Koch's gentian

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Koch's gentian
Koch's gentian (Gentiana acaulis)

Koch's gentian ( Gentiana acaulis )

Systematics
Asterids
Euasterids I
Order : Enzianartige (Gentianales)
Family : Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)
Genre : Gentians ( Gentiana )
Type : Koch's gentian
Scientific name
Gentiana acaulis
L.

The Koch gentian ( Gentiana acaulis ), also cook gentian written and Stem gentian , Stem Clear silicate gentian , silicate bells gentian or gravel bell gentian called, is a plant of the genus gentians ( Gentiana ) within the family Gentianaceae ( Gentianaceae). Stemless gentian is the exact translation of the botanical name. It is often confused with another type of gentian, the clusius gentian or lime-bell gentian ( Gentiana clusii Perr. & Song.), This is also called stemless gentian and both species have similar characteristics; there are vicarious species in the mountains of Europe.

description

Illustration with a rosette of leaves and individual bell-shaped flowers
Blue corolla tube with olive-green spots on the inside

Vegetative characteristics

The Koch's gentian grows as a low, hibernating green, perennial herbaceous plant and reaches heights of up to 10 centimeters. The opposite leaves stand together in a basal rosette. The simple, non-leathery leaf blade is obovate to elliptical, it ends bluntly or with a short tip. The leaf margin is smooth.

Generative characteristics

The flowering period extends from May to August, depending on the location. A single flower about 5 centimeters high stands on a short inflorescence stem. The hermaphrodite flower is five-fold with a double flower envelope . The five sepals are fused to form a calyx tube; the five slightly protruding, at their lower end slightly constricted and sharply pointed calyx lobes are usually much shorter than half the calyx tube, the calyx bays are wide and there is a white connecting skin. The five azure-blue petals are fused bell-shaped. The corolla tube is spotted olive-green inside.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 36.

Differentiation between Gentiana acaulis and Gentiana clusii

Characteristic calyx of Gentiana acaulis with constricted calyx tips
Kochscher gentian ( Gentiana acaulis ) in the Zillertal Alps

The Koch gentian differs from the Clusius gentian in that it has wider, softer rosette leaves and the five green spots on the throat of the azure-blue bell. The calyx lobes of Gentiana acaulis are constricted at the base and shorter than half the corolla tube, while they are longer than half the corolla tube in Gentiana clusii and become wider towards the base. The occurrence of the two species largely does not overlap, as Gentiana clusii needs limestone soil , whereas Gentiana acaulis only thrives on acidic silicate soil ( vicariism ).

ecology

The Koch's gentian is a perennial rosette plant. Its upright leaves serve as water collectors through inwardly inclined gutters. Draft roots on the floor keep the rosette permanently close to the floor.

The flowers are formerly "large funnel-shaped flowers " and typical "bumblebee flowers " colored blue by anthocyanins . The tips of the petals are irritable when touched ( thigmonasty ), and the whole flower is closed in wet weather. The five stamens closely surround the stylus and the anthers form a tube; the stamens are connected to the corolla tube by lamellae. This creates five tubular accesses (revolver flower) to the nectar deposited at the base of the ovary . The inside of the corolla tube has eye-catching olive-green stippled sap marks on a light background, which stand out particularly in the translucent light. Pollinators are bumblebees and butterflies . Also, self-pollination is possible by being pressed to the anther stigma lobes. Flowering time is from May to August.

The fruits are single-compartment, two-lobed capsules, and they are enclosed by the permanent corolla tube serving as a vestibule; they are lifted up by the stem, which is greatly elongated after flowering. So the fruits are wind spreaders. The seeds are spread out as a granule flyer or as a cling. They are dark germs and cold germs . Fruit ripening is from August to October.

Occurrence

The Koch's gentian occurs, for example, in the Alps, the Jura , the Cevennes and the Pyrenees . The Koch's gentian grows at altitudes between 800 and 3000 meters on well-supplied silicate soils in an acidic environment . It is a character species of the Nardion association, but also occurs in societies of the Salicion herbaceae association or in lower societies of the Caricion curvulae association. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises from 930 meters to an altitude of 2400 meters on the Hochrappenkopf in Bavaria.

natural reserve

This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

The Koch Enzian is, like all other types of gentian, in Germany under nature conservation . The full-scale use of fertilizer (liquid manure, manure, artificial fertilizer) in order to increase the meadow yield e.g. Increasing it, for example, in grassy meadows, also causes entire populations to disappear from this species. The harmful effects last for decades.

use

There are numerous varieties of Koch's gentian that are used as ornamental plants .

literature

  • 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. 62 (English, limited preview in Google Book search).
  • Thomas Muer, Oskar Angerer: Alpine plants. 1st edition. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-3374-1 .
  • 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 .
  • Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait. 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b 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 , pp. 339-340.

Web links

Commons : Kochscher Enzian ( Gentiana acaulis )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files