Botany Photo of the Day

Thanks again to Paulo Araújo of Portugal for sharing some photographs. Paulo was a part of the extraordinary Dias com árvores weblog, which closed down at the end of June (much to the sadness of many). Paulo submitted these photographs in this thread via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum.

Before writing about today's plant, I'd like to announce that I'm close to hiring someone for the BPotD Assistant position -- it's only a matter of signing some paperwork now. Assuming all goes well, she may be posting her first entry on Wednesday, and BPotD should return to a consistent 5 entries / week or more. The position lasts until the end of March / mid-April.

As noted by Paulo, aestivus means "developing in the summer" (unlike Festivus, which I'm told is a winter celebration). Paulo also explains the reason for the epithet: the very similar-in-appearance Asphodelus ramosus has an equivalent distribution, but instead blooms in the spring.

Summer asphodel is native to many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. To adapt to the fluctuating Mediterranean climate with periods of seasonal drought, Asphodelus aestivus has adopted the geophyte strategy, i.e., it has an enlarged underground storage organ for carbohydrates, nutrients and water. Even when the surrounding soil has a moisture content approaching zero, the tuber is able to maintain approximately 60% water content: see Rhizopoulou, S. et al. 1997. Ecophysiological adaptations of Asphodelus aestivus to Mediterranean climate periodicity: water relations and energetic status. Ecography 20(6):626-633.

The Plants for a Future database entry on Asphodelus aestivus details the edible and other uses of the species. I was particularly intrigued by the use of the pulverized, dried tuber to make a glue for bookbinding and shoemaking.