Nuytsia@Tas@Flickr is responsible for today's photograph from the Sentinel Range in Tasmania. Thanks for the photograph and introducing the genus to me (Isophysis tasmanica via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool).

Isophysis is one of 15 or so recognized genera of vascular plants endemic to Tasmania. The genus is monotypic, meaning Isophysis tasmanica is the only species. As noted by Nuytsia@Tas, Isophysis is the basal group in the iris family. In other words, it has been determined to be the earliest group to diverge from the rest of the Iridaceae. Sometimes, the terminology "primitive" is used instead (e.g., the most primitive group in the iris family), but that term carries some scientific imprecision and is generally avoided these days.

With its sometimes-nodding flower heads, reflexed tepals and superior ovary (unique among the Iridaceae for this characteristic), the species can superficially resemble some species of Erythronium (Liliaceae). The fan-shaped leaf clusters growing from the ground, however, clearly suggest iris family to me.

Plants of Tasmanian purplestar grow to 30cm (12 in.), and sport either the dark purple flowers seen in today's photo or occasionally pale yellow flowers. It is a species of alpine and subalpine environments in Tasmania, preferring habitats dominated by heath or sedges. It might be something we could grow in the Australasian section of the E. H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden here at UBC, so I've suggested it to the Curator for the area, Brent Hine.

Fennel has made a previous appearance on Botany Photo of the Day (see Foeniculum vulgare and Rhagonycha fulva), with an entry focused on a beetle pollinator that captured my attention. The plants in the Garden caught my eye again last week when I noticed the stems forming a stained-glass pattern.

It's timely to feature this species, given its association with an Olympics/Paralympics sport: the marathon. Quoting Wikipedia's entry on fennel: "The Greek name for fennel is marathos (μάραθος) and the place of the famous battle of Marathon and the subsequent sports event Marathon (Μαραθών), literally means a plain with fennels". The reference I turn to for spices and herbs, Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages, goes into far greater detail on the etymology of this ancient spice: Foeniculum vulgare.

Fennel is native to Mediterranean Europe, Africa and Asia, then east to Pakistan. However, it has naturalized worldwide in areas with similar climates or even mild temperate regions. Both the Wikipedia and Katzer's Spice Page links above have extensive details about its culinary and/or medicinal uses.

Today's write-up is courtesy once again of BPotD work-study student Bryant DeRoy. He writes:

This exceptional image by Eckhard Volcker (aka Tatcher a Hainu@Flickr) is a cross-section of a Fargesia species, or a clumping bamboo (Poaceae). Eckhard, your submission via the Botany Photo of the Day flickr page is much appreciated! To see more of Eckhard's work, also visit his web site: Wunderkanone.

The process of taking such images through a light microscope is known as photomicrography. This thin section of bamboo stem was treated with a number of stains and then viewed through a light microscope with a polarized light filter. The use of stains helps to highlight the cellular structures of this bamboo cross-section. The structures outlined in fuchsia are the vascular bundles. The fuchsia stain is concentrated in the vascular fibres that surround the vascular bundles and also form a ring just inside the epidermis.

Densely packed longitudinal cellulose fibres (held together by lignin) that make up roughly 40% of the stem or culm (60-70% by weight) are the main contributing factor to the general strength and durability of bamboo. The structure of these fibres allows some species of bamboo to reach considerable heights, especially for a grass! For more information on the cellular structure of monocotyledons, visit Wayne Armstrong's Stem and Root Anatomy teaching page.

The cellular structure of the bamboo culm is also responsible for its use in a wide variety of applications. Bamboo is gaining popularity as a sustainable crop because of its high rate of growth and high crop density. Another major attribute is that the relative strength of bamboo remains fairly even over its lifetime and does not tend to correlate with age, whereas most wood gets stronger as it grows older (in other words, it can be harvested earlier). Read The Structure of Bamboo in Relation to its Properties and Utilization (PDF) for more on these topics!

The cultivation of some bamboos, however, have also led to problems with invasiveness in some instances. Many species of bamboo grow from horizontally-spreading and self-propagating rhizomes, which aid in their ability to take over areas and shade out other species (being clumping species, though, Fargesia species are generally considered "well-behaved" and not invasive). As some of you may know, some bamboos can be difficult to remove once established as they can regenerate from their underground rhizomes, even if the above ground shoots have been removed.

Bryant is the author of today's article:

Thank you to beranekp@Flickr for sharing another image with us today: Adonis pyrenaica via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool. Much appreciated.

Adonis pyrenaica is a clump forming perennial native to the Pyrenees of Spain and France, and a few isolated locations in the Maritime Alps. Plants grow in moist rocky pastures and on coarse settled scree at elevations between 1300-2500m. The leaves form on stems that usually range from 20-50cm high, although their height can vary depending on local conditions. Adonis pyrenaica is one of the standouts in its native region for its large bright yellow flowers and its ability to form colonies.

Cultivating Pyrenean pheasant's eye out of its native range is challenging but can be done successfully if the proper precautions are taken. The seeds have a very short period of viability, and therefore obtaining fresh seeds is very important (which can be a difficult task - check specialist alpine gardening nurseries). Plants should be grown in moist soil that won't dry out. It is recommended that a few large rocks be placed in the bed. The roots apparently grow deeply, so deep soil must also be provided.

Today's images are from one of my favourite haunts (the Siskiyous), and contributed by foliosus@Flickr aka Brent Miller of Portland, Oregon: original image 1 | original image 2 | Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool. Thank you.

Splithair Indian paintbrush is endemic to the Klamath Mountains of southwest Oregon and northwest California. It is a high-elevation species (1500m-2300m (4900ft.-7550ft.), preferring soils of decomposed granite or marble. The species was first described in 1912 by Jesse Greenman.

CalPhotos has additional photographs of Castilleja schizotricha.

All three photographs today are courtesy of Hugh and Carol Nourse@Flickr, of Georgia, USA (original image 1 | original image 2 | original image 3) via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool). Always appreciated! It was great to unexpectedly meet Hugh in Georgia earlier this year.

The butterworts consist of about eighty recognized species, with the centre of diversity in Central America and northwest South America. Six of the nine species occurring in Canada and the USA are native to the southeastern USA (see: A Synopsis of Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) in the Southeastern United States), including the three species featured in today's photographs: Pinguicula caerulea (blueflower butterwort), Pinguicula lutea (yellow butterwort), and the pink-flowered Pinguicula primuliflora (southern butterwort). These three species are also closely related, all belonging to Pinguicula subgenus Isoloba section Isoloba (all southeastern USA species are assigned to this group).

The insectivorous mechanism of the butterwort leaves is briefly explained in a previous BPotD entry on Pinguicula vulgaris subsp. macroceras.

A first-time appearance of a photograph from silverbanksia@Flickr aka Jonathan Esling of Australia on BPotD (original | via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool). Thank you!

Kunzea consists of 36 species of woody shrubs, all endemic to Australia with the exception of Kunzea ericoides (an Australian native also found in New Zealand). Kunzea ambigua is native to southeastern Australia (including a bit of Tasmania), associated with sandy-soiled heath and open forest. Generally, the species is white-flowered (one of its common names is white kunzea), but today's photograph shows a pink-flowered selection.

Other common names for this species include poverty bush and tick bush (as Mabberley states in The Plant Book, "allegedly found only in tick-infested areas near Sydney"). It is certainly anything but impoverished regarding how much it flowers: Kunzea ambigua.

Kunzea ambigua is a useful species for attracting insect pollinators and for sand-dune stabilization. The properties associated with the latter benefit, though--for example, tolerating poor soils--also give it potential as a weedy invader in non-native ecosystems. Indeed, some Kunzea species are invasives in South Africa's biodiverse fynbos.

A thank you to a local acquaintance, Meighan@Flickr, for this playful image (original | via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool). Much appreciated!

These dwarf French beans are known commonly as black calypso beans, yin yang beans or, as Meighan illustrates, orca beans. Despite the group broadly being called French beans, the genetic origins of this kind of bean are in Central and South America. The English moniker of French bean is due to an association of where they first became popular in Europe.

I've tried to track down the origin of this specific cultivar, as there is conflicting information online (with many references to it being a heritage cultivar). The source I most lean toward trusting is the 2004 book Beans by Aliza Green (there's a limerick there, somewhere), where she writes: "This boutique bean...was developed by growers in Europe, where it's become quite popular". The Royal Horticultural Society's Horticultural Database (linked above) notes an illustration of the cultivar in The Garden from 2002; I've looked at that issue and 'Yin Yang' dwarf French bean appears under the headline "Exciting New Cultivars". This seems to conflict with what I would consider a heritage cultivar, though even if it strictly isn't, it is still an intriguing and fun bean.

Bryant is the author of today's entry:

Thank you to Jenny (aka Crete Flowers@Flickr) for this image of Androcymbium rechingeri. Androcymbium rechingeri is a perennial that develops from a tunicated corm and is endemic to a few sites on and around western Crete (including Falassarna on Crete, the islet of Imeri Gramvousa and the island of Elafonisos). Androcymbium rechingeri was first described by the Swiss botanist Werner Greuter in 1967. It is one of two species of its genus that is recognized in Europe. Plants are low-lying, averaging between 7 to 10 cm high. The leaves grow to around 15 cm long, while the flowers are roughly 3 to 6cm in diameter (size varying with habitat conditions). Plants flower from December to February. In its native habitat, Androcymbium rechingeri usually grows in colonies on exposed bluffs with well-drained sandy soil. Additional images of Androcymbium rechingeri are available via a western Crete tourism site.

Androcymbium spp. are mainly distributed in southern Africa, with a few species occurring further north in Egypt, Ethiopia and the Mediterranean (e.g., see Androcymbium palaestinum from a previous BPotD entry). Androcymbium rechingeri is listed as endangered under the Red Data Book of Greece (PDF) and the IUCN Red List. Several Greek university and governmental partners put together a pamphlet to educate about the local conservation efforts for this species (PDF).

Marah oregana has been in the local news recently, so I thought I'd feature it. Its 6cm-long cucumber-like fruit correctly suggests it is in the same family as cucumbers, squashes and watermelons. Tendrils, another characteristic pointing to Cucurbitaceae (though not exclusively so), can be seen in these photographs of Marah oregana from 2003.

Like all Marah species, Marah oregana is western North American in distribution; the species ranges from southwest British Columbia to northern California. The small population in British Columbia represents the northernmost extent of the genus, while other species push the range of the genus south into northwestern Mexico and east into New Mexico. One member of the genus was previously featured on BPotD: Marah fabacea. That entry contains a link ("whopping one") to the reason for the common name of manroot for the genus, but here's another photograph of a Marah tuber if you don't want to dig for it. Marah oregana is commonly called coast(al) manroot, and given the size of the tubers, I suspect individuals have the largest underground biomass of any individual non-woody plants in British Columbia (but I'm happy to be corrected) and perhaps even Canada.

Eighteen individuals are known to exist in the wild in Canada. The reason the species has been in the news is because a decision was made to not list the species as endangered under Canada's Species At Risk Act. For the story, see: Coast manroot fails to catch Kent's eye: Environment minister rejects committee's suggestions for endangered species list. The noted committee is COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, "a committee of experts that assesses and designates which wildlife species are in some danger of disappearing from Canada". In November 2009, COSEWIC assessed Marah oregana as endangered (see the Marah oregana Assessment and Status Report (PDF)). On July 4, 2012, the decision behind the Order not to add the species to SARA was posted.

As an aside, many references use Marah oreganus for the name instead of Marah oregana; USDA GRIN taxonomists and the 2nd Edition of The Jepson Manual have switched the gender to the feminine, in accordance to the classical gender of the Hebrew name Marah.

Bryant is the author of today's entry. He writes:

Thank you to 3point141@Flickr for this striking image of Pachira aquatica. Like all members of its former family, the Bombacaceae, Pachira aquatica was recently re-assigned to the Malvaceae, which currently consists of roughly 240 genera. Pachira aquatica's native range extends from southern Mexico to northern South America.

Though it is not shown in this photograph, plants have palmate leaves divided into 5-11 leaflets. The flower in this photograph, though, does show the many stamens. Here, I estimate somewhere near two hundred stamens (some members of the genus are reported to have a thousand stamens). You may note the stamens are organized into ten clusters--these are called staminal tubes.

Pachira aquatica is now commonly cultivated outside its native range, both as an ornamental and for its seed, an edible nut said to taste similar to a peanut. Due to its variety of uses, it has accrued a number of common names including: malabar chestnut, money tree, Guiana chestnut, and provision tree. In Chinese culture, Pachira aquatica is widely considered a good luck charm that brings good fortune, making it a common gift for many occasions. In temperate climates, plants are often grown indoors as foliage plants or as "bonsai" with braided trunks. Pachira aquatica is now a significant economic crop in Taiwan, where plants are exported as saplings to markets around the world.

I have passed by this plant countless times in corner stores without a second glance, having never seen them in flower. I was blown away to see what they produce!

A thank you to local plant enthusiast Wendy Cutler (wcutler@UBC Botanical Garden Forums) for sharing her photographs of this plant from UBC Botanical Garden by my request (read more in this thread). As I've written in the past, I'm always pleased to be able to share something from a plant family that has yet to be featured.

The Datiscaceae, or datisca family, is only represented by two species. The Baja Californian/Californian/Nevadan Datisca glomerata and the Asian (& barely European) Datisca cannabina, found in "Crete, Turkey, Transcaucasia, Lebanon, N. Iran. Afghanistan, W. Pakistan and Nepal". This biogeographical pattern (western North America, Mediterranean aka the Madrean-Tethyan disjunctions) exists in other taxa as well, a pattern that is not yet fully understood (see: Smith, SA and MJ Donoghue. 2010. Combining Historical Biogeography with Niche Modeling in the Caprifolium Clade of Lonicera (Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacales). Systematic Biology. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syq011 ).

UBC BG's Curator of Collections Douglas Justice's reply to Wendy shared a few additional factoids about Datisca cannabina of interest: "A rarely cultivated herbaceous perennial...Plants are dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants) and fix nitrogen through a mutualistic relationship with a root-nodulating actinobacteria in the genus Frankia. Frankia species are also known to associate with Alnus (alder) and Elaeagnus (oleaster) and its relatives".

Lastly, a small request to email subscribers. I know it is easier to send along your thanks or comments as a reply to the notification email, but that does have a couple disadvantages: 1) I only get to see the positive words, and if the compliments are about a submitted photograph, the photographer misses out on those; and 2) those in charge of the purse strings potentially miss out on seeing the feedback. Slow as the comment process is, I think it has its advantages.

A big thank you to Ton Rulkens (aka tonrulkens@Flickr for this image of Huernia hislopii. Huernia hislopii (commonly known as dragon flower) is a member of the Apocynaceae (a family that now includes the former Asclepiadaceae; Huernia is in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, which consists of 200 genera). Comprised of roughly 64 species, Huernia spp. are native to eastern and southern Africa. They are generally low-growing succulent perennials with thorn-like leaves, five-angled stems, and 5-merous flowers (flowers usually have a smaller lobe in between each of the larger five lobes or points). In general, the flowers emit a distinct odour of decaying flesh that varies in strength between species. Carrion flies are major pollinators of this group as they are attracted to the strong aroma of the flowers.

For gardeners interested in cultivating this species or other of its genus (e.g., Huernia pendula via PlantZAfrica), Huernia species do not tolerate cold and wet weather. They may be overwintered at a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius if kept dry. In colder climates, they may be kept inside and do well in clay pots with coarse well-drained mix of organic matter and sand/gravel. However, when summer comes and the flower buds appear, it is a good idea to move the plant outside to avoid the stench! Stem cuttings will propagate well when laid on moist sandy soil.

I'll interrupt Bryant's series on colours in plants (which should conclude on Monday) with another photo contribution from James Gaither (J.G. in S.F.@Flickr). Thanks as always for the excellent photographs (original image | via Botany Photo of the Day Submissions Flickr Pool).

As with many species from South Africa, the South African National Biodiversity Institute's PlantZAfrica site has some of the best information available, so instead of repeating from their site, I'll highly recommend this page containing information on name derivation, habitat and conservation status: Tritonia crocata. The one thing I will quote from their site is the meaning of the name Tritonia, as it is important below: "[from] the Latin word triton, a weather vane, due to the variable orientation of the stamens in some species". For a survey of Tritonia floral diversity, the Pacific Bulb Society Wiki has a great set of photographs for this genus: Tritonia.

If searching for more information on Tritonia online, your results may include information on some animals also named Tritonia. Since plant names are required to conform to a different international code than animal names (the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature vs. the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature), there is nothing preventing the use of the same generic names in each system (or, even, the same species name). When this occurs, the two names representing two different taxa or taxon groups are considered to be hemihomonyms. Keeping in mind that the name Tritonia is derived from triton meaning "a weather vane", one would expect some sort of appendages on these animals. Here are some photographs of the nudibranchs (sea slugs) named Tritonia: Tritonia festiva, Tritonia striata and an unnamed Tritonia species from National Geographic.

Bryant writes:

For today's image in the series on plant colour, I am focusing on pigmentation in fruit. I would like to thank 3Point141@Flickr for today's image of three different Mangifera indica (mangoes). From left to right, they are: the wild species, Mangifera indica 'Rosigold' and Mangifera indica 'Cogshall'. Magnifera indica is native to the tropical forests of Asia, although it is now cultivated all over the tropical world. The highly-varied colour seen on the left and centre mangoes are caused by the accumulation of carotenoid pigments, mainly beta-carotene, in the epidermis. The deep red colours seen on 'Cogshall' are caused by the production of anthocyanins, and where the skins appear green is where the production of chloroplasts has persisted.

In nature, fruit colour is a trait that is often the product of co-evolution with the animals that eat the fruit and disperse the seed. Fruits that are more likely to be seen by their animal dispersers are more likely to be eaten, thus their seed is more likely to be spread. Different species of animals have different sensitivities to colour. Birds are highly sensitive to red and black colours, and studies have shown that the majority of fruits that are bird dispersed are black and/or red. Terrestrial mammals, including most primates, are highly perceptive of blues and greens (not reds), therefore larger fruits (such as the mango or the durian) are commonly green in their wild form.

Homo sapiens interaction with plant colour is not so different. As consumers of fruit with a keen eye for colour (in the visible spectrum), we have selected and created varieties of fruit with spectacular colour and spread them far and wide from their native ranges. In the process we have created vast expanses of new, ideal and competition-free habitat (i.e. orchards, farms and gardens) for these species. The mango is a prime example of such a species; it is thought to have been first cultivated outside its native range roughly 4,000 years ago in India. A more classic example, one that is used by both Michael Pollan and David Lee, is the apple. (see: Pollan's The Botany of Desire or Lee's Nature's Palette).

Domestication of formerly wild species often produces a fruit that has a more saturated colour than its ancient relatives. This is certainly the case for Malus 'Red Delicious' ('Red Delicious' apple); in fact colour became such an important trait for 'Red Delicious' that quality of taste was sacrificed in the efforts to produce a skin with higher concentrations of the deep-red anthocyanins. It is interesting to think that the modern forms of food plants are still evolving (due to our selection) to attract consumers.