopyrum additional nutrition. After 2-3 years, such plantings begin to close together, delighting with a beautiful green solid carpet.
Isopyrum pest and disease control
Isopyrum is not affected by pests, which is very pleasing when grown on its own site, however, like all buttercup representatives of the family, powdery mildew can destroy if the soil is too moist.
Interesting facts about isopyrum
Isopyrum has been known in Western European horticulture since the 18th century under the name of the equine. It was widely used to decorate flower beds that are placed in the shade. In our territories, this plant is quite rare in culture.
The native area of natural growth of this plant is far beyond the borders of Russia, isopyrum is listed in the Red Book in Belarus and is protected by law in Lithuania, since due to deforestation it can only be found in nurseries or from amateur gardeners. Planting material is easy to obtain by cutting off a rhizome bush with a renewal bud.
It is curious that in the Carpathian region, the equifer is quite abundant and is not in the Red Book of Ukraine, although on some Internet sites they say the opposite, but this is not true, in the lists of plants protected by law - it does not appear!
Isopyrum species
Isopyrum grandiflorum is also found under the name Paraquilegia anemonoides or Aqailegia anemonoides. The native area of growth falls on the territory of Siberia and Central Asia, it is often found in the lands of northwestern Mongolia, Tibet and western China. He likes to settle in the alpine zone, choosing for his location crevices and rock ledges, rocky slopes and placers.
The plant has a thickened root and a multi-headed shape. The stems are short, often forming sods with the outlines of green pillows. In the lower part, the stem is covered with numerous remnants of last year's fallen leaf stalks. Leaves are multiple, petioles are elongated, filiform. The leaf plate is small, with double triple outlines, the number of segments is equal to three, each of them has a petiole. The leaflets reach 1 cm in diameter, their lobes have three lobes, the surface is bare, the color is greenish or slightly gray-gray, thickened.
The resulting flower arrows are either equal to or longer than the leaves. They carry 1 flower, in some cases - a couple. The bracts have linear outlines, the edge is solid, at the base they are widened, filmy. Bracts are 8–10 mm long. Flowers in diameter can vary from 3 to 4 cm, the petals have a pale lilac tint. The sepals are broadly elliptical or obovate, the apex is obtuse. In length, they can reach 16–18 mm with a width of up to 10–12 mm. Sepals are 3 times as long as petal nectaries, if the latter are straightened, they are oblong-obovate in shape, there is a notch at the top. The leaflets have lanceolate outlines, the length reaches 10 mm, the spout is straight. The resulting seeds are oblong, they are covered with dense pubescence.
Small-leaved isopyrum (Isopyrum mycrophyllum) is referred to in many literary sources as Small-leaved false water collection (Paraquilegia microphylla). The native territories of distribution fall on the lands of China and Japan, and you can also find this plant in Siberia, Central Asia and Mongolia. It prefers to grow in alpine placers or in rocky crevices.
The root is multi-headed and thickened. The stems are short and slightly exceed the leaf blades. The lower part of the shoots is covered with the remnants of leaf stalks that fell in the last season. The number of leaves is large, their petioles have elongated threadlike outlines. A leaf plate with a deep dissection into narrow leaflets, which still have an incision deeper than their middle.
The color of the flowers is light blue, they can reach a diameter of 3 cm, towering on long flowering stems. The number of sepals is equal to five, their contours are petal-shaped. The color of the nectary petals is yellowish and they are 4–5 times smaller than the sepals. If the nectaries are straightened, then their outlines are broadly elliptical, with a notched apex. Lanceolate leaflets are formed 3-7 units in length reaching 1 cm. Their surface is bare, the nose is straight. The seeds have oblong contours, the surface is bare, and have narrow wings.
The flowering process occurs in early to mid-spring; it has been cultivated in culture since 1759. Possesses frost resistance.
Basil isopyrum (Isopyrum thalictroides) is often called Basil Ravicarp. Its native habitat falls on the lands of Western Europe and the Carpathian Mountains, it also grows on the territory of Belarus, where it can be found only in the protected Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Prefers to settle in broad-leaved beech and oak forests. This plant is an ephemeroid, since, despite the long life cycle, it has a very shortened growing season, which occurs only at the most favorable time of the year. By the middle of June days it completely disappears, and begins to carry out the supply of essential nutrients for the next year. All these substances accumulate in the underground rhizomes, and new buds are being laid, which will guarantee the emergence of new plants. It is because of such a large number of kidney formations that there is a very rapid development and cover of the surface of the substrate with a real flowering carpet, the height of which does not exceed 25 cm.
Leaf plates, colored light greenish, with a slight bluish bloom in color. The flower petals are whitish. The flowering process begins in April and lasts only about 20 days, but this often depends on the weather conditions. In the period of early spring, there is still no full-fledged leaf crown for trees growing close to the equicarp, and therefore shading occurs on these areas much later than flowering.
It is recommended to plant this variety of isopyrum next to shade-tolerant perennial plants that grow their deciduous mass when the life cycle of this ephemeroid ends. These can be hosts, ferns or astilbe. A whitish flowering meadow, decorated with the help of other similar representatives of the flora, which require similar growing conditions - spring parimula, buttercup or oak grass anemone, as well as zubyanka, will look good.
Isopyrum hallii has stems ranging in length from 35 to 85 cm. The rhizome is thick, shortened, woody. The root processes themselves are fibrous. Leaflets are variably lobed and sharply toothed, sharpened at the apex, glandular-apicular (the tip has a strong sharpening). There is pubescence on the surface. Inflorescences can be both apical and axillary. Bracts are small, scaly. Sepals have a length of 5–10.5 cm and a width of up to 2.5–6.5 mm. There are 50–75 stamens. Their shape is from filamentous to glomerular, length varies within 4, 5–8, 2 mm. Seeds with a bare surface can reach a length of 1, 8–2, 2 mm.
The flowering process takes place in late spring or early summer days. For growth, it chooses the wet banks of streams in the forests, climbing to a height of 100-500 meters above sea level.
What isopirum looks like, see the following video:
