Switzerland 2008

[tonyg]

On the next morning (day 2 of 3) the sun shone .... to celebrate the arrival of friends.  I took the train down to Lauterbrunnen to meet the Hubis before we all went up onto the Mannlichen.  After a stiff climb (!) we needed a lie down ... also necessary to properly appreciate one of the smallest gentians.  Gentiana nivalis - the Snow Gentian.

[art600]

Tony

Hope you have more to show us.

[Thomas Huber]

Finally I have sorted out some photos of my trip with Tony and the Hubi's to Männlichen.

- 41  Phyteuma hemisphericum & Achillea atrata
- 54  Pyrola media
- 59  Astrantia minor
- 87  Linaria alpina
- 101 Pseudorchis albida
- 58  Saxifraga bryoides
- 006 Celine and Große Scheidegg above Grindelwald
- 27 Breakfast above the clouds with Chris and Tanja

[Thomas Huber]

And some more photos of this beautiful day (please note Tony's jacket!)

- 26  Pedicularis verticillata
- 81  Astragalus alpinus
- 106 Campanula scheuzeri & trifolium badium

[Maggi Young]

hurrah for Tony's jacket!!   So it is Tony who is the old man with the bad knee, then ? 

[Maggi Young]

Oh! My word! In pic 054.... Pyrola media.... one of our most favourite flowers! How beautiful.

Great photos, Hubi, though, of course, we expect nothing less !! Must study others more closely......

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Superb pictures Thomas !
Many thanks for showing us and 3 hurrays for Tony wearing his jacket even in full sun at 25°C, as such ensuring the PR work for the SRGC anyway !! 

[Thomas Huber]

hurrah for Tony's jacket!!   So it is Tony who is the old man with the bad knee, then ? 

Noooo, Tony's the YOUNG man with the bad knee 

Luc, it was much colder than 25°, and I'm with you, that this jacket suits him very well.
What a pity I didn't have such a good jacket - I even forgot my cap this day 

[tonyg]

Thomas is the younger man and lets hear no more about it ...(creak, groan )

Fantastic pics Thomas .... better than mine and the depth of field on some is awesome. 

Names:
pic 58  Saxifraga bryoides
pic 59  Astrantia minor ..... I told you it was a great shot!
pic 101 Pseudorchis albida
pic 106 Campanula scheuzeri & trifolium badium
pic 41  Phyteuma hemisphericum & Achillea atrata
pic 81  Astragalus alpinus
pic 26  Pedicularis verticillata

More please?!

Maggi - how do I tell these Pyrola apart?   My German does not stretch to the details in Flora helvetica and having left the leaves in Switzerland I am struggling to distinguish between media and rotundifolia.

And here are a few of mine

Gentiana nivalis - opens in the sunshine so when the sun was high we saw more of them.
Coeloglossum viride, Frog Orchid - can be hard to spot but this was a fine specimen
Achillea atrata - all on its own
Lotus alpinus and Salix retusa (open to correction on these) carpeting a hillside above the path
After I parted from the Hubis I stopped in Wengen for supplies and snapped a couple of shots of the Cablecar just for 'background info' in talks.  Only when I got home did I spot the joyrider

[Maggi Young]

[quoteMaggi - how do I tell these Pyrola apart?   My German does not stretch to the details in Flora helvetica and having left the leaves in Switzerland I am struggling to distinguish between media and rotundifolia.

quote]

Tony, I think you'll need to take me out to the hillside to study fully!!

[tonyg]

Mmm - does Ian have to come too
Next time Hubi and I plan a trip shall we give everyone a bit more notice?

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps that's a good idea, Tony!

As far as I'm concerned, and lord knows I am not an expert... I think that P. media actually has rounder leaves than P. rotundifolia. 
The petiole of P. rotundifolia is quite long, but sometimes that is the case for P.  media, too. Confused?... you will be! Outline of leaf on media is pretty smooth whereas on rotundifolia it can be ever so slightly scalloped near the petiole and up at the "shoulders", so to speak.... that any help or are you for sure going without me?

Style on media should be straight... but it should also be exerted from the flower and it doesn't seem to be the case inthe phot... hmm! I'm confused ,now, too

[ranunculus]

Very interesting discussion folks ... we have just experienced similar debate on our treks in the Dolomites.
Guests queried 'rotundifolia' when the leaves were distinctly uncircular. We got round it by blaming global warming!   

Magnificent topic gents ... enjoying every image.

[Maggi Young]

Guests queried 'rotundifolia' when the leaves were distinctly uncircular. We got round it by blaming global warming!

Well, it's the easy answer, isn't it? 

[tonyg]

As far as I'm concerned, and lord knows I am not an expert... I think that P. media actually has rounder leaves than P. rotundifolia. 
The petiole of P. rotundifolia is quite long, but sometimes that is the case for P.  media, too. Confused?... you will be! Outline of leaf on media is pretty smooth whereas on rotundifolia it can be ever so slightly scalloped near the petiole and up at the "shoulders", so to speak.... that any help or are you for sure going without me?

Style on media should be straight... but it should also be exerted from the flower and it doesn't seem to be the case inthe phot... hmm! I'm confused ,now, too

I had a feeling that it all came down to style   if media should have a straight style then does rotundifolia have a kinky one .... like this  (posted in reply 69)