In fall, after the last of the hay has been brought in and the alpine meadows of the european alps appear almost bare, this little flower puts on a stunning display. The blooms appear from an underground corm, long after the leaves have faded away. This plant is not related to the popularly grown spring crocus which has only three stamens, the autumn crocus has six stamens. The fleshy leaves appear together with the seedpod in the next growing season. The whole plant is highly poisonous and grazing animals will generally avoid it.
The camera recorded the following information in the original image file:
Nikon D2X
2005/10/05 08:55:36.7
Color
Data Format: RAW (12-bit)
Compression: None
Image Size: Large (4288 x 2848)
Lens: 105mm F/2.8
Focal Length: 105mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Matrix
1/640 sec - F/9
Exposure Comp.: -0.7 EV
Exposure Difference: 0 EV
Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Color Mode: Mode II (Adobe RGB)
Hue Adjustment: 0
Gerald & Irmgard Carter
White Balance: Direct Sunlight
AF Mode: Manual
Tone Comp: Less Contrast
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: None