Cuckoo’s carnation belongs to the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae) and the genus Pechnel. Plant systematics places it in the trifurcate pollen dicotyledon class (Rosopsida, Dicotyledonea).
Occurrence and cultivation of the cuckoo campion.
Because of its beautiful pinkish-red flowers, it is popular as a salad enrichment or garnish for sandwiches and other foods. The subdivision is angiosperms (Angiospermae, Spermatophyta). It has pinkish-red flowers that look a bit ruffled. The scientific names are Lychnis flos-cuculi and Silene flos-cuculi. Cuckoo’s campion grows in moist places in meadows, bogs and swamps. However, it is not found in heavily fertilized meadows, as it prefers nutrient-poor marginal areas. It is found at high altitudes in the temperate zones of Europe and western Asia. It is a hemicryptophyte and a wintergreen semi-rosette plant that prefers a moderately warm maritime climate as a semi-shade plant. However, as many wetlands are increasingly drained, the clove plant is becoming increasingly rare in its natural habitat. Many amateur gardeners now cultivate the plant in close proximity to their garden ponds. The name comes from a folk name that has less to do with the bird, as cuckoo was a term for devil or witch in the Middle Ages. Therefore, the popular name is also devil’s light carnation or witch’s light carnation. Another reason for the name actually goes back to the cuckoo, as the flowering time coincides with the call of the cuckoo when it returns from its wintering grounds. The plant is often covered with a foamy substance called cuckoo spittle. However, these are actually foam nests of the cicadas in which the larvae grow. The genus name “Lynchis” goes back to the Greek language and means lamp. It stands for the bright pink-red flower color. It is a short-lived but perennial herbaceous semi rosette plant that can reach a growth height of 30 to 90 centimeters. During the flowering period from May to July, the stems bear a borne inflorescence with predominantly hermaphrodite flowers. However, purely male and female plant specimens also occur. The flowers reach a size of four centimeters and are five-celled with a double perianth. The flowers are arranged in a loose umbel. The sepals and corolla usually bloom pink-red, but white flower specimens also occur. The eight-millimeter capsule fruits bear one-millimeter seeds. The cuckoo flower closes its flowers when a storm is approaching. The fruit ripens from July to October. Vegetatively, campion reproduces by runners, which is why larger plant clusters can occur under the right living conditions.
Effect and application
Cuckoo’s campion has antibacterial, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Its flowers register a sweet aroma, while the leaves taste slightly soapy and tart. Because of its beautiful pink-red flowers, it is popular as a salad enrichment or decoration of sandwiches and other foods. In herbal medicine, the clove plant no longer plays a major role. It is often used against goutweed and soft tissue tumors, but only when no other medicinal plant is available. Grützbeutel is the colloquial for atheroma, which is a fluid-filled cyst-like cavity. Use is mainly the seeds, which are applied to the affected areas enriched as a tincture. Saponins act as an ingredient. Silene flos-cuculi is very popular with beekeepers because it offers a rich supply of pollen and nectar. For this reason, the showy plant is often cultivated in meadows specially created for bees. It is suitable for honey bees, as well as for wild bees and bumblebees. Thus, the cuckoo carnation is also classified as an important useful plant, which helps to keep the pollination performance of bees, which in turn are important useful animals, at a high level. The collection period is in spring and late autumn.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Used as a flower essence, the pink-red plant gives strength, promotes the flow of vital energy and acts against poisoning, although this does not mean toxic conditions in the true sense of the word, but all negative influences that affect the soul and body.The essence of cuckoo’s carnation helps to release these negative blockages and to come to new vitality. The flower essences are available as Bach flowers under the English name Ragged Robin in pharmacies and online stores. Many online stores specialize in medicinal plants and offer mixtures of various herbs as well as single fillings in powdered form. Since cuckoo’s bane is hardly used in modern herbal medicine and is only used when no other medicinal plant is available, interested readers will not find much on this topic on the Internet. The search results of pages dealing with the cuckoo flower in terms of applied herbal and plant medicine are often repetitive. Among amateur gardeners, however, the clove plant is very popular because of its beautiful appearance as an ornamental plant. A search query offers many results from the botanical field. Herbalists from the Middle Ages attributed a star power to the plant, with parts of Mars and the moon. However, they attributed similar healing powers to the plant as modern herbalism, stating that the cuckoo’s barnacle is by its nature deeply creative and quickly breaks up solidified structures. It heals what is torn and protects against disharmonious forces. Saponins can irritate the mucous membranes and cause nausea. Therefore, herbal experts advise against the independent use of the plant components. In refined form of flower essences, however, there are no concerns, as the final product has been freed from the natural toxins and harmful substances of the plant.
