Newsletter extras:
As the newsletter is in black and white, we will display the colour pictures here.
From Newsletter January 2010
PLANTS FOUND BY MEMBERS ON THEIR TRAVELS
Cone Knapweed
Leuzea conifera [L] Syn Centaurea conifera
Gedre, French Pyrenees
Named for Joseph Deleuze (1753-1835) it is one of six species found in South and Western Europe. This short-lived perennial grows 15-30 cms with solitary flowers up to 3 cms across. The florets are purple, hidden by bracts, giving rise to the cone shape.
The plant was found in rough grass, above the village of Gedre in the French Pyrenees and was only 15 cms tall..
This plant requires full sun, stony soil and is best grown in an Alpine House
Rosemary Nicholls
Willow Gentian Gentiana asclepiadea
Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
The picture is of the Willow Gentian, Gentiana asclepiadea, sometimes referred to as the Willow-Leaved Gentian, seen whilst in the Tatra Mountains of Slovakia end Sept/early Oct. You will note from the picture that grasses and foliage were all brown having been scorched by the sun. The darker view was of a plant in shade - eaten a bit but still green.
I can find no reference to this plant in any of my books, but an example was pictured in the walking book we were using (Sunflower), so they are fairly well-known and widespread in this area.
The Internet suggests it is regularly grown in shade in gardens, but I do not recall having seen it anywhere before. We also saw Fringed Gentians but whereas there were only two of them, there were masses of Willow Gentian.
Carol Watson
Chamorchis Alpina
Jungfrau Region of Switzerland
This little orchid must be one of the smallest and most insignificant orchids there is. Its flowers are green, its leaves look just like grass and in full flower it is about 5cm high.
This July we went to Wengen in the Jungfrau area and had gone up the Mannlichen with our family in the cable car - to over 2000 metres.
While the rest were in the restaurant we were scrabbling in the meadow outside after some insect when we came across one. We then realised that they were all over the area disguised as grass. They are classed as rare but are probably not - it's just that nobody sees them.
Tony and Betty Rackham