FLORA: Mountain Milk Vetch / Berg-Spitzkiel / Oxytropis...

Mountain Milk Vetch / Berg-Spitzkiel / Oxytropis jacquinii

At least think this it looks much like that in spite of the off blossoming date / Zumindest sieht es sehr wie einer aus, auch wenn das eigentlich nicht die Zeit war wo er bluehen sollte

7 comments so far...

Fizgig June 25, 2017, 03:26 AM

The common name is certainly correct, however, I'm not sure the latin/scientific name is.... It is an Oxytropis for sure, but I don't believe it is jacquinii as that has green foliage, not fuzzy silver. There are lots of diff't species of these little beauties scattered all over the world.... Not knowing where you photographed these makes it impossible to tell you which of the Oxytropis it is....

Sonja June 26, 2017, 09:22 AM

Still from the same set as previous pics, just had in the weekend no time to add the tags. I tool this in the Montani Biotope, on the trail between the ruins, which means a very arid and sandy hilltop between high mountains in the upper Adige valley, around 800m or somesuch.

Fizgig June 26, 2017, 10:31 AM

Well, Jacquinii it must be then.... Maybe just a natural variation or something. But it's the only one native to the area. Most of the silver leaved ones are native to China, Japan, and North America....

Great find ;)

Sonja June 26, 2017, 11:21 AM

I guess it depends how many cultivars of silver-leaved exots are popular backyard plants possible to grow in the Alto Adige. Would you know where to check on those?

I dont recall to especially note any in the villages, but keep in mind, this is a popular little ridge, easy enough to hike and attractive for all skill levels but requiring some sensibe profiled boots, just above a valleybottom full of front yards, town parks and hotel gardens full of al sorts of exotic plants... perhaps it is a seed from the rockery in someone's driveway that went there as a hitchhiker.

Fizgig June 26, 2017, 04:34 PM

I dunno.... There is very little info. on the ones native to Europe... And they're definitely not a plant a gardener would look for -- they're not really hardy enough to transplant, nor showy enough to be worth the effort.

It's funny, though.... The one closest in appearance to the one you found here is native to New Mexico.... Oh, there is one more but it is known to grow only in Peru -- endangered species, too. Ain't nature funny sometimes?

Sonja June 27, 2017, 07:41 AM

Yes, putting words like Oxytropis, Spitzkiel or Fahnenwicke into Google and then switching to "shopping" led me to a few pages for obscurealternative medications, but to nothing gardenmarkets would sell. Obviously the whole genus is not popular for the purpose. Sadly, as I think they are especially pretty.