More Info on EdelweissSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
redirect|Edelweissitalic title Edelweiss IPAc-en|audio=en-us-edelweiss.ogg|'|e?|d|?l|v|a?|s, Latin: Leontopodium alpinum , is a well-known alpine plant|mountain flower , belonging to the Asteraceae|sunflower family . taxobox|name = Edelweiss |image = Leontopodium_alpinum_280808.jpg |regnum = Plantae |unranked_divisio = Angiosperms |unranked_classis = Eudicots |unranked_ordo = Asterids |ordo = Asterales |familia = Asteraceae |tribus = Gnaphalieae cite journal | url = http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/87/2/259 | title = Phylogeny of South African Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) based on two noncoding chloroplast sequences | author = Randall J. Bayer, Christopher F. Puttock, and Scot A. Kelchner | journal = American Journal of Botany | year = 2000 | volume = 87 | pages = 259–272 | doi = 10.2307/2656914 | pmid = 10675314 | issue = 2 | jstor = 2656914 |genus = Leontopodium |species = L. alpinum |binomial = Leontopodium alpinum |binomial_authority = Alexandre de Cassini|Cass. , 1822 |
Names
The common name comes from German language|German edel , meaning "noble", and weiß (also spelled weiss ) "white", thus signifying "noble whiteness".cite book|author=William Shepard Walsh|title=Handy-book of literary curiosities|url= http://books.google.com/books? id=hrJkAAAAMAAJ& pg=PA268|accessdate=19 August 2010|year=1909|publisher=J.B. Lippincott Co.|pages=268–
The scientific name Leontopodium is a latinisation (literature)|Latin adaptation of Greek language|Greek leontopódion (?e??t?p?d???) " lion|lion's paw", from léon "lion" and pódion "foot" (diminutive of poús, genitive case|podós "foot").LSJ|le/wn|????, LSJ|po/dion|p?d???, LSJ|pou/s|p???|ref
The Romanian name, floarea reginei ,cite book|author=Taner Murat|title=Dic?ionar român& nbsp;— tatar crimean, Sózlík kazaksa& nbsp;— kîrîm tatarsa& #124;ur l= http://books.google.com/books? id=e6vnF1A0dvkC& pg=PA136|accessdate=19 August 2010|publisher=Taner Murat|isbn=978-973-692-265-7|pages=136– means "Queen's flower". Also, another common name is floare de col? which means "mountain flower".
The Persian name is gol-e-yax, which translates as "ice flower"
Description
Leaves and flowers are covered with white hairs and appear woolly ( tomentose ). Flowering stalks of Edelweiss can grow to a size of 3–20& nbsp; centimetre|cm (in cultivation, up to 40& nbsp;cm). Each bloom consisting of five to six small yellow flower heads (5& nbsp; millimetre|mm ) surrounded by bract s in star formation. The flowers are in bloom between July and September.
Range
The plant is unequally distributed and prefers rocky limestone places at 2000–2900 m altitude. It is not toxic, and has been used traditionally in folk medicine as a remedy against abdominal and respiratory diseases. The dense hair appears to be an adaptation to high altitudes, protecting the plant from cold, aridity and ultraviolet radiation.cite journal|last=Vigneron|first=Jean Pol|coauthors=Marie Rassart, Zofia Vértesy, Krisztián Kertész, Michaël Sarrazin, László P. Biró, Damien Ertz, Virginie Lousse|date=January 2005|title=Optical structure and function of the white filamentary hair covering the edelweiss bracts|journal=Physical Review E|publisher=American Physical Society|volume=71|arxiv=0710.2695
Since it usually grows in inaccessible places, it is associated in many countries of the alpine region with mountaineering.
Protection
Edelweiss is a protected plant in many countries, including Mongolia , Bulgaria , Croatia , Switzerland (since 1878), France , Norway , Iran , India ( Zanskar region), Italy , Serbia , Malaysia (In Genting and Cameron Highlands), Indonesia (In Semeru Mountain), Germany , Spain (Ordesa National Park), Poland and Slovakia (Tatra National Park), Slovenia (in Gorizia and Gradisca since 1896, in Carniola since 1898), Austria (since 1886) and Romania (since 1933).
Cultivation
Leontopodium alpinum is grown in gardens for its interesting inflorescence and silver foliage.Cite book | last=Mineo | first=Baldassare | authorlink=Baldassare Mineo | coauthors= | title=Rock garden plants: a color encyclopedia | year=1999 | publisher=Timber Press | location=Portland, Or. | isbn=0-88192-432-6 | pages=150 The plants are short lived and can be grown from seed.Cite book | last=McVicar | first=Jekka | authorlink=Jekka McVicar | coauthors= | title=Seeds: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Successfully from Seed | date= | publisher=The Lyons Press | location= | isbn=1-58574-874-9 | pages=22
Symbolic uses
On the Austrian euro coins , a picture of Edelweiss is used on the two-euro-cent coins.
It is the symbol of the http://btsbg.org/ Bulgarian Tourist Union and the Bulgarian Mountain Control and Lifeguard Service (PKSS), http://pss.bg.
It is also the symbol of the http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/home Swiss national tourism organisation
On the Romania n 50 Romanian Leu|Lei Banknotes of the Romanian leu#Banknotes of the fourth leu (RON)|banknote .
In Austria, Edelweiß is also a brand of beer named after the flower.
Edelweiss is the unofficial national flower of Switzerland .
The Edelweiss is used in the logotypes of several alpine club s such as the Deutscher Alpenverein ( German Alpine Club ) or the Österreichischer Alpenverein (Austrian Alpine Club). The Edelweiss is also used in the logotype of the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA).
Edelweiss Air , an international airline based in Switzerland, is named after the flower, which also appears in its logo.
The song " Edelweiss (song)|Edelweiss ", which is about the flower , is from Rogers and Hammerstein|Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1959 musical film|musical The Sound of Music , which takes place in Salzburg , Austria before World War II .
"Bring me Edelweiss" is the best-known song of the music group Edelweiss (band)|Edelweiss .
The Edelweiss was established 1907 as the sign of the Austrian-Hungarian alpine troops by Emperor Franz Joseph I. These original 3 Regiments wore their edelweiss on the collar of their uniform. During World War I (1915) the Edelweiss was granted to the German alpine troops, for their bravery. Today it is still the insignia of the Austria n, Podhale rifles|Polish , and Germany|German alpine troops.
Edelweiss was a badge of Edelweiss Pirates (Edelweisspiraten)—the anti-Nazi youth groups in Third Reich . It was worn on the clothes (e.g. a blouse or a suit).
The Edelweiss flower was the symbol of Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS Gebirgsjäger , or mountain rangers, worn as a metal pin on the left side of the mountain cap, on the band of the service dress cap, and as a patch on the right sleeve. It is still the symbol of the Mountain division in the German army today.
The World War II Luftwaffe unit, Kampfgeschwader 51 ( 51st Bomber Wing ) was known as the Edelweiss Wing.
The rank insignia of General (Switzerland)|Swiss generals use eight-pointed stars representing the flower. A Korpskommandant for example (equivalent to a Lieutenant General in other countries) wears three Edelweiss stars on his collar.
Polish professional ice hockey team Podhale Nowy Targ|MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ use an Edelweiss as their emblem.
The Edelweiss is represented as the favorite flower of Adolf Hitler , in the 1934 recording "Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume ist das schlichte Edelweiß" http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dRVL63lh5QM, sung by Harry Steier http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php? p=1180704#p1180704.
