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Butter-and-eggs Facts

Butter-and-eggs Facts
Butter-and-eggs is herbaceous plant that belongs to figwort family. It originates from Europe and Asia. Besides in native habitats, butter-and-eggs is widespread in North America today where it often grows as weed (especially in Canada). Butter-and-eggs prefers sandy, well-drained soils. It can be found in the fields, wastelands and areas near the roads. Butter-and-eggs is sometimes cultivated as ornamental plant because of its flowers that have long vase life.
Interesting Butter-and-eggs Facts:
Butter-and-eggs has leafy stem that can reach 1 to 3 feet in height.
Butter-and-eggs often grows in colonies due to creeping root system which often produces new shoots under the optimal weather conditions.
Butter-and-eggs produces bluish-green, grass-like, linear leaves. They are gathered in whorls or oppositely arranged on the bottom part of the stem. Leaves on the upper part of the stem are smaller and usually alternately arranged.
Butter-and-eggs produces two-colored, yellow flowers arranged in elongated clusters on top of the stem. Butter-and-eggs occasionally produces blue-purple flowers, but they are extremely rare in the wild.
Clusters are made of up to 15 individual flowers that consist of two lips and narrow, closed throat. Middle part of bottom lip is ridged, deep yellow or orange colored.
Butter-and-eggs blooms from May to October. Flowers are designed for the pollination by insects. Dark yellow or orange-colored ridge on the lower lip guides bees and bumblebees toward the nectar which is located deep inside the flowers.
Fruit of butter-and-eggs is roundish capsule filled with numerous small seed. Each plant produces around 500.000 seed per year. Butter-and-eggs is able to self-sow (plant is able to shed its seed without assistance of wind or animals).
Name "butter-and-eggs" refers to yellow, bi-colored flowers that have yolk-like central parts. Butter-and-eggs is also known as "common toadflax" because of the shape of the flowers that look like toad's mouth.
Flowers of butter-and-eggs are popular among children because they can be "forced to talk" by squeezing the base of corolla.
According to a widespread belief, butter-and-eggs can be used for the elimination of bad spells. Bewitched person just need to walk three circles around this plant.
Flowers of butter-and-eggs can be used as a source of yellow dye.
Butter-and-eggs contains substances that can induce intoxication of cattle. Boiled mixture of butter-and-eggs and milk can be used as home-made insecticide against flies. This liquid is especially popular and often used in Europe.
Tea made of leaves of butter-and-eggs can be used in treatment of constipation, edema, jaundice and inflammation of the small intestine. This tea can be also used to facilitate elimination of excess water from the body.
Ointment made of flowers of butter-and-eggs can be used in treatment of skin disorders.
Butter-and-eggs is perennial plant, which means that it can survive more than 2 years in the wild.


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