Rhododendron-hirsutum_54

Description:

Rhododendron hirsutum L.Hairy Alpenrose, Hairy Rhododendron, DE: Bewimperte Alpenrose, SteinroseSlo.: dlakavi sleDate: Aug. 01. 2014Lat.: 46.44301 Long.: 13.64452Code: Bot_820/2014_DSC6407Habitat: stony alpine grassland, among outcropped rocks, southeast moderately inclined mountain slope, open place, full sun, relatively dry and nutrient poor skeletal calcareous ground with outcropped rocks, some siliceous acid rock intermeshed; exposed to direct precipitations, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature about 0 - 2 deg C, elevation 1.980 m, (6.500), alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil among rocks.Place: Mt. Mangart region, Mangart's flats, below ez jezik pass, 2.055 m (6.742 feet) and south of Mt. Travnik, 2.200 m (7.218 feet), East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC Comment: Genus Rhododendron is huge having more than 600 species known all over the world. However, vast majority of them are not growing in Europe. The genus is widely exploited in market gardening. In Slovenia one can admire three members growing in the wild: Rhododendron hirsutum, Rhododendron ferrugineum and Rhododendron luteum. The first one loves calcareous ground and hence it is most common, the second one explicitly loves acid ground and is hence much rarer in predominantly calcareous Slovenia, and for the last one some doubts exists whether it is not only an old escape from gardens. However, most pros believes it is an autochthone plant in my country. It is very rare and I haven't seen it yet in the wild. Distinguishing among all three species is easy. Rhododendron luteum flowers yellow, while other two are reddish pink. Rhododendron hirsutum has distinct, up to 1mm long, fringe of hairs on leaf margin (has ciliate leaves). Rhododendron ferrugineum has quite similar flowers to Rhododendron hirsutum, but its leaves have no fringes and they are rusty brown underside.Rhododendron hirsutum is a subendemic plant limited mostly to east Alps. It is a plant, which does not attract with its exclusivity or rarity, actually it is a very common plant in south-east Alps, but with its rich flowering, beauty and abundance. In some places mountain slopes of Julian Alps get literally red of its flowers in august. It evokes my admiration again and again so I can't stop photographing it in an attempt to share my feelings with others.Ref.:(1) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 706.(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 662.(3) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 484. (4) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 620.