P. alpina and P. leptoceras in the autrian alps

[Marcus Vieweg]

Hi guys!

In my summer holydays I visited some habitats of temperate Pinguicula in austria.

At first some pictures of P. alpina near the so called Hohen Tauern. The plants mostly grew on mosspads on in other respect pure stone.

The sites where the plants grew reached from shaded almost all the time to full sun. What was interessting to me was the fact that the places where the plants grew in full sunlight where at high altitudes (over 2000m).

Maybe cause the competition with other plants isn't that high at these altitudes.

The plants mostly grow on wettish sites, where water drops form big rocks all the day.

There was a big variety of habitats to find.

Shaded site in a deep valley (ca. 1300m):

And at the roadside (ca. 1600m):

After all in 2100m height:

Motivated due to the nice clusters of P. alpina I headed for a place where P. leptoceras could be seen.

And I found them soon!

On a pass in 2100m height I found wounderfull plants.

They where growing in sphagnum-bogs as well as on the nearly dry grassland.

Although it was only the beginning of august the plants had begun to build their hibernakula. At this point of the year the seedpots of most plants had not finished the seed production.

Here some impressions:

The first P. leptoceras:

The seedpots (most not ripe):

Some different Growing-sites:

Here on under grass and almost dry:

Here next to a see slightly wet:

And here almost under water in a bog:

Let's see where to go next. I think it will get much warmer...

I think I'm mostly interessted in the spanish Pings!

Regards Marcus

[Zlatokrt]

Wow, beautiful plants, I have been to Hohe Tauern too, in several places, but I have never seen other Pinguicula then alpina and vulgaris.

Do I see well, that ovary of P. leptoceras is almost round?

I usually see plants with ovaries, so I recognize them especially by ovary shape

[Marcus Vieweg]

Hi,

you mean the shape of the seedpot? Yes thats almost round.

The P. leptoceras don't grow in the Hohen Tauern, but not far away ;)

Marcus

[Zlatokrt]

Yes, exactly Thanks... I couldn`t find the right word in english...