Homogyne alpina

Homogyne alpina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Senecioneae
Genus:	Homogyne
Species:	H. alpina
Binomial name
Homogyne alpina (L.) Cass.
Synonyms
Tussilago alpina L.

Homogyne alpina, Alpine coltsfoot or purple colt's-foot, is a rhizomatous herb in the Asteraceae family, which is often used as an ornamental plant. In addition, this plant has purple-red flowers, and it is usually associated with the gall flies Ensina sonchi and Acidia cognata.

Homogyne alpina is a perennial plant that reaches a height of 10 to 40 centimeters. The rhizome is creeping woolly and scaly. The stem is erect, reddish brown and often single head. It is hairy silvery-woolly, bare later and usually has 2 leaves on small scales. The leaves are basal, long-stalked, leathery, coarse and glossy dark green, the underside is lighter. The leaf blade is heart-kidney-shaped.

The baskets have a diameter up to 25 mm. The bracts are single row, crowded and hairy brown-red woolly at the base. The flowers are reddish and longer than the basket case, the corners are purple. The fruits have a long hair crown.

Flowering time is from May to August.

Occurrence

Homogyne alpina comes in the mountains of South Central Europe at altitudes from 500 to 3 000 meters. The species grows on moist, humus-rich, mossy soil in coniferous forests, bushes and dwarf-shrub heath. It is common.

Similar Species

The felt-like Homogyne discolor is characterized by the under side white, felty leaves.

References

• Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
• Xavier Finkenzeller, Jürke Gray: Alpine Flowers (Steinbach nature guide). Mosaic Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-576-10558-1.

External links

• Homogyne alpina