Edelweiss - Lion's Paw is a Flower! Did you know that?

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Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is one of the best known European mountain flowers. The name comes from German edel (meaning noble) and weiß (meaning white). The scientific name, Leontopodium means "lion's paw", being derived from Greek words leon and podion. Symbolic uses On the Austrian euro coins, a picture of Edelweiss is used on the two euro cent coins. On the Romanian 50 Lei banknote. In Austria, Edelweiss is also a brand of beer named after the flower. Edelweiss is the national flower of Switzerland and Austria. It appears in the logos of both the German and Austrian alpine societies. In its bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics the city of Salzburg uses a Edelweiss flower like the emblem.[1] Edelweiss Air, an international airline based in Switzerland, is named after the flower, which also appears in its logo. Edelweiss is a theme and song ("Edelweiss") in the musical and movie The Sound of Music, which takes place in Austria. "Bring me Edelweiss" is the most known song of the music group... "Edelweiss" The Edelweiss is the sign of German and Austrian alpine troops, granted to them in World War I for their bravery. WWII Wehrmacht Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss cap badgeDuring the Second World War, German soldiers occasionally pinned edelweiss flowers to their uniforms. The flower was supposed to be the sign of a "true soldier" in the Wehrmacht as it grows only in rugged terrain, generally above the tree line. Edelweiss was a badge of Edelweiss Pirates (Edelweisspiraten) -- the anti-nazi youth groups in Third Reich. It was worn on the clothes (eg. a blouse or a suit). The Edelweiss flower was in fact the symbol of Wehrmacht Gebirgsjäger, or mountain troops, worn as a metal pin on the left side of the cap and as a patch on the right sleeve. The rank insignia of Swiss generals has Edelweiss signs instead of stars. A Korpskommandant for example (equivalent to a Lieutenant General in other countries) wears three Edelweiss signs on his collar instead of three stars. This flower appears prominently in the comic book adventure Asterix in Switzerland where the protagonists attempt to procure an Edelweiss for its use in an antidote. In Austria, on St. Valentine's Day, it is traditional for a man to present a woman with a bunch of edelweiss, the implication being that he has risked his life climbing up to where the flowers grow. In fact, a GM version is grown commercially at lower altitudes.