For September, l')21 



693 



Leontopodium — Edelweiss 



RICHARD ROTHE 



ALL the species of the genus Leontopodium — Lion's 

 Foot, are mountain denizens of high aUitudes. 

 Belonging to the large order, Compositcc, they are 

 tufted woolly perennial herbs producing handsome termi- 

 nal flower heads enveloped in white woolly bracts. Cut 

 and dried they possess the keeping tpialities of immor- 

 telles and for this reason are frequently gathered and 

 soUl as souvenirs. 



Leontopodium sibiricum 



Best known is the Edelweiss. Leontopodium alpiniim, 

 syn. Gnaphalium Icontopodinin. in cultivation for over a 

 century, but, as a garden inmate usuallv lacking the pure 

 glistening white color in its flowers and changing its lon- 

 gevity from a perennial to the biennial. Fresh edelweiss 

 seed grown under glass in light sandy soil during mid- 

 Winter germinates quickly. Seedlings pricked over into 

 flats early in March by the beginning of May are strong 

 enough to be transferred to the open ground. Select a 

 slightly slanting bed of sandy loam and omit manuring". 



Throughout the Middle Atlantic States light shade 

 during the earlv afternoon hours is of advantage, but 

 avoid direct overhead shade as dripping rainwater from 

 the foliage of overhanging trees jjroves fatal to Edelweiss 

 plants. For states along our northern border line an 

 entirely open and sunny situation is the best. Plants kept 

 in thrifty growing condition flower more or less during 

 the first season. When removing leontopodiums into 

 0])en sunny rookeries add ground or crushed limestone 

 to the soil and to prevent injurv from hot weather select 

 positions or rock-products slanting in northerly or easterly 

 directions. Not being able to count on permanenllv 

 frozen ground condition and a thick mantle of snow dur- 

 ing Winter, we have to provide for protection. Thick- 

 ness of the cover depends on latitude and climate of loca- 

 tions, but care should be taken to use a material allowing 

 access of air to our edelweiss plants. 



Since the introduction of the Siberian Lion's foot we 

 have a species of Leontopodium more resistable and of 

 stronger growth and larger flowers than the edelweiss of 

 the Eurojiean .\l])s. Our cut, a reproduction of a photo 

 taken early in .August, shows seedling plants started in 

 Februar\- at the beginning of their flowering during the 



first season. They bloom profusely the second season. 



Leontopodium himalaieum is a late and much smaller 

 flowering species from the Himalaya, while Leontopodium 

 japoniciim. Syn. Graphaliuni Sieboldianum is distin- 

 gtiished by a dark glossy green surface of its foliage and 

 loosely built cymes. 



The flora within the regions of the liavarian, Tyrolean 

 and .Swiss .\l])s is lavishly rich in beautifullv flowering 

 shrubs and herbs. Living a primitive and toilsome life 

 ihe native people cannot reasonably he expected to ap- 

 preciate floral beauty as the highly cultured tourist or 

 garden and flower lover does. In their sentimental at- 

 titude toward the Edelweiss, however, thev make an ex- 

 ception. In pointing out their deep reverential love for 

 it I feel obliged to cite the text of one of their plain, 

 simple folk lore songs, in its translation endeavoring to 

 give a> much as possible the exact meaning of the orig- 

 inal. 



Leontopodium .ilfiniun Amid llu- .Ufs 



EDELWEISS 



Upon the moimlain's steej) and icy throne, 



A starrv flower, snow-white stands alone : 



.\mid the -Alps, a solitary gem : 



Xoble and i>iu-e its fairy face and name : 



The herds-boy loves it. knows it well : 



Ask him and he will i)roudly tell ; 



It is the flower we treasure beyond price: 



Queen of the .\lps — her name is luielweiss. 



The stin"dy youth, scaling in cheerful mood 

 Abyss and avalanche, pauses not his foot. 

 Crossing the sunny slope with laughing eye; 

 {Continued on page 699") 



