Dolomites July 2009

[ranunculus]

Not tonight Josephine ... Oops, Robin!  ...  but certainly by Tuesday at the latest.  

Your very kind comments make any small effort worthwhile ... and you would probably be able to see that lovely little Moneses uniflora in pine forests near you.  I have attached another close-up just for you! (Don't tell the rest).  It was the first alpine plant that I ever saw in the wild, on our first visit to Austria, and it has remained a firm favourite since then.  (and no everybody, it wasn't still part of Austro-Hungaria at that time)!


MONESES UNIFLORA

[Paddy Tobin]

One after another great photographs - of course, of beautiful and interesting flowers.

Great show, Cliff.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Thanks Paddy.

Lots more images to post ... will start on the high plateau, screes and mighty cliffs of Le Valun above Corvara ...

LE VALUN
GENTIANA BAVARICA
MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS
SOLDANELLA MINIMA
SOLDANELLA ALPINA

[hadacekf]

Cliff,
wonderful plants, super pics. thanks
Gentiana bavarica = G. terglouensis a very nice gentiana!
There is a picture of G. bavarica on my website.

[Lori S.]

Absolutely magical photos!  What a wonderful travelogue - thanks for posting it!

[Ragged Robin]

..and you would probably be able to see that lovely little Moneses uniflora in pine forests near you

Thanks for the extra edition of this lovely plant, Cliff, I will look out for it here.....

Your next batch has me intrigued with a feeling of another world/planet! Lovely Myosotis Alpestris, so fresh, pale and dainty in your BCU shot

[ranunculus]

Many thanks for your kind messages and welcome assistance.  We move across the valley now to the Pralongia plateau and some magnificent meadows ...

SOLDANELLA ALPINA
ANTENNARIA DIOICA
PRALONGIA MEADOWS
PLATANTHERA BIFOLIA
NIGRITELLA possibly DOLOMITENSIS
ORCHID CLOSE UP but which please?
PLATANTHERA BIFOLIA

[ranunculus]

More from Pralongia plateau ...

Pseudorchis albida
Saxifraga bryoides  (Suggestions : Minuartia sedoides (Thanks Tony) & Sax' sedoides (Thanks John)).
Silene acaulis
Veratrum flower stem
Veratrum close-up
Tiny pale blue gentian
Could this be Gentiana schleicheri?

[Ragged Robin]

Perfect for a rainy day - thanks cliff.....I really like the Veratrum, close packed flowers on the stem and the combination of greenish flower with painted green throat and fountain of anthers - how tall does it grow and does it like damp?

Sweet pale Gentiana, whatever-it-is, it's lovely to see it springing out from the cushion of leaves 

[ranunculus]

Hi Robin,
Thanks once again - the Veratrum can grow up to 1 1/2 mtrs tall and it seems to prefer moisture at it's roots (but not to extremes).  The meadows are obviously very wet in late spring/early summer.

Final batch for this morning ...

Orchids at Pralongia
Close up of meadow
Silene acaulis
Thlaspi rotundifolium
In tub at the front of our chalet
View from Cinque Torre

[Ragged Robin]

Wow, what  fantastic view caught in such dramatic light  

Thlaspi rotundifolium is a perfect example for me of crevice self-planting; it's so understated but blushing with pride in its home  

Just realised that this is my 1000th post - what better thread to have it on than Cliff's, who encouraged me to join the SRGC in the first place? 

A thousand thanks Cliff   

[ranunculus]

You are more than welcome, Robin ...

A thousand posts deserves a special image ...

One of the best shots from the Dolomites 2009 - Silene acaulis

[Ragged Robin]

What a way to celebrate - a stunning shot of Silene acaulis - I love it 

[hadacekf]

Cliff,
It is again Gentiana terglouensis ssp. terglouensis.
Gentian terglouensis ssp. schleicheri  grows only in the Maritime Alps and Switzerland.
There is a picture on my website.

[Gerhard Raschun]

NIGRITELLA possibly DOLOMITENSIS

It isn`t Nigritella spp., it is xGymnigritella, an intergeneric hybrid between Gymnadenia and Nigritella, probably
xGymnigritella suaveolens ( Gymnadenia conopsea x Nigritella rhellicani )