Limonium vulgare 歐洲補血草

Common name: Common Sea-lavender
Scientific name: Limonium vulgare 歐洲補血草
Genus: Limonium 補血草屬
Family: Plumbaginaceae 白花丹科, 藍雪科, leadwort, plumbago family

Remarks*:

Origin: native

Date: 23th Aug

253 An erect perennial, can reach up to 40cm.

255 Top view of the plant showing the leaves and leaf stalks.

243 The leaf stalks.

242 Upper surface of the leaf.

241 Lower surface of  the leaf.

241_1 Enlarged underside of the leaf showing the leaf is pinnately veined.

256_1 Leaf tip with short recurved (curved back or downwards) spine (Se).

239 Showing the leaf-like structures at each branches.

240 Showing the leaf-like structures at each branches. A bit lower position than the previous photo.

244 Flowers in dense, rather flat-topped inflorescence.

238 The spike.

237 Spikelets are densely close to each other. (vs spikelets are sparsely spread along in Limonium humile, lax-flowered sea-lavender)

238_1 The spike is composed of 1-5 spikelets densely packed together. Lateral view of the spikelet showing bracts (Bo, Bi), calyx (Cx), petals (Pl), yellow anthers and stigma (Sa). There are 3 bracts of each spikelet, outer bract (Bo), middle bract (could not be seen above) and inner bract (Bi). 

237_1 Another spike.

237_2 Enlarged photo showing the outer bract (Bo) and inner bract (Bi). Middle bracts could be seen above.

258

232_1 Lateral view of the flower showing the calyx, purple petals, yellow anthers and white stigma. (vs red anthers in Limonium humile, lax-flowered sea-lavender)

231_1 5 petals, 5 stamens with yellow anthers, 5 white stigma.

258_1 2 fully opened flowers. Note the flower bud at the bottom left of the above photo.