Climbing up the long valley slopes to the base of some cliffs, I was the only one in our group prepared to explore the crags and was rewarded with what looked like an erect strange Alchemilla (Lady's-mantle) species. The leaves resembled the slivery fronds of Alchemilla conjuncta (Silver Lady's-mantle) which I had seen very few times in the British Isles yet it seemed to have white flowers like Potentilla rupestris (Rock Cinquefoil) which does grow in this area of the Pyrenees. Alchemilla species generally have small greenish flowers so the flowers didn't fit with the leaves.

I assumed at first that the white flowers were growing through the supposed Alchemilla and rummaged round to see where they originated. But flower stems and leaves all seemed to be coming from the same plant.

Returning to base and showing my photos to the experts they confirmed that it was indeed a Potentilla (Cinquefoil) with leaves similar to an Alchemilla (Lady's-mantle): It was Potentilla alchemilloides a native Pyrenean plant of the limestone rocks and screes. Potentilla alchemilloides actually means Alchemilla like Cinquefoil.

So I wasn't going mad after all.

Potentilla alchemilloides Alchemilla-leaved Cinquefoil Cliffs in Ossue valley, French Pyrenees, 10th June 2009 Previous   Next

Potentilla alchemilloides Alchemilla-leaved Cinquefoil

Cliffs in Ossue valley, French Pyrenees, 10th June 2009

Added on October 20th 2011