Flora - Corrupt Spleenwort

Flora – Plants of the Pohorje

The plants featured on these stamps are species that are characteristic of Slovenia’s Pohorje massif. All are rare in Slovenia, while one only grows in the Pohorje and is found nowhere else in the country. The adoption of a document that will define the summit areas of the Pohorje as a regional park by virtue of their conserved natural environment has been planned for some time. “Plants of the Pohorje” were chosen as the designs for these stamps in the hope that this will further raise the profile of the future Pohorje Regional Park, which is currently in the process of being established.

Corrupt spleenwort (Asplenium adulterinum)

This spleenwort looks very similar to two widespread and common ferns of the Asplenium genus – the maidenhair spleenwort and the green spleenwort – and is in fact a tetraploid hybrid (with doubled chromosomes) of the two. It occurs in Europe and Canada but is very rare throughout its range, since it has specific habitat requirements. In Slovenia it only grows over serpentine rocks, which are found in a few places in the Pohorje. It requires a moist substrate, bare rock and plenty of shade. This habitat is offered by serpentine rocks in the abandoned quarry above Zgornja Bistrica and by Radkovski Potok, a stream near Tinjska Gora. Owing to its rarity and endangered status, this plant is among the species of Europe-wide importance that are qualifying species for Natura 2000 areas.

Mitja Kaligarič