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expo2012
Naturalistic description of the flora
Smooth rocks, however, offer no possibility to cling to them or fill a crack. In addition, for the botanic species able to survive at this altitude (1752 meters above sea level) it is practically impossible to have deep roots.

Nature, however, provides some species with winning strategies even in these situations.
This is the case for the cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum). Its succulent leaves and a thick white cobweb on the rosettes allow it to collect, retain and store rainwater and to survive on smooth rocks even in dry conditions. Every now and again a rosette falls off and the wind rolls it away to a new position where another colony is then formed.


Cobweb houseleek




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