Etonnantes Plantes de Montagne. 2014. illus. 160 p. gr8vo. Broché.- In French.

Whilst for many people the beauty of the mountains lies in their impressive and varied landscapes, it is also evident in their particularly attractive vegetation.

The plants found at high altitudes are numerous, diverse and remarkable. Often, the large, brightly coloured corollas of mountain flowers contrast strikingly with their small size. Some are densely covered in woolly hairs, whilst others have leaves reduced to the bare minimum. In places exposed to the forces of nature, plants take on special forms, adapted to the harsh conditions of their environment. Patches of green, moss-like foliage adorn the rocks with splashes of colour during the brief flowering season, whilst the branches of willows creep along the ground. It is therefore no surprise that mountain plants capture the imagination more than those of the lowlands!

The environment itself cannot fail to make an impression. The challenges posed by the terrain have helped to limit human impact and preserve a few places that are still relatively wild. The high mountains are even virtually untouched by human activity, except in the vicinity of the ski lifts and mountain huts.

As we climb the mountain, we pass through various characteristic ‘vegetation zones’. As we ascend, we encounter the same succession of landscapes as when travelling northwards. The vegetation types and, in many cases, the plants themselves are often the same in the mountains as in northern latitudes. This book invites you to discover our European mountain ranges and their surprising vegetation.