Hop

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

Hops (lat. Humulus) - genus of flowering climbing plants from the family

Cannabis (Latin Cannabaceae) … Until the second half of the 20th century, this genus of plants

was listed in the family

Mulberry (lat. Mraceae) … Apparently, botanists found some kind of external signs corresponding to the plants of this family. But the science of "genetics", which arose not so long ago, put the genus Humulus on a completely different classification shelf. This was not difficult to do, because the genus consists of only three (according to some sources, two) plant species. Hops not only decorate gardens and aged buildings, but also provide a person with food, a fragrant drink, and also share his healing abilities with a person.

Description

Hops are a climbing liana that is often compared to a vine. But these two climbing plants have very different adaptations that help them move towards the heavens. Nature has provided the vine with tenacious tendrils, adventitious stepchildren, with which it clings to the support. And the hop climbs up with the tough hairs that cover the stem of the plant.

Hops are a perennial plant. With the onset of cold weather, its stems and leaves die off, but spring will come, and new vigorous sprouts will appear from the ground, adding up to half a meter in height in a week. This is due to the underground rhizome, which persistently hibernates under the layer of snow in the soil. And thick shoots will rush to the heavens, clockwise twisting around the support they met on the way to grow up to 15 meters long.

Carved openwork leaves have from 3 to 7 blades, the edges of which are decorated with large teeth. In pairs, one opposite the other, they settled down on the stem, leaving a place on it for the birth of side shoots, due to which the vine turns into a solid deciduous carpet that can hide any unsightly structure from prying eyes, drape a garden gazebo or veranda, wrap around a pergola or fence …

To obtain seeds, you must have a female and a male, since Hops is a dioecious plant. Female and male flowers grow strictly on their liana. When growing Hops, only female plants are planted for beer production, as non-pollinated female flower cones are required. The fact is that the seeds of the plant that appear in female cones after pollination contain fatty acids that can spoil the aroma of beer, which is so appreciated by its fans. Planting such Hops is propagated vegetatively.

The main value of Hops is the glands located on the bracts and scales of female cones. Nature has endowed them with the ability to isolate a certain mixture, complexly composed of several substances, called by scientists “

lipulin". For the sake of this "lipulin", female flower cones are collected so that the fats, essential oil, nitrogen-containing substances, resins, ashes contained in it (with an emphasis on the letter

"O") could give that specific aroma and pleasant bitterness, which correctly and well-prepared beer is famous for.

Varieties

Let's take as a basis the literature, which lists three types of plants of the genus Hops. After all, three is always easy to reduce to two if need be.

* Common hops (Humulus lupulus) - the most widespread type of Hop on the planet. It grows in Europe, Asia and America. The specific epithet "lupulus" is translated into Russian as it pleases: ordinary, curly, rooting … It has five subspecies, the leaves of which can be formed by lobes in the amount of 3 to 5 pieces.

* Yunnan hops (Humulus yunnanensis) - This species is used by brewers in Southeast Asia. Propagated vegetatively, carved leaves have 3 to 5 blades.

* Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus) - this species does not form female cones, and therefore it is used only as an ornamental plant with beautiful 5-7-lobed leaves. Homeland is East Asia. In our country, it grows in the Far East and Sakhalin. Has another name - climbing hops (lat. Humulus scandens).

Usage

In addition to the brewing industry, hops are used in baking bread. Young leaves and stems are eaten. Hops are also a healer, perfectly calms the nervous system. A pillow full of Hop cones will relieve insomnia.