The flora of Périgord in South-West France is abundant and diverse. In this blog you can find, in pictures, brief encounters with several hundreds of wild flowers and plants as they grow here in French Perigord. Following the seasons other species are added. An index of scientific and English names you find below on the right.

Corine Oosterlee is a botanist and photographer and she offers guided Botanical Walks and other activities around plants and vegetation in nature in Perigord. Do you want to know more? On www.baladebotanique.fr you can find more information. For Corine's photography see www.corineoosterlee.com. Both websites also in English.

Enjoy!




June 5, 2020

White Rock-rose


A patch of white flowers grows against the stone wall of an old quarry. They are runaways from the limestone meadow on top. Limestone meadows are the favorite habitat of  of White Rock-rose (Helianthemum apenninum).





In spring it produces a lot of white flowers. Sometimes it flowers again in autumn or even in summer, if a sudden thunderstorm brings rain.







Like many Cistaceae, White Rock-rose is a little bush well adapted to the environment it grows in, porous limestone soils that easily dry out. To prevent too much evaporation, the edges of its long leaves fold can unto themselves.




 
The flowers are easy to recognize, with their slightly crumpled white petals and yellow stamens like a paintbrush.