Alpine Garden Society

Ulster Group

Plant of the Month, May 2009
Rindera lanata v lanata - by David Lapsley

Rindera lanata is a perennial belonging to the wide ranging family of  Boraginaceae, which includes the "King of the Alps", Eritrichium  nanum as well as Pulmonaria and forget-me-nots.  

Very little has been  written about Rindera, and its name is not included in The Plant  Finder.     It is to be found in some sites in Greece, more widely in  Turkey and Iran, and in the mountains of western China.     The main  photo in the article was taken near Artvin in the Turkish Pontic  Alps.    The sub species Rindera lanata var lanata has a sturdy tap  root, which is significant because it is mainly to be found in high  open steppes and tundra. at altitudes between 850 and 3050m.    Its  height varies between 30 and 50 cm.

Rindera lanata var lanata is a show  stopper when encountered on a mountain walk, with its spectacular  silky mantle and shimmering and shivering in the wind.    It is also a nightmare to photograph !!

  Rindera lanata v lanata