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October 8, 2008 : Rhaphonticum coniferum

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Plant Family / Families: Asteraceae
Scientific Name and Author: Rhaponticum coniferum (L.) Greuter
Name Location: cultivated in Wisley, England (?)

Rhaphonticum coniferum

I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

Thank you to Weekend Gardener@UBC Botanical Garden Forums for contributing today's photograph via this thread on the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum. It's very much appreciated, once again.

This species underwent a name change in 2003 from Leuzea conifera to the now-accepted Rhaphonticum coniferum. It is native to southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. The reason for the epithet, coniferum, should be obvious with this photograph -- the involucre's resemblance to a coniferous cone is unmistakable. It reminds me of another member of the aster family: Centaurea macrocephala.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at October 8, 2008 12:00 AM

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Comments

Thank goodness they renamed it! I was going crazy once trying to determine it.

Posted by: cherrieswalks at October 8, 2008 4:03 AM

So lovely.

Posted by: Carole Miller at October 8, 2008 4:17 AM

Guessing from appearances that it's related to an artichoke???

Posted by: Deb at October 8, 2008 5:13 AM

I checked Wikipedia and artichokes are members of the Aster family. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artichoke

Posted by: Meg Bernstein at October 8, 2008 6:04 AM

It is related to one of the adaptogen herbs, commonly called Rhaphonticum, R.carthamoides.

Posted by: Karen Vaughan at October 8, 2008 12:50 PM

they look like a group of dancers
with delightful yellow hats on

thank you as always

Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at October 8, 2008 6:19 PM

It's fun to see the logarithmic spiral in the arrangement of the flower bracts...are they "bracts?" It's just the same as pine cones....why do so many plants grow like that?

Posted by: Josh Williams at October 14, 2008 6:08 PM

Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!

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