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Clinging Cube Flower

Flower type: Biennial (Grows upwards by clinging to almost any surface.)

This small flower grows up to 2 inches (5 cm) tall. Its gray-green stem is very thin and splits into several branching stems three quarters of the way up, and the miniature, pink-red leaves are wide with toothed edges. Many leaves grow at the base of the stem, and more leaves grow in pairs along the length of the stem.

Each stem splits 3 to 6 times; a single giant flower grows at the end of each split. The flowers are 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide, with petals that are indigo on the edges and slate at the center. The flower head is shaped like a cube with 53 tightly layered, narrow petals. They are very delicate.

It has a mildly strong scent that smells like rotten eggs, and it has very little pollen, but can cause allergic reactions. It is pollinated by insects and is visited by a large variety of them.

It is suitable for making baskets and the like
It is very rare outside of a particular area.
The grains are bitter, but very healthy and can be used to make numerous baked goods.