November 26, 2017

Squinancywort


Freezing fog covered everything in white. Also Squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica), a little perennial plant from limestone meadows and rocks and stones. It flowers from the end of summer until winter. It likes a dry and sunny climate, but does not seem to be bothered very much by cold weather.




You cannot say it is a conspicuous plant. A bit greyish, the thin stalks and narrow leaves are a greyish green, even the tiny white-pink flowers are greyish. Leaves there are not many, most of its photosyntheses occurs in stalks.




Like nearly all plants from the Rubiaceae family the flowers are like small crosses formed by the four lobes of the corolla, and after flowering, there are two round fruits on each flower.



To see its beauty you have to really look...



... and look.