Geum montanum

Mountain Avens ( Geum montanum )

The Mountain Avens ( Geum montanum ), also called Alpine Peter Bart, is a species of the genus of cloves Wurzen ( Geum ).

Description

The mountain avens grows as a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches a height of up to about 30 cm at flowering time a height of 5 to 10 cm and to the fruit time. In contrast to the Creeping Avens ( Geum reptans ) it possesses no foothills. The mountain avens is a strong taproot. The stalked basal leaves are lyre-shaped pinnate with a large, crenate toothed terminal leaflet.

The flowering period extends from May to July, isolated again in the fall. The flowering stem arises from the axils of the basal leaves and dense coat. The stem leaves are small, undivided or three columns. A sprig usually wears (rarely two) yellow flowers which have a diameter of 2 to 3 cm. The stylus is not divided and remains until the maturity of the fruit.

Ecology

The flowers are protandrous and are visited mainly by flies. Besides hermaphrodite plants, there are also those with only stamens.

The fruits are. Due to the dense pubescence of highly elongated after flowering, but not hook-shaped curved stylus typical " spring tail airman " and adapted to the strong winds of the mountains However, they are spread as water Hafter.

The Mountain Avens wintered with green leaf rosette. This is therefore very low temperatures and exposed when the snow melts high light intensities. Manuel et al investigated using biophysical methods mechanisms allowing this to the plant.

Occurrence

The mountain avens is a species of European mountains of the Pyrenees, French Massif Central, southern Jura, Alps, Giant Mountains, Carpathians to the Balkans, Apennines and Corsica. She prefers altitudes 1700-2600 meters. In Austria it occurs in the subalpine to frequently until scattered to alpine altitude level. Preferred location is pasture grass, dwarf shrubs and forbs corridors.

The dominant clan of mountain avens is after Krahulcová hexaploid (2n = 42 ), isolated by tetraploid (2n = 28 ) plants reported.

Others

The rhizome contains eugenol ( clove oil ) and tannins. It was used earlier than clove replacement as avens ( Geum urbanum ). The leaves contain tannins, which were formerly used officinal. In folk medicine against dysentery and bloody urination, therefore Common name Ruhr Wurz and Trüebchrut. After the hairy fruit scooping it is called Peter Bart.

Host

Discovered in 1939 in the Styrian mountains Klimesch a dwarf miner moth, whose caterpillars invest in the leaves of mountain avens mine gallery. He called this new kind geimontani by their host Stigmella. It is only known from the East Styrian Alps. In the Tatra Mountains, the caterpillars of Stigmella pretiosa were var tatrensis found on the leaves of mountain avens.

On the mountain avens also home to two parasitic fungi Peronospora gei and Taphrina potentillae that are not restricted to this host plant.

Use

The mountain avens is recommended as an ornamental plant, for example, wild plants gardens.