Gentiana-verna-ssp-verna_21

Description:

Gentiana verna ssp. verna L., syn: Gentiana verna ssp. alataSpring Gentian, DE: Frlings-EnzianSlo.: spomladanski svi, spomladanski zaspanekDat.: May 11. 2015 Lat.: 46.43825 Long.: 13.6339Code: Bot_874/2015_DSC6462, elevation 1.800 m (5.900 feet),File names: from Gentiana-verna_raw_10 to Gentiana-verne_raw_15.andDat.: June 13. 2012Lat.: 46.43707 Long.: 13.63877, elevation 1.840 m (6.000 feet),Code: Bot_629/2012_IMG9735File names: from Gentiana-verna_raw_20 to Gentiana-verne_raw_21.Habitat: stony grassland, near road side, full sun; dry, calcareous ground, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 1 - 3 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: nutrients poor soil.Place: Mt. Mangart region, Mangart's flats, along the Mt. Mangart's alpine road, beneath and above the last tunnel, East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC Comment: Gentiana verna is probably the most common and well known spring time species of this large, varied and beautiful genus. It grows mainly on nutrients poor grassland, largely at low elevations. However, it quite often climbs up to subalpine, sometimes even to alpine elevations. Here it can be easily falsely recognized as some other similar alpine species like Gentiana bavarica, Gentiana nivalis, Gentiana terglouensis, Gentiana favratii (syn.: G. orbicularis) or Gentiana pumila. All of these have beautiful, strikingly blue flowers of similar shape. Its best recognition trait are the lowest leaves, which are grouped in ground rosette (a more or less dense radiating cluster of leaves at the ground). The leaves are tapering to (not too) sharp pointed apex, have a distinct middle nerve and are up to 2 cm long. The lowest few rosette leaves (sometimes only one or two!) are significantly larger than other leaves - in average about twice as large, and are often hidden under surrounding greenery (look carefully at picture 10.). The second easy recognised discriminating parameter is presence of sterile rosettes (stems without flowers), which indicates a perennial plant and thus separates it from Gentiana nivalis, which is an annual plant. Ref.:(1) Rothmaler 3, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, 11. Aufl., Elsevier, Spectrum (2007), p 391. (2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 506. (3) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 18.(4) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 695.