Small, creeping, alpine shrub with recumbent stems and ascending branches up to 0.5 m
the stems are twisted
the bork is similar to thebork of a common hazel (Corylus avellana)
Buds
they are built in a spiral
flower buds are ovate, leaf conical and often bent sideways at the top of the twig
the covering scale is brown, sparsely hairy, later glabrous
Shoots
annual shoots are sparsely hairy
Leaves (assimilation organs)
leaves are simple, from elliptical to inverted-ovate-lanceolate, short-pointed, almost entirely-marginal, 20 - 40 x 7 - 20 mm large
they are green, shiny on both sides, initially hairy on the reverse, later bald and only clearly hairy on the edge
a dense network of veins can be observed against the light
the peduncle is 2 - 5 mm long, the bracts are small, lanceolate, almost deciduous
leaves turn black in autumn, become translucent and persist dry on the twigs until spring
Flowers
it is dioecious tree species
catkin flowers, it blooms VI, VII
Fruits – seeds
the fruit is a capsule
annual shoots are sparsely hairy caps
Extension
it is naturally distributed in the eastern part of the Alps and the Carpathians
in Slovakia it is relatively abundant in the Belianske Tatras, scattered in the Western, High and Low Tatras, in Krivánská Malá Fatra and on the top of Rozsutec, sporadically in the Great Fatra
in Slovakia it occurs at altitudes from 1,380 to 2,150 m above the sea level.
Ecology
ecologically bound to limestone soils (calcifite)
grows exceptionally on other nutrient substrates
relatively resistant to drought
it grows in the subalpine and alpine stages (holes) on finer paved rubble and in rock crevices
Significance
it is a suitable tree species for the creation of rock gardens in gardens
