Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: Maggi Young on December 03, 2009, 06:26:15 PM
-
Zdeněk Zvolánek -Edraianthus Session - an appreciation of these plants
Friends, I have the pleasure to present to you here a collection of interesting observations and photographs, from Zdeněk Zvolánek (ZZ) on some members of the Edraianthus clan.
These plants are of great use in alpine and rock garden plantings.... often a great success in trough and in the famous Crevice Gardens of ZZ.... many even enjoy life here in Aberdeen, 2 miles from the sea and at only a small distance
above sea level.
ZZ has prepared this "Session" and it wil be my pleasure to post it here on his behalf.... then he can come in and complain that it is not to his liking and all the photos are upside down...... ;)
please click on the photos to enlarge them.....
The first photo is of the author of this essay, ZZ "the Stone Rider"
-
EDRAIANTHUS SESSION
It may be that this smaller genus is very blessed society in the Campanulaceae Family, surely designed better for our rock gardening than huge genus Campanula. They are more resistant to bad weather (too wet or too dry) and their foliage is not so juicy for slugs. They are botanically like Campanulas but capsule splitting irregularly at the apex; flowers are in terminal clusters or solitary, closely subtended by leaf-like bracts. Their superiority is in the fact, that all species of Edraianthus are found in calcareous, rocky habitats, mainly in the mountains.
Three of them are false: Edraianthus owerinianus= Muehlbergella oweriniana (small narrow flowers and column-like stems), E. parnassicus = Halascyella parnassica and E. calamithifolius = Petkovia orphanidea (syn. Campanula orphanidea).
This list of members of the lovely genus is not an article dealing with all species. It is my session so only invited nice individuals (species) are present.
-
EDRAIANTHUS TENUIFOLIUS GROUP
Edraianthus dalmaticus (a karst meadow plant) and E. serbicus are not small enough (surely not true alpines). I grow E. tenuifolius, collected by Joyce Carruthers in Central Monte Negro. It is self-sowing pleasant perennial providing nice blue excitement to bumble bees and to us in late spring and early summer. Flowers with extra long bracts are 2 cm long and in clusters up to 15. Surely the most attractive (new because of DNA test) member of this group is E. wettsteinii from Sutorman and Rumija Mts. in southern Monte Negro. The species resembles E. pumilio but solitary (or 2-3) flowers are densely hirsute. Nice plant is seen in the gallery of Franz Hadacek in a noble Vienna trough. E. wettsteinii ssp. lovcenicus from Lovcen Mts. is not so compact and it is taller.
-
EDRAIANTHUS PUMILIO GROUP
Only two species are here with glabrous solitary corollas and leaves with involute margins. Both species are restricted to the two small Dalmatic coast mountains: Edraianthus pumilio is endemic to Biokovo Mts. and slightly looser and ?grey-green (with smaller flowers) E. dinaricus is endemic to Mt. Mosor. I collected E. pumilio myself at Mt. Svaty Jura (Saint George) at elevation 1500 m. Small colony was in crevices (cooled properly in humid nights) and leaves had pewter or matt silver leaves. I have not seen E. dinaricus but I suspect that the old green and larger clones of E. pumilio in cultivation were actually E. dinaricus. Some misguided person from Moravia called and distributed (for years) this silver and compact E. pumilio under name E. owerianus.
-
EDRAIANTHUS SERPYLLIFOLIUS GROUP
Here is the right place for all species with single flowers and spathulate basal leaves. Edraianthus serpyllifolius is distinct with the indumentums of its basal leaves: they have glabrous upper surface with hairy margins. This species is from montane and subalpine zones and grows in quite large area: the main chain of Dinaric Alps (Bosnia, Monte Negro and Albania) and two near coast mountains Biokovo and Orjen. Orjen Mts. has precipitation 4000 mm and before I had the chance to reach the top, we got so strong lighting and rain, that my friend´s camera in his rucksack was drowned. So I do not know local population of Orjen Mts. and the same is with the beautiful clone from the top of Mt. Svaty Jura (Biokovo Mts). I was too weak to hike the summit there after being poisoned with combination of alcohols, wasp bite and diarrhoea. But I grow this Biokovo clone from seed collected by Gita Piatkova and Ian Young has it from Vojtech Holubec collection. Some flowers are 30 mm long! It reminded me of the time around 1973 when one nurseryman in Czechia had regular stock of a clone with relatively small flowers including an albino (white form). He grew it above miraculous layer of cow manure so this E. serpyllifolius had quick growth into bloom and super quick departure from garden.
Edraianthus pulevicii is true alpine from northern crevices of Durmitor Mts. in Monte Negro. Its basal leaves are relatively large and have its upper part covered with dense hairs in direction towards the base. Edraianthus pilosulus (syn. E. serpyllifolius ssp. pilosulus) is probably the most beautiful species from the genus because it has lovely tiny leaves in tight arrangement and large flowers. Upper blade of leaves is covered with hairs directing towards apex. It is endemic to alpine level (just above Pinus heldreichii) in Komovi Mts. in Monte Negro. I admired this plant flowering in crevices in northern walls of small outcrops and I must go there back to look for the seed. Somewhere under Mt. Kom Kucki two Czech explorers Jurasek and Holubec discovered lovely white form. Edraianthus sutjeskae was described from the canyon Sutjesky (between Maglic and Durmitor Mts). It is larger than the 3 above-mentioned species and its upper blades of the leaves are covered with tiny hairs. Edraianthus glisicii differs strongly: it has large solitary flowers but leaves are not spathulate (they are linear lanceolate). This striking species is endemic to small areas near river Tara in Monte Negro. I collected my seed in a saddle of Sinjaevina Mts. at elevation 1600 m, staying near our car because of the unlucky diarrhoea.
-
EDRAIANTHUS GRAMINIFOLIUS GROUP
Edraianthus tarae is new rare and extremely distinct species with up to 6 cm long white flowers arranged in a cluster called distachia (flowers have 1-3 cm long peduncles and their capsules open at their sides like campanulas). This is saxatile endemic and rare plant of the Canyon of Tara River near Durmitor Mts. Edraianthus graminifolius is species extremely variable in habit, indumentums and lengths of bracts, colour and length of corolla, and number of flowers. Numerous ifraspecific taxa have been described; mostly dwarf variants from the alpine regions. I obtained information from botanical circles that Slavonic botanists (Serbians, Croatians and Slovenians etc.) are preparing some article about this species, which is now branched into 17 lines or clans. I am not sure if I have true E. graminifolius var. niveus (compact white flowering taxon from Vranica Mts.). I saw blue flowering dwarf alpine E. graminifolius var. graminifolius under Mt. Corno Grande (Central Appenines) and similar E. graminifolius var. australis in Greek-Macedonian Timphy Mts. I have seen spectacular alpine species at Mt. Korab (the highest peak of Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo) and in Komovi Mts. in Monte Negro. They have violet-blue flowers of good sizes, singular or in clusters 3-4 and short narrow leaves in decently low clumps. All love cool and wet conditions in crevices or stony ridges and their name is Edraianthus montenegrinus (or E. graminifolius var. montenegrinus). They were regularly killed in the crevices of my hot and dry slope with no artificial wattering. Joyce and me observed one summit above Mavrovo Lake in Macedonia with a population of E. graminifolius var. horvatii. It is pretty small variety with pale violet-blue flowers, single or up to three in cluster.
The winner of this group is Edraianthus vesovicii, which I admired at Mt. Karamfili Group of Prokletije Mts. near Albanian boundary. The best plant was seen in end of August in full flower in a northern cauldron in 2000 m. About 5 cm long dark violet flowers were in dense clusters forming large cushion. Later, with a blooming luck, I was able to find some seed at a higher ridge. Seed was sown with our plantsman Jaroslav Balaz from Czech-Moravian Highland. He gave me four strong plants (too well fertilised and in a humus soil). They beautifully bloomed last year in my sunny slope. One plant had single flowers and the rest had strong clusters. You can see the pictures of them with the fact that only one plant survived my hot and dry lowland condition. Mr. Balaz has no troubles with them but because they are so variable he does not believe, that I collected the seed in one remote Montenegrin ridge.
-
The author of this digital paper, called Stone Rider, has been rock gardening for 40 years at the 'Beauty Slope' above village Karlik in the Czech Karst. "The slope is stony steppe at elevation 220 m. Karlik has two spectacular rocks (peaks) forming an entrance into long narrow valley. The higher is brown sedimentary schist and the lover (ending my rented slope) is a basic volcanic rock called diabase. Our precipitation is about 400 mm and we have unstable (sometimes cruel) continental winters."
-
Oh Maggi, these are beautiful, I particularly like Edraianthus pumilio, can I change my seed order ;) :o :o :o :o ;) ;)
:::running before you can whack me::::!!
-
So many thanks to ZZ and to Maggi for this lesson in Edraianthus, a genus which can be confusing sometimes, sorting the campanulas and wahlenbergias from Edraianthus. The pictures are stunning and the information priceless and much appreciated.
-
What a beautiful picture essay. Congratulations to Zdenek for growing and writing about these special plants and to Maggi for making it available to us all.
-
I bow in silent admiration for so much knowledge on this wondeful genus Zdenek ! :-\ :-\
Thanks so much for sharing it and obviously a big thanks to your secretary as well !! ;)
By the way, the pictures are stunning !! :o
-
I am agree with Luc,David,Lesley Helen ......
Many thanks to Zdenek and Maggi . I must read it many times more and look more carefully at the pictures.
I am very interested in this genus and I hope/think this session can clear out many questions I had on the genus.I grow many of them (most on tufa) but can also start to dream of the new ones......
I have somewhere a good link to a study that's done on this subject.I must search for it .....
-
I have a few of these lovely plants in my garden and would like to get more. Bees visit my flowers but I never get seeds
-
Many thanks Maggi and Zdenek. I've planted many seedlings of different Edraianthus this autumn
after I've had one plant two years ago and fell in love with it. The seeds were a gift from two
good friends. After reading your posts I can't wait until the start flowering :D :D :D
-
Amazing and beautiful. I've grown only E pumilio, and then only until the slugs found it. Don't they have molluscs in mainland Europe??
-
Dont you feed your slugs, Darren?
I've been to ZZ's garden 3 or 4 times and love it every time. Later I'll show some of my Edraianthus
-
Whilst Googling and reading more about Edraianthus I came across this paper and thought it might be useful to add a Link to this thread. The paper is far and above my understanding but might be useful to someone.
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3bio/faculty_and_research/stefanovic_papers/Taxon_2008.pdf (http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3bio/faculty_and_research/stefanovic_papers/Taxon_2008.pdf)
edit to add new link :http://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/9539722/Taxon.2008.pdf (http://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/9539722/Taxon.2008.pdf)
-
Wow, David - this paper must have taken years of botanical research for the authors.
They might forgive me, but Zdenek's photos and words do help me much more :-\
And again the old phrase "A photo says more than thousand words" has been confirmed!
-
I bow in silent admiration for so much knowledge on this wondeful genus Zdenek ! :-\ :-\
Thanks so much for sharing it and obviously a big thanks to your secretary as well !! ;)
By the way, the pictures are stunning !! :o
Thank you, Luc.
I admire that strong woman and I love to work with
her; the only nasty point spoiling my full adoration is the fact that
Maggi was famous trade mark name for the strongest souce extract during
my innocent youth in the central Europe.
-
;D ;D yes... Maggi was/is quite spicey.... :-X ;)
-
And she can be very saucy too! ;D
-
I see that ZZ, the Stone Rider, is one of the Guest Speakers at the NARGS event to be held in Colorado in July 2010.... see here :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2410.msg124432#msg124432
-
ZZ inspired me to look at my own pictures (from last summer)
So here they are ........It is pumilio and dinaricus .
They are growing very well on my tufa-rocks and even on tufa they behave a bit like weed.
On the tufa-rocks the seedlings appear in the environment of the parents.......
I hope you enjoy ........
Other species I grow : serphyllifolius,horvathii ,wettsteinii,australis,montenegrinus ,graminifolius and few others that I forget at this moment.
-
Those are very lovely Kris. :)
-
Thank You very much Zdenek and Maggi for this wonderful thread!
I have a question, please:
Three of them are false: Edraianthus owerinianus= Muehlbergella oweriniana (small narrow flowers and column-like stems), E. parnassicus = Halascyella parnassica and E. calamithifolius = Petkovia orphanidea (syn. Campanula orphanidea).
do You mean that they are called no more Edraianthus? It interests me because I have E. owerinianus and E. parnassicus. In Graham Nicholls' Dwarf Campanulas I found nothing about this...
-
Kata, as far as I know, although those plants have often been called Edraianthus, their "other" names are the older ones under which they were described. I hope ZZ will be able to tell us more.
-
And where, in all this, is Wahlenbergia? What plants still live with that name?
-
I have this from seed exchange as Wahlenbergia mathewsii.
-
Punishment for pretending to be an expert ;)
There is interesting small plant in Parnassos Mts. in Greece (and some other mountains). It has branched main stem and wide spatulate leaves with crenulate-serrulate margins. It was described in 1846 as Campanula parnassica, renamed as Edraianthus parnassicus in 1894. The last botanical name is Halacsyella parnassica and by the last analysis of DNA this species is closer to campanulas. What is in cultivation I do not know, but probably some another Edraianthus is sold and exchanged in the name of this really distinct Greek plant.
Edraianthuses described from area of Northern Caucasus, which are morphologically closer to complex of Campanula tridentata were renamed to genus Muehlbergella. Graham Nicholls made big mistake and described plant running under false name, which was actually Edraianthus pumilio, the plant from Biokovo Mts. with silver leaves.
-
I have some Edraianthus in my garden too (in Hungary). According to my experience the larger ones (E. tenuifolia, serbicus, dalmaticus, graminifolius) you can keep easily for years and they bring seeds usually. Unfortunately the lower and nicer ones (E. pumilio, serpyllifolius) live only for two or three years. They can bring seeds only rarely.
I have a lot of slugs too, but they don’t eat the older plants.
-
Yes Darren, I think the NZ species are still Wahlenbergia and probably the Australian as well. I still think of serpyllifolia 'Major' as Wahlenbergia and still have it labelled as such in my troughs.
-
It has branched main stem and wide spatulate leaves with crenulate-serrulate margins.
It seems like my Halascyella parnassica (got with the name Edraianthus parnassicus) is something else... ::) I hardly wait for the flowers...
Thank You very much, Zdenek!!! :-*
-
Kata,
Halacsyella has its own
place (not campanula -not edraianthus) and here I show the original
herbarium sheet of Halacsyella parnassica where the strange leaves are seen.
-
Thank You!!!
My plant has long (approx. 5-6 cm), linear leaves, making a kind of rosette. It is a seedling from a friend, and I've not seen the flowers yet. At this time it is outside in a trough, below a cover, and it is dark and raining :-\. I hope it will flower in spring, and we (or at least You ;D) will be able to identify it.
-
Dear friends, it is not often that you have a feeling that your
photograph is perfect. Today I found in the slum of my computer perfect
picture of Edraianthus glisicii a youngster of new generation (ex
Sinjaevina Mts). You can see the solitary flowers of the section
Uniflori but also very different leaves (distinct from E. pumilio or E.
serpyllifolius). Second picture is Edraianthus montenegrinus, the race
from Albanian Mt. Korab. It seems to me that the rock is serpentinite
(which can explain that I killed all plants from this
locality).Diapositive was not good but the style of photographing is my own.
-
On the CD with Rock Garden Plants Database, which I bought from Dr. Pavel Slaby from Czehia (http://www.kadel.cz/flora/), I found this picture under the name of Edraianthus parnassicus. The foliage looks exactly like my plant's. So what is this please?
-
I present you lucky shot at northern slope of Mt. Kom Vasiječky (2100 m) in Komovi Mts. showing Edraianthus montenegrinus. This species is not so much saxatile like the dwarf Edraianthus pilosulus from the same locality. Stone is like with all species of this genus- limestone. May be that one day I will find another species to show.
-
Found something interesting about a new Edraianthus hybrid:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w27r8r5n02w56357/
Probably to be continued..... ;)
regards,
Martijn
-
Wouldn't it be nice if there were a photograph to accompany the article? ::)
-
It maybe is in the article, but as a typical dutch, I didn´t pay for the full text..... ;D
-
It maybe is in the article, but as a typical dutch, I didn´t pay for the full text..... ;D
......It maybe is in the article, but as a typical Scot, I didn´t pay for the full text either..... ;D ;D
-
It WAS in the article, but you being Dutch and Scottish, I didn't see the later pages! Ashley in Ireland sent me a new link with the whole lot. It is a beautiful plant and one I'd wish to grow if it were available here.
The Scots have this reputation for tightness/meaness which is quite unwarranted. They don't, in my experience WASTE money, but if the money is needed, it's there. My father would never pay for an out of season tomato but if I had told him I needed $10,000 for an operation he would have written a cheque right away and never questioned it, except to enquire after my health. The Dutch, on the other hand...... ;D And as for the Chinese...... ;D ;D ;D
-
It's good to know you have friends in the right places, Lesley! :-X
-
This reminds me Maggi, don´t aks why, that I still have to send you Narthecium ossifragum..... :-[
It is now frozen, but as soon as it gets better, I will remember!
Groetjes!
-
Ha ha :D! Yes, now I remember, also..... we will have both forgotten again by the time the ground thaws.... never mind the kind thought is worth more! Thank you!
-
Today I obtained extremely rare picture from the Red book
of Soviet Union showing Edraianthus owerinianus. Our plantsman
and explorer Dr. Vlastimil Pilous sent it to me as an illustration to
his nice article about this preglacial relict plant. The plant, which
was renamed to Muhlbergella oweriniana is 2000 km distant from its
Balkan cousins and it is endemic to 1600 km deep limestone karst canyon
in wild Dagestan (NE Caucasus) close to Czecenya. Dr. Pilous is sure
that this exotic alpine is not in cultivation. See the strange
appendixes between calyx lobes !!
-
It does look really quite different. Hasn't recent literature taken it back out of Edraianthus? Unfortunately although the real plant may not be in cultivation it's name is!
-
Hello Zdeněk!
Thank you very much for this topic especially for turning to E. owerinianus.
It is really rare plant even here. The place it lives is very dangerous to visit. Many years I’ve dreamed to find it but I can’t. All plants I saw under this name were variations of E. pumilio.
In addition to strange appendixes between calyx lobes this plant has flowers that never open widely. Look at the another picture from Russian Red Book:
(http://www.biodat.ru/db/rbp/pic/110.jpg)
-
This is a plant which I have as E. owerinianus. Think it is not true.
(http://olga_bond.users.photofile.ru/photo/olga_bond/1356828/xlarge/36621296.jpg)
(http://cs4303.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/93407084/x_0a28e214.jpg)
-
I have the same thing Olga - and I think many people will ... :(
Better change labels :'(
Nice looking pumilio though !
-
I think it is fairly safe to say that the real thing should retain the name Muhlbergella oweriniana!
-
PROPAGATION QUESTION
We have grown Edraianthus serpyllifolius for about 5 years and the plant is doing well ( see photo below). For a number of years I have tried to propagate the plant with cuttings. The cuttings strike easily enough and can be transplanted but the new growth tends to be very elongated. I have tried trimming it back but it refuses to grow into a bushy plant. I grew on a couple of plants which developed what seemed to be good root systems. When I planted them out in the rock garden they did not last more than a few months.
Has anyone else had this problem propagating Edraianthus serpyllifolius? Any ideas for alternative approaches?
-
EDRAIANTHUS TENUIFOLIUS GROUP
Edraianthus dalmaticus (a karst meadow plant) and E. serbicus are not small enough (surely not true alpines). I grow E. tenuifolius, collected by Joyce Carruthers in Central Monte Negro. It is self-sowing pleasant perennial providing nice blue excitement to bumble bees and to us in late spring and early summer. Flowers with extra long bracts are 2 cm long and in clusters up to 15. Surely the most attractive (new because of DNA test) member of this group is E. wettsteinii from Sutorman and Rumija Mts. in southern Monte Negro. The species resembles E. pumilio but solitary (or 2-3) flowers are densely hirsute. Nice plant is seen in the gallery of Franz Hadacek in a noble Vienna trough. E. wettsteinii ssp. lovcenicus from Lovcen Mts. is not so compact and it is taller.
As regards Edraianthus wettsteinii, I hope this my plant is the thing. I am aware however that I am rather late.
-
Hi Zdenek,
I think it is the real wettsteinii, I grow exactly the same plant from Josef Jurasek seeds.
greetz,
Martijn
-
Dr. Pilous is sure
that this exotic alpine is not in cultivation.
But the Red Book claims it is cultivated in the botanical garden of Vladivostok.
Verbatim, Культивируется в ботаническом саду Владивостока.
The information should be verified. Why exactly Vladivostok.
-
Hello "Great Moravian", welcome to the Forum.
Thank you for this comment about Edraianthus owerinianus.
I am not sure I understand your comment about "Why exactly Vladivostok." ???
Perhaps we can ask one of our Russian members to make enquiries about the plant being in cultivation in Vladivostok ?
Sometimes it can be written that a plant is grown in a garden, botanic or other and since it was written, the plant has died! :'(
-
I am not sure I understand your comment about "Why exactly Vladivostok." ???
Hello Maggi,
Merely my musing. I would expect a garden in Caucasus, for instance Vladikavkaz, or a large scientific centre.
Vladivostok is not specialized in Caucasus flora, and Muehlbergella is a super speciality. Russian
friends should check the information because Russian and Chinese institutions never reply abroad.
-
Ah, I see.... I will ask Russian friends to check then....pity we haven't a Forumist IN Vladivostok!
-
Perfect images of Muehlbergella oweriniana can be found in Skalničky 2011 No 4.
-
Perfect images of Muehlbergella oweriniana can be found in Skalničky 2011 No 4.
Thank you, Josef.
-
After my discussion of Edraianthus on the IRG it has been a great education to be referred back to this thread - I have many small plants under many names and will be able to refer back here when they begin to flower. Just from an alpine gardening perspective though these two must be pre-eminent: E. serpyllifolius and E. pumilio. The first two pictures were taken in a polytunnel at Blackthorn Nursery (what an amazing plant!). The second two are of E. pumilio in seed (the seed capsules remind me of tiny bird's nests - sorry to be so unbotanical!), and even more exciting - because it means a plant has taken to your garden - seedlings coming up in the scree. Great plants, but I shall keep my eyes skinned for any seed of Muehlbergella oweriniana!!
-
Great to see Tim . The genus "Edraianthus" has also my special interest ...They like my tufarocks ... 8)
In june we did see E. horvatii in the wild in Macedonie ...
-
I have this edraianthus in my sink but I'm not sure of its identity. I've read through this thread and also looked elsewhere and the only result has been to eliminate what it's not. Can anyone enlighten me please? It's flowering right now and the flower stems are very strong but horizontal in habit. The smaller leaves behind it in the picture are a dianthus. The longer leaves belong to this plant
-
Looks like the delightful E. niveus - see Tim's picture here:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9453.msg303551#msg303551 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9453.msg303551#msg303551)
ZZ wrote about it in the IRG of August 2011 , here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Aug251314305515IRG20August_2011.pdf (http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Aug251314305515IRG20August_2011.pdf)
-
Certainly looks like it Maggi. Wasn't on any of the seed packs I've used, but that's the joy of growing from seed isn't it?
I'll make a note. This is it's first flowering. I always like to try to find names of mysteries... Thanks for your help!
-
Whilst Googling and reading more about Edraianthus I came across this paper and thought it might be useful to add a Link to this thread. The paper is far and above my understanding but might be useful to someone.
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3bio/faculty_and_research/stefanovic_papers/Taxon_2008.pdf (http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3bio/faculty_and_research/stefanovic_papers/Taxon_2008.pdf)
Fascinating and informative thread that I just came across with the search function.
Interesting paper David, your link doesn't seem to work any more but there is another link here:
http://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/9539722/Taxon.2008.pdf (http://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/9539722/Taxon.2008.pdf)
-
Puits gardening into perspective! Must book one of the authors for a talk ;). This is a wonderful genus, would definitely like to grow more and excite an audience with some maps like these!! Very good in the sand bed, as are campanulas. (And they are delightful in seed, this is E. pumilio...).