About this reference
What this reference covers on alpine wildflowers, what it leaves out, and how the dated notes are published.
This reference covers the small flowering plants that grow on high mountain ground, above the treeline. It is written for walkers, students and home naturalists who want to put a name to a small flower and understand why it grows the way it does.
It explains the cold, wind, short seasons and snow cover that shape these plants. It describes the main plant forms, cushions, mats, rosettes and tussocks, and the features that separate them in the field. It shows how flower colour, shape and timing change across a slope, and it sets out the features that tell common high-ground plants apart. Terms are defined as they first appear.
Recording is covered too: photographs, sketches and written notes, all made without picking the plant.
It leaves out cooking and other uses of plants, traditional medicine and plant remedies, route planning and walking safety. The pages describe plants and their features only, and they give no advice on walking steep ground.
What the notes are
The short notes each deal with one practical point of identification or recording. Each note shows the date it was published.
How to use the pages
Read the guides in order if the subject is new, starting with Alpine wildflowers of high ground and then how high ground shapes the plants. For field checks, see telling a cushion plant from a mat plant and reading the leaf rosette. The links inside each page point to related pages where they help.
To point out a mistake or ask about a page, write to contact@alpinefolio.com.