Flowering Plants (18)
July 3, 2007
Jasione montana
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to marcella2@Flickr from The Netherlands for today's contribution to BPotD (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
A gardener's factsheet on sheep's bit is available from the BBC Gardening site. You can also enjoy more photographs of Jasione montana from the Vascular Plants of Poland Photoflora, an illustration from the Thomé collections and a photograph of Jasione montana in ultraviolet.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (1)
July 2, 2007
Aloe ferox
John A. aka gbaku@Flickr from Oregon, USA is the photographer behind today's image (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
Bitter aloe is native to South Africa. Like many impressive South African plants, Plantzafrica from the South African National Biodiversity Institute has an excellent factsheet: Aloe ferox.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
July 1, 2007
Hieracium aurantiacum
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you once again to Anne from Alberta (aka annkelliott@Flickr) for sharing one of her photographs with us (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
A native of Europe, orange hawkweed is a problem plant in other parts of the world despite its beauty (the list of Idaho's Noxious Weeds makes an assertion that “distribution of this weed has likely been assisted by flower enthusiasts due to its beauty”).
Wikipedia has more links, though it uses a different scientific name for the species, Pilosella aurantiaca (I've opted to use what is currently accepted by GRIN taxonomy).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
June 30, 2007
Erythronium montanum
Although I'm away in the field and most entries will be brief during the next couple weeks, summer student Raakel Toppila has stepped in to help write a few entries, including today's accompaniment to the photo. – Daniel
Thank you to Brent aka foliosus@Flickr from Portland, Oregon for sharing today's image (original via BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
Erythronium montanum, or avalanche lily, can be found in subalpine meadows and coniferous forests of Washington, Oregon and southern British Columbia (distribution map). It is among twenty-nine trout lilies native to North America, (list of North American species). The plants take advantage of high soil moisture, blooming just after snow melt.
Erythronium comes for the Greek word meaning red, “erythros”. I have read that this refers to a pink-flowered species used to make dye; however, I cannot find a reliable source supporting this fact. More usefully, knowing this prefix can help when encountering other botanical names, such as erythrocalyx (red calyx), erythrocarpus (red fruit) or erythropodus (red-footed or red-stalked).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (8)
June 29, 2007
Erigeron linearis
Tomorrow, permits in hand, Brent Hine and I will be on our way to Nevada, Oregon and Washington on a seed-collecting expedition for two weeks. A trip made possible by the generous support of the Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia, the purpose of the trip is to gather wild collected seed for the Intermountain Dry Habitat House. I chose today's photograph as it is a representation of the areas we'll be collecting in – open landscapes with the occasional herb or shrub amidst the grasses. Between Brent and myself, we're going to do our best to post daily entries about the expedition on the UBC Botanical Garden Blog, though it won't always be possible – some places simply won't have web access. You're invited to follow along on our trip!
The small daisy-like flower in the lower middle of the photograph is Erigeron linearis, or desert yellow fleabane (or linear-leaf fleabane or desert yellow daisy). This plant of western North America will be a constant companion on our trip, as it is found throughout the range of where we will be collecting east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Paul Slichter has compiled a factsheet on Erigeron linearis and a few more photographs can be found as part of the Oregon Flora Image Project.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
June 28, 2007
Passiflora miniata
Thanks again to Earl B. of the eastern USA for contributing an image to BPotD, this time from a recent vacation to Costa Rica (I'm envious!).
For decades, if not centuries, this species in the photograph has been known in cultivation as Passiflora coccinea. However, what is pictured here is not the same species as was described by Aublet in 1775. The true Passiflora coccinea (or scarlet passionflower) is quite different from the plant in the photograph; for example, it has two series of corona filaments with the outer series being white or pale pink, large floral bracts and upright pear-shaped fruits that are golden-brown in colour. The Passiflora coccinea of cultivation has three series of corona filaments, the outer series being purple in colour and the two inner series being white (as shown in today's image), small floral bracts (also illustrated today) and large, subspherical, pendulous (and variegated!) fruits.
After learning that this isn't Passiflora coccinea, the logical question that follows is: “What is it?” Hard to believe, perhaps, for a plant that has been cultivated in tropical areas around the world, but it didn't have a published scientific name until 2006, when John Vanderplank set the record straight about Passiflora coccinea and Passiflora miniata in an article in the (subscription-only, sorry) Curtis's Botanical Magazine (Vanderplank, J. 2006. 562. Passiflora miniata. Passifloraceae. Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 23 (3):223–230).
Since the name Passiflora coccinea has been used for so long for this species in cultivation, it is important to establish a link between Passiflora miniata and the wrongly applied name. Botanists will do this by writing Passiflora miniata Vanderpl. (syn. Passiflora coccinea hort.), with the “hort.” meaning “of horticulture”.
The Germplasm Resources Information Network contains the correct information (and species distribution) for Passiflora miniata. On most other sites (and search engines), you'll have to mentally substitute Passiflora miniata when you see Passiflora coccinea, e.g., on the Kemper Center for Home Gardening entry on red granadilla.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:01 AM| Comments (9)
June 26, 2007
Hypericum perforatum
Common St. John's wort is easily recognized, with the plant's distinguishing characteristics including five yellow petals (often ringed with black dots), opposite leaf arrangement and — the reason for the epithet perforatum — leaves that are pellucid. Held up to the light, the leaves appear perforated, though the “holes” are actually transluscent oil glands.
Some of what was written yesterday about foxglove could be applied to common St. John's wort: a species native to Eurasia that has been widely introduced elsewhere, including North America, South America, Australia and South Africa; a species fatal to livestock; and a medicinal use for humans.
Hypericum perforatum has been so successful upon introduction into new areas that it is considered a high-risk invasive plant in some jurisdictions. In typical invasive fashion, it can form dense stands (scroll down to see related photos) and crowd out native plants. This quality combined with the fact that it is poisonous to livestock (it can induce mania and depression, act as an abortifacient, cause dermatitis and lead to death) helped it to develop a reputation as a hated weed.
That reputation has been somewhat softened in recent years with the confirmation of its efficacy as an antidepressant in humans. Wikipedia and the Plants for a Future database provide good summaries of current and historical medicinal use in humans.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:28 AM| Comments (3)
June 25, 2007
Digitalis purpurea
Three prominent vertical forms cover much of the land at Stoneworld on Galiano Island, BC: megaliths, stinging nettles and purple foxgloves. The latter two are clearly avoided by the sheep inhabiting the grounds, and with good reason; the stinging nettles, I assume, would cause blistering, whereas the foxglove is simply fatal.
The species is similarly poisonous to humans, though in low and measured doses it is used to treat heart failure. The Plants for a Future factsheet for Digitalis purpurea points out the need for extreme caution: “Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose”. Not a plant to be trifled with! Wikipedia provides a good summary of Digitalis purpurea / Digitalis and the associated cardiac glycosides digitoxin and digoxin.
Despite its potential to poison, it remains a popular garden ornamental. An introduced plant to western and eastern North America (where it can be a common sight), I suspect its spread is due to escapees from home gardens. The species is native to much of Europe.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:21 AM| Comments (8)
June 23, 2007
Plantago maritima
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
To borrow a phrase: your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to solve a small mystery. Try using a search engine to discover the distribution of seaside plantain (or goose-tongue) – I'll almost guarantee that if you visit three different web sites, you'll get at least two different answers.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
June 18, 2007
Acacia rigens
A big thank you to Katy S. aka Mellifera K@Flickr for sharing another one of her photographs (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Something very different!
Katy explains with the photograph: “This is a fluorescence image of a cross-section through an Acacia rigens phyllode (leaf). The central round portions are the nerves (veins) that run from the base of the cylindrical phyllode to its tip. They are attached to the surface of the phyllode by sclerophyllous caps.” For an idea of what Katy means by cylindrical phyllode, she provides another photograph of needle wattle: Acacia rigens — the long, tubular leaves are very evident.
Sclerophyllous caps refers, I believe, to the spokes of cells radiating outward from the centre. The walls of these cells are lignified (containing lignin) and are the cause of the phyllodes being stiff and tough. On the surface, it might appear that this is an adaptation to prevent water loss or herbivory. While this may be the case in some instances, it is mainly considered a strategy to promote growth in phosphorus-poor soils, since lignin production doesn't require phosphorus (or requires very little – sorry, I'm not a biochemist). This strategy is so prevalent in some places that entire areas of Australia (and a few regions elsewhere) are considered sclerophyll forests.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (1)
June 17, 2007
Fremontodendron californicum
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Today's photograph is courtesy of Lotus J. aka ngawangchodron@Flickr (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated, as always.
The generic name of California flannelbush, Fremontodendron, is named for John C. Frémont, an American military officer, botanist and explorer. His accomplishments included naming the Great Basin and being the first Republican candidate for the office of President. He seems to have been quite the character. Under the meaning of fremontii (you'll need to scroll down), Michael Charters quotes a line from an LA times review of a biography: “He turned golden promise into the dross of failure”.
California flannelbush is native to California and Arizona.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (3)
June 16, 2007
Myosotis sp.
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
J. Onstott of Albany, Oregon is the photographer behind today's picture (posted via the BPotD Submission Forum in this thread after being identified here. Thank you!
Despite the misplaced assertions of a few web sites, the name Myosotis means “mouse-eared” and not forget-me-not — the latter is simply the common name for this group of plants. Paghat has an as-always interesting write-up on Myosotis delving into some legends surrounding the flower, while Brian Johnston has an extensive article complete with photomicrographs on the Microscopy UK site: “A Close-up View of Two Forget-me-nots”.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (2)
June 15, 2007
Erythrina stricta var. suberosa
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Dinesh from India (aka dinesh_valke@Flickr) for today's colourful photograph (original image | Flickr BPotD Group Pool). It's very much appreciated!
It is far more common that this coral tree is presented with the scientific name Erythrina suberosa online, but its taxonomic status was changed in 1992 to being recognized as only a variety of Erythrina stricta. It is native to southeast and south Asia.
Additional photographs of this plant by Dinesh can be seen in this Flickr grouping.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (5)
June 13, 2007
Bougainvillea glabra (unknown selection)
Today's photograph is courtesy of David Tarrant, who recently retired from UBC Botanical Garden. This image was taken two months ago in his garden in Mexico. Thank you, David!
Paperflower or bougainvillea, although native to Brazil, is now widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical world due to its popularity as an ornamental plant (it is also grown as a houseplant in temperate climates). As is fairly common when something becomes so widely cultivated, a number of varieties and hybrids exist, so tracking down the name of an unknown cultivated plant can be tricky (hence today's photograph marked as an unknown selection).
The colourful “petals” are actually modified leaves; these large bracts surround the small, whitish flowers that (appropriately) resemble other flowers in the tropical-to-warm-temperate Nyctaginaceae.
Bougainvillea glabra was featured on Cal's Plant of the Week, where the discovery of the plant and associated historical tidbits are mentioned.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:46 AM| Comments (9)
June 12, 2007
Alnus sieboldiana
A grateful thanks to Mbc of Germany for contributing today's image via the UBC BG BPotD Submissions forum in this thread. Mbc made this photograph while on a mountainside hike near Kyoto, Japan.
When you become familiar with the scientific names of plants, you can sometimes glean some additional information about a plant new to you at a glance. In this case, the epithet sieboldiana tells me that the plant is named after Philipp Franz von Siebold, which in turns suggests the plant is native to Japan (and indeed it is). A similar trick works for recognizing the name of the person (or people) who scientifically described a species and published a name (i.e., the author). For example, Acer carpinifolium was published by Sieb. & Zucc. — and again, one can be reasonably certain it is native to at least Japan. The reason this works, of course, is because botanists (prior to air travel) tended to work in a specific geographical area or on a particular regional flora.
Von Siebold was a German-born physician and botanist. While working as a Dutch army medical officer, von Siebold was stationed in Japan as a scientist and doctor during the 1820s. It was during this time that he amassed botanically and horticulturally valuable collections of thousands of both living and preserved specimens of plants. The preserved specimens later resulted in von Siebold and Zuccarini (Sieb. & Zucc.) coauthoring Flora Japonica. Von Siebold's first tenure in Japan ended when he was discovered to possess detailed maps of Japan and Korea, an act for which he was expelled in 1830 (another act which likely would have sent him home sooner, had it been discovered, was aiding the smuggling of young tea plants to the Dutch colony in Java).
While the fruiting structure illustrated in today's photograph resembles a conifer cone, I notice the term is avoided in the summary of Alnus in the Flora of North America. Instead, the structure is described as an infructescence, consisting of persistent, 5-lobed, woody scales. It is the result of the bracts of the fruiting catkin becoming woody as the seeds mature.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:47 AM| Comments (4)
June 11, 2007
Penstemon eriantherus
Maureen aka MontanaRaven@Flickr (and frequent BPotD commenter) is the artist contributing today's photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Maureen shares her work via her weblog, raven's nest, and her photoblog, Land of Little Rain. Thanks once again, Maureen.
A glance at the flower in the upper left provides reason enough for two of the common names of this species: fuzzytongue penstemon or crested beardtongue. This is a plant of the open spaces that define parts of western North America, as shown by its distribution in the USA and presence in Alberta and British Columbia. I'm not certain if it is found further east in Canada; since it can be found in the North Dakotan grasslands, perhaps it is also present in Saskatchewan.
Both the Burke Museum and E-Flora BC provide more images of this species. This photograph by Virginia Skilton shows with particular clarity the bearded staminode (or sterile stamen) that is responsible for both the common name and specific epithet (eriantherus means “woolly anther”).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:07 AM| Comments (2)
June 10, 2007
Fuchsia procumbens
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
A thank you to JPierre of Préaux, France, for sharing today's photograph (submitted via this thread on the UBC BG discussion forums). Merci beaucoup!
Creeping fuchsia is native to the North Island of New Zealand, where it is sparsely distributed and sometimes considered threatened. JPierre originally posted this taxon as Fuchsia procumbens var. kirkii, a name which I'm uncertain was ever scientifically published (Fuchsia kirkii Hook. f., though, was published but is now typically considered a synonym of Fuchsia procumbens). There is a reason for recognizing it as something distinct, though it seems most taxonomists do not feel the distinction warrants separating the species into forms or varieties. Fuchsia procumbens is heterostylous, meaning different morphological forms of the flower exist. In the case of the morph in today's photograph, the flower is short-styled (this is referable to what was once known as Fuchsia kirkii). Two other flower morphs exist, one with a style of intermediate length, and another with a long style that greatly exceeds the stamens in length. Wikipedia has an explanation of the function of heterostyly.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (5)
June 9, 2007
Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thanks again to Wayne of the UK (aka WLA@Flickr) for sharing one of his great photographs (BPotD Flickr Group Pool | original). If you haven't visited it recently, drop by Wayne's weblog, Earth, Wind &Water, to see some of Wayne's other photos (including underwater critters!).
Most references for blue water lily will offer a scientific name of Nymphaea capensis, but it seems a bit of reorganization in the genus has resulted in Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea being favoured as the correct name. The South Africa National Biodiversity Institute has an extensive factsheet on this taxon.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:52 AM| Comments (2)
June 8, 2007
Iris laevigata 'Royal Cartwheel'
Species and cultivars of Iris pseudacorus, Iris versicolor, Iris virginica and Iris laevigata form the horticultural grouping of irises known as the water irises. Today's plants are growing in a section of the Asian Garden that is often saturated with water throughout the winter and early spring, and damp the remainder of the year.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:03 AM| Comments (7)
June 7, 2007
Eucalyptus coccifera
In a typical year, this Tasmanian snowgum looks like this, full of foliage and flowers. However, the harsh, extended cold of last winter killed most of the exposed living tissue. This left the tree covered in grey-brown dead leaves; for a few months, it looked dead. As you can see, though, the tree is recovering.
The effect of the cold replicated a phenomenon more often seen in Eucalyptus after a severe fire — regrowth from epicormic buds (i.e., buds within the bark of the tree). The abstract from this paper, Epicormic strand structure in Angophora, Eucalyptus and Lophostemon (Myrtaceae) – implications for fire resistance and recovery by Burrows in 2002, summarizes the phenomenon tidily: “In most angiosperm trees dormant epicormic buds are present in the outer bark, a position where they could be killed by fire. By contrast, in eucalypts the greatest epicormic bud initiation potential is at the level of the vascular cambium, which is protected by the maximum bark thickness. This might explain the pronounced ability of eucalypts to produce bole and branch epicormic shoots after moderate to intense fire.” I'll repeat myself and append “or moderate to severe cold”.
I don't know how many years will be required before the plant flowers again, but it seems to be on the road to recovery. In contrast, a number of younger plants of other species of Eucalyptus in the Alpine Garden did not have thick enough bark to withstand the cold. I believe the dead plants are slated for removal.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:23 AM| Comments (3)
June 6, 2007
Linaria triornithophora
Thank you to Paulo Araújo of Dias com árvores for sharing today's image with us, from a small wooded area in Porto, Portugal (original via the BPotD Submissions forum).
In Portugal, Paulo mentions, the common name for this plant is esporas-bravas — “wild spurs”. In English, the common name of yellow-throated purple toadflax seems to have been pushed aside by a more romantic name, “three birds flying”. To be fair, the latter more closely resembles the epithet triornithophora, meaning “to bear three birds”.
This endemic to the Iberian Peninsula is becoming more widely cultivated. Unfortunately, there is some potential for it to become a weedy invasive like its cousin Linaria dalmatica; it is already listed as an adventive weed in New Zealand. However, it's not simple to assess in advance whether a plant will become invasive or not. Each species has its own spread dynamic (PDF), which, if determined, would have some predictive value.
Like many other former genera of the once-mighty Scrophulariaceae, Linaria has been shifted into the Plantaginaceae, or plantain family. One of the papers documenting the evidence for the change is available online: Olmstead et al.. 2001. Disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae. American Journal of Botany. 88:348-361.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:04 AM| Comments (3)
June 5, 2007
Atropa belladonna
I've previously featured deadly nightshade in fruit, so that entry contains some background on this poisonous plant. The epithet belladonna translates to “beautiful lady”. The reason commonly cited for the name is the attractiveness caused by the pupil dilation that accompanies an application of atropine to the eye (this technique was used centuries ago as part of make-up preparations). I'm not entirely convinced, though, as I have a suspicion that the name predates that practice. Perhaps it has more to do with the legend of the plant metamorphosizing into a woman on Walpurgis Night. Or, perhaps it was the Roman equivalent of “beer goggles”, where nightshade-laced wine had the effect of reducing inhibitions and inducing hallucinations.
As Stephen Howser explains in this article on Atropa belladonna for the Southern Illinois University Herbarium, deadly nightshade has had other uses besides beauty and parties. It could be considered one of the first chemical weapons, as Romans used it to poison enemy food supplies. Contrarily, it was also developed as an antidote to a (never deployed) nerve gas in World War II. Historically, it was also blended with other plants to create a local anesthetic.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:41 AM| Comments (6)
June 3, 2007
Tulipa 'Queen of Night'
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
A nod of appreciation to fotrristi@Flickr aka Pygge of Sweden for today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
I encourage you to read Pygge's comments accompanying her photograph, but if you don't, I should at least pass along the name of the tulips in the background: Tulipa 'Blushing Apeldoorn'.
Interested in black plants? Read Black Plants for Green Thumbs by Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont Extension Office.
Botany resource link (for Canadians): Pollination Canada is “a new ‘citizen science’ program, that allows the Canadian public to participate in a nationwide survey of pollinators.”. The idea is to monitor insect populations and diversity across Canada, so that declines in numbers or disappearances of species can be flagged and researched. Pollination Canada is a joint venture of Seeds of Diversity Canada and Environment Canada's Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordinating Office.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:30 PM| Comments (4)
June 2, 2007
Liriodendron tulipifera
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to arnaut from Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands for today's photograph shared via this thread on the UBC forums.
Tulip tree is native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America. The Silvics of North America entry on Liriodendron tulipifera provides excellent information.
On a different note, BPotD and the garden web site will be down from 10pm tonight Vancouver time until 9am or so tomorrow morning. The building hosting the web server is undergoing more electrical upgrades, so the server will be shut down.
Botany resource link: More photographs from the recent Botany BC conference in Osoyoos, BC are now available on Ian Cumming's Photos of Hiking and Wildflowers. I've linked to Ian's page before, but considering the recent series of photos on BPotD from my trip to the conference, I thought I'd point out Ian's far more comprehensive pages for you to enjoy.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
June 1, 2007
Cirsium clokeyi
Many thanks to plasmodiafiend@Flickr for sharing today's image (original via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
I'm one generation removed from being able to tell you stories of running through cow pastures and stepping on field thistles (“but we kids didn't whine in those days, we never noticed them”). However, I suspect even my leather-footed aunts and uncles would have purposefully veered away from whitespine thistle, which, as plasmodiafiend points out, is the most heavily-armed native thistle in North America. Of course, unless they had lived in a very specific area of Nevada, they would never have encountered it.
Cirsium clokeyi is endemic to the Spring Mountains, Nevada. Population surveys during the 1990s pegged the number of plants at under ten thousand individuals in total, distributed in an area with a maximum dimension of 13.1 km (8.1mi). As is often the case, the long-term survival of this species is tied in with the fates of others: two local butterfly taxa, the Spring Mountains comma skipper (a subspecies of Hesperia comma) and the Nevada admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii nevadae) are pollinators and nectar-feeders.
The source of much of today's information is this rare plant factsheet on Cirsium clokeyi (PDF) from the Nevada Natural Heritage Program. This herbarium specimen scan is one of the few other bits of interestingness about this species I could track down in my limited time today.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:54 AM| Comments (4)
May 31, 2007
Etlingera elatior
Today's image is courtesy of Monika (aka monika&manfred@Flickr) of Vienna, Austria (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Much appreciated!
Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species, 10 of which were undescribed as of 2003 via this poster on the ecological and economic qualities of Etlingera. Dr. Poulsen also has a small photo gallery of Etlingera as well as photographs from his late 2006 / early 2007 field trip to Papua New Guinea (also discussed here).
An illustration of the flower from the 1880 work “Fleurs, fruits et feuillages choisis de l'ille de Java : peints d'après nature by Berthe Hoola van Nooten can be seen here (note that it uses a synonym for Etlingera elatior, Elettaria speciosa).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:08 AM| Comments (10)
May 30, 2007
Frasera fastigiata
I'll share one last photograph from my trip to the Palouse area before moving on. Clustered green gentian is native to Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California, where it can be found on open mountain meadows. The distribution range is similar to yesterday's elegant mariposa lily, though, as mentioned, it is found in more open areas. You can find a few more images of Frasera fastigiata via one landowner's attempt to record the plant biodiversity on his / her property in the Palouse.
The genus Frasera is named after John Fraser, a British nurseryman, plant explorer and plant collector. Fraser sounds like quite the character, according to Robert Zahner: “Biographers and modern natural history writers in America portray mixed characterizations of John Fraser. Apparently there is a general impression that Fraser’s botanical competence was not on a par with his contemporaries. He has been called a botanical entrepreneur and an insufferable egotist. Fraser himself reveals something of his ego, stating his determination to excel the French botanist Andre Michaux in plant discoveries, thus obtaining equal honors for Great Britain.” and “One of Fraser’s more telling personality indictments comes from Michaux himself, in a well documented incident during the time Fraser accompanied Michaux on this 1787 exploration into the (Appalachian) mountains. Michaux notes in his journal on May 29th that he found Fraser a superficial bore and that after some time he managed to escape from Fraser’s ‘irritating chatter and foolish questions.’”. If you have a bit of time, I'd encourage you to read the rest of Robert Zahner's article, Bartram's Mountain Magnolia, via Chattooga Conservancy. Magnolias and Firs: The John Fraser Connection via Appalachian Voices is a similar account of the story.
I should point out that in UBC Botanical Garden's newly-planted Carolinian Forest, both Fraser and Michaux have groves named in honour of them.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:26 AM| Comments (5)
May 29, 2007
Calochortus elegans
In a small bit of coincidence, I stumbled upon this plant exactly 201 years after it was first collected by Lewis and Clark (images and stories of some plants collected by Lewis and Clark are available via James Reveal and The Lewis and Clark Herbarium). I was driving along the narrow Skyline Drive through McCroskey State Park, waffling as to whether I should stop and photograph the abundant fritillaries. After making the decision, I spotted these elegant mariposa lilies along the bank as soon as I stepped out of the car. The 30m long strip of the embankment was the only place I observed the plants on the trip. Considering there were only about a dozen plants, each measuring less than 15cm (6 inches) tall, I felt pretty lucky to have found them, in retrospect. For comparison's sake, their cousin, Calochortus macrocarpus, reaches 50cm / nearly 2 ft. in height.
I've discussed the imprecision of distribution maps before, but I think this is another good example to point out. A glance at the state-level distribution map for Calochortus elegans from the USDA PLANTS database suggests a broadly-occurring plant throughout the western United States. The Flora of North America's distribution map (species account), which uses only sites where the plant has been collected, gives a much better idea of the relatively restricted locations this plant can be found. Within these areas, it is restricted to open forests with rocky soils at elevations between 1500m and 2500m (approx. 5000-8000ft).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:10 AM| Comments (0)
May 28, 2007
Triteleia grandiflora var. grandiflora
One of the highlights for me of attending Botany BC was this plant, large-flowered triteleia (some references may use large-flowered brodiaea, due to a synonymous scientific name, Brodiaea douglasii). I hadn't encountered it before, and to see it in large clusters of plants with a sagebrush background was mightily impressive. I later often encountered it in the Palouse hills, but in populations that were nowhere near as dense as these in the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area (photo of White Lake).
Triteleia grandiflora is a native of western North America; the Flora of North America account has a distribution map. The Plants for a Future database cites a source claiming it is “said by some people to be the tastiest of the North American edible bulbs” (making one wonder about those tasty inedible bulbs). In the southern interior of British Columbia, the bulbs were consumed by the Okanagan, Nlaka'pmx and St'at'imc peoples (source: Plants of Southern Interior BC).
The southwestern North American Themidaceae, including Triteleia, are closely related to the onion family, the Alliaceae.
Link of interest: Something I missed pointing out last week was that a demographic tipping point had been reached (symbolically) on May 23: the day the world's human population became more urban than rural.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:06 AM| Comments (4)
May 25, 2007
Mitella stauropetala
I had a bit of a laugh of disbelief when I learned the common name for this species: small-flowered mitrewort. The reason? The first species of mitrewort I ever became familiar with, the boreal Mitella nuda, has flowers that are perhaps a quarter the size of these – far more deserving of the adjective!
The genus Mitella contains a dozen species or so, distributed in temperate to arctic North America and eastern Asia. The states of Washington and Oregon are the centre of diversity, with eight species occurring in Washington and one fewer in Oregon (see Mitella of Columbia River Gorge for photographs of five other species). Mitella stauropetala is divided into two varieties, variety stauropetala (meaning cross-petaled) found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and variety stenopetala (meaning narrow-petaled) found in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Considering today's photograph was taken within a stone's throw of the Washington-Idaho border, it is safe to say this is variety stauropetala; photographs are generally lacking online for comparison of the two varieties (for example, the Burke Museum, which is usually an excellent source of Washington native plant images, only has one for Mitella stauropetala var. stauropetala).
Greya moths have a mutualistic relationship with the Saxifragaceae, akin to the relationship between yucca moths and Yucca plants. Not surprising perhaps – Greya and Tegeticula (the major genus of the yucca moths) are both in the family Prodoxidae. Mitella stauropetala is used by Greya mitellae as a host plant. The adult female moths lay their eggs in the flowering scapes of the Mitella, and the larvae subsequently feed on the developing seeds. As a benefit to the plant, the moth acts as a pollinator.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:00 AM| Comments (4)
May 23, 2007
Bromus tectorum
I'm back from Botany BC and the subsequent trip to southeast Washington state. I wish I could report that all went well, but a post-Botany BC bout of illness (that left more than half of the attendees sick) hit me as well. I didn't spend nearly as much time photographing and exploring as I had planned, needless to say.
That said, I did manage to find a number of uncommon plants along the way. Today's plant, however, isn't one of them. In fact, it's likely one of the most ubiquitous plants in temperate areas of the world: cheatgrass or drooping brome. Native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia, the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) lists Bromus tectorum has having invaded “most of Europe, southern Russia, western and central Asia, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the United States.”. The Germplasm Resources Information Network entry adds a few more areas to the above list, including southern South America, India and Pakistan. In the second photograph, Bromus tectorum covers the right and foreground hillsides, and occurs in patches on the left hillside. In the third photograph, it forms most of the groundcover between the sagebrushes. Why is it such a successful invader? The GISD notes: “It usually thrives in disturbed areas preventing natives from returning to the area. Disturbance such as overgrazing, cultivation, and frequent fires encourage invasion. Once established the natives cannot compete and the whole ecosystem is altered.”.
I chose to feature Bromus tectorum today for a couple reasons. Most important of these is that it is a species named and described by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. As of today, it's been 300 years since the birth of Linnaeus, “the father of modern taxonomy”. The New York Times has a write-up: “The 300th Birthday of the Man Who Organized All of Nature”. Happy Birthday, Carl!
My other reason for featuring this weedy invasive is a bit of an ironic one. Yesterday was The International Day for Biological Diversity (did you know? hear about it on the news at all?) and Bromus tectorum growing in swathes is symbolic of the loss of biodiversity in many dryland areas.
A final note to end this ramble: these photographs were taken in the Saddle Mountain area of the Hanford Reach National Monument. Wikipedia has a summary of the Hanford Site (I didn't photograph any radioactive tumbleweed, by the way).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (6)
May 22, 2007
Fagus grandifolia
Today's written entry is courtesy of Raakel Toppila. Raakel is a summer student working with UBC Botanical Garden's plant collections. – Daniel
Today's photographs are courtesy of fancymefoxy@Flickr (original image 1 | original image 2 | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thank you!
The American beech can be found throughout the forests of eastern North American among sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and American basswood (Tilia americana). Together, they create a stunning fall colour display, characteristic of the eastern deciduous forests. The American beech’s stark, light grey bark and buttressing base is easy to spot in the forests throughout the year, or from the road while practicing high-speed botany.
The thin, grey bark is no match for numerous insects, which pierce and suck sap from the trees. Small, woolly beech scale can be found feeding on the sap of the tree in some regions. The insect was introduced to North American in the late 1800s. Damage done by the scale makes the tree susceptible to fungi in the genus Nectria. Together, these minute organisms can be deadly for a large American beech (see beech bark disease via the USDA Forest Service).
A large “mother” tree can often be found amongst a thicket of smaller beech trees, which have arisen from root suckers. Offspring also arise from seeds, which provide food for deer, bears, squirrels and chipmunks. Beech nuts can also be roasted for human consumption (see this thread on the UBC BG forums).
For additional information, please visit Fagus grandifolia in the Silvics of North America.
Interested in beeches? Talk about them in the beeches discussion forum.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (7)
May 21, 2007
Masdevallia notosibirica
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Eric in SF@Flickr for sharing today's image (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool).
There are over five hundred species in the genus Masdevallia, distributed from Mexico south to Brazil. For this particular species, its epithet notosibirica translates to “of the south Siberia”; this refers to the cloud forests of Serranía de Siberia in Bolivia (learned via Orchids of the Pleurothallid Alliance).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (5)
May 19, 2007
Chloraea magellanica
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Thank you to Krystyna Szulecka, who is a frequent contributor on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, for contributing today's photograph (original in this thread). Krystyna is associated with the FLPA nature photography agency, and you can see more of her excellent images by searching for “Krystyna” on the FLPA web site.
Krystyna photographed this porcelain orchid in Lanin National Park, part of Patagonian Argentina. Its occurrence here places Chloraea magellanica among the southernmost distributed orchids in the world.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (1)
May 18, 2007
Nelumbo nucifera
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. I'm on vacation today. – Daniel
Thank you to “yousatonmycactus”@UBC Botanical Garden Forums (aka Guy Webb) of Ventura, California for today's photograph. The original image, and a series of related ones by Guy, can be seen in this thread. Much appreciated, Guy!
Indian lotus is native to southeast Asia, though it has become naturalized in Australia and other areas of Asia. Wikipedia provides a detailed account of the economic, botanical and cultural importance of Nelumbo nucifera.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
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Botany Photo of the Day and all associated images are licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.