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September 30, 2007
Gentiana algida
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 Dawn Endico (Dawn's photos on Flickr | original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you, Dawn. For those of you interested in identifying flowers you might encounter in the wild within North America, Dawn has created a handy visual identification tool for North American wildflowers.
Whitish gentian or arctic gentian is found in alpine areas of western North America and east Asia. From Alaska, its range extends southwards to New Mexico; from Siberia, it reaches south to Sikkim. Plant-life.org has a summary description of Gentiana algida, while the Flora of China has its usual taxonomic account.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
September 29, 2007
Gloriosa superba
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 Dinesh (aka dinesh_valke@Flickr) for sharing images from India with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated once again!
Flame-lily or climbing-lily is native to tropical areas of the Old World (particularly Africa and south Asia), but has since been widely cultivated and naturalized. Read more about Gloriosa superba via the South African National Biodiversity Institute's Plantzafrica or Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
September 28, 2007
Geastrum sp.
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Anne from Alberta (aka annkelliott@Flickr) for sharing these photographs with BPotD (original 1 | original 2 | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
The genus Geastrum is one of 8 genera within the family Geastraceae (the earthstar family). Broadly (and unscientifically) speaking, these can be placed into the category of puffballs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:40 AM | Comments (3)
September 27, 2007
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Thank you again to Douglas Justice for both today's photograph and accompanying written entry. – Daniel.
This year the katsuras are colouring well. Cercidiphyllum japonicum is not well known for autumn finery in Vancouver, I suppose because our typical dry summer weather usually causes much early leaf drop. Either that, or when plants are shaded, the rich green colour slowly drains out of the leaves until they're an insipid, anonymous straw-yellow. However, when the fates conspire and the colours emerge, katsuras are like fireballs: all saturated red, pink, orange and blackening maroon, like a simmering furnace of molten metals and slag.
My father planted a katsura at home along the back fence when I was a few years old. As far as I can remember it was always there, and I can only recall a few times when we had the kind of brilliant display we're witnessing this year. But regardless of the depth of its autumn tints, I always considered the species impressive. I love its rough, ascending trunks and perfect, rounded leaves with their regimented, two-by-two placement along its wire-like branches. I love the exuberance of its growth, opportunistically sprouting new shoots everywhere when conditions are ideal (katsuras prefer cool temperatures and revel in summer moisture). I even love the tiny ephemeral flowers; these are arranged along the mature leafless branches in spring and look like little rubies when the light catches them sideways.
Most of all, however, I love the smell of the senescing leaves. For some reason, as the leaves of Cercidiphyllum start to break down, they become intensely aromatic. Some say the aroma is like candy-floss or strawberries. Lately, the distinctive burnt sugar fragrance suggests crème brûlée to me (perhaps I'm not getting enough expensive desserts to eat). To be honest, it really reminds me of raking katsura leaves in my childhood, an activity I eagerly anticipated and never saw as a chore — which goes to show that my dad is smarter than I thought.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (10)
September 26, 2007
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, originally established in 1885 (thirteen years after the establishment of the world's first national park). This photograph illustrates two of the main ecoregions within the park, the nearly vegetation-free alpine and the lower-elevation subalpine.
In comparison with this photograph of a mountain in the park, the tree-line is not as well-defined. The rugged, rocky slope prevents both soil and seedling establishment in many places. It is also safe to say that periodic avalanches curtail the progression of forest cover on the slopes.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:12 AM | Comments (6)
September 25, 2007
Abies bracteata
Thank you again to Douglas Justice for both today's photograph and accompanying written entry. – Daniel.
Today's photo was taken at the Botanical Garden, but the tree from which the cone was taken grows some distance away on the UBC campus. John Worrall, whose thumb and forefinger can be seen in the photo, planted a seedling tree grown from seed he collected in the wild in California approximately 25 years ago. Worrall, Professor Emeritus of Forestry, is well known as a dendrologist and fierce tree advocate, and equally, for his guerrilla tree plantings around UBC.
Known as the bristlecone or Santa Lucia fir (it is found in the Santa Lucia Mountains), the campus tree is now close to 15m tall and is coning for the first time. Most authorities place this species in its own group (some place it in its own subgenus — Pseudotorreya), based upon its unique, long, sharp-pointed buds and needles, and extraordinary cone bracts. These stiffly curving squirrel guards extend 5 or 6 cm from the cone and are each supplied with a sticky gob of resin. Although this beautiful conifer has an extremely restricted range, its conservation status was assessed as a “lower risk” Lr/cd (lower risk, conservation dependent) on the IUCN Red List (version 2.3, 1994).
Abies species are often difficult subjects in gardens, most preferring deep soils and the cool conditions of mountain slopes. However, western North American, Pacific Slope conifers are adapted to relatively dry summer conditions, and the Californian species to an especially long, hot, dry summer regime. This specimen has probably done as well as it has because it's planted against a large brick building, facing south and out of the reach of irrigation.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:27 AM | Comments (10)
September 24, 2007
Picea engelmannii subsp. engelmannii
The high elevation subalpine and montane forests of the Rocky Mountains often have Engelmann spruce as a major tree species in their composition. A distribution map illustrating the broad western North American distribution can be viewed via the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America entry on Picea engelmannii. Note that Engelmann spruce can also be found within the Coast-Cascade Mountains and some of the high-elevation areas between the two mountainous belts.
A second subspecies of Picea engelmannii is recognized, subspecies mexicana. It is known from populations in Mexico and (some say) the Chiricahua Mountains. The Gymnosperm Database's entry on Picea engelmannii suggests that subspecies mexicana is found in the USA, while the Flora of North America concludes otherwise.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:19 AM | Comments (7)
September 23, 2007
Pelvetia canaliculata
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Another nod of appreciation to Stephen B of Scotland aka stephenbuchan@Flickr for sharing today's photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Pool). Thank you!
Channelled wrack can be found in the high intertidal zone on rocky shores of Atlantic Europe (e.g., in the United Kingdom).
Wikipedia has a tidy summary of Pelvetia canaliculata.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
September 22, 2007
Urginea maritima
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks once again to Rosa, aka contemplar@Flickr, for another photograph for BPotD (original | alternate | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). If you visit Rosa's weblog, Blog De Cheiros, you'll find this post with photographs of this species before it blooms.
Sea squill is native to sandy, coastal areas along the Mediterranean (but it is also widely cultivated). It is poisonous, and known to have rodenticidal and anti-insect properties.
The Plants for a Future database reports on the economic uses of this species. More photographs can be seen via the Pacific Bulb Society's Urginea page.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 21, 2007
Rehmannia elata
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 Lotus J. aka ngawangchodron@Flickr for sharing a photograph with us (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
There are six species within the genus Rehmannia, and they are collectively known as the Chinese foxgloves. Rehmannia currently resides in taxonomic limbo; no one is quite certain as to what plant family it should belong to. Both Wikipedia and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group comment on its uncertain familial placement.
Paghat writes about Rehmannia elata in the garden.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 20, 2007
Larix decidua
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Monika F (aka monika & manfred@Flickr) for contributing today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Pool). We're grateful once again, Monika.
European larch is native to higher altitudes of southern and southeastern Europe, extending as far east as Ukraine. Like all larches, it is a deciduous conifer, losing its needles annually. As with all conifers, I recommend visiting conifers.org for more information on the species and genus.
Thanks to Michael F of the UBC Forums for the identification and explanation of the oddball cone.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
September 19, 2007
Sempervivum hybrid
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Nuytsia@Tas on Flickr of the UK is the photographer behind today's image (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
Commonly known as houseleeks or liveforever (a literal translation of the generic name), species in the genus Sempervivum are distributed throughout southern Europe and parts of the Middle East. A large collection of the plants can be found outside the new Intermountain Dry Habitat House at UBC Botanical Garden; we've made an interpretative sign about the collection.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 18, 2007
Leionema elatius subsp. beckleri
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Katy S. aka Mellifera K@Flickr of Australia for sharing another one of her photographs (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Always happy to feature the occasional Australian native plant!
Native to Queensland and northeast New South Wales, tall phebalIum is a shrub of Australian rainforests and adjacent habitats. If you are familiar with Leionema, you likely could have predicted the range; all twenty or so species are endemic to eastern Australia. According to the New South Wales Flora Online, Leionema elatius subsp. beckleri has a ROTAP (Rare or Threatened Australian Plants) code of 2EC-, meaning it is a) of restricted distribution, with a range extending over less than 100km; b) endangered (at serious risk in the next one or two decades); and c) known to occur within a protected reserve (though the population size is unknown).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 17, 2007
Quercus agrifolia
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Frequent BPotD contributor Eric in SF@Flickr is responsible for today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated as always, Eric.
As noted by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Native Plant Database, Quercus agrifolia is “... the common oak of the California coast and foothills, forming parklike groves that often appear in the scenery of motion pictures made in Hollywood”. Coast live oak (or California live oak) is native to more than the hills near Hollywood – its range extends from coastal north-central California southwards to Baja California (in other words, the California Floristic Province).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (15)
September 16, 2007
Nigella papillosa 'Midnight'
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Jacki of Oregon, aka jacki-dee@Flickr, deserves another round of applause for contributing another one of her photographs to BPotD (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
The species Nigella papillosa occurs in southern Spain and Portugal (some sites also suggest Sicily). The name Nigella hispanica is sometimes used for this taxon in cultivation, but it is not validly applied (the name belongs to a different species).
Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist) and Nigella sativa are the two best-known species in the genus.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (9)
September 15, 2007
Pyrostegia venusta
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to codiferous@Flickr for sharing another photograph with BPotD (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). It's much appreciated.
The genus name Pyrostegia is derived from the Greek pyr, meaning “fire” and stege, meaning “covering” — combined, this is a reference to the colourful corolla. Flame vine or flaming trumpet is native to central South America (Brazil, northeastern Argentina, Paraguay, and the site of today's photograph, Bolivia).
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science Extension has a factsheet on Pyrostegia venusta, as does the site for Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (the latter focuses on the plant's invasive potential).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 14, 2007
Physostegia virginiana
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you once again to shotaku@Flickr from Missouri, USA for contributing a photograph (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). We're grateful!
False dragonhead is also often called obedient plant. It received this latter moniker because of the property of the flowers to remain in place after being twisted or moved into new positions. The species is a native to much of eastern and central North America.
Missouriplants.com contains a number of additional photographs of the species and the Kemper Center for Home Gardening provides a gardening factsheet.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2007
Mycena interrupta
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Ken Beath, aka kjbeath@Flickr is the person to thank for today's photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Do visit Ken's Australia photo galleries if you've the time! Thanks, Ken.
Measuring approximately 1cm across, pixie's parasol is a diminutive mushroom of fallen wood substrates in moist forests of Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne had a fungus of the month site for two and a half years, and Mycena interrupta was featured. Special mention was made of the Gondwanan distribution pattern.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (14)
September 12, 2007
Capparis cynophallophora
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 MagnetFL@Flickr of Florida for sharing an image with us on BPotD (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
As implied by its common name, Jamaica caper is native to the West Indies, though its range also extends north into southern Florida. The John C. Gifford Arboretum at the University of Miami has a detailed factsheet about Capparis cynophallophora, with comments on its pollinators (night-flying moths) and morphology.
For local visitors to Botany Photo of the Day, don't forget that the Indoor Plant Sale starts tomorrow!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 11, 2007
Lythrum salicaria
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Another nod of appreciation to Stephen B of Scotland (aka stephenbuchan@Flickr) for contributing an image to BPotD (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
Purple loosestrife (or spiked loosestrife or purple lythrum) is native to much of Eurasia, though it can now be found in other temperate and subtropical parts of the world (Australia, New Zealand, North America, southern Africa). In some of these regions, it is considered an invasive plant (see: Western Aquatic Plant Management Society and the Global Invasive Species Initiative). Efforts to manage it have included biological control.
Additional descriptive photographs can be viewed via Missouriplants.com.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6)
September 10, 2007
Barnadesia spinosa
Thank you to Quentin Cronk for both today's photograph and accompanying written entry. – Daniel.
Barnadesia spinosa L.f. (Asteraceae) is shown here, growing at the site of the old Inca ruins of Inga Pirca, Ecuador (c. 3000m elevation). It is a spiny shrub to about two metres, often found growing at the margins of fields at high elevation. The spines are effective in protecting it from grazing by llamas.
Barnadesia is one of the most interesting members of the daisy family or Asteraceae. In 1987, Jansen and Palmer discovered that the whole family Asteraceae (some 20,000 species) shared a 22 kilobase inversion in the chloroplast DNA, with the sole exception of the Barnadesia group (88 species), which had normal chloroplast DNA. These results are strongly suggestive that a split between the Barnadesia group and the rest of the Asteraceae was the earliest evolutionary event in the family, and this has been confirmed by subsequent research.
The Barnadesia group was therefore described as a separate subfamily, Barnesioideae K. Bremer & R.K. Jansen. This subfamily is defined by the axillary spines of a type unique in the family, and by a unique type of long unicellular hair that is found on all parts of the capitulum. Subfamily Barnadesioideae comprises the genus Barnadesia and eight related genera also from South America (including Arnoldoa, Chuquiraga and Dasyphyllum).
Barnadesia has some 20 species distributed down the Andes from Colombia to Northern Argentina; for further information see the account of Barnadesia in Arboles y arbustos de los Andes del Ecuador (in Spanish).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (7)
September 9, 2007
Barringtonia asiatica
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks once again to Dinesh from India (aka dinesh_valke@Flickr) for sharing an image from India with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool)
A list of the common names for Barringtonia asiatica reveals its preferred habitat and economic uses: sea poison tree, fish poison tree, fish-killer tree, queen of the shores, sea putat, etc. It is a mangrove tree native to the Old World, with a distribution across the tropical areas of Asia and extending into the Pacific islands, northern Australia, southern Taiwan and tropical Africa. In some regions, the tissue of the plant is pounded or grated into freshwater streams to stun fish.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
September 8, 2007
Hordeum jubatum
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks again to both Anne from Alberta (aka annkelliott@Flickr) and Stephen B of Scotland (aka stephenbuchan@Flickr) for sharing their photographs with BPotD (Anne's original | Stephen's original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
Foxtail barley or squirreltail barley was previously featured on Botany Photo of the Day in these entries: Hordeum jubatum and Rumex crispus (the second image). Please visit the previous entries to read more.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
September 7, 2007
Trochetiopsis ebenus
Thank you again to Krystyna Szulecka for contributing a photograph to Botany Photo of the Day (originally posted in this thread on the UBC BG Forums). More of Krystyna's images can be seen by searching for “Krystyna” on the FLPA web site.
St. Helena ebony is endemic to the island of St. Helena, located in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The introduction of goats to the island devastated the flora and fauna, catapulting a number of species to eventual extinction, including Nesiota elliptica and Acalypha rubrinervis. Trochetiopsis ebenus, believed to have been the dominant tree species in lower elevations of the island, was thought to have been extinct by 1850. However, 2 individuals were rediscovered growing along a steep cliff in 1980 by Quentin Cronk (yes, that Quentin Cronk) and George Benjamin. Comparison of propagations of these living plants with herbarium specimens revealed that this species was lacking a scientific name (because of a case of mistaken identity with another species now extinct), and so it was formally described and published by Cronk in 1995, nearly 500 years after first being encountered by humans. Needless to say, with only two wild individuals (though the plant is now being reintroduced), the species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Krystyna's photograph illustrates an interesting phenomenon associated with this species, secondary pollen presentation. The pollen-producing anthers split open while the flower is still in bud. This has the effect of depositing some pollen on the top edges of the petals. Pollinators visiting the flower are nearly certain to brush against the petal-borne pollen and thereby increase cross-pollination.
To read more on Trochetiopsis ebenus, visit The Trochetiopsis Page. A research article about the plant was also published, but it unfortunately requires a fee or institutional access: see Brodie S, Cheek M and M Staniforth. 1998. Plate 334. Trochetiopsis ebenus. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 15:1, 27-36.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM | Comments (5)
September 6, 2007
Puya mirabilis
Thank you to serialplantfetishist@Flickr of Berkeley, California for sharing today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
A few days ago, Brent Hine asked me to name my favourite herbaceous plant. After hemming and hawing a bit and giving the standard answer of “What's in bloom today?”, I settled on Puya as a provisional reply, at least in part because of the colours and structure. That's not to say I know a lot about them. I've only encountered a few in person, but I do know I want to see more.
For this particular species, the scientific name and the English common name seem to be the same. As mirabilis means “wonderful”, it would perhaps seem strange to call it the wonderful puya (especially when so many others are wonderful, too!). Native to Bolivia and Argentina, Puya mirabilis is one of over one hundred and fifty species within the genus. Puya species can be found throughout the highlands of South America and it is the Mapudungun vernacular name for this group of plants that lends the genus its scientific name.
As puyas go, Puya mirabilis is a short plant, reaching at most 2m (6 ft) in height. The tallest member of the Bromeliaceae, Puya raimondii, can exceed heights of 13m (43 ft), while many other members of the genus exceed 3 to 4m.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5)
September 5, 2007
Curcuma alismatifolia (tentative)
xavierraynaudphoto@Flickr is the photographer behind today's image (original image via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
I've titled this plant with a tentative name, as it is my own identification; with 80 species in the genus, some cultivars and a number of unnamed hybrids, I can't say for certain whether this is indeed what it is. It does seem to have the qualities of Curcuma alismatifolia, including (I'm guessing) its use as a cut flower.
If my identification is correct, then the common name for this plant is Siam tulip or summer tulip (though, as is often the case with common names, it is not a tulip, but rather a ginger relative). In the wild, some of the densest populations of this species can be found in Pa Hin Ngam National Park of north-central Thailand. The range of the species extends southward from Thailand into Cambodia and northward to Burma and Laos.
The first collection of this species by Western explorers occurred in 1859, when the British explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk collected it in Thailand (while he was serving as the British Consul-General). It was next collected in 1875 by Parisian botanist Godefroy–Lebeuf (at the age of 23) from Cambodia. The species was finally scientifically named forty-four years after Schomburgk first collected it by the French botanist, Gagnepain.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM | Comments (4)
September 4, 2007
Euonymus planipes
Thank you to Douglas Justice for both today's photograph and accompanying written entry. – Daniel.
Euonymus planipes is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Korea, northern Japan and eastern Siberia. According to the USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) website, one of the common names is “dingle dangle tree.” Sure it is. The name planipes means “flat stalk,” referring to the flattened petioles of this species. Euonymus species are often difficult to differentiate; many have similar looking leaves and a number share the flattened petiole feature, for example. Identification of Euonymus species can be problematic without careful examination of the overwintering buds and particularly, the ripened (i.e., open) fruit. Features of the fruit that are necessary for many identifications include the shape of the capsule and the colour and vestiture of the seeds. The pure white seeds of E. planipes show an incomplete covering by a fleshy orange aril (all Euonymus species have arillate seeds). The aril is rich in fats and is a reward for birds that disperse these seeds. Note that each seed hangs by its funiculus from the placenta of the fruit wall.
Euonymus are generally excellent garden plants (where they aren’t invasive weeds), but it is worth noting that all parts are considered to be poisonous. The Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility reports that two horses were fatally poisoned after ingesting shoots of European spindle (E. europaeus) and that children are attracted to the fruits of that species and have become “quite ill” after ingesting seeds. The toxic compounds present include a digitalis-like cardiotoxin (evomonoside) and several alkaloids. Birds evidently get around any toxicity by quickly passing them. Most American references rate Euonymus spp. as Class 2 (minor toxicity) plants; i.e., “ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea. If ingested, call the Poison Control Center or your doctor.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (8)
September 3, 2007
Passiflora caerulea
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Natalie G. of Spain for submitting today's photograph from the countryside near her home.
Blue passionflower or common passionflower is native to southeastern South America. Similar to yesterday's plant, though, it can now be found cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world (but also more than a few warm temperate areas as well). The Plants for a Future database provides more information, including cultivation and propagation methods.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM | Comments (16)
September 2, 2007
Anacardium occidentale
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks to “Shyzaboy@UBC BG Forums” of Troutville, Virginia for today's photograph from Panama. Images from the tropics are very welcome!
Although native to northeast Brazil, the cashew is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. Illustrated in today's photograph are both the double-shelled kidney-shaped fruit containing the cashew nut and the apple-like pseudofruit (cashew apple). Both the cashew nut and cashew apple are edible, but extra effort is required to extract the cashew nut; its double-shell contains urushiol, the same oil found in poison ivy.
Read more about cashew via Wikipedia and Morton's Fruits of Warm Climates.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:00 AM | Comments (15)
September 1, 2007
Araucaria araucana
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Today's image is a scan from the John Davidson lantern slide archives here at UBC Botanical Garden. This photograph was likely taken in the 1900s or 1910s before Davidson immigrated to Canada, as the locale of the image is Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen, Scotland (Aberdeen was Davidson's home prior to Canada).
Monkey-puzzle trees are classified as vulnerable (VU B1+2c) by the IUCN Red List. Native to Chile and Argentina, logging (including illegal logging in national parks) is contributing to the decline of these intriguing trees in the wild.
Read more about Araucaria araucana via the exceptional Gymnosperm Database (including the ethnobotanical aspect) and the Enciclopedia de la Flora Chilena.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 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.