Flora and fauna of the Czech Carpathians

Found 234 species
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Stag's-horn clubmossStag's-horn clubmossLycopodium clavatumFluffy evergreen 'garlands' on the ground with spikes on long legs. It grows very slowly, so it should not be picked.
Alder buckthornPoisonousAlder buckthornFrangula alnusA shrub of moist forests, with green, red, and black fruits hanging at the same time. The fruits and fresh bark are poisonous.
May lilyPoisonousMay lilyMaianthemum bifoliumA small forest plant with two heart-shaped leaves and a cluster of white flowers. The red berries are poisonous.
Lesser butterfly-orchidRed Data Book of UkraineLesser butterfly-orchidPlatanthera bifoliaA white orchid with two shiny leaves that has the strongest fragrance at night. A species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Sticky sageSticky sageSalvia glutinosaA tall forest sage with pale yellow flowers and sticky stems. It blooms in the shady Carpathian forests all summer.
Golden cinquefoilGolden cinquefoilPotentilla aureaA low plant of the alpine meadows with golden-yellow flowers. It blooms all summer long in the mountain pastures of the Carpathians.
AspenAspenPopulus tremulaA tree with round leaves that trembles at the slightest breeze. It is the first to inhabit clearings and burnt areas, burning yellow and red in autumn.
Herb RobertHerb RobertGeranium robertianumA small forest geranium with pink flowers and lace-like leaves that turn red in the sun. It grows in the shade, on rocks and walls.
Red campionRed campionSilene dioicaBright pink flowers with split petals on wet meadows and by streams. Blooms from May to autumn.
White butterburWhite butterburPetasites albusIn spring — whitish inflorescences on a scaly stem, in summer — huge round leaves along mountain streams.
Porcelain fungusEdible only after cookingPorcelain fungusOudemansiella mucidaWhite semi-transparent caps covered with slime on beech trunks. A fungus of the Carpathian beech forests; it has no food value.
Norway mapleNorway mapleAcer platanoidesA maple with pointed leaves that turns yellow and orange in autumn. It grows in deciduous forests of the foothills and in villages.
Black-berried honeysucklePoisonousBlack-berried honeysuckleLonicera nigraA mountain shrub with paired blue-black berries on a long stem. The berries are inedible—do not confuse them with blueberries.
Monk's rhubarbMonk's rhubarbRumex alpinusMonk's rhubarb with its huge round leaves. Its thickets on the polonynas indicate where the sheepfolds and stables used to stand.
Yellow stagshornYellow stagshornCalocera viscosaBright yellow 'coral' on decayed spruce stumps. An inedible mushroom, one of the most noticeable in coniferous forests.
False chanterellePoisonousIn season nowFalse chanterelleHygrophoropsis aurantiacaThe orange twin of the chanterelle with thin, branched gills. Not edible: may cause digestive upset. Grows from August to October.
Scarletina boleteEdible only after cookingScarletina boleteNeoboletus erythropusDark brown bolete with red pores and a speckled stem that instantly turns blue when cut. Conditionally edible: only after thorough cooking.
Common wall lizardCommon wall lizardPodarcis muralisA nimble lizard of rocks, walls, and ruins. In the Carpathians, it lives in Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania; it is absent from the Ukrainian Carpathians.