Flowering Plants (12)
September 18, 2006
Schima sericans var. sericans
I was excited about having another BPotD “exclusive” to share with you today, i.e., a species that doesn't appear on search engine image results. Unfortunately, I was scooped on this one: “growin”, a member of one of the web's largest gardening sites, posted a few photographs of this particular plant a week ago (though I'll note that he did have to walk in the bed to get these photographs, something not encouraged for garden visitors). Small consolation, perhaps, but today's BPotD pics at least seem to be the first few photographs of this plant in flower on the web.
Taking the time to smell the flowers elicited an “oooooo” from me. I thought it smelled of a sweet vanilla; Douglas thought it had elements of banana. We both agreed, though, that the fragrance was fleeting – you could only smell it for a brief time before becoming desensitized to it.
A native to the Yunnan province in China as well as Tibet, Schima sericans was published as a species in 1997. The draft treatment of the Theaceae in the Flora of China agrees with the assessment of this as a separate species segregated from the (slightly) more common Schima wallichii. Despite some reservations about the assertion that this is one of a number of closely-related species (instead of much morphological variation within a single broad species), we're treating it as distinct for the time being at UBC.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (12)
September 17, 2006
Crassula capitella
A big thank you again to Eric in San Francisco (Eric in SF@Flickr) for offering today's image via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool (original image). An intriguing pattern expertly captured, Eric – thank you!
I believe this is the fourth member of the Crassulaceae to be featured on BPotD, preceded by Dudleya pulverulenta, a cultivar of Aeonium arboreum and Sedum spathulifolium. If you visit those pages, you'll note that a pattern emerges – most of the Crassulaceae are succulents.
Although this particular plant is being cultivated in the Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco, this species is actually native to southern Africa, where, like many succulents, it grows in an arid environment.
For local readers, you might like to visit Riverview in Coquitlam to attend this year's Treefest today (rain or shine!). This event celebrates the nearing-a-century-old arboretum on the grounds of the Riverview Hospital. See the web site of the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society) for more information about this heritage site that is not yet permanently protected from “development”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:17 AM| Comments (1)
September 16, 2006
Lobelia tupa
I did mention in the previous entry on Lobelia tupa (or devil's tobacco) about my desire to take a different photograph of this species. Here it is!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:14 AM| Comments (4)
September 15, 2006
Acacia dealbata
Only a brief entry today - apologies. After checking out this abstract photograph of a pattern on the bark of a silver acacia, though, you can spend a lengthy piece of time reading this fascinating article on acacias from Wayne Armstrong: The Unforgettable Acacias. It spans everything from seed dispersal (by ants) to commercial products (gum arabic).
The Plants for a Future database also has an entry on this southeastern Australian tree: Acacia dealbata Also, please note that it is invasive in southern California.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:32 AM| Comments (3)
September 14, 2006
Senecio rowleyanus
The longest running plant sale at the garden occurs today and tomorrow: the 29th Annual Indoor Plant Sale. I had a grand time yesterday trying to photograph a few of the plants available, since I don't often get the opportunity to work with indoor plants.
A native of southwestern Africa, “string of beads” grows in arid habitats. The succulent beads are actually the leaves, modified for living through extended periods of drought. Dr. T. Ombrello of Union County College has written an intriguing article on the adaptations of this Senecio and the closely related Senecio herreianus, entitled Senecios, With Windows in Their Leaves. The narrow bands you can see on some of the beads consist of transparent tissue to allow light to penetrate the interior of the bead and increase photosynthesis without increasing water loss.
It might be worth revisiting my comments on diversity within the Asteraceae in the BPotD entry on Raoulia australis. There is simply an amazing amount of diversity of form and structure in this plant family.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
September 13, 2006
Gentiana macrophylla var. fetissowii
There isn't too much online about this taxon, either under its current name or its sometimes-used synonym, Gentiana wutaiensis. I was able to find a photograph of it in flower in this gallery of images from Utrecht Botanical Garden (under Gentiana wutaiensis). Variety fetissowii apparently differs from the slightly-more-common-in-cultivation Gentiana macrophylla var. macrophylla by the shape and length of its flowers and relative length of its calyx. Seems like I'll have to photograph it in flower sometime to help alleviate the paucity of images.
As you'll have noticed if you clicked on the above link, a Flora of China account exists for this Chinese and Kazakhstani plant: Gentiana macrophylla var. fetissowii. However, if you don't have the chance to visit China or Kazakhstan anytime soon, one of the few places elsewhere in the world to see it is UBC Botanical Garden.
Cell biology resource link: The Inner Life of the Cell is a (large) Flash movie demonstrating cellular activities. My favourite is the Golgi apparatus, though it makes a too-brief appearance. I'm not going to pretend that I know about everything that is being demonstrated, but it certainly makes me curious to learn more – with something like this at hand, I might have managed a better grade in Cell Biology. Sent along by Dr. Andrew Riseman.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:43 AM| Comments (3)
September 12, 2006
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
'Royal Purple' smokebush is a popular landscape shrub with much to recommend it: autumn foliage colour, drought-tolerant when established and a smoky-appearing inflorescence, to name a few. Part of my reason for enjoying it is that it is in one of my favourite plant families, the Anacardiaceae, and is therefore related to mango, cashew and poison ivy (a plant I admire, but from a distance).
In local news, there is a lecture tonight (link includes event details) with Peter Valder. I met Peter when I was in Sydney a few years ago, and he's warm and funny – I expect his lecture will be very entertaining. If you get a chance to go, I do recommend it. Please also note that he is giving a different lecture on Thursday evening in Seattle (click on the link with his name).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:07 AM| Comments (4)
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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.