Douglas and I have tentatively identified this as the cultivar 'Lynwood', though it could be another.

Ruth contributed the write-up for the rest of this entry. Ruth writes:

Thank you to fotrristi@Flickr for sharing today's photograph via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool (original).

Thanks to their aggressive, sprawling nature, the forsythia you will most often encounter is this hybrid of Forsythia viridissima (an upright, green-stemmed species) and Forsythia suspensa (an arching, weeping species).

Each spring at my old, colonial home in New Hampshire, my father and I would go out almost every week to snip branches off our forsythia bushes to garnish our dining room table with. The fresh floral smell with the sprightly, yellow colour truly brought the long awaited spring season into the home.

These often spindly bushes are ridiculously easy to grow. Our neighbour pulled up one that became too big for his backyard. We dragged a chunk of it home, stuck it in a shallow hole and watered it. It had no problem adjusting to its new home.

A full sun location will get the best results, but forsythia are not picky. With too much shade they can become bare and woody. It is a good idea to cut them back each season to keep them dense, but please refrain from shaping them into balls or lollipops.

Forsythia bushes will grow to be a maximum of 6 feet and sprawl to be almost twice their height if not maintained. The flowers are four-lobed or 4-merous which is convenient for the memory. The four petals of the corolla are adnate at the base, fusing to form a tube. Often the buds can be sensitive to the harsh northern and prairie winters, although the branches will survive through temperatures exceeding -38 ºC. So if you live in an extreme environment, and your Forsythia doesn't flower this year, just hang on and maybe next year it will snap out of it.

Douglas Justice contributed today's write-up. Douglas writes:

Thanks to Alan Tracey for today's image. Alan recently traveled to the Chilean Andes, where he took many photographs of fascinating and unusual plants. We hope to show a number of Alan's excellent images over the next few weeks.

Chusquea (mountain bamboo) is a New World genus of woody, evergreen, semelparous (= monocarpic; i.e., once flowering) bamboos, native from northwestern Mexico and the West Indies, south to southern Chile and Argentina. They are differentiated from most other bamboos by their solid, pith-filled culms, although at least two species are reputed to have hollow culms. Chusqueas also typically have dimorphic branch buds at each node (there is usually one large central bud with smaller subsidiary buds arranged below and to the sides), and lack both fimbriae and auricles. Auricles are tiny outgrowths of the culm leaf sheath and are characteristic of many bamboos, while fimbriae, often called oral setae, are the bristle-like hairs associated with them. Nearly all species are reported to have pachymorphic (i.e., short, thickened and freely branching) rhizomes. Such rhizomes produce clumping, rather than running, bamboos. See Chris Stapleton's Bamboo Identification page for an excellent primer on the subject of bamboo identification.

Chusquea culeou is the hardiest of its genus, but is still relatively rare in cultivation. It suffers badly from cold winters in the Vancouver area, as the exposed portions of the culms burn back when temperatures drop to anything less than minus 10°C for an extended time. This species is known as the foxtail bamboo because, in the most commonly cultivated forms, its multiple, leafy, nodal branches are thickly produced and are all approximately the same size. This creates a tufted, bottle-brush effect along the upper part of the culm. Another significant ornamental characteristic is the contrast between the bright green to dark brown culms and their persistent, papery straw-coloured sheaths, a feature most evident on the taller growing forms. The species is evidently quite variable, and in some places, grows to as much as 7.5 m tall. The mature plant pictured here, and those nearby (according to Alan) grow to only about 2.5 or 3 m tall.

A further notable characteristic of the species is that it is taxonomically confused. Some authors attribute this to the fact that chusqueas in the southern Andes are actively speciating. Add to this the fact that Chusquea culeou evidently flowered in a number of places in the early 1990s and copious amounts of seed were subsequently planted. These factors go a long way to explaining the variability within the species, the proliferation of names, and their sometimes contradictory descriptions. For an excellent profile of the genus, see "Chusquea -- Mountain Bamboo of Latin America" (PDF) via the RHS journal, The Plantsman.

Just the photograph today, folks -- you can read more about California poppy by reading these two previous entries: Eschscholzia californica 1 and Eschscholzia californica 2.

Here's a photograph from my trip to the glasshouses at Montréal Botanical Garden in late January. Tillandsia lindenii, or blue-flowered torch, was planted / placed in numbers throughout the tropical rainforests conservatory. Native to Ecuador and Peru, the epiphytic Tillandsia lindenii can be found growing on tree trunks, tree hollows and even rocks & sandy soils in its native rainforest habitat.

Tillandsia lindenii is considered to have a "paddle-shaped inflorescence" by bromeliad collectors (source: Tillandsias with Paddle-shaped Inflorescences). The paddles are composed of dense, flattened pink bracts from which the large, bluish flowers emerge. A closely related species, Tillandsia cyanea, differs somewhat, including that its flowers are (usually) not white-throated and the paddles are differently-shaped (for more, read the article on Tillandsia cyanea and her Big Sister -- Tillandsia lindenii (PDF)).

The epithet lindenii, I believe (haven't been able to track down a reference), commemorates the Belgian botanist and explorer Jean Jules Linden.

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.

Thank you to Ron Long for sending along today's photographs. Drosera menziesii, or pink rainbow, was previously featured on BPotD (with many links), but Ron's images are quite different, so please enjoy them both!

Ron wrote the following accompaniment:

"There are so many Drosera species in Western Australia (about 113 sp.) that the guide books don't even attempt to cover them so identification is problematic. Drosera menziesii is the most spectacular of them all and is one of the few that are included in the books. The flowers are relatively huge and are scented. Unlike North American species of Drosera, this one is a climber. It scrambles up and over other plants to get its flowers out in the open where they will be noticed by pollinators."

Thank you to David Tarrant for sharing today's photograph and write-up. David writes:

Erythrina coralloides, or the naked coral-tree, is native to the rocky cliffs and canyons of Mexico, though it is also quite widely planted as an ornamental here in San Miguel. The elevation of San Miguel de Allende is just under 2000 meters, so it is just about the edge of its hardiness zone. However, due to an almost frost-free winter this past year, it has some spectacular blossoms.

The tubular flowers are perfectly adapted for hummingbird pollination. While the bird is extracting the sugary nectar deep in the base of the flower, it brushes against the pollen-producing stamens. The pollen adheres to the bird's head and bill, and is then transferred to the stigmas of the next flowers it visits.

Daniel adds: The Germplasm Resources Information Network provides information on the distribution of Erythrina coralloides, noting its range extends from Arizona to southern Mexico. Also, the genus Erythrina has been featured on BPotD in the past: Erythrina crista-galli, Erythrina lysistemon, and Erythrina stricta var. suberosa, so you may want to revisit those entries.

Thanks to first-time BPotD contributor Er.We@Flickr for sharing today's photograph with us (Flickr Botany Photo of the Day Pool | original image).

Er.We@Flickr notes that the species / hybrids in the photograph are: Helleborus orientalis, Helleborus foetidus, Helleborus argutifolius, and Helleborus ×ericsmithii. The top row, displaying the back of the flowers, is paired with the bottom row showing the face (with the exception of the last two pairs on the right).

The common names for a few of these species / hybrids are related to the time of year these bloom (in the northern hemisphere): Lenten roses or Lenten hellebores. Helleborus foetidus is more commonly known as stinking hellebore while Helleborus argutifolius is referred to as Corsican hellebore. Wikipedia has an extensive article on hellebores, including sections on uses in horticulture and history. Hellebores.org has detailed descriptions of the species as well as a strong selection of photographs.

I should note that many of the hellebores in UBC Botanical Garden are in a similar state of flowering at the moment.

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

My father, George F. Sanborn Jr., is the photographer of this cute flower. Thanks dad! It was taken on his trip to Ireland in 1975 in an open field (this image is a scan of a faded print). Upon initial analysis, I thought this was a member of the Lamiaceae. Only after Douglas Justice pointed out that the flowers were not in a verticillaster (a fancy helicoid cyme common in the Lamiaceae a whorl of flowers apparently of one cluster, but composed of two opposite axillary cymes) did we re-examine it and determine its identity.

Dactylorhiza maculata, or the heath-spotted orchid, is a source of salep, a demulcent (or film-forming substance). It is used to soothe gastrointestinal discomfort, as it coats the organs in a mucilaginous film -- similar to that of arrowroot, Maranta arundinacea.

The genus Dactylorhiza contains only terrestrial orchids (that is, none are epiphytic). Many of them are also tuberous. They are commonly cultivated in home gardens.

Thank you to "Chungii V" of the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for submitting today's photographs via the Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Forum. Much appreciated!

Common fan-flower, or fairy fan-flower, is native to Australia. Different references suggest different distributions: the Flora of Australia only lists New South Wales and Victoria, while other references suggest South Australia and Western Australia as well. Not surprisingly, the number of species in different references ranges from 90 to 130 as well, so there is apparently some taxonomic confusion. This may help explain the uncertain distribution.

Australia National Botanical Garden's Growing Native Plants has a detailed entry on growing Scaevola aemula, though I note another discrepancy: Scaevola is defined here as "left-handed" (referring to the "one-sided feature of the fan shaped corolla"), whereas the Flora of Australia entry for Scaevola defines it as "little-handed", suggesting that the "(dried) flowers are supposed to resemble a withered hand". Scaevi- does mean left-handed, though, so it seems to me that the Flora of Australia is off on this particular term.

Today concludes the UBC research series. We still have a few outstanding entries, but we'll add them to the general mix. Ruth continues with the series:

Dr. Lacey Samuels is an Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Botany. Her research initiatives mainly focus on plant cell biology and the secretion of the cell wall.

Heather McFarlane is a PhD candidate from Dr. Samuels' lab and she writes: "The picture above is a cryo-scanning electron micrograph of mint (Mentha ×piperita) leaf surface (scale bar = 100 micrometers). Mint secretes essential oils into glands (G) on the surface of its leaves. These glandular trichomes are distinct from other types of trichomes, such as hairs (H). In nature, mint essential oils may serve to protect the plant against insect and other herbivores. Commercially, these oils are employed in a variety of products. In the Samuels lab, we study lipid export, using mint essential oil export to glandular trichomes as one model system."

"We also study lipid export using Arabidopsis thaliana and Sorghum bicolor as model systems. Cryo-SEM allows us to freeze cells that are actively exporting essential oils, and to examine these cells at high magnification. This helps us gain insight into the possible mechanisms of lipid export to and from plant cells."

After yesterday's interlude, we return to the UBC research series. Ruth continues:

Assistant Professor Jin-Gui Chen from the UBC Botany Department conducts research in plant cell biology. He writes: "Trichomes are hair-like epidermal outgrowths on the surface of leaves, stems and some floral organs. It is generally recognized that trichomes have protective roles. For example, trichomes interfere with the feeding of some herbivores. The most important trichome for human beings is the cotton fibre. Many trichomes, such as glandular trichomes in lavender (Lavandula) and peppermint (Mentha × piperita) are also important places for oil and fragrance production."

"By studying model laboratory plant Arabidopsis thaliana, scientists have found that the number and distribution of trichomes are largely determined by the interactions and competitions between several different types of transcription factor--proteins that regulate the expression of target genes. These studies make it possible to alter the number, property (e.g. length), and distribution of trichomes in plants with economic values. Shown on the top are leaf trichomes in a normal (wild-type) Arabidopsis plant. By controlling the expression level of certain transcription factors, the leaf could become glabrous (the middle photograph) or very hairy (the bottom image)."

Let's take a one-day diversion from the UBC research series to feature something UBC horticulturist Jackie Chambers has sent along. I should also mention a couple things: Jackie now has a web page on the UBC BG site, and (for locals), she's also presenting this upcoming Thursday night to Nature Vancouver on the topic of The Royal Irises and other Wildflowers of Israel and Jordan. I highly recommend attending this talk -- it's one of her best.

Jackie writes:

Arctotheca populifolia forms dense, silver mats along the coastal sand dunes of southern Africa reaching its eastern extent along the south coast of Mozambique. It has also naturalized in parts of Australia.

This attractive perennial is low-growing, reaching just 20-30cm off the ground, and has a woody taproot which provides an anchor in the shifting sands. The stems will also form adventitious roots if buried in the sand, allowing plants to creep along the coastal dunes. The leaves are thick (almost succulent), and covered in white or grey hairs which give the leaves a soft, felted texture. The leaves can be 2-6cm long and 2-5cm wide and ovate to almost heart shaped. PlantWeb has detailed photos of the leaves.

The yellow inflorescence is about 3cm in diameter and is composed of two types of flowers or florets -- the widely spaced, yellow, ray florets and the disk florets located at the centre of the inflorescence which are greenish-yellow and more densely arranged (Asteraceae terminology). The inflorescence is held on a stalk, or peduncle, that can range in length from 3-10cm long. Peduncles often curve downward causing the flowers to be hidden below the silvery leaves.

The fruit is a 5mm long achene (a dry, indehiscent fruit with a single seed inside). The achene is woolly and has a small crown-like pappus, designed to assist in wind dispersal of the seeds (see diagram). The fruits can remain viable after spending time in salt water, allowing the wind and the ocean to spread the seeds along coastlines.

The genus name Arctotheca is derived from the Greek arctos meaning "bear", and theca meaning "capsule". This is a reference to the woolly texture of the fruit. The species name populifolia translates as "having leaves like a poplar". Plantzafrica has more information on Arctotheca populifolia.

We've had an exceptional response from UBC researchers contributing material for UBC Research Week, so even though this is the last official day, we're going to continue highlighting UBC Research next week.

Ruth worked with Dr. Andrew Riseman from the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems and David Bradbeer & John Hart of The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm for today's entry on sweet potato cultivar trials for Pacific Northwest production. Today's photographs are by David Bradbeer and are part of a set available on Flickr: Sweet Potato and UBC@Flickr.

Andrew and David write:

"The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm (CSFS), within the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, promotes food system sustainability through research, teaching, and outreach activities. As part of their research activities, new crop evaluations are ongoing. The climate of the Pacific Northwest represents a challenge for growing many tropical and sub-tropical crops due to relatively low temperatures. However, many valuable crops fall within this category and if suitable genotypes were identified, could add important diversity to a production system. One crop currently under evaluation is sweet potato, a tropical plant in the genus Ipomoea (morning glory). However, short growing seasons can limit yield, especially in cultivars that require >120 days to reach maximum yield. Ideally, sweet potato cultivars that reach maturity early would be appropriate choices for small-scale farmers in the Pacific Northwest that wish to diversify the selection of vegetables they can offer to their clientele."

"Nine sweet potato cultivars were collected, propagated and grown at the CSFS in 2006 and 2007 as part of a pilot feasibility study. The cultivars evaluated included 'Excel', 'B18', 'T68', 'Georgia Jet', 'Georgia Jet Bicolour', 'Korean Purple', 'Owairaka Red', 'Toka Toka Gold', and 'Nancy Hall'. Results indicated that sweet potatoes can be grown in this climate but that significant challenges remain including heat unit accumulation (i.e., time to maturity) and soil-pest management. Therefore, the 2008 trials focused on evaluating earliness and wire-worm resistance of the eight best cultivars from the previous seasons."

Ruth adds: Wireworm is a stage in the lifecycle of a group of beetles called the click beatles, from the family Elateridae.

Andrew and David continue: "In 2008, the trial compared yields from plants harvested at 90 and 120 days after planting. Initial results indicate significant differences among cultivars and that some were sufficiently suited to short season growing (i.e., those that produced a marketable amount of biomass before 90 days), and therefore appropriate for small-scale production in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, several remaining challenges were identified and include: the propagation of planting stock, the cost-effective use of clear plastic mulch to provide essential early-season soil heating, management of wire worm infested soils to avoid excessive root damage, and the establishment of climate-controlled systems for curing the roots after harvest."

"This sweet potato project represents real-world agroecology in action. Small-scale crop evaluations such as this present an ideal opportunity to train the professionals needed to assess, restructure, and develop the cropping systems of the future. However, much work remains for both assessing the role of sweet potatoes in the Pacific Northwest crop rotations but also in designing truly sustainable production systems and training those who will manage them."

Today's entry for the UBC Research Week series is courtesy of Kevin Kubeck (Greenhouse Manager / Horticulturist in the UBC Department of Botany) and Hannes Dempewolf, a graduate student in botany, who you may remember from the series last year on underutilized species. The photographer is Daniela Horna, who works for the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C.

Kevin writes (with input from Hannes):

Here is a project to tantalize the taste buds as well as a great example of collaboration.

Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae) has already been featured on BPotD, so I'll give some additional information in the context of this specific project.

World Cocoa Foundation, an umbrella group for sustainable cacao farming, remarks that there are between 5-6 million cacao farmers worldwide with a production of 3 million tons per year. Similar to coffee production, most of the cacao farming takes place in tropical regions of the world where issues of fair trade, economic and agricultural sustainability as well as biodiversity are tantamount. The hope is to increase the value of the cacao product, by identifying the best varieties for each region. Like a fine wine, single-source chocolate commands a better price on the market because of its gourmet qualities.

In a partnership between Bioversity International, the Ministry of Agriculture of Trinidad and Tobago, the Cronk and Rieseberg Labs, the USDA and the World Bank, PhD candidate Hannes Dempewolf hopes to use molecular techniques to address issues of interest to cacao farmers.

The primary goal is to try and find genetic markers that identify specific varieties of cacao, a chocolate fingerprint if you will. Many traditional markers rely on chromosomal DNA but these can confound lineages because chromosomes are inherited from both parents. Plastid DNA, the small circular DNA inside chloroplasts can be a more reliable test for lineage because the plastids are inherited maternally. The caveat is that the plastid is harder to isolate -- a requirement for the subsequent sequencing step. Recent advances in 'high throughput' sequencing have opened up the possibility of rapidly sequencing multiple entire plastid genomes in order to compare them and identify variable regions for the establishment of a standardized fingerprinting method. This DNA fingerprinting technique can then be used to identify specific varities, allowing chocolate traders, exporters and manufacturers to reliably identify and trace varieties along the value chain. Chocophiles rejoice!

Theobroma used to be placed in the Sterculiaceae, but has been moved recently into the Malvaceae along with several other well known genera in families such as Bombaceae and Tiliaceae. The Malvaceae Info site details and displays the species now placed in the Malvaceae by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.