Asperula hercegovina, commonly known as the Hercegovinian woodruff (in Bosnian, hercegovaÃÂka lazarkinja), is a herb endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina of the Rubiaceae family.
This species is a perennial herb. It tends to reach about 10âÂÂ20 cm tall and can be smooth or hairy. Its leaves occur in apparent whorls, with a length of roughly 13âÂÂ25 cm and a width of about 1.5âÂÂ2 (rarely 3) mm wide. Leaves are linearâÂÂlanceolate, smooth or hairy, with rough edges and are longer than internodia. They have 6âÂÂ12 involucral ballots that are 4âÂÂ5 mm long and 2âÂÂ4 mm wide. The shape of their lanceolate is egg-shaped or oval.
It blooms in July and August. Flowers are in pseudoumbellated inflorescences, which are composed of 25âÂÂ30 flowers. The crown is in four parts, with a length of 3âÂÂ5 mm; it is white to pink. The flower has a funnel-shaped corolla with clearly developed, 3âÂÂ4 mm long tube and a circumference is divided into 4 lobules 1.5âÂÂ2.5 mm in length. The laps of these flower cups are poorly developed. The stigma is a two-part and more than crowns. The fruit is about 1.5 mm long and hairless.
One variety of this species has been described: A. hercegovina. var. Prodani Degen, whose members are mostly hairy: stem, leaves, bracts and crown.
The most common habitat for these plants is cracked limestone rocks, at an altitude of about 1,500 m, but more frequently from 1,700 to 2,000 and up to 2,100 m.
This plant species is endemic to the Central Dinaric Alps of Bosnia & Herzegovina, being found in mountains of both Bosnia (Bjelaà ¡nica, Hranisava and Vlahinja) and Herzegovina (ÃÂabulja, ÃÂvrsnica, Veleà ¾, Prenj and Plasa). It has also been found in Mt Durmitor, Montenegro, making it the first observation of Asperula hercegovina outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.