Günther's Site - Photos of European Plants


Calaminarian Flora


Viola calaminaria / Zinc Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.	Viola calaminaria / Zinc Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.	Viola calaminaria / Zinc Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.
'Calamine' is a miner's word for sulfur-free zinc ore, which emerged by alteration of the earlier available sulfurous blackjack (zinc blende) under influence of oxygenic waters. In much earlier ages the blackjack had evolved from volcanic activities. 'Calamine' contains lead and manganese beside the zinc, it can be available in rocky or earthy form. Most of my photos of the Calaminarian Flora have be taken at Stolberg-Breinigerberg, where in nature reserve Schlangenberg the heavy metal-tolerant plants are accessible by paths. It is sure that the Romans dug for 'calamine' at the Schlangenberg about from 100 to 400 AD. Together with copper they treated it to brass, which has a brighter, more gold-like color than pure copper. It is assumed that before that the Celts dug for iron ore which is also available at the Schlangenberg. 'Calamine' is more or less poisonous for most of the plants, but in the course of time some plants adapted to it and established in this ecological niche. These plants are called 'Calaminarian Flora', of which the most well-known representative is the yellow Zinc Pansy, which is closely related to Viola lutea. According to this pansy the corresponding plant society is called 'Violetum calaminariae'. At the Schlangenberg beside the Zinc Pansy some more plants are adapted to the zinciferous soil, these are shown below.
Armeria maritima subsp. halleri / Calaminarian Thrift Plumbaginaceae / Thrift Fam.	Armeria maritima subsp. halleri / Calaminarian Thrift Plumbaginaceae / Thrift Fam.	Festuca aquisgranensis / Calaminarian Fescue Poaceae / Grass Fam.
Noccaea caerulescens subsp. sylvestris / Calaminarian Penny-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers	Noccaea caerulescens subsp. sylvestris / Calaminarian Penny-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers	Festuca aquisgranensis / Calaminarian Fescue Poaceae / Grass Fam.
Sabulina caespitosa / Calaminarian Spring Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.	Sabulina caespitosa / Calaminarian Spring Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.	Silene vulgaris var. humilis / Calaminarian Bladder Campion Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.


On the old mine dump of a former lead mine near Lichtenau-Blankenrode northwest of Warburg in Westphalia a blue 'Calaminarian Pansy' called Viola guestphalica, is occurring instead of the yellow one. It is closer related to Viola tricolor than to Viola lutea. Correspondingly the plant society there is called 'Violetum guestphalicae'. Another difference is that in this plant society the Calaminarian Penny-Cress Noccaea caerulescens subsp. sylvestris is substituted by Haller's Rock-Cress Arabidopsis halleri. Other Calaminarian plants are the same as at the Schlangenberg.
Viola guestphalica / Blue Zinc Pansy, Westphalia Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.	Viola guestphalica / Blue Zinc Pansy, Westphalia Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.	Festuca aquisgranensis / Calaminarian Fescue Poaceae / Grass Fam.
Arabidopsis halleri / Haller's Rock-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers	Arabidopsis halleri / Haller's Rock-Cress Brassicaceae / Crucifers	Festuca aquisgranensis / Calaminarian Fescue Poaceae / Grass Fam.
Silene vulgaris var. humilis / Calaminarian Bladder Campion Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.	Silene vulgaris var. humilis / Calaminarian Bladder Campion Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.	Sabulina caespitosa / Calaminarian Spring Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.