Summer Flowers of the High Alps

The Creeping Gypsophila is a perennial plant with a woody stem, from which branches arise bearing the narrow strap-shaped leaves and pale crowded flowers. It is found in all the limestone regions of the Alps, amongst the rocky boulders beside mountain streams, and in dry torrent beds between 1000 and 7000 feet, and even descends to the plains with certain of the rivers. It is found, for example, near Munich on the banks of the Isar. The plant is also widely distributed in the mountain regions of Central Europe and extends from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians. The flowers, which open in July and August, are white with more or less of a tinge of pink about them, which may be quite marked in certain cases. Together they form what is botanically known as a corymb. The numerous flower stalks branching off from different points of the ascending stem are of such a length that all the flowers are approximately on the same level. In this way they are displayed to the best advantage, so that their insect visitors may find it easy to pass from flower to flower. There are several species of Sandwort and Chickweed to be found in Switzerland that closely resemble the Creeping Gypsophila. Apart from technicalities the chief points to keep in mind in the identification of the plant are the woody creeping stem, the much-branched flower stalks, and the entire absence of hairs.