Caucasus snowdrops
| Caucasus snowdrops | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Galanthus alpinus | ||||||||||||
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The Caucasus snowdrop ( Galanthus alpinus ) is a species of the snowdrop ( Galanthus ) genus in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). The two varieties Galanthus alpinus var. Alpinus and Galanthus alpinus var. Bortkewitschianus (Koss) AP Davis (Syn .: Galanthus bortkewitschianus Koss) are known.
features
The Caucasus snowdrop is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches heights of growth of 8 to 12 centimeters. This geophyte forms an onion as a persistence organ. The simple leaves are narrow and measure 2.5 to 20 (28) × 0.6 to 2.2 (2.5) centimeters at flowering time. The inner bracts have only one green spot at the end.
Galanthus alpinus var. Alpinus has whitish onion scales and spherical-ellipsoidal flowers. In Galanthus alpinus var. Bortkewitschianus , the onion scales are yellowish and the flowers are spherical. The leaves are very short during the flowering period. The plants are triploid and sterile .
The flowering period extends from February to May.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.
Occurrence
Galanthus alpinus var. Alpinus comes in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, in the north-east Turkey and possibly also in northern Iran in case of deciduous forests, forest edges, clearings and in river valleys, and rarely on flachgründig weathered limestone rocks at altitudes from 270 to 2200 meters. Galanthus alpinus var. Bortkewitschianus only grows in the area of the Kamenka River in beech forests and often on streams at altitudes of 1200 to 1500 meters.
use
The Caucasus snowdrop is rarely used as an ornamental plant for rock gardens and lawns. It may have been more widely cultivated in the past. It has been in culture since around 1800.
Hybrids
The Caucasus snowdrop and the Voronov snowdrop ( Galanthus woronowii ) form the cultural and natural hybrid Galanthus × allenii Baker. This reaches heights of growth of 8 to 12 centimeters. Their leaves are bluish in color, curled up before unfolding and measure 8 to 22 × 1 to 2 (2.5) centimeters during flowering. The flowering period lasts from February to March. This hybrid is rarely used as an ornamental plant.
literature
- Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler excursion flora from Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .