Phyteuma orbiculare

Phyteuma
Phyteuma globulariifolium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Campanulaceae Genus: Phyteuma L.
Species
See text.

Phyteuma is a genus of about 40-45 species of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae, native to Europe and western Asia. The common name is Rampion. Rampion features prominently in some versions of the story of Rapunzel. In the Grimm's brothers' fairy tale "Rapunzel" it is noted that "rapunzel" is the name given to a local form of rampion.

The species are herbaceous perennial plants, growing to 5-90 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, and vary in shape on a single plant, with larger, broader leaves at the base of the stem and smaller, narrower leaves higher up; the leaf margin is serrated. The flowers are produced in dense erect panicles, each flower with a narrow, deeply five-lobed corolla, 1-2 cm or more long), mostly purple, sometimes pale blue, white or pink. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous small seeds.

Selected species

• Phyteuma balbisii
• Phyteuma betonicifolium
• Phyteuma charmelii
• Phyteuma comosum
• Phyteuma confusum
• Phyteuma globulariifolium
• Phyteuma hemisphaericum
• Phyteuma humile
• Phyteuma michelii
• Phyteuma nigrum - Black Rampion
• Phyteuma orbiculare - Round-headed Rampion
• Phyteuma ovatum
• Phyteuma pauciflorum
• Phyteuma pedemontanum
• Phyteuma scheuchzeri
• Phyteuma sieberi
• Phyteuma spicatum - Spiked Rampion
• Phyteuma tenerum
• Phyteuma vagneri
• Phyteuma zahlbruckneri

The name Rampion is also sometimes applied to the related Rampion Bellflower Campanula rapunculus.

The round-headed rampion is known colloquially in the county of Sussex, England as the pride of Sussex. It is also the county flower of Sussex.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Phyteuma