Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Stephenb on July 06, 2010, 01:29:20 PM
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Inspired by the forum’s other bicycle flower spotters (Steffan and Cohan spring to mind), I decided to document this year’s annual bike pilgrimage to my area’s highest point, a mountain called Vennafjellet at 684m (2,244 ft). For plants and birds it’s always a fascinating ride as one passes through several climate zones starting from my garden where wild Hazel, Elm and Ash witness a favourable climate ending in the alpine zone at the top. It’s a 70 km round trip from my place which is near sea level and with all the photo stops it took about 7 hours, although only 1.5 hours return, mostly freewheeling :) I normally do this bike ride in late May, but the very late spring and appalling weather most of June delayed my departure until last Sunday (6th July). However, it turned out, as we will see, that the alpine flora was at its peak.
I’ll start at home and show some typical scenery as well as a good selection of plants and Lepidoptera on the way to the top. It was pleasant cycling weather starting at about 18C, but getting a bit chilly on top.
1. The start, view over the garden and fjord.
2. There’s a hard climb right at the start. Here’s a view of Malvik Odden, an unusual relatively untouched area right next to the fjord covered in Norwegian Spruce (due to its unusual location with favourable climate, the moss and lichen flora is rather special) with a mix of broadleaf trees on the south facing edge with extremely high density of breeding birds, notably the only known breeding location of Stock Dove this far north. However, the flora is particularly rich along outermost edge next to the sea where numerous high alpine species such as Primula scandinavica and Saxifraga oppositifolia have found a niche alongside Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae), incidentally also found a few places above the treeline in Norway (relics of a once wider distribution).
3. View over the fjord and Forbordsfjellet (590m or 1,935 ft).
4. View inland (opposite direction to the last shot) over Revdalen (Fox Valley). The woodland is prime Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) habitat.
5. View back over the village of Malvik where I live (the little square marks my house).
6. Losing sight of the fjord, the first orchid on the road verge, probably Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Common Spotted Orchid complete with a splendid Purple Edged Copper butterfly, Lycaena hippothoe!
7. As 6
8. A little bit further on at the top of the first hill (all the way from home), the woodland on the right hid a little local botanical sensation which I discovered from my bike a few years ago, a healthy little isolated population of Primula vulgaris (Primrose), never found in the wild before on this side of the fjord and maybe 50 km away from the nearest location which is it’s global northern limit. How did it get here? Well, I’ve grown Primrose in my garden for years. Did a seed perhaps get transported up here on my bike wheel only for me later to discover it on my bike?? Intriguing…
9. Centaurea montana, Perennial Cornflower, was commonly planted as an ornamental and is a frequent but local garden escape.
10. Høgåsen (literally High Hill) is a south east facing rich woodland area with several southerly species including Corylus avellana (Hazel) and Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose) and masses of Hepatica in springtime, and our last encounter with this southern deciduous woodland.
Did you notice that there were 3 Hippos on this first leg – Hippophae, Hippolais and Hippothoe. Coincidence or what? A little quiz while I prepare the next set of pictures. Hippo means, I believe, “horseshoe-shaped”. Why are these species, a plant, a bird and a butterfly horseshoe-shaped?
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Not a bad view from your garden Stephen ;D Wonderful pictures, keep them coming.
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Stephen, I am struck by just how familiar the countryside looks, particularly in photos #8 & 10, looking just like country roads and farms one sees in New Hampshire and Vermont, or even here in Massachusetts... of course, the flora is different.
Haven't spotted any alliums yet though ;D
I see that you're onto my technique of prefix-numbering your photos... makes it so much easier to upload quickly in the correct order. Looking forward to seeing more photos.
Hot here today, it was 95 F (35 C) by 9:00 AM, easily on its way to 100 F. Hopefully your bike ride found much more suitable air temperatures.
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Thoroughly enjoyable Stephen, looking forward to more.
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nice views already, and i am jealous of only 35km to alpine views! 35km just gets me to work ..looking forward..
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Some bats are Hipposiderous
Those lovely verges could be UK and Irish ones except the 'weeds' would be sprayed or the whole lot cut back to improve line of sight
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Stephen, I am struck by just how familiar the countryside looks, particularly in photos #8 & 10, looking just like country roads and farms one sees in New Hampshire and Vermont, or even here in Massachusetts... of course, the flora is different.
Haven't spotted any alliums yet though ;D
I see that you're onto my technique of prefix-numbering your photos... makes it so much easier to upload quickly in the correct order. Looking forward to seeing more photos.
Hot here today, it was 95 F (35 C) by 9:00 AM, easily on its way to 100 F. Hopefully your bike ride found much more suitable air temperatures.
Temperature varied from 18 to about 10C on top, perfect for biking...
Sorry to disappoint you, but there's only one Allium site I know of nearish to the route, but it would have been a long detour. However, if I had started at sealevel (as I should have done I suppose), this would have been the first picture - large population of Allium oleraceum right next to the sea below my house.
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Some bats are Hipposiderous
Those lovely verges could be UK and Irish ones except the 'weeds' would be sprayed or the whole lot cut back to improve line of sight
Horseshoe Bats? But why is the Icterine Warbler (a Hippolais warbler) likened to a horse?
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After that first climb, I had to have a rest for a couple of days. Now reinvigorated I head on upwards through the forest along a toll road (1). This is also the start of our local cross-country ski trail. The first part is mainly pasture with scattered lakes (2 – we ski across that lake in winter!). 3 is an old cabin and I was stuck by the height of a Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) in full flower beside it, reaching almost 2/3 of the way up this Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies), sorry difficult to see. It’s a good year for rowan blossom, which is good news for the Apple harvest in my garden as the Argyresthia conjugella (the Apple Fruit Moth) can cause a lot of damage on the fruit when there a few rowan blooms (which it prefers) and it means there will also be plenty of winter food for thrushes (Fieldfare and Redwing) and Waxwings. Over the next couple of kilometers, I spent some time taking pictures of some of the flowers:
4. Moneses uniflora: this is a local species and this was the only patch I saw on the trip growing in deep shade of the spruce forest. It brightens up the forest floor where it grows which is presumably one reason it is known as Olavstake (or St. Olav’s Candlestick) here. Moneses is a monotypic genus and it’s a circumboreal plant also found in North America.
5. Pinguicula vulgaris (Common Butterwort) is also circumboreal and very common in damp areas.
6. Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Tyttebær here or Cowberry or Lingonberry) is also circumboreal. The berries are very popular here and used like cranberry sauce with meat.
7. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
8. is our local ski cabin where you can have a rest and buy coffee, redcurrant juice and waffles with Norwegian brown whey cheese.
9. Our Maianthemum bifolium is tiny compared to the North American species. The scientific family name has the same meaning as the common name Maiblom or May Lily in the UK. However, you can see that this year it’s coming into flower in July!
10. Finally, our local bramble, Rubus saxatilis (Stone Bramble)
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Great stuff Stephen !!
Wonderful bike ride in your area !! :D :D
Makes a difference to the Tour the France ! 8) ;D
Thanks for taking us along.
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On our weary way again on today's stage of Le Grand Tour de Malvik (and, no, there was no team car following me, Luc!).
1. A wayside moth (looks a bit like the small magpie moth, Eurrhypara hortulata, but probably isn’t). Edit:Better guess - Lomaspilis marginata (The Clouded Border)
2. Road view looking up to part of Jervfjellet (Wolverine Mountain). Wolverines are no longer that common in Norway, only about 300, much persecuted as they take sheep. One lone animal was observed in this area not too long ago. Although dog-size and looking a bit like a small bear, they are actually in the weasel family! http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wolverine.jpg
3-4. Wood Cranesbill or Woodland Geranium (Geranium sylvaticum) was in full flower and is very variable in flower colour and size. Here’s the common white form and a small-flowered half-way form.
5. A Cardamine (flexuosa?) with nice pink flowers.
6. In this field I’ve often seen Cranes feeding - once again quite common breeding birds in open boggy areas in the hills around. One can often hear their trumpeting from miles away…
7-8. The road (I’m now back on asphalt) follows the River Homla whih rises in the area I'm headed. Here’s a view from a bridge showing a characteristic plant of the riverbanks, the Ostrich Fern (Matteucia), probably my favourite wild edible (gourmet food in North America, largely untouched in Norway).
9-10. There’s a long tradition of using the well-known herb, Caraway, in the Norwegian kitchen as a seasoning (e.g. in Sauerkraut), in the National beverage Aquavit and the young spring shoots were also used to make karvekålsuppe (Caraway leaf soup). It’s common in the cultural landscape, being found throughout the country, along edges of fields and roadsides. Easiest to spot in flower.
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Interesting to see the veined form of Geranium sylvaticum, I've only found it once down here, the white-flowered form is completely absent, we pretty much only have them in a dull shade of lilac.
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2. Lily of the Valley is locally common, here growing on the bank of the river with that notorious garden escape..
3. Cicerbita alpina (Alpine Sow-Thistle) is a personal favourite often covering large areas, but it wasn’t quite ready…
4. I saw Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) in a couple of places in damp fields.
5-6. Foldsjøen at 205m elevation is the largest lake in Malvik, about 3km long and 2.5km wide at its broadest. The road follows the lake for a couple of km.
7. Potentilla erecta (Tormentil) is common.
8. Wood Vetch (Vicia sylvatica) is a local species I don’t see that often.
9. Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Vetch) forms a yellow carpet on the verge of this road for many kilometres. However, it had only managed to come into flower on south facing slopes so far.
10. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla spp) with a curiously sideways growing spruce..
11. Another shot of Ostrich Fern with Aconitum septentrionale and Geranium sylvaticum growing in its shade.
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At the lake there’s a rich roadside verge (1) where I’ve found some interesting plants in the past. Here is what I found:
2-3. Alpine Bistort (Polygonum viviparum), commonest on basic soils, has almost always sterile flowers, below which there are light brown to red brown bulbils (correct term?). The bulbils are great trail snacks. The rhizomes are relatively large for such a small plant and have saved people from starvation in the past. Another fuchsii behind.
5. I don’t often see Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
6-7. Aricia eumedon (Geranium Argus) are almost always seen on Geranium sylvaticum (the larval plant) as here.
8. Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) is a fern, the commonest of our 6 species, it’s not often I see it.
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always interesting to compare!
i planted some convallaria, which seem not to have survived, in spite of a reputation for being too vigorous...
moneses is here, after hunting around last year, i found a couple of wild patches in my yard!
no pinguicula around--its in the province, but i have never seen it :(
your geranium with pinkish veining is not too different from richardsonii here, but the range is only white to pinkish;
thanks to many european settlers here, caraway is a common weed in our parts, mostly around farmsteads here, but can spread quite fiercely... my latvian grandparents used it...
your maianthemum looks very close to trifolium here.. that might have made it to bloom in late may, barely, but canadense is in bloom now for some weeks..
in envy you the ski cabin! nowhere to stop for such treats on my routes :(
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1. We pass a small village with a crossroads to Venn (means “friend”), the mountain we’re aiming for is called Vennafjellet. Also on the signpost is Jøssåsen, which is a Rudolf Steiner community. “Skytebane” is a shooting range. The building is the old cooperative, closed a few years ago. We take the right turn.
2. Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) in full flower.
3. Our first view of the mountain
4. Hypericum spp (St. John’s Wort) seed heads from last year.
5. We’re now cycling along the River Vik and the terrain is getting more rugged.
6. Thalictrum alpinum (Alpine Meadow-rue) was growing beside the river.
7. I was also looking for Oxyria digyna (Mountain Sorrel) along the river (it’s often found in the lowlands along rivers) but no luck. Then a few hundred metres on there was a blasted (for the road) rock face covered with this species.
8. I’ve several times seen alarming Greenshanks (Tringa nebularia) perched on the tree tops in this spot (http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greenshank/index.aspx)
9. The road winds on upwards over a cattle grid.
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Another stop at another rich roadside verge with 1) Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting), 2) emerging Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) and 3) Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia)
4. The bogs at this elevation (350m) were white with flowering Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) with Cotton Grass adding to the effect.
5. Norwegians are keen on their cabins and I passed several signs inviting to buy your dream cabin in the mountains.
6. We’ve now turned off the main road and we’re back on a dirt road with only 3km to go, but we’re only just over half-way there elevation-wise…
7. Coralroot Orchid (Corallorhiza trifida) is an early bloomer and quite common in the mountains.
8. Bartsia alpina (Alpine Bartsia)
9. Andromeda polifolia (Bog Rosemary)
10. Viola biflora (Yellow Wood Violet), matches well my yellow jersey...
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Thanks to share these refreshing pics :D Here, 33° to day ???
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Stephen there are some fantastic plants there,the Coralroot Orchid (Corallorhiza trifida) is a fantastic thing.
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Interesting to see the veined form of Geranium sylvaticum, I've only found it once down here, the white-flowered form is completely absent, we pretty much only have them in a dull shade of lilac.
I can't remember seeing it myself before either, not that I get out into the woods as much as I'd like.
Here's a close-up which I rejected as it was out of focus - I've just noticed what a fantastic pattern the "broad" veins make - almost a flower within a flower. How come??
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Interesting to see the veined form of Geranium sylvaticum, I've only found it once down here, the white-flowered form is completely absent, we pretty much only have them in a dull shade of lilac.
I can't remember seeing it myself before either, not that I get out into the woods as much as I'd like.
Here's a close-up which I rejected as it was out of focus - I've just noticed what a fantastic pattern the "broad" veins make - almost a flower within a flower. How come??
this is very much like g richardsonii here--the 'pink' forms mostly appear so because of extra heavy veining, there are pure whites as well..
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The final assault on “the summit”/ “King of the Mountains” stage…
1. More Moonworts (Botrychium) – my moonwort filter was obviously activated…(as often happens when you get your eye in you see the rarities all the time)
2. Polystichum lonchitis (Holly Fern) is a good-looking fern.
3. Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) again with flowering rowan on the hillside behind.
4. Bogbean has a very attractive flower when you get close up (not always easy due to its preference for wet places.
5. The mountain approaches, but somebody seems to have got there before me and have erected some kind of monument! The road can be seen meandering through the forest on the right hand side.
6. Mountain spruce forest, presumably still grazed by sheep.
7. Had to get off here!
8. Got off here too – an area covered with flowering Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) together with two other berries: Bilberries and the edible but insipid Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecica). Cloudberry picking is a national pastime here, somebody walking the hills with bucket in September is after only one thing: securing dessert for Christmas. Late frosts can however spoil everything.
9. Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecica), the flowers a nice lime-green colour (does this signify that they have been pollinated?)
10. With the very cold June, I wondered if there might be any snowpatches left, this was the only one I could see as I approached the top (50m elevation to go). This final area is the habitat of a number of highland bird species, including Golden Plover, Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Redstarts and Ring Ouzel. I imagined the snow patch being a young albino Ring Ouzel… I hope one day to see a Bluethroat up here as it’s not uncommon in the surrounding mountains (http://www.naturalbornbirder.com/gallery/bluethroat_200__e.jpg (http://www.naturalbornbirder.com/gallery/bluethroat_200__e.jpg)).
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Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecica), the flowers a nice lime-green colour (does this signify that they have been pollinated?)
That's a good question..... not that I know the answer..... but it is a good question...... :-\
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i really like the C suecica--different enough from our canadensis to be worth growing...
as for green bracts, hmm, ours do that to, i think, but i'd have to watch some more to see what it signifies, my first impulse is to say those are immature flowers, certainly on canadensis they do not start out white, but rather become white, then move on to browning white, i think, not sure if there is a second greening... they are just at peak now..
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The summit
1. Rounding the final bend I made that last dash for the "goal" (but, why had the locals erected a giant football here? Football worship? Well it is the World Cup final this week, as well as the Tour de Malvik). Yes, that’s Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala) in the foreground.
2. More common to erect on mountain tops is a cabin as on this neighbouring hill.
3. Dryas heath with view over Trondheimsfjorden in the background from whence I had come. (Only the very top of the mountain has this alpine vegetation).
4. Dryas with Moss Campion (Silene acaulis)
5. Dryas octopetala, common, but always a joy to see (I remember many years ago seeing it for the first time right next to the sea in the Burren in Ireland!)
6. Dryas with Moss Campion
7. The white form of Silene acaulis
8. Betula nana (Dwarf Birch) has found a nice warm south-facing rock to shelter by.
9. Equisetum scirpoides (Dwarf Scouring Rush or Dwarf Horsetail)
10. Tofieldia pusilla (Dwarf False Asphodel) (Named after the Doncastrian botanist Thomas Tofield!)
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Some more from the alpine zone:
1. Cerastium spp.
2. Potentilla argentea (Silvery Cinquefoil)
3. Saxifraga cotyledon (Mountain Queen), a common species locally, vertical rock faces in some places turning white from the flowers of old growth plants.
4-5. Rhodiola rosea, Arctic Ginseng or Roseroot
6. Rhodiola and Diapensia lapponica
7. Mountain Azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens)
8. Polgonum viviparum (Alpine Bistort), alpine food…
9-10. Alchemilla alpina (Alpine Lady’s Mantle
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Final set from the top of Vennafjellet:
1. Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica) – was at one time an important food plant ground and used mixed with flour when it was in short supply. It is actually both tasty and nourishing. It is also said to be a good replacement for bark (the cambium of various trees)!
2. Pinguicula and another lichen….
3. Even a fungus was found on the top – Helvella corium (I think!)
That’s it, folks. Now, the sound of the descent for the next 20 km: Wheeeeeeeee…. until I suddenly saw something familiar by the roadside and my already overheated brakes went into meltdown:
4-5. Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera montana) (I think?)
6-7. Finally, an old farm (established in the 1500s) on very steep hillside above the Homla river “canyon”. The waterfall at the head of the canyon is the second highest in my area (Trøndelag). I’ll maybe take you down there on my next trip…
I always thought of the flora in my local area as relatively poor, but having documented this bike ride (which I’ve done many times in the past) I think I’ve changed my mind. Thanks for the encouragement! In a few hours you can see a good range of interesting plants. I’m not sure though whether the cycling or putting the pictures together was the most tiring ;)
THE END
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This has been a terrific bike ride with you, Stephen, thanks for taking us along.
I imagine the picture preapration was in fact the hardest part.... I know these things take a lot of time and we really do appreciate your work on this, as we do all the forumists who make such extended contributions to the Forum, as the weeds grow ever highter in their gardens! :D
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An entry that definitely deserves the red dotted jersey Stephen ... or even better : the yellow jersey !! 8)
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Fantastic tour, Thanks. 8) Great to see so many wonderful new things including that wonderful Cornus (amongst other things). Nice to see Viola biflora, that cute little yellow Violet. I used to grow it here years ago but eventually lost it...... I have only ever seen it for sale the one time, and that was 15 to 20 years ago now, so it was great to see a pic of it again. So much like the leaves and flowers of a violet, even if the growth habit is more like that of a viola. I'm sure that will confuse people, given the things known as viola versus the genus Viola. ::) I do know what I'm talking about, honest!! ;)
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Stephen I have loved every minute of your biking hike and enjoyed being introduced to so many wild plants and butterflies on the way with wonderful views and interesting habitats. I suddenly realised on the final ascent that you are close to Trondheim where we spent many fishing holidays when I was young(er)! In fact it is good to know that my presence is still there in the damp grass; a very happy looking Ragged Robin and I can taste those delicious cloudberries that I drew as they fished. Thanks so much for this wonderful ride through glorious scenery - no wonder you chose to live there. Just one question....how do you eat an Ostrich fern :o ?
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I have totally missed this super thread. Thanks to Stephen for sharing this wonderful journey and to Maggi - who else - for pointing me in the right direction, from another thread. 8)
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Fantastic tour, Thanks. 8) Great to see so many wonderful new things including that wonderful Cornus (amongst other things). Nice to see Viola biflora, that cute little yellow Violet. I used to grow it here years ago but eventually lost it...... I have only ever seen it for sale the one time, and that was 15 to 20 years ago now, so it was great to see a pic of it again. So much like the leaves and flowers of a violet, even if the growth habit is more like that of a viola. I'm sure that will confuse people, given the things known as viola versus the genus Viola. ::) I do know what I'm talking about, honest!! ;)
I'm sure you do, Paul. I will study your thesis in more detail once the dizziness passes...
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Stephen I have loved every minute of your biking hike and enjoyed being introduced to so many wild plants and butterflies on the way with wonderful views and interesting habitats. I suddenly realised on the final ascent that you are close to Trondheim where we spent many fishing holidays when I was young(er)! In fact it is good to know that my presence is still there in the damp grass; a very happy looking Ragged Robin and I can taste those delicious cloudberries that I drew as they fished. Thanks so much for this wonderful ride through glorious scenery - no wonder you chose to live there. Just one question....how do you eat an Ostrich fern :o ?
Yes, I thought of you when I posted that picture ;) Where exactly did you go on your fishing holidays?
Ostrich Fern can be eaten in all sorts of ways, with pasta, with fish, oriental or just steamed for 10 minutes as a side vegetable. Pick preferably when the fiddlehead is still tightly coiled (the taste is reminiscent of asparagus, but has a taste all of its own):
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Just one question....how do you eat an Ostrich fern :o ?
With ostrich? (Which is very good, incidentally) :)
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Thanks Stephen, it felt like I was there riding along with you, one of the better aspects of these forums. Beautiful scenery and plants along the way, your efforts to put all of this together are appreciated.
Your photo of Tofieldia pusilla leaves me wanting to see the flowers open, the buds showing a lot of promise! I have two wonderful evergreen clumps of Tofieldia coccinea, low, green, and compact, but never flowering... what does it take to flower these quiet plants?
Loved the habitat shots of Rhodiola rosea. And I agree with Paul T on Viola biflora, a really choice yellow viola species. I googled it and found that it occurs in North America too, will have to be on the watch for this one.
USDA Plant Profile page on Viola biflora:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VIBI2
CalPhotos link on Viola biflora, this is one sweet little violet! (photos from Slovenia)
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Viola+biflora
Question: is Helvella corium edible, or as deadly as it looks?
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Yes, I thought of you when I posted that picture Where exactly did you go on your fishing holidays?
Ostrich Fern can be eaten in all sorts of ways, with pasta, with fish, oriental or just steamed for 10 minutes as a side vegetable. Pick preferably when the fiddlehead is still tightly coiled (the taste is reminiscent of asparagus, but has a taste all of its own):
We were based in Trondheim and fly fished the rivers close by, can't remember the names - Rissa was a favourite spot which I remember well with fantastic mirror views over the fjord and walks together in long grass, full of flowers, with a picnic lunch. It was the first time I experienced fish for breakfast (other than kippers) and that brown whey cheese you describe, everything prepared and laid out so beautifully.
My brother and his wife have just driven right up Norway to north of the Arctic Circle to include a visit to Narvik where my Mother's young brother (they were New Zealanders) was the last pilot shot down at the age of 21 in the last war. They have had an amazing time revisiting old haunts and seeing new places.
I shall definitely try the Ostrich fern - we have loads growing close by in Switzerland so a few fiddles won't decimate the plant I hope - thanks for the recipe ideas 8)
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Your photo of Tolfieldia pusilla leaves me wanting to see the flowers open, the buds showing a lot of promise! I have two wonderful evergreen clumps of Tolfieldia coccinea, low, green, and compact, but never flowering... what does it take to flower these quiet plants?
I think you mean Tofieldia pusilla and Tofieldia coccinea, Mcmark
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Just one question....how do you eat an Ostrich fern :o ?
With ostrich? (Which is very good, incidentally) :)
Actually I wrote an article on Ostrich Fern a few years ago. Some local farmers had a few years before that started Ostrich farming but had given up because of cheap African imports. I suggested in the article, jokingly, that Ostrich Fern might make a good replacement (a joint Norwegian-Canadian research project on Ostrich Fern cultivation had just started up).
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Mark
Viola bifolia: I've tried moving this into my garden, but it generally doesn't stay long (grows in quite moist habitats)
Tofieldia: I should go back and take a picture, is that what you're trying to say? ;)
Helvella: Haven't come across this species used for food, but there are other Helvellas which are sometimes used, so I don't think they are poisonous.
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Your photo of Tolfieldia pusilla leaves me wanting to see the flowers open, the buds showing a lot of promise! I have two wonderful evergreen clumps of Tolfieldia coccinea, low, green, and compact, but never flowering... what does it take to flower these quiet plants?
I think you mean Tofieldia pusilla and Tofieldia coccinea, Mcmark
Maggi, you are correct... at least I was consistent with my misspelling ;D Corrections made.
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some really choice alpines at the top to crown the day :)
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A little postscript – I’ve had a couple of plant interested visitors from the UK here and we ended up driving up to Vennafjellet yesterday. Just two weeks after my last visit, the vegetation was very different. Only a few Dryas and no Moss Campion flowers remained, replaced by Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculata) and Alchemilla alpina (1).
2-3. Saxifraga cotyledon was now in flower
4. Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) now out in quite large numbers on the top.
5. Dryas seed heads
6-7. Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchid) in two colour forms next to each other.
8. I wasn’t sure what the orchid was when I was up there and I didn’t have a flora with me. This little chap was trying to give me a clue, but I didn’t get it…
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Final few:
1) Arctous alpinus (Black Bearberry)
2-3) Salix reticulata (Net-leaved Willow) – the trees don’t grow very big up here – my friend’s shoe is included for scale…
…and I completely forgot to take a picture of the Tofieldia!
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Isn't it great to retrace your steps and see what's new 8)
Lovely view from above the tree line and the little Salix reticulata is cute in that habitat. The Dryas seed heads have a mystical beauty - I do love seed heads that send a shimmer in the sunlight, blown by the wind. Is this spot well known Stephen?
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more gems--the Arctous is very nice, not familiar with this.. also the Salix, i love those little ones.. if you happen up there again when it's in seed... ;D
great to be able to visit a species rich site several times over the season..
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good to see Salix reticulata in the wild - when can I take cuttings of mine?
No wonder I could find frog orchids when I went looking for them. I was expecting a larger plant
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more gems--the Arctous is very nice, not familiar with this.. also the Salix, i love those little ones.. if you happen up there again when it's in seed... ;D
great to be able to visit a species rich site several times over the season..
Arctous was earlier called Arctostaphylos alpina (see http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARAL2 )
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No wonder I could find frog orchids when I went looking for them. I was expecting a larger plant
There are 3 forms recognised here. Lowland Frog Orchids are much bigger at 20-30 cm.
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Seems your friend is from Brobdingnagia Stephen. :D I see there is a different, supposedly correct spelling of that word given in a Wiki link (Brobdingragia).
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Mark, in N. Ireland I would be taking cuttings now or very soon, even a little earlier, (next year). If possible I like to get small willow cuttings rooted and growing before they lose their leaves. They come away well then, in the following spring. If your plant is potted, it's a good idea with the very compact species such as reticulata (also x Boydii) to put the pot in a cool, covered place and water copiously before taking the cuttings, say at least a month before or even longer. This tends to "draw" the cutting material slightly without making them soft, and makes for a longer, easier to handle cutting with a more extensive rooting area. I find a liquid rooting hormone is useful for small, woody plants.
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more gems--the Arctous is very nice, not familiar with this.. also the Salix, i love those little ones.. if you happen up there again when it's in seed... ;D
great to be able to visit a species rich site several times over the season..
Arctous was earlier called Arctostaphylos alpina (see http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARAL2 )
ah--i was wondering if there was a relationhship, or one of those names given for a similarity to the other..