Image of blue-eyed-Mary

Description:

Slo.: spomladanska torilnica, beli razliek - syn.: Omphalodes repens Schrank, Cynoglossum omphalodes L. - Habitat: almost vertical, stony road scarp, northwest aspect, mostly shady; elevation 360 m (1.180 feet); average precipitations ~ 2.000-2.600 mm/year, average temperature 8-10 deg C, Dinaric phytogeographical region. Comment: Omphalodes verna is generally a common plant in Slovenia, particularly in Dinaric phytogeographical region. But it is much rarer in Alpine and submediterranean parts and almost completely missing in northeast part of the country. It has the most intensive blue color of flowers possible. It is so to say 'burning blue' and its true color is always out of color gamut of digital photography. Hence an encounter with an albino version of its unusually shaped flowers is quite interesting (see picture no.12 of a 'normal' one). Omphalodes verna is a southeast European plant, growing in Dinaric mountains, Apennines, Carpathians and also in parts of Southeast Alps in Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Ref.: (1) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 544. (2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 689. (3) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2,, Haupt (2004), p 94. (4) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 790.