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Ornithogalum orthophyllum (Ten.) ssp. acuminatum (Schur) Zahar.
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A narrow endemic aubspecies described by Schur in the XIXth century from Tampa mountain, near Brasov. it was also found according to Sarbu, Stefan and Oprea (2013) in Piatra Craiului Mountains in a place called "Padinile Frumoase".The local population from locco classico (mount Tampa near city of Brasov) is very rich and situated near the top of the mountain in mesic mountainous grasslands. From this point of view it seems to be ecologically different from the widespread in Romania Ornithogalum orthophyllum ssp. kochii which is mostly mesoxeric-xeric. The species does not grow at all in the xeric rocky grasslands situated not far away, below the top of the mountain. The new described population from Piatra
Craiului Mountains was published in Ciocârlan
V., Pop O. G., Danciu M. & Indreica A. 2006. New
plant taxa, and new locations of some important plant species for
Piatra Craiului National Park. Research in
Piatra Craiului National Park, Brașov: Edit. Univ.
Transilvania, 3:
86-89. The main characters are 1. the decurrent wide green stripe from beneath the tepals which would be decurrent to the pedicel - this character when you compare the photographs below and the ones from the widespread Ornithogalum orthophyllum ssp. kochii is not valid 2. leaves with large air channels - this seems to be a valid character but should be investigated further. Some photographs in this regard were provided on this site for both taxa. 3. short style up to 1,5 mm (at the widespread ssp. kochii 2-3 mm). This character seems not to be valid and you can clearly compare the legth of the style in some photographs from this site for both taxa but further investigations are needed. If this is an endemic narrow taxa it is not yet threatened at all, the locco classico population is still very large. However it seems quite weakly differentiated from Ornithogalum orthophyllum ssp. kochii and some clear morphometric, ecologic and genetic studies are needed. Near Brasov, Brasov county, in the area of Postavarul Mountains, in the meadows at the top of Tampa peak, 30th of April, 2012. dr. Alexandru Badarau, alexandru@transsilvanica.net
In the image below you can clearly see an individual with the supposed character of the subspecies linked to the wide strong decurrent green stripe from beneath the tepals not present.
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