Eryngium alpinum

Alpine holly ( Eryngium alpinum)

The Alps - holly ( Eryngium alpinum ) is a flowering plant in the carrot family ( Apiaceae ). It is also referred to as " Blue thistle " or " Anhakn ".

Features

The perennial herbaceous plant reaches heights of growth of about 50 to 70 cm ( 80 cm ). The plant is very similar thistle. The stem is branched and grooved in the flower area.

The soft basal leaves are stalked very long. Their form is undivided, triangular or oval with heart-shaped base. The edge is serrated unequal grannig. The palmate leaves are pinnate stems arranged opposite one another and have thistle-like spines.

The flowers are two to three millimeters long and sit close together in a roundish, cylindrical inflorescence. Noteworthy is the amethyst, bluish bracts are forming an extrafloral attracting apparatus that takes the attraction of insects. The bracts are stinging and jagged.

Blooms from July to September.

Occurrence

The main distribution of this species is in the western Alps, Jura (mountains ) and the Dinaric Mountains. As location calcareous soils, tall herb corridors and Wildheuplanggen are preferred in 1200 to 2500 m altitude.

In Austria, very rare in West Carinthia (western Carnic Alps) and also in Vorarlberg detected.

The plant is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant. Sometimes angesalbt as in South Tyrol ( Val d'Ultimo ).

Others

The thorny cone shell closes when wet and dark and repels slugs, caterpillars and grazing cattle.