Canarina canariensis

Canary Bellflower ( Canarina canariensis)

The Canary Bellflower ( Canarina canariensis ) is a plant that belongs to the family of the bellflower family ( Campanulaceae ). It occurs only in the Canary Islands, is the national flower, where it is called " Bicácaro ".

Description and ecology

Vegetative characteristics

The Canaries bellflower grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and can be several meters (up to three meters) climb up or crawl. It has a bulbous than Überdauerungsorgan to fleshy storage root, in which she feeds during the dry summer months and then casts back to the wet season. The plants contain a gummy latex. The constantly against the stem arranged leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade.

Generative features

In the Canaries, the flowering time is in the winter months. The stalked flowers stand singly in the leaf axils. The relatively large flowers are hermaphroditic and radial symmetry with a double perianth. There are six sepals present. In contrast to the genus Campanula, the flowers in the genus Canarina are sechszählig. The orange, dark veined corolla opens to the typical bell shape with a length of 3 to 6 cm. The flowers form a lot of nectar, a reference to birds as pollinators. In fact, they are pollinated by the willow warbler (Phylloscopus canariensis collybita ) ( the Canarian relatives of Chiffchaff ).

The Canaries bellflower forms berries in contrast to Campanula, have the fruit capsules. The only yellow or orange - colored when ripe, almost black, juicy berries are ovoid with a diameter of 3 to 4 cm. The fruits were used as food.

Occurrence

The Canary Bellflower is endemic to the central and western Canary Islands. It flowers during the winter months in moist and shady locations farnreichen laurel forests ( laurel ). These are the mean height level ( at an altitude of about 500 to 1100 meters ) in the cloud zone, limited in humid air under the influence of the northeast trade winds. The Canary Bellflower is to find, for example, in the Anaga Mountains of Tenerife frequently, also in Gran Canaria. On La Gomera it is rare to La Palma it is still in the forest area Los Tilos seen at San Andrés y Sauces.

Use

The Canary Bellflower is a rewarding and easy to care for plant for a conservatory, as experiments have shown.

Pictures

Radiärsymmetrische flower from below.

Habit and foliage leaves

Habitus in its natural habitat in a nature reserve Los Tilos in La Palma.

Storage organ