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Gymnospermium altaicum

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 Photo by Jon Evans, Alpinegardensociety.net.


Photo by Kit Tan, one of the authors.


This is Gymnospermium altaicum odessanum, found in Romania, by Mihai Doroftei.

Author: Édouard Spach, 1839
Family:  BERBERIDACEAE
Origin:   Altay, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, China
Soil:  Mix
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Medium - Maximum
Thickness:  6 Centimetres
Height:  15 Centimetres
Flower:   Yellow
Propagate: Seeds/Cuttings
Names:  -
Synonyms:  Leontice altaica, Pall. 1779.
Leontice alpina,
Halácsy.
Gymnospermium scipetarum
, Paparisto & Qosja, 1983 = Gymnospermium altaicum subsp. scipetarum, Kit Tan & Mullaj, 2001.

This member of the Berberidaceae family was given this name by Édouard Spach in 1839. It is found in northern China and southern Russia, growing in a well drained soil with some water and some to lots of sun. The caudex can grow to six centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 15 or 20 centimetres in height. The flowers are yellow.

The genera name from the Greek gymnos; 'naked' and Latin sperma; 'seed', referring to the unripe seeds which are exposed when the membranous pericarp splits. The species name after the Altai Mountains.


This is Gymnospermium altaicum odessanum, found in Romania, by Mihai Doroftei.