Lyko is shrub plant, in wild environment not exceeding a height of 1 m, but under favorable conditions, the bush can reach 2.5 m. In spring, bare branches form pink flowers that are found in the axils of the leaves. Most often, this plant can be found in shaded places on the edge of the forest.

What does a wolf's bast look like

The wolf's bast shrub is a low plant about 1 m high, in the autumn and spring, the shoots of the shrub are painted gray-brown, in some cases the color of the bark can be yellowish-gray. As a rule, young shoots are formed in the spring of the plant, which have a more grayish color of the bark and, in addition, many young shoots can be covered with brownish spots. But, at the same time, this plant is slightly branched and occupies a fairly compact area. The leaves are attached to the shoots with short petioles, elongated ovoid, sometimes they can be narrower, somewhat reminiscent of a lancet. When flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves (usually flowering in middle lane Russia begins in April May) in the southern regions of Russia, flowering may begin earlier. Flowers are collected in bunches and most often have a pinkish tint, less often white.

After flowering, fruits appear:

• Oval shape;
• reddish color;
• Outwardly looking appetizing and juicy.

This plant can be found in floodplain forests near the banks of reservoirs, as well as on the edges of the forest. Prefers rich soils nutrients, this plant is distributed almost throughout Europe and Asia Minor.

The berries are usually close to each other and tightly wrap around the branch. But in no case should they be eaten, since they are poisonous, only 10–12 berries are enough to get fatal poisoning.

There are more than 50 species of this plant species, there are evergreen plants, there are semi-deciduous plants that grow mainly in warm regions not only in Russia, but also in warm regions of other countries. There are species that tolerate harsh climates well, such plants can grow in more northern regions, and in the mountains.

What color are the berries of the wolf's bast and what is the plant

Wolf's bast- This is a poisonous plant, but, nevertheless, very beautiful, especially in spring, when flowering begins. The peculiarity of the wolf's bast is that at first beautiful flowers appear on it (reminiscent of the colors of lilac), the shoots of this plant during the flowering period are covered with pinkish-white flowers.

With a sufficiently long stay near the plant, the smell from the flowers can provoke a headache.

The flowers of this plant are collected in bunches, which are somewhat reminiscent of nests (to see this, it is best to look at the pictures). At the same time, the flowers of some species of this plant exude a delicate aroma. But at the same time, you should come closer to enjoy its smell, like nice smell abruptly change to a less pleasant one.

The plant itself

1. Represents a bush.
2. In wild growing conditions, it rarely exceeds a height of 1-1.5 m.
3. If the plant is grown for decorative purposes, then the height of the bushes with appropriate care can reach a height of up to 2 m.

The plant grows best in more acidic and damp soils rich in nutrients. In principle, they are grown on almost any soil, but sufficient moisture and fertilizing are important, and then the plants long years will make people happy beautiful flowers. To verify this, you can look at the data flowering plant how it looks, what color, and whether it is worth growing it in your area.

What is lyko

After the flowering period, narrow leaves appear at the wolfberry, which are attached to the main shoots with a short handle. Closer to autumn, berries appear that look very beautiful, bright, shiny red, but, despite their beauty, deadly poisonous.

It is important when caring for wolf cub to use protective equipment so as not to get burns from this plant, first of all, the skin.

Such plants, because of the beauty of the flowers, some people grow in their gardens and on summer cottages, but you should be careful when doing this, as it is poisonous. For example, it is worth applying the skin to the bark of a bush, as you can get irritation, and in some cases a burn. This plant has many other names, for example, wolfberry, daphne and others.

All parts of the plant are considered completely poisonous:

• Berries;
• And also the leaves;
• Bark;
• Flower;
• And even root.

But, despite its toxicity, the components of this plant are widely used, primarily in folk medicine. Healing properties this plant has been known for a long time. In order for parts of this plant to be beneficial in the treatment of any ailments, it is necessary to take microdoses of preparations made on its basis, under the supervision of a specialist. Properly prepared plant parts are used as an analgesic, used in the treatment of rheumatism, neurological pain. In some cases, parts of this plant are used in the treatment of epilepsy and even oncology.

Is the wolf's bast plant poisonous

The use of plant parts as medicinal product allowed only after agreement with the doctor, since even a slight deviation or excess of the recommended dose, instead of improving health, can lead to a negative result. The use of drugs for the treatment of children is allowed, both inside and outside, but only after necessary analyzes and doctor's permission and under his control.

If you use a more powerful dose than recommended, you may experience:

• Stomach ache;
• convulsions;
• Burning in the mouth;
• Skin problems, etc.

The plant itself is completely poisonous, despite being outwardly pleasant and beautiful view, each part can cause problems with the skin, gastrointestinal tract, headaches, drowsiness, or vice versa, short excitement, fever, etc.

Apart from medicinal properties of this plant, it also brings other benefits, since it blooms early enough, the very first bees begin collecting future honey from these flowers. When infused with bark and berries, in some cases the substances contained in them will allow the composition to be used as an external remedy, for example, for rheumatism.

Poisonous plant wolf bast: description (video)

Such a description of this type of plant will allow a person to protect himself from negative impact on your body. But, at the same time, with proper use, on the contrary, it can be beneficial. As for positive emotions, this plant allows you to enjoy in early spring beautiful flowers, moreover, even when the grass has not really grown, and there are no other flowers.

Deadly wolfberry, Wolf's bast, Wolf berries, Common wolfberry, Plokhovets, Pukhlyak - all these are the names of one plant - wolfberry(Daphne mezereum), belonging to the Volchnikov family (Thymelaeaceae).

The common wolfberry is found almost throughout Europe, in the Transcaucasus. In Russia, it grows throughout the forest zone of the European part and Western Siberia, in the North Caucasus, in Dagestan.

We have known since childhood that the Wolf's Bast plant is poisonous. It was even called specifically "Wolf Berries" so that, God forbid, the children would not get poisoned. They weren't even allowed to come close to him.

The common wolfberry is a low-branched deciduous shrub up to 1.5 meters tall. root system wolfberry superficial. The yellowish gray, slightly wrinkled bark will help you identify the shrub. In central Russia, the common wolfberry blooms in early spring, before all shrubs.

Wolfberry leaves are narrow, oblong, oblanceolate, simple, grow alternately at the ends of the shoots. They are dark green in color, smooth on top, slightly glossy, bluish below, ciliated at the edges, up to 8 cm long and up to 2 cm wide.

Bright pink fragrant honey-bearing flowers of the wolf's bast are arranged in a "bouquet" of 3-5 pieces in the axils of last year's fallen leaves.

Very interesting going on pollination of the wolfberry. Its flowers have a pronounced protogyny - more early ripening female reproductive organs compared to male.

The bright flowers of the common wolfberry appear in the forest before the leaves of the trees bloom. Insect pollinators - bees, butterflies - are attracted by nectar that stands out at the base of the ovary.

When an insect's proboscis penetrates the perianth tube, the pollen from the anthers surrounding the tube does not stick to it, as it is not sticky. Further, the proboscis of the bee touches the stigma, located much lower, and, finally, the nectaries. From the nectar, the proboscis becomes sticky, and when the insect pulls it out, it again comes into contact with the anthers. This time, the pollen sticks to the proboscis and is thus transferred to another flower.

After such fertilization, a fruit is formed in place of the flowers - a juicy ovoid red berry-drupe up to 8 mm long. The fruits of the common wolfberry ripen in late July - early August. Inside the berry is a shiny stone up to 4 mm in diameter.

Wolfberry is occasionally planted in gardens as ornamental plant, noteworthy early flowering spring and bright fruits in autumn. But because of the poisonousness of the plant, its use for decorative purposes is limited.

All parts of the wolfberry, and especially the fruits, contain a sharply burning poison juice . The use of the plant for medicinal purposes is prohibited.

Poisoning can occur when eating berries (often by children), chewing the bark. When the skin comes into contact with wet bark or when plant juice gets on it, severe dermatitis occurs. Inhalation of dust from the bark of the wolfberry causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx and respiratory tract, contact with the eyes irritates the conjunctiva. After eating the berries, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the epigastric region, nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions are possible.

When writing the article, materials were used https://ru.wikipedia.org
Image source https://www.flickr.com: Hornet Arts, C. E. Timothy Paine, naturgucker.de / enjoynature.net

Botanical characteristic

The common wolfberry, translated as Daphne mezereum, the plant also has a number of other names, for example, wolf bast, upland wolf pepper, wolf berries. Its height is not more than a meter, but sometimes it can reach 200 centimeters. This shrub is covered with yellow-gray bark, which is somewhat wrinkled.

The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, they are green above, and slightly bluish below, they are narrowed into a rather short petiole closer to the base, alternate, crowded at the ends of the branches. The flowers are pink in color, sessile, fragrant, their smell is a bit like hyacinth, nail-shaped corolla.

Three flowers are located in the axils of the leaves, which remained from last year. characteristic feature This shrub is considered the fact that it begins to bloom even before the appearance of the first leaves.

As for the fruits, they are light red berries that have an ovoid, somewhat elongated shape, which makes them recognizable, and this is important, since they are very poisonous, and in no case should you eat them!

Spreading

The wolf's bast shrub is common in the European part of our country, in Siberia, in the Caucasus. He prefers to be localized in a shady area, and the soil should be fertile, well fertilized. You can see it on the forest edges.

Used part

For therapeutic purposes, flowering branches, as well as the bark, are used in the common wolfberry. These parts of the plant contain coumarins, moserein, glycosides, daphnin, gum, resins, dyes, and wax.

Collection and preparation

It is customary to harvest the bark in early spring before the wolf's bast begins to bloom. Since the plant is extremely poisonous, it is necessary to collect raw materials only with rubber gloves, and after work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water so as not to accidentally bring toxic substances into the oral cavity.

The collected raw materials should be cut into smaller pieces and placed in an automated drying chamber, which maintains the optimal temperature regime, in this case it should not exceed fifty degrees.

When the raw material is completely dry, it should be packaged in cloth bags, which should be sewn from natural materials. They are recommended to be placed in a ventilated area. The shelf life should not exceed three years, since after this time the bark will exhaust its medicinal properties and become unusable.

Wolfberries - application:

Let me remind you once again, dear reader, that the plant is very poisonous! However, in the past, the poisonous berry wolf's bast was used as a laxative, poultices were prepared from its bark, which were used to treat abscesses and boils.

Wolf berry berries have found their application in homeopathy, of course, these drugs should be used on the recommendation of a doctor, for example, there is such a remedy as Mezereum, it is made from fresh wolfberry bark and is prescribed for dermatological diseases, for example, eczema, dermatitis, and trophic ulcers, with itchy rashes and herpes zoster.

Warning

If the juice of the plant in a concentrated form falls on skin, this can lead to severe burns, which can even cause tissue necrosis. Therefore, if a similar situation accidentally occurs, it is worth immediately washing the causal area with a 2% manganese solution.

The first signs of poisoning with berries will be expressed by the following symptoms, an unbearable burning sensation in the oral cavity, pain in the epigastric region, dyspeptic phenomena, which are manifested by nausea and subsequent vomiting, as well as possible violations from nervous system in the form of convulsions.

In this case, you should immediately call ambulance, and while she is driving, you need to repeatedly rinse the stomach, and drink about twenty tablets activated carbon and wait for the arrival of medical personnel. Remember, it is enough for a person to consume literally a couple of berries of a wolf's bast, and this can lead to death from cardiac arrest, so be very careful!

Recipes

Decoction preparation. You will need twenty grams of bark, which must first be crushed and poured with boiling water. After that, the container should be put on the stove, and evaporated until exactly half of the liquid remains. It should be taken one drop three times a day, after dissolving it in a small amount of boiled water.

Preparation of tincture. Take one gram of bark for sixty milliliters of alcohol or vodka, and place the container in dark place for one week, the drug should be shaken daily, and then filtered, and taken drop by drop, diluted in water, three times a day.

Ointment preparation. You will need five milliliters of tincture, which must be mixed with ten grams butter. The resulting mixture can be used to treat joints with arthritis, as it will have a slight analgesic effect. Store the drug should only be in the refrigerator.

Conclusion

Remember, the poisonous wolfberry plant is quite dangerous, so be extremely careful when collecting and using it, and it is advisable to consult a doctor in order to clarify the dose of drugs taken.

Wolf's bark is a plant belonging to the Thymelaeáceae family. The name is folk, and according to the official classification, it is referred to as a wolfberry, or an ordinary wolf. On the territory of Russia there are 14 of its species.

Description

This is a shrub, barely reaching a height of 1 m, with flexible thin branches. Its bark has a grayish-brown hue and is dotted with brown spots. The leaves are rounded-oblong on shortened petioles. The flowers are tubular, four-petalled, with eight stamens, resembling lilacs. They are without pedicels, located directly on the stem of the wolf's bast plant. The photo shows this perfectly.

Distinctive feature

During flowering (April - early May), it is impossible to confuse this plant with any other. Its leafless branches are literally strewn with lilac- pink flowers collected in heaps. If you sniff, you can smell the aroma of vanilla emanating from them. Just don’t get carried away with this smell, otherwise you can’t avoid headaches and malaise.

Fruit

The fruits of this plant are berries that ripen in August. They are small in size, bright scarlet in color, oval, juicy. As well as flowers, they are located on the branches in a few bunches. At this time, the branches are already with leaves, however, only at the tops.

Why did such an unusual name take root

The names of shrubs, as well as other plants, are not born from scratch. Wolfberry has a very strong bark. Not even the bark, but the bast layer located under it, namely the bast. Thanks to him, it is easy to break a branch of this shrub, but it is difficult to tear it off, it will take considerable strength. The adjective in the name has taken root because the wolf has always been associated with evil, deceit. And this plant is just that.

The wolf's bark is poisonous, and all of its parts. The aroma of flowers is intoxicating, poisonous. A small drop of juice that gets on the skin will cause a burning sensation, and irritation on the mucous membrane. If you unknowingly chew on a branch, your lips will swell, your throat will be very ticklish, your eyes will water, your head will ache, your temperature will rise, and vomiting and convulsions may begin.

Spreading

Scientists have not come to a consensus on how the wolf's bark spreads. One of the versions: the birds peck at the berries, digest them without any problems, and spread the seeds with excrement.

Why there are no thickets

Wolf's bast in Russia grows in the Caucasus, Siberia and the forest-steppe zone of the European part of the country. However, this plant is quite rare. Botanists believe that thickets do not form because plants are able to poison each other, as they contain poisonous substances.

Application

Wolf's bast contains glycosides and flavonoids, which, when ingested, contribute to blood incoagulability, upset digestive system, and form blisters and burns on the skin. However, in folk medicine, these qualities are used to treat neuralgia, paralysis, gout, rheumatism, that is, only as an external remedy. Tinctures are prepared from fresh bark collected during the flowering period.

Finally

If you come across a wolf's bark, it is much safer to admire it from afar. It is a source of food for birds in autumn and an ornament spring forest. In addition, the plant is taken under protection as rare.

It just so happened that different concepts are hidden under the term "wolf berries".

1

Firstly, wolf berries are one of the popular names for a shrub called wolf's bast(other names are wolfberry, wolf, daphne). it amazing plant already in the spring, it begins to behave differently from the rest of the "respectable" bushes and trees: leaves first appear on them and only then - flowers. And the wolfberry is first covered with beautiful pink flowers (in April-May), and only then it releases "whirlwinds" of narrow ovoid leaves on the tops of the branches.

Bright red berries of a wolf's bast the size of a pea sit directly on branches of 2-3 pieces, like sea buckthorn.

Despite the fact that they look very appetizing, you should never eat them, as they are highly poisonous! However, in the wolfberry, all parts of the plant are poisonous. Even a small drop of plant juice, falling on the skin or mucous membrane of the lips or eyes, causes irritation. If you eat a wolf berry, burning, nausea, vomiting, weakness will begin, convulsions may begin, the temperature will rise ... Therefore, try not to approach this beautiful bush!

"Wolf's bast" ... Why wolf? Probably because among the people wolves have long been the personification of deceit, cruelty and evil. And why bast? But because the bark of the wolf (more precisely, the bast layer under the bark) is very strong. Previously, paper, ropes, ropes were made from it, and even bast shoes were woven. Anyone who has tried to pluck a wolf branch "as a keepsake" knows that it is easy to break it off, but it is already more difficult to tear it off the bush. The reason is a strong bast.

Only after reading these lines, please do not treat this plant as an enemy if you happen to meet it in the forest! Firstly, it is quite rare and is listed in the Red Book. Secondly, the wolf's bast is a wonderful honey plant, and it blooms at a time when there are still very few other flowers. Thirdly, wolf - medicinal plant. Fourth, despite the toxicity, birds for some reason can eat wolf fruits without any harm to themselves, so do not deprive the birds of this source of food.

2

Wolfberries are sometimes called forest honeysuckle. Its berries are very similar to the berries of the wolf's bast:

It can be distinguished from the wolf by two signs: its berries on short pedicels depart from the nodes (that is, from where the leaves leave), and not from the internodes. In addition, honeysuckle berries sit in pairs. They are not poisonous, like the berries of the wolf's bark, but still inedible. You bite the berry - and at first you feel a sweetish taste, but almost immediately you feel a strong bitterness in your mouth, which then does not go away for a long time.

By the way, forest honeysuckle is a close relative of edible honeysuckle. Its blue, with a bluish bloom, berries have a delicate aroma and a bitter-sour taste reminiscent of blueberries, contain a lot of useful substances and are valued for medicinal purposes. It is bred in gardens.

3.

And, finally, "wolfberries" is the collective popular name for all berries with black or red berry-like fruits that are inedible or poisonous. Here are some examples of such plants.