Image of Pedicularis julica E. Mayer

Description:

Slo.: julijski uivec - syn.: Pedicularis elongata Kerner ssp. julica (Mayer) Hartl, Pedicularis elongata A.Kerner f. goricensa Steiniger - Habitat: sparsely overgrown scree, road side, locally almost flat terrain on a steep, southeast oriented mountain slope, full sun, moderately dry place, calcareous ground, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 1-3 deg C, elevation 1.775 m (5.820 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil among stones and rocks. - Comment: Pedicularis julica is quite a rare narrow endemic plant of high elevations (from 1.200 to 2.700 m) of Julian Alps. Outside of Slovenia it can be found only in immediate neighboring regions of Italy west of and in Austria north of Julian Alps. It was first found and described (locus classicus) on Mt. rna prst in south Julian Alps. - To distinguish it from numerous other Pedicularis species (some estimate that total number of them worldwide approaches 600!) growing in our mountains is not difficult. Distinguishing traits are yellow color of flowers (most members of genus Pedicularis growing in the Julian Alps are red or purple), distinctly hairy calyx and characteristic steam, which has hairs arranged in two parallel rows. It's Western Alps 'brother' Pedicularis elongata ssp. elongata, which can sometimes also be found in Slovenia, is easy to distinguish from Pedicularis julica because it has glabrous calyx. The plant photographed was growing solitary. - Ref.: (1) H. Sauerbier, W. Langer, Alpenpflanzen: Endemiten von Nizza bis Wien (II), IHW-Verlag (2000), SBN 3-930167-41-7, p 169. (2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 748. (3) T. Wraber, 2 x Sto alpskih rastlin na Slovenskem, Preernova druba (2006) (in Slovene), p 152. (4) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 266. (5) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 569.