Flowering Plants
October 6, 2008
Merendera montana
...and another thank you to Paulo Araújo of Portugal for sharing a few of his photographs. Paulo submitted these images via this thread in the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum. Much appreciated!
Paulo writes:
"The sight in early autumn of these stalkless flowers sprouting directly from the parched earth amidst dried-up grasses is quite wonderful. In spite of appearances, these plants do have leaves - but they will only show up much later, in spring. There are a number of synonyms for Merendera montana (among them Merendera pyrenaica and Colchicum bulbocodioides) and I don't know which one is currently accepted ( Daniel -- RHS Plant Finder seems to agree with the posted name). Whatever its name, it only occurs in mountain pastures and other high open places in the Iberian Peninsula. These photos were taken at the end of September in Serra do Alvão, in the northern half of Portugal."
"I am including a third photograph to give you an idea of the kind of environment these flowers were found in. The granite outcrop is quite typical of the region; heather, gorse and bracken are to be seen on the foreground; the pine tree is a small Pinus sylvestris (which, although not native, has been planted extensively since the 19th century in our northern mountains and is now naturalized)."
Wikimedia has a few more images of Merendera montana. To read about the "protocooperative" relationship between Merendera montana and Microtus duodecimcostatus, a mole-vole, see: Gómez-García D., et al. 2004. How does Merendera montana (L.) Lange (Liliaceae) benefit from being consumed by mole-voles?. Vegetatio. 172(2):173-181. doi: 10.1023/B:VEGE.0000026325.93477.45 .
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (2)
October 3, 2008
Plantago major
Today's write-up, and hand-model, is courtesy of Ruth:
The common plantain, Plantago major, is just that, common! It is found all over the Canada and the USA as well as its original Eurasia (it is also listed as introduced / invasive in many islands of the Pacific). Plantago major has no specific soil requirements and is happiest growing in the sun. It has been used in cultivation as a panacea -- or medicine for everything -- in many cultures. Some of you might be thinking, "Are you serious, I've been trying to scare this weed out of my lawn or path for ages, people actually plant this intentionally?" Common plantain reportedly has "A range of biological activities...from plant extracts including wound healing activity, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, weak antibiotic, immuno modulating and antiulcerogenic activity" (see Samuelsen, A. 2000. The traditional uses, chemical constituents and biological activities of Plantago major L. A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 71(1-2):1-21. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00212-9 ).
Daniel Mosquin and I went out to the Physic Garden to take these photos for a booklet being produced about the garden. We have demonstrated an interesting property of the leaves, where the vascular bundles stay intact when the leaves are damaged. Wikipedia notes that the vascular bundles are sometimes used in making small cords or braiding due to their toughness. I speculate that this property of the bundles might be a survival mechanism, helping to prevents pest from gnawing through the veins and thereby only damaging the green tissue. The leaves are easily identified with their parallel venation. Parallel venation rarely occurs in dicots and is normally regarded as a grass or monocot characteristic.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (18)
October 2, 2008
Elliottia pyroliflora
A western North American native, Elliottia pyroliflora is found from northwest Oregon north to Alaska. In British Columbia, it is most commonly found in western BC, but small populations can be found in the eastern part of the province. This photograph was taken in western Washington by Tanja Schuster, who was visiting the area as part of Botany 2008 in July (Tanja is a member of the Kron lab at Wake Forest University in North Carolina). You can see another of Tanja's photographs on the submissions page for the Conant "Botanical Images" Student Travel Award Submissions. Thank you, Tanja!
Commonly known as copperbush, Elliottia pyroliflora grows in subalpine boreal and cool mesothermal climates (mesothermal simply means temperate or moderate heat as well as moderate cold). Boreal forests are a biome or climatically-defined area with mostly coniferous forests. It is a deciduous woody shrub growing to a maximum of 2 meters tall. The common name copperbush is derived from it typically having loose, shredding copper-coloured bark. The solitary flowers of this species resemble that of Pyrola, the genus discussed in yesterday's write up, hence the specific epithet pyroliflora. This species was originally classified as Cladothamnus pyroliflorus but was later moved to the genus Elliottia (most references still use the synonym).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
October 1, 2008
Pyrola rotundifolia
Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up:
We have seen a lot of rather masculine and more burly plants lately. Here is something delicate and feminine for a change. The round-leafed wintergreen, Pyrola rotundifolia, shown here is a member of the Ericaceae along with blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons.
The showy and curious protrusion from this flower is the gynoecium (female reproductive organs). The stigma (pollen-receptive surface) is at the tip and the style is the remaining part of the tube reaching all the way to the swollen green ovary at the centre of the flower. This enlarged pistil plays the important role of attracting pollinators, specifically flies and bees. The androecium (male reproductive organs) consists of the many strands surrounding the gynoecium. For detailed illustrations of the floral parts, see Wikimedia: Pyrola rotundifolia. Pyrola rotundifolia grows in boggy, shady and wet meadow-like conditions. It is also an inhabitant of montane environments. Its native range stretches across Eurasia, including Greenland. A close relative, Pyrola americana or Pyrola rotundifolia var. americana depending on what source you read, can be found in northeastern North America.
I think it's also important to note the differences between the genus Pyrola and other plants also commonly known as wintergreens, some members of the genus Gaultheria. Members of the genera Pyrola, Orthilia, Moneses and Chimaphila are all herbaceous plants named "wintergreens" because they stay green year-round. Gaultheria is a genus of evergreen woody shrubs, with oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) in their leaves (see medicinal uses of Gaultheria procumbens). All of these genera are in the Ericaceae.
We thank Marcella2@Flickr for today's photo via the BPotD Flickr pool.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (5)
September 30, 2008
Telopea speciosissima
Bruce Rann, the photographer of today's images, writes:
"...I live in Sydney Australia. I work as a horticulturist and arborist for Woollahra Council which is just east of the city. A friend put me onto your botany photo of the day website a few months ago and I am enjoying learning more about the plants of the northern hemisphere."
"I was recently bush walking with friends in the hills behind Gosford (about one hours drive north of Sydney) and came across some waratahs which I thought you might find interesting. The waratah or Telopea speciosissima is a member of the Proteaceae and is the floral emblem of New South Wales. It occurs in forest situations on sandy soils in coastal New South Wales and is much loved by Australians but unfortunately very difficult to grow in the garden."
"The plant flowers terminally on the end of canes arising from a woody lignotuber. The flower heads are up to 15 centimetres (cm) wide with a dense cluster of bright red flowers surrounded by red bracts. Leaves are up to 15 cm long and 4 cm wide, stiff and leathery with toothed margins. Waratahs growing near the coast flower in September and October and in October and November in the blue mountains behind Sydney."
Ruth adds:
Telopea speciosissima has been the official floral emblem for New South Wales since 1962. Bruce wrote that the canes arise from a lignotuber: a lignotuber is similar to a bulb or tuber in that it is a storage system. The purpose of a lignotuber is to guard against forest fires, animal or insect attack. If the above ground part of the plant were to suffer a trauma such as a forest fire, the lignotuber would allow the plant to re-grow from the stump. The wild type flowers are always red or pink although a cultivated variety, Telopea speciosissima 'Wirrimbirra White', produces white flowers.
Thanks again to Bruce for contributing today's photographs as well as much of the information in today's write up!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:23 PM| Comments (7)
September 29, 2008
Ferocactus cylindraceus
Thanks to Ruth for both today's write-up and photograph:
Normally, television imitates life. It polishes the edges of life's reality and makes it seem more glamorous. Well, here is an example of life imitating television, edges and all! I call this the "Homer Cactus" after Homer Simpson. I found this beauty in the Anza-Borrego desert in southern California while hiking with a group of friends. We had a great laugh!
The red barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus, is found in Arizona, California and northern Mexico at elevations of 600-1500 meters (2000-5000 feet). It is found growing amongst phenomenal species such as Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) in the Mojave desert and amongst the Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo) in the Anza-Borrego and Ocotillo Wells deserts. This species of barrel cactus can tolerate temperatures as low as -7 ºC (20 ºF). Deserts of southwestern USA and northern Mexico often receive massive flash floods and extreme heat. Ferocactus tend to grow slightly tilted toward the south, because of the additional sun exposure. If you are ever lost in the desert without a compass, remember to look for this feature to find south.
Ferocactus cylindraceus can reach a height of 2.5 meters (8 feet) with a width of up to 30 cm (12 inches). Blooms found on the top of the cylinder, like a hat, are yellow, red or orange. In general, spring is the best time to view wildflowers in the desert, but these cactuses bloom a bit later in July and late summer.
For more information, read the Flora of North America account for Ferocactus cylindraceus. Additional photographs are available from Calphotos: Ferocactus cylindraceus.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:30 PM| Comments (6)
September 23, 2008
Bursera microphylla
Today's photographs and write-up are both courtesy of Ruth:
This short sticky tree may not look like much but it has a bit of a story. It's a member of the Burseraceae, related to frankincense (Boswellia) and myrrh (Commiphora). Elephant tree is listed as an endangered species in the state of California but occurs more frequently in Arizona (where it is considered "Highly Safeguarded") and northern Mexico.
I hiked out to this one in the Anza-Borrego desert where it stands alone amongst cacti and dusty alluvial fan clay rock shards. There once was a whole grove of elephant trees. The signage in the park still suggests a forest is just around the corner, but a waitress in a diner down the road told me that there has only been the one individual out there for a few years.
Bursera microphylla wasn't discovered to be growing in California until 1937. It is the only member of the family that is not considered a tropical species, but remains (like the rest of the family) sensitive to cold temperatures. Climate change, with accompanying disrupted weather patterns, is speculated as one of the reasons for its near-disappearance in the Anza-Borrego Desert.
The specific epithet, microphylla, means small leaves, which it certainly has. In all of my observations from photographs and in-person, it looks completely deciduous. The bark is flaky and papery like a birch tree and can carry a red hue with age. The leaves give off a camphor smell when crushed. Native Americans considered it a valuable tree with healing powers, probably due to the camphor oils it contains.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:39 PM| Comments (12)
September 22, 2008
Geranium phaeum
Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up!
To shed light on an ever-confusing sector of the horticultural world, let's make clear the differences between geraniums and their close relatives, the pelargoniums. Many of the plants we purchase at garden centres under the common name geranium are, in fact, members of the genus Pelargonium. When Linnaeus originally named the genus Geranium, he grouped the genera Geranium and Pelargonium together. The two were later split in 1789, by the French botanist Charles L'Heritier de Brutelle. The name geranium has remained in use, though, as a common name for both of these members of the same family, the Geraniaceae.
The picture here is of a true Geranium in the botanical sense. It is commonly called mourning widow. Unlike the floriferous, showy type of "geraniums" (i.e., members of the malleable and easily-hybridized genus Pelargonium) used for annual color, its flowers are more discrete and of a sultry dark burgundy or black hue.
The mourning widow is native to western and central Europe, but it has also naturalized in other parts of Europe as well as portions of Africa and Asia. It is commonly found growing in woodlands and sub-alpine meadows.
Thanks to AnneTanne@Flickr of Belgium for sharing this picture via the UBCBG Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:00 PM| Comments (8)
September 17, 2008
Fritillaria meleagris
For local readers, three bits of information: 1) if, like me, you adore gentians (so blue!), Ian Christie (of the SRGC) is speaking to the Alpine Garden Club of BC tonight; 2) the Alpine Garden Club of BC has its fall sale this weekend; and 3) Treefest is also this weekend -- visit Riverview and walk the grounds of western Canada's oldest arboretum (and progenitor of UBC Botanical Garden)!
Thank you to Weekend Gardener of the UBC Botanical Garden forums for sharing today's photograph via this thread on the BPotD Submissions Forum. Yes, it was posted over 4 months ago, but I figure it is nearing spring for readers in the southern hemisphere, so it's timely for them!
As usual, the Germplasm Resources Information Network provides a list of common names and distribution for this species. Native to much of Europe, it is variously known as snakehead fritillary (see WG's first photograph on the link to the thread above), Guinea-hen-flower, oeuf de vanneau (egg of plover -- plover eggs for comparison) and gewöhnliche Schachblume (chess-flower?).
Fritillaria meleagris is a plant of damp grasslands and river meadows. Once more common in the wild than it is today, it is now listed as an endangered species in several European countries. Browsing through Google Scholar for Fritillaria meleagris, it seems that it is not only the conversion of grasslands to farmland that is responsible for the decline, but also long-term changes in the water regimes of soils (e.g., draining due to ditches). Human harvesting of the flowers has also been an issue, according to Paghat.
North Carolina State University Extension provides a cultural fact sheet on Fritillaria meleagris. I also enjoy viewing the illustrations in the Missouri BG rare books collection: snakehead fritillary.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:51 AM| Comments (15)
September 16, 2008
Jovellana punctata
Thanks again to Ruth for today's write-up:
Found natively from low altitudes and the interior valleys of southern Chile (the humid matorrales or transitional woodlands), Jovellana punctata is a beautiful species in the Calceolariaceae. Its genus, Jovellana, is also found in New Zealand, displaying a wide southern hemispheric distribution.
Known in Chile as argenita or capachito, Jovellana punctata is a shrubby plant. It has large simple leaves with serrate margins. There is little research done on this species, but as a student of botany I can say that the spots on the carolla tube (fused petals) are set up as a "landing pad" for pollinators. Just like airports and rooftops use an "H" for helipads, flowers use colours and spot patterns to direct traffic. The bright yellow spots invite bees and birds to have a look inside, tricking them to spread pollen to the female parts.
The family Calceolariaceae was only recently separated from the Scrophulariaceae. It contains only two genera: Jovellana and Calceolaria.
Thanks for the second day in a row to J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for contributing an awe-inspiring photograph to BPotD (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool)!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:32 PM| Comments (14)
September 15, 2008
Brunsvigia josephinae
Thanks again to Ruth S. for today's write-up. Also, big thanks to J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for sharing two of his photographs with us today (original 1 | original 2 via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated once again!
Ruth writes (touching on a topic introduced last week -- geophytes):
Geophyte (geo- or earth and -phyte or plant) is a term used to describe plants with underground storage organs. The term most people commonly use for these underground storage organs is "bulb", but, scientifically, the terminology is extensive. For example, in Gladiolus, the organs are actually corms, while in Iris, they are typically rhizomes. Brunsvigia josephinae, it so happens, has a true bulb.
Also known as Josephine's lily or the candelabra lily, this member of the Amaryllidaceae is a winter grower from western South Africa. During the winter rainy season, the leaves emerge and help provide food to the bulb. The leaves die back in the early summer before flowers shoot up in later summer months (note: the apparent leaves at the base of the plants belong to different plants: Aloe mitriformis). Plants of Brunsvigia josephinae are able to survive through extremely low temperatures as well as drought outside of the rainy season due to their specialized energy storage organ.
The floral architecture is arranged in just the right way to seduce sugar-birds. The birds attracted by the red color, then search out the sugars in the nectary spur (the tube opposite the petals) of the flowers. Upon visiting the flower, they clumsily transfer pollen from the anthers to the stigma, thereby fertilizing the flower. If one was to grow the flowers in areas supporting hummingbirds, they would be the most likely pollinators.
For more, read about Brunsvigia josephinae on Plantzafrica or view more photographs via PBSWiki: Brunsvigia.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:09 PM| Comments (10)
September 11, 2008
Indoor Plant Sale Medley
Today's photograph and write-up were both done by Ruth Sanborn:
Drum roll please...It's about time I formally introduce myself as the newest member of the photo of the day team. I will be submitting articles as well as the occasional photo and look forward to your comments and questions. I am originally from New Hampshire and have spent the last 5 years in California completing my undergraduate studies in Horticulture. I have recently moved to BC to fall in love -- with a research laboratory at the Center for Plant Research, that is. I will be applying to the Faculty of Graduate Studies next autumn assuming I find that certain special research topic. In the meantime, please keep your gorgeous photos as well as your dialogue coming. I look forward to a fun year with Photo of the Day. Cheers!
As Daniel wrote yesterday, the Friends of the Garden are hosting their annual indoor plant sale at the Botanical Garden, until Friday to 6pm (doors open at 11am). I went shopping for a thing or two today, and came home with a car packed full of projects. With the helpful volunteers staffing the sale, I selected a handful of succulents with which to build a container garden. I also found some gorgeous Rex begonias and a basket that I filled with gourds for an autumn table arrangement. There was a steady stream of people browsing and purchasing plants, but there are still many choice plants left! Don't miss this inspirational event!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:36 PM| Comments (23)
September 10, 2008
Guaiacum coulteri
A couple of announcements before today's entry: first of all, welcome to Ruth Sanborn, who will be sharing both her photographs and writings with us on Botany Photo of the Day. We'll get a short bio from Ruth in the near future.
Secondly, for local readers, don't forget the Indoor Plant Sale tomorrow and Friday here at the garden!
Ruth is responsible for today's write-up:
Guaiacum coulteri, an endemic Mexican tree species, is the victim of extensive logging in Mexico. Commonly known as the soap bush, Guaiacum coulteri is a relative of the more commonly known creosote bush, Larrea tridentata of arid southwest North America. Both are members of the Zygophyllaceae. Soap bush's distribution ranges 1,500 km along the western edge of mainland Mexico from southern Sonora to northern Oaxaca. Excessive felling of canopy trees for export quality lumber since 1914 has altered the population structure to understory shrubs, and has also left the population with a patchy distribution. The tree is currently being evaluated for endangered species status on the IUCN Red List (see: Gordon, JE et al. 2005. Guaiacum coulteri: an over-logged dry forest tree of Oaxaca, Mexico. Oryx. 39: 82-85).
This small tree has ornamental value boasting gorgeous sapphire blooms from May to September. It grows to a height of 2-8m (6-25 feet) and can thrive in partial shade to full sun. The water requirements are less clear, as some sources call it a xeriscape specimen while others recommend wet soil. Its native range in Mexico receives between 30 and 100cm (12 to 40 inches) of annual rainfall.
We would like to sincerely thank DarinAZ of the UBC Botanical Garden forums (from Phoenix, Arizona) for posting this exquisite photograph in this thread via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:02 PM| Comments (9)
September 8, 2008
Asphodelus aestivus
Thanks again to Paulo Araújo of Portugal for sharing some photographs. Paulo was a part of the extraordinary Dias com árvores weblog, which closed down at the end of June (much to the sadness of many). Paulo submitted these photographs in this thread via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum.
Before writing about today's plant, I'd like to announce that I'm close to hiring someone for the BPotD Assistant position -- it's only a matter of signing some paperwork now. Assuming all goes well, she may be posting her first entry on Wednesday, and BPotD should return to a consistent 5 entries / week or more. The position lasts until the end of March / mid-April.
As noted by Paulo, aestivus means "developing in the summer" (unlike Festivus, which I'm told is a winter celebration). Paulo also explains the reason for the epithet: the very similar-in-appearance Asphodelus ramosus has an equivalent distribution, but instead blooms in the spring.
Summer asphodel is native to many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. To adapt to the fluctuating Mediterranean climate with periods of seasonal drought, Asphodelus aestivus has adopted the geophyte strategy, i.e., it has an enlarged underground storage organ for carbohydrates, nutrients and water. Even when the surrounding soil has a moisture content approaching zero, the tuber is able to maintain approximately 60% water content: see Rhizopoulou, S. et al. 1997. Ecophysiological adaptations of Asphodelus aestivus to Mediterranean climate periodicity: water relations and energetic status. Ecography 20(6):626-633.
The Plants for a Future database entry on Asphodelus aestivus details the edible and other uses of the species. I was particularly intrigued by the use of the pulverized, dried tuber to make a glue for bookbinding and shoemaking.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:04 PM| Comments (8)
August 28, 2008
Xanthosoma mexicanum
Thank you again to Mary F., aka miconia @ Flickr, for sharing today's photograph (original via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Much appreciated! Mary's weblog, A Neotropical Savanna is a must-read.
Mary's comments with the photograph include details on where this plant was found: "Growing spontaneously in an orchard in western Panama, 800 m elevation." This plant was the second one she has discovered so far this year. She wrote an extensive weblog post about the first Xanthosoma mexicanum she encountered. In fact, I don't think I have much to add to what she's written, so I do suggest following the link for more information. I'll only pipe in that the distribution of the species is from Mexico to Colombia and Brazil.
For more photographs of the genus, commonly known as elephant's ears by some, see Xanthosoma on AroidPictures.fr.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:32 PM| Comments (7)
August 26, 2008
Centropogon nigricans
A huge thank you to Dr. Nathan Muchhala for sharing his photographs of a mammalian pollinator in action to round out the pollinator series.
The flower of the plant species, Centropogon nigricans, is exclusively pollinated by the tube-lipped nectar bat, Anoura fistulata. In other words, this is an example of obligate pollination. It's also thought to be a prime example of co-evolution (PDF). Dr. Muchhala described Anoura fistulata in a 2005 paper, so this bat species was unknown to science as recently as three or four years ago. Native to the outer slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Anoura fistulata has the longest tongue relative to its body length of any mammal -- so long, in fact, that it is necessary for it to retract its tongue into its rib cage.
The story of the discovery was widely covered in the press in late 2006, so here are a few places to spend some time reading: Floral Long-Necks and Bat Sippers via the Human Flower Project, the transcript of a Nature podcast with Dr. Muchhala about Anoura fistulata, and A New World Record from Bat Conservation International.
Dr. Muchhala has a series of photographs of bat-pollinated flowers (and related bats) here: Bat Pollination in Cloud Forests.
As for the plant, Centropogon nigricans, there's not much to be found about it online, other than what is written about it in relation to this story, including: "Specialization on one species of pollinator is exceedingly rare in angiosperms, and Centropogon nigricans is the only example known in flowers pollinated by bats." The genus Centropogon has a distribution range that extends from Mexico south into much of South America (including Peru, Brazil, Chile and Argentina). Of the 230 described species, 65 are found in Ecuador.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:57 PM| Comments (13)
August 25, 2008
Passiflora caerulea
This will be the second-last image in this pollinator series, as there are plenty of great non-pollinator images in the Flickr pool and the garden's BPotD submissions forum to share. Thanks to Eric in SF @Flickr for sharing today's photograph with us (original via Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Much appreciated, Eric, as always!
Passiflora caerulea, or passionflower, has previously been featured on BPotD -- but not with a honey bee! As stated by Eric on the Flickr page, this species is bee-pollinated. Wikipedia's entry on Passiflora mentions the pollinators of other species: "Some species can be pollinated by hummingbirds and bumble bees, others by wasps, still others are self-pollinating."
The University of Connecticut's Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses have a page on Passiflora caerulea with horticultural information. Wayne Armstrong provides a brief summary of economic uses, religious symbolism and toxic properties of the genus in a small write-up on Passiflora.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:44 PM| Comments (7)
August 20, 2008
Berberis sp.
The photographer behind today's image is Jack Dykinga, who I assume must have done some work for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service at one time (unless there are two exceptional photographers named Jack Dykinga). Artistic work commissioned by the US government has few restrictions on its reuse, and in this case, the photograph is licensed under the Creative Commons.
As noted on the above-linked page, this is a photograph of an Osmia ribifloris on a species of Berberis. The bee is commonly known as a blue orchard bee or, due to its success as a commercial pollinator of blueberry crops, the blueberry bee. In the wild, it is typically a pollinator of Californian manzanitas.
Wikipedia has an intriguing entry on Berberis (or barberry); the write-up for the genus includes details about the use of some species as spices or foods in Asia and South America. Somewhere around five hundred species of barberry are thought to exist, growing in temperate and subtropical regions of most continents except Australia (and, it goes without saying, Antarctica).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:14 PM| Comments (11)
August 19, 2008
Cephalanthus occidentalis var. occidentalis
Thank you to Regina13 @ UBC Botanical Garden forums for submitting these two photographs from New York (shared via this thread on the BPotD Submissions Forum). Much appreciated!
If one recognizes two distinct varieties of buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis var. occidentalis has a distribution range that spans much of eastern North America. The other variety, Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californicus, is native to southwest North America and south into Central America. Treated as one combined taxon instead of two distinct varieties, as is done by the USDA PLANTS database, this becomes a rather remarkable species -- a woody plant with a distribution range that spans from Canada into the tropics.
In most cases, if asked, I'd say that species with wide distribution ranges are tolerant of a broad suite of environmental conditions. In this case, though, I suspect it primarily (though not exclusively) has to do with having some consistency in habitat across its range; it is a species of wetlands and forested swamps.
The Missouri Plants web site has additional images of Cephalanthus occidentalis. For those of you who are gardeners, you should investigate the Kemper Center for Home Gardening's page on buttonbush (it is ranked as a Plant of Merit).
As for the lepidopterans in today's photographs, the first photograph features an eastern tiger swallowtail. I don't know the identity of the second butterfly, so I'll leave that up to one of you (thank you!).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:46 PM| Comments (8)
August 15, 2008
Penstemon fruticosus
My apologies for being so late with today's entry -- I had a grant application deadline to meet.
One bit of housekeeping before the write-up. If you are a student studying botany (or a related field) at UBC, please consider the Botany Photo of the Day Assistant work study position for this upcoming school year! Or, if you know a UBC student studying something related, please let him or her know about the posting. Thanks!
Not all hymenopteran pollinators are bees, though they get most of the glory. Hornets can also play a role in pollination, as in the case of this critter pollinating the shrubby penstemon. Ingrid Hoff, the garden's horticultural manager, identified this hornet a few years ago, but I can't recall if she said it was a blackjacket or a baldfaced hornet. I suspect it's a male of the latter, despite the fact that it has more white markings than usual. Since I've been stung more times by hornets than bees, I recall not wanting to get any closer for the photograph with my point-and-shoot camera (this was in June 4 years ago). I do remember being fascinated by how the segments of the abdomen seemed to pulsate.
Penstemon fruticosus is a widespread subshrub native to central western North America. It is commonly found in dry and warm well-draining sites from low to subalpine elevations. A particularly floriferous selection was introduced to the nursery trade by UBC Botanical Garden in the 1980s / 1990s called Penstemon fruticosus 'Purple Haze', a clump of which can still be found in some ornamental plantings near the BC temperate coastal garden.
According to Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia, Penstemon fruticosus was used by First Nations peoples for dye (for baskets), flavouring (for pit-cooked vegetables) and a set of medicines.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:15 PM| Comments (9)
August 12, 2008
Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
These are photographs from the first week I started using a digital SLR camera, just over four years ago. The second one is cropped a bit more than I'd usually post to BPotD, but you get a bit more of a close-up of the hummingbird this way. I believe this is a female rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus, as there seems to be some red-brownish colouration along her side. Hummingbirds can be spotted year-round at UBC Botanical Garden, as we have at least one resident Anna's hummingbird who can be seen throughout the winter. These photographs, though, were taken in June when the migrant rufous hummingbirds join the mix in the garden.
Hummingbirds have a high rank in my list of favourite birds. I remember holding one as a child until it recovered well enough to fly away after hitting the kitchen window -- as light as a coin. I also vaguely recall discovering an unused nest in the caragana hedge in front of the house, a sight only witnessed again several years ago when visiting the hummingbird house at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (but this time with mom in the nest).
The summer 2000 membership newsletter at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden contains an excellent article on hummingbirds: Why Do Our Hummingbirds Hum?. It features far more than I could knowledgeably write about hummingbirds as pollinators, the co-evolution of hummingbirds and flower morphology, and hummingbird behaviour, so I highly recommend it.
As for the Crocosmia 'Lucifer' in the photographs, it was previously featured on BPotD here: Crocosmia 'Lucifer', so do reread that entry for some information. I'll only add that it has a classic hummingbird-pollinated flower: red and tubular.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:39 AM| Comments (17)
August 11, 2008
Gilia latiflora subsp. davyi
Note: this entry was rewritten on Sept. 23, 2008 due to a misidentification. Thanks to David (see comments below) for the correct ID.
Broad-flowered or hollyleaf gilia is an annual plant. A California endemic, it is found in the southern portion of the state in the southwestern Mojave Desert and adjacent foothills. These photographs were taken while I was developing the worst sunburn of my life in late March. This was thanks in part to the cool winds that gust through the Antelope Valley from the nearby mountains in spring, which deceived me into believing I wasn't being slowly roasted by the sun.
The closely-related species (and the name of my original, incorrect identification) Gilia tricolor is a popular annual ornamental, if search engine results are any indication. For a comparison between the correct identification and my original misidentification, Calphotos provides an extensive set of photographs of both Gilia latiflora subsp. davyi and Gilia tricolor.
As for the insect in today's photograph, I believe it is Hyles lineata (source: Butterflies and Moths of North America Database), or the white-lined sphinx. Wikipedia has some photographs of the larvae (caterpillars), as does this site. While many moths are nocturnal, it is noted that the white-lined sphinx will often be active during the day (and this one was plenty active!). I think I've linked to it before, but if you haven't seen the US Forest Service's site on Celebrating Wildflowers, it is worth investigating. They even have a section on moth pollination.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:48 PM| Comments (17)
August 8, 2008
Valeriana sitchensis
Let's start a little series on plants and pollinators, and see where that takes us. I can't guarantee I'll be able to identify all of the pollinators, but maybe some kind folks will identify and comment.
In this case, I believe this Sitka valerian is being visited by a hoverfly, a fairly common pollinator of plants. While population declines in pollinator groups such as bees and vertebrates get some press, the conservation status and potential effect of a decline in dipterans (flies and mosquitoes) is poorly understood (see: Kearns, C.A. 2001. North American dipteran pollinators: assessing their value and conservation status. Conservation Ecology 5(1): 5). Unfortunately, that likely isn't going to change soon, if this quote from the discussion section of that paper remains true:
"An attempt to document the conservation status of fly pollinators in North America reveals the need for further basic research into fly pollination systems, and into the natural fluctuations in dipteran abundance. The main impediment to implementing any of the large-scale studies recommended is that intensive collecting efforts produce large numbers of species that require identification. Fly species identifications are often difficult, and the number of fly taxonomists is limited."
Sitka valerian is native to western North America, where it is typically a plant of mid- to high-elevations in moist meadows and open subalpine forest. In some areas of the Thynne Mountain, where this photograph was taken, it was the dominant herbaceous species. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia notes that First Nations groups often used the plant as a medicine or disinfectant.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:37 PM| Comments (10)
August 7, 2008
Leontopodium alpinum
Many thanks to CherriesWalks of the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for sharing today's photograph. If I recall correctly, it's the first photograph from Switzerland. The original was posted in this thread on the garden's photos & art forums. Much appreciated!
Leontopodium, broken down, means "lion's paw", but I don't think this is ever used as the common name. Instead, the German name for the plant is used -- edel, meaning "noble" and weiß, meaning "white" -- hence, edelweiss.
As is well-known, this is a species of alpine areas in south central and southeastern Europe. Overharvesting for use as a dried flower, plus its symbolic value, has led to it becoming a protected plant in many countries in the area.
Wikimedia Commons has an excellent set of additional images of Leontopodium alpinum, including an 1885 illustration.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:30 PM| Comments (7)
August 5, 2008
Adenium obesum
When visiting California a couple months ago, one of the highlights of the garden tours was the chance to visit the Desert Garden Conservatory at Huntington Botanical Garden (it had been closed during my previous visit to the garden). It contains an outstanding collection of plants, including this desert rose.
Adenium obesum is a member of the widely-distributed dogbane family, or Apocynaceae. It is native to eastern and southern tropical Africa, as well as the Arabian peninsula.
You'll note the thickened stem, a trait which grants desert rose membership into an informal grouping of plants called pachycauls (literally, "thick stemmed"). It can also be called a caudiciform, due to the particularly swollen stem at the base (the caudex). Water storage is generally the strategy behind this mode of growth.
See more photographs of desert rose on Bihrmann's Caudiciforms site: Adenium obesum.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:06 PM| Comments (8)
August 4, 2008
Anemone occidentalis
Today (Monday) is / was a holiday in British Columbia, so I was out photographing. I went up to Thynne Mountain. It had the most prolific wildflower bloom I've ever seen in a non-protected area in British Columbia. I was guessing I might see some uncommon plants near the peak, but the small flat meadows are also an area used by quads, so no such luck. Still, the upper reaches of the mountain were coloured blue, purple, yellow and white with lupines, penstemons, arnicas, and valerians. Noticeably absent were the reds of paintbrushes, which I've seen on other peaks in the Cascades range. I spent a bit of time trying to do colour medleys, but since I was photographing in the harsh light of the early afternoon, it was challenging (and not always successful).
I've featured Anemone occidentalis in a previous BPotD entry (and here as well), so trek on over to those entries for additional links.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:49 PM| Comments (4)
July 28, 2008
Aquilegia formosa
Red or western columbine has previously been featured on BPotD. Although it was late in the day, I had to take a photograph of this particular plant because its stems were the blackest I'd ever seen on a columbine. Had I had more time, and if this wasn't one of the windiest sites of the entire trip, I'd have taken photographs of the entire plant. As it was, this plant was dancing around quite a bit. This was taken in Tatsheshini-Alsek Provincial Park, or the extreme northwestern corner of British Columbia (which has the odd distinction of having Yukon to the north and Alaska to the south).
The range of Aquilegia formosa extends from Alaska south to Baja California in Mexico, where it is generally found in open woodlands at low- to mid-elevations. The Burke Museum has an extensive set of photographs.
I'm doing a fair bit for Botany 2008 this week (led a couple tours on Saturday already). If you're a BPotD reader and attending the conference, do note that I'll be giving sunset tours of the botanical garden @ 7pm both tonight and tomorrow night (Tuesday). I'm happy to share the garden with you!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:16 AM| Comments (2)
July 25, 2008
Junellia tridens
A few bits of local news first before today's write-up. First of all, I've updated Peter Wharton's web page with the obituary the garden has been distributing, as well as posted details about the memorial fund. Secondly, a few people spoke with me at last night's membership tour about Hoshino's photography, so I've brought in my Hoshino's Alaska book if any of you want to drop by my office and have a look. I'll keep it here for at least a few weeks.
Back to BPotD: thanks again to UBC Horticulturist Jacqueline Chambers for today's photographs and write-up! Jackie writes:
Junellia tridens flowers in early to mid-July in the E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden here at UBC. The clusters of pinkish-white flowers give off a subtle sweet fragrance that drew me (and this little bee) in to take a closer look at this unusual shrub.
Junellia tridens is native to South America, where it is found in southern Argentina and southeastern Chile in the Patagonian steppe ecoregion. The climate in this part of the world is predominantly dry and cold, and the area is constantly battered by strong winds. As a result of these conditions, Patagonian plants are tough -- adapted to withstand cold temperatures, drying winds and little precipitation. In general, the vegetation is predominantly dwarf cushion shrubs and tuft grasses. For a more detailed description of this region, see Patagonian steppe factsheet from the World Wildlife Fund.
Commonly called mate negre (mata negra), Junellia tridens is one of these tough little shrubs. It grows low to the ground, reaching about 60cm, rarely over 1 m. The compact branches and tight clusters of small leaves reduce the amount of surface area exposed to the elements and thus reduce water loss.
The following sites offer photos of the landscape and other interesting plants from this area of the world: Patagonia: Flowers, Flora of Patagonia, and (the commercial) Flora in Patagonia Pictures.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:01 PM| Comments (3)
July 24, 2008
Harrimanella stelleriana
Like yesterday's starflower, Alaska moss heath or Alaska bellheather is found in northwestern North America and northeastern Asia. In most books, you'll find this species listed as Cassiope stelleriana, but it does seem to more properly belong in the different genus. If you're able to, see Stevens, P. 1970. Calluna, Cassiope and Harrimanella: A Taxonomic and Evolutionary Problem. New Phytologist. 69(4):1131-1148. Properties differentiating the two include leaf arrangement (spirally arranged in Harrimanella vs. decussate (opposite pairs) in Cassiope) and petiole length (short in Harrimanella vs. absent in Cassiope). Eight other differences between the two genera are also noted in the paper.
A low cloud ceiling was ever-present during the Alaskan portion of my trip, so these images were taken in the clouds at @1050m (3450ft) along Hatcher Pass.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:52 PM| Comments (9)
July 23, 2008
Trientalis europaea subsp. arctica
I'm back from vacation. Over 3 weeks traveling through Alaska, Yukon and northern BC yielded approx. 4500 clicks of the shutter and somewhere between two and three thousand different compositions of flowers, landscapes, animals and more.
The joy of experiencing the beauty and wildness of these places, however, was tempered by the grief of losing a friend and co-worker, Peter Wharton. I learned of Peter's passing early on during the trip, and there is no doubt it affected what I photographed; I've many images of placid and reflective waters.
While in Fairbanks, I learned of the photography of Michio Hoshino from a few photographs featured at the highly-recommended Museum of the North. Hoshino's images of Alaska are unsurpassed. You can view a few of them in the museum's online exhibit about Hoshino: Coming Home. Hoshino's photography is matched by his writing, but much of it can only be found in its original Japanese. Translations of only a few selections have been made, I believe.
One passage from Hoshino: "I remember one day, a long time ago, on my first visit to the coast of the Arctic Ocean, when I tried to take a picture of a single thrush, resting on the top of a beached log. I had found it odd that here, in the midst of the treeless arctic tundra, a drifting tree would have been lifted up onto the shore. This was a spruce tree that had drifted down a river, and after a long journey had arrived at the sea. Carried along by an ocean current, it one day reached these distant northern shores. Its branches fallen off, and its bark peeled free, the tree had become implanted in the sand pointing up toward the sky. It had become a landmark, and not only provided a place for the thrush to rest its wings, but also a scent station where the arctic fox marks its territory. As it slowly rotted, it imparted nutrients to the soil, which one-day might nourish flowers in their short summer bloom. As I thought about this, the boundary between life and death became blurred, and I realized that all things have embarked upon an unending journey."
Today's plant is commonly known as Arctic starflower. It is found in the woods and subalpine meadows of both northwest North America and northeast Asia.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:47 AM| Comments (15)
July 4, 2008
Cypripedium passerinum
As I noted previously, I'm presently on vacation. Unfortunately, I'm in areas with very sporadic web access, so I'm only posting when I can!
We spotted this sparrow's-egg lady's slipper on the trail to the mineral licks just north of Muncho Lake (in northern British Columbia). I'd been hoping to see this species on my trip, but wasn't really expecting to find it so soon (on the morning of the third day). We could only find a few individuals in the shady areas of some mixed forest.
Read more about this orchid via the USDA's "Meet the Ladies": Cypripedium passerinum. The Flora of North America also has its scientific account of this species.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:21 PM| Comments (7)
June 24, 2008
Mimulus aurantiacus
I'm at a conference this week, so I'm only posting abbreviated entries when I have the time!
Mimulus aurantiacus, or bush monkeyflower, is a native to the southwestern US. In yesterday's field trip to the San Gabriel mountains, we noted that this species defied its harsh conditions (growing on rock walls) with prolific masses of blooms.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:59 AM| Comments (11)
June 20, 2008
Colquhounia coccinea var. coccinea
Two things today: first of all, thanks again to Jackie Chambers for the write-up and photograph. Secondly, I'm about to be absent for 4.5 weeks. New postings to BPotD will be quite sporadic during this time (don't be surprised to see week-long or longer gaps). Apologies, but there hasn't been enough time to prep postings in advance.
Jackie writes:
Colquhounia coccinea can be found at forest edges and clearings in the Himalayas and southwestern China. This particular specimen was growing in Nepal at an altitude of 2300m.
The stems of the Himalayan mint shrub are tomentose, or covered in small, matted, stellate hairs. This gives the 3m+ stems a soft, felty texture. There are two varieties of Colquhounia coccinea, and the colour of the hairs is a characteristic used to distinguish the two varieties. Colquhounia coccinea var. mollis has very dense rust-coloured hairs whereas Colquhounia coccinea var. coccinea has fewer rust-coloured hairs and instead appears to be more silvery.
The leaves are also covered in soft hairs, and can range between 5-15 cm long. Like most mints, the leaves are held in an opposite arrangement along the stem and are aromatic when crushed. Clusters of orange or red tubular flowers are produced late in the season. These bloom from August to November. Fruit production occurs from November to January. Quinish Garden Nursery has another photograph of the plant, while the Flora of China provides a comprehensive description of Colquhounia coccinea.
Pronounced ko-hoo-nia the genus is named after a Scotsman, Sir Robert Colquhoun, who lived in Nepal in the early 19th century.
The specific epithet, coccinea, is derived from the name of a scarlet red dye obtained from cochineal insects. These insects are soft-bodied, oval-shaped scale insects hosted on some members of the cactus genus Opuntia. Cochineal extract is a red colouring made from the raw dried and pulverized bodies of insects.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:59 AM| Comments (6)
June 18, 2008
Cypripedium californicum
Thanks again to Ron Long for sharing one of his photographs with us through Botany Photo of the Day. Ron went to the Siskiyou Mountains area of Oregon a couple weeks after we had returned from the area. I gave him directions to some of the areas we investigated that had an incredible diversity of plants, and he was not disappointed (and, in fact, found many different plants that had not yet bloomed when we traveled there). As an example, the Cypripedium californicum was just starting to bloom when Ron visited the area, and we hadn't identified any plants from leaves alone.
California lady's slipper, like so very many plants in the Siskiyous area, is native only to northern California and southwest Oregon. It was first discovered in California, hence the dibs on the name. Named in 1868 by Asa Gray, it has the most restricted distribution of any Cypripedium species in North America. The genus Cypripedium is restricted to arctic and temperate climates of the northern hemisphere.
Often growing in association with Darlingtonia californica, California lady's slipper is found along shady mountain streams and springs.
Much of today's information is gleaned from Carlyle Luer's The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada excluding Florida. I'm compelled to quote this passage from the book (page 62): "...The surprisingly long, leafy stems curved gracefully out from the banks...Each stem bore in its upper half and orderly row of little slippers, each accompanied by a leaf. What they lacked in individual beauty was amply compensated by numbers. The long rows of flowers seemed to dangle like lanterns in the checkered sunlight, each facing in precisely the same direction away from the embankment..."
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:05 AM| Comments (6)
June 17, 2008
Drosanthemum bicolor
Nhu Nguyen, aka xerantheum@Flickr is the photographer behind today's image (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).Thank you!
The common name for Drosanthemum is dew-flower, which also happens to a literal translation of the name of the genus (drosos meaning dew and anthos meaning flower). This is in reference to the glistening papillae found on branches and flowering stems -- you can see this phenomenon in today's photograph with a close look at the topmost unopened flower bud.
Although native to South Africa, one species of Drosanthemum (not D. bicolor) has naturalized in California, so the Flora of North America has an entry on the genus: Drosanthemum.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:53 PM| Comments (8)
June 16, 2008
Yucca brevifolia
By special request (from a conversation with a friend on the weekend), here's an infrared photograph of Yucca brevifolia (along with a non-IR photograph of the inflorescence).
Joshua trees have made a previous appearance on BPotD in a brief entry on Joshua Tree National Park. In the comments section, Bill Hooker of Open Reading Frame suggested this article by Chris Clarke on Creek Running North: Joshua trees and extinction. In a bit of coincidence, during the same month that Chris wrote his piece, a journal article came out that suggested things are a bit more hopeful for the Joshua tree than was thought at the time. See: Vander Wall et al. 2006. Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) seeds are dispersed by seed-caching rodents. Ecoscience. 13(4): 539-543.
Since it's a well-known plant from California (and also Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Baja California), excellent resources for more information exist: Calphotos, the Fire Effects Information System factsheet, and the Flora of North America: Yucca brevifolia.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:43 AM| Comments (7)
June 13, 2008
Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata
...and another thank you to Nuytsia@Tas on Flickr for both today's photograph and suggestions for links (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). I'm always grateful for photographs from Tasmania, despite the sad story behind this one.
Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata is a localized subspecies of the Tasmanian endemic commonly known as Miena cider gum. Drought, "possibly linked to climate change", has killed off a few stands of this threatened tree, including the one in today's photograph. Ten thousand individual plants were thought to remain in the wild as of 2003, though it is estimated this number continues to decline.
Nuytsia@Tas suggests the following links:
- Resurrecting Ghost Gums from the Threatened Plant Action Group of Tasmania
- Australian Threatened Species: Miena cider gum (PDF) from the Threatened Species Network of Australia
I'll also add the suggestion to visit the Hardy Eucalyptus Page, particularly photographs of Eucalyptus gunnii (and subsp. divaricata).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:00 AM| Comments (3)
June 12, 2008
Abutilon 'Fool's Gold'
Thank you to Dougeee@Flickr of Georgia, USA, for contributing today's photograph to BPotD (via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool | original). Much obliged!
This cultivar is a recent introduction from Tony Avent's Plant Delights Nursery. I have to link to the commercial site to give you more information, since other resources about this cultivar are sparse to non-existent. Abutilons are also commonly known as flowering maples, due to the resemblance of the leaf shape (of some species / hybrids) to the classic maple form.
Malvaceae.info has a photo gallery of both species and hybrids of Abutilon. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:49 AM| Comments (8)
June 11, 2008
Eleusine coracana
Once again, I'm indebted to Jackie Chambers for sharing both her photographs and writing talents. Very much appreciated, as always.
Eleusine coracana is an annual plant native to Africa, where it has also been grown as a food crop since ancient times. It is similarly cultivated throughout Asia, where it is believed to have been introduced as a cereal crop thousands of years ago. The plant has easily adapted to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalayas; the field in this photograph was growing at an altitude around 2300m.
Due to its wide cultivation, Eleusine coracana goes by a variety of common names. For an interesting list of local names in the original scripts, please see the Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database: Eleusine coracana (maintained by Michel Porcher).
Finger millet, one of the English common names, tolerates poor soils and low rainfall. It also lasts a very long time in storage. These features, combined with its very high nutritional value (higher in protein, fats and minerals than corn or rice), makes it an essential crop to some of the poorest farmers in the world. For more information, read the entry in the Plants for a Future Database.
As a member of the grass family, the plant has strap-like green leaves with parallel venation. The seed heads are distinctive, sometime described as a goosefoot, or cat claw. As a result of centuries of cultivation, seeds heads can vary in colour and shape, including curved heads on this ornamental variety or straight heads as seen in the Wikipedia entry on Eleusine coracana.
GrassBase -- The Online World Grass Flora coordinated by The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew -- provides a detailed botanical description of Eleusine coracana.
Besides being a food crop, Eleusine coracana is also fermented and made into alcohol. I first encountered this plant when drinking tongba, or hot millet beer, while traveling though Nepal.
The grains of millet are cooked, fermented, and dried. To serve, the dried mash is placed in bamboo flasks with boiling water then poured over the mash. The concoction is allowed to sit for a few minutes to "stew". A straw is used to suck out the water and alcohol from the mash. The resulting warm beverage has a distinctive sweet-sour taste. As the mixture becomes dry, more boiling water is added and the process repeated. This is not a quick drink; the process can last for hours until the alcohol (or the individual consuming the beverage) is depleted.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:47 PM| Comments (8)
June 10, 2008
Calycanthus occidentalis
Apologies about the breaks in BPotD the last week or so. A few work-related things have crept up that have been somewhat exhausting, so other tasks suffer. Anyway, here's an attempt to get back on track.
Thank you to James G. aka J.G. in S.F.@Flickr of San Francisco, California for sharing today's photograph (original via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Much appreciated!
Calycanthus occidentalis, or California spicebush, is a close relative to the Chinese Sinocalycanthus chinensis featured on BPotD a few years ago. The Calycanthaceae are distributed in eastern Asia, southwest and southeast North America, and Queensland, Australia. Calycanthus occidentalis, as suggested by its common name, is native to California. There is also record of a disjunct population growing in Washington, but mention of those plants isn't found in the references I usually use for Washington state. Curious.
More photographs of Calycanthus occidentalis are available via CalPhotos. You can also read about some plant breeding work with the genus occurring at North Carolina State University: Re-inventing Sweetshrubs at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:09 AM| Comments (8)
June 4, 2008
Scaevola taccada
And another round of thank yous to Jackie Chambers, UBC BG Horticulturist, for sending along these photographs and accompanying write-up. Much appreciated!
Scaevola taccada (syn. Scaevola sericea) is found on tropical beaches of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Due to its large native range, Scaevola taccada goes by many different local names. In Hawaiian, it is called naupaka kahakai. English common names include beach naupaka, beach scaevola, fan flower or half flower.
These large evergreen shrubs can reach 3-4 m in height, and the glossy, light green leaves can range from 5-15cm long. The plant is able to quickly colonize areas because it easily roots wherever branches come in contact with the ground. For this reason, it was introduced to coastal areas outside of its native distribution to be used for erosion control. However, in some places such as Florida, it has become an invasive weed.
The flowers are produced throughout the year and are composed of five white to pale purple petals in a distinctive fan shape. The flowers are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both staminate (pollen-producing) and carpellate (ovule-producing) structures. They also exhibit protandrous flowering -- this means the anthers release pollen before the stigma of the same flower is receptive. For more information on protandry, see the Wikipedia entry.
The fleshy white fruit contains lightweight, buoyant seeds. The seeds remain viable even after prolonged exposure to sea water, but will only germinate in fresh water. Images of the fruit, as well as general growth habit, are available from Insect Images: Scaevola taccada.
It is interesting to note that there are several Scaevola species in Hawaii occupying a range of habitats. For example, Scaevola taccada is found on beaches, whereas Scaevola gaudichaudiana is found in the mountains. This is believed to be an example of adaptive radiation, a situation where rapid speciation occurs to fill many ecological niches.
Hawaiian legend offers another explanation for at least two of the species. A long time ago, two lovers upset the Volcano Goddess Pele. As a result, one was turned into beach scaevola. The other fled into the mountains and was turned into mountain scaevola -- the distinctive "half flowers" found on each plant represent the eternal separation of the lovers. Was it evolution or the wrath of a goddess? For photos of the different Hawaiian Scaevola species, please see Scaevola from the Hawaii Native Plants site.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:47 PM| Comments (5)
June 3, 2008
Hottonia inflata
Thank you again to David Smith of Delaware, USA for sharing photographs from his state of residence (originals via the BPotD submissions forum). Much appreciated, David.
I was surprised to learn that Hottonia inflata, aka American featherfoil, is a member of the Primulaceae, like Dodecatheon pulchellum and Androsace pyrenaica. Two species of Hottonia are recognized: the eastern North American Hottonia inflata and the Eurasian Hottonia palustris, or water violet.
Despite its North American distribution, little information is available about this annual aquatic online: the best sources seem to be this rare plant factsheet (PDF) via the Maine Natural Areas program and this article from the Connecticut Botanical Society.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:34 PM| Comments (15)
May 30, 2008
Meconopsis punicea
Another thank you to Krystyna Szulecka for contributing one of her photographs to BPotD (posted in this thread via the BPotD submissions forum). See more of Krystyna's images by searching for “Krystyna” on the FLPA web site.
Today's image was photographed in the Branklyn Garden of Perth, Scotland, well-known for its collection of Meconopsis species. Krystyna provides details about the species via Steve McNamara in the BPotD submission posting -- a good thing, too, as resources about the plant online are few. A recent posting (May 20) to the May garden highlights of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh also provides a description of the plant.
GRIN's account of Meconopsis punicea provides both a common name (red poppywort) and a distribution: western central China and northeastern Tibet.
More photographs of Meconopsis punicea, including images of the plants in habitat, are available via eFloras.org. Asianflora.com also has a few images.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:28 AM| Comments (3)
May 29, 2008
Cuphea ignea
Thank you to Meighan@Flickr for sharing today's photograph, via the Flickr BPotD Group Pool (original image). Meighan has plenty of plant-related photographs on Flickr, including a number of images of Ikebana. Much appreciated!
Cuphea ignea is native to Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas. In English, its common names include cigar flower and firecracker plant (a nod to the specific epithet ignea, meaning fiery-red). With a long, red tubular flower, it is no surprise that these are hummingbird-pollinated.
If you're a gardener, you may like to read what Herself's Houston Garden has to say about the plant and / or read the Kemper Center for Home Gardening's factsheet: Cuphea ignea. For those of you in tropical climates, though, be cautious: Cuphea ignea is listed in the Global Invasive Species Database. I think it's a coincidence, but another member of the family is a well-known invasive to North Americans: Lythrum salicaria.
Unlike other members of its 250+ species-strong genus, there doesn't seem to be any use of Cuphea ignea in the production of cuphea oil, a palm oil substitute.
Michigan State University's Plant Encyclopedia has a series of photographs of Cuphea ignea.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:30 AM| Comments (3)
May 28, 2008
Pseudotrillium rivale
Today's images are the results of my very first attempts using a new piece of software to process the raw files. I also used a point-and-shoot camera instead of my usual SLR.
Pseudotrillium rivale is a relatively recent moniker for this species. Formerly named Trillium rivale (and still known horticulturally as such), it is a Siskiyou Mountains endemic tolerant of ultramafic soils. Its separation from the genus Trillium is due in part to the molecular phylogenetic work of Susan Farmer; see: S. Farmer and E.E. Schilling. 2002. Phylogenetic analyses of Trilliaceae based on morphological and molecular data. Systematic Botany 27(4):674-692. For some of the morphological differences, read Recent and Continuing Studies in Trilliaceae (reprinted from BEN #301): spotted petals, an elongating pedicel, and (in many individuals), glossy, heart-shaped, Philodendron-like leaves. On our trip to the Siskiyous, we saw enormous variability in this latter characteristic, and the particular individual plant in today's photograph was the foremost exception. Also exceptional was the fact that I don't think we spotted any plants growing near a watercourse, despite its common name of brook wakerobin.
Calphotos has a good set of photographs: Pseudotrillium rivale. You can also have a look at this image of a garden-grown plant by Silver Creek Garden @ Flickr. Lastly, if you are a Trillium enthusiast, then Trillium-L is the discussion list for you!
Botany resource link: Cactus adaptations to dry environments from the Mauseth lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Follow the menu items along the left side of the page; the botanical information is fascinating (and illustrated!), while the travel section is both funny and (occasionally) discomforting.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:30 AM| Comments (12)
May 27, 2008
Liquidambar styraciflua
First of all, a note for local readers: Adam Gibbs is giving a presentation tonight to the Dunbar Garden Club. I'm planning to attend, circumstances permitting.
Thank you to whatsthatpicture@Flickr aka James (of Catching the Rain weblog) for sharing today's photograph (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated! I also note that James runs the What's That Picture web site, a "community-based site for anyone who wants to find out where, what, or who is featured in an old picture", if you'd like to investigate that, as well.
The sweetgum cultivar 'Lane Roberts' was posted to BPotD in January 2007: Liquidambar styraciflua 'Lane Roberts'. Today's write-up is an expansion of the text made for that brief entry.
Some people occasionally confuse sweetgum trees with maples based on the shape of the leaf (via Bioimages). Absent the fruit, a quick way to distinguish a Liquidambar from an Acer is the leaf arrangement: sweetgums have alternate leaves, while maples have opposite.
When fruit are present, though, there's no mistaking the two. Maples have "keys", or more scientifically, samaras. The fruit of Liquidambar, shown in today's photograph, is a syncarp of capsules, i.e., a conglomerated fruit of individual capsules.
The genus Liquidambar has a curious distribution: eastern North America and Mexico to Guatemala (Liquidambar styraciflua), Turkey and Greece (Liquidambar orientalis) and southeast Asia (Liquidambar acalycina and Liquidambar formosana). Fossil species are known from western North America, Europe and the Russian Far East, indicating the present-day distribution is at least in part relictual (i.e., the genus was once far more widespread).
Photography resource link: I've previously featured the work of Mike Mander as a resource link, but I'm going to suggest revisiting his site if you haven't done so lately (or ever!). Mike's posted a number of photographs from a recent visit to UBC Botanical Garden in his galleries, along with images from other excursions. Well worth the time!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:07 AM| Comments (10)