Leontopodium nivale

Leontopodium nivale, commonly called edelweiss (, English pronunciation ), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about altitude. It is non-toxic and has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases. Its leaves and flowers are covered with dense hairs, which appear to protect the plant from cold, aridity, and ultraviolet radiation. It is a scarce, short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas and has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and Carpathians. It is a national symbol, especially of Romania, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Italy. According to folk tradition, giving this flower to a loved one is a promise of dedication.
Names.
The flower's common name "Edelweiß" is German, and is a compound of "edel" "noble" and "weiß" "white". Slovenian name is "planika", meaning mountain girl. In Romania, it is known as "floare de colț", which means 'cliffhanger's flower.' The flower is referred to as "Stella Alpina" in the Italian-speaking Alps and "étoile des Alpes" in the French Alps, meaning 'star of the Alps.'
"Edelweiß" was one of several regional names for the plant and achieved wide usage during the first half of the 19th century in the context of early Alpine tourism. Alternative names include "Chatzen-Talpen" ("cat's paws") and the older "Wullbluomen" ("wool flower," attested in the 16th century).
The scientific name "Leontopodium" is a latinisation of the Greek "leontopódion," "lion's paw". The Latin specific epithet "nivale" means "white".
Taxonomy.
Since 1822, "Leontopodium" has no longer been considered part of the genus "Gnaphalium", but classified alongside it as a distinct genus within the tribe Gnaphalieae. In 2003, "Leontopodium alpinum" was re-classified as a subspecies of "Leontopodium nivale". Thus, the alpine edelweiss is currently recognized as being divided into two subspecies, "Leontopodium nivale" subsp. "alpinum" and "Leontopodium nivale" subsp. "nivale".
Description.
The plant's leaves and flowers are covered with white hairs, and appear woolly (tomentose). Flowering stalks of edelweiss can grow to a size of in the wild, or, up to in cultivation. Each bloom consists of five to six small yellow clustered spikelet-florets () surrounded by fuzzy white "petals" (technically, bracts) in a double-star formation. The flowers bloom between July and September.
Conservation.
"Leontopodium nivale" is considered a least concern species by the IUCN. The population of this species declined due to overcollection, but is now protected by laws, ex situ conservation and occurrence in national parks.
Cultivation.
"Leontopodium nivale" is grown in gardens for its interesting inflorescence and silver foliage. It grows in the end of May The plants are short lived and can be grown from seed.
Chemical constituents.
Compounds of different classes, such as terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, fatty acids and polyacetylenes are reported in various parts of edelweiss plants. Leoligin was reported as the major lignan constituent.
The edelweiss has been used in traditional folk medicine in the Alps for centuries. Extracts from different parts of plants have been used to treat abdominal pain, respiratory diseases, heart disease, and against diarrhea. That is why it was also known as the bellyache flower for a long time. It was also used by the mountain people as a durable flower ("eternal flower") in dry bouquets. The cosmetics industry became aware of the plant and its extracts a few years ago.
Symbolic uses.
In the 19th century, the edelweiss became a symbol of the rugged purity of the Alpine region and of its native inhabitants.
The passion for edelweiss, which had previously been neglected, began in the middle of the 19th century. The focus is on an incident from 1856, when the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I went on a mountain hike to the Pasterzen Glacier on the Großglockner with his wife Sisi. There the emperor picked his wife an edelweiss from the steep rock with the words "The first in my life that I picked myself". The affection for edelweiss was a common feature of the famous couple and this well-known story raised people's attention to this alpine plant.
The plant became known as a symbol of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth. A portrait by the painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter painted in 1865 shows Empress Elisabeth with nine artificial edelweiss stars braided in her hair. The jewelry made of precious metal and diamonds was designed in the years after 1850 by the then court and chamber jeweler Alexander Emanuel Köchert.
With the rise of mountain tourism at the end of the 19th century, the edelweiss became the badge and symbol of alpinists and mountaineers. In order to prevent the extinction of the often picked symbolic species, it was placed under nature protection early on. The edelweiss was soon adopted as a symbol in the logo of numerous alpine clubs and associations. In the Austro-Hungarian Army in particular, the symbolic relationship between defiant, frugal and resilient alpine plants or the required perseverance, agility and cutting edge of the alpine troops was recognized and emphasized and often promoted by badges and designations. The Alpen-Edelweiss was assigned as a badge by Emperor Franz Joseph to troops (three regiments of "Kaiserschützen") of the Austro-Hungarian Army intended for use in the mountains. It was worn on the collar of the uniform skirt.
In Berthold Auerbach's novel "Edelweiss" (1861), the difficulty for an alpinist to acquire an edelweiss flower was exaggerated to the point of claiming: "the possession of one is a proof of unusual daring." This idea at the time was becoming part of the popular mythology of early alpinism. Auerbach's novel appeared in English translation in 1869, prefaced with a quote attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Together with the alpine gentian, the edelweiss is also a symbol of lonely peaks and pure air in the Alps today. These plants are celebrated with songs and many souvenirs related to them are sold.
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