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.
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