We came back from a two week trip to Iceland and Greenland and as I am happily busy sifting through my ca 1000 photos of of pretty vistas, people, food and blooms, I hope you might enjoy a sampling of my Wildflower photos. Some of these are hopefully properly identified, on a few I am perhaps guessing the name.
Iceland is very green and very beautiful, it will be very difficult to pick the prettiest picture for posting. But let me start with two native Orchids:
First- Platanthera hyperborea
We toured Godafoss waterfall in the district of Mývatn near Akureyri in the North of Iceland. I was still busy taking pictures of the gorgeous waterfall when Klaus alerted me to a wonderful sight: he found a tiny Orchid on the windswept plain next to the waterfall, it looked short and quite stocky. I was thrilled and laid on the ground to take some pictures and then, as we walked along and our eyes became tuned to these little spikes, we encountered many many more plants in bloom.
We took a nice walk the next morning around the area of Skutustadir/Lake Mývatn and there the same Orchid was present in many places, a lot more numerous and also the spikes were taller. Happiness!
Let me start by showing some of the environments:

and now on to the Orchid, starting with Klaus' (aka Best Orchid-spotter ) find:

I also had found a different Orchid, the spikes are as tall as Platanthera hyperborea, but the blooms are smaller. I just learned that this is
Pseudorchis albida.
The lip on these smaller blooms is 3lobed, in contrast to Platanthera hyperborea having an entire lip.

Both Orchids were growing side by side in some locations around Skutustadir ( especially in the vegetation around the pseudo-craters) and near the bridge. I took these pictures of the smaller Orchid, thinking I had perhaps found a second native Orchid, and indeed - looking at my pictures, it is surely very different!!


more to follow....

Posting right along with a sampling of Iceland' s wildflowers -
Yarrow, Alpine Fleabane, Angelica ( this one was everywhere, especially near water), Epilobium (or Chamerion) - perhaps augustifolium), Centaurea, Scheuchzer's Cottongrass (always found in wet spots, so soft to the touch),

This HUGE plant is either Heracleum mantegazzianum/Giant Hogweed or Heracleum maximum /Cow parsnip. It was certainly impressive. Klaus and Iris ( our excellent tour guide) pose here.

Lichen, perhaps Field Gentian in whitish, pinkish color, perhaps Armeria maritima/Thrift, Poppy, Potentilla palustris, Sempervivum alpinum, Grass-of-Parnassus/Pamassia palustris

Sea Campion was found in many places, another look at what I thought was Thrift, Thymus praecox, (covering many rocks and more),Vicia cracca/ Vetch, perhaps another Field Gentian, last one Lady's Mantle/Alchemilla vulgaris


And there are Dandelions everywhere with big fat juicy leaves, surely because there is no Rabbit to be found in either Iceland or Greenland. I have some more pictures of a Veronica species, low carpets of edible Bog Bilberry and more....

Ursula: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful photo's. Wow, what a beautiful landscape! Isn't it wonderful finding such pretty plants in their native habitats? I love the nice yellow color of that Platanthera Orchid. We have a native Platanthera here in Florida (white fringed orchid) that I saw once ... so pretty. I look forward to seeing more photo's from your vacation!

Oh my goodness, you are quick ... you added more beauties while I was typing... off to lurk at them!

Thanks Lin!
Have another look at the Orchid post. I just edited it to show that the smaller Orchid is another native species, Pseudorchis albida. I am totally thrilled!!

Taking a break now and will continue later, a lot more to come.....

This is better than the Travel Channel! Keep 'em coming, Ursula.

Jim

Will do!
Let me show you some of the Greenland blooms.
I found it amazing to find so many pretty wildflowers in an environment as harsh as that in Greenland. We visited the villages of Kulusuk and Angmassalik, there are rocks, bare mountains, lots of pack ice and icebergs, dead glaciers and more rocks and the Summer season is very short. ( This Spring the Pack ice in the water finally allowed small ships to pass through around the middle to late June! It was 39 deg F in the morning at our visit and at all times there was despite the nice sunshine a chill in the air) In all these "bare bones" one may just find seemingly growing from straight rubble clumps of beautiful Bluebells and Sea Campion. We visited the Valley of Flowers in Angmassalik which was mostly actually green and it was very beautiful.
Here is a mix of blooms - pics taken at different locations throughout:
Bluebells, Alpine Gentian, Alpine Bistort, again lots of pretty Cottongrass near water, more Epilobiums ( Chamerion)/Arctic Riverbeauty

Lichen white and black, perhaps Moss Campion, Alpine catchfly/Viscaria alpina.

There were many species of Salix, here is a clump of Salix herbacea/Dwarf Willow, lots of Sorrel and Alpine Mouse-ear/Cerastium alpinum.

Beautiful.

Jim

Wonderful travel log. I never travel these days so this vicarious stuff is so refreshing. Thanks, Ursula!!

I'm working on helping with IDs:
Last pic in Post #130870 is Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris). I think the other end of that row on the left may also be a white gentian?
Sempervivum alpinum on the mystery Icelandic red. Maybe Grass-of-Parnassus (Pamassia palustris) for the white next to it?

Todd wrote an article for DG about Greenland for more ID info.

Another nice website for ID. http://www.chaletsavoy.com/alp...

I will contact Rannveig and Todd for more IDs for you.

Ohh, thanks so much!
Kathy!! You are very helpful!! I am just not always sure enough /sometimes clueless to attach a name.
editing......

I'd like to know too!

Wonderful photos! Thank you for sharing with us!

It's a pleasure!

Now where to post some of the Puffins, Whales and just plain pretty scenery....

I'd do it here too!!!!!

Let me add some more -
It seemed we wouldn't have time to visit the Botanical garden in Akureyri officially with the group, so we took a walk after Dinner. They had a nice native plant corner and all around was very pretty to walk about.


Iceland imports all fruits, grows Potatoes and some other vegetables in the ground, but Tomatoes and many other veggies are grown in large greenhouses under High Pressure Sodium lamps and the use of GeoThermal heat. Growing Roses, Lilies, Gerberas and such for the cut-flower business is also done in well run Greenhouses. We were able to visit one of the growers and I was very impressed at the attention to details. The plants were bug- and fungus- free and beautiful blooms were produced on sturdy stems.

Since we already have moved away from the Wildflower theme here, how about some Puffins and other seabirds? We were happily observing these birds in several locations.


And there was the Whale cruise. We did get to see 3 Humpback Whales, it was just great to see them as close as we did. I took tons of pictures, here is a small selection.


And there was the little Arctic Fox in Greenland. Too bad I didn't have time to switch to a Telephoto lens, but I think I got him. Just enlargen the thumb print...

I just love looking at these pics, Ursula.

Jim

Great pics, Ursula!
Can't imagine not being able to grow produce and flowers without a greenhouse. They have certainly learned to overcome,hey?

I finally got done last night organizing these pictures. I always take way too many....

Gorgeous. Love the pic of Klaus in the Viking cap! And that first shot of the fishing village on the page is amazing! I'll look again later!