Erythronium dens-canis

Dog - tooth violet ( Erythronium dens - canis)

The dog - tooth violet ( Erythronium dens - canis), also called dog tooth or European dog tooth, is a flowering plant in the lily family ( Liliaceae ). Your dens- canis specific epithet is derived from the tooth-like onions.

Description

The dog - tooth violet grows as a perennial, herbaceous plant, reaching stature heights of 10 to 30 cm. This Geophyt forms onions as outlasting. The dog - tooth violet has two against permanent leaves, the egg - lanceolate to ovate and 6-10 cm long, they are brown green, pied dark green or gray-green.

The flowering period is from February to April. The nodding flowers are in threes. The six purple, rarely white bracts are about 3 cm long and bent back.

Occurrence

The distribution area includes southern Europe and southern Central Europe. Erythronium dens - canis comes from northern Portugal, Central Italy, Albania and northeastern Greece to central France, Switzerland, Central Bohemia and the Carpathians before. In Britain, the dog - tooth violet was naturalized. In Germany this type does not occur. In Austria the dog tooth in Burgenland, Styria and Carinthia occurs. He is regarded here as a regionally endangered.

The dog tooth grows in deciduous forests, forest edges and wet meadows in Austria in colliner to montane altitudes 200-2200 m.

Use

The dog - tooth violet is scattered used as an ornamental plant for woodland edges, rock gardens and informal lawns. It is in culture at least since 1570. There are now more than ten varieties (selection):

• 'Lilac Wonder' and ' Frans Hals' have dark purple flowers
• ' Snowflake' has white flowers

Pictures

Flower