The Dragons' Garden

Grădina Zmeilor (approx. The Dragons' Garden) is a geological nature reserve that offers a spectacular landscape by the messy placed huge rocks - blocks, towers, poles, animal shaped rocks. It is located in Northwestern Romania, Transylvania, Sălaj County, near Galgăul Almaşului village, on Meseş Mountain. This remarkable nature reserve is considered unique in Europe.

The "garden" was formed by a broader phenomenon of collapse and destructive erosion, developed in the Sânmihaiu sandstone. This is a lower Miocene sandstone, relatively weak cemented, consisting of characteristic intercalations of gravel and conglomerate layers.

Photos from here.

Unique flora in Retezat Mountains

The Retezat Mountains National Park, founded in 1935 and considered by Greenpeace the last intact forest landscape of the Europe, has over 38,000 hectares. A third of this surface is represented by virgin forests and wild areas unaffected by human intervention. Retezat Mountains is famous for the floral diversity, accommodating nearly 1190 species of higher plants of over 3450 known in Romania. The existence here of more than a third of Romania's flora is one of the reasons for which was declared a National Park. To these are added about the same number of inferior species.

Very important for plant conservation in Retezat are over 90 endemic taxa of the 127-400 total endemic taxa accepted by different authors for Romania. The first reported endemic plant is Draba dorneri, discovered in 1858 by Heuffel. Here can be found 130 plants rare or vulnerable listed on the "Red List of higher plants in Romania" published in 1994.

Draba dorneri

In florogenetic terms Retezat Mountains are the genetic center for the genus Hieracium, which includes 257 taxa here, some endemic as Hieracium borzae, Hieracium nigrilacus, and that for the genus Poa, which includes 31 taxa. Also, a whole series of taxa and infra-taxa have their place here, like Barbarea lepuznica, Centaurea pseudophrygia ratezatensis, Oxytropis jacquinii retezatensis, Hypochoeris maculata var. carpatica, Festuca rupicola var. retezatensis.

Image from here

Şugău Gorges

The Cheile Bicazului-Hăşmaş National Park (Bicaz Gorges - Hăşmaş Mountain) is located in north-eastern Romania, in the Eastern Carpathians. The reservation territory is part of Neamţ and Harghita counties. The parks area of 6575 ha is divided into two zones: the special conservation zone (78%), and the protection zone (22%). On the territory of the National Park there are some natural reserves, such as Şugău Gorges.

True open-air museum, Şugău Gorges Natural Reserve is located at the southern edge of Munticelu Massif and can be individualized with a unique landscape and an exceptional natural heritage. Şugău River has carved 350 m long gorges, very narrow (2-3 m wide), and forms a row of waterfalls.

The reserve has a surface of 90 ha; the coordinates of its center are 46gr 51’ N and 25gr 48’E and its highest point has an altitude of 1381 m (Munticelu-Şugău Rock Crest).

The reserve represents an exceptional natural site due to the uniqueness of available natural heritage. Its geology is extremely interesting in terms of tectonic-structural (fractures, tectonic contacts, blades of over-thrust), paleontological (Mesozoic fossils) and petrographic (accumulations of tuff, travertine, limestone of different ages).

The gorges are spectacular due to the reference landscape elements (limestone and karst terrain, vertical walls, limestone towers, narrow gorges, marmite erosion, caves, avens, springs, sinkholes, karst saddles, clints), flora (endemic species, sub-alpine meadows developed on limestone, calcareous screes and slopes specific vegetation, forests of Pinus sylvestris - glacier relic), fauna (chamois, lynx, wild cats, bats, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, mollusks) and characterized by rarity or uniqueness.

The Natural Reserve was declared Site of Community Importance under European legislation and will be integrated into the international network of protected areas Natura 2000. Custodian of the protected area is a Romanian Mountain Club (led by Ticu Lăcătuşu), with administrative headquarters in ECOLOGIC Chalet.

An unique dance

Căpâlna (German: Kapellendorf, Kapolna; Magyar: Sebeskápolna, Alsókápolna, Kápolna) is a village in Săsciori commune, Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. The village has an absolute Romanian majority.

In 1948, Stana Biriş, a teacher from Galaţi (Eastern Romania), established here due to marriage with a local. She 'discovered' in Căpâlna a remarkable dance and, charmed by its uniqueness, amazed by the beauty and purity of interpretation, she organized the ensemble and became its leader.

"Purtata fetelor" is a Romanian traditional girls' processional walking dance from Căpâlna. The dance dates from the Middle Ages, or maybe earlier. It is performed on Sundays and holidays, only by girls and unmarried women; when a woman became engaged, she has to leave the ensemble. Young girls learn the dance and the song from their mothers when they are 4-5 years old, and are invited to join the ensemble at 7 yo. The participants are grouped by age: 7-11, 12-18 and over 19. Over time, the number of participants varied from 20 to 80; today, the ensemble has 50 dancers.

The girls wear traditional folkloric costumes and perform the dance in a row, each with one hand on the shoulder of hers predecessor, and singing. The steps are in the rhythm of the heartbeat, and the row describes circles, spirals, waves and the infinite sign. Its uniqueness derives from the fact that is the only contretemps dance: the performers stop unexpectedly, and starts unexpectedly forward or backward. Also, the song is not synchronized with the steps of the dance, with a stunning effect on the viewer. The researchers resembled the row of dancers with a snake, associated with the deities of the earth, with the fertility, healing, rowing, and with seduction. The stances are a hymn for the loved one; although it seems simple, the dance dance express sensuality, display of female beauty, and greatness.

Living National Treasures

Endemic snails known solely from Romania include:

Cochlodina marisi (Pfeiffer, 1868)
Clausiliidae - Gastropoda
Shell horny yellowish to horny brown, thin, almost smooth, very shiny, 11-12 whorls, cerxix rounded, cervical callus strong and reddish yellow, apertural margin connected at parietal side but not detached, white, parietalis oblique and reaching margin, columellaris moderate, 3-4 palatal folds.
Size: 14-19 x 3-4.2 mm
Distribution: SW Romania

Alopia (Kimakowiczia) maciana (Bădărău & Szekeres, 2001)
Clausiliidae - Gastropoda
Shell dark brown with violet hue, ribbed, 8-10 moderately convex whorls with white suture, cervix rounded, aperture detached, margin broad and light yellowish, parietalis weak, reaching short spiralis inside, columellaris strong, principalis very short, upper palatalis weak and very short if present at all, no lunula, sometimes a very weak basalis, subcolumellaris not visible in a perpendicular view.
Size: 13.8-17.1 x 3.4-3.8 mm
Distribution: Cluj County, Gilău-Muntele Mare Mountains, only known from one locality.

Mastus venerabilis (Pfeiffer, 1853)
Enidae - Gastropoda
Shell sinistral, olive horny brown, first 5 whorls 1/4 of shell height, last whorl 1/3 of shell height, angular tooth present.
Size: 17-22 x 7-9 mm
Distribution: S Carpathians, Transylvania

Source: AnimalBase
Photos: F. Welter Schultes

Uivar, a Neolithic akropolis

Uivar is a late Neolithic - early Eneolithic fortified tell site belonging to the Vinča culture, located in Timiş County, Banat, western Romania. Ten years ago, the archaeologists Florin Draşovean from Timişoara and Wolfram Schier from Wurtzburg began the exploration of the site in Uivar, making several discoveries which had revolutionized the way the Neolithic society was considered by now.

The fortress
The study of the archeomagnetic plan, whose precise outline has been generally confirmed by the excavation, permits a very accurate model of the settlement organization to be constructed. It can clearly be seen that the settlement was protected by a fortification system made up of several concentric ditches that enclosed a central area, a settlement with proto-urban character, a real "akropolis". The fortification system of Uivar is one of the most elaborate and complex ones from this part of Europe. Though built in several stages, it is the result of a unitary defense conception being made up of a double ditch ring and stockades that protected the central area and additional concentric ditches, 3.5 m deep, outwardly laid out beyond the central ring. The digging of defense ditches at Uivar led to the removal of more than 10,000 cubic m (!) of soil of which more than half is yellow clay.The fortification ditches, in addition to protecting a certain area of the site, were also used to delimit several areas for specific functions within the social space. While the akropolis was meant for habitation-, social life-, and spiritual life-related purposes, the inner ring space and the outer ring space had different purposes.

The akropolis
It is apparent that most houses are laid out on two concentric circles surrounding a possible square at the heart of the tell. At the same time, most houses are perpendicular to the inner fortification ring that belongs to the final, third stage, of the defense system development. All this information bears out the idea of a well-conceived settlement plan that was followed by the Neolithic inhabitants of Uivar. This plan underwent alterations over time due to the necessity of the enlarging the habitation area beyond the akropolis, under the standing conflict for space between the area outlined by the fortification and the continuously expanding population. This conflict was resolved very efficiently and, using a modern term, with professionalism, via the already mentioned southward enlargement of the area allotted for dwelling.

Neolithic villas
This need for more room is also reflected by the enlargement and two-storied design of some houses. One of these is a feature, whose development could be determined throughout its use life. Having its long axis running north-east to south-west, the structure has imposing dimensions (14 m x 6 m) and was made up of ground floor and upper floor. Most significant is its final stage in which the structure was to have three rooms of which the one to the west was covered by the flooring of an upper storey. This organization into three rooms and two stories did not exist in the structure’s first stage, and was added only in the last construction stage. This building had a purpose beyond its profane use, thus taking on a ritual role, and namely that of a sanctuary. Two-storey houses crop up in the Carpathian area in the late Neolithic and are strongly correlated with the appearance of tells.

The mask
In the Neolithic settlement were discovered pots, carved and polished stone tools, clay idols. But by far the most sensational discovery is a fragment of a mask of clay, brought to the surface in 2001, which, so far, is unique in Europe. "The piece is a half of a mask, one can see the eyes and mouth. It is a ritual mask used by tribal shamans, which was intended to turn a man into god. An analogy might be a statue discovered in Caraş-Severin, who has in hand a mask such as this one, because in the primitive world, this was an accessory of those who practiced magic", explains Florin Draşovean the meaning of the mask.

From Muzeul Banatului and other minor sources.

Centaurea pugioniformis

Centaurea pugioniformis is a plant that can be found only in Romania, is endemic in several areas of the country. Centaurea is a genus of at least some 500 to 600 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Common names for this genus are starthistles, knapweeds, centaureas and the more ambiguous "bluets". "Cornflowers" is used for a few species, including Centaurea pugioniformis.



Images from My Nature
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Class: Dicotyledones
Division: Magnoliophyta Magnoliophytina
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species: pugioniformis
Scientific name: Centaurea pugioniformis E.I.Nyarady

An unique song -The Skylark

Ciocâlia (The Skylark) is an unique folkloric song from Southern Romania, that can be played only by a virtuoso of pan pipe, flute, reed, violin or pipe. Here are some performances of this song:

Folklore...

Gheorghe Zamfir - Ciocârlia

Rock...

Phoenix - The Skylark

Ethno-jazz...

Transbalkanica - The Skylark

Fanfare...

"10 Prăjini" Fanfare - Ciocârlia

Decumarellus sarbui

Decumarellus sarbui is the first cave genus belonging to the Tyrini in the whole world; such a genus of the Tyrini tribe has never been signaled in a cave. It lives in Movile Cave, near Mangalia, Constanţa County, Southeastern Romania. The species is endemic for the chemoautotrophically based groundwater ecosystem at Mangalia and unique in the world.

Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Staphyliniformia
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Staphylinidae
Subfamily: Pselaphinae
Tribe: Tyrini
Genus: Decumarellus
Species: sarbui
Scientific name: Decumarellus sarbui Poggi, 1994

The genus Decumarellus is dedicated to the Romanian bio-speleologist Vasile Decu and at the same time reminds of the un-doubtful relationship with the genus Marellus. The species (sarbui) is dedicated to Romanian scientist Dr. Şerban M. Sârbu, from the Department of Biological Sciences of the Cincinnati University, USA.


Decumarellus sarbui shows the typical morphological adaptations to the live in caves. It might be the extreme result of the differentiation of a branch of the genus Marellus, which settled down in the hypogeus habitat and evolved independently, at least since the possibility of a link between the cave and the surface fauna came to a stop. According to the geological, hydrological and palaeo-geographical data, the isolation of the cave goes back to the end of Miocene (almost 5.5-5.2 millions of years ago) when the climate of the Southern Dobrogea got extremely dry in connection with the crisis of salinity from Messinian.

Sophrochaeta reitteri retezati

Sophrochaeta reitteri retezati (Mallász, 1928) is an unique round fungus beetle, rare and endemic, that lives in some caves in Southwestern Romania (Banat).

Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Staphyliniformia
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Leiodidae
Subfamily: Cholevinae
Tribe: Leptodirini
Subtribe: Pholeuina
Genus: Sophrochaeta
Subgenus: Cernella
Species: reitteri
Subspecies: retezati

Sophrochaeta Reitter 1885 [genus]
Cernella Jeannel 1930 [subgenus]

Accepted name: Sophrochaeta (Cernella) reitteri retezati Mallász 1928


Image from Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Romanian Loach

The Romanian Loach (Sabanejewia romanica) is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cobitidae family, found only in Romania. It was originally placed in the genus Cobitis.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cobitidae
Subfamily: Cobitinae
Genus: Sabanejewia
Species: S. romanica
Binomial name: Sabanejewia romanica(Băcescu, 1943)
Synonyms: Cobitis caspia romanica, Cobitis romanica


Max length : 10.5 cm male/unsexed; 12 cm female
Environment: Benthopelagic; freshwater
Climate / Range Temperate; 10°C - 18°C; 49°N - 43°N, 23°E - 29°E
Distribution: Europe: Upper and middle reach of some Danube tributaries in Romania. It is found only in Romania.
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)
Vulnerability: Low vulnerability (15 of 100)
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT)

Unique plants from Romania (Part 15)

Colilia Porţilor de Fier (Stipa danubialis), is a Tertiary relict described for the first time in 1969 and found only at Cracul Găioara, a place in Banat, Southwestern Romania.

Plantae
Magnoliophyta
Liliopsida
Cyperales
Poaceae
Stipa
Stipa danubialis (Dihoru & Roman)


Image from MyNature
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 80–90 cm long; 5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; retrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3.5–7 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.3–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 9–12 fertile spikelets. Panicle open; 9–15 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 48–57 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 48–57 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 23–25 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy in lines. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 286–363 mm long overall; with twisted column; limb plumose; with 5 mm long hairs. Middle segment of lemma awn 6–20 mm long; ciliate. Column of lemma awn 40–48 mm long; pubescent; with 2 mm long hairs. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform. Hilum linear.

(From Kew Gardens)

Unique plants from Romania (Part 14)

Salvia transsylvanica (Schur, 1853)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Salvia
Species: S. transsylvanica
Binomial name: Salvia transsylvanica


Image from Annie's annuals and perennials
Salvia transsylvanica is a herbaceous perennial native to a wide area from north and central Russia to Romania, with a subspecies specific to Romania. It was described and named in 1853 by botanist Philipp Johann Ferdinand Schur, with the specific epithet referring to the Transylvanian Alps located in central Romania. It was introduced into horticulture in the 1980s.

Salvia transsylvanica puts out several lax 0.6 m stems from a basal clump of leaves. The leaves that grow on the stem vary in size—being larger at the bottom—with the upper side being dark yellow-green and the underside pale with yellow veins. The leaves are very scalloped around the edges. The flowers are slightly longer than 1.3 cm, and have a rich violet color, growing in loose whorls that are about 1.3 cm apart. Many flowers bloom at once, giving the plant a very colorful and striking appearance. (From Wikipedia)

Unique plants from Romania (Part 13)

Iarba roşioară (Reddish herb, Silene dinarica Spreng., 1825). This pretty species grow at alpine level of Romania, in Făgăraş Mountains. It is endemic to Romania, a rare and vulnerable species, with nice dense cushions, creeping green leaves, purple flowers.

Spermatophyta
Angiospermae
Dicotyledoneae
Monochlamydeae
Centrospermae
Caryophyllaceae
Silenoidea
Silene
Silene dinarica Sprengel, 1825


Image from Alpine Seeds

Unique plants from Romania (Part 12)

Lychnis nivalis is an endemic species, unique in the world, that grows only in Romania, in Rodna Mountains, at higher altitude, near the peak of Pietrosul Rodnei and Iezer Lake.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledonatae)
Order: Charyophylales
Family: Charyophylaceae
Genus: Lychnis
Species: L. nivalis


From TrekNature

Common names include campion (shared with Silene) and catchfly, the latter name based on the sticky stems. In Romanian is named guşa porumbelului, opaiţ, opaiţul Muntilor Rodnei.

Unique plants from Romania (Part 10)

The mountain yellow poppy (Papaver alpinum ssp. corona-sancti-stephani)

Plantae
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliopsida
Papaverales
Papaveraceae
Papaver
Synonims: Papaver alpinum, Papaver alpinum corona-sancti-stephani, Papaver alpinum degenii, Papaver alpinum ernesti-mayeri, Papaver alpinum kerneri, Papaver alpinum rhaeticum, Papaver alpinum sendtneri, Papaver alpinum tatricum.


Image from MyNature
Is a rare, vulnerable, endemic Romanian species of poppy (mountain yellow poppy) that grows only in Carpathian Mountains, on the highest peaks. Is a perennial plant, with flat leaves and bright yellow radial flowers.

Unique plants from Romania (Part 9)

Mouse-ear chickweed Cerastium transsylvanicum (Schur ex Griseb & Schenk)

Family: caryophyllaceae
Subfamily: alsinoideae
Tribe: alsinae
Linnaeus-based family name: caryophyllaceae


Image from Botany Pictures
The species is native from Carpathian Mountains, endemic, rare and vulnerable. Grows in Southern and Eastern Carpathians, flowers in May,5-10 cm tall, silver-white flowers forming a perennial carpet on the ground. White flowers. Likes the best soil and a sunny area.

Unique plants from Romania (Part 8)

Astragalus is a large genus of about 2,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names include milk-vetch (most species), locoweed (in western US, some species) and goat's-thorn (A. gummifer, A. tragacanthus). Some pale-flowered vetches are similar in appearance, but vetches are more vine-like. Cosaciul bistriţean (milk vetch), (Astragalus Röemeri) is a species specific to Romania.

Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus:Eudicots
Cladus: core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales
Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Faboideae
Tribus: Galegeae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: Astragalus roemeri Simonk.

Astragalus Röemeri is a species threatened at global level, very vulnerable, endemic to Romania, that grows on very small areas and with reduced population in Apuseni Mountains and in Eastern Carpathians.

Unique plants from Romania (Part 5)

Campanula romanica (Romanian: Clopoţelul Dobrogean, English: Dobruja Bellflower)

Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus:Eudicots
Cladus: core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Euasterids II
Ordo: Asterales
Familia: Campanulaceae
Subfamilia: Campanuloideae
Genus: Campanula
Species: Campanula romanica
Name: Campanula romanica Savul.


Image from TrekNature
Is an endemic, unique species of bellflower that grows only in Romania. Campanula romanica is listed in IUCN red list of threatened plants as "vulnerable".

Unique plants from Romania (Part 3)

Another flower from the Dianthus family (suprataxon: Caryophyllaceae [verbatim]), Dianthus spiculifolius (Romanian: Garofiţa albă de stânci or Barba ungurului, English: rocks white carnation or Beard of the Hungarian) is an elegant plant that grows on limestone rocks, in upland up to the alpine areas. It grows as a bush, with many stems, the flowers are white or pale pink. The leaves are linear, up to 2-3 mm thin and the petals are ragged. It blooms in May-July and has an extraordinary, exquisite perfume.


Image from MyNature, © Beniamin Boceanu
Listed as Dianthus spiculifolius Schur. (1866), this splendid flower is a rare, endemic species who grows in a few restricted areas in the Romanian Carpathians Mountains.



Images from Alpinet, © Daniel Morar, Csaba Iakob