Dryas octopetala

Dryas octopetala var. asiatica

Flower name
Dryas octopetala
Scientific name
Dryas octopetala var. asiatica
Alias長之助草, ドリアス・オクトペタラ, ミヤマグルマ
Place of originJapan
Place of floweringHigh mountain
Flowering seasonMay, June, July, August
Language of flowersFriendship is second to none

What is Dryas octopetala

Dryas octopetala or Chonosuke (scientific name: Dryas octopetala var. asiatica) is an alpine, creeping, dwarf evergreen shrub of the genus Dryas (Rosaceae), named after Mr. Chonosuke Sugawa, who first discovered it at Mt. Tateyama. Since it grows in high mountains where the environment is harsh, the plant is 5 to 10 cm tall and looks like a grass, but it is a tree. In its native habitat, it produces leaves from July to August, followed by 2- to 3-cm white eight-petaled flowers similar to those of the Aleutian avens (scientific name:Geum pentapetalum),, with 4- to 10-cm-long flower stalks emerging from the leaf liquor and buds forming. After blooming, the flower columns extend to form feathers, and the feathery, thin fruit flies away as a wind-borne flower. The leaves are slightly reddish in color and lie dormant under snow. It is native to the high mountains of Honshu and northern Honshu, Hokkaido, and the Rocky Mountains of North America. The species name "octopetala" means "octo (8) + petala (petal) = (eight-petaled flower).
) It is considered the national flower of Iceland.
Illustration shows the difference between Dryas octopetala (D. octopetala var. asiatica) and Aleutian avens (G. pentapetalum). Aleutian avens.

Common name: Dryas octopetala or Chonosuke, scientific name: Dryas octopetala var. asiatica, habitat: Alpine gravelly areas, height: 5 to 10 cm, leave's length: 5 to 10 cm, stems: 5 to 10 cm, bark: 5 to 10 cm, Leaf shape: thick, oval, with creased veins; leaf length: 1-2.5 cm; leaf width: 0.5-1.5 cm; petiole length: 1-2.5 cm; leaf width: 0.6 cm; leaf margin: rounded serrate; inflorescence shape: apical; flower color: white; petal number: 8; flowering season: July-August (high mountains), May-June (plains); flower diameter Flower diameter: 2-3 cm, Petal length: 1 cm, Stamens: many, Fruit type: aggregate fruit consisting of thin fruit, Remarks: wind-pollinated.