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Stock photo description:
Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is one of the best-known rare flowers. This small white looking alpine flower is apearing in countless legends and tales in different European cultures. Its speard is not however limited to Europe, but also apears naturally in continental Asia. The plant belongs to the same family like the common sunflower and shares some similar features. The flowers are of yellow color blooming in a bunch of five-six. They are sourounded by leaves shaped as star. An interesting feature is a cover of the blossoming area with thin white hairs like wool. It is believed that the woolly cover developed itself as a protection to cold, aridity and UV radiation, characteristic to their high altitude environment. It normally grows around 2000-2900m altitude, but in some areas of Europe they can be find as low as 600m (Romanian Carpathians).
Photo taken on: August 07th, 2009

Keywords:
alpine alpinum alps austria background blurred close closeup colt conditions detail edelweiss europe european exotic extreme floare flora flower focus france italy leontopodium macro mountain mountains natural nature plant rare selective shape special star switzerland symbol up white



Stock photography categories:
- Nature > Plants and trees
- Nature > Details
- Nature > Flowers and gardens