S. thompsonianum - in general

Another species from Balkan peninsula. These plants are growing in the Stogovo mountains in Macedonia. Only there. Is it true?

Yes. It is. But there is one BUT in the description. Sempervivum thompsonianum should grow on calcite rocks. No, the plants do not grow on calcite rocks. There are growing only Jovibarba heuffelii var. heuffelii on calcite rocks. Sempervivum thompsonianum grows on slate rocks.

So, look at the pictures.

Stogovo planina - the highest peak (right edge) is Bijak Dorok (there are large colonies of Jovibarba heuffelii var. heuffelii)


Slate rocks - the habitat of Sempervivum thompsonianum in Stogovo


Sempervivum thompsonianum in Stogovo






What do you know about this species?

Your plants look more like Semp. kosaninii, which grows on limestone. My plants, collected at Kosovo planina at 2150 and 2270 m, are much finer and about 1,5 cm in diameter.

This habitat is at 1850 m to 2050 metres, the biggest plants are about 4 cm in diameter. It is the only habitat, that we have found. The mountain Stogovo is quite big, it is necessary to explore this area. It shloud grow also another plants there!

Here are two pictures of my Sempervivum thompsonianum. Both are about 1,5 cm in diameter. They strongly look like Semp. dolomiticum!
In my previous post I wrote Kosovo planina instead of Stogovo planina. Sorry, my mistake.


Semp. thompsonianum de Stogovo planina 2150 m


Semp. thompsonianum de Stogovo planina 2270 m

How old are these rosettes?

Somebody said, that Sempervivum thompsonianum looks different in collection than the plant in the nature.
I have seen only one habitat in the nature. It is possible, that there are growing another looking plants in the Stogovo mountanins. It is worth to explore the second part of the mountain - the surroundings of the mountain Stogovo (2200 m), or the mountain Babin Srt above the habitat, that I have seen.

And I must take the photo of my plant in the garden... (maybe during the weekend).

There is mountain Stogovo in the picture (photo is from the mountain Bijak Dorok)

I don't know exactly how old these rosettes are. I received them last year. The plant makes offsets on 4-5 cm long stolons, very vaguely visible on the second picture, on the right.

Thanks to the favourable weather today I could make a picture of another Semp. thompsonianum, collected near the top of Stogovo planina (exact altitude unknown). This plant is just over one centimeter in diameter and more greyish in colour. The length of the stolons must be a variable characteristic: in this one less than a centimeter.


Sempervivum thompsonianum de Stogovo planina 2150-2250 m

The rosettes have to 4 centimetres in diameter in my collection. The lenght of stolons in around 2 cm.
But your plants look very similar like my plants from habitat in my collection. My plants are now green, the "finish" of the leaves is purple (for plants growing in the sun).


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What about the expedition to Macedonia? It is worth to visit this small country.

My plants in collection look so. (They are from Stogovo, from the habitat I have written above)

jezour wrote:What about the expedition to Macedonia? It is worth to visit this small country.

I myself beleive that Macedonia (I mean former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia) offers much more to us, Sempervivum-lovers, than we can imagine.

I'm trying to make contact with a Sempervivum fan from Macedonia, but there seems to be none. At least a botanic enthusisat would satisfy my "needs" for knowledge and help with locality datas. But sofar no luck ...

But it is better to see that by own eyes! Is not it true???

Definitely. Thought I'm not so "famous for" visiting habitats. I have not yet visited one that's only some 8 or 10 km away from my home ...

But it is better to see the plants in the nature. We can see, how do they grow and we can take more beautiful pictures than in our collections. That is why I am visiting the habitats. After that I can say, that the nature is nicer, than I have ever introduced!
Houseleeks are growing not only on the rocks and in the mountains!

THE NAME
S. thompsonianum was named after Mrs. H.P. Thompson, who collected many Sempervivums in the Balkan Peninsula.


THE BEGINING
The very first plant was collected at Stogovo planina at 2.150 m above sea level - it was growing the crevices in the limestone rock.

I have to write something more about Sempervivum thompsonianum. The plants I introduced in my first post in this topis DO NOT belong to Sempervivum thompsonianum. These plants belongs to Sempervivum macedonicum, it is nice habitat form of Sempervivum macedonicum. The photos of Joop are also not Sempervivum thompsonianum, I think, that the plant also belong to Sempervivum macedonicum. Maybe the blooms say more.
Sempervivum thompsonianum looks different, the habitats of Sempervivum thompsonianum are on another places in Stogovo planina.

There is one photo of real S. thompsonianum, the photo was taken by me in the nature:


I am looking for your answers.

I thought, that the photo of real S. thompsonianum cause some discussion. Maybe you do not see the main characters of the plants on the picture in my last post, or do you? I show next photo of real S. thompsonianum:




I looked at the photos in the second topic about S. thompsonianum. I think, that there is no photo of S. thompsonianum. I am looking forward your answers and some discussion.