Gypsophila repens

Crawling gypsophila ( Gypsophila repens )

Creeping gypsophila ( Gypsophila repens ) is a species of the carnation family ( Caryophyllaceae ).

Description

It is a perennial herbaceous plant, reaching stature heights of 10 to 25 cm whose prostrate to ascending stems, including the inflorescence.

The narrow lance-shaped leaves are about 2 cm long and less than 1 cm wide and clear as well as the stems bald and blue-green.

The flowers are white, sometimes reddish, and have a diameter of nearly a centimeter. The calyx is bell-shaped and up to the middle split with five lobes. The petals are rounded at the front ausgerandet to something. The stamens are slightly shorter than the petals.

Bloom time is from May to September.

Occurrence

In the Limestone Alps, the Crawling gypsum herb is quite common. Otherwise, it rarely occurs in other higher mountains of Europe ( Tatra Mountains, Apennines, Harz). So reports the launched of Christian August Friedrich Garcke Illustrated Flora of Germany in its 1912 edition of a greater occurrence in Walkenried in resin ..

Creeping gypsum herb grows exclusively on calcareous or chalky soils on limestone debris or dry grasslands in limestone areas. Normally it lives in the Alpine region, but seeds are regularly washed down into the valleys and foothills of the Alps and the plants there. Otherwise, it is found at altitudes 1300-3000 m above sea level.

Ecology

This plant is a so-called debris Decker: From the strong taproot arise numerous, often woody branches that take root after dropping the leaves and rhizomes are lying ( " rootstock "). Of them, the upright, delicate stalks rise with the fragrant flowers. Although the individual flowers are small, the large abundance of insects attracts. It is winter Stayers, mature seeds and still germinate at 2300 m above sea level.