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From my set entitled “Pulmonaria”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonaria
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonaria
The lungworts are the genus Pulmonaria of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe and western Asia, with one species (P. mollissima) east to central Asia. According to various estimates there may be between 10 and 18 Pulmonaria species found in the wild, but the taxonomy of this genus is very confusing.
The scientific name Pulmonaria is derived from Latin pulmo (the lung). In the times of sympathetic magic, the spotted oval leaves of P. officinalis were thought to symbolize diseased, ulcerated lungs, and so were used to treat pulmonary infections. The common name in many languages also refers to lungs, as in English "lungwort" and German "Lungenkraut". In some East European languages, the common name is derived from a word for honey, e.g. Russian "medunitza" and Polish "miodunka".
English colloquial names include Lungwort, Soldiers and Sailors, Spotted dog, Joseph and Mary, Jerusalem Cowslip, Bethlehem Sage.
Lungworts are perennial herbs that form clumps or rosettes. They are covered in hairs of varied length and stiffness, and sometimes also bear glands. The underground parts consist of a slowly creeping rhizome with adventitious roots. Flowering stems are unbranched, rough, covered with bristly hairs, usually not exceeding 25–30cm, with a few exceptions (P. mollis, P. vallarsae). The stems are usually upright, or slightly spreading.
The leaves are arranged in rosettes. The blades are usually large, from narrowly lanceolate to oval, with the base ranging from heart shaped to very gradually narrowing, and can have a sharply pointed or blunt tip. Leaf margin is always entire, but in some species and forms can be rather wavy. Basal leaves are carried on stalks that can be short or longer than the leave blade in various species. Stem leaves are smaller and often narrower, and are unstalked or clasping the stem. All leaves are covered with hairs that are usually bristly, or occasionally soft. The leaves are often prominently spotted in black and blue, or sometimes in pale green, or unspotted.
The inflorescence is a terminal scorpioid cyme, with bracts. Lungwort flowers are heterostylous, with two distinct forms of flower within each species; those with short stamens and long styles ("pin" flowers) and those with long stamens and short styles ("thrum" flowers), with the former usually being larger and more showy. The calyx is hairy, 5-lobed, tubular or funnel-shaped, enlarging as the fruit ripens. The corolla is funnel-shaped and consists of a long, cylindrical tube and a limb with five shallow lobes. Within the corolla throat, five tufts of hairs alternate with the stamens to form a ring. The colour of corolla varies from purple, violet or blue to shades of pink and red, or sometimes white. The colour of the flower in bud is often pink, which then changes as the flower matures. The stamens and style are included within the corolla and not protruding.
The nutlets are smooth, egg-shaped, brownish, up to 4.5 mm long and 3 mm wide, each containing a single seed. Up to four nutlets per flower are produced, ripening mostly in summer.
Pulmonaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora pulmonariella which feeds exclusively on P. saccharata.
Does anyone know anything about this odd boat?
Thanks to all the people who identified it as an ordinary pontoon boat! :-)
Taking a break on the ugly hill up out of Mellingoose.
This was a momentous day - the first time I've ridden without my jacket since last Autumn, and not only that, but my sleeves were rolled up as well - Yikes!
This hill though... oh it's a swine. According to one mapping site the road rises 207 feet in 0.4 of a mile, which sounds a lot but I can believe it. I even saw a Mountain Goat that shook its head at me as I passed*
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*May not be entirely true...
Hasting Bluebell railtour passes the Bluebells in Lindfield Wood on the final stage of its journey to Sheffield Park at Noon today.
Old cattle grid beside the lane near Trescowthick.
Country Dumpling another hazard for the unwary cyclist.
Site of a level crossing on the old Newham branch. The line/path continues on up to the Chapel of Rest (County Hall) but I left the path here to head towards Playing Place.
Arriving at St Clement from Tresillian and you find this rather nicely tended garden, featuring a mix of wild and domesticated flowers.
US Navy C-40A Clipper 166694 arriving at Cardiff Airport, South Wales, hosted by Global Trek Aviation.
Feeling physically a bit fitter I thought I'd give Fatso a boot about in Idless Woods.
It was lovely and sunny but there was a very fresh and gusty Easterly blowing. Thankfully, the woods offer plenty of shelter from the wind, and the sound of it thrashing through the tree tops was actually quite invigorating.
Might as well make use of the scaffolding round 'Pedaler Towers and Mansions while it's still flipping here.
The Voodoo recently copped another tickle with the bucket and sponge, so I thought I'd get another 'beauty' shot of it before I sullied its paint once more with dirt and general gribble.
Just mooching.
7 or 8 mph, lowish/middlish gear so easy pedaling, the crackle of the tyres on gravel, the noises of wild or farm animals, the sunshine - I could potter all day long on roads like these (if they were flat that is - you don't go far down here without meeting some dirty great lung busting hill that interrupts the joyful drifting).
52 Weeks of Pix 2014 - Green/Blue (not my best effort, but the best of the efforts I managed, lol! Love the bell shape of these grape hyacinths).
Thank you for any comments and/or favourites - apologies for not reciprocating but I'm currently moving and we're still living out of suitcases. I will try to catch up with everyone once the boxes are unpacked, the phone's connected and all the other random tasks have been completed.
You can also visit me at www.facebook.com/LyndaHPhotography where I'm trying to post a picture-a-day.
Now that's proper social distancing.
Getting out of the saddle for the camera on the Byway that runs across Cubert Commmon.
an early morning bus ride to work, from Fishponds to central Bristol
Bus in the middle of the road getting ready to turn right.....
Not the flower kind ~ more the Starling kind. Got this shot early in the day - good thing too; very long day at work.
This European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - talk about a long commute!! - was enjoying the sunshine this morning. (snowing again when I left Boulder, Colorado for home tonight!!)
The entrance to the Trennick Lane Bridleway, between St Clement and Truro. I'd ridden out of St Clement on the road, then to this junction. There is another section of Bridleway from St Clement that joins behind where I took this shot.
This entrance might not look much, but at this time of year at least, what lies beyond is a rather stunning display of wild flowers.
I went back through my archives in search of some spring inspiration. I've been sick with a cold this week and cheery color is part of the cure. These were some of the tulips from last year's garden. So glad they were there to welcome me with their pretty faces this morning. I needed it!
Fatso on Penmount Lane looking towards Idless, with the new builds at Shortlanesend appearing delightfully (may contain sarcasm) on the horizon.
Idless Woods to the right and mysterious big building in front of them. Probably just agricultural sheddery. Beside the buildings though, if what a bow legged old boy told me is correct, was a Home Guard firing range.