Alpine daphne

Alpine daphne
	Alpine daphne ( Daphne alpina )
Systematics
	Rosids
	Eurosiden II
Order :	Mallow-like (Malvales)
Family :	Daphne family (Thymelaeaceae)
Genre :	Daphne ( Daphne )
Type :	Alpine daphne
Scientific name
	Daphne alpina
	L.

The Alpine daphne ( Daphne alpina ), also Daphne sericea or White Daphne called, is a plant type from the genus Daphne ( Daphne ) and belongs to the family of Thymelaeaceae (Thymelaeaceae).

description

The alpine daphne is a perennial , deciduous, woody plant that grows as a small shrub (nanophanerophyte) and reaches heights of 20 to 50 (to 100) centimeters. The bark of its branches is hairy and the arching branches are occasionally provided with cork warts.

The leaves are arranged alternately in clusters at the branch ends. The herbaceous leaf blades are lanceolate to obovate with a length of 1 to 4 centimeters and a width of up to 2 centimeters with a blunt or tapering upper end and a smooth leaf margin. The upper side of the leaf is gray-green and the underside of the leaf is a little lighter, they are initially hairy.

The flowering period extends from May to June. The very short-stalked flowers are rarely only in pairs, usually six to ten in clusters in the upper leaf axils. The hermaphroditic flowers, which have a pleasant scent of vanilla, are four-fold. The four white, corolla-like sepals are closely haired on the outside and fused to form a calyx tube about 1 centimeter long, hairy on the inside. The calyx lobes, the length of which corresponds approximately to that of the calyx tube, end in a point. Petals cannot be seen.

The ovate drupes , with a length of 4 to 7 mm, are hairy; they ripen from August and turn red-orange.

Occurrence

Alpine daphne ( Daphne alpina )

The distribution area of the Alpine daphne includes the European mountains from the Pyrenees to the Dinaric Mountains . In the Alps, the alpine daphne rises to an altitude of 1900 meters.

The alpine daphne is rare in Austria , only widespread in southern Carinthia ( Karawanken , Dobratsch ). He is missing in Germany . In Switzerland it has locations in the Jura and in the Alps; he is missing in the Engadin.

This limestone plant prefers sunny rock corridors, light pine forests and rock debris as a location.

Toxicity

Like all types of daphne, the alpine daphne is highly toxic due to daphnetoxin .

use

The alpine daphne is rarely used as an ornamental plant for rock gardens. It has been in culture since 1759 at the latest.

swell

Manfred A. Fischer, Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol . 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
Bruno P. Kremer Shrubs. recognize & determine. Mosaik-Verlag, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11478-5 .
Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers (= Steinbach's natural guide . Volume 16 ). Mosaik, Munich 1985, ISBN 3-570-01349-9 .

Individual evidence

^ Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .

Web links

Commons : Alpen-Seidelbast ( Daphne alpina ) - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

[1] Distribution in Switzerland
On the toxicity of the alpine daphne

[1] Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .