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August 31, 2005
UBC Botanical Garden Main Lawn
At first glance, you might be thinking that the purpose of this photograph is to highlight the minotaur sculpture. If so, you'd be wrong - he's actually incidental to the image (and yes, he's definitely a male), but if you're interested, you can read more about him here: Minotaur Unleashed!.
In fact, there are at least three botanical (garden) stories to tell with this image. To start off, though, it might be handy to see the location of where this image was taken from in the garden (for more aerial perspectives, see aerial photographs of UBC Botanical Garden).
The first story dispels the myth that the Vancouver area of British Columbia is always lush and green. As you can tell from the brown grass, the region is subject to summer drought; these conditions occur every normal year. Although the scientific living collections are watered during times of drought, the lawns are left to brown as per our water use policy. Plans for future areas of the garden are being made with water conservation in mind, i.e., plant collections that are generally adapted to drought regimes.
Secondly, the band of cattails in the middle of the photograph is an area I call “the slough”, although it is more properly known as the cattail pond. Even though this area of the garden is being redeveloped, the cattail pond will be retained in a manner very similar to its present state. The cattail pond performs “ecosystem services”, including filtration of run-off water from the university prior to deposit into Georgia Strait and curtailing the flow of run-off water (releasing it in a slow, steady stream instead of rapid, more eroding pulses).
The third story is that of the hill behind the pond. This is the site of the planned Carolinian Forest, an area that is partly a horticultural experiment. Conventional wisdom has suggested that plants from eastern North America do not perform well in the Pacific Northwest. Taking into consideration the number of close relationships between eastern North American and Asian plants, and UBC's success with Asian plants, the horticulturists and curators at UBC think that conventional wisdom ought to be challenged. Although it can't be seen in this photograph, one of the beds is already being prepared for a “demonstration forest” that will be used to illustrate the beauty of eastern North America and the potential of this new garden component to prospective donors.
In Botany Photo of the Day news, I've made a few additions recently. On the About BPOTD page, I've added the list of equipment and software that I use, as some people have requested it. On the main Botany Photo of the Day page, I've added the del.icio.us social bookmarks link, which is where I'm compiling the daily resource links. Lastly, I've upgraded the software running Botany Photo of the Day to Movable Type 3.2 and installed the MT-Notifier 1.04 plugin, so it is now possible to subscribe to Botany Photo of the Day via email and receive a daily note that the site has been updated.
Photography resource link: Thoughts on Photography by photographer Bruce Percy. Quote: “The strength of an image lies within the photographer and not with the equipment.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:17 AM | Comments (5)
August 30, 2005
Aconitum uchiyamai
Like all monkshoods, this Aconitum contains aconitine, a lethal neurotoxin. Recognized for over two millenia as one of the strongest poisons, it is not surprising that accounts of aconite surface often in mythology.
This particular species is native to Korea (and planted in the UBC Asian Garden), though the genus is distributed throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and subtropical southeast Asia.
Botany resource link: From Florida State University, Microscopy of Thin Tree Sections features microphotographs of wood from North American trees. I find them compelling both scientifically and artistically. One of my favourites is the cross-section of Tilia americana (basswood).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2005
Cypella herbertii
“Goblet flower” is an iris-relative native to eastern South America. Each blossom lasts only one day, but an established plant can produce hundreds of flowers in a single summer. As it is also easy to grow, it is no wonder that this plant is a favourite of bulb enthusiasts.
Photographed yesterday afternoon in the South American section of the Alpine Garden, its orange tones mirror the seasonal shift in colours now perceptibly occurring in the garden.
Interested in other iris relatives? Check out Mauro Peixoto's Iridaceae of Brazil or Rodney Barton's North and South American Native Irids.
Photography resource link: Learning Photo Composition is a tidy assemblage of images illustrating some “compositional rules” of photography. The author of the site, John Harvey (a local photographer), has also written a few other pieces on Learning Photography.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:34 AM | Comments (3)
August 28, 2005
Gentiana septemfida var. lagodechiana
Kind regards to Jim, aka “Hairy Potter”, who used the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Group Pool to submit this photograph from his Vancouver area garden.
I've mentioned before on this weblog that my interest in plants began with my parents and family. One memory that I recall in particular is my mother taking me to see a patch a roadside gentians near our home. It was something special, made moreso because I've never noted gentians to be particularly abundant anywhere I've travelled (I've not been to the mountains of Europe and Asia Minor). Then again, perhaps it is precious to me because I've not been able to see the patch since; the landowner nearby began to dump his lawn clippings (full with spruce needles) in the ditch where they once grew. In any case, thanks Jim for eliciting the memory.
Crested gentian is a member of the Gentianaceae, a family with a near-cosmopolitan distribution. Although this plant family is perhaps associated by gardeners in temperate climates with Europe and North America (due to the horticultural popularity of the genera Gentiana, Swertia and Eustoma), its centre of biodiversity is in Central and South America (source: Gentian Research Network).
Photography / nature resource link: Since I mentioned family outings to see nature, I thought I'd share something my aunt forwarded to me on the topic: Last Child in the Woods, an argument by artist Robert Genn that what kids need is a “dose of nature”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:23 AM | Comments (5)
August 27, 2005
Pseudotsuga sinensis var. sinensis
Update: Aug. 27, 2005 at 3:44pm PST: Fixed link to Flying Insects site - thanks Steve @ Venice Beach for pointing that out.
Chinese Douglas-fir is a relative of the Pacific Northwest's coast and Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii and Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca. Unlike these North American Douglas-firs, though, its status is listed as “vulnerable”, like many of the plants that can be seen in the Asian Garden at UBC.
I promise that I'll reverse this week's colour trend on the weblog and ensure tomorrow's entry is a colour other than green.
Photography / Entomology resource link: A lot of buzz on the web recently about the ingenuity required for Photographing Flying Insects.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:42 AM | Comments (1)
August 26, 2005
Fallopia japonica
Updated September 2, 2005, 1:27AM PST: I've read some of the published works about this plant, and I'm now inclined to believe the argument that it should be Fallopia japonica, so I've changed the name and body of this entry.
My home is near a decommissioned “yard and garden waste dump”. This has one small advantage for me; whenever I want to photograph a local weed or invasive plant, I'm pretty much guaranteed to find it nearby -- and in quantity. In the wide-angle shot, you can see three of southwestern British Columbia's worst invasives on the slope of a berm: Rubus armeniacus (Himalayan blackberry), Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom) and today's plant, Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed).
Biologist Dr. Jennifer Forman Orth has created a web site devoted to Japanese knotweed. The site includes details on this plant's many scientific and common names, appearance throughout the year and control measures. Another site with excellent information is the UK-based Japanese Knotweed Alliance.
Nomenclaturally, it is noteworthy that the scientific name for this plant seems not to be agreed upon by taxonomists; North Americans generally use Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. (but the Flora of North America does not), while Europeans tend to use Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Dcne. The distinction centres on whether the genus Fallopia is recognized scientifically and genetically as being distinct from Polygonum. For the time being, I've opted to use the “North American” Polygonum cuspidatum out of convenience, until I can read some scientific papers on the subject and confirm or switch the name of the entry. From what I've read, I'm now swayed that Fallopia japonica should be used.
Botany / conservation resource link: Invasive Species Weblog. Another web site by Dr. Orth, the Invasive Species Weblog tracks the spread of invasive species around the world. From my perspective, there are few other science webloggers as inspiring as Jenn (I can call her that since that's how she posted her name in a comment on the BPOTD entry for Lonicera 'Mandarin'). Since early 2002, she has written almost daily about the impact of invasive species on natural communities. To top it off, her writing style makes the subject matter approachable by people of any biological background, from none to expert.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:29 AM | Comments (17)
August 25, 2005
Woodwardia orientalis var. formosana
This is the Taiwanese variety of Oriental chain fern, collected in the mountainous forests of Taiwan by Dan Hinkley in 1999. The common name is derived from the chain-like arrangment of sori (spore-producing organs) on the underside of the leaves (not seen here).
As I find this plant both structural and photogenic, I've taken a number of photographs of it in the past. Other attempts can be seen here: Woodwardia orientalis var. formosana via the UBC Botanical Garden Forums.
A few notes of interest regarding Botany Photo of the Day:
- A warm welcome to readers of GardenWise. Starting with the Fall 2005 magazine, GardenWise will be highlighting an entry or two from Botany Photo of the Day in each issue, helping us promote both the science and beauty of plants.
- Richard Dickey of Feral Flowers sent a note of thank you regarding the entry on Eschscholzia californica, so I've posted it as a comment - worth checking out.
- Tangled Bank, Issue Number 35 is out, hosted by Cognitive Daily. Tangled Bank is a “blog carnival” - a periodic collection of links to different weblogs based on a certain theme. In the case of Tangled Bank, the theme is science, so follow the link and see some of the best of what other science-themed webloggers are writing about.
Photography resource link: Converting Images from Colour to Greyscale. Darwin Wiggett explores some techniques in Photoshop for converting colour images to greyscale. I've used the “Blending Two Channels” technique for today's photograph, with a red-red channel multiplication at 100%.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
August 24, 2005
Antheraea polyphemus
Updated September 30, 2005 at 10:22 pm: This entry was Botany Photo of the Day's contribution to the first-ever Circus of the Spineless, a monthly gathering of online essays and photographs about invertebrates.
The discovery of this caterpillar on a Nothofagus antarctica (southern beech) tree in the alpine garden yesterday provoked some excitement among the staff (and a comment that it has good taste in trees). Eight centimetres long and as thick as my forefinger, this caterpillar is the larval stage for the polyphemus moth (more, with distribution map). Leaves of deciduous hardwood trees and shrubs form the diet of this caterpillar. It has been observed that the caterpillar cuts the petiole of leaves it has skeletonized, so that (purportedly) no traces of its presence remain on the tree to alert predators.
Antheraea polyphemus belongs to the subfamily of moths known as the saturnids (Saturniidae), or giant silk moths. The Saturniidae, it can be argued, are the most striking of moths. Photographs of moths in this subfamily can be seen here: Saturniidae Moths from Thailand and the What's That Bug? gallery of saturnids.
Entomology / Botany resource link: Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest Forests and Woodlands. The life cycles of plants and insects are often intertwined, so knowledge of insects can give depth to understanding of plants; this link provides details on caterpillar morphology and ecology, as well as keys for identification.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:11 AM | Comments (21)
August 23, 2005
Picea glauca and Arceuthobium pusillum
White spruce is typically a tree of the boreal forest (although not exclusively). In Manitoba, it can be seen at the southern limit of its range in Spruce Woods Provincial Park (map / satellite), 75km southeast of Brandon. Many of the spruce trees in this population show signs of a phenomenon commonly called witches' broom, seen here at the base of the dying left-most tree and mid-height in the centre (dead) tree. The right-most tree seems to be uninfected (for now).
The cause of witches' broom in these trees is another vascular plant, Arceuthobium pusillum, or eastern dwarf mistletoe. After germinating on the twigs of the spruce tree, this parasite invades the host with root-like structures that penetrate into the bark and wood of the spruce branch. These endophytic structures absorb nutrients from the host plant, both weakening the tree and altering the normal hormonal regime. This change in hormones is the stimulant for the abnormal growth of witches' broom. For more information, see the USDA Forest Service's Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet Number 158 or the life cycle of Arceuthobium from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Parasitic Plants course.
Botany resource link: Common Tree Diseases of British Columbia. This is perhaps too localized of a resource for some readers, but it is chock-full of information and photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:26 AM | Comments (4)
August 22, 2005
Euphorbia donii 'Amjilassa'
Grown from seed collected by the Kew, Edinburgh, Kanchenjunga Expedition to northeastern Nepal in 1989, the cultivar name for this spurge is the same as the name of the Nepalese village from where it was nearby collected. This plant was then introduced into cultivation by Thompson & Morgan Seed Company via an agreement with RBG Kew. For background on the species name and cultivation information, see (subscriber access only) Sinnott, Mike (2004). Plate 484. Euphorbia donii 'Amjillasa' Euphorbiaceae. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 21 (1), 39-44.
Wayne Armstrong explains the inflorescence of this plant, known botanically as a cyathium.
Photography resource link: Photo.net's Photo of the Week Gallery. Always good for inspiration.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:29 AM | Comments (1)
August 21, 2005
Agastache rupestris
Threadleaf giant hyssop or “root beer plant” is native to Arizona and New Mexico. I didn't crush the foliage of this plant (as I usually do with a mint family plant), so I can't confirm the accuracy of the root beer plant moniker.
Although most species in the genus Agastache are native to North America (including Mexico), at least one member of the genus is native to southeast Asia. It is a relatively rare floristic distribution pattern for there to be more species in North America than in Asia when a genus occurs on both continents, but other genera that share the pattern include Trillium and Lesquerella (see: Qian, Hong (1999). Floristic analysis of vascular plant genera of North America north of Mexico: characteristics of phytogeography. Journal of Biogeography 26 (6), 1307-1321).
Botany / Evolution resource link: Understanding Evolution. Billed as “an evolution website for teachers”, the site has broad appeal as an excellent primer for anyone wanting to an introduction to evolutionary biology.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:53 AM | Comments (4)
August 20, 2005
Roscoea sp. EN.2489
Photographed yesterday evening in the Asian Garden, Roscoea is one of the few members of the Zingiberaceae (the ginger family) that can be grown outside of tropical / subtropical climates, owing to the fact that it is a high altitude plant in its native range. The name of the genus honours William Roscoe, an English lawyer, politician and botanist. Roscoe was also the founder of Liverpool's first botanic garden.
Photography resource link: Boring Photographs is an article by Petteri Sulonen on the art of photography. Sulonen: “Something horrible tends to happen to people when they suddenly realize that the camera they hold can produce things that are pretty in and of themselves. They suddenly stop making interesting pictures -- the pictures that fill their albums, tell stories, evoke emotions, preserve memories. They go into a rictus of squeezing out endless flower macros and portraits of ducks.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:46 AM | Comments (8)
August 19, 2005
Eschscholzia californica
Today's photograph is courtesy of Juliane, another contributor to the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Group Pool. Thanks Juliane!
The state flower of California, California poppy is also the most widely-distributed species of the genus: its range extends north to Washington state and south into Mexico. Both the genus Eschscholzia and this particular species were named and described by the German poet and botanist, Adelbert von Chamisso.
The California of Chamisso's time, the early 1800s, would have looked quite different from the California of today. According to Conservation International's Biodiversity Hotspot site, the naturally occurring vegetation of the California floristic province is today only a quarter of its original extent, due to commercial farming and (sub)urbanization. Over two thousand plant species can only be found in this ever-declining area, including most of the other members of the genus Eschscholzia.
Botany / Photography resource links: Two links today! First of all, the superlative Human Flower Project is a weblog that explores the cultural link to flowers -- “how people live through flowers”. The entry on Feral Flowers, Cultured Eyes led me to this site: Feral Flowers, by photographer Richard Dickey. Richard's photographs are both breathtaking and heartbreaking; breathtaking because they reveal rare and ephemeral beauty, but heartbreaking because most of the land featured in the photographs is threatened by development. Recall that three-quarters of the California floristic province has been lost already...
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:49 AM | Comments (9)
August 18, 2005
Coryphantha vivipara
Thanks to _Eskay_, a contributor to the Botany Photo of the Day's Flickr Group Pool, we get to enjoy this image of a pincushion cactus (or beehive cactus) flower.
The specific epithet for Coryphantha vivipara refers to one method the plant employs to reproduce, albeit vegetatively: vivipary, or reproducing by producing buds which grow from the main body of the plant, drop off and become new plants.
Taxonomically speaking, the Cactaceae family is challenging, which I've noted to be typical for a plant family with a relatively recent evolutionary origin. As the writer for the Cactaceae account on the web site of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group points out, “Depending on the author, the number of genera in the family varies by a factor of ten, the species by a factor of two...”
Photography / Photoshop resource link: I know I linked to “The Luminous Landscape” a few days ago, but I think it's also valuable if I highlight specific bits from resource sites occasionally. Want to make your images pop off the screen or print? This tutorial on local contrast enhancement in Photoshop is a darn good solution. Almost every photograph on Botany Photo of the Day that I've taken has gone through this simple alteration. After running the process, I also do Edit -> Fade Unsharp Mark and adjust the slider to judge how much of the effect to apply. One warning, though - if the image already has areas that are highly saturated with colour, the effect might be over the top.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:29 AM | Comments (4)
August 17, 2005
Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne'
If you look up this plant via a search engine, you'll find there are at least three names bandied about for it: Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne', Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne', and the one I've used, Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne'. From what I've been able to determine so far, this plant is purported to be a cross between Rudbeckia laciniata and Rudbeckia nitida, so neither of the first two names can be valid, as they imply that only one species is in the genetic background of the cultivar. I'm still trying to verify that it is indeed a cross, though.
In any case, 'Herbstsonne' coneflower is a relative of the commonly-known black-eyed susan. Rosie Lerner at Purdue University has a small article on Rudbeckia that includes a comparison photograph of the two plants grown together. BBC Gardening also has some information about Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne' from a gardening perspective.
In Botany Photo of the Day matters, I want to thank those of you who've submitted photos to the Flickr pool or the garden's forums. I'll be featuring a few of those photographs over the next few days, since I hadn't used any while I was on vacation or the past catch-up week.
Botany Resource Link: What is a Cultivar? via the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:40 AM | Comments (0)
August 16, 2005
Bouteloua gracilis
Perhaps my favourite grass, blue grama is native to much of North America. Despite being relatively common, it still delights me everytime I see it, at least in part because of the chaotic, pointing-in-every-direction spikes. Although not as economically important as grasses such as wheat, rice, oats or barley, it is a valuable rangeland plant and an attractive drought-tolerant ornamental.
I didn't quite get the effect I wanted with this photograph (I wanted more of the spikes set against the sky), but I was already on my stomach with the camera on the ground, so I suppose I would have needed to dig a hole to get the camera any lower. Such are the restrictions of photographing a low plant.
Photography / Conservation Resource Link: Why It's Good to Talk - an article by Niall Benvie discussing the need for collaboration between nature photographers and scientists: “... photographer Daniel Dancer has ... characterised the objectified, sumptuously-lit portraiture that fills so many nature calendars and books as eco-porn. This type of idealised imagery is imbued with a sense that nature is there simply for us to enjoy and that we are excused any moral obligations towards it other than "saving it" for our continued amusement. Scientists can provide the harmony to the photographic melody, in the process finding a voice for the communication of their ideas and concerns.” Benvie continues on to explain the concept and strategy of “photo-lobbying”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
August 15, 2005
Horseshoe Canyon
Seventy million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous, this part of Alberta would have been forest and swamp. Many of the plant fossils in this area from that time are relatives of plants found in modern day China and South America. A walk through UBC's Asian Garden with its dawn-redwoods, ginkgos and magnolias (or the future Araucaria Grove) can well be imagined as experiencing an environment not unlike the one roamed by the dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous.
Horseshoe Canyon is partially protected by The Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Nodwell family, particularly the late Leila Nodwell (interview and article), have contributed greatly to preserving the site.
I'm going to start a new addition to Botany Photo of the Day today - a link to an extra resource that I've found helpful to learn about botany, or photography, or some other topic. I figure if it's been useful to me, it might also be useful to you. I'm also going to bookmark and tag each link on this del.icio.us page.
Photography resource link: The Luminous Landscape - I particularly found the “Understanding Series” and “Essays” of value.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:42 AM | Comments (6)
August 14, 2005
Parnassia glauca
The genus Parnassia is sometimes thought to be a member of the saxifrage family due to Cronquist's scheme for classifying flowering plants. However, molecular evidence has confirmed the systems of other taxonomists (see Parnassiaceae): Parnassia is not a saxifrage, but rather a member of its own family. In fact, it is now understood that it is actually in a separate order (a classification grouping that can contain many families) from the saxifrages - the Celastrales instead of the Saxifragales.
Henrietta Chambers of the Oregon Flora Project writes about the changes in classification (along with more information about the genus) in this article about Parnassia in Oregon. The plant photographed here does not grow in Oregon, though - fen grass-of-Parnassus has a distribution within the northeastern states of the US and eastern provinces of Canada.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:39 AM | Comments (5)
August 13, 2005
Grasslands National Park
Grasslands National Park, located in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan, protects some of the largest remnant blocks of (nearly) undisturbed mixed-grass prairie in North America. However, the prairie is not as it was prior to European arrival: the disappearance of bison with the associated loss of grazing pressure and soil disturbance means the dynamics and composition of the plant community have changed. Parks Canada is reintroducing bison into the park this upcoming winter in a limited area, with the intent of restoring the land to a more natural state (and likely also increasing visitors - we saw only about a dozen people in the park proper all day long).
There are no apparent plans, however, to reintroduce the plains population of the grizzly bear (more).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:37 AM | Comments (10)
August 12, 2005
Hydrangea robusta
Photographed yesterday in the David C. Lam Asian Garden at UBC, this hydrangea is a favourite for its “lilac-dusted leaves” caused by petals falling from the senescing flowers. The effect is barely visible in this photograph, but if you are sharp-eyed, you can spot it on some leaves in the lower left of the plant. Long-time readers of Botany Photo of the Day might also recognize the Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' previously featured in June.
From The Jade Garden:
The name Hydrangea comes from the Greek hydro meaning “water” and angeion, meaning “a vessel”, in reference to the dehiscent seed capsules, which are shaped like a Grecian water jar.
The Flora of China's written account of Hydrangea robusta is accompanied by an illustration of the seed. If you're curious, compare that drawing with a photograph of a Grecian urn to see if you agree with the literal meaning of Hydrangea.
As an aside, I note that in Keats' “Odes on a Grecian Urn”, the poem ends with 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty'--that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.. Was it inspiration for Botany Photo of the Day's tagline of In science, beauty. In beauty, science. Daily.? Not consciously, I promise.
In UBC Botanical Garden news, the mythical monster has arrived (mentioned cryptically in the BPOTD entry on Vaccinium 'Northland'). Check out Minotaur Unleashed! for a photograph and information about this temporary art installation, part of the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:03 AM | Comments (9)
August 11, 2005
Fucus gardneri
A strong contender for the plant (note: see comments below - not actually a plant, but a stramenopile) with the “most common” common name, common rockweed is a brown alga typically found in the intertidal zone of rocky shorelines. It is abundant throughout the temperate waters of the Pacific Northeast, from California to Alaska.
For more information about this plant stramenopile, see Fucus gardneri on the Center for Phycological Documentation site for a wide array of references.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:44 AM | Comments (14)
August 10, 2005
Salix sp.
“Pine-cone willow gall” is caused by a gall midge, Rhabdophaga strobiloides. This dipteran (related to flies and mosquitoes) deposits an egg in the developing terminal leaf buds of the willow in early spring. The larva releases a chemical which interferes with the typical leaf and branch development of the willow, instead causing the formation of this cone-like structure. The adult dipteran emerges the following spring, after having spent the winter in the gall.
Check out a few more photographs of pine-cone willow gall via the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium or read more about galls courtesy of the Michigan Entomological Society. Douglas Justice has also identified the phenomenon in the past on the garden's discussion forums.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:20 AM | Comments (5)
August 9, 2005
Liatris ligulistylis
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) were in abundance during my recent visit to Manitoba. While the caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), the butterflies have a more varied palate for sources of nectar. Perhaps most favoured of the many flowers that the butterflies visit are species of Liatris (the “blazing-stars”), such as this meadow blazing-star.
Dr. Tom Barnes of the University of Kentucky writes in an article on attracting butterflies with native plants (of Kentucky!) that Liatris ligulistylis emits a specific odour for attracting monarchs. I wish I would have known that prior to my trip, as I would have patiently waited for a monarch imbibing nectar from one of these flowers for a photograph. Next time.
If you're a gardener, Kim Hawks of Brooklyn Botanic Garden has some good advice on growing Liatris.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:47 AM | Comments (4)
August 8, 2005
Banff National Park
This alpine tree-line is photographed from a close enough distance to illustrate the decrease in both density and size of trees as conditions become unfavourable for growth at higher elevations. The green band of plants growing above the tree-line consist of shrubby mountain heathers (Phyllodoce spp. and Cassiope) and various alpine wildflowers (including Castilleja spp.), but those also taper off with increasing elevation, leaving bare, exposed rock on the mountaintops.
The photograph was taken in evening light from the short trail to Peyto Lake along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
August 7, 2005
Anemone occidentalis
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
This is another plant with a suite of common names, including the literal “western anemone”. I prefer the whimsical “tow-headed baby”, referring to the whitish-blonde colour caused by the long hairs attached to the seeds (perhaps more readily seen in this photograph of Anemone occidentalis via CalPhotos.
Update (August 9, 2005 12:45 AM PST): Dr. Quentin Cronk has noted a few corrections to be made to what I've written, to whit: “...the "seeds" are actually fruits (developed from a single carpel), and the "hairs" are actually persistent styles (i.e., not hairs in the botanical sense)”. Thanks, Quentin - much appreciated!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
August 6, 2005
Delphinium pyramidatum
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
No English common name for this plant, which is not surprising since it is exceedingly rare in cultivation and barely known outside of its native Caucasus Mountains. The E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden at UBC is one of the few places outside of its native range that it can be seen.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
August 5, 2005
Dudleya pulverulenta
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
“Chalk liveforever” is native to southwest North America. It is member of the stonecrop family, the Crassulaceae, namesake of a particular plant adaptation called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
August 4, 2005
Origanum rotundifolium
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
This oregano is not strongly scented (at least compared to other species), but it has a visual ornamental appeal with its dainty flowers and orbiculate leaves and bracts (it's a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
August 3, 2005
Dichroa febrifuga
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
It's fair to say that this plant is well-adored by the researchers and staff at UBC Botanical Garden. How can one not admire its blue flowers, later followed by persistent blue fruit? For more information, check out our interpretative sign.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (8)
August 2, 2005
Kniphofia triangularis
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
Another Kniphofia from the Alpine Garden (see Kniphofia nelsonii for a link to more on the genus), Kniphofia triangularis delights with its prominent display of vibrant colour year after year. Like all Kniphofia species, it is native to Africa. The centre of diversity for the genus (i.e., where most species occur) is in the Drakensberg Mountains.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
August 1, 2005
Pinus strobus
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
This photo of an eastern white pine near Sioux Narrows, Ontario, was inspired in part by Arthur Lismer's A September Gale (more about “A September Gale”).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
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Botany Photo of the Day and all associated images are licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.