Veratrum-album-ssp-robertianum_50

Description:

Veratrum album ssp. lobelianum (Bernh.) Arcang., syn.: Veratrum lobelianum Bernh.White False-helleborine, DE: Grnlicher GermerSlo.: Lobelova merika, zelena merikaDat.: May 18. 2015Lat.: 46.43633 Long.: 13.64085Code: Bot_875/2015_IMG7860Habitat: snow valley, humus rich, moist, calcareous bedrock, flat terrain, open and sunny place, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 0 - 2 deg C, elevation 1.890 m (6.200 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: Mt. Mangart region, Mangart's flats, in the snow valley southeast of mountain cottage 'Koa na Mangartu', East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comment: Veratrum album species splits into two subspecies - Veratrum album ssp. lobelianum with yellow-green flowers and Veratrum album ssp. album, which has white flowers inside. Both plants grow scattered in the whole Alpine belt, Veratrum-album-ssp-lobelianum also in other European and Asian mountains. In Slovenia both are present. Veratrum album ssp. lobelianum is actually a very common and easy to spot plant in the Julian Alps, while Veratrum album ssp. album is much less frequent, particularly in west Slovenia. In spite of rather inconspicuous flowers (unless looked from close) of Veratrum album ssp. lobelianum, it is a remarkable plant because of its size (up to 1.5 m tall), statuette habitus and sometimes massive occurrence. It is very attractive also when very young, as some of my pictures show. Its very nicely shaped and 'packed', fresh green leaves appear early, sometimes protruding the last remnants of snow cover. The plant is poisonous. Ref.:(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 1026.(2) T. Wraber, 2 x Sto alpskih rastlin na Slovenskem (2x Hundred Alpine Plants in Slovenia), Preernova druba (2006) (in Slovene), p 200.(3) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 1018.(4) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 747.