Knautia
Meadows scabious ( Knautia arvensis ), illustration
The widow flowers, also Knautien or button flowers ( knautia ) are a genus of the subfamily of the teasel family ( Dipsacoideae ).
Features
The widow flowers are annual to perennial herbaceous plants. The stems are not edged and have no spines. The leaves are arranged and are undivided to pinnately.
The flowers are in broadened and long -stalked heads. These are hermaphroditic or female and often have multiple rows of bracts. The bottom head is without chaff leaves, but is hairy. The outer calyx of the flower is small and indistinct dentate. The chalice bears 8 to 16 bristles or teeth, and is more or less stalked. The genus from the similar, but five lobe Marsh can differ on the unequal vierzipfeligen crown. The crown is blue-violet, purple or yellowish-white. The ray flowers are often brightly. Pollination is by bees and butterflies. The flowers are vormännlich ( protandrous ).
The fruits are nutty, seeded indehiscent fruit. They are flattened and square and have a Elaiosom. The spread of fruits is done by ants.
Dissemination
The genus has its main focus on Europe and the Mediterranean region. It also occurs in South Asia and West Africa.
System
The genus was first published knautia 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. It was named after the German doctors and botanists Knaut Christoph (1638-1694) and his brother Christian Knaut named ( 1656-1716 ). A synonym for knautia L. Trichera Schrad. ex Roem. & Schult ..
The genus is systematically difficult. It forms a polyploidy complex, where the family formation is not yet finished. Frequently, hybrids occur. There are about 60 species, of which 48 occur in Europe.
In Central Europe the following species occur:
- Meadows scabious ( Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult. ), Frequent and widespread.
- Monte Baldo scabious ( knautia baldensis A. core. Borb ex. ), Is found only around Lake Garda.
- Carinthia scabious ( knautia carinthiaca Ehrend. ), Endemic in Görtschitztal between Eberstein and Launsdorf.
- Forest scabious ( knautia dipsacifolia Kreutzer, Syn knautia maxima), most often.
- Hungarian scabious ( knautia drymeia Heuff. )
- Jura scabious ( knautia godetii Reut. ), Occurs only in France and in the Swiss Jura.
- Yellow scabious or Kitaibel scabious ( knautia kitaibelii ( Schult. ) Borb. )
- Long leaf scabious ( knautia longifolia ( Waldst. & Kit. ) WDJ Koch)
- Red Widow (Knautia macedonica Griseb. ), Occurs only on the Balkan Peninsula and in Romania.
- Norische scabious ( knautia norica Ehrend. ), Endemic in Upper Styria and Carinthia.
- Knautia persicina A. nucleus., Comes only in the Italian Southern Alps east front of Lake Garda.
- Purple scabious ( knautia purpurea ( Vill. ) Borb. ), Is found in Spain, in Italy, in France and in Switzerland.
- Southern Alps scabious ( knautia transalpina (Christ ) Briq. ), Is found only in the Southern Alps in Switzerland and Italy.
- Knautia velutina Briq. , Endemic to the Italian Southern Alps.
In addition, in southern Europe are other types before (selection):
- Knautia albanica Briq. , Occurs only in Albania and the former Yugoslavia.
- Knautia dalmatica G. Beck, occurs only in the vicinity of Split in Croatia.
- Knautia illyrica G. Beck, occurs only in Italy and the former Yugoslavia.
- Knautia mollis Jord. , Occurs only in the West Alps in France and Italy.
- Knautia nevadensis (M. Winkler ex Szabó ) Szabó, is found only in Spain and Portugal.
- Knautia magnifica Boiss. & Orph. , Occurs only in Greece.