CalPhotos    Photo Database

Asperula aristata; Southern Squinancywort   

Contributors      Log In  
 

click photo for larger file
Asperula aristata
Asperula aristata
Southern Squinancywort
Photographer: Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

ID: 0000 0000 0816 1624 (2016-08-22)

Copyright © 2016 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

 
INFORMATION PROVIDED WITH THE PHOTO
  • date of photo  Aug 16, 2016
  • latitude 46.36214   longitude 13.70822     View on Google Maps.
  • location   Lower Trenta valley, between villages Soča and Trenta; right bank of the ravine descending from Mt. Srebrnjak, 2.100 m (6.890 feet), reaching the bottom of the valley slightly upstream from Otokar farmhouse, Trenta 4, East Julian Alps (Posočje, Slovenia)
  • notes   Slo.: dolgocvetna perla - syn.: Asperula longiflora, Asperula cynanchica ssp. aristata - Habitat: colluvial, almost barren, stony, calcareous ground; scree and rocks; side of a mountain ravine, very dry place, partly sunny, moderately steep mountain slope, southeast aspect, exposed to direct rain; elevation 610 m (2.000 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil among stones. Comment: Asperula aristata is another mini-jewel in the genus Asperula. Its flowers are only a few millimeters long and not much than one or two in diameter. However, they are beautifully shaped in tender, small trumpets. The whole plant is tender and hence a challenge for a field photographer. The plant is inconspicuous and if one walks fast, he will not notice it. This Mediterranean - montane floral element enters the Alps only in their south, south-east and south-west part. It grows also in Pyrenees, Apennines, Dinaric Mountains and south Balkan Peninsula mountains. It is not a common plant (because it is so easy to be overlooked?), but quite frequent in the Julian Alps and Trenta valley. Just a little bit norths in south Austria it is denoted as a rare plant (Ref.:1). Asperula aristata is variable. For example in literature it is considered having pink flowers. However, almost all of them I've found in Trenta valley are snow white. Several subspecies have been described in literature but Flora Alpina Ref.3 does not recognize them. If one accepts these subspecies the plant on my pictures would be named Asperula aristata ssp. oreophila (Briq.) Hayek. Ref.: (1) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora für Österreich, Liechtenstein und Südtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 703. (2) A. Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnična Založba Slovenije (2007), p 517. (3) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 344. (4) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 760.
  • camera   Nikon D700/Nikkor Micro 105mm/f2.8
  • contributor's ID #  Bot_997/2016-DSC4469
  • photo category: Plant - annual/perennial

  • MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PLANT
  • common names   Southern Squinancywort (photographer)
  • View all photos in CalPhotos of Asperula aristata
  • Check Google Images for Asperula aristata


  • The photographer's identification Asperula aristata has not been reviewed. Sign in to review or comment on this photo

     
    Using this photo   The thumbnail photo (128x192 pixels) on this page may be freely used for personal or academic purposes without prior permission under the Fair Use provisions of US copyright law as long as the photo is clearly credited with © 2016 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy. For other uses, or if you have questions, contact Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy amadej.trnkoczy[AT]siol.net. (Replace the [AT] with the @ symbol before sending an email.)


     

    Copyright © 1995-2024 UC Regents. All rights reserved.

    CalPhotos is a project of BNHM     University of California, Berkeley