Herbaceous annual, mostly pale green, sometimes with a reddish tint. The stem is erect, 20-80 cm high, simple or branched, grayish with dense short hairs, slightly angular. The leaves are quite large, ovate-rhombic, obtuse or somewhat notched at the apex, with a small spine. The upper side of the leaf is bare; the underside, margin and petiole are short hairy. The petiole is almost equal in length to the leaf blade or slightly longer than it (Vasilchenko, 1936).

The flowers are collected at the ends of the shoots in false-spike-shaped (very dense paniculate) inflorescences, branching in the lower part. The bracts are lanceolate, pointed, almost twice as long as the perianth. The perianth consists of 5 leaflets. The plant is monoecious; in male flowers the perianth lobes are lanceolate, in female flowers they are oblong-linear; spatulately widened at the top, obtuse or slightly notched, with a short point at the apex, whitish, membranous, with a thin light green midrib, usually not reaching the apex. There are 5 stamens, 1 pistil with a single ovule. The capsule is single-seeded, shorter than the perianth, and opens with a lid. Seeds ~ 1 mm, black or black-brown, shiny, with a sharp border along the edge [Vasilchenko, 1936; Mosyakin, 1996].

The cotyledons are oblong-linear, 8-10 mm long, 2 mm wide, pointed at the apex, narrowed towards the base, grayish-green. The first leaf is short oval or ovate-rhombic, notched at the apex, rapidly tapering towards the base, 8-10 mm long and 6-8 mm wide.

The petioles and stem are covered with small curly hairs.

Natural range Natural range A. retroflexus

It occupies only the prairies and the Great Plains region of the United States; in other areas of North America this species is introduced.

Control measures Natural range fallows, stubble peeling, deep autumn plowing, cultivation during the period of emergence, periodic replacement of row crops with forage and grains contribute [Ulyanova, 2005]. Seedlings and seedlings are easily destroyed by surface tillage methods, emergence and soil herbicides [Barkinkhoev, 2004].

According to E.R. Barieva, one of the ways to regulate the number of acorn acorns is to include perennial grasses in the crop rotation, since perennial grasses help reduce illumination and compact the soil, resulting in a change in the aeration of the top layer of soil, which is perceived by the seeds as a signal for germination. This leads to a mosaic appearance of weed seedlings and an increase in the proportion of depressed individuals, turning the population into a depressed one [Barieva, 1997].

Review of scientific research and publications

Natural range- an optional short-day species, that is, if the parent plants bloomed under short daylight conditions (8 hours), the seeds need a long night and a temperature of 30° C to germinate. If the individuals bloomed under long daylight conditions (16 hours), then the seeds germinate at lower temperatures and longer days. Thus, the length of daylight required for seed germination depends on the habitat of the parent plants, which is one of the reasons for the good survival rate of this weed at different latitudes.

Weeds

upturned acorn(Russian)
shiritsa is bent (Ukrainian)
amaranthus retroflexus l.

(lat.)

Common names: oxamite, bush, shirei.

Systematic position (belonging to a family).
Schiritsev (Russian)
Shchiritsev (Ukrainian)

Amaranthaceae (lat.)

Biological group.

Annual late spring plant

Origin.

Introduced in the last century from North America. The botanical name comes from the Greek words maraino - “I do not wither” and anthos - “flower”. Thanks to the dry leaves near the flower bed, the acorn appears the same both during flowering and in autumn.

Morphology. In adult plants

The stem is erect, grayish with dense hairs, branched. The root is taproot, penetrating deeply into the soil. The leaves are petiolate, oblong-ovate, obtuse or slightly concave at the apex, with short hairs along the edges and below. The flowers are yellowish-green, collected in a dense paniculate-spike-shaped inflorescence. lenticular, rounded-compressed. A noticeable border runs along the circumference, covering the ring-shaped embryo. The slightly protruding border of the seed hilum forms a clove. Seed scar in recess. The surface is smooth, polished, shiny, and slightly reticular at high magnification. The color is black, unripe seeds are brownish-red. Diameter 1.0 - 1.2, width 0.9 - 1.0, thickness 0.5 - 0.7 mm.

At the shoots cotyledons are oblong, narrowly rounded, gradually narrowed into petioles. Later cotyledons are unaligned. Length 6 - 10, width 1.5 - 2.2 mm. Grayish-green above, violet-reddish below. The surface is finely wrinkled. Leaves are 10 - 16 mm long, 8 - 12 mm wide, rhombic-rounded, often broadly ovate, uneven at the edges, broadly rounded, notched (without a spine), tapered wedge-shaped into a petiole. The plates are grayish-green above, reddish below. The petiole and veins of the leaf are covered with small fluffy hairs. The venation is loop-reticulate, formed by lateral branches alternately extending from the main light green vein. The epicotyl is short, finely hairy; hypocotyl dirty crimson. When crushed, the seedlings have a “beetroot” smell.

Biology.

Propagated by seeds. Mass shoots appear when the soil warms up to +25...30°C. Seeds germinate from a depth of no more than 2-3 cm. It blooms in June-August, bears fruit in late July until autumn. Up to 500 thousand easily shedding seeds are formed on one plant. Freshly ripened seeds have a long dormant period and germinate the next year; they remain viable in the soil for more than 10 years.

Economic importance.

It infests all row crops and is found in orchards and orchards. It grows strongly along the edges of fields and irrigation fields. It is suppressed in crops of grain crops, and in crops of other crops it greatly depletes and dries out the soil. The shiritsa also has a good beginning. The young plant is a favorite grass food for pigs. However, except for pigs and rabbits, fresh grass is not to the taste of any domestic animal. There have been attempts to grow the plant as a silage crop. Although the experiment was a success, the test ended there.

Control measures.

Thorough cleaning of seed material. Alternation of winter and row crops in crop rotation. During the period of emergence of seedlings, it is destroyed by harrowing and cultivation. Shchiritsa is sensitive to most recommended herbicides for chemical weeding of crops. In the fall, after harvesting crops, stubble peeling and fall plowing take place. Clean vapors are important in reducing the potential for seed contamination in the soil. On uncultivated lands - systematic destruction by mowing before flowering.

List of used literature and photographs.

1. Vereshchagin L.N. Atlas of herbaceous plants.-K.: Univest Marketing, 2002.-384p.

Schiritsa upturned is a weed that everyone has probably encountered. It grows quite quickly, which creates a lot of trouble for the summer resident. But is this weed so useless? You will learn the answer from our article today.

The plant has several names: amaranth, velvet, rubella, beetroot. It appeared in South America, where grass was grown as a grain crop. However, the plant was not popular in all countries. For example, in Spain, the upturned acorn was considered a plant of evil spirits, so its cultivation was prohibited.

Schiritsa upturned - weed

This herbaceous plant is an annual. Field grass has a rather thick stem, growing up to 0.9 cm in height. A characteristic feature of the weed is its burgundy-purple leaves, pointed at the end.

In total, there are about 100 varieties of herbaceous plants, most of which are classified as weeds. However, some species bred through selection are decorative. The most popular varieties of shiritsa are:

• ordinary;
• thrown back;
• strong;
• white amaranth;
• shuntuk.

The herbaceous plant is distributed almost throughout the globe, except in regions with low temperatures. Most often, acorn grass can be found in the tropics of America, Australia, Asia, and Africa.

Video “What are the benefits of amaranth”

From this video you will learn about the beneficial properties of amaranth.

Chemical composition and medicinal properties

Shchiritsa upturned has a rather rich chemical composition:

• carbohydrates;
• phytosterols;
• amino acids;
• potassium;
• magnesium.

The leaves of the plant contain more protein than wheat. That is why the culture is especially valued in China, used along with seafood.

The rich chemical composition of the plant determines the presence of beneficial properties:

• anti-inflammatory;
• diuretics;
• laxatives.

Velvet is indispensable in case of:

• stomatitis;
• oncological diseases;
• gastritis;
• cystitis;
• diabetes mellitus;
• atherosclerosis;
• anemia.

Recipes based on shiritsa

Considering the beneficial properties that agarica has, the weed can be considered a medicinal herb. That is why it is popular in folk medicine.

Juice

Shchiritsa is considered one of the most effective ways to combat inflammation of the oral cavity. The grass juice must be combined with drinking water in a ratio of 1:5. Rinse the mouth with the solution twice a day.

The juice can also be taken orally. To do this, it is mixed with sour cream in a 1:1 ratio. Use 3 times a day, 1 tbsp. l. after eating. The product is effective for diabetes, discomfort in the liver, and gastritis.

Root decoction

A decoction of the dried roots of the herb is effective as an anthelmintic. In addition, such a drink will have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and genitourinary systems and improve the general condition of the body.

15-20 g of crushed velvet roots must be poured into 250 g of boiling water and left for 40 minutes in a water bath. After the decoction has cooled, it should be taken 3 tbsp. l. twice a day.

Infusion of leaves

Infusions based on dry velvet leaves can normalize blood glucose levels and effectively fight diabetes.

To prepare the infusion, you need to pour 20 g of leaves into 300 g of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes in a water bath. When the drink has cooled, it should be strained. It is recommended to use the infusion twice a day, 2-3 tbsp. l.

Alcohol tincture

In case of problems with the genitourinary system, alcohol tincture of agaric will be effective. You need to take the flowers and leaves of the grass and pour vodka over them. The mass should be infused for about 2-3 weeks in a cool, dark place. The product is taken 1 tsp. before meals.

Shchiritsa oil

Amaranth oil is rich in vitamins, the main one of which is vitamin D. Thus, a product prepared using the oil of this herb has a beneficial effect on the skin, nails and hair. A positive effect is observed in the condition of blood vessels and the functioning of the endocrine system. The product also promotes the active removal of toxins and cholesterol from the body.

Take a teaspoon of oil twice a day before meals.

Bath decoction

In case of dermatological diseases, an excellent solution would be a decoction for baths with velvet leaves and inflorescences. 0.5 kg of raw materials must be filled with 2.5 liters of boiling water. Boil the mixture over low heat, cool slightly and pour into the bath. This procedure should not last longer than half an hour.

Rejuvenating Blend

A mixture containing amaranth, St. John's wort, chamomile and birch buds will be an excellent way to get rid of toxins. 20 g of the composition must be poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water. After the mixture has infused for 2-3 hours, it should be strained. Use the product with a small amount of honey twice a day.

Harm of the weed to humans and agriculture

In addition to its beneficial properties as a medicinal herb, acorn grass causes significant harm to agricultural crops and humans. The main negative factors are:

Considering the degree of damage that amaranth can cause to a summer cottage, gardeners are often interested in methods for destroying weeds.

Mechanical removal

This is the most common method of struggle. A gardener digs up the beds, collecting weeds by hand. It is important to choose the grass along with the roots. It is recommended to do this procedure until the marigold blooms.

Biological methods

The method is to mulch the soil. The material used is often cardboard, roofing felt or black plastic film. Light does not penetrate under the mulch, and therefore weed seeds do not germinate.

Chemical methods

This method is applicable only in those areas of the garden where crops do not grow. These chemicals are considered the most effective for garden treatment.