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Remarkable plants in northern Thuringe and southern Sachsen-Anhalt
Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt) are the westernmost of the East German states (Bundesländer). In the north of Thuringia between Erfurt and Bad Frankenhausen we saw many remarkable plants in June 2022 and 2023 in dry areas, often in steppe-like biotopes on gypsum rock.
Gypsum rock
Glaucium corniculatum / Red Horned Poppy Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam.		Glaucium corniculatum / Red Horned Poppy Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam.     The Red Horned Poppy has very long fruits.		Salvia nemorosa / Balkan Clary Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.
Allium vineale / Wild Onion Amaryllidaceae / Amaryllis Fam.		Silene otites / Spanish Catchfly Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Stachys recta / Yellow Woundwort Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.
Oxytropis pilosa / Wooly Milk-Vetch Fabaceae / Legumes		Pentanema hirtum / Hairy Fleabane Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Hypericum elegans / Elegant St. John's-Wort Hypericaceae / St.John's Wort Fam.
Achillea setacea / Fine-Leaved Milfoil Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Achillea setacea / Fine-Leaved Milfoil Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Ervum tetraspermum / Smooth Tare Fabaceae / Legumes
The Barbarossa Cave near Bad Frankenhausen is the only anhydrite show cave in Europe. Anhydrite is chemically calcium sulphate, which swells into gypsum on contact with water. On the gypsum ground on the slopes and the plateau between Bad Frankenhausen and the Barbarossa Cave the diversity of plants is particularly rich, and there are several Orchid species, too.
Anhydrite in the Barbarossa Cave
Ophrys insectifera, Fly Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids		Epipactis atrorubens, Dark-red Helleborine Orchidaceae / Orchids		Neotinea ustulata, Burnt Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids
Thymus pulegioides subsp. carniolicus / Krain Thyme Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.		Trommsdorffia maculata / Spotted Cat's-Ear Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Trommsdorffia maculata / Spotted Cat's-Ear Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
Centaurea stoebe / Panicled Knapweed Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Anthericum liliago / St. Bernard's Lily Asparagacae / Asparagus Fam.		Thalictrum minus / Lesser Meadow-Rue Ranunculaceae / Buttercup Fam.
Gypsophila fastigiata / Gypsophila Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Teucrium montanum / Mountain Germander Lamiaceae / Mint Fam.		Helianthemum nummularium / Common Rock-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.
Bromus erectus / Erect Brome Poaceae / Grass Fam.     ... is a sub-mediterranean immigrant		Bromus erectus / Erect Brome Poaceae / Grass Fam.
It is controversial whether the two Thrift clans from Bottendorf and Hornburg are discrete. Some assign these to the Tall Thrift  Armeria maritima subsp. elongata which is also available in the region.
Armeria maritima subsp. hornburgensis / Hornburg Thrift Plumbaginaceae / Thrift Fam.		Armeria maritima subsp. bottendorfensis / Bottendorf Thrift Plumbaginaceae / Thrift Fam.		Armeria maritima subsp. elongata / Tall Thrift Plumbaginaceae / Thrift Fam.
Sabulina caespitosa / Calaminarian Spring Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.     Bottendorf: a heavy-metal tolerant plant		Sabulina caespitosa / Calaminarian Spring Sandwort Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Poa badensis / Baden Blue Grass Poaceae / Grass Fam.
In other poor grassland areas, mostly on limestone soil, other plants, some of which are very rare, can be found:
Scorzonera purpurea / Purple Viper's Grass Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Scorzonera hispanica / Spanish Viper's Grass, Black Salsify Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Scorzonera hispanica / Spanish Viper's Grass, Black Salsify Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
Linum austriacum / Austrian Flax Linaceae / Linseed Fam.		Astragalus danicus / Purple Milk-Vetch Fabaceae / Legumes		Astragalus glycyphyllos / Wild Liquorice Fabaceae / Legumes
Euphorbia falcata / Sickle Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Euphorbia falcata / Sickle Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Euphorbia platyphyllos / Broad-Leaved Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.
Viola kitaibeliana / Dwarf Pansy Violaceae / Violet Fam.		Linum leonii / French Flax Linaceae / Linseed Fam.		Linum leonii / French Flax Linaceae / Linseed Fam.
Lysimachia foemina / Blue Pimpernel Primulaceae / Primrose Fam.		Galium glaucum / Glaucous Bedstraw, Waxy Bedstraw Rubiaceae / Bedstraw Fam.		Ononis repens subsp. procurrens / Common Restharrow Fabaceae / Legumes
Euphorbia esula / Leafy Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Euphorbia virgata / Leafy Spurge Euphorbiaceae / Spurge Fam.		Glaucium flavum / Yellow Horned Poppy Papaveraceae / Poppy Fam.     The Yellow Horned Poppy is also found at the coasts of the Mediterrannean and the North Sea.
Helianthemum apenninum / White Rock-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.		Helianthemum apenninum x canum / Hybrid Rock-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.		Helianthemum canum / Hoary Rock-Rose Cistaceae / Rockrose Fam.
Erysimum marschallianum / Hard Wallflower Brassicaceae / Crucifers		Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. carpatica / Carpathian Kidney Vetch Fabaceae / Legumes		Anthemis tinctoria / Yellow Chamomile Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
Clematis recta / Ground Clematis Ranunculaceae / Buttercup Fam.		Dictamnus albus / Burning Bush Rutaceae / Rue Fam.		Onopordum acanthium / Cotton Thistle Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
There are places in Sachsen-Anhalt where the water dissolves rock salt out of the rock. Of these salt biotopes in the south of Sachsen-Anhalt, the probably botanically richest is the drain of the brine spring that rises in the cemetery of Artern.
Spergularia media / Greater Sea Spurrey Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Spergularia media / Greater Sea Spurrey Caryophyllaceae / Campion Fam.		Tripolium pannonicum subsp. pannonicum / Sea Aster Asteraceae / Composite Fam.
Artemisia maritima / Sea Wormwood, Maritime Wormseed Asteraceae / Composite Fam.		Salicornia europaea / Common Glasswort Amaranthaceae / Amaranth Fam.		Atriplex prostrata / Spear-Leaved Orache Amaranthaceae / Amaranth Fam.
Triglochin maritimum / Arrowgrass Juncaginaceae / Arrowgrass Fam.		Juncus gerardii / Saltmeadow Rush Juncaceae / Rush Fam.		Puccinellia spec1 ? / Saltmarsh Grass Poaceae / Grass Fam.   This species has not been described yet.
Epipactis microphylla, Epipactis atrorubens, and the hybrid between both were found in a wood near Hettstedt in Sachsen-Anhalt. Between Querfurt and Nebra there is nutrient-poor grassland with the greenish color variant of the Bee Orchid and several other orchids, and in the wood nearby an en masse occurrence of the Turkscap Lily.
Epipactis microphylla, Small-Leaved Helleborine Orchidaceae / Orchids		Epipactis atrorubens x Epipactis microphylla = Epipactis x graberi Orchidaceae / Orchids		Epipactis atrorubens x Epipactis microphylla = Epipactis x graberi Orchidaceae / Orchids
Epipactis atrorubens, Dark-red Helleborine Orchidaceae / Orchids		Ophrys apifera forma chlorantha, Greenish Bee Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids		Ophrys apifera, Bee Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids
Gymnadenia conopsea s.l., Common Fragrant Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids		Orchis purpurea, Lady Orchid Orchidaceae / Orchids		Lilium martagon / Turkscap Lily Liliaceae / Lily Fam.
In the forest region south of Erfurt there is one of the most western sites of the Turkish Marsh Gladiolus:
Gladiolus imbricatus / Turkish Marsh Gladiolus Iridaceae / Iris Fam.		Iris sibirica / Siberian Iris Iridaceae / Iris Fam.		Vicia sylvatica / Wood Vetch Fabaceae / Legumes
Naturally this list of plants can't be complete. It will be continued on occasion.

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9-Jan-24

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