It's nearing the end of the year, so it's time for what's becoming an annual tradition -- an image of osage-orange. For previous entries on this species from BPotD (along with many additional links), see: Maclura pomifera in 2007 and Maclura pomifera in 2008.

Lindsay B. wrote the rest of today's entry:

Thanks to Vicki's Pics@Flickr for submitting today's photograph (original | BPotD Flickr Group Pool)!

The species producing this unusual-looking fruit is native to southeastern North America, from Arkansas to Texas along the Red River watershed. Another common name for osage-orange is hedge-orange, referring to its use as a barbed hedge before the advent of barbed wire.

Pollen samples have indicated that Maclura pomifera had a much wider range during earlier ice-free phases of Cenozoic history. Although the fruit is large, it is mostly inedible to humans--the fruit is harsh, hard, dry and astringent. Plants for a Future lists the juice extract as toxic. These are curious features, because large fleshy fruits tend to be associated with seed dispersal by animals. This has led some researchers to investigate if seed dispersal of osage-orange previously occurred via animals that are now extinct. Connie Barlow discusses this possibility in the article Anachronistic Fruits and the Ghosts Who Haunt Them (PDF), published in the Arnold Arboretum's journal, Arnoldia.

Thanks to retired UBC BG staff member David Tarrant for sending along today's photograph. Much appreciated! David also made suggestions for the written part of the entry, which I've incorporated below.

Loeselia mexicana (close-up image) is a woody perennial member of the phlox family. In Mexico, it is most commonly known as espinosilla. An English common name used is Mexican false calico. David writes that it is widely distributed locally to where he lives in the high central desert area of Mexico (Guanajuato and neighbouring Querétaro). Some reports mention that its range extends into Texas, but it is not shown in the USDA PLANTS database as occurring in the state (though Loeselia greggii is found there).

Folk medicinal use of this species by indigenous peoples as an antipyretic, antidiarrheal and antiseptic has led to modern research into its medicinal properties, e.g., Garcia et al. 2006. Antifungal and Antibacterial Activity of Four Selected Mexican Medicinal Plants. Pharmaceutical Biology. 44(4):297-300, with a conclusion of "the methanol extract from Loeselia mexicana showed the best antifungal activity against dermatophytes".

David also commented that "its normal blooming time ends with the last of the rains in October. However, many plants still continue to bloom long after their spiny foliage has faded and turned brown, and its scarlet flowers create a great food source for hummingbirds well into November and early December."

Thanks again to Lindsay for writing today's entry:

Thank you to San for sharing today's photo (original image | Miss North's pitcher plant, the specific epithet northiana refers to Marianne North, who first illustrated this species. Nepenthes northiana is the largest of the lowland carnivorous pitcher plants endemic to the Kuching Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. The forest here is situated on an alluvial plain that is home to many rare and endemic species, particularly in the limestone hills around the village of Bau. Unfortunately, this area has not been widely researched and due to complicating factors, including adjacent quarry operations, the ecosystem is considered very fragile.

Lindsay Bourque is today's author:

Thank you to Nhu Nguyen, aka xerantheum@Flickr, for submitting today's photo (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!

Greyia radlkoferi is a riparian species occurring mainly in the mist-belt mountains of Swaziland and eastern South Africa (the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal). Cultivated as a popular garden plant in warm temperate and subtropical parts of the world, it is commonly known as woolly or Natal bottlebrush. Greyia has been confusing taxonomically, and has at various times been placed in Saxifragaceae, Sapindaceae, and Greyiaceae. It is currently placed in the Melianthaceae.

The etymology for this particular species is clear, however, with the genus Greyia being named for Sir George Grey (1812-1898), explorer and colonial governor of South Australia, the Cape Colony (present day South Africa) and New Zealand. The specific epithet honours Ludwig Radlkofer (1829-1927!), Professor of Botany and Director of the Botanical Museum in Munich.

Also written by Lindsay:

Thank you to Marie Viljoen@Flickr (and also of the weblog, 66 Square Feet) for capturing this lovely late autumn image (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)! As Marie notes in the text accompanying the photograph on Flickr, this was photographed during a foraging excursion with Steve Brill.

Known as common or American persimmon, Michael Dirr describes Diospyros virginiana in his authoritative Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs as: "[a] native species [that] will never win a landscape beauty contest". Despite an unattractiveness to ornamental horticulture, this eastern North American species is a relative to the southwest Asian and southeast European species bearing the "fruit of the gods", Diospyros lotus. The word diospyros is a combination of the Greek word roots dios, divine, and pyros, wheat.

The fruit of American persimmon is a little tougher to negotiate than Diospyros lotus, however, having an unpleasant, astringent taste if eaten when not completely ripe. Depending on the tribe, southern nations of the Anishinaabe peoples of eastern North America called Diospyros virginiana "putchamin", "pasiminan", or "pessamin". These first nations also taught early European settlers of what was to be the eastern USA that the fruit ought to be harvested after the first frost, when the fruits become sweeter. Today, Diospyros kaki, or Japanese persimmon, is the most widely cultivated species.

Lindsay again wrote today's entry:

Thank you to Claire Woods, aka buildingadesert@Flickr, for sharing today's photo (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!

Lupinus pilosus, commonly known as the blue lupine, is an Old World lupine, occurring from southern Greece through western Turkey to Israel. Its distribution broadly overlaps a second Old World lupine species, Lupinus palaestinus, but the two are never found in the same plant communities (allopatric). Both are species of edaphic environments, but Lupinus palaestinus is generally confined to the light soils of coastal Israel.

The two species are of taxonomic interest. Despite being similar morphologically and having an equal number of chromosomes, they have not produced any viable intermediate hybrids in nature. Research has indicated that the two species differ in pollination apparatuses, genic imbalances and partial reproductive barriers.

Today's photographs were taken over seven years ago, with my first digital camera.

Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry:

Native to lowland temperate Asia, Europe and North America, this species is commonly known as round-leaf sundew. Drosera rotundifolia inhabits areas with little available nutrients. To survive, it catches insects with sensitive, sticky glandular leaf hairs. Once an insect is stuck in the mucilage, the leaf hairs partially enfold the insect. Proteolytic enzymes are then secreted to dissolve the prey, with the nutrients derived from the insect absorbed by the leaves to feed this insectivore.

For more photographs of round-leaved sundew, including close-ups of both the flowers and the glandular leaf hairs, see the Burke Museum's page on Drosera rotundifolia.

Bixa orellana is species from a plant family not yet featured on Botany Photo of the Day, the Bixaceae or achiote family. Today's photographs are courtesy of Ian Crown, of the Puerto Rican fruit farm, Panoramic Fruit. Ian also contributed the following commentary:

"I first spotted this plant on the slope below where we have our killer bee hives (most if not all honey bees in Puerto Rico are Africanized) and I was struck by the similarity between the distinctive spiky red rambutan we have all over the farm and the spiky hot red seed capsule of the achiote, or Bixa orellana. I remembered years earlier being told that the same red color known as annatto in jello was being used to dye the spare ribs at a Chinese restaurant we frequented. Seeing the source plants for this food and cosmetic dye growing in the wild was a kick and I took photos whenever my trips coincided with the striking purple flowers or hot red seed capsules. The achiote is found scattered all over the Caribbean along roadsides and seems to spread by seed. It is a beautiful shrub when covered with the hot red pods and many leave them as an ornamental component in their landscape."

"The seeds, when exposed to the air, are almost impossible to handle without getting orange to red stains on your fingers, face, clothes... The pigment instantly dyes everything it touches and I needed to explain this to my wife before she held up the seed capsule for a photo. My manager says that the seed is used in some cooking and it probably contributes color as well as phytochemicals to the finished product."

I always appreciate an opportunity to link to Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages, and Gernot doesn't disappoint with his page for Bixa orellana. Included on the page are the etymology of the name, links to recipes, and an excellent overview of plant-based dyes (along with additional photographs).

Wikipedia also makes mention of the ethnomedical uses of the species, including use of the dye as a body paint (hence an alternative common name for the species: lipstick plant).

Thank you to Eric in SF@Flickr for submitting today's comparative photographs (original image 1 | original image 2 | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool).

Eucalyptus haemastoma is a smooth barked eucalypt endemic to southeastern Australia. Commonly known as scribbly gum, the vernacular name refers to the scribbles that are distinctive among eucalypts in the area (seen in the first photograph). The scribbles trace the life cycle of the bark miner Ogmograptis scribula, or, the scribbly gum moth. The eggs of this moth are laid between the barks of the previous and current year. After the larva hatches, it begins to tunnel, and as it grows, the tunnel increases in diameter. The end of the scribbly pattern occurs where the larva has stopped burrowing and started to pupate.

The second photograph is also of a "scribbly gum", but the plant is clear of the characteristic scribbles. It was taken at the Arboretum at University of California, Santa Cruz, where the (non-native to California) scribbly gum moth is absent.

For another BPotD entry with insect miner patterns, see Populus tremuloides from July, 2005.

Lindsay is the author of today's entry:

Thanks to David aka petrichor@Flickr for submitting today's photograph (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool).

An opportunistic terrestrial species of eastern Australia, the pink fingers orchid thrives in open, seasonally wet areas. Despite its small size--it only grows to about 20mm--the pink finger orchid emits a strong musky scent. This orchid has evolved to mimic the pheromones of the female thynnid wasp. It attracts male wasps by mimicking the smell and shape of the flightless female, who become the unwitting pollinator of this species.

The sexual life of the orchid family is characterized by its very specialized pollination systems and it is estimated that one third of the 30 000 or so accepted species use deception to attract pollinators. In the case of Caladenia carnea, it is a sexual deception--an adaptation unknown outside the Orchidaceae.

There is an ongoing discussion among biologists and evolutionists as to how, exactly, deception increases the overall fitness of a species. A number of explanations have been suggested, including: 1) the amount of pollen typically produced by orchids is so little that one visit from a pollinator is enough to effectively remove the pollen or pollinate the non-rewarding flower; and 2) that deception promotes cross-pollination, which would explain the high level of hybridization, and consequently adaptation, in the orchid family. These hypotheses are not without their problems, however, and the sexual life of orchids is still the subject of heated debate.

White marsh-marigold or mountain marsh-marigold is an early bloomer on local mountains (this photograph is from June 26). Other plants in flower at the time on Mt. Cheam included violets, Erythronium grandiflorum, Phlox diffusa, Potentilla flabellifolia and Saxifraga oppositifolia. In British Columbia, this taxon is found at elevations ranging from 1300-1900m, with a preference for a southern exposure.

Caltha leptosepala var. leptosepala is one of two varieties recognized in E-Flora BC. The other is Caltha leptosepala var. biflora. However, the Flora of North America lumps the two together as Caltha leptosepala, and describes the taxon as "morphologically complex".

Intriguingly, this is one of the few members of the buttercup family that has a historical use of being eaten raw (most members of the family are poisonous). Plants of Coastal British Columbia notes that "the leaves and flower buds were eaten raw or cooked by Alaskan native people". The book also makes mention of the roots being boiled and appearing like sauerkraut (no mention of taste is given).

Ian Gillam, one of UBC Botanical Garden's Friends of the Garden, is the author of today's entry, as well as the photographer. Thank you Ian!

Snowdrops (Galanthus) are small bulbous plants. They produce pairs of mostly strap-shaped leaves and a single, hanging flower on a short scape. All of the 19 species currently recognized have white flowers (Galanthus means "milk flower") with green markings. Details of these markings, whether the leaves are green, glaucous or glaucescent and whether they lie flat against each other at their base or are folded together at the margins help to differentiate species found in different habitats. They occur from western Europe into the westernmost side of Asia.

In suitable areas, in the wild or in gardens, snowdrops, notably the common Galanthus nivalis, multiply steadily. Open deciduous woodland in mid-northern Europe can become carpeted with plants, a spectacle in earliest springtime. Among such large populations, a careful observer can sometimes find variants in markings, in size and shape of flower and in season of bloom. These variants have been collected over a considerable period of time by enthusiasts (galanthophiles). Where several species are in cultivation the chances of variation are increased by hybridization and many named cultivars are presumed to be of hybrid origin. A very few show markings in yellow rather than green and also have yellow ovaries. These have proven demanding to grow but newer examples are promised to be more vigorous, though still rare.

Snowdrops bloom over a long period and individual flowers last a long time in the garden, in part directly due to the cold conditions at blooming time but no doubt due also to the paucity of pollinating insects and the unfavorable weather for their activity.

Not all snowdrops bloom in late winter or early spring. Today's subject is Galanthus reginae-olgae, whose flowers open in late October or early November before the leaves are fully emerged. It is native to Sicily, former Yugoslavia and to Greece where it was named for that country's Queen Olga (1851-1926), grand-daughter, cousin and niece of Russian Tsars. She married the second King of modern Greece. Among their grandchildren is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The queen's snowdrop has alternated between being considered a subspecies of the common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, and being a species in its own right. It is an interesting plant, blooming as it does at an unexpected time. It can be grown outdoors in Vancouver but is safer grown under protection from our wet winters, at least until more plants are available. Forms distinguished as Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis delay their blooming until spring and are thus more similar to Galanthus nivalis.

Another species, differing in its narrow, greener leaves, also blooms in late autumn. This is Galanthus peshmenii, native to Turkey. Its bulbs, flowers and leaves are slightly smaller.

Lindsay B. is the author of today's entry:

Thank you to Wendy Cutler@Flickr for submitting today's photograph (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!

Well-known by the scientific name Tournefortia argentea, tree heliotrope was renamed several times in quick succession -- the currently accepted name seems to be Heliotropium foertherianum, a name published by Diane & Hilger in 2003 through a revision of the Boraginaceae.

Tree heliotrope (also known as velvet soldierbush or octopus bush) is native to coastal regions of the Indian Ocean: tropical Asia, Madagascar, and northern Australia. It can also be found as a native plant further east into the Pacific, on islands and atolls of Malesia, Micronesia and southeastern Polynesia. Growing in rocky or sandy soils, plants of Heliotropium foertherianum (PDF) are found only in a narrow ribbon of oceanside vegetation; it is therefore termed a "strand plant". It is a modern introduction to Hawaiian Islands, where it is commonly called kiden.

The small white flowers are borne in many-branched, silky clusters of coiled spikes near the ends of branches (hence the common name, octopus bush). The small green fruits, which look like small pointed peas, turn brown when mature and divide into four nutlets.

Lindsay Bourque wrote today's entry:

Thank you to BlueRidgeKitties@Flickr for submitting today's photo (original image | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool)!

As noted by the photographer on Flickr, Carolina horsenettle is in fact not a nettle, but instead belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Members of the Solanaceae are known for producing a diverse range of alkaloids, some of which can be toxic. In the case of Solanum carolinense, all parts of the plant contain solanine. Solanine is poisonous to humans and can irritate skin, causing a nettle-like rash. Given that the fruits of this plant look like small tomatoes, it is important not to mistake it!

Carolina horsenettle is considered to be a noxious weed in several states in the USA. It has the ability to spread vegetatively via underground rhizomes, as well as propagate by seed. Carolina horsenettle's status as a weed is further bolstered by the fact that is resistant to many herbicides; in fact, use of herbicides will often give horsenettle the advantage by removing competing weeds.

I'm on vacation, so another short entry today. It's a photograph of a native plant of British Columbia, so as to continue the series.

This species of beardtongue has a number of common names, including: Cascade beardtongue, Cascade penstemon, coast penstemon, and serrulate penstemon. It is distributed from Alaska to Oregon. Penstemon serrulatus is one of the few penstemon species that is native to both sides of the Coast-Cascade mountains (most western North American penstemon species are native only to east of the Coast-Cascades).