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June 30, 2007
Erythronium montanum
Although I'm away in the field and most entries will be brief during the next couple weeks, summer student Raakel Toppila has stepped in to help write a few entries, including today's accompaniment to the photo. – Daniel
Thank you to Brent aka foliosus@Flickr from Portland, Oregon for sharing today's image (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
Erythronium montanum, or avalanche lily, can be found in subalpine meadows and coniferous forests of Washington, Oregon and southern British Columbia (distribution map). It is among twenty-nine trout lilies native to North America, (list of North American species). The plants take advantage of high soil moisture, blooming just after snow melt.
Erythronium comes for the Greek word meaning red, “erythros”. I have read that this refers to a pink-flowered species used to make dye; however, I cannot find a reliable source supporting this fact. More usefully, knowing this prefix can help when encountering other botanical names, such as erythrocalyx (red calyx), erythrocarpus (red fruit) or erythropodus (red-footed or red-stalked).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (8)
June 29, 2007
Erigeron linearis
Tomorrow, permits in hand, Brent Hine and I will be on our way to Nevada, Oregon and Washington on a seed-collecting expedition for two weeks. A trip made possible by the generous support of the Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia, the purpose of the trip is to gather wild collected seed for the Intermountain Dry Habitat House. I chose today's photograph as it is a representation of the areas we'll be collecting in – open landscapes with the occasional herb or shrub amidst the grasses. Between Brent and myself, we're going to do our best to post daily entries about the expedition on the UBC Botanical Garden Blog, though it won't always be possible – some places simply won't have web access. You're invited to follow along on our trip!
The small daisy-like flower in the lower middle of the photograph is Erigeron linearis, or desert yellow fleabane (or linear-leaf fleabane or desert yellow daisy). This plant of western North America will be a constant companion on our trip, as it is found throughout the range of where we will be collecting east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Paul Slichter has compiled a factsheet on Erigeron linearis and a few more photographs can be found as part of the Oregon Flora Image Project.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
June 28, 2007
Passiflora miniata
Thanks again to Earl B. of the eastern USA for contributing an image to BPotD, this time from a recent vacation to Costa Rica (I'm envious!).
For decades, if not centuries, this species in the photograph has been known in cultivation as Passiflora coccinea. However, what is pictured here is not the same species as was described by Aublet in 1775. The true Passiflora coccinea (or scarlet passionflower) is quite different from the plant in the photograph; for example, it has two series of corona filaments with the outer series being white or pale pink, large floral bracts and upright pear-shaped fruits that are golden-brown in colour. The Passiflora coccinea of cultivation has three series of corona filaments, the outer series being purple in colour and the two inner series being white (as shown in today's image), small floral bracts (also illustrated today) and large, subspherical, pendulous (and variegated!) fruits.
After learning that this isn't Passiflora coccinea, the logical question that follows is: “What is it?” Hard to believe, perhaps, for a plant that has been cultivated in tropical areas around the world, but it didn't have a published scientific name until 2006, when John Vanderplank set the record straight about Passiflora coccinea and Passiflora miniata in an article in the (subscription-only, sorry) Curtis's Botanical Magazine (Vanderplank, J. 2006. 562. Passiflora miniata. Passifloraceae. Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 23 (3):223–230).
Since the name Passiflora coccinea has been used for so long for this species in cultivation, it is important to establish a link between Passiflora miniata and the wrongly applied name. Botanists will do this by writing Passiflora miniata Vanderpl. (syn. Passiflora coccinea hort.), with the “hort.” meaning “of horticulture”.
The Germplasm Resources Information Network contains the correct information (and species distribution) for Passiflora miniata. On most other sites (and search engines), you'll have to mentally substitute Passiflora miniata when you see Passiflora coccinea, e.g., on the Kemper Center for Home Gardening entry on red granadilla.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:01 AM | Comments (8)
June 27, 2007
Stemonitis sp.
Thank you to C. Wick of Atchison, Kansas for sharing today's photograph. It was originally posted to the garden's fungus and lichen identification forum.
This is the third slime mold to be featured on BPotD (previous entries: Fuligo septica | Physarum cinereum). Personally, I have a soft spot for them; what's not to like about organisms infrequently encountered with unusual forms?
Generally, online and print resources on slime molds are scarce. In this case, however, Gary Emberger has written a factsheet on Stemonitis, or, as he suggests for common names, chocolate tube slime, tree hair or pipe cleaner slime. Digging a little deeper (i.e., seeing what's available via Google Scholar), I also discovered that Stemonitis is a food source for mites, beetles and terrestrial molluscs (e.g., slugs) – see Keller, H. and K. Snell. 2002. Feeding activities of slugs on Myxomycetes and macrofungi (PDF). Mycologia. 94(5): 757-760.
In BPotD news, the next few days are a good time to submit photographs via Flickr or the UBC BG forums, as I'll be using plenty over the next six weeks. Starting Saturday, I'll be out in the field with Brent Hine for two weeks (more on this in the next few days), back in the office for two weeks, and then off again for another two.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:20 AM | Comments (14)
June 26, 2007
Hypericum perforatum
Common St. John's wort is easily recognized, with the plant's distinguishing characteristics including five yellow petals (often ringed with black dots), opposite leaf arrangement and — the reason for the epithet perforatum — leaves that are pellucid. Held up to the light, the leaves appear perforated, though the “holes” are actually transluscent oil glands.
Some of what was written yesterday about foxglove could be applied to common St. John's wort: a species native to Eurasia that has been widely introduced elsewhere, including North America, South America, Australia and South Africa; a species fatal to livestock; and a medicinal use for humans.
Hypericum perforatum has been so successful upon introduction into new areas that it is considered a high-risk invasive plant in some jurisdictions. In typical invasive fashion, it can form dense stands (scroll down to see related photos) and crowd out native plants. This quality combined with the fact that it is poisonous to livestock (it can induce mania and depression, act as an abortifacient, cause dermatitis and lead to death) helped it to develop a reputation as a hated weed.
That reputation has been somewhat softened in recent years with the confirmation of its efficacy as an antidepressant in humans. Wikipedia and the Plants for a Future database provide good summaries of current and historical medicinal use in humans.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:28 AM | Comments (1)
June 25, 2007
Digitalis purpurea
Three prominent vertical forms cover much of the land at Stoneworld on Galiano Island, BC: megaliths, stinging nettles and purple foxgloves. The latter two are clearly avoided by the sheep inhabiting the grounds, and with good reason; the stinging nettles, I assume, would cause blistering, whereas the foxglove is simply fatal.
The species is similarly poisonous to humans, though in low and measured doses it is used to treat heart failure. The Plants for a Future factsheet for Digitalis purpurea points out the need for extreme caution: “Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose”. Not a plant to be trifled with! Wikipedia provides a good summary of Digitalis purpurea / Digitalis and the associated cardiac glycosides digitoxin and digoxin.
Despite its potential to poison, it remains a popular garden ornamental. An introduced plant to western and eastern North America (where it can be a common sight), I suspect its spread is due to escapees from home gardens. The species is native to much of Europe.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:21 AM | Comments (8)
June 24, 2007
Letharia columbiana
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Brown-eyed wolf lichen is considered one of two species in the genus Letharia (the other being Letharia vulpina). At first glance, it is readily distinguished from its counterpart by the presence of brown apothecia. However, read Susanne Altermann's “A Second Look at Letharia (Th. Fr.) Zahlbr” (PDF) from the Winter 2004 Bulletin of the California Lichen Society for information that suggests the classification of species in the genus might be a bit more complicated than at first glance.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
June 23, 2007
Plantago maritima
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
To borrow a phrase: your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to solve a small mystery. Try using a search engine to discover the distribution of seaside plantain (or goose-tongue) – I'll almost guarantee that if you visit three different web sites, you'll get at least two different answers.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
June 22, 2007
Postelsia palmaeformis
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Sea palms are one of the few algae covered in-depth on Wikipedia: Postelsia palmaeformis. Like Pelvetiopsis limitata, it is found from the coasts of northern Vancouver Island to the coastal waters of mid-California.
This is the last photograph in the current series on algae. For the definitive photograph of sea palms, see this image of sea palms by Wynn Bullock (one of my all-time favourites).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
June 21, 2007
Laminaria setchellii
I've mentioned in a previous BPotD entry that the waters of the northeast Pacific contain more species of kelp than anywhere else in the world. Today's photographs illustrate another member of that diverse group, southern stiff-stiped kelp (by the way, there are no search engine results for northern stiff-stiped kelp, so I think stiff-stiped kelp should suffice as a common name). Ecologically, this alga grows from the low intertidal zone on open rocky shores to complete submergence, where it can sometimes be an understory species in kelp forests.
Decew's Guide once again provides some background and references: Laminaria setchellii. The photo gallery at Algaebase provides a more conventional presentation of this species, if you'd like to investigate.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
June 20, 2007
Ulva intestinalis
Today's photographs and write-up are courtesy of Douglas Justice, UBC Botanical Garden's Curator of Collections. This is the second in a series of at least four BPotD entries on algae.
Ulva intestinalis is pictured here attached to smooth basaltic rock in brackish water on MacKenzie Beach, just north of Pacific Rim National Park. This species is a common feature of tidepools around the world, where it is known variously as sea hair or (more appropriately) gut weed. An annual species, local beaches are littered with their bleached, dried-up stems as temperatures fall in the autumn.
Daniel adds: Note that many references will have this algae under the name Enteromorpha intestinalis (L.) Nees, e.g., DeCew's Guide. For a long time, Enteromorpha was considered a distinct genus from Ulva, based mainly on its tubular growth form. The two genera have now been merged; see Hayden et al. 2003. Linnaeus was right all along: Ulva and Enteromorpha are not distinct genera. (PDF) European Journal of Phycology. 38: 277-294.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:10 AM | Comments (1)
June 19, 2007
Pelvetiopsis limitata
I revisited Botanical Beach on the weekend, in what I hope becomes an annual trip for me – it's one of my favourite places in the world. I found it strange that I and my companion were the only ones on the beach on early Saturday morning; I thought the attraction of seeing a zero tide, one of the lowest tides of the year here, would lure more people. More people did visit eventually, but it was perhaps an hour after the zero tide mark before we saw the first few, with numbers gradually increasing after that.
Pelvetiopsis limitata is distributed along the west coast of North America, from northern Vancouver Island to the mid-California coast in San Luis Obispo County. One curious morphological variation that occurs from north to south is an increase in the density of surficial hairs, such that the individuals in California are covered in fine hairs. Jennifer Skene of UC Berkeley is researching the origin, formation and function of these hairs, and whether they might have an impact upon buffering the effects of climate change.
Decew's Guide at the Center for Phycological Documentation contains a guide page about Pelvetiopsis limitata, including journal references associated with each of the facts (very handy). The Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network has more photographs of this species in its factsheet on Pelvetiopsis limitata.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:03 AM | Comments (6)
June 18, 2007
Acacia rigens
A big thank you to Katy S. aka Mellifera K@Flickr for sharing another one of her photographs (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Something very different!
Katy explains with the photograph: “This is a fluorescence image of a cross-section through an Acacia rigens phyllode (leaf). The central round portions are the nerves (veins) that run from the base of the cylindrical phyllode to its tip. They are attached to the surface of the phyllode by sclerophyllous caps.” For an idea of what Katy means by cylindrical phyllode, she provides another photograph of needle wattle: Acacia rigens — the long, tubular leaves are very evident.
Sclerophyllous caps refers, I believe, to the spokes of cells radiating outward from the centre. The walls of these cells are lignified (containing lignin) and are the cause of the phyllodes being stiff and tough. On the surface, it might appear that this is an adaptation to prevent water loss or herbivory. While this may be the case in some instances, it is mainly considered a strategy to promote growth in phosphorus-poor soils, since lignin production doesn't require phosphorus (or requires very little – sorry, I'm not a biochemist). This strategy is so prevalent in some places that entire areas of Australia (and a few regions elsewhere) are considered sclerophyll forests.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2007
Fremontodendron californicum
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Today's photograph is courtesy of Lotus J. aka ngawangchodron@Flickr (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated, as always.
The generic name of California flannelbush, Fremontodendron, is named for John C. Frémont, an American military officer, botanist and explorer. His accomplishments included naming the Great Basin and being the first Republican candidate for the office of President. He seems to have been quite the character. Under the meaning of fremontii (you'll need to scroll down), Michael Charters quotes a line from an LA times review of a biography: “He turned golden promise into the dross of failure”.
California flannelbush is native to California and Arizona.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
June 16, 2007
Myosotis sp.
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
J. Onstott of Albany, Oregon is the photographer behind today's picture (posted via the BPotD Submission Forum in this thread after being identified here. Thank you!
Despite the misplaced assertions of a few web sites, the name Myosotis means “mouse-eared” and not forget-me-not — the latter is simply the common name for this group of plants. Paghat has an as-always interesting write-up on Myosotis delving into some legends surrounding the flower, while Brian Johnston has an extensive article complete with photomicrographs on the Microscopy UK site: “A Close-up View of Two Forget-me-nots”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
June 15, 2007
Erythrina stricta var. suberosa
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Dinesh from India (aka dinesh_valke@Flickr) for today's colourful photograph (original image | Flickr BPotD Group Pool). It's very much appreciated!
It is far more common that this coral tree is presented with the scientific name Erythrina suberosa online, but its taxonomic status was changed in 1992 to being recognized as only a variety of Erythrina stricta. It is native to southeast and south Asia.
Additional photographs of this plant by Dinesh can be seen in this Flickr grouping.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
June 14, 2007
Near Vantage, Washington
Across the Columbia River from Vantage, Washington is an interesting roadside area (map) that is best described as a “natural rock garden”. I've centred the map in that link, and the extent of the area is roughly 2500m N-S x 1000m E-W (approx. 1.5mi x 0.5 mi).
Geologically, the area is composed of basaltic outcroppings with (curiously) some small sand dunes interspersed in low-lying areas. Basalt outcroppings are found throughout central and eastern Washington state, but in my experience (and from what I've heard from others), this particular area is special for the extent and diversity of associated vegetation. However, I don't know the area well enough to be able to say with certainty how this occurs (if I had to guess, I'd suggest higher rainfall).
The purple-flowered subshrub in the foreground is Salvia dorrii, or purple sage. Most of the yellow-flowered plants, I believe, are Erigeron linearis, commonly known as yellow desert daisy. I've not identified the other subshrub yet.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:45 AM | Comments (2)
June 13, 2007
Bougainvillea glabra (unknown selection)
Today's photograph is courtesy of David Tarrant, who recently retired from UBC Botanical Garden. This image was taken two months ago in his garden in Mexico. Thank you, David!
Paperflower or bougainvillea, although native to Brazil, is now widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical world due to its popularity as an ornamental plant (it is also grown as a houseplant in temperate climates). As is fairly common when something becomes so widely cultivated, a number of varieties and hybrids exist, so tracking down the name of an unknown cultivated plant can be tricky (hence today's photograph marked as an unknown selection).
The colourful “petals” are actually modified leaves; these large bracts surround the small, whitish flowers that (appropriately) resemble other flowers in the tropical-to-warm-temperate Nyctaginaceae.
Bougainvillea glabra was featured on Cal's Plant of the Week, where the discovery of the plant and associated historical tidbits are mentioned.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:46 AM | Comments (8)
June 12, 2007
Alnus sieboldiana
A grateful thanks to Mbc of Germany for contributing today's image via the UBC BG BPotD Submissions forum in this thread. Mbc made this photograph while on a mountainside hike near Kyoto, Japan.
When you become familiar with the scientific names of plants, you can sometimes glean some additional information about a plant new to you at a glance. In this case, the epithet sieboldiana tells me that the plant is named after Philipp Franz von Siebold, which in turns suggests the plant is native to Japan (and indeed it is). A similar trick works for recognizing the name of the person (or people) who scientifically described a species and published a name (i.e., the author). For example, Acer carpinifolium was published by Sieb. & Zucc. — and again, one can be reasonably certain it is native to at least Japan. The reason this works, of course, is because botanists (prior to air travel) tended to work in a specific geographical area or on a particular regional flora.
Von Siebold was a German-born physician and botanist. While working as a Dutch army medical officer, von Siebold was stationed in Japan as a scientist and doctor during the 1820s. It was during this time that he amassed botanically and horticulturally valuable collections of thousands of both living and preserved specimens of plants. The preserved specimens later resulted in von Siebold and Zuccarini (Sieb. & Zucc.) coauthoring Flora Japonica. Von Siebold's first tenure in Japan ended when he was discovered to possess detailed maps of Japan and Korea, an act for which he was expelled in 1830 (another act which likely would have sent him home sooner, had it been discovered, was aiding the smuggling of young tea plants to the Dutch colony in Java).
While the fruiting structure illustrated in today's photograph resembles a conifer cone, I notice the term is avoided in the summary of Alnus in the Flora of North America. Instead, the structure is described as an infructescence, consisting of persistent, 5-lobed, woody scales. It is the result of the bracts of the fruiting catkin becoming woody as the seeds mature.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:47 AM | Comments (4)
June 11, 2007
Penstemon eriantherus
Maureen aka MontanaRaven@Flickr (and frequent BPotD commenter) is the artist contributing today's photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Maureen shares her work via her weblog, raven's nest, and her photoblog, Land of Little Rain. Thanks once again, Maureen.
A glance at the flower in the upper left provides reason enough for two of the common names of this species: fuzzytongue penstemon or crested beardtongue. This is a plant of the open spaces that define parts of western North America, as shown by its distribution in the USA and presence in Alberta and British Columbia. I'm not certain if it is found further east in Canada; since it can be found in the North Dakotan grasslands, perhaps it is also present in Saskatchewan.
Both the Burke Museum and E-Flora BC provide more images of this species. This photograph by Virginia Skilton shows with particular clarity the bearded staminode (or sterile stamen) that is responsible for both the common name and specific epithet (eriantherus means “woolly anther”).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:07 AM | Comments (2)
June 10, 2007
Fuchsia procumbens
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
A thank you to JPierre of Préaux, France, for sharing today's photograph (submitted via this thread on the UBC BG discussion forums). Merci beaucoup!
Creeping fuchsia is native to the North Island of New Zealand, where it is sparsely distributed and sometimes considered threatened. JPierre originally posted this taxon as Fuchsia procumbens var. kirkii, a name which I'm uncertain was ever scientifically published (Fuchsia kirkii Hook. f., though, was published but is now typically considered a synonym of Fuchsia procumbens). There is a reason for recognizing it as something distinct, though it seems most taxonomists do not feel the distinction warrants separating the species into forms or varieties. Fuchsia procumbens is heterostylous, meaning different morphological forms of the flower exist. In the case of the morph in today's photograph, the flower is short-styled (this is referable to what was once known as Fuchsia kirkii). Two other flower morphs exist, one with a style of intermediate length, and another with a long style that greatly exceeds the stamens in length. Wikipedia has an explanation of the function of heterostyly.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
June 9, 2007
Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks again to Wayne of the UK (aka WLA@Flickr) for sharing one of his great photographs (BPotD Flickr Group Pool | original). If you haven't visited it recently, drop by Wayne's weblog, Earth, Wind &Water, to see some of Wayne's other photos (including underwater critters!).
Most references for blue water lily will offer a scientific name of Nymphaea capensis, but it seems a bit of reorganization in the genus has resulted in Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea being favoured as the correct name. The South Africa National Biodiversity Institute has an extensive factsheet on this taxon.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:52 AM | Comments (2)
June 8, 2007
Iris laevigata 'Royal Cartwheel'
Species and cultivars of Iris pseudacorus, Iris versicolor, Iris virginica and Iris laevigata form the horticultural grouping of irises known as the water irises. Today's plants are growing in a section of the Asian Garden that is often saturated with water throughout the winter and early spring, and damp the remainder of the year.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:03 AM | Comments (7)
June 7, 2007
Eucalyptus coccifera
In a typical year, this Tasmanian snowgum looks like this, full of foliage and flowers. However, the harsh, extended cold of last winter killed most of the exposed living tissue. This left the tree covered in grey-brown dead leaves; for a few months, it looked dead. As you can see, though, the tree is recovering.
The effect of the cold replicated a phenomenon more often seen in Eucalyptus after a severe fire — regrowth from epicormic buds (i.e., buds within the bark of the tree). The abstract from this paper, Epicormic strand structure in Angophora, Eucalyptus and Lophostemon (Myrtaceae) – implications for fire resistance and recovery by Burrows in 2002, summarizes the phenomenon tidily: “In most angiosperm trees dormant epicormic buds are present in the outer bark, a position where they could be killed by fire. By contrast, in eucalypts the greatest epicormic bud initiation potential is at the level of the vascular cambium, which is protected by the maximum bark thickness. This might explain the pronounced ability of eucalypts to produce bole and branch epicormic shoots after moderate to intense fire.” I'll repeat myself and append “or moderate to severe cold”.
I don't know how many years will be required before the plant flowers again, but it seems to be on the road to recovery. In contrast, a number of younger plants of other species of Eucalyptus in the Alpine Garden did not have thick enough bark to withstand the cold. I believe the dead plants are slated for removal.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:23 AM | Comments (3)
June 6, 2007
Linaria triornithophora
Thank you to Paulo Varaújo of Dias com árvores for sharing today's image with us, from a small wooded area in Porto, Portugal (original via the BPotD Submissions forum).
In Portugal, Paulo mentions, the common name for this plant is esporas-bravas — “wild spurs”. In English, the common name of yellow-throated purple toadflax seems to have been pushed aside by a more romantic name, “three birds flying”. To be fair, the latter more closely resembles the epithet triornithophora, meaning “to bear three birds”.
This endemic to the Iberian Peninsula is becoming more widely cultivated. Unfortunately, there is some potential for it to become a weedy invasive like its cousin Linaria dalmatica; it is already listed as an adventive weed in New Zealand. However, it's not simple to assess in advance whether a plant will become invasive or not. Each species has its own spread dynamic (PDF), which, if determined, would have some predictive value.
Like many other former genera of the once-mighty Scrophulariaceae, Linaria has been shifted into the Plantaginaceae, or plantain family. One of the papers documenting the evidence for the change is available online: Olmstead et al.. 2001. Disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae. American Journal of Botany. 88:348-361.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:04 AM | Comments (3)
June 5, 2007
Atropa belladonna
I've previously featured deadly nightshade in fruit, so that entry contains some background on this poisonous plant. The epithet belladonna translates to “beautiful lady”. The reason commonly cited for the name is the attractiveness caused by the pupil dilation that accompanies an application of atropine to the eye (this technique was used centuries ago as part of make-up preparations). I'm not entirely convinced, though, as I have a suspicion that the name predates that practice. Perhaps it has more to do with the legend of the plant metamorphosizing into a woman on Walpurgis Night. Or, perhaps it was the Roman equivalent of “beer goggles”, where nightshade-laced wine had the effect of reducing inhibitions and inducing hallucinations.
As Stephen Howser explains in this article on Atropa belladonna for the Southern Illinois University Herbarium, deadly nightshade has had other uses besides beauty and parties. It could be considered one of the first chemical weapons, as Romans used it to poison enemy food supplies. Contrarily, it was also developed as an antidote to a (never deployed) nerve gas in World War II. Historically, it was also blended with other plants to create a local anesthetic.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:41 AM | Comments (4)
June 4, 2007
Ephedra frustillata
I've covered most broadly-defined groups of plants on Botany Photo of the Day in the past two-plus years. However, here's a representative of one group that I've neglected to date, the gnetophytes.
Traditionally, seed-bearing plants were thought to be divided into two groups: the angiosperms (flowering plants with seeds developing within a carpel) and gymnosperms (non-flowering plants with seeds developing naked on the scale of a cone or equivalent). While the angiosperms remain a phylogenetically-sound group (i.e., all derived from a common ancestor), the gymnosperms are now thought to be an artifical grouping. In other words, we use the term gymnosperms for non-flowering seed-bearing plants because it is convenient to do so and not because it reflects a common-ancestor evolutionary relationship among the plant groups with those qualities.
The gnetophytes, including the genus Ephedra, are one of four groups traditionally thought of as gymnosperms (the other three being conifers, cycads and ginkgos). However, they differ from the other three groups in that they contain vessel elements, a cell type found in the water-conducting tissues. Interestingly, vessel elements are commonplace in the flowering plants. The presence of vessel elements in the gnetophytes has long been held up as one of the hints that the gymnosperms are an artifical grouping, with the corollary that the evolutionary relationships among the groups is more complex than it seems at first glance.
Ephedra is typically distributed across the northern hemisphere, but Ephedra frustillata is one of the exceptions. It is found in Tierra del Fuego as well as mainland Argentina and Chile (here's a photo of it in habitat). The macro photograph shows the pollen-producing male cones in detail (and they were producing heavily; the legs of my tripod were painted yellow after taking these images).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:14 AM | Comments (4)
June 3, 2007
Tulipa 'Queen of Night'
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
A nod of appreciation to fotrristi@Flickr aka Pygge of Sweden for today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
I encourage you to read Pygge's comments accompanying her photograph, but if you don't, I should at least pass along the name of the tulips in the background: Tulipa 'Blushing Apeldoorn'.
Interested in black plants? Read Black Plants for Green Thumbs by Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont Extension Office.
Botany resource link (for Canadians): Pollination Canada is “a new ‘citizen science’ program, that allows the Canadian public to participate in a nationwide survey of pollinators.”. The idea is to monitor insect populations and diversity across Canada, so that declines in numbers or disappearances of species can be flagged and researched. Pollination Canada is a joint venture of Seeds of Diversity Canada and Environment Canada's Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordinating Office.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:30 PM | Comments (3)
June 2, 2007
Liriodendron tulipifera
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to arnaut from Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands for today's photograph shared via this thread on the UBC forums.
Tulip tree is native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America. The Silvics of North America entry on Liriodendron tulipifera provides excellent information.
On a different note, BPotD and the garden web site will be down from 10pm tonight Vancouver time until 9am or so tomorrow morning. The building hosting the web server is undergoing more electrical upgrades, so the server will be shut down.
Botany resource link: More photographs from the recent Botany BC conference in Osoyoos, BC are now available on Ian Cumming's Photos of Hiking and Wildflowers. I've linked to Ian's page before, but considering the recent series of photos on BPotD from my trip to the conference, I thought I'd point out Ian's far more comprehensive pages for you to enjoy.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
June 1, 2007
Cirsium clokeyi
Many thanks to plasmodiafiend@Flickr for sharing today's image (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
I'm one generation removed from being able to tell you stories of running through cow pastures and stepping on field thistles (“but we kids didn't whine in those days, we never noticed them”). However, I suspect even my leather-footed aunts and uncles would have purposefully veered away from whitespine thistle, which, as plasmodiafiend points out, is the most heavily-armed native thistle in North America. Of course, unless they had lived in a very specific area of Nevada, they would never have encountered it.
Cirsium clokeyi is endemic to the Spring Mountains, Nevada. Population surveys during the 1990s pegged the number of plants at under ten thousand individuals in total, distributed in an area with a maximum dimension of 13.1 km (8.1mi). As is often the case, the long-term survival of this species is tied in with the fates of others: two local butterfly taxa, the Spring Mountains comma skipper (a subspecies of Hesperia comma) and the Nevada admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii nevadae) are pollinators and nectar-feeders.
The source of much of today's information is this rare plant factsheet on Cirsium clokeyi (PDF) from the Nevada Natural Heritage Program. This herbarium specimen scan is one of the few other bits of interestingness about this species I could track down in my limited time today.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:54 AM | Comments (4)
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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.