Sibbaldia_procumbens_14

Description:

Sibbaldia procumbens L. syn.: Potentilla procumbensLeast Cinquefoil, DE: Alpen GelblingSlo.: polegli oltecDat.: Aug. 12. 2013 (flowers)Lat.: 46.44189 Long.: 13.64535Code: Bot_742/2013_DSC7443Picture file names: from Sibbaldia-procumbens_raw_10.xxx to Sibbaldia-procumbens_raw_14.xxx.andDat.: Aug. 22. 2013 (fruits)Lat.: 46.44189 Long.: 13.64535Code: Bot_745/2013_DSC7620Picture file names: from Sibbaldia-procumbens_raw_20.xxx to Sibbaldia-procumbens_raw_22.xxx.Habitat: at the bottom of high alpine snow valley; moist, hummus rich, calcareous to siliceous, probably locally somewhat acid ground; flat terrain; sunny place; exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 0-2 deg C, elevation 1.950 m (6.400 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: hummus rich soil.Place: Mt. Mangart's flats region, in the largest snow valley west of the top of Mt. Mangart, 2.679 m (8.787 feet), East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comment: Sibbaldia procumbens is a relatively seldom seen, inconspicuous high alpine plant of Arctic-Alpine origin. It is considered quite rare in Slovenia because it is tied to acid, partly siliceous ground, mostly above 2.000 m elevation. And such places are not many in my country. In addition it can be very easily overlooked since it almost 'disappears' among other low plants of alpine grassland. Its flowers are of undistinguished yellow-green color and very small, petals being only about 2 mm long, very narrow and distinctly smaller then sepals. One almost needs a magnifier to see them in details. Snow valleys on Mangart's flats west of Mt. Mangart peak are probably the best place in Slovenia to find this unusual plant. It usually grows in groups of many plants on flat bottom of snow valleys where humidity and hummus are collected. Ref.:(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 782.(2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 257. (3) T. Wraber, 2 x Sto alpskih rastlin na Slovenskem, Preernova druba (2006) (in Slovene), p 85.(4) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora sterreich Liechtenstein, Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 487.(5) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 264.(6) Rothmaler 3, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, 11. Aufl., Elsevier, Spectrum (2007), p 241.