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May 31, 2006
Fuligo septica
Since it's the first slime mold to appear on BPotD, I was really hoping to have a superior photograph, but a passable one will have to do. I'm fairly certain this is Fuligo septica, one of the few of these fascinating organisms to have a well-used common name – dog vomit slime mold. Slime molds are not true molds; true molds are fungi, while slime molds are protists. Wayne Armstrong has an excellent article on slime molds that explains how slime molds are different from other organisms. He also illustrates the common name through a series of Fuligo septica photographs. If you read his account, you'll learn that this yellowish mass is the spore-bearing stage in this slime mold's life cycle, known as the aethalium.
Two other resources on this species are Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for June 1999 featuring Fuligo septica (note that Tom states in the first sentence that it isn't a true fungus) and images of Fuligo septica from CalPhotos.
A few broad resources on slime molds, if you'd like more detail, include Wikipedia, a gallery of Myxomycetes (beautiful!) and “Hunting Slime Molds”, an article from Smithsonian Magazine (but only the first two pages work, unfortunately).
In BPotD and other news, one more day until the small announcement...
Biology resource link: An extremely worthwhile project, Discover Life “provides free on-line tools to identify species, share ways to teach and study nature's wonders, report findings, build maps, process images, and contribute to and learn from an encyclopedia of life that now contains 279,352 species.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:20 AM | Comments (3)
May 30, 2006
Silybum marianum
Thank you to -Merce-@Flickr for today's photographs (original image 1 and original image 2 via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you -Merce-!
Michael Charters from Calflora.net explains that the pronunciation of the generic name for this plant has an emphasis on the first syllable, so it is said “SIL-i-bum”. However, that doesn't prevent certain coworkers of mine from repeating the humorous version of the name when they encounter the plant or images of such (I expect today's “word of the day” at work will be “sillybum”).
Humour aside for the moment, blessed milkthistle is a plant native to the Mediterranean area. Where agriculture has gone, though, it has followed, and it is now found in mild temperate areas around the globe. If you can't take the time to read this report on Silybum marianum from the Global Invasive Species Initiative, I'll share two facts that leapt out at me.
One is that seed production of this plant in infested areas can reach and exceed 500kg/ha (or 446 lbs/acre) – a massive amount, and an indication of why this plant can become a problem.
I'll quote the second fact from the site: “...One reason control methods have been sought after is due to the toxic potential of the thistle. Silybum marianum has caused some of the worst cases of stock poisoning in northwest Tasmania. The poisonous principle is nitrate (Macadam 1966). Cattle and sheep eat the plant material which contains potassium nitrate and break it down by means of ruminal bacteria into the poisonous form (Knott 1971). ‘The nitrite ion...combines with haemoglobin to form methaeglobin ...[which is] incapable of combining with oxygen. If large amounts of methaeglobin are present in the blood stream, affected animals will begin to show respiratory distress for lack of oxygen.’ (Knott 1971) Poisoning threats are increased when the plants are wilting after being cut or partly turned under during plowing and in wet weather (or) when soil moisture is high. In dry conditions they are not considered dangerous (Parsons 1973).” (references to further reading on the bottom of the essay on Silybum marianum).
Photography resource link: When Pretty Isn't Enough, the latest essay from Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape, reminds that photographs are a synthesis of the observer and the observed.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:30 AM | Comments (12)
May 29, 2006
Dendromecon rigida
The ever-changing nature of gardens is most strongly evident in the Alpine Garden at UBC; what one sees as particularly showy in one year may not be repeated in the next. I don't recall this Californian tree poppy catching my attention previously, but I was quite enamoured of it when encountering it on Friday.
Native to the Sierra Nevada and coastal ranges of California and Baja California, Dendromecon rigida is a woody shrub that typically grows in post-burn chapparal. Germination of its seeds requires a smoke treatment, but unlike many of the annuals that also establish on sites after a fire, tree poppy also requires its seeds to have been stored in the soil for an extended period (see: Keeley, JE and CJ Fotheringham. 1998. Smoke-induced seed germination in California chapparal. Ecology. 79(7): 2320-2336).
Three more days until a small announcement!
Botany / conservation resource link: Discover the efforts of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in understanding and conserving the Flora of Madagascar. One of the world's biodiversity hotspots, the flora (and fauna) of Madagascar is under heavy threat of extinction from deforestation.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:22 AM | Comments (0)
May 28, 2006
Maianthemum purpureum
Yet another plant featured recently that lacks an English common name, Maianthemum purpureum is native to the Himalayas (see Flora of China account). The genus is widespread throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but also has some subtropical montane representatives in both southeast Asia and Central America (from the description of the genus in this paper).
Photography resource link: The Gorgeous Inside Stories of Metal by Ivan Amato displays the art of metallography while interpreting the geometric shapes through small stories.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:13 AM | Comments (1)
May 27, 2006
Armeria pseudarmeria
Many thanks to contemplar@Flickr for today's photograph (original image). Along with visiting contemplar's Flickr photographs of Portuguese plants, be sure to also stop by her weblog, Blog de cheiros. Written in Portuguese but including the Latin names of plants, her blog amply illustrates why scientific names are preferable to common names in communicating about plants across languages. Thank you, contemplar!
This plant was photographed on the westernmost point of continental Europe at Cabo de Roca, Portugal. Paghat has written an article about the Formosa series of cultivated pinkball thrift which also includes a good deal of information about the wild species. I recommend trekking over there to learn more. There are also a few closeup photographs of this plant in cultivation on the Wikimedia Commons (about): Armeria pseudarmeria.
In other news, five days until I make a small announcement...
Entomology resource link: If anyone ever wanted my opinion on “The Best Sites on the Web”, I'd suggest BugGuide. The home page of the site gives an excellent introduction to what the site is about, so I encourage you to dive right in.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:52 AM | Comments (1)
May 26, 2006
Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'
Only a short entry today – late-night database upgrades and inventory week mean little time for anything else.
While in the garden yesterday photographing plants for the inventory, I overheard a visitor point to this plant (in a different bed without the yellow irises behind it) and say, “Now this I don't care for.” Fair enough, I didn't admire it when I first started at the garden six years ago either. It's interesting, though, to see what familiarity breeds, and in this instance it is the opposite of contempt. 'Superba' bistort has been a reliable, durable plant that requires little maintenance and flowers for a long time – qualities that one can't “see” with a first impression.
You can read a bit more about Persicaria bistorta 'Superba' on the BBC Gardening web site.
Gardening / conservation resource link: The Canadian Museum of Nature's Native Plant Crossroads contains information on gardening with native plants and how it can help plant conservation.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:56 AM | Comments (4)
May 25, 2006
Holboellia angustifolia subsp. angustifolia
For this week's garden inventory, we're trying to verify the information and labels for plants by taxonomic groupings instead of by planted beds. Our priorities for this inventory round are plants in the Styracaceae family (e.g., Melliodendron xylocarpum), Poaceae (e.g., Harpochloa falx, Berberidaceae (minus Epimedium, e.g., Mahonia ×media 'Charity'), Ericaceae (minus Rhododendron, e.g., Enkianthus campanulatus), conifers (e.g., Pinus thunbergii) and the family Lardizabalaceae, such as the plant in today's image, Holboellia angustifolia.
A monoecious plant, both female and male flowers are present on the same individual plant (Vanderbilt University has a small resource that explains sexual systems in flowering plants). Shown in today's photograph are the fragrant female flowers. Plants for a Future describes the plant as having a “startling blue-metallic colour”, but I've yet to see a fruit (or taste its edible pulp!).
Photography resource link: for inspiration, an iris study and tour by frequent BPotD contributor, bbum@flickr (Bill). Bill put together this set of photographs from a recent walk in his San Jose, California neighbourhood. I've a personal attachment to irises so his set of photos resonated for me on more than an aesthetic level.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:10 AM | Comments (3)
May 24, 2006
Echinopsis oxygona
A kind thank you to sagellyn@Flickr for providing today's photograph (via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool | original image). The photograph was taken at a Vancouver nursery, Southlands. Thank you, sagellyn – always happy to feature something South American in origin.
Native to south central South America (Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina), Echinopsis oxygona is a member of a genus of cacti collectively known by the common names of Easter lily cacti or sea-urchin cacti. I prefer the latter name myself, especially after viewing the third photograph in this series on Echinopsis oxygona.
I often write about plant names, it being a particular interest of mine. There are few groups of plants more confusing to those who would attempt to name and classify them than the cacti. Exhibit A: a listing of accepted names and synonyms in the genus Echinopsis – roughly one hundred and thirty species are recognized, but the page contains over five hundred and thirty names, more than four published names (on average) for each species!
Botany / horticulture resource link: Take the time to learn about the diversity of form and colour in both species and cultivated maples through these two extraordinary photo galleries: the maple photo gallery and the Acer palmatum cultivars photo gallery. The garden hosts these on its discussion forums, but the resource was built by people from around the world (and a big thank you to all of you!).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:00 AM | Comments (5)
May 23, 2006
Erysimum 'Emm's Variety'
If you visit UBC Botanical Garden and examine the plant labels while enjoying the garden, you'll eventually notice that we use two different colours of plant labels – black and red. Black labels are used when we're reasonably certain about all of the information on the label, including the name, identity of the plant, distribution of the taxon, and accession number (read: unique identifier – it's the number you often see in the keywords with UBC Garden-based BPotD entries). Sometimes, however, there is uncertainty, and the plant receives a red label. This occurs most often for three reasons:
- we haven't been able to verify the name of the plant and therefore can't confirm its identity. This often occurs with obscure cultivars or plants from regions of the world that are poorly documented
- the name of the plant is verifiable, but we don't trust that the name accompanying the plant is correct (a misidentiication)
- we aren't able to fully identify the plant. This generally occurs with wild collected material that has been identified only to genus level. It may take years before the plants display characteristics that will allow the plant to be fully identified (e.g., it may not flower for a decade).
Erysimum 'Emm's Variety' is an example of the first reason. While cultivated plants require little in the way of process before assigning a name (compared to the peer-reviewed publication model of scientific names), a minimal bit of documentation would be publication in a nursery's catalogue or plant exchange list. Given the number of nurseries, it is an impossible task to track down every cultivar to its origin, so we often rely on a combination of the various cultivar registration authorities and search engines to help discover if a cultivar name is in use. Well, if you try to search for Erysimum 'Emm's Variety', I guarantee you'll come up as short as we have. The only documentation we've been able to locate is in the Royal Horticultural Society's Database, where it is listed as “tentatively accepted”. It therefore gets a red label until we can find a way to track down more information.
Photography resource link: Fodor's has a section on its web site dedicated to travel photography, “Focus on Photography – How to Take Travel Pictures Like a Pro”. It reads like the article was written before the advent of digital cameras (!), as I couldn't find a single mention of the word “digital”, but it still has plenty of timeless suggestions and tips.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
May 22, 2006
Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant'
A literal translation of Helianthemum yields sun-flower (Helios = sun and Anthemon = flower), but I've never heard sunflower refer to anything but the genus Helianthus. Instead of sunflower, this plant is commonly known as sunrose or simply helianthemum. It is in the same family as Cistus ladanifer from a few days ago.
Stewart Hinsley has a page on Helianthemum cultivars that displays the diversity of colour in garden plants, while Ketzel Levine from NPR and Paghat talk about the plant in the garden.
Botany / evolution resource link: I've had a few people recommend this news story to me: Colorado University Study Shows Novel Structure In South Pacific Plant May Be 'Missing Link' In Evolution Of Flowering Plants explains that research into Amborella (long considered a “living fossil” angiosperm or flowering plant) continues to reveal hints about the early evolution and development of the angiosperms.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:22 AM | Comments (3)
May 21, 2006
Mentzelia lindleyi
Thanks to Dale Hameister (Dale Hameister@Flickr) from Monterey, California for today's image. See the original image here (submitted via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated, Dale!
Lindley's blazingstar is native to California and possibly Arizona – the distribution in the USDA PLANTS database for Mentzelia lindleyi includes Arizona, while Jepson's Manual for California Mentzelia account suggests not. I've not been able to find any other reputable sources or references agreeing with the USDA PLANTS database, so this is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it has naturalized in a few locations of Arizona after escaping from gardens? Its family, the Loasaceae, also has a mysterious distribution. The family is broadly distributed throughout the Americas, but also occurs in South Africa, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia!
Who was Lindley? The epithet, lindleyi, commemorates John Lindley, first Professor of Botany at the University of London.
Photography resource link: For inspiration, the photography of David Bostock. David's Artist Statement: “Nature sometimes presents her beauty to us in profound and dramatic ways. More often, we must search the apparent disorder to discover her splendor. I find myself drawn to intimate imagery where nature's beauty presents itself through contemplation of the details. I believe my photographs are most successful when they reveal nature's subtle elegance.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
May 20, 2006
Agave Border in Lotusland
Ganna Walska Lotusland in Montecito, California was previously featured on BPotD, so if you missed that entry, I'd encourage you to read it. Of particular relevance to today's image were the sentences alluding to Ganna Walska being a bold personality. What could be bolder than an Agave border? The same theme is seen throughout Lotusland – plants usually seen as specimen plants or in small groupings are displayed en masse, and the effect is stunning.
Entomology / horticulture resource link: Discovered via the Librarians' Internet Index, Insect Pheromones: Mastering Communication to Control Pests – “...explores the trail of research that ultimately led to the design of pheromone-based pest management. The story behind the measures that are beginning to transform agriculture provides a dramatic example of how science works, by illustrating how basic research produces knowledge that can lead to practical results of human benefit.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:35 AM | Comments (2)
May 19, 2006
Paeonia delavayi and Iris sibirica 'Tropic Night'
Only a short entry today – at the garden, we're in the process of preparing for next week's annual inventory of the collections, so time is short.
Père Delavay's tree peony was previously featured on BPotD, but here it is joined with the Siberian iris cultivar, 'Tropic Night'. I find the colours in the image harmonious, so it seems an opportune time to link to colour characteristics and colour harmony (via Pantone), “The Theory of Colour in Science and Art”, and the Virtual Colour Museum.
Photography resource link: Tips galore for new to semi-experienced photographers at Digital Photography School. The tips are currently categorized under “Composition”, “Travel” and “General”, but I suspect more categories will emerge as the site grows.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
May 18, 2006
Cistus ladanifer
Another round of thanks to Eric in San Francisco (Eric in SF@Flickr) for today's image. Please see the original, uncropped image here: Cistus ladanifer (I had to crop it for BPotD format). Of course, it's been submitted via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool. Thanks again, Eric!
Crimson-spot rockrose is a Mediterranean species, native to southwest Europe and north Africa. The Mediterranean Garden Society has an excellent account for Cistus ladanifer, so I do recommend you visit the site – it includes details on how the gum or resin from this species, labdanum, has been used in the perfume industry since ancient times. Wikipedia's entry for labdanum states, “In ancient times, the resin was scraped from the fur of goats and sheep that had grazed on the cistus shrubs. It was collected by the shepherds and sold to coastal traders. The false beards worn by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt were actually the labdanum soaked hair of these goats.” The Wikipedia entry also continues with details about the modern methods of extracting and processing labdanum.
Horticulture / botany resource link: the Hebe Society “promotes the cultivation and conservation of hebes and other New Zealand native plants”. The Plants pages in particular are worth a visit, with over 350 plant descriptions and accompanying photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:59 AM | Comments (6)
May 17, 2006
Hope Slide
Forty-one years after 46 million cubic metres of rock, soil and snow cascaded down this mountainside, vegetation slowly reestablishes on the slope. I often find it a bit jarring to imagine what it would be like to witness such an event – from a safe distance away, of course.
An old photograph shows the barren landscape a short time after the slide occurred. Other photographs online (e.g., here via a UBC Earth Science course and here via the Wikipedia article) are more contemporary and do not show a drastic difference in vegetation. However, subtle changes can be seen if you spend some time making close comparisons between the photographs.
It might be interesting to speculate on why the vegetation has reestablished in the uneven manner that it has, so please feel free to comment.
Speaking of comments, I've enjoyed the back-and-forth discussion for the Quercus garryana entry – interesting perspectives!
Photography resource link: for inspiration (and some humour - see gallery six), the photography of Sue Alden from Pennsylvania.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:41 AM | Comments (8)
May 16, 2006
Anemone patens var. multifida
A big thanks to silvercreek_garden@Flickr for today's image (original image | submitted via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool). This photograph is a great companion to a previous flower image of Anemone patens var. multifida on BPotD.
Each of the long “hairs” is part of an individual seed; in botanical terms, each one is a long-villose, plumose beak of an achene (ref: FNA account for Anemone patens var. multifida). Translating that into descriptive terms, you'd come up with “a simple dry fruit with a single seed (achene) with an appendage (beak) that is feathery (plumose) and covered in long, soft hairs (long-villose)”.
As you might imagine, the seeds are typically dispersed by the wind. I've also read that the seeds can attach themselves to animal fur and be dispersed that way.
Botany / horticulture resource link: Plants and Japan by Masashi Yamaguchi is jam-packed with interesting writing and photographs. In my opinion, the highlight of the site is the section on “Plants and the Japanese”; this area provides insight into the cultural and economic importance of plants to the Japanese. If you're exploring the site, don't stop there, though – much to see and admire! This site was suggested by Brent Hine. Thanks Brent!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:03 AM | Comments (1)
May 15, 2006
Magnolia ashei
Quentin Cronk, director of UBC Botanical Garden, contributed today's photograph, recently taken in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, aka the Duke University Botanic Garden (in North Carolina).
Quentin supplied this text from the Flora of North America account for Ashe's magnolia:
“Magnolia ashei, the rarest species of Magnolia in the flora, is limited to six counties in the Florida panhandle; it is in danger of extirpation because of habitat disturbance. Magnolia ashei differs from M. macrophylla in being a smaller, often multitrunked tree with smaller leaves, fewer stamens and pistils, smaller seeds, smaller stipules, filiform trichomes, and smaller, nearly glabrous, cylindric follicetums. The flowers are often borne in pairs. Magnolia ashei flowers at an early age (three to four years from seed); it is a desirable small tree in cultivation.”
Photography resource link: For inspiration, the photography of Danny Burk. If you only have the time to browse through one gallery of his photographs, see Danny's favorites.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:45 AM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2006
Brunnera macrophylla
A representative from one of my favourite families of plants, the Boraginaceae (or borage family), concludes the Perennial Plant Sale series. Plants in the borage family can be found on nearly every land mass on Earth, with the exception of some parts of Arctic Canada, most of Greenland, the Saharan Desert, Antarctica and New Zealand's North Island (and I'm sure some smaller islands). This particular species, Siberian bugloss, has a native distribution ranging from western Siberia to the Caucasus Mountains.
Plantings of Siberian bugloss on a border edge can attract the eye from distances of 25m or more. Closer to the planting, however, I've noticed some deception – my eyes see the plants as being a dense mass of blue, yet the photographs I've taken so far all mirror today's BPotD image – more foliage and fewer flowers than in my mind's eye.
The Kemper Center from Missouri Botanical Garden provides gardening information for Brunnera macrophylla.
Photography resource link: Being an Artist in Business (Part 1) by Alain Briot, part of the Aesthetics and Photography essay series on The Luminous Landscape.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
May 13, 2006
Lobelia tupa
This Chilean native is the fourth entry in this week's Perennial Plant Sale series (plant lists). The whole plant is reportedly poisonous, yet also smoked as a narcotic. This likely lends credence to its common name, devil's tobacco.
The Royal Horticultural Society has a small article about the genus Lobelia, with a particular emphasis on Lobelia tupa in cultivation.
I'm not particularly happy about the strong background lighting with these photographs. I have my eye on the plants growing in the South American section of the Alpine Garden so that I can attempt another image when they are in flower (late summer locally).
Horticulture / history resource link: From the University of Arizona's Arid Lands newsletter, Paradise on Earth: Historical Gardens of the Arid Middle East, an article by Safei El-Deen Hamed.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
May 12, 2006
Quercus garryana
Not all of the plants at the Perennial Plant Sale are herbaceous perennials. One of the trees available is this oak. In Canada, it is commonly known as Garry oak; in the United States, Oregon white oak is preferred used by the USDA PLANTS database, but it seems Garry oak is used far more often (see comments).
Garry oak meadow and woodland ecosystems are among the most endangered in Canada. Quercus garryana is only found in a few locations, primarily southern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. Read “Why are Garry oak ecosystems at risk?”, to learn more.
In order to help educate about the Garry oak ecosystem and its constituent organisms, UBC Botanical Garden has identified an area which will one day be developed into a reconstructed Garry oak woodland and meadow. The first elements of the area already exist with seven twenty-year old Garry oaks in the ground (including the one in today's photograph).
Photography resource link: Today's images to inspire come from the camera of Icelandic photographer Daniel Bergmann (galleries).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (11)
May 11, 2006
Prosartes hookeri var. oregana
Second in a series featuring plants from the upcoming Perennial Plant Sale, this plant will likely be sold under its well-known (but incorrect) scientific name, Disporum hookeri var. oreganum. The genus Disporum previously contained taxa from both eastern Asia and North America, but enough evidence was gathered that taxonomists were able to justify splitting the genus. Eastern Asian species remained in the genus Disporum, but North American species fell under the genus Prosartes. The Flora of North America account for Prosartes provides references.
The USDA PLANTS database entry for Prosartes hookeri var. oregana provides a common name I'd not previously encountered – Oregon drops of gold. I prefer the more commonly used fairy-bells or Hooker's fairy-bells.
For those of you who like to puzzle over odd plant distributions, this species is typically considered native to the western part of North America, but there is a disjunct population in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan.
Conservation / forestry resource link: “The Misunderstood Forest”, a manuscript by the late Dr. Gene Namkoong of the UBC Forest Sciences Department. This manuscript was originally suggested as reading material by Dr. Quentin Cronk since the preface by Dr. Namkoong brings the Carolinian Forest to life (particularly important for us at UBC Botanical Garden to understand with the new Carolinian Forest garden under development). From the foreword:
“The continuing story of human conflict over forest use and preservation is complex and bewildering, spanning thousands of years. However, since the early 1990’s, a widespread concern has emerged over the fate of the world's forests. Over the past decade or so, this has led to several international conferences and agreements, as well as dozens of books published on the general topic of man's generally destructive relationship with the earth's forests and wilderness. Many of these books provide a thorough analysis and describe local issues - from the historical events to the consequences in society and across the landscape. Among them, a substantial number focus on forestry in the controversial Pacific Northwest of North America.
In “The Misunderstood Forest”, Gene Namkoong set out to dig deeper in a quest to identify the fundamental problem that continues to drive the conflict. He highlights many of our major historical conflicts, from recent events to very long ago, and suggests that the crux in our conflict is a misunderstanding of what forests are, a misunderstanding that is as complex as the history.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:25 AM | Comments (4)
May 10, 2006
Dryas ×suendermannii
Long-time readers will know I like to feature plants from upcoming UBC Botanical Garden events and plant sales. With that in mind, today starts a small series showcasing a few of the plants available at this year's Perennial Plant Sale. If you're interested in browsing through what's available, the plant lists are available online for the first time ever this year.
Suendermann's avens is a hybrid between two species, the circumpolar Dryas octopetala and the northern North American Dryas drummondii. Dryas is rare, if not unique, within the rose family for having eight petals; most of the Rosaceae have five. In trying to investigate why Dryas has a strange number of petals, I've come up short. I'd personally be interested if anyone knew of any journal articles that explained the evolutionary mechanisms involved.
The massive quantities of Dryas pollen found in ice cores have prompted the naming of two historic cold climate episodes, the Younger Dryas stadial and the Older Dryas stadial.
Photography resource link: for inspiration, the photography of Jenny Ellerbe. Be sure to check out both the northeastern Louisiana landscapes and her black and white images (I really like this cotton study).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:22 AM | Comments (4)
May 9, 2006
Galium odoratum
Commonly known as sweet woodruff, hay plant, kiss-me-quick, mugwet, rockweed, sweet grass, woodruff, bedstraw, sweet-scented bedstraw, May grass, our lady's lace, sweet white woodruff or Waldmeister (“Master of the Forest”), this species has more common names than a three-toed sloth has toes (and begs the question as to why they aren't called twelve-toed sloths).
As you might have discerned from the common names, it is indeed sweetly-scented, and laced with the smell of fresh-mown hay. I had recently read that it has edible flowers (with a taste of “sweet, nutty, vanilla”), so I tried some yesterday – I'll stick to eating sweets, nuts and vanilla.
You can learn more about this plant in the garden here: Galium odoratum via the Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center for Home Gardening.
Keeping count? This is the 400th Botany Photo of the Day.
Agriculture resource link: Fruit Facts is a great site to learn about tropical and subtropical fruits.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
May 8, 2006
Acer palmatum var. dissectum
Art resource link: Aesthetic Arrest, an article from painter Robert Genn of The Painter's Keys on artworks that create moments when an “innocent viewer is stopped dead in his tracks and has no choice but to stare in awe.”
I'm not certain what the term might be for the similar moments when plants evoke the same feeling of awe. Botanic arrest? Or, perhaps, aesthetic arrest can also be applied to plants. Whatever term is used, today's photograph is a mere shadow of what it was that made me stop and stare. The element that is missing is motion; in a breeze, laceleaf maple flows like a waterfall or a flock of small birds in flight. It is certainly deserving of a Freeman Patterson approach in the future.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:07 AM | Comments (11)
May 7, 2006
Iris douglasiana (cultivar)
Today's nod of appreciation goes to Cliff aka The Marmot@Flickr. Cliff's original image is here: Douglas iris (via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Be sure to check out Cliff's set of photographs of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Thank you, Cliff!
Douglas iris is highly variable for traits such as flower colour and flower size. It also freely hybridizes with other species of Iris, including Iris innominata. Typically, these properties would lend themselves to an important role in Iris breeding and the creation of novel cultivated varieties. However, in the case of California irises (or Pacific coastal native irises) like Iris douglasiana and Iris innominata, the hybridization potential is limited due to growing requirements of these species. Few of the over four thousand cultivated irises have California irises in their parentage.
Extra Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pics: more photographs of irises! I'm revealing my ignorance here about the nomenclature of cultivated irises, but perhaps I'll investigate the names when I have a bit of time.
- Bearded Iris 1 and Bearded Iris 2 from bbum@Flickr
- Purple, White and Gold Louisiana Iris from Monceau@Flickr
Agriculture / genetics resource link: Transgenic Crops: An Introduction and Resource Guide. From the site: “The goal of this web site is to provide balanced information and links to other resources on the technology and issues surrounding transgenic crops (also known as genetically modified or GM crops). The site's authors are engaged in plant genetics research and teaching at Colorado State University. They receive no funds from companies involved in transgenic crop development, nor are they affiliated with groups campaigning against such crops.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
May 6, 2006
Phlomis fruticosa
Many thanks to Maureen aka MontanaRaven@Flickr for sharing today's image. The original photograph is here: Phlomis growing wild on Crete (via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool).
I'm making an assumption that this is Phlomis fruticosa, but I might be wrong in my identification – Daniel.
The genus Phlomis is distributed throughout Europe, Asia and northern Africa. This particular species is widespread in the Mediterranean region, but shrubby Jerusalem sage is also a common plant in cultivation.
The UK-based National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens Gloucestershire maintains a tidy web site on its (again, UK-based) National Collection of Phlomis that is worth investigating to see the diversity within the genus (when photographs are present).
Extra Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pics: also in the Lamiaceae, or mint family, Lamium purpureum 1 and Lamium purpureum 2. This plant is commonly known as red deadnettle. Thanks to Wontolla65@Flickr!
In local news, the Alpine Garden Club of BC is having their spring plant sale today – highly recommended for both selection and price.
Lastly, there's a small interview with me about BPotD over on the Small Business Blog that might be of interest.
Photography resource link: Not a resource per se today, but a photograph instead. From Deadvlei, Namibia, “Red Dragon” by Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape. Wow.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
May 5, 2006
Centaurea montana
Perennial cornflower or mountain bluet is native to the mountains of southern Europe. However, thanks to its propensity to “escape” from gardens and naturalize, it can now be found as a non-native species throughout much of the rest of Europe and parts of North America. The Colorado State University's Cooperative Extension has a tidy article on Centaurea, including the history behind the name.
Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pic of the Day: a relative of the plant in today's image, Centaurea cyanus from the creative eye of Angel's Lens@Flickr (be sure to check out her other plant images!).
Botany / culture resource link: Botanical and Cultural Images of Eastern Asia, 1907-1927, a newly released virtual exhibit from the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard. Suggested by Dr. Quentin Cronk, director of UBC Garden.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:38 AM | Comments (1)
May 4, 2006
Eschscholzia californica
This is the second appearance of California poppy on Botany Photo of the Day – I encourage you to read (or reread) the entry from the first time it appeared: Eschscholzia californica. Eschscholzia is one of forty-one genera in the the poppy family, Papaveraceae. This family is generally restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, but some members can be found in western South America and South Africa.
Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pics of the Day are photographs of Eschscholzia californica from different perspectives:
- Poppies on the bluff near the lighthouse at Point Reyes (California) from marymactavish@Flickr
- California poppies from bbum@Flickr
- Poppyland from ken mccown@Flickr
Off-topic, but I've been intending to highlight some of the web sites mentioning BPotD for a little while now. First of all, Foothills Fancies, a weblog by lichen-aficionado Sally White of Colorado mentions BPotD as her favourite botany blog – thanks Sally, I promise to have more lichens soon.
Top Ten Sources is a “directory of sites that bring you the freshest, most relevant content on the Web” chose BPotD as part of their Top Ten Sources for Gardening.
Finally, Brian Brown operates Pajama Market – Small Business Blog of the Day and selected BPotD as his Small Business Blog of the Day for April 6. Why? As Brian says, “I included this blog on this website because I think it is a perfect example of what a business can do to massively expand their exposure...” I don't know if I'd use the word “massively”, but there has certainly been an uptick in the number of people visiting the garden's web site thanks to BPotD (so thank you for visiting and revisiting!).
Photography / nature resource link: Flowers in Ultra-Violet by Norwegian nature photographer Bjørn Rørslett reveals the hidden patterns of flowers.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
May 3, 2006
Davidia involucrata 'Sonoma'
'Sonoma' is an early-flowering cultivar of the choice dove tree (or handkerchief tree) – in fact, this particular cultivar is a Great Plant Pick.
Davidia involucrata is often considered to be the only member of its genus, though not always; Wikipedia discusses the occasionally recognized Davidia vilmoriniana. One species or two, the genus remains endemic to China. This wasn't always the case, as the genus Davidia was once widespread across North America (see: Manchester, SR. 2002. Leaves and fruits of Davidia (Cornales) from the Paleocene of North America. Systematic Botany. 27(2):368-382). Dr. Steven Manchester, author of the cited paper, has included some of the images online from a fossil North American Davidia: Davidia antiqua leaf, Davidia antiqua fruit 1 and Davidia antiqua fruit 2.
UBC BG Forums BPotD Submissions Pics of the Day: Images of the species Davidia involucrata, photographed in the Riverview Arboretum (Coquitlam, British Columbia) by jimmyq@UBC-Forums.
Photography resource link: The Essential Landscape: Artists – Stand Up For Your Art!, an opinion piece by Guy Tal for Nature Photographers Online that advocates against the use of rigid definitions on what is considered “true” nature photography.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
May 2, 2006
Gunnera tinctoria
Updated and rewritten May 2, 2006 at 10:45am PST to incorporate the proper identification of this plant by Douglas Justice (see comments below).
Commonly known as giant rhubarb or Chilean rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria, is earmarked as a potentially invasive plant in New Zealand. Carol Ja, a member of the UBC Forums, posted in this thread about a report from New Zealand examining this exotic species: Williams, PA et al. 2005. Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria): biology, ecology and conservation impacts in New Zealand (PDF). DOC Research & Development Series 210. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 27 p. (figure 6 on page 21 is both impressive and sad). The report also notes a few observations about naturalizing populations of a related species, Gunnera manicata, suggesting that it also needs to be monitored for invasiveness potential.
Gunnera manicata is native to southeastern Brazil. Some references suggest that this species is also native to Colombia, but this has been rejected through a molecular phylogenetic analysis (see: Wanntorp L, H-E Wanntorp and M. Källersjö. 2002. The identity of Gunnera manicata Linden ex André - resolving a Brazilian-Colombian enigma. Taxon. 51(3):493-497). Thought to have the largest leaves of all Gunnera species, a cultivated plant in Ireland had leaves that measured 3.4m (11ft) in width – all from one growing season (via Wikipedia's entry on Gunnera)
Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pics of the Day: more photographs of today's plant, Gunnera chilensis tinctoria 1 and Gunnera chilensis tinctoria 2, photographed in San Francisco's Strybing Arboretum by EricinSF@Flickr (note: see Douglas Justice's comments below re: synonymy of Gunnera tinctoria and Gunnera chilensis).
Photography / biology resource link: BioMedia (particularly the galleries) provides photographic glimpses into the lives of creatures not usually seen with the naked eye. Photographs are often accompanied by short, informative essays.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (15)
May 1, 2006
Erythronium revolutum
Last year, I visited the Honeymoon Bay Ecological Reserve specifically to seek out these flowers. Unfortunately, I'd visited a couple weeks too late, so only a few flowers were still in bloom in this area claimed to have the densest patch of the species in British Columbia. What I did find, however, was a number of weedy invaders throughout the area. Upon reflection, this isn't surprising – this triangular-shaped 6ha (15 acre) reserve is bordered on two sides by road, making it very susceptible to the ecological phenomenon known as the edge effect.
Flickr BPotD Group Pool Pic of the Day: From the same plant family as Erythronium, the centre of a Lilium flower, by Wontolla65@Flickr.
Botany resource link: Stem and Root Anatomy by Wayne Armstrong.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:58 AM | Comments (5)
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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.