Meadow Plants

Meadow is formed in three stages. First of all, one-year-old species grow, as well as creeping grasses. All this vegetation differs by a shallow rooting, and its rhizomes, creeping shoots and roots form the surface of the turf. After the shoots become dense and the first layer of humus is formed, there appear loose-leafed species. They take root somewhat deeper than the annuals and use nutrients found in the underlying soil layers. At the last stage, there is a further "thickening" of plants and acidification of the soil. As a result, the roots of individual herbs cease to receive the required amount of air. Thus, some meadow plants die. In their place, the usual types of grass begin to germinate . In the wet areas, a bug and sedge appear.

It should be said that meadow plants are a fairly rich community, which is dynamic. Grasses vie for light, nutrients, water among themselves. The entire upper stage is occupied by photophilous meadow plants. In the lowest tier are species that perfectly tolerate the almost total absence of light.

It should be said that the composition, as well as the meadow vegetation, depends not only on human activity, but also on the characteristics of the area itself: river spillage, soil quality, wind direction, groundwater level. Of great importance are the inhabiting areas of birds and insects that take part in the transfer of seeds.

Based on these criteria, the meadows are divided into dry, mountain pastures, floodplain, swamped reclaimed, lowland, glades. Gulf (floodplain) areas are valleys or places where water spills or soil soaking occurs. In such areas, meadow plants are represented by about fifty species.

In the upper tier you can see representatives of sedge. They perfectly fit the acid soil. The lower tier is represented by such species as meadow tea (a creeping plant of the primrose family , also a coarse verbena) and others.

Most of all meadow areas are so called dry lands. Here, on the average, there are about eighty species of herbs and plants. Among them are clover, fodder, low and tall grass. Practically everywhere there are leafless panicles of meadow bluegrass, which is distinguished by a developed root system. Due to this, a sufficiently strong turf with a certain resistance to trampling is formed.

Among the meadow plants should also be noted fescue. It is distinguished by a variety of morphological features. So, for example, red fescue is resistant to frost and under an ice crust can survive for two months. This plant blooms in June. The fescue leaves grow very fast in the summer - up to four millimeters per day. The plant is resistant to trampling, loves light, suffers complete flooding with water for ten to fifteen days.

In the glades there are many different plants used by man for the needs of agriculture. There are also various kinds of weeds growing here. Some field plants are externally very attractive. For such species include, for example, a blue cornflower. Flowers of the field, as a rule, grow next to the rather unimaginative representatives of the flora. Such species include, for example, wheatgrass, horsetail and others.

Some meadow plants contain dangerous toxic compounds. There are also representatives rich in nutrients and proteins. Such plants include alfalfa, sweet clover. The latter, among other things, is rich in vitamins E and C, contains a complex of coumarin compounds, is used in the aromatization of tobacco.