abdulhakeem
08-01-08, 05:25 AM
January 08, 2007
GENEVA (AFP) — Asterix and Obelix had to scale snow-capped peaks to find it, but Swiss botanists said Monday they have created a variety of the famous Edelweiss flower that is literally more down-to-earth.
The silver-starred Alpine flower usually only grows between 1,800 and 3,000 metres above sea level (5,905-9,842 feet), but researchers at the Agroscope Changins-Waedenswil institute in southwestern Switzerland have developed a longer-stemmed version that can be grown in soil or a household pot.
The new variety of Edelweiss has a stem measuring between 20-30 centimeters (8-12 inches) but work is continuing in the hope of making them even longer and thus more conducive to commercial production, institute official Celine Gilli told AFP.
"We would like it to be possible to buy them at a florists in a few years' time, at least in Switzerland," she said.
Once cut, the flower can survive for a long time in a vase, she added.
The Edelweiss is renowned for its healing properties -- hence the mountain quest by comic book favourites Asterix and Obelix in "Asterix in Switzerland" -- and the flower has been cultivated for commercial use in anti-wrinkle cream and other products, Gilli said.
She stressed that the Edelweiss will retain its unique allure even if you don't have to climb a mountain to get one.
"The aim is not to make it an everyday flower, rather one that comes at a certain price," she said.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gON3_ew2TZz0oe01z6yU1WPsCB2w
GENEVA (AFP) — Asterix and Obelix had to scale snow-capped peaks to find it, but Swiss botanists said Monday they have created a variety of the famous Edelweiss flower that is literally more down-to-earth.
The silver-starred Alpine flower usually only grows between 1,800 and 3,000 metres above sea level (5,905-9,842 feet), but researchers at the Agroscope Changins-Waedenswil institute in southwestern Switzerland have developed a longer-stemmed version that can be grown in soil or a household pot.
The new variety of Edelweiss has a stem measuring between 20-30 centimeters (8-12 inches) but work is continuing in the hope of making them even longer and thus more conducive to commercial production, institute official Celine Gilli told AFP.
"We would like it to be possible to buy them at a florists in a few years' time, at least in Switzerland," she said.
Once cut, the flower can survive for a long time in a vase, she added.
The Edelweiss is renowned for its healing properties -- hence the mountain quest by comic book favourites Asterix and Obelix in "Asterix in Switzerland" -- and the flower has been cultivated for commercial use in anti-wrinkle cream and other products, Gilli said.
She stressed that the Edelweiss will retain its unique allure even if you don't have to climb a mountain to get one.
"The aim is not to make it an everyday flower, rather one that comes at a certain price," she said.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gON3_ew2TZz0oe01z6yU1WPsCB2w