Androsace adfinis subsp. puberula

A plant found exclusively in the Western Alps, it was previously mistakenly classified as the species Androsace carnea, which, however, is not known to occur in the Alps. It is the only one of the three subspecies of adfinis found in the Aosta Valley, where it occurs frequently only in the Cogne Valley. It is easily distinguished from all other androsace species with elongated flowering stems found in the region by the pink colour of its flowers.

It is a very small primrose, widespread in stony pastures at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 metres. The flowers, with a pink corolla and yellow throat, are arranged in umbels on a long, leafless scape. The leaves are linear, somewhat fleshy, and arranged in a very dense basal rosette. 

The entire plant is covered in fine hairs, hence the name of the subspecies. This characteristic represents an adaptation to a specific environmental and climatic situation, characterised by low rainfall, such as that found in some parts of the Western Alps. In fact, the fine hairs enable the plant to ‘capture’ moisture from the air and condense it into water droplets, which then fall onto the ground beneath the plant.