Leontopodium alpinum

Leontopodium alpinum, usually called edelweiss (English pronunciation ⁱ/ˈeɪdəlvaɪs/, from German [ˈeːdəlvaɪs]), is a well-known mountain flower, belonging to the Asteraceae (the daisy or sunflower family).

The plant is unequally distributed and prefers rocky limestone places at about 1800–3000 m altitude. It is non 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. As a scarce short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas, the plant has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and Carpathians, and as a national symbol especially of Austria, Switzerland , Bulgaria and Romania. There is a folklore associated with the edelweiss in which it is stated that giving this flower as a gift to a loved one is a promise of dedication.

Names

The common name is from the German, in standard spelling Edelweiß (with the Eszett (ß) letter), literally translating to "noble-white", a compound of the adjectives edel "noble" and weiß "white" (spelled Edelweiss, weiss in Switzerland). As an adjective, edelweiss is also used in oenology of wine from the Gutedel (Chasselas) grape.