Cretan Rod Bellflower
| Cretan Rod Bellflower | ||||||||||||
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The Cretan rod bellflower in a typical habitat |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Petromarula | ||||||||||||
| Vent. ex R.Hedw. | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Petromarula pinnata | ||||||||||||
| ( L. ) A.DC. |
The Cretan rod bellflower ( Petromarula pinnata (L.) A.DC. , Syn .: Phyteuma pinnatum L. ), Greek Πετρομάρουλα "rock salad", is the only plant species of the monotypical genus Petromarula within the family of bellflower plants (Campanulaceae). This species is only native to Crete . It grows on canyon walls and chalky slopes but also on house walls.
description
This perennial herbaceous plant reaches heights of up to 1 meter. It has long tap roots. The basal leaves are large, oval and pinnate.
The hermaphrodite flowers are fivefold. The five light blue to blue-violet flowers petals are narrow overgrown urn-shaped. There is only one circle with five stamens . The clearly protruding stamps have brick-red scars. The flowering period extends from April to June.
Endemism
As a member of the Aegean relic flora in the plant-geographical region of the Kardagäis , the Petromarula is regarded as a relic endemic . Together with 140 other plant species on Crete, it was able to survive the climatic changes in and since the cold periods of the Pleistocene in the isolated island location and in the balanced sea climate, while the former Aegean flora on the mainland and in areas near the mainland was displaced by other plant species. No other plant species closely related to Petromarula grows on Crete either .
swell
- Description and illustration. (engl.)
literature
- Yanoukos Iatridis: Flowers of Crete , ISBN 960-7001-00-1
- The flora of Crete , Casa Editrice Bonechi, Florence 1999, ISBN 88-8029-972-7
- Dagmar Lange, Monika Wächter: Travel Guide Nature Crete. BLV, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-405-15524-X
