Image of spreading bellflower

Description:

Slo.: razprostrta zvonica - Habitat: grassland, almost flat terrain; open, sunny place; exposed to direct rain; elevation 550 m (1.800 feet); average precipitations ~ 2.800 mm/year, average temperature 8-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil. Place: ejna dolina valley, next to the local road from village Hotedrica, Notranska, Slovenia EC. Comment: Campanula patula is a very tender and beautiful species of the large genus Campanula. One can recognize it by its widely open bells, very 'airy' shaped inflorescence with long, thin branches, deeply divided sympetalous corolla into large, backwards curved limbs (where petals are actually united into a bell) and two very small, opposite leaflets on flower stalks situated approximately at the middle of their length. Campanula patula is very variable plant and several intraspecies taxa have been defined. Unfortunately, authors differ significantly in this. The flower is widely distributed and common in Europe and also in Slovenia. However, it is common neither in Julian Alps region (including upper Soa river region) nor near Adriatic coast of Slovenia. Ref.: (1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 2., Haupt (2004), p 306. (2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 848. (3) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 626.