Stitchwort – a tiny white flower

This tiny white flower with pretty orange anthers is common in Sussex, to the extent that I wasn’t going to photograph it until my daughter insisted. The flowers are about 2cm across, and we found the one photographed below in an open area, growing alongside a concreted footpath.

Stitchwort wildflowers in art

The image below is from a book illustrated by Walter Crane entitled “A Floral Fantasy in an Old English Garden. Set forth in verses & coloured designs”,  and shows an interpretation of stitchwort “The stitchwort looked up with a sigh at batchelors buttons unsewn.” [Batchelors buttons are nowadays known as cornflowers].