Family : Campanulaceae
Text © Prof. Pietro Medagli
English translation by Mario Beltramini
Present in most Europe, from the sea level up to about 1500 m, Campanula glomerata has a vast Eurasian distribution, up to China © Giuseppe Mazza
Campanula glomerata L. Sp. Pl.: 166 (1753) grows from the sea level up to about 1500 m of altitude in a vast range with temperate Eurasian distribution that includes most of Europe and extends to China.
Campanula glomerata is a stemmy hemicryptophyte, that is a perennial herbaceous species, with the aerial part drying up every year by the end of the vegetative period, keeping alive the basal parts, therefore it is a perennial species thanks to buds placed in the basal portion of the plant at the substratum level.
The blue-purple, rarely white, flowers are mostly looking upwards, grouped in a terminal glomerule © Giuseppe Mazza
It grows in natural and semi natural meadows, in the mowing meadows, at the limit of deciduous broadleaf woods, on calcareous soils or clayey but well aired and rich in bases, nitrogenous compounds and humus and quite arid in summer. The blooming is summery and occurs over a long period of time between June and September.
The term bellflower referred to the genus is a diminutive of bell referred to the shape of the corolla, this name was given by the German physicist and botanist Leonhart Fuchs – Leonhartus Fuchsius in Latin – (1501-1566) to a plant surely belonging to this genus, then later on taken up by Tournefort and by Linnaeus, whilst the specific term glomerata comes from glŏmĕro, to glomerate, to assemble in a group, to pile in a heap; with parts gathered in bunch at the apex (i.e, flowers grouped in one inflorescence, a cluster).
Underneath others may bloom, isolated or in small groups, at the upper cauline leaves axil © G. Mazza
Also the common names evoke this particular look of the inflorescence.
Italian: Campanula agglomerata, Campanella a mazzetti.
German: Knäule-Glockenblume.
English: Clustered Bellflower.
Spanish: Campanilla.
French: Campanule agglomérée.
The plant appears erect, 40 to 70 cm tall, with erect stem and sparsely hairy or at times sub glabrous, usually simple.
The lower leaves display an oblanceolate-spatulate shape, (1,5-4 x 3-12 mm) with blunt teeth on the margin, that looks more or less wavy; the foliar base is from acute to truncated or heart-shaped.
The upper leaves are amplexicaul (completely surrounding the stem), triangular-cordiform, (10-15 x 30-50 mm).
The flowers are merged in a terminal glomerulus and, possibly, others isolated or in small groups, in the upper part of the stem at the axil of the upper cauline leaves under the main inflorescence.
The flowers are mostly looking upwards and have a 5 mm long calyx that has a serrated edge with triangular-sharp small teeth of 1,5-2 x 5,5-6 mm that between one and the other delimit a large inlet; the corolla is gamopetalous, of light blue-purple colour (rarely white) and bell-shaped distinguish a 9-12 mm tube and five acute triangular lobes about 4 mm long and 8-10 mm broad, with an overall diametre attaining 3 cm; 5 stamens, with free anthers; inferior ovary, one style, 3 revolute stigmata.
The fruit is a trilocular poricidal capsule that is dehiscent by lateral pores placed at the height of the calyx tube and contains several seeds. Pollination is entomophilous.
It is a matter of polymorphic species concerning the greater or lesser density of hairiness, the overall shape of the plant, the presence or less of other flowers besides the terminal flower head. This polymorphism has been interpreted as the presence of different subspecies. Campanula glomerata L. subsp. glomerata; Campanula glomerata subsp. elliptica (Kit) O. Schwarz; Campanula glomerata subsp. cervicarioides (R. et S.) P. Fourn; Campanula glomerata subsp. farinosa (Rochel) Kirschl: Campanula glomerata subsp. serotina (Wettst.) O. Schwarz.
Summery flowering with erect 40-70 cm stems. Subspecies born from polymorphism and cultivars © Giuseppe Mazza
The subspecies glomerata is a pubescent plant with compound inflorescence; the subspecies elliptica has one unique capitulum; the subspecies cervicarioides presents compound inflorescence and of bristly-shaggy appearance; the subspecies farinosa of grey-tomentose capitulum; they are all little differentiated from each other as per morphology and with little different distribution ranges and ecological requirements; they probably fall within the individual variability or of population. More differentiated is the subsp. serotina that includes plants with short stems, simple, bearing one unique, but large, capitulum, with elongated basal leaves exceeding the capitulum and that apparently form an involucre around the same; this is diffused in the Alps.
The Bellflowers are utilized as ornamental plants. Campanula glomerata is amply grown on the rocky gardens and as a border plant. Cultivars of various colours, among which white, pink, blue and violet, have been selected.
For ornamental use several cultivars have been developed, including ‘Joan Elliott’ (with huge violet flowers), ‘Schneekrone’ with white flowers, the vigorous ‘Superba’ growing up to 60 cm with rich blue flowers and has obtained the Award prize of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society and the ‘Caroline’ with its clusters flowers of pale purple colour.
The whole Campanulaceae family gets very little use in the field of the medicinal plants. The popular tradition, apart from a few rare cases, among other things not supported adequately by scientific evidence, does not pass on to us remarkable uses in this sense. It is a nectariferous species visited by numerous species of insects, within which the bees, therefore it is a good melliferous species.
Synonyms
Syncodon glomeratus (L) Fourr 1869; Weitenwebera glomerata (L) Opix 1852.