Crosswort - Cruciata laevipes

Short to medium, softly hairy plant with creeping stock and square stems, branched near the base. Leaves oval in whorls of four, three veined. Flowers are yellow, honey scented, 2 to 2.5 mm in clusters forming whorls at the base of the leaves.

Provide a photograph of the plant in its habitat (RPR)

Ditches and road verges.

April to June.

Perennial.

England Red List: Near Threatened.

Fairly frequent over much of Britain, though not common. It is much scarcer in northern Scotland, west Wales and the south-west of England.

Occasional and declining in Leicestershire and Rutland, due to habitat loss and inappropriate management.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 181 of the 617 tetrads, and in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971) in 28 tetrads.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) because of its threat-level and decline.