The European Stechpalme (Ilex aquifolium), also common Stechpalme, Holly or after the botanischen name Ilex mentioned, is the only representative from the family of the (Aquifoliaceae), domestic in Central Europe.

Designation

Regionally many names for the European Stechpalme exist. In Germany about case, Hulstbaum is common.

In Austria the plant is called also Stechlaub (Vorarlberg), Schradl or Schradlbam (upper and Lower Austria).

Description

The Stechpalme is an evergreen, upright in or also more up to a meter high bush or 10 to 15 meters high, a closely branched tree with conical crown. Recent branches are green and closely behaart, bald however, if they become older. Also the crust of the trunk remains for a long time green and forms only late a thin black-grey bark. The trunks of the tree form can reach diameters up to 50 cm. The trees become years old up to 300.

The sheets are change-constantly arranged and have 10 to 15 millimeters long a handle. They are quite thickly and ledrig, on the top side shining dark-green and unterseits yellowish green. The Blattform is elliptically, reciprocally intensified; the serrated page margin is occupied on both sides with up to seven prick teeth. Within the range of the bloom conditions sheets also occur. The life span of the sheets amounts to about three years. The Blattform varies with the height of the branch, at which they grow. Low sheets are not strongly bristly, high sheets against it.

Stechpalmen are those inconspicuous blooms are white, sometimes reddish and about 8 millimeters large. They are located to bees in Dolden in the shoulders of before-year old sheets, as serve insects, above all. The bloom time is from May to June.

The fruits are 8 to 10 millimeters large, red, shining, juicy They contain four stone cores (seeds). The fruit-ripe occurs starting from October.

Spreading and location

The kind is submediterran subozeanisch common, it is thus in areas with mild winters and not to dry summers like Atlantic affected Europe. In the Mediterranean area, South-east Europe and North Africa the Stechpalme occurs only in high situations with appropriate climate, in Central Europe in the flat country and in the Alpine foreland up to 1800 meters ascending. Preferred the Stechpalme grows on nutrient-rich and lime-free, loose or also stony loamy soils. In mixed woodlands the bush form grows, since it stands much shade. The Stechpalme forms root rung and therefore often grows in large existence.

In Germany it occurs within the range of the central mountain belt above all west the Rhine, in the northern low country and in the Alpine foreland also further east, in Austria, where it is otherwise rare, finds it absent-minded in Vorarlberg, in Vienna, and Osttirol is missing oneself it. In the eastern alpine area it is strongly endangered.

Outside of Europe the Stechpalme occurs also in North Africa, in the Caucasus and in north Iran.

In Central Europe and other areas of the moderate widths Stechpalmen are cultivated gladly than ornamental plants in gardens and parks. Beside the game form several culture forms are in the trade, partly with other sheet shape and other sheet colors.

Giftigkeit

The fruits and other plant parts are poisonous. The Stechpalme contains in the berries 0.7% the nitrile Menisdaurin. Whether the Giftigkeit of the plant is to due to this contents material was not finally clarified, yet. Further contents materials are the alkaloid Theobromin and a Glykosid with Saponin characteristics and the coloring materials Ilixanthin and Rutin.

The consumption of some fruits and further plant parts can entail stomach ache, nausea, a vomiting or also failure. Occasionally consciousness changes arise. In older literature data also deaths were described.

Ecology

The seeds are spread by blackbirds and throttles, robins and monk grass mosquitoes. The poison materials of the fruits obviously do not harm the birds. The fruits become only soft and for birds edible, if they got several times frost; they can spoil the whole winter without at the plant remain and place a very important winter fodder for the birds. The evergreen Stechpalme is in the winter also a popular sleep place for smaller birds.

Despite the militaryful sheets particularly firm leaves of the game become bit in the winter.

The Stechpalme in the symbolism

At the Palmsonntag of the introduction Jesu is thought in Jerusalem. To this Christian holiday for lack of genuine palms branches are geweiht of evergreen plants (pastures, Buchsbaum, Stechpalme) as Palm. From this tradition the name part of "“palm"” can be derived.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote for use at Christian celebrations:

"„In the Vatikan one serves sichPalmsonntag genuine PalmenDie cardinal bends sichund sings old Psalmen.Dieselben Psalmen sings one also, flax of branch of oil in the hands, must in the Gebirg to this BrauchStechpalmen use. "“.

Since trees with evergreen leaves are very rare in Central Europe, they were admired accordingly by the Teutons, fishing rod Saxonia and the Celt. Full-green leaves and the strongly red berries, which appeared at a dark season, embody the colors of hope and the love. In the Christianity it connected with lives and blood.

Already before conquest Britanniens by the Romans was it custom to decorate the dwelling with berry-basic Ilex branches and ivy (male and female principle). Also Plinius the older one already mentions the use than house decoration.

In England and the USA also nowadays Stechpalmenzweige are used gladly as Weihnachtsschmuck, since sheets and fruits adhere also in warm dwellings for a long time to the branches.

Particularly in situations with high air humidity the Stechpalme could form impenetrable Dickichte, in which families in war and robber times its life with have and property save could. Therefore this plant is regarded also as a symbol for the protection above all bad one.

By the fact that sheets are more strongly reinforced in the lower tree range and train in the upper range, which the game does not reach any longer nearly glattrandige sheets it is rated, the Stechpalme also as symbol of the wise foresight.

Use

The close, heavy, but well polishingable wood in former times to Intarsien or prints for woodcuts was converted, sometimes also to Messerfurnieren or In the Feintischlerei served it as ebony replacement, since it accepts dark lacquers very well.

A well-known piece case wood is Johann Wolfgang von Goethes Spazierstock; it is still located in the Goethe house in Weimar.

The poisonous fruits were used in former times against blockage and epilepsy. The roasted seeds served as coffee replacement. In them Antioxidantien are contained of derivatives of the after new investigations. Nahar among other things: Antioxidant phenylacetic acid derivative from the seeds OF Ilex aquifolium. Acta Pharm. 55/2/2005. P. 187-93. PMID 16179132.

Other

To the strong Vermehrung of the "“case"” its call as "“Waldunholz"” and the saying refer: "“Ilse bilse, no willse, the bad case!"”

The place or the place of birth of Annette of Droste owes their name to the case.

J.R.R. Tolkien had a Faible for the Hulstbaum; in its "“master of the rings"” the fictitious country "“Hulsten"” ("“Hollin"” in the English original) is country of origin of the Elbe rings.

Sources

Literature

• Marianne Beuchert: Symbolism of the plants Frankfurt/Main 2004, ISBN 3-458-34694-5
• Gunter Steinbach: Bush wood - recognizing and determining, Niedernhausen, ISBN 3-576-11478-5

Related links

• Area map
• The poison plant Stechpalme
• Welfare plants Lexicon: The Stechpalme ('' Ilex aquifolium '')

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