Magnificent adder head

Magnificent adder head
Magnificent adder head ( Echium nervosum )
Systematics
Nuclear eudicotyledons Asterids Euasterids I Family : Boraginaceae (Boraginaceae) Genre : Adderheads ( Echium ) Type : Magnificent adder head
Scientific name
Echium nervosum
Dryand.

The Magnificent Natternkopf ( Echium nervosum ) is a plant from the genus of snake heads in the family of the Boraginaceae . It is endemic to the Madeira archipelago .

description

Inflorescence with flowers in detail

Vegetative characteristics

The splendid adder head grows as a densely branched shrub that reaches heights of up to 2 meters. The bark of the branches is white-gray. The almost sessile leaves are lanceolate, up to 12 centimeters long and 1 to 3 centimeters wide, gray-green, rough, short-haired and with distinctive leaf veins on the underside.

Generative characteristics

The terminal inflorescences are wraps with bracts that are close together, contain many flowers and are elongated and rounded at a length of 5 to 16 centimeters. The hermaphrodite flowers are weakly zygomorphic and five-fold with a double flower envelope . The five sepals are fused at their base. The five pale blue, rarely white petals are fused together like a funnel and the corolla is 6 to 11 millimeters long. The unequal stamens have long, thin stamens and relatively small, elongated anthers. Two carpels are a vierfächerigen Upper permanent ovary grown. The thin stylus has two branches at the top, each with a small, head-shaped scar.

Chromosome number

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 16.

Occurrence

The splendid adder head is widespread in the coastal strip of Madeira up to an altitude of 300 meters and occurs both in the terrain and on rocky slopes. It is less common on Porto Santo and the Desertas .

use

The magnificent adder head is used as an ornamental plant.

literature

• Roberto Jardim, David Francisco: Flora Endémica da Madeira. Múchia Publicações, Funchal 2000, ISBN 972-8622-00-7 , p. 96
• António da Costa, Luis de Franquinho: Madeira. Plantas e Flores. Francisco Ribeiro & Filhos, LDA, Funchal 2008, ISBN 972-9177-37-8 , p. 173
• Peter Sziemer: A Brief Natural History of Madeira. Francisco Ribeiro & Filhos, LDA, Funchal 2000, ISBN 972-9177-30-9

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Echium nervosum at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

Web links

Commons : Echium nervosum  - album with pictures, videos and audio files