Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Yann on August 21, 2018, 10:29:52 PM
-
I was finally able to stay several days in the Alps after several shifts (heavy snow in june, work, other trips).
I repaid a visit to Huez areas where Gaston Bonnier found inspiration to start Flore de France in 1871.
We're near the Herpie mines, Lac Blanc and the south area of Lac de Fare (the most interesting zone)
[attachimg=5]
map
[attachimg=1]
Geum montanum
[attachimg=2]
Campanula cochlearifolia
[attachimg=3]
Pedicularis comosa subsp. comosa
Pedicularis ascendens
[attachimg=4]
Oxytropis campestris
-
Names are on photos, i can add tags if necessary for google crawler (Maggi?)
[attachimg=1]
Silene acaulis subsp. bryoides
[attachimg=2]
Gentiana alpina
[attachimg=3]
Eriophorum scheucheri
[attachimg=4]
Noccaea rotundifolia
[attachimg=5]
Carex foetida
-
Many are classicals but always a pleasure to see them 8)
[attachimg=1]
Linaria alpina subsp. alpina
[attachimg=2]
Papaver alpinum subsp. alpinum
[attachimg=3]
Ranunculus glacialis
[attachimg=4]
Allium schoenoprasum
[attachimg=5]
Astrantia minor
-
Hallo Yann, this are wonderful fotos of natural grown alpine plants and their flowers! I found on my turn to Iceland, Svalbard and Nordkap-Norway a similar fantastic arctic-alpine world of plants.
-
a few more from Lac de Fare
[attachimg=1]
Potentilla aurea
[attachimg=2]
Potentilla aurea
[attachimg=3]
Adenostyles leucophylla
[attachimg=4]
Bupleurum stellatum
more to come in the week
-
Hallo Yann, this are wonderful fotos of natural grown alpine plants and their flowers! I found on my turn to Iceland, Svalbard and Nordkap-Norway a similar fantastic arctic-alpine world of plants.
Many species can be found in the northern regions, they all appeared after the huge glaciations and climb higher thousands years after.
-
Yann,
Thank you for this excellent presented report of your tour! It seems Bupleurum stellatum has
potential for growing as an alpine for the rock garden.
Gerd
-
Lovely set of pictures Yann.
-
Yes it's an easy growing species, some others species are very difficult because they need huge difference of temperatures between night and day.
-
Hi Yann
Also by me the greatest admiration for these great pictures. Fantastic vegetation. But not only the plants are great. Especially the color of the rock is phenomenal. The rock I work in my garden is exactly the same colour. I'll get them rocks from a quarry a mile away. I particularly like these nuances of red, brown and yellow.
Thanks again for the beautiful pictures...
Thomas
-
Names are on photos, i can add tags if necessary for google crawler (Maggi?)
I'm happy to do that for you, Yann. (It's almost as good as seeing them there!)
-
Some lovely pictures. Even after a hot summer you have found nice plants and beautiful scenery too.
-
Beautiful presentation of an exquisite alpine region Yann!
Always interesting to see species common to the Carpathians, mingled with many other beauties. I am especially intrigued by the Pedicularis comosa growing between rocks - do you remember what other species were growing nearby?
-
Gabriela: no other species except this one, i've others photos with the leafs much more developped. I think this one is ascendens.
-
I reply to myself, i checked my POI on my photos, i shooted a group like the one shown here, it's P. ascendens no doubt. The others (i'll then show later) are comosa with typical foliage. If you zoom you'll see the typical yellow and glabrous "tooth" of ascendens.
-
I wasn't questioning the species Yann, sorry I didn't explained well.
It is about Pedicularis growing between rocks, apparently with no other plants nearby. Pedicularis are parasitic on other plants roots and until now all I've seen in the wild were growing closely in plant associations (usually in meadows).
This is the reason they are hard to germinate/cultivate.
It is very interesting to see this photo (regardless of the species). I meant to ask what other plants were in the near vicinity, if any.
-
no except these 2 species nothing except rocks and above them :
[attachimg=1]
-
around 2000-2500m the vegetation change a lot
Micranthes stellaris
[attachimg=1]
Gentiana bavarica
[attachimg=2]
Luzula lutea
[attachimg=3]
Carex lepidocarpa and Carex flava
[attachimg=4]
Festuca melanopsis
[attachimg=5]
-
[attachimg=1]
I'm not sure of this one, will confirm tomorrow
-
Thanks Yann, don't know what the yellow flower is. In any case, that's why we have the saying - you have to see it to believe it - a Pedicularis by itself among rocks :)
What a Gentiana!
-
Thanks Yann, don't know what the yellow flower is.
Isn't it a Primula ?
-
ah yes sorry i forgot to label photo, yes it's an auricula bouquet.
-
still at level 2000-2300 you can find fields of Jacobaea, Veronica and Trifolium.
Jacobaea incana subsp. incana
[attachimg=1]
Minuartia sedoides
[attachimg=2]
Pachypleurum mutellinoides & Veronica alpina
[attachimg=3]
Trifolium badium
[attachimg=4]
and the classical Myosotis alpestris
[attachimg=5]
-
near the old Herpie mines the soil is more acid and the soil is covered with Arenaria multicaulis
[attachimg=1]
in a kind of heavy mud i found this plant covered with clay and grit: Doronicum grandiflorum
[attachimg=2]
Leucanthemopsis alpina (4 steps of development on this plant)
[attachimg=3]
Poa laxa
[attachimg=4]
Ranunculus aconitifolius (in better state than in my garden!)
[attachimg=5]
-
So beautiful - thank you for showing.
-
Tomorrow we'll travel to Galibier (Cliff was there 2 days ago)
-
Col du Galibier, i guess made famous by the Tour de France but my goal wasn't to cycle :P
[attachimg=1]
I explored the Zone 1 a lot, it contains Eritrichium, Androsace, Saxifraga, and lots of treasures.
To visit the area 1 walking sticks are required, it's a dangerous schists hill,
i know several peoples who lost their camera and trousers in this hill.
Vallon de la Roche noire should be visited in june before the cows enter the game :)
[attachimg=2]
Hylotelephium anacampseros
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Saxifraga exarata subsp. exarata (10 stamens)
[attachimg=5]
-
ah yes sorry i forgot to label photo, yes it's an auricula bouquet.
I think that it is an other Primula, not a one from calcareous montains of Prealps, but a lilac one from the Alps, Primula hirsuta
-
Yvain you're right, i was thinking of lutea answering auricula. But checking size of leafs, lutea is to exclude.
So yes it can be hirsuta, here's one still in bloom. Primula auricula is also recorded for the Grandes Rousses but foliage is different, glabrous and less thick.
-
Botrychium simplex
[attachimg=1]
Cerastium latifolium
[attachimg=2]
Sempervivum montanum
[attachimg=3]
Gentiana asclepiadea
[attachimg=4]
Eritrichium nanum
[attachimg=5]
-
Aster alpinus
[attachimg=1]
Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum
[attachimg=2]
toffee apple no Geum reptans ;)
[attachimg=3]
Pedicularis verticillata
[attachimg=4]
Crepis aurea
[attachimg=5]
-
Yann, amazing photos! I was in the Alps twice (once in winter and once in summer) and you just reminded me those times! I remember those beautiful views, but nature here is also amazing. Photos of aster alpinus and Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum are my favourites!
-
Lovely photos Yann, thanks for sharing! Where did you find Eritrichium still in flower? I was on the Col du Galibier a few weeks ago, found Eritrichium on one ridge but they had finished flowering for a while
-
Hi Yann
The power of your pictures knocks me out. 😊
I would like to highlight the most fantastic inflorescences of Geum reptans.
And of course Leontopodium nivale ssp. alpinum. A dream. Is there also a picture in the full shot? I am interested in the foliage and the height of the plant.
L. nivale seems to have very different subspecies.
The genus Leontopodium is one of the most beautiful and diverse alpine species of the northern hemisphere. I have some small species...I think a separate topic should start sometime to it
...this species deserves it.
All other plants shown are also colossal.
Thank you
Thomas
-
Vincent : left side of the road towards Valloire, the north cliff is always the late one, almost all plants were burnt except some young plants. I gave 2 spots in the Vallon de l'Anesse to several forum's members and they also found very few in bloom at 2450m, 2 days later.
I cropped photos because those photographied are not beautiful, with either a left or right side burnt >:( in 2014, 24th august i found at the same spot several plants flowering.
Thomas : thank you. All the Leontopodium were shoted in a grassy area, reason why i also cropped the photo.
I posted the most showy plants but i've many other pictures of Carex, Poa, etc in which i've also a great interest.
Here's another one untouched :)
-
Colchicum alpinum
[attachimg=1]
this species can be confused with autumnale. Plants usually are never higher than 8-10cm, with an average 7-8cm,
its tepals often veined with dark, extremely short stigmas, carried by straight styles or barely curved.
At low altitude, 1200-1600m, they're many intermediate populations and it's quiet hard to distinguish, those were shoted at 2400m.
Swertia perennis (Eritrichium is called the king of the Alps, but my king is this plant)
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Thesium alpinum
[attachimg=4]
-
So many interesting plants to see at this end of Summer. I agree with you, the Swertia is indeed a plant fit for a king ... or queen!
-
Col de Sarenne
Another great zone known to host many rare species, wonderful view on the Vallée de Ferrand and The Plateau d'Emparis.
The best period to visit the valley is mid june until mid july, many plants are xeric and grow on south facing.
I pretty knew it was too late to see them at their best but i like to hike in the valley.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Scrophularia canina subsp. hoppii
[attachimg=3]
Lactuca perennis
[attachimg=4]
Sedum alpestre, 3cm high
[attachimg=5]
-
More beauties!
To stumble upon such a nice Swertia stand is very good luck :)
If I'll get to see my seedlings flowering I will be the most happy person on earth.
-
indeed Swertia is quiet hard to grow, germination itself is easy with a good cold period but i wasn't able to keep them more than 2 years.
I'm leaving in a lowland region where it's not cold enough during winter. A reason to return to the mountains :)
-
Cryptogramma crispa
[attachimg=1]
Saxifraga aizoides
[attachimg=5]
Myosotis scorpioides and Veronica alpina (the very last one i found)
[attachimg=2]
Galium verum, very common but it catch eyes
[attachimg=3]
Carlina acaulis subsp. caulescens
[attachimg=4]
-
Silene nutans
[attachimg=1]
-
I've received several messages asking where to find this species or this one, i'll then prepare a kmz (google maps) file and share it here.
-
the KMZ is ready, you can ask me the file by private message.
-
Well done, Yann - kind of you to do that - I do hope that anyone using it will only do so in order to photograph the plants they find!
-
I didn't added the rarest plants, those very few know the locations.
Transplanting an alpine plant is 100% failure, roots will be damaged and they'll die in few hours.
At Lautaret several signs remind it.
Collecting seeds is allowed but not inside the protected areas.
-
Very nice images, Yann. Incredible that you have seen so many gems in flower at the end of the summer.
The area of the Galibier is a rich area with many interesting plants and stunning views. Was Campanula cenisia still flowering at the top of the Galibier?There you can find a nice colony.
-
Oxytropis campestris is a stunning alpine. I don't know if it's in culture?
-
Very nice images, Yann. Incredible that you have seen so many gems in flower at the end of the summer.
The area of the Galibier is a rich area with many interesting plants and stunning views. Was Campanula cenisia still flowering at the top of the Galibier?There you can find a nice colony.
Campanula were already faded. This year the amount of snow and the cold delayed the season's start, so i knew i'll still find flowers.
The best moment is early July.
-
Oxytropis campestris is a stunning alpine. I don't know if it's in culture?
I guess some folks here should grow it. In the mountains it can takes 4 to 7 seasons before seeds germinate.