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 (6)
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 (5)
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 (10)
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)
September 9, 2006
Leuchtenbergia principis
Many thanks to Amir A. from Israel for sharing today's photograph of Leuchtenbergia principis.
Agave cactus or prism cactus is native to northern and central Mexico. If you are familiar with the world's deserts, you'll know that this distribution means it is found only in the Chihuahuan Desert, an area with exceptional diversity of cacti.
There are a number of ways of measuring biodiversity. In some methods that use numbers of genera and species along with a uniqueness value, Leuchtenbergia would be considered to be contributing to high biological diversity, as it is a monotypic genus (only one species in the genus). Other methods that use genetic diversity as a measure might rate Leuchtenbergia lower; it is closely related to the fairly common Ferocactus (and can hybridize with it). In this way of measuring diversity, an area with Leuchtenbergia and Ferocactus would be considered to have lower diversity than an area with Leuchtenbergia and the so-distantly-related-as-to-be-negligible Fouquieria splendens.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:30 AM| Comments (2)
September 8, 2006
Cyrtanthus epiphyticus
Only 131 results in a search on Google for Cyrtanthus epiphyticus – a good indication that this South African plant is poorly known. The epithet epiphyticus suggests it grows on trees (its common name is tree lily), but this plant at UBC does not seem to be that fussy – it grows in well-draining gravel in the alpine garden.
Despite the relative obscurity of both this species and the genus Cyrtanthus as a whole, one enthusiast has provided a wealth of information online – the New Zealander Bill Dijk. Bill has not only published photographs online (Cyrtanthus on the Pacific Bulb Society Wiki), but also written a long account of the plants with descriptions and cultivation guidelines: see Cyrtanthus introduction 1 and introduction 2 for these text articles.
Photography resource link: Photographing the Art of Nature – two essays (so far) from landscape photographer Bruce Heinemann. Spectacular photographs in his galleries, as well.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:47 AM| Comments (0)
September 7, 2006
Magnolia grandiflora
Today's photograph is from the personal garden of one of UBC Botanical Garden's horticulturist's, David Grieser. The image was taken by his cousin, Julianne, who is kindly sharing it with us. Thanks to both of you!
I'm looking forward to the time when the garden has its Carolinian Forest fully-funded and established – this species of magnolia will finally find a place at UBC.
As alluded to in its inclusion in the Carolinian Forest, southern magnolia is an evergreen tree native to the southeastern United States. Read more about it on the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America: Magnolia grandiflora. Images of its fruit are available from Wikipedia.
Horticulture / botany resource link: Dedicated to the native plants of North America, the Native Plant Network web site provides access to its journal and a propagation protocol database. An exceptional resource if you work with the propagation of native plants, ecological restoration, plant conservation, invasive species or a host of other topics related to North American native plants.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:30 AM| Comments (9)
September 5, 2006
Littonia modesta
Despite both its attractiveness and the year it was planted (~1988), I only noticed butter lily (or Christmas lily) in the UBC Alpine Garden for the first time last week. The epithet modesta means “unassuming” or “moderate”, so perhaps I overlooked it in favour of bolder plants in years past.
The Pacific Bulb Society has a Wiki entry on Littonia; it's worth visiting, as it shares photographs of this South African species as it grows from seedling to fruit. It also includes an image of its tuber.
The tendril-like leaf tips are described botanically as a “cirrhose leaf apex” (see Jim Croft's Botanical Glossary). Functionally, they act as they appear to act, helping the plant “climb” (or at least be supported) as it grows in height.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:47 AM| Comments (3)
September 3, 2006
Acca sellowiana
A nod of appreciation again to Andreas from Bogotá (aka Quimbaya@Flickr) for submitting today's photograph (original image | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Many thanks, Andreas!
Many references use Feijoa sellowiana as the scientific name for this South American species, but it has generally been accepted to be Acca sellowiana since 1941 (see discussion on this thread, though note that the plant being identified is not Acca – the discussion just veered to a different topic). It's an example of a how a species name can become entrenched and difficult to change in the minds of many people. This is particularly likely to happen when a plant is of economic importance (if I'm allowed to make such a generalization), as is the case with Acca sellowiana.
Feijoa, as it remains commonly known (and adding to the entrenchment of the synonym), is grown primarily for its edible fruit, which is purported to taste like a combination of pineapple and strawberry or pineapple and guava. I haven't sampled it, but it's on my list of things to try. More economic and other information about this species is available from the Plants for a Future Database and the California Rare Fruit Growers.
Botany resource link: Diversity, Endemism, and Extinction in the Flora and Vegetation of New Caledonia, a paper by Porter P. Lowry II of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The online article contains a number of photographs of plants seen nowhere else in the world.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (13)
September 1, 2006
Iris domestica 'Dwarf Orange'
Updated October 19, 2006 at 7:08 am local time: I've updated the scientific name to what is currently accepted, Iris domestica. This entry was previously published under the synonym Belamcanda chinensis. See this entry for details. – Daniel
I picked up a few books written by Freeman Patterson (a long interview) earlier this week. The experimental photograph of the Belamcanda is a result of playing with the camera using a long exposure time, small aperture and movement. It's a lot of fun, but I do have to warn others who use digital SLRs that the combination of long exposure time and small aperture will reveal some of the resident dust on the glass plate covering your sensor. I had to spend about ten minutes cloning out the dust spots in the abstract.
As its name implies, Belamcanda chinensis (or blackberry lily, though it's an iris relative) originates from China and nearby areas, including Japan and India. However, it has naturalized in eastern North America to the extent that some administrative bodies are calling it invasive (this link also has photographs that illustrate why it's called blackberry lily).
Gardening information for this perennial is available from the Kemper Center for Home Gardening: Belamcanda chinensis.
Photography-without-a-camera resource link: Primal Images by Jerry Burchfield features “lumen prints” of the Amazon (read the essay for background). The online exhibition is part of the web site of the University of California Riverside / California Museum of Photography. Discovered via the Librarians' Internet Index.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:00 AM| Comments (4)
August 31, 2006
Xanthoceras sorbifolia and Aesculus hippocastanum
A big thank you to Douglas Justice for writing today's entry! – Daniel
The similarity of Xanthoceras sorbifolia and Aesculus hippocastanum is not evident until their husky capsules begin to split open. There is an obvious resemblance, but the genera are classified in separate subfamilies of Sapindaceae. Aesculus – the classical name for a kind of oak with edible acorns – was the name given by Linnaeus to the horse chestnuts and buckeyes. His reasons for applying this name to a genus that is so un-oak-like and whose fruits are poisonous, are evidently lost. Not so Xanthoceras, which means “yellow horn,” in reference to the small yellow projections on flowers of this species. See the previous BPotD entry on Xanthoceras here.
The glossy seeds of the horse chestnut are rich in toxic saponins. The seed and its extracts have been used for medicating horses suffering from gas, children's games (“conkers”), production textile whiteners and military armaments (see this excellent wikipedia entry). According to Ken Fern (Plants for a Future), “saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts.” The seeds of Xanthoceras are reported to be quite edible.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
August 30, 2006
Embothrium coccineum
The fruit of Embothrium coccineum (featured on BPotD in flower here) is botanically known as a follicle (scroll down to the middle of the page). In this photograph, the follicles have split open to reveal a dozen or so winged seeds in each.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
August 28, 2006
Cylindropuntia bigelovii
This isn't my best photograph of Cylindropuntia bigelovii or teddybear cholla, but it is one of the better ones I have from this particular location: the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park. This small area has the densest concentration of teddybear chollas within this massive park. While enjoying this tiny natural wonder, a thought did creep into my head: “Why build a road (and then highway) right through it?” I'm sure the decision was made before I was born, but I wonder if any thought has been given to rerouting the highway around this small patch, and then reclaiming the decommissioned road for the cholla.
Despite the common name of teddybear cholla, you do not want to hug this plant. Its needles have barbed ends that pierce and lodge. Tweezers or a comb are recommended to pick the needles out if they become embedded in your skin; attempting to pluck them out with your fingers will merely sink them into your fingertips (as I experienced).
The Living Desert has a good resource page on teddybear cholla, while Brad Biringer has photographs of the Cholla Cactus Garden taken in superior light conditions in this photo essay.
Photography resource link: Photoshop Tips and Tricks from the tips section of the Pacific Northwest Nature Photographers group.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:01 AM| Comments (2)
August 27, 2006
Sparganium erectum
Thanks again to marcella2@Flickr for sharing a photograph (original image | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). The last time a photograph from marcella2@Flickr was featured on BPotD, over three dozen images of plants were available by clicking on the marcella2@Flickr link – now there's over five dozen, so you might like to revisit them.
I should first of all note that I've changed the name of the plant posted by marcella2 from Sparganium ramosum to the catch-all Sparganium erectum (a number of Sparganium are listed as being synonymous to Sparganium erectum). I'm following the nomenclature suggested by Missouri Botanical Garden's TROPICOS database, but with reservation. In a conversation with Richard Lansdown ten days ago or so, Richard expressed the opinion that many of the less-examined plants sharing the same name in both Europe and North America are actually quite different from one another. Even the Flora of North America expresses reservation about the nomenclature within this genus, because the last work done on it (in the mid 1980s) did not contain detailed studies of the species across their complete ranges. A grain of salt is required, it seems.
I've an inexplicable soft spot for plants in the genus Sparganium, despite the fact that some have been declared a noxious weed. It may be that the soft spot stems from the exotic appearance – exotic, at least, to someone first learning plants through observing the native plants of Manitoba. I still find them interesting, and I know if I encountered some similar to these, I'd spent quite a bit of time photographing them.
Botany resource link: The northernmost botanical garden in the world, Tromsø Botanical Garden at nearly 70° N in Norway. Tromsø BG has a growing season from late May to mid-October, thanks to the effect of the Gulf Stream.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (3)
August 26, 2006
Orbea variegata
A thank you to sandy130 @ UBC Botanical Garden Forums from Abbotsford, BC for sharing today's image of the (inaptly-named) toad cactus or star cactus (it's not a cactus!). A better common name in use is African carrion flower. Check out the discussion thread to see a second photograph and the ensuing discussion. Much appreciated, sandy130!
Formerly placed in the genus Stapelia (an example), Orbea was resegregated as its own genus by Leach in this paper: Leach, LC. 1978. A contribution towards a new classification of Stapelieae (Asclepiadaceae) with a preliminary review of Orbea Haw., and descriptions of three new genera. Excelsa Taxonomic Series, No. 1. Aloe, Cactus and Succulent Society, Rhodesia.
Stoffel Petrus Bester of the South Africa National Herbarium has written an excellent summary of the genus Orbea, so I'll kindly ask you visit that site for more information about Orbea variegata and its relatives.
I'll also add that this species is an exotic invasive in South Australia. See: Dunbar, KR and Facelli, JM. 1999. The impact of a novel invasive species, Orbea variegata (African carrion flower), on the chenopod shrublands of South Australia. Journal of Arid Environments. 41(1): 37-48.
Photography resource link: for inspiration, the alpine photography of Jack Brauer. Locales photographed include Turkey and Patagonia.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
August 25, 2006
Acer palmatum 'Elegans'
Take one recently-repaired digital camera, swap out the protective glass over the sensor with a different piece that only allows infrared light to pass through, and a whole new way of seeing the world emerges. I took my first infrared photographs yesterday and here is one result – still a lot more to learn.
Pictured is one of the many cultivars of Acer palmatum, or one of a group of maples collectively known as “Japanese maples” Hundreds of other photographs of Japanese maples are available on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, thanks to the efforts of dozens of maple enthusiasts.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (9)
August 24, 2006
Trifolium burchellianum
The International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) notes that Burchell's clover is native to the montane shrublands, grasslands and bamboo thickets of eastern and southern Africa. This species is rarely found in cultivation, despite its attractive, thimble-sized inflorescence. Instead, a trip to Africa would reveal that it is an important perennial legume for livestock grazing at 3000m or higher above sea level.
This (cropped) photograph was taken three years ago, and I've not had the opportunity to verify if these plants remain (it's not something you'd casually notice when not in flower due to its size!).
Photography resource link: “Just Say Yes!”, an article by Alain Briot for Nature Photographers Online. After reading this essay, all I can say is “Yes!”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (3)
August 23, 2006
Cliff at China Beach
I couldn't resist sharing today's photograph in both vertical and horizontal orientations. The correct perspective is the vertical, since this is a cliff with seeping water. Still, I imagine the horizontal image could be used to trick more than a few people.
The challenges of the vertical environment for plants include exposure to wind and sun, poor or lacking soil, nutrient availability and gravity. These factors would be studied by cliff ecologists; cliff ecology is a specialized discipline within ecology that examines and studies organisms of cliff environments and how they interact with each other and the physical environment. Never heard of cliff ecology? A book review for “Cliff Ecology: Pattern and Process in Cliff Ecosystems” explains why. Here's the lede of the review: “Question: What is vertical, predominantly rock, virtually unstudied and largely taken for granted by land managers? Answer: A cliff. Perhaps no other landscape feature has been so consistently ignored despite being pervasive and prominent across the world. Ecologists haven't studied cliffs, and land managers haven't assumed responsibility for protecting them.”.
Two of the three vascular plants I noticed growing on this particular cliff face are in this photograph: Adiantum aleuticum and Saxifraga mertensiana (I've yet to ID the third, but it is not in this image). If I had to identify the moss, I'd hazard a guess and suggest it is Hypnum subimponens (Hypnaceae). This tentative ID is based on environment (seeping cliffs), habit (mat-forming), and colouration (yellow-green new growth, brownish-green in older areas) via the description in “Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast” by Pojar & MacKinnon.
Photography / agriculture resource link: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute's Image Bank contains images on the subjects of plant and crop diversity (my favourite is this photograph of an orange-fleshed banana).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:56 AM| Comments (2)
August 22, 2006
Cephalaria gigantea
I've just spent the last few hours updating the software on the UBC Botanical Garden discussion forums, so I can only write a short entry today.
A thank you to fotrristi@Flickr from Stockholm, Sweden for providing today's image (original). Check out fotrristi's other flower photographs if you've a bit of time, too.
Common names for this plant include giant scabious and Tatarian cephalaria. The latter name reflects its native distribution from the Caucasus Mountains to Siberia (home of the Tatars), though it is now cultivated throughout Europe and North America.
For gardening information, visit the Kemper Center for Home Gardening's page on Cephalaria gigantea.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:54 AM| Comments (1)
August 21, 2006
Alnus rubra
The photographic opportunities at Botanical Beach are rich. Along with the hundreds of tidepools and the seashore, early morning oceanside fogs in the associated forest yield yet more reasons to carry a camera when visiting. I think this complex scene would be extremely difficult to render under any condition other than a background fog (and I'm speaking from personal experience, having tried similar other photographs dozens of times and having been disappointed).
The trees in the image are red alder. As mentioned and better illustrated in a previous BPotD entry, the bark of red alder is grey, yet often appears mottled with white and green because of a covering of lichens and mosses. The effect is not easily visible in this black-and-white image.
More information on Alnus rubra is available via the Flora of North America project, including a mention of the importance of the tree to First Nations peoples.
Photography resource link: for inspiration, the photography of Oregonian Mark Hudon.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:54 AM| Comments (2)
August 20, 2006
Heptacodium miconioides
Thank you to “maryland grower” on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for today's image, submitted here. Much appreciated!
Seven-son flower was previously featured on BPotD with a black-and-white image of the trunk, so today's image is a good complement to the previous posting. As pointed out by maryland grower, the mass of pink is not due to the petals of the flower, but rather the persistent sepals. This colouration is evident in autumn (today's image was taken in October).
For more reading about this species, see the previous detailed entry on Heptacodium miconioides.
Entomology resource link: The University of California Integrated Pest Management program's Natural Enemies Gallery features insect predators of common insect pests in California (and elsewhere). Discovered via the Librarians' Internet Index.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:23 AM| Comments (6)
August 19, 2006
Solanum lycopersicum
Many thanks to silvercreek_garden@Flickr aka Terry for sharing today's photograph (original image). Terry has also posted a related image on the UBC BG Forums: Tomato Bounty. Makes me hungry!
The scientific name for the tomato in general use for over two hundred years was Lycopersicon esculentum. However, molecular studies in the past fifteen or so years have helped to shift the name back to the one originally assigned by Linnaeus, Solanum lycopersicon.
Purdue's Center for New Crops and Plant Products has a good set of links about the tomato (under the taxon's old name): Lycopersicon esculentum. Among the resources suggested by Purdue is a link to a short essay about the history of the tomato, “How the Tomato Succeeded” – quite a good read.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:10 AM| Comments (9)
August 18, 2006
Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail'
The epithet amplexicaulis means “stem-clasping”, describing (in this case) the attachment of the leaves to the stem. You can see what is meant by amplexicaulis via the secondary photograph in the Kemper Center link below or via this image of Asclepias amplexicaulis.
'Firetail' red bistort or mountain fleece is an RHS Award of Garden Merit plant. For gardening info about this plant, visit the MBG's Kemper Center for Home Gardening.
Botany resource link: The blooming of Amorphophallus titanum at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, suggested by Karen V, a BPotD commenter. Thanks, Karen!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:33 AM| Comments (3)
August 17, 2006
Botanical Beach
Hundreds of tidepools can be found at Botanical Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park; many of these contain this species of surfgrass shown in the photograph, Phyllospadix scouleri. I wanted to write about both the adaptations (how does a vascular plant survive in a salt water environment?) and sex lives of these dioecious plants (how does the pollen travel from the male to the female plant?), but entertaining texts for these already exist online, courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Phyllospadix – the Surfers (about adaptations) and Seagrass Courtship (about reproduction challenges).
Today's entry is number 500 in the BPotD series of images and write-ups. Thank you all for your continued contributions and support.
Botany resource link: Celebrating Wildflowers, a site from the USDA Forest Service, assembles some very valuable information: where to see wildflowers in the US. Discovered via the Botanical Electronic News.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (8)
August 16, 2006
Magnolia delavayi
Peter Wharton stood outside my work door early yesterday morning and proclaimed “The Magnolia delavayi is in bloom.” I could predict the next sentence to be uttered. “Do you want to take a photo of it?” Here is one of those photographs, rendered in black and white.
I am hoping that Peter will have the time today to add more information about the plant in the comments. For now, I'll share that this is an evergreen magnolia from southern China. It is rated as endangered by the 2006 IUCN Red List because of its fragmented populations (five or fewer) and continuing degradation of habitat – not encouraging.
This particular plant can be seen east of the junction of Handel-Mazzetti trail and Lower Asian Way in the Asian Garden. Each flower lasts less than a day, so this flower has already dropped its tepals. If you'd like a chance to see this rarity, it should have enough flower buds that it will continue to blossom through the upcoming weekend.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:25 AM| Comments (4)
August 14, 2006
Daucus carota
photo fiddler@Flickr, from Nova Scotia in Canada, submitted today's image (BPotD Flickr Pool | original image). If you get a chance, be sure to visit his Flickr page – quite an intriguing series of photographs! Thanks, photo fiddler!
Known commonly as Queen Anne's lace or wild carrot, Daucus carota is the parent species of the modern-day cultivated carrot, though it is barely edible. A few sites suggest to not even attempt sampling it, because of the similarity between this species and other members of the Apiaceae (or parsley family), some of which are deadly poisonous. I'd agree with that recommendation.
The Center for New Crops and Plant Products at Purdue state the nativity of Daucus carota is unclear, but that it is probably native to western Asia or the Near East. It is now found throughout much of the world, including most of North America (where it is sometimes considered invasive). Given that the cultivated carrot can be grown in nearly every climate, it is not surprising that the wild species shows a similar ability.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:24 AM| Comments (3)
August 13, 2006
Hoya pubicalyx
This photograph from a resort garden in Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia is courtesy of Lindsay McGhee, a UBC biology student. Lindsay is working with me on the garden's John Davidson project. Thank you, Lindsay!
If you attempt a search for images of Hoya pubicalyx, you are likely to find photographs of the red- to dark-coloured cultivated forms of the species, e.g. Hoya pubicalyx 'Silver Pink'". However, I am fairly certain that white to pink is the typical colour range for the flowers of this species in the wild.
For an introduction to the diversity within the genus Hoya, visit the online photograph gallery of the International Hoya Association. Similarly, a written introduction to the genus Hoya in Singapore and Malaysia is available from the Nature Society of Singapore.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (7)
August 12, 2006
Polemonium pulcherrimum
This photograph is courtesy of John Harvey. I'd previously suggested John's site as a photo resource link, including the section on Learning Photography. John participates from time to time on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, where he submitted this (and other) photos via the BPotD Submissions Forum. Thanks John!
I don't think I can add much to what Richard Hebda of the Royal BC Museum has written about showy Jacob's-ladder, so I suggest visiting that web page to learn more. Since the species occurs in Washington state, the ever-reliable Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture has a section on Polemonium pulcherrimum with a variety of photographs.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (3)
August 11, 2006
Euonymus carnosus
The specific epithet for this taxon, carnosus, translates to “fleshy”, in this case referring to the thick petals. The common name, fleshy-flowered spindletree, obviously mirrors the scientific name.
The genus Euonymus belongs to the family Celastraceae. Browsing through the listing of other genera in the family, I feel confident in stating it is one of the few members of the Celastraceae to succeed in adapting to temperate climates.
Photography resource link: The plant images of Wikimedia contributor Stan Shebs. Many photographs from UBC Botanical Garden are in the gallery, including this one of today's plant, Euonymus carnosus. It's a rather good illustration of the thickened petals!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (2)
August 10, 2006
Opuntia ficus-indica
Like yesterday's Actinidia deliciosa photograph, today's picture features an important food crop. Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly known as Barbary fig, prickly pear or Indian fig, is grown throughout arid and semi-arid regions of the world as both a sweet fruit crop (tuna) and a vegetable crop. Like Oryza sativa (rice), Opuntia ficus-indica is a cultigen.
The USDA PLANTS database has a number of images of prickly pear, if you'd like to see a specimen image of the plant. I chose to focus on the spines in this photograph taken in Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in March.
For a fascinating read, learn about cochineal, a crimson dye extracted from Dactylopius coccus, an insect feeder on Opuntia species.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (9)
August 9, 2006
Actinidia deliciosa
Chinese gooseberry, kiwifruit and Macaque peach are only a few of the common names for this woody vine. The sixty or so species of Actinidia are native to temperate eastern Asia with a range stretching from Siberia to Indochina. The association of the name “kiwifruit” with this plant was a successful marketing tactic by New Zealand growers. However, since the name was not trademarked (and any entity can therefore sell “kiwifruit”), a trademark name is now being used to identify fruit originating from New Zealand as opposed to other countries, Zespri™ (no comment). Wikipedia goes into more detail about the evolution of the common name for Actinidia deliciosa in its entry on kiwifruit. Purdue's Centre for New Crops and Plant Products also has a detailed report from an economic botany perspective.
This particular plant at UBC Botanical Garden stretches about 20m high, weaving its way up through the branches of a western red cedar (in fact, it is rooted about 5m behind the stump from yesterday's photograph). Ripe fruit are never harvested, due to squirrels sampling nearly every fruit. Occasionally, the squirrels cause the fruit to drop on unsuspecting visitors.
Photography resource link: Dr. Ian Cumming is a Professor Emeritus in UBC's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. On his official ECE web page, however, Ian shares his wildflower and hiking photographs (with an emphasis on British Columbia).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:50 AM| Comments (1)
August 7, 2006
Jatropha integerrima
Thanks to Eric in SF@Flickr for today's photograph (original), taken in San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers (adding yet another place for me to visit when I next travel to San Francisco!).
Spicy jatropha or peregrina is native to Cuba. Introduction into south Florida for its ornamental value has resulted in the plant becoming naturalized in some areas.
Although its a member of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family, it does not have the highly specialized cyathium inflorescence found in the genus Euphorbia. Instead, it has “typical”, albeit unisexual, flowers (the flowers in Eric's photograph are male flowers; an image of both female and male flowers can be seen on Dr. Gerry Carr's page about the Euphorbiaceae).
The Plants of Hawaii web site shares a few photographs of the plant in cultivation. If you live in a tropical or subtropical area, you might also like to read this fact sheet about Jatropha integerrima (PDF).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:31 AM| Comments (2)
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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.