LITHUANIAN COLLECTORS COINS

50 LITAS COIN FEATURING LITHUANIAN NATURE
Silver Ag 925
Quality proof
Diameter 38.61 mm
Weight 28.28 g
The words on the edge of the coin: LIETUVOS GAMTA
LITHUANIAN
COLLECTORS
COINS
Designed by Giedrius Paulauskis
Issued 2009
Mintage 10,000
I went through a
drought, nasty weather
and frost, yet I am
blooming!
Information is available at the Bank of Lithuania
Tel. +370 5 268 0316
Fax +370 5 268 0314
www.lb.lt
The coin was minted at
the UAB Lithuanian Mint
www.lithuanian-mint.lt
Lithuanian Collectors Coins
© Lietuvos bankas, 2009
Photographs by S. Paltanavičius and R. Ginaitis
Published by the Bank of Lithuania. Gedimino pr. 6, LT-01103 Vilnius, Lithuania
Printed by the UAB “Baltijos kopija”, Kareivių g. 13B, LT-09109 Vilnius, Lithuania
have been named catchf lies, and in
Latin, their genus has been named Silene
(Gr. Selene – the moon).
Around 400 species of catchfly can be
found across the world, which are in the
family Caryophyllaceae. In Lithuania, 10
species grow; as a matter of fact, some are
not local but have been brought from
abroad and dispersed by man.
In southern Lithuania, Dzūkija region grows a very beautiful Lithuanian
catchfly. Scientists have given it the Latin
name Silene lithuanica; by the way, it is
probably the only plant bearing in its
name the name of Lithuania.
Silene lithuanica was described and
given the name by scientists 100 years
ago. While other species of catchfly
More than 1,400 species of budding
and blooming plants grow in Lithuania.
They have a short time for blooming –
from March or April to October; usually,
however, every species of plants have
bloom for a much shorter period.
Most blossoms are produced in summertime, when in a small area one can
find several dozen of blooming different
plant species. Some have bloom in the
morning, some in the night. This is no
extraordinary case in nature, as in the
night many blossom pollinating insects
are flying.
Already our ancestors noticed delicate
plants producing five-leaf blossoms,
which open their blossoms in the evening
and bloom at night, with butterflies
circling around. They are particularly
visible on a moonlit night. These plants
grow in many places with their habitats
reaching Asia and the western coast of
Europe, Silene lithuanica, in addition
to southern Lithuania, is only detected
in Belarus, north-eastern Ukraine, and
part of Poland. Its habitats include dry
pineries, sandy soils and, still better, their
damaged areas. Most often one will come
across Silene lithuanicas by wood roads
and tracks, in glades.
The plant is easily recognisable, as it
strikes the eye immediately: its petals
and stem are bluish, as if coated with
wax. The 40 cm getting stem forks at
the top and each branch has several
short-legged flowers making a smooth
shieldlike surface. Like all plants in the
however the plant, which is spread in a
family Caryophyllaceae, they each have
small habitat area, is always vulnerable.
five purple or pink petals and, faded, are
This species is not only a talisman of the
almost white.
vegetation world but entire Lithuania
Silene lithuanica blooms long – from
as well: we can be proud of it and of its
May to September. During the time,
name.
new flowers will open and in the pods
of those faded, brown seeds 0.5 mm in
Selemonas Paltanavičius
diameter will mature. They
come out right there and
germinate next year or still
later. Silene can be annual
or biennial: thereby nature
seeks to protect this species
and ensures its successful
existence.
Silene lithuanica has been
included in the Red Data
Book of Lithuania. It is
prohibited to destroy or
change its habitats, pick and
otherwise cause harm to the
plants. While the species is
not in danger of extinction, Habitats of Silene lithuanica
– Data before 1992
– Data for 1992 and after