This plant, "cuckoo's tears", as it is popularly called, has another name - orchis. Belongs to a large family of orchids. It got its name due to the characteristic shape of the tubers, resembling nucleolus balls or small testicles. The genus of plants, to which cuckoo's tears belong, has more than 100 species that grow in the subtropical, temperate, cold zone of the northern hemisphere. All of these species are highly decorative. On the territory of the CIS countries, the most common orchid is male and helmet-shaped. They are very similar to each other, but have some species differences. The male orchid is found in the southern regions of the forest zone of the entire European part of the Russian Federation, in Ukraine, in the B altic states, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. This flower grows in deciduous forests on any soil. Helmet-shaped orchis is often found in meadows, forest edges and glades, on mountain slopes (up to 1800 m). It grows throughout the European part of the Russian Federation, in the Crimea and the Carpathians, in the Caucasus.
Both of these types of orchis have spherical tubers. There are purple spots at the bottom of their stem. The stem reaches 25-50 cm in height. The leaves (8-14 cm) also often have purplespots most concentrated at the base of the leaf. Multi-flowered inflorescence reaches 18 cm in length. Bracts purple, lanceolate. The flowers are purple or pale purple. The three-lobed wide oval lip of the flower is whitish at the base, covered with purple spots. The spur is blunt, horizontal. The ovaries are twisted, sessile. These plants bloom in April - May.
The orchis of the helmet-shaped inflorescence has dense, many-flowered. First they have a cylindrical, and then a pyramidal shape. Its bracts are purple-pink. The outer tepals are white-pink outside, and inside - with purple veins. The lip of the flower is whitish at the base with violet-purple specks. Its blades are purple-pink. The spur is whitish, blunt, slightly bent. The flowers have a pleasant aroma.
Cuckoo tears are propagated by seeds or tubers. The seeds germinate underground. A tuber appears only for 2 years. The first ground leaflet appears at 4-5 years. This plant blooms only 8-10 years after sowing seeds. Some specimens bloom for several years in a row, and some simply die off after flowering. A small percentage of orchis forms fruits. These plants are able to form hybrids with each other.
Cuckoo's tears can also be grown in household plots. This plant prefers partial shade and moist soils. Non-acidic soils, consisting of leafy soil, sand and peat, are best suited for planting. Its surface must be mulched with dry needles. This plant needsregular watering. The flower of cuckoo's tears can be propagated by seeds, but in this case you will have to wait for the flowering of this plant for several years. Orchid is successfully propagated by replacement tuber roots.
Cuckoo's tears, the photos of which are given above, have long been used as a medicine. Their tubers contain mucus, dextrin, starch, sugars, proteins, resins, bitterness and mineral s alts. This plant is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, bronchitis, poisoning.
