Spotted Gentian

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Spotted Gentian
Spotted Gentian (Gentiana punctata)

Spotted Gentian ( Gentiana punctata )

Systematics
Euasterids I
Order : Enzianartige (Gentianales)
Family : Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)
Tribe : Gentianeae
Genre : Gentians ( Gentiana )
Type : Spotted Gentian
Scientific name
Gentiana punctata
L.

The spotted gentian ( Gentiana punctata ), also called spotted gentian , is a species of plant from the genus Gentian ( Gentiana ). It thrives in European mountains. Like the yellow gentian ( Gentiana lutea ), the spotted gentian is used as a medicinal plant.

description

Illustration from The alpine plants painted from nature , p. 70
Open flowers in detail
Habitus in the habitat in the Zillertal Alps

Vegetative characteristics

The spotted gentian grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and reaches heights of 20 to 60 centimeters.

Of the opposite leaves arranged on the stem , the upper ones are sessile and the lower ones are stalked. The glossy green leaf blades have a width of 3 to 7 centimeters, an elongated-egg-shaped to lanceolate shape and usually five leaf veins .

Generative characteristics

The flowering period extends from July to September, depending on the location. The flowers sit individually up to three in the upper leaf axils or clustered head-on at the end of the stem axis .

The hermaphrodite flowers are radially symmetrical with a double flower envelope . The sepals are fused bell-shaped up to about half their length and the calyx ends in five to eight irregular, upright, lanceolate calyx tips. The 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters long and pale to dirty yellow petals are fused bell-shaped and the corolla tube ends in five to eight, about 9 millimeters long, blunt and upright corolla lobes. The color of the petals varies from light yellow to reddish, a point is more or less pronounced dark, whereby the density of the points varies greatly depending on the population .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 40.

Synecology

The dot-gentian is a feed plant for oligophagous him instructed caterpillars of Gentian Alpine blade tensioner ( Perizoma obsoletata ).

Similar species

Gentiana punctata is very similar to the two species Gentiana pannonica and Gentiana purpurea , they are similar in growth form, flowering and location requirements (all three species avoid lime).

Occurrence and endangerment

The spotted gentian thrives in European mountains and is native to the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkan Peninsula . It is rarely found in the Limestone Alps , but is common in the Central and Southern Alps . It is missing across the board east of the Salzburg - Bozen line .

The spotted gentian occurs at altitudes between 1500 and 3000 meters in (upper montane) subalpine to alpine altitudes . In the Allgäu Alps it occurs at altitudes between 1400 and 2200 meters. It grows on acidic, mostly lime-poor or lime-free soils (the spotted gentian avoids lime) and on deep, nutrient-poor , not too dry clay soils .

He thrives in acidic soil pasture grass, Hochstaudenfluren , dwarf shrub heath . It colonizes alpine lawns and loose dwarf shrub stands. It prefers locations that remain snow-covered for a long time in spring. The spotted gentian is a characteristic of the association “Alpine to subalpine Borstgrasrasen” ( Nardion Br.-Bl. 1926) and is mainly found in the association “Snow-soil societies” ( Salicion herbaceae Br.-Bl. 1926) and in the association “Arctic-alpine Silicate rock lawn ”( Caricion curvulae Br.-Bl. 1925).

Although the exact population status of the spotted gentian is not known, the IUCN classifies this species as “least concern” because of its wider distribution. It is considered endangered in Germany's Red List of Endangered Species and is particularly protected under the Federal Nature Conservation Act.

Taxonomy

Gentiana punctata was first published in 1753 by Carl von Linné in Species Plantarum , 1, p. 227. Synonyms for Gentiana punctata L. are: Gentiana campanulata Jacq. , Gentiana immaculata Pers. , Gentianusa punctata (L.) Pohl . The specific epithet punctata means spotted or dotted.

use

The “root stock” of the spotted gentian is used medicinally and for making schnapps , similar to that of the yellow gentian , but it only contains bitter substances in low concentrations.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Gentiana punctata L., spotted gentian. In: FloraWeb.de.
  2. ^ Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (= Steinbach's natural guide). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 , p. 186.
  3. ^ Manfred A. Fischer, Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Exkursionsflora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol , Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
  4. ^ 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.  755 .
  5. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 331.
  6. ↑ a b Gentiana punctata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2014 Posted by: S. Khela, 2013. Accessed May 13, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Spotted Gentian ( Gentiana punctata )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files