andreas_becker_98
Euonymus europaeus - Gewöhnliche Spindelstrauch, Gewöhnliches Pfaffenhütchen
"Our peony is a typical European. Overall, its distribution extends from northern Spain to the Volga, although in Scandinavia only the southern tip is colonised. The species also grows in an extra area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Worldwide, there are around 175 species of monkshood, all of them native to the northern hemisphere, most of them in East Asia and the Himalayas.
In Germany, on the other hand, apart from Euonymus europaea, only the very similar broad-leaved coneflower (E. latifolia) can be found in the foothills of the Alps. However, its inflorescences consist of more individual flowers and it has five petals instead of four. Other European species are the warty peacock (E. verrucosa) and the winged peacock (E. alata), the latter named after the four narrow cork strips, which are also found to a lesser extent on older branches of Euonymus europaea. The evergreen Japanese coneflower (E. japonica) is one of the ornamental shrubs introduced to Europe.
Naturally, Japanese coneflowers can be found in sparse deciduous forests, alluvial forests, forest edges of all kinds and as part of dry scrub. They are also often planted in hedges and to stabilise embankments. The yellow wood of the foxglove is considered to be very tough. In the past, it was used to make organ pipes, shoe nails, knitting needles and spindles, hence the old name spindle bush. In addition, a particularly high-quality charcoal could be extracted from the peacock coneflower, which was used as drawing charcoal.
All parts of the plant, especially the seeds, contain toxins, including cardiac glycosides and various alkaloids. Even large grazing animals can die from them. The ground seeds were once used to make insect powder, and the powder was even used as a shampoo or in ointments to cure scabies caused by mites. The monkshood is also dangerous for humans. Eating the fruit can lead to circulatory disorders, fever and colic. The poisonous effect only occurs after at least twelve hours. In extreme cases, eating 30 to 40 seeds can lead to fatal paralysis."
Sources:
"https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/pflanzen/pflanzenportraets/wildpflanzen/gehoelze/04724.html"
"https://www.lfl.bayern.de/iab/kulturlandschaft/111442/index.php"
Euonymus europaeus - Gewöhnliche Spindelstrauch, Gewöhnliches Pfaffenhütchen
"Our peony is a typical European. Overall, its distribution extends from northern Spain to the Volga, although in Scandinavia only the southern tip is colonised. The species also grows in an extra area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Worldwide, there are around 175 species of monkshood, all of them native to the northern hemisphere, most of them in East Asia and the Himalayas.
In Germany, on the other hand, apart from Euonymus europaea, only the very similar broad-leaved coneflower (E. latifolia) can be found in the foothills of the Alps. However, its inflorescences consist of more individual flowers and it has five petals instead of four. Other European species are the warty peacock (E. verrucosa) and the winged peacock (E. alata), the latter named after the four narrow cork strips, which are also found to a lesser extent on older branches of Euonymus europaea. The evergreen Japanese coneflower (E. japonica) is one of the ornamental shrubs introduced to Europe.
Naturally, Japanese coneflowers can be found in sparse deciduous forests, alluvial forests, forest edges of all kinds and as part of dry scrub. They are also often planted in hedges and to stabilise embankments. The yellow wood of the foxglove is considered to be very tough. In the past, it was used to make organ pipes, shoe nails, knitting needles and spindles, hence the old name spindle bush. In addition, a particularly high-quality charcoal could be extracted from the peacock coneflower, which was used as drawing charcoal.
All parts of the plant, especially the seeds, contain toxins, including cardiac glycosides and various alkaloids. Even large grazing animals can die from them. The ground seeds were once used to make insect powder, and the powder was even used as a shampoo or in ointments to cure scabies caused by mites. The monkshood is also dangerous for humans. Eating the fruit can lead to circulatory disorders, fever and colic. The poisonous effect only occurs after at least twelve hours. In extreme cases, eating 30 to 40 seeds can lead to fatal paralysis."
Sources:
"https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/pflanzen/pflanzenportraets/wildpflanzen/gehoelze/04724.html"
"https://www.lfl.bayern.de/iab/kulturlandschaft/111442/index.php"