Scientists, when they first saw this plant, then he was categorized as the closest relative, widely known and beloved in Europe vinca, so he was in this kind of plant. For a long time this plant was called Madagascar, or pink, periwinkle. But later the botanists looked closely and realized that they were mistaken, that this is not a brother of the periwinkle, but only a cousin.
This species first migrated to the genus Lochner, then migrated to the Ammocallis genus, and in 1837 fell into the genus of the cataract. While scientists have established order in the classification, this plant is used to call pink vinca, or pink periwinkle, the correct (catarratus) name and is rarely used today.
The genus Cattratus has 8 plant species, most of which are endemic to Madagascar. The plant grows in Indochina, India, the islands of St. Mauritius, Java, the Philippines, Cuba, Madagascar, Reunion.
In the northern regions it is considered an indoor plant perennial. Recently it is often used to decorate outdoor compositions in a one-year culture. The plant is cultivated in Western Transcaucasia, Southern Kazakhstan, and the Kuban.
Care of the plant.
Location: sunny, sheltered from the winds, warm place. Indoor catarrhtus plants should not be planted in a flower garden, otherwise in rainy weather, plants may lack ventilation.
Substrate: fertile, well-moistened, without excess salt, the pH should be 5.5-5.8.
For the earth mixture we take in equal parts leaf and sod land, peat, distillation and sand.
The moisture of the post does not require a plant, because in the suspended state the soil dries out for a long time, and this is a kind of advantage.
Features of cultivation: In the UK, the plant spread earlier than in continental Europe. In the Netherlands, the plant is placed in special rooms, protected from winds.
Cataracts are plants that are easy to grow in a room environment, besides they are grateful plants, so they will respond to care with abundant and long flowering.
Grow a plant better on a light window sill, but from direct sunlight it is better to pritenyat. Also, the plant should be sprinkled, fed once every 14-21 days. Top dressing is carried out with a solution of full mineral fertilizer.
In summer, the plant in the pot can be carried to the balcony, while it should be protected from wind, heat and rain. In winter, the plant should be kept in a cool and bright place, with an optimum temperature of 10-15 degrees with a plus sign. With the onset of spring, the branches are cut to 1/3.
Reproduction: These houseplants propagate vegetatively and seeds. At the end of winter, or early in the spring, seeds are sown to 1-2 cm deep. The sowing is covered with a dark film, since for the germination of the plant complete darkness is necessary. If the temperature is 24 о С, then after 10 days there will appear seedlings. The temperature decreases as soon as the seedlings appear, then they should be placed in the light.
The first fertilizing takes place at least 14 days after the sprouts appeared. In fertilizer, phosphorus should not be too much, it will be better if the nitrogen in the fertilizer is in the form of a nitrate form.
Picks are best done when the plant grows to 6-8 cm in height, with the presence of four real sheets.
Cataract, also reproduces with the help of green apical cuttings. Cuttings are placed in washed sand, covered with a plastic bag or jar. Cuttings can also give roots in the water.
On prishchipke young catarrhtum opinions diverge. Modern varieties in principle do not need a pinch, since the sign of increased tillering is in their genotype. However, to get a more compact bush, young catarrhtals should be plucked a couple of times. The plant is planted from each other at an average distance of 50 cm.
Application of plants.
Catarrhtas plants are used as ground cover because they are able to spread quickly enough, occupying the entire free territory, while covering the kidney with a dense green carpet. The popularity of cataracts is due to the emerging fashion for ornamental plants in hanging baskets, which were used for decoration.
In India and in Madagascar, folk healers used cataracts to treat diabetes mellitus, against coughing to lower blood pressure, to treat various tumors.
The curative properties of this plant became interesting to researchers in Canada and the United States, after the end of World War II. They learned that soldiers who were in the Philippines during the war were using leaves of the catarratus instead of inaccessible insulin at that time.
Studies have shown that the use of plant extracts has little effect on the decrease in blood sugar levels. However, in laboratory animals with leukemia, there was a significant change in the blood formula for the better.
A little later, scientists managed to extract from the catarrhtal alkaloids, which have antitumor activity. On their basis, the production of the following drugs was established: vincristine and vinblastine.
Ready-made medicines from the cataract, or independently prepared tinctures, as well as ointments, have a pronounced therapeutic effect, but often provoke serious side effects. Therefore, if the cataract is used for treatment, then consultation and supervision of the doctor is necessary.