Lychnis flos-jovis

Jupiter campion ( Lychnis flos- jovis )

The Jupiter campion ( Lychnis flos- jovis ) belongs to the carnation family ( Caryophyllaceae ).

Description

The Jupiter Elke is a perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height of 60 to 80 centimeters. There is also known a miniature form, which is smaller. It is densely white tomentose behaar and has basal rosettes. The basal leaves are spatulate to lanceolate and petiolate, the cauline lanceolate to ovate and sessile.

Four to ten flowers are arranged in a capitate inflorescence. Short -stemmed flowers have a diameter of 15 to 25 millimeters. The calyx is hairy white wool and 11 to 13 mm long. The light purple to crimson petals are bilobed, emarginate and high in the throat, two-piece scales are available to 3 millimeters. There are five pen available. The capsule fruit is short-stalked in the calyx and opens with five teeth.

The flowering period extends from May to July.

Occurrence

The Jupiter Elke is endemic to the southwestern and western Alps. To the east, it is rare and penetrates until the Lower Engadine and the Adige Valley. This species is montane to subalpine at altitudes of 2000 meters in warmer layers on light soil in open woods and thickets and meadows, slopes and rocks before. It can be found both on lime, as well as silicate.

Use

The Jupiter Elke is widely used as an ornamental plant in borders and wild occasionally. It is in culture at least since 1762. She is a parent of the hybrids Lychnis x walkeri.

Swell

• Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grey: Alpine Flowers ( Steinbach nature guide ). Mosaic, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-576-10558-1.
• Eckhart J. Hunter, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd Müller, K. (ed.): Excursion Flora of Germany. Founded by Werner Roth painter. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants, Springer, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg, 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8, p 194
• Hans Simon (ed. ): The free- jewelry perennials. Manual and encyclopedia of garden perennials. Founded by Leo Jelitto, Wilhelm Schacht. 5th completely revised edition. Volume 2: I to Z, Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart ( Hohenheim) 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3265-6, p 594