"Ringing" family. Why are bells interesting?

Biological description

The field bell belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants of the same family; the Latin name Campanula comes from the diminutive version of the Italian word Campana, i.e. bell; the Russian version was chosen in the same way.

All species of this culture are characterized by a funnel-shaped flower, a tubular corolla consisting of 5 toothed petals diverging upward, which are fused at the base. There are 2 types of inflorescences (paniculate or racemose), crowned with peduncles at the top; occasionally single ones are found.

Its stem can be simple or with branches, in some species it is creeping or creeping. The leaves have an elongated shape, form a basal rosette at the base, and petiolate above.

As a rule, bluebells bloom from late spring to mid-summer for 15-45 days. But there are also later species that bloom in August-September. In addition, some varieties have a long flowering period, up to 3 months. The fruit looks like a capsule with a large number of seeds.

general description

The bell flower is a representative of the Campanula family, which has almost 300 subspecies.

Important! There are other flowers like bells, known names: Adenophora, Aquilegia, Brugmansia, Galanthus, Hyacinthoides and other crops.

Origin and appearance of bells

In nature, the culture can be found in temperate climates - in Asian, Siberian, Caucasian, European territories and North America. Common types include perennial types; annuals and biennials are occasionally found. The buds look like miniature bells, the stems are covered with narrow foliage.

Bluebell flowers

On each shoot there are flowers with white, blue, dark blue or purple colors. The inflorescences have a paniculate or racemose shape. After the flowering period ends, small seed pods form.

Important! Types of bells include low-growing and tall, from 3-4 cm to 1 m. The flowering of the crop continues throughout the summer season.

What does a bell look like?

The botanical description indicates what the bell looks like and what color its petals are:

• The foliage on the shoots is arranged alternately.
• The inflorescences are bell-shaped.
• The color of the petals depends on the plant variety; there are subspecies of snow-white, bluish, yellowish, lilac, bluish, pinkish tones.
• In most species, the flowers are collected in racemes; in some cases, there may be one bud of outstanding size on the shoot.

Important! The seeds of the plant have different sizes, which depend on the varietal of the individual.

Field bell - description

The herbaceous subspecies, with funnel-shaped inflorescences (sometimes you can find paniculate and racemose variations), include the field bell. The shoots of the plant are simple, creeping or creeping, with branches. Elongated foliage.

Important! The buds bloom in May-July, some species decorate the flowerbed until September.

Field bell

Forest bell

Forest bells are often colored bluish. Less common are variants with pinkish, snow-white or lilac petals. In nature, they can be found in temperate climates; growing them in a personal plot requires creating the conditions most suitable for normal growth and development.

Important! Based on the plant, you can make assumptions about future weather - the appearance of dew drops on the foliage predicts imminent rain or thunderstorm.

People may call it musical because of the legend about the sounds it makes on the night of Ivan Kupala.

Classification and popular varieties

There are almost 300 species of bells in the world. According to the duration of the life cycle, they are divided into one-, two- and perennial, the latter of which have many varieties and interspecific hybrids.

Based on their habitat they are classified into the following types:

• field;
• forest;
• mountain

In Russia, in forests, clearings, floodplains and steppes you can find more than 10 species of field bells, blooming from late spring for almost the entire summer season.

The most popular varieties of this flower, which are often used to decorate summer cottages and garden plots:

• The bell is spreading. This modest-looking flower loves light-colored copses, meadows, and ravine slopes, blooming in early June. The stem usually does not exceed 60 cm in height and branches upward. The plant is biennial, differs from others in having a dissected flower corolla of 5 lobes, oblong leaves with sharp tips arranged in a spiral.
• Peach-leaved. Considered a model of beauty among its fellows, the flower has a sky-blue hue, the petals are fused, and grows in fields, sparse forests, near paths and paths. It was this species that was first domesticated in Europe.
• The bell is crowded. It is a dwarf species, reaching a height of 30 to 60 cm, the stems are very thin, the flowers are small, collected in bunches, and have a dark blue-violet hue. Flowering time is from late June to mid-August.
• Nettle-leaved. Prefers wet and damp ravines, common in the middle zone, can grow up to 140 cm in height, has strong stems covered with hairs. Its leaves are similar in shape to nettles, the inflorescences are grouped up to 3 pieces in a raceme near the apex and in the axils, the corolla has a lilac-blue tint.
• Broadleaf. It is found in ravines, between bushes in the forest, and blooms later than all other varieties, usually in July-August. The leaves are large in size, 10-15 cm in length, located at the base. The stems are straight and strong, reaching a height of up to 130 cm. The flowers can be blue or pale purple, arranged in 1-3 pieces. The species has been cultivated and many varieties have been bred.

Types and varieties of garden perennial bells

The garden bell is characterized by a large number of subspecies, differing in the size of the shoots, the color of the petals, and the volume of the buds.

Bluebell white

What dahlias look like - varieties and types of plants, description

White bells live in Western and Eastern European territories. Features of the species include:

• annual, biennial and perennial representatives;
• the duration of budding is almost one and a half months;
• spiral-leaved shoots;
• small or large buds, the original size depends on the varietal species.

Important! This species is rarely found in home areas. Sometimes used to decorate alpine hills or create flower beds with small crops. The Japanese species has small flowers with a shaggy border.

White bell

blue bell

Bluebells are members of a class of perennial plants that prefer to grow in forests, meadows or mountainous areas. Among them, the following common subspecies are distinguished:

• Spoon-leaved - with a growth of 10 cm, creeping shoots and small, rounded foliage. The petals are painted in a soft blue hue.
• Pyramidal is a perennial plant, up to 1.5 m in height. The foliage is serrated, the flowering period is equal to the first two summer months. The aroma of the flower for humans is similar to the smell of myrrh.
• Bearded - grows up to 25 cm, prefers meadows and mountainous regions. The inflorescences are pale blue in color, with a paniculate or racemose shape. Budding occurs in the first part of the summer season.
• Perforate is a long-lived crop with heart-shaped leaves. The powerful inflorescences have a star-shaped shape, the circumference is up to 3 cm. The buds appear in the first ten days of June and fall off after September 10.

Important! All described subspecies have bell-shaped flowers.

blue bell

Meadow or steppe bluebells are identified by their smaller inflorescences. Unpretentious and ornamental plants include the perennial garden bellflower, which is more often than other relatives used for decorating flower beds. Among the common options, the most famous are:

• Gargansky - creeping shoots formed into compact bushes, live quietly in darkened areas. The average height does not exceed 15 cm, the buds are large, open, up to 4 cm in diameter. The flowers decorate the garden plot throughout July.
• Sarmatian - refers to the Caucasian bush perennials, with a height of up to 45 cm. The buds are famous for their honey smell, the plant does not have any special requirements for supervision. Blooms from June to September.
• Ciliated - does not grow more than 15 cm, characterized by high resistance to drought. Blooms in June, fades in July.
• Alpine - a subspecies with a height of 10 cm. The inflorescences are cylindrical in shape and require good drainage when planting. Used as a single plant or as a frame for tall shrubs.

Important! The common hillbell is characterized by a height of 30 cm, thin branches and jagged foliage. Large inflorescences have a diameter of 2 cm, the culture is resistant to cold.

Yellow bells flowers

Unusual yellowish petals are found only in two variations:

• Wild thyrsoid - prefers the territory of dry alpine meadows, Pyrenean mountain slopes.
• Carniolica is a garden crop, rarely used in the landscape, requires alkaline soil, the diameter of the yellow inflorescences is up to 3 cm.

Important! Bell flowers from Carniolica are perennial and biennial.

Bluebell pink

The culture is characterized by pinkish or light red petals and belongs to the common subspecies. Among them are the following frost-resistant options:

• Albu Nana - compact bushes are decorated with milky pink buds, there are pale stripes on the petals. Small flowers, oval foliage.
• Garland - grows up to 40 cm, with paniculate, large inflorescences. Pinkish buds may have purple dots. Blooms with the arrival of summer.
• Perple Sensation - grows up to 1.5 m, decorates the garden with its pinkish buds in July-August.

Important! Pink-red's height does not exceed 1.5 m, paniculate inflorescences are up to 8 cm in diameter. It grows quickly and blooms in June-July.

Pink bell

Bluebell purple

There are natural and cultivated varieties with purple petals:

• Brittle - refers to hanging crops; buds are formed in the spring months. The foliage is small.
• Peach leaf is a herbaceous plant with dark green leaves. It is distinguished by an apical inflorescence and short pedicels; the petals are painted in lilac or purple tones. Flowers form by mid-July.
• Campanula equifolia - grows up to 0.3 m, the branches are thin and drooping. Identified by numerous small buds and transparent purple petals.
• Broad-leaved - characterized by voluminous and wide foliage, up to 130 cm in height. The buds are large, collected in racemose inflorescences.
• Milky-flowered - the brainchild of French breeders, is known for its oblong foliage and branched shoots. The racemose inflorescences contain buds with a diameter of up to 40 mm.
• Interesting subspecies include Portenschlag - due to its unpretentiousness in cultivation. Its budding continues from May to August.

Important! There is a varietal variant “Cup and Saucer” that grows up to 80 cm.

Mountain views

Such bells are medium-sized, having a maximum height of up to 80 cm. The most popular Caucasian species among them are:

• Round-leaved. It is distinguished by a more rounded shape of leaves collected near the root, which die off during the flowering period. The petals are colored blue. The plant has medicinal properties.
• Takeshima. A winter-hardy crop, decorated with double flowers with pink, lilac or blue petals, collected in racemose bunches, the heads hanging down.

• Spot. Large white and pink-purple flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences and appear drooping.
• The bell is medium. The most spectacular and popular look. Breeders have developed many interesting varieties of it.

Dwarf varieties

Low-growing species of field bell include:

• Carpathian. Decorative variety with a long flowering period of up to 70 days. It grows in bushes with a diameter of 20-30 cm, abundantly strewn with small flowers in shades of blue, lilac and white.

• Daisy leaf. A perennial winter-hardy plant that forms dense turf up to 15 cm in height. The flowers look vertically upward, blue or purple, located one on each low stem.

Growing and care

Basic rules for planting and watering field bells:

• plants love sunny places and cannot tolerate close groundwater, as this can cause the root system to freeze;
• the soil is preferably loamy, neutral or slightly alkaline, sand and humus are also added, prepared in advance with the addition of rotted manure, fertilizers, drainage is placed down;
• watering is moderate, during the growth period it is useful to apply fertilizers with nitrogen, when laying buds - mineral fertilizers;
• loves loose soil, which also helps in the fight against weeds;
• dry, faded parts of the plant should be removed immediately, which will open up space for new buds;
• seed boxes must be collected, preventing self-sowing;
• perennial varieties are covered with peat, dry leaves or spruce branches for the winter.

Each species also has its own nuances and characteristics of cultivation and care.

Reproduction

Wildflowers bells reproduce in 3 ways:

• seeds - annual species;
• cuttings and seeds - biennial;
• vegetative propagation or long root cuttings.

Black small seeds of annuals, extracted from a dried capsule, are sown in late autumn directly into open ground. You can make seedlings for planting in the spring, after frost, in the 3-leaf phase.

The vegetative method is perfect for southern heat-loving varieties, as well as for preserving the desired genetic characteristics (doubleness, etc.). The division of the plant is carried out in the spring of the 3rd year, with the exception of quickly maturing species that can produce planting divisions in the fall.

When dividing, an adult bush is dug up, the ground shoots are cut off, and the rhizome is divided so that each part necessarily has a growing point. When planted in ditches, it should remain above the surface of the ground.

When cuttings, young shoots of the plant are used, separating them in the spring of the 2nd year.

Reproduction methods

In garden conditions, bells can be propagated in three main ways:

• Seeds . This method is rarely used, since with the seed propagation method, varietal qualities are lost, and the plant practically does not bloom in the first season. Not suitable for terry varieties;
• Cuttings . Planting material is prepared in March or early April. Cuttings are prepared from healthy and strong young stems, which are then planted in a container with fertile soil for subsequent rooting. After the appearance of strong roots, you can transplant into open ground;
• Bush division . Suitable for adult bells, the method is often combined with a planned transplant. In the fall, the bush is dug up, and then divided into 2-3 parts and planted in a permanent place.

Despite the difficulty of seed propagation, this is often the only way to get new types of bells on your site. Planting material in the store is often represented by seeds.

Bellflower pests and diseases

The plant is a resistant species that is rarely susceptible to disease. However, when growing a crop in the same place for a long period, the development of fungal diseases is possible. Therefore, as a preventative measure, it is recommended to treat the soil and the seedlings themselves with a solution of Fundazol.

With prolonged moisture, rotting of the neck or the roots themselves may occur, but this can be avoided by providing drainage during planting and regularly loosening the soil. Watering should be done moderately.

Among the pests, the plant is most often attacked by slugs, from which it must be treated with metaldehyde.

Text description of the bell

A text describing a bell in a scientific and artistic style will help you write an informative essay. The bell description of the plant will explain why this flower received such a name.

Scientific description of the bluebell

The plants included in the numerous genus of bells are very diverse in shape, size and color. Among them there are perennial, biennial and annual species with straight, branched, less often climbing or creeping stems. There are dwarf, 5-7 cm high, medium-sized and tall (up to 150 cm or more) forms.

The short, thickened woody root branches into many thin adventitious roots. The leaves of bells are simple, without stipules, elongated or oblong, with a whole, serrated or serrated edge. The upper ones, located on the stems, are alternate, sessile; the lower ones form a basal rosette.

Description of the bell for children

Campanula is an unpretentious plant with bell-shaped flowers.

The color of the flowers can be different: blue, blue, purple, white and even pink. Their size and leaf shape also differ. Flowers are usually collected in racemes or panicles, but there are species with single flowers. At night and in inclement weather, the flowers of the plant close, protecting themselves from dew and rainwater. Insects often hide inside them.

Most species of this plant are perennials; they grow in the same place for years. After flowering, a fruit-box is formed, after a while it bursts and the ripe seeds fall to the ground.

Description of the bell 3rd grade

Bluebell is a beautiful plant whose flower is painted in all shades of blue. This flower deservedly received its name - its shape is similar to a real bell.

Campanula belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants of the Campanaceae family. Bells grow mainly in meadows, but they also like to settle in forest clearings, and some types of bells have even colonized mountain slopes. Mountain types of bells are short in stature, but at the same time they have large and beautiful flowers.

The bluebell is famous for its variety of species. There are more than a hundred different types of bells in our country. For example, in spacious meadows the most common species is the spreading bellflower. This plant has one peculiarity - it has a very weak, thin stem, so it grows well where other types of herbs are closely intertwined, which serve as a kind of support for the spreading bell. And it is called spreading because of its stem, on which many branches branch, covered with numerous flowers.

The bell-shaped flower of this plant is formed by the fact that its petals grow together and form a characteristic bell-shaped bowl. During the day, in good weather, the flower looks into the sky, and in case of rain or at nightfall, it will bend towards the ground. Since the fused petals cannot close at night, as happens with other flowers, this plant is loved by various insects, which climb into the “bell” to spend the night and warm up.

Bell description in a scientific style You can write in the comments to help your peers.

Relatives of the plant

In structure and appearance, there are wildflowers similar to bells:

• Foxglove (digitalis). The plant belongs to the herbs of the plantain family; beautiful pink and lilac flowers, arranged in bunches on the stem, are shaped like the fused petals of a bell.
• Lilies of the valley. A plant with small white flowers, common in temperate countries.
• Grouse (fritillaria). A herbaceous perennial from the lily family, there are 150 species, growing in temperate climates. The Russian name comes from the words “pockmarked, motley”.

Field bell: beneficial properties and contraindications

Several types of plants are used in folk medicine. The bluebell has the greatest healing effect. To prepare decoctions and infusions from this culture, all parts of the plant are collected, except for the roots. The optimal time for harvesting is the flowering period. It is better to collect in places of mass growth (see photo of the crowded bellflower below).

It is better to prepare raw materials outdoors in the shade under a canopy, but you can use a dryer. But only at a maximum temperature of up to 40 ºС. Plants are stored in fabric bags in a dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

The beneficial properties of the field bell are due to the content of active substances: carotene, kaempeferol, citric and caffeic acid, magnesium and potassium. The prepared medicinal infusions have a calming effect on the peripheral nervous system, are successfully used in the treatment of inflammatory processes in the throat, for coughs, and are used in the form of compresses to relieve the symptoms of rheumatism and wound healing.

Recipes for medicinal decoctions and infusions:

• The decoction is made from 3 tbsp. l. dry mixture in 0.5 liters of water, boil for 5 minutes. Covered, leave for 1 hour, strain and squeeze. Use ½ tbsp. after meals to strengthen the body during viral and infectious diseases.
• To treat sore throat, stomatitis and other throat diseases, rinse with bellflower decoction: 2 tsp. herbs for 1 tbsp. boiling water
• An infusion to reduce pain in the stomach and kidneys can be prepared from 20 g of dry herb per 0.5 liter of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours, then filter. Drink 2/3 tbsp. for pain. The maximum daily dose is 2 glasses.
• A calming and relaxing bath is made with the addition of infusion (100 g of dry mixture per 1 liter of boiling water, leave until cool). Strain the liquid and add to the prepared bathing water.
• Relieving joint pain and treating radiculitis. This is done using a compress soaked in a decoction prepared from 2 tbsp. l. dry herbs for 1 tbsp. boiling water It needs to be infused for 40 minutes, then strained. The compress is applied to the sore spot several times a day.

A contraindication to the use of medicinal products is individual intolerance to the plant, as well as leukocytosis.

Many hybrids and varieties of bluebells are favorite and popular flowers, widely used in ornamental plantings to decorate home gardens.

Use of bell in medicine

Aqueous solutions and alcohol formulations are used as part of drug therapy. Decoctions help with ulcers, tinctures produce a sedative effect.

For diseases of the nervous system

The meadow bell flower has pronounced medicinal properties. Medicines based on it are indicated for nervous diseases. The infusion is prepared from the following components:

• 1 tsp. flowers;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

The composition is made in accordance with the instructions:

1. The raw materials are poured with boiling water.
2. The product is infused for an hour and filtered.

The bell infusion is drunk three times a day, 2 tbsp. l.

To improve memory

The plant has a positive effect on brain function. To improve memory, it is recommended to drink an infusion of the following ingredients:

• 1 tsp. seeds;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Preparation of the drug is simple:

1. The raw materials are placed in a container and poured with boiling water.
2. The product is left to infuse for two hours.
3. Before use, the composition is filtered.

The bell infusion is prescribed to be drunk three times a day before meals, 1 tbsp. l.

Anticonvulsant drug

The raw materials of the medicinal plant are used for epilepsy. To reduce convulsive activity, a product is prepared based on the following components:

• spreading bluebell grass;
• vodka.

Attention! These components must be taken in a ratio of 1:10.

The composition is made in stages:

1. Dry raw materials are poured with an alcohol solution.
2. The product is infused for two weeks, shaking occasionally.
3. After the required amount of time has passed, the liquid is filtered.

Drink bell tincture 30 drops before meals

Important! Before use, the product is dissolved in 50 ml of water.

For respiratory tract infections

Decoctions based on medicinal plants are useful for bronchitis and pneumonia. According to the recipe, you need to take:

• 1 tbsp. l. roots;
• 200 ml water.

The product is made according to the instructions:

1. The roots are crushed and filled with water.
2. The composition is boiled for 6 minutes in an enamel bowl.
3. The drug is infused for two hours.
4. The liquid is filtered before use.

Drink an aqueous solution of bellflower 0.5 tbsp. before meals three times a day

For fever

Perennial-based drugs can reduce fever. The infusion includes:

• 1 tbsp. l. herbs;
• 250 ml boiling water.

We recommend reading: Goldenrod: medicinal properties and contraindications, application, photos

The preparation of the composition is simple:

1. The raw materials are poured with boiling water.
2. The product is infused for half an hour and filtered.

Drink 2 tbsp of bell infusion. l. four times a day

For atherosclerosis

It is known that the plant has a beneficial effect on vascular walls, improving blood circulation. For example, for atherosclerosis, an infusion containing:

• 1 tsp. Campanula rotundifolia flowers;
• 250 ml boiling water.

The drug is made according to the instructions:

1. The raw materials are placed in a container and filled with boiling water.
2. The composition is left to cool completely and filtered.

Drink 1/3 tbsp of infusion from bluebell. three times a day both for atherosclerosis and epilepsy

To normalize the functioning of the thyroid gland

An infusion of lichen, which includes:

• 1 tbsp. l. herbs;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

The product is prepared as follows:

1. The raw materials are placed in a deep bowl and filled with boiling water.
2. The drug is infused for three hours and then filtered.

Lichen infusion is taken 2 tbsp. l. three times a day after meals

External remedy for joint diseases

The bell has pronounced analgesic properties. This effect is used to treat rheumatological diseases.

Infusion for compresses includes:

• 2 tsp. medicinal herb;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

The remedy is done like this:

1. The raw materials must be filled with the required amount of boiling water.
2. The composition should be left for an hour in a thermos, and then strained, for example, using a strainer.

Infusion from the bell is soaked in sterile gauze, which is applied to the affected joints in the form of compresses.

With leucorrhoea

The healing plant is widely used for gynecological diseases. To prepare the drug take:

• 2 tsp. bellflower peach herb;
• 200 ml boiling water.

The remedy is done in stages:

1. Dry raw materials are poured with boiling water.
2. The composition is left to infuse and filtered after three hours.

Infusion of bell for leucorrhoea, take 1 tbsp. l. three times a day after meals

To eliminate pain

The perennial has anti-inflammatory properties. Compositions based on it are used to eliminate pain. The drug includes:

• 3 tbsp. l. herbs;
• 500 ml boiling water.

The infusion is made like this:

1. The raw materials are crushed and poured with boiling water.
2. The composition is kept for two hours, after which it is filtered.

Drink an aqueous solution of bellflower three times a day, ¼ tbsp. before meals

For sore throat

The infectious disease is dangerous due to the development of complications involving the kidneys, joints and heart in the pathological process. As part of complex therapy, you can use a tincture intended for gargling. The product includes:

• bluebell grass;
• vodka.

Important! These ingredients are taken in a ratio of 1:10.

The tincture is made like this:

1. The raw materials are filled with an alcohol base.
2. The composition is infused for two weeks and filtered.
3. Before use, the drug is diluted in a ratio of 1:5.

Gargle with bell tincture for sore throat up to eight times a day.

For bleeding

Medicinal compositions can eliminate pathology when included in complex therapy. The drug is made from the following components:

• 1 tsp. roots;
• 200 ml boiling water.

The product is prepared as follows:

1. The raw materials are poured with boiling water and simmered for five minutes over low heat.
2. The composition is infused for two hours, filtered, and the previous volume is restored.

To eliminate bleeding, take 0.5 tbsp of bellflower decoction. three times a day