Botanico

Photo

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:30:07 -0400

malformalady: Path leading to Ganjin’s grave at Tōshōdai-ji in...

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:01:52 -0400

malformalady:

Path leading to Ganjin’s grave at Tōshōdai-ji in Nara, Japan.

flower portraits by takashi tomo-oka

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:18:54 -0400

flower portraits by takashi tomo-oka

bacisfiorati: Hellébore… by Au fil de… on Flickr.

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:21:06 -0400

bacisfiorati:

Hellébore… by Au fil de… on Flickr.

nybg: basava: Seventeen Cocoa Pods from Cocoa Pickers James...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 10:59:36 -0400

nybg:

basava:

Seventeen Cocoa Pods from Cocoa Pickers

James Mollison

Because it doesn’t come out of the tree looking like a chocolate bar. —MN

malformalady: Roots outlined in a lush layer of moss on the...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:08:12 -0400

malformalady:

Roots outlined in a lush layer of moss on the grounds of the Tōshōdai-ji Buddhist Temple, Nara Prefecture, Japan

maewe: veryfinescenery: Yes, I planted a lot of crocus vernus...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:55:35 -0400

maewe:

veryfinescenery:

Yes, I planted a lot of crocus vernus ‘King of the Striped’ last year (100 to be exact), but they’ve also naturalized beautifully for me. As an example, this here was only five bulbs one season ago. I can only imagine next year!

*_*

nybg: oakapples: Taxonomic Synonymy: A Quaint Cautionary...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:50:41 -0400

nybg:

oakapples:

Taxonomic Synonymy: A Quaint Cautionary Tale.

This lunchtime I was listening to the Sunday gardening programme on my local radio station. The regular presenter was joined by the head gardeners of two Cambridge colleges (Clare and Newnham), and the panel were answering callers’ questions, as usual. One woman phoned in to ask for advice about what kind of climber she ought to plant on a newly-bought trellis, given the constraints of the soil/aspect of her garden. After the panel had recommended a couple of unusual clematises and rambling roses, the woman mentioned that she had read about a plant called the ‘snail vine’, which looked very attractive. She wondered if they could tell her more about it, and if it would be appropriate for her site. Unfortunately none of the professional gardeners was familiar with this common name, and so the woman did her best to remember its Latin name, and ended up providing them with a vague approximation to ‘Phaseolus caracalla’. They were still stumped by this, and half-jokingly applauded the woman on finding a plant species with which none of them was familiar.

Much later in the programme, the trio were discussing techniques for rotating between leeks and peas, and this led on to a broader conversation about leguminous garden vegetables. One of the panel pointed out that the pea family of course provides us not only with edible staples, but also some delightful ornamental species. He was particularly keen to praise Vigna caracalla, which he claimed was very easy to grow in British gardens, and produced exquisite bundles of papilionoid flowers. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson once described this plant as ‘the most beautiful bean in the world’.

Alas, P. caracalla and V. caracalla are one and the same! This was one of several species (including mung bean) moved from Phaseolus into Vigna. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the horticultural trade is an example of a sector that is quite resistant to change, and so new names take a long time to be accepted. In the intervening period, both the old name (basionym) and new name are current in the botanophile community, leading to the sort of unfortunate confusion exemplified in a quite entertaining manner in this afternoon’s radio show.

A fantastic tale of gardening confusion. Sometimes referring to a plant by its Latin name isn’t even safe! And the Jefferson connection is true. I ordered these seeds from Monticello a few years ago, but they were done in by a cold, rainy growing season. Looks like Monticello is now circumventing that problem by shipping seedlings if you would like to try your hand at growing this stunning vine at home in the States. ~AR

exploded flowers by fong qi wei

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:06:40 -0400

exploded flowers by fong qi wei

nybg: lifetimeachievement: #lichen (at local rock) Lichens...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:54:17 -0400

nybg:

lifetimeachievement:

#lichen (at local rock)

Lichens are so beautiful. You could easily frame this and hang it on your wall and call it art. ~AR

The New York Botanical Garden: Morning Glory

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:21:14 -0400

The New York Botanical Garden: Morning Glory:

thepoisondiaries:

Morning Glory is a plant in the largest flowering genus Ipomoea. It belongs to the family Convolvulaceae.

Morning glory are often grown as ornamental plants due to its colorful flowers. Most unravel into full bloom in the early morning – hence it’s name…

scientificillustration: The Cambrian Explosion: The...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:38:51 -0400

scientificillustration:

The Cambrian Explosion: The Construction of Animal Biodiversity

By Erwin, Douglas Valentine, James

The Cambrian Period records one of the most extraordinary transitions in the history of life. Although animals may have first appeared nearly 700 million years ago, with the earliest sponges, their initial diversifications appear to have been modest until a richly diverse fossil fauna appeared abruptly about 170 million years later. In The Cambrian Explosion, Erwin and Valentine synthesize research from many fields to explain why there was such remarkable novelty of animal forms…

(read more and order here)

See also: The Weird Youth of the Animal Kingdom by Carl Zimmer

nybg: What you’re looking at is a sponge. Well, sort of. It’s...

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:57:41 -0400

nybg:

What you’re looking at is a sponge. Well, sort of. It’s not the type of thing you’d find in your kitchen sink, but a pollution sponge—a plant that sucks up heavy metals and other contaminants from dangerously poisonous soil. And while it may look perfectly friendly and inviting, this Alpine penny-cress grows in sterile clay packed with lead, cadmium, and toxic levels of zinc. It’s not what you’d regard as an “edible weed” by any stretch.

Plants like this are now being studied as a means of sopping up the mess caused by a centuries-long operation—one begun by the Romans in what is now southern France, and finally shut down in 1992. The legacy the mine left behind has rendered much of the soil inhospitable for plant species—all save this penny-cress, and two others varieties. These miraculous survivors, which suck up heavy metals and store them in vacuoles, may be an environmentally friendly solution to an environmentally disastrous situation. All that thanks to a little process known as phytoextraction.

Read on to get the full dirt. —MN

nybg: Given their propensity for mulberry leaves, I am assuming...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:19:49 -0400

nybg:

Given their propensity for mulberry leaves, I am assuming that the moths and caterpillars in this illustration are silk worms. Any entymologists out there that can confirm this? ~AR

Thegetty:

Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughters were pioneers of natural history illustration and entomology. Among other achievements, at age 52 Maria Sibylla she sold most of her belongings and set sail for the Dutch colony of Suriname. That was in 1699.

Mulberries, caterpillars, and moths, Maria Sibylla Merian, in De Europische insecten (European Insects), 1730. The Getty Research Institute

malformalady: The Black Beauty Hollyhock(Alcea rosea nigra)....

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:13:13 -0400

malformalady:

The Black Beauty Hollyhock(Alcea rosea nigra). This tall strain features large, single purple-black flowers with a maroon centre. Plants usually act as short-lived perennials, but will re-seed themselves for many years. Rust is often a problem, particularly in humid summer regions. Attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds.

dontrblgme: (via noriaki maeda)

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:04:13 -0500

dontrblgme:

(via noriaki maeda)

skiribilla: *

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:09:04 -0500

skiribilla:

*

guerrepudiche: Mia madre è andata da un fioraio.Il fioraio non...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:20:28 -0500

guerrepudiche:

Mia madre è andata da un fioraio.
Il fioraio non sapeva cosa fosse una passiflora.

Ditemi voi…

Willow Bough, William Morris, 1887 (x)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:23:22 -0500

Willow Bough, William Morris, 1887 (x)

Photo

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:35:13 -0500