''Francoa sonchifolia'', the wedding flower
or bridalwreath (bridal wreath), is a plant species in the family
Francoaceae
The Francoaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Geraniales, including the genera ''Francoa'', commonly known as bridal wreaths, and ''Tetilla''. The Francoaceae are recognized as a family under various classification schemes bu ...
, that is endemic to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
An
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
with wavy edged basal leaves (
sinuate
A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
), it produces erect unbranched
racemes of pale pink flowers, veined or blotched with dark pink.
[
The Latin specific epithet ''sonchifolia'' means "with leaves like '']Sonchus
''Sonchus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae and are commonly known as sow thistles (less commonly hare thistles or hare lettuces). Sowthistles are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, with or w ...
'' (sowthistle)".
References
sonchifolia
Endemic flora of Chile
{{Geraniales-stub