Leontopodium alpinum

Ordinary Alpine edelweiss ( Leontopodium nivale subsp. Alpinum)

The Alpine edelweiss ( Leontopodium nivale ) is a species of the Holarctic genus widespread leontopodium ( Edelweiss) and the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). It is one of the most famous and iconic alpine flowers.

Description

The Alpine Edelweiss is a perennial herbaceous plant, up to about 20 centimeters reached the heights of growth of 5. The plant is woolly - white tomentose, with the narrow lanceolate, about five inches long leaves are very hairy especially at the bottom. The basal leaves form a rosette.

Five to 15 gloss white bracts form a more pointed star and surround the actual inflorescence. The two to twelve similar basket- shaped partial inflorescences each containing 60 to 80 white yellow tubular flowers. The very narrow tubular flowers on the edge are female. They are also called yarn flowers. Next inwardly are more male florets. Since the non-functional pen is still present, the flowers can appear androgynous. Blooms between July and September.

The fruits are achenes, which spread as Schirmchenflieger. When wet, they can also adhere to animals.

Flowers Ecology

The apparent bloom is only a sham prosperity. The show function is created by the dense white, felty bracts. The actual flowers are to many hundreds, organized into individual flower heads, in the middle of the star together, and together with the bracts a pollination biological unit ( Superpseudanthium ).

The dazzling white shimmer on the bracts caused by the fact that thousands of small air bubbles reflect the incident light on the often confused knitted, frizzy hair. This serves as a signal for honey -seeking insects, to prevent evaporation and protect against heat loss. The working group of the Belgian physicist Jean-Pol Vigneron at the University of Notre- Dame de la Paix in Namur has found that the hairs themselves are made of parallel fibers with 0.18 micrometers in diameter, which is in the order of the wavelength of UV radiation and leads to their absorption. The remaining light is allowed to pass, however, so that the plant can carry out photosynthesis.

Pollinators are mainly fly and hymenoptera, moths and beetles. The sham prosperity is maintained until into the winter.

Habitat

Contrary to popular belief, the Alpine edelweiss is no steep rock - plant. Although it also happens to rock bands, but according to its original origin from high-altitude steppe areas, it is far more likely to find in alpine grassland, particularly since it is picked thanks to greater conservation awareness not at all easy to access. Such practice had allowed more likely to survive in difficult to reach places. The Alpine edelweiss Thus there are - in addition to the deposits on limestone rocks - again on stony meadows and lawns, and - less frequently - on mountain pastures, is unevenly distributed and prefers rocky limestone surroundings at altitudes 1800-3000 meters. It shows a preference for siliceous locations, even on limestone, where it displays Chertknollen. The very rich deposits, for example, in the Allgäu region of the Höfats are located on siliceous Hornsteinkalken.

Vegetation history

The Alpine edelweiss " immigrated. At that time the Alps were free of vegetation and steppe similar, because of the ice sheet that covered most of the mountains, had just melted off first ", " after the last glacial cold period from the high steppes of Central Asia " in the Alps. Relatives of the Alpine edelweiss can be found in high-altitude steppe areas of Central Asia and in East Asia.

System

The Ordinary Alpine Edelweiss Leontopodium alpinum Cass. in 2003 by Werner Greuter to the sub Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum ( Cass. ) Greuter umkombiniert. This taxon was incorporated into the type Leontopodium nivale, which is called " Alpine Edelweiss" in German.

In its wide area of ​​the Alpine edelweiss is divided into two subspecies:

• Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum ( Cass. ) Greuter
• Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale

Leontopodium nivale subsp. nivale is in English as " White Alpine Edelweiss" and Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum referred to as " ordinary Alpine Edelweiss".

Distribution area

While Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum autochthonous is widespread in the Alps, the Jura, the Carpathian Mountains, in the northern Balkans and the northern Apennines and the Pyrenees, is Leontopodium nivale subsp. find nivale in Abruzzo, in the Dinaric Alps and in the Pirin Mountains. Other members of the genus edelweiss and thus related species can be found except in the Central Asian steppes in the high northern Himalayas, in northern China, Mongolia, Japan, Korea and Kamchatka.

Ansalbungsstandorte

Since the 19th century, many lovers of botany found pleasure in enriching nature through plants brought back from travels (so-called Ansalbung ). To which 'affected' plants also include the edelweiss, which was spread on rock sites of some low mountains and is occasionally still found.

This will be critically evaluated from the perspective of invasion biology and conservation. According to § 40 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act all such Ansalbungen are subject to approval.

Risk / protective

The Alpine edelweiss applicable in Austria and Germany as endangered. Causes are today esp. the entering and driving the remaining sites, especially the earlier part commercial picking. In Austria and Switzerland, is the Alpine edelweiss in all provinces and cantons strictly protected and may not be picked. In Austria the edelweiss was made in 1886 under nature protection. Due to the advent of tourism in the Alps, it was quickly became a sought-after and durable souvenir. As an example of successful protection of an occurrence of the stock of the Höfats in the Allgäu Alps can be listed. There, especially in the period of inflation by excessive plucking strongly declining residual populations of occurring there, even then protected Alpine edelweiss were guarded by the Allgäu mountain rescue team from 1935 to 2007 during the flowering season. To this end, they had specially set up a tent and later a bivouac. Today, the stocks have recovered there and the nature of consciousness mountaineer has become larger, so the watch is no longer necessary.

Origin of the name

The botanical name derives from the characteristic dichtfilzigen, white hair and the shape of the bracts from (Greek leon for Lion, PODION for feet ).

Other common names are wool flower, Bauchwehbleamerl, Irlweiß, Almsterndl, feather white, rarely silver star and Wülblume ( in Switzerland). [ Spoken and written fourth Swiss national language alongside German and Italian in the canton of Grisons ] On Romanesque called the flower Alvatern ( alv = white, etern = forever ): this reflects the peculiarity that the white slip flowers over last up into the winter.

Edelweiss as a symbol

Germany

• Logo of the German Alpine Association
• Mountain cap badge and shoulder patch of the mountain troops of the Armed Forces
• The Army mountain guide badge of the Bundeswehr
• Signs of the Mountain Rescue Mountain Rescue with the exception of the Black Forest
• Radio call of the Bavarian Police Helicopter ( numbered consecutively )

Austria

• Made of metal on the field caps the Austrian Armed Forces ( today only on the combat suit cap easy for soldiers of the 6th Brigade hunters and members of the mountain warfare center to suit 03, and on the mountain cap Ausgangangsuniform ).

The Alpine edelweiss was assigned in 1907 by Emperor Franz Joseph to intended for use in the mountain troops ( three regiments ) of the Austro- Hungarian Army as a badge. It was worn on the collar of his uniform jacket. As the German Alpine Corps in mid October 1915 moved away from the now firmly established Tyrolean front used to Serbia, he was the edelweiss insignia of the Austrian mountain troops by the commanding general of the Austrian Southwest Front, Archduke Eugen, at the Hotel Elefant in Brixen in recognition of its power to ward the Italian campaign in the Austro-Hungarian Alpine region awarded. Ever since, members of all German mountain troops this emblem on his cap, but unlike in Austria with the handle forward.

• Badge of the 6th Brigade hunters.
• As use badges to soldiers who have completed Army mountain guide training.
• On the two- cent coin of the Austrian euro coins, prior to their introduction in the Austrian Schilling ( A shilling coin )
• The Logo of the Austrian Alpine Association and other mountaineering clubs
• Branding for the Haflinger
• The logo of the Mountain Rescue Service Austria
• The Austrian Post has on 19 July 2005, limited first embroidered stamp Austria "Edelweiss " on 400,000 shares, brought out. The stamp has a face value of 375 cents, is made of fabric and is on green, short fringed underground an embroidered with white thread edelweiss.

South Tyrol

• List characters of the South Tyrolean People's Party ( SVP) and the predecessor party German Confederation ( 1919-1926 )
• Logo of South Tyrol Alpine Club (AVS )

Switzerland

• In the Swiss army as a badge of rank of generals, as well as branch of service insignia for General Staff officers.
• Logo of Switzerland Tourism
• Name and logo of the charter airline Edelweiss Air
• Mapped to the five-franc piece ( five-franc )

Historically

• As an emblem of the opposition youth groups of the Edelweiss Pirates in the time of National Socialism

Fabulous

The plant was also used for love spells and as a symbol of love token and bold audacity. Occasionally, abnormally large flowers Stars Search ( maximum of six to twelve inches in diameter) that appear in the sagas as powerful magic » Edelweiss kings ."

In the comic Asterix in Switzerland, an Alpine edelweiss must be found as part of a healing potion for a poisoned Quaestor.

Use

In horticulture there is next grown from Alpine edelweiss varieties also from the Himalayas derived species and hybrids that can retain their white color also in the lowlands, with proper cultivation. They are, however, to be nutrient-rich, shady locations the risk of being less compact and turn green. Previously, the Alpine edelweiss has been used as a medicinal herb. So it was cooked with milk and honey used against abdominal pain. This usage has also been reflected in the Bavarian people named " Bauchwehbleaml " ( Bauchwehblümchen ). Also, it was used for dry bouquets of the mountain people as durable flower ( " eternal flower ").