Image of Viola pyrenaica Ramond ex DC.

Description:

Slo.: pirenejska vijolica - Habitat: South inclined mountain slope, mixed predominantly hard wood forest, dominant Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Fagus sylvatica, Corylus avellana, Picea abies, among Primula vulgaris, Helleborus niger, Hepatica nobilis, etc. warm and dry place, partly in shade; in transitions zone between calcareous well consolidated conglomerate layers and flysh bedrock, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 8-10 deg C, elevation 525 m (1.770 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: brown sandy stony forest soil. - Comment: This violet was in 2001 considered as a very rare species and known only from one sub-square of MTB grid in the whole state (Ref.:(5)). Today we know well above hundred observations. Usually these plants grow in small scattered groups. In this observation they grow in an unusually large and dense group of several hundred plants with quite high ground coverage. The largest number of these plants Ive ever seen. Endemic to southeast Alps. Protected according to 'Uredba o zavarovanih prosto ivečih rastlinskih vrstah' Ur.l. RS, t. 46/2004. Enlisted in the Slovene Red List of rare and endangered species, marked by 'R' representing a rare species. - Ref.: (1) K.Lauber and G.Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 398. (2) A.Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 420. (3) M.A.Fischer, W.Adler, K.Oswald, Exkursionsflora Oesterreich Liechtenstein, Suedtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 433. (4) Personal communication with dr. Igor Dakskobler, institute Jovan Hadi, Slovenian Academy of Arts and Science. (5) N. Jogan, ed., Materials for the Atlas of Flora of Slovenia, Center za Kartografijo favne in flore (2001), p 410. (6) I. Dakskobler and J. Peljhan, Viola Pyrenaica Ramond Ex DC in the Northern Part of the Dinaric Mountains (The Plateaus of Trnkovski gozd and Nanos), Hacquetia 6/2 (2007), pp 143-169