Characteristics of medicinal plants of the natural Kuban flora. Flora and fauna of Kuban.
In the Krasnodar region quite a lot of beautiful and amazing plants. For example, the Pitsunda pine - it grows in Gelendzhik and along the coast. Can survive in adverse conditions. Cones do not fall off and can hang open for more than three years. At the age of thirty her height is fifteen meters, and in a hundred years she grows up to forty meters in height. Needles she has up to sixteen centimeters, when the other pines only eight. Even the pine cones are red.
On the Black Sea coast, starting from Lysaya Mountain near Anapa and up to Gelendzhik, pistachio with an interesting name is growing thick-faced. The genus of pistachio is very ancient. This is a small ornamental plant, it ripens at the end of summer, the beginning of autumn. The plant tolerates drought well and loves light very much. It grows slowly, for twenty years it grows by one meter. Pistachio contains 75% resin and up to 25% essential oils. Tree resin is needed to heal cuts faster, and people use it for processing wooden utensils, as well as constant chewing pistachio resin cleans and strengthens tooth enamel. Its resins are also included in various ointments, with the help of which they cure rheumatism, ulcers and wounds, burns and cracks in the skin. Some modern pharmacists themselves boil from this resin ointment according to old recipes. And pistachio wood is very hard. Previously, it was intensively felled for shipbuilding, and also pipes and other similar things were made from its roots.
A lot of growing in the Krasnodar Territory juniper. Juniper belongs to the oldest cypress genus. He appeared on Earth fifty million years ago and still lives today. There are about seventy species of this plant, and in Russia there are twenty-one species, in the Crimea there are five. Its types are very diverse - tall, prickly, red Cossack, smelly and hemispherical.
The first type of juniper is high. The tree is up to fifteen meters in height, with a dense crown, its branches are quite thin and raised upwards. 
Its bark has a dark color, the cone has spherical berries, about one centimeter in size, and they have a rather pleasant dark purple color. This species of juniper grows relatively quickly from three to five years, loves light and heat, can not dry out for a long time. Can live up to fifty years.
Juniper red - it was called before red cedar. Basically, it grows six or eight meters of the tree with lush branches covered with prickly needles, and for this he was given another name - prickly juniper.
And the smelly juniper is also called smelly. It is very similar to juniper high, but its berries are twice as large and not dark, but brown. The smell of this plant is quite unpleasant. Juniper is often used for therapeutic purposes. To do this, use ripe fruit, which are harvested late in the fall. If they are dried, you can store these fruits for up to three years. Juniper contains essential oils, as well as up to 40% sugar and acid. Never ointments and medicines are made from Cossack juniper, it is poisonous, it can be distinguished from another juniper by its lumpy surface, smell and dark blue shade.
Also of all the forests of the Krasnodar Territory, boxwood is the most beautiful and mysterious. It amazes all tourists with extraordinary beauty. Twilight always reigns in the thick leaves of boxwood, and light and fluffy moss hangs from its branches with interesting strands. Just like in a fairy tale!
Boxwood is a green tree with small leaves on the branches. This tree can live for more than fifty years. In height it will grow to twenty meters, and in width about fifty centimeters. A tree grows too slowly - about one millimeter in a year, so its wood is too dense and rather heavy and easily sinks in water. 
It blooms with small flowers, which have a very pleasant intoxicating smell. The box is shade tolerant, but it also needs moisture. The moss on the branches of the box keeps it. This plant blooms in late winter and early spring, and ripens in mid-autumn. Boxwood is very poisonous. Since its wood is very hard and valuable, this kind of plants is listed in the Red Book, now it is on the verge of extinction, therefore it is absolutely impossible to cut it down.
A rather rare type of grape grows in the Krasnodar forests - wild. Its leaflets are almost reniform round, tendrils branching and grow in a spiral, so that neighboring plants also curl. Grapes are blooming in early May and ripen late in the fall. The corolla before flowering is discarded in the form of a cap. Forest grapes have a very sour taste. This species is easily able to survive in adverse conditions. They use it as a medicine - they treat foot fungus. Very few wild forest grapes are left; they have also been added to the list of endangered plant species.
(edited 05/29/2014)
Vegetable world The edges are represented by deciduous (beech, oak) and dark coniferous mountain (fir, spruce) forests, subalpine and alpine meadows. More than 3,000 plant species are found here. Due to the relief and climatic conditions, latitudinal and vertical zonality of vegetation is expressed. The main types of vegetation in the region are flat and mountainous.
The vast part of the territory in the northern part of the region is occupied by steppe vegetation. It stretched from the borders of the Rostov region to the banks of the Kuban River. Now, in places where steppe kovyls, wheatgrass, vetch, timothy grass used to grow, wheat, maize, sugar beet, sunflower, barley, sorghum, castor oil, essential oil and vegetables and melons and gourds are grown on plowed land. Herbs with healing properties are specially grown on the fields as a raw material for the drug industry. On the banks of rivers in the past there were hazel, wild almonds, and the prickly turn formed impassable thickets. Permanent logging, forest fires destroyed a large amount of woody vegetation. Now on the watersheds of the plains can be found oak, elder, sloe, rosehip, blackberry, and so on; on the river valleys - willow, willow, black and white poplar, alder.
Within the Taman Peninsula, steppe vegetation is also found with the presence of sage, wormwood. On the sandy shores grows licorice, eryngium, alfalfa, timothy, and sometimes you can even come across a camel thorn. In some places there are rare thickets of trees and shrubs. Cultivated vegetation sprouts on vast plains. The Azov Sea is a smooth and meadow-marsh complexes. In connection with sufficient moisture, the estuaries of Azov are rich in aquatic vegetation. For example, these are lily, nymphaik, water chestnut, duckweed, salvinia and varieties of algae. The shores of the estuaries are overgrown with reeds, cattails and coogs, which is also called wormwood. Not far from the town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, near the Sadyki hunting farm, there is one of the unique places where lotuses grow. This is a medicinal plant, and in Egypt and India its fruits are eaten. Much of the swamps and small estuaries today are drained and used to grow rice. Plots of forest plants in the Azov region are found near the stanitsa of Maryanskaya, in the protected hunting sector of the Red Forest. Here grow maple, apple, pear, poplar, willow, viburnum, etc. Sometimes you can find oaks in 5 girths. Along the bed of the Kuban River and its left tributaries are floodplain meadows with trees and shrubs. The remains of forests in the floodplain of the Kuban are also preserved in forest-park zones. Among them are the Pavlovsk and Kirghiz plains, the Krasny Kut forest park located in the microdistricts of Krasnodar.
Prior to human intervention, the vegetation of the Zakuban Plain was broad-leaved forests of oak, beech and shrubs. Currently, the valley is a carved gentle slopes. The main part of the Zakuban Plain is agricultural landscapes. Alder, willow, hawthorn, viburnum, buckthorn, sloe, elder, dog rose grow in the valleys of the rivers of the Kuban, Laba, Belaya and their tributaries, and in some places thickets of sea buckthorn occur. On the stretch from the Krasnodar reservoir to the city of Krymsk, to the south of the Kuban River, stretches the Zakubansky Dam area, which is almost entirely occupied by rice paddies and fields for growing other crops.
An important place in the Kuban is occupied by the forest, as it has a great environmental value and is the main source of valuable Russian wood species. The total area of forests in the Krasnodar Territory is over 2.1 million hectares (22% of the region’s area). Oak and beech massifs of industrial importance occupy, respectively, 49 and 19% of the area of all forests of the region. Most of the forests are located in the mountainous part of the Krasnodar Territory.
In the lowlands are the most common forests of various species of oak. A large area is occupied by wild fruit, especially pear and apple trees. In the mountains, forests form a mountain forest belt. There are four sub-zones within it. To a height of 500-600 meters above sea level, broad-leaved oak forests stretch to stand of pedunculate oak, Gartvis oak, rock oak, Caucasian hornbeam, high ash, maples red and field, Caucasian linden, chestnut. There are arrays of wild pears, apple trees, cherry plums; on clearings - aspen. On the border of the forest, along the mountain rivers walnut trees often grow. The undergrowth is formed by dogwood, klekachka, hold-tree. At altitudes from 600-700 to 1200-1300 m, there are beech forests with a predominance of eastern beech, as well as hornbeam, rock oak, sycamore. In the upper part of the belt, Caucasian fir is mixed with beech. 
At altitudes from 1200 to 2000 meters grow dark coniferous forests, consisting of Caucasian fir (Nordman) and spruce eastern. In open sunny areas, Koch pine is found. Above 2000 meters is the subalpine crooked forest with a powerful grass cover. Here, hooked pine and Caucasian fir alternate with sections of bent birch, beech, rowan, alder, juniper and Caucasian rhododendron. Here grow relic plants. At an altitude of 2300-2500 m above sea level there is a belt of alpine meadows. Due to the severity of climate, the grass vegetation here is lower and less diverse. The maximum height of grasses reaches 15 cm. Among them there are some types of bells, skullcap, gentian, mytnik Panyutin. Many plants are listed in the Red Book.
In the flora of the coast, juniper (often mixed with pistachio stupid) woodlands are of particular value. They are distributed from Anapa to the mouth of the Mezyb River (beyond Gelendzhik) and serve as a haven for the ancient Mediterranean flora. The main species are stupid pistachio, high juniper, smelly juniper, Etruscan honeysuckle.
Taman Peninsula is located in the flood zone. Therefore, there are practically no forests there, but this does not mean that the flora in this area is poor. Firms and marshes thickly overgrown with reeds and other aquatic plants. In some lakes lotus is bred Indian.
On the planet existed long before the appearance of man. And for millions of years they have had many wonderful opportunities to adapt to the most or different environmental conditions. The toxicity of individual members of this kingdom is also one of the options for ensuring an optimal existence. After all, such plants and animals will not be there, and man will not touch it once again. Today, there are more than 10 thousand such representatives of the flora capable of producing and accumulating poisons in themselves.
In Russia, they are also a huge number. Walking through the meadows and forest edges, people do not even suspect that there are many dangerous plants around them. Some of them are very poisonous and can cause irreparable damage to our health - both physical and mental. Some of these representatives of the flora can even be touched, sniffed, plucked without any damage to themselves. However, plants are very dangerous. And you shouldn't taste them better.
Books are separate worthy. Including representatives of the flora in the Krasnodar Territory. There are many more species of plants around us that are poisonous to one degree or another than we can imagine, since habitual flowers, trees, grass, bushes can also be hostile. They may be even more dangerous for children, because the child's body is less stable and more susceptible to the action of toxins.
It is important to know at least the most common poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory. This will help protect yourself from the most dangerous chemical burns or poisoning, which may be the result of innocent enjoyment of such a seemingly harmless flower or beautiful herb for herbarium. How dangerous are poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory? Photos and their description are presented in this article.
Caucasian Assender
For an amazing ability not to burn the dummy is also called a burning bush, fire-flower, as well as a wild badiyan. This small plant about 50 cm tall with dark green leaves, similar to ash, and large white or purple flowers is the most dangerous in the flora of the Krasnodar Territory. True, the yasenets harms only during its flowering, in May-June. In addition, it looks very attractive and harmless. However, its flowers can cause deep chemical burns, rashes, inflammations. Moreover, due to the increased content of essential oils, it affects the human body even at a distance. 
Hogweed
There are at least 60 species of this biennial plant, and some can be eaten both by animals and by man. Only the hogweed of Sosnovsky is fraught with real danger. The leaves and fruits of it contain essential oils that can cause burns with blisters, the strongest allergic reactions in humans. Other names of poisonous plants from this family are: dagil, borzhovka, bursh. Depending on the type, the height can vary from 0.2 m to 2.5 m, the leaves are very large, the flowers are small, gathered in the form of an umbrella (white, bright pink, greenish-yellow).
Aconite
Such perennial poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory also include at least 60 species. But unlike the Hogweed they are all dangerous. These are two-meter plants with a powerful rhizome and flowers of irregular shape. They are white, blue, yellow or purple flowers. Aconite has other names: wrestler, wolf, wolf root, lumbago, black potion and others. If you believe the ancient Greek myths from the cycle about the exploits of Hercules, then this plant grew on the place where poisonous saliva dripped from the mouth of Cerberus, near the city of Akoni. Hence the name. It should be borne in mind that all parts of the plant are dangerous, especially the roots. And if help is not provided to the injured person in a timely manner, the outcome, unfortunately, will be fatal. 
Belladonna
One of its names (belladonna), this perennial plant received for the fact that the ancient Roman women and Italians used belladonna juice to give the cheeks a charming blush, and eyes - a special shine. Yes, and today in medicine (she is a crazy cherry, peach cherry - all these are the names of poisonous plants) is included in the composition of various drugs. The leaves of the egg-shaped belladonna, the berries are black and purple, they look like a cherry. However, it is poisonous fruits that are considered the most dangerous, although the whole plant with the root system inclusively causes harm, causing various hallucinations, attacks of unreasonable laughter and excessive activity. 
Elderberry black
For the Krasnodar Territory, this unpretentious poisonous shrub - not uncommon. You can meet him almost everywhere in the fields and in the forests. The height of the elderberry can reach an average of 6 meters, the leaves are large, the flowers are yellowish-white, but the fruits are black and purple. They, especially the immature, are the most dangerous because they have a neurotoxic effect.
Black helen
Such poisonous plants of Krasnodar are among the most common and can meet almost anywhere. Belen is a fairly high plant (up to one and a half meters) with thick gray-green leaves and fruits in the form of a box with dark brown seeds, resembling poppy. Flowers henbane yellow with purple streaks. The effect of the use of this plant in food - high fever, dry mouth, agitation, delirium, increased activity. 
Dope
Another dangerous member of the Solanaceae family is the dope ordinary (smelly), an annual plant up to 1.5 meters high with dark green jagged ovate leaves and large white leaves. In addition, the dope also has a box-shaped fruit covered with spikes and containing black seeds. . Symptoms of poisoning are similar to bleached. These poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory are also very common, they have long been "settled" near the person, even within the city.
Lily of the valley
Many consider this elegant and familiar to our eye a plant absolutely harmless. However, it is not. And the particular danger is represented by the red-orange berries of the lily of the valley, the consumption of which in food leads to severe poisoning, accompanied by headache, cold sweat, and sometimes convulsions. 
Ragweed
This plant has become especially common lately. Representing a serious danger for allergies, it causes severe bouts of hay fever and migraines. This is a single or perennial grass with a height of about 2 meters with a strong root system and large leaves. The flowers are five-prong, yellow or greenish.
Foxglove purple
These two-year-old poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory attract attention to themselves, first of all, with a very remarkable and bright appearance, large flowers. Here are just all parts of digitalis are poisonous, causing severe vomiting, seizures, weakness, delirium, circulatory arrest and even falling into a coma. Therefore, medical assistance to affected people is necessary and necessary immediately.
It is extremely important to understand which plant is poisonous and which one is completely safe. So, we are all familiar with the celandine, the juice of which for many generations has been smeared over the "fighting" cuts of childhood, but when it is eaten, you can get the most severe poisoning with convulsions and depression of the central nervous system. 
The roots and bark of acacia, ingested by negligence, can cause cardiovascular failure and severe mental disorders. Moreover, such symptoms manifest themselves not only in the elderly, but also in young, absolutely healthy people. Yes, and widespread poppy, in particular opium varieties, is destructive. It causes severe poisoning, similar in its symptoms to lesions from the black henbane.
Therefore, it is so important to be attentive and not to touch once again even well-known plants. And even more so it’s not worth tasting them. Caution and the younger generation of such experiments. Of course, the description of poisonous plants can be continued for a long time. However, no matter how hard you try, you will not remember everyone anyway. But the most common poisonous plants of the Krasnodar Territory (some photos can be seen in the article) you need to know.
