SRPSKI FENIKS / THE SERBIAN PHOENIX FLOWER Cvet koji ne umire The flower that doesn’t die Vaskrsavajući dragulj, kako zovu prelepu Ramondu serbicu, endemska je biljka centralnog Balkana koju je otkrio Josif Pančić 1874. godine na obroncima planine Rtanj / The resurrecting gem, as the beautiful Ramonda serbica is dubbed, is an endemic plant of the central Balkan region that was first discovered by Josif Pančić on the slopes of Mount Rtanj in 1874
R amonda serbica je najverovatnije afrič- kog porekla, veoma je slična biljci Ra- monda nathaliae i smatra se da se od nje odvojila u samostalnu vrstu. Za ovu biljku je karakteristično i da, ukoliko se potpuno osuši, može ponovo da oživi ka- da se zalije, što je mogućnost koju poseduje veoma malo biljaka cvetnica. U Evropi, sem vrsta roda Ra- monda, samo još dve cvetnice mogu da se povrate iz anabioze. Stanište ove biljke su pukotine kreč- njačkih stena, najčešće u zaštiti šumske vegetaci- je. Živi u klisurama i nižim planinskim grebenima, a naseljava samo severno eksponirane stene. Ra- monda je u Srbiji strogo zaštićena vrsta, što znači da je zabranjeno i kažnjivo njeno sakupljanje i na- rušavanje staništa. Postoje dve vrste koje se često izjednačava- ju, iako nisu sasvim identične. Natalijina ramon- da ima oble listove, dok srpska ima izduženije li- stove sa izraženim reckama. Srpska ramonda ima pljosnate latice, a Natalijina talasaste. Obe cveta- ju od marta do juna, u maju su u punom cvatu, a boje im variraju od svetle do tamne ljubičaste. Prva ramonda otkrivena je na Pirinejima. Po- tom je Josif Pančić 1874. taj cvet uočio i u Srbiji i dao mu ime Ramonda serbica. Pančićev prijatelj Sava Petrović, dvorski lekar kralja Milana Obre- novića, uočio je sličan cvet, a kako nije bio sigu- ran da li je to ramonda, konsultovao je Pančića i zajedno su utvrdili da jeste nova vrsta. U čast kra- ljice Natalije cvet je dobio ime Natalijina ramon- da. U Srbiji se u vidu amblema nosi na reveru to- kom Dana primirja u Prvom svetskom ratu (11. novembar). Amblem se sastoji od motiva odliko- vanja Albanske spomenice s početka 20. veka – zeleno-crne trake koja okružuje stilizovani pri- kaz ljubičastog cveta. Ova ugrožena biljka raste na istoku Srbije i na planini Kajmakčalan, gde je srpska vojska vodila žestoke borbe oslobađajući Srbiju u Prvom svet- skom ratu. Danas je ovaj cvet neobične osobine da oživi i nakon potpunog sušenja simbol izdr- žljivosti srpske vojske i simbol stradanja srpskog naroda koji je uspeo posle toga ponovo da obno- vi svoju državu.
T he Ramonda serbica, which is most likely of African origin, is very similar to the Ramon- da nathaliae and is considered to have sep- arated from it to become an independent species. This plant is also characterised by its ability to come back to life when watered after drying up completely, which very few flowering plants are ca- pable of doing. Apart from the species of the genus Ra- monda, only two other flowering plants in Europe are able to recover from anabiosis. This plant finds its habi- tat in the cracks of limestone rocks, most commonly un- der the shelter of forest vegetation. It lives in gorges and lower mountain ridges, inhabiting only rocks exposed to the north. The Ramonda is a strictly protected species in Serbia, which means that picking it and destroying its habitat are prohibited and punishable. There are two types that are often viewed as being the same despite not being identical. The Ramonda nathaliae has round leaves, while the Ramonda serbica has more elongated leaves with pronounced ridges. The Ramon- da serbica has flat petals, while the nathaliae has undu- lating ones. Both come into bloom from March to June and mature fully in May, while their colours vary from light to dark purple. The Ramonda was first discovered in the Pyrenees. Later, in 1874, Josif Pančić also spotted this flower in Serbia and gave it the name Ramonda serbica. Pančić's friend, Sava Petrović, the court physician to King Milan Obrenović, spotted a similar flower. Not sure whether it was also a ramonda, he consulted Pančić and they togeth- er determined that it was a new species. They named the flower the Ramonda nathaliae, or Natalie’s ramonda, in honour of Queen Natalie of Serbia. It is worn in Serbia as an emblem on lapels during the commemorating of Armistice Day (11 th November). The emblem consists of the motif of the Albanian Retreat medal from the early 20 th century – a green and black band surrounding the stylised representation of a purple flower. This endangered plant grows in Eastern Serbia and on Mount Kajmakčalan, where the Serbian army led fierce fighting to liberate Serbia in World War I. This flower that’s known for its unusual characteristic of coming back to life even after completely drying up is today a symbol of the durability of the Serbian army, but also a symbol of the suffering of the Serbian people, who managed to subsequently rebuild their country.
Tekst / Words: Jovana Subotić Fotografije / Photography: Profimedia.rs, Depositphotos
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