Magnoliopsida

Espécimen de herbario con frutos de Prunus cornifolia. Escaneo: Armando Soto.

Pseudelephantopus spiralis. Foto: Alexander Rodríguez.

Solanum sinaicum 1Location: St. katherine 2002

Frutos maduros mostrando semillas y arilos de Stemmadenia donnell-smithii.

Espécimen de herbario con flores de Prunus cornifolia. Escaneo: Armando Soto.

Pseudelephantopus spiralis. Foto: Alexander Rodríguez.

tamarix nilotica 1Location: Wadi Gimal Hamata 2003

in habitat on roadcut in volcanic rhyolite tuff at upper canyon rim. Original ID as a rayless P. gentry, later confirmed as P. batopilensis by AM Powell. This site on the old gravel switchback road has now been destroyed by a new paved highway to Batopilas that also greatly limits access to many former rich roadside collecting sites in the canyon.

wet,shaded crevice along edge of small creek crossing exposed volcanic tuff bedrock. SYN: Mimulus cardinalis v. verbenaceus. ID per Nesom, 2014. NOTE: Foliage viscid-villous, leaves clasping, serrate.

scrub in moderate sloping cleft bottom draining steep narrow canyon cut in deeply eroded escarpment of volcanic tuff forming continental divide. Massive rock hodoos (the Monks) makes this area incredibly scenic in addition to richly diverse botanically.

north face slope, moist volcanic soil

Slo.: Koroka črnikasta homulica - Habitat: Stony upland grassland, roadside of an alpine road, sandy ground, open place, full sun, exposed to precipitations, average precipitations ~3.000 mm/year, average temperature 1-3 deg C, elevation 1.900 m (6.250 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: sandy soil, among mosses. - Comment: This is an interesting endemic plant known in the Alps with certainty only from south Austria (South Tirol, Krnten) and Slovenian Alps. Its exact taxonomy and distribution is still to be researched (Ref.:(1)). In Austria it is considered quite rare. Outside the Alps it grows also in parts of Balkan Peninsula. Its whitish petals and more yellow-green appearance of the whole plant distinguish it from more common and almost entirely reddish 'sister' Sedum atratum. ssp. atratum. However, many times plants found are somewhere in between and it is hard to decide to which subspecies they belong. - Ref.: (1) M.A.Fischer, W.Adler, K.Oswald, Exkursionsflora Oesterreich Liechtenstein, Suedtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 400. (2) A.Martinčič et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 237.

Slo.: pahljaastolistna plahtica, pahljaastolistni rosnik - Habitat: High mountain pasture, moderately inclined, slightly south west oriented, slope, calcareous ground, full sun, dry place, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 0-2 deg C, elevation 2.000 m (6.550 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil among stones and rocks. - Comment: There are many species of the genus Alchemillaand they are difficult to be determined. Frankly, this is possible with certainty only to specialists. See details in the comments to my pictures of Alchemilla glaucescens (here on Flicker). I've mostly based my determination on excellent picture and description in the Ref.:(1). I hope it is correct but I can't guarantee. - Most plants in the genus Alchemilla are, in spite of small, modestly colored and unremarkable flowers very beautiful particularly after light rain or in dense morning fog. Their hairy leaves abundantly collect small droplets of dew, giving them silvery appearance. The translation of Slovenian name 'rosnik' means 'dew-flower' and also German name 'Silbermantel', meaning 'Silver coat', points to their silvery costume jewelry. - Alchemilla flabelata is common in this region of Mangart's flats. Otherwise the plant grows scattered almost in the whole of South Alps. It can be found also on north side of the Alps (Ref.:(2)), but it is much rarer there. - Ref.: (1) T. Wraber, 2 x Sto alpskih rastlin na Slovenskem (2 x Hundred Alpine Plants of Slovenia), Preernova druba (2006) (in Slovene), p 87. (2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 502. (3) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 260.

Slo.: kor - Habitat: stony hills of Adriatic Sea shore, abandoned fields and Mediterranean makia edge, almost flat terrain, calcareous ground, full sun, average precipitations ~1.200 mm/year, average temperature 16 deg C, elevation 20 m (60 feet), Mediterranean phytogeographical region. - Substratum: red karst type soil. - Comment: Growing solitary. Generally this is a quite rare tree today, almost totally forgotten and being listed as an rare and endangered species in Switzerland, Austria and Britain. In Slovenia one can find it only here and there being almost rare too. In the sub- and Mediterranean region of Croatia it is more frequent. However, long time ago the situation was quite different. Sorbus domestica was a common tree species in woods as well in cultivation. It was known as useful species for its healthy fruits and wood for more than 2.000 years. In favorable conditions it grows quite large and it is a long-lived tree, with ages of up to 400 years. Its wood is beautiful. Among the European trees it belongs to those with the highest density of wood. However, its fruits picked straight off the tree are highly astringent and gritty, but when left to over-ripen it sweetness and aroma becomes something really special. The fruits have never been broadly industrially-commercially important and that is probably why they still keep their very unique and pleasant taste. The fruits can be either apple-shaped (S.d.fo. pomifera (Hayne) Rehder) or pear-shaped (S.d.fo. pyrifera (Hayne) Rehder). - 'var. pyrifera' should actually be 'fo. pyrifera', however 'fo.' is unfortunately not accepted by CalPhotos. - Ref.: (1) P.Schuett et all., Lexikon der Baum- und Straucharten, Nikol Verlag (1992), p 489.

Slo.: koroka smiljka - Habitat: Crevices of a medium size limestone boulder on mountain pasture, southwest aspect, open place, full sun, exposed to direct rain and wind, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature about 0 deg C, elevation 2.040 m (6.700 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil in a rock crevice. - Comments: Cerastium carinthiacum ssp. carinthiacum is an endemic plant known only from east part of the Alps. Genus Cerastium is difficult to treat taxonomically and not sufficiently studied in Slovenia (Ref.:3). There are quite a few taxa, which grow in neighboring countries Italia and Austria, which haven't been found in Slovenia in spite of expectations and apparently sufficiently similar environment. Literature also disagrees in some points. For example Cerastium carinthiacum ssp. carinthiacum is described as an almost glabrous plant, while close alternative determination option Cerastium carinthiacum ssp. austroalpinum is described as densely glandular hairy in Ref.: 2 and Ref.: 4.. Just the opposite situation is stated in Ref.: 3. The plants photographed have conspicuous glandular hairs (see picture 1c) and fit to the description of Cerastium carinthiacum ssp. carinthiacum according to Ref.: 3. Ref.: 5 considers it a rare plant in the Julian Alps. - Ref.: (1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 294. (2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 329. (3) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 169. (4) L. Fenaroli, Flora delle Alpi: Vegetazione e flora delle Alpi e degli altri monti d'Italia, Aldo Martello Editore (1971), p 85. (5) T. Wraber, 2 x Sto alpskih rastlin na Slovenskem (2x 100 Alpine Plants of Slovenia) (in Slovenian), Preernova druba (2006), p 31

A nocturnal bloomer on open, grassy, undulating plain in basin below eastern Madrean escarpment, among diverse grasses and forbs on coarse volcanic alluvium. SYN: Gaura mutabilis

abaxil leaf surface. ID per Mark Fishbein