Campanula rotundifolia, the common harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower familyCampanulaceae.[2] This herbaceousperennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In Scotland, it is often known simply as bluebell. It is the floral emblem of Sweden where it is known as small bluebell.[3] It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn.
The Latin specific epithetrotundifolia means "round leaved".[4] However, not all leaves are round in shape. Middle stem-leaves are linear.[5]: 707
Description
Campanula rotundifolia is a slender, prostrate to erect herbaceousperennial, spreading by seed and rhizomes. The basal leaves are long-stalked, rounded to heart-shaped, usually slightly toothed, with prominent hydathodes, and often wither early. Leaves on the flowering stems are long and narrow and the upper ones are unstemmed.[6] The inflorescence is a panicle or raceme, with 1 to many flowers borne on very slender pedicels. The flowers usually have five (occasionally 4, 6 or 7) pale to mid violet-blue petals fused together into a bell shape, about 12–30 mm (15⁄32–1+3⁄16 in) long and five long, pointed green sepals behind them. Plants with pale pink or white flowers may also occur.[6] The petal lobes are triangular and curve outwards. The seeds are produced in a capsule about 3–4 mm (1⁄8–5⁄32 in) diameter and are released by pores at the base of the capsule. Seedlings are minute, but established plants can compete with tall grass. As with many other Campanula species, all parts of the plant exude white latex when injured or broken.
The flowering period is long and varies by location. In the British Isles, harebell flowers from July to November.[6][7]: 250 [8] In Missouri, it flowers from May to August;[9] in Minnesota, from June to October.[10] The flowers are pollinated by bees, but can self-pollinate.
Taxonomy
Campanula rotundifolia was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. As of 2023[update], no varieties or subspecies of Campanula rotundifolia are accepted in Plants of the World Online (POWO).[11] Several species have been previously described as varieties or subspecies of C. rotundifolia:
Campanula alaskana (Campanula rotundifolia var. alaskana or hirsuta)[12] - Alaskan bellflower
Although POWO and World Flora Online (WFO)[22] accept these as separate species, most English language sources do not. For example both the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS) do not accept any of these species as valid or even regard them as valid subspecies.[2][23] This is also the case with authoritative floras such as Flora of Colorado.[24]
While it is now commonly known as harebell or bluebell, it was historically known by several other names including blawort, hair-bell, lady's thimble, witch's bells, and witch's thimbles.[25][26]
Campanula rotundifolia occurs from Spitzbergen,[6] extending in mainland Europe from northernmost Scandinavia to the Pyrenees and the French Mediterranean coast.[27] It also occurs on the southern coasts of Greenland, on Iceland and on southern Novaya Zemlya.[27]
Some sources and authorities like the VASCAN and PLANTS do not currently separate out different species for North America.[2][28][23] If using these sources it is widely distributed through North America including all of Canada and most of the United States.
^In Jessica Kerr's and Opelia Dowden's Shakespeare's Flowers published in 1970 they infer that Shakespeare was actually making reference to Hyacinthoides non-scripta.
^Blamey, M.; Fitter, R.; Fitter, A (2003). Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. London: A & C Black. ISBN978-1408179505.
^Jeffree, E.P. (1960). "Some long-term means from the Phenological reports (1891–1948) of the Royal Meteorological Society". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 86 (367): 95–103. Bibcode:1960QJRMS..86...95J. doi:10.1002/qj.49708636710.
