Cruciata laevipes Opiz, 1852

Common names

🇬🇧 Crosswort
🇫🇷 Croisette commune, Gaillet croisette

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Superasterids
Clade: Asterids
Clade: Lamiids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Rubieae
Genus: Cruciata
Species: Cruciata laevipes

Presence

Present.

Conservation status

Red List (Metropolitan France): LC Least Concern

Notes

Possible confusion with C. verna (Scop.) Gutermann & Ehrend., 2011, which has glabrous leaves and stems, while C. laevipes has hairy leaves and stems.

The flowers of C. laevipes typically have 4 petals arranged in a cross pattern, but it is also possible to encounter flowers with 3 petals arranged in a triangular pattern, as well as flowers with 5 petals arranged in a star pattern.

Photographs

img/cruciata-laevipes-5.webp — *Cruciata laevipes*

img/cruciata-laevipes.webp — *Cruciata laevipes*

img/cruciata-laevipes-6.webp — *Cruciata laevipes*

img/cruciata-laevipes-2.webp — *Cruciata laevipes*

img/cruciata-laevipes-3.webp — *Cruciata laevipes* - Flower close-up

img/cruciata-laevipes-4.webp — *Cruciata laevipes* - Flowers close-up, showing flowers with 3, 4 and 5 petals

Sources

Tison, J.M., & de Foucault, B. (2014). Flora Gallica : Flore de France (p. 1020). Biotope.