The goose onion plant belongs to the lily genus and is a perennial bulbous, rather low-growing plant. Its flowers are small, yellowish in color, and are located on erect stalks. The height of the stem reaches only fifteen centimeters.
The plant usually has one bulb, oblong-ovoid in shape, the shells are brownish-gray. The basal leaf is single, broad-linear and short-pointed. The inflorescence is umbellate.
The fruit is presented in the form of a triangular capsule and ripens in early June. Common names include yellow snowdrop and viper onion. It grows in temperate zones, found on mountain slopes, forests, steppes, and bushes.
Why was this onion called goose onion?
In ancient times, when almost no one picked flowers, goose onions grew in abundance in meadows and clearings, to which flocks of wild geese flew every spring to rest a little after a difficult flight and nibble on the shoots of this grass. This is how the name of this early plant came about.
I will consider its medicinal properties
Its bulbs and leaves are used for medicinal purposes. They contain vitamins B, E, PP, ascorbic and other organic acids, minerals, essential oils, carotene, sulfur-containing compounds, and inulin. The plant's properties are similar to garlic.
Its leaves can be used as an additional ingredient for preparing some vitamin salads. The medicinal properties of this onion have been known for a very long time; it was used to treat epilepsy, bronchial asthma, and hepatitis.
Onions have a pronounced wound-healing and antiseptic effect; in crushed form, the onions are used topically to treat wound surfaces and long-term non-healing ulcers.
By eating the bulbs and leaves of this plant, you can compensate for the deficiency of many vitamins and minerals, which is very important and relevant during spring, when the body is susceptible to vitamin deficiency.
The use of onions in folk medicine
To prepare a medicinal decoction, you will need the bulbs of this plant, which must be crushed to a homogeneous pulp, and take them in the amount of one tablespoon and add 300 milliliters of water, stir well and cook for about five minutes.
Next, it is recommended to infuse the broth for three hours, then it must be cooled and filtered. It should be taken 15 ml, approximately four times a day for swelling, hepatitis, and bronchial asthma. Such treatment should be carried out in two-week courses, then a month break, after which the therapy is repeated. Store the drug for no more than a day at room temperature.
To treat the wound surface and non-healing trophic ulcers, use onion juice or freshly prepared gruel, which is applied to the affected area of the skin for one day. Then it is recommended to change the bandage to a fresh one.
For the treatment of acute respiratory diseases and influenza, traditional healers recommend ingesting the bulbs of this onion, which need to be finely chopped or grated, and then added to the resulting pulp without large number honey
To prevent epilepsy attacks, it is recommended to prepare a medicinal decoction. To do this, you will need one hundred and thirty milliliters of fresh milk, where it is recommended to put a few onions, a maximum of five, and then cook this potion for five minutes.
After which the milk broth must be cooled and filtered through a fine strainer or a double layer of gauze. It is recommended to take it ten milliliters three times a day. The course of treatment is two weeks. The duration of treatment can be extended, it all depends on the severity of the disease.
Using onions for cosmetic purposes
Goose onions are used in cosmetology. It is used to improve the growth of curls; for this purpose, you can prepare a mask. You will need four tablespoons of onion pulp, which must be mixed with thirty milliliters of liquid honey, after which the mass is thoroughly rubbed into the roots of the hair. It is left for about half an hour and then washed off with shampoo.
You can also make a face mask from this medicinal plant. For skin with enlarged pores, you can prepare the following recipe. Carefully chopped onions must be mixed with a small amount of honey, then the resulting paste is applied to the skin for about ten minutes, avoiding the eye area. Next, you need to rinse it off well with cool water. running water. For acne, you can add egg yolk instead of a bee product.
If there are pigment spots on the skin, goose onion juice is used. For this purpose, it is applied to the causal area, for example, to freckles, three times a day. After which it is not recommended to stay in the open sun for several hours.
As for contraindications to treatment with this plant, there are practically none, with the exception of individual intolerance, of course, in this case it cannot be used.
Conclusion
Probably many have tried this onion; it is not bitter at all, has a pleasant taste and aroma, and can be eaten as a stand-alone product or added to salads. It is often grown in gardens as an ornamental crop, and is also used in cooking.
Already at the end of April, yellow stars appear in forest clearings and ravines, along forest edges and meadows. Bloomed goose onion. Its leaves are more like garlic leaves. Yes, both the taste and smell of the plant are garlicky. There are only two leaves, they are lanceolate - narrow and long, with parallel veins. One, the basal one, is wider and longer, it hugs the stem; the second, growing higher, is narrower and shorter. Goose onions belong to the same lily family as other types of onions and garlic.
Goose onion blooms
These are fairly common early flowering plants, perennial ephemeroids. In the soil the plant has one or two small bulbs connected to each other. The above-ground part appears only in spring. The genus is quite extensive. Plants are distributed throughout almost the entire temperate zone of Eurasia. They are found in semi-deserts, steppes, and mountainous regions. And, of course, in the forest area. In our forests you can find two species: yellow goose onion (Gagea lutea) and small goose onion (Gagea minima).
The Russian name is undoubtedly associated with watching how the geese eagerly arriving in the spring pluck this grass. The cattle in the pasture also did not deny themselves this pleasure. Well, people have also been “plucking” it for a long time, collecting spring shoots and digging up bulbs. There is also information about the specific medicinal value of the plant. As a spring source of vitamins, it is undoubtedly useful. However, these observations were possible at a time when goose onions were a truly common plant. Excessive collections have led to it becoming increasingly rare.
Yellow goose onion (Gagea lutea)
This is a common forest plant. Found in deciduous forests, oak forests, and bush thickets. Prefers fairly fertile soils. The yellow goose onion has only one bulb. Having grown from a seed, it germinates in the top layer of soil, and in the spring it can be washed away by streams of water and moved to a new place. Having taken root there, the plant does not bloom for the first five years. In the spring, it throws its lanceolate leaves towards the light and actively reproduces vegetatively - forming daughter bulbs. In the sixth year, in addition to the leaves, a peduncle appears. The plant loses its ability to reproduce vegetatively. Flowers open on a peduncle in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence.
Like other lilies, gooseberry flowers have a simple perianth of colored leaflets. The goose onion has six of them, and they form two circles. The inside of the tepals is yellow, the outside is greenish. There are also six stamens, the stigma is three-lobed. The flower is quite large - up to 2-3 cm in diameter. Nectar is secreted between the base of the stamens and the tepals, which attracts pollinating insects. In addition to bees, flies and beetles also collect it. It is curious that only the very first flowers in the inflorescence (they are also the central ones) produce seeds well. Those that appear later produce mainly pollen. This is probably the first “step” in evolution towards the emergence of dioecious flowers.
In May–June, the fruits (pods) and the seeds in them ripen. The seeds are equipped with appendages called elaiosomes. They attract ants. It is the ants, by taking away the seeds and losing them, that contribute to the spread of goose onions. This phenomenon in biology is called myrmecochory (from the Greek words “myrmekos” - ant and “choreo” - to spread). Many early flowering plants are myrmecochores: , hoof, . As you can see, yellow goose onions are also among them. After the fruits ripen, the above-ground part of the plant dies off.
What's in life cycle goose onions have two stages: period vegetative propagation and the seed reproduction period is undoubtedly an adaptation to wider dispersal. With the help of seeds and bulbs of the first year, it is possible to spread further. And having taken root, due to the formation of daughter bulbs, the goose onion already forms a small community, a group. By the way, sometimes “babies” can develop instead of flowers.
Small goose onion (Gagea minima)
As the name itself suggests, the plant is smaller in size than its relative. Its flowers are smaller too. Already leaves. Otherwise they are similar in appearance. But the small goose onion is already a plant of open spaces. It grows in meadows, wastelands, in forests - only on the edges and large clearings. And the small goose onion has not one, but two bulbs. And the stem rises between them. And one more difference - starting to bloom, the small goose onion does not lose the ability to reproduce vegetatively.
Don't collect primroses!
The reason for the disappearance of many plant species from nature, in addition to the general deterioration of the environmental situation, is often simple human greed. Well, so what if we pick a bouquet of early flowers?! Yes, the thing is that there are many “us”. And if we don’t pick flowers ourselves, we willingly buy them at the market. Well, we enjoyed them for a day or two and threw them away. Or they received a portion of vitamins (very small, by the way!). But the plant did not have time to accumulate the necessary supply of nutrients for the year ahead and died. After all, most primroses have a very short growing season - they are ephemeroids! And the plants disappear. For good! And no genetic engineering, no cloning will help here.
Many primroses are included in the Red Books of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, other countries, International Red Book. There are Red Books (or their equivalent) in most regions of Russia. There are serious fines for collecting such plants! True, with the implementation of laws (in Russia, at least) things are... not very good. But the implementation of laws does not depend on government bodies alone. From the citizens themselves too!
Fragile, small, but very friendly and bright. Their stems against the faded background of all sorts of snow litter and leafy debris brighten up the untidy appearance only partly, and it’s not easy to see the firstborns of the flora because of the overwintered greenery: a close, observant look is needed. But for those who happen to meet purple, blue and yellow flowers, they will be remembered and loved. Among such living news, find goose grass or yellow goose onion. We'll talk about it today.
Goose onions: description
It is up to 30 centimeters high, which belongs to the species. It is distinguished by small yellow tulip-like flowers collected in one umbrella inflorescence, broad-linear basal leaves with a sharp tip and small bulbs. As a rule, the leaves are longer than the flowers.
The plant blooms in mid-spring. The fruit is a capsule. Goose onions reproduce intensively by pollination, as well as with the help of daughter bulbs formed in the axils of the leaves and on the bottom of the bulb.
Name
Once upon a time, when almost no one picked flowers, goose onions, the photo of which is presented in this article, grew in abundance in clearings and meadows, where flocks flew every spring in order to nibble the shoots of this grass and take a little rest after a long flight. Thus the name of this early plant appeared.
Places of growth and species
Goose onions are widespread in North Africa, in addition, in temperate regions of Eurasia. About a hundred species grow in the lands described above, four of which can be found on Russian territory:
The listed species primarily grow in the European part of Russia, in addition, in Western Siberia. They choose humus-rich fresh meadows, deciduous pastures, groves, and the banks of some rivers and streams.
Use in the garden
The above species are common native plants that are great for enlivening irregular beds with cheerful blooms and fresh, early greens. They look great in landscape parks, wild gardens, and also on lawns.
Care
The plant grows under the canopy of trees and in sunny areas. Does not require special care, but feels especially good on fertile soil.
Medicinal properties
Goose onions, described in this article, are a great addition to a delicate spring salad. It will help get rid of vitamin deficiency. Fragrant fresh leaves are an invaluable treasure that contains a large amount of microelements and vitamins, so necessary for a weakened and tired body.
At the same time, the goose onion is interesting not only for these qualities; its healing properties. Since ancient times, bulbs and herbs have been used to treat epilepsy, bronchial asthma, hepatitis and edema, dropsy, and pre-crushed bulbs are used as a wound-healing, elongating and antiseptic agent, since all parts of the plant are rich in garlic essential oils, which contain sulfur.
Use in medicine
In traditional medicine, fresh bulbs of this plant are used for medicinal purposes. As already mentioned, they contain essential oil, which contains sulfur. The prepared decoction of the bulbs is drunk for hepatitis (jaundice), dropsy and asthma. Finely crushed bulbs are carefully applied to wounds, which leads to rapid healing.
It is worth noting that goose onions are completely edible: young onions and leaves are added to vegetable soups and spring salads, and boiled and baked onions are also eaten. The onions, which had been dried earlier, were ground and added to the flour when baking bread.
Dosage forms
Most often in medicinal purposes The root part of this plant (bulb) is used. It concentrates to a greater extent a number of different useful substances: sugars, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, saponins, a huge complex of microelements and vitamins, organic acids. Most often, the leaves are used to prepare all kinds of salads, soups and other savory dishes.
The bulbs are collected in early spring, even before the plant begins to flower, or in late autumn. Collection for food purposes is carried out in early summer. A universal onion decoction is used for internal use, the juice is used to treat various insect bites, and grated or chopped onions are applied to poorly healing ulcers and areas of inflammation.
Decoction recipe
In order to prepare this universal decoction, you need to take one spoon of fresh finely chopped onions, pour 100 g of them hot water and cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Then let it cool and strain the contents. It is recommended to consume the healing infusion one spoon 5 times a day. The finished product should be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 36 hours.
To prepare a decoction for epileptic seizures, you need to boil half a glass of medium-fat milk, add a few onions, then cook everything for 5 minutes. Then strain, cool and take two teaspoons three times a day. The drug is taken in courses (2 weeks of use should be alternated with a month's break, it depends on the severity of the disease).
Use for cosmetic purposes
Goose onions are used in cosmetology. It is used to improve hair growth, for which you can prepare a mask. In this case, you will need 4 tablespoons of onion pulp, which must be mixed with 30 mg of liquid honey. The resulting mass is then thoroughly rubbed into the roots of the scalp and left for about 30 minutes, after which it is washed off using shampoo.
Goose onions are also useful for preparing a face mask. If you have skin with enlarged pores, the following recipe will help you. Finely chopped onions should be mixed with honey, then the resulting paste should be applied to the skin for about 10 minutes, avoiding the eye area. Then it should be rinsed well with running cool water. It is worth noting that for acne you can add egg yolk instead of a bee product.
Goose onion juice is used when there are pigment spots on the skin. To do this, it is applied to the affected area, for example, freckles, three times a day. Further, it is not recommended to go out into the open sun for several hours.
Contraindications
Goose onions have no contraindications for use, in addition, there are no observed side effects from its use. Sometimes it is possible to develop an allergy to some components due to individual intolerance.
Conclusion
Most likely, many people have tried this bow. It is absolutely not bitter, has a pleasant aroma and taste. It is often grown in gardens as decorative culture In addition, they are used in cooking. You can use it as an independent product, or by adding it to vegetable salads. Book of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region includes it on the list of endangered plants.
- (Gagea) a genus of plants in the lily family. Low-growing perennial herbs with bulbs. Perianth of 6 yellow or whitish, less often reddish leaves. Many species are spring ephemerals. About 100 species in the temperate zone of Eurasia. In the USSR about... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Goose onion- bird onion (Gagea L.) is a small plant from the lily family; from one or many small bulbs comes one narrow leaf and stem with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence; the flowers are small, yellow, with 6 petals. There are up to 25 species in Europe, Asia and Africa...
Goose onion- Rod 63. Gagea Saliab… Flora of the Central Forest State Reserve
Yellow goose onion- ? Yellow goose onion Yellow goose onion ... Wikipedia
Ukrainian goose onion- Ukrainian goose onion... Wikipedia
Small goose onion- General view flowering plant. Hungary ... Wikipedia
SMALL GOOSE ONION (GAGEA MINIMA (L.) KER-GAWL.)- cm. It has two different sized bulbs, enclosed in one common shell of brown scales. The stem is bare, 7-20 cm high, narrow-linear, flat or slightly grooved, narrowed at both ends, 1-3 mm wide. The covering leaf of the inflorescence is lanceolate, with... ... Forest herbaceous plants
yellow goose onion- noun, number of synonyms: 4 viper onion (2) yellow snowdrop (2) small toblak ... Dictionary of synonyms
YELLOW GOOSE ONION (GAGEA LUTEA IL.I KER-GAWL.)- see. The bulb is small, oblong ovoid, covered with gray-brown sheaths. The stem is 10–30 cm high, broadly lanceolate, 7–15 mm wide, narrowed at the apex and with a cap, exceeding the inflorescence; under the inflorescence there are 2 unequal leaves, the lower one... ... Forest herbaceous plants
Goose onion, bird onion- (Gagea L.) a small plant from the lily family; from one or many small bulbs comes one narrow leaf and stem with an umbrella-shaped inflorescence; the flowers are small, yellow, with 6 petals. There are up to 25 species in Europe, Asia and Africa. IN… … Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Books
- Yellow, white, purple, Nina Pavlova, How many different flowers and herbs are there in the world! What are they talking to each other about? What do they boast about, what are they happy about, and what are they upset about? What story will a bedstraw, a goose onion, or... Series:
One of the first that delights with its spring bright color, so many people want to see him in theirs or just on. But, despite its pickiness, it still requires proper planting and care.
Brief description
This is a plant of the lily family. It has several names: bird's onion, yellow snowdrop, yellow eider, yellow flower, yellow bell.
Did you know? One of the names of the plant Gagea comes from the name of the famous 19th century botanist T. Gage.
In order to distinguish it from others, you need to know the description of the goose onion.
He has: one oval-shaped onion with gray shells; bare stem up to 24 cm high; basal leaf up to 1 cm wide, above the inflorescence; The upper leaf is sharp at the end, or linear, lanceolate; The inflorescence is represented by yellow-green flowers in the form of an umbrella. 
There can be up to 16 flowers on 1 inflorescence, the lower side is green, the upper side is yellow, the perianth leaves are pointed, broad-leaved, up to 1.5 cm long, inside there are stamens, anthers and an ovary. The goose onion fruit is a small capsule with three sides. Grows in Eurasia and a little North Africa. Pollination and seed dispersal occurs with the help of. But they can also reproduce by the appearance of daughter bulbs. You can use goose onions both in cooking and cosmetology.
Selecting a location
The yellow snowdrop grows both as a “wild” plant and as a... You can meet it in, on the outskirts of fields, meadows, rocky terrain, ravines, along rivers and roads, in deciduous forests, parks and gardens.
Favorable for this plant will be fresh, loose, with sufficient quantity and normal water balance land that will not retain water.
should be moderate. Great option is landing in places where there is. Since it is not picky about care, it can be made from it or planted along the border. When humus with sufficient lighting, it can grow almost anywhere.
Yellow goose onions reproduce using bulbs and. The first to produce daughter bulbs, they germinate in the third year after formation, in next years They give a particularly large offspring, but after the sixth they can only spread by seed. It is worth dividing a nest of daughter bulbs only after the leaves have withered.
Before planting, it is advisable to soak the bulbs in a solution, then dry them, place them in a pot or box and store them in a cool, dark place. Thus, by the time of disembarkation they will be in a “sleeping” state.
The bulbs should not be buried deeply at a distance of 2-3 cm, the space between plants should not be less than 10-15 cm. Planting should be done in the fall, preferably in September. Since this plant also grows as a “wild” plant, planting and caring for goose onions does not require much effort, but there are still several rules that should be followed:
- Moderate. The plant is moisture-loving, but excessive moisture can lead to rotting of the flower. Therefore, you need to regularly, but with a small amount of water, and use water that does not retain it.
- Transfer. The plant can be replanted at any time, even during flowering. But at the same time, it is necessary to cut off the flowers so that the plant does not waste energy on forming a box, but “focuses” on taking root in a new place.
- Quantity. Many, planted next to each other, can lead to the fact that the goose onion turns into, which will be very difficult to get rid of.
When disembarking at right place and following these tips, goose onions will bloom for many years. When and how does it bloom
The second name of goose onion, namely yellow snowdrop, it received from the period of early flowering.
Important! Flowering begins in April and lasts until May-June, then the fruits ripen in the form of boxes and the seeds in them.
The inflorescence is represented by small yellow flowers from 2 to 16 pieces per plant. The perianth consists of 6 colored leaflets that create 2 circles. Towards the middle they are more yellow, greenish at the edges, the flowers are 2-4 cm in size. 
Inside there are 6 stamens and a stigma. Nectar is secreted between the stamens and leaves, which attracts insects.
Combination with other plants
Since this plant is used as a decorative element in, on