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Leontopodium alpinum


Leontopodium alpinum
Photo Information
Copyright: Iulian Gherghel (IulianGherghel) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 155 W: 2 N: 352] (1296)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-06-21
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Konica Minolta Dimage Z10, 2 GB, SD card
Exposure: f/4.8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-06-23 4:21
Viewed: 441
Points: 6
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), one of the best-known European mountain flowers, belongs to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The name comes from German edel (meaning noble) and weiß (meaning white). The scientific name, Leontopodium means "lion's paw", being derived from Greek words leon (lion) and podion (diminutive of pous, foot).

Flowering stalks of edelweiss can grow to a size of 3-20 cm (in cultivation, up to 40 cm). The leaves appear woolly because of the covering of white hairs. The flowers are felted and woolly with white hairs, with characteristic bloom consisting of five to six small yellow flower heads (5 mm) surrounded by leaflets in star form. The flowers are in bloom between July and September. It is unequally distributed and prefers rocky limestone places at 2000-2900 m altitude. It is not toxic, and has been used traditionally in folk medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases.

Edelweiss is a protected plant in many countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Slovakia (Tatra National Park), Slovenia (since 1898), Austria (since 1886) and Romania (since 1933).

It usually grows in inaccessible places, which is why it is associated in Slovenia with mountaineering. Its white colour is considered in Switzerland a symbol of purity and due to its beauty, it obtained its Romanian name, floarea reginei (Queen's flower).
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Iulian, thank you for sharing. This one looks a bit different from the ones I've seen in Slovenian Alps. I've been in the mountains for the past three weekends searching for one! Without luck. I think I was a bit early, will go again. Planika, as it is called in Slovenia, is a very special flower indeed. Very useful note, thanks.
Kind regards,
Alenka

Bonjour,
La même espèce que j'ai trouvée chez moi dans les Alpes hier !
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Salutare!
felicitari pt aceasta poza. e minunata.
mult succes
andrei

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