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Carpinus austrobalcanica

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Species of tree
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Carpinus austrobalcanica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Carpinus
Species: C. austrobalcanica
Binomial name
Carpinus austrobalcanica
Nevena Kuzmanović, Dmitar Lakušić, Ivana Stevanoski, Peter Schönswetter, Božo Frajman
Distribution of Carpinus austrobalcanica (in red). The ranges of Carpinus orientalis (green horizontal lines) and C. betulus (orange vertical lines) are also indicated.

Carpinus austrobalcanica, the southern Balkan hornbeam, is a species of hardwood tree in the family Betulaceae, subfamily Coryloideae, native only to the southern Balkan Peninsula, in particular southern Albania and northwestern Greece. First described in 2024 it is, with the European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and the Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis), one of three hornbeams native to Europe.

Description

C. austrobalcanica is a deciduous tree reaching heights up to 15 meters. It is "closely related" to, but differs from the similar common European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in a number of characters. Differences can be observed in the structure and colour of the bark, which is deeply fissured into centimetre-sized scales, and light brown to brown. In this respect, C. austrobalcanica is more similar to European hophornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia). Additionally, the buds are obovate, while those of common hornbeam have a pointed shape.

The leaf structure also varies, with Carpinus austrobalcanica having a flat leaf surface that is not wavy, while the other species (common hornbeam) has strongly wavy leaves. The leaf venation in C. austrobalcanica is not pronounced and more or less in the plane of the leaf surface. In contrast, common hornbeam has a pronounced venation.

The Inflorescences of C. austrobalcanica are very elongated, up to 25 cm, interrupted, and usually clearly longer than the supporting leaf, those of common hornbeam are dense, up to 15 cm, rarely clearly interrupted, and usually only slightly longer than the supporting leaf.

Distribution and habitat

See also: Pindus Mountains mixed forests

C. austrobalcanica is currently known only from a limited range in the northern Pindus of Albania and Greece, specifically the Nemërçka and Tymphe mountain ranges. Here it occurs at altitudes ranging from 850 to 1500m in mixed to almost monodominant stands, in xero-thermophilous communities along with oaks (Quercus petraea, Q. pubescens, Q. trojana), other Coryloidae (Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia), maples (Acer monspessulanum, A. pseudoplatanus), rosaceous species (Aria graeca, Prunus mahaleb), broad-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos), cade juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus), Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) and tanner's sumach (Rhus coriaria), on calcareous soils.

Gallery

  • Trunk (with moss) Trunk (with moss)
  • Bark (with moss and lichens) Bark (with moss and lichens)
  • Leaves and inflorescences Leaves and inflorescences
  • Inflorescence Inflorescence

Discovery

The species was first described in 2024 by scientists from University of Belgrade and University of Innsbruck.

References

  1. ^ Kuzmanović, Nevena; Lakušić, Dmitar; Stevanoski, Ivana; Barfuss, Michael H. J.; Schönswetter, Peter; Frajman, Božo (2024). "Carpinus austrobalcanica – A new highly polyploid species from the Balkan Peninsula closely related to European hornbeam". Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 64: 125812. doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2024.125812. ISSN 1433-8319. Retrieved 2024-12-04.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ "Innsbrucker Botaniker:innen beschreiben neue Baumart". University of Innsbruck, www.uikb.ac.at (in German). 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2024-12-05.


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