Flora of the Maritime Alps - part 2

Hypericum richeri

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

Although there are quite a few Hypericum species in France, relatively few ascend to high altitude in the mountains. H. richeri is one of these and is distinguished by its relatively large flowers which have black dots scattered over the entire surface of the petals.

Two subspecies are recognised in France - the nominate form is found in the Alps and Jura and ssp.burseri is restricted to the Pyrenees.

Viola biflora

Col de la Bonette

This common violet can be found in a variety of shaded, permanently moist habitats throughout the Alps, where it grows on acidic soils. At high altitudes in grows in block scree and below rock ledges.

Identification is easy: it is the only species with small, bright yellow, typical Viola flowers.

Viola calcarata ssp.villarsiana

bonette

This localised subspecies of V.calcarata is restricted to the mountains along the French-Italian border. Flowers are often white, but can be yellow or blue, and often have more flowers per plant than the nominate form.

Viola calcarata ssp.calcarata

Col de Tende

yellow-flowered form, Le Boreon, Mercantour PN

This widespread and common species is described in the Flora of the Queyras - part 2 section of the site.

Astrantia minor

Le Boreon

The diminutive cousin of A.major, this delicate meadow plant is fairly easy to recognise. The flowerheads are smaller than A.major and the bracts are also less strongly-pointed and more oval in outline.

Both species are widespread in subalpine areas of France, with A.minor ascending to higher altitudes and A.major being found in lowland areas as well.

Athamanta cretensis

Col de Tende

A handsome umbellifer of hot, rocky outcrops, Athamanta is an easy species to recognise - its pure-white flower umbels are quite widely-spaced and the tiny petals are notched. The greyish-green foliage is divided into very narrow, pointed lobes, giving a spiny appearance.

Athamanta is widespread in the French Alps and Jura Mountains but is absent from the French Pyrenees. As its name suggests, it is generally widespread in southern Europe and the Mediterranean mountains.

Meum athamaticum (Spignel)

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

Another widespread umbellifer of rocky, limestone habitats in much of upland Europe, Spignel is an easy species to recognised, due to its very finely-divided, ferny foliage. This is bright green, strongly aromatic and hairless. Indivdual lobes are thread-like. The flower umbels are have oval, un-notched petals.

Rhododendron ferrugineum (Alpenrose)

Le Boreon

One of two Rhododendrons native to the Alps, R. ferrugineum is ubiquitous in granite areas of the mountains, forming a dominant shrub above the tree line.

The similar R. hirsutum is a plant of limestone soils in the central and eastern Alps, and is not found in France.

Primula farinosa

Col de la Bonette

link to n yorks?

Primula latifolia

P.latifolia is a frequently-encountered species in cold, acidic, rocky sites in the southern French Alps, often where snow lies late in the year. Like its close cousin, P.hirsuta, it has hairy leaf surfaces. The two species differ in their flowers, though - P.latifolia has blue-purple flowers, whereas P.hirsuta has red-pink ones. The leaves in P.latifolia are also typically toothed only near the apex and are relatively longer and narrower than those of P.hirsuta.

Primula marginata

Col de Tende

Col de la Bonette

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

This beautiful species is described in the Flora of the Queyras - part 2 section of the site.

Primula veris (Cowslip)

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

The familiar cowslip is a common wildflower across much of France, where it also ascends to subalpine elevations in the mountains.

The species is described in more detail in the Flora of Derbyshire section of the site.

Vitaliana primuliflora

Col de Bonette

This species is described in the Flora of the Queyras - part 2 section of the site.

Soldanella alpina ssp.alpina

foliage detail, Le Boreon

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

A beautiful, delicate flowering plant of late-snow areas where the soil is calcareous, S.alpina is always a special find. Within the French Alps it is unique in appearance - all other Soldanella species occur further east, with one in the Pyrenees. Soldanella alpina itself can be seen in all major mountainous regions of France.

Gentiana lutea

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

This commonly-seen species is described in the Flora of the Cordillera Cantabrica - part 1 section of the site.

Gentiana acaulis

Another of the classic flowering plants of the Alps, G.acaulis is a spectacular sight when in full bloom. It inhabits open pastures on acidic ground.

In the Maritime Alps, G.ligustica also occurs, which closely resembles G.acaulis but grows on calcareous soils and has paler flowers with white spots inside.

Le Boreon

Gentiana verna

image coming soon!

Gentiana bavarica

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

Among the small gentians found in the Alps, G.bavarica is perhaps the easiest to identify, based on its preferred home of marshy, permanently damp or wet habitats. The plant itself has closely-packed foliage, so that individual leaves (which are rounded and never pointed) overlap along the stems. Similarly, the flower petals are always blunt-tipped, as shown in the first photo.

in habitat

Gentiana nivalis (Snow Gentian)

Col de Tende

This species is described in the Flora of Ben Lawers NNR section of the site.

Gentianella campestris

Col de Bonette

link to ...

Lamium maculatum

Gordolasque

descr

Stachys pradica

Col de Bonette

Text coming soon!

Digitalis grandiflora

image coming soon!

Almost anywhwere in the French Alps, one can come across this lovely foxglove, both in open areas and in woodland. It is instantly recognisable with its yellow flowers (those in these photos look rather paler than some).

Although sadly lacking from our native British flora, D.grandiflora is very widespread across continental Europe.

Veronica allionii

Le Boreon

This species is described in the Flora of the Queyras - part 2 section of the site.

Veronica fruticans

Le Boreon

This species is described in the Flora of Ben Lawers NNR section of the site.

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

Veronica serpyllifolia ssp.humifusa

Col de la Bonette, Mercantour PN

This species is described in the Flora of Ben Lawers NNR section of the site.

Melampyrium pratensis (Common Cow-wheat)

Le Boreon

link to kent

Euphrasia alpina

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

The strong violet tinge and large flower size help to identify this attractive species, which is found in the Pyrenees and Alps (not necessarily) at high elevations. On close inspection, the spiny flower bracts are also covered in tiny hairs, unlike most French Euphrasia species.

E.alpina is mainly a meadow species but also grows in more rocky areas, like sunny screes. It is restricted to the western Alps and Pyrenees.

Pedicularis comosa

Less common (in my experience) than the pink-flowered Pedicularis species, P.comosa is a plant I have only come across twice. The short beak on the upper part of the flower distinguishes from the other pale/yellow-flowered species in the French Alps, namely P.foliosa and P.ascedens.

Pedicularis comosa has a western distribution in Europe, being found in the Pyreneees, western Alps and Apennines.

Pedicularis kerneri

Col de la Bonette, Mercantour PN

Val Gordolasque, Mercantour PN

This species is described in the Flora of the Queyras - part 2 section of the site.

Pedicularis rostratospicata ssp.helvetica

check tall flowering spikes

This handsome species is easily recognised by its tall flowering spikes, which can be locally abundant in mountain pastures.
The foliage________________

Two subspecies are recognised: ssp. rostratospicata, which occurs in the central and eastern Alps, from Switzerland to Slovenia, and ssp. helvetica, which has a more western range, from the French Alps eastwards into Austria.

Globularia repens

Col de Tende
glob

Col de Bonette

The small leaves (only a centimetre or so long) and dense, matted habit make this Globularia easy to recognise. It is very similar to the widespread G.cordifolia, but differs in having leaves with pointed tips, rather than notched. The leaves of G.repens are also lanceolate, rather than spoon-shaped.

G.repens has a distinctly southerly distribution in the French Alps, favouring warm, dry areas, and is also found in the Pyrenees.

Globularia nudicaulis (probably)

basal leaves, Col de Tende (both photos)

I'm not 100% certain about this plant's identity but believe it to be G.nudicaulis. As its scientific name suggests, it is characterised by having no leaves on its flowering stems. It is a larger plant than G.repens (above) but occurs in similar dry habitats.

It is found in the Alps and Pyrenees, but with a scattered distribution - as yet, this colony at Tende is the only time I have seen it in the French Alps.