Soldanella

Alpine Soldanelle ( Soldanella alpina)

Alpenglöckchen ( Soldanella ), also called Soldanelle, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae ( Primulaceae ). They are also called Eisglöckchen or Troddelblumen. According to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance all native species are protected in Germany. They are native to the European mountains. Some species are also suitable as ornamental plants for the rock garden.

• 5.1 types

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Soldanella species grow as evergreen or deciduous perennial herbaceous plants. The most basal leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The leaf blade is round.

Generative features

On a relatively long inflorescence stem are in an inflorescence at necropsy Tubiflores several flowers, but at necropsy Soldanella only one flower. The hermaphrodite flowers are fünfzählig. The five petals usually have purple tones, rarely they are white. In the section Tubiflores the five petals are bell-shaped and in the section Soldanella they are grown in a funnel shape. Always the five corolla lobes are ausgegefranst. There is only one ( the inner) circle with five free stamens present. The stamens are fused to the corolla tube, but not with each other. In the section Soldanella the stylus is short in length and in the section Tubiflores. Pollination is by insects ( bees, bumblebees, butterflies ); for a suspected self-pollination in Soldanella alpina there is no experimental evidence.

The fruit capsules are five ( section Tubiflores ) or zehnzähnig ( section Soldanella ).

In most Soldanella species a chromosome set of 2n = 40 was found, except for Soldanella montana, Soldanella villosa (2n = 38) and Soldanella chrysosticta (2n = 38 or 40).

Evolutionary history

The history of the genus Soldanella dates back to the Tertiary and originated in the Alps ( alpigen ). In the Alps there are six types.

Plant sociology

There are two groups of forest-dwelling ökogeographischen, montane and alpine species.

The Alpine Soldanella species are typical of the snow floor companies so-called Schneetälchen: When will remain longer in the mountains of snow in some places, certain kinds are in the areas where the snow here is to melt, the first back on expulsion; the first type is usually the Alpenglöckchen. The flower melts at the long snow-covered locations often through the thin snow cover throughout. The melt-through is based less on the intrinsic heat generated by respiration of the plant than on the absorption of solar heat by the dark buds and flower stems.

Origin of the name

The botanical name Soldanella was common in the 16th century. It should be attributed to the fact that the round - kidney-shaped rosette leaves recalled the well-known than Soldi Italian coins.

System

The genus name Soldanella was first published in 1753 by Carolus Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, p 144. Type species is Soldanella alpina L..

The genus Soldanella is divided into two sections:

• Section Tubiflores: With the two predominantly occurring in the high altitudes of the mountains types Soldanella minima and Soldanella pusilla.
• Section Soldanella: With the remaining species.

Species

There are after Zhang & Kadereit 2004 16 Soldanella species and four subspecies:

• Alpine Soldanelle ( Soldanella alpina L.), with the subspecies: Soldanella alpina subsp. alpina (syn.: S. clusii FWSchmidt, S. montana Willd var clusii ( FWSchmidt ) Thomé. )
• Soldanella alpina subsp. cantabrica a.kress; it occurs in Spain

• Austrian Soldanelle ( Soldanella minima subsp austriaca ( Vierh. ) Lüdi Syn: .. S. austriaca Vierh ); it occurs in the Eastern Alps
• Smallest Soldanelle ( Soldanella minima subsp minima, Syn. S. minima f cyclophylla ( Beck) Vierh, S. minima f R.Schulz biflora, S. minima f coerulea R.Schulz, S. minima f longistyla. R.Schulz, S. minima f latifolia Cristofolini & Pignatti ); it occurs in the Eastern Alps
• Soldanella minima subsp. samnitica Cristofolini & Pignatti The Kronröhrer narrower divided and only about one- fifth of the length of the petals when in the subsp. minima. It is endemic to the Abruzzo ( Majella National Park ).

• Soldanella pusilla subsp. pusilla (syn.: S. pusilla var biflora Borbás, S. pusilla f obliqua Györffy, p pirinica FKMeyer, S. pusilla subsp pirinica ( FKMeyer ) J.Chrtek. )
• Soldanella pusilla subsp. alpicola ( FKMeyer ) J.Chrtek (syn.: S. alpicola FKMeyer, S. alpina var minor Seringe, S. alpina var cylindrica Seringe, S. alpina var uniflora Steinberger, S. pusilla var parviflora Freyn, S. pusilla var chrysosplenifolia J.Murr, S. pusilla f calcicola Vierh. , S. pusilla f diversifolia Zenari, S. pusilla var carestiae Cristofolini & Pignatti )