Kup kotalečega sena, ki ga vidimo v filmih o divjem zahodu, je vendarle rastlina.
Rastlina, ki je prisotna skoraj v vseh ameriških vesternih in postala nekakšen simbol ameriške žanra o divjem zahodu, v resnici sploh ni ameriška, ampak prihaja iz Rusije. Jap, govor je kupu kotalečega se sena, za katerega sem vedno mislila, da je pač zanimivo naključje, da ga je toliko na okoli in se venomer kotali sem in tja. Izkazalo se je, da seno ni seno, ampak rastlina Salsola tragus, ki jo Američani imenujejo Tumbleweed in za katero nihče ne ve, kako je prišla v ZDA, predvidevajo da z ruskimi imigranti.
Prvič je bila prvič opažena v Ameriki v oktobru 1880, ko je Oddelek za agrikulturo v Washingtonu prejel informacijo o nenavadni rastlini, ki se je začela pojavljati na podeželju Južne Dakote. Danes se nahaja skoraj povsod, saj seme te rastline potrebuje le malo vlage za rast in ena bilka lahko proizvede do 250.000 semen. Rastlina, ki zraste do 90 cm, dozori jeseni ter jo sunek vetra spusti na svobodo, kjer se v klobčič zvije in potuje po vetru, razpršujoč semena. In na tak način se širi.
Ko pomislim na to rastlino, se mi v mislih pojavi prizor iz filma o divjem zahodu, kjer je bitka med dvema revolverašema, kjer je eden oblečen v belo, drug v črno in večno zgodbo o boju med dobrim in zlom; pri tem kamera zoomira njune oči, nato roke, ki so blizu revolverja in spet na oči. In v tistem trenutku, preden se bo pokazalo kdo je boljši in ali bo dobro premagalo zlo, v tistem trenutku napetosti, se med njima prikotali kup sena, na katerem bi zaradi večje ironije moralo pisati Made in Russia.
(Slovenian above | English below)
A plant that is present almost in every American western and is somehow symbol not only of film genre but also of Wild West is in fact not even American but Russian. Yes, the story is about a rolling pile of hay, that somehow ended up in a ball wandering around. It turns out that the hay is not the hay at all, but it’s actually a plant named Salsola tragus know as Tumbleweed. Nobody knows when exactly Tumbleweed pilgrimaged its way to America, they assumed that it came with Russian immigrants.
First, it was first observed in America in October 1880, when the Department of agriculture in Washington was informed about the unusual plant, which began to emerge in rural South Dakota. Today it is almost everywhere because the seeds of this plant need a little moisture for growth and one straw can produce up to 250,000 seeds. A plant can grow up to 90 cm and is mature in autumn; with help of wind is set free were twisted and tangled travels around and spreading its seeds.
When I think of this plant an image from western movies occurs in my head; the battle between two gunmen, one dressed in white, the other in black, where one represents good the other evil, and the tension in the movie goes from zooming their eyes to the hand close to the gun and then eyes again. And at that moment just before we will see, how is the fastest and who will win, and will good defeat evil, in that moment of tension the tumbleweed cross their path. Ironically it should have a tag on Made in Russia.
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Almira Ćatović 