(Fig. 79).
In peat bogs and damp forests silver-white sphagnum moss, or peat moss, grows like a continuous carpet.
At the ends of the upper branches of sphagnum, boxes develop in which spores ripen. Unlike cuckoo flax and other green mosses, sphagnum mosses do not have rhizoids. They absorb water and mineral salts through the stem and leaves.
The stem and lateral branches of most sphagnum species are covered with small light green leaves. Each leaf consists of one layer of cells of two types. Some of them are alive, green, contain chloroplasts. Other cells are dead, large and colorless, lacking a nucleus and cytoplasm. Dead cells are located between living cells (see Fig. 79). These are water cells. The membranes of these cells have holes through which water is absorbed. Water-bearing cells of leaves and stems are able to absorb through the pores great amount water and hold it for a long time. Sphagnum mosses regulate the water balance of the ecosystems in which they grow. During heavy rains, they absorb and retain water. During the dry season, mosses gradually release water into the environment.
Sphagnum mosses are powerful absorbers (sorbents). Some of them are able to absorb an amount of water that exceeds their own dry weight by 20-25 and even 35 times.
Sphagnum reproduces in the same way as cuckoo flax, asexually and sexually.
Peat formation
In those places where sphagnum settles, a lot of moisture accumulates. The stronger the sphagnum grows, the more water accumulates. This is how the swamping of the area begins. Over time, the uch-drain, populated by sphagnum mosses, turns into a swamp.
Use of peat
Peat is used as fuel. IN agriculture peat is used as a fertilizer, for animal bedding, for the manufacture of peat pots, for soil mulching (surface soil cover), which prevents it from drying out and inhibits the growth of weeds.
Wood alcohol, carbolic acid, plastics, wax, paraffin and other valuable materials are obtained from peat.
The development of peat deposits is an important industry. Peatlands are also used as agricultural land. However, practice has shown that intensive drainage of swamps often leads to changes in climate and natural landscapes, to a violation of the water balance in large areas. In addition, many sphagnum bogs feed the headwaters of rivers and streams.
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In swampy areas, areas where a large number of reservoirs, various specific plants grow. Many of them have useful and unique properties. Sphagnum moss is quite common in the forest zone. The photo where this "natural sponge" grows (as its name sounds in Greek) is presented below. The name was given because of its hygroscopic properties.
general information
Green mosses belong to the main groups of mossy plants. Most of them are brightly colored. Sphagnum moss is quite easy to distinguish. He looks much paler than the others. Often in the forest belt you can even find white sphagnum moss. It becomes colorless if it is dried. The roots of the "sponge" are absent. The lower part of the plant turns into peat over time. In this case, decay does not occur due to substances with bactericidal properties. Sphagnum moss can be found, in principle, everywhere. However, it is most common in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Favorite places are wetlands, shaded, damp places. In these areas, mass reproduction of the "sponge" is observed.
Description
It should be said that the structure of sphagnum moss is similar to other representatives of the species. In the process of growth, unbranched erect shoots are formed, which are collected in pillows or dense turfs. Their height, as a rule, is no more than five centimeters. There is no real stem. The elements that correspond to them are called phyllidia and caulidia. Through the gaps between these parts, most of salts and water, necessary for normal life. Phyllidia usually consist of a single cell layer. Rhizoids play the role of roots. Through these branching multicellular filaments, water is absorbed from the soil with useful compounds dissolved in it. However, with age, rhizoids lose their ability to "conduct" and serve only for support and fixation in the substrate.
What is sphagnum?
As in the vascular representatives of the flora, in the species under consideration, the asexual generation (sporophyte) alternates with the sexual generation (gametophyte). The latter is represented by a photosynthetic green plant. Gametes are formed in the genital organs (gametangia). Male gametangia are called antheridia, female gametangia are called archegonia. From the zygote (fertilized egg) comes the sporophyte - the spore generation. Mossy plants have virtually no chlorophyll. The sporophytes remain attached to the gametophyte, receiving nourishment from it. Each cell contains a diploid (double) chromosome set. The gametophyte has a haploid (single) chromosome structure (as in gametes). Of the two single sets, when the sperm and the egg merge, one double is formed. It is necessary for the development of the sporophyte. During spore formation, meiosis (cell division of the reduction type) occurs. As a result, each spore again becomes haploid. Further, it can germinate into the same single gametophyte. A filamentous branching structure is formed from the spore. It's called protonema. Buds begin to form on it. They subsequently develop into gametophytes.
Distribution mechanism
How does sphagnum moss grow? Where does the "sponge" grow best? The degree of distribution primarily depends on the composition of the soil. The most favorable environment is poorly ventilated soil with low pH. Sphagnum moss is a plant common in shaded areas, under trees, on shaded parts of structures, paths, monuments. It should be noted that growth is very fast. And if mossy plants make up a natural landscape in the forest zone, then when they appear on personal plots, a lot of problems and obstacles are created for the development of other representatives of the flora. In this regard, you should more often think about the ventilation of lawns, paths, facades.
Mechanical methods of dealing with the "sponge" in the garden
One of the main reasons for the growth of moss is considered to be insufficient soil ventilation. To ensure ventilation, it is necessary to penetrate deep into the soil, while ensuring air access to the lower layers. If the weed has not spread very much, then you can remove it manually. To do this, it is enough to dig out each of its bushes. Of considerable importance in preventing the spread of moss is the correct mowing of the lawn. It is she who affects the ability of the turf lying at a depth of about 8 cm to retain air, moisture and fertilizers. As already mentioned above, when high humidity a very favorable environment is created for the spread of the "sponge".
Chemical Methods
In the fight against the growth of moss, fertilizers can also help. For this, mixtures that help reduce the acidity of the soil are suitable. Experts recommend giving preference to complex tools for processing decorative lawns. These fertilizers usually contain three components: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Such mixtures have a double effect. First of all, due to the properties, mossy growths die. Secondly, due to the presence of nitrogen, grass growth is activated. If you apply fertilizer to moist soil, then the death of mosses occurs faster. As practice shows, a decrease in soil acidity is noted already two days after treatment. In spring or summer period sprinkle only mossy areas. In the case of extensive plant distribution, the entire area should be fertilized. Nevertheless, fertilizers should not be abused. You can use the mixture no more than once every 2 months. Experts advise to reduce the acidity of the soil in autumn period. As a result, the alkaline composition of the soil will be provided throughout the winter.
A simple way to get rid of the spread of the "sponge"
Very effective tool to combat moss on facades or monuments, ordinary soda is used. Its solution creates an alkaline environment that is detrimental to it. It should, however, be said that if part of a building or monument is located in a shaded place, then the reappearance of sphagnum cannot be avoided. Therefore, you will need to clean it regularly. You can use powders specially designed for this purpose. You can buy them at gardening stores.
Moss sphagnum. Application
"Sponge" has a number of useful properties due to which it is used in various fields. In medicine, the use began in the 11th century. And by the 19th, sphagnum moss began to be sent around the provinces for use as a dressing material. During the war, it was an indispensable tool that had a high hygroscopicity and the ability to quickly and easily absorb pus, blood and other liquids. Some companies still produce sphagnum-gauze tampons, which are additionally impregnated with a solution of boric acid. Moss contains sphagnol, a phenol-like compound. This substance has a bactericidal, antifungal and disinfectant effect. Humic acids, also present in the plant, exhibit antibiotic properties. The use of sphagnum insoles contributes to quick release from foot fungus. For skin lesions of an infectious nature, psoriasis and other pathologies, baths with infusion of moss are recommended. For cooking, a small amount of "sponge" is cut, filled with water (70-80 degrees). Sphagnum is used as a filler for diapers, mattresses. It is recommended as underwear for the elderly and seriously ill.
Use in horticulture and animal husbandry
Flower growers use moss when growing young shoots or to save sick specimens. Due to the hygroscopicity of the "sponge" moisture is effectively retained in the substrate. The plant is especially often used in the care of orchids. To grow shoots, moss is scalded, cooled and squeezed. After that, it should be poured with the prepared mineral liquid lux, squeezed slightly again and placed in plastic bag. It must be kept closed for four days. Every two months, an orchid should be transplanted into the soil freshly prepared in this way. When its roots reach five to seven centimeters, the plant is placed in the substrate pine bark. Sphagnum moss is also used to protect plants from frost on personal plot. As a hygiene product, sphagnum is used in cages with hamsters, rats, and guinea pigs. Such a natural filler perfectly copes with odors, disinfects and absorbs moisture.
blank
When collecting moss, do not pull it out along with bottom. For the correct preparation, the top is cut with scissors. In this case, the rest will be able to shoot. The collected moss at home must be doused with boiling water. This is done to eliminate insect larvae and eggs. In this case, the properties of moss are not lost. Dry raw materials in the open air sunny weather with little wind. Dryers are not recommended. If the workpiece is carried out for subsequent use in medicinal purposes, then the raw material is kept in air until completely dry. After that, it is broken and put into a dry container. If intended to be used in decorative purposes or as a filler for animal cells, then the plant should not be completely dried. In this case, the raw material is stored in the newspaper. You can keep dry moss in the freezer. It is laid there green and taken out if necessary.
Sphagnum grows in the Northern Hemisphere, where its many species are represented. In some places, its industrial production has already been organized. The plant is of great value for the production of perfumery, medical preparations, as well as thermal insulation in the construction of buildings. In addition, sphagnum is widely used in floriculture, due to its good absorbency.
Swamp sphagnum: moss description and useful composition
Sphagnum (or peat moss) refers to perennial herbaceous plants, in fresh usually pale green in color. Forest and Siberian species of moss have a more intense coloration. When dried, the sphagnum discolors and turns white, which is why it is sometimes called so.
The stem of the sphagnum is branching, protruding and thin, up to 20 cm high. The branches themselves go in clusters, the leaves are small, have cells, soft and sessile, most importantly, not to be confused with marchantia. Unlike other varieties of mosses, sphagnum has practically no thin filaments consisting of one kind of cells.
Sphagnum very well absorbs minerals and water with its loose surface. A peat layer is formed from the root system. The plant looks very interesting under a microscope.
Mosses are made up of:
- Fiber;
- Sugars and proteins;
- triterpene compounds;
- pectin substances;
- mineral compounds.
During harvesting, the entire living part of the plant is collected and used. Plants are harvested from May to September in sunny, dry weather. Sphagnum is harvested by hand, pulling it out of the reservoir, after squeezing it out.
dried moss thin layer in the sun in a well-ventilated place.
The drying process is rather slow, after which its green parts turn white. Dried sphagnum is stored in polyethylene or paper bags. The shelf life of such raw materials is up to 1 year.
Moss: medicinal properties of a marsh plant
Sphagnum has three important properties that have found application in medicine today. High hygroscopicity of the plant and special cellular structure allow the use of moss as a dressing. it is able to absorb a large amount of pus, blood, plasma.
Unlike cotton wool, sphagnum has properties:
- Disinfectants;
- Antibacterial;
- Antifungal.
This effect is achieved due to the fact that the composition contains substances such as sphagnum and humic acids. The bactericidal properties of moss can be used for frostbite, burns, cuts.
For fractures, sphagnum will be an excellent tool as a splint in first aid.
There is a lot of evidence that moss found its use as a dressing material for humans as early as the 11th century. Today, its properties have been proven, which are much more effective than cotton wool.
Moss sphagnum: what is it used for and methods of application
For the production of sphagnum-gauze tampons, the moss is pre-sterilized, then impregnated with an alcohol solution boric acid. This greatly enhances the antibacterial properties of the dressing. Moss does not need to be sterilized for home use.
Many cases are described in history that during the war, sphagnum saved when there was neither cotton wool nor iodine at hand.
The ambient air contains a large number of pathogenic microorganisms, including pathogenic flora. If the immune system is weakened or frequent allergies are present, then contact with the skin and mucous membranes may cause various diseases. As a fight against such consequences, you can use a sphagnum solution.
Cooking:
- Collect moss in the swamp;
- Wring out well;
- Wash the diseased and affected areas with the resulting liquid.
Such water can also be used to prevent complications after cuts and abrasions.
In addition to lotions, you can take a warm bath with sphagnum. Moss is cut into small pieces, all this is poured very hot water, let it brew. All this is then poured into the bath. After such procedures, sweating improves significantly and blood circulation processes improve.
The antifungal properties of sphagnum are used for mycosis of the skin, including the feet.
So sphagnum insoles are considered an excellent remedy. Preparing them is very simple - put a little dry moss into everyday shoes. Another plus is that the insole is soft and very comfortable. In addition, dry sphagnum copes well with increased sweating.
Human use of moss for plant care
Sphagnum is very good at keeping other plants fresh when used as a wrapping material. Such moss can be added to various soil mixtures. It is great for some plants. As a fertilizer, sphagnum is cut into small pieces and poured into the soil when planting. In addition, such a layer is laid out on a layer of soil in pots for better filtering of hard water. Periodically, such a “filter” needs to be changed.
Humidity can be well increased by placing sphagnum in the empty space of a wall flower pot.
Moss will save your plants if you have a long trip ahead. Flower pots are wrapped on all sides with moss, and sphagnum is also laid out on the surface of the soil. In conclusion, everything is tightly covered with polyethylene.
At spring planting in open ground used for such crops:
- Pumpkin;
- Nightshade.
To do this, small "nests" are made of moss. Thanks to such manipulations, the seeds long time feel comfortable and protected.
How sphagnum moss is applied (video)
Due to its unique properties, sphagnum is used in medicine, construction and plant growing enthusiasts. The plant is very unpretentious, it can be found in forests and swamps. The collection and preparation of the plant is simple. Describe to your loved ones appearance plants so that after your next forest walk, sphagnum will appear in your home.
Today we will talk about unusual plant, which is often used for growing orchids.
Sphagnum moss will save your pets from diseases different kind and many other care issues. This unusual inhabitant of the swamp world has unique properties and scope, which will be the topic of today's article.
Moss got its name from the Greeks, in translation sphagnum means "sponge". It fully justifies its name: its dry hygroscopicity (the ability to absorb water 20 times its own weight) is 25 times greater than cotton wool.
In nature, it is easily confused with "cuckoo flax", which is very similar to it and differs only in its bright green color. Sphagnum has a pleasant light green color, and when it dries, it becomes almost white. That is why among the people he received the name of white moss.
He has no roots. The lower part eventually dies off and turns into peat without rotting. Rotting is prevented by substances that have bactericidal properties.
Due to these properties, moss is used not only in gardening, but also in medicine (in particular, in the production of medical alcohol).
How to prepare sphagnum moss
It grows almost everywhere, but it is most reliable to look for it in a swampy area. If you decide to stock up on this plant for future use, then follow these rules:
- When harvesting sphagnum, do not pull it out along with the bottom. You will destroy a magnificent beautiful pillow.
- Correctly cut with scissors upper part from a plant that you will need.Then the remaining roots will give young shoots.
- At home, it is imperative to pour hot water over the collected moss in order to kill the larvae and eggs of insects. At the same time, sphagnum does not lose its properties.
- You can dry it outdoors - in the sun and the breeze.
- Artificial drying in dryers is not recommended, since the plant does not dry evenly there.
- If the blank was for medical purposes, then the moss can be dried until completely dry, after which it can be broken and placed in dry containers.
- For decorative purposes and floriculture, it is not recommended to dry it to full condition. Store wrapped in newspaper. Another storage method is freezer. Put it there green and take it out as needed.
I suggest you watch the harvesting of moss on the video.
If you live in a big city or there are no close swamps in your area and you cannot independently make harvesting, dried or green plant you can buy it in a specialized flower shop or on the Internet (very often it is sold on orchid forums).
Useful properties of moss
Sphagnum moss has three useful properties: high hygroscopicity, high bactericidal properties and breathability. These properties are used in various fields.
Use in medicine
This plant has been used in medicine since the 11th century. At the end of the 19th century, sphagnum was sent to the Russian provinces as a dressing material. The package with such amazing material was accompanied by a questionnaire for paramedics and doctors with a survey about its properties. As a result, doctors highly appreciated the bactericidal and hygroscopic properties of the novelty. 
In modern medicine, this dressing was undeservedly forgotten, but during the war it was the first remedy that, with its high hygroscopicity, easily absorbed blood, pus and other liquids.
Now some pharmaceutical companies are resuming the production of sphagnum-gauze tampons, which are additionally impregnated with a solution of boric acid.
Disinfectant, antibacterial and antifungal properties in moss are determined by the phenol-like substance sphagnol and sphagnum or humic acids, which exhibit antibiotic properties.
- Bactericidal properties are used for cuts, frostbite and burns.
- Not everyone knows that when applying a splint to a fracture, it cannot be applied directly to the body. Use sphagnum moss. The properties will help decontaminate the wound and soften friction and possible shocks when transporting the patient.
- To combat foot fungus, use sphagnum insoles. They will also help you get rid of bad smell feet and their increased sweating.
- With psoriasis on the body and other infectious skin lesions, it is recommended to take baths with moss. To do this, a small amount of it must be cut, pour hot (70-80 ° C), insist and add the resulting infusion to the bathroom.
- Peat water, which you squeeze out after collecting moss, will help in the fight against staphylococcal lesions (constant washing of the wound must be carried out).
- It is recommended to use it for stuffing baby mattresses, diapers. He is also advised as an excellent tool as a diaper for children, seriously ill and the elderly. They absorb moisture and odors well.
Construction
In construction, sphagnum moss and its properties are also actively used as an environmentally friendly insulation. During the construction of log cabins, it is laid between the logs. Its bactericidal properties will not allow the logs to rot. And during the construction of baths, he will also regulate the differences in humidity.
Gardening
Due to the bactericidal properties of sphagnum, flower growers use it to grow young plants or to save diseased specimens. Hygroscopicity allows moisture to be retained in the substrate. Also, sphagnum moss is also used as a component for compiling various substrates (for saintpaulia, gloxinia), and it is especially widely used in.
Using moss to grow young orchid babies:
Sphagnum scalded with hot water, cool and squeeze. Ready liquid mineral fertilizer"Kemira Lux" spill it. If the fertilizer is in dry packaging, we use a 20-gram bag with a concentration of 0.5 g / l. After the strait, we again squeeze it slightly and keep it in a closed plastic bag for 4 days.
To grow roots 5-7 cm long, the orchid must be transplanted every 2 months into freshly prepared, thus sphagnum. When the roots are reached right size, we transplant the plant into a substrate of pine bark.
In the country, you can use this plant as a fertilizer or cover from frost. Peat cups for seedlings, known to all gardeners, are also made from it.
Beekeeping and animal husbandry
Sphagnum moss is used in hygiene purposes in cages with pets: rats, hamsters, Guinea pigs. This natural toilet filler will perfectly cope with odors and absorb moisture.
How natural insulation it is also used by beekeepers. Placed under the hive, it will remove excess moisture from the hive and disinfect the air, which will save the bee colony from unwanted diseases.
I think that you have discovered the amazing properties of white moss. Therefore, when you are in the forest and meet him on your way, be sure to prepare him at least a little for the future.
Sphagnum, peat moss (Sphagnum L.) from the Sphagnum family (Sphagnaceae). Sphagnum mosses (see photo) are widespread in swampy areas of the entire north of Russia.
They usually form dense or loose various colors(from greenish-yellow to purple) tufts in moss hummocky swamps and swampy forests. Ledum and blueberries (gonobobel), cranberries and cloudberries, cotton grass and princesses, and stunted birches and pines are common plants in such sphagnum bogs. We have several dozen different types of sphagium; only in the European part of Russia there are more than 40 of them.
These mosses, due to their biological characteristics (unlimited growth due to the absence of a root system, high suction capacity and aseptic properties), often create huge deposits of peat of great economic importance. Well-decomposed sphagnum peat, in various types its processing (solid peat, milling peat chips, peat briquettes, peat gases), is a high-quality fuel material.
Sphagnum application.
Slightly decomposed sphagnum peat is used in a number of sectors of our economy and industry, for example: in agriculture as bedding for livestock, peat fertilizer, peat-meal feed for livestock, packaging and preservative material for transportation and storage food products sh fruits (peat powder); in construction as an insulating building material (peat, ophagnite, isoplast, peat-plywood) for laying voids in walls or for backfilling them; in sanitation as a disinfectant and odor-destroying backfill in powder form Wastewater and cesspools; in medicine (in surgery) - when dressing wounds in the form of gauze bags made of pressed or dry sphagnum instead of cotton wool or lignin: in paper production as a raw material for the manufacture of coarse grades, paper (newsprint, wrapping, wallpaper, cardboard); finally in chemical industry- for the preparation of paints, tannins, alcohol, etc.
During the Great Patriotic War received great importance the use of sphagnum in surgery as a good absorbent dressing for purulent wounds The question of sphagnum as a dressing is very old, already in the 11th century. the British began to use sphagnum for this purpose, then later it spread widely throughout Western Europe.
In the 19th century it was already a well-known remedy: in Napoleonic Wars sphagnum served as a dressing in the fleet; in the Franco-German war of 1870-1871. sphagnum was used as a standard dressing; during Russo-Japanese War the Japanese used sphagnum bandages to provide first aid to the wounded, and many wounds dressed with sphagnum remained in a completely satisfactory condition without any dressing for 10 days while the wounded were being transported from Manchuria to Japan. IN imperialist war 1914-1918 sphagnum began to be widely used by the British, and then it quickly spread to France, Belgium, Egypt, Canada, the USA and other countries.
After the 80s of the XIX century. Russian surgeons also began to use sphagnum; during the imperialist and civil wars some of our doctors also used sphagnum and spoke well of it. IN Lately preparation of sphagnum for surgical purposes and its use in hospitals have become very widespread and universally recognized. The practice of using sphagnum for dressings has shown that it is much better than many other dressings, especially in the treatment of purulent wounds.
In an unsterilized form, the suitability of peat moss is 12.5 times higher than cotton gray wool, 4 times higher than absorbent cotton and even exceeds the suitability of a Greek sponge; sterilized at 115°, sphagnum has 9.5 times more suitability than gray cotton wool, more than 3 times than hygroscopic cotton wool, and only slightly less suitability than Greek sponge.
Collection and drying of sphagnum.
It is best to collect sphagnum in the summer and dry autumn time, from May to September, but with emergency it can be collected at any other time of the year, even in winter, taking moss out from under the ice and snow. Suitable for collection, in fact, all types sphagnum moss; it is only necessary to choose long-bearded, long-stalked moss, at least 7 cm long, since short-stalked moss gives a poor quality product. Therefore, it is necessary to take a thick carpet of sphagnum pillows as deep as possible, capturing in any case the entire living, green part of the turf until it turns into a reddish-felt layer.
At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the dying lower layers of sphagnum with fallen leaves are not very suitable for dressing purposes, and therefore the reddish, dying parts of mosses should not fall into the collected material. The very collection of sphagnum consists in simply pulling out the moss with your hands or with a rake with curved teeth. Immediately after extracting the moss, the water in it must be squeezed out. Then the squeezed-out moss is put into baskets, heads in one direction, and is cleaned of random impurities (needles, twigs, leaves, stems of marsh plants, etc.).
The collected and cleaned moss is dried in the sun, in the wind or on a Russian stove at a temperature of 50-60 °. The degree of drying is determined by eye by the whitening of the green parts of the sphagnum; harvesting practice has shown that out of 9-11 parts of fresh raw moss, 1 part of dry moss is obtained. The humidity of the dried moss should be about 25-30%. Further drying entails fragility of the moss and the formation of dust, which is not allowed, and at a humidity above 40%, the moss becomes moldy during long storage, and freezes during frost.
After drying, sphagnum is best harvested in bales like peat bales, with light pressing them to a size of 100 x 60 x 50 cm and a weight of 70-80 kg. The pile is tied along the long sides with slats tied with wire. Such boiling is very convenient during transport and warns against heavy pollution moss on the road.
It is best to store bales of sphagnum in a shed or under a shed to prevent it from being saturated with water from rain and snow * which can cause moss to rot and mold. Under such conditions, the presence of winter cold ensures the preservation of slightly dry moss until spring. Sphagnum unused during the year is subject to replacement next summer with a new one, which is easily done in view of the completely unlimited reserves of sphagnum in Russia.
Sphagnum photo.
