''Campanula rapunculus'', common name rampion bellflower, rampion, rover bellflower, or rapunzel, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

of bellflower (''Campanula'') in the family

Campanulaceae The family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky sap. Among them are several familiar garden plants belo ...

. This species was once widely grown in Europe for its leaves, which were used like

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

, and its

parsnip The parsnip ('' Pastinaca sativa'') is a root vegetable closely related to carrot and parsley, all belonging to the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is a biennial plant usually grown as an annual. Its long taproot has cream-colored skin an ...

-like root, which was used like a

radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw ...

. The

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among th ...

's tale

Rapunzel "Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...

took its name from this plant.

Etymology

The genus Latin name ("''campanula''"), meaning small bell, refers to the bell-shape of the flower, while the specific name ("''rapunculus''") is a diminutive of the Latin "''rapa''" (

turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound of ''turn'' as in turned/rounded on a lathe and ...

) and means 'little turnip', which refers to the shape of the root.

Description

This

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

plant reaches on average of height, with a maximum of . The stem is erect, lightly hairy, branched on the top. The basal leaves are petiolated, ovate, slightly toothed and arranged in a rosette, while the upper leaves are sessile and narrow lanceolate. The hermaphrodite flowers are clustered in a racemose inflorescence, with a bell-shaped, light blue or violet

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name *Corolla (headgear) A ''corolla'' is an ancient headdress in the form of a small circlet or crown.dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

capsule in the form of inverted cone with many seeds. The thick root looks like a small turnip and it is edible. The chromosome number is 2n = 20. There are wild bee species like from the genus

Chelostoma ''Chelostoma'' is a genus of bees in the Osmiini tribe of the family Megachilidae. The genus is divided into 5 subgenera with at least 60 described species. Species These 60 species belong to the genus ''Chelostoma'': * '' Chelostoma aegaeicu ...

that rely on ''Campanula rapunculus'' as a

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

source.

Distribution

''Campanula rapunculus'' is present in western Asia, northern Africa and in most of Europe, except Iceland, Ireland and Norway. It has been introduced in Denmark, southern Sweden and Great Britain. This species was once widely grown in Europe for its leaves, which were used like

, and its

-like root, which was used like a

Habitat

''Campanula rapunculus'' is winter-hardy. It grows on poor

soils Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ter ...

. This species prefers limestone soils and grows in dry meadows, cultivated beds, forests of oaks and pine trees, along roadsides and lane, at an altitude of above sea level.

Cultivation

The rampion can be cultivated as a

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydropon ...

. It is sown at the beginning of June. A loose soil is favourable,

fertilisation Fertilisation or fertilization (see spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a new individual organism or offspring and initiate its development. Pro ...

is not necessary. It grows best in well drained, rich sandy-loam soils which are neutral or alkaline with a pH of 4.8-7.5. The

seeds A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm ...

are very small (thousand grain weight 0.04g). For a more uniform

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (emb ...

distribution, 20 times the amount of sand is mixed with the seeds before sowing. The row distance should be 20-25cm. The seeds are not covered, but only lightly pressed onto the surface of the soil. After

germination Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fe ...

, the plants must be thinned. The

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

can be harvested from October onwards throughout the winter. On a soil rich in carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen, a dry matter of up to 135g/m² is possible, whereas on more sandy soils or sub-soils only 12-17g/m² is achieved. Rampion is cultivated after highly demanding crops such as cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes or cucumbers. It can also be grown as a

catch crop In agriculture, a catch crop is a fast-growing crop that is grown between successive plantings of a main crop. For example, radishes that mature from seed in 25–30 days can be grown between rows of most vegetables, and harvested long before th ...

between lettuce.

Synonyms

* ''Campanula elatior'' Hoffmanns. & Link * ''Campanula lusitanica f. bracteosa'' (

Willk. Heinrich Moritz Willkomm (29 June 1821, Herwigsdorf – 26 August 1895, Schloss Wartenberg in Wartenberg am Rollberg, Bohemia) was a German academic and botanist. He studied medicine at the University of Leipzig, later being named a profe ...

) Cout. * ''Campanula lusitanica f. racemoso-paniculata'' (Willk.) Cout. * ''Campanula lusitanica f. verruculosa'' (Hoffmanns. & Link) Cout. * ''Campanula lusitanica var. cymoso-spicata'' (Willk.) Cout. * ''Campanula lusitanica'' auct. * ''Campanula verruculosa'' Hoffmanns. & Link

Gallery

File:Campanulaceae - Campanula rapunculus.JPG, Inflorescence of ''Campanula rapunculus'' File:Campanulaceae - Campanula rapunculus-5.JPG, Flowers of ''Campanula rapunculus'' File:Campanula rapunculus Closeup SierraMadrona.jpg, Flowers of ''Campanula rapunculus'' File:Campanula rapunculus W.jpg, Close-up on flowers of ''Campanula rapunculus'', lateral view File:Campanulaceae - Campanula rapunculus-6.JPG, Close-up on flower of ''Campanula rapunculus'' File:Campanulaceae - Campanula rapunculus-3.JPG, Leaf of ''Campanula rapunculus''

References

Notes Bibliography * Pignatti S. (1982) ''Flora d'Italia'', Vol. II. Edagricole. p.687.

External links

Campanula rapunculus

C. rapunculus
{{Taxonbar, from=Q547186 rapunculus Flora of North Africa Flora of Western Asia Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Root vegetables