SRGC Pontresina trip

[hadacekf]

Fantastic alpine plants, beautifully photographed.
Enjoyed your photos immensely. Thanks
By the way Draba alpina grows not in central Europe. It is a native of Artic and subartic Europe. Your pictures show Draba aizoides.
Your wonderful Gentiana bavarica is definitely not G. bavarica. I think it is G. verna. 

[Peter Maguire]

Franz,
Thank you again for correcting my mishaps. I had labelled the Draba correctly in the files on my computer, but had somehow gone astray when preparing it for the website - I have posted the corrections, although the picture file name remains uncorrected, it needs a woman's touch  
The gentians are a group I have always struggled with (I see that Diane had similar problems in St Anton), and when we were in Pontresina, Julia told me to concentrate on the leaves rather that the flowers, which are variable. I've looked back over the pictures I have posted and labelled Gentiana bavarica, from day 5, and would appreciate any comments that anyone could make on my line of thinking about the labels:
Picture 5 - I would agree that this looks like a Gentiana verna flower. The leaves, which should be overlapping in Gentian bavarica, according to the books, are not visible. Unfortunately the calyx, which should be slightly winged in G. verna is out of focus, but looks to be winged, so we'll call this one Gentiana verna.
Picture 11 - This one shows the classically overlapping leaves of G. bavarica, but the calyx looks to me to be slightly winged, so Gentiana bavarica (probably).
Picture 18 - The two clumps here have very different flower forms, but the leaves seem to definitely overlap along the stem, although the stems have not really elongated much. The flowers on both clumps have definitely winged calyxs (calicies?). By now I'm really confused and don't know what to call them.
Picture 20 - The left-hand plant I would still call Gentiana brachyphylla based on the leaves visible under the left flower of the pair, but looking at the leaves of the plant on the right (and the winged calyx), I think that this is a definite G. verna.

I 've modified the captions to pictures 5, 18 and 20 - for now!

Peter

[Peter Maguire]

In case anyone was wondering what had happaened to the rest of the Pontresina photographs, I have been away in early August (including a week in the Austrian Tyrol   - photographs to follow!), and having returned home and prepared the day 6 photos, the computer died on me. However now that I'm back up and running with a new power supply unit, here's day 6.

This was our free day, with no planned flower walks (some people even went shopping  ). I was determined to visit Val da Fain, which everyone else had been to on day 3 after the Diavolezza cablecar trip, when I wasn't feeling too well, as apparently the orchids were exceptional. Val da Fain is well known for it's range of plants - Piz Alv on the south side of the valley introduces calcareous rocks, and a different flora to the area. I was on my own all day, so some of the identifications may be tentative.
1. Before reaching the entrance to the valley, there was plenty to see around the train station, car park and crossing the river. These Pedicularis tuberosa were right next to the Diavolezza cablecar station - there were  many frog orchids here also.
2. The only one I saw, but this Dianthus superbus resulted in some of the party returning with me the next day as we hadn't seen it anywhere else.
3. A rather fine 'dandelion' growing alongside the main Bernina Pass road - I think that it's Leontodon pyrenaicus helveticus.
4. There were many Pedicularis in flower, looking as colourful as many orchids. This one I have as Pedicularis verticillata.
5. Phyteuma scheuchzeri
6. Sempervivum montanum

[Peter Maguire]

7. Still not having crossed the river and entered the Val da Fain, I was in the shadow of the Bernina group, and the cool air was limiting the ability of many insects to move around. I have come across these shiny green beetles before in the Alps, I've provisionally idientifed them as Chrysolina coerulans. The individual on the left is female - the abdomen is swollen with eggs. Looks most uncomfortable.
8. Zygaena filipendulae, known in English as the six-spot burnet moth.
9. A Rhinanthus sp, possibly Rhinanthus antiquus, but unfortunately the flowers aren't open. If anyone could confirm my identification of this I'd be grateful. R. anitiquus is not common in Switzerland, but does occur in this general area.
10 and 11. We're now finally in the Val da Fain, first of the orchids, Nigritella nigra - I think. There were both Nigritella nigra and N. rubra in the area - this seems to show he classical dark flowers and narrow lip. I'll come to some later that are less obviously one or the other.
12 and 13. Trifolium alpinum. T. alpinum was one of my favourite plants of the trip (yes, I know it's 'only' a clover, but the delicacy of the markings on the petals was superb).

More to follow tomorrow from day 6 - it's getting late, and I don't want to make any more mistakes 

[Paul T]

Some amazing plants in here.  Too many to comment on.  The Daphne striata stood out for me.... not a species I know.  Lovely little thing.

Thanks for all the wonderful pics.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Good to see that you're back on track Peter !
I'll be watching this space ! 

[Peter Maguire]

Good to see that you're back on track Peter !

Thanks Luc, it's good to be back. You never realise how much you use a computer until it's broken!

To continue with day 6.....

14 and 15. Still lots of Pedicularis verticillata at the lower end of the valley. The peak in the background of the second picture is Piz Alv (which apparently means 'white peak' in the local Romansch dialect) - it certainly is strikingly different from the surrounding peaks, both in shape and colour.
16. Quite low down the valley, before leaving the upper limit of the fenced pastures, was a wet meadow on the left of the track that Julia had said I musn't miss. It was stuffed full of orchids and other plants. A very wet area, taking drainage from the (granite?) hillside above; the only dry areas were occupied by ant's nests, and yes, I kneeled in a few. This picture of Gymnadenia albida sorry, I've previously called this Pseudorchis albida, these ****** taxonomists!(small white orchid) gives an idea of the surrounding area also.
17. It was wet, so there were Pinguiculas - Pinguicula leptoceras
18. The fragrant orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea
19. Close up of Pinguicula leptoceras
20. and Gentiana verna.

[ranunculus]

More super images, Peter.

[Paul T]

Peter,

I love the orchids, they're beauties.  The Pinguicula though is gorgeous!!  

[Peter Maguire]

Thanks for the kind comments - it gives me the encouragement I need to continue this marathon travelogue!

21. You can see how far I've come in over two hours - this is looking  back at the Diavolezza chairlift area. The railway station and bottom of the chailift are just off the picture to the left. Note also the sunshine, it did not last...
22, 23 and 24. This dactylorhiza I've decided to call Dactylorhiza cruenta; not common in Switzerland, but does occur in this area. Apparently one of the diagnostic features is the spotting on the underside of the leaves. Of course this area does not show on any of my photographs, so I've had to go on other diagnostic features, such as the stout stalk flushed with the flower colour and the dense infloresence (if only I had known what to look for at the time). Scandinavian internet sites, and the Harraps' guide to British orchids, have cruenta as a subspecies of Dactylorhiza incarnata, but the photogrpahs associated with these sources show a much paler flowered and less robust orchid. Flora Helvetica and Grey-Wilson's alpine flower handbook list it as a separate species and I'm with them on this one  . I've provided all the photographic evidence I have of this plant (there were, as I recall, only a couple of them in the aforementioned wet meadow, but they really stood out at the time), so if anyone would like to shoot down my hypothesis in flames, fire away!
25 and 26. Another orchid conundrum. Both these Nigritellas have a broad lip to the individual flowers, so should be Nigritella rubra, but the first one has the dark colour of Nigritella niger. Assuming that the flower colour is variable (which it is), then I tried to find out the variations within each species - no luck. Also, as the lower lip of the flower is consistently mentioned in most sources as being broader in N. rubra, I hunted for something a little more precise to venture a postive identification, but without any luck here either. Does anyone have any better way of distinguishing between these species?
Of course there could be hybridiastion involved..., we came across some hybrids the next day.

[Peter Maguire]

27. Looking up the Val da Fain (sun still shining), with Piz Alv on the right. Apparently a lot of the good plants are around the corner to the right at the head of the valley. A monsoon-like downpour and thunderstorm a couple of hours later conspried to prevent me getting there, oh well, there's always next time  
28. Another view of one of the Dactylorhiza cruenta plants. The underside of the leaves that are visible do not show any spotting (there is some showing through the leaves. This may invalidate my identification  
29. Something a little less controversial. At this point in the valley, the left-hand (northern, acidic rock) side of the valley, was a sheet of Rhododendron ferrugineum.
30. Ajuga pyramidalis growing right next to the path.
31. There had been some Primula farinosa further down the valley, but they were going over. Now better specimens began to appear alongside the path.
32. One of the reasons for me walking up Val da Fain, and also for me carrying a ridiculously long telephoto lens all the way with me, was the fact that I read that there was a significant marmot population in the valley. This chap was sunning himself outside his burrow, no doubt laughing at my attempts to stalk him. This was the best (marmot) shot of the day, and is cropped from a larger image. I managed to better ones on day 8.

[Peter Maguire]

33. Whilst scrambling up a gulley to get closer to the marmot, I came across lots of Primula farinosa, in excellent condition; here with Bartsia alpina.
35. Primula farinosa
35. Bartsia alpina
36. Still finding Pinguicula leptoceras further up the valley
37. This Gentiana acaulis is true to the natural colour, it had a slightly smoky-purple cast to the blue of the flowers, which I found rather attractive.
38. Another shot of the pretty clover, Trifolium alpinum. I wonder if it would keep compact in cultivation in a lean mix?

[Martinr]

Great thread Peter. I've, for some reason, not spotted this thread before. You've reinforced my opinion that the Arabba area Eritrichium nanum is not a good colour form

[Peter Maguire]

39. You may have noticed that the last few pictures looked decidedly less sunny. The weather had deteriorated, as can be seen in this view down the valley, but I pressed on a little to where I was told the main party had had seen two Traunsteinera globosa a few days before: no orchids, many cows  
40 and 41. All was not lost. Whilst having a very late lunch at the seat at this spot, I realised I was looking at Sempervivum wulfenii, which I had not expected to find this far down the valley, it was mentioned in my walking guide, no less, as one of the specialties of the valley. These photographs were taken in a little light drizzle, unfortunately the yellow flowers were not quite open.
42. By the time I took this picture of Campaula barbata, a serious downpour was beginning, but it can be difficult to find good specimens of this plant to photograph, so it was worth the effort (I think). Also the thunder was beginning to rattle around the hills above me and therefore I decided to retreat, hastily. During the two mile walk down the valley I became so wet that I didn't dare to sit down on the train to Pontresina in case I was accused of ruining the seats. Needless to say, no more photographs were taken until the next day when all my equipement had dried out.

Day 7 to follow.

[Peter Maguire]

the Arabba area Eritrichium nanum is not a good colour form

You have to remember, Martin, I'm only showing you the best plants, and the one on Piz Nair I tidied up with a pair of tweezers to remove debris first!