Botany Photo of the Day

Thank you for the lovely photo on International Women's Day. To quote Emma Goldman, "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

Is it just here in the UK that Colchicums are often called "naked ladies"?!

Lovely photos, thanks.

These are such exquisitely lovely flowers... in colour, form, and setting. Although this one is an "autumn crocus", just the thought of crocus flowers, after a long winter in Toronto, cheers me up.

The mottled colour of the petals reminds me of fritillaria, another of my favourite flowers:
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2008/09/fritillaria_meleagris.php

And Barbara, I like the quote about roses and diamonds -- thanks for that!

Susan, here's a response to your question on 'naked ladies' - I've never heard colchicum referred to in that way, in the US, central Pennsylvania. However, that is the common name for a flower that blooms in late summer, consisting of 18-24" tall stalks, bearing with 3-4 pink, lily-like flowers on top - just popping up seemingly out of nowhere, but aha, their long, strappy foliage, very much like hemerocallis, had already disappeared, after appearing in the spring.

Thanks for the information Deb, I think it is mainly C. autumnale that has that common name here, can't be sure though. Could what you have heard called "Naked Ladies" be a Nerine perhaps?

I've always heard 'naked lady' as a common name for Amaryllis belladonna. ( Portland OR, USA)

Ah, may well be that instead of the Nerine Deb; perhaps we should combine a list of all plants called "naked ladies"!

Isn't there another flower a true crocus, called the autumn crocus?, which of the two produces saffron?

Oh the colchicums provided the only treatment for gout for a long time!

Crocus sativus gives us Saffron, Colchicums are just called Autumn Crocuses to confuse us!

The saffron one is Crocus sativus. Colchicum is poisonous, and is called Naked Ladies in the UK. Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna) and Lycoris squamigera are called Naked Ladies in the USA.

It would be a neat series, on Naked Ladies- some of these are really strange plants!

...hear ...hear..let's have a series of naked ladies.....lol...

do come in to me garden the naked ladies are
just around the corner by the pool you see

thank you for the posting lovely pictures

good write up fun comments

all i can say is WOW!

Here's what all the 'naked lady' talk reminded me of:
"Gardens... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves." ~H.E. Bates, A Love of Flowers

I've always heard that many flowers which bloom without their foliage are known as 'Naked Ladies' - no foliage. So many South African spp. and other specimens that produce their foliage in response to wet seasons but flower later, during the dry season are naked - good church women who don't hold with naked concepts refer to these as 'Resurrection Lilies' - omg!

Just for the record, Belladonna Lilies are also called "Naked Ladies" in Australia.

A beautiful plant, especially in the lower photo, and what fun comments!

it's always fun to see it when an entry sets off such a flurry of comments!

this is resarch week our next entry is
led by daniel naked ladies of the
pacfic north west i have known and loved

Love the contrast of the delicate pink against the rocks!

elizabeth a airhart - you are a hoot! and I appreciate your poetic comments. I would like to second the nomination for the entry led by daniel - naked ladies of the pacific north west that I have known & loved. LOL

Here you can buy the colchicums in early fall and then get them to flower just by putting them on a plate.

Colchicine (originally a colchicum extract) is still an excellent treatment for acute flareups of gout: 0.6mg given 2 hourly until the pain is relieved OR the patient develops diarrhoea!! (Although I have to say the pain is usually relieved well before the less-appreciated side effect).