Blue flowers - confused

[FrazerHenderson]

Can anyone identify this small blue flowered alpine? Photographed in Socotra but also seen in Yemen mainland on the Kawkaban Plateau, near Sana'a.

[mark smyth]

hello Fraser welcome to the SRGC forums

Can you crop the original photo to show a tighter photo of the flowers?

[FrazerHenderson]

Mark, hopefully a tighter picture

[mark smyth]

much better for ID purposes

[Lesley Cox]

I've no idea what it is, but what a little honey!

[fermi de Sousa]

It looks exquisite! I wonder if it's available on the seedlists?
It seems reminescent of "Bluets" - Houstonia caerulea - but with Silene acaulis foliage!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

The Houstonia occurred to me too Fermi, but NOT from the Yemen or thereabouts and it looks more substantial than that, as well as the different foliage.


Houstonia caerulea `Millard's Variety,' an American.

[Anthony Darby]

Lucky chappy to be able to go to Soqotra. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has connections there and I have two of their posters in my classroom. Doesn't have this little gem though.

[Afloden]

Hello,
 
 If you can find a flora to key it out I would go to Rubiaceae. It has the corolla and four petals common to many Rubiaceae. Also, it does look like the US native Houstonia.

 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville, TN
 USA

[Lesley Cox]

Given the location of Socotra/Soquotra (former spelling in my atlas) could the plant reasonably be called an alpine? And Fermi, we need to know what it is before we can look for it on the seedlists

[FrazerHenderson]

Aaron, thanks for the tip about Rubiaceae - I had wondered about a mat forming Oldenlandia (however O. ocellata, O.aretoides are endemic to Socotra and unlikely to be in the highlands of Yemen). It is a beauty - I was stopped in my tracks.

[Maggi Young]

Given the location of Socotra/Soquotra (former spelling in my atlas) could the plant reasonably be called an alpine?

Lesley, have you seen this page? Look at the mountains!
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=755.new;topicseen#new