Diamond-leaved bellflower

Appearance

The diamond-leaved bellflower is a perennial plant that reaches heights of 25 to 70 centimeters. The stem is simple, slightly edged, upright and densely leafed. The numerous stem leaves are egg-shaped to diamond-shaped, pointed, roughly toothed and sitting with a rounded base. The flowers are long stalked, wide-bell-shaped, nodding, 12 to 20 millimeters long and blue-violet. It has broad triangular tips. The flowers are arranged in a mostly one-sided cluster . The calyx is glabrous, shorter than half the length of the flower and has almost linear tips. The calyx bays are blunt and have no appendage.

The flowering period extends from June to August.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 34.

Distribution

The diamond-leaved bellflower occurs in the Pyrenees, in the Jura and in the western Alps to the east as far as the front and rear Rhine area.

Habitat

It grows in calcareous, moist meadows and pastures in the montane to subalpine level at altitudes up to 2300 meters, rarely higher. It is a character species of the Polygono-Trisetion association and thrives in Switzerland, particularly in the western alpine Trisetetum flavescentis.