View allAll Photos Tagged OUTWARDS
Watching the raindrops, splashing down. Spreading outwards as it hits, the ground, it's make a sound. A cleaning of the air, cooling down, sometimes whats in the ground hopefully worn't drown. A summer rain, to some a pain. To me, it's sometime renew of plants, drinking water, interesting to see. Without rain, life could be down a drain. Down it comes, a summer's rain, thunderstorm train. ~ ~ Mirando las gotas de lluvia, chapoteando. Extendiéndose hacia fuera cuando golpea, el suelo, es hacer un sonido. Una limpieza del aire, enfriamiento, a veces lo que está en el suelo esperanzadamente no se puede ahogar. Una lluvia de verano, para algunos un dolor. Para mí, es en algún momento la renovación de las plantas, el agua potable, interesante de ver. Sin lluvia, la vida podría ser un abajo los desagüe. Abajo viene, una lluvia de verano, tren de tormenta.
These canons looked outwards from the wall that surrounds oldtown. I can't take credit for this shot as it was taken by my girlfriend!
Luke Agbaimoni
The central point from which all the buildings fanned outwards from the keep, the Cour Ovale more or less marks the position of the original Château de Fontainebleau (aside from a tidy-up of the layout at the end of the Renaissance). Lined with 16th and 17th century facades, it opens to the south through the former fortified entrance (the Porte Dorée), and since Henry IV’s time opens to the east onto the Cour des Offices (Baptistry entrance). www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr/The-Cour-Ovale?lang=en
"Suffering a certain moral amputation; deprived of the discipline of designing outwards from an original planning solution, the Roman architect, to produce convincing buildings, must compensate with a visual discipline so brilliant as never to give the impression that he is avoiding the pitfalls of Eclecticism, a formal discipline so exacting as to galvanize a conventional layout into new, expressive life. Few of the architects in Rome can body out this ideal, can resist the temptation to relapse into Empiricism or Imperial bombast, and of these few the most notable is Luigi Moretti.
Floodlight incorrectly installed such that it is shinning outwards, making a person almost impossible to see due to glare.
Photograph: M Morgan-Taylor for the Campaign for Dark-Skies
Stockholm grew rapidly after the second world war. The city expanded to the south and west as the subway line stretched further and further outwards. Each subway stop becoming a new community centre neighborhood following the modernist city planning principles of the times. The spaces between the more densely built centers was used for infrastructure, motorways and recreational purposes. In many current discussions on the properties of the modernist city these spaces are typically described as non-places, empty, leftover, wasteland. (bit.ly/2kA0wYh, Cecilia von Schéele, The void : Urban wasteland as political space, 2016) Spaces defined as a negative, as an absence or as without use or program. Today these descriptions are often used as arguments for densification or to defend a new paradigm in city planning. This workshop is about engaging with these kind of spaces using the Örbyleden site as an example. Are they empty, useless and un-programmed? If any, what kind of activities do take place, what uses are already there?
In 1995 the Spanish architect and philosopher Ignasi de Solà-Morales calls these spaces a terrain vague (bit.ly/2jYIRX4, Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Terrain Vague, 1995). The vague terrain belong spaces seemingly designed without any purpose at all, can be seen as a product of the modernist city. They create an uncertainty in respect of what is allowed, grey zones of insecurities. The vague terrain questions our role as participants in the city, it puts into question under what authority, along what protocols we are supposed to act. As such the terrain vague can be seen to take on virtual properties, spaces where potentially another city is already there, spaces waiting to be actualized.
The older and newer buttressess sit adjacent. The S.C.W.S. had to strengthen the wall because it was buckling outwards. Many decades later the whole hillside was landfilled to stabilize it.
From the exhibition introductory text (section 'Illuminating Obscurity'): "De Chirico's oeuvre is like an immense epistemological architecture, an uninterrupted process of discovery aimed at illuminating that which is obscure. In a journey enriched by symbolic cross-references, the artist's work represents an invitation to ponder upon the complexities of Knowledge, to lose oneself in order to find oneself, to accept the existential challenge of analysing both ourselves and our position within the Universe."
The gate pillars to Fort Burgoyne, facing outwards over the ditch. The pillars would once have supported and operated a raising drawbridge; the remains of the workings can still be seen.
St Andrew, Cotton, Suffolk
A beautiful 14th Century church, elaborated with a flushwork clerestory a century later. Inside, light from clear windows falls on brick floors, old wood and stone. The north arcade leans outwards at a dramatic angle.
This was taken at the top of the steps of the Granary, looking outwards the large wooden doors of the Tithe Barn in Bradford-on-Avon.
Another photo from the walk 20 paces and shoot something walk last week.
The tree blends into the dense lower line of trees in the back, and then erupts outwards in branching which is simultaneously chaotic and organized.
Of all my photos, this is a personal favorite. In college, I had it blown up on a huge sheet of paper and taped it to the wall.
I remember exactly where the tree is -- behind one of the playgrounds in Fort Wayne's Shoaff Park. I hope to go back at some point and recreate this picture with a better camera.
* my handmade Christmas cards each made with a photographic print are now available at
www.barbarachandler.co.uk/CHRISTMAS/christmas-1.html
* follow me @sunnyholt
There is a surreal touch from the face of the woman across the road on an advertising poster.
The Municipal House in Prague is a splendid Art Nouveau edifice, and one of the finest in Europe. Inside over several floors is a magnificent complex of rooms, including the largest concert hall in the city, and exhibitions spaces. Decorations include wall paintings with Slavic motifs, stained glass, gilded lamps, highly glazed and embossed tiles, exotic light fittings and a beautiful organ.
Restaurants abound, all with original décor, including the first American bar in the Czech Republic, and a Czech beer-hall.
The Municipal House opened in 1912, and became famous on the 28th October 1918 when it hosted the historic proclamation of the independent state of Czechoslovakia. The outside has intricate stonework, gold trimmings, frescos and stained glass windows.
Inside, a marble staircase leads to the huge Smetana Concert Hall, and the House is home to the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
The parafrontalia have fewer long hairs than in P. barbifrons and none outwards of the orbital bristles.
Helianthus annus (Sunflower /Girasol)
The Cappuccino hybrid has rustic orange petals that form a halo around rich, dark brown centers. The single row of petals radiates color outward from the center, first with what appears to be a lighted halo around the warm brown eye, and then rustic orange fading outwards to yummy butterscotch on pollenless blossoms growing up to 6-inches in diameter.
We specialise in fairy doors that OPEN OUTWARDS, so when your Fairy Door is attached to a wall, the door can still be opened. We also stock a large range of Fairy Door Accessories so you can create a magical fairy land setting right in your bedroom!
Maximum defensive readiness.
In the face of extreme and persistent danger, this large Lasiocampid moth caterpillar arches its body outwards in a faux-attack startle response.
Pu'er, Yunnan, China
see comments for prior images of this caterpillar at ease......
**black metal hi tech shield::1.2 a rectangular hard light force field barrier extending outwards from the shield::1.7 a neon blue rectangle with a black circle in the centre::.8 blue rectangle with hexagon patterns::.65 --ar 5:4** - Image #4 <@314289947542683660>
Taken during Open House London 2017
St Paul's Bow Common
Robert McGuire & Keith Murray
Very nearly 150 years ago, this area of East London was beginning to emerge as a populated area after centuries of being no more than common grazing land (hence our name of Bow Common!). The coming of the railway lines, together with two canals nearby, guaranteed the growth of a working population clustered near to vital transport links. London was on the move, expanding ever outwards.
To serve this growing population a grand and lofty Victorian Gothic church was built in 1858, with a great spire and a huge stained glass window at the west end. This first St. Paul’s, Bow Common became a real focus for the neighbouring community for most of the next century. Then disaster struck during the Blitz of World War II and in 1941 incendiaries gutted the church, reducing it to a shell.
The War ended but growth & recovery were slow after so much widespread destruction. It was a full decade before thoughts could turn to re-building the church and thanks to War Reparation funds, a new church could be built, but it had to seat a minimum of 500 people.
The Vicar who came in 1951, the late Revd. Gresham Kirkby, was a young radical who drew like-minded people about himself. Already, in the 1950s there was a serious re-evaluation in progress far and wide, among churches and architects alike, as to what exactly the purpose and function of a church is, and how its configuration should express its deepest purposes. Interest was stirred again in the earliest forms of church architecture and in exploring the very roots of Christian worship. Emerging out of all of this, in the 1950s, churches were being built in Europe expressing these radical ideas.
All of this passionately concerned Fr. Kirkby but he was not impressed by what he saw abroad! And so he approached a young designer in his early 20s – the late Keith Murray – whose work had impressed him in local commissions at Queen Mary College and St. Katherine’s Foundation Chapels. Teaming up with the equally young & gifted Robert Maguire, the architect and designer worked together from 1958-1960 to build the church in which you stand – regarded widely as the most significant post-War Church in Britain.
The creators of this church & the parish priest proudly regarded themselves as purposeful rebels! They were politically, socially & theologically attuned. This was the most radical and pure expression of a movement which focused so much upon the relations of the gathered worshipping community, one with another, and together as one Body, in relationship with God.
In 2010 Robert Maguire wrote:
‘We were trying to build a church which would encourage true relationships in the liturgy – priest to people, people to one another, priest to God and people to God, the worship of the whole Church together. Encourage, but not cause; because it is only people coming together with understanding and faith which bring those relationships to life.‘
The roots and antecedents of this building’s design run deep – to classical forms and the Renaissance Revival – to the fundamental geometry of square and circle - influences owing a debt to Brunelleschi, Palladio, Bramante – and further back, to the churches of Torcello, to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and to the great Pantheon in Rome. This was no mere ‘bright new idea’! Around them they drew other young and gifted workers and designers. The mosaics which you see encircling the walls are the work of Charles Lutyens (great-nephew of the great architect Edwin Lutyens) carried out over a period of five years after the church had already been opened for use.
In form, the building is basically a stack of three diminishing cubes with ancillary spaces added at the sides. Maguire and Murray’s defining geometry was that of two bounded areas – contained by the exterior and barely broken bounding walls and also by the inner ‘transparent’ but effective encircling line of colonnades.
In this way distinct areas are subtly but effectively delineated within the volume of the church, as well as areas serving the varying needs of the Christian community – not only for worship, but for the whole of our life. This was seen very much as a space in which the whole common life of the worshipping community could be lived out – and from which they would then go out into the world. Benches were designed to be easily moveable so that they could be set aside or re-arranged according to the needs of our common life.
Today our life includes exhibitions, from intimate displays of just one art work to 800 square feet of dazzling external installation or walls completely bedecked with textile panels made in the community by ‘Stitches in Time.’
In 2010, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the church and, reflecting on the ways in which St. Paul’s, Bow Common has proved to be so extraordinarily adaptable and appropriate for uses in a social context never imagined 50 years earlier, Robert Maguire said:
’I designed the building as "liturgical space", informed by how I saw the nature of liturgy as the formative activity in realising the community as the Body of Christ. Later (and now) I would call it 'inclusive space' – space that enables everyone within it, wherever they are, to feel included in what is happening, wherever in the space that may be. So this quality naturally extends inclusiveness to anything the community wishes to do in the building, and the building should lend itself creatively to community-building of any kind.'
[Open House website]
Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. Geranium is also the botanical name and common name of a separate genus of related plants, also known as cranesbills. Both genera belong to the family Geraniaceae. Carl Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, Geranium, and they were later separated into two genera by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1789.
While Geranium species are mostly temperate herbaceous plants, dying down in winter, Pelargonium species are evergreen perennials indigenous to warm temperate and tropical regions of the world, with many species in southern Africa. They are drought and heat tolerant but can tolerate only minor frosts. Some species are extremely popular garden plants, grown as houseplants and bedding plants in temperate regions. They have a long flowering period, with flowers mostly in red, orange, or white, but intensive breeding has produced a huge array of cultivars with great variety in size, flower colour, leaf form and aromatic foliage.
Etymology
One of hundreds of garden and houseplant cultivars
The name Pelargonium is derived from the Greek πελαργός, pelargós (stork), because the seed head looks like a stork's beak. Dillenius originally suggested the name 'stork', because Geranium was named after a crane — "a πελαργός, ciconia, sicuti vocamus Gerania, γερανός, grus" (from pelargos, stork, as we call the Gerania, geranos, crane).
Description
Pelargonium occurs in a large number of growth forms, including herbaceous annuals, shrubs, subshrubs, stem succulents and geophytes. The erect stems bear five-petaled flowers in umbel-like clusters, which are occasionally branched. Because not all flowers appear simultaneously, but open from the centre outwards, this is a form of inflorescence is referred to as pseudoumbels.
The flower has a single symmetry plane (zygomorphic), which distinguishes it from the Geranium flower, which has radial symmetry (actinomorphic). Thus the lower three (anterior) petals are differentiated from the upper two (posterior) petals. The posterior sepal is fused with the pedicel to form a hypanthium (nectary tube). The nectary tube varies from only a few millimeters, up to several centimeters, and is an important floral characteristic in morphological classification. Stamens vary from 2 to 7, and their number, position relative to staminodes, and curvature are used to identify individual species. There are five stigmata in the style. For the considerable diversity in flower morphology, see figure 1 of Röschenbleck et al. (2014).
Leaves are usually alternate, and palmately lobed or pinnate, often on long stalks, and sometimes with light or dark patterns. The leaves of Pelargonium peltatum (Ivy-leaved Geranium), have a thick cuticle better adapting them for drought tolerance.
Taxonomy
Dillenius' introduction of the term 'Pelargonium' in Hortus Elthamensis 1732
Pelargonium inquinans, (Geranium Afric. arborescens), Hortus Elthamensis
Pelargonium is the second largest genus (after Geranium) within the family Geraniaceae, within which it is sister to the remaining genera of the family in its strict sense, Erodium, Geranium, and Monsonia including Sarcocaulon. The Geraniaceae have a number of genetic features unique amongst angiosperms, including highly rearranged plastid genomes differing in gene content, order and expansion of the inverted repeat.
Genus history
The name Pelargonium was first proposed by Dillenius in 1732, who described and illustrated seven species of geraniums from South Africa that are now classified as Pelargonium. Dillenius, who referred to these seven species with apparent unique characteristics as Geranium Africanum (African Geranium) suggested "Possent ergo ii, quibus novi generis cupido est, ea, quorum flores inaequales vel et irrregulares sunt, Pelargonia vocare" (Those who wish a new genus can therefore call those, whose flowers are unequal or irregular, ‘Pelargonia’). The name was then formally introduced by Johannes Burman in 1738. However Carl Linnaeus who first formally described these plants in 1753 did not recognise Pelargonium and grouped together in the same genus (Geranium) the three similar genera Erodium, Geranium, and Pelargonium. Linnaeus' reputation prevented further differentiation for forty years. The eventual distinction between them was made by Charles L’Héritier based on the number of stamens or anthers, seven in the case of Pelargonium. In 1774, P. cordatum, P. crispum, P. quercifolium and P. radula were introduced, followed by P. capitatum in 1790.
Circumscription
Pelargonium is distinguished from the other genera in the family Geraniaceae by the presence of a hypanthium, which consists of an adnate nectar spur with one nectary, as well as a generally zygomorphic floral symmetry.
Subdivision
De Candolle first proposed dividing the genus into 12 sections in 1824, based on the diversity of growth forms. Traditionally the large number of Pelargonium species have been treated as sixteen sections, based on the classification of Knuth (1912) who described 15 sections, as modified by van der Walt et al. (1977-1997) who added Chorisma, Reniformia and Subsucculentia.
These are as follows;
section Campylia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle
section Chorisma (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle
section Ciconium (Sweet) Harvey
section Cortusina (DC.) Harvey
section Glaucophyllum Harvey
section Hoarea (Sweet) de Candolle
section Isopetalum (Sweet) de Candolle
section Jenkinsonia (Sweet) de Candolle
section Ligularia (Sweet) Harvey
section Myrrhidium de Candolle
section Otidia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle
section Pelargonium (Sweet) Harvey
section Peristera de Candolle
section Polyactium de Candolle
section Reniformia (Knuth) Dreyer
section Subsucculentia J.J.A. van der Walt
Phylogenetic analyses
All subdivision classifications had depended primarily on morphological differences till the era of phylogenetic analyses (Price and Palmer 1993). However phylogenetic analysis shows only three distinct clades, labelled A, B and C. In this analysis not all sections were monophyletic, although some were strongly supported including Chorisma, Myrrhidium and Jenkinsonia, while other sections were more paraphyletic. This in turn has led to a proposal, informal at this stage, of a reformulation of the infrageneric subdivision of Pelargonium.
In the proposed scheme of Weng et al. there would be two subgenera, based on clades A+B, and C respectively and seven sections based on subclades. Subsequent analysis with an expanded taxa set confirmed this infrageneric subdivision into two groups which also correspond to chromosome length (<1.5 μ, 1.5-3.0μ), but also two subclades within each major clade, suggesting the presence of four subgenera, these correspond to clades A, B, C1 and C2 of the earlier analysis, A being by far the largest clade with 141 taxa. As before the internal structure of the clades supported monophyly of some sections (Myrrhidium, Chorisma, Reniformia, Pelargonium, Ligularia and Hoarea) but paraphyly in others (Jenkinsonia, Ciconium, Peristera). A distinct clade could be identified within the paraphyletic Polyactium, designated section Magnistipulacea. As a result, Polyactium has been split up to provide this new section, which in itself contains two subsections, Magnistipulacea and Schizopetala, following Knuth's original treatment of Polyactium as having four subsections.
Subgenus Pelargonium section Otidia: P. crithmifolium
Thus Röschenbleck et al. (2014) provide a complete revision of the subgeneric classification of Pelargonium based on four subgenera corresponding to their major clades (A, B, C1, C2);
subgenus Magnipetala Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium praemorsum (Andrews) F Dietrich
subgenus Parvulipetala Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium hypoleucum Turczaninow
subgenus Paucisignata Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium zonale (L.) L'Hér. in Aiton
subgenus Pelargonium L'Hér. Type: Pelargonium cucullatum (L.) Aiton
Sixteen sections were then assigned to the new subgenera as follows, although many species remained only assigned to subgenera at this stage
subgenus Magnipetala 3 sections
section Chorisma (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 4 species
section Jenkinsonia (Sweet) de Candolle - 11 species
section Myrrhidium de Candolle - 8 species
subgenus Parvulipetala 3 sections
section Isopetalum (Sweet) de Candolle - 1 species (Pelargonium cotyledonis (L.) L'Hér.)
section Peristera de Candolle - 30 species
section Reniformia (Knuth) Dreyer - 8 species
subgenus Paucisignata 2 sections
section Ciconium (Sweet) Harvey - 16 species
section Subsucculentia J.J.A. van der Walt - 3 species
subgenus Pelargonium 8 sections
section Campylia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 9 species
section Cortusina (DC.) Harvey - 7 species
section Hoarea (Sweet) de Candolle - 72 species
section Ligularia (Sweet) Harvey - 10 species
section Magnistipulacea Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium schlecteri Knuth - 2 subsections
subsection Magnistipulacea Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium schlecteri Knuth - 2 species (P. schlecteri & P. luridum)
subsection Schizopetala (Knuth) Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium caffrum (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Steudel - 3 species (P. caffrum, P. bowkeri, P. schizopetalum)
section Otidia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 14 species
section Pelargonium L'Hér. - 34 species
section Polyactium de Candolle - 2 subsections
subsection Caulescentia Knuth - 1 species (Pelargonium gibbosum)
subsection Polyactium de Candolle - 7 species
Subgenera
Subgenus Magnipetala: Corresponds to clade C1, with 24 species. Perennial to short lived, spreading subshrubs, rarely herbaceous annuals. Petals five, but may be four, colour mainly white. Mainly winter rainfall region of South Africa, spreading into summer rainfall region. One species in northern Namibia and Botswana. Two species in East Africa and Ethiopia. Chromosomes x=11 and 9.
Subgenus Parvulipetala: Corresponds to clade B, with 39-42 species. Perennials, partly annuals. Petals five and equal, colour white or pink to deep purplish red. Mainly South Africa, but also other southern hemisphere except South America. a few species in East Africa and Ethiopia. Chromosomes x=7-19.
Subgenus Paucisignata: Corresponds to clade C2, with 25-27 species. Erect sometimes trailing shrubs or subshrubs, rarely geophytes or semi-geophytes. Petals five and equal, colour pink to red sometimes white. Summer rainfall region of South Africa, spreading into winter rainfall region and northern Namibia, with a few species in tropical Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia Minor. Chromosomes x=mainly 9 or 10, but from 4-18.
Subgenus Pelargonium: Corresponds to clade A, with 167 species. Frequently xerophytic deciduous perennials with many geophytes and succulent subshrubs, less frequently woody evergreen shrubs or annual herbs. Petals five, colour shades of pink to purple or yellow. Winter rainfall region of South Africa and adjacent Namibia, spreading to summer rainfall area, and two species in tropical Africa. Chromosomes x=11, may be 8-10.
Species
Main article: List of Pelargonium species
Pelargonium has around 280 species. Röschenbleck et al lists 281 taxa. There is considerable confusion as to which Pelargonium are true species, and which are cultivars or hybrids. The nomenclature has changed considerably since the first plants were introduced to Europe in the 17th century.
Distribution
Pelargonium is a large genus within the family Geraniaceae, which has a worldwide distribution in temperate to subtropical zones with some 800 mostly herbaceous species. Pelargonium itself is native to southern Africa (including Namibia) and Australia. Southern Africa contains 90% of the genus, with only about 30 species found elsewhere, predominantly the East African rift valley (about 20 species) and southern Australia, including Tasmania. The remaining few species are found in southern Madagascar, Yemen, Iraq, Asia Minor, the north of New Zealand and isolated islands in the south Atlantic Ocean (Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha) and Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The centre of diversity is in southwestern South Africa where rainfall is confined to the winter, unlike the rest of the country where rainfall is predominantly in the summer months. Most of the Pelargonium plants cultivated in Europe and North America have their origins in South Africa.
Ecology
Pelargonium species are eaten by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the noctuid moth angle shades, Phlogophora meticulosa. The diurnal butterflies Cacyreus marshalli and C. tespis (Lycaenidae), native to southern Africa, also feed on Geranium and Pelargonium. C. marshallii has been introduced to Europe and can develop into a pest on cultivated Pelargoniums. It has naturalised along the Mediterranean, but does not survive the winter in Westen Europe.
The Japanese beetle, an important agricultural insect pest, becomes rapidly paralyzed after consuming flower petals of the garden hybrids known as "zonal geraniums" (P. × hortorum). The phenomenon was first described in 1920, and subsequently confirmed. Research conducted by Dr. Christopher Ranger with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and other collaborating scientists have demonstrated the excitatory amino acid called quisqualic acid present within the flower petals is responsible for causing paralysis of the Japanese beetle. Quisqualic acid is thought to mimic L-glutamic acid, which is a neurotransmitter in the insect neuromuscular junction and mammalian central nervous system.
A study by the Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects group at the University of Sussex on the attractiveness of common garden plants to pollinators found that a cultivar of Pelargonium × hortorum was unattractive to pollinators in comparison to other selected garden plants such as Lavandula (lavender) and Origanum.
Pests and diseases
Main articles: List of geranium diseases, Pelargonium flower break virus, and Pelargonium line pattern virus
The geranium bronze butterfly is a pest of Pelargonium species. The larvae of the geranium bronze bore into the stem of the host plant, causing the stem to typically turn black and die soon after. Geranium bronze are currently listed as an A2 quarantine pest by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization and can cause significant damage to Pelargonium species.
Cultivation
Pelargonium triste, the first species of its genus to be cultivated, here shown in its native habitat in Cape Town
Various types of Pelargonium are regular participants in flower shows and competitive events, with numerous societies devoted exclusively to their cultivation. They are easy to propagate vegetatively from cuttings. It is recommended that cuttings should have at least two nodes. Zonal geraniums grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 12. Zonal geraniums are basically tropical perennials. Although they are often grown as annuals, they may overwinter in zones as cool as zone 7.
Cultivation history
The first species of Pelargonium known to be cultivated was P. triste, a native of South Africa. It was probably brought to the Botanical Garden in Leiden before 1600 on ships which had stopped at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1631, the English gardener John Tradescant the elder bought seeds from Rene Morin in Paris and introduced the plant to England. By 1724, P. inquinans, P. odoratissimum, P. peltatum, P. vitifolium, and P. zonale had been introduced to Europe.
Cultivars
Zonal pelargonium
There was little attempt at any rational grouping of Pelargonium cultivars, the growing of which was revived in the mid-twentieth century, and the origins of many if not most were lost in obscurity. In 1916 the American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858–1954) introduced two new terms for zonal and regal pelargoniums. Those pelargoniums which were largely derived from P. zonale he referred to as P. × hortorum (i.e. from the garden), while those from P. cucullatum he named P. × domesticum (i.e. from the home) In the late 1950s a list (the Spalding List) was produced in the United States, based on nursery listings and the 1897 list of Henri Dauthenay. It described seven groups, listing each cultivar with the list of its originator, and in most cases a date. These were Species, Zonals, Variegated-Leaved, Domesticum (Regals), Ivy-Leaved, Scented-Leaved and Old. In the 1970s the British Pelargonium and Geranium Society produced a checklist and the Australian Geranium Society started to produce a register but it was not completed till its author, Jean Llewellyn's death in 1999. None of these were published. The most complete list in its time was the 2001 compilation by The Geraniaceae Group, which included all cultivars up to 1959.
Registration of cultivars is the responsibility of the Pelargonium & Geranium Society (PAGS: formed in 2009 from the British Pelargonium and Geranium Society and the British and European Geranium Society) which administers the International Register of Pelargonium Cultivars. PAGS is the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) of the International Society for Horticultural Science for pelargoniums.
Contrasting leaves: Ivy-leaved Group (Left) Zonal Group (Right)
Cultivated pelargoniums are commonly divided into six groups in addition to species pelargoniums and primary hybrids. The following list is ordered by position in the PAGS classification. Abbreviations indicate Royal Horticultural Society usage.
A. Zonal (Z)
B. Ivy-leaved (I)
C. Regal (R)
D. Angel (A)
E. Unique (U)
F. Scented-leaved (Sc)
G. Species
H. Primary hybrids
Of these, A, U and Sc groups are sometimes lumped together as Species Derived (Sppd). This term implies that they are closely related to a species from which they were derived, and do not fit into the R, I or Z groups.
In addition to the primary groups, additional descriptors are used. The Royal Horticultural Society has created description codes. These include;
Cactus (Ca)
Coloured foliage (C)
Decorative (Dec)
Double (d)
Dwarf (Dw)
Dwarf Ivy-leaved (Dwl)
Frutetorum (Fr)
Miniature (Min)
Miniature Ivy-leaved (MinI)
Stellar (St)
Tulip (T)
Variegated (v)
These may then be combined to form the code, e.g. Pelargonium 'Chelsea Gem' (Z/d/v), indicating Zonal Double with variegated foliage. Crosses between groups are indicated with an ×, e.g. Pelargonium 'Hindoo' (R × U), indicating a Regal × Unique cross.
A. Zonal pelargoniums (Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey)
Pelargonium × hortorum (Zonal)
These are known as zonal geraniums because many have zones or patterns in the center of the leaves,[36] this is the contribution of the Pelargonium zonale parent. Common names include storksbill, fish or horseshoe geraniums.[50] They are also referred to as Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey. Zonal pelargoniums are tetraploid, mostly derived from P. inquinans and P. zonale, together with P. scandens and P. frutetorum.
Zonal pelargoniums are mostly bush-type plants with succulent stems grown for the beauty of their flowers, traditionally red, salmon, violet, white or pink. The scarlet colouring is attributed to the contribution of P. inquinans. Flowers may be double or single. They are the pelargoniums most often confused with genus Geranium, particularly in summer bedding arrangements. This incorrect nomenclature is widely used in horticulture, particularly in North America.
Zonals include a variety of plant types along with genetic hybrids such as hybrid ivy-leaved varieties that display little or no ivy leaf characteristics (the Deacons varieties), or the Stellar varieties. Hybrid zonals are crosses between zonals and either a species or species-derived pelargonium. There are hundreds of zonal cultivars available for sale, and like other cultivars are sold in series such as 'Rocky Mountain', each of which is named after its predominant colour, e.g. 'Rocky Mountain Orange', 'White', 'Dark Red', etc.
'Rocky Mountain Orange' (Zonal)
(i) Basic plants – Mature plants with foliage normally exceeding 180 mm (7 in) in height above the rim of the pot. For exhibition these should be grown in a pot exceeding 120 mm (4+3⁄4 in) in diameter but not normally exceeding 165 mm (6+1⁄2 in).
(ii) Dwarf plants – Smaller than basic. Mature plants with foliage more than 125 mm (5 in) above the rim of the pot, but not normally more than 180 mm (7 in). For exhibition should be grown in a pot exceeding 90 mm (3+1⁄2 in) but not exceeding 120 mm (4+3⁄4 in). They should not exceed 200 mm in height, grown in an 11 cm pot.
(iii) Miniature plants – Slowly growing pelargoniums. Mature plants with foliage normally less than 125 mm (5 in) above the rim of the pot. For exhibition should be grown in a pot not exceeding 90 mm (3+1⁄2 in). They should not exceed 125 mm in height, grown in a 9 cm pot.
(iv) Micro-miniature plants – Smaller and more slowly growing than miniature pelargoniums. Mature plants with foliage normally less than 100 mm (4 in) above the rim of the pot. They should not exceed 75 mm in height, grown in a 6 cm pot. Usually no separate classes for these in exhibition and will therefore normally be shown as Miniature Zonals.
(v) Deacon varieties –Genetic hybrid similar to a large Dwarf. For exhibition (when shown in a separate class), usually grown in a pot not exceeding 125 mm (5 in), otherwise as for Dwarf Zonals.
(vi) Stellar varieties – A relatively modern genetic hybrid originating from the work done by the Australian hybridiser Ted Both in the late 1950s and 1960s from crosses between Australian species and Zonal types. Easily identifiable by their distinctive half-star-shaped leaves and slim-petalled blooms which create an impression of being star shaped (or five fingered). Single varieties tend to have larger elongated triangular petals whereas doubles tend to have thin feathered petals that are tightly packed together. For exhibition purposes there is a separate class for 'Stellar' varieties, but being Zonals could be shown in an open class for Basic, Dwarf or Miniature Zonals (unless otherwise stated). Also known as "The Five-fingered Geraniums", "Staphysagroides", "Both’s Staphs", "Both’s Hybrid Staphs", "Fingered Flowers" and "Bodey’s Formosum Hybrids".
Fancy-leaf zonal pelargoniums – besides having green leaves with or without zoning, this group also have variable coloured foliage[50] that is sometimes used in classifying for exhibition purposes, e.g. ‘Bicolour’, ‘Tricolour’, ‘Bronze’ or ‘Gold’. Other foliage types are: ‘Black’ or ‘Butterfly’. There are an increasing number of these plants with showy blooms;
(a) Bicolour – includes those with white or cream veined leaves or those with two distinct colours with clearly defined edges, other than the basic zone.
(b) Tricolour – (May be Silver Tricolour (usually called a Silver Leaf) or a Gold Tricolour).
(i) Gold Tricolour – Leaves of many colours including red and gold, but usually with clearly defined edges of golden yellow and having a leaf zone, usually red or bronze, that overlays two or more of the other distinct leaf colours, so that the zone itself appears as two or more distinct colours.
(ii) Silver Tricolour or Silver Leaf – These tend to resemble a normal bi-colour leaf plant with two distinct colours usually of green and pale cream or white; the third colour is usually made up of bronze zoning. When this zoning overlays the green part of the leaf it is deemed to represent a silver colour.
(c) Bronze Leaved – Leaves of Green or Golden/Green with a heavy bronze or chestnut coloured centre zone which is known as a medallion. For exhibition purposes, when exhibited in specific ‘Bronze’ Leaf class – Must have over 50% of leaf surface bronze coloured. The dwarf plant ‘Overchurch’ which has a heavy bronze medallion.
(d) Gold Leaved – Leaves coloured golden/yellow or green/yellow but not showing a tendency to green. For exhibition purposes, when exhibited in specific ‘Gold’ Leaf class – Must have over 50% of leaf surface gold coloured.
(e) Black Leaved – Leaves coloured black, purple-black or with distinct large dark zones or centre markings on green.
(f) Butterfly Leaved – Leaves with a butterfly marking of distinct tone or hue in centre of leaf. This can be encompassed in many of the coloured leaf varieties.
Zonal pelargoniums have many flower types, as follows:
(a) Single flowered (S) – each flower pip normally having no more than five petals. This is the standard flower set for all Pelargoniums.
(b) Semi-double flowered (SD) – each flower pip normally having between six and nine petals.
(c) Double flowered (D)– each flower pip composed of more than nine petals (i.e. double the standard flower set) but not ‘hearted’ like the bud of a rose, e.g. the dwarf ‘Dovepoint’ which has full double blooms.
(d) Rosebud (or noisette) flowered – each bloom fully double and ‘hearted’. The middle petals are so numerous that they remain unopened like the bud of a rose.
(e) Tulip flowered – having semi-double blooms that never fully open. The large cup shaped petals open just sufficiently to resemble a miniature tulip.
(f) Bird's-egg group – having blooms with petals that have spots in a darker shade than the base colour, like many birds eggs.
(g) Speckled flowered group – having petals that are marked with splashes and flecks of another colour, e.g. ‘Vectis Embers’.
(h) Quilled (or cactus-flowered group, or poinsettia in USA) – having petals twisted and furled like a quill.
“Zonquil” pelargoniums result from a cross between Zonal pelargonium cultivars and P. quinquelobatum.
B. Ivy-leaved pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium peltatum)
Pelargonium peltatum (Ivy-leaved)
Also known as "ivy geraniums". Usually of lax growth (trailing), mainly due to the long thin stems, with thick, waxy ivy-shaped stiff fleshy evergreen leaves developed by the species P. peltatum to retain moisture during periods of drought. Much used for hanging pots, tubs and basket cultivation. In the UK the bulbous double-headed types are preferred whilst on the European continent the balcon single types for large-scale hanging floral displays are favoured. Ivy-leaved pelargoniums embrace all such growth size types including small-leaved varieties and genetic hybrid crosses, which display little or no zonal characteristics. May have bicolour leaves and may have flowers that are single, double or rosette. Ivy pelargoniums are often sold as series such as 'Great Balls of Fire', in a variety of colours such as 'Great Balls of Fire Burgundy'.
Additional descriptive terms include;
Hybrid Ivy — the result of ivy × zonal crosses, but still more closely resemble ivy-leaved pelargoniums.
Fancy leaf — leaves with marked color variation, together with or other than green.
Miniature — miniature leaves and flowers, stems with short nodes, and compact growth. e.g. 'Sugar Baby' listed as Dwarf Ivy (DwI) by RHS.
C. Regal pelargoniums (Pelargonium × domesticum Bailey)
'Karl Offenstein' (Regal)
These are large bush-type floriferous evergreen pelargoniums. In addition to "Regals" they are also known as “Show Pelargoniums”. In the United States they are often known as the "Martha Washington" or ‘"Lady Washington" pelargoniums. They are grown primarily for the beauty and richness of their flower heads, which are large. Most of those cultivars grown currently are the result of hybridization over the last 50 years. They are very short-jointed and compact, which results in their requiring very little work in order to create a floriforous and well-rounded plant. Flowers are single, rarely double, in mauve, pink, purple or white. They have rounded, sometimes lobed or partially toothed (serrated) leaves, unlike the Zonal groups, without any type of zoning.
Additional descriptive terms include;
Decorative pelargoniums (Decoratives) – Descendants of older, less compact, smaller-flowered varieties that are more suited to outdoor conditions. These have smaller flowers than Regal, but are otherwise similar. e.g. ‘Royal Ascot’
Miniature – Flowers and leaves similar to Regal, but miniature in form, with compact growth. Other terms include “Pansy Geraniums” or “Pansy Pelargoniums”. e.g. ‘Lara Susan’
Oriental pelargoniums – The result of crosses between Regals and members of the Angel group (see below). Some have bicolour foliage.
D. Angel pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium crispum)
'Angeleyes Randy' (Angel)
Angel pelargoniums are similar to Regal pelargoniums but more closely resemble P. crispum in leaf shape and growth habit. The majority of Angel cultivars originate from a cross between P. crispum and a Regal variety in the early part of the 20th century. Angels have grown in popularity in the last 30 years or so due mainly to an explosion of new varieties being released by specialist nurseries resulting from the work done by dedicated amateur hybridisers. These hybrisers have managed to obtain many new flower colour breaks and tighter growth habits resulting in plants suitable for all sorts of situations. Angels basically have the appearance of a small Regal with small serrated leaves and much smaller flowers and are more compact and bushy. The group extends to include similar small-leaved and -flowered types but usually with P. crispum in their parentage. They are mostly upright bush-type plants but there are some lax varieties that can be used for basket or hanging pot cultivation. Often called "pansy-faced" in the US. Some varieties have bicolour foliage. Other terms include ‘Langley-Smith Hybrids’.
E. Unique pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium fulgidum)
Unique in sense of not fitting into any of the above categories. The parentage of Unique pelargoniums is confused and obscure. One theory being a derivation from P. fulgidum, but a derivation from an older cultivar 'Old Unique’, also known as or ‘Rollinson’s Crimson’, in the mid-19th century is also claimed. Unique pelargoniums resemble upright Scented Leaf pelargoniums in being shrubby and woody evergreens. They have distinctly scented leaves, and small flowers with blotched and feathered petals. They may have bicolour foliage. Some types, popularly known in the hobby as hybrid Uniques, have been crossed with Regal pelargoniums and, as a result of this cross, are much more floriferous.
Cultivar
Pelargonium graveolens (Scented leaf)
Shrubby evergreen perennials grown chiefly for their fragrance, may be species or cultivars but all must have a clear and distinct scented foliage. Scent is emitted when the leaves are touched or bruised with some scents aromatic, others pungent and in a few cases, quite unpleasant. Several of the scented leaved pelargoniums are grown for the oil geraniol, which is extracted from the leaves and is an essential oil much used commercially in perfumery. The scent of some species growing in their natural habitat, acts as a deterrent to grazing animals who appear to dislike the emitted scent. Conversely, it also attracts other insect life to visit the bloom and pollinate the plant. The scented leaves can be used for potpourri and they also have a use as flavourings in cooking. Occasionally scented types can be found in some of the other groups mentioned; for example, the Angels, having P. crispum in their genetic makeup, can often have a strong citrus scent. Leaves are lobed, toothed, incised or variegated. Growth habit is very variable, but the flowers are less prominent than other groups, and most closely resemble the species they originated from.
These include:
Pelargonium ionidiflorum (Scented leaf)
Almond - Pelargonium quercifolium
Apple - Pelargonium odoratissimum
Apple - Pelargonium cordifolium
Apple/Mint - Pelargonium album
Apricot/Lemon - Pelargonium scabrum
Balsam - Pelargonium panduriforme
Camphor - Pelargonium betulinum
Celery - Pelargonium ionidiflorum
Cinnamon - Pelargonium 'Ardwyck Cinnamon'
Coconut - Pelargonium grossalarioides (Pelargonium parriflorum)
Eau de Cologne - Pelargonium 'Brilliantine'
Eucalyptus - Pelargonium 'Secret Love'
Grapefruit - Pelargonium 'Poquita'
Ginger - Pelargonium 'Torrento' or 'Cola Bottles' which is a variety of Pelargonium x nervosum
Hazelnut - Pelargonium 'Odorata Hazelnut
Lavender - Pelargonium 'Lavender Lindy'
Lemon - Pelargonium crispum
Lemon - Pelargonium citronellum (Synonym - Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey')
Lemon Balm - Pelargonium x melissinum
Lime - Pelargonium x nervosum
Myrrh - Pelargonium myrrhifolium
Nutmeg - Pelargonium x fragrans
Old Spice - Variety of Pelargonium x fragrans
Orange - Pelargonium x citriodorum (Synonym - Pelargonium 'Prince of Orange')
Peach - Pelargonium 'Peaches and Cream'
Peppermint - Pelargonium tomentosum
Pine - Pelargonium denticulatum
Pineapple - Pelargonium 'Brilliant'
Raspberry - Pelargonium 'Red Raspberry'
Rose - Pelargonium graveolens (Synonym - Pelargonium roseum)
Rose - Pelargonium capitatum
Rose - Pelargonium radens
Southernwood - Pelargonium abrotanifolium
Spicy - Pelargonium exstipulatum
Strawberry - Pelargonium x scarboroviae
Cultivars
'Attar of Roses' - a cultivar of P. capitatum
'Crowfoot Rose' - a cultivar of P. radens
'Dr. Livingston' - a cultivar of P. radens
'Grey Lady Plymouth' - a cultivar of P. graveolens
'Prince Rupert' - a cultivar of P. crispum
G. Species pelargoniums
The species are the forefathers of all the cultivar groups listed above. In general, the definition of a species is that it breeds true, and is to be found doing this in the "wild". Species pelargoniums have a large diversity of characteristics in habit, shape, size and colour, which probably accounts for them having retained their popularity for more than 300 years.
H. Primary hybrids
A primary hybrid is recognised as being the resultant plant from a first-time cross between two different known species. Examples are P. × ardens – from P. lobatum × P. fulgidum (1810). P. × glauciifolium – from P. gibbosum × P. lobatum (1822). Usually, but not always, primary hybrids are sterile.
The following is a selection of pelargoniums which have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
'Attar of Roses' (rose scented leaves, pink flowers)
'Citriodorum' (lemon scented leaves, rose pink flowers
'Dolly Varden' (variegated leaves, scarlet flowers)
'Frank Headley' (cream vareigated leaves, salmon pink flowers)
'Fringed Aztec' (white & purple fringed flowers)
'Gemstone' (scented leaves, pink flowers)
'Grace Thomas' (lemon scented leaves, pale pink flowers)
'Joy' (pink & white frilled flowers)
'Lady Plymouth' (P. graveolens variegata - small mauve flowers)
'Lara Candy Dancer' (scented leaves, pale mauve flowers)
'Lara Starshine' (aromatic leaves, lilac flowers.
'L'Élégante' (ivy-leaved, trailing, white and purple flowers)
'Mabel Grey' (lemon-scented leaves, mauve flowers)
'Mrs Quilter' (bronze leaves, salmon pink flowers)
'Radula' (lemon & rose scented leaves, pink & purple flowers)
'Royal Oak' (balsam scented leaves, mauve flowers)
'Spanish Angel' (lilac & magenta flowers)
'Sweet Mimosa' (balsam-scented leaves, pale pink flowers)
'Tip Top Duet' (pink & wine-red flowers)
'Voodoo' (crimson & black flowers)
P. tomentosum (peppermint-scented leaves, small white flowers)
Usage
Ornamental plants
Pelargoniums rank as one of the highest number of potted flowering plants sold and also in terms of wholesale value.
Scented leaf pelargoniums
Other than being grown for their beauty, species such as P. graveolens are important in the perfume industry and are cultivated and distilled for their scents. Although scented pelargoniums exist which have smells of citrus, mint, pine, spices or various fruits, the varieties with rose scents are most commercially important. Pelargonium distillates and absolutes, commonly known as "scented geranium oil" are sometimes used to supplement or adulterate expensive rose oils. The oils of the scented pelargoniums contain citronellol, geraniol, eugenol, alpha-pinene and many other compounds. The edible leaves and flowers are also used as a flavouring in desserts, cakes, jellies and teas. Scented-leafed pelargoniums can be used to flavor jellies, cakes, butters, ice cream, iced tea and other dishes, The rose-, lemon- and peppermint-scents are most commonly used. Also used are those with hints of peach, cinnamon and orange. Commonly used lemon-scented culinary species include P. crispum and P. citronellum. Rose-scenteds include P. graveolens and members of the P. graveolens cultivar group. Other species and cultivars with culinary use include the lime-scented P. ‘Lime’, the lemon balm-scented P. ‘Lemon Balm’, the strawberry-lemon-scented P. ‘Lady Scarborough’ and the peppermint-scented P. tomentosum.[81] Scented leaf pelargoniums have also been historically used as toilet paper by fishermen in remote places, such as the Minquiers.
Herbal medicine
In herbal medicine, Pelargonium has been used for intestinal problems, wounds and respiratory ailments, but Pelargonium species have also been used for fevers, kidney complaints and other conditions. Geranium (Pelargonium) oil is considered a relaxant in aromatherapy, and in recent years, respiratory/cold remedies made from P. sidoides and P. reniforme have been sold in Europe and the United States. P. sidoides along with Echinacea is used for bronchitis. P. odoratissimum is used for its astringent, tonic and antiseptic effects. It is used internally for debility, gastroenteritis, and hemorrhage and externally for skin complaints, injuries, and neuralgia and throat infections. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy.
Pets
According to the ASPCA, these plants are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Chemistry
Pelargonin (pelargonidin 3,5-O-diglucoside) is a petal pigment of the scarlet pelargonium.
Culture
The chemist, John Dalton, realized that he was color blind in 1794 when he heard others describe the color of the flowers of the pink Pelargonium zonale as pink or red, when to him it looked either pink or blue, having no relationship to red at all.
Set in the central axis of many important roads in Paris, a dodecagonal pattern of 12 avenues leading outwards....The view here is to the east along the Champs Elysees towards the Louvre. You can just see the Paris 'eye' which is at the Place de la Concorde.
...'And in this green and pleasant land, there shall forever be a little corner of red aquaness that is forever yours' xxx
{a twist on one of my favourite hymns from an English childhood seemingly a lifetime ago. A happy saturday Staycation, pootling doing umpteen loads of washing interalia. And then trying to have a snooze on my daughter's bed as ATM, she has the tidiest nicest room in the ouse, because The Cull started in her space, and is emanating outwards! Eeeeeekbay, here we come…!
The top of the support pushes inbetween the cast iron ridge under the table. Stops side ways movement and also locks it from pulling outwards.
Rapunzel nurses 3 1/2 year old Glenda as a crowd of Los Angeles Zoo visitors watch on 11/18/2008.
Gorillas often nurse 3-4 years.
Glenda, aka Tinga, born May 24, 2005, is Rapunzel's 2nd daughter. Rapunzel and Kelly's first daughter, Tulivu, born May 2, 2004, had to be hand reared because Rapunzel didn't know how to care for an infant. Tulivu now lives at Albuquerque's Rio Grande Zoo. Rapunzel learned at the Primate Panorama interpretative station how to care for a baby, where she was shown videos of nursing gorilla infants. For, she had held Tulivu face outwards and didn't seem to know how to nurse. Tulivu was taken and hand-reared after 48 hours. Rapunzel was given a 2nd chance, though, after the training, and has nicely reared Glenda on her own.
Western Lowland Gorillas
Family Troop
Campo Gorilla Reserve
Los Angeles Zoo
11/18/08
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Gorilla
Species: Gorilla gorilla
ARTICLES ABOUT GLENDA ON THE WEB:
Los Angeles Zoo Gorilla Bios:
www.lazoo.org/gorillas/biographies.html
A Pic of Glenda While a Baby at Denver Zoo:
www.flickr.com/photos/73441567@N00/788206429/in/set-72157...
Gorillas Bound for New Digs:
www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6754058
Gorillas in New Exhibit:
articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/08/local/me-gorilla8
Campo Gorilla Reserve Opens:
www.about-losangelesca.com/category/la-zoo/
National Geographic Pic of Rapunzel and Glenda:
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/photogalleries/a...
A young girls plays with Glenda:
www.flickr.com/photos/elynndesign/3101410653/in/photostre...
A Cute Pic of Glenda:
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gorillas-pg,0,2290407.ph...
ARTICLES ABOUT RAPUNZEL ON THE WEB:
Los Angeles Zoo Gorilla Bios:
www.lazoo.org/gorillas/biographies.html
Gorillas Bound for New Digs:
www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6754058
Gorillas in New Exhibit:
articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/08/local/me-gorilla8
Campo Gorilla Reserve Opens:
www.about-losangelesca.com/category/la-zoo/
National Geographic Pic of Rapunzel and Glenda:
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/photogalleries/a...
1998 Zooscape Article:
katherinegould.com/clips/gorillas.html
Varicella-Zoster Virus (caused Chicken Pox) Observed in Rapunzel as a Baby:
www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112195015/abstract
Rapunzel with Baby Tinga (Glenda):
www.denverzoo.org/about/photos.asp
A National Geographic Video Which Features Rapunzel:
www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Video-Urban-Gorilla/dp...
About Rapunzel, Kelly, and Baby Tinga (Glenda):
m.rockymountainnews.com/news/2005/May/27/4-pound-lowland-...
Rapunzel's 1st Baby Tulivu Moved Out to Be Handraised:
lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/monkeywire/2004-July/000637.html
The Philippine warty pig, Sus philippensis, is one of four known species in the pig genus (Sus) endemic to the Philippines. Philippine warty pigs have two pairs of warts, with a tuft of hair extending outwards from the warts closest to the jaw. Dumaguete, Philippines
Focusing outwards to enrich your inner life rather than indulging in navel - gazing introspection. Roman Krznaric
Edition 2022 - Bright Brussels
Kinetic Perspective - Juan A. Fuentes
Optical illusions that play with visitors' perception.
Inspired by the optical art illusions of the 1960s, Kinetic Perspective takes as its starting point an ever-spinning circle moving outwards and its illusory effect. In this way, the artist creates an abstract and immersive geometric shape, playing with the perspective of visitors by giving the impression of movement.
A row of eighteen illusions, each composed of two circles spinning in sync, gives the impression of a vanishing point at the eye level of visitors. Invited to actively participate and observe, the audience must move around to discover the patterns, glimmers and distortion, in which a hidden geometry will be revealed
Juan A. Fuentes' artistic line aims to awaken emotions and experiences in which the limit between what is real and what is not is blurred and where everything depends on the perspective of the spectator.
The festival of lights in Brussels
Bright Brussels, the festival of lights returns to brighten up the capital this winter!
Four evenings and three routes will take you on a journey to discover of some twenty immersive and poetic artistic works. From 10 to 13 February, the Royal Quarter, the European Quarter and the Flagey neighborhood will be illuminated by enchanting light installations. The festival will also feature a fringe programme, including evening events in the museums.
It's become a tradition for the lights of Bright Brussels to warm us up in the dead of winter and, best of all, it's completely free!
( Bright Brussels is a light festival, a fascinating route through the city consisting of a dozen light installations that are artistic, interactive, playful,... and simply captivating. )
Stockholm grew rapidly after the second world war. The city expanded to the south and west as the subway line stretched further and further outwards. Each subway stop becoming a new community centre neighborhood following the modernist city planning principles of the times. The spaces between the more densely built centers was used for infrastructure, motorways and recreational purposes. In many current discussions on the properties of the modernist city these spaces are typically described as non-places, empty, leftover, wasteland. (bit.ly/2kA0wYh, Cecilia von Schéele, The void : Urban wasteland as political space, 2016) Spaces defined as a negative, as an absence or as without use or program. Today these descriptions are often used as arguments for densification or to defend a new paradigm in city planning. This workshop is about engaging with these kind of spaces using the Örbyleden site as an example. Are they empty, useless and un-programmed? If any, what kind of activities do take place, what uses are already there?
In 1995 the Spanish architect and philosopher Ignasi de Solà-Morales calls these spaces a terrain vague (bit.ly/2jYIRX4, Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Terrain Vague, 1995). The vague terrain belong spaces seemingly designed without any purpose at all, can be seen as a product of the modernist city. They create an uncertainty in respect of what is allowed, grey zones of insecurities. The vague terrain questions our role as participants in the city, it puts into question under what authority, along what protocols we are supposed to act. As such the terrain vague can be seen to take on virtual properties, spaces where potentially another city is already there, spaces waiting to be actualized.
Stockholm grew rapidly after the second world war. The city expanded to the south and west as the subway line stretched further and further outwards. Each subway stop becoming a new community centre neighborhood following the modernist city planning principles of the times. The spaces between the more densely built centers was used for infrastructure, motorways and recreational purposes. In many current discussions on the properties of the modernist city these spaces are typically described as non-places, empty, leftover, wasteland. (bit.ly/2kA0wYh, Cecilia von Schéele, The void : Urban wasteland as political space, 2016) Spaces defined as a negative, as an absence or as without use or program. Today these descriptions are often used as arguments for densification or to defend a new paradigm in city planning. This workshop is about engaging with these kind of spaces using the Örbyleden site as an example. Are they empty, useless and un-programmed? If any, what kind of activities do take place, what uses are already there?
In 1995 the Spanish architect and philosopher Ignasi de Solà-Morales calls these spaces a terrain vague (bit.ly/2jYIRX4, Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Terrain Vague, 1995). The vague terrain belong spaces seemingly designed without any purpose at all, can be seen as a product of the modernist city. They create an uncertainty in respect of what is allowed, grey zones of insecurities. The vague terrain questions our role as participants in the city, it puts into question under what authority, along what protocols we are supposed to act. As such the terrain vague can be seen to take on virtual properties, spaces where potentially another city is already there, spaces waiting to be actualized.
Iris is a flowering plant genus of 310 accepted species with showy flowers. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also widely used as a common name for all Iris species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is flags, while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as junos, particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.
The often-segregated, monotypic genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily, I. domestica), Hermodactylus (snake's head iris, I. tuberosa), and Pardanthopsis (vesper iris, I. dichotoma) are currently included in Iris.
Three Iris varieties are used in the Iris flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems as an example of linear discriminant analysis.
Description
Irises are perennial plants, growing from creeping rhizomes (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier climates, from bulbs (bulbous irises). They have long, erect flowering stems which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species also have 2–10 narrow leaves growing from the bulb.
Flower
The inflorescences are in the shape of a fan and contain one or more symmetrical six-lobed flowers. These grow on a pedicel or peduncle. The three sepals, which are usually spreading or droop downwards, are referred to as "falls". They expand from their narrow base (the "claw" or "haft"), into a broader expanded portion ("limb" or "blade") and can be adorned with veining, lines or dots. In the centre of the blade, some of the rhizomatous irises have a "beard", a row of fuzzy hairs at the base of each falls petal which gives pollinators a landing place and guides them to the nectar.
The three, sometimes reduced, petals stand upright, partly behind the sepal bases. They are called "standards". Some smaller iris species have all six lobes pointing straight outwards, but generally limb and standards differ markedly in appearance. They are united at their base into a floral tube that lies above the ovary (This flower, with the petals, and other flower parts, above the ovary is known as an epigynous flower, and it is said to have an inferior ovary, that is an ovary below the other flower parts). The three styles divide towards the apex into petaloid branches; this is significant in pollination.
The iris flower is of interest as an example of the relation between flowering plants and pollinating insects. The shape of the flower and the position of the pollen-receiving and stigmatic surfaces on the outer petals form a landing-stage for a flying insect, which in probing for nectar, will first come into contact with the perianth, then with the three stigmatic stamens in one whorled surface which is borne on an ovary formed of three carpels. The shelf-like transverse projection on the inner whorled underside of the stamens is beneath the overarching style arm below the stigma, so that the insect comes in contact with its pollen-covered surface only after passing the stigma; in backing out of the flower it will come in contact only with the non-receptive lower face of the stigma. Thus, an insect bearing pollen from one flower will, in entering a second, deposit the pollen on the stigma; in backing out of a flower, the pollen which it bears will not be rubbed off on the stigma of the same flower.
The iris fruit is a capsule which opens up in three parts to reveal the numerous seeds within. In some species, the seeds bear an aril, such as Iris stolonifera which has light brown seeds with thick white aril.
Etymology
The genus takes its name from the Greek word ἶρις îris "rainbow", which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species.
Taxonomy
Iris is the largest genus of the family Iridaceae with up to 300 species – many of them natural hybrids.[15] Plants of the World Online lists 310 accepted species from this genus as of 2022.[1] Modern classifications, starting with Dykes (1913), have subdivided them. Dykes referred to the major subgroupings as sections. Subsequent authors such as Lawrence (1953) and Rodionenko (1987) have generally called them subgenera, while essentially retaining Dykes' groupings, using six subgenera further divided into twelve sections. Of these, section Limneris (subgenus Limneris) was further divided into sixteen series. Like some older sources, Rodionenko moved some of the bulbous subgenera (Xiphium, Scorpiris and Hermodactyloides) into separate genera (Xiphion, Juno and Iridodictyum respectively), but this has not been accepted by later writers such as Mathew (1989), although the latter kept Hermodactylus as a distinct genus, to include Hermodactylus tuberosus, now returned to Hermodactyloides as Iris tuberosa.
Rodionenko also reduced the number of sections in subgenus Iris, from six to two, depending on the presence (Hexapogon) or absence (Iris) of arils on the seeds, referred to as arilate or nonarilate. Taylor (1976) provides arguments for not including all arilate species in Hexapogon.
In general, modern classifications usually recognise six subgenera, of which five are restricted to the Old World; the sixth (subgenus Limniris) has a Holarctic distribution. The two largest subgenera are further divided into sections. The Iris subgenus has been divided into six sections; bearded irises (or pogon irises), Psammiris, Oncocyclus, Regelia, Hexapogon and Pseudoregelia. Iris subg. Limniris has been divided into 2 sections; Lophiris (or 'Evansias' or crested iris) and Limniris which was further divided into 16 series.
Evolution
The concept of introgressive hybridization (or "introgression") was first coined to describe the pattern of interspecific hybridization followed by backcrossing to the parentals that is common in this genus.
Subgeneric division
Subgenera
Iris (Bearded rhizomatous irises)
Limniris (Beardless rhizomatous irises)
Xiphium (Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus Xiphion)
Nepalensis (Bulbous irises: Formerly genus Junopsis)
Scorpiris (Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus Juno)
Hermodactyloides (Reticulate-bulbed bulbous irises: Formerly genus Iridodictyum)
Sections, series and species
Further information: List of Iris species
Distribution and habitat
Wild Iris in Behbahan
Wild Iris spuria in Behbahan, Iran
Wild Iris Spuria in Behbahan
Wild Iris spuria in Behbahan
Wild Iris in Mazandaran, Iran
Wild Iris in Mazandaran
Nearly all species are found in temperate Northern Hemisphere zones, from Europe to Asia and across North America. Although diverse in ecology, Iris is predominantly found in dry, semi-desert, or colder rocky mountainous areas. Other habitats include grassy slopes, meadowlands, woodland, bogs and riverbanks. Some irises like Iris setosa Pall. can tolerate damp (bogs) or dry sites (meadows), and Iris foetidissima can be found in woodland, hedge banks and scrub areas.
Diseases
Narcissus mosaic virus is most commonly known from Narcissus. Wylie et al., 2014, made the first identification of Narcissus mosaic virus infecting this garden plant genus, and the first record in Australia. Japanese iris necrotic ring virus also, commonly infects this genus. It was, however, unknown in Australia until Wylie et al., 2012, identified it in Australia on I. ensata.
Cultivation
A member of subgenus Limniris: Iris tectorum in China
Iris is extensively grown as ornamental plant in home and botanical gardens. Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in New Jersey, for example, is a living iris museum with over 10,000 plants, while in Europe the most famous iris garden is arguably the Giardino dell'Iris in Florence (Italy) which every year hosts a well attended iris breeders' competition. Irises, especially the multitude of bearded types, feature regularly in shows such as the Chelsea Flower Show.
For garden cultivation, iris classification differs from taxonomic classification. Garden iris are classed as either bulb iris or rhizome iris (called rhizomatous) with a number of further subdivisions. Due to a wide variety of geographic origins, and thus great genetic diversity, cultivation needs of iris vary greatly.
Generally, Irises grow well in most garden soil types providing they are well-drained, depending on the species. The earliest to bloom are species like I. reticulata and I. reichenbachii, which flower as early as February and March in the Northern Hemisphere, followed by the dwarf forms of I. pumila and others. In May or June, most of the tall bearded varieties start to bloom, such as the German iris and its variety florentina, sweet iris, Hungarian iris, lemon-yellow iris (I. flavescens), Iris sambucina, and their natural and horticultural hybrids such as those described under names like I. neglecta or I. squalens and best united under I. × lurida.
The iris is promoted in the United Kingdom by the British Iris Society. The National Collection of Arthur Bliss Irises is held in Gloucestershire.
The American Iris Society is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Iris, and recognises over 30,000 registered cultivar names.
Bearded rhizome iris
Bearded iris are classified as dwarf, tall, or aril. In Europe, the most commonly found garden iris is a hybrid iris (falsely called German iris, I. germanica which is sterile) and its numerous cultivars. Various wild forms (including Iris aphylla) and naturally occurring hybrids of the Sweet iris (I. pallida) and the Hungarian iris (I. variegata) form the basis of almost all modern hybrid bearded irises. Median forms of bearded iris (intermediate bearded, or IB; miniature tall bearded, or MTB; etc.) are derived from crosses between tall and dwarf species like Iris pumila.
The "beard", short hairs arranged to look like a long furry caterpillar, is found toward the back of the lower petals and its purpose is to guide pollinating insects toward the reproductive parts of the plant. Bearded irises have been cultivated to have much larger blooms than historically; the flowers are now twice the size of those a hundred years ago. Ruffles were introduced in the 1960s to help stabilize the larger petals.
Bearded iris are easy to cultivate and propagate and have become very popular in gardens. A small selection is usually held by garden centres at appropriate times during the season, but there are thousands of cultivars available from specialist suppliers (more than 30,000 cultivars of tall bearded iris). They are best planted as bare root plants in late summer, in a sunny open position with the rhizome visible on the surface of the soil and facing the sun. They should be divided in summer every two or three years, when the clumps become congested.
A truly red bearded iris, like a truly blue rose, remains an unattained goal despite frequent hybridizing and selection. There are species and selections, most notably based on the beardless rhizomatous Copper iris (I. fulva), which have a relatively pure red color. However, getting this color into a modern bearded iris breed has proven very difficult, and thus, the vast majority of irises are in the purple and blue range of the color spectrum, with yellow, pink, orange and white breeds also available. Irises – like many related genera – lack red-based hues because their anthocyanins are delphinidin-derived. Pelargonidin-derived anthocyanins would lend the sought-after blue-based colors but these genera are metabolically disinclined to produce pelargonidin. Dihydroflavonol 4-reductases in Iris's relatives selectively do not catalyse dihydrokaempferol to leucopelargonidin, the precursor, and this is probably the case here as well. The other metabolic difficulty is the presence of flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase, which in Chrysanthemum inhibits pelargonidin synthesis. The bias in irises towards delphinidin-anthocyanins is so pronounced that they have served as the gene donors for transgenic attempts at the aforementioned blue roses. Although these have been technically successful – over 99% of their anthocyanins are blue – their growth is crippled and they have never been commercializable.
AGM cultivars
The following is a selection of bearded irises that have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
'Alizes' (tall bearded, blue & white)
'Bumblebee Deelite' (miniature tall bearded, yellow/purple)
'Early Light' (tall bearded, pale yellow)
'Jane Phillips' (tall bearded, pale blue)
'Langport Wren' (intermediate bearded, maroon)
'Maui Moonlight' (intermediate bearded, pale yellow)
'Orinoco Flow' (border bearded, white/violet)
'Raspberry Blush' (intermediate bearded, pink)
'Sarah Taylor' (dwarf bearded, pale yellow)
'Thornbird' (tall bearded, pale yellow)
'Titan's Glory' (tall bearded, deep blue)
Bearded iris Oncocyclus section
This section contains the cushion irises or royal irises, a group of plants noted for their large, strongly marked flowers. Between 30 and 60 species are classified in this section, depending on the authority. Species of section Oncocyclus are generally strict endemics, typically occurring in a small number of scattered, disjunct populations, whose geographical isolation is enhanced by their pollination strategy and myrmecochory seed dispersal. Morphological divergence between populations usually follows a cline reflecting local adaptation to environment conditions; furthermore, this largely overlaps divergence between species, making it difficult to identify discrete species boundaries in these irises. Compared with other irises, the cushion varieties are scantily furnished with narrow sickle-shaped leaves and the flowers are usually borne singly on the stalks; they are often very dark and in some almost blackish. The cushion irises are somewhat fastidious growers, and to be successful with them they must be planted rather shallow in very gritty well-drained soil. They should not be disturbed in the autumn, and after the leaves have withered the roots should be protected from heavy rains until growth starts again naturally.
Bearded iris Regelia section
This section, closely allied to the cushion irises, includes several garden hybrids with species in section Oncocyclus, known as Regelio-cyclus irises. They are best planted in September or October in warm sunny positions, the rhizomes being lifted the following July after the leaves have withered.
Beardless rhizome iris (subgenus Limniris)
There are six major subgroupings of the beardless iris, depending on origin. They are divided into Pacific Coast, Siberica, Spuria, Louisiana, Japanese, and other.
Beardless rhizomatous iris types commonly found in the European garden are the Siberian iris (I. sibirica) and its hybrids, and the Japanese Iris (I. ensata) and its hybrids. "Japanese iris" is also a catch-all term for the Japanese iris proper (hanashōbu), the blood iris (I. sanguinea, ayame) and the rabbit-ear iris (I. laevigata, kakitsubata). I. unguicularis is a late-winter-flowering species from Algeria, with sky-blue flowers with a yellow streak in the centre of each petal, produced from Winter to Spring. Yet another beardless rhizomatous iris popular in gardening is I. ruthenica, which has much the same requirements and characteristics as the tall bearded irises. In North America, Louisiana iris and its hybrids are often cultivated.
Crested rhizome iris (subgenus Limniris)
One specific species, Iris cristata from North America.
Bulbing juno iris (subgenus Scorpiris)
Often called 'junos', this type of iris is one of the more popular bulb irises in cultivation. They are generally earliest to bloom.
Bulbing European iris (subgenus Xiphium)
This group includes irises generally of European descent, and are also classified as Dutch, English, or Spanish iris.
Iris reticulata and Iris persica, both of which are fragrant, are also popular with florists.
Iris xiphium, the Spanish Iris (also known as Dutch Iris) and
Iris latifolia, the English Iris. Despite the common names both the Spanish and English iris are of Spanish origin, and have very showy flowers, so they are popular with gardeners and florists. They are among the hardier bulbous irises, and can be grown in northern Europe. They require to be planted in thoroughly drained beds in very light open soil, moderately enriched, and should have a rather sheltered position. Both these present a long series of varieties of the most diverse colours, flowering in May, June and July, the smaller Spanish iris being the earlier of the two.
Bulbing reticulate iris (subgenus Hermodactyloides)
Reticulate irises with their characteristic bulbs, including the yellow I. danfordiae, and the various blue-purple I. histrioides and I. reticulata, flower as early as February and March. These reticulate-bulbed irises are miniatures and popular spring bulbs, being one of the first to bloom in the garden. Many of the smaller species of bulbous iris, being liable to perish from excess of moisture, should have a well-drained bed of good but porous soil made up for them, in some sunny spot, and in winter should be protected by a covering of half-decayed leaves or fresh coco-fiber.
Uses
Bombay Sapphire gin contains flavoring derived from particular bearded iris species Iris germanica and Iris pallida.
Rhizomes of the German iris (I. germanica) and sweet iris (I. pallida) are traded as orris root and are used in perfume and medicine, though more common in ancient times than today. Today, Iris essential oil (absolute) from flowers are sometimes used in aromatherapy as sedative medicines. The dried rhizomes are also given whole to babies to help in teething. Gin brands such as Bombay Sapphire and Magellan Gin use orris root and sometimes iris flowers for flavor and color.
For orris root production, iris rhizomes are harvested, dried, and aged for up to 5 years. In this time, the fats and oils inside the roots undergo degradation and oxidation, which produces many fragrant compounds that are valuable in perfumery. The scent is said to be similar to violets. The aged rhizomes are steam-distilled which produces a thick oily compound, known in the perfume industry as "iris butter" or orris oil.
Iris rhizomes also contain notable amounts of terpenes, and organic acids such as ascorbic acid, myristic acid, tridecylenic acid and undecylenic acid. Iris rhizomes can be toxic. Larger blue flag (I. versicolor) and other species often grown in gardens and widely hybridized contain elevated amounts of the toxic glycoside iridin. These rhizomes can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or skin irritation, but poisonings are not normally fatal. Irises should only be used medicinally under professional guidance.
Water purification
Further information: Organisms involved in water purification
Further information: Waste stabilization pond
Flowering yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) at a treatment pond
In water purification, yellow iris (I. pseudacorus) is often used. The roots are usually planted in a substrate (e.g. lava-stone) in a reedbed-setup. The roots then improve water quality by consuming nutrient pollutants, such as from agricultural runoff. This highly aggressive grower is now considered a noxious weed and prohibited in some states of the US where it is found clogging natural waterways.
In culture
The iris has been used in art and as a symbol, including in heraldry. The symbolic meaning has evolved, in Christendom moving from a symbol of Mary mother of Jesus, to a French heraldic sign, the fleur-de-lis, and from French royalty it spread throughout Europe and beyond.
Art
Vincent van Gogh has painted several famous pictures of irises.
The American artist Joseph Mason – a friend of John James Audubon – painted a precise image of what was then known as the Louisiana flag or copper iris (Iris fulva), to which Audubon subsequently added two Northern paraula birds (Parula americana) for inclusion as Plate 15 in his Birds of America.
The artist Philip Hermogenes Calderon painted an iris in his 1856 work Broken Vows; he followed the principles of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. An ancient belief is that the iris serves as a warning to be heeded, as it was named for the messenger of Olympus. It also conveys images of lost love and silent grief, for young girls were led into the afterlife by the goddess Iris. Broken Vows was accompanied with poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when it was first exhibited.
Contemporary artist George Gessert, who introduced the cultivation of flowers as an art form, has specialised in breeding irises.
Local varieties as symbol
Iris nigricans, the black iris is the national flower of Jordan.
Iris bismarckiana, the Nazareth Iris, is the symbol of the city of Upper Nazareth.
The Iris croatica is the unofficial national flower of Croatia.
A stylized yellow iris is the symbol of Brussels, since historically the important Saint Gaugericus Island was carpeted in them. The iris symbol is now the sole feature on the flag of the Brussels-Capital Region.
In 1998, Iris lacustris, the Dwarf Lake iris, was designated the state wildflower of Michigan, where the vast majority of populations exist.
In 1990, the Louisiana iris was voted the state wildflower of Louisiana (see also fleur-de-lis:United States, New France), though the state flower is the magnolia blossom.
An iris — species unspecified — is one of the state flowers of Tennessee. It is generally accepted that the species Iris versicolor, the Purple Iris, is the state flower alongside the wild-growing purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), the state's other floral emblem. Greeneville, Tennessee, is home to the annual Iris Festival celebrating the iris, local customs, and culture.
The species Iris versicolor is also the provincial flower of Quebec, Canada, having replaced the Madonna lily which is not native to the province (see also fleur-de-lis: Canada). The provincial flag of Québec carries the harlequin blueflag (I. versicolor, iris versicolore in French).
China
It is thought in China that Iris anguifuga has the ability to keep snakes from entering the garden. It grows all winter, keeping snakes out, but then goes dormant in the spring, allowing the snakes back into the garden. In the autumn, the iris re-appears and can stop the snakes again.
Ancient Greece
In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the goddess Persephone and her companion nymphs (the Oceanids along with Artemis and Athena) were gathering flowers such as rose, crocus, violet, iris (also called 'agallis' or ἀγαλλίς (in Greek script), lily, larkspur, and hyacinth in a springtime meadow before she was abducted by the god Hades.
It has been suggested that the 'agallis' mentioned was a dwarf iris, as described by leaf and root shape) and identified as Iris attica.
Muslim culture
In Iran and Kashmir, Iris kashmiriana and Iris germanica are most commonly grown on Muslim grave yards.
Fleur-de-lis and associated heraldry
French King Clovis I (466–511), when he converted to Christianity, changed his symbol on his banner from three toads to irises (the Virgin's flower).
The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris, first occurs in its modern use as the emblem of the House of Capet. The fleur-de-lis has been associated with France since Louis VII adopted it as a symbol in the 12th century. The yellow fleur-de-lis reflects the yellow iris (I. pseudacorus), common in Western Europe. Contemporary uses can be seen in the Quebec flag and the logo of the New Orleans Saints professional football team and on the flag of Saint Louis, Missouri.
The red fleur-de-lis in the coat-of-arms and flag of Florence, Italy, descends from the white iris which is native to Florence and which grew even in its city walls. This white iris displayed against a red background was the symbol of Florence until the Medici family reversed the colors to signal a change in political power, setting in motion a centuries-long and still on-going breeding program to hybridize a red iris.
Scouting, fraternities & sororities
The fleur-de-lis is the almost-universal symbol of Scouting and one of the symbols adopted by the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma.
The Iris versicolor is the official flower of Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity.
© by Wil Wardle. Please do not use this or any of my images without my permission.
Please click "L" on your keyboard to view on Black, you know it looks better.
Last shot from inside the Castle looking outwards.
Akershus Festning - Akershus Fortress,
(Akershus slott og festning - Akershus Castle).
Akershus Fortress
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Akershus festning
Oslo, Norway
Akershus Fortress
Built 1290s
Construction
materials Stone
In use 1290s-today
Controlled by Norway, Germany
Akershus Fortress (Akershus Festning) is the old castle built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway.
The first work on the fortress started around the late 1290s, by King Håkon V, replacing Tønsberg as one of the two most important Norwegian castles of the period (the other being Båhus). It was constructed in response to the Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg’s earlier attack on Oslo.
The fortress has successfully survived many sieges, primarily by Swedish forces. In the early 17th c., the fortress was modernized and remodeled under the reign of the active King Christian IV, and got the appearance of a renaissance castle.
The fortress was first used in battle in 1308, when it was besieged by the Swedish duke Erik of Södermanland, who later in the same year won the Swedish throne. The immediate proximity of the sea was a key feature, for naval power was a vital military force as the majority of Norwegian commerce in that period was by sea. The fortress was strategically important for the capital, and therefore, Norway as well. Whoever ruled Akershus fortress ruled Norway.
The fortress has never been successfully captured by a foreign enemy. It surrendered without combat to Nazi Germany in 1940 when the Norwegian government evacuated the capital in the face of the unprovoked German assault on Denmark and Norway (see Operation Weserübung). During WWII, several people were executed here by the German occupiers. After the war, eight Norwegian traitors who had been tried for war crimes and sentenced to death were also executed at the fortress. Among those executed was Vidkun Quisling.
Akershus fortress is still a military area, but is open to the public daily until 9pm. In addition to the castle, the Norwegian Armed Forces museum and the Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. The Norwegian armed forces inteligence still has the HQ at Akershus Fortress.
Several Norwegian royals have been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. They include:
* King Haakon VII
* Queen Maud
* King Olav V
* Crown Princess Märtha
Abatis abattis,or abbattis is a term in the field fortification for a obstacle formed (in the modern era) of branches of trees laid in rows,with the sharpened to directer outwards,towards the enemy.The trees are usually interlaced or tired with wire.Abatis are used along or in combination with wire entanglements and other obstacles.
There is evidence it was used as the Roman Imperial period and as recently as the American Civil War.Abatis is rerely seen nowadays,having largely replaced by wire obstacled.A form of giant abatis,using whole trees instead of breach,can be used as an improvised.an important weekness of abatis,in contrest to wire is that it can be destroyed by fire.Alsoif lace together with rope instead of wire,the rope can be very quickly distroyed such fires,after which the abatis can be pulled apart by grappling hooks throwing from a safe distance.
An importat advantage is that an inprovised abatis can be quickly formed in forested areas.This can be done by simply cutting down a row of trees so that they fall with their tops towards the enemy.An alternative is to place explosives so as to blow the trees down.
Frotifications were protected by obstaled,such as an abatis,or other major hindrances to assaulting troops.They were easily place befor a parapet,or breastworks,wherever trees plentiful and were used to supplement defensive rampart walls or barricades.
Derived from the French word mening heap of material throw together,the abatis was built of piles of trees or large branches sharpened point and turned toward the enemy's approch.They were entangled to form impassable barrier for cavalry and infantry.
An abatis was placed to provide protection from an assaulth fromthe northwest expouse.
The use of an abatis alone or together with other entanglemts,led to exensive tree-chopping program to supple logs for these obstruction and for battery emplacement as well as to provide timber for huts and fire wood for cooking and heating.
Bastion
The fortification built on the high ground to the west was rectanglar is shape with at each corner.It undoubtedly was provide additional protection to the important batterys on the bluff and to provent their capture by a land assault.
For many years, people have said that Saskatoon suffers from something called "urban sprawl," in which cities expand outwards and further away from urban areas. When I saw this area, I thought it'd make a good picture, because it's an odd mixture. A condo/apartment building is under construction... but it is surrounded by a high school, a business district and a residential area that really feels like a suburban development. As for the traffic signals, there is a mixture of different branded signals... the overhead signal is an LFE-branded signal with a Siemens head... while the lower one is an EAGLE-branded signal... which, in the end, are all owned by EAGLE.
This picture was taken at the intersection of Main Street East and Broadway Avenue.
This are looked different just last summer.
Stockholm grew rapidly after the second world war. The city expanded to the south and west as the subway line stretched further and further outwards. Each subway stop becoming a new community centre neighborhood following the modernist city planning principles of the times. The spaces between the more densely built centers was used for infrastructure, motorways and recreational purposes. In many current discussions on the properties of the modernist city these spaces are typically described as non-places, empty, leftover, wasteland. (bit.ly/2kA0wYh, Cecilia von Schéele, The void : Urban wasteland as political space, 2016) Spaces defined as a negative, as an absence or as without use or program. Today these descriptions are often used as arguments for densification or to defend a new paradigm in city planning. This workshop is about engaging with these kind of spaces using the Örbyleden site as an example. Are they empty, useless and un-programmed? If any, what kind of activities do take place, what uses are already there?
In 1995 the Spanish architect and philosopher Ignasi de Solà-Morales calls these spaces a terrain vague (bit.ly/2jYIRX4, Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Terrain Vague, 1995). The vague terrain belong spaces seemingly designed without any purpose at all, can be seen as a product of the modernist city. They create an uncertainty in respect of what is allowed, grey zones of insecurities. The vague terrain questions our role as participants in the city, it puts into question under what authority, along what protocols we are supposed to act. As such the terrain vague can be seen to take on virtual properties, spaces where potentially another city is already there, spaces waiting to be actualized.
A young girl sitting in her house looking outwards. Photo taken in a fishing village near Chaungtha in Ayeyarwady, Myanmar.
Edition 2022 - Bright Brussels
Kinetic Perspective - Juan A. Fuentes
Optical illusions that play with visitors' perception.
Inspired by the optical art illusions of the 1960s, Kinetic Perspective takes as its starting point an ever-spinning circle moving outwards and its illusory effect. In this way, the artist creates an abstract and immersive geometric shape, playing with the perspective of visitors by giving the impression of movement.
A row of eighteen illusions, each composed of two circles spinning in sync, gives the impression of a vanishing point at the eye level of visitors. Invited to actively participate and observe, the audience must move around to discover the patterns, glimmers and distortion, in which a hidden geometry will be revealed
Juan A. Fuentes' artistic line aims to awaken emotions and experiences in which the limit between what is real and what is not is blurred and where everything depends on the perspective of the spectator.
The festival of lights in Brussels
Bright Brussels, the festival of lights returns to brighten up the capital this winter!
Four evenings and three routes will take you on a journey to discover of some twenty immersive and poetic artistic works. From 10 to 13 February, the Royal Quarter, the European Quarter and the Flagey neighborhood will be illuminated by enchanting light installations. The festival will also feature a fringe programme, including evening events in the museums.
It's become a tradition for the lights of Bright Brussels to warm us up in the dead of winter and, best of all, it's completely free!
( Bright Brussels is a light festival, a fascinating route through the city consisting of a dozen light installations that are artistic, interactive, playful,... and simply captivating. )