Pagina 46 - Juliana_Book_eng

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Aster amellus L. – Italian Aster
This 20 to 50 cm tall plant is perennial. The stem, which is leafy, is branched in
the upper part. The flowers, arranged in heads, are of two types: bluish purple
ligulate flowers At the margin, yellow tubular flowers in the middle.
This species grows in dry pastures, open forests, on forest edges, on scree and
rocky terrains from the lowlands to the montane belt in the whole of Slovenia.
The general distribution extends to western, central and eastern Europe,
Siberia, Caucasus, Armenia and Anatolia.
Astrantia major L. – Great Masterwort
This plant was given its scientific name in the Middle Ages owing to its radial
involucre (Aster means star in Greek).
The great masterwort is a 30 to 90 cm tall perennial plant with a fasciculate
underground rhizome. The flowers are arranged in a simple umbel surrounded
at the base by a wide, greenish or pink involucre consisting of large bracts,
which can be even longer than the flowers. The prominent involucre, which
reminds us of petals at first sight, increases the optical effectiveness of the
inflorescence and attracts pollinators.
In Slovenia, the plant thrives from lowlands to the subalpine belt in open beech
forests, clearings, among shrubs and tall herbs. The general distribution extends
to the Alps and to central and southern Europe.
Bellidiastrum michelii Cass. – Daisy star
(Aster bellidiastrum)
the generic name of the synonym, Aster, originates from ancient Greek: aster is
a star referring to the radiating ligulate flowers at the margin of the head.
The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette, sparsely hairy above and thickly
hairy underneath. The flowers are grouped in heads, the marginal flowers are
ligulate and white, while in the middle there are yellow tubular flowers.
This plant grows in wet stony places from the montane to the Alpine belts, but
can also be found in wet lowland gorges; it is quite common in our Alps,
Dinarides and Gorjanci Mts. The general distribution extends to the mountains
of southern and central Europe.
Buphthalmum salicifolium L. subsp. salicifolium – Yellow Oxeye
The generic name of this plant originates from Greek bous (ox) and ophthalmos
(eye), referring to the large head, which is highly noticeable due to its yellow
colour. The Germans, French and English literally translated the Latin name.
The yellow oxeye is an up to 50 cm tall perennial plant with an upright and
unbranched or only slightly branched stem. The leaves are lanceolate and
smooth-edged. Both the outer ligulate and inner tubular flowers are golden
yellow, grouped into 3-6 cm wide heads.
The species grows in dry meadows, open forests, clearings and forest margins
from the lowlands to the subalpine belt all over Slovenia. The general
distibution is mainly European, but the species is absent in the northern parts of
our continent.
Many people confuse this species with the medicinal arnica; the yellow oxeye, however, has no basal rosette of leaves
and no characteristic scent.
Caltha palustris L. – Kingcup (Marsh Marigold)
“The marsh marigold’s home is any place with well soaked soil. It can therefore be found along streams, puddles and
ditches, as well as in marshy meadows. It also loves settling around a spring that rises from soft ground, following
gurgling wavelets far down to the deep river, “ wrote Martin Cilenšek in 1892 in his book Our Harmful Plants in