Gentiana verna

Spring Gentian ( Gentiana verna)

The Spring Gentian ( Gentiana verna), also called Schusternagerl, chimney sweep, Himmelsbläueli, Herrgottsliechtli, Tintabluoma or sky stalk, is one of the smallest gentians.

Plant traits

Normally, the perennial herbaceous plant height reached by a few centimeters; only under particularly favorable circumstances, it grows up to 15 cm. The short and edged stem grows upright and bears one to three couples cross against continuous, elliptical or lanceolate leaves, with the top is just below the calyx. Significantly larger than the stem leaves fall from the one-to three annoying rosettes forming basal leaves. They reach a length of about 30 mm and run to lanceolate pointed.

The narrow winged on the edges, serrated cup is smaller in size than the corolla tube. The crown has a diameter of about 20 to 30 mm. The five deep azure, dish-shaped petals are ovate. Between the broad - lanceolate lobes sitting ever a two-part small pointed appendage with a white line.

The flowering period is from March to August.

The flowers form ( stem plate flower) and the bright blue color indicate that this species is pollinated by butterflies especially. Next also langrüsselige Hymenoptera, especially bumblebees are involved. The distribution of seeds is done in addition to the by ants primarily on the wind.

Occurrence

On sunny alpine meadows in the Spring Gentian is a fairly widespread species. Also in European low mountain ranges, for example, in the Jura and the Balkan Mountains, and in heathlands and dry meadows in Bavaria and Baden- Württemberg it occurs. In Austria, it occurs in all federal states: in the montane to alpine altitude level often at lower altitudes very rare. Its distribution extends to Asia.

It grows on dry, lean meadows with calcareous subsoil and blooms, depending on location, from March to June at altitudes of 2600 m. However, this type also occurs on silicate and wet meadows, and often blooms in the fall a second time.

Spring Gentian is considered as indicator plant for nitrogen- poor soils.

Conservation

The Spring Gentian is, like all other types of gentian, in Germany under protection. Risk category according to the Red List: 3 . In Austria, the species is listed in at least one state under complete, the statutory nature conservation. As endangered applies the kind in the Carinthian basin and valley, in the Rhine Valley, in the foothills north and south of the Alps and the Pannonian area.

As the cause of the hazard especially the eutrophication of soils is seen through fertilizer.

Superstition

Around the beautiful Enzian is shrouded in a number of superstitious ideas. So the flower bears also popularly known as the name Brendel flower or weather or lightning Nagele and in many places people were convinced that whoever wears this flower into the house, thus causing the flash einschlage there. Elsewhere, it was believed that someone die if you abpflücke one of the plants.