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| Rhododendron hirsutum in its full glory - widely distributed along the rocky slopes of Čaven, but only 5 or 6 flowering bushes found yesterday. |
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| Hladnikia pastinacifolia (Apiaceae family) a true endemic of Trnovski gozd, found only here and nowhere else in the world! Discovered in 1819 by Franc Hladnik. Note the distinctive leaves (second pic). |
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| Genista holopetala - another specialty of the area, in Slovenia growing only on the southern edge of Trnovski gozd. It has a Balkanic distribution, found mainly on the Velebit mountain range in Croatia. |
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| Scabiosa graminifolia - pretty abundant here. |
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| Lilium carniolicum - found on open grassy slopes. About 10-15 of these yesterday. |
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| Lilium martagon - preferring more shady places than the other two lilies. Common in beech woodland on the margins of roads. |
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| Lilium bulbiferum - the third species of lily seen yesterday. |
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| Gentiana utriculosa |
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| Gentiana lutea - one single plant already in flower (first pic); others still in development, but looking really good anyway! |
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| Iris sibirica ssp. erirrhiza - an endemic subspecies in Slovenia. In contrast with the nominate ssp. growing on wet grounds, this one prefers dry grasslands. |
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| Phyteuma scheuchzeri |
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| Campanula trachelium |
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| Two views from Čaven (southern edge of Trnovski gozd) looking towards the Vipava valley. Mt. Nanos is visible in the distance to the left (highest top). |
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| Grassy-rocky slopes of Čaven, looking towards the Vipava valley and the Karst. The Adriatic sea (Gulf of Trieste) is visible far in the background to the right. |
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| View towards the Trnovo forest |
My third ever true botanical visit to Trnovski gozd (Trnovo forest). More precisely the southern edge of the forest (Čaven and Mala Gora - 1034 to 1242 m), which is dominated by open grasslands, steep rocky slopes, cliffs and screes. An area of mix between different floras (Alpine, Balkanic, Submediterranean...) resulting in a large variety of interesting taxa, including several endemics and extremely localised species. No wonder I didn't see any birds... my look was constantly concentrated on the ground. At the end of the day I gathered a pretty long list of species, including several "dreamed of" lifers.
The only true interesting birds were 4
Lesser Grey Shrikes seen in the Vipava valley at the end of the trip.
