Mountain Inula

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Mountain Inula
• Berg-Alant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Pulicaria calycina
• Inula montana var. lanata
• Inula calycina
• Aster montanus

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, placing it within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation falls under the genus Pentanema.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse presence across several regions of the European continent. In Middle Europe, its range extends into the mountainous landscapes of Switzerland. Moving toward the western coast, it can be found throughout Southwestern Europe, specifically in France, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, the species is distributed across Southeastern Europe, where it inhabits parts of Italy. Together, these locations highlight a broad geographical footprint spanning from the Alps to the Mediterranean.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Pentaema montanum is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist across multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural development and survival strategy, it is classified as a hemicryptophyte, meaning its perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or soil during unfavorable environmental conditions.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Pentanema montanum is characterized by its specific growth habit and ecological positioning. It functions as a self-supporting climber, utilizing its structural development to ascend without the need for external host support. In terms of its nutritional strategy, the plant is independent, meaning it does not rely on other organisms for sustenance as a parasite would. Furthermore, despite its climbing nature, it is a terrestrial plant rather than an epiphyte, establishing its primary root system and growth within the soil of its natural habitat.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Parasite :

independent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Pentanema montanum has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant.

Antioxidant

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)