Large-flowered sandwort is primarily native to mountainous regions bordering the western and central parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Aptly illustrated in the first photograph, the typical habitat is dry, rocky sites.
These caespitose (growing in dense tufts) plants rarely exceed 20cm (8 in.) in height, adopting a typical alpine plant growth strategy of “grow low”. Adaptive advantages of such a strategy for this species could include: decrease in exposure to wind (and thus decreased water loss), increase in reflected and rock-absorbed heat (perhaps in a better temperature for metabolic reactions for growth, for a longer period of time), and insulation by snow (reducing exposure to winter temperatures). But, perhaps there is a different reason (or a multifaceted reason) for this phenomenon having evolved in this species. As I’ve mentioned before, presuming the benefit of an adaptation without evidence is speculation. In practice, I think one doesn’t do too much harm, but I also think one should communicate that it is provisional if one doesn’t have the research to back it up.
Additional photographs and descriptions are available from Botany.cz: Arenaria grandiflora and FloreAlpes: Arenaria grandiflora.
Sandwort, one of my favorite plants on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, elevation 6,288 feet. Tree line is at about 4,000 feet in New England.
I think I’ve said it before, but I ll say it again!
I start my day with the “Photo of the day” and I really enjoy it! I am not deprived of plants, I work for the park’s board in Lyon, France and my office in in the middle of Parc de la Tete d’Or, a fantastic 19th century park and yet, the photo of the day is a daily treat! And when it happens to be a West Coast plant it’s even better…cheap travel down memory lane!
Thank you for this!
Pierre
I appreciate your discussion about speculating on the benefits of an adaptation…so much remains to be learned, but as long as we say we’re not sure, it doesn’t do any harm to guess, and of course, yours are very educated guesses.
Then there’s the unscientific explanation: it looks beautiful in its environment growing low and tucked in between the rocks. 🙂
Is there a botanical term for the crystalline sparkle that shows in the close-up photo of the petals? Begonia petals have that same sparkle.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_coloration
This mentions a layer of starch that diffuses light so there is a long scientific name for this in another link on Wikipedia.
Thank you, Cecelia!