Campanula gelida
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''Campanula gelida'' ( cs, zvonek jesenický, ) is a stenoendemic, critically
endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. It is a perennial species that grows in the mountains of Hrubý Jeseník in the Czech Republic. It evolved through specialization of an isolated population of ''
Campanula scheuchzeri ''Campanula scheuchzeri'' is a species of bellflower in the family Campanulaceae. The Latin name of the species honors the Swiss botanist Johann Jakob Scheuchzer Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (2 August 1672 – 23 June 1733) was a Swiss scholar ...
'', an
Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...
species, which expanded to the area of the
Sudetes The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
during a colder period, probably the last ice age. It is closely related to '' Campanula bohemica'', endemic to the
Krkonoše Mountains The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše or Karkonosze (Czech: , Polish: , german: Riesengebirge) are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massi ...
. Sometimes it is even considered its
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
and referred to as ''Campanula bohemica'' subsp. ''gelida''. They all belong to the group of related species '' Campanula rotundifolia'' agg.


Location

The only known occurrence of ''Campanula gelida'' in its natural environment is at Peter's Stones in the
Praděd Praděd (; german: Altvater; pl, Pradziad; literally " great grandfather") () is the highest mountain of the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, Moravia, Czech Silesia and Upper Silesia and is the fifth-highest mountain of the Czech Republic. The highes ...
nature reserve, at an altitude of 1,438 metres above mean sea level, where it has to resist low temperatures, wind and snow. It grows on the southern and eastern slopes of the highest
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
of Peter's Stones and in nearby grass vegetation consisting mainly of
fescue ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every ...
, within 10 metres of the foot of the rock. The location is not accessible to the public.


Description

''Campanula gelida'' is very similar to its nearest relative ''Campanula bohemica''. Miloslav Kovanda, the first
botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
who described ''Campanula gelida'' in 1968, later even reclassified it as its subspecies. Recently, most botanists consider it to be an independent species again. ''Campanula gelida'' can be distinguished from ''Campanula bohemica'' especially by its rich tufts, and smaller flowers and capsules. Flowers often grow independently or in
raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
s consisting of not more than four flowers.
Stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
is not longer than 20 cm. Ground
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
, forming a rosette, stay until the plant wilts.


Growth and reproduction

''Campanula gelida'' usually grows in small fissures of rocky,
acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
ground. It prefers sunlit places, but some plants grow in shadow too. The species reproduces mostly
vegetatively Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in plants in which a new plant grows from a fragment or cutting of the parent plant or spec ...
, because its possibilities of generative reproduction are very limited by the climatic conditions of its location. Flowers are produced from the middle of July until the end of August. Similarly to other bellflowers, its gynoecium develops after
pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
has been set free from
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s, which prevents self-pollination.


Endangered species

Although ''Campanula gelida'' is critically endangered and was on the edge of extinction in the 1970s, at present the population of the species seems (despite their small number and limited area of occurrence) to have stabilized. Current threats include skiers trespassing in the protected area and expansion of other species including
Tufted Hair-grass ''Deschampsia cespitosa'', commonly known as tufted hairgrass or tussock grass, is a perennial tufted plant in the grass family Poaceae. Distribution of this species is widespread including the eastern and western coasts of North America, parts ...
, Red Raspberry and ''
Hypericum maculatum ''Hypericum maculatum'', commonly known as imperforate St John's-wort, or spotted St. Johnswort, is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is native to Europe and Western Asia where it grows in moist m ...
''. ''Campanula gelida'' is on the list of particularly protected plants of the Czech Republic, and thus it is forbidden to be picked, dug or otherwise damaged or disturbed in its development. It was also included into the Red List of Endangered Plants of the Czech Republic, category C1 (critically endangered), the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants and the
Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. Its location was included into the network of protected areas
Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...
. Employees from the Administration of the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area cultivate the plants in Stará Ves near
Rýmařov Rýmařov (; german: Römerstadt) is a town in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. ...
.


References


External links


''Campanula bohemica'' ssp. ''gelida'' in the IUCN database of threatened species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3489669
gelida Gelida is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' ...
Endangered plants Endemic flora of the Czech Republic Natura 2000 in the Czech Republic