Hops

Hops (lat. Humulus) is a genus of flowering climbing plants from the Hemp family (lat. Cannabaceae). Until the second half of the 20th century, this genus of plants was listed as part of the Mulberry family (lat. Moraceae).

Apparently, botanists found some external characteristics that corresponded to plants of this family. But the science of “genetics,” which arose not so long ago, placed the genus Humulus on a completely different classification shelf. This was not difficult to do, because the genus consists of only three (according to some sources, two) plant species. Hops not only decorate gardens and aged buildings, but also give people food, aromatic drinks, and also share their healing abilities with people.

Description

Hops are a climbing vine that is often compared to a grapevine. But these two climbing plants have very different adaptations to help them reach the skies. Nature has provided the grapevine with tenacious tendrils, adventitious shoots with which it holds onto support. And Hops climbs up with the help of stiff hairs covering the stem of the plant.

Hops are a perennial plant. With the onset of cold weather, its stems and leaves die off, but spring will come, and new vigorous shoots will appear from the ground, growing up to half a meter in height in a week. This happens thanks to the underground rhizome, which persistently overwinters under the thickness of snow in the soil. And thick shoots will rush to the heavens, twisting clockwise around the support they meet along the way to grow up to 15 meters long.

Carved openwork leaves have from 3 to 7 blades, the edges of which are decorated with large teeth. In pairs, one opposite the other, they are located on the stem, leaving space on it for the birth of side shoots, due to which the vine turns into a continuous deciduous carpet, capable of hiding any unsightly structure from prying eyes, draping a garden gazebo or veranda, entwining a pergola or fence lattice.

To obtain seeds, you must have female and male individuals, since Hops is a dioecious plant. Female and male flowers grow strictly on their own vine. When growing Hops for beer production, only female plants are planted, since unpollinated female flower cones are required. The fact is that the seeds of the plant, which appear in the female cones after pollination, contain fatty acids that can spoil the aroma of beer, which is so valued by its fans. Plantings of such hops are propagated vegetatively.

The main value of Hops is the glands located on the bracts and scales of female cones. Nature has endowed them with the ability to secrete a complex mixture of several substances, called “lipulin” by scientists. For the sake of this “lipulin”, female flower cones are collected so that the fats, essential oils, nitrogen-containing substances, resins, and ash contained in it (with an emphasis on the letter “o”) can impart that specific aroma and pleasant bitterness for which properly and well-prepared beer is famous.

Varieties

Let”s take as a basis the literature, which lists three species of plants of the genus Hops. After all, three can always be easily reduced to two if necessary.

* Common hop (Humulus lupulus) is the most common type of hop on the planet. It grows in Europe, Asia and America. The specific epithet “lupulus” is translated into Russian by anyone: ordinary, climbing, rooting. It has five subspecies, the leaves of which can be formed by lobes in the amount of 3 to 5 pieces.

* Yunnan hop (Humulus yunnanensis) — this species is used by brewers in Southeast Asia. Propagated vegetatively, carved leaves have from 3 to 5 lobes.

* Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus) — this species does not produce female cones, and therefore it is used only as an ornamental plant with beautiful 5-7-lobed leaves. Its homeland is East Asia. In our country it grows in the Far East and Sakhalin. It has another name — Climbing hops (lat. Humulus scandens).

Usage

In addition to the brewing industry, hops are used in baking bread. Young leaves and stems are eaten. Hops are also a healer and perfectly calm the nervous system. A pillow stuffed with hop cones will relieve insomnia.

HOP

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