Gagea pratensis

Meadow yellow star ( Gagea pratensis)

The meadows Yellow Star ( Gagea pratensis), or Meadow Gold Star called, belongs to the genus yellow star ( Gagea ), and thus to the lily family ( Liliaceae ).

Identifying

When meadows Yellow Star is a petite perennial herbaceous plant onion ( Geophyt ), the (usually in April ) blooms in early spring and reaches stature heights 8-20 cm. The flowering time is usually a few days after the field - yellow star.

The plant has only a base sheet having a V-shaped blade cross-section, which is 2 to 4 mm wide. The bracts are ciliated. The lowest Stem Leaf dominates the inflorescence with its one to six flowers usually clear. The six golden yellow to greenish yellow tepals and the flower stems show no hair - in contrast to the field - yellow star. The tepals are not pointed, they run slightly dull from. The plant has a main onion with 2 naked, lying, yellowish bulblets.

Occurrence

The slightly thermophilic species prefers moderately dry, loam and loess.

The species was formerly present in both fields, vineyards as in fresh meadows and pastures. Due to changes in the type of tillage of grasslands Yellow star- has largely disappeared from fields and become much less common in vineyards. In grassland meadows yellow star located preferably near fruit trees, it is also common to find on horse pastures as cattle pastures, even more rarely in pure hay meadows. Common ( often sterile ) occurrences are in cemeteries and parks. The nature here is indicative of the rural past use of the facilities.

In some years the species is difficult to find due to a lack bloom.

Dissemination

The meadows Yellow Star is a common in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe, temperate - continental Art In Germany he is very absent-minded until rare, it is absent in many parts of Baden -Württemberg in southern Bavaria and North West Germany and is available in most states on the Red list of Threatened Species. In Britain and Norway, the type is not found.

Related species

Related species are the Acker - Yellow Star, the forest - Yellow Star, the vaginal yellow star and the Little Yellow Star.