Valais Alps, 8-18 August 2014
Alpine Flora
There were too many flowers and Maria could not help shooting. Some flowers grew on the meadows, some were found high above the tree line, such lovely bright spots of colour among the dark cliffs. We were able to identify some of them on the internet, but some remain unidentified.
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia). The common bluebell, but very pretty in the dew droplets.
Field Gentian (Gentiana campestris) - it turned out not to be a bluebell at all.
Bearded Bellflower (Campanula barbata).
Moss Campion or Cushion Pink (Silene acaulis). These moss-like pink pillows are found at very high altitude, where nothing else grows.
Gentiana brachyphylla (Gentiana brachyphylla). These flowers have amazing deep blue colour. Sometimes they are clustered together, sometimes you see just one flower.
Saxifraga (Saxifraga oppositifolia). It flowers from early spring. We saw it in Tignes this spring, when we were skiing there. Swiss botanist Christian Korner found the plant growing at an elevation of 4505 meters in the Swiss Alps. This is probably one of the highest growing plants in Europe and most likely in the world. It was even found in Greenland and is thought to be the most nothern flower plant in the world.
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We found this plant near Lac de Dix, by the mountain brook, but we could not find its name. |
This is probably some kind of anemone. It has big yellow flowers (we've come across it in Ecrin National Park). This is a picture of its seeds curled into sprials. We could not identify it, either. |
Houseleek or liveforever or hen and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum). In the old days it was planted on the roofs of the houses to ward off lightning strikes. Here are a few pictures of this plant as it is so pretty.
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We saw quite a few houseleeks.
Young plants form a dense red carpet.
The leaves then turn green and new shoots appear.
