Dihorizandra is a grassy perennial native to Brazil. It lives in tropical forests, but in our country is grown as an indoor or greenhouse plant. It has long been known to domestic gardeners under the name "golden mustache" and enjoys well-deserved respect. The plant is valued not only for its delicate beauty and long flowering, but also for its healing properties.
Description
Dichorizandra is a low plant with decorative foliage and dense bright inflorescences.
The root system of the plant is fibrous, underground. Sometimes small nodules form on the roots. Above the soil surface there is a bare, slightly curved stem, covered with leaves only from above. The leaf plate is solid, oval or ovoid. The edge of the leaf is pointed. The length of the adult leaf can reach 20-25 cm, with a width of about 6 cm. In some varieties, whitish or pinkish strokes are visible on the surface of the leaves.
The dichorizandra stalk is single, lateral branches on it rarely appear. Along a smooth or knotty trunk are next leaflets. In the natural environment, the plant can grow 60-100 cm. Room variations are more modest in size.
The dichorizander blooms in September, it pleases with a pleasant aroma and bright inflorescences for more than a month. During flowering, a high, dense inflorescence with many bright buds is formed. In each tiny flower, 3 sepals and 3 petals can be considered. Most often, the flowers are painted in saturated purple or blue with a white spot at the base of each petal.
After the buds wither, small thin-walled achenes remain. They contain ribbed, spiny seeds with a very dense skin. Gradually they ripen and completely dry. The flower stalk also dries and falls off.
Plant species
There are about 80 species in the genus Dichorizandra, some of which live only in the natural environment of the Latin American thicket. From indoor species, the following can be distinguished:
White-bordered dichoricandra. The plant forms tall bushes (up to 80 cm) and is very popular among gardeners. The main advantage of the species is variegated foliage. On the surface of the lanceolate leaves, a silver color predominates, along which clear bright green stripes are drawn. Blue small flowers are collected in pyramidal brushes and have a contrasting white stripe at the core.
Fragrant dichoricandra. The plant forms a compact and more delicate bush up to 40 cm in height. Soft green leaves are attached to purple stems with white stripes. The foliage is lanceolate, whole-edge. In bright light, whitish and violet touches appear on the leaves, which are especially noticeable on young shoots. The flowers are blue with a white base.
Dichoricandra mosaic. The species attracts attention with large, widely oval leaves. In length, they are 15-18 cm, and in width - up to 9 cm. During the flowering period, a tall (up to 30 cm) peduncle with a dense, spiral-shaped inflorescence is formed. The outer part of the petals is white or yellowish in color, and saturated blue tones appear inside.
Dichoricandra is flowering or brush. One of the largest species. It can grow 1-2 m in height. The plant has upright knotty stems. The foliage is located in the upper part of the plant and is mounted on long petioles in a spiral. The length of the lanceolate or oval leaves is 25 cm. The surface of the foliage is bright green, plain. A massive dense inflorescence, consisting of large (2.5 cm) blue-violet flowers, rises above the plant. The height of the brush is 17 cm, which allows you to create elegant bouquets.
Royal dichoricandra similar to the previous variety, it has smaller, arranged in pairs leaflets. Their length is 7 cm and a width of 3 cm. The reddish base of the leaves is covered with silver touches. The flowers are blue-blue with a white center.
Breeding
Dichorizandra propagates by vegetative and seed methods. In spring, an adult plant should be completely dug up and cut into several parts with a sharp blade. Immediately after the procedure, delenki are planted in the ground so that the roots do not dry out. Pretty soon, young bushes recover and begin to actively add green mass.
You can cut the apical cuttings and root them. Root shoots in moist soil. The stem should be bent at a right angle so that the underground part is horizontally at a depth of 1.5 cm. Subsequently, a root will develop from it. The soil should be moderately, but regularly moistened, and it is recommended to cover the upper part with a film. After 2-3 weeks, roots form and side shoots begin to appear. It is best to get rid of them so that the plant accumulates more strength.
You can sow the seeds of dichorizandra. They sprout well and quickly, and seedlings quickly gain strength. For planting, use fertile garden soil.
Dichorican care
Dichoricandra prefers fertile garden soils. It is better to choose humus-rich leafy ground. A dichorizander behaves well in a substrate of the following components:
- sand;
- peat;
- leaf humus;
- turf land.
The plant needs frequent watering and spraying. To increase air humidity, it is possible to line the topsoil with moss-sphagnum. Care should be taken to ensure that the pot has clean drainage holes and that excess moisture can flow freely.
Dichoricandra prefers places with bright diffused light for 12-14 hours. On the southern windowsill, shading is needed. It is important to remember that the dichorizandra blooms with increasing daylight hours. That is, you can transfer the beginning or provoke earlier flowering using artificial lighting.
A resident of the southern regions prefers warm places and the absence of drafts. The optimum temperature in the summer is + 20 ... + 25 ° C, and in winter, when the dormant period sets in, the dichoricandre is enough + 16 ... + 18 ° C.
During the period of active growth, the plant needs periodic top dressing. It is convenient to apply organic fertilizers twice a month.
Dichorizandra has a good resistance to diseases and parasites. Sometimes the mealybug attacks the bushes. You can deal with it by spraying with insecticides.
Using
Dichoricandra is famous for its decorative appearance and beautiful flowers. They delight owners for a long time when growing indoors, and are also used to make bouquets.
Do not forget that dichorizandra ("golden mustache") is a medicinal plant. Juice squeezed from the shoots contains a large number of flavonoids and phytosterols. By its properties, the golden mustache resembles the root of ginseng. Such a valuable plant is used not only in folk recipes, but also in pharmaceuticals. Infusions, decoctions and ointments from dichorizandra are used to:
- increase skin elasticity;
- stabilize the endocrine system;
- normalize metabolism;
- prevent the appearance of neoplasms and sclerosis of blood vessels.
Sometimes the drug causes an allergic reaction, so you should warn the therapist about the start of treatment with extracts from the dichorizandra.
