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Visiting a Bavarian calcareous Bog


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Hi friends,

today I was as close as 10 km away from one of my favorite bogs and could not resist to visit it during the Pinguicula flowering time. The bog is a calcareous bog (sorry I miss the exact English term) where extremely CO2 rich, cold water emerges from the ground in a couple of small fountains. The whole area is about the size of 4-5 football fields and very hidden. The water has a pH of 7,4 - 7,6 with D. anglica growing in that not acidic water. Plants do not grow to the size they do on peat ground but they are numerous. Also can be found Gentians (spring Gentian already flowered) and Gentiana asclepia... that flowers in autumn.

But here are the pics:

Overview over the area:

UeberblickWiese1p.jpg

The area is covered with open grass that is cutted every year to avoid trees growing over.

P. vulgaris is common on the meadow and in full flower now:

Pvulgaris1p.jpg

But the gem in my eyes is a lowland population (relict of the last ice age!) of P. alpina growing around 450 m altitude:

Palpina1p.jpg

An interesting feature is that P. alpina can grow submerged for a while with the rosettes completely under water and just the flowers above water level:

Palpinasubmerged1p.jpg

Another very interesting point is that both species grow very close together:

PalpinaplusPvulgaris1p.jpg

Left hand is P. vulgaris, right hand P. alpina, distance perhaps 50 cm. I never found hybrids between the species although they flower at the same time. P. alpina is at the end of its flowering, P. vulgaris beginning/in full bloom.

Also Primula varinosa can be found there:

PrimulavarinosaBluete1p.jpg

And in an early stage of growth D. anglica. D. rotundifolia is also there but I didnot take flowers.

Danglica1ap.jpg

And my second personal favorite in a very early stage of growth: Utricularia minor!

Uminor1p.jpg

I had to use my hand as background because the small plants are nearly unvisible against the ground. Actually I only could find them because I know them from July/August in flower so I was able to relocate them in a small piece of water perhaps 30 x 50 cm. Please notice the colour of the ground: Again basic calcareous water with a pH of over 7!!

Hope you enjoy it!

Stefan

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