Conifers (01)
March 2, 2007
Abies pinsapo
Here's a more literal photograph of hedgehog fir than the one previously posted on BPotD. What I like about this photograph is that it shows three stages in cone development. This year's cones are just starting to form on the upper branches, appearing as small bumps in the photo. The most prominent feature in the photograph, last year's cones, are nearing maturity and will soon fall apart. Upon disintegration, the central column of last year's cones will remain; they will join the cone axes from previous years as observers of the continuing cycle.
Further reading on this Spanish native can be found in last year's entry on Abies pinsapo (particularly the link to the Gymnosperm Database entry).
Botany / art resource link: posts labelled Botanical Art at the Making a Mark weblog by Katherine Tyrrell.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:21 AM| Comments (5)
February 11, 2007
Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. corsicana
Today's photograph is courtesy of Josh, aka joshbailey@Flickr, submitted via the group pool (original image). Josh photographed this in (or near) the Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk, England. I chuckled when I saw the photograph as I'd taken something similar in intent recently without having first seen Josh's image. I'll save sharing mine for another year, perhaps. Thank you, Josh!
Corsican pine is a variety of the (European) black pine, Pinus nigra. While the species has a distribution range including much of southern Europe and parts of Asia Minor and north Africa, variety corsicana is restricted to the island of Corsica and parts of central Italy, according to the Gymnosperm Database entry on Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii and its varieties. The always-excellent Gymnosperm Database also has a page on Pinus nigra for further reading (as does Wikipedia).
The identification of the pines in today's photograph is courtesy of Michael F, frequent contributor to the UBC Botanical Garden Forums and commenter on BPotD.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
December 11, 2006
Abies koreana
As its scientific name implies, this fir is native to Korea (and indeed, is commonly called Korean fir). It can also be found in Russia's Sikhote-Alin mountain range, described by the World Heritage Committee as “(one of) the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as the brown bear and lynx.” – sounds like an intriguing place.
Species in the genus Abies, or true firs, are restricted to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere or, occasionally, high elevation mountainous areas in subtropical regions. Abies koreana is one of fifty-one species recognized in the genus according to Aljos Farjon's taxonomic treatment in “Pinaceae: drawings and descriptions of the genera Abies, Cedrus, Pseudolarix, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Tsuga, Cathaya, Pseudotsuga, Larix and Picea”. To learn more about the genus, visit the Gymnosperm Database reference page on Abies (you can also see a page specifically on Abies koreana).
Wikipedia also has an informative article on Korean fir.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:05 AM| Comments (4)
November 20, 2006
Thuja plicata
Somewhere near a century ago, this groove was cut into the trunk of this Western red cedar so a springboard could be inserted, at a height of around 1.2m (4 ft.) from the surface of the ground. Another 1.2m or so higher, the horizontal cut was made to fell this centuries-old giant. Although I have no idea of the fate of the lumber from that tree, the stump and the notch remain. In the hundred years or so, they've first borne witness to the recolonization of native flora and, subsequently, the planting of the David C. Lam Asian Garden. For a sense of scale, this stump is about as large as the one from this photograph.
The Darius Kinsey collection of photographs from the University of Washington Libraries documents logging practices during this period. Its forest scenes gallery of images includes photographs of springboards in use.
Art resource link: Art and Perception is a group weblog about its namesake. Excellent questions being asked and active conversations in the ensuing comments make it a great place to learn (and participate, if you are so inclined!).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:23 AM| Comments (5)
November 13, 2006
Juniperus scopulorum
It's a statutory holiday Monday in British Columbia, so I'm taking a break from writing today. If you've only discovered BPotD in the past four months or so, you can learn a bit about Rocky Mountain juniper in this June 2006 entry on Juniperus scopulorum. Yes, this is the same plant. This photograph was taken last weekend in quite different weather and light (and with a different lens).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:50 AM| Comments (8)
November 4, 2006
Pinus contorta var. latifolia 'Chief Joseph'
A nod of thanks to “yweride”, a contributor on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for submitting this image. A larger image is available in this thread. Thank you, yweride.
Oregon State University's Landscape Plants has an entry on 'Chief Joseph' lodgepole pine that includes a very brief history of the discovery of this selection, as well as a summer vs. winter comparison. I note with fond memories that it was discovered in the Wallowa Mountains, a place I'm itching to return to after having visited it all-too-briefly seven years ago.
I'm going to speculate that the yellow winter colour is due to both an increased concentration of the pigment xanthophyll and a corresponding decline in the chlorophyll, but if I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I wasn't able to find any references to support my speculation.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
September 10, 2006
Sequoiadendron giganteum
The photographer of today's image is Ken McCown of California (aka ken mccown@flickr | original image | large image on black background | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you, Ken!
Individual trees of giant sequoias rank as the largest trees in the world by volume. The species is endemic to California, where it is found in isolated groves and has a rather narrow distribution in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ken took this photograph in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, site of the Discovery Tree. This tree was one of the first of the sequoias to ever be seen by people of European descent – and shortly thereafter cut down.
The Gymnosperm Database has much more on Sequoiadendron giganteum, including an entertaining tale about big trees (and the people who search for them). Also, Wikipedia has an excellent entry on giant sequoia, including this quote from John Muir: “Do behold the King Sequoia! Behold! Behold! seems all I can say. Some time ago I left all for Sequoia and have been and am at his feet, fasting and praying for light, for is he not the greatest light in the woods, in the world? Where are such columns of sunshine, tangible, accessible, terrestrialized?”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:30 AM| Comments (4)
August 8, 2006
David C. Lam Asian Garden
I suspect today's photograph won't be for everyone, but c'est la vie. I experimented with night-time photography for the first time last night. What you see is neither the result of the in-camera flash nor an external flash unit. Instead, a 2.25 million candlepower spotlight was used to “paint” the light on the western red cedar trunk and stump. Considering the spotlight is supposedly visible from over 1.6km (1 mile) away, it still took a few experiments to paint a particular area for a long enough period of time to get the exposure right. I should admit that this image is actually a composite of two exposures – the trunk was better exposed in one image while the stump was superior in another, so the two images were blended together to produce this one. I imagine that bit of trickery won't be necessary with practice.
As it turns out, even a garden in an urban setting can be a little scary at night when the wind causes leaves to scratch along the paved paths.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:36 AM| Comments (6)
July 19, 2006
Mount Kobau, British Columbia
One of the unique plant communities which would receive increased protection from the Proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve is the subalpine fir-Engelmann spruce-sagebrush plant association of Mount Kobau. I didn't even imagine that such an association could exist, since I had considered sagebrush to be a plant of lower elevations. After finding it by accident when I travelled to Mount Kobau, I became curious as to how it came to be. Fortunately, an article from Living Landscapes gives a brief explanation about the development of this plant community: “History and Future of Mid-High Elevation Steppe/Grasslands in the Southern Interior of British Columbia” (see the section on Vegetation History). It seems the first plant communities in the area post-glaciation (eleven thousand years ago) were a mix of sagebrush, grasses and conifers, with the number of conifers increasing over the ensuing two thousand years. The pollen evidence then suggests that steppes of sagebrush and grasses became dominant for the next three thousand years; Living Landscapes mentions the possibility that this is due to an extended period of drought and heat. Stands of conifers have since recolonized the area.
I'll add another reminder to sign the petition if you've not done so but were considering it. As mentioned by K. Oakley in the comment section on Agropyron cristatum, it only takes a minute. I'll also add that international interest in establishing the park is likely as persuasive to the decision-makers as Canadian interest.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
June 12, 2006
Larix speciosa
I'm out of town for a couple more days, so please excuse the abbreviated entry.
Yunnan larch, as its name implies, is native to the Yunnan province of China, as well as neighbouring Burma (Myanmar). You can read a taxonomic description of Larix speciosa from the Flora of China.
Larches are the reason why it is more correct to call the group of plants including pines, spruces, fir, and cedars conifers instead of evergreens – larches are all deciduous, losing their needles in the autumn (and hence not evergreen). The genus Larix is also unique amongst conifers for having fall colouration, since the leaves turn yellow before falling (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!).
Conservation resource link: The Bombay Natural History Society is “the largest non-government organisation (NGO) in the Indian sub-continent engaged in nature conservation research”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
June 9, 2006
Juniperus scopulorum
The epithet scopulorum translates to “growing on cliffs”, and that is indeed where my friend Chris found this craggy tree. I was around 25m higher up the cliff, taking a photograph of a different Rocky Mountain juniper, when Chris shouted up to me that I should come down the starting-to-get-slick-from-a-light-rain lakeside cliff to get a photograph of this tree. I declined at first, but he insisted, so I very gingerly made my way down. It was well worth it, so Chris gets much credit for this photo.
Rocky Mountain juniper is, as its common name implies, native to the Rocky Mountains and vicinity from Canada south to Mexico. The US Forest Service has an excellent account of Juniperus scopulorum, including a refined distribution map. For more photographs of the plant, I'll again refer you to the Burke Museum of Natural History and its entry on Junipuer scopulorum.
A note to BPotD readers from Manitoba: I'll be giving a presentation on the “Plants of UBC Botanical Garden” to the Beausejour Daylily Garden Society on Sunday night. Send me an email if you'd like more details on when and where, if you are interested in attending.
Photography resource link: For inspiration, Tasmanian photographer Geoff Murray. Many thanks to Ken B for suggesting this one!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (12)
June 7, 2006
Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca
Kind thanks to hamadryad of Morrison, Colorado for this image submitted via the BPotD Submissions Forum (original thread containing this image and another).
As hamadryad notes in what she wrote to accompany the photographs, both male (pollen-producing) and female (ovule-producing) cones are present in the photograph, the female cones being the pink structures which will eventually harden, colour brown and point downwards over time.
An extensive account of the biology of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir can be found on the Gymnosperm Database web site (you can also read more about the genus Pseudotsuga).
Art resource link: In a discussion on the garden's discussion forums (this thread), the web site of (former) woodcarver Frederick Kay was recommended: Arbutus Gallery.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (3)
June 2, 2006
BC Native Garden
Updated 8:47 AM on June 2, 2006: Added the word former to precede “Vice President”. I had heard that the title could still be applied, but perhaps I had been misinformed. In either case, this is less confusing.
Today's photograph is a small scene from UBC's British Columbia Native Garden. The pendulous conifer is a wild-collected Larix occidentalis, or western larch. Auxins, a set of related plant hormones, likely play a key role in determining why some conifers form pendulous shapes.
In web site news, the first of the forty small thank-yous is done; when commenting on any of the weblogs, you can now use img tags to embed your own images or use the s tag for strikethroughs.
Environment / conservation resource link: Last night, I attended the inaugural UBC Global Citizenship Lecture featuring former Vice President Al Gore. All I can say is wow. A thousand times wow. Gore was on fire, and delivered a passionate and clarion call to tackle the global issue of the Climate Crisis – or to paraphrase Gore, “the moral and ethical imperative of our time”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:47 AM| Comments (4)
February 20, 2006
Podocarpus matudae
A photograph from Eric in San Francisco today, taken in the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum (Eric in SF@Flickr | BPotD Flickr Group Pool | original image). I very much appreciate all the photographs of plants I can't find locally - thanks Eric!
The pollen-bearing (male) cones, or microstrobili, of all conifers are very similar in appearance. The female cones (megastrobili) differ morphologically from group to group and can be diagnostic, i.e., they can be used to help identify a conifer while the microstrobili cannot. For a summary of the variability in megastrobili, see conifer cones via Wikipedia.
Podocarpus matudae (no common name that I can find) is native to Mexico, Guatemala and possibly El Salvador (Podocarpus matudae via the Gymnosperm Database). While previously divided into as many as four botanical varieties, the conifer taxonomist Dr. Aljos Farjon, author of the “World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers”, recognizes only the species.
Photography resource links: Two resources today on the same topic – Digital SLR Infrared by Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape and Digital Infrared Choices by David Burren (if you visit David's site, be sure to browse through either the galleries or the “featured images” pages). When I purchase a new camera, I think I'll convert my current one to IR.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:31 AM| Comments (4)
February 19, 2006
UBC Winter Garden
A small scene from the UBC Winter Garden in muted, cool tones; the flowering shrub in the foreground is Rhododendron moupinense, while the conifer is a cultivar of Cupressus arizonica (another cultivar of the same species, 'Blue Ice' was featured two months ago).
Agriculture resource link: Our Vegetable Travelers – “The original publication of Our Vegetable Travelers by Victor R. Boswell appeared in the August, 1949 issue, Volume 96(2) of National Geographic Magazine and is copyrighted by National Geographic Magazine. Reprinted as a special feature in the PLANTanswers section of Aggie Horticulture by permission of the National Geographic Society. February, 2000.” It's important to keep the date it was written in mind when reading about each of the vegetables, as the language occasionally reflects a different era.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:52 AM| Comments (2)
January 30, 2006
Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca'
Like Lantana camara, the native distribution of Chinese fir is not known; however, it is for a different reason. An important timber tree in southeast Asia, Cunninghamia lanceolata has been cultivated for its wood for over eight hundred years. It is now nigh impossible to determine where it is native and where it has been introduced.
Its importance as a timber tree is at least partly due to both the ease in which it can be propagated clonally and its ability to regrow from its roots – both qualities which are rare (unique?) among conifers (source: Minghe L and G Ritchie. 1999. Eight hundred years of clonal forestry in China: I. traditional afforestation with Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.). New Forests. 18(2): 131-142).
'Glauca' refers to the bluish-grey waxy “bloom” of the new foliage.
As always for conifers, also see Cunninghamia lanceolata via the Gymnosperm Database.
Photography / art / nature resource link: It's not botanical, but I'll make an exception for it, since the artist's message is profound. Thanks to Eva for sending along this gem: Ashes and Snow. “Gregory Colbert's Ashes and Snow is an ongoing project that weaves together photographic works, three 35mm films, art installations and a novel in letters. With profound patience and an unswerving commitment to the expressive and artistic nature of animals, he has captured extraordinary, unscripted interactions between humans and animals.” Grist has an article about the exhibition in Santa Monica.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:12 AM| Comments (12)
January 22, 2006
Thujopsis dolabrata
Hiba arborvitae is native to Japan. According to the Great Plant Picks profile for Thujopsis dolabrata (PDF), it also has two other common names, both inspired by the shape of the scale-like leaves: deerhorn cedar and battle axe cedar.
The Gymnosperm Database entry for this monotypic genus, Thujopsis, imparts a story about how the genus should technically have a different name, since it was earlier named Dolophyllum. However, the taxonomists Farjon and Hunt suggest that the old name be kept, since all publications since 1844 have used the name Thujopsis.
Natural history resource link: I thought you might like a peek at one of my inspirations from the nature and science perspective (since I usually mention photographers who inspire me). Natural History at Ragged Chutes contains photographs and notes from a field trip led by my uncle along the Mississippi River of Lanark County, Ontario. If you read through to the last page, you'll get a glimpse of an ethic he instills in others – leave a natural place cleaner than you found it.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:07 AM| Comments (7)
January 20, 2006
Abies pinsapo
Spanish fir or hedgehog fir is native to only a small corner of southwestern Spain. Hedgehog fir is an adequate description – the short, blunt needles of nearly equal length stand out as a feature of this conifer (Abies pinsapo from this page (warning: image-heavy)). Since today's image is a bit on the abstract side, you might also like to investigate a few other photographs of Abies pinsapo from this article in the Davidsonia on the Silver Firs in UBC Botanical Garden (PDF). I'm still working on the new Davidsonia site, so I won't link there directly.
As always for conifers, it is worthwhile to check out the entry in the Gymnosperm Database: Abies pinsapo.
For the black-and-white image, I've used the technique outlined here, with an initial green-blue screen at 100%, then an alpha1-red multiply.
In other news, here's a contest for you! If you're a long-time reader of BPotD, you'll certainly recall the entry on David Bookbinder's Flower Mandalas. The Science Creative Quarterly (about the SCQ - note that it's also a UBC project!) is collaborating with David to hold a contest using the flower mandalas as inspiration.
“The SCQ is pleased to present a contest that seeks “creative” entries inspired by the photographic images found in David Bookbinder’s Flower Mandalas Project. These creative pieces can be composed to the whim of the author, in any form including (but not limited to) poetry, fiction, and/or personal essay; and should preferably refer to a specific flower image found either here or at the main website.”
For all the details, see A Year of Flora: The Flower Mandala Contest. Good luck!
This also reminds me that this BPotD contest is yet to have a winner...
Horticulture / environment resource link: I'll start with a note of thanks to both Beverley for taking the time every day to source zone information for the gardeners who visit the site and to the others who comment on their real world experiences with the published figures. For a detailed look at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map, how it has changed in fourteen years and some of the impacts of a changing climate, read “Going to Extremes”, an article by Chris Clarke of the Creek Running North weblog.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:51 AM| Comments (6)
January 17, 2006
Taxodium distichum
Number five in a series featuring photographs and writings from other staff and researchers at UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research. Like yesterday's photograph, this image is by David Tarrant, UBC BGCPR's Public Relations and Programs Coordinator, from a recent trip to New Zealand. – Daniel
In his notes to me for this entry, David wrote, “These cypress knees were taken in Ayrlies, the amazing garden of Beverley McConnell. The garden is located in Whitford, just south of Auckland.”
Unlike yesterday's and tomorrow's plants, bald cypress is not a native to New Zealand. Taxodium distichum is instead native to the southeastern United States, Mexico and Guatemala, but is also widely cultivated.
Why do the roots form knees? Despite speculation that the knees help provide oxygen to the roots in water-saturated soils, no physiological function has yet been determined (source: the “Silvics of North America” account for Taxodium distichum). Knees of mangrove trees, however, do promote the diffusion of oxygen into the roots. What's the difference? Mangrove roots forming knees have lenticels, recently discussed in the BPotD entry on Prunus serrula. Taxodium distichum? No lenticels.
For more on this beautiful tree (including photographs), see Taxodium distichum via the Gymnosperm Database on conifers.org.
Botany resource link: About Plant Physiological Ecology (an introduction to the topic) – “The problem of how plants can grow in places representing severely unfavorable climate conditions and growth substrates is central to physiological ecology.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
December 29, 2005
Picea mariana
This image is courtesy of “Michael F” of Britain, a frequent commenter on BPotD and contributor on the garden's plant forums. (BPotD Submissions via the forums | original image). Michael has a more than keen interest in conifers, so I'm grateful that he's helping prop up the number of conifer images on BPotD compared to the overwhelming amount of photos of flowering plants (In the new year, I'll pester the person who was going to submit the occasional alga image).
Black spruce or, less commonly, swamp spruce is distributed in every province and territory of Canada, the northeastern United States and France (okay, not France proper, but the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon). However, this image was taken in Kyloe Wood, Northumberland, England, where a population of the plants has naturalised. While growing up in Manitoba, I learned to associate this tree with a particular sound – a high-pitched buzz caused by a swarm of mosquitoes, who also inhabit the bogs and lowlands favoured by this tree.
A tree of economic importance in North America for the pulp and paper industry, it is no surprise that there are many excellent resources about it online, including Picea mariana via the Flora of North America project and Picea mariana from the Silvics of North America.
Photography resource link: Digicams vs. DSLRs, a guide to the pros and cons of each by Michael Reichmann of The Luminous Landscape.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:25 AM| Comments (3)
December 25, 2005
Cupressus arizonica 'Blue Ice'
In late afternoon winter sun with its heavy orange-yellow cast, 'Blue Ice' Arizona cypress doesn't necessarily resemble its name. At other times, this cultivar is known for being particularly silvery-blue within a highly variable species.
If you're familiar with this conifer, you likely know it under the name Cupressus glabra 'Blue Ice' or Cupressus arizonica var. glabra 'Blue Ice'. For a small discussion on the name of the species, read the account about Cupressus arizonica on the conifers.org site. I've opted to use the opinion of the taxonomist who wrote the C. arizonica entry for the Flora of North America, but that's more out of convenience than conviction.
Photography resource link: For inspiration, the landscape photography of Australian Leigh Perry.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:00 AM| Comments (3)
December 23, 2005
Abies grandis
In the first few decades of the 20th century, much of what is now the University of British Columbia campus was clearcut. Evidence of “what once was” can be found throughout the David C. Lam Asian Garden, including dozens (if not hundreds) of decaying stumps and fallen logs.
Each of these remnants of former forest giants is unique – in my opinion, an artist could develop an intriguing portfolio using them as subjects. Some individuals are swathed in a coat of mosses and liverworts. Others bear scraggly crowns of huckleberry. To the careful observer, a few stumps reveal where small cuts were made for the feller to place his foot in. Many now host the next generation of trees, either by design or by natural happenstance. By design? On occasion, Peter Wharton mimicks the natural processes of seedling establishment and regeneration, but uses Asian plants instead of the native flora. It's an interesting horticultural technique not available in many other gardens.
Today's image, though, features a native tree. This grand fir likely established as a seedling on the decaying Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) stump somewhere between 70 and 100 years ago. Unfortunately, its life will almost certainly be abbreviated. You can easily imagine what the supporting base of the tree will look like once the stump fully decays – snake-like stems (previously roots) do not grant stability to the the tree in coastal windstorms. I'm not familiar enough with forestry terminology to know how to find a paper on the topic, but I imagine there have been studies examining how the height of remnant stumps affects mortality and length of life of second-generation trees.
B+W technique is the same one I've recently used – red-green channel screen, blue-alpha1 channels soft light.
Photography resource link: Photographing Snow, a quick tutorial from The Luminous Landscape.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:57 AM| Comments (5)
December 17, 2005
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis'
Whenever you see the word nana or its variants as part of a plant name, you can be certain that you've encountered a dwarf type (think nanotechnology). 'Nana Gracilis' hinoki cypress is no exception – after thirty-one years, this individual in the Alpine Garden has only reached two meters (6ft.) or so in height, whereas a mature individual of the wild species can reach forty meters (110ft.).
Read more about the species hinoki cypress on the conifers.org web site: Chamaecyparis obtusa.
Evolution resource link: Darwin, an online exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:58 AM| Comments (4)
December 4, 2005
Tsuga canadensis 'Frosty'
'Frosty' Canadian hemlock is not named in honour of the snowman, but rather for the white colour of the new needles on the tips of the branches. As you can tell, this phenomenon is not well-displayed by this photograph. Instead, the focus is on the cones and the shadows from winter's low sunlight.
I have the impression that the majority of conifer cultivars originate as a selection of a physical variant that is somehow different from a typical plant in the species, but if someone with more knowledge wants to qualify or dispute that assertion, please add a comment. As a comparison, though, you might recall from the entry on Gladiolus flanaganii that the thirty thousand cultivars of Gladiolus are virtually all due to hybridization and breeding.
Since I suspect that conifers might be on your mind this month, you might like to spend a little bit of time browsing around the site of the American Conifer Society or browse through the garden's conifer discussion forums.
Botany resource link: “hamadryad”, a member of the garden's discussion forums, submitted this article about a study from the University of Washington – “Wildflower seed mixes include some wicked bloomers”. From the article: “When growing 19 such packets of wildflower mixes, however, University of Washington researchers found that each contained from three to 13 invasive species and eight had seeds for plants considered noxious weeds in at least one U.S. state or Canadian province.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:37 AM| Comments (4)
November 14, 2005
Juniperus horizontalis
The collections of UBC Botanical Garden are not limited to living plant material. The garden also has a small number of seeds and cones collected by some of the university's early botanists (and former garden directors) and their correspondents. One of these correspondents was Miss Neville, who either lived or travelled near Carcross, Yukon (considering the size of Carcross, I'd presume travelled) in 1927.
The “berries” are not true berries in the botanical sense, but rather seed cones that are described as “berry-like” (Juniperus in the Flora of North America). Along with popular use in ornamental landscapes (though some would say overused), junipers have another important economic aspect – the berry-like seed cones of Juniperus communis are used in the distillation of gin, and are responsible for the distinctive gin flavour.
Photography resource link: Jef Maion's (aka Nomads' Land Photography) images of the taiga, or northern temperate forest in Eurasia. Great pic of cotton grass (Eriophorum sp.) on the first page.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
September 12, 2005
Pinus contorta var. contorta
The high water table and acidic environment of a bog can stunt growth such that a shore pine may only reach a meter in height after a decade (or more) of growth, as displayed by this photograph taken in Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area two years ago. I had planned to return to the area this autumn with the camera and equipment I now use, but I may have to adjust my expectations. From the room at home where I'm writing this entry, I can see the orange glow of flames and billowing smoke as Burns Bog burns.
The Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area measures roughly 2000 hectares (5000 acres). From what I can gather from current news reports, estimates vary widely regarding the extent of the current fire, with one report suggesting a high “one mile by two miles in size”, or approx. 500 hectares. I'll report in a future entry the verified extent of the blaze, but it does seem apparent that a lofty amount of the southeastern section of the bog has burned.
Photography resource link: A Google Image Search for Blossfeldt presents a handy survey of the work of Karl Blossfeldt, at the time “a relatively unknown art school professor”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:57 AM| Comments (16)
September 9, 2005
Picea sitchensis
A photograph from the John Davidson lantern slide collection (more about the collection in this entry) that lacks any associated information. Who is the man in the photograph? Where is this stand of Sitka spruce? Or, more likely, “where was this stand of Sitka spruce?”, as this photograph seems to be taken from the edge of a clearcut. When was this photograph taken?
For more information about these largest of spruces, though, there are thankfully some resources at hand via the Virginia Tech Forestry Department and Tree Species of the World's Boreal Forests.
Botany resource link: Taxonomic Botany and Floristics in North America, North of Mexico: A Review by James Reveal and James Pringle, details a history of taxonomic botany that spans five centuries. It was written for the Flora of North America project.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:55 AM| Comments (1)
August 27, 2005
Pseudotsuga sinensis var. sinensis
Update: Aug. 27, 2005 at 3:44pm PST: Fixed link to Flying Insects site - thanks Steve @ Venice Beach for pointing that out.
Chinese Douglas-fir is a relative of the Pacific Northwest's coast and Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii and Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca. Unlike these North American Douglas-firs, though, its status is listed as “vulnerable”, like many of the plants that can be seen in the Asian Garden at UBC.
I promise that I'll reverse this week's colour trend on the weblog and ensure tomorrow's entry is a colour other than green.
Photography / Entomology resource link: A lot of buzz on the web recently about the ingenuity required for Photographing Flying Insects.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:42 AM| Comments (1)
August 23, 2005
Picea glauca and Arceuthobium pusillum
White spruce is typically a tree of the boreal forest (although not exclusively). In Manitoba, it can be seen at the southern limit of its range in Spruce Woods Provincial Park (map / satellite), 75km southeast of Brandon. Many of the spruce trees in this population show signs of a phenomenon commonly called witches' broom, seen here at the base of the dying left-most tree and mid-height in the centre (dead) tree. The right-most tree seems to be uninfected (for now).
The cause of witches' broom in these trees is another vascular plant, Arceuthobium pusillum, or eastern dwarf mistletoe. After germinating on the twigs of the spruce tree, this parasite invades the host with root-like structures that penetrate into the bark and wood of the spruce branch. These endophytic structures absorb nutrients from the host plant, both weakening the tree and altering the normal hormonal regime. This change in hormones is the stimulant for the abnormal growth of witches' broom. For more information, see the USDA Forest Service's Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet Number 158 or the life cycle of Arceuthobium from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Parasitic Plants course.
Botany resource link: Common Tree Diseases of British Columbia. This is perhaps too localized of a resource for some readers, but it is chock-full of information and photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:26 AM| Comments (4)
August 1, 2005
Pinus strobus
This entry was posted while I was on vacation, hence the brief written accompaniment. -- Daniel
This photo of an eastern white pine near Sioux Narrows, Ontario, was inspired in part by Arthur Lismer's A September Gale (more about “A September Gale”).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
July 11, 2005
Pinus thunbergii
Jeremy Cherfas, who runs the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute's Public Awareness Weblog visited Vancouver a few weeks ago. While in town, he dropped by to introduce himself and say “hello”, so I took him and his Vancouver host, Ruth, for a tour of the garden. When we walked by this Japanese black pine, Jeremy asserted that I had to take a photo of these immature female cones for the Photo of the Day, so here they are.
In North America, there is much news about pests from elsewhere causing widespread damage to North American ecosystems. Rarely is the opposite reported here, i.e., North American natives causing problems in other countries. Media coverage or not, the introduction of exotic species is a global problem, and not confined to North America. The Gymnosperm Database's excellent account of Pinus thunbergii makes reference to Busaphelenchus xylophilus, a North American nematode, decimating the native Pinus thunbergii of Japan's coasts.
Conversely, Pinus thunbergii is sometimes regarded as being an undesirable exotic itself. Brooklyn Botanic Garden classifies it as invasive in its New York Metropolitan Flora Project. The specimen records of Pinus thunbergii reveal that is a particular problem on Long Island. However, the plant does not seem to exhibit the same behaviour locally in the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:31 AM| Comments (8)
July 3, 2005
Pinus ponderosa
As promised in this entry on Pinus ponderosa, here is the bark of Ponderosa pine up close. David Tarrant, the garden's public relations and programs coordinator, describes the bark as being “like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle”. Pretty apt description in my opinion.
Sorry, only a brief write-up today - it is a holiday weekend in North America, after all.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:41 AM| Comments (4)
June 29, 2005
Pinus ponderosa
I am a richer person for having experienced Ponderosa pine, if the measure of wealth is the accumulation of delight.
Perhaps Pinus ponderosa is too commonplace to warrant such praise, but for all the tens of thousands of trees of it that I have seen, I've yet to regard it with the contempt of familiarity. Instead, I find some interest in each one that I can afford some attention to, which makes me a distracted driver on highways surrounded by it (I shouldn't be allowed to drive in the region of Spokane, Washington...).
Why the effusive praise? I love the warm, cinnamon plates of bark interrupted by the black vertical fissures, which I appreciate both from a distance and right up close (I'll feature a close-up photograph of the bark someday soon). I like to explore the stands of the trees; they are generously-spaced and airy, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. But most of all, I delight in walking up to a tree that is baking in the sun, sticking my nose right against the heated bark no matter who my company might be, and inhaling deeply the rich scent of vanilla with a hint of butterscotch. To me, this is priceless.
Photograph taken near Merritt, British Columbia, just outside of the Harmon Lake Demonstration Forest.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:04 AM| Comments (15)
June 24, 2005
Larix griffithii
Fourth in a series of five photographs featuring plants showcased in UBC Botanical Garden's newly-released book: “The Jade Garden - New and Notable Plants from Asia”.
Sikkim larch, as written by Douglas Justice in “The Jade Garden”:
“The general public variously tolerates deciduous conifers. In cold climates they are grown because of lack of available variety in plants generally, and in temperate gardens often for their venerable lineage, such as the primitive and exotic pair Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood) and Taxodium distichum (bald cypress). The benefit of a deciduous conifer in the landscape should not be overlooked, particularly in a dull climate. As for any deciduous tree, it provides more light on the garden floor in winter. By far, the most common deciduous conifers in the Northern Hemisphere are the larches, but since they are, with few exceptions, a scruffy lot, they are generally a much-maligned group. Larix griffithii is an exception.
Individual needles of Sikkim larch are long, and among individuals they range from green to steel grey. The tree's habit is regular, narrow, and tall, with pendulous, golden brown branches somewhat reminiscent of Larix occidentalis (western larch), from the mountains of southern British Columbia and the northwestern United States. Like that species, the autumn colour of L. griffithii is pure, flaxen yellow. Sikkim larch cones are perhaps the largest of all Larix species (9 to 15cm long) and among its most interesting and ornamental features. They are purple-brown with reflexed scales and are held stiffly upright when ripe. The young, developing cones are extraordinarily large and are coloured either chartreuse or red-magenta. Both forms are exceedingly showy in the spring.
Sikkim larch is native to the high subalpine regions of the eastern Himalayas. Specimens at UBC Botanical Garden were grown from seed collected in Bhutan by Keith Rushforth. The closely related Larix griffithii var. speciosa ( syn. L. speciosa) is found in northwestern Yunnan and the southeastern Xizang Zizhang (Tibetan Himalayas). That variety differs primarily in the broader needles and shorter cones.”
Some other photographs of this plant have been posted to the garden's discussion forums.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:20 AM| Comments (3)
May 9, 2005
Picea sitchensis 'Bentham's Sunlight'
Herein lies a tale.
The newly released book, “The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed” by Vancouver author John Vaillant features this plant photographed last Friday. Well, not exactly this plant, although it is genetically identical - this is a propagation from the original. How did the original compel “myth, madness and greed”?
From the book publisher's release:
When a kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited Alaskan island just north of the Canadian border, they re-ignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest that made international news. On a winter night in 1997, a logger-turned-activist named Grant Hadwin plunged into the frigid waters of the Yakoun River in the Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw behind him. When he was done, a unique spruce tree – 50 meters tall and covered with luminous golden needles – was teetering on its massive stump.
The tree, which baffled scientists, was sacred to the Haida on whose land it had stood for over 300 years. It was also beloved by local loggers who singled it out for protection in the midst of vast clear cuts. Since the 1970s, the mist-shrouded archipelago – one of the continent's most pristine and vibrant ecosystems – has been a battleground with government officials and logging companies squaring off against the Haida and environmental groups. The loss of the mythic golden spruce united loggers, natives and environmentalists in sorrow and outrage. But while heroic efforts were made to revive the tree, Grant Hadwin, the tree's confessed killer, disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
So where does this plant in UBC Botanical Garden fit into the story? In the 1970s, then-director Dr. Roy Taylor participated in an expedition to the Queen Charlotte Islands, where cuttings were taken of the golden spruce. Two of the cuttings that were grafted survived (although there is now only the one plant in the Native Garden). When the event occurred in 1997, Bruce Macdonald, the director of the garden after Dr. Taylor, offered one of the plants at UBC to the Haida nation, but unfortunately that plant died while waiting to be shipped. As it turns out, though, propagations had been made from the felled tree, and one of those now resides in a place of honour in Port Clements. I have read reports that the colour is not the same, although I don't recall where. Interestingly, I thought the golden spruce at UBC was looking the most golden that I've seen in the five years I've been here when I photographed it Friday.
There's plenty more online about the story. The original article from 2002 that was the springboard for John Vaillant's writing of the book is here at The New Yorker: The Golden Bough. Coenosium Nursery has an article about the golden spruce from a horticultural and horticultural history perspective. The Coenosium article suggests to me that the plant should not actually be named Picea sitchensis 'Aurea', because it is not the same plant as those originally propagated under that name, which I allude to on this thread in the garden's discussion forums.
The plant in the garden is only a small part of the story, however. If, like me, you are intrigued by the rest of the story - the maelstrom of personalities and policies that erupted into the murder of the golden spruce, the reaction of the communities and the mystery of Hadwin's fate - I hope you'll attend UBC's Talk of the Town with John Vaillant on Thursday, May 12 (7:30pm to 9pm) at the UBC Robson Square campus. The lecture is free, but pre-registration is requested (604-822-5675 or info.talkofthetown@ubc.ca) to ensure that the audience can be properly accomodated. I'll be giving them a call today, myself.
Update (May 12, 2005 11:48 PM PST): I attended the talk this evening, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the format of watching an interview between a host and guest - it was like being “live in studio”. John Vaillant is certainly not lacking for skill in either writing or speaking, so I suggested he give the garden a call if he's looking for other botanical writing ideas - there are thousands of stories to tell with plants.
I've also changed the name to reflect what will likely remain the cultivar name for the plant (I'd previously had it as Picea sitchensis 'Aurea', but that was a genetically-different plant introduced much earlier). This name (as is told in the book) reflects the name that the plant was sold under by Coenosium Nursery.
Update (June 5, 2005 12:09 AM PST): You can listen to the author of the book discuss this story on NPR - Killing the Golden Spruce.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
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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.