Omphalodes verna
Spring Nabelnüsschen ( Omphalodes verna)
The Spring Nabelnüsschen ( Omphalodes verna), also known as Great Blossom Nabelnüsschen or Gedenkemein, is a herbaceous plant of the family Boraginaceae with usually 4 to 15 cm long leaf blades and from existing 10 to 20 sky-blue flowers inflorescences. The natural range is in Europe and stretches from Austria via the Balkans to Romania.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
The Spring Nabelnüsschen is a 5 to 20 to 30 centimeters high rare, persistent Hemikryptophyt with ascending to upright, weichhaarigem stems. It forms aboveground runners. The leaves are stalked at least in the lower part of the stem length. The leaf blade is broadly ovate and 4-15 cm long, the leaf base is truncate to slightly cordate. The inflorescence is no or little branched and consists mostly (rarely over 6 or 30 ) from 10 to 20 flowers. The corolla has a diameter of 10 to 12 mm, rarely from 8 to 15 millimeters. The corolla tube is almost absent, the Kronensaum is sky blue and shows from the center outbound, white lines between the crown corners. The pharyngeal scales are white. The fruits are disintegrating Klaus fruits as with all representatives of the Boraginaceae in four designated as part Klausen fruit. The Klausen are hollowed cup-shaped, point at the apex a membranous Ringsaum and have grown with his back to the pen. The species blooms from April to May
Possibility of confusion
The Spring Nabelnüsschen can be confused with the similar in habit, often cultivated as an ornamental plant broadleaf Caucasus Forget -Me-Not ( Brunnera macrophylla).
Distribution and ecology
The natural range is in Europe, ranging from Austria via Slovenia and other countries of the former Yugoslavia to Romania. One finds the way in moist deciduous shrubs in montane location.
The original area of distribution within Austria confined to southern Carinthia, where it grows in the Karavanke in Loibl area, im Rosental and particularly in Arnold Stein. In other states it is cultivated as an ornamental plant and is sometimes neglected, as in Burgenland, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Carinthia and Salzburg. In Vienna, the species was deliberately exposed, in Vorarlberg and the Principality of Lichtenstein, the stocks have gone out again.
In Germany the species is naturalized neophyte.
Systematics and history of research
The Spring Nabelnüsschen ( Omphalodes verna) is a species of the genus Nabelnüsschen ( Omphalodes ), this is assigned to the subfamily Boraginoideae in the family Boraginaceae ( Boraginaceae ). The species was described by Conrad Moench 1794 in Methodus Plantas Horti Botanici et Agri Marburgensis first time scientifically. The genus name comes from the Greek Omphalodes, means " umbilicated ", referring to the cup-shaped hollow part fruit. The specific epithet verna comes from Latin, refers to the spring and thus to the heyday of Art in the spring.
A synonym of the species is Cynoglossum L. omphaloides
Use
The species is used as an ornamental plant.