Bruce Rann, the photographer of today's images, writes:

"...I live in Sydney Australia. I work as a horticulturist and arborist for Woollahra Council which is just east of the city. A friend put me onto your botany photo of the day website a few months ago and I am enjoying learning more about the plants of the northern hemisphere."

"I was recently bush walking with friends in the hills behind Gosford (about one hours drive north of Sydney) and came across some waratahs which I thought you might find interesting. The waratah or Telopea speciosissima is a member of the Proteaceae and is the floral emblem of New South Wales. It occurs in forest situations on sandy soils in coastal New South Wales and is much loved by Australians but unfortunately very difficult to grow in the garden."

"The plant flowers terminally on the end of canes arising from a woody lignotuber. The flower heads are up to 15 centimetres (cm) wide with a dense cluster of bright red flowers surrounded by red bracts. Leaves are up to 15 cm long and 4 cm wide, stiff and leathery with toothed margins. Waratahs growing near the coast flower in September and October and in October and November in the blue mountains behind Sydney."

Ruth adds:

Telopea speciosissima has been the official floral emblem for New South Wales since 1962. Bruce wrote that the canes arise from a lignotuber: a lignotuber is similar to a bulb or tuber in that it is a storage system. The purpose of a lignotuber is to guard against forest fires, animal or insect attack. If the above ground part of the plant were to suffer a trauma such as a forest fire, the lignotuber would allow the plant to re-grow from the stump. The wild type flowers are always red or pink although a cultivated variety, Telopea speciosissima 'Wirrimbirra White', produces white flowers.

Thanks again to Bruce for contributing today's photographs as well as much of the information in today's write up!

Thanks to Ruth for both today's write-up and photograph:

Normally, television imitates life. It polishes the edges of life's reality and makes it seem more glamorous. Well, here is an example of life imitating television, edges and all! I call this the "Homer Cactus" after Homer Simpson. I found this beauty in the Anza-Borrego desert in southern California while hiking with a group of friends. We had a great laugh!

The red barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus, is found in Arizona, California and northern Mexico at elevations of 600-1500 meters (2000-5000 feet). It is found growing amongst phenomenal species such as Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) in the Mojave desert and amongst the Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo) in the Anza-Borrego and Ocotillo Wells deserts. This species of barrel cactus can tolerate temperatures as low as -7 ºC (20 ºF). Deserts of southwestern USA and northern Mexico often receive massive flash floods and extreme heat. Ferocactus tend to grow slightly tilted toward the south, because of the additional sun exposure. If you are ever lost in the desert without a compass, remember to look for this feature to find south.

Ferocactus cylindraceus can reach a height of 2.5 meters (8 feet) with a width of up to 30 cm (12 inches). Blooms found on the top of the cylinder, like a hat, are yellow, red or orange. In general, spring is the best time to view wildflowers in the desert, but these cactuses bloom a bit later in July and late summer.

For more information, read the Flora of North America account for Ferocactus cylindraceus. Additional photographs are available from Calphotos: Ferocactus cylindraceus.

Thanks again to Ruth for today's write-up:

A living fossil found in Australia! The genus Wollemia was only known to scientists as a fossil until 1994, when David Noble, a hiker and officer of Wollemi National Park, discovered a grove of Wollemi pines nestled in a sandstone gorge in the Blue Mountains of eastern Australia. Amazingly, this gorge is only 150 km from Sydney, Australia! Fewer than 100 individuals were discovered.

Since the discovery of Wollemia nobilis, seeds have been collected and plants grown with the intent to release the plant into cultivation and thus distribute it widely to ensure the survival of the species. You too can be a part of this extraordinary conservation project (if interested just type "Wollemi pine" into any search engine to find vendors).

As a member of the Auracariaceae, the Wollemi pine is not actually a pine at all, but rather a close relative of the monkey-puzzle (Araucaria araucana) and kauri (Agathis spp.). Wollemia, Agathis and Araucaria are the only three remaining genera of this ancient family (unless a new discovery changes things again!). The fossil record dates the Araucariaceae back to the Jurassic period (approximately 200 Ma ago) where it reached its peak diversity and existed nearly worldwide. The Wollemi pine is dated back to the Cretaceous period (approximately 140 Ma ago) from the fossil record. Along with the passing of the dinosaurs, the Araucariaceae vanished from the northern hemisphere and members of the family are now found in only the southern hemisphere unless cultivated. Wollemi pines have a wild habit of growth. They often have multiple trunks making them bushy but will grow to 40 meters (130 feet) in the wild. In cultivation, one can expect a much shorter height.

The photo accompanying this article is of the male cone from a Wollemi nobilis in the UBC Botanical Garden collections. This plant is under quarantine until mid-2009 as it was imported with soil. UBC Botanical Garden received this plant via Dr. Susan Murch -- it is grown from one of the original cuttings of the oldest living Wollemi pine, "King Billy". Daniel Mosquin took this exquisite photograph, Thanks Daniel!

Ruth is again responsible for today's write-up:

In keeping with our gymnosperm theme, it is appropriate to mention that the oldest-living known organism is a gymnosperm, an approximately 4,789 years old individual of the species Pinus longaeva. It has been named "Methuselah" after the oldest living person in the Bible. Methuselah resides in the White Mountains of California. Pinus longaeva is one of three pine species in a group called the bristlecone pines: Pinus longaeva, Pinus aristata and Pinus balfouriana.

Today's photos are of Pinus aristata, also known as the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine. It is found in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Douglas Justice, the acting director of UBC Botanical Garden, took these pictures in the Mount Goliath Natural Area of Colorado. Thanks Douglas! These trees were growing at an altitude of 3300m (11000 ft), within the typical elevation where Pinus aristata can be found: 2500-3700 meters (8,000-12,000 feet). As you can imagine, these are cold, dry, subalpine conditions at or near tree-line.

One critical step in identifying any pine is to count the number of needles per fascicle (the fascicle is the tissue that holds needles together at the base of a cluster). This species maintains five stout needles per fascicle, and, unlike the other bristlecone pines, it typically has only one resin canal. According to the Wikipedia article on Rocy Mountains bristlecone pine, the resin canals are "commonly interrupted and broken...which looks a bit like 'dandruff' on the needles."

Unlike Pinus longaeva, Pinus aristata rarely lives over 1,500 years. The oldest individual of Pinus aristata was found to be 2,435 years old growing on Mount Evans in Colorado. If you ever venture out to visit any of the three bristlecone pine species, take note that although they might be sparsely foliated, they are still alive. Often they will have only a thin strip of live tissue running along the gnarled tortured trunk connecting the leaves to the roots. These phenomenal trees have a strong dense and resinous wood that develops very slowly and defends the trees from pests. The Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine can be found in cultivation and makes a decent slow-growing tree for the home garden.

Thanks again to Ruth for today's write-up:

Aahhhh, a gymnosperm. It's been a while since we've discussed a plant without flowers. Here is a "dinosaur species", a member of the Zamiaceae populating the landscape during Cretaceous times: Velociraptor (75 to 71Ma ago), Tyrannosaurus rex (68 to 65Ma ago) and Encephalartos caffer -- if only I had a time machine! Out-surviving the dinosaurs, this specific Encephalartos is from the coastal belt of southeast Africa in the east of Cape Province. It is speculated that the species has evolved to seek shelter from grassveld wildfires by a strategy of growing tucked amongst rock outcroppings. Encephalartos caffer is accustomed to hot dry summers and will not tolerate frost. Some individuals have been recorded at a height of 4.5 meters, but growth to this extreme takes decades and rarely happens in cultivation.

Cycads, like many gymnosperms, are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants. Today's picture is of a young female cone. The cone arose from a short stalk emerging from the basal rosette of stiff compound leaves. At maturity, this cone will bear bright red seeds, two per scale. The name Encephalartos translates to bread within the head in Greek, alluding to the fact that a starch for bread can be made from the pith of the stalk. Some Africans still use these plants for that purpose, although cycads as a group are generally endangered. I urge you not to attempt making bread from a cycad, as their toxicity is under investigation. Cycads contain toxic compunds in many of their tissues, with seeds having especially concentrated amounts of these often lethal poisons.

Thank you to J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for adding this photograph to the BPotD Flickr Pool.

Today's photographs and write-up are both courtesy of Ruth:

This short sticky tree may not look like much but it has a bit of a story. It's a member of the Burseraceae, related to frankincense (Boswellia) and myrrh (Commiphora). Elephant tree is listed as an endangered species in the state of California but occurs more frequently in Arizona (where it is considered "Highly Safeguarded") and northern Mexico.

I hiked out to this one in the Anza-Borrego desert where it stands alone amongst cacti and dusty alluvial fan clay rock shards. There once was a whole grove of elephant trees. The signage in the park still suggests a forest is just around the corner, but a waitress in a diner down the road told me that there has only been the one individual out there for a few years.

Bursera microphylla wasn't discovered to be growing in California until 1937. It is the only member of the family that is not considered a tropical species, but remains (like the rest of the family) sensitive to cold temperatures. Climate change, with accompanying disrupted weather patterns, is speculated as one of the reasons for its near-disappearance in the Anza-Borrego Desert.

The specific epithet, microphylla, means small leaves, which it certainly has. In all of my observations from photographs and in-person, it looks completely deciduous. The bark is flaky and papery like a birch tree and can carry a red hue with age. The leaves give off a camphor smell when crushed. Native Americans considered it a valuable tree with healing powers, probably due to the camphor oils it contains.

Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up!

To shed light on an ever-confusing sector of the horticultural world, let's make clear the differences between geraniums and their close relatives, the pelargoniums. Many of the plants we purchase at garden centres under the common name geranium are, in fact, members of the genus Pelargonium. When Linnaeus originally named the genus Geranium, he grouped the genera Geranium and Pelargonium together. The two were later split in 1789, by the French botanist Charles L'Heritier de Brutelle. The name geranium has remained in use, though, as a common name for both of these members of the same family, the Geraniaceae.

The picture here is of a true Geranium in the botanical sense. It is commonly called mourning widow. Unlike the floriferous, showy type of "geraniums" (i.e., members of the malleable and easily-hybridized genus Pelargonium) used for annual color, its flowers are more discrete and of a sultry dark burgundy or black hue.

The mourning widow is native to western and central Europe, but it has also naturalized in other parts of Europe as well as portions of Africa and Asia. It is commonly found growing in woodlands and sub-alpine meadows.

Thanks to AnneTanne@Flickr of Belgium for sharing this picture via the UBCBG Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool.

For local readers, three bits of information: 1) if, like me, you adore gentians (so blue!), Ian Christie (of the SRGC) is speaking to the Alpine Garden Club of BC tonight; 2) the Alpine Garden Club of BC has its fall sale this weekend; and 3) Treefest is also this weekend -- visit Riverview and walk the grounds of western Canada's oldest arboretum (and progenitor of UBC Botanical Garden)!

Thank you to Weekend Gardener of the UBC Botanical Garden forums for sharing today's photograph via this thread on the BPotD Submissions Forum. Yes, it was posted over 4 months ago, but I figure it is nearing spring for readers in the southern hemisphere, so it's timely for them!

As usual, the Germplasm Resources Information Network provides a list of common names and distribution for this species. Native to much of Europe, it is variously known as snakehead fritillary (see WG's first photograph on the link to the thread above), Guinea-hen-flower, oeuf de vanneau (egg of plover -- plover eggs for comparison) and gewöhnliche Schachblume (chess-flower?).

Fritillaria meleagris is a plant of damp grasslands and river meadows. Once more common in the wild than it is today, it is now listed as an endangered species in several European countries. Browsing through Google Scholar for Fritillaria meleagris, it seems that it is not only the conversion of grasslands to farmland that is responsible for the decline, but also long-term changes in the water regimes of soils (e.g., draining due to ditches). Human harvesting of the flowers has also been an issue, according to Paghat.

North Carolina State University Extension provides a cultural fact sheet on Fritillaria meleagris. I also enjoy viewing the illustrations in the Missouri BG rare books collection: snakehead fritillary.

Thanks again to Ruth for today's write-up:

Found natively from low altitudes and the interior valleys of southern Chile (the humid matorrales or transitional woodlands), Jovellana punctata is a beautiful species in the Calceolariaceae. Its genus, Jovellana, is also found in New Zealand, displaying a wide southern hemispheric distribution.

Known in Chile as argenita or capachito, Jovellana punctata is a shrubby plant. It has large simple leaves with serrate margins. There is little research done on this species, but as a student of botany I can say that the spots on the carolla tube (fused petals) are set up as a "landing pad" for pollinators. Just like airports and rooftops use an "H" for helipads, flowers use colours and spot patterns to direct traffic. The bright yellow spots invite bees and birds to have a look inside, tricking them to spread pollen to the female parts.

The family Calceolariaceae was only recently separated from the Scrophulariaceae. It contains only two genera: Jovellana and Calceolaria.

Thanks for the second day in a row to J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for contributing an awe-inspiring photograph to BPotD (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool)!

Thanks again to Ruth S. for today's write-up. Also, big thanks to J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for sharing two of his photographs with us today (original 1 | original 2 via the BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Appreciated once again!

Ruth writes (touching on a topic introduced last week -- geophytes):

Geophyte (geo- or earth and -phyte or plant) is a term used to describe plants with underground storage organs. The term most people commonly use for these underground storage organs is "bulb", but, scientifically, the terminology is extensive. For example, in Gladiolus, the organs are actually corms, while in Iris, they are typically rhizomes. Brunsvigia josephinae, it so happens, has a true bulb.

Also known as Josephine's lily or the candelabra lily, this member of the Amaryllidaceae is a winter grower from western South Africa. During the winter rainy season, the leaves emerge and help provide food to the bulb. The leaves die back in the early summer before flowers shoot up in later summer months (note: the apparent leaves at the base of the plants belong to different plants: Aloe mitriformis). Plants of Brunsvigia josephinae are able to survive through extremely low temperatures as well as drought outside of the rainy season due to their specialized energy storage organ.

The floral architecture is arranged in just the right way to seduce sugar-birds. The birds attracted by the red color, then search out the sugars in the nectary spur (the tube opposite the petals) of the flowers. Upon visiting the flower, they clumsily transfer pollen from the anthers to the stigma, thereby fertilizing the flower. If one was to grow the flowers in areas supporting hummingbirds, they would be the most likely pollinators.

For more, read about Brunsvigia josephinae on Plantzafrica or view more photographs via PBSWiki: Brunsvigia.

Today's photograph and write-up were both done by Ruth Sanborn:

Drum roll please...It's about time I formally introduce myself as the newest member of the photo of the day team. I will be submitting articles as well as the occasional photo and look forward to your comments and questions. I am originally from New Hampshire and have spent the last 5 years in California completing my undergraduate studies in Horticulture. I have recently moved to BC to fall in love -- with a research laboratory at the Center for Plant Research, that is. I will be applying to the Faculty of Graduate Studies next autumn assuming I find that certain special research topic. In the meantime, please keep your gorgeous photos as well as your dialogue coming. I look forward to a fun year with Photo of the Day. Cheers!

As Daniel wrote yesterday, the Friends of the Garden are hosting their annual indoor plant sale at the Botanical Garden, until Friday to 6pm (doors open at 11am). I went shopping for a thing or two today, and came home with a car packed full of projects. With the helpful volunteers staffing the sale, I selected a handful of succulents with which to build a container garden. I also found some gorgeous Rex begonias and a basket that I filled with gourds for an autumn table arrangement. There was a steady stream of people browsing and purchasing plants, but there are still many choice plants left! Don't miss this inspirational event!

A couple of announcements before today's entry: first of all, welcome to Ruth Sanborn, who will be sharing both her photographs and writings with us on Botany Photo of the Day. We'll get a short bio from Ruth in the near future.

Secondly, for local readers, don't forget the Indoor Plant Sale tomorrow and Friday here at the garden!

Ruth is responsible for today's write-up:

Guaiacum coulteri, an endemic Mexican tree species, is the victim of extensive logging in Mexico. Commonly known as the soap bush, Guaiacum coulteri is a relative of the more commonly known creosote bush, Larrea tridentata of arid southwest North America. Both are members of the Zygophyllaceae. Soap bush's distribution ranges 1,500 km along the western edge of mainland Mexico from southern Sonora to northern Oaxaca. Excessive felling of canopy trees for export quality lumber since 1914 has altered the population structure to understory shrubs, and has also left the population with a patchy distribution. The tree is currently being evaluated for endangered species status on the IUCN Red List (see: Gordon, JE et al. 2005. Guaiacum coulteri: an over-logged dry forest tree of Oaxaca, Mexico. Oryx. 39: 82-85).

This small tree has ornamental value boasting gorgeous sapphire blooms from May to September. It grows to a height of 2-8m (6-25 feet) and can thrive in partial shade to full sun. The water requirements are less clear, as some sources call it a xeriscape specimen while others recommend wet soil. Its native range in Mexico receives between 30 and 100cm (12 to 40 inches) of annual rainfall.

We would like to sincerely thank DarinAZ of the UBC Botanical Garden forums (from Phoenix, Arizona) for posting this exquisite photograph in this thread via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum.

Thanks again to Paulo Araújo of Portugal for sharing some photographs. Paulo was a part of the extraordinary Dias com árvores weblog, which closed down at the end of June (much to the sadness of many). Paulo submitted these photographs in this thread via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum.

Before writing about today's plant, I'd like to announce that I'm close to hiring someone for the BPotD Assistant position -- it's only a matter of signing some paperwork now. Assuming all goes well, she may be posting her first entry on Wednesday, and BPotD should return to a consistent 5 entries / week or more. The position lasts until the end of March / mid-April.

As noted by Paulo, aestivus means "developing in the summer" (unlike Festivus, which I'm told is a winter celebration). Paulo also explains the reason for the epithet: the very similar-in-appearance Asphodelus ramosus has an equivalent distribution, but instead blooms in the spring.

Summer asphodel is native to many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. To adapt to the fluctuating Mediterranean climate with periods of seasonal drought, Asphodelus aestivus has adopted the geophyte strategy, i.e., it has an enlarged underground storage organ for carbohydrates, nutrients and water. Even when the surrounding soil has a moisture content approaching zero, the tuber is able to maintain approximately 60% water content: see Rhizopoulou, S. et al. 1997. Ecophysiological adaptations of Asphodelus aestivus to Mediterranean climate periodicity: water relations and energetic status. Ecography 20(6):626-633.

The Plants for a Future database entry on Asphodelus aestivus details the edible and other uses of the species. I was particularly intrigued by the use of the pulverized, dried tuber to make a glue for bookbinding and shoemaking.