| Photo Gallery |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-01
Photo of the several white flowers of the plant. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-02
Photo of a few flowers in situ. Each flower consists of 4 petals at perpendicular angles to each other. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-03
Photo of 2 cross shaped flowers and buds. Note the deep violet veins in the petals of the opened flowers. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-04
Photo of a flower (lateral view), showing that the central style (with a pale green stigma) is quite longer than the yellow stamens (total 6). |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-05
Close up photo of a flower showing the 6 stamens with yellow anthers and a central style with swollen stigma. The latter may be covered with pollen and appear yellow. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-06
Photo of a flower. Note the spoon shaped petals, each having a narrow linear base and a rounded apex. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-07
Photo of a flower. They measure about 22mm across. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-08
Close up photo of a young flower showing into focus its reproductive organs at the centre. The central style and stigma are hidden at the centre between the anthers. With time the ovary and style elongate and adult flowers will have a longer style than the stamens. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-09
Photo of a flower (lateral view) showing the sepals. The 4 sepals are often reddish-purple (sometimes green), long, non-overlapping and erect. They have also few, non-spiny bristles. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-10
Close up photo of a flower in situ. Spoon shaped petals are arranged in the shape of a cross. This flower is sometimes referred to as having the shape of a Greek cross. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-11
Photo of a flower cluster in situ. Flowers have white petals and reddish, elongated sepals (calyx). |
IMAGE: RPHRA-12
Photo of a flower in situ. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-13
Dissected parts of a flower which consists of 4 sepals, 4 petals, 6 stamens and a single pistil. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-14
Close up photo of a young fruit. The apex is the swollen stigma, followed by the green style and finally the reddish ovary which contains rows of developing seeds. Flower parts (sepals, petals, stamens) fall off. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-15
Scanned image of a flower (dark background). The arrangement of the 6 stamens can be easily seen, that is 4 central and 2 shorter and lateral stamens. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-16
Scanned image of a flower (dark background). |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-17
Scanned image of cluster of flowers. This plant forms flowers in racemes. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-18
Photo of the underside (back) of flower showing the deep purple-blue veins of the petals. These are more prominent on the back. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-19
Annotated scanned image of a longitudinal section of flower showing its flowering parts, namely the sepals, petals, stamens and pistil with a swollen stigma. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-20
Close up photo of a mature bud. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-21
Scanned image of cylindrical, purple red buds. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-22
Scanned image of various petals scanned from the underside (back) and upper side. As it can be seen, the deep purple-blue veins are more prominent on the underside part of the petals. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-23
Magnified scanned image of a petal against a dark background. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-24
Magnified scanned image of a petal and its 'artistic' pattern of deep purple-blue veins. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-25
Photo of many plants in their preferred habitat, that is some uncropped or abandoned field with rich soil. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-26
Photo of a young plant in an uncropped field. Leaves are initially like a basal rosette. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-27
Photo of a plant in situ. Height varies between 20 to 100cm. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-28
Close up photo of the stem, showing the tiny, white, thorn-like bristles. In many plants, the stem has a reddish-brown colour. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-29
Scanned image of 3 leaves taken from different plants. Generally, adult leaves have pairs of basal leaf lobes and a single and larger apical leaf lobe. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-30
Scanned image of a young leaf (right) and the morphological changes that take place with maturation of leaves. As it can be seen, the leaf gets more broad and lobed at the base. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-31
Enlarged annotated scanned image of a typical adult leaf. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-32
Photo of an adult leaf consisting of small basal leaf lobes and a terminal, large leaf lobe. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-33
Photo of basal leaves in situ. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-34
Photo of several erect fruit pods called siliqua. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-35
Close up photo of a single siliqua. They are glabrous and have a spreading-out stalk. The fruit-pods are erect; perpendicular with the stalk. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-36
Close up photo of 2 fruit pods. Note the reddish tip and base (at the stalk/fruit junction). |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-37
Photo of fruit pods in situ; glabrous, stalked and having a tapering tip. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-38
Photo of siliqua showing its characteristical constrictions located between the seeds inside. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-39
Scanned image of several fruitpods (siliqua) at increasing maturity level (left to right). The internal, well-spaced, dark seeds can be noted against the bright background. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-40
Magnified scanned image of one siliqua. It has a long, pointed, red-tipped beak and few constrictions around the gaps between the seeds inside. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-41
Some plants had these curious outgrowths most probably caused by Albugo candida (White rust). Note how the flower changes and suffers from lack of diversity, and gigantism. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-42
Photo of plant with White Rust disease. Note the white powder released from the effected part. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-43
Photo of plant with White Rust disease. Note that the diseased part has an abnormal white or pale green layer. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-44
Photo of plant with White Rust disease. Note the difference in flower structure - enlarged, lacking in diversity and function. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-45
Photo of plant with part of the flowering stem being diseased with White Rust and covered in a whitish pale green layer. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-46
Photo of plant with White Rust disease. Most of the apical structures are diseased flowers which have loss of diversity, function and are swollen. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-47
Image of the reddish brown seeds. |
IMAGE: RPHRA-48
Photo of seedling in situ. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-49
Colour illustration of the plant and some of its parts taken from Flora Danica Online. |
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IMAGE: RPHRA-51
Magnified image under light microscope of pollen. They have a rugby-ball shape, pitted and possess 3 grooves. |
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