Flowering Plants
November 20, 2009
Caltha leptosepala var. leptosepala
White marsh-marigold or mountain marsh-marigold is an early bloomer on local mountains (this photograph is from June 26). Other plants in flower at the time on Mt. Cheam included violets, Erythronium grandiflorum, Phlox diffusa, Potentilla flabellifolia and Saxifraga oppositifolia. In British Columbia, this taxon is found at elevations ranging from 1300-1900m, with a preference for a southern exposure.
Caltha leptosepala var. leptosepala is one of two varieties recognized in E-Flora BC. The other is Caltha leptosepala var. biflora. However, the Flora of North America lumps the two together as Caltha leptosepala, and describes the taxon as "morphologically complex".
Intriguingly, this is one of the few members of the buttercup family that has a historical use of being eaten raw (most members of the family are poisonous). Plants of Coastal British Columbia notes that "the leaves and flower buds were eaten raw or cooked by Alaskan native people". The book also makes mention of the roots being boiled and appearing like sauerkraut (no mention of taste is given).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:55 PM| Comments (3)
November 18, 2009
Galanthus reginae-olgae
Ian Gillam, one of UBC Botanical Garden's Friends of the Garden, is the author of today's entry, as well as the photographer. Thank you Ian!
Snowdrops (Galanthus) are small bulbous plants. They produce pairs of mostly strap-shaped leaves and a single, hanging flower on a short scape. All of the 19 species currently recognized have white flowers (Galanthus means "milk flower") with green markings. Details of these markings, whether the leaves are green, glaucous or glaucescent and whether they lie flat against each other at their base or are folded together at the margins help to differentiate species found in different habitats. They occur from western Europe into the westernmost side of Asia.
In suitable areas, in the wild or in gardens, snowdrops, notably the common Galanthus nivalis, multiply steadily. Open deciduous woodland in mid-northern Europe can become carpeted with plants, a spectacle in earliest springtime. Among such large populations, a careful observer can sometimes find variants in markings, in size and shape of flower and in season of bloom. These variants have been collected over a considerable period of time by enthusiasts (galanthophiles). Where several species are in cultivation the chances of variation are increased by hybridization and many named cultivars are presumed to be of hybrid origin. A very few show markings in yellow rather than green and also have yellow ovaries. These have proven demanding to grow but newer examples are promised to be more vigorous, though still rare.
Snowdrops bloom over a long period and individual flowers last a long time in the garden, in part directly due to the cold conditions at blooming time but no doubt due also to the paucity of pollinating insects and the unfavorable weather for their activity.
Not all snowdrops bloom in late winter or early spring. Today's subject is Galanthus reginae-olgae, whose flowers open in late October or early November before the leaves are fully emerged. It is native to Sicily, former Yugoslavia and to Greece where it was named for that country's Queen Olga (1851-1926), grand-daughter, cousin and niece of Russian Tsars. She married the second King of modern Greece. Among their grandchildren is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The queen's snowdrop has alternated between being considered a subspecies of the common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, and being a species in its own right. It is an interesting plant, blooming as it does at an unexpected time. It can be grown outdoors in Vancouver but is safer grown under protection from our wet winters, at least until more plants are available. Forms distinguished as Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis delay their blooming until spring and are thus more similar to Galanthus nivalis.
Another species, differing in its narrow, greener leaves, also blooms in late autumn. This is Galanthus peshmenii, native to Turkey. Its bulbs, flowers and leaves are slightly smaller.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:57 PM| Comments (8)
November 17, 2009
Heliotropium foertherianum
Lindsay B. is the author of today's entry:
Thank you to Wendy Cutler@Flickr for submitting today's photograph (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
Well-known by the scientific name Tournefortia argentea, tree heliotrope was renamed several times in quick succession -- the currently accepted name seems to be Heliotropium foertherianum, a name published by Diane & Hilger in 2003 through a revision of the Boraginaceae.
Tree heliotrope (also known as velvet soldierbush or octopus bush) is native to coastal regions of the Indian Ocean: tropical Asia, Madagascar, and northern Australia. It can also be found as a native plant further east into the Pacific, on islands and atolls of Malesia, Micronesia and southeastern Polynesia. Growing in rocky or sandy soils, plants of Heliotropium foertherianum (PDF) are found only in a narrow ribbon of oceanside vegetation; it is therefore termed a "strand plant". It is a modern introduction to Hawaiian Islands, where it is commonly called kiden.
The small white flowers are borne in many-branched, silky clusters of coiled spikes near the ends of branches (hence the common name, octopus bush). The small green fruits, which look like small pointed peas, turn brown when mature and divide into four nutlets.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:10 PM| Comments (10)
November 16, 2009
Solanum carolinense
Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry:
Thank you to BlueRidgeKitties@Flickr for submitting today's photo (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
As noted by the photographer on Flickr, Carolina horsenettle is in fact not a nettle, but instead belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Members of the Solanaceae are known for producing a diverse range of alkaloids, some of which can be toxic. In the case of Solanum carolinense, all parts of the plant contain solanine. Solanine is poisonous to humans and can irritate skin, causing a nettle-like rash. Given that the fruits of this plant look like small tomatoes, it is important not to mistake it!
Carolina horsenettle is considered to be a noxious weed in several states in the USA. It has the ability to spread vegetatively via underground rhizomes, as well as propagate by seed. Carolina horsenettle's status as a weed is further bolstered by the fact that is resistant to many herbicides; in fact, use of herbicides will often give horsenettle the advantage by removing competing weeds.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:45 PM| Comments (11)
November 13, 2009
Penstemon serrulatus
I'm on vacation, so another short entry today. It's a photograph of a native plant of British Columbia, so as to continue the series.
This species of beardtongue has a number of common names, including: Cascade beardtongue, Cascade penstemon, coast penstemon, and serrulate penstemon. It is distributed from Alaska to Oregon. Penstemon serrulatus is one of the few penstemon species that is native to both sides of the Coast-Cascade mountains (most western North American penstemon species are native only to east of the Coast-Cascades).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:45 AM| Comments (17)
November 10, 2009
Fritillaria affinis
It appears we've unintentionally started a series on native plants of British Columbia. Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry, a good accompaniment to the previous entry on Fritillaria affinis. Lindsay was also the photographer for the third photograph showing the plant in habitat.
Chocolate lily is another species found solely within western North America (via Flora of North America: Fritillaria affinis).
Fritillaria affinis has long been known by the scientific name Fritillaria lanceolata, but the name has undergone relatively recent clarification (1980). When Pursh described Fritillaria lanceolata in 1813, he based it in part upon an illustration of Lilium camschatcence (which had already been renamed to Fritillaria camschatcensis in 1809). In other words, not only did the name Fritillaria lanceolata not conform to the general rules of taxonomic nomenclature, but it was also not originally (partially?) based on the species we now refer to as Fritillaria affinis. However, Fritillaria lanceolata became commonly used, for some reason. The name has now been clarified by Josef Robert Sealy, who credited Josef August Schultes (who first recognized the error).
The bulbs of Fritillaria affinis resemble tight clusters of white rice and were eaten by virtually all northwest coastal peoples of North America. The bulbs grow relatively close to the surface and are easily dug-up. Processing methods included cooking by steaming in a cedarwood box or boiling followed by mashing into a paste.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:33 PM| Comments (9)
November 9, 2009
Lithospermum ruderale
Just a quick one for today, as time is tight.
Known as both western stoneseed (Lithospermum literally means "stone seed") and western gromwell, Lithospermum ruderale is a fairly common species of open, dry plains, hillsides and shrub-steppe in western North America.
According to Mabberley's The Plant Book, the genus Lithospermum is distributed worldwide in temperate regions, except Australasia. Mabberley also notes that Lithospermum ruderale was the "inspiration for perfecting oral contraceptives". A perusal of Daniel Moerman's Native American Ethnobotany reveals that both the Navajo and Shoshoni peoples used it for that purpose. Wikipedia elucidates on Lithospermum, via Tilford's Edible and Medicinal plants of the West: "Gromwell contains estrogen-like compounds that disrupt the female hormonal reproductive system and suppress the normal menstrual cycle. Gromwell has been used for centuries as a female contraceptive, and Lithospermum arvensis is currently used in Europe for that purpose. Gromwell has dramatic and dangerous hormonal effects on the body and is not approved for use in the United States."
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:09 PM| Comments (10)
November 6, 2009
Cypripedium montanum
These photographs are from my first-ever encounter with Cypripedium montanum, which occurred this past June north of Lytton, British Columbia. I also photographed it a few weeks later northwest of La Grande, Oregon.
Mountain lady's slipper is another native of western North America, with its range extending east as far as south central Montana and north central Wyoming. Curiously, despite its main range extending as far north as central British Columbia in the interior and only to a small portion of southwestern British Columbia along the coast, it can also be found in the Alaska Panhandle -- a discontinuous distribution with a minimum gap of 750km.
The Flora of North America lists Cypripedium montanum as having a habitat of "mesic to dry (rarely wet) coniferous, deciduous, and broadleaf evergreen forests, openings, and thickets, around shrubs on open slopes". Today's photographs were taken along the exposed banks of a roadside, and all of the half-dozen or so plants I observed on this trip were covered in gravel-dust. More photographs of this species are available from the Burke Museum: Cypripedium montanum.
In Daniel Moerman's exhaustive Native American Ethnobotany, only one reference is made to a First Nations use of this species. Members of the Okanagan-Colville Nation purportedly used an infusion of the leaves and stalks as a reproductive aid (the infusion was "taken by a pregnant woman to have a small baby"). Source reference for this was a 1980 report by Nancy Turner and colleagues of the Royal British Columbia Museum, "Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington. As an incidental aside, Dr. Turner worked as a summer student at UBC Botanical Garden sometime in the 1970s.
Lastly, another note for local readers. I'll be presenting on Monday night (number five of at least seven this month), this time on the topic of "Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia" to the Langley Garden Club. If you'd like to attend, the meeting begins at 7:30pm in Murrayville Hall at 21667 48th Avenue (there will likely be a small guest fee to attend).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:40 PM| Comments (18)
November 5, 2009
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry (update on Nov. 6: I neglected to mention these are also Lindsay's photographs - Daniel):
This is a plant that is at its best in tough environments--as long as it has good drainage! Commonly known as hairy manzanita, Arctostaphylos columbiana is found along the Coast-Cascade Ranges from Sonoma County, California, north to Vancouver Island and southwest coastal mainland British Columbia, with the largest population in southwestern Oregon. It is found primarily in evergreen forests and requires fire to break seed dormancy and maximize germination.
Hairy manzanita hybridizes with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick) to produce Arctostaphylos × media. It also hybridizes with Arctostaphylos nevadensis (pinemat manzanita ) in the Mount Hood region of Oregon, where ranges of the two species overlap. Manzanita is Spanish for "little apples" alluding to the appearance of the small, brown fruits. Some native people reputedly ate the berries, although they are said to cause severe constipation.
A note for local readers by Daniel: Speaking of southwest Oregon, I'll be presenting tonight (late notice, I know) at the Native Plant Society of British Columbia South Coast meeting, held at VanDusen Botanical Garden. The topic is "A Botanical Journey through the Siskiyou Mountains", and I'll be presenting with (occasional BPotD contributor) Ron Long and Virginia Skilton. Meeting starts at 7pm, hope to see you there!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:45 PM| Comments (19)
November 4, 2009
Crataegus mexicana
Lindsay again writes today's entry:
Thank you to Eric in SF@Flickr (also of Orchid Photos.org) for submitting today's photograph (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool).
Native to Mexico and northern South America, Crataegus mexicana is one of 135-280 species of hawthorns (the wide range is indicative of an ongoing taxonomic argument). The species pictured here, commonly called Mexican hawthorn, can often be found under the scientific name Crataegus pubescens, but that name has since been rejected in favour of Crataegus mexicana.
Mexicans often call this species tejocote. Many food products, like concentrated pulp, jam, jellies, and marmalades can be processed from this fruit, making it of economical importance. Some of the largest plantations of Crataegus mexicana flourish in Mexico, where upwards of 24 000 tons/year are produced. Cultivated forms of the tree can be nearly thornless and large-fruited, whereas the wild species is generally thorny and small-fruited.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:00 AM| Comments (12)
November 2, 2009
Euphorbia amygdaloides
Lindsay is responsible for today's entry. Lindsay writes:
Thanks to Lotus Johnson aka ngawangchodron@Flickr for submitting today's photo (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool).
Prominently featured in this photograph are the cyathia (single: cyathium) of woodspurge. The cyathium is a kind of "false flower" consisting of a cup-shaped involucre bearing several minute stamens (male flowers) and a pistillate flower consisting of an ovary on a long stalk (pedicel). These features are characteristic of every inflorescence in the genus Euphorbia (and its closest relatives), and are found nowhere else in the plant kingdom.
Researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have studied the origins of the cyathium and concluded that it evolved from a more open grouping of flowers called a thyrse. In the thyrse of Euphorbia's ancestors, the terminal female flower was surrounded by cymes of male flowers. With this kind of precursor, researchers presume that the cyathia were eventually formed by a strong condensation of the inflorescence. One of the conclusions derived from this study was that the cyathium is neither a flower nor an inflorescence, but rather a "hybrid" in which regulatory genes that normally control features of individual flowers have overlapped into control of the inflorescence.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 PM| Comments (5)
October 30, 2009
Tacca chantrieri
Lindsay is again the author of today's entry:
Thank you to Brent Miller aka foliosus@Flickr who submitted today's photograph and inspired today's Hallowe'en entry (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!.
Historically, Hallowe'en is thought to have its origins in Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of the "lighter half" & the beginning of the "darker half" in the Gaulish calendar. What better to mark the arrival of the "darker half" of the year than this haunting beauty, Tacca chantrieri. Native to southeast Asia, Tacca chantrieri carries the mischievous common names of bat or devil flower. Bat flower is a reference to the dark bracts with prominent venation, while devil flower refers to the filaments that can grow to 70cm, terminating in a "forked tail".
A menacing reputation follows this captivating, and somewhat unsettling, flower. Some people believe that the strange "eyes" appear to follow you around the room. Superstitions in southeast Asia include a belief that it is unlucky to look into the eyes of Tacca chantrieri and / or a belief that it brings death close to oneself and one's family.
For more photographs, see Tacca chantrieri at the Wikimedia Commons.
Daniel adds: I wanted to let you know that the garden's web site will be unavailable on Monday, November 2 beginning at ~9am PST. We are upgrading the server. I hope the outage is short, but it's impossible to predict what we may need to troubleshoot to get everything up and running again.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:58 PM| Comments (14)
October 28, 2009
Euonymus alatus
Lindsay wrote today's entry:
Thank you to my fellow classmate Nell Gasiewicz for snapping these pictures on our weekly plant walk.
Commonly known as burning bush or winged euonymus for its corky "wings", Euonymus alatus was introduced to the US from Asia around 1860 for use as an ornamental shrub. In fact, people were so taken by its striking autumn colour that highway departments and parkway planters across the northeastern United States used Euonymus alatus as a divider in hedges and as foundation plantings. By the 1960s, burning bush had escaped cultivation and is now considered an invasive species in some of these areas, crowding out and outcompeting native species in the woodlands of New Hampshire, Connecticut and Virginia, along with parts of Pennsylvania and Illinois.
The good news for some locations, however, is that Euonymus alatus is not considered invasive in an urban context or in wet climates where the seeds are likely to rot before germinating.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:49 PM| Comments (16)
October 27, 2009
Sempervivum funckii var. aqualiense
A very special entry today, from my perspective. It is rare that both the photographs / illustrations and text for Botany Photo of the Day are contributed by someone not from UBC, so I really appreciate the effort by both writer Joseph Beaujean of the Jardin botanique de Liège and translator Alain Vanderpoorten of the Université de Liège in Belgium for today's entry. Joseph writes:
Wallonia, and especially the Liège province, includes among its botanical highlights a rare endemic plant, "Joubarbe d'Aywaille". The taxon is known from a single locality, the Heid des Gattes in Aywaille, in the Amblève valley between Soa and Sougné-Remouchamps.
Dr A. L. S. Lejeune (1779-1858), from Verviers, was the first to mention the taxon in 1813 in the Supplément de la Flore de Spa (p. 310), where one can read: Sempervivum montanum minus Decand. "Se trouve sur les rochers près de Sougné". Between 1825 and 1830, Lejeune and Courtois edited the Choix de plantes de la Belgique. In the 15th issue published in 1829; this endemic plant from Aywaille appears under the name Sempervivum montanum L.
The status of the taxon remained unchanged until 1873 when, following a meeting of the Botanical Society of France held in Belgium, Edouard Morren (1833-1886), a professor at University of Liège famous for his works on the Bromeliaceae, publishes a note about the botanical history in the Liège area and the Aywaille Sempervivum. In 1873, he also publishes (in the journal La Belgique Horticole), a second note including two colour figures (today's illustrations), wherein he describes the taxon as new variety of Sempervivum funckii, that is, Sempervivium funckii var. aqualiense.
Bibliography:
- Morren E., 1873. - Note sur la joubarbe d'Aywaille. Sempervivum funckii Br. var. aqualiense. La Belgique Horticole 23:161-166
- Lambinon J., 1985. - n° 11280 - Sempervivum funckii F. Braun ex Koch var. aqualiense E. Morren. Soc. Ech. Pl. Vasc. Eur. Bass. Médit., Bull. 20:46-47 (Notes brèves sur certaines centuries distribuées dans le fascicule 20)
- Beaujean J., 1997. - La joubarbe d'Aywaille. Une plante protégée par la loi ... menacée de destruction volontaire. Revue Verviétoise d'Histoire Naturelle. Printemps 1997: 7-12
- Lambinon J., Delvosalle L., Duvigneaud J. & coll., 2004. - Nouvelle Flore de la Belgique, du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, du Nord de la France et des Régions voisines (Ptéridophytes et Spermatophytes), 5ème éd. Meise, Ed. Patr. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg., CXXX + 1167 p. (cf. 208-309).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM| Comments (13)
October 23, 2009
Cornus sericea
Lindsay again writes today's entry:
Thank you to Wayne Weber@Flickr for capturing and submitting this lovely beacon of autumn (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)
Red-osier dogwood is a common shrub found wild throughout North America, in addition to being a popular ornamental (particularly for winter interest). In many older texts, you will find Cornus sericea referred to as Cornus stolonifera.
Recent studies have raised the profile of this riparian species with respect to its use in land reclamation. Researchers from the Department of Renewable resources at the University of Alberta in conjunction with the Botany Department at the University of Manitoba, conducted an investigation on sodium chloride and sodium sulfate uptake in tailing waters produced as a result of surface mining (see: Renault et al. 2001. Effects of NaCl and Na2SO4 on red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera Michx) seedlings. Plant and Soil. 233(2):261-268 doi:10.1023/A:1010512021353 ). In this study, red-osier dogwood seedlings were demonstrated to be relatively resistant to the high salinity tailings waters produced by the oil sands industry.
Salinity can reduce plant growth by both osmotic and ionic effects. An accumulation of ions in plant tissues can affect membrane selective permeability, altering the uptake of ions and possibly resulting in nutrient deficiency or toxicity. Photosynthetic activity is also limited in a saline environment because of a decrease in stomatal conductance, restricting gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere. In many plants, salt resistance depends on the ability of the root system to restrict Na+ and Cl-transport to the shoots. Within a certain range of concentration, the roots of Cornus sericea are able to selectively restrict transport of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate to the leaves making them an ideal pioneering species for use in land reclamation.
Botany / photography resource link (added by Daniel): Thank you to Adolf Ceska for sending this link along: botany.cz. It's like Botany Photo of the Day, but with sometimes 4 or 5 entries in a day (it helps to have 30 contributors). And it's in Czech. If you're like me, you'll still enjoy visiting for the photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:10 PM| Comments (15)
October 22, 2009
Rhus typhina
Lindsay is responsible for today's written entry. I made the scan from leaves leaflets (thanks Richard, in comments below) collected by Emily P., another one of the garden's work-study students. The leaves leaflets were picked from the ground in UBC Botanical Garden's Carolinian Forest. The photo of the plant habit was made in New Brunswick. Lindsay writes:
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I was able to go home to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island where the fall colour of the Rhus typhina was at its peak in the slightly cooler climate. The amber colour was spectacular against its elegant branching.
A native of eastern USA and southern Canada, staghorn sumac favours dry sites and poor soil -- it will often grow where other plants would be unable to survive. Sometimes seen as a "weedy" species because of its spreading rhizomes, Rhus typhina can remain quite manageable if left undisturbed. Unlike other members of Anacardiaceae, no parts of Rhus typhina are poisonous. It was used to make a kind of "sumac-ade" by First Nations, and also apparently makes a nice wine.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:45 PM| Comments (21)
October 21, 2009
Vitis labrusca 'Concord'
Lindsay wrote today's entry:
Thank you to long-time BPotD commenter Phillip Lacock for submitting this picture of abundance (original photo | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
As you might guess, the Concord grape hails from Concord, Massachusetts, where it was developed by Ephraim Wales Bull. Bull started experimenting in the 1830s for a variety that would thrive in the cold New England climate, and tasted 'Concord' for the first time in 1849. Through 1850 to 1853, the plant was propagated to make it available commercially on a small-scale. By 1854, the fruits of Bull's labour were for sale, and Bull made $3200 by selling vines for $5 each in the first year. Little money was made in succeeding years, though, as competing commercial nurseries propagated the vines in quantity and paid no royalties to Bull.
Concord grapes are often used as table grapes by home-growers. Commercially, products like Smucker's Jam and Welch's Grape Juice use this cultivar. In fact, Thomas Bramwell Welch discovered the pasteurization process using Concord grapes.
Bull's epitaph in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts reads "The Originator of the Concord Grape, He Sowed; Others Reaped". For an extensive article about Vitis labrusca 'Concord', read the Edmund Schofield article published in Arnoldia, entitled "He Sowed; Others Reaped": Ephraim Wales Bull and the Origins of the 'Concord' Grape (PDF).
As an aside, if you have horticultural or gardening questions about grapes, UBC Botanical Garden has a forum to discuss them: Grapes and Grape Vines.
Biology resource link (added by Daniel): I want to point out a thread on the forums for those of you who are fans of interesting organisms. In a discussion about identification of a slime mold, one of the forum members, forestlover, posted an extensive set of links about slime molds that are well-worth investigating.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:30 AM| Comments (10)
October 20, 2009
Urginea undulata
Thank you to Lindsay for today's write-up and to "cloudy" of the UBC Botanical Garden forums for taking these photographs in Israel in this posting on the UBC Botanical Garden Botany Photo of the Day Submissions forum. Lindsay writes:
You might not guess from its delicate appearance but Urginea undulata has earned a reputation as one tough geophyte. Native to the Negev Desert in Israel as well as parts of North Africa, this bulb is active twice throughout the year. Flowering, as shown in today's photographs, corresponds to the onset of the rainy season. This is quickly followed by a dormant period that is eventually broken with the production of stunning foliage in February. The bulb then again goes dormant throughout the following dry summer season.
Throughout its dry season dormancy, Urginea undulata is able to survive with very little, if any, water and sustain extreme ground temperatures because of a protective layer of dead tissues that keep it from drying out or overheating. The bulbs are a food source for animals; not only will the bulbs tolerate disturbance, but the remaining bulbs in the colony actually benefit from frequent 'cultivation' of the soil.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:30 PM| Comments (13)
October 19, 2009
Calochortus subalpinus
Subalpine mariposa lily is another species of restricted distribution -- I could have included it in my list of narrow-range endemics of the Pacific Northwest, I suppose, but it is more common than the plants in that series (starting with Delphinium viridescens). It is found in south-central Washington and north-central Oregon, where it grows in "open forest in loose volcanic soils" (via Flora of North America). These plants were encountered on one of the trails around Birds Creek Meadow, on Yakama Nation land near Mt. Adams, in early August.
To see the diversity of flower form in Calochortus subalpinus, see: Calochortus subalpinus via Calphotos. To read more about the plant, see Calochortus: Mariposa lilies & their relatives: Calochortus subalpinus.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:44 PM| Comments (7)
October 16, 2009
Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin'
Lindsay is again the writer and I'm the photographer. Lindsay writes:
In contrast to the new up-and-coming apple variety featured on yesterday's Botany Photo of the Day, today we pay homage to what is arguably one of the most loved heritage varieties, Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin'. Raised as a chance seeding by Richard Cox in 1825 at Colnbrook, in Buckinghamshire, England, the parentage of 'Cox's Orange Pippin' is obscure but thought to be Malus 'Ribston Pippin'. Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin' is distinct in its complex aroma and colour, while the taste is considered by many to be the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. In the UK, Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin' accounts for over 50% of dessert apple sales but has never had the same commercial support in North America and is not widely available commercially.
The tree requires more attention than other commercial varieties, as it is particularly susceptible to molding and other common problems. Growers have tried crossing Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin' to select its virtues without the problems, and have produced a number of notable varieties such as 'Ellison's Orange Pippin', 'Holstein', 'Ingrid Marie', 'Freyberg', 'Golden Nugget', 'Kidd's Orange Red' (which is a parent of 'Gala') and 'Cherry Cox'.
Not only are apples available to taste and purchase at this year's Apple Festival (web site via the FOGs, web site via the garden), but trees of Malus 'Cox's Orange Pippin' are available for sale as well (along with over eighty other varieties!): Apple Tree Cultivars for Sale (2009).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:15 PM| Comments (22)
October 15, 2009
Malus SPA493
Lindsay Bourque is today's writer, I'm the photographer. Lindsay writes:
This weekend, the Friends of the UBC Botanical Garden (FOGS) will be hosting their annual Apple Festival (web site via the FOGs, web site via the garden). One of the over sixty varieties available for sale is the as-yet-unnamed cultivar, SPA493. Malus SPA493 began its development in 1981 at Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada's PARC Summerland in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Malus SPA493 is an apple with a late to very late harvest date, maturing after 'Splendour' and 'Ambrosia', yet one of the earliest to flower in spring.
Malus SPA493 is a cross between Malus 'Splendour' and Malus 'Gala', and has a tart flavor with a satisfying crunchy texture. If you were fortunate enough to attend the Apple Festival last year, you may have sampled Malus SPA493 in a taste comparison with commercially available tart varieties (Malus 'Granny Smith', Malus 'McIntosh' and Malus 'Sparta'). Malus SPA493 fared well in the appearance comparison (was preferred over each of the other three). More impressively, it was the undisputed favourite for taste when people were asked in a side-by-side comparison as to whether they liked the taste of none, one or both of the cultivars: 89% to 36% vs. Malus 'Granny Smith', 88% to 55% vs. Malus 'McIntosh', and 81% each in comparison to Malus 'Spartan'.
This year, 900kg (2000lb.) of Malus SPA493 will be available for sale at the Apple Festival, grown and supplied by Gord Shandler of Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.
Environment resource link (added by Daniel): Prized possessions: securing Canada's natural landscapes, a small slideshow about properties acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada through Environment Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program funding. Via Envirozine, Environment Canada's newsletter.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:57 PM| Comments (23)
October 14, 2009
Cuscuta chinensis
Lindsay B. wrote today's entry:
Thank you to Jayesh Patil for submitting today's Botany Photo of the Day (original Image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
Pictured here growing on an unknown host plant is Cuscuta chinensis, a twining parasitic herb native to much of Asia, Indonesia and Queensland, Australia. Commonly known as Chinese dodder, it is most often found growing on plants in the Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Zygophyllaceae. The seeds of Cuscuta chinensis sprout in soil, however, the radicle quickly dies after germination. In the absence of foliage for photosynthesis, dodder becomes completely dependent on its host for nourishment, eventually killing its host. Common on dry, sandy slopes, Cuscuta chinensis has been identified as a contributor to accelerated desertification in areas of Nepal.
Cuscuta chinensis is considered an extremely useful and versatile herb in traditional Chinese medicine, belonging to the category of herbs that tonify/supplement the yang. The seed is used as a demulcent, diaphoretic, hepatic and tonic, while decoctions with other herbs are used in the treatment of impotence, vertigo, lumbago, leucorrhoea and decreased eyesight.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:15 AM| Comments (9)
October 13, 2009
Viburnum lantanoides
A note for those of you who like to point out your desire for a full photograph of the plant in the comments or by email: please follow the links in the text. It's uncommon that one of the various BPotD writers won't link to full plant images -- we do try to accommodate!
Hobblebush is a shrub native to eastern North America. It is so named because it is often responsible for hobbling, or tripping, those who walk in the shaded forests where it grows; its pendulous branches touch the ground and root at the contact point, creating natural tripwires. The shrub often reaches a height of 2.5-3.5m, but Dirr, in Viburnums -- Flowering Shrubs for Every Season, writes of an encounter with a plant 4.5m high by 5.5m wide on Monhegan Island in Maine.
It was challenging for me in New Brunswick to be in an area where the plants, broadly speaking, were familiar but many of the species were unknown to me. Fortunately, in this case, I had a giant clue as to this plant's identity: the "praying hands" leaf buds of Viburnum are quite diagnostic of the genus. Even though I thought the plant was something else due to the large, ovate leaves, a close look at the buds pushed me in the right direction of identifying it as Viburnum. A quick perusal of a text with illustrations of Viburnum leaves in eastern North America led me directly to Viburnum lantanoides.
On a different topic for local readers: there are two presentations tomorrow (Wednesday) that may pique your interest. At 5:15pm (coffee at 4:30pm), former director of IPGRI (now Bioversity International) Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin will be speaking as part of the Namkoong Family Lecture Series: Saving the World's Heritage: Some Recent Initiatives to Safeguard Plant Genetic Diversity (PDF). At 7pm, former UBC Botanical Garden director Quentin Cronk will be talking at the Native Plant Society of BC's South Coast Meeting on The Peavines of BC, or the genus Lathyrus. I have plans to attend both, so hopefully I'll see you there!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:00 AM| Comments (9)
October 9, 2009
Betula papyrifera
I returned late Wednesday from a trip to New Brunswick (and a smidgen of Québec), where I was attending a workshop on photography and visual design by Freeman Patterson and André Gallant. Not only did I have a great time and learn quite a bit, but I also had the opportunity to do a bit of photography (obviously).
Paper birch was previously featured on BPotD earlier this year (see: Betula papyrifera), so do check that entry for information about distribution and cultural uses. The Flora of North America entry for Betula papyrifera also provides extensive details about both those topics.
It is "easy" to broadly understand the implications of temperature-rise in association with global climate change (e.g., polar bears and melting ice), but there are biogeochemistry-related effects as well; for example, ocean acidification. In the case of birch trees, the decomposition of the leaves of Betula papyrifera has been studied to examine the effects of increased atmospheric CO2. The result? Seemingly poorer-quality leaf litter, implying associated cascading effects for forests, streams and nearby oceans (because of a slowdown of nutrient-cycling: see decomposition from the herbarium at Utah State University). For details of the study, see (PDF): Parsons, WFJ et al. 2004. Decomposition of Betula papyrifera leaf litter under the independent and interactive effects of elevated CO2 and O3. Global Change Biology. 10(10):1666-1677.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:30 AM| Comments (13)
October 8, 2009
Edithcolea grandis
Lindsay Bourque composed today's article.
Thank you to scott.zona@flickr for submitting today's Botany Photo of the Day (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
This stunning flower is borne from a decumbent succulent stem; the stem is often eaten as a vegetable in Ethiopia and Somalia. Native to northeastern Africa, it is also found in very localized areas of Kenya, Tanzania and Yemen. Edithcolea grandis is the only representative of its genus. Its natural distribution is becoming more restricted and it should be considered a candidate for protection wherever it grows naturally. As Scott notes, it emits an odor that is described as "carrion" or "fetid" -- meant to mimic rotting meat in order to attract pollinating flies.
Commonly called Persian carpet flower for its colour and pattern, it is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental in desert gardens worldwide. However, it has gained a reputation as a particularly difficult plant to keep because of its very specific growing needs and will often succumb to rot before producing one of its tantalizing blooms.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:00 AM| Comments (19)
October 7, 2009
Eucalyptus diversicolor
The majestic karri tree is native to a small area in the southwest of Australia, where rainfall is high. The massive trees are a popular tourist attraction-you can even climb a few of them. It vies with Eucalyptus regnans for the title of world's tallest hardwood tree (current record holder is a specimen of E. regnans, named Centurion growing south of Hobart, measured in 2008 at 99.6 m (326.8 ft.)). Eucalyptus diversicolor can grow to 90 metres, but generally ranges from 10 to 60 metres tall. The bark of the tree is deciduous and changes colour as it ages, hence the name diversicolor.
The tree produces very fine timber and is popular for its knot-free wood. It is used for construction and furniture making. The once great forests have largely been harvested and massive old growth trees, like the one in today's photo are now protected, although the valuable trees are still at times vulnerable. Large plantations of the species have been developed as commercial forestry operations in South Africa.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (6)
October 6, 2009
Grias neuberthii
Krystyna Szulecka, a generous contributor to the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, posted this gorgeous photo to the UBCBG Website. The original post can be seen here and a photo of the fruit and discussion of the plant is available in this thread. Thank you Krystyna.
Lindsay Bourque writes about the tree:
Grias neuberthii, known as the piton tree, is a large tree native to the western Amazonian rainforest (Ecuador, Columbia and Peru). The waxy flowers pictured above are borne close to the ground, emerging straight out of the bark where they are easily accessible to the bees and beetles that pollinate them.
The Quechua people of the Pastaza River in Loreto, Peru, call this tree sacha mangua (meaning mango from the wild forest) and use a stem infusion as a purifying emetic to treat malaria. Grias neuberthii also demonstrates a high level of antioxidant activity and is currently being tested by food science researchers to use as a natural preservative to prevent lipid oxidation, one of the main problems that may occur in foods during processing.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (8)
October 5, 2009
Cruckshanksia pumila
Another wonderful Chilean endemic that I had the luck to view on a springtime tour of the desert in October 2008 (almost one year ago today, so if you are in the area, now would be a good time to look for this). Endemic means that a plant is found only in a particular region. According to the Flora of Chile Project, it is estimated that nearly half of the native species in Chile are endemic. This is probably due to the extremely varied and often isolated geographic conditions of the country, which range from the driest desert on Earth (the Atacama), to coastal cloud forest, to the Andes mountains, and to the cool, wet Tierra del Fuego.
Despite the lonely appearance of the wild plant in today's photo, Cruckshanksia pumila is a floriferous annual plant that can form large colonies, and has potential as an ornamental groundcover. The tiny solitary plant in the photo was in a very dry spot and you can see the leaves are already senescing. Chilebosque has a nice collection of photos of the species.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (11)
October 2, 2009
Aristolochia chilensis
Aristolochia is a large genus of over 5oo species. They occur in diverse habitats throughout much of the world. Aristolochia chilensis is endemic to Chile and can be found from the Atacama south to the metropolitan areas of Valparaiso and Santiago. The plants in this photo were encountered in very dry territory near the Elqui Valley.
Known locally as orejas de zorro (fox ears), the low growing perennial vines can reach a metre in length. The flowers of Aristolochia chilensis can be either yellow or brownish purple and have a fetid odor, which attracts the flies that pollinate them. Downpointing hairs can be seen covering the inside of the flowers. It seems that this impedes the escape of the insects to better ensure pollination.
Aristilochia chilensis and its similar relative Aristolochia bridgesii are the larval food source for Battus polydamas, the gold rim swallowtail butterfly, in Chile.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (6)
September 30, 2009
Hypericum uralum
Thank you to James Gaither in San Francisco for submitting today's Botany Photo of the Day (Original Image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
Lindsay Bourque writes:
Hypericum, the genus to which this species belongs, has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy documented in Aulus Cornelius Celsus' (circa 25 BC- 50 CE) De Medicina. Known in English by its common name, St. John's Wort, it is used for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Contemporary pharmacology has isolated two compounds, hyperforin and hypericin, which are used to treat mild depression. Interestingly, in ancient Greece Hypericum was hung above pictures to ward off evil spirits (hyper-above and eikon-a picture). However, its effectiveness as an anti-depressant is still debatable and has a number of known side-effects, such as photosensitivity.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (13)
September 29, 2009
Passiflora 'Manta'
Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry:
Thank you to mdv graupe@Flickr for submitting this great shot of a fantastic specimen (Original Image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
Passifloras have been the subject of religious symbolism since times predating its use in the courtyards of Aztec kings and priests. In South and Central America, it was often associated with sun-gods. Upon Christianity's displacement / assimilation of indigenous beliefs from the peoples of South and Central America, the symbolism of Passiflora was altered. In the early part of the 17th century, Emmanuel de Villegas, an Augustan friar of Mexican birth, traveled to Rome with his sketchbook containing an illustration of Passiflora caerulea. He showed this to a scholarly monk, Jacomo Bosio, telling him of its sacred meaning for Mexican Christians. Bosio, who was working on a book of sacred Christian symbols, drew parallels in the flower's anatomy and the Passion of Christ, from whence it takes its name:
Five petals and five sepals are the ten apostles (leaving out Judas the betrayer and Peter because he denied knowing Jesus), the three pistil stigmas are nails, the dark spots under the leaves are the 33 pieces of silver paid to Judas and the five stamens are the number of wounds; in South and Central America the flower is still referred to as "The Flower of the Five Wounds" by Catholics.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 7:00 AM| Comments (9)
September 28, 2009
Panda oleosa
UBC Botanical Garden's Randal Mindell is the author of today's entry (thank you!). As an aside, Eric La Fountaine will be organizing entries / sending out the notifications for the next week or so while I'm away. Randal writes:
Today we take a diversion into the world of botanical illustration and learn of a rare, photosynthetic Panda. Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien was originally published in 23 volumes between 1887 and 1915. Co-edited by Adolf Engler and Karl von Prantl, the series was extremely broad in scope, covering all genera of all families of all photosynthetic organisms, as well as fungi and an assortment of "protozoa". While the exhaustive Latin descriptions and German elaborations are remarkable enough, the scope of the illustration work is often underplayed. More than 30,000 unique drawings in Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien were engraved by the same illustrator, Josef Pohl. The scope and quality of these technical illustrations proved invaluable when many of the type specimens (i.e., the herbarium specimen that the name and published description are based upon) used for these illustrations went up in flames during the bombing of Berlin in World War II. As such, many illustrations remain as the only record of type material.
As demonstrated here in Figure 1, Volume 19 in the second edition of the series (public domain image used here), the illustration style was exhaustive, covering the stems, leaves, inflorescences, flowers, pollen, fruits and seeds of most genera, often times in both external form and internal anatomy (J,K,L,N,O,P). Descriptions and figures of this extent are rare elsewhere in the literature, so this work remains a relevant reference for fundamental botanical information long after its original publication.
Nuts of Panda oleosa (illustrated in the figure) are actually a common food for one of our closest living relatives. Chimpanzees in Africa have been observed to use primitive tools to smash open the nuts (PDF) and extract seed tissue.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM| Comments (12)
September 26, 2009
Chamerion angustifolium
Lindsay wrote today's entry:
Thank you to Lassi Kalleinen, aka finnarct@Flickr, for submitting a wonderful capture of this near-worldwide staple (posted via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool, original image)!
Found throughout North America, Europe, Asia and even parts of Africa, this roadside perennial depends on wind for seed dispersal and will establish quickly in open areas after a disturbance or fire, hence its common name, fireweed. Indeed, this brazen species was one of the first to colonize after Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.
Fireweed has been prized by First Nations for its versatility: the Haida used the outer stem fibres of fireweed to make cord while the Coast Salish used the seed fluff for weaving and padding. When properly prepared soon after picking, the leaves are also a good source of vitamin C and provitamin-A. It also makes excellent honey! The Plants for a Future Database lists fireweed as traditionally having been used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, astringent, demulcent, emollient, hypnotic, laxative, poultice, and tonic.
A photograph of the plant is available in this previous BPotD posting: Chamerion angustifolium.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:00 AM| Comments (11)
September 25, 2009
Tropaeolum speciosum
For those of you who are big fans of Stephen (the student-writer from this past summer), a treat for you -- this entry was written by Stephen in early August, but he never published it for some reason. I've made a few small edits and added links. Stephen writes:
Tropaeolaceae is a monogeneric (single genus) family of about 90 herbaceous annual or perennial species that are native to Central and South America. In the 18th century, Linnaeus developed the family's scientific name from the Greek trophaion "trophy", for the relevant species' habit of climbing and resting on nearby plants prompted him to think of the helmets and shields that classical armies hung from pillars in order to signify and celebrate martial triumph. Species generally put forth large, solitary, and perfect "bisexual" flowers along with alternating peltate leaves that are either lobed or divided.
The genus Tropaeolum, includes among its ranks a number of popular ornamental garden plants, of which Tropaeolum majus and Tropaeolum peregrinum are only two. Though for botanists the term Nasturtium--which derives from the Latin for 'a twisted nose', and here engendered by a pungent taste--refers to the watercress plants of the mustard family, gardeners commonly employ the appellative with regard to Tropaeolum species in order to evoke some sense of the genus's typically strong flavour, the primary source of which is an oil similar to that produced by their formally categorized counterparts. Plants generally put forth rounded leaves and showy five-petaled flowers equipped with a rich nectar tube that attracts hordes of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. For the most part, the common nasturtiums--each part of which is edible--thrive in full sun, though some species require a good deal more shade, particularly around their roots.
Tropaeolum speciosum--the perennial, deciduous climbing plant featured in today's photos--grows in the well-drained and shaded soil of UBC's E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden. Like the hardiest of the Tropaeolum species, Tropaeolum polyphyllum, the plant is native to Chile. In the ideal conditions of its native habitat, Tropaeolum speciosum, or flame flower, can grow to over 8 metres, much of the length of which is dressed with leaves of light or bluish green. Flowers bear 5 sepals, the lower 3 of which tend to grow longer than their higher counterparts. In late summer, plants put forth a bluish orb-shaped fruit that presses like royal insignia against the burgundy velvet robe formed by these sepals. Plants are hardy to a number of climates and conditions, zones 8 through 10, and they seem to require little sustained attention. In late summer and early fall the flowers start to wither, and, along with the leaves and stems, they eventually fall to the ground before the onset of winter.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:27 AM| Comments (6)
September 24, 2009
Silene latifolia subsp. alba
Lindsay again writes today's entry:
Thanks to Anne (aka annkelliott@Flickr) for submitting this lovely photo (original photograph via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!
White cockle is thought to have been introduced to North America from Europe in the early nineteeth century through contaminated crop seeds. It is now widespread in the northern United States and southern Canada. However, only Washington lists Silene latifolia subsp. alba as a noxious weed. Like many introduced species, it can be found on roadsides and other disturbed areas, but it is also cultivated as an ornamental flower.
It is worth noting that Silene latifolia subsp. alba has been the subject of several taxonomic disputes and has consequently gained a number of scientific names, including Lychnis alba, Silene alba, and Silene pratensis. The name Silene probably comes from the Greek sialon, meaning "saliva". This term is also related to Bacchus' perpetually intoxicated tutor, Silenus, said to often be covered with foam -- much like the secretions found on many members of the pink family.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:24 PM| Comments (9)
September 23, 2009
Amorphophallus aphyllus
Apologies for the missed / late entries, it's my schedule at the moment (so please don't blame Lindsay!). Lindsay wrote today's entry as well:
A thank you to "janet bryan" of the UBC Botanical Garden forums who shared today's photograph from Senegal with us after posting it for identification on the UBC BG plant identification forum. Janet later posted it to the BPotD Submissions Forum in this thread.
This ethereal-looking plant is quite typical of lowland plants growing in the tropical and subtropical zones of the paleotropics, from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. Reaching heights of 30 cm, this spectacular plant is a famine food for the Wolof people but requires special preparation as the toxicity level of the tuber is such that in Upper Volta it is used as arrow-poison.
Perhaps this member of the arum family would be more widely cultivated, but its unpleasant smell, colorfully described as 'decaying flesh', is a disincentive. The smell, however, fosters a rather time-sensitive reproduction. Fully open and receptive for one day, the spathe must attract the attention of insects to pollinate it.
No particular English common name exists for this species. Additional photographs of the species are available via the International Aroid Society: Amorphophallus aphyllus.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:38 PM| Comments (28)
September 21, 2009
Greenovia aurea
Botany Photo of the Day welcomes a new writer today, Lindsay Bourque. Lindsay will be helping me to write / photograph BPotD entries from now until April. Welcome Lindsay!
Lindsay writes:
Many thanks to Claire Woods, aka buildingadesert@Flickr, of San Pablo California, for submitting the photo of this delectably bizarre member of the Crassulaceae (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Group Pool).
Native to the Canary Islands, Greenovia aurea grows on dry volcanic slopes up to 2300 meters in its native environment but is also hardy in most Mediterranean climates worldwide. Named for the 19th Century English geologist George Bellas Greenough, canary golden mountain rose or green rose buds is probably the most frequently cultivated species within this genus. Aside from Greenovia diplocycla, it is the largest Greenovia, growing up to 25cm in diameter and setting creamy yellow flowers in May and June.
It is interesting to note that in addition to succulence, members of the Crassulaceae family possess an additional water retaining mechanism called Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) or CAM photosynthesis, a complex carbon fixation pathway that, among other things, allows the stomata of the plant to remain shut during the day, preventing water loss. While this mechanism is not unique to the Crassulaceae, it was first observed in crassulacean plants, thus bearing its name.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:22 PM| Comments (15)
September 18, 2009
Campanula piperi
This is the last in the series on narrow-range endemics of the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Regarding Campanula piperi, the late Edward L. Tisch wrote the following haiku:
- The entire sky
- Leans in all directions
- Trying to match your blue.
Although most individual plants have roughly the same shade of blue, Olympic bellflower or Piper's bellflower can be found in colours ranging from dark-blue to light-sky-blue (often the blues may have a bit of purple) to white. Pure-white flowers are seemingly the rarest; a search of the subalpine rocky areas where Campanula piperi tends to grow resulted in locating only one highly localized population of 5-10 plants out of the perhaps two hundred plants encountered. Due to variation in both colour and flower shape, a number of selections have been made and exist as cultivars. Graham Nicholls discusses many of these cultivars in his book on Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera (see Campanula piperi).
Campanula piperi is endemic to the Olympic Mountains of Washington. It is generally a plant of rock crevices, though it can rarely be found in screes. Flowers are present after snow-melt, in July and August. Additional images, if desired, are available from the Burke Museum: Campanula piperi.
The epithet piperi honours Charles Piper, mentioned previously in the week within the entry on Viola flettii.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM| Comments (8)
September 17, 2009
Cirsium eatonii var. peckii
The last time this taxon was featured on BPotD, I used the name Cirsium peckii. I was unaware that a 2004 publication had reclassified a number of thistle species into varieties of Cirsium eatonii, including another thistle featured on BPotD, Cirsium clokeyi -- now Cirsium eatonii var. clokeyi. The rationale from the Flora of North America entry on Cirsium eatonii linked above: "Several of the races recognized here as varieties have been treated in the past as species (e.g., Cirsium clokeyi, Cirsium peckii). Their current geographic isolation and more or less distinctive features might support such recognition, but application of this approach across the complex would result in a proliferation of microspecies." In other words, split it into many species or lump them all together: a classic problem for those who try to categorize the diversity of life into tidy little boxes. Groups undergoing speciation at an observable scale defy tidy little boxes.
Leaving aside the issue of names, Steens Mountain thistle is found only in southeast Oregon on Steens Mountain and the nearby Pueblo Mountains (I've only seen it on Steens so far) and northeast Nevada. This is quite a robust thistle, growing to 150cm. Of the taxa featured in this regional endemic series, it is probably the least threatened; it is a common plant at higher elevations on Steens Mountain, growing in a number of habitats -- including the disturbed roadside gravel. My two trips to Steens have occurred in early July, so I suspect I've never seen peak bloom of Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (mid- to late July would be best, I think).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:00 AM| Comments (6)
September 16, 2009
Cistanthe tweedyi
The series on narrow-range endemics of the Pacific Northwest of North America continues today. The first photograph in today's entry is mine, while Keith Reher has kindly supplied the other two (thank you, Keith). Keith included the following comments:
"Attached are two images that I captured on June 1, 2008 near Peshastin, Washington. I have found Tweedy's lewisia in Chelan County near Leavenworth and Peshastin, and I have read that an outlier population can be found in Manning Provincial Park, BC, but I have never been there during flowering season. Tweedy's lewisias in Chelan County show a broad range of flower coloration, from the most common --yellow with pink tips -- to pure white, pure yellow, and ivory with green central striping. The plant prefers exposed rocky soil or talus, but I have found them growing on shaded rock outcrops, deep in fir forests."
My photograph is from an outlier population in Manning. Between Keith's and my photographs, most of the entire distribution of Cistanthe tweedyi is covered -- see the distribution map via the Flora of North America entry on Cistanthe tweedyi.
Many older references to this species will use the name Lewisia tweedyi, but a reclassification in 1990 moved this taxon out of Lewisia and into the genus Cistanthe. Will the name settle? Perhaps not quite yet; the Flora of North America states in its entry on Cistanthe: "The inclusion of Cistanthe tweedyi appears to be somewhat equivocal and it might best be treated as a distinct genus."
Paghat has an excellent entry on Cistanthe tweedyi, though it is under the now-rejected Lewisia tweedyi. Note also that other common names are used: Pagaht uses Tweedy's bitterroot while the USDA PLANTS database uses Tweedy's pussypaws.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM| Comments (12)
September 15, 2009
Viola flettii
William Preece, in North American Rock Plants describes Olympic violet as "without doubt, one of the most precious jewels from the floral diadem of the Olympic Mountains of Washington". As if only being found in talus slopes and crevices of rock at mid- to high elevation wasn't enough, Viola flettii also prefers cooler exposures. This isn't simply an observation (though it was noted by one of my colleagues), but was proven via a DNA analysis: Genetic Relationships, Morphological Divergence and Ecological Correlates in Three Species of the Viola canadensis Complex in Western North America by Cheryl McCreary.
Viola flettii was scientifically described by the Canadian-born Charles Vancouver Piper. As he was born in Victoria, this meant that he was within 75 kilometers of the as-yet-unnamed Viola flettii from his very first day. Piper will be acknowledged once more in an upcoming BPotD entry.
For more photographs of this small perennial, see the Burke Museum's entry on Viola flettii. A description of the plant by William Preece is available via Google: Viola flettii.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:00 AM| Comments (7)
September 14, 2009
Delphinium viridescens
Today's entry is the first of at least five on narrow-range endemics of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.
Wenatchee larkspur is found only in central Washington, in an area no larger than 30km long by 10km wide. According to the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), Delphinium viridescens is a plant of "moist meadows, moist micro-sites in open coniferous forest, springs, seeps, and riparian areas...characterized by surface water or saturated upper soil into early summer, with poorly drained and silty to clayey-loam soil". This is an excellent description of the conifer-surrounded meadow environment where these photographs were made.
Due in large part to its narrow distribution, it is listed as endangered in Washington state and has been proposed as a candidate for federal endangered or threatened status in the USA. As noted by the CPC in the link above, threats to the roughly ten thousand individual plants include: "habitat loss due to residential development, hydrologic changes from development and road construction, timber harvest and livestock grazing". Despite low numbers, the species "maintains considerable levels of genetic variation both within and among populations", according to Richter, ST, et al. 1994. Genetic Variation within and Among Populations of the Narrow Endemic, Delphinium viridescens (Ranunculaceae). Am. J. Bot.. 81(8): 1070-1076.
Delphinium viridescens is a perennial plant typically growing to 1.2m in height, though occasionally to 2m. Photographs of the entire plant are available from the Burke Museum: Delphinium viridescens. The Flora of North America has a scientific description of Delphinium viridescens.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:14 AM| Comments (7)
September 12, 2009
Zephyranthes citrina
A nod of appreciation to Qamar, aka S.Q. Mehdi@Flickr of Lahore, Pakistan for contributing today's photographs (original image 1 | original image 2 | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
Despite these photographs of flowers in Pakistan, citron rain-lily or citron zephyrlily is native to the Americas -- somewhere. The USDA's Germplasm Resources Information Network says it all: "native range obscure". As mentioned in the Flora of North America, it first arrived in the hands of European plant taxonomists via a secondhand collection believed to be from Guyana (in northeast South America), but there is significant uncertainty about whether it is indeed native to Guyana. Since it is capable of rapidly reproducing from a single plant (more on this later) and it is tolerant of seaside conditions, this species establishes quickly when introduced into new tropical / subtropical areas due to human transport. Hence, it is found in coastal areas of southeastern USA, Central America, South America, Hawaii, tropical Africa, the Malay Peninsula and southeast Asia.
Leaving aside the question of where this species is native to (possibly the Yucatan Peninsula?), a botanical tidbit of special note about Zephyranthes citrina is its tendency to use asexual reproduction: the species is apomictic. This means it can, and often does, produce seeds without fertilization. The offspring are then genetically identical to the parent plant. Despite giving up the evolutionary advantages of sexual reproduction when this mode of gene transfer is used, many benefits are realized. For example, when an individual plant is well-suited to a particular environment, it can rapidly produce many similar individuals that presumably will also prosper -- on its own. As it applies to Zephyranthes citrina, this means that the transport of a single seed or plant to a new area suitable for growth can result in the rapid establishment of new colonies of the species. For the story of another successful apomictic species, research Taraxacum officinale. I should note: most, if not all, apomictic species are facultatively apomictic, meaning they also use sexual reproduction on occasion.
Another species of Zephyranthes was previously featured on BPotD: Zephyranthes fosteri.
Beginning Monday, I'll be doing a series on narrow-range endemic plants of the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:41 PM| Comments (20)
September 10, 2009
Dichromanthus aurantiacus
And another thank you to David Tarrant, retired UBC Botanical Garden staff member, for photographs from the central highlands of Mexico.
In his correspondence with me, David relayed the following observations: "There is quite a decent population of [these orchids] above Las Cabras in the Picachos. They seem to survive amongst rocks and cacti, which probably helps protect them from grazing animals." This particular plant was blooming on the edge of an oak forest.
Online information about Dichromanthus aurantiacus is difficulty to come by, in part due to changing names. At least fourteen different scientific names have been applied to this taxon, including Spiranthes aurantiaca and Stenorrhynchos aurantiacus (aurantiacus means "orange"), with Dichromanthus aurantiacus only having been published in 2002. One of the sites with the best snippets of information is the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia (Dichromanthus aurantiacus), which provides a description of the plant, habitat, and distribution (wet montane forests of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras).
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Center for Sonoran Desert Studies has a research program into the Sierra Madre Occidental of Eastern Sonora, Mexico (Yécora region). Along with a gallery of plants one might find associated with Dichromanthus aurantiacus (here named Stenorrhynchos aurantiacus), reading the other pages from the research program provides many details about this intriguing region.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:30 PM| Comments (5)
September 9, 2009
Trichostema lanatum
Thanks once again to Jim, aka J.G. in S.F.@Flickr of San Francisco, California for sharing his excellent plant photographs (original image 1 | original image 2 | BPotD Flickr Pool). Appreciated, as always.
High on my list of plants to see in the wilds of California is this southern California / Baja California endemic. I first encountered woolly blue curls in cultivation at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden last year and was immediately smitten by its colours and structure (more photographs at this link).
Lanatum means "woolly", and the relevance of the epithet should be obvious in this case. Also understandable is one of the alternative common names: romero, in reference to its rough resemblance to rosemary, an appellation deeded by early Spanish explorers of California. The taxon was later described scientifically by George Bentham from collections of plants by the western North American explorer, David Douglas.
Two excellent articles about Trichostema lanatum can be read for more information. "Romero or Woolly Blue Curls" from the newsletter of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance provides a thorough account of the taxon. For those with access to the online journal, you can also read Trichostema lanatum from Curtis' Botanical Magazine, Vol. 25, Issue 2, pp 158-167, by Harlan Lewis.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:51 AM| Comments (18)
September 8, 2009
Rubus arcticus
Thank you to Lassi Kalleinen, aka finnarct@Flickr for sharing today's photograph with us (original image via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool). Be sure to check out Lassi's two photo weblogs: CombiPhotoBlog (he shares this one with his wife) and UrbanNature Oulu -- excellent photographs (and a chance to learn some Finnish). Today's BPotD image was used in this weblog posting in combination with a habit image of the plant: Rubus arcticus.
Rubus arcticus has a northern circumpolar distribution. Variously known as Arctic raspberry, nagoonberry, Arctic blackberry, and Arctic bramble in English, the common name in (translated) Russian speaks more to its taste: "berry of kings" (also see Uses in that link). Edibility is also discussed by the Plants for a Future database: Rubus arcticus.
Scans of the original specimens annotated by Linnaeus are available via the Linnean herbarium: Rubus arcticus, with additional photographs from The Swedish Museum of Natural History's Virtual Flora: Rubus arcticus.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:03 AM| Comments (8)
September 4, 2009
Ptilotus 'Joey'
Ptilotus is a genus of over one hundred species of plants native to Australia and the Malesian islands of Flores and Timor. The plant in today's photographs is a seedling selection of Ptilotus exaltatus, a widespread plant in Australia commonly known as pink mulla mulla, tall mulla mulla or showy foxtail. Habit photographs of this species from the amaranth family are available from the preceding link or here: Ptilotus exaltatus.
As it is a seedling selection propagated via seed of Ptilotus exaltatus, Ptilotus 'Joey' may fall into the trap of being too variable to be considered a "good" cultivar (see this opinion piece, "Not What They Seem" by Tony Lord). Sharon Cohoon cautions that Ptilotus 'Joey' is likely to have variability compared to the tissue-cultured Ptilotus 'Platinum Wallaby' in her posting on Ptilotus 'Platinum Wallaby' vs Ptilotus 'Joey'. Add into the mix that Benary suggests that Ptilotus 'Joey' is a trademark (cultivar names can't be trademarks), it seems like it might take a while (yet again) to sort out what the proper horticultural name for this entity is. One day, perhaps, intellectual property law, commercial law and horticultural naming conventions will become crystal clear (see the paragraph on Why do we need stable plant names?. Perhaps.
Today's photographs are courtesy of UBC's Randal Mindell. As you've likely surmised from following some of the above links, these close-up photographs are a detailed perspective on the flower spike. To explain what is in the photographs, I'll quote directly from one of the links above (Electronic Flora of South Australia): "perianth [outer parts of the flower] to c. 2 cm long; perianth-segments plumose [feathery] with loose denticulate-nodose [with nodes and a finely-toothed margin] white hairs and dendroid [tree-like] hairlets beneath, the glabrous [smooth] apices [tops] fading to rosy and stramineous [straw-like]".
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:30 AM| Comments (21)
September 3, 2009
Ipomopsis aggregata
I'll sneak in one more photograph from my Pacific Northwest travels before we return to a more global selection of plants.
Scarlet gilia was featured once before on BPotD. I can now confirm that the crushed foliage does indeed smell skunky, with an overtone of tar. The smell isn't entirely pleasant, but it's worth making the acquaintance when spotting the plant in a new location.
The genus Ipomopsis is distributed almost entirely in western North America. One species, Ipomopsis rubra, is found throughout most of the eastern USA and another single species is native to southern South America, Ipomopsis gossypifera. This latter disjunct species is considered to be "a particularly obvious case of amphitropical dispersal from North America to South America" by Porter et al., 2009, Phylogenetic Systematics of Ipomopsis (Polemoniaceae): Relationships and Divergence Times Estimated from Chloroplast and Nuclear DNA sequences (PDF). In other words, a long-distance dispersal occurred from North America to South America. This likely occurred via the sticky mucilaginous coating surrounding the seeds being attached to a bird during migration. Ipomopsis gossypifera's nearest relative is Ipomopsis pumila.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:28 PM| Comments (10)
September 2, 2009
Anemone oregana var. oregana
Two varieties of Oregon anemone or blue windflower are recognized in the Flora of North America: variety felix, with 60-75 stamens, is found in sphagnum bogs west of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, while variety oregana (with 30-60 stamens) has a broader distribution, extending east across the Cascades and south into California. The latter variety is a species of "shaded, moist woods, open hillsides" (FNA), and indeed this is where I encountered it for the first time at the end of May, growing in a second-growth coniferous forest with an Acer circinatum understorey, with abundant Trillium ovatum and an occasional Prosartes. For those familiar with Gifford Pinchot National Forest, this was along the access road to the Guler Ice Caves.
Quoting from the Flora of North America, the etymology of the name Anemone is not definitively known. It is "probably Greek anemos, wind", but also "possibly from Naaman, Semitic name for Adonis, whose blood, according to myth, produced Anemone coronaria".
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:01 AM| Comments (10)
August 28, 2009
Pelargonium endlicherianum
Today's photograph and write-up are courtesy of Ian Gillam, UBC Friend of the Garden and long-time member of the Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia. Thank you, Ian!
Species of Pelargonium do not occur in Europe. The first few examples to reach there from the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Province, R.S.A.) did so during the 17th century and were recognized as being similar to species of Geranium, native to Europe. It was not until a century later that enough examples were known that it became apparent that these African plants were distinct and the new name Pelargonium was proposed in reference to the similarity of the developing fruit to the head and bill of a stork (pelargos in Greek) and to that of Geranium, named for a crane (geranos). This proposal took many further years to become accepted and is the cause of "geranium" being the popular name of the garden hybrids that are botanically pelargoniums. Critical differences between the genera are the following. True geraniums have ten stamens and five identical petals giving the flower rotational symmetry, usually in the form of a bowl. In pelargoniums, petals are of two types, two upper ones distinct in size and/or colour or markings from three lower ones, creating mirror symmetry about a vertical line (not all species have this full complement of petals). Fertile stamens are usually seven and the flowers have a spur containing a nectary providing reward for pollinators, absent in Geranium.
In southern Africa, about 200 species of Pelargonium are now recognized with a few more in other extra-tropical parts of Africa. Even fewer are scattered as far as Australasia and the remote islands of St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha. Two species occur in western Asia, far to the north of the centre of diversity. One of these is Pelargonium endlicherianum illustrated here. It is native to mountains of Asiatic Turkey, where the climate is hot and dry in summer and cold and snowy in winter, largely similar to the interior of B.C. The plants illustrated have come through the recent difficult winter on the E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden and are flowering well, whereas many other plants in the African, Australasian and South American sections suffered severe damage. Cultivation here requires exceptional drainage or overhead protection from winter wet.
As can be seen, this is a species where the two upper petals are large and showy and the lower ones are absent. The stamens protrude a considerable distance and anthers are functional before the equally long stigma unfurls its five lobes and becomes receptive, probably indicating pollination by a long-tongued, hovering insect (hawk moth?). The flowers in the wild are gathered for sale at local markets as medicine for expelling intestinal worms. Pharmacologists report they are effective.
Further east in the region of the Turkish-Iraqi border, a distinct but similar species, Pelargonium quercetorum, is found, should any collector venture there. This is in cultivation, though not apparently here in British Columbia.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:02 AM| Comments (8)
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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.