Wild plants: name and meaning

In the school curriculum, learning about wildlife objects is provided in the lessons of acquaintance with the surrounding world, natural history, biology. As part of familiarizing themselves with the life of the flora, children learn what are the cultural and wild plants. The name of the groups becomes clear after the children are informed of the conditions for the growth of the species. The deepening and expansion of the concept is due to the familiarization with the way the plants used by a person belong to a particular group.

Cultivated and wild plants. Titles

The 2nd class of a general education school is the period when children begin to receive systematic knowledge about objects of animate and inanimate nature. An earlier study of the subject is propaedeutical. But already in the second class, for example, such concepts as cultural and wild plants are introduced.

The name of the groups becomes clear to children after doing exercises, where it is suggested to compare pairs of plants. For example, spruce and apple tree, birch and plum, gooseberry and juniper, tomatoes and coltsfoot, peas and chicory. The teacher suggests that children pay attention to where the species are grown, what conditions are necessary for them, and who cares for them.

After the work done, children easily come to the conclusion that all plants are divided into two large groups. Those who are looked after by a person are called cultural. Wild plants are named after they grow everywhere. For their development, maturation, fruiting, human intervention is not required.

The main differences between wild plants and

For the growth and development of plants, certain conditions are necessary. Cultural conditions are created by man. He is looking for a favorable place for planting plants, makes them fertilizing, removes weeds, harvests, protects against pests and diseases.

Wild plants, whose name can be found in numerous reference books, do not need to create special conditions. They adapt themselves to life in the wild.

Grounds for classification

Wild plants, names and photos of which are so familiar to us, appeared on Earth much earlier than cultural species. In other words, initially the planet was inhabited only by wild plants. It was they who gave the ancient man food, shelter, clothing, tools.

Engaged in gathering, people accumulated experience, through which they evaluated the positive properties of roots, leaves, stems, fruits of some plants. Gradually, man learned the most useful species for himself to grow next to his own home and to use the results of his work for a longer period of time than it was when collecting. Thus, cultivated varieties of plants began to appear, as a result of their care, their taste and other qualities improved.

Wild plants, whose names are well known, are divided into groups. Scientists distinguish among them grass, trees, shrubs. For example, you can easily determine which group includes nettle, chamomile, birch, hazel, rye, cornflower. It should be noted that cultural groups are also divided into similar groups .

Natural zones and plant propagation

Species diversity, which represents wild plants, names and their significance in economic activities are directly related to the area of the Earth where they grow.

The abundance of food and medicinal wild-growing plant species is noted in tropical and subtropical humid climates. In the zone of the tundra and forest-tundra, the species diversity of plants is more scarce, but here large reserves of mosses and lichens, used in various branches of the national economy, can be concentrated. Grassy and shrubby plants that produce a good harvest of berries are also not uncommon for the harsh northern regions.

Wild plants: value for humans

Wild plants, examples, whose names are listed in school textbooks and additional reference books, have in their composition a lot of substances useful for the human body. Today, this group is being studied for protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, vegetable oils.

Man has long been looking for ways to consume wild plants for food. Since ancient times, the collection of berries of strawberries, blueberries, blueberries, cranberries and many others is common. Fruits, leaves, stems are used in fresh as well as in processed form.

Healing properties

Among the medicinal raw materials a special place is occupied by wild-growing plants. The names and meanings of medicines made on the basis of grasses, parts of trees and shrubs grown in the wild, have recently been actively created and studied, and their list has expanded considerably. A wide experience of using wild plants as medicines is available from folk healers.

However, the number of representatives of the flora fully studied and used by a person in medicinal products is only 4% of the total number of species that are wild plants. The names of new species regularly supplement this list.

It should be noted that more than half of the raw materials intended for pharmaceutical production are supplied by collection of medicinal plants in nature. Only a small part of them is cultivated.

Rules for collecting raw materials

When collecting medicinal and food-borne wild plants, it is necessary to follow the rules, thanks to which it is possible to exclude the facts of poisoning or other negative effects on the body. It is allowed to harvest only well-known plant species. Those of them that cause doubt in appearance, rules of use, collection are not subject. The aerial parts of plants are usually collected before flowering. At this time, shoots and leaves are more tender, do not contain dangerous compounds. Collection of plants is recommended to be made in clear weather in the afternoon, when moistening with dew is excluded.

It is forbidden to collect plants along roads, near landfills, gutters or industrial facilities. On their parts are collected combustion products, dust containing substances hazardous to human health.

The collected raw materials should not be packed too tightly. This can lead to damage to plants. It usually manifests itself in the darkening of their parts. Prickly and burning plants, such as nettles, bodyguards, it is better to collect in gloves. And it is more convenient to cut off the stiff stems of a knife.

Parts of plants that show visible damage, such as growths, rust, rot, are not recommended. They can contain substances harmful to human health.