Ruth has assembled today's entry. Ruth writes:
Thanks once again to Jim aka J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for sharing a photograph (original) with us via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool.
Ferraria crispa enjoys sandy soils, warm weather and walks on the beach (a perfect companion). Although this species is from South Africa, it has also found its way to Australia, where it has become naturalized. In both Australia and Africa it is predominantly a coastal plant. In Africa, it can be found from "Namaqualand and the northwest Cape to the southwest Cape, the southern Cape and the Little Karoo". In Australia, it is found from Perth to Cape Riche in "coastal heath, Agonis, tuart and Banksia woodland".
It is often referred to as black flag or flag lily. Flowers resemble arachnids (spiders and ilk) with their fringed edges and mottled petals. The succulent foliage is an identifying characteristic. Individual flowers don't last more than a few days each, and are noted for their ill scent -- they are fly pollinated.
Every visit to this site is an amazing journey.
That looks like it would taste delicious!
Oooohhhh.
I enjoyed the description and appreciate anything that likes walks on the beach.
Good looks, but ill scented. I wonder if all fly polinated flowers smell bad?
A real beauty yet so dissimilar from the Iris genus of west coast American.
Wow. At first glance, the flower looks as if it's rotting away at the edges. Before I read the text, I was wondering whether today's issue was highlighting some sort of fungal infection.
Actually, the scent really depends on your nose. I think that it is one of my favorite fragrant plants - to me it smells like vanilla pudding!
A beautiful image! A great fan of the macro imagery...this has such wonderful edges to it! Almost velvety with the satin leopard print added in.
the links are ever so interesting
and the photos are quite good
the flowers are so interesting
the painters who come here
will love to paint this one
thank you
yes! i set many of the photographs as my desktop background for a day or so...the beauty is hard to delete for the next one that intrigues.
Such a lovely photograph, and nice text.
Easy to understand and informational!
It is very logical for a fly pollenated plant to look and maybe even smell a bit like rotting meat. After all, flies lay their eggs (or is it called larvae, I don't remember) in rotting meat.
But the flower is so beautiful! Interesting that Claire finds it smelling like Vanilla Pudding, I wonder what it would smell like to me? Might have to try and find it some day……
Can't wait to see what comes next! There are always such lovely things here.
I'm wondering what other fly pollenated flowers and plants there are? Anyone have a list or should I just Google?
Oh my Lord! What beauty!
... enticing, voluptuous, sexy, gorgeous, and scary ... all at the same time!
:o)
I founded another one common name - spider iris :)
Spider Iris…how appropriate!
...it always amazes me when i open a outstanding photo like todays...its like it takes my breath away and i say 'wow' inside myself...
...also a long time ago i knew a fly named claire...ha!..just kidding girl..i love you all...
At first glance I was thinking toad lily, but low & behold another beautiful, ornate lily, just like the japanese lily(toad lily). It seems they could be sisters. One being the black sheep considering it's unusual way of existence compared to many flowers, LOL. I mean ill smell & pollinated by flies, gross!!!!