Platycodon.
Latin scientific name: Eustoma grandiflorum (raf.).）shinners
English name: Eustoma Russellianum
Common names include: showy prairie gentian, prairie gentian, texas bluebells, texas bluebell, bluebell, and lisianthus
Platycodon is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Platycodon in the genitaceae.
It is native to the warm regions of northern South America, southern United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
There are two major uses of bellflower roots
1. Ornamental value.
There are many varieties of bellflower, there are single-petal varieties, there are also double-petal varieties, and its flower color is also very rich, there are red, pink, lavender, purple, white, yellow, green and other monochrome flowers, there are also various degrees of bordered multicolor flowers. When making a cut vase arrangement, it can last for two weeks without withering.
In Greek, lisianthus means "dissolved flower" and eustoma means "beautiful mouth". The bellflower plant is pet-friendly and non-toxic to humans. Since bellflower flowers are fragranceless, they are also popular among allergy-prone growers.
The cultivation of bellflower was first popular in Japan, and it began to be commercialized in the 60s of the 20th century, and by the 70s of the 20th century, it became a very popular cut flower variety in Japan, Korea and other places. The bellflower is elegant and bright, the flower shape is unique and lovely, and it is the fastest growing cut flower species in the international cut flower market in the past 25 years.
2. Medicinal value.
The chemical composition of bellflower root includes essential oils, iridoid ethers, flavonoids, xanthones, etc. Judging by its chemical composition, bellflower extract has the potential to be used as an antifungal and antimicrobial agent, and for the development of drugs and cosmetics.
The medicinal value of bellflower is still in a very early stage of research, but it is possible to "be used as an antifungal and antibacterial agent", but it is possible to "use it in the development of drugs and cosmetics".
Almost all plants have similar potential functions. At present, the medicinal value of bellflower is almost equal to 0.
Search on the Internet for "bellflower medicinal", the vast majority of the information is wrong, one says "Xuan lung expectorant", this is a rigid set, the medicinal value of "bellflower" on the "bellflower" body, the other says "it is cold in nature, can clear heat and detoxify", this is directly began to make up.
"Platycodon" and "Platycodon" belong to different families biologically, "Platycodon" is a plant of the Platycodonaceae family, and "Platycodon" is a plant of the Gentian family, and there is no relationship between them. The English name does not reflect anything related to the bellflower, and I don't know why the name "foreign bellflower" is used when translated into Chinese.
"Platycodon" is not a Chinese medicinal material, and it has not been found to have practical medicinal value.
This confusion caused by the random name also appears in the case of "Kikyo":
Because Shenyang and some northeast regions inexplicably call "bellflower pickles" "dog treasure pickles", some people call "dog treasure pickles" and bezoars and mabao "three treasures". This kind of name can even spread, and some articles already have the saying "bellflower, also known as dog treasure flower".
Having said some complaints about the messy names, let's get down to business:
The biological morphology of the bellflower
stems: erect, single-stemmed, branched at the top, plant height varies depending on the variety.
leaves: Opposite, smooth, dark green, juicy leaves.
Flowers: Funnel-shaped, with delicate flowers in various shades of purple, pink, blue, and white. Some will have two-color petals.
Roots: Fibrous system.
The growth habit of bellflower
Platycodon prefers a warm, humid, sunny environment. The suitable temperature for the day is 23 degrees Celsius8-29.Between 4 and 15 degrees Celsius is required at night5-18.Within 3 degrees. It is sensitive to light, and if it grows in a hot area, it can grow well in some shaded areas. Platycodons require high humidity and need to keep the soil moist at all times, so they should be watered regularly.
Additional attention is required, 1. Do not get rainy, water droplets will leave spots on the petals. 2. More nutrient-rich fertilizers are needed in the growing season.
The cultivation method of bellflower
Platycodon can reproduce sexually from seeds or asexually by cuttings.
It can be quite difficult to grow from seeds, because the seeds of the bellflower are the size of dust particles, and it takes about 5 months from planting to the first flowering, which basically excludes the possibility of planting directly in the ground in the spring. If planting with seeds, start sowing indoors at least 10-12 weeks before the last frost date, and move the seedlings outdoors after the last frost date. Seedlings of bellflower grow slowly, keep the soil moist in the early stage, and reduce watering in the middle stage, but fertilize frequently. High temperatures and long days can promote early flowering.
In China, the main cultivation area is Yunnan, and in North America, the main cultivation area is the southern states of the United States. The last frost we have here is around the beginning of March, so the seedling season starts around December, during which the indoor temperature conditions are easy to meet, and the air humidity and the length of sunshine are not easy to meet. If you want to plant bellflowers, you must first think about how to solve the two problems of air humidity and long sunshine.