Clematis alpina

Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina)

The Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina ) is a plant of the genus Clematis (Clematis ) in the family of the buttercup family ( Ranunculaceae ).

Appearance

The Alpine Clematis is the only vine of the mountain forests of the Alps. It is a 30 to 300 cm long, creeping or climbing Schlingstrauch. The leaves are light green and 3schnittig and sit at woody, twining branches. The petioles are trailing. The bright blue -purple flowers bloom from May to August and are about 2.5 to 4 cm in size.

Ecology

The flowers are " nectar leading disk flowers ". The outer stamens are converted to petals and nectar provide a source of nectar for bees wasps and butterflies dar.

The fruits weigh about 2.5 mg. The hairy, tail -like extended stylus is about 3.5 cm long.

Toxicology

The Alpine Clematis is like the Upright Clematis (Clematis recta ) toxic. Main active ingredient is the skin-sensitizing protoanemonin. In case of contact with the plant sap can then give rise to skin rashes and itching.

Occurrence

The Alpine Clematis likes to grow on calcareous soils and preferred thickets, forest edges, ravines but also rock. The circulation area covers the south-western and eastern Alps, the Pyrenees, Apennines, Carpathians and the Balkan Mountains; but with other subspecies is the clan also in northern Europe and Asia.

Subspecies

The type has several subtypes:

• Subsp. alpina, it occurs only in Europe
• Subsp. ochotensis ( Pall. ) Kuntze (syn.: .. Atragene ochotensis Pall, Clematis ochotensis ( Pall. ) Poir ), occurs in Siberia, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Korea and Japan
• Subsp. sibirica (Mill.) Kuntze ( syn. Clematis sibirica million ), it is found in northern and north-eastern Europe and Asia