Campanula rapunculoides

"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Mediterranean Region"

Creeping Bellflower has very showy flowers. Among the Eurasian bellflowers that are cultivated, this is the species that most often escapes — in part because it is more commonly cultivated. A species that has naturalized less often in Illinois, Campanula glomerata (Clustered Bellflower), has more erect flowers that are clustered together at the apex each central stem. The flowers of this species have sepals that are longer and wider than those of Creeping Bellflower. The circumboreal Campanula rotundifolia (Harebells) and native Campanulastrum americanum (American Bellflower) are quite distinct from Creeping Bellflower. Harebells has linear leaves along its stems and its bell-shaped flowers are smaller in size (usually less than 1" in length) than those of creeping Bellflower. The flowers of American Bellflower have shallow corollas that are star-shaped with widely spreading lobes; the older scientific name of this latter species is Campanula americana.

This introduced perennial plant is 1½–3' tall and little branched. The central stem is light green to reddish brown, glabrous to slightly hairy, and terete or angular. The alternate leaves are up to 5" long, 2" across, and variable in shape; the lowest leaves are often cordate-oval, while the middle and upper leaves are ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate. All of these leaves have crenate or serrated margins; their upper surfaces are medium to dark green, while their lower surfaces are light green and short-hairy along the veins. The lower and middle leaves have slender petioles, while the upper leaves are more likely to be sessile. Sometimes short leafy stalks develop from the axils of the leaves on the central stem.  The central stem terminates in an elongated raceme of flowers up to 1' long. The flowers tend to nod downward along one side of the raceme on short pedicels. At the base of each pedicel, there is a small leafy bract that is linear-lanceolate in shape. Sometimes nodding flowers are produced from the axils of the upper leaves on longer pedicels. Each flower has a bell-shaped blue-violet corolla, 5 green sepals, 5 stamens, and an exerted style with 3 curled stigmas. The corolla is 1–1½" long and half as much across; it has 5 pointed lobes that are recurved. The sepals are linear-lanceolate in shape, widely spreading to recurved, and much smaller in size than the corolla. The style is white or pale purple. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about a month. Each flower is replaced by a globoid seed capsule that contains several small seeds. The root system is rhizomatous. Occasionally, small colonies of plants are produced from the long rhizomes.

Campanula rapunculoides var. ucranica K. Koch:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Campanula rapunculoides L.:
Canada (North America)
Ecuador (South America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

According to Müller (1873/1883), the flowers of Creeping Bellflower produce both nectar and pollen. Müller observed honeybees, bumblebees, Halictid bees, and other bees visiting the flowers for nectar or pollen in Germany; he also observed a Syrphid fly with a long proboscis (Rhingia sp.) sucking nectar from the flowers. Aside from these observations, further information about floral-faunal relationships for this species are unavailable. Photographic Location

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, brownish, covered then erumpent pycnidium of Ascochyta coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta carpathica is saprobic on dead peduncle of Campanula rapunculoides
Remarks: season: 10-3

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Coleosporium tussilaginis parasitises live Campanula rapunculoides

Foodplant / parasite
apothecium of Leptotrochila radians parasitises Campanula rapunculoides

Foodplant / parasite
Leveillula taurica parasitises Campanula rapunculoides

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered or several together pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Phomopsis minuscula is saprobic on capsule of Campanula rapunculoides
Remarks: season: 1-3

Foodplant / spot causer
mainly hypophyllous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Ramularia macrospora causes spots on live leaf of Campanula rapunculoides

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 17
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

The preference is full to partial sun, more or less mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil. Range & Habitat