Campanula

The leaves are alternate and often vary in shape on a single plant, with larger, broader leaves at the base of the stem and smaller, narrower leaves higher up; the leaf margin may be either entire or serrated (sometimes both on the same plant). Many species contain white latex in the leaves and stems. The flowers are produced in panicles (sometimes solitary), and have a five-lobed corolla, typically large (2–5 cm or more long), mostly blue to purple, sometimes white or pink. Below the corolla, 5 leaf-like sepals form the calyx. Some species have a small additional leaf-like growth termed an "appendage" between each sepal, and the presence or absence, relative size, and attitude of the appendage is often used to distinguish between closely related species. ==Cultivation and uses==

Well-known species include the northern temperate Campanula rotundifolia, commonly known as harebell in England and bluebell in Scotland and Ireland (though it is not closely related to the true bluebells), and the southern European Campanula medium, commonly known as Canterbury bells (a popular garden plant in the United Kingdom). As well as several species occurring naturally in the wild in northern Europe, there are many cultivated garden species. The cultivars 'Misty Dawn' In many English translations of the Brothers Grimm's tale Rapunzel, rampion is the vegetable that is stolen from the witch. (Rapunzel is a completely different plant, Valerianella locusta.) In the UK the National Collection of campanulas is held at Burton Agnes Hall in East Yorkshire and the National Collection of Alpine Campanulas at Langham Hall, Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk. ==Related genera==

The classification of some Campanulaceae genera as either part of Campanula or separate genera can vary by system, including Azorina, Campanulastrum, Canarina, Edraianthus, Musschia, Ostrowskia, and Platycodon. Some genera previously not segregated from Campanula currently are segregated in some systems, including Annaea, Gadellia, and Theodorovia. Hemisphaera was formerly Campanula, subsect. Scapiflorae, and Neocodon was Campanula sect. Rapunculus. ==Selected species==

452 species are currently accepted. They include: • Campanula aghrica – Aghrian bellflower • Campanula alaskana • Campanula alliariifolia – Cornish bellflower • Campanula alpestris • Campanula alpina • Campanula balfourii – Socotra bellflower • Campanula barbata – bearded bellflower • Campanula betulifolia • Campanula bononiensis • Campanula bravensis • Campanula carpatica – Carpathian bellflower • Campanula cervicaria – bristly bellflower • Campanula cochleariifolia – fairies' thimbles • Campanula collina – blue dwarf bellflower • Campanula divaricata – Appalachian bellflower • Campanula erinus • Campanula garganica – Adriatic bellflower • Campanula gelida • Campanula glomerata – clustered bellflower • Campanula grandis – great bellflower • Campanula hercegovina • Campanula isophylla – Italian bellflower • Campanula jacobaea • Campanula lactiflora – milky bellflower • Campanula lanata • Campanula lasiocarpa • Campanula latifolia – wide-leaved bellflower • Campanula medium – Canterbury bells • Campanula parryi • Campanula patula – spreading bellflower • Campanula pendula • Campanula persicifolia – peach-leaved bellflower • Campanula piperi – Piper's bellflower • Campanula portenschlagiana – Dalmatian or wall bellflower • Campanula poscharskyana – Serbian bellflower • Campanula primulifolia – Spanish bellflower • Campanula punctata • Campanula punctata var. punctata (synonym Campanula takesimana) – Korean bellflower • Campanula pyramidalis – chimney bellflower • Campanula raineri – Rainer's bellflower • Campanula rapunculoides – creeping bellflower • Campanula rapunculus – rampion bellflower • Campanula rotundifolia – harebell, bluebell • Campanula scabrella – rough bellflower • Campanula scheuchzeri • Campanula scouleri – Scouler's or pale bellflower • Campanula serrata • Campanula shetleri – Castle Crags bellflower • Campanula spicata • Campanula thyrsoides • Campanula trachelium – nettle-leaved bellflower Formerly placed here • Adenophora gmelinii (Spreng.) Fisch. (as C. coronopifolia Schult. or C. gmelinii Spreng.) • Adenophora khasiana (Hook.f. & Thomson) Collett & Hemsl. (as C. khasiana Hook.f. & Thomson) • Adenophora liliifolia (L.) Besser (as C. liliifolia L.) • Adenophora triphylla (Thunb.) A.DC. (as C. tetraphylla Thunb. or C. triphylla Thunb.) • Azorina vidalii (H.C.Watson) Feer (as C. vidalii H.C.Watson) • Borago pygmaea (DC.) Chater & Greuter (as C. pygmaea DC.) • Campanulastrum americanum (as Campanula americana ) – American bellflower • Eastwoodiella californica (as C. californica ) • Favratia zoysii (as C. zoysii ) • Legousia pentagonia (L.) Druce (as C. pentagonia L.) • Legousia speculum-veneris (L.) Durande ex Vill. (as C. speculum-veneris L.) • Melanocalyx uniflora (as C. uniflora ) • Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC. (as C. glauca Thunb. or C. grandiflora Jacq.) • Protocodon robinsiae (as Campanula robinsiae ) • Ravenella angustiflora (as C. angustiflora ) • Ravenella exigua (as C. exigua ) • Ravenella griffinii (as C. griffinii ) • Ravenella sharsmithiae (as C. sharsmithiae ) • Rotanthella floridana (as Campanula floridana ) • Smithiastrum wilkinsianum (as C. wilkinsiana ) – Wilkin's bellflower • Triodanis perfoliata (L.) Nieuwl. (as C. perfoliata L.) • Wahlenbergia linarioides (Lam.) A.DC. (as C. linarioides Lam.) • Wahlenbergia marginata (Thunb.) A.DC. C. gracilis G.Forst. or C. marginata Thunb.) • Wahlenbergia undulata (L.f.) A.DC. (as C. undulata L.f.) == Chemistry ==

Violdelphin is an anthocyanin, a type of plant pigment, found in the blue flowers in the genus Campanula. ==Fossil record==

Three fossil seeds of †Campanula palaeopyramidalis have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland. ==References==