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August 31, 2007
Peniocereus greggii
Today's contribution is from Flower of the Desert@Flickr of (if I'm correct) Arizona, USA (original image via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Many thanks!
The flowers of Arizona queen of the night (aka night blooming cereus) last one night before fading away. Perhaps more amazing, the individuals within a population of plants bloom synchronously on less than 5 nights per year and the flowers are self-incompatible. How, then, do the plants get pollinated given the narrow window of time? A few scenarios are possible. Perhaps a generalist pollinator species could visit the flowers, but presumably a generalist would have a lot to choose from and it would be quite hit-and-miss that they'd visit these flowers often enough (and I suspect most generalists are not active at night). Perhaps a specialist insectoid pollinator species emerges at the same time as Peniocereus blooms. That hasn't been shown to be the case.
The question of the floral biology of Peniocereus greggii was examined by Dr. Robert Raguso and a team of researchers (see Raguso, RA et al.. 2003. Trumpet Flowers of the Sonoran Desert: Floral Biology of Peniocereus Cacti and Sacred Datura. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 164:877-892). The researchers discovered that Peniocereus greggii and the often-growing-nearby and spring-to-fall blooming Datura wrightii (see a related species) shared a few things in common, including pollinators (hawk moths at dusk, bees in the morning), pollination reward, (lack of) UV reflectance and a few benzenoid compounds (components of floral scent). In other words, the pollination of Peniocereus greggii seems to rely on the presence of Datura wrightii to sustain a population of shared hawk moth pollinators that is both specialist enough and in sufficient numbers to visit its flowers when it is in bloom (as for the bees, recall the suggestion that generalists visit many plants and the chances of cross-pollination are reduced).
Read a factsheet about Peniocereus greggii via New Mexico Rare Plants. Two other photographs are available to be viewed via Wildflowers of Tucson, Arizona. Lastly, a legendary tale and a curatorial anecdote offer two different perspectives on the plant via the site of Tohono Chul Park.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:44 AM | Comments (7)
August 30, 2007
Verbesina serrata
Thanks again to David Tarrant for today's photograph from Mexico.
Douglas Justice and I were discussing the numbers cited about the Asteraceae in yesterday's entry after I mentioned to him that many of the plants that David photographs in Mexico have little or no presence online. Today's photograph is another example; of the few search engine results, many only have scant information on this Mexican endemic (e.g., checklists or name databases). Fortunately, Mexico's Conabio provides a detailed factsheet and comprehensive photographs, otherwise this scanned text from the “Trees and Shrubs of Mexico” is some of the best information available online (via Botanicus). To be fair, the original description of the plant by de Cavanilles is available online in this PDF from the University of Valencia in Spain (pages 18 and 83, by the way), but it isn't exactly what I would call accessible. It truly helps one begin to understand the scope of projects like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, where huge efforts are required to construct and maintain only the barest subset of all published information about plants. The Encyclopedia of Life project will, one day, provide “an online reference source and database for every one of the 1.8 million species that are named and known on this planet, as well as all those later discovered and described”. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and support this ambitious venture.
Environment resource link: EarthPortal is a “comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment. It is a means for the global scientific community to come together to produce the first free, expert-driven, massively scaleable information resource on the environment, and to engage civil society in a public dialogue on the role of environmental issues in human affairs.”. See “Conservation and Management of Rare Plant Species” and “Global Marine Biodiversity Trends” for two stellar examples.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
August 29, 2007
Erigeron peregrinus subsp. callianthemus var. callianthemus
Thanks again to Brent aka foliosus@Flickr from Portland, Oregon for contributing today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated as always!
Of the 21 000+ species in the Asteraceae, the genus Erigeron contains somewhere between two hundred species (source: Wikipedia) and nearly four hundred (source: Jepson Manual). It is well represented; with ~1300 genera, the average number of species/genus in the family is roughly 16 (as an aside, this prompts the question: what are the genera in the Asteraceae with the most species?). With such diversity, it comes as no surprise that the Asteraceae are the spiders of the plant world; with a cosmopolitan distribution, you'd find it difficult to take a short walk anywhere without encountering one, except for central Greenland, Antarctica and places devoid of plant life.
The species Erigeron peregrinus is found in western North America and eastern Asia, though the particular subspecies illustrated today does not occur in Asia or northern Canada. Paul Slichter shares a description and more photographs of subalpine daisy or foreign erigeron via his site on fleabanes found east of the Cascade Mountain crest.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:36 AM | Comments (1)
August 28, 2007
Verrucaria maura
Thank you to Stephen B of Scotland aka stephenbuchan@Flickr for sharing today's photograph (original). I've been wanting to feature this species for a while, so much appreciated, Stephen!
If asked to create a list of familiar organisms by the seashore (and lived in a temperate area), I'm betting that most people would not include “lichen” on the list. Narrowing it down to a list of the organisms in the intertidal (the band of life between the high-tide and low-tide marks), and I'm still willing to bet lichen would be absent from most lists. Mussels, yes. Barnacles, yes. Seastars, likely. Seaweed, yes. Lichen? Not likely, unless you know that the black patch of what looks like oil residue is not what it first appears to be.
Sea tar or black seaside lichen is found along coastal rocky shores throughout much of the temperate parts of the world. In these areas, it is often a component of the upper intertidal zone and, above that, the salt-spray zone. To give a rather unscientific example of how it is overlooked, its near-constant intertidal companion with a similar distribution range, Mytilus edulis (or blue mussel / common mussel) receives nearly 600 000 hits on a popular search engine; Verrucaria maura? Fewer than a thousand.
The UK-based Field Studies Council has a small article about tar lichens in general, and a specific page about Verrucaria maura as well. Through photographs, Seaweeds of Alaska reveals how Verrucaria maura can be seen from the air. A closer photograph of the banding caused by lichens is displayed in a story about lichen study in the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve of British Columbia: Time for Nature – Learning About Lichens.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:20 AM | Comments (5)
August 27, 2007
Gladiolus papilio
Butterfly gladiolus or goldblotch gladiolus is one of the approximately one hundred and sixty species of gladiolus endemic to South Africa. Unlike the genus Watsonia (featured on BPotD a couple days ago), the genus Gladiolus extends beyond the borders of South Africa; it can be found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Eurasia, though its centre of diversity remains in South Africa.
Within the globally widespread family Iridaceae, Gladiolus belongs to the Old World subfamily Crocoideae, along with Watsonia, Crocosmia, Dierama, Crocus and Babiana. Iridaceous plants not belonging to the Crocoideae featured on BPotD to-date include Cypella, Iris, Olsynium, Sisyrinchium and Diplarrena, all belonging to the subfamily Iridoideae.
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group goes into taxonomic detail on the Iridaceae and its subfamilies.
Paghat writes about Gladiolus papilio from a horticultural perspective.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:36 AM | Comments (7)
August 26, 2007
Borago officinalis
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to roselea@Flickr from British Columbia for sharing today's photograph (original titled “Blue” via UBCBG BPotD Flickr Pool). Aptly named!
Although native to the Middle East, the range of borage has expanded throughout the Mediterranean region and into central and eastern Europe, along with introduction to other regions of the world. Borage is considered a neglected horticultural crop by Nuez and Bermejo; the authors point out its relatively scant cultivation as a crop, despite its many food uses. Gernot Katzer adds more details about the culinary uses of Borago officinalis on his valuable Spice Pages site.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (10)
August 25, 2007
Watsonia fourcadei
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
All fifty or so species of Watsonia are endemic to South Africa, though some have naturalized elsewhere after introduction by humans. This particular species is not well-known in cultivation. It is named in honour of Henry George Fourcade, surveyor and botanist.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:57 AM | Comments (4)
August 24, 2007
Helianthus annuus hybrid
This is the backlit leaf of a giant sunflower growing in the Food Garden here at UBC Botanical Garden. Despite the general cloudiness of this past summer, a few of these plants have easily exceeded 3.5m (~12ft) in height.
What is immediately obvious is the network of veins in the leaf. While the veins are essential for nutrient and water transportation, in many leaves they also help to provide a structural skeleton. Each vein consists of xylem (water-conducting) tissue and phloem (sap-conducting) tissue surrounded by a protective wrapping of structural tissues, including collenchyma. In the spaces between the veins (and bounded by the upper and lower epidermi of the leaves) is the tissue called parenchyma. In leaves, parenchyma cells are packed with chloroplasts, the organelles that are responsible for photosynthesis. It should be noted that other parenchyma cells may have different functions elsewhere in the plant, such as storage or secretion. This is why the chloroplast-laden parenchyma of leaves is sometimes referred to as chlorenchyma, so as to better reflect the specific purpose of this tissue.
I don't mention photosynthesis often enough on BPotD, considering the fact that nearly all complex life on Earth depends on this process in one way or another. The evolution of photosynthesis approximately 3.5 billion years ago and subsequent alteration (with some lag time) of the Earth's atmosphere to the present day concentration of oxygen in the air permitted the evolution of complex life.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
August 23, 2007
Cucurbita moschata hybrid
Is this Cucurbita moschata 'Tromboncino' or Cucurbita moschata 'Trompo d'Albenga'? The more I researched the name, the more confused I became.
The seeds for this plant growing in the UBC Food Garden were purchased under the name 'Tromboncino' squash. My first search for more information led me to this plant review page on the Dave's Garden site, where 'Tromboncino' is listed as an alternate name for the preferred 'Trompo d'Albenga'. The Kokopelli Seed Foundation repeats this assertion in its photo gallery of squash cultivars. However, things start to get muddied in the Kemper Center for Home Gardening photo gallery of 100+ squash cultivars – the name 'Tromboncino' is used; perhaps they didn't research the name to verify it? Or perhaps they did: the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County Online have a photo gallery of the squashes growing in McClellan Ranch in 2003, and 'Tromboncino' and 'Trompo d'Albenga' are distinguished as separate cultivars!
My final step for an easy answer was to consult whatever squash cultivar databases I could find online, and I came up empty. This comprehensive listing of squash cultivars excludes both names, unfortunately.
For general information on squashes, Purdue University's New Crop Guide has an extensive factsheet on cucurbits.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:19 AM | Comments (5)
August 22, 2007
Carlina acaulis
Yesterday evening was only the fourth time since the beginning of April when I've had the opportunity to photograph in the garden — a somewhat worrying statistic for me. I've been fortunate enough to be able to travel this summer, but not being out in the garden often enough to observe the seasonal progression has been a bit disappointing.
Stemless carline thistle or dwarf carline thistle is native to the mountainous areas of central and southern Europe. The epithet acaulis means “without a stem”, but as you can clearly see in this photograph, this plant certainly has one. That suggests that this is either subspecies simplex (a stemmed subspecies of the plant) or a garden hybrid with Carlina acaulis subsp. simplex as part of the genetic mix.
In addition to the usual edibility (a globe artichoke substitute!) and medicinal use information often detailed in the Plants for a Future database, the entry on Carlina acaulis lists another use: weather forecasting. PFAF cites a reference that suggests the dried flowers of Carlina acaulis can be used to measure humidity, whereas the mature flowers of a plant will close prior to a rainfall. I'll have to keep a closer eye on them to verify the latter...
More information can be found on Wikipedia, including a photograph of a plant with a sessile (acauline) flower. A botanical illustration of Carlina acaulis is available via Thomé's Flora von Deutschland.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:50 AM | Comments (4)
August 21, 2007
Pinaropappus roseus
Thanks to David Tarrant are once again in order for today's photograph from Mexico. Appreciated as always, David.
Despite a specific epithet (roseus) that translates to “pink”, the common name often used in the USA for this species is white rocklettuce. Pink dandelion is also sometimes used, as is white dandelion. Curiously, it seems the plants growing in the northern part of its range (south-central USA) tend to have little pink colouration (e.g., these photographs from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center), while those growing in the southern part of its range (central Mexico) are quite pink (e.g., today's photograph and this other photograph from Mexico).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM | Comments (3)
August 20, 2007
Magnolia delavayi
This is a follow-up photograph to last year's BPotD on Magnolia delavayi (or Delavay's magnolia). Peter Wharton described the plant in a comment accompanying that entry, so I'll direct you there if you'd like to read more.
Last week, the garden received a paper-copy of the Red List of Magnoliaceae, published jointly by Fauna & Flora International and Botanic Gardens Conservation International. From a global list of 245 magnolia species, over half are identified as being in danger of extinction in the wild (including Magnolia delavayi). The list makes for very sobering reading, particularly as it is difficult to imagine a scenario whereby changes are made to prevent the loss of many of these species.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:23 AM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2007
Monarda punctata
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to MagnetFL@Flickr for sharing today's photograph with us (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
Spotted beebalm or spotted horsemint is native to the eastern United States. The USDA PLANTS database reports it being present in California, but the Jepson Flora Project states that the record of the plant occurring in California was based on an erroneous report.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has an excellent factsheet (though it also cites this species as growing in California). The Plants for a Future database details the traditional medicinal uses.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:39 AM | Comments (5)
August 18, 2007
Ramaria stricta
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Stephen Buchan aka stephenbuchan@Flickr is the photographer behind today's image (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thanks again, Stephen.
Straight-branched coral [fungus] or upright coral can be found on decayed coniferous and hardwood logs and stumps (i.e., it is lignicolous) throughout Europe and North America. It is not considered edible, but this seems to be due to its toughness and bitterness as opposed to toxicity. The Fungi of California has a factsheet on Ramaria stricta (with more photographs).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:47 AM | Comments (2)
August 17, 2007
Solanum rostratum
Another photograph from San Miguel de Allende in Mexico today, courtesy of David Tarrant. Thanks once again, DT.
This is one of those plants that has a bit of a story here at UBC Botanical Garden. When David was hosting the Canadian Gardener television show (though continuing well after), people would send in plants to David to be identified. According to David, every year someone would send in this strange, spiny plant, and every year, he and Judy Newton (the garden's former education coordinator) would be puzzled by it until they asked Gerald Straley. Gerald would of course identify it, and then David and Judy would recall they had encountered it last year... and the year before that... and the year before that. I was witness to one of these occurrences in the early 2000s, though it was Douglas Justice identifying the plant after much puzzlement on the part of David, Judy and myself. David reports that his new hometown is surrounded by it, so that he'll now never forget.
Buffalobur (or buffalobur nightshade or buffaloberry) is native from central Mexico north to the midwest USA, but the introduction of intensive agriculture has since helped it spread throughout much of North America. It has been introduced to other continents, where it is considered a weed (if not an invasive plant) in parts of Russia and Australia. The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board has assembled a handy factsheet about Solanum rostratum.
More photographs of buffalobur can be seen via MissouriPlants.com.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:03 AM | Comments (5)
August 16, 2007
Melampyrum arvense
Thank you to Nuytsia@Tas on Flickr of the UK for sharing today's photograph with us (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
Nuytsia@Tas also has an excellent written accompaniment to this photograph of field cow-wheat (an annual hemiparasite), so I'll start off by quoting:
“A schedule 8 rarity of the British Isles, this plant is now known from only two or three sites. ”
“The level of parasitism in this genus is high with most species failing to get past the cotyledonary stage if grown without a host. The seeds are amongst the largest in the Orobanchaceae, so much so that the capsule only holds a pair of seeds. Peculiarly the capsule splits to release the seeds wet, which essentially just drop out.”
“The seeds themselves have a fatty elaiosome at one end. It is this elaiosome that enables dispersal of the seeds. Ants collect the seeds eat the elaiosome and then discard the seeds. The seeds have a rather complex dormancy and germinate during a following winter/spring period. ”
One of the reasons for its rarity in the British Isles is that it was purposefully extirpated (PDF). Once a common weed of fields, people were employed to hand-pull it. This animosity was directed towards the plant because the presence of its seeds in grain to be milled would contaminate and sour the flour. The Species Action Plan (PDF) for cow-wheat cites some local threats to existing populations in the UK, including erosion into a lake.
The species is distributed throughout Eurasia; the Species Action Plan link above points out that it is considered rare throughout the western European part of its range, but no mention is made of its relative rarity in the east.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:21 AM | Comments (2)
August 15, 2007
Carex bebbii
Another thank you to Anne from Alberta (aka annkelliott@Flickr) for contributing a photograph to BPotD (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated as always, Anne!
Bebb's sedge is distributed throughout wetland areas of temperate and subarctic North America. Like most members of the Cyperaceae, or sedge family, it has a wind-pollination strategy (i.e., it is anemophilous), with (relatively) “large anthers, long filaments and prominent stigmas” (source: Wendy Zomlefer's Guide to Flowering Plant Families). Without the need to attract insects, the flowers are also apetalous and asepalous (lacking petals or sepals). An alternative way of describing this phenomenon is to say that the perianth is absent.
Most identification keys for Carex species require the plant to have mature fruit, one of the many reasons that botanical field surveys of areas without the luxury of being able to continue fieldwork into the late summer or autumn simply state “Carex spp.” (meaning multiple unidentified species of Carex) in the final list of plant species collected. Plants collected earlier in the year with only vegetative and flowering characters can be extremely difficult to identify to species. The plant in today's photograph likely has mature fruit (or close to it), though the achenes (dry, one-seeded fruits) are hidden within the sac-like perigynia.
Much to the frustration of students learning about the Cyperaceae, though, Carex identification is often difficult even when a specimen has mature fruit. Writers of identification keys sometimes like to throw in a couplet or two about the flowering characteristics midway into the key, which, of course, will not be present in the specimen in front of you (because you collected the plant when it had mature fruit like you were supposed to!). You then learn that a) you actually need to have specimens from the same group of plants in different reproductive stages or b) you need to become a good guesser and expert at the trial and error method of identification. Option b, I think, is quite a popular option.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:49 AM | Comments (3)
August 14, 2007
Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands
The forests of southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are dominated by coastal Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii. In old-growth forests, it can become one of the tallest trees in the world. However, much of the land here has been logged, so few giants remain: “On the east side of the island there is a long history of timber harvesting. The forested area is principally second or third growth stands comprised of Douglas-fir, with minor amounts of red alder, western red cedar, western hemlock, grand fir, and western white pine. A substantial portion of this area is private forest land. Crown lands are relatively small, and fragmented on the east coast.” (source: South Island Forest District).
The tallest Pseudotsuga menziesii measures nearly 100 meters (~325 ft) in height, and can be found in Coos County, Oregon. If you're familiar with Cathedral Grove in the central region of Vancouver Island, the tallest of the Douglas-firs in that area measure approximately 75m (~250 ft), by way of comparison. I'm not an expert at estimating tree heights, but I think I'm safe to say that most second-growth Douglas-fir in this area measure under 40m (~125 ft). I should note, also, that the annual incremental increase in height declines rapidly in Douglas-fir after individuals reach 10-20 years 50-60 years (see comments below re: correction) of age – growing to 75m in height takes a far longer span of time than doubling the time required for an individual tree to reach 37.5m.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:15 AM | Comments (11)
August 13, 2007
Momordica charantia hybrid
I couldn't resist highlighting a photograph (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool) from the recent additions to Eric in SF@Flickr's From the Earth photo set – if you're a fan of colour and patterns, the photographs are a must-see. Thanks once again, Eric!
As Eric points out, the Wikipedia entry on bitter melon is a good starting point to learn more about this widely-grown vegetable, as it describes the plant, highlights the culinary and medicinal uses and provides common names in two dozen languages. From the common names, it is easily inferred that it is cultivated pantropically (though African common names are absent). Flora Zambesiaca, though not providing any African common names, provides the best scientific description of the plant, though: Momordica charantia.
An image search for Momordica charantia reveals a diversity of form for this vegetable (and this stamp with an illustration of the ripe fruit from the Cucurbit Network). I think the hybrid in today's photograph is one of the Indian cultivars. As always, though, I'm open to being corrected.
If you're going to search for more information on bitter melon, you'll find the search engine results cluttered with various medicinal claims, particularly in regard to diabetes. Do note that in Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): A review of efficacy and safety, Basch et al. conclude “Bitter melon may have hypoglycemic effects, but data are not sufficient to recommend its use in the absence of careful supervision and monitoring” (American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 60(4):356-359).
Entomology / art resource link: Trichopterae, “an unusual artistic collaboration between the French artist Hubert Duprat and a group of caddis fly larvae” in Cabinet Magazine.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:55 AM | Comments (8)
August 12, 2007
Brachycereus nesioticus
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks again to Krystyna Szulecka, for sharing today's photograph with us (original in this thread on the UBC BG Forums). See more of Krystyna's images by searching for “Krystyna” on the FLPA web site.
Lava cactus is endemic to the volcanically-formed Galápagos Islands, where it is a colonizer species of lava fields (hence the common name). Due to its narrow geographic distribution, it is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.
More photographs can be seen via Thomas Schoepke or CalPhotos.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:30 AM | Comments (1)
August 11, 2007
Clematis 'Candida'
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to shotaku@Flickr from Missouri, USA for contributing today's photograph (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
One will often find this cultivar under the (incorrect) names Clematis 'Lanuginosa Candida' or Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida'. The Royal Horticultural Society points out, however, that Clematis 'Candida' should be used. The genes of Clematis lanuginosa are indeed found within this cultivar, but that species is one of two parents of this hybrid (the other being Clematis patens).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:05 AM | Comments (4)
August 10, 2007
Lilium 'Orange Pixie'
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
kai kane@Flickr, aka Peter F. from Gloucestershire, England is the photographer behind today's BPotD (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thanks, Peter!
As the cultivar name implies, these diminutive lilies grow to a height of only 30-45cm (12-18in). Paghat writes about her experiences with Lilium 'Orange Pixie' (and includes some history of the plant, as well).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:42 AM | Comments (1)
August 9, 2007
Daedaleopsis confragosa
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to bevcraigwhite@Flickr from southwestern Ontario, Canada for sharing today's image with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool – also includes an image of the other side of the fungus). Much appreciated, Bev!
Michael Kuo, of the encyclopedic MushroomExpert.com site, has an extensive factsheet about Daedaleopsis confragosa, or blushing bracket. The story of the name of the genus and its relationship to Greek mythology, however, is best discovered by visiting the Cornell Mushroom Blog and reading the entry on Daedaleopsis confragosa and the Minotaur.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:44 AM | Comments (5)
August 8, 2007
Psittacanthus sp.
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Another couple photographs from Mexico today, courtesy of David Tarrant – thanks again, David!
Parrot-flower mistletoe is a member of the plant family Loranthaceae, the largest of the “mistletoe families”. Psittacanthus relies on birds twice in its life-cycle: once for pollination and again for dispersal of seeds (the birds eat the fruit and defecate the seeds on branches).
Though this particular plant is not parasitizing a conifer, the best information online on “Psittacanthus in Mexico” that I can find is a chapter by the same name in Mistletoes of North American Conifers (PDF), a cooperative technical report by scientists in USA, Mexico and Canada.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:06 AM | Comments (4)
August 7, 2007
Triticum aestivum cultivar
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
In terms of global cereal crop production, wheat is second only to maize (corn) (though it sometimes yields the number two spot to rice, depending on the year). China, India and the USA are the world's top-three producers – not so coincidentally, these are also the three countries with the largest populations. Read “The Story of Wheat” from the December, 2005 edition of The Economist for details about the history and future of this exceedingly important crop.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:37 AM | Comments (4)
August 6, 2007
Eremophila sp.
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Georgie Sharp@Flickr is the photographer of today's image (original via Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Thank you, Georgie!
Collectively, eremophilas are also known as emu bushes, hinting at their distribution in the dry lands of Australia (note that this photograph was taken at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden). Australian Plants Online has an extensive article about the genus Eremophila, including photographs of flowers from a number of species.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
August 5, 2007
Echinocereus reichenbachii subsp. reichenbachii
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Another thank you to Eric in SF@Flickr for sharing a photograph with us (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
Lace hedgehog cactus is a plant of the southern USA and northeastern Mexico. It forms part of a species group, listed by the Flora of North America as including <“E. reichenbachii, E. chisosensis, E. rigidissimus, E. pseudopectinatus, and an indefinite number of Mexican species”. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has a small factsheet with a series of images.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
August 4, 2007
Datura inoxia
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
WLA@Flickr aka Wayne is responsible for today's photographs (original 1 | original 2 | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thanks, Wayne!
Wayne's written about this species on his weblog, Earth, Wind &Water, and I highly recommend reading the entry – not only will you learn about the plant, but you'll learn a little more about zombies, too: Some Kind of Voodoo. Datura inoxia has a number of common names, including angel's-trumpet, thorn-apple, Indian-apple, moonflower, sacred datura, prickly-burr and toloache (via Wikipedia and the USDA PLANTS database).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (12)
August 3, 2007
Xanthorrhoea australis
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Ken Beath, aka kjbeath@Flickr for today's image (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). As always, I also recommend visiting Ken's Australia photo galleries.
The grass tree of southeast Australia is featured in a number of places online: the Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants has a factsheet; the New South Wales Flora Online has a more scientific perspective on the plant; and the Australian Plants Society Tasmania delves into conservation issues and economic uses.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
August 2, 2007
Epilobium montanum
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
I'm enjoying Stephen Buchan's botanical panels (via stephenbuchan@Flickr | original), so I thought I'd point them out if you don't follow the BPotD Flickr Group Pool. Thank you for sharing, Stephen!
Broad-leaved willowherb is native to much of temperate Eurasia. Its occurrence in northern Europe, however, seems to be the result of human introduction, where it has established itself as a garden weed. It has recently been noted as a weed in Seattle and, less recently (1976), New Zealand.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:39 AM | Comments (4)
August 1, 2007
Passiflora lutea
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you again to David Smith for sharing a photograph of a Delaware native wildflower (original plus more photos via the BPotD Submissions forum).
Of the roughly five hundred species of passionflower, yellow passionflower is the northernmost-growing species. It is native to the eastern and south-central United States. Passiflora Online has a short, anecdotal factsheet.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:06 AM | Comments (7)
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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.