Eryngium alpinum
Encyclopedia
Eryngium alpinum is a herbaceous
perennial plant
of Eryngium
genus, belonging to the Apiaceae
family.
, as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves. The roots are deep and robust.
The stems are solitary and erect, usually with three branches on the apex and with longitudinal purple stripes in the central part. This plant reaches on average 30–70 cm (11.8–27.6 ) in height, with a maximum of 100 centimetres (39.4 in). The basal leaves are oval or approximately heart-shaped, 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 ) wide and 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 ) long, with toothed hedges and a long petiole. The cauline
leaves are sessile
and progressively more and more deeply divided.
The inflorescence
s are located at the top of the main branches and produced in dense umbel
s 4 cm long and 2 cm diameter. They are bright green at the base and blue amethystine (almost cobalt) in the upper part (the basal bract
s). These bract
s are stiff, bipinnatifid, with bristly, almost spiny or frayed lobes. They vary from 12 to 18 and are up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long.
The flowers are very small (2 mm), the peripheral flowers are unisexual (or sterile), while the internal (or central) flowers are hermaphroditic
. Both have five petals (pentamerous) and are actinomorphic. Flowering period extends from July through September. Pollination is granted by insects of various species. The fruit is an ovoidal achene
densely spiny, about 4 to 6 mm in diameter.
, Jura
and northwestern Balkan mountains. It is present in Austria
, Croatia
, France
, Italy
, Slovenia
and Switzerland
.
for the pale flowerhead bracts and stark growth form to add contrast in gardens.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
of Eryngium
Eryngium
Eryngium is a genus in the family Apiaceae of about 230 species of annuals and perennials with hairless and usually spiny leaves, and dome-shaped umbels of flowers resembling those of thistles. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the centre of diversity in South America. Some species...
genus, belonging to the Apiaceae
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
family.
Etymology
The genus name (Eryngium) is probably derived from the Greek "erungion", a word that recalls the hedgehog. Otherwise it could come from "eruma" (=protection, defense), with reference to the thorny leaves of the plants of this genus. The species name ("alpinum") derives from the area of origin of flowers.Description
The biological form of Eryngium alpinum is hemicryptophyte scaposeGlossary of botanical terms
Many of the terms used in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, lists like the following indicate where new articles need to be written and are also useful for looking up and comparing large numbers of terms together.This glossary is incomplete;...
, as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves. The roots are deep and robust.
The stems are solitary and erect, usually with three branches on the apex and with longitudinal purple stripes in the central part. This plant reaches on average 30–70 cm (11.8–27.6 ) in height, with a maximum of 100 centimetres (39.4 in). The basal leaves are oval or approximately heart-shaped, 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 ) wide and 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 ) long, with toothed hedges and a long petiole. The cauline
Glossary of botanical terms
Many of the terms used in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, lists like the following indicate where new articles need to be written and are also useful for looking up and comparing large numbers of terms together.This glossary is incomplete;...
leaves are sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
and progressively more and more deeply divided.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are located at the top of the main branches and produced in dense umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
s 4 cm long and 2 cm diameter. They are bright green at the base and blue amethystine (almost cobalt) in the upper part (the basal bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s). These bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s are stiff, bipinnatifid, with bristly, almost spiny or frayed lobes. They vary from 12 to 18 and are up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long.
The flowers are very small (2 mm), the peripheral flowers are unisexual (or sterile), while the internal (or central) flowers are hermaphroditic
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
. Both have five petals (pentamerous) and are actinomorphic. Flowering period extends from July through September. Pollination is granted by insects of various species. The fruit is an ovoidal achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
densely spiny, about 4 to 6 mm in diameter.
Distribution
This plant is native of the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, Jura
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
and northwestern Balkan mountains. It is present in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Habitat
Due to the indiscriminate collection this plant is now very rare. It grows in subalpine scrubs, rocky areas and wet pastures, preferably in limestone and moist or wet climate, at an altitude of 1500–2000 m (4,921.3–6,561.7 ) above sea level. It is cultivated as an ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
for the pale flowerhead bracts and stark growth form to add contrast in gardens.