Das Geheimnis der Armleuchteralgen (Characeae)

Das Geheimnis der Armleuchteralgen (Characeae)

HANS-CHRISTOPH VAHLE
Jahrbuch für Goetheanismus 2004, 2004, P.77-118 | DOI: 10.18756/jfg.2004.77
Botany | Language: German | €6
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Abstract:

The secret of candelabra algae (Characeae)

Candelabra algae (Characeae) belong to the most endangered fresh water plants. In deep lakes they need very clear water, poor in nutrients. In shallow water regular mechanical disturbances are necessary to protect their existence because Characeae are pioneering vegetation in such places. This is very complicated for nature protection management and causes high costs. Therefore it would be significant to find a reasonable and sustainable use of the Characeae. This is intended with the present paper. At first, a relation between vegetation forms and the classical four elements is given:

Granular-shaped element - fire Stern space element \ Linear-shaped element - air pulvinate-shaped element - - earth Plane-shaped element - water thread-shaped element j

This is demonstrated by the influence of fire and air in dry meadows with their dominating granular- and linear-shaped elements and by the influence of water in forest, broad-leaved plant communities and water lilies with their predominantly planar-leafed formative element. The earth element, here represented by the pulvinate shapes of the peat mosses, dominates in high upland bogs and constitutes the landscape. The naturally existing one-sided phenomena of certain areas of upland bogs today occur as»pathological«phenomena almost everyWhere in very varied environments through the excessive spread of coverings and pillows of moss. Different species participate, showing a common aggressive, dominant growth which in many cases suppresses the original vegetation. The most well-known example is the increase of moss carpets in our lawns. At the same time, fungal infections and slug attacks on cultivated plants increase. All three»pictures of damage«are results of excessive earth element effects.

The question of a balancing therapeutic force leads to a landscape opposite to that of the highland bog: the salt marsh. Here typical plants are the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) and the crucifers (Brassicaceae). The latter are sulphur plants, carrying fire and light processes within themselves, antagonists of the earth element. Here we can look for»medicinal herbs«which suppress the proliferation of the earth element. In the metamorphosis of the cruciferous plants going from watercress (Nasturtium officinale) to horseradish (Armomcia lapatbifolia), with a sulphur process descending successively into the region of the roots or the earth, the question arises as to the continuation of this series. The light-fire process of sulphur needs to be built up even more actively against water and earth forces than in the case of the horseradish. As a consequence, we would expect an especially high physiological activity.

All this is true for the candelabra algae: suppression of planktonic algae and midge larvae in the water in which they grow, resistance to plant pests and their former use as organic fertiliser and for defence against plant posts are effects which belong to the context of the»fire plant against the element of earth«. A larger experiment will investigate whether there is also an effect of Characeae against fungal infections, snails and moss. This way the protection of a rare plant group could be combined with its use in an ideal way.

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