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Laburnum alpinum [Scottish Laburnum]


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Rørslett, B. 2013. Laburnum alpinum (Mill.)Bercht. & J.Presl (Fabaceae). Scottish Laburnum. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/368-laburnum-alpinum-scottish-laburnum/

 

Laburnum alpinum (Mill.)Bercht. & J.Presl

Syn. Cytisus alpinus Mill.

NO: Alpegullregn

SE: Alpgullregn

DK: Alpe-Guldregn

FI: Kaljukultasade, Kultasade

EN: Scottish Laburnum

 

A tall shrub or small tree, L. alpinum is native to alpine regions of Europe and occurs naturalised in the Nordic countries. It is frequently planted as an ornamental shrub, despite the whole plant being poisonous. In particular, the pods are highly toxic. Due to this potential problem, there has been a move towards replacing it with the hybrid L. x watereri (L. anagyroides x alpinum) which has a poor seed set and thus is considered being less dangerous.The scented yellow flowers are borne in long pendant racemes in May or June. The flowers last for about 2 weeks before abundant seed set occurs. L. alpinum is frequently naturalised from garden escapes in lowland deciduous forests; however, it flowers rarely when the habitat is shaded so many occurrences go unnoticed..

 

Plants collected near Oslo, Norway 17-18 June 2013. They represent naturalised specimens and have been identified as L. alpinum by the leaves only being hairy along the margins and on the underside veins, leaf stalks without dense hairs, uniform yellow corolla, and hairless pods with a longitudinal crest and brownish seeds.

 

LABU_ALP_I1306173204_VIS.jpg

Image reference: LABU_ALP_I1306173204_VIS.jpg

Visible light: Nikon D300, Medical-Nikkor 120 mm f/4 lens, built-in ring flash.

 

LABU_ALP_I13061838888_UV.jpg

Image reference: LABU_ALP_I13061838888_UV.jpg

Ultraviolet light: Nikon D600, UV-Nikkor 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Baader U2" (Venus) filter, Broncolor studio flash (uncoated Xenon tube), 73 frames stacked in Zerene Stacker

 

In UV, the lower petal (keel) of L. apinum is very dark. The remainder of the corolla is UV bright and shiny due to the presence of short conical cells.

 

[Published 18 June 2013]

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