Notes from Norway

[Hoy]

Potamogeton spp are common in the shallow ponds.




Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) is rare here but very common elsewhere.




In shallow water water lobelia (Lobelia dortmanna) is very common - out of flower now. Mixed with the "broad" leaved rosettes of the lobelia is rosettes of quillwort Isoëtes echinosperma

[Hoy]

Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata)




Erica tetralix




Hard fern (Blechnum spicant) is the most common fern.




Festuca vivipara - a common grass.




Blue buttons (same as the Norw. blåknapp) or devil's bit scabious with yarrow

[Hoy]

Different colours of blue buttons:

[Maggi Young]

We had a walk in the southern part of Karmøy island just off the coast here ( The island is linked to the mainland both by a bridge and a tunnel.) The weather was very nice and warm (that is 25C!).

It is not much soil there, and it is very acidic. So not many different flowering plants. Much of the forest is pine (Pinus sylvestris). It is a rugged landscape with lots of small lakes, tarns and wet bogs.

  These photos will be fondly admired by the Scots -  very like "home" !

[ian mcdonald]

The Botany is very similar as well. Not far from where I am, in a rain shadow of the Pennines, is the largest raised bog in the country.

[Robert]

Trond,

As usual a very interesting report. Festuca vivipara looks somewhat like our Elymus elymoides, a fequently seen species here in the Sierra Nevada from the low elevations to the highest peaks.

I have some more information to add later, but right now I need to change the oil in the truck in preparation for my trip to the Monitor Pass area.

[Robert]

Trond,

I found an interesting report on the flora of the Merced River basin. This is, more or less, Yosemite National Park, California. A rock climber in Yosemite Valley noticed that many plants were growing on thin, narrow rock ledges above the valley floor. The plants grew within the spray zone of the various waterfalls that Yosemite Valley is known for. One species that grew and dominated these ledges was Narthecium californicum. Certainly not where one would expect to find this species!

Another place to look for plants!?   

[Maggi Young]

A rock climber in Yosemite Valley noticed that many plants were growing on thin, narrow rock ledges above the valley floor. The plants grew within the spray zone of the various waterfalls that Yosemite Valley is known for. One species that grew and dominated these ledges was Narthecium californicum. Certainly not where one would expect to find this species!

Another place to look for plants!?   

My goodness - amazing. Isn't it just such examples which prove the fascination of plants? 

[Hoy]

Have been away for some days without access to my Mac   (Forgot the charger )

Here comes shortly more for the Scots, Maggi!


Robert,

I always wonder what's  growing on the ledges high above the valley bottoms but have no chance to find out

[Hoy]

We had a long weekend from Thursday till Monday and visited a friend and his family in Vang in Valdres. He has a farm at about 750m asl.

A view from the house looking NW.




A common plant, Cirsium heterophyllum:




Saussurea alpina, almost finished for the season.




Two residents, possibly a Boloria sp and Lycaena virgaurea.

[Hoy]

Saturday we went for a walk along the river Mugna and hoped to reach the summit of Mugnetind 1740m. It is a good path but steep a few places. We met a lot of people - the youngest who walked for themselves were 4 years. Smaller children were carried by their father or mother.

The river Mugna.




Although still August the autumn colours some of the plants.




Fruiting Loiseleuria.




Mugnebottjernet (Botn is the end of a valley where a glacier has eroded the mountain but died before it could finish! Tjern is a tarn, small lake.)




Up here the snow has just gone so the mountain dandelions (Taraxacum sect. alpina.) are in flower now. here is one among Salix herbacea and Sibbaldia procumbens.



More to come . . . .

[Robert]

Trond,

Your countryside is still so green and it is so close to 1 September! Even some patches of snow.

Here, everything is drying-up from 4 years of drought. In many cases there will be no fall colors as the trees are now dropping their leaves hoping to survive the dry conditions. I will do the best I can to get some photographs of the countryside around the farm. It is very noticeable how the oaks are defoliating extremely early. In the higher terrain many pines are stressed and being attached by pine bark beetles. In many cases now, looking for herbaceous plants is like detective work - trying to piece together the dry remains.

[Hoy]

Robert,

Nothing is drying up here for sure! Not this year anyway. Higher up the trees will get their fall colour during September but the plants newly emerged from their snow cover will stay green for a while - until the temperature gets too low. Down here at the coast the trees will stay green a bit longer if they are not defoliated by fungus attack.

[Hoy]

From Mugnebottjernet we went up to Skavletjernet (1541m)(skavl = snowdrift). You can easily see why the name is "Snowdrift tarn".




The most conspicuous flowering plants were different yellow-blooming Asteraceae like this Hieracium sect. alpina.




A few Silene suecica (syn Viscaria alpina) were also to be seen.




. . . and a little Ranunculus pygmaeus.




Higher up still - more and more rock and less and less plants!

[Hoy]

Few flowering plants grow above 1600m . . .



. . . but one is very abundant: Ranunculus glacialis (syn Beckwithia g.).

Here is one that just hast emerged from the snow. They can stay alive covered by snow for up to 2 years in a row.




Another one in full bloom.



and some older ones turning red as they age.




Another typical plant is Saxifraga cernua, here without flowers but bulbils in stead.