THE ROCK ROSE FAMILY (Cistaceae)
The Cistaceae are a small family of plants known for their beautiful blossoms, often showy yellow, pink or white flowers, which are generally short-lived. They prefer dry, sunny habitats and grow well on poor, dry soils.
Most Cistaceae have the ability to create a symbiotic relationship with root fungi of the genus Tuber (truffles). In this relationship, the fungus complements the root system in its task of absorbing water and minerals from the soil, and thus allows the host plant to dwell on particularly poor and dry soils. In addition, the truffle fungus has the ability to supress all vegetation except the host plant within the reach of its mycelium (fungal threads), and thus to give its host some sort of "exclusiveness" for the adjacent land area.
Cistaceae have also optimally adapted to wildfires that frequently eradicate large areas of forest. The plants cast their seeds in the soil during the growth period, but the latter don't always germinate in the next season. Their hard coating is impermeable to water, and thus the seeds may remain dormant for a long period of time. This allows them to accumulate large seed reserves in the soil. Once fire kills the vegetation in the area, the coating of the Cistaceae seeds softens or cracks as a result of the heat, enabling them to germinate shortly after the fire. This mechanism allows them to produce a large number of young shoots simultaneously and at the right time, and thus to obtain an important advantage over other plants in the process of repopulating the area.
The flowers usually have five petals, crumpled in the bud, and sometimes in the open flower. The flowers are sometimes sensitive to light and ‘follow the sun’. The stamens are numerous, of variable length, and sit on a disc. They are sensitive to touch, spreading when stimulated by an insect to reveal the female parts in the centre.
(source: Wikipedia)
White
Yellow
Blue
Red
Other
• Backwater
• Marsh
• Damp Grasslands
•Scrub
• Cultivated Fields
• Wayside 
• Dry Grasslands
• Woodland
This is an evergreen plant that is well suited for life in dry environments including rocky places, hence the English name. The leathery, inrolled shape of the leaves and the hairy surfaces reduce loss of water by evaporation to a minimum.
Though each individual bloom lasts only a day, the plant produces a mass of flowers through the summer, opening only when the sun shines and the temperature is above about 20 degrees C. The petals are strongly UV reflective and therefore particularly visible for bees. The outer stamens are sensitive to touch, responding immediately and spreading slowly when an insect brushes against them, revealing the central stigma and aiding the transfer of pollen.
The fruit is a dry capsule that splits when ripe, the small sticky seeds being spread on the feet of animals, by wind or washed away by heavy rains.