Alpine Sandwort
EntdeckenPflanzen
Alpine Sandwort
cherleria obtusiloba
Alpine Sandwort (Cherleria obtusiloba) is a resilient, low-growing perennial plant that thrives in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Sprouting in dense, moss-like cushions, this remarkable alpine specialist hugs the ground to escape the punishing winds and freezing temperatures of high-altitude mountain peaks. During its short summer blooming window, these green mats transform into a beautiful spectacle, blanketed in tiny, star-shaped white flowers. Its compact, dome-shaped cushions act as natural heat-trappers, allowing the plant to photosynthesize efficiently even when surrounded by snow patches. Highly valued as a 'nurse plant,' Alpine Sandwort creates a microhabitat that accumulates organic matter and traps moisture, paving the way for other less hardy alpine species to colonize barren rocky terrain.
Lebensraum: Typically found in dry, exposed alpine tundra, gravelly ridges, fellfields, and rocky slopes at or above the treeline.
Aussehen
This species is easily recognized by its dense, mat-forming cushion growth habit, which closely resembles a clump of moss. It features tiny, tightly packed, needle-like green leaves that are slightly hairy and sharp-tipped, measuring only about 5 to 10 millimeters long. During the mid-summer flowering season, the foliage is adorned with small, five-petaled flowers that range from creamy white to pale yellow. Each flower, approximately 6 to 10 millimeters in diameter, sits on a short, hairy stalk just above the foliage, displaying prominent orange or yellow anthers at its center.
ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungCaryophyllalesFamilieCaryophyllaceaeGattungCherleria
Kategorie
PflanzenSeltenheit
Common
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
Snaps
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Interessante Fakten
Alpine Sandwort cushions can survive for over a century, growing only a few millimeters in diameter each year in their harsh mountain homes.
Despite looking like soft moss, its needle-like leaves form extremely tough, rigid cushions that can withstand freezing winds and light trampling.
The dense interior of the cushion traps dead leaves and debris, creating a self-fertilizing compost pile that nourishes the plant's own roots.
Besondere Fähigkeiten
Fähigkeit
Cushion Growth Habit
The dense, low-to-the-ground dome shape reduces wind exposure, limits water loss, and traps warm air within the foliage.
Fähigkeit
Deep Anchor Taproot
A sturdy, elongated woody taproot anchors the plant securely in loose talus and reaches deep water sources amidst dry rocky soil.
Fähigkeit
Thermal Regulation
The plant acts like a solar collector, maintaining internal temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius warmer than the ambient alpine air.
Maße und Details
- Länge
- 3-10 cm
- Gewicht
- 0.02-0.15 kg
- Lebenserwartung
- 20-100 Jahre
Ernährung und Fütterung
As a photoautotroph, the Alpine Sandwort synthesizes its own organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight energy.
Hauptnahrung
- Sunlight
- Carbon dioxide
- Water
- Soil nutrients
Ökologische Zusammenhänge
mutualism
Polar Bumblebee
Bombus polaris
Pollinated by alpine bees seeking nectar and pollen in extreme environments.
eaten by
American Pika
Ochotona princeps
Harvested by pikas and stored in high-altitude haypiles for winter food.
competitor
Moss Campion
Silene acaulis
Competes for limited rocky soil space and nutrients on exposed alpine ridges.
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Sicherheit
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
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Häufig gestellte Fragen
Wie identifiziert man Alpine Sandwort?
Der einfachste Weg, Alpine Sandwort zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.
Was ist der/die/das länge von Alpine Sandwort?
3-10 cm
Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Alpine Sandwort?
0.02-0.15 kg
Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Alpine Sandwort?
20-100 Jahre
Was frisst Alpine Sandwort?
As a photoautotroph, the Alpine Sandwort synthesizes its own organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight energy.
Wo findet man Alpine Sandwort normalerweise?
Typically found in dry, exposed alpine tundra, gravelly ridges, fellfields, and rocky slopes at or above the treeline.
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