Goose onions: description, photo. Goose onion or yellow snowdrop: growing primrose in the country When does goose onion bloom in what month

To grow a pleasantly flowering plant at home, you need to find the subtleties of its contents. Most respect unusual plants. Each flowering creature requires special conditions. In this collection, we tried to present a collection of articles in order to prevent death when maintaining a particular plant. The secrets to growing large classes of flowers are similar. It seems correct to define for useful procedures, which family the purchased plant belongs to.

Goose onion, or yellow snowdrop (yellow flower)

GOOSE ONION, or YELLOW SNOWDROP (lat. Gagea). Common names: bird's onion, yellow gooseberry, yellow snowdrop, viper's onion, yellow flower. The generic Latin name comes from the surname of the English amateur botanist T. Gage (Thomas Gage, 1781-1820). Previously, some types of goose onions were used in folk medicine, and were also eaten boiled.

Once upon a time there were a lot of goose onions in the meadows and forest clearings. And old people say that flocks of wild geese always descended on these meadows and clearings in the spring to rest here after a difficult journey and nibble onion shoots, which they loved very much... This is where the full name of this early spring flower came from - goose onion. And it’s true, as soon as the first goose onion flowers appear, flocks of migratory geese immediately appear high, high in the sky, flying in the spring from south to north, to their homeland.

It is a small genus of small plants in the lily family; low-growing perennial bulbous herbaceous plant with six small yellow flowers and a small bulb from 8 to 15 cm tall. These are the smallest plants in the lily subfamily - from 3 to 35 cm in height. The flowers are collected in a bunch on a low stem. And next to the stem, one long and narrow leaf rises from the ground. Tepals are 13-18 mm long, lanceolate, obtuse, greenish on the outside, stamens are half as long as the perianth. The fruit is a spherical capsule. In the evening and in bad weather, the inflorescences close tightly, and since the petals are greenish on the outside, they become invisible to the eye. The fruits ripen in May-June.

Yellow snowdrop blooms early in spring in April. Their yellow star-shaped flowers cover mountain meadows, gravelly slopes and rock cracks in the spring; they are found in the steppe, sometimes on saline soil and on limestone, in separate clumps in deciduous forests and on lawns in parks or, like weeds, in crops.

Goose onions grow in steppes and forests, on dry mountain slopes and in semi-deserts and among bushes. There are about 100 species in temperate zone Eurasia, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Siberia, Far East, Central Asia. In the forest zone, the most common yellow goose onion (G. lutea). Many species of goose onions are eaten by animals on pastures, but have no significant feed value.

WITH therapeutic purpose Bulbs are used that are harvested in the spring - before flowering and in the fall. The chemical composition has not been sufficiently studied. The entire plant is known to contain garlic essential oils, which contain sulfur. ethnoscience I almost didn’t use goose onions.

Previously, a decoction of the bulbs was taken orally for dropsy, edema, jaundice, bronchial asthma. Crushed bulbs were applied externally to improve the reparative processes of ulcers, long-term non-healing wounds, and erosions. A decoction of the bulbs in milk is given to children in small doses for epilepsy. Crushed bulbs are used as an external wound healing agent.

The gooseberry is also interesting as an edible plant. The bulbs are edible; the leaves, which have a distinctive garlicky smell, are used to make salads. Small onions are edible boiled and baked. In the old days, during lean years, peasants collected the bulbs of this herb, dried them, ground them and mixed them with bread.

Method of preparation and use: cook 1 tablespoon of fresh goose onions for 5 minutes in 0.5 cups of boiling water, leave for 1-2 hours, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.

Variety of types of goose onions

There are about 100 species in the temperate zone of Eurasia, including in Russia. In the European part of Russia there are 4 types of goose onions: yellow (G. lutea), small (G. minima), granular (G. granulosa) and ruddy (G. rubicunda). Externally, all these species are very similar to each other and differ mainly in the structure of the bulbs and integumentary scales on these bulbs.

Medicinal plants

perennial plant used as vitamin remedy and in the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds.

Chemical composition

Goose onion (otherwise Geidzhia or Bird onion) is a genus of bulbous herbaceous plants from the Liliaceae family, numbering about 200 species.

Due to its nutritional qualities and healing properties, yellow goose onions are valued, which are characterized by:

Ovate-oblong bulb with gray-brownish shells;
Bare dense stem reaching a height of 15-25 cm;
Flat basal leaves;
Umbrella inflorescence;
The fruits are in the form of a filmy triangular box;
Small yellow flowers.

Yellow goose onion grows in Turkey, the Caucasus, European Russia, the Far East and Siberia, preferring moist and fresh humus soils and shady deciduous forests.

The plant is not a medicinal plant, so its chemical composition has not been fully studied. It is known that all parts of the plant contain garlic essential oils, as well as vitamins (C, E, B, PP), organic acids, macro- and microelements (including sulfur and iodine).

Beneficial features

Goose onion bulbs can be eaten as a seasoning, and young leaves are often added to green salads to replenish vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Orally in the form of decoctions - bronchial asthma, dropsy, epilepsy and hepatitis;
Externally in fresh form - for long-term non-healing ulcers and wound surfaces.

Indications for use

Goose onions are indicated for use as:

Source of vitamins and micro- and macroelements;
An adjuvant in the treatment of bronchial asthma and as a wound-healing and antiseptic agent for the treatment of wounds and trophic ulcers.

Contraindications

A contraindication to the use of goose onion is individual intolerance to the plant. It should also be used with caution by children and nursing and pregnant women.

Home remedies from goose onion

The bulbs of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, either used fresh or harvested before flowering or in late autumn.

For oral administration, the use of goose onions in the form of a decoction is indicated. for the preparation of which 1 tablespoon of fresh onions, crushed to a homogeneous pulp, is boiled for 5 minutes in 250-300 ml of boiling water, after which it is infused for several hours. Take according to indications (edema, hepatitis, bronchial asthma) 1 tablespoon up to 4 times a day. Treatment is usually carried out in courses: 2 weeks followed by a month break.

For external use, it is necessary to squeeze the juice from fresh goose onion bulbs or prepare a paste, which should be applied to the affected surface (wounds, trophic ulcers). The dressing is changed daily.

Since the properties of goose onion have not been fully studied, it is recommended to use the plant for medicinal purposes only after consulting a doctor.

Goose onion is a bulbous herbaceous honey plant belonging to the lily family. Its appearance is rather modest, but the plant looks great in a rocky garden and feels great in flower arrangements. It is often also used as a border. There are more than a hundred species of it in nature, and the plant is most often found in Eurasia and North Africa. Goose onion blooms in early spring, which is why it is popularly called yellow snowdrop.

The goose onion flower reaches a height of 35 cm. Its inflorescences are umbrella-shaped, and the flowers themselves are small yellow stars. The leaves of the goose onion plant are narrow and long, much longer than the inflorescence itself. Goose onions reproduce with the help of children that are formed from the main bulb. In summer, goose onion fruits ripen in the form of triangular boxes with seeds. After flowering ends, the above-ground part of the plant dies.

The most common types are considered to be yellow goose onion, bulbous onion, small onion, and reddish onion. In decorative garden landscaping, yellow onion is most often used. This plant is quite hardy, loves sunny places, fertile, loose soil that does not retain water.

Yellow goose onion

Yellow goose onions grow in forests, oak groves, groves and dense bushes. It has a small ovoid bulb with a diameter of up to 10 mm, covered with brown-gray scales. Its stem grows up to 30 cm. The broad basal leaves are longer than the inflorescences. Under the inflorescence it usually has two leaves: one, growing above the inflorescence, and the second, smaller, shorter than the inflorescence. The inflorescence itself consists of 8-10 pale yellow flowers, and on the outside they are generally greenish. Yellow goose onion blooms in March-April.

In summer, the plant begins a dormant period. And by the beginning of autumn, next year’s shoot of the goose onion is fully formed. The tops of its leaves begin to resemble a hard point, which helps the plant break through frozen soil, snow or ice crust in early spring.

The growing season for goose yellow onions lasts only 2-3 weeks. Its yellow flowers open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. On cloudy or rainy weather they don't open at all.

In the description of the yellow goose onion, you can find interesting periods of its reproduction. During the first period, even before flowering, increased reproduction and formation of children occurs, which appear at the base of the mother bulb. These small bulbs formed do not germinate the next year, but only in the third year. In the spring of the fourth and fifth years, the bulbs continue to grow, and only in the spring of the sixth year does the plant bloom and the second period of the goose onion’s life begins. It can no longer form daughter bulbs, and reproduction continues only with the help of seeds. Such bulbs, grown from seeds, are located for several years on the very surface of the soil and are easily washed away by rain or flood waters and are transported over long distances. And the babies are formed at the same depth as the mother bulbs, that is, deeper and cannot be washed out by rain, but slowly spread over short distances. These two methods of propagation of yellow goose onions contribute to the widespread distribution of this species in the wild.

Yellow goose onion seeds are sown before winter. If you want to grow a plant from children, then it is best to scatter the bulbs in an area where lawn grass is already growing and slightly bury the bulbs into the ground. With this planting, you will get a beautiful natural carpet of a starry scattering of yellow ornamental goose flowers on a green field of grass.

Early flowering plants. Goose onion

Already at the end of April, yellow stars appear in forest clearings and ravines, along forest edges and meadows. The goose onion has bloomed. Its leaves are more like garlic leaves. Yes, both the taste and smell of the plant are garlicky. There are only two leaves, they are lanceolate - narrow and long, with parallel veins. One, the basal one, is wider and longer, it hugs the stem; the second, growing higher, is narrower and shorter. Goose onions belong to the same lily family as other types of onions and garlic.

Goose onion blooms

These are fairly common early flowering plants, perennial ephemeroids. In the soil the plant has one or two interconnected bulbs small size. The above-ground part appears only in spring. The genus is quite extensive. Plants are distributed throughout almost the entire temperate zone of Eurasia. They are found in semi-deserts, steppes, and mountainous regions. And, of course, in the forest area. In our forests you can find two species: yellow goose onion (Gagea lutea) and small goose onion (Gagea minima).

The Russian name is undoubtedly associated with watching how the geese eagerly arriving in the spring pluck this grass. The cattle in the pasture also did not deny themselves this pleasure. Well, people have also been “plucking” it for a long time, collecting spring shoots and digging up bulbs. There is also information about the specific medicinal value of the plant. As a spring source of vitamins, it is undoubtedly useful. However, these observations were possible at a time when goose onions were a truly common plant. Excessive collections have led to it becoming increasingly rare.

Yellow goose onion (Gagea lutea)

Yellow goose onion

This is a common forest plant. Found in deciduous forests, oak forests, and bush thickets. Prefers fairly fertile soils. The yellow goose onion has only one bulb. Having grown from a seed, it germinates in top layer soil, and in the spring it can be washed away by streams of water and moved to a new place. Having taken root there, the plant does not bloom for the first five years. In the spring, it throws its lanceolate leaves towards the light and actively reproduces vegetatively - forming daughter onions. In the sixth year, in addition to the leaves, a peduncle appears. The plant loses its ability to reproduce vegetatively. Flowers open on a peduncle in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence.

Like other lilies, gooseberry flowers have a simple perianth of colored leaflets. The goose onion has six of them, and they form two circles. The inside of the tepals is yellow, the outside is greenish. There are also six stamens, the stigma is three-lobed. The flower is quite large - up to 2-3 cm in diameter. Nectar is secreted between the base of the stamens and the tepals, which attracts pollinating insects. In addition to bees, flies and beetles also collect it. It is curious that only the very first flowers in the inflorescence (they are also the central ones) produce seeds well. Those that appear later produce mainly pollen. This is probably the first “step” in evolution towards the emergence of dioecious flowers.

In May–June, the fruits (pods) and the seeds in them ripen. The seeds are equipped with appendages called elaiosomes. They attract ants. It is the ants, by taking away the seeds and losing them, that contribute to the spread of goose onions. This phenomenon in biology is called myrmecochory (from the Greek words “myrmekos” - ant and “choreo” - to spread). Many early flowering plants are myrmecochores: corydalis. anemones. hoofed ungulate, hairy. As you can see, yellow goose onions are also among them. After the fruits ripen, the above-ground part of the plant dies off.

The fact that there are two stages in the life cycle of goose onions: a period of vegetative reproduction and a period of seed reproduction is undoubtedly an adaptation to wider distribution. With the help of seeds and bulbs of the first year, it is possible to spread further. And having taken root, due to the formation of daughter bulbs, the goose onion already forms a small community, a group. By the way, sometimes “babies” can develop instead of flowers.

Small goose onion (Gagea minima)

Small goose onion

As the name itself suggests, the plant is smaller in size than its relative. Its flowers are smaller too. Already leaves. Otherwise they are similar in appearance. But the small goose onion is already a plant of open spaces. It grows in meadows, wastelands, forests - only on the edges and large glades And the goose onion has not one, but two bulbs. And the stem rises between them. And one more difference - starting to bloom, the small goose onion does not lose the ability to reproduce vegetatively.

Don't collect primroses!

The reason for the disappearance of many plant species from nature, in addition to the general deterioration of the environmental situation, is often simple human greed. Well, so what if we pick a bouquet of early flowers. Yes, the thing is that there are many “us”. And if we don’t pick flowers ourselves, we willingly buy them at the market. Well, we enjoyed them for a day or two and threw them away. Or they received a portion of vitamins (very small, by the way!). But the plant did not have time to accumulate the necessary supply of nutrients for the year ahead and died. After all, most primroses have a very short growing season - they are ephemeroids! And the plants disappear. For good! And no genetic engineering, no cloning will help here.

Many primroses are included in the Red Books of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and other countries, and in the International Red Book. There are Red Books (or their equivalent) in most regions of Russia. There are serious fines for collecting such plants! True, with the implementation of laws (in Russia, at least) things are... not very good. But the implementation of laws does not depend on government agencies alone. From the citizens themselves too!

Goose onion has so far bypassed the fame of an endangered plant. But only for now!

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I wish everyone a wonderful spring mood!

Goosebumps are often called yellow snowdrops. It belongs to the Liliaceae family. Beautiful large flowers can often be seen on personal plot. Popularity perennial crop due to its unpretentiousness.

Due to the lack of strict requirements for soil cover, yellow snowdrop can grow among shrubs, parks, forests, rocky areas and ravines. The distribution area includes Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East and Siberia.

The culture is distinguished by the following features:

short stature – from 3 to 35 cm;
inflorescence - umbrella;
corollas – star-shaped;
lanceolate leaves – length about 18 mm, greenish color;
The fruit is a spherical capsule.

The flowering period begins in April. The fruits appear in May-June. The inflorescence is collected from 16 corollas. The upper side of the flower is yellow, the lower side is green. The perianth is surrounded by pointed leaf blades. The length of each of them is 1.5 cm.

Goose onions are considered ephemeral. The oblong bulb is a modified shoot. The scales that covered it were formed from the stem and leaves. Daughter tubers germinate only in the third season after emergence.

Ability to vegetative propagation disappears in the sixth year. In the future, in order to get new plants, you will have to use seeds.

The wide distribution of the herbaceous crop is explained by its “migratory” activity. Bulbs grown from seeds travel a considerable distance during floods. Daughter heads are fixed at depth. In this way, yellow snowdrop is propagated in a limited area.

Pollination occurs through insects. The plant attracts them to itself with the help of nectar, which is formed between the leaves and stamens.

Varieties of goose onions

There are many varieties of this bulbous herbaceous plant. The most popular is the yellow variety. It is considered a primrose. The culture loves warmth and sunny color, so in cloudy weather the inflorescences do not open.

There are about 90 varieties on the list. They grow in North Africa and Eurasia. The species got its name in honor of the botanist T. Gage.

Variety	Description
Yellow	The height does not exceed 25 cm. There are no small bulbs on the single head. The upper part of the basal leaf resembles a cap. The outer side of the plates located near the perianth is painted green.
Greek	The length of the lanceolate leaves is from 4 to 12 cm. The inflorescences consist of 5 white corollas, which are decorated with purple veins. Due to low winter hardiness, they are grown in greenhouse conditions.
Small	Reaches 15 cm. Reproduction occurs through small bulbs that ripen at the base.
Fibrous	Umbrellas are formed from erect corollas. The perianth is yellow on the inside and green on the outside.
Reddish	Height – 15 cm. There are no small bulbs. The leaves are colored reddish.
pubescent	Each arrow stem contains no more than 15 star-shaped flowers.
Grainy	The umbrella-shaped inflorescence is collected from 5 corollas. The fruit is a capsule, the length of the petals is 1.5 cm. There is no foliage on the stem.
Lugovoy	Up to 20 cm. Bright star-shaped flowers can be seen under hedges.
Sheltered	Bright corollas bloom only in sunny weather.
Bulbiferous	The height is no more than 15 cm. Characteristic features include pubescent pedicels and many small heads at the base of the bulb.
Floriferous	There are only 7 yellow corollas in the inflorescence. The length of the leaf blades is from 6 to 30 cm.

Growing Requirements

First you need to decide on the landing site. The bulbs and seeds are planted in moist, loose and fertilized soil. It is desirable that it be sandy-clayey. If necessary, complexes containing calcium and nitrogen are added to the soil. Acidity should be moderate.

Goose onions are most often placed in borders and holes. Among the main requirements are good lighting.

Yellow snowdrop reproduces through seeds and bulbs. You should start dividing the latter only after the foliage has withered. Before planting, the heads need to be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then they are dried.

Prepared bulbs are stored in a cool, dark place. Planting is carried out from June to September, guided by a specific scheme. Until this time, the seed must be stored in special containers. There should be at least 10-15 cm between the heads. They are buried 2-3 cm.

Despite its unpretentiousness, goose onions require moderate watering. If over-watered, the flowers will begin to rot. Irrigation is abandoned after the foliage begins to wilt. There are usually no problems with transplantation. This procedure is allowed to be carried out at any time. Before this you will have to cut off the inflorescences. This speeds up the engraftment process.

When planted too densely in open ground, yellow snowdrop turns from a garden crop into a weed. The same thing will happen if the landing rules are not followed.

Wintering occurs under natural conditions. Goose onions can withstand low temperature regime. To prevent freezing, the plant should be covered with dry leaves, spruce branches, peat and compost. Before covering the plantings, you need to mulch.

Yellow snowdrop fits well in floral arrangements. To get a bright “carpet” of star-shaped inflorescences, the plant needs to be planted on lawn grass. Many gardeners place bulbs in rocky crevices. They have enough soil for normal flower development. Such gardens look quite original.

Yellow snowdrop is resistant to pests and diseases. Difficulties may arise if the gardener could not pick up suitable place. Signs of illness include weak flowering and rotting of the bulbs. It is recommended to plant goose onions in groups, otherwise you will achieve the desired result. decorative effect Not sure it's going to happen.

When carrying out agricultural activities, gloves should be worn. This will prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction.

Mr. Summer Resident recommends: the medicinal properties of goose onions and its various uses

Goose onions contain many useful substances. Among them are saponins, phenolic acids, glycosides, coumarins and flavonoids. The list can be supplemented with essential oils, vitamins, tannins and alkaloids.

Thanks to its unique composition, yellow snowdrop has antipyretic, antibacterial, diuretic, antiviral, expectorant, healing and diaphoretic properties.

When preparing healing mixtures, you can use flowers, bulbs and leaf blades. For example, to create a tincture that is used for gastrointestinal problems, you will need dried herbs and alcohol. The ingredients are taken in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting composition is infused for a week. The finished solution must be filtered. You need to add honey to it.

A decoction is prepared from fresh bulbs, which can help with bronchial asthma, swelling and hepatitis. First, the heads are thoroughly crushed, and then poured with one glass of boiling water. The resulting mixture is simmered over low heat for 5-10 minutes. The medicine must be kept in the refrigerator. Beneficial features are stored for 14 days.

An ointment is made from onion pulp, fish oil and butter to prevent bacterial and fungal infections. Yellow snowdrop is a powerful remedy, so using it without experience and relevant knowledge is strictly prohibited. Before starting treatment, you should consult your doctor.

A significant reason for the use of medicines prepared from goose onions are pathologies of the respiratory, urinary, musculoskeletal, and digestive systems. The list can be supplemented with skin ailments.

For medicinal purposes, bulbs that were harvested before the flowering period are used. The yellow snowdrop is also considered an edible plant. Both leaves and bulbs are eaten. The latter are baked and boiled.

Bright primrose is often used to decorate various flower arrangements. Due to the fact that goose onions are not picky, they can be combined with cereals, herbs and foliage plants. The main thing is that the neighbors do not shade the yellow snowdrop. Otherwise, its growth will slow down greatly. The same will happen if garden crops planted nearby need abundant watering.

In early spring, when there is still snow, the earth gives people greenery and flowers. At this time, juicy goose onions appear along with snowdrops. The plant attracts birds returning from warmer climes, who eat it with pleasure. And people use the culture for preparing spring dishes and for medicinal purposes. Let's take a closer look at this unique primrose.

External features of the plant

In the mid-17th century, the Dutch botanist Gage first described spring primrose, which bears his name - eider.

However, popularly the grass is called:

bird onion;
viper onion;
gooseneck

A detailed description and photo of the goose onion helps you see it in all its glory and appreciate its merits.

The plant belongs to the Liliaceae family and consists of the following elements:

main erect stem, up to 30 cm high;
linear basal leaf plate;
several lanceolate stem leaves;
umbrella inflorescences consisting of 5-10 buds;
underground bulb.

Gooseberry flowers form 6 delicate petals. Their inner part is painted in a bright golden color. Outside surface has a greenish tint. In clear weather, the buds fully open and glow dazzlingly against the background of greenery. At night and on cloudy days they remain tightly closed. Flowering begins in April or May. The buds resemble miniature yellow ones.

After successful pollination, fruits are formed in the form of oval-shaped boxes. The seeds ripen for about a year, emitting a specific smell. Thanks to this, hundreds scatter them in different directions.

Hidden underground, the graceful bulb has an oblong shape. On top it is protected by grey-brown scales. Small “babies” grow next to the mother’s part and are used for reproduction.

Daughter bulbs are also formed in the axils of the leaf blades, which are located on the outside of the plant.

Common species and habitats

Biologists number more than 100 different types gooseneck They differ mainly in the number and shape of its underground part.

The following varieties are found in nature:

For decoration flower beds They use a small species of eider. In early spring, the plant produces pretty green lawns ablaze with yellow flowers. The crop is propagated by dividing the bulbs, which are planted in mid-autumn. Where does goose onion grow in nature? Let's go to an amusing trip on our unique planet.

It is best to grow flowers on open areas, where there is a lot sunlight and there are no drafts.

A huge amount of goose onions are found in northern Africa. There it grows in endless meadows and the banks of the Nile. The plant also pleases Europeans with its presence.

Bright yellow flowers welcome spring:

on forest edges;
among spacious pastures;
in the thick of birch and oak groves;
near small streams and deep rivers.

Some species grow even beyond the Arctic Circle and in Siberia. They are resistant to cold, so they are pleasing to the eye in such places. Goose onions are known and appreciated by residents of China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Truly this unique plant!

Valuable properties and applications

The name of the culture indicates the content of useful elements in it.

Scientists equate it to, since a number of elements were found in the shoots and bulbs:

ascorbic acid;
vitamins of group B, PP, E;
essential oils;
sulfur;
carotene;
inulin.

Thanks to a unique set of components, medicines are made based on gossamer.

They are used to fight diseases:

hepatitis;
asthma;
epilepsy.

Goose onions have antiseptic properties. Therefore, it is used to treat deep wounds and internal formations. Decoctions from the plant are consumed to reduce blood glucose levels.

The drink is prepared from 2 ingredients:

water (100 g);
gossamer bulbs (1 tbsp. l).

The main product is cut into small pieces or ground into a paste. Then pour hot water and cook over moderate heat for about 5-6 minutes. The medicine is infused for about 2 hours, after which it is filtered. Take 1 tbsp. spoon after every meal.

Puree from goose bulbs is used to strengthen the scalp. It is thoroughly rubbed into the skin, and after 30 minutes, washed off with shampoo. To cope with vitamin deficiency in the body after a long winter, goose onion leaves are added to various dishes. When a unique plant with bright yellow flowers appears on your lawns in early spring, you should pay attention to it. It will give not only positive emotions, but also improve health.

Edible wild plant goose onion - video

Often associated with beautiful, large flowers, so popular in our gardens. However, it is worth knowing that they also include many other species, the flowers of which are not so large, but when viewed at close range they look very beautiful and interesting. One of these small but interesting plants is goose onion. We will consider the photo and description of this flower later in the article.

Kinds

Goose, or bird's onion, geijia (lat. Gagea) is a genus of bulbous plants from the Liliaceae family. It includes about 90 species distributed in Eurasia and North Africa. In Russia, 5 varieties of this flower are most famous. The plant received its scientific species name in honor of the botanist Sir Thomas Gage (1781-1820).

The most popular types of wild goose onions in Russia:

meadow (Gagea pratensis);
small (Gagea minima);
blushing (lat. Gagea erubescens);
field (Gagea arvensis);
yellow (Gagea lutea (L.).

Representatives of the genus grow in various habitats - in forests, bushes, meadows, desert and rocky areas.

Goose onion - description

This is a small perennial plant. It forms underground oval or spherical bulbs, covered with dry husks and sometimes with a flange of leaf debris. One stem grows from the bulb, 10 to 30 cm high and 3-12 mm wide. The lower leaves grow directly from the bulb, and the upper stem leaves grow under the inflorescence of the plant. They are opposite, narrowly lanceolate in shape. The length of the leaves usually exceeds the length of the flowers. Small tulip-like flowers are collected in umbrella inflorescences (containing from 1 to 7 flowers). They are light yellow in color and grow on petioles. Their petals are greenish on the outside, so when they are closed at night and in rainy weather, they blend in with the surrounding greenery.

Flowers appear from March to May. They are pollinated by various insects (mainly beetles), but if necessary they can pollinate themselves. The plant can easily reproduce not only vegetatively - by bulbs, but also with the help of seeds that are carried by the wind or ants. After the flowering period, the entire above-ground part of the flower dries out. In summer, the bulb remaining in the ground goes into a dormant period. The perennial flower produces tiny bulbs each year that grow into a fairly large clump over time.

Many species of this flower are included in the list rare plants Vologda region since 1993. It is necessary to search for new habitats of varieties of goose onions. The Red Book of the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Region includes it in the list of endangered plants. The flower needs proper botanical control in the Novgorod and Kirov regions.

Growing Requirements

Goose onion is a plant most often found in deciduous forests, bush thickets and in damp areas (for example, near bodies of water). This one is small perennial flower not particularly picky about conditions environment, although it prefers sunny positions and permeable sandy-clayey soils rich in nitrogen and calcium. This plant is relatively tolerant of low temperatures, but when grown in the garden in the fall, it should be covered with fallen leaves. Under natural conditions, it is precisely this protection that helps the flower survive the winter.

Goose onions are not susceptible to diseases and pests, but the wrong choice of place to grow the plant (for example, too wet soil) can cause rotting of the bulbs or poor flowering.

If you want to grow bird onions in your own garden, you need to provide them with conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Therefore, it is better to choose a place for the flower under trees and shrubs or plant it in the company of other spring bulbous plants (for example, violets). Goose onions are great for growing in naturalistic gardens. However, it should be remembered that a planted single bulb will not give any noticeable decorative effect. It is best to plant at least a dozen bulbs, so that in early spring they form beautiful greenery with a lot of decorative flowers. yellow flowers. The landing site should be marked visibly so that during summer and autumn work in the garden, do not damage the bulbs hidden underground. When caring for a flower, it is worth protecting your hands with gloves, since the sap of the plant can sometimes cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.

Medicinal properties

Goose onions contain saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, coumarins, and phenolic acids. In addition, it contains essential oil, tannins, fatty oils, alkaloids, and vitamin C.

Medicinal properties:

antipyretic;
diuretic;
expectorant;
diaphoretic;
antiviral and antibacterial action.

The plant also has a beneficial effect on the body during the healing of wounds and ulcers.

Warnings and Side Effects

In large doses, it has an irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract and excretory system. The sap of the herb in contact with skin can cause contact dermatitis. The use of goose onion preparations requires prudence and caution. You cannot use them in any doses and during pregnancy. The components of the plant are strong allergens for some people.

Indications

Goose onions help in the treatment of many ailments, which include:

sore throat and sinusitis;
upper respiratory tract infections;
bacteriosis of the gastrointestinal tract;
skin infections (bacterial);
cough, hoarseness of voice;
infected wounds;
diseases of the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract;
rheumatic diseases.

The herb has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, helping to overcome high acidity, heartburn, and diarrhea.

Mode of application

The bulbs, leaves, and flowers of the plant are used for medicinal purposes.

Tincture. For cooking medicinal tincture from the plant, pour 1 part of dry grass with flowers into 5 parts of 40% alcohol and leave to infuse for 7 days. After this mixture must be filtered and mixed with honey 1:1. Take 2 teaspoons 2-4 times a day for gastrointestinal problems.
Decoction. To prepare a universal decoction from the plant, chop its fresh bulbs and pour half a glass of boiling water over them. Then cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. The broth must be cooled until room temperature and strain. The drug is taken orally, one tablespoon 3-6 times a day for swelling, hepatitis, and bronchial asthma. Treatment should last for 2 weeks with a break of a month, then the course can be repeated. The product should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than one and a half days.

The ointment from the plant is suitable for treating difficult to heal wounds, especially those infected with bacteria and fungi. To prepare it, 1 part of the gruel from the grass bulbs should be combined with 3-5 parts of butter and fish oil.

Goose onions are used in treatment various diseases, but since its effect is very strong, using the herb without proper knowledge and experience can be dangerous to health, so you should not experiment with the plant on your own.

GOOSE ONION, or YELLOW SNOWDROP (lat. Gagea). Common names: bird's onion, yellow gooseberry, yellow snowdrop, viper's onion, yellow flower. The generic Latin name comes from the surname of the English amateur botanist T. Gage (Thomas Gage, 1781-1820). Previously, some types of goose onions were used in folk medicine, and were also eaten boiled.

It is a small genus of small plants in the lily family; low-growing perennial bulbous herbaceous plant with six small yellow flowers and a small bulb from 8 to 15 cm in height. These are the smallest plants in the lily subfamily - from 3 to 35 cm in height. The flowers are collected in a bunch on a low stem. And next to the stem, one long and narrow leaf rises from the ground. Tepals are 13-18 mm long, lanceolate, obtuse, greenish on the outside, stamens are half as long as the perianth. The fruit is a spherical capsule. In the evening and in bad weather, the inflorescences close tightly, and since the petals are greenish on the outside, they become invisible to the eye. The fruits ripen in May-June.

Yellow blooms early in spring in April. Their yellow star-shaped flowers cover mountain meadows, gravelly slopes and rock cracks in the spring; they are found in the steppe, sometimes on saline soil and on limestone, in separate clumps in deciduous forests and on lawns in parks or, like weeds, in crops.

Goose onions grow in steppes and forests, on dry mountain slopes and in semi-deserts and among bushes. There are about 100 species in the temperate zone of Eurasia, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, and Central Asia. In the forest zone, the most common is the Yellow Goose (G. lutea). Many species of goose onions are eaten by animals on pastures, but have no significant feed value.

For medicinal purposes, bulbs are used, which are harvested in the spring - before flowering and in the fall. Chemical composition insufficiently studied. The entire plant is known to contain garlic essential oils, which contain sulfur. Traditional medicine almost never used goose onions.

Previously, a decoction of the bulbs was taken orally for dropsy, edema, jaundice, and bronchial asthma. Crushed bulbs were applied externally to improve the reparative processes of ulcers, long-term non-healing wounds, and erosions. A decoction of the bulbs in milk is given to children in small doses for epilepsy. Crushed bulbs are used as an external wound healing agent.

Method of preparation and use: Boil 1 tablespoon of fresh goose bulbs for 5 minutes in 0.5 cups of boiling water, leave for 1-2 hours, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
Variety of types of goose onions

Yellow goose onion (G. lutea (L.) Ker Gawl.) is the most common species in our area. Plant up to 25 cm high; The bulb is single, without small bulbs, the tepals are green on the outside. The apex of the basal leaf has the shape of a cap.
Small goose onion (G. minima (L.) Ker Gawl.) is a plant up to 15 cm high with pointed tepals. It is vegetatively defrosted very quickly with the help of small bulbs formed at the base of the bulb.
Goose onion ruddy, or reddish (G. rubicunda Meinsh.) - a plant up to 15 cm high; single bulb, without small bulbs. The tepals are reddish on the outside - hence the name. At the end of flowering, small bulbs form in the inflorescence. The species is included in the Red Books of Nature of the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg.
Granular goose onion (G. granulosa) is a rare species listed in the Red Book. It is located on the eastern border of distribution and has nutritional value. A small bulbous plant, with a bulb planted in a circle under a common shell with even smaller bulbs and one lanceolate basal leaf. The stem is leafless. The umbrella-shaped inflorescence consists of 1-5 flowers. Petals 1.5 cm long, outside with green or reddish-brown stripes, fruit - capsule
Meadow goose onion (G. pratensis) - a plant barely reaching a height of 5-20 cm, found under hedges and tall cereals in areas with calcareous soil. It has the most beautiful yellow star-shaped flowers of all the goosebumps.
Goose bulbous onion (G. granulosa Turcz.) is a plant up to 15 cm high with numerous small bulbs formed at the base of the bulb, the stalks are pubescent.
Goose onion (G. peduncularis) - this onion grows naturally in the Balkans and North Africa. Its flower stalks, bearing up to 7 yellow star-shaped flowers, are shorter than the leaves, the length of which reaches 6-30 cm.
Covered goose onion (G. spathacea) - this plant often goes unnoticed because it does not bloom in the shade; small yellow stars form on it only under bright sunlight.
Hairy goose onion (G. villosa) - in spring, arrow-shaped stems appear among the long narrow leaves bearing up to 15 small star-shaped flowers.
Fibrous goose onion (G.fibrosa) - in spring and summer, this small bulbous plant produces erect flowers collected in umbels; The perianth is green on the outside and yellow on the inside.
Greek goose onion (G. graeca). Plants of this species have narrow leaves 4-12 cm long. In spring, it forms inflorescences of 5 white flowers, on which purple veins are clearly visible. This species is not winter-hardy, so it is grown in a greenhouse or rock garden. After the flowers fade, the plant is not watered.