Image of Scorzonera austriaca Willd.

Description:

Slo.: avstrijski gadnjak - syn.(Ref.: 3): Scorzonera bupleurifolia Pouzolz, Scorzonera crispa M. Bieb., Scorzonera glabra Rupr., Scorzonera pratorum (Lipsch.) Stankov - Habitat: near top of a mountain ridge; at the upper edge of the steep barren mountain slope, northeast aspect; extremely stony, calcareous ground, full sun, dry place; exposed to strong winds and direct rain; elevation 435 m (1.430 feet); average precipitations ~ 1.000 mm/year, average temperature 11 - 13 deg C, (Sub)Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil in crevices among rocks. Comment: Scorzonera austriaca is a southeast European floral element. It grows from France to extreme north of North European Plain (Ref.:3) in Russia, but it doesn't overstep Ural Mountains. In Slovenia and Croatia it is present predominantly in warmer regions near Adriatic Sea shore (Ref.:5 and 6). Determination of this find seems not completely reliable. There exists a few similar and variable Scorzonera species, which morphologically differ mainly in the shape of their leaves. One could eventually consider also Scorzonera aristata (the fact that the plants found had almost no decayed leaves at the base of the ground leaf rosette as it should be with Scorzonera austriaca) and Scorzonera humilis (with mostly a single head per stem) as alternative determinations. What surprises also is very short, almost absent stem of the plants found. Most Sconzornera species have from 10 to 40 cm tall stems. This may eventually be explained by harsh habitat, especially scarce soil and strong winds. Nevertheless, long narrow leaves o the plants found and typical habitat - calcareous, very stony, very dry and sunny habitat speaks quite convincingly in favor of Scorzonera austriaca. Ref.: (1) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 944. (2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 696. (3) The Euro+Med PlantBase, http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=128099&PTRefFk=7000000 (accessed Nov. 25. 2017) (4) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 640. (5) T. Selikar, B. Vre, A. Selikar, FLOVEGSI data base, The Jovan Hadi Institute of Biology ZRC SAZU, 2003; https://bijh.zrc-sazu.si/sl/zbirka/podatkovna-zbirka-flovegsi-favna-flora-in-vegetacija-slovenije-bijh-zrc-sazu#v (accessed Nov. 25. 2017) (6) Flora Croatica Database (FCD), Department of Botany, Faculty of science, FER-ZPR, University of Zagreb (2004); http://hirc.botanic.hr/fcd (accessed Nov. 25. 2017)