Mirabilis Yalapa

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Mirabilis jalapa (lat. Mirabilis jalapa) - a herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Mirabilis (lat. Mirabilis), included in the Niktaginaceae family (lat. Nyctaginaceae). For its beautiful flowering and night aroma, the plant is called "Night Beauty" and is widely used in floriculture, often grown as an annual plant. The healing abilities of the plant gave birth to another name - "Mirabilis laxative".

What's in your name

The generic Latin name "Mirabilis", which is the first word in the name of the plant, is translated into Russian by the word "amazing" or "wonderful", reflecting the beauty of the appearance of plants of the genus, as well as their other useful abilities for humans.

The specific epithet "jalapa" is rooted in "Nahuatl" - one of the Indian languages of the American continent. The word is composed of two Indian words meaning "sand" and "water place", which can be figuratively combined in such a translation - "spring in the sand." These are the words the Indians called such territories. The word lives to this day in the names of the provinces of a number of countries in Central and South America.

Description

The guarantor of many years of the Night Beauty is tuberous swollen roots, in which the plant stores nutrients for future use, in case of unforeseen climatic whims (drought, cold snap …).

The roots are erect, reddish stems 30 to 80 centimeters high on the surface of the earth. The stems are densely branched, in the lower part they become lignified over time.

Along the entire length of the stems, on short petioles, simple whole-edged leaves of an elongated heart-shaped shape sit oppositely. The surface of the leaf blades is not pubescent.

Sessile funnel-shaped flowers are collected in 3-5 pieces in corymbose inflorescences. A cup-shaped envelope of light green leaves surrounds the base of the inflorescence. Toward evening, flowers open their multi-colored corollas, attracting moths with long proboscis with a sweetish aroma, which, in exchange for pollen and nectar, pollinate bisexual flowers, transferring pollen from five stamens to a single-celled ovary on their paws. Flowers of the Night Beauty show a rich palette of colors, among which there are white and yellow, pink and red, different shades of purple-violet, as well as several colors on one petal at the same time.

Pollinated flowers turn into sharp-ribbed dark brown achenes, relatively large in size, with one seed inside.

Usage

* First of all, Mirabilis Yalapa conquered the hearts of flower growers all over the planet, and therefore

is a frequenter of country and city flower bedsgiving a bright fragrant bloom. The child of the American tropics has taken root even in areas with cold winters, where it is grown as an annual plant, giving the plant the sunniest place on the site. Or, its tuberous roots are sheltered for a frosty period, so that in the spring they again release their branched stems with simple elegant leaves and bright inflorescences. Thanks to the vitality and creep of the roots, the Night Beauty quickly masters the territory provided to her.

* All parts of Mirabilis Yalapa possess

healing abilities, and therefore are used by traditional healers to fight ailments. Its underground part is famous for its laxative effect in case of digestive problems, which gave rise to the popular name of the plant "Mirabilis laxative". Leaves and leaf juice have wound healing properties, and are also used as a diuretic. Although the seeds of the plant are considered toxic, they are used as a coloring or cosmetic product.

* The leaves of the plant are quite

good for food, and flower petals serve as raw materials for obtaining food dyes that decorate confectionery, tint a dessert such as jelly.