The Arctic also has beautiful flowers, a testament to the greatness of nature
In your imagination, is the Arctic a vast expanse of white, with almost no plants besides polar animals like polar bears? In fact, in the Arctic world of ice and snow, there are oases of green where higher plants and dense forests grow, and they are quite beautiful too.
Come on, let the editor take you to see!
Arctic cotton grass Scheuchzeri Eriophorum
The Arctic's "edelweiss" Image: wikipedia
Each one holds a tiny fluffy ball on top, so adorable! In fact, these little balls are what Arctic cotton grass uses to protect its seeds from freezing damage. (PS: What we usually call edelweiss generally refers to a perennial herbaceous alpine plant of the genus Leontopodium in the family Asteraceae, also known as Leontopodium or edelweiss. It is native to the alpine regions of Western Europe.)
Arctic poppy Papaver radicatum
A little flower that collects sunlight with its petals Image: wikipedia
An annual herbaceous plant of the genus Papaver in the family Papaveraceae. The bright cup-shaped petals, like a reflector, focus the sun's energy onto the flower center to provide heat and ensure the flower center can develop and grow normally. Therefore, the petals are the Arctic poppy's "little solar panels." It generally grows in soil formed by moraine gravel deposits, on steep slopes, and in places with exposed alluvial vegetation along rivers.
Mountain avens Dryas Octopetala
Image: wikipedia
An evergreen dwarf shrub of the genus Dryas in the family Rosaceae, mostly prostrate. The oval leaves are sparsely covered with soft hairs or hairless, with white down underneath; the stems are woody, with 8 petals that are cream-yellow, and the fruit bears soft white hairs that help disperse the seeds. The flowering and fruiting period is July-August.
Purple saxifrage Saxifraga oppositifolia
Image: wikipedia
A perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Saxifraga in the family Saxifragaceae. Its height does not exceed 5 cm, forming dense cushions, with tiny scale-like leaves arranged oppositely, purple petals, and a flowering period of July-August. The type locality of purple saxifrage is Norway in Northern Europe, hence its name. (Type locality refers to the place of origin of the original specimen used to name a species. Famous type localities for animals and plants in China include Wuyi Mountain in Fujian and Baoxing in Sichuan.)
Tufted saxifrage Saxifraga Cespitosa
Image: wikipedia
A perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Saxifraga in the family Saxifragaceae. The plant is very short, growing in tufts among dead leaves or mossy meadows, with stems pressed close to the ground, leaves with 3-5 lobes, and flowers that are pale yellow or pale green
Moss campion Silene Acaulis
Image: wikipedia
A cushion-forming herbaceous plant of the genus Silene in the family Caryophyllaceae, growing in tufts. The leaves are narrow and the flowers are pink. It mainly grows in dry, gravelly places, looking like a red-and-green mound on the ground. Interestingly, its flowers generally begin to open from the south side.
Arctic willow Salix arctica
Image: wikipedia
A small shrub of the genus Salix in the family Salicaceae, also known as the polar willow. The branchlets are pale yellow, later becoming brown or chestnut-colored, and it grows slowly, with branches increasing by only 1-5 mm per year. The leaves are oblong-obovate, elliptic, or ovate; the catkins grow on the upper part of the branchlets, slender and cylindrical; the capsules are brown. The flowering period is June-July, and the fruiting period is August.
Elegant sunburst lichen Xanthoria Elegans
Image: wikipedia
There are countless Arctic lichens and mosses, so why choose the elegant sunburst lichen? Because our looks are outstanding (this is a looks-based society). The elegant sunburst lichen is one of the most widely distributed lichens, often growing on rock surfaces, and is truly a species tolerant of cold, drought, and poor soil.
Four-angled mountain heather Cassiope tetragona
Image: wikipedia
An evergreen dwarf shrub or subshrub of the genus Cassiope in the family Ericaceae. The stems are prostrate or ascending. The leaves are scale-like, small, alternate or decussate, and sessile; the corolla is bell-shaped, white or pale red; the seeds are tiny, and the capsules are spherical.
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