| Author |
Message |
    
Matthias
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 02, 2005 - 02:42 pm EST : |   
 |
Yesterday I visited a colony of Cyclamen purpurascens in the northern Alps which is a 1,5 hours drive for me. The plants grow in beech woods on very steep southfacing slopes at the foot of very high vertical limesone cliffs.
These plants are clearly C. purpurascens but I find that they are consistently different from the ones I saw in the southern Alps. The leaves are often much bigger, the basic green is very dark and the almost invariable silver pattern makes a strong contrast. Lighting was very bad yesterday and I only had a small pocket camera with me, so please excuse the poor photo quality.
Here is one photo which may give you an idea of the leaf form and the pattern. There were also a few late flowers.
Matthias
- Southern Germany,
Zone "7"
|
Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 02, 2005 - 03:25 pm EST : |
|
Very nice marks Matthias and I think your camera did a good job. The leaf does appear large and more pointed or heart shape than some of my c. purpurascens. Did they appear that way or is the pattern playing tricks on my eyes?
Where will you head when the snows come Matthias and you can't go off on your botanical trips?
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
|
Jgwoodard
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 02, 2005 - 04:43 pm EST : |
|
Is that Hepatica nobilis alongside? var. hepatica? They look content there in the crack together. Beech woods and limestone tend to provide a good combination for many plants.
Jgwoodard
- TN,
Zone "6b"
|
Matthias
| | Posted on Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 11:18 am EST : |
|
Yes, Terry, the leaves and the patterns are often more pointed than what we generally see in photos of C. purpurascens. But there are also the more rounded or even kidney-shaped forms. Luckily, Terry, winter is not too harsh here normally and it is often possible to resume botanical work after mid February, at least south of the Alps.
Joseph, it is Hepatica nobilis as you say, and it is a very common companion plant of Hellebores and Cyclamen in Italy and on the Balkans. It also grows wild in our local woods. I have a nice collection of different blues, light to dark pink ones and a few white flowering plants. In the south you can find forms with strongly silver patterend leaves. These leaves turn dark purple-red in the autumn and winter which can be very attractive in the garden because the leaves last. I found two plants with strongly dissected, frilly leaves this late summer which are also silver patterend. Seedlings of these should be interesing.
Matthias
- Southern Germany,
Zone "7"
|
Shirley1md
| | Posted on Thursday, November 03, 2005 - 07:03 pm EST : |
|
Beautiful markings on these heart shaped foliage!
Shirley Maryland Zone 7a |
Tim
| | Posted on Sunday, November 06, 2005 - 12:48 am EST : |
|
It's a nice dark leaf, Matthias. Looks very robust too. I'd like to do a field trip solely for this species. I wonder how much detailed mapping has been done in relation to the distribution of C. purpurascens? It's not difficult to find out roughly where it grows, but I'm wondering how far south it goes, and more importantly, how far east/southeast it goes. I can't find any locations for it in Bosnia at all. And yet there is a nice colony of C. purpurascens in Croatia not all that far from the border with Bosnia where Helleborus torquatus and niger grow together. Some of the problems in finding in in Bosnia are related to the conflict - not all that sensible to go rooting through undergrowth in areas which are potentially mined, etc., but I would have expected to see purpurascens at a few of the torquatus sites I know of in Bosnia. I do still think it grows there, even though I haven't seen it, it's just a case of finding it I believe.
I remember thinking that the niger at that place where it grows alongside torquatus, might be an easterly outlying population, until Will told me that he had seen it near Doboj in Republika Srpska, which is a long, long way east!
Apart from that, i would simply like to see what is probably my favourite species, in flower. One day I hope. At the moment, there are too many trips to go on, and not enough holiday time to do so. I need a job in the public sector where I would get 6-8 weeks holiday!
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
|
Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, November 06, 2005 - 08:16 am EST : |
|
Tim wrote on Saturday, November 05, 2005 - 10:48 pm:I would get 6-8 weeks holiday!
You and I can both dream this dream!
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
|
Galanthophile
My Favorite Photo
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, November 06, 2005 - 09:19 am EST : |
|
Ahem - I do get 6-8 weeks holiday...
Galanthophile
- Ann (Northern England),
Zone "8"
|
Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Sunday, November 06, 2005 - 09:47 am EST : |
|
Oh, you are so lucky Ann!
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
|
Tim
| | Posted on Sunday, November 06, 2005 - 11:24 am EST : |
|
I feel like I've had salt rubbed into a deep wound, Ann...
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
|
Jgwoodard
| | Posted on Monday, November 07, 2005 - 01:05 am EST : |
|
You could do like me Tim. When I leave my contract here next year, I will have an indefinite holiday. It could be one month or one year... or ..... The only problem is I might need to work again in the future to buy food and such. Such concerns can be a real drag. :-)
Jgwoodard
- TN,
Zone "6b"
|
Galanthophile
My Favorite Photo
My Garden
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 08, 2005 - 02:46 pm EST : |
|
Oops sorry all. Downside is I have to work for the civil service!
Galanthophile
- Ann (Northern England),
Zone "8"
|
Tim
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 12:59 am EST : |
|
I wish, Joseph. Although I can now grow hellebores and cyclamen until they come out of my ears, I also have a substantial mortgage with many years left still to pay it back! There's always a downside. Still, the plants HAVE to be grown, so what's a guy to do?
I'm happy enough getting away once or twice a year to go look at plants. A non-plant holiday every once in a while would be nice, problem with that is that we would have to go somewhere where no hellebores or cyclamen grow. I have no self restraint!
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
|
Terryk
My Weather
My Garden
My Time
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 06:26 am EST : |
|
Tim wrote on Friday, November 11, 2005 - 10:59 pm:I have no self restraint!
We know that Tim by the amount of cyclamen you have posted here not to mention the number of glasshouses and polytunnels in your garden.
Terryk
- NY,
Zone "6"
|
Tim
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 09:23 am EST : |
|
Tim
- Cambridgeshire,
Zone "7 "
|
|
