Spring gentian

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Spring gentian
Spring gentian (Gentiana verna)

Spring gentian ( Gentiana verna )

Systematics
Asterids
Euasterids I
Order : Enzianartige (Gentianales)
Family : Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)
Genre : Gentians ( Gentiana )
Type : Spring gentian
Scientific name
Gentiana verna
L.

The Spring gentian ( Gentiana verna ), also Schusternagerl , Schuster Nägele , Rauchfangkehrer , Himmelsbläueli , Herrgottsliechtli , Tintabluoma or sky stem known, is one of the smallest species of the genus gentians ( Gentiana ).

description

illustration
Flowers from above

Vegetative characteristics

The spring gentian grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and normally reaches heights of only a few centimeters, only under particularly favorable circumstances of up to 15 centimeters. The short and angular stem grows upright.

The leaf blades are elliptically lanceolate. Of the one to three pairs of cross-opposed stem leaves, the top one is just below the calyx. With a length of about 30 millimeters, the one to three-veined, rosette- forming basal leaves are significantly larger than the stem leaves.

Generative characteristics

The hermaphrodite flowers are radially symmetrical with a double flower envelope . The serrated calyx, which is narrowly winged at the edges, is smaller in size than the corolla tube . The crown is plate-shaped with a diameter of 20 to 30 millimeters. The five deep azure, petals are oval. Between the broad, lanceolate corolla lobes sits a two-part, small, pointed appendage with a white line.

The flowering time is between March and August and the spring gentian often blooms a second time in autumn.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28.

ecology

The shape of the flower (serving plate flower) and the bright blue color indicate that the spring gentian is particularly pollinated by butterflies . Long-nosed hymenoptera , especially bumblebees , are also involved. The spread of the seeds occurs next to that by ants primarily via the wind.

Occurrence

The spring gentian is widespread in Eurasia . The spring gentian often thrives on sunny alpine meadows . It is also found in European low mountain ranges, for example in the Jura and the Balkan Mountains , as well as in heathland and on rough meadows in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg . In Austria it occurs in all federal states: frequently in the montane to alpine altitude range , very rarely at lower altitudes. It occurs at altitudes of up to 2600 meters. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises on the Linkerskopf to an altitude of 2350 meters.

It grows on dry, poor meadows with a calcareous subsoil . The spring gentian is also found on silicate and wet meadows. The spring gentian is considered a pointer plant for low-nitrogen soils .

The spring gentian is a species of character of the order Seslerietalia. But it also occurs in plant communities of the Elynion and in lower altitudes also in the Mesobromion, especially in the Gentiana vernae-Brometum association, rarely also in Molinion societies.

natural reserve

Gentiana verna subsp. balcanica in the habitat on Mount Olympus
Habit, leaves and flowers of Gentiana verna subsp. tergestina

Like all other species of gentian, the spring gentian is under nature protection in Germany . In 1996 the Red List was published as a hazard category: 3+ = endangered.

In Austria, the spring gentian is under full, statutory nature protection in at least one federal state. The species is endangered in the Carinthian basin and valley landscapes, in the Rhine Valley, in the foreland north and southeast of the Alps and in the Pannonian region .

Eutrophication of the soil by fertilizers is seen as the main cause of the hazard .

Systematics

Gentiana verna was first published in 1753 by Carl von Linné . Synonyms for Gentiana verna L. are: Calathiana verna (L.) Holub , Gentiana aestiva (FWSchmidt) Schult. , Gentiana angulosa M.Bieb. , Gentiana elongata Haenke .

From Gentiana verna there are about five subspecies:

  • Gentiana verna L. subsp. verna (Syn .: Gentiana arctica Grossh. , Calathiana verna Holub subsp. verna ): There are localities for Ireland , the United Kingdom , Spain , France , Germany , Austria , Switzerland , Italy , Poland , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Slovenia , Serbia , Romania , Bulgaria , Albania , and Ukraine .
  • Gentiana verna subsp. balcanica N.M.Pritch. : It occurs on the Balkan Peninsula , Bulgaria and Turkey .
  • Gentiana verna subsp. oschtenica (Kusn.) Halda (Syn .: Gentiana verna var. oschtenica Kusn. , Gentiana oschtenica (Kusn.) Woronow )
  • Gentiana verna subsp. pontica (Soltok.) Litard. & Maire (Syn .: Gentiana pontica Soltok. , Calathiana pontica (Soltok.) Holub , Gentiana verna subsp. Aestiva (Roem. & Schult.) Arcang. , Gentiana verna subsp. Pontica (Soltok.) Hayek ): It comes in Central Europe , in Southeast Europe and in the Middle East .
  • Gentiana verna subsp. tergestina (Beck) Hayek (Syn .: Gentiana angulosa f. tergestina Beck , Calathiana tergestina (Beck) Holub , Gentiana tergestina (Beck) Fritsch , Gentiana tergestina Beck ): It occurs in Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula .

Superstition

There are a number of superstitious ideas about the beautiful gentian. The spring gentian is popularly known as Brendelblume or Wetter- or Blitznagele and in many places people were convinced that whoever brought this plant into the house would cause lightning to strike there. Elsewhere it was believed that if you pluck one of the plants, someone would die.

photos

Spring gentian ( Gentiana verna ):

  • Existence in the habitat Ebnit Schöner Mann Alpe in Vorarlberg

  • Single plant, habit, leaves and flower

  • Habitat at the Frankenhöhe

literature

  • Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (=  Steinbach's natural guide ). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 .
  • Manfred A. Fischer, Karl Oswald, Wolfgang Adler: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol . 3rd, improved edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2008, ISBN 978-3-85474-187-9 .
  • Thomas Gaskell Tutin : Gentiana. In: TG Tutin, VH Heywood, NA Burges, DM Moore, DH Valentine, SM Walters, DA Webb (eds.): Flora Europaea . Volume 3: Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1972, ISBN 0-521-08489-X , pp. 63 (English, limited preview in Google Book search).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp.  756 .
  2. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 340.
  3. ^ A b Gentiana verna in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Karol Marhold: Gentianaceae. 2011: Datasheet Gentiana verna In: Euro + Med Plantbase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity .

Web links

Commons : Spring Enzian ( Gentiana verna )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files