Homogyne alpina
Homogyne alpina, the Alpine coltsfoot or purple colt's-foot,[1] is a rhizomatous herb in the family Asteraceae, which is often used as an ornamental plant. In addition, this plant has purple-red flowers, and it is usually associated with the gall flies Ensina sonchi and Acidia cognata.
Homogyne alpina | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Homogyne |
Species: | H. alpina |
Binomial name | |
Homogyne alpina | |
Synonyms | |
Tussilago alpina L. |
Homogyne alpina is a perennial plant that reaches a height of 10 to 40 centimeters. The rhizome is creeping woolly and scaly. The stem is erect, reddish brown and often single head. It is hairy silvery-woolly, bare later and usually has 2 leaves on small scales. The leaves are basal, long-stalked, leathery, coarse and glossy dark green, the underside is lighter. The leaf blade is heart-kidney-shaped.
The baskets have a diameter up to 25 mm. The bracts are single row, crowded and hairy brown-red woolly at the base. The flowers are reddish and longer than the basket case, the corners are purple. The fruits have a long hair crown.
Occurrence
Homogyne alpina comes in the mountains of South Central Europe at altitudes from 500 to 3 000 meters. The species grows on moist, humus-rich, mossy soil in coniferous forests, bushes and dwarf-shrub heath. It is common in the U.K., known from a single location in Angus, Scotland, though it is uncertain whether the plant is native or introduced.[2]
Similar species
The felt-like Homogyne discolor is characterized by the under side white, felty leaves.
References
- BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- "Homogyne alpina". Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. 6 April 2021.
- Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
- Xavier Finkenzeller, Jürke Gray: Alpine Flowers (Steinbach nature guide). Mosaic Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-576-10558-1.