Gas Plant - Dictamnus albus
Sorry for the boring shot, but it wasn't currently in bloom.
Gas plant, also known as burning bush is quite an interesting plant! During a hot summer, gas plants exude an oily substance that smells like lemon. These oils are highly volatile and can actually ignite! If the air temperatures get hot enough, or if someone takes a match to this plant on a hot day, the oils covering its tissues will ignite with a flash! The oils burn off quickly and the plant is not injured.
Reasons why this plant is flammable are speculative. It might protect against heat stress or it may clear the area of competition by creating tiny wildfires.
Habitat: Meadow edge
"Dictamnus" is a genus of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, with a single species, "Dictamnus albus", which has several geographical variants. It is a herbaceous perennial, native to warm, open woodland habitats in southern Europe, north Africa and much of Asia.
