Campanula sparsa Friv. (syn. Campanula sparsa subsp. sphaerothrix (Griseb.) Hayek)

Taxonomy: Fam. Campanulaceae// Genus: Campanula// Species: Campanula sparsa Friv.

Determined according to the botanical keys provided by Fedorov and Kovanda in Tutin et al. (1976) as Campanula sparsa subsp. sphaerothrix (Griseb.) Hayek, loc. cit. (1930). This taxon is not accepted at the subspecies rank in The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Castroviejo et al., 2010+).

Species variability: Campanula sparsa Friv. shows considerable morphological variation, with 3 subspecies described according to Fedorov and Kovanda in Tutin et al. (1976), all of which occur in the Osogovo region. Currently, only one subspecies: Campanula sparsa Friv. subsp. sparsa is accepted in The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Castroviejo et al., 2010+).

Distinction between subspecies:

Campanula sparsa subsp. frivaldskyi (Steud.) = C. expansa Friv., non J. H. Rudolph: Diameter of corolla 30 – 35 mm, calyx teeth erecto-patent at anthesis.

Campanula sparsa Friv. subsp. sparsa: Diameter of corolla c. 25 mm, calyx teeth patent or somewhat deflexed at anthesis.

Campanula sparsa subsp. sphaerothrix (Griseb.) Hayek: Form with a comparatively smaller flowers – corolla 12 to 16 mm, calyx teeth patent to erecto-patent.

Lifeform: Annual; therophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Campanula sparsa subsp. sphaerothrix is native to the Balkan Peninsula to North Aegean Islands according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Clearings and edges of oak and European beech forests, from c. 700 up to 1500 m altitude.

Flowering period: Summer: JUN, JUL.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – habit. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – habit. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – inflorescence. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – branch of inflorescence. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – flower. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – side view of flower – corolla and calyx. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – pedicel. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – capsules. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – capsule. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – upper cauline leaves. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – stem and cauline leaf. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – stem and cauline leaves. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – stem and lower cauline leaves. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – lower cauline leaf. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – adaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – abaxial side of leaf. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – upper part of stem. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* subsp. *sphaerothrix* – lower part of stem. Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 09.07.2023. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Campanula sparsa* – habit (left), flowers (right-up and center), basal and stem with lower cauline leaves (right- down). Osogovo, “Shtalkovichka” River near village of Shtalkovica, 15.07.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Campanula L. Fedorov, A. A. (spp. 1-104) and Kovanda, M. (spp. 105-143) in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1976). Flora Europaea. Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 74-93.

Campanula sparsa. Castroviejo, S., Aldasoro, J. J. & Alarcón, M.; with contributions from Hand, R. (2010+): Campanulaceae. – In: Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/bdf78ebb-87fe-4eee-b043-04dd1abb57d8 [Accessed 04.08.2023].

Campanula sparsa subsp. sphaerothrix (Griseb.) Hayek. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77189601-1 [Accessed 04.08.2023].

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