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FRAGILE ALPINE ENVIRONMENTS  
Dynamic mountain climate

Crocus albiflorus (Iridaceae)

 

<img src="02h/jpg/snowmelt.jpg" width="300" height="300">

1 - As Soldanella alpina and Rumex alpinus, Crocus albiflorus starts growing before the snow has disappeared.

Crocus albiflorus not only starts growing before the snow has disappeared, it can even successfully flower and fruit below snow cover (autogamy). (all images taken in the central Alps, canton of Valais, Switzerland, in late May, at 2200 m)

 

Crocus albiflorus 2 Crocus albiflorus 3 Crocus albiflorus 4 Crocus albiflorus 5 Crocus albiflorus 6 Crocus albiflorus 7 Crocus albiflorus 8 Crocus albiflorus 9 Crocus albiflorus 10 Crocus albiflorus 11 Crocus albiflorus 12 Crocus albiflorus 13 Crocus albiflorus 14 Crocus albiflorus 15 Crocus albiflorus 16 Crocus albiflorus 17 Crocus albiflorus 18 Crocus albiflorus 19
Captions
2.Flower bud "penetrating" the snow by melting it with reflected solar radiation.
3.White morph shortly before flowering, still wrapped by snow.
4.Flowering violet-white morph.
5.Covered and uncovered individuals side by side.
6.Border of a melting snowfield.
7.Area shortly after snow has disappeared.
8.Flower carpet of white and violet Crocus morphs.
9.Crocus monoculture.
10.In the far background, snowmelt figures are visible.
11.All areas freed from snow are immediately conquered by the Crocus flower carpet.
12.Shooting individuals.
13.White morph shortly before flowering, already uncovered.
14.Violet morph in full bloom.
15.White morph.
16.Violet morph.
17.Close-up of tepals.
18.View inside a flower. The three stamens and the stigma are clearly visible.
19.Two stamens have been cut off to expose the stigma.

 

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29 August 2011
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