BOTANY.cz

ERANTHIS HYEMALIS (L.) Salisb. – Winter Aconite

Ladislav Hoskovec — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:55:00 +0000

Syn.: Helleborus hyemalis L.
Family: Ranunculaceae Juss.

Distribution: The Winter Aconite is native to Southeastern Europe and Western Asia, and has been introduced into North America.
Habitat: In Southern Europe it grows in damp deciduous forests, also in meadows, up to an altitude of 1 200 meters above sea level. Widely cultivated for ornament in all Europe, it grows also in parks and near settlements, along roads, in wastelands etc.
Description: A perennial tuberous plant with an erect flowering stem, 5–20 cm high, the leaves are orbicular in outline, palmately 3–5 lobed, the lobes further cut into contiguous segments. The flowers are single, 2–3,5 cm in diameter, yellow, cup-shaped, flowers early in the spring (February to April). The fruits are a follicles.
Threat and Protection: The Winter Aconite is a protected species in Hungary and Serbia.
Note: This plant is noted for its early flowering, it has been cultivated since the 16th century.

These images were taken in Czechia, Moravia, Brno (dates: from 24. 2. till 17. 4. 2003).

ALLIUM PARADOXUM (M. Bieb.) G. Don – Few-Flowered Garlic, Few-Flowered Leek

Lubomír Rak — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:26:41 +0000

Family: Alliaceae Agardh

Distribution: A native of western and central Asia, Caucasus. Naturalized in a number of places in Europe, in Czechia for the first time documented in 1867 in Prague and central Bohemia.
Habitat: It grows in light woodlands, in half-shady places, on damp or semi-arid soils.
Description: A perennial herb with a bulb and erect stem, 15–30 cm high. The basal leaves are lanceolate, bright green. The inflorescence consists of a single solitary flower and bulbils in white spathes. Flowers from April to May.
Threat and Protection: The Few-Flowered Garlic is a protected plant species in Russia.
Use: The leaves are used in cooking.

These images were taken in Czechia, Prague (date: April 2006).

ASTER LINOSYRIS (L.) Bernh. – Goldilocks Aster, Goldilocks

Ladislav Hoskovec — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:31:40 +0000

Syn.: Chrysocoma linosyris L., Crinitina linosyris (L.) Soják, Crinitaria linosyris (L.) Less., Linosyris vulgaris Cass.
Family: Asteraceae Martinov

Distribution: European species – Britain, Middle, Southern and Eastern part of the continent, to Southern Scandinavia in the North, also Asia Minor and Northwestern Africa.
Habitat: It grows on sunny rocks and stony slopes, on dry pastures and cliffs, on a calcareous soil.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 10–50 cm high. The leaves are lanceolate, entire, the flower heads are borne in large leafy clusters terminating the stems. It has no ray flowers, only tubular disk florets. Flowers from July to September. The fruit is an achene.
Threat and Protection: The Goldilocks Aster is a protected plant species in some countries (CZ).

These images were taken in Czechia, Moravia, Brno, Stránská skála (date: 18. 10. 2003).

GLAUX MARITIMA L. – Sea-milkwort

Ladislav Hoskovec — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:36:29 +0000

Family: Primulaceae Vent.; Myrsinaceae R. Br.

Distribution: The Sea-milkwort is a circumpolar species, it is found along the coasts, but also on inland salt meadows of Europe and Asia (from Russia and Middle Asia to China and Japan), also in Northern America.
Habitat: It grows on the banks of rivers, cliffs, marshy places and in saline areas near the sea, from lowlands to foothills – a halophyte.
Description: A perennial herb with a prostrate to ascending and branched stem, 4–20 cm long. The leaves are sessile, entire, lanceolate to ovate. The flowers are solitary, 5-lobed, the calyx is pink or reddish, flowers from May to September. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Sea-milkwort is a protected plant species in some countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland).
Note: Glaux is a monotypic genus.

These images were taken in Czechia, Moravia, Dobré Pole (date: 29. 5. 2005).

Flora of bridges – Prague, Charles Bridge

Ladislav Hoskovec — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:29:42 +0000

Do you often walk across bridges? The life without bridges would make our existence too single bank by walking along only one side of the river. This small piece of the universe, whose purpose is apparently nothing more than a path that leads you to the people on the other side, hides itself much more magic than it may seem at the first sight. Let´s try to find it out together – let’s take a walk across the probably most famous bridge in Czechia and have a bit different look.

The Charles Bridge is a leading Czech medieval architectural monument, its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, a legend says that eggs were used to enrich the mortar etc. But we are not interested in history and a unique Baroque statues are absolutely boring for us too. Saturday 4th August 2007, exactly 6 hours in the morning – I was walking with botanists Pavol Eliáš and Petr Krása across the Charles Bridge and its surroundings and were interested in plants only. What species of plants can we find in such place?

“The bridge is like an old wall,” said Palo Eliáš, our web colleague from Slovak town Nitra, inter alia, professionally specializes in the vegetation and habitats affected by human activities. “So we can find plants of rock fissures (eg. Asplenium ruta-muraria), ruderal species transmitted by humans (eg. Chenopodium album) as well as species whose seeds have been spread by wind (eg. Betula, Salix etc.).” What was really interesting, that directly on the Charles Bridge we encountered one endangered and protected species – the Eastern Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris). Big surprise, however, showed off through one sewer cover in the pavement of the Charles Bridge. Palo Eliáš once cried out: “Oh no, it is not possible, because this is a melon!” Indeed! The seeds of water melon (Citrullus lanatus) had been taken here by some tourist eating a melon and spitted the seeds out. It seems, that the seeds had been washed by rain to the sewer and then sprouted and now grows here. Unexpected and unprecedented rarity!

This melon adventure motivated us even more explore the flora of the bridge and its surroundings. And indeed it was worth it. On the vault of bridge we found total of 38 species of vascular plants – a relatively large number. Our attention was paid to the wooden ice-breakers because of the unusual occurrence of the White Goosefoot (Chenopodium album) and Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus) – they grow here directly on wood. The bridge pavement is heavily burdened by shoe soles of thousands tourists, vegetation is therefore very rare. More plants can be found on the outer shell of the bridge and whole garden of flowers we can met on the bridge pillars.
For a better imagination you can find the list of all plants species we found there.

Plants to coat the bridge, pillars, paving and ice guards:
Acer pseudoplatanus
Alnus glutinosa
Arenaria serpyllifolia
Artemisia vulgaris
Asplenium ruta-muraria
Betula pendula
Brassica napus
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Cirsium arvense
Citrullus lanatus
Conyza canadensis
Dryopteris sp.
Echinochloa crus-galli
Eragrostis minor
Erigeron acris
Fragaria vesca
Frangula alnus
Geum urbanum
Chenopodium album
Lactuca seriola
Lepidium ruderale
Lycopus europaeus
Phalaris arundinacea
Plantago major
Platanus x acerifolia
Poa annua
Poa palustris
Polygonum aviculare
Populus tremula
Ribes uva-crispa
Rosa canina
Sagina procumbens
Sedum sexangulare
Senecio vulgaris
Solanum villosum
Stellaria media
Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia
Thelypteris palustris

We subsequently descended to Vltava (Moldau) bank under the bridge and previewed particularly Malá Strana coast in the vicinity of the Charles Bridge. “On the banks are typical representatives of bank flora (eg. Epilobium hirsutum, Phalaris arundinacea, Scrophularia umbrosa), but also numerous species that have escaped from gardens (Impatiens glandulifera, Tagetes patula),” says Palo Eliáš. “In addition to indigenous species we find plants from Southern Europe, but also from North America – really nice show! Altogether we counted 59 species. ”

Plants of bank:
Angelica sylvestris
Artemisia vulgaris
Atriplex patula
Atriplex prostrata
Barbarea stricta
Bidens tripartita
Brassica napus
Bromus inermis
Calamagrostis epigejos
Carduus acanthoides
Carduus crispus
Carex cf. buekii
Carex hirta
Crepis biennis
Cymbalaria muralis
Descurainia sophia
Elymus caninus
Epilobium hirsutum
Epilobium tetragonum
Galinsoga parviflora
Humulus lupulus
Hypericum perforatum
Impatiens glandulifera
Iris pseudacorus
Juncus compressus
Lobularia maritima
Lolium perenne
Lycopus europaeus
Lysimachia vulgaris
Lythrum salicaria
Melilotus albus
Mentha longifolia
Myosoton aquaticum
Oenothera canovirens
Persicaria maculata
Persicaria mitis
Phalaris arundinacea
Poa compressa
Poa palustris
Robinia pseudacacia
Rorippa palustris
Rorippa sylvestris
Rubus caesius
Rumex conglomeratus
Rumex obtusifolius
Salix fragilis
Salix purpurea
Saponaria officinalis
Scrophularia umbrosa
Scutellaria galericulata
Silene vulgaris
Solanum dulcamara
Solanum villosum
Sonchus oleraceus
Stachys palustris
Stenactis annua
Tagetes patula
Tripleurospermum inodorum
Urtica dioica
Valerianella cf. locusta

Our floristic exploration of the Charles Bridge is last for a long time – the Charles Bridge is awaiting a big correction. We believe that the Mother Nature wins again and a new coat of our national glory to turn green to delight the eyes of all passionate florists.

VINCA MINOR L. – Common Periwinkle, Lesser Periwinkle

Ladislav Kovář — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:12:24 +0000

Syn.: Vinca humilis Salisb., Vinca intermedia Tausch, Vinca ellipticifolia Stokes, Vinca acutiflora Bertol. ex Koch
Family: Apocynaceae Juss.

Distribution: European species – from Northwestern Spain to Ukraine and Russian Federation. The species is cultivated and naturalized in the British Isles, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China (Jiangsu), United States and South America.
Habitat: It grows in semi-shady or shady habitats, in woods and woodland margins.
Description: A perennial herb (shrublet) with a thin rhizome and slender, trailing stems, up to 80 cm long. The flowering stems are erect, up to 30 cm long. The leaves are petiolate, lanceolate to elliptical, leathery. The flowers are solitary, corolla is blue, bluish-violet, mauve, pink or white. Flowers from March to June. The fruit is a follicle.
Use: The Common Periwinkle is cultivated in gardens, especially as ground cover plant. In the Middle Ages was used as magical and medical plant. It is a poisonous herb.

Note: The Common Periwinkle is a very variable species with a number of distinct cultivars.

These images were taken in Czechia, Moravia, Moravský kras (by Ladislav Kovář: 21. 4. 2004 – native) and Prague Botanic Garden (by Pavel Sekerka: April 2005 and 2007 – cultivars).

RHODODENDRON FERRUGINEUM L. – Alpine-rose

Ladislav Kovář — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:53:17 +0000

Family: Ericaceae Juss.

Distribution: Mountains of Europe – Pyrenees, Alps, Jura, Northern Apennines, Dinarides. It has been introduced to the Bohemian Massif (Králický Sněžník).
Habitat: It grows on grassy meadows, mountain pastures and stony slopes, in woodland margins, on acid soils, from mountains to alpine altitudinal zone (up to 2840 metres above sea level).
Description: A small and evergreen shrub, 30–120(–150) cm high. The leaves are eliptic, entire, with inrolled margins and rusty scales beneath. The flowers are in clusters of 6–10, bell-shaped corolla is about 1,5 cm long, pinkish-red. Flowers from June to August. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Alpine-rose is a protected plant in Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Serbia.
Note: This plant (sometimes called Alpenrose or Snow-rose) is moderately toxic, contains several poisonous glycosides.

These images were taken in Italy, Dolomites, Passo di Falzarego (date: 19. 6. 2005).

SEMPERVIVUM TECTORUM L. – Common Houseleek, Liveforever

Ladislav Hoskovec — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:18:38 +0000

Syn.: Sempervivum glaucum Ten., Sempervivum schottii Baker, non C. B. Lehm. et Schnittsp., Sempervivum andreanum Wale, Sempervivum arvernense Lecoq et Lamotte, Sempervivum alpinum Griseb. et Schenk
Family: Crassulaceae DC.

Distribution: Mountains of Western, Central and Southern Europe, from Pyrenees to Alps, Apennines and Dinarides. It has been also introduced to many others parts of Europe and to North America.
Habitat: It grows on sunny rocks and stony slopes, also on walls and roofs, from foothills to alpine altitudinal zone.
Description: A succulent, perennial herb (monocarpic) with a basal rosette of fleshy leaves. From the centre of the rosette grows a hairy stem, up to 20(–50) cm high, with a terminal inflorescence (cymes of 5–15 pink or purple flowers with 12–16 pointed petals). Flowers from June to July. The fruit is a follicle. The rosette dies after flowering but the plant spreads by means of stolons. It is a very variable species with a number of distinct subspecies.
Threat and Protection: The Common Houseleek is a protected plant species in Hungary.
Note: In the Middle Ages the plant was grown on roofs as a protection against fire and lightning. It was also used as a herbal remedy. The Common Houseleek (also known as Old-Man-and-Woman or Hen-and-Chickens) is often grown in rock gardens as an ornamental plant.

These images were taken in Czechia, Southern Moravia, Brno-Bystrc (date: 27. 7. 2005).

DIGITALIS GRANDIFLORA Miller – Large Yellow Foxglove

Ladislav Hoskovec — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:35:22 +0000

Syn.: Digitalis ambigua Murray
Family: Scrophulariaceae Juss.; Plantaginaceae (s. l.)

Distribution: Southern, Middle and Eastern Europe, Asia Minor and Western Siberia, and it has been introduced into North America.
Habitat: It grows in deciduous woods and glades, on mountain meadows, from foothills to mountains.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect and unbranched stem, 30–120 cm high. The leaves are lanceolate, up to 25 cm long, with toothed margin. The flowers are large, in a long spike, the corolla is tubular, yellow on the outside, mottled brown on the inside. Flowers from June to August. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Large Yellow Foxglove is a protected plant in some countries (e. g. Germany).
Note: All parts of the plant contain a poisonous glycosides (digitalin), these glycosides affect the heart and circulation.

These images were taken in Czechia, Hrubý Jeseník and Brno (dates: from 20. 5. to 20. 7. 2003).

CYCLAMEN REPANDUM Sibth. et Sm. – Spring Sowbread

Ladislav Hoskovec — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:39:21 +0000

Family: Primulaceae Vent.; Myrsinaceae R. Br.

Distribution: The Mediterranean Basin – from Southern France and Algeria across Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Croatia, Serbia to Greece. Cyclamen repandum has several subspecies (C. r. subsp. repandum, subsp. peloponnesiacum, subsp. rhodense).
Habitat: It grows in deciduous and Pine woodlands, in woodland margins.
Description: A perennial herb with a subterranean globose tuber. The leaves are in a basal rosette, petiolate, ovate to cordate with a triangular white pattern on the green surface, reddish on the back of leaves, 4–10 cm long and 3–9 cm wide, margin dentate to lobate. The solitary flowers grow on long stalks, the reflexed petals are 15–25 mm long and 5–6 mm wide, purple-red. Flowers from March to May. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Spring Sowbread is a protected plant by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Italy, Gargano, in the vicinity of San Marco in Lamis (date: 18. 4. 2008).

HIMANTOGLOSSUM ADRIATICUM H. Baumann – Adriatic Lizard Orchid

Ladislav Hoskovec — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:12:36 +0000

Syn.: Himantoglossum hircinum (L.) Spreng. subsp. adriaticum (H. Baumann) Sundermann
Family: Orchidaceae Juss.

Distribution: Panonic and Submediterranean species – Northern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Moravia.
Habitat: It grows in dry grasslands, in shrubs and woodland margins, on limestone soils, from lowlands to foothills.

Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 30–80 cm high. The leaves are lanceolate, entire, up to 15 cm long. The erect terminal inflorescence has 15–45 flowers, the flowers are quite attractive, green white with reddish brown markings, to 5 cm long, sepals and petals forming a hood, the lip is 3-lobed, mid-lobe is divided into two at the top. Flowers from June to July. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Adriatic Lizard Orchid is a protected plant in some countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary etc.), simultaneously is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Czechia, Moravia, Ketkovice (date: 6. 7. 2006) and Slovakia, Malé Karpaty (date: 1. 6. 2008).

HIMANTOGLOSSUM HIRCINUM (L.) Spreng. – Lizard Orchid

Ladislav Hoskovec — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:19:01 +0000

Syn.: Satyrium hircinum L., Orchis hircina Crantz, Loroglossum hircinum (L.) L. C. Richard, Aceras hircinum (L.) Lindl.
Family: Orchidaceae Juss.

Distribution: Western and Southwestern Europe, Northwestern Africa – from Spain eastwards to Italy and the Balkans, to England and Germany in the north.
Habitat: It grows in woodland margins, in dry meadows and pastures, in macchia and garrigue, on limestone soils, up to 1 800 metres above sea level.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 20–90(–110) cm high. The basal leaves are lanceolate to ovate, entire, up to 15 cm long and 5 cm wide, the stem leaves are smaller, lanceolate. The inflorescence is a dense spike, up to 35 cm long, with 40–80(–120) flowers, the flowers have a distinct smell of goats, are greyish green with red markings, sepals and petals forming a hood, the lip is 3-lobed, mid-lobe up to 6 cm long, twisted in a spiral, divided into 2–4 teeth, the spur is about 6,5 mm long. Flowers from April to July. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Lizard Orchid is a protected plant in some countries (e. g. GB, Serbia), simultaneously is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Italy, Gargano, Valle Pezzente (dates: 16. and 22. 4. 2008).

DACTYLORHIZA LAPPONICA (Laest. ex Hartm.) Soó – Lapland Marsh Orchid

Ladislav Kovář — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:29:58 +0000

Syn.: Orchis angustifolia var. lapponica Laest. ex Hartm., Dactylorhiza pseudocordigera (Neumann) Soó, Orchis lapponica (Laest. ex Hartm.) Rchb. fil., Orchis pseudocordigera Neumann, Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Rchb.) Soó subsp. lapponica (Hartm.) Soó, Dactylorhiza cruenta (O. F. Müll.) Soó subsp. lapponica (Hartm.) E. Nelson
Family: Orchidaceae Juss.

Distribution: Scandinavian Arctic-Alpine plant species, also Carpathians. The Lapland Marsh Orchid has several subspecies – D. l. subsp. lapponica from Scandinavia, D. l. subsp. rhaetica (on our photos) from the Alps, D. l. subsp. russowii (sometimes as D. russowii).
Habitat: It grows in moorland flushes, grassy areas, pastures and meadows, from the lowlands to the subalpine zone.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 10–30 cm cm high. The leaves (2–5) are lanceolate, spotted, 3–12 cm long. The inflorescence is cylindrical, short, only 3–5 cm long, with 3–20 dark purple to reddish-violet flowers, labellum 3-lobed, with dark spots and streaks, middle lobe is often distinctly longer than lateral ones. Flowers from June to August. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: The Lapland Marsh Orchid is a protected plant in some countries, simultaneously is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Italy, Dolomites, in the vicinity of Lago di Misurina (date 18. 6. 2005).

DACTYLORHIZA OCHROLEUCA (Boll) Averyanov – Fen Early Marsh Orchid

Ladislav Hoskovec — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:38:01 +0000

Syn.: Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó var. ochroleuca Boll, Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó subsp. ochroleuca (Wustnei ex Boll) P. F. Hunt et Summerh., Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó var. straminea (Rchb. fil.) Soó
Family: Orchidaceae Juss.

Distribution: East Anglia, Middle Europe, Southern Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, Northern Ukraine.
Habitat: It grows on wet meadows, moors and peat-bogs, up to 600 metres above sea level.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 25–90 cm high. The leaves (4–7) are lanceolate, unspotted. The inflorescence up to 18 cm long, the flowers are pale yellow, the labellum is 3-lobed, middle lobe is longer than lateral ones. Flowers from May to July. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: Dactylorhiza ochroleuca is a protected plant in some countries (e.g. DK, GB, HU, SK), simultaneously is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Slovakia, Záhorská nížina (date 4. 6. 2006).

OPHRYS BISCUTELLA O. et D. Danesch

Ladislav Hoskovec — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:40:51 +0000

Syn.: Ophrys fuciflora (F. W. Schmidt) Moench subsp. pollinensis E. Nelson, Ophrys exaltata Ten. subsp. sundermanni Soó, Ophrys crabronifera Mauri subsp. sundermanni (Soó) Del Prete, Ophrys crabronifera Mauri subsp. pollinensis (E. Nelson) H. Baumann et R. Lorenz, Ophrys argolica H. Fleischm. subsp. biscutella (O. et E. Danesch) Kreutz
Family: Orchidaceae Juss.

Distribution: An endemic species of Southern Italy.
Habitat: It grows in dry meadows and pastures, macchie and garrigue, on rocky slopes, and in woodland margins, up to 1300 metres above sea level.
Description: A perennial herb with an erect stem, 15–50 cm high. The basal leaves in rosette, lanceolate, the flowers 2–8(–10) in lax inflorescence, the sepals are pink or white, the petals pink, the lip is 3-lobed, reddish brown, with characteristic eyeglass-like signs. Flowers from April to May. The fruit is a capsule.
Threat and Protection: Ophrys biscutella is a protected plant by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

These images were taken in Italy, Gargano, Pianura di Montenero (date 20. 4. 2008).