Jeremy Cherfas, who runs the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute's Public Awareness Weblog visited Vancouver a few weeks ago. While in town, he dropped by to introduce himself and say “hello”, so I took him and his Vancouver host, Ruth, for a tour of the garden. When we walked by this Japanese black pine, Jeremy asserted that I had to take a photo of these immature female cones for the Photo of the Day, so here they are.
In North America, there is much news about pests from elsewhere causing widespread damage to North American ecosystems. Rarely is the opposite reported here, i.e., North American natives causing problems in other countries. Media coverage or not, the introduction of exotic species is a global problem, and not confined to North America. The Gymnosperm Database's excellent account of Pinus thunbergii makes reference to Busaphelenchus xylophilus, a North American nematode, decimating the native Pinus thunbergii of Japan's coasts.
Conversely, Pinus thunbergii is sometimes regarded as being an undesirable exotic itself. Brooklyn Botanic Garden classifies it as invasive in its New York Metropolitan Flora Project. The specimen records of Pinus thunbergii reveal that is a particular problem on Long Island. However, the plant does not seem to exhibit the same behaviour locally in the Pacific Northwest of North America.
After seeing the comments of your knowledgeable viewers I have been deterred from asking non-botanical questions. But I can contain myself no longer - with what do you take these great shots? and how do you get such clarity, is it an enhancement of the green hue?
If you have time, please feel free to answer off-site.
Hey, thanks for that Daniel. And thanks too for another great photograph. I love the surprises of looking closely at bits of plants. flowers get all the good press, but there is some real beauty, and some real interest, elsewhere, and you bring it to life.
Looks like a pineapple - good enough to eat! Is the resemblance how pineapples got their name? However in the culinary department nothing beats those blueberries you showcased several days ago!
Michael - I'll put it on my to-do list to add a page about the steps I take on the site sometime soon.
Jeremy, thanks, as always.
Anthony - I suspect so. I was thinking about your comment while browsing through a book I have featuring the floristic work of Imogen Cunningham (note: web site includes artistic nudity), and thought it might be interesting to do a still life of a pineapple with these pine cones. I'll have to try it out sometime, and maybe it will be a future photograph on the site.
Stunning. And yes, your camara work is top notch!!!
I think you are right about the resemblance between pine cones and pineapples, Daniel. But speaking of entire books being needed, I'm sure there ought to be one about the Fibonnaci series in plants. That's the underlying mathemtical basis of the spiral in pine cones and pineapples, and the pattern on a sunflower head, and so many other aspects of plant growth. To my knowledge, nobody has done such a book, although there are classics such as On Growth and Form and one that I am not familiar with, The Curves of Life, both of which, coincidentally, use a Nautilus shell as their cover illustration.
To add on to what Jeremy mentioned: Spiral Phyllotaxis in Plants, with discussion on Fibonacci numbers.
Dear Sir:
Do you have any pinus parviflora or pinus thunbergii for sale?
Regards,
David