Dolomites July 2009

[Martinr]

And finally.....Day 3. The muscles were stilling feeling the effects of Day 1 so we took our little Fiat 500 and drove over the 4 passes round the Sella Group. We lost count of the hairpin bends and the suicidal motorcyclists and didn't meet too many buses on the bends. A few scenery pictures to start with and then an alphabetical list of plant portraits. These were mostly taken in the Pordoi pass area either on the road from the pass to the German war memorial/grave or by the roadside as we descended back to Arabba.

Firstly Sassongher which dominates the view above Corvara.

Next two views of part of the Sella massif above Colfosco, one distant and one close up. Those of you who have been following Diane Clement's postings from her Austrian trip will have seen the discussion of the sanity levels required to undertake a trip on a Via Ferrata! The bridge photograph in that thread is of the bridge you can see in the close up view below. I am sane. Really I am

Finally two pictures to show how your viewpoint changes the look of a mountain. The Sassolungo from two distinct viewpoints.

Flowers to follow.

[Martinr]

Achillea macrophylla(?)

Adenostyles alliariae. Two shots of a plant I'd never even heard of but it was locally common in woodland edges. Not one I want in the garden though, a bit weedy looking.

Astragalus alpinus

Centaurea uniflora(?)

Dianthus superbus. One of those plants you think you'll have to really hunt for and there it was lining the road round several hairpin bends below the Pordoi pass.

[Martinr]

Extreme fasciation, quite impressive

Gentianella gemanica

A grasshopper. Hopefully Anthony will tell us which particular one this is.

Hieraceum pilosella

Hieraceum alpinum (?)

Knautia dipsacifolia (?)

Lilium martagon

[Paddy Tobin]

Wonderful scenery, Martin, and doesn't Hieracium alpinum redeem the multitude of indistinguishable hieraciums one normally encounters.

Great show.

Paddy

[Martinr]

And finally from Day 3.

Absolutely no idea what this one's name is. Help!

Onobrychis montana(?)

Polygonum bistorta

Succisa pratensis

Thymus sp.

[Martinr]

Paddy, I think both examples redeem the family. The acid yellow of H pilosella stops me in my tracks every time.

[tonyg]

"Absolutely no idea" looks like a centaurea species ... in bud?  See the earlier centaurea pic with flowers open.  Below is a pic from the Saas Fee area of a centaurea species in bud.

[Martinr]

Spot on Tony. Thanks. Doesn't say much for my powers of observation . Clearly I need to spend much more time in the mountains getting used to identifying plants with no labels......now where is that lottery ticket?

[hadacekf]

Tony, you are right, it is a Centaurea in bud. Without flower it is not possible the species identify.

[akoen]

Thank you fore all the lovely pitcures. I have also been in the Dolomites whit our RV car this summer. Just a few days, and we were not hunting flowers. But I saw many anyway.

[ranunculus]

It seems a little quiet on this thread, so I will post a few more of the many hundreds that I have available.  I don't wish to hijack Martin's wonderful posts or deter Kata from posting her much anticipated Dolomite images ... so just twenty images today ...

From Sella Pass
Soldanella alpina & Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla vernalis
Sax' on the Sella
Pulsatilla alpina ssp. apiifolia
Sax' close-up
Silene acaulis
Sax' close
Dryas octopetala bun

[ranunculus]

Second contribution for today ...

Very dark Clematis alpina
Array of gentians
Dolomite fungi
Rhododendron ferrugineum
Dolomite fungi 2
Pedicularis growing through fungi
Leontopodium alpinum
Cirsium spinosissimu
Paederota bonarota

[Maggi Young]

Thank you fore all the lovely pitcures. I have also been in the Dolomites whit our RV car this summer. Just a few days, and we were not hunting flowers. But I saw many anyway.

Did you drive all the way from Norway, Anne Karin?

[Maggi Young]

Q: Why is it that every time I see the spiky peak pix I think of Sandy Leven, Peter Maquire and Harley Milne?

A: They are all dentists! 

The Rhodos are lovely, Cliff, a definite favourite... with the Dryas!!
I feel rather sorry for the orchid held in that vice-like grip/embrace by the fungus......

[ranunculus]

I feel rather sorry for the orchid held in that vice-like grip/embrace by the fungus......

Not actually an orchid, Maggi ... it's a Pedicularis that is being slowly strangled by a fungi (should this section be X-rated)?