Favratia zoysii, known commonly as Zois' bellflower, Zoysi's harebell, or crimped bellflower, is the sole member of the genus Favratia, closely related to Campanula (bellflowers).
Distribution and habitat
The plant is endemic to
Austria, northern
Italy (Friuli–Venezia Giulia and
Veneto), and
Slovenia.
It grows most readily in
limestone crevices in the
Julian Alps, Kamnik–Savinja Alps and the Peca Mountain,
as well as in the dolomitic
Alps of Italy and Austria.
A white-flowered form of
C. zoysii, called
Lismore Ice was cultured from seeds harvested in the Julian Alps. The plant is much more compact in growth than its purple form. It is also slower growing and has smaller leaves, the tips of which are yellow.
Favratia zoysii can survive in temperatures as low as .
Description
The plant tends to grow low, reaching anywhere from in height, though some plants may grow as tall as .
Tufts (or "cushions") of the plant tend to creep outward as it grows.
Seedlings require two years to grow to flower.
Flowers
The genus is unique among its family of bellflowers. The mouth of
F. zoysii's bell-shaped flower narrows, ending in a five-pointed star, while the flowers of
Campanula species are likewise bell-shaped, but open.
(The "pinched" shape of these flowers nonetheless manages to allow insects inside for pollination.) The flowers are arranged one to three for each stem.
The plant's pale sky blue- to lavender-colored flowers bloom in June over a three- to four-week period.
Leaves
Leaves are crowded at the root, stalked, and blunt; stem leaves are , lance-shaped and linear.
Cultural significance
Favratia zoysii is held in high regard in Slovenia. It is considered a symbol of the Slovene Alps, and was called "the true daughter of the Slovene mountains" by the renowned botanist Viktor Petkovšek (1908–1994). It is the symbol of the oldest (and the only one in the natural environment)
alpine garden in Slovenia,
Alpinum Juliana, established in 1926.
Favratia zoysii is highly esteemed as an ornamental plant in rock gardens. The September 1905 issue of Gardeners' Chronicle praises F. zoysii as "choicest and most distinct ... of a genus comprising flowers of the greatest beauty and of the highest merit in the garden".
The plant was named by the botanist Franz Xaver von Wulfen (1728–1805) in honor of its discoverer, the botanist Karl von Zois (1756–1799), who introduced it to him. It was first described by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in 1789.
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