Switzerland 2008

[hadacekf]

Paddy,
There is no Ranunculus narcissifolius . Sorry. I had a blackout! Your picture shows Anemone narcissiflora.

[Paddy Tobin]

Many thanks, Franz.

As you are now well aware, I am plodding with difficulty through identification of all the plants I saw in Wengen. It was a wonderful experience and I hope you and others will make it more complete by commenting on the plant names as I post them. This would be GREATLY  appreciated.

A few more plants below including Soldanella alpina which I was thrilled to see in the wild. It was growing alongside a large patch of snow and obviously the ground on which it was blooming had only recently been covered by snow.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Worry not Paddy,
Your photos are lovely and we can soon assist with identifications where necessary.
You may be tempted to try the Dolomites next?

[Paddy Tobin]

Many thanks, Cliff.

Please do comment on names of plants. I know people might not wish to be seen to be "correcting" someone's postings but this is certainly an occasion when all comments, corrections, identifications would be so very welcome and greatly appreciated.

Go back and look at the posting of gentians earlier for an identifications, please.

The Dolomites are fabulous. Mary would prefer them any time.

Paddy

[Armin]

Tony & Paddy,
thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures.

[tonyg]

Paddy
I think you are right about the Gentiana bavarica.  I too saw this one, often in very wet places.  It flowers later than G verna which was almost entirely over by the time I got there.  The other gentians are both Gentiana acaulis (at least from that group).  I saw similar pale/bicolor ones near First, above Grindelwald a few years ago.

The latest post from the top are:
Trifolium alpinum
Geranium sylvaticum
Phyteuma spicata
Silene vulgaris (I think!)

Anemone narcissisflora takes its name from the bunch headed paperwhite narcissus of the tazetta group.

Keep the pics coming.  And don't mind the rain, it is a great sadness that some of my best alpine pics are slides taken in wet weather a few years ago and cannot be shown here.  The water droplets add atmosphere in a way that bright sun does not

[Paddy Tobin]

Tony,

Many thanks indeed, greatly appreciated.

Re the two gentians - the two larger trumpeted ones - there seemed to me to be two gentians involved here and both were abundant in the Mannlichen - Kleine Scheidegg area. One was entirely blue inside and outside of the trumpet. The other was often very strongly coloured/striped green on the trumpet.

I'll look for other photographs which might show this more clearly.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Here are photographs of two gentians, one with a blue trumpet and the other with a greenish trumpet. Are they variations of G. acaulis, do you think?

These plants were growing in close proximity and certainly in similar conditions which, at the time of our visit, were very very wet.

I should also comment that there were other plants which had this greenish colouration to a lesser degree, some in only a very small amount and then situated immediately behind the mouth of the trumpet.

I suppose these could be wide variations of the same species. If so, I am amazed at the level of variation.

A little reading has told me that G. acaulis is quite similar to G. clusii in appearance but that C. clusii does not have the olive green stripes. Another important factor from the point of view of the plants I have shown here is that G. clusii is found on alkaline soil while G. acaulis is found on acidic soil. Given that rhododendrons were also abundant in this area it would be reasonably safe to presume that the soil was acidic here and this would most likely preclude considering G. clusii from consideration.


Also, a photograph of Soldinella alpina which I meant to post earlier. It is certainly a clump I would enjoy having in my garden.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Paddy,
Your latest image of soldanella is probably of the beautiful Soldanella pusilla - smaller, more rounded and often more pink than purple thimbles.  Your first soldanella was certainly S. alpina.

[tonyg]

That was my first thought too Cliff but then I wondered if it is not just the cold and wet conditions fooling us.  Where did you take that pic Paddy?  I have not seen S pusilla around Wengen, only arouond Bachsee near aforementioned First.

[Paddy Tobin]

Cliff & Tony,

You two are up early!

The photographs of the soldanellas were all taken on a walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheiddegg. I came on a single plant of soldanella quite close to the Mannlichen cable car station. Then there was a large colony about half way to Kleine Scheiddegg to the side of a large snowbank. Photographs from this colony were posted earlier. This large clump of soldanella was further on and much closer to Kleine Scheiddegg, no remnant of snow in this area. Here are some more photographs from this area, the same area where the large clump was growing. I hope they may show the plants a little clearer for you.

I should mention, as it may have had an influence on how much the flowers might have opened, that the day was heavily overcast with continuous heavy drizzle to light rain.

Many thanks for your interest and help with identification.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Intriguing Paddy,
The first and second images are inconclusive, but the third shouts; Soldanella alpina.
We have certainly seen S. pusilla in the region but, as it was way back in June 2004, we cannot be certain of location ... though, as prompted by Tony, First does ring a bell.
Just proves that plant identification can be a minefield ... especially in inclement weather (and after wine)!   

[Paddy Tobin]

Cliff,

These, and almost all other plants on that day, were certainly under the weather and not looking their best.

I previously did a lot of bird netting and ringing with a very experienced ornithologist and he used advise along the following lines: if you are not sure what it is, always presume it is a sparrow. This was in reaction to those 'twitchers' who would always claim to have seen something extremely rare and unusual. He thought it better to presume the ordinary until uncontradictable proof for the uncommon existed. So, perhaps, it might be better to presume Soldanella alpina - at least for the present!

If you have a minute, please look back at the gentians posted earlier.

Many thanks, Paddy

[hadacekf]

Paddy,
It is Gentiana acaulis. It does not have to be blue always. It is a little variable in the colour.

[Paddy Tobin]

Franz,

Many thanks. While I could identify it in its blue form, I found those with lots of green very confusing. I found it hard to credit that there would be so much variation. Quite amazing, really.

Many thanks, Paddy