| Caryophyllaceae |
|---|
Cerastium araraticum RUPR. |
Cerastium araraticum RUPR. |
Cerastium L. |
| C. araraticum Rupr., Fl. Cauc. 234 (1869). Syn: C. alpinum sensu Boiss., Fl. Or. 1: 728 (1867) & Suppl. 120 (1888) non L.; C. szowitsii sensu auct. Russ., non (?) Boiss. Caespitose perennial. Stems ± erect, 5-15 cm, hirsute-pilose. Leaves linear-oblong, ± obtuse and glabrous. Inflorescence few-flowered. Bracts with obvious scarious margins. Sepals lanceolate, 6-8 mm, with broad scarious margins, pilose. Petals c. 10 mm. Capsules exserted slightly from the calyx, opening by teeth with slightly revolute margins. Fl. 8. Slopes, up to 5000 m. Numerous syntypes from Caucasia. A9 Kars: nr. Kars (Grossheim 3: map 210). B9 Van: Kerikas Da., 25 km SW of Gevaş, 2900 m, Frödin 141. B10 Ağri: Great Ararat (Ağri Da.), 4800 m, B. Post 1910:2088! ? Endemic. Ir.-Tur. element. It is somewhat difficult to decide the correct name for this species. Boissier (loc. cit.) calls it C. alpinum L., but this is incorrect, as it differs from this mainly European species in leaf shape, indumentum, petal size, etc. Russian authors (notably Schischkin in Fl. URSS 6: 465, 1936, and Gross-heim, Fl. Kavk. 3: 196, 1945) use the name C. szowitsii Boiss. (cf. also the observation under C. banaticum). However, this last name was applied by Boissier (Fl. Or. 1: 717, 1867) to a plant collected by Szowits in Russian Armenia, and was placed by him in Sect. Strephodon{i.e. with capsule teeth rolled circin-ately outwards); in his observation under the species, Boissier states: ' . . . cap-sulae dentes apice valde circinato-convoluti. . . ' Until this problem can be sorted out, it seems safest to apply the unambiguous name C. araraticum. According to a note on the label of Post 2088 it is the highest-occurring flowering plant on Mt. Ararat, extending up to 5000 m. |