Fat Man's Busy Lady. Apis mellifera, Honeybee, on Japanese Spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In Dutch, Pachysandra terminalis is called Dikkemanskruid (Fat Man's Weed) - a litteral translation of 'Pachysandra'. The name refers to the 'fat' stamens of these flowers.
Japanese Spurge was introduced to The Netherlands in 1860 by Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) who had worked in Japan as a collecting botanist and a doctor and sometime Dutch spy. He introduced western medicine to that country and was the father of the first Japanese woman to receive a medical training along European lines.
Today Japanese Spurge is a much-used ground cover. It flowers in March and April but I've not often observed anyone examining its blossoms carefully. Take my word for it: they're fascinating... but hardly photogenic. Except, of course, when they're visited by ubiquitous Honeybee. Just look at the way she's gathering pollen and perhaps some Sweet Nectar as well.
Fat Man's Busy Lady. Apis mellifera, Honeybee, on Japanese Spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In Dutch, Pachysandra terminalis is called Dikkemanskruid (Fat Man's Weed) - a litteral translation of 'Pachysandra'. The name refers to the 'fat' stamens of these flowers.
Japanese Spurge was introduced to The Netherlands in 1860 by Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) who had worked in Japan as a collecting botanist and a doctor and sometime Dutch spy. He introduced western medicine to that country and was the father of the first Japanese woman to receive a medical training along European lines.
Today Japanese Spurge is a much-used ground cover. It flowers in March and April but I've not often observed anyone examining its blossoms carefully. Take my word for it: they're fascinating... but hardly photogenic. Except, of course, when they're visited by ubiquitous Honeybee. Just look at the way she's gathering pollen and perhaps some Sweet Nectar as well.