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The Hairy Lemons In Life -
It only happens once in a blue moon that I visit the museum to get “cultured” and rediscover through art, all the things that made me smile (the free admission helps a lot). This day I was the section dedicated to the display of contemporary art. A scene behind the ultra-thin cording drew me in more than anything else. I stepped back and study the big picture. Apart from smashed bowls littered on the floor, a trash bin, strewn clothing, one side of a slipper were enclosed within. How do these contribute to representational art? My pineal widens and my iris constrict. I dissect the elements in the composition. I invert my perspective. I… move on to the next showpiece because this expression of modern metropolis utterly defeated me.
In the adjacent hall a queer exhibit divides the crowd. Admirers marvel, “This tangled sculpt is more than art!” Critiques assign their own meaning to the object. “Strange as white spaghetti but where are the meatballs?”
I scan the long and short fibers eagerly. Finally, this I can grasp. To be perceived as an art dunce is worse than bankrupt thus I add, “Which closeted artist painted them the purest pale thy eyes can bear?” before continuing “Is this waxwork, standing on end with static electricity, a representation of Albert Einstein wig not?” I asked the gentlemen on my right.
It seems a lifetime before he glance back then press the pushbutton next to the photo flash ban sign. I’ll never forget the resonance of the recorded audio that came forth. “We symbolize polyps catastrophe and climate change. We are the colors of femurs and wish bones. We are the embodiment of bleached corals.”
I never felt my heart sink to my stomach so quickly. Hopefully, nobody saw my reddening cheeks with spurts of yellow and green.
Incredible camouflage of a neotropical epiphyll-mimicking katydid (Clepsydronotus deciduus). Ephiphylls are tiny plants and lichens that grow on the surfaces of leaves in tropical rainforests, usually being detrimental to their host because they block light to the leaves. Having selected such an epiphyll-ridden leaf, the katydid is able to blend with the mottled colors and rough texture to conceal itself despite being completely exposed on the upper surface. Notice also how the katydid has carefully folded its long threadlike antennae under itself – if they were to stick out then the insect could be much more easily discovered by sharp-eyed birds. Choco, Colombia.
'The green, green grass of home'. A Northerm Gannet, Morus bassanus flying in at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire. Splaying out its totipalmate feet (Its toes are fully webbed) with a bill crammed with grass and natural nest building materials...Sadly however, a survey of 7280 Gannet nests on twenty nine colonies by the British Ornithologists Union revealed that 46% of nests contained debris. The vast majority of this debris was threadlike plastic, most likely from fishing activities, with the occasional piece of sheet, foam or hard plastic! The birds get tangled in these fishing lines and plastic debris and many Gannets die from injury and starvation, let alone the devastating results of Bird Flue this year.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Northern Gannet Notes and Information:
A search for ‘Gannet nest’ and ‘Plastic’ on Google Images will reveal many photographs of gannet nests containing plastic. The Northern Gannet Morus bassanus colony on Grassholm, South Wales is particularly infamous for the amount of anthropogenic debris in nests, largely threadlike plastic, such as fishing rope from fishing activities (Votier et al. 2012). Each autumn the RSPB visit Grassholm to cut free alive individuals entangled at the nest, largely involving juveniles which otherwise wouldn’t have fledged BOU notes.
Name: Northern Gannet, Solan, Solan Goose (Sula bassana)
Length: 80 to 110 centimetres.
Weight: 2 to 3.5 kg.
Location:
Eastern coast of North America down to Gulf of Mexico. Crosses across the Northern Arctic to the west coast of Europe down to northern coast of Africa.
Conservation status:Least Concern.
Diet: Fish, squid.
Appearance: White with brown or black
wingtips. Black patch around blue eyes.
Long blue-grey beaks with slight downward curve at the end.
How do Northern Gannets feed?
Northern Gannets dive at the water like an arrow at tremendous speeds of up to 100 km per hour. Their bodies are built to withstand the impact with an especially strong sternum.They are able to spot prey when they are as high as 45 km above sea level, though 10 to 20 metres is more usual. During the dive they will use their wings as rudders to control their direction, tucking their wings in at the last moment just before they hit the water. Their velocity can carry them 5 metres below the surface of the water. They can additionally swim a further 15 metres to hunt down prey. They will swallow the fish while still underwater instead of surfacing and carrying it away.They are also known to follow fishing vessels like gulls do in order to pick fish out of the nets or pick up any refuse left behind.
Are Northern Gannets social?
Northern Gannets forage together.
How fast do Northern Gannets fly?
Northern Gannets can reach flying speeds of up to 65 km per hour.
What are Northern Gannet birthing rituals like?
Northern Gannet flocks have been known to return to the same breeding sites for hundreds of years. The biggest colonies contain tens of thousands of nests. The oldest birds tend to return to the breeding ground first. The time of year that the breeding season occurs in depends on the location of the grounds. For example the birds that choose Bass Rock as their grounds (a location off the coast of Scotland) breed at the end of January while those in Iceland tend to breed around March or April.
Northern Gannets reach sexual maturity around four years of age. Juvenile birds that join the rest of the flock at the breeding grounds may make a nest of their own at the fringes of the site or take over other nests, but they will give up the nests if an older member of the flock comes to claim it. The nests are generally constructed by the males, made from seaweed and any other materials found floating on the water. The nests are about 50 to 70 centimetres in diameter and will require maintenance throughout the season due to erosion from the wind. Same-sex fights can break out during the season. The male fights can be especially aggressive and can result in broken necks and wings. Females soar over the grounds searching for a suitable mate. Males will display by shaking their heads back and forth. Once mated the birds usually remain monogamous for years, if not the rest of their lives.
One egg is laid, weighing about 100 grams. If the first egg is lost then a second will be laid. The incubation period takes 6 or 7 weeks.Once hatched, the hatchling is fed regurgitated food for the next 3 months. Adult birds that are searching for feed for their young have been known to fly as far as 320 km away from their nesting site.After the 3 or so months the chick is strong enough to glide down to the water from the nest on their own. They are now on their own, permanently separated from their parents. Their fat reserves are enough to keep them alive for the next 2 or 3 weeks while they earn to tend to themselves. Initially brown, the juvenile birds will take three or so years before they have grown in their fully white plumage.
How long do Northern Gannets live?
Northern Gannets live about 35 years in the wild.
How many Northern Gannets are there today?
Rough estimates put today’s wild Northern Gannet population at anywhere between 950,000 and 1,200,000 individuals.
Do Northern Gannets have any natural predators?
Adult Northern Gannets are on rare occasions taken by bald eagles, white-tailed eagles, large sharks, and seals. Chicks and eggs are also vulnerable to gulls, ravens, ermines, and red foxes.Nesting northern gannets7
Grand Northern Gannet Facts
1. The Northern Gannet is the largest member of the gannet family.
2. Northern Gannets secrete a water-impermeable oily fluid from subaceous glands. They spread the oil across their feathers with their heads and beaks.
3. Northern Gannets are not particularly good at walking. This means they are better at taking off into flight from the water than from land. They do this by facing into the wind and vigorously flapping their wings to produce the necessary lift. This can cause problems for them on especially wavy days which can see them ending up beached.
4. Northern Gannets have tiny airbags under their skin that they use to help them return to the surface after a dive.
5. Northern Gannet females are much choosier than the males when hunting. They will take longer to choose their foraging area, and will dive deeper and longer on average per dive.
6. Northern Gannet migrations have taken them as far south as Ecuador.
7. The term “gannet” has become synonymous with “glutton” in the U.K. due to the bird’s huge appetite. Oceanwide expeditions notes.
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support and attachment, generally by twining around whatever it touches.
How I shot this image:
With a 50D, at f/3.2, ISO 100, I took this shot at 1/250s. I have changed its shape a little bit to fit with the border.
Hope that you will enjoy it. I will appreciate any of your comments.
--Arju
J’ai pris l’habitude de scruter ma haie chaque fois que je passe devant, dans l’espoir d’apercevoir un insecte intéressant à photographier. Et j’y ai vu… une brindille qui s’est mise à bouger à mon approche. Autant dire que j’ai dû battre un record de vitesse pour aller chercher l’appareil photo avant qu’elle ne disparaisse !
Il s’agit d’un « diablotin », c’est-à-dire une jeune empuse commune (Empusa pennata) que l’on trouve principalement dans la moitié sud de la France et dans les régions méditerranéennes, où elle joue un rôle essentiel dans l’équilibre écologique de son habitat. Et c’est bien la première fois de ma vie que j’en voyais une ! Les jeunes sont reconnaissables à leur « tenue camouflage » (mais ils peuvent aussi être teintés de rose ou de jaune) et à leur abdomen recourbé ; les adultes ont une coloration plus unie et leur abdomen est droit.
Cet insecte étonnant a un thorax particulièrement allongé qui lui donne une apparence de brindille. Les pattes ravisseuses, typiques des mantes (c’est la seule mante à faire partie de la famille des Empusidae en France), sont adaptées à la capture des proies avec une rapidité impressionnante. L’une de ses particularités est la présence d’une « coiffe » sur la tête. Les femelles ont des antennes filiformes et les mâles ont des antennes pectinées.
C’est un prédateur redoutable pour les petits insectes (mouches, sauterelles et criquets) qu’elle attend patiemment en se fondant dans la végétation avant de les attraper d’un geste éclair.
Préserver les prairies sèches et les espaces naturels riches en biodiversité est essentiel pour sa survie (j’espère donc qu’elle trouvera mon jardin suffisamment à son goût pour y rester).
Source : aujardin.info
I've gotten into the habit of scanning my hedge every time I walk past it, hoping to spot an interesting insect to photograph. And I saw... a twig that started to move as I approached. Suffice to say that I had to break a speed record to get the camera before it disappeared!
It is a "diablotin", that is to say a young common empusa (Empusa pennata) that is found mainly in the southern half of France and in the Mediterranean regions, where it plays an essential role in the ecological balance of its habitat. And it was the first time in my life that I saw one! The young are recognizable by their "camouflage outfit" (but they can also be tinged with pink or yellow) and their curved abdomen; the adults have a more uniform coloration and their abdomen is straight.
This amazing insect has a particularly elongated thorax that gives it a twig-like appearance. The raptorial legs, typical of mantises (this is the only mantis belonging to the Empusidae family in France), are adapted to capture prey with impressive speed. One of its distinctive features is the presence of a "cap" on its head. Females have threadlike antennae and males have pectinate antennae.
It is a formidable predator of small insects (flies, grasshoppers, and crickets) that it waits patiently for, blending into the vegetation before catching them with a lightning-fast move.
Preserving dry meadows and natural areas rich in biodiversity is essential for its survival (so I hope it will find my garden sufficiently to its liking to stay there).
Source: aujardin.info
SN/NC: Cosmos Bipinnatus, Asteraceae Family
Commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant native to the Americas. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens. Cosmos bipinnatus is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself. The branched stem is usually densely to occasionally occupied by fine, split-up, rough trichomes, some specimens are completely hairless. The petiole itself is inconspicuous, winged, 10 (rarely to 15) mm long, sometimes the leaves are almost sessile. The partial leaves are linear-filiform to narrow linear with a width of 0.5 to 1 (rarely to 1.7) mm; the tips are pointed, hardened, but not particularly sharp. It is a lovely planta and even a more lovely flower. A flower of simple and great beauty.
Comúnmente llamado cosmos de jardín o aster mexicano, es una planta herbácea de floración mediana originaria de las Américas. La especie y sus variedades y cultivares son populares como planta ornamental en jardines de clima templado. Cosmos bipinnatus se considera una planta anual semirresistente, aunque las plantas pueden reaparecer mediante la auto-siembra durante varios años. La altura de la planta varía de 2 a 4 pies (0,61 a 1,22 m). Las variedades cultivadas aparecen en tonos de rosa y morado, así como en blanco. Su follaje está finamente cortado en segmentos filiformes. Cuando florece, la planta puede volverse pesada. Este problema se alivia cuando se cultiva en grupos, ya que las hojas bipinnadas se entrelazan y la colonia se sustenta a sí misma. El tallo ramificado suele estar densamente ocupado ocasionalmente por tricomas finos, divididos y ásperos, algunos especímenes son completamente lampiños. Es una planta hermosa y una flor aún más hermosa. Una flor de sencilla y gran belleza. Y muy prolífico.
Nomes Populares: Cosmos, Beijo-de-moça, Cosméa, Cosmo, Cosmos-de-jardim, Picão-rosa. Ou ainda jardim cosmos ou áster mexicano. É uma planta herbácea de floração de tamanho médio nativa das Américas. A espécie e suas variedades e cultivares são populares como planta ornamental em jardins de clima temperado. Cosmos bipinnatus é considerado um anual meio-resistente, embora as plantas possam reaparecer por auto-semeadura por vários anos. A altura da planta varia de 2 a 4 pés (0,61 a 1,22 m). As variedades cultivadas aparecem em tons de rosa e roxo, além de branco. Sua folhagem é finamente cortada em segmentos semelhantes a fios. Ao florescer, a planta pode ficar pesada. Esse problema é amenizado quando cultivado em grupos, pois as folhas bipinadas se entrelaçam e a colônia se sustenta. O caule ramificado é geralmente densamente a ocasionalmente ocupado por tricomas finos, divididos e ásperos, alguns espécimes são completamente sem pêlos. É uma planta linda e uma flor ainda mais linda. Uma flor de beleza simples e grande. E muito prolífico.
Allgemein Garten kosmos oder Mexikanische Aster genannt, ist eine mittelgroße blühende krautige Pflanze, die in Amerika beheimatet ist. Die Art und ihre Sorten und Sorten sind als Zierpflanze in Gärten gemäßigter Klimazonen beliebt. Cosmos bipinnatus gilt als halbhart einjährig, obwohl Pflanzen durch Selbstaussaat für mehrere Jahre wieder erscheinen können. Die Pflanzenhöhe variiert zwischen 0,61 und 1,22 m. Die kultivierten Sorten erscheinen in Rosa- und Lilatönen sowie in Weiß. Sein Laub ist fein in fadenförmige Segmente geschnitten. Während der Blüte kann die Pflanze kopflastig werden. Dieses Problem wird gemildert, wenn sie in Gruppen gezüchtet werden, da die doppelt gefiederten Blätter ineinandergreifen und die Kolonie sich selbst trägt. Der verzweigte Stängel ist meist dicht bis vereinzelt mit feinen, aufgespaltenen, rauen Trichomen besetzt, einige Exemplare sind völlig unbehaart. Der Blattstiel selbst ist unscheinbar, geflügelt, 10 (selten bis 15) mm lang, manchmal sind die Blätter fast sitzend. Die Teilblätter sind linealisch-fadenförmig bis schmal linealisch mit einer Breite von 0,5 bis 1 (selten bis 1,7) mm; die Spitzen sind spitz, gehärtet, aber nicht besonders scharf. Es ist eine schöne Pflanze und sogar eine schönere Blume. Eine Blume von einfacher und großer Schönheit.
Gewoonlijk de tuinkosmos of Mexicaanse aster genoemd, is een middelgrote bloeiende kruidachtige plant afkomstig uit Amerika. De soort en zijn variëteiten en cultivars zijn populair als sierplant in tuinen met een gematigd klimaat. Cosmos bipinnatus wordt beschouwd als een halfwinterharde eenjarige, hoewel planten gedurende meerdere jaren kunnen verschijnen door zelf te zaaien. De planthoogte varieert 2-4 ft (0,61-1,22 m). De gekweekte variëteiten verschijnen in de kleuren roze en paars en ook in wit. Het blad is fijn gesneden in draadachtige segmenten. Tijdens de bloei kan de plant topzwaar worden. Dit probleem wordt verlicht wanneer het in groepen wordt gekweekt, omdat de tweevoudig geveerde bladeren in elkaar grijpen en de kolonie zichzelf ondersteunt. De vertakte stengel is meestal dicht tot af en toe bezet door fijne, opgesplitste, ruwe trichomen, sommige exemplaren zijn volledig haarloos. De bladsteel zelf is onopvallend, gevleugeld, 10 (zelden tot 15) mm lang, soms zijn de bladeren bijna zittend. De gedeeltelijke bladeren zijn lineair-draadvormig tot smal lineair met een breedte van 0,5 tot 1 (zelden tot 1,7) mm; de punten zijn puntig, gehard, maar niet bijzonder scherp. Het is een mooie planta en nog een mooiere bloem. Een bloem van eenvoudige en grote schoonheid.
Comunemente chiamato cosmo del giardino o aster messicano, è una pianta erbacea a fioritura di medie dimensioni originaria delle Americhe. La specie e le sue varietà e cultivar sono popolari come pianta ornamentale nei giardini a clima temperato. Il Cosmos bipinnatus è considerato un annuale semi-resistente, sebbene le piante possano riapparire tramite autosemina per diversi anni. L'altezza della pianta varia da 2 a 4 piedi (0,61-1,22 m). Le varietà coltivate appaiono nei toni del rosa e del viola oltre al bianco. Il suo fogliame è finemente tagliato in segmenti filiformi. Durante la fioritura, la pianta può diventare molto pesante. Questo problema viene alleviato quando viene coltivato in gruppi, poiché le foglie bipennate si incastrano e la colonia si sostiene. Il fusto ramificato è solitamente occupato da densamente a occasionalmente da tricomi fini, divisi e ruvidi, alcuni esemplari sono completamente glabri. Il picciolo stesso è poco appariscente, alato, lungo 10 (raramente fino a 15) mm, a volte le foglie sono quasi sessili. Le foglie parziali sono da lineari filiformi a lineari stretti con una larghezza da 0,5 a 1 (raramente a 1,7) mm; le punte sono appuntite, temprate, ma non particolarmente affilate. È una pianta adorabile e persino un fiore più adorabile. Un fiore di semplice e grande bellezza.
Communément appelé le cosmos du jardin ou l'aster mexicain, est une plante herbacée à fleurs de taille moyenne originaire des Amériques. L'espèce et ses variétés et cultivars sont populaires comme plante ornementale dans les jardins de climat tempéré. Cosmos bipinnatus est considéré comme une annuelle semi-rustique, bien que les plantes puissent réapparaître par auto-ensemencement pendant plusieurs années. La hauteur de la plante varie de 2 à 4 pieds (0,61 à 1,22 m). Les variétés cultivées apparaissent dans des tons de rose et de violet ainsi que de blanc. Son feuillage est finement découpé en segments filiformes. Lors de la floraison, la plante peut devenir lourde au sommet. Ce problème est atténué lorsqu'il est cultivé en groupes, car les feuilles bipennées s'emboîtent et la colonie se soutient elle-même. La tige ramifiée est généralement densément à occasionnellement occupée par de fins trichomes rugueux, fendus, certains spécimens sont complètement glabres. Le pétiole lui-même est discret, ailé, de 10 (rarement à 15) mm de long, parfois les feuilles sont presque sessiles. Les feuilles partielles sont linéaires-filiformes à linéaires étroites avec une largeur de 0,5 à 1 (rarement 1,7) mm ; les pointes sont pointues, durcies, mais pas particulièrement tranchantes. C'est une belle planta et même une plus belle fleur. Une fleur d'une beauté simple et grande.
يُطلق عليه عادة كوزموس الحديقة أو النجمة المكسيكية ، وهو نبات عشبي مزهر متوسط الحجم موطنه الأمريكتان. الأنواع وأصنافها وأصنافها شائعة كنباتات الزينة في حدائق المناخ المعتدل. يعتبر Cosmos bipinnatus سنويًا نصف هاردي ، على الرغم من أن النباتات قد تظهر مرة أخرى عن طريق البذر الذاتي لعدة سنوات. يتراوح ارتفاع النبات من 2-4 قدم (0.61-1.22 م). تظهر الأصناف المزروعة بظلال من اللون الوردي والأرجواني وكذلك الأبيض. يتم تقطيع أوراقها بدقة إلى شرائح تشبه الخيوط. عند الإزهار ، يمكن أن يصبح النبات ثقيلًا. يتم تخفيف هذه المشكلة عند نموها في مجموعات ، حيث يترك ثنائي الطور متشابكًا ، وتدعم المستعمرة نفسها. عادةً ما يتم احتلال الجذع المتفرعة بكثافة في بعض الأحيان بواسطة trichomes دقيقة ، ومنقسمة ، وخشنة ، وبعض العينات خالية تمامًا من الشعر. السويقة نفسها غير واضحة ، مجنحة ، طولها 10 (نادرًا إلى 15) ملم ، وأحيانًا تكون الأوراق لاطئة تقريبًا. الأوراق الجزئية خطية - خيطية إلى خطية ضيقة بعرض 0.5 إلى 1 (نادرًا إلى 1.7) مم ؛ الأطراف مدببة ومتصلبة ولكنها ليست حادة بشكل خاص. إنها زهرة جميلة بل إنها زهرة أكثر جمالًا. زهرة ذات جمال بسيط ورائع.
一般的にガーデン コスモスまたはメキシカン アスターと呼ばれる、アメリカ大陸原産の中型の開花草本植物です。種とその変種および栽培品種は、温暖な気候の庭園の観葉植物として人気があります。 Cosmos bipinnatus は半耐寒性の一年生植物と考えられていますが、植物は自家播種によって数年間再出現する可能性があります。植物の高さは 2 ～ 4 フィート (0.61 ～ 1.22 m) です。栽培されている品種は、白だけでなくピンクや紫の色合いで表示されます。その葉は細かく糸のようなセグメントにカットされています。開花すると、植物はトップヘビーになることがあります。この問題は、二回羽状の葉がかみ合い、コロニーがそれ自体をサポートするため、グループで成長すると軽減されます。枝分かれした茎は、通常は密集しており、時折細く分割された粗いトリコームで占められており、一部の標本は完全に無毛です。葉柄自体は目立たず、翼があり、長さは10（まれに15）mmで、葉はほとんど無柄です。部分葉は幅0.5～1mm（まれに1.7mm）の線状～細線状～細線状。先端は尖っており、硬化していますが、特に鋭くはありません。それは愛らしいプランタであり、さらに愛らしい花です。シンプルで素晴らしい美しさの花。
SN/NC: Cosmos Bipinnatus, Asteraceae Family
Commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant native to the Americas. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens. Cosmos bipinnatus is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself. The branched stem is usually densely to occasionally occupied by fine, split-up, rough trichomes, some specimens are completely hairless. The petiole itself is inconspicuous, winged, 10 (rarely to 15) mm long, sometimes the leaves are almost sessile. The partial leaves are linear-filiform to narrow linear with a width of 0.5 to 1 (rarely to 1.7) mm; the tips are pointed, hardened, but not particularly sharp. It is a lovely planta and even a more lovely flower. A flower of simple and great beauty.
Comúnmente llamado cosmos de jardín o aster mexicano, es una planta herbácea de floración mediana originaria de las Américas. La especie y sus variedades y cultivares son populares como planta ornamental en jardines de clima templado. Cosmos bipinnatus se considera una planta anual semirresistente, aunque las plantas pueden reaparecer mediante la auto-siembra durante varios años. La altura de la planta varía de 2 a 4 pies (0,61 a 1,22 m). Las variedades cultivadas aparecen en tonos de rosa y morado, así como en blanco. Su follaje está finamente cortado en segmentos filiformes. Cuando florece, la planta puede volverse pesada. Este problema se alivia cuando se cultiva en grupos, ya que las hojas bipinnadas se entrelazan y la colonia se sustenta a sí misma. El tallo ramificado suele estar densamente ocupado ocasionalmente por tricomas finos, divididos y ásperos, algunos especímenes son completamente lampiños. Es una planta hermosa y una flor aún más hermosa. Una flor de sencilla y gran belleza. Y muy prolífico.
Nomes Populares: Cosmos, Beijo-de-moça, Cosméa, Cosmo, Cosmos-de-jardim, Picão-rosa. Ou ainda jardim cosmos ou áster mexicano. É uma planta herbácea de floração de tamanho médio nativa das Américas. A espécie e suas variedades e cultivares são populares como planta ornamental em jardins de clima temperado. Cosmos bipinnatus é considerado um anual meio-resistente, embora as plantas possam reaparecer por auto-semeadura por vários anos. A altura da planta varia de 2 a 4 pés (0,61 a 1,22 m). As variedades cultivadas aparecem em tons de rosa e roxo, além de branco. Sua folhagem é finamente cortada em segmentos semelhantes a fios. Ao florescer, a planta pode ficar pesada. Esse problema é amenizado quando cultivado em grupos, pois as folhas bipinadas se entrelaçam e a colônia se sustenta. O caule ramificado é geralmente densamente a ocasionalmente ocupado por tricomas finos, divididos e ásperos, alguns espécimes são completamente sem pêlos. É uma planta linda e uma flor ainda mais linda. Uma flor de beleza simples e grande. E muito prolífico.
Allgemein Garten kosmos oder Mexikanische Aster genannt, ist eine mittelgroße blühende krautige Pflanze, die in Amerika beheimatet ist. Die Art und ihre Sorten und Sorten sind als Zierpflanze in Gärten gemäßigter Klimazonen beliebt. Cosmos bipinnatus gilt als halbhart einjährig, obwohl Pflanzen durch Selbstaussaat für mehrere Jahre wieder erscheinen können. Die Pflanzenhöhe variiert zwischen 0,61 und 1,22 m. Die kultivierten Sorten erscheinen in Rosa- und Lilatönen sowie in Weiß. Sein Laub ist fein in fadenförmige Segmente geschnitten. Während der Blüte kann die Pflanze kopflastig werden. Dieses Problem wird gemildert, wenn sie in Gruppen gezüchtet werden, da die doppelt gefiederten Blätter ineinandergreifen und die Kolonie sich selbst trägt. Der verzweigte Stängel ist meist dicht bis vereinzelt mit feinen, aufgespaltenen, rauen Trichomen besetzt, einige Exemplare sind völlig unbehaart. Der Blattstiel selbst ist unscheinbar, geflügelt, 10 (selten bis 15) mm lang, manchmal sind die Blätter fast sitzend. Die Teilblätter sind linealisch-fadenförmig bis schmal linealisch mit einer Breite von 0,5 bis 1 (selten bis 1,7) mm; die Spitzen sind spitz, gehärtet, aber nicht besonders scharf. Es ist eine schöne Pflanze und sogar eine schönere Blume. Eine Blume von einfacher und großer Schönheit.
Gewoonlijk de tuinkosmos of Mexicaanse aster genoemd, is een middelgrote bloeiende kruidachtige plant afkomstig uit Amerika. De soort en zijn variëteiten en cultivars zijn populair als sierplant in tuinen met een gematigd klimaat. Cosmos bipinnatus wordt beschouwd als een halfwinterharde eenjarige, hoewel planten gedurende meerdere jaren kunnen verschijnen door zelf te zaaien. De planthoogte varieert 2-4 ft (0,61-1,22 m). De gekweekte variëteiten verschijnen in de kleuren roze en paars en ook in wit. Het blad is fijn gesneden in draadachtige segmenten. Tijdens de bloei kan de plant topzwaar worden. Dit probleem wordt verlicht wanneer het in groepen wordt gekweekt, omdat de tweevoudig geveerde bladeren in elkaar grijpen en de kolonie zichzelf ondersteunt. De vertakte stengel is meestal dicht tot af en toe bezet door fijne, opgesplitste, ruwe trichomen, sommige exemplaren zijn volledig haarloos. De bladsteel zelf is onopvallend, gevleugeld, 10 (zelden tot 15) mm lang, soms zijn de bladeren bijna zittend. De gedeeltelijke bladeren zijn lineair-draadvormig tot smal lineair met een breedte van 0,5 tot 1 (zelden tot 1,7) mm; de punten zijn puntig, gehard, maar niet bijzonder scherp. Het is een mooie planta en nog een mooiere bloem. Een bloem van eenvoudige en grote schoonheid.
Comunemente chiamato cosmo del giardino o aster messicano, è una pianta erbacea a fioritura di medie dimensioni originaria delle Americhe. La specie e le sue varietà e cultivar sono popolari come pianta ornamentale nei giardini a clima temperato. Il Cosmos bipinnatus è considerato un annuale semi-resistente, sebbene le piante possano riapparire tramite autosemina per diversi anni. L'altezza della pianta varia da 2 a 4 piedi (0,61-1,22 m). Le varietà coltivate appaiono nei toni del rosa e del viola oltre al bianco. Il suo fogliame è finemente tagliato in segmenti filiformi. Durante la fioritura, la pianta può diventare molto pesante. Questo problema viene alleviato quando viene coltivato in gruppi, poiché le foglie bipennate si incastrano e la colonia si sostiene. Il fusto ramificato è solitamente occupato da densamente a occasionalmente da tricomi fini, divisi e ruvidi, alcuni esemplari sono completamente glabri. Il picciolo stesso è poco appariscente, alato, lungo 10 (raramente fino a 15) mm, a volte le foglie sono quasi sessili. Le foglie parziali sono da lineari filiformi a lineari stretti con una larghezza da 0,5 a 1 (raramente a 1,7) mm; le punte sono appuntite, temprate, ma non particolarmente affilate. È una pianta adorabile e persino un fiore più adorabile. Un fiore di semplice e grande bellezza.
Communément appelé le cosmos du jardin ou l'aster mexicain, est une plante herbacée à fleurs de taille moyenne originaire des Amériques. L'espèce et ses variétés et cultivars sont populaires comme plante ornementale dans les jardins de climat tempéré. Cosmos bipinnatus est considéré comme une annuelle semi-rustique, bien que les plantes puissent réapparaître par auto-ensemencement pendant plusieurs années. La hauteur de la plante varie de 2 à 4 pieds (0,61 à 1,22 m). Les variétés cultivées apparaissent dans des tons de rose et de violet ainsi que de blanc. Son feuillage est finement découpé en segments filiformes. Lors de la floraison, la plante peut devenir lourde au sommet. Ce problème est atténué lorsqu'il est cultivé en groupes, car les feuilles bipennées s'emboîtent et la colonie se soutient elle-même. La tige ramifiée est généralement densément à occasionnellement occupée par de fins trichomes rugueux, fendus, certains spécimens sont complètement glabres. Le pétiole lui-même est discret, ailé, de 10 (rarement à 15) mm de long, parfois les feuilles sont presque sessiles. Les feuilles partielles sont linéaires-filiformes à linéaires étroites avec une largeur de 0,5 à 1 (rarement 1,7) mm ; les pointes sont pointues, durcies, mais pas particulièrement tranchantes. C'est une belle planta et même une plus belle fleur. Une fleur d'une beauté simple et grande.
يُطلق عليه عادة كوزموس الحديقة أو النجمة المكسيكية ، وهو نبات عشبي مزهر متوسط الحجم موطنه الأمريكتان. الأنواع وأصنافها وأصنافها شائعة كنباتات الزينة في حدائق المناخ المعتدل. يعتبر Cosmos bipinnatus سنويًا نصف هاردي ، على الرغم من أن النباتات قد تظهر مرة أخرى عن طريق البذر الذاتي لعدة سنوات. يتراوح ارتفاع النبات من 2-4 قدم (0.61-1.22 م). تظهر الأصناف المزروعة بظلال من اللون الوردي والأرجواني وكذلك الأبيض. يتم تقطيع أوراقها بدقة إلى شرائح تشبه الخيوط. عند الإزهار ، يمكن أن يصبح النبات ثقيلًا. يتم تخفيف هذه المشكلة عند نموها في مجموعات ، حيث يترك ثنائي الطور متشابكًا ، وتدعم المستعمرة نفسها. عادةً ما يتم احتلال الجذع المتفرعة بكثافة في بعض الأحيان بواسطة trichomes دقيقة ، ومنقسمة ، وخشنة ، وبعض العينات خالية تمامًا من الشعر. السويقة نفسها غير واضحة ، مجنحة ، طولها 10 (نادرًا إلى 15) ملم ، وأحيانًا تكون الأوراق لاطئة تقريبًا. الأوراق الجزئية خطية - خيطية إلى خطية ضيقة بعرض 0.5 إلى 1 (نادرًا إلى 1.7) مم ؛ الأطراف مدببة ومتصلبة ولكنها ليست حادة بشكل خاص. إنها زهرة جميلة بل إنها زهرة أكثر جمالًا. زهرة ذات جمال بسيط ورائع.
一般的にガーデン コスモスまたはメキシカン アスターと呼ばれる、アメリカ大陸原産の中型の開花草本植物です。種とその変種および栽培品種は、温暖な気候の庭園の観葉植物として人気があります。 Cosmos bipinnatus は半耐寒性の一年生植物と考えられていますが、植物は自家播種によって数年間再出現する可能性があります。植物の高さは 2 ～ 4 フィート (0.61 ～ 1.22 m) です。栽培されている品種は、白だけでなくピンクや紫の色合いで表示されます。その葉は細かく糸のようなセグメントにカットされています。開花すると、植物はトップヘビーになることがあります。この問題は、二回羽状の葉がかみ合い、コロニーがそれ自体をサポートするため、グループで成長すると軽減されます。枝分かれした茎は、通常は密集しており、時折細く分割された粗いトリコームで占められており、一部の標本は完全に無毛です。葉柄自体は目立たず、翼があり、長さは10（まれに15）mmで、葉はほとんど無柄です。部分葉は幅0.5～1mm（まれに1.7mm）の線状～細線状～細線状。先端は尖っており、硬化していますが、特に鋭くはありません。それは愛らしいプランタであり、さらに愛らしい花です。シンプルで素晴らしい美しさの花。
'Love on the rocks'. But not in this case as most Gannets mate for life…here a pair of Northerm Gannets, Morus bassanus are having a tender loving moment on their nest of grass and natural materials...Sadly however, a survey of 7280 Gannet nests on twenty nine colonies by the British Ornithologists Union revealed that 46% of nests contained debris. The vast majority of this debris was threadlike plastic, most likely from fishing activities, with the occasional piece of sheet, foam or hard plastic! The birds get tangled in these fishing lines and plastic debris and many Gannets die from injury and starvation, let alone the devastating results of Bird Flue this year.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Northern Gannet Notes and Information:
A search for ‘Gannet nest’ and ‘Plastic’ on Google Images will reveal many photographs of gannet nests containing plastic. The Northern Gannet Morus bassanus colony on Grassholm, South Wales is particularly infamous for the amount of anthropogenic debris in nests, largely threadlike plastic, such as fishing rope from fishing activities (Votier et al. 2012). Each autumn the RSPB visit Grassholm to cut free alive individuals entangled at the nest, largely involving juveniles which otherwise wouldn’t have fledged BOU notes.
Name: Northern Gannet, Solan, Solan Goose (Sula bassana)
Length: 80 to 110 centimetres.
Weight: 2 to 3.5 kg.
Location:
Eastern coast of North America down to Gulf of Mexico. Crosses across the Northern Arctic to the west coast of Europe down to northern coast of Africa.
Conservation status:Least Concern.
Diet: Fish, squid.
Appearance: White with brown or black
wingtips. Black patch around blue eyes.
Long blue-grey beaks with slight downward curve at the end.
How do Northern Gannets feed?
Northern Gannets dive at the water like an arrow at tremendous speeds of up to 100 km per hour. Their bodies are built to withstand the impact with an especially strong sternum.They are able to spot prey when they are as high as 45 km above sea level, though 10 to 20 metres is more usual. During the dive they will use their wings as rudders to control their direction, tucking their wings in at the last moment just before they hit the water. Their velocity can carry them 5 metres below the surface of the water. They can additionally swim a further 15 metres to hunt down prey. They will swallow the fish while still underwater instead of surfacing and carrying it away.They are also known to follow fishing vessels like gulls do in order to pick fish out of the nets or pick up any refuse left behind.
Are Northern Gannets social?
Northern Gannets forage together.
How fast do Northern Gannets fly?
Northern Gannets can reach flying speeds of up to 65 km per hour.
What are Northern Gannet birthing rituals like?
Northern Gannet flocks have been known to return to the same breeding sites for hundreds of years. The biggest colonies contain tens of thousands of nests. The oldest birds tend to return to the breeding ground first. The time of year that the breeding season occurs in depends on the location of the grounds. For example the birds that choose Bass Rock as their grounds (a location off the coast of Scotland) breed at the end of January while those in Iceland tend to breed around March or April.
Northern Gannets reach sexual maturity around four years of age. Juvenile birds that join the rest of the flock at the breeding grounds may make a nest of their own at the fringes of the site or take over other nests, but they will give up the nests if an older member of the flock comes to claim it. The nests are generally constructed by the males, made from seaweed and any other materials found floating on the water. The nests are about 50 to 70 centimetres in diameter and will require maintenance throughout the season due to erosion from the wind. Same-sex fights can break out during the season. The male fights can be especially aggressive and can result in broken necks and wings. Females soar over the grounds searching for a suitable mate. Males will display by shaking their heads back and forth. Once mated the birds usually remain monogamous for years, if not the rest of their lives.
One egg is laid, weighing about 100 grams. If the first egg is lost then a second will be laid. The incubation period takes 6 or 7 weeks.Once hatched, the hatchling is fed regurgitated food for the next 3 months. Adult birds that are searching for feed for their young have been known to fly as far as 320 km away from their nesting site.After the 3 or so months the chick is strong enough to glide down to the water from the nest on their own. They are now on their own, permanently separated from their parents. Their fat reserves are enough to keep them alive for the next 2 or 3 weeks while they earn to tend to themselves. Initially brown, the juvenile birds will take three or so years before they have grown in their fully white plumage.
How long do Northern Gannets live?
Northern Gannets live about 35 years in the wild.
How many Northern Gannets are there today?
Rough estimates put today’s wild Northern Gannet population at anywhere between 950,000 and 1,200,000 individuals.
Do Northern Gannets have any natural predators?
Adult Northern Gannets are on rare occasions taken by bald eagles, white-tailed eagles, large sharks, and seals. Chicks and eggs are also vulnerable to gulls, ravens, ermines, and red foxes.Nesting northern gannets7
Grand Northern Gannet Facts
1. The Northern Gannet is the largest member of the gannet family.
2. Northern Gannets secrete a water-impermeable oily fluid from subaceous glands. They spread the oil across their feathers with their heads and beaks.
3. Northern Gannets are not particularly good at walking. This means they are better at taking off into flight from the water than from land. They do this by facing into the wind and vigorously flapping their wings to produce the necessary lift. This can cause problems for them on especially wavy days which can see them ending up beached.
4. Northern Gannets have tiny airbags under their skin that they use to help them return to the surface after a dive.
5. Northern Gannet females are much choosier than the males when hunting. They will take longer to choose their foraging area, and will dive deeper and longer on average per dive.
6. Northern Gannet migrations have taken them as far south as Ecuador.
7. The term “gannet” has become synonymous with “glutton” in the U.K. due to the bird’s huge appetite. Oceanwide expeditions notes.
Butz’s air plant — Tillandsia butzii
Family: Bromeliaceae
Confidence: moderately high, about 85%.
The closest alternative is Tillandsia bulbosa, but the photographed plant fits T. butzii better.
Why Tillandsia butzii
The photograph shows:
an elongated, pseudobulbous base formed by overlapping leaf sheaths
brown-green mottling on the base
exceptionally long, fine, flexible leaves
leaves that curl, loop and twist irregularly
a relatively open, loose growth form
These are characteristic of T. butzii. Botanical descriptions emphasize its speckled dark-brown-and-green pseudobulb and narrow, threadlike leaf blades that range from wavy to severely contorted.
The tan mass underneath is the plant’s mounting material, probably cork or wood—not a bulb belonging to the plant.
Description
Tillandsia butzii is an epiphytic bromeliad native from southern Mexico through Central America to Panama. It normally grows attached to trees or other supports rather than rooted in soil. Its foliage bears specialized trichomes that absorb moisture and dissolved nutrients from rain, mist and humid air.
The plant’s narrow leaves create a mass of sweeping, serpentine lines. In this image, their loops extend far beyond the compact central rosette, giving the plant a calligraphic or wire-drawing quality.
Flowers
At maturity, T. butzii produces an upright, usually carmine-red inflorescence with violet flowers. After flowering, it can produce offsets—often called pups—around the base.
Visual discussion
The image is dominated by line rather than mass. The looping leaves form broad arcs and tight spirals against the pale textured background. The compact brown-green pseudobulb anchors the composition while the leaves create asymmetrical movement across nearly the entire frame. The form resembles ink drawing, calligraphy or loosely coiled wire more than conventional foliage.
The #FlickrFriday #Long challenge
My regular woodland walk revealed this tiny fungus emerging from the leaf litter for its brief time in the light. Its cap is perhaps 5mm across. Some fungi are short and stumpy, with large caps compared to their stems. Others, like this one, have long, slender stems.
What we see is just the fruiting body of the whole organism, the rest of which lies covered in the soil, interacting with the roots of trees and plants in complex and still poorly understood ways. The cap releases spores which will create later generations. After a few days they die, although the remainder of the organism hidden from us, a large threadlike network, remains alive, consuming matter and converting it to nutritious soil.
This is a macro photo-stacked image, consisting of four individual shots, taken as shown using a 12mm extension tube.
The Daddy-longlegs or Harvestman (of the order Opiliones) are different from most other arachnids. For instance, they have only one body structure from which their long, threadlike legs erupt. Also, like us, they only have two eyes. While there are some urban legends floating about related to the harvestman's venom being among the most deadly (often accompanied by the idea that their fangs are too short to break human flesh), this is entirely false. Daddy-longlegs produce no venom at all. They are active hunters who ambush their prey and overtake them by force.
Monterey Bay northern California. Rock outcrops on the sand bottom are home to large Metridiums at the Hopkins deep reef.
Members of the genus Metridium, also known as plumose anemones, are sea anemones found mostly in the cooler waters of the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They are characterized by their numerous threadlike tentacles extending from atop a smooth cylindrical column, and can vary from a few centimeters in height up to one meter or more. In larger specimens, the oral disk becomes densely curved and frilly.
Wikipedia
Nikonos V, UW Nikkor 20 mm f2.8, Fujichrome Velvia 50
The #FlickrFriday #Fall challenge
The Fall, as our American friends call it, is the main fungi season in the UK. Fungi are what they are, a distinct family in the kingdom of life, a whole branch of The Tree of Life. They are are the least studied, least understood and most misunderstood of organisms. It's thought that 90% of fungi remain unknown to science. The few we know of are full of contradictions.
* They exist from the microscopic scale to one which is about 9 square km in area, thousands of tonnes in mass and has its age disputed in millennia
* They break down rock into soil, the first and perhaps only organism ever to do so, thereby (a billion years ago) providing the earliest suitable habitat for plants which are only half as old
* Genetics has proven that, although they may look a bit like plants, they are more closely related to animals, including us
* They sustain plants both by creating their habitat and exchanging nutrients with them, but they may destroy them too. Ash Dieback and Dutch Elm Disease are both fungal
* They create our bread and alcoholic beverages and then spoil them
* They provide medicines which have saved millions, most famously penicillin which is derived from a mould, but they may be a serious health hazard
* They offer promise in the treatment of mental health conditions, but may screw up your brain for life
* They may be delicacies or lethal, and the L-plate forager should be suitably cautious. Specimens I've found openly growing in my local woods would be lethal (and very unpleasantly so) if consumed.
These specimens appeared on a log in our garden. They seem to be Oak Bonnets, pretty much the commonest fungal species of ancient broad leafed woodland, harmless but not worth eating anyway. Ooops. I've slipped into using the plural form and thereby into error. We may see several fruiting bodies but they are almost certainly the visible part of a single much larger organism, most of which is concealed within the log. It's like being able to see the blackberries but not the bush; the acorns, but not the tree; the roses but not the stem. The fruiting bodies disperse spores from which the fungi of the future will emerge. The fruiting bodies may wither away, but the organism itself has not died. It continues to grow unseen throughout the year before generating fruiting bodies once more.
The concealed part is an extensive threadlike structure called mycelium, itself built of bundles of even tinier threads called hyphae (hi - fee) which, among other things, act as plant roots do, but far more efficiently. Hyphae may be one fiftieth the thickness of a plant root and a hundred times longer. This photo depicts a scene of unseen hyphae deploying enzymes and acids to break down cellulose and lignin which are the main constituents of wood, obtaining the nutrients the fungus needs to grow. Fungi are among the very few organisms with this capability. Eventually they will reduce this log to nutritious soil. Perhaps we should regard mycelia as both a thing and a process. Without fungi dead wood in our forests would accumulate, inhibiting regrowth and depriving the forest soil of nutrients.
Beyond decay, mycelium from other species penetrates plant and tree roots to allow a symbiotic exchange of sugars from the plant to the fungi, and minerals and nutrients from the fungi to the plants. Recent more controversial research suggests that the mycelium forms a network between trees to allow them to share resources and even information. For example it may allow trees on the forest edge to signal those in the forest interior, warning them of pathogens attacking them, allowing the interior trees to prepare toxins within their leaves in anticipation of and to defend against an attack or infection. That remains an active area of research but all scientists agree that no fungi simply means no forests. That in turn means that a cleared forest simply cannot be replaced quickly by planting one somewhere else. The mycelium network, The Wood Wide Web, needs many decades to establish itself and grow.
HDR was used to create this image in order to capture the stems which otherwise would have been in deep shadow.
SN/NC: Cosmos Bipinnatus, Asteraceae Family
Commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant native to the Americas. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens. Cosmos bipinnatus is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself. The branched stem is usually densely to occasionally occupied by fine, split-up, rough trichomes, some specimens are completely hairless. The petiole itself is inconspicuous, winged, 10 (rarely to 15) mm long, sometimes the leaves are almost sessile. The partial leaves are linear-filiform to narrow linear with a width of 0.5 to 1 (rarely to 1.7) mm; the tips are pointed, hardened, but not particularly sharp. It is a lovely planta and even a more lovely flower. A flower of simple and great beauty.
Comúnmente llamado cosmos de jardín o aster mexicano, es una planta herbácea de floración mediana originaria de las Américas. La especie y sus variedades y cultivares son populares como planta ornamental en jardines de clima templado. Cosmos bipinnatus se considera una planta anual semirresistente, aunque las plantas pueden reaparecer mediante la auto-siembra durante varios años. La altura de la planta varía de 2 a 4 pies (0,61 a 1,22 m). Las variedades cultivadas aparecen en tonos de rosa y morado, así como en blanco. Su follaje está finamente cortado en segmentos filiformes. Cuando florece, la planta puede volverse pesada. Este problema se alivia cuando se cultiva en grupos, ya que las hojas bipinnadas se entrelazan y la colonia se sustenta a sí misma. El tallo ramificado suele estar densamente ocupado ocasionalmente por tricomas finos, divididos y ásperos, algunos especímenes son completamente lampiños. Es una planta hermosa y una flor aún más hermosa. Una flor de sencilla y gran belleza. Y muy prolífico.
Nomes Populares: Cosmos, Beijo-de-moça, Cosméa, Cosmo, Cosmos-de-jardim, Picão-rosa. Ou ainda jardim cosmos ou áster mexicano. É uma planta herbácea de floração de tamanho médio nativa das Américas. A espécie e suas variedades e cultivares são populares como planta ornamental em jardins de clima temperado. Cosmos bipinnatus é considerado um anual meio-resistente, embora as plantas possam reaparecer por auto-semeadura por vários anos. A altura da planta varia de 2 a 4 pés (0,61 a 1,22 m). As variedades cultivadas aparecem em tons de rosa e roxo, além de branco. Sua folhagem é finamente cortada em segmentos semelhantes a fios. Ao florescer, a planta pode ficar pesada. Esse problema é amenizado quando cultivado em grupos, pois as folhas bipinadas se entrelaçam e a colônia se sustenta. O caule ramificado é geralmente densamente a ocasionalmente ocupado por tricomas finos, divididos e ásperos, alguns espécimes são completamente sem pêlos. É uma planta linda e uma flor ainda mais linda. Uma flor de beleza simples e grande. E muito prolífico.
Allgemein Garten kosmos oder Mexikanische Aster genannt, ist eine mittelgroße blühende krautige Pflanze, die in Amerika beheimatet ist. Die Art und ihre Sorten und Sorten sind als Zierpflanze in Gärten gemäßigter Klimazonen beliebt. Cosmos bipinnatus gilt als halbhart einjährig, obwohl Pflanzen durch Selbstaussaat für mehrere Jahre wieder erscheinen können. Die Pflanzenhöhe variiert zwischen 0,61 und 1,22 m. Die kultivierten Sorten erscheinen in Rosa- und Lilatönen sowie in Weiß. Sein Laub ist fein in fadenförmige Segmente geschnitten. Während der Blüte kann die Pflanze kopflastig werden. Dieses Problem wird gemildert, wenn sie in Gruppen gezüchtet werden, da die doppelt gefiederten Blätter ineinandergreifen und die Kolonie sich selbst trägt. Der verzweigte Stängel ist meist dicht bis vereinzelt mit feinen, aufgespaltenen, rauen Trichomen besetzt, einige Exemplare sind völlig unbehaart. Der Blattstiel selbst ist unscheinbar, geflügelt, 10 (selten bis 15) mm lang, manchmal sind die Blätter fast sitzend. Die Teilblätter sind linealisch-fadenförmig bis schmal linealisch mit einer Breite von 0,5 bis 1 (selten bis 1,7) mm; die Spitzen sind spitz, gehärtet, aber nicht besonders scharf. Es ist eine schöne Pflanze und sogar eine schönere Blume. Eine Blume von einfacher und großer Schönheit.
Gewoonlijk de tuinkosmos of Mexicaanse aster genoemd, is een middelgrote bloeiende kruidachtige plant afkomstig uit Amerika. De soort en zijn variëteiten en cultivars zijn populair als sierplant in tuinen met een gematigd klimaat. Cosmos bipinnatus wordt beschouwd als een halfwinterharde eenjarige, hoewel planten gedurende meerdere jaren kunnen verschijnen door zelf te zaaien. De planthoogte varieert 2-4 ft (0,61-1,22 m). De gekweekte variëteiten verschijnen in de kleuren roze en paars en ook in wit. Het blad is fijn gesneden in draadachtige segmenten. Tijdens de bloei kan de plant topzwaar worden. Dit probleem wordt verlicht wanneer het in groepen wordt gekweekt, omdat de tweevoudig geveerde bladeren in elkaar grijpen en de kolonie zichzelf ondersteunt. De vertakte stengel is meestal dicht tot af en toe bezet door fijne, opgesplitste, ruwe trichomen, sommige exemplaren zijn volledig haarloos. De bladsteel zelf is onopvallend, gevleugeld, 10 (zelden tot 15) mm lang, soms zijn de bladeren bijna zittend. De gedeeltelijke bladeren zijn lineair-draadvormig tot smal lineair met een breedte van 0,5 tot 1 (zelden tot 1,7) mm; de punten zijn puntig, gehard, maar niet bijzonder scherp. Het is een mooie planta en nog een mooiere bloem. Een bloem van eenvoudige en grote schoonheid.
Comunemente chiamato cosmo del giardino o aster messicano, è una pianta erbacea a fioritura di medie dimensioni originaria delle Americhe. La specie e le sue varietà e cultivar sono popolari come pianta ornamentale nei giardini a clima temperato. Il Cosmos bipinnatus è considerato un annuale semi-resistente, sebbene le piante possano riapparire tramite autosemina per diversi anni. L'altezza della pianta varia da 2 a 4 piedi (0,61-1,22 m). Le varietà coltivate appaiono nei toni del rosa e del viola oltre al bianco. Il suo fogliame è finemente tagliato in segmenti filiformi. Durante la fioritura, la pianta può diventare molto pesante. Questo problema viene alleviato quando viene coltivato in gruppi, poiché le foglie bipennate si incastrano e la colonia si sostiene. Il fusto ramificato è solitamente occupato da densamente a occasionalmente da tricomi fini, divisi e ruvidi, alcuni esemplari sono completamente glabri. Il picciolo stesso è poco appariscente, alato, lungo 10 (raramente fino a 15) mm, a volte le foglie sono quasi sessili. Le foglie parziali sono da lineari filiformi a lineari stretti con una larghezza da 0,5 a 1 (raramente a 1,7) mm; le punte sono appuntite, temprate, ma non particolarmente affilate. È una pianta adorabile e persino un fiore più adorabile. Un fiore di semplice e grande bellezza.
Communément appelé le cosmos du jardin ou l'aster mexicain, est une plante herbacée à fleurs de taille moyenne originaire des Amériques. L'espèce et ses variétés et cultivars sont populaires comme plante ornementale dans les jardins de climat tempéré. Cosmos bipinnatus est considéré comme une annuelle semi-rustique, bien que les plantes puissent réapparaître par auto-ensemencement pendant plusieurs années. La hauteur de la plante varie de 2 à 4 pieds (0,61 à 1,22 m). Les variétés cultivées apparaissent dans des tons de rose et de violet ainsi que de blanc. Son feuillage est finement découpé en segments filiformes. Lors de la floraison, la plante peut devenir lourde au sommet. Ce problème est atténué lorsqu'il est cultivé en groupes, car les feuilles bipennées s'emboîtent et la colonie se soutient elle-même. La tige ramifiée est généralement densément à occasionnellement occupée par de fins trichomes rugueux, fendus, certains spécimens sont complètement glabres. Le pétiole lui-même est discret, ailé, de 10 (rarement à 15) mm de long, parfois les feuilles sont presque sessiles. Les feuilles partielles sont linéaires-filiformes à linéaires étroites avec une largeur de 0,5 à 1 (rarement 1,7) mm ; les pointes sont pointues, durcies, mais pas particulièrement tranchantes. C'est une belle planta et même une plus belle fleur. Une fleur d'une beauté simple et grande.
يُطلق عليه عادة كوزموس الحديقة أو النجمة المكسيكية ، وهو نبات عشبي مزهر متوسط الحجم موطنه الأمريكتان. الأنواع وأصنافها وأصنافها شائعة كنباتات الزينة في حدائق المناخ المعتدل. يعتبر Cosmos bipinnatus سنويًا نصف هاردي ، على الرغم من أن النباتات قد تظهر مرة أخرى عن طريق البذر الذاتي لعدة سنوات. يتراوح ارتفاع النبات من 2-4 قدم (0.61-1.22 م). تظهر الأصناف المزروعة بظلال من اللون الوردي والأرجواني وكذلك الأبيض. يتم تقطيع أوراقها بدقة إلى شرائح تشبه الخيوط. عند الإزهار ، يمكن أن يصبح النبات ثقيلًا. يتم تخفيف هذه المشكلة عند نموها في مجموعات ، حيث يترك ثنائي الطور متشابكًا ، وتدعم المستعمرة نفسها. عادةً ما يتم احتلال الجذع المتفرعة بكثافة في بعض الأحيان بواسطة trichomes دقيقة ، ومنقسمة ، وخشنة ، وبعض العينات خالية تمامًا من الشعر. السويقة نفسها غير واضحة ، مجنحة ، طولها 10 (نادرًا إلى 15) ملم ، وأحيانًا تكون الأوراق لاطئة تقريبًا. الأوراق الجزئية خطية - خيطية إلى خطية ضيقة بعرض 0.5 إلى 1 (نادرًا إلى 1.7) مم ؛ الأطراف مدببة ومتصلبة ولكنها ليست حادة بشكل خاص. إنها زهرة جميلة بل إنها زهرة أكثر جمالًا. زهرة ذات جمال بسيط ورائع.
一般的にガーデン コスモスまたはメキシカン アスターと呼ばれる、アメリカ大陸原産の中型の開花草本植物です。種とその変種および栽培品種は、温暖な気候の庭園の観葉植物として人気があります。 Cosmos bipinnatus は半耐寒性の一年生植物と考えられていますが、植物は自家播種によって数年間再出現する可能性があります。植物の高さは 2 ～ 4 フィート (0.61 ～ 1.22 m) です。栽培されている品種は、白だけでなくピンクや紫の色合いで表示されます。その葉は細かく糸のようなセグメントにカットされています。開花すると、植物はトップヘビーになることがあります。この問題は、二回羽状の葉がかみ合い、コロニーがそれ自体をサポートするため、グループで成長すると軽減されます。枝分かれした茎は、通常は密集しており、時折細く分割された粗いトリコームで占められており、一部の標本は完全に無毛です。葉柄自体は目立たず、翼があり、長さは10（まれに15）mmで、葉はほとんど無柄です。部分葉は幅0.5～1mm（まれに1.7mm）の線状～細線状～細線状。先端は尖っており、硬化していますが、特に鋭くはありません。それは愛らしいプランタであり、さらに愛らしい花です。シンプルで素晴らしい美しさの花。
CASTELLANO
Carduus acanthoides es un cardo de la familia Asteraceae. Es una especie nativa de Europa y naturalizada en algunas otras partes del mundo, incluso Norte y Sudamérica, Nueva Zelanda y Australia; ausente de las regiones tropicales y subtropicales. Es considerada como planta invasora.
Alcanza algo más de 2 m de altura, y puede formar extensas masas de vegetación monotípicas. El tallo y follaje son abundantemente espinosos, y a veces lanudos. Su crecimiento arranca de una roseta basal achatada, del que surgen tallos erectos, con hojas ocasionales, dentadas, arrugadas y espinosas. En el ápice de cada rama hay una inflorescencia con uno o varios capítulos, redondeados, cubiertos de espinas filarias, y flósculos de color púrpura. Es muy parecido al Carduus crispus, con el cual se confunde fácilmente. Difieren por detalles en el tamaño de las espinas de tallo, y la dureza de este último
ENGLISH
Carduus acanthoides, known as the spiny plumeless thistle, welted thistle, or plumeless thistle, is a biennial plant species of thistle in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The plant is native to Europe and Asia and introduced in many other areas, where it is sometimes considered an invasive species.
Carduus acanthoides may exceed 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height and can form weedy monotypic stands. The stem and foliage are spiny and sometimes woolly. The specific epithet acanthoides refers to its spiny foliage. The plant starts from a flat, basal rosette and then bolts an erect stem with occasional toothed, wrinkled, spiny leaves. The leaves are 4–8 in (10–20 cm) long with lobed or pinnately-divided edges. The abaxial surface (underside) of the leaf is somewhat hairy.
At the top of each branch of the stem is an inflorescence of one to several flower heads, each rounded, covered in spiny phyllaries, and bearing many threadlike, purple or pink disc florets. Each flowerhead is around 0.5–1 in (13–25 mm) across. It flowers throughout the summer and early fall. The achenes are 2–3 mm long, four-angled, with faint lengthwise stripes. The fluffy pappus bristles are 11–13 mm long. After flowering and setting seed, it dies.
A honey bee pollinates a white cosmea flower:
Cosmos bipinnatus, commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant native to Mexico. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens. It naturalized in scattered locations across North America, South America, the West Indies, Italy, Australia, and Asia, where it is a garden escape (introduced species) and in some habitats becoming a weed. Cosmos bipinnatus is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself.
Explore Jul 31, 2011 #57
Click on image to see this one on black!
There it is... a parachute-like flower with long curling shiny purplish filaments. And it's one foot across! Outrageous and unforgettable!
The flowers are black to purplish white, nodding on long pedicels, 2 bracts broadly ovate and winglike, 2 smaller bracts perpendicular to the others, black, greenish or reddish. Bracteoles threadlike, 6 - 8 inches long. Leaves basal, lanceolate, glossy dark green blade tapering down the petiole.
The genus Tacca, which includes the Bat flowers and Arrowroot, consists of 10 species of flowering plants in the order Dioscoreales, native to tropical regions of Africa, Australia, and south-eastern Asia. In older texts, the genus was treated in its own family Taccaceae, but the 2003 APG II system incorporates it into the family Dioscoreaceae. Taccaceae is native to Malaysia.
Tacca integrifolia, Bat Fower, Dracula Flower, Flor de Murcielago
Windows to the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, FL
Shot with a Nikor 50mm and extension tubes.
Dill is an erect, freely branching annual herb with finely dissected, lacy, blue-green foliage. "Dill weed" refers to the foliage, and the seeds are usually just called "dill." The leaves are about 1 ft (0.3 m) long and divided pinnately three or four times into threadlike segments each about 1 in (2.5 cm) long. The dill plant grows about 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m) tall and sometimes gets top heavy and falls over. The flowers are yellow and borne in large, rounded, compound umbels (umbrella-like clusters in which all the flower stems originate from the same point) on stiff, hollow stems. The whole inflorescence can be 10 in (25 cm) across, and several of them on a feathery blue-green framework can be showy indeed. The fruit is a flattened pod about an eighth of 1 in (2.5 cm) long. All parts of the dill plant are strongly aromatic.
Cockroach, (order Blattodea), also called roach, any of about 4,600 species of insects that are among the most primitive living winged insects, appearing today much like they do in fossils that are more than 320 million years old. The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterized by a flattened oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is bent downward, and the mouthparts point backward instead of forward or downward as is the case in most other insects. Male cockroaches usually have two pairs of wings, whereas females, in some species, are wingless or have vestigial wings.
Nigella is a genus of about 14 species of annual plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native to southern Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia. Common names applied to members of this genus are Devil-in-a-bush or Love in a mist.
The species grow to 20-90 cm tall, with finely divided leaves, the leaf segments narrowly linear to threadlike. The flowers are white, yellow, pink, pale blue or pale purple, with 5-10 petals. The fruit is a capsule composed of several united follicles, each containing numerous seeds; in some species (e.g. Nigella damascena), the capsule is large and inflated.
Texture by pareeerica:
Exquisite Butterflies:
www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3134686643/
Rainbow Canvas
www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3643024880/
I love the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John and it seemed like a fitting title for this little blue flower.
Have a little listen and brighten your day ;o)
www.goear.com/listen.php?v=34e48fb
Explored 12.08.09 - #262
Dark Souls (2011)
Parasitic Headgear. An egg implanted on the head by a type of parasite bearing eggs on its back. The nightmare begins with a slight itch on the head, and soon the parasite will be siphoning the souls of slain enemies.
Black Knight Halberd
DSfix
HD Textures
Hit L then F11 to view
Don Juan was about to start his explanation of the mastery of awareness, but he changed his mind and stood up. We had been sitting in the big room, observing a moment of quiet.
“I want you to try seeing the Eagle’s emanations,” he said. “For that you must first move your assemblage point until you see the cocoon of man.”
We walked from the house to the center of town. We sat down on an empty, worn park bench in front of the church, it was early afternoon; a sunny, windy day with lots of people milling around.
He repeated, as if he were trying to drill it into me, that alignment is a unique force because it either helps the assemblage point shift, or it keeps it glued to its customary position. The aspect of alignment that keeps the point stationary, he said, is will; and the aspect that makes it shift is intent. He remarked that one of the most haunting mysteries is how will, the impersonal force of alignment, changes into intent, the personalized force, which is at the service of each individual.
“The strangest part of this mystery is that the change is so easy to accomplish,” he went on. “But what is not so easy is to convince ourselves that it is possible. There, right there, is our safety catch. We have to be convinced. And none of us wants to be.”
He told me then that I was in my keenest state of awareness, and that it was possible for me to intend my assemblage point to shift deeper into my left side, to a dreaming position. He said that warriors should never attempt seeing unless they are aided by dreaming. I argued that to fall asleep in public was not one of my fortés. He clarified his statement, saying that to move the assemblage point away from its natural setting and to keep it fixed at a new location is to be asleep; with practice, seers learn to be asleep and yet behave as if nothing is happening to them.
After a moment’s pause he added that for purposes of seeing the cocoon of man, one has to gaze at people from behind, as they walk away. It is useless to gaze at people face to face, because the front of the egglike cocoon of man has a protective shield, which seers call the front plate, it is an almost impregnable, unyielding shield that protects us throughout our lives against the onslaught of a peculiar force that stems from the emanations themselves.
He also told me not to be surprised if my body was stiff, as though it were frozen; he said that I was going to feel very much like someone standing in the middle of a room looking at the street through a window, and that speed was of the essence, as people were going to move extremely fast by my seeing window. He told me then to relax my muscles, shut off my internal dialogue, and let my assemblage point drift away under the spell of inner silence. He urged me to smack myself gently but firmly on my right side, between my hipbone and my ribcage.
I did that three times and I was sound asleep. It was a most peculiar state of sleep. My body was dormant, but I was perfectly aware of everything that was taking place. I could hear don Juan talking to me and I could follow every one of his statements as if I were awake, yet I could not move my body at all.
Don Juan said that a man was going to walk by my seeing window and that I should try to see him. I unsuccessfully attempted to move my head and then a shiny egglike shape appeared, it was resplendent. I was awed by the sight and before I could recover from my surprise, it was gone. It floated away, bobbing up and down.
Everything had been so sudden and fast that it made me feel frustrated and impatient. I felt that I was beginning to wake up. Don Juan talked to me again and urged me to relax. He said that I had no right and no time to be impatient. Suddenly, another luminous being appeared and moved away. It seemed to be made of a white fluorescent shag.
Don Juan whispered in my ear that if I wanted to, my eyes were capable of slowing down everything they focused on. Then he warned me that another man was coming. I realized at that instant that there were two voices. The one I had just heard was the same one that had admonished me to be patient. That was don Juan’s. The other, the one that told me to use my eyes to slow down movement, was the voice of seeing.
That afternoon, I saw ten luminous beings in slow motion. The voice of seeing guided me to witness in them everything don Juan had told me about the glow of awareness. There was a vertical band with a stronger amber glow on the right side of those egglike luminous creatures, perhaps one-tenth of the total volume of the cocoon. The voice said that that was man’s band of awareness. The voice pointed out a dot on man’s band, a dot with an intense shine; it was high on the oblong shapes, almost on the crest of them, on the surface of the cocoon; the voice said that it was the assemblage point.
When I saw each luminous creature in profile, from the point of view of its body, its egglike shape was like a gigantic asymmetrical yoyo that was standing edgewise, or like an almost round pot that was resting on its side with its lid on. The part that looked like a lid was the front plate; it was perhaps one-fifth the thickness of the total cocoon.
I would have gone on seeing those creatures, but don Juan said that I should now gaze at people face to face and sustain my gaze until I had broken the barrier and I was seeing the emanations.
I followed his command. Almost instantaneously, I saw a most brilliant array of live, compelling fibers of light. It was a dazzling sight that immediately shattered my balance. I fell down on the cement walk on my side. From there, I saw the compelling fibers of light multiply themselves. They burst open and myriads of other fibers came out of them. But the fibers, compelling as they were, somehow did not interfere with my ordinary view. There were scores of people going into church. I was no longer seeing them. There were quite a few women and men just around the bench. I wanted to focus my eyes on them, but instead I noticed how one of those fibers of light bulged suddenly. It became like a ball of fire that was perhaps seven feet in diameter, it rolled on me. My first impulse was to roll out of its way. Before I could even move a muscle the ball had hit me. I felt it as clearly as if someone had punched me gently in the stomach. An instant later another ball of fire hit me, this time with considerably more strength, and then don Juan whacked me really hard on the cheek with his open hand. I jumped up involuntarily and lost sight of the fibers of light and the balloons that were hitting me.
Don Juan said that I had successfully endured my first brief encounter with the Eagle’s emanations, but that a couple of shoves from the tumbler had dangerously opened up my gap. He added that the balls that had hit me were called the rolling force, or the tumbler.
We had returned to his house, although I did not remember how or when. I had spent hours in a sort of semi-sleeping state. Don Juan and the other seers of his group had given me large amounts of water to drink. They had also submerged me in an ice-cold tub of water for short periods of time.
“Were those fibers I saw the Eagle’s emanations?” I asked don Juan.
“Yes. But you didn’t really see them,” he replied. “No sooner had you begun to see than the tumbler stopped you. If you had remained a moment longer it would have blasted you.”
“What exactly is the tumbler?” I asked.
“It is a force from the Eagle’s emanations,” he said. “A ceaseless force that strikes us every instant of our lives, it is lethal when seen, but otherwise we are oblivious to it, in our ordinary lives, because we have protective shields. We have consuming interests that engage all our awareness. We are permanently worried about our station, our possessions. These shields, however, do not keep the tumbler away, they simply keep us from seeing it directly, protecting us in this way from getting hurt by the fright of seeing the balls of fire hitting us. Shields are a great help and a great hindrance to us. They pacify us and at the same time fool us. They give us a false sense of security.”
He warned me that a moment would come in my life when I would be without any shields, uninterruptedly at the mercy of the tumbler. He said that it is an obligatory stage in the life of a warrior, known as losing the human form.
I asked him to explain to me once and for all what the human form is and what it means to lose it.
He replied that seers describe the human form as the compelling force of alignment of the emanations lit by the glow of awareness on the precise spot on which normally man’s assemblage point is fixated. It is the force that makes us into persons. Thus, to be a person is to be compelled to affiliate with that force of alignment and consequently to be affiliated with the precise spot where it originates.
By reason of their activities, at a given moment the assemblage points of warriors drift toward the left. It is a permanent move, which results in an uncommon sense of aloofness, or control, or even abandon. That drift of the assemblage point entails a new alignment of emanations. It is the beginning of a series of greater shifts. Seers very aptly called this initial shift losing the human form, because it marks an inexorable movement of the assemblage point away from its original setting, resulting in the irreversible loss of our affiliation to the force that makes us persons.
He asked me then to describe all the details I could remember about the balls of fire. I told him that I had seen them so briefly I was not sure I could describe them in detail.
He pointed out that seeing is an euphemism for moving the assemblage point, and that if I moved mine a fraction more to the left I would have a clear picture of the balls of fire, a picture which I could interpret then as having remembered them.
I tried to have a clear picture, but I couldn’t, so I described what I remembered.
He listened attentively and then urged me to recall if they were balls or circles of fire. I told him I didn’t remember.
He explained that those balls of fire are of crucial importance to human beings because they are the expression of a force that pertains to all details of life and death, something that the new seers call the rolling force.
I asked him to clarify what he meant by all the details of life and death.
“The rolling force is the means through which the Eagle distributes life and awareness for safekeeping,” he said. “But it also is the force that, let’s say, collects the rent. It makes all living beings die. What you saw today was called by the ancient seers the tumbler.”
He said that seers describe it as an eternal line of iridescent rings, or balls of fire, that roll onto living beings ceaselessly. Luminous organic beings meet the rolling force head on, until the day when the force proves to be too much for them and the creatures finally collapse. The old seers were mesmerized by seeing how the tumbler then tumbles them into the beak of the Eagle to be devoured. That was the reason they called it the tumbler.
“You said that it is a mesmerizing sight. Have you yourself seen it rolling human beings?” I asked.
“Certainly I’ve seen it,” he replied, and after a pause he added, “You and I saw it only a short while ago in Mexico City.”
His assertion was so farfetched that I felt obliged to tell him that this time he was wrong. He laughed and reminded me that on that occasion, while both of us were sitting on a bench in the Alameda Park in Mexico City, we had witnessed the death of a man. He said that I had recorded the event in my everyday-life memory as well as in my left-side emanations.
As don Juan spoke to me I had the sensation of something inside me becoming lucid by degrees, and I could visualize with uncanny clarity the whole scene in the park. The man was lying on the grass with three policemen standing by him to keep onlookers away. I distinctly remembered don Juan hitting me on my back to make me change levels of awareness. And then I saw. My seeing was imperfect. I was unable to shake off the sight of the world of everyday life.
What I ended up with was a composite of filaments of the most gorgeous colors superimposed on the buildings and the traffic. The filaments were actually lines of colored light that came from above. They had inner life; they were bright and bursting with energy.
When I looked at the dying man, I saw what don Juan was talking about; something that was at once like circles of fire, or iridescent tumbleweeds, was rolling everywhere I focused my eyes. The circles were rolling on people, on don Juan, on me. I felt them in my stomach and became ill.
Don Juan told me to focus my eyes on the dying man. I saw him at one moment curling up, just as a sowbug curls itself up upon being touched. The incandescent circles pushed him away, as if they were casting him aside, out of their majestic, inalterable path.
I had not liked the feeling. The circles of fire had not scared me; they were not awesome, or sinister. I did not feel morbid or somber. The circles rather had nauseated me. I’d felt them in the pit of my stomach. It was a revulsion that I’d felt that day.
Remembering them conjured up again the total feeling of discomfort I had experienced on that occasion. As I got ill, don Juan laughed until he was out of breath.
“You’re such an exaggerated fellow.” he said. “The rolling force is not that bad. It’s lovely, in fact. The new seers recommend that we open ourselves to it. The old seers also opened themselves to it, but for reasons and purposes guided mostly by self-importance and obsession.”
“The new seers, on the other hand, make friends with it. They become familiar with that force by handling it without any self-importance. The result is staggering in its consequences.”
He said that a shift of the assemblage point is all that is needed to open oneself to the rolling force. He added that if the force is seen in a deliberate manner, there is minimal danger. A situation that is extremely dangerous, however, is an involuntary shift of the assemblage point owing, perhaps, to physical fatigue, emotional exhaustion, disease, or simply a minor emotional or physical crisis, such as being frightened or being drunk.
“When the assemblage point shifts involuntarily, the rolling force cracks the cocoon,” he went on. “I’ve talked many times about a gap that man has below his navel. It’s not really below the navel itself, but in the cocoon, at the height of the navel. The gap is more like a dent, a natural flaw in the otherwise smooth cocoon. It is there where the tumbler hits us ceaselessly and where the cocoon cracks.”
He went on to explain that if it is a minor shift of the assemblage point, the crack is very small, the cocoon quickly repairs itself, and people experience what everybody has at one time or another: blotches of color and contorted shapes, which remain even if the eyes are closed.
If the shift is considerable, the crack also is extensive and it takes time for the cocoon to repair itself, as in the case of warriors who purposely use power plants to elicit that shift or people who take drugs and unwittingly do the same. In these cases men feel numb and cold; they have difficulty talking or even thinking; it is as if they have been frozen from inside.
Don Juan said that in cases in which the assemblage point shifts drastically because of the effects of trauma or of a mortal disease, the rolling force produces a crack the length of the cocoon; the cocoon collapses and curls in on itself, and the individual dies.
“Can a voluntary shift also produce a gap of that nature?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” he replied. “We’re really frail. As the tumbler hits us over and over, death comes to us through the gap. Death is the rolling force. When it finds weakness in the gap of a luminous being it automatically cracks it open and makes it collapse.”
“Does every living being have a gap?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied. “If it didn’t have one it wouldn’t die. The gaps are different, however, in size and configuration. Man’s gap is a bowl-like depression the size of a fist, a very frail vulnerable configuration. The gaps of other organic creatures are very much like man’s; some are stronger than ours and others are weaker. But the gap of inorganic beings is really different. It’s more like a long thread, a hair of luminosity; consequently, inorganic beings are infinitely more durable than we are.”
“There is something hauntingly appealing about the long life of those creatures, and the old seers could not resist being carried away by that appeal.”
He said that the same force can produce two effects that are diametrically opposed. The old seers were imprisoned by the rolling force, and the new seers are rewarded for their toils with the gift of freedom. By becoming familiar with the rolling force through the mastery of intent, the new seers, at a given moment, open their own cocoons and the force floods them rather than rolling them up like a curled-up sowbug. The final result is their total and instantaneous disintegration.
I asked him a lot of questions about the survival of awareness after the luminous being is consumed by the fire from within. He did not answer. He simply chuckled, shrugged his shoulders, and went on to say that the old seers’ obsession with the tumbler blinded them to the other side of that force. The new seers, with their usual thoroughness in refusing tradition, went to the other extreme. They were at first totally averse to focusing their seeing on the tumbler; they argued that they needed to understand the force of the emanations at large in its aspect of lifegiver and enhancer of awareness.
“They realized that it is infinitely easier to destroy something,” don Juan went on, “than it is to build it and maintain it. To roll life away is nothing compared to giving it and nourishing it. Of course, the new seers were wrong on this count, but in due course they corrected their mistake.”
“How were they wrong, don Juan?”
“It’s an error to isolate anything for seeing. At the beginning, the new seers did exactly the opposite from what their predecessors did. They focused with equal attention on the other side of the tumbler. What happened to them was as terrible as, if not worse than, what happened to the old seers. They died stupid deaths, just as the average man does. They didn’t have the mystery or the malignancy of the ancient seers, nor had they the quest for freedom of the seers of today.”
“Those first new seers served everybody. Because they were focusing their seeing on the lifegiving side of the emanations, they were filled with love and kindness. But that didn’t keep them from being tumbled. They were vulnerable, just as were the old seers who were filled with morbidity.”
He said that for the modern-day new seers, to be left stranded after a life of discipline and toil, just like men who have never had a purposeful moment in their lives, was intolerable. Don Juan said that these new seers realized, after they had readopted their tradition, that the old seers’ knowledge of the rolling force had been complete; at one point the old seers had concluded that there were, in effect, two different aspects of the same force. The tumbling aspect relates exclusively to destruction and death. The circular aspect, on the other hand, is what maintains life and awareness, fulfillment and purpose. They had chosen, however, to deal exclusively with the tumbling aspect.
“Gazing in teams, the new seers were able to see the separation between the tumbling and the circular aspects,” he explained. “They saw that both forces are fused, but are not the same. The circular force comes to us just before the tumbling force; they are so close to each other that they seem the same.”
“The reason it’s called the circular force is that it comes in rings, threadlike hoops of iridescence – a very delicate affair indeed. And just like the tumbling force, it strikes all living beings ceaselessly, but for a different purpose. It strikes them to give them strength, direction, awareness; to give them life.”
“What the new seers discovered is that the balance of the two forces in every living being is a very delicate one,” he continued, “if at any given time an individual feels that the tumbling force strikes harder than the circular one, that means the balance is upset; the tumbling force strikes harder and harder from then on, until it cracks the living being’s gap and makes it die.”
He added that out of what I had called balls of fire comes an iridescent hoop exactly the size of living beings, whether men, trees, microbes, or allies.
“Are there different-size circles?” I asked.
“Don’t take me so literally,” he protested. “There are no circles to speak of, just a circular force that gives seers, who are dreaming it, the feeling of rings. And there are no different sizes either. It’s one indivisible force that fits all living beings, organic and inorganic.”
“Why did the old seers focus on the tumbling aspect?” I asked.
“Because they believed that their lives depended on seeing it,” he replied. “They were sure that their seeing was going to give them answers to age-old questions. You see, they figured that if they unraveled the secrets of the rolling force they would be invulnerable and immortal. The sad part is that in one way or another, they did unravel the secrets and yet they were neither invulnerable nor immortal.”
“The new seers changed it all by realizing that there is no way to aspire to immortality as long as man has a cocoon.”
Don Juan explained that the old seers apparently never realized that the human cocoon is a receptacle and cannot sustain the onslaught of the rolling force forever. In spite of all the knowledge that they had accumulated, they were in the end certainly no better, and perhaps much worse, off than the average man.
“In what way were they left worse off than the average man?” I asked.
“Their tremendous knowledge forced them to take it for granted that their choices were infallible,” he said. “So they chose to live at any cost.”
Don Juan looked at me and smiled. With his theatrical pause he was telling me something I could not fathom.
“They chose to live,” he repeated. “Just as they chose to become trees in order to assemble worlds with those nearly unreachable great bands.”
“What do you mean by that, don Juan?”
“I mean that they used the rolling force to shift their assemblage points to unimaginable dreaming positions, instead of letting it roll them to the beak of the Eagle to be devoured.”
The Death Defiers
I arrived at Genaro’s house around 2:00 p. m. Don Juan and I became involved in conversation, and then don Juan made me shift into heightened awareness.
“Here we are again, the three of us, just as we were the day we went to that flat rock,” don Juan said. “And tonight we’re going to make another trip to that area.”
“You have enough knowledge now to draw very serious conclusions about that place and its effects on awareness.”
“What is it with that place, don Juan?”
“Tonight you’re going to find out some gruesome facts that the old seers collected about the rolling force; and you’re going to see what I meant when I told you that the old seers chose to live at any cost.”
Don Juan turned to Genaro, who was about to fall asleep. He nudged him.
“Wouldn’t you say, Genaro, that the old seers-were dreadful men?” don Juan asked.
“Absolutely,” Genaro said in a crisp tone and then seemed to succumb to fatigue.
He began to nod noticeably. In an instant he was sound asleep, his head resting on his chest with his chin tucked in. He snored.
I wanted to laugh out loud. But then I noticed that Genaro was staring at me, as if he were sleeping with his eyes open.
“They were such dreadful men that they even defied death,” Genaro added between snores.
“Aren’t you curious to know how those gruesome men defied death?” don Juan asked me.
He seemed to be urging me to ask for an example of their gruesomeness. He paused and looked at me with what I thought was a glint of expectation in his eyes.
“You’re waiting for me to ask for an example, aren’t you?” I said.
“This is a great moment,” he said, patting me on the back and laughing. “My benefactor had me on the edge of my seat at this point. I asked him to give me an example, and he did; now I’m going to give you one whether you ask for it or not.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked, so frightened that my stomach was tied in knots and my voice cracked.
It took quite a while for don Juan to stop laughing. Every time he started to speak, he’d get an attack of coughing laughter.
“As Genaro told you, the old seers were dreadful men,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “There was something they tried to avoid at all costs: they didn’t want to die. You may say that the average man doesn’t want to die either, but the advantage that the old seers had over the average man was that they had the concentration and the discipline to intend things away; and they actually intended death away.”
He paused and looked at me with raised eyebrows. He said that I was falling behind, that I was not asking my usual questions. I remarked that it was plain to me that he was leading me to ask if the old seers had succeeded in intending death away, but he himself had already told me that their knowledge about the tumbler had not saved them from dying.
“They succeeded in intending death away,” he said, pronouncing his words with extra care. “But they still had to die.”
“How did they intend death away?” I asked.
“They observed their allies,” he said, “and seeing that they were living beings with a much greater resilience to the rolling force, the seers patterned themselves on their allies.”
“The old seers realized,” don Juan explained, “that only organic beings have a gap that resembles a bowl. Its size and shape and its brittleness make it the ideal configuration to hasten the cracking and collapsing of the luminous shell under the onslaughts of the tumbling force. The allies, on the other hand, who have only a line for a gap, present such a small surface to the rolling force as to be practically immortal. Their cocoons can sustain the onslaughts of the tumbler indefinitely, because hairline gaps offer no ideal configuration to it.”
“The old seers developed the most bizarre techniques for closing their gaps,” don Juan continued. “They were essentially correct in assuming that a hairline gap is more durable than a bowl-like one.”
“Are those techniques still in existence?” I asked.
“No, they are not,” he said. “But some of the seers who practiced them are.”
For reasons unknown to me, his statement caused a reaction of sheer terror in me. My breathing was altered instantly, and I couldn’t control its rapid pace.
“They’re still alive to this day, isn’t that so, Genaro?” don Juan asked.
“Absolutely,” Genaro muttered from an apparent state of deep sleep.
I asked don Juan if he knew the reason for my being so frightened. He reminded me about a previous occasion in that very room when they had asked me if I had noticed the weird creatures that had come in the moment Genaro opened the door.
“That day your assemblage point went very deep into the left side and assembled a frightening world,” he went on. “But I have already said that to you; what you don’t remember is that you went directly to a very remote world and scared yourself pissless there.”
Don Juan turned to Genaro, who was snoring peacefully with his legs stretched out in front of him.
“Wasn’t he scared pissless, Genaro?” he asked.
“Absolutely pissless,” Genaro muttered, and don Juan laughed.
“I want you to know that we don’t blame you for being scared,” don Juan continued. “We, ourselves, are revolted by some of the actions of the old seers. I’m sure that you have realized by now that what you can’t remember about that night is that you saw the old seers who are still alive.”
I wanted to protest that I had realized nothing, but I could not voice my words. I had to clear my throat over and over before I could articulate a word. Genaro had stood up and was gently patting my upper back, by my neck, as if I were choking.
“You have a frog in your throat,” he said.
I thanked him in a high squeaky voice.
“No, I think you have a chicken there,” he added and sat down to sleep.
Don Juan said that the new seers had rebelled against all the bizarre practices of the old seers and declared them not only useless but injurious to our total being. They even went so far as to ban those techniques from whatever was taught to new warriors; and for generations there was no mention of those practices at all.
It was in the early part of the eighteenth century that the nagual Sebastian, a member of don Juan’s direct line of naguals, rediscovered the existence of those techniques.
“How did he rediscover them?” I asked.
“He was a superb stalker, and because of his impeccability he got a chance to learn marvels,” don Juan replied.
He said that one day as the nagual Sebastian was about to start his daily routines – he was the sexton at the cathedral in the city where he lived – he found a middle-aged Indian man who seemed to be in a quandary at the door of the church.
The nagual Sebastian went to the man’s side and asked him if he needed help.
“I need a bit of energy to close my gap,” the man said to him in a loud clear voice. “Would you give me some of your energy?”
Don Juan said that according to the story, the nagual Sebastian was dumbfounded. He did not know what the man was talking about. He offered to take the Indian to see the parish priest. The man lost his patience and angrily accused the nagual Sebastian of stalling.
“I need your energy because you’re a nagual,” he said. “Let’s go quietly.”
The nagual Sebastian succumbed to the magnetic power of the stranger and meekly went with him into the mountains. He was gone for many days. When he came back he not only had a new outlook about the ancient seers, but detailed knowledge of their techniques. The stranger was an ancient Toltec. One of the last survivors.
“The nagual Sebastian found out marvels about the old seers,” don Juan went on. “He was the one who first knew how grotesque and aberrant they really were. Before him, that knowledge was only hearsay.”
“One night my benefactor and the nagual Elias gave me a sample of those aberrations. They really showed it to Genaro and me together, so it’s only proper that we both show you the same sample.”
I wanted to talk in order to stall; I needed time to calm down, to think things out. But before I could say anything, don Juan and Genaro were practically dragging me out of the house. They headed for the same eroded hills we had visited before.
We stopped at the bottom of a large barren hill. Don Juan pointed toward some distant mountains to the south, and said that between the place where we stood and a natural cut in one of those mountains, a cut that looked like an open mouth, there were at least seven sites where the ancient seers had focused all the power of their awareness.
Don Juan said that those seers had not only been knowledgeable and daring but downright successful. He added that his benefactor had showed him and Genaro a site where the old seers, driven by their love for life, had buried themselves alive and actually intended the rolling force away.
“There is nothing that would catch the eye in those places,” he went on. “The old seers were careful not to leave marks. It is just a landscape. One has to see to know where those places are.”
He said that he did not want to walk to the faraway sites, but would take me to the one that was nearest. I insisted on knowing what we were after. He said that we were going to see the buried seers, and that for that we had to stay until it got dark under the cover of some green bushes. He pointed them out; they were perhaps half a mile away, up a steep slope.
We reached the patch of bushes and sat down as comfortably as we could. He began then to explain in a very low voice that in order to get energy from the earth, ancient seers used to bury themselves for periods of time, depending on what they wanted to accomplish. The more difficult their task, the longer their burial period.
Don Juan stood up and in a melodramatic way showed me a spot a few yards from where we were.
“Two old seers are buried there,” he said. “They buried themselves about two thousand years ago to escape death, not in the spirit of running away from it but in the spirit of defying it.”
Don Juan asked Genaro to show me the exact spot where the old seers were buried. I turned to look at Genaro and realized that he was sitting by my side sound asleep again. But to my utter amazement, he jumped up and barked like a dog and ran on all fours to the spot don Juan was pointing out. There he ran around the place in a perfect mime of a small dog.
I found his performance hilarious. Don Juan was nearly on the ground laughing.
“Genaro has shown you something extraordinary,” don Juan said, after Genaro had returned to where we were and had gone back to sleep. “He has shown you something about the assemblage point and dreaming. He’s dreaming now, but he can act as if he were fully awake and he can hear everything you say. From that position he can do more than if he were awake.”
He was silent for a moment as if assessing what to say next. Genaro snored rhythmically. Don Juan remarked how easy it was for him to find flaws with what the old seers had done, yet, in all fairness, he never tired of repeating how wonderful their accomplishments were. He said that they understood the earth to perfection. Not only did they discover and use the boost from the earth, but they also discovered that if they remained buried, their assemblage points aligned emanations that were ordinarily inaccessible, and that such an alignment engaged the earth’s strange, inexplicable capacity to deflect the ceaseless strikes of the rolling force.
Consequently, they developed the most astounding and complex techniques for burying themselves for extremely long periods of time without any detriment to themselves. In their fight against death, they learned how to elongate those periods to cover millennia.
It was a cloudy day, and night fell quickly. In no time at all, everything was in darkness. Don Juan stood up and guided me and the sleepwalker Genaro to an enormous flat oval rock that had caught my eye the moment we got to that place. It was similar to the flat rock we had visited before, but bigger. It occurred to me that the rock, enormous as it was, had deliberately been placed there.
“This is another site,” don Juan said. “This huge rock was placed here as a trap, to attract people. Soon you’ll know why.”
I felt a shiver run through my body. I thought I was going to faint. I knew that I was definitely overreacting and wanted to say something about it, but don Juan kept on talking in a hoarse whisper. He said that Genaro, since he was dreaming, had enough control over his assemblage point to move it until he could reach the specific emanations that would wake up whatever was around that rock. He recommended that I try to move my assemblage point, and follow Genaro’s.
He said that I could do it, first by setting up my unbending intent to move it, and second by letting the context of the situation dictate where it should move.
After a moment’s thought he whispered in my ear not to worry about procedures, because most of the really unusual things that happen to seers, or to the average man for that matter, happen by themselves, with only the intervention of intent.
He was silent for a moment and then added that the danger for me was going to be the buried seers’ inevitable attempt to scare me to death. He exhorted me to keep myself calm and not to succumb to fear, but follow Genaro’s movements.
I fought desperately not to be sick. Don Juan patted me on the back and said that I was an old pro at playing an innocent bystander. He assured me that I was not consciously refusing to let my assemblage point move, but that every human being does it automatically.
“Something is going to scare the living daylights out of you,” he whispered. “Don’t give up, because if you do, you’ll die and the old vultures around here are going to feast on your energy.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I pleaded. “I really don’t give a damn about getting an example of the old seers’ grotesqueness.”
“It’s too late,” Genaro said, fully awake now, standing by my side. “Even if we try to get away, the two seers and their allies on the other spot will cut you down. They have already made a circle around us. There are as many as sixteen awarenesses focused on you right now.”
“Who are they?” I whispered in Genaro’s ear.
“The four seers and their court,” he replied. “They’ve been aware of us since we got here.”
I wanted to turn tail and run for dear life, but don Juan held my arm and pointed to the sky. I noticed that a remarkable change in visibility had taken place. Instead of the pitch-black darkness that had prevailed, there was a pleasant dawn twilight. I made a quick assessment of the cardinal points. The sky was definitely lighter toward the east.
I felt a strange pressure around my head. My ears were buzzing. I felt cold and feverish at the same time. I was scared as I had never been before, but what bothered me was a nagging sensation of defeat, of being a coward. I felt nauseated and miserable.
Don Juan whispered in my ear. He said that I had to be on the alert, that the onslaught of the old seers would be felt by all three of us at any moment.
“You can grab on to me if you want to,” Genaro said in a fast whisper as if something were prodding him.
I hesitated for an instant. I did not want don Juan to believe that I was so scared I needed to hold on to Genaro.
“Here they come!” Genaro said in a loud whisper.
The world turned upside down instantaneously for me when something gripped me by my left ankle. I felt the coldness of death on my entire body. I knew I had stepped on an iron clamp, maybe a bear trap. That all flashed through my mind before I let out a piercing scream, as intense as my fright.
Don Juan and Genaro laughed out loud. They were flanking me no more than three feet away, but I was so terrified I did not even notice them.
“Sing! Sing for dear life!” I heard don Juan ordering me under his breath.
I tried to pull my foot loose. I felt then a sting, as if needles were piercing my skin. Don Juan insisted over and over that I sing. He and Genaro started to sing a popular song. Genaro spoke the lyrics as he looked at me from hardly two inches away. They sang off-key in raspy voices, getting so completely out of breath and so high out of the range of their voices that I ended up laughing.
“Sing, or you’re going to perish,” don Juan said to me.
“Let’s make a trio,” Genaro said, “We’ll sing a bolero.”
I joined them in an off-key trio. We sang for quite a while at the top of our voices, like drunkards. I felt that the iron grip on my leg was gradually letting go of me. I had not dared to look down at my ankle. At one moment I did and I realized then that there was no trap clutching me. A dark, headlike shape was biting me!
Only a supreme effort kept me from fainting. I felt I was getting sick and automatically tried to bend over, but somebody with superhuman strength grabbed me painlessly by the elbows and the nape of my neck and did not let me move. I got sick all over my clothes.
My revulsion was so complete that I began to fall in a faint. Don Juan sprinkled my face with some water from the small gourd he always carried when we went into the mountains. The water slid under my collar. The coldness restored my physical balance, but it did not affect the force that was holding me by my elbows and neck.
“I think you are going too far with your fright,” don Juan said loudly and in such a matter-of fact tone that he created an immediate feeling of order.
“Let’s sing again,” he added. “Let’s sing a song with substance – I don’t want any more boleros.”
I silently thanked him for his sobriety and for his grand style. I was so moved as I heard them singing “La Valentina” that I began to weep.
Because of my passion, they say
that ill fortune is on my way.
It doesn’t matter
that it might be the devil himself.
I do know how to die
Valentina, Valentina.
I throw myself in your way.
If I am going to die tomorrow,
why not, once and for all, today?
All of my being staggered under the impact of that inconceivable juxtaposition of values. Never had a song meant so much to me. As I heard them sing those lyrics, which I ordinarily considered reeking with cheap sentimentalism, I thought I understood the ethos of the warrior.
Don Juan had drilled into me that warriors live with death at their side, and from the knowledge that death is with them they draw the courage to face anything. Don Juan had said that the worst that could happen to us is that we have to die, and since that is already our unalterable fate, we are free; those who have lost everything no longer have anything to fear.
I walked to don Juan and Genaro and embraced them to express my boundless gratitude and admiration for them.
Then I realized that nothing was holding me any longer. Without a word don Juan took my arm and guided me to sit on the flat rock.
“The show is just about to begin now,” Genaro said in a jovial tone as he tried to find a comfortable position to sit. “You’ve just paid your admission ticket. It’s all over your chest.”
He looked at me, and both of them began to laugh.
“Don’t sit too close to me,” Genaro said. “I don’t appreciate pukers. But don’t go too far, either. The old seers are not yet through with their tricks.”
I moved as close to them as politeness permitted. I was concerned about my fate for an instant, and then all my qualms became nonsense, for I noticed that some people were coming toward us. I could not make out their shapes clearly but I distinguished a mass of human figures moving in the semidarkness. They did not carry lanterns or flashlights with them, which at that hour they would still have needed. Somehow that detail worried me. I did not want to focus on it and I deliberately began to think rationally. I figured that we must have attracted attention with our loud singing and they were coming to investigate. Don Juan tapped me on the shoulder. He pointed with a movement of his chin to the men in front of the group of others.
“Those four are the old seers,” he said. “The rest are their allies.”
Before I could remark that they were just local peasants, I heard a swishing sound right behind me. I quickly turned around in a state of total alarm. My movement was so sudden that don Juan’s warning came too late.
“Don’t turn around!” I heard him yell.
His words were only background; they did not mean anything to me. On turning around, I saw that three grotesquely deformed men had climbed up on the rock right behind me; they were crawling toward me, with their mouths open in a nightmarish grimace and their arms outstretched to grab me.
I intended to scream at the top of my lungs, but what came out was an agonizing croak, as if something were obstructing my windpipe. I automatically rolled out of their reach and onto the ground.
As I stood up, don Juan jumped to my side, at the very same moment that a horde of men, led by those don Juan had pointed out, descended on me like vultures. They were actually squeaking like bats or rats. I yelled in terror. This time I was able to let out a piercing cry.
Don Juan, as nimbly as an athlete in top form, pulled me out of their clutches onto the rock. He told me in a stern voice not to turn around to look, no matter how scared I was. He said that the allies cannot push at all, but that they certainly could scare me and make me fall to the ground. On the ground, however, the allies could hold anybody down. If I were to fall on the ground by the place where the seers were buried, I would be at their mercy. They would rip me apart while their allies held me. He added that he had not told me all that before because he had hoped I would be forced to see and understand it by myself. His decision had nearly cost me my life. The sensation that the grotesque men were just behind me was nearly unbearable. Don Juan forcefully ordered me to keep calm and focus my attention on four men at the head of a crowd of perhaps ten or twelve. The instant I focused my eyes on them, as if on cue, they all advanced to the edge of the flat rock. They stopped there and began hissing like serpents. They walked back and forth. Their movement seemed to be synchronized. It was so consistent and orderly that it seemed to be mechanical. It was as if they were following a repetitive pattern, aimed at mesmerizing me.
“Don’t gaze at them, dear,” Genaro said to me as if he were talking to a child.
The laughter that followed was as hysterical as my fear. I laughed so hard that the sound reverberated on the surrounding hills.
The men stopped at once and seemed to be perplexed. I could distinguish the shapes of their heads bobbing up and down as if they were talking, deliberating among themselves. Then one of them jumped onto the rock.
“Watch out! That one is a seer!” Genaro exclaimed.
“What are we going to do?” I shouted.
“We could start singing again,” don Juan replied matter-of-factly.
My fear reached its apex then. I began to jump up and down and to roar like an animal. The man jumped down to the ground.
“Don’t pay any more attention to those clowns,” don Juan said. “Let’s talk as usual.”
He said that we had gone there for my enlightenment, and that I was failing miserably. I had to reorganize myself. The first thing to do was to realize that my assemblage point had moved and was now making obscure emanations glow. To carry the feelings from my usual state of awareness into the world I had assembled was indeed a travesty, for fear is only prevalent among the emanations of daily life.
I told him that if my assemblage point had shifted as he was saying it had, I had news for him. My fear was infinitely greater and more devastating than anything I had ever experienced in my daily life.
“You’re wrong,” he said. “Your first attention is confused and doesn’t want to give up control, that’s all. I have the feeling that you could walk right up to those creatures and face them and they wouldn’t do a thing to you.”
I insisted that I was definitely in no condition to test such a preposterous thing as that.
He laughed at me. He said that sooner or later I had to cure myself of my madness, and that to take the initiative and face up to those four seers was infinitely less preposterous than the idea that I was seeing them at all. He said that to him madness was to be confronted by men who had been buried for two thousand years and were still alive, and not to think that that was the epitome of preposterousness.
I heard everything he said with clarity, but I was not really paying attention to him. I was terrified of the men around the rock. They seemed to be preparing to jump us, to jump me really. They were fixed on me. My right arm began to shake as if I were stricken by some muscular disorder. Then I became aware that the light in the sky had changed. I had not noticed before that it was already dawn. The strange thing was that an uncontrollable urge made me stand up and run to the group of men.
I had at that moment two completely different feelings about the same event. The minor one was of sheer terror. The other, the major one, was of total indifference. I could not have cared less. When I reached the group I realized that don Juan was right; they were not really men. Only four of them had any resemblance to men, but they were not men either; they were strange creatures with huge yellow eyes. The others were just shapes that were propelled by the four that resembled men.
I felt extraordinarily sad for those creatures with yellow eyes. I tried to touch them, but I could not find them. Some sort of wind scooped them away.
I looked for don Juan and Genaro. They were not there. It was pitch-black again. I called out their names over and over again. I thrashed around in darkness for a few minutes. Don Juan came to my side and startled me. I did not see Genaro.
“Let’s go home,” he said. “We have a long walk.”
Don Juan commented on how well I had performed at the site of the buried seers, especially during the last part of our encounter with them. He said that a shift of the assemblage point is marked by a change in light. In the daytime, light becomes very dark; at night, darkness becomes twilight. He added that I had performed two shifts by myself, aided only by animal fright. The only thing he found objectionable was my indulging in fear, especially after I had realized that warriors have nothing to fear.
“How do you know I had realized that?” I asked.
“Because you were free. When fear disappears all the ties that bind us dissolve,” he said. “An ally was gripping your foot because it was attracted by your animal terror.”
I told him how sorry I was for not being able to uphold my realizations.
“Don’t concern yourself with that.” He laughed. “You know that such realizations are a dime a dozen; they don’t amount to anything in the life of warriors, because they are canceled out as the assemblage point shifts.”
“What Genaro and I wanted to do was to make you shift very deeply. This time Genaro was there simply to entice the old seers. He did it once already, and you went so far into the left side that it will take quite a while for you to remember it. Your fright tonight was just as intense as it was that first time when the seers and their allies followed you to this very room, but your sturdy first attention wouldn’t let you be aware of them.”
“Explain to me what happened at the site of the seers,” I asked.
“The allies came out to see you,” he replied. “Since they have very low energy, they always need the help of men. The four seers have collected twelve allies.
“The countryside in Mexico and also certain cities are dangerous. What happened to you can happen to any man or woman. If they bump into that tomb, they may even see the seers and their allies, if they are pliable enough to let their fear make their assemblage points shift; but one thing is for sure: they can die of fright.”
“But do you honestly believe that those Toltec seers are still alive?” I asked.
He laughed and shook his head in disbelief.
“It’s time for you to shift that assemblage point of yours just a bit,” he said. “I can’t talk to you when you are in your idiot’s stage.”
He smacked me with the palm of his hand on three spots: right on the crest of my right hipbone, on the center of my back below my shoulder blades, and on the upper part of my right pectoral muscle.
My ears immediately began to buzz. A trickle of blood ran out of my right nostril, and something inside me became unplugged. It was as if some flow of energy had been blocked and suddenly began to move again.
“What were those seers and their allies after?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he replied. “We were the ones who were after them. The seers, of course, had already noticed your field of energy the first time you saw them; when you came back, they were set to feast on you.”
“You claim that they are alive, don Juan,” I said. “You must mean that they are alive as allies are alive, is that so?”
“That’s exactly right,” he said. “They cannot possibly be alive as you and I are. That would be preposterous.”
He went on to explain that the ancient seers’ concern with death made them look into the most bizarre possibilities. The ones who opted for the allies’ pattern had in mind, doubtless, a desire for a haven. And they found it, at a fixed position in one of the seven bands of inorganic awareness.
The seers felt that they were relatively safe there. After all, they were separated from the daily world by a nearly insurmountable barrier, the barrier of perception set by the assemblage point.
“When the four seers saw that you could shift your assemblage point they took off like bats out of hell,” he said and laughed.
“Do you mean that I assembled one of the seven worlds?” I asked.
“No, you didn’t,” he replied. “But you have done it before, when the seers and their allies chased you. That day you went all the way to their world. The problem is that you love to act stupid, so you can’t remember it at all.
“I’m sure that it is the nagual’s presence,” he continued, “that sometimes makes people act dumb. When the nagual Julian was still around, I was dumber than I am now. I am convinced that when I’m no longer here, you’ll be capable of remembering everything.”
Don Juan explained that since he needed to show me the death defiers, he and Genaro had lured them to the outskirts of our world. What I had done at first was a deep lateral shift, which allowed me to see them as people, but at the end I had correctly made the shift that allowed me to see the death defiers and their allies as they are.
Very early the next morning, at Silvio Manuel’s house, don Juan called me to the big room to discuss the events of the previous night. I felt exhausted and wanted to rest, to sleep, but don Juan was pressed for time. He immediately started his explanation. He said that the old seers had found out a way to utilize the rolling force and be propelled by it. Instead of succumbing to the onslaughts of the tumbler they rode with it and let it move their assemblage points to the confines of human possibilities.
Don Juan expressed unbiased admiration for such an accomplishment. He admitted that nothing else could give the assemblage point the boost that the tumbler gives.
I asked him about the difference between the earth’s boost and the tumbler’s boost. He explained that the earth’s boost is the force of alignment of only the amber emanations, it is a boost that heightens awareness to unthinkable degrees. To the new seers it is a blast of unlimited consciousness, which they call total freedom.
He said that the tumbler’s boost, on the other hand, is the force of death. Under the impact of the tumbler, the assemblage point moves to new, unpredictable positions. Thus, the old seers were always alone in their journeys, although the enterprise they were involved in was always communal. The company of other seers on their journeys was fortuitous and usually meant struggle for supremacy.
I confessed to don Juan that the concerns of the old seers, whatever they may have been, were worse than morbid horror tales to me. He laughed uproariously. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
“You have to admit, no matter how disgusted you feel, that those devils were very daring,” he went on. “I never liked them myself, as you know, but I can’t help admiring them. Their love for life is truly beyond me.”
“How can that be love for life, don Juan? It’s something nauseating,” I said.
“What else could push a man to those extremes if it is not love for life?” he asked. “They loved life so intensely that they were not willing to give it up. That’s the way I have seen it. My benefactor saw something else. He believed that they were afraid to die, which is not the same as loving life. I say that they were afraid to die because they loved life and because they had seen marvels, and not because they were greedy little monsters. No. They were aberrant because nobody ever challenged them and they were spoiled like rotten children, but their daring was impeccable and so was their courage.”
“Would you venture into the unknown out of greed? No way. Greed works only in the world of ordinary affairs. To venture into that terrifying loneliness one must have something greater than greed. Love, one needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery. One needs unquenching curiosity and guts galore. So don’t give me this nonsense about your being revolted. It’s embarrassing!”
Don Juan’s eyes were shining with contained laughter. He was putting me in my place, but he was laughing at it.
Don Juan left me alone in the room for perhaps an hour. I wanted to organize my thoughts and feelings. I had no way to do that. I knew without any doubt that my assemblage point was at a position where reasoning does not prevail, yet I was moved by reasonable concerns. Don Juan had said that technically, as soon as the assemblage point shifts, we are asleep. I wondered, for instance, if I was sound asleep from the stand of an onlooker, just as Genaro had been asleep to me.
I asked don Juan about it as soon as he returned.
“You are absolutely asleep without having to be stretched out,” he replied. “If people in a normal state of awareness saw you now, you would appear to them to be a bit dizzy, even drunk.”
He explained that during normal sleep, the shift of the assemblage point runs along either edge of man’s band. Such shifts are always coupled with slumber. Shifts that are induced by practice occur along the midsection of man’s band and are not coupled with slumber, yet a dreamer is asleep.
“Right at this juncture is where the new and the old seers made their separate bids for power,” he went on. “The old seers wanted a replica of the body, but with more physical strength, so they made their assemblage points slide along the right edge of man’s band. The deeper they moved along the right edge the more bizarre their dreaming body became. You, yourself, witnessed last night the monstrous result of a deep shift along the right edge.”
He said that the new seers were completely different, that they maintain their assemblage points along the midsection of man’s band. If the shift is a shallow one, like the shift into heightened awareness, the dreamer is almost like anyone else in the street, except for a slight vulnerability to emotions, such as fear and doubt. But at a certain degree of depth, the dreamer who is shifting along the midsection becomes a blob of light. A blob of light is the dreaming body of the new seers.
He also said that such an impersonal dreaming body is more conducive to understanding and examination, which are the basis of all the new seers do. The intensely humanized dreaming body of the old seers drove them to look for answers that were equally personal, humanized.
Don Juan suddenly seemed to be groping for words.
“There is another death defier,” he said curtly, “so unlike the four you’ve seen that he’s indistinguishable from the average man in the street. He’s accomplished this unique feat by being able to open and close his gap whenever he wants.”
He played with his fingers almost nervously.
“The ancient seer that the nagual Sebastian found in 1723 is that death defier,” he went on. “We count that day as the beginning of our line, the second beginning. That death defier, who’s been on the earth for hundreds of years, has changed the lives of every nagual he met, some more profoundly than others. And he has met every single nagual of our line since that day in 1723.”
Don Juan looked fixedly at me. I got strangely embarrassed. I thought my embarrassment was the result of a dilemma. I had very serious doubts about the content of the story, and at the same time I had the most disconcerting trust that everything he had said was true. I expressed my quandary to him.
“The problem of rational disbelief is not yours alone,” don Juan said. “My benefactor was at first plagued by the same question. Of course, later on he remembered everything. But it took him a long time to do so. When I met him he had already recollected everything, so I never witnessed his doubts. I only heard about them.”
“The weird part is that people who have never set eyes on the man have less difficulty accepting that he’s one of the original seers. My benefactor said that his quandaries stemmed from the fact that the shock of meeting such a creature had lumped together a number of emanations. It takes time for those emanations to separate themselves.”
Don Juan went on to explain that as my assemblage point kept on shifting, a moment would come when it would hit the proper combination of emanations; at that moment the proof of the existence of that man would become overwhelmingly evident to me.
I felt compelled to talk again about my ambivalence.
“We’re deviating from our subject,” he said. “It may seem that I’m trying to convince you of the existence of that man; and what I meant to talk about is the fact that the old seer knows how to handle the rolling force. Whether or not you believe that he exists is not important. Someday you’ll know for a fact that he certainly succeeded in closing his gap. The energy that he borrows from the nagual every generation he uses exclusively to close his gap.”
“How did he succeed in closing it?” I asked.
“There is no way of knowing that,” he replied. “I’ve talked to two other naguals who saw that man face to face, the nagual Julian and the nagual Elias. Neither of them knew how. The man never revealed how he closes that opening, which I suppose begins to expand after a time. The nagual Sebastian said that when he first saw the old seer, the man was very weak, actually dying. But my benefactor found him prancing vigorously, like a young man.”
Don Juan said that the nagual Sebastian nicknamed that nameless man “the tenant,” for they struck an arrangement by which the man was given energy, lodging so to speak, and he paid rent in the form of favors and knowledge.
“Did anybody ever get hurt in the exchange?” I asked.
“None of the naguals who exchanged energy with him was injured,” he replied. “The man’s commitment was that he’d only take a bit of superfluous energy from the nagual in exchange for gifts, for extraordinary abilities. For instance, the nagual Julian got the gait of power. With it, he could activate or make dormant the emanations inside his cocoon in order to look young or old at will.”
Don Juan explained that the death defiers in general went as far as rendering dormant all the emanations inside their cocoons, except those that matched the emanations of the allies. In this fashion they were able to imitate the allies in some form.
Each of the death defiers we had encountered at the rock, don Juan said, had been able to move his assemblage point to a precise spot on his cocoon in order to emphasize the emanations shared with the allies and to interact with them. But they were all unable to move it back to its usual position and interact with people. The tenant, on the other hand, is capable of shifting his assemblage point to assemble the everyday world as if nothing had ever happened.
Don Juan also said that his benefactor was convinced – and he fully agreed with him – that what takes place during the borrowing of energy is that the old sorcerer moves the nagual’s assemblage point to emphasize the ally’s emanations inside the nagual’s cocoon. He then uses the great jolt of energy produced by those emanations that suddenly become aligned after being so deeply dormant.
He said that the energy locked within us, in the dormant emanations, has a tremendous force and an incalculable scope. We can only vaguely assess the scope of that tremendous force, if we consider that the energy involved in perceiving and acting in the world of everyday life is a product of the alignment of hardly one-tenth of the emanations encased in man’s cocoon.
“What happens at the moment of death is that all that energy is released at once,” he continued. “Living beings at that moment become flooded by the most inconceivable force. It is not the rolling force that has cracked their gaps, because that force never enters inside the cocoon; it only makes it collapse. What floods them is the force of all the emanations that are suddenly aligned after being dormant for a lifetime. There is no outlet for such a giant force except to escape through the gap.”
He added that the old sorcerer
மயில் மாணிக்கம் in Tamil
Cypress Vine, with its tiny red flowers and delicate fern-like leaves, is a marvelous thing to have on a fence. Belonging to the same genus as the morning glory, the dainty red flowers bloom in the morning. The leaves are 3-4 in long and feather-like, finely divided pinnately into threadlike segments. The scarlet red (rarely white) flowers are tubular, about 1.5 in long, and flare out at the mouth into a five-pointed star. It is a hummingbird favorite. This annual plant produces hundreds of flowers--and thousands of seeds--usually insuring its presence from year to year. Particularly in warm locations, Cypress Vine can become invasive. However, as an annual it can be controlled if unwanted plants are removed before they set seed. Flowers of India
There it was... parachute like with long purple filaments dotted with tiny drops of water. And the flower is one foot across!
And here I was, with my camera around my neck, groping around in the steamy hot Rare Plant House searching for a metal tag to identify this amazing flower extravaganza! And, it was Dog Day so I had my pup Honey watching me, tipping her head to the right and the left curious.
The flowers are black to purplish white, nodding on long pedicels, 2 bracts broadly ovate and winglike, 2 smaller bracts perpendicular to the others, black, greenish or reddish. Bracteoles threadlike, 6 - 8 inches long. Leaves basal, lanceolate, glossy dark green blade tapering down the petiole.
The genus Tacca, which includes the Bat flowers and Arrowroot, consists of ten species of flowering plants in the order Dioscoreales, native to tropical regions of Africa, Australia, and south-eastern Asia. In older texts, the genus was treated in its own family Taccaceae, but the 2003 APG II system incorporates it into the family Dioscoreaceae. Taccaceae is native to Malaysia.
Tacca integrifolia, Bat Fower, Dracula Flower, Flor de Murcielago
Windows to the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
Ageratum houstonianum, commonly known as flossflower, bluemink, blueweed, or Mexican paintbrush, is a cool-season annual plant often grown as bedding in gardens.
This herbaceous annual or dwarf shrub grows to 0.3–1 m high, with ovate to triangular leaves 2–7 cm long, and blue flowerheads (sometimes white, pink, or purple). The flower heads are borne in dense corymbs. The ray flowers are threadlike and fluff-haired, leading to the common name. The narrow lanceolate bracts are pointed, denticulate only at the top and glandular hairy. The flowering period is from May to November in the northern hemisphere.
Today, it is widely used as an ornamental plant for summer borders and balcony boxes, high varieties also as cut flowers. The species is cultivated once a year, having numerous varieties whose crowns may be dark blue, purple, pink and white.
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All Rights Reserved
LITTLE BY LITTLE.
"Little by little," the acorn said,
As it slowly sank in its mossy bed,
"I am improving every day,
Hidden deep in the earth away."
Little by little each day it grew;
Little by little it sipped the dew;
Downward it sent out a threadlike root;
Up in the air sprung a tiny shoot,
Day after day, and year after year,
Little by little the leaves appear;
And the slender branches spread far and wide,
Till the mighty oak is the forest's pride.
"Little by little," said the thoughtful child,
"Moment by moment, It's well worth while,
Learning a little every day,
And not misspending my time in play;
And still this rule in my mind shall dwell,
Whatever I do, I will do it well.
Little by little, I'll learn to know
The treasured wisdom of long ago;
And one of these days, perhaps, will see
That the world will be the better for me."
Article 1:
Hesperaloe parviflora
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scientific Classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Monocots
Order:Asparagales
Family:Asparagaceae
Subfamily:Agavoideae
Genus:Hesperaloe
Species:H. parviflora
Binomial name
Hesperaloe parviflora
(Torr.) J.M.Coult.
Synonyms
Yucca parviflora Torr.[1]
Hesperaloe parviflora flowers
Hesperaloe parviflora, also known as red yucca, hummingbird yucca, redflower false yucca and samandoque, is a plant that is native to Chihuahuan desert of west Texas east and south into central and south Texas and northeastern Mexico around Coahuila.[2]
Hesperaloe parviflora has narrow evergreen leaves with a fringe of white threadlike hairs along their edges and grows in clumps 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m) high and wide. Red or yellow tubular flowers are borne on branching flower stalks (inflorescences) up to 5 ft (1.5 m) tall from late spring to mid-summer.[3]
This species has become popular in xeriscape landscape design for public and private gardens in California and the Southwestern United States. The plant's qualities include drought tolerance, heat resistance, low maintenance needs, hummingbird attracting flowers,[4] and an architectural form. It also is a spineless alternative to Agave and Yucca horticultural species.[5]
_______________________________________________
Article 2:
ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/hesperaloe.html
Red Yucca: Drought Tolerant and Colorful - July 24, 2002
Jeff Schalau, County Director, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources
Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County
From time to time, I write about a particularly interesting and locally suitable landscape plant. Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a no-brainer for north central Arizona. Red yucca is native to southwestern Texas and Coahuila, Mexico making it very fit to our local climate/environment. Better yet, once established, they are virtually maintenance free.
Red yucca somewhat resembles true yucca with linear leaves arising from the base and flower stalks rising above the leaves. Red yucca, however, produces several pups (new plants formed adjacent to the parent plant) and has finer leaves than true yucca giving it a more grass-like appearance. The serrated leaves are about 1 ½ to 2 feet long and a mature plant can be about 3 feet across.
The "red" in red yucca refers to the flower color. This is misleading because there is also a yellow flowered variety available. Both are well suited. Red yucca produces several flower stalks each year, having abundant tubular flowers that bloom in spring and extend well into summer. The flower stalks can grow up to 9 feet high, but most I've seen are 3- 5 feet high. Hummingbirds are also attracted to the flowers.
After flowering, do not remove the flower stalks. Rather, leave them be to produce fruit. After opening, seeds are a food source for birds or can be used to start new plants. New plants can also be started by dividing established clumps or removing individual pups.
Red yucca loves the heat and is ideally suited to the Verde Valley. It can tolerate cold temperatures down to 10 degrees F. I have seen it doing well in Prescott, so it must tolerate the cold fairly well.
Plant red yucca in full sun where it has room to grow without needing to be trimmed back. Nothing is worse than seeing one of these plants mowed, or worse yet, shredded by a weed eater. So, place the plants 2 to 3 feet away from sidewalks, walkways, or driveways. After planting from a nursery container, provide ample irrigation for the first year taking care not to over water. After the first year, they should do nicely on native rainfall or with infrequent irrigation during extended droughts.
Maintenance is easy. On established plants, the older leaves eventually will die and lay on the ground. These can be cut off individually to create a neater appearance. This and removing dead flower stalks are the only maintenance practices needed.
Red yuccas are drought adapted plants and should be planted in conjunction with plant having similar irrigation requirements. They are equally attractive when planted with cacti and succulents or with leafy plants such as Mexican primrose, brittlebush, Penstemon, or annual wildflowers.
As usual, now it is time to provide you with some trivial, little known, and possibly useless factoid. A close relative of red yucca (Hesperaloe funifera) is being tested as a crop plant by University of Arizona researchers. H. funifera is quite a bit larger than red yucca and in the leaves, it produces long, thin fibers that can be used to produce paper with exceptional strength. It has been experimentally grown at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center since 1995 to learn its cultural requirements. Maybe this plant will replace cotton someday? Meanwhile, plant red yucca in your landscape. You won't be disappointed.
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr. #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/hesperaloe.html
Last Updated: July 16, 2002
Content Questions/Comments: jschalau@ag.arizona.edu
This rather remarkable apparition appeared in an unusual sky characterized by very wispy, threadlike, almost vertical clouds -- only to dissipate within moments. Lending itself to a variety of visual interpretations, make of it what you will...
[Effulgence: Brilliant radiance (The American Heritage® Dictionary)]
"La macchia cupa dei lecci lo rallegrava quanto il bianco filiforme dei carpini e dei frassini e il verde chiaro dei pini; la traccia rossastra del sentiero come la striscia livida della scanalatura. Poi tutti indistintamente i colori incupirono e si fusero insieme. […]"
"The dark scrub of the holm oaks delighted him as much as the threadlike white of the hornbeams and ash trees and the pale green of the pines; the reddish trace of the path like the livid stripe of the groove. Then all indistinctly the colors darkened and merged together. [...]"
“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul."
~Pablo Neruda
Stamens:the male organs of the flower, typically 1 or more per petal, each consisting of a threadlike stalk (filament) extending from the inner base of the flower to a small knob at the end (anther), containing pollen.
Explore Nov 8, 2010 #267
There it was... parachute like with long purple filaments dotted with tiny drops of water. And the flower is one foot across!
And here I was, with my camera around my neck, groping around in the steamy hot Rare Plant House searching for a metal tag to identify this amazing flower extravaganza! And, it was Dog Day so I had my pup Honey watching me, tipping her head to the right and the left curious.
The flowers are black to purplish white, nodding on long pedicels, 2 bracts broadly ovate and winglike, 2 smaller bracts perpendicular to the others, black, greenish or reddish. Bracteoles threadlike, 6 - 8 inches long. Leaves basal, lanceolate, glossy dark green blade tapering down the petiole.
The genus Tacca, which includes the Bat flowers and Arrowroot, consists of ten species of flowering plants in the order Dioscoreales, native to tropical regions of Africa, Australia, and south-eastern Asia. In older texts, the genus was treated in its own family Taccaceae, but the 2003 APG II system incorporates it into the family Dioscoreaceae. Taccaceae is native to Malaysia.
Tacca integrifolia, Bat Fower, Dracula Flower, Flor de Murcielago
Windows to the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, FL
When I saw this teeny gem, I wasn't sure which end was up - it's very small, skipper sized. The threadlike tails looked like another set of antennae to my naked eye, but the big lens tells all. It's actually very different on the top side, a much deeper almost blue-gray, with the bright orange spot accents. After paging through my butterfly book, I've decided it is a Gray Hairstreak, "the most widespread hairstreak in North America". Can't say I've ever seen one before, widespread or not.
Encore un genre pour lequel la détermination des espèces sur photo est quasi impossible.
Ces insectes sont longs, filiformes et portent généralement l’abdomen dressé entre les ailes. Les femelles sont dotées d’une tarière, parfois aussi longue que le reste du corps et à l’extrémité blanche (comme celle-ci), qui leur permet de pondre dans les nids d’abeilles sauvages où leurs larves se nourriront des œufs, des larves ou des réserves de nourriture des abeilles. Les adultes sont floricoles et on les observe souvent sur les ombellifères.
Another genus for which it is virtually impossible to identify the species from a photo.
These insects are long, threadlike, and generally have their abdomen raised between the wings. The females have an ovipositor, sometimes as long as the rest of the body and with a white tip (like this one), which allows them to lay eggs in the nests of wild bees, where their larvae will feed on the bees' eggs, larvae, or food reserves. The adults are flower feeders and are often seen on umbellifers.
Nigella is a genus of 18 species of annual plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native to southern Europe, north Africa, south and southwest Asia. Common names applied to members of this genus are nigella, devil-in-a-bush or love-in-a-mist.
The species grow to 20–90 cm tall, with finely divided leaves; the leaf segments are narrowly linear to threadlike. The flowers are white, yellow, pink, pale blue or pale purple, with five to 10 petals. The fruit is a capsule composed of several united follicles, each containing numerous seeds; in some species (e.g. Nigella damascena), the capsule is large and inflated.
Several species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Nigella damascena has been grown in English cottage gardens since Elizabethan times, commonly called love-in-a-mist. Nigella hispanica is a taller species with larger blue flowers, red stamens, and grey leaves. Nigella seeds are self-sowing if the seed pods are left to mature.
The dried seed capsules can also be used in flower arrangements.
--- Wikipedia
Watercolour 34x44cm. This is rated as #1 on the 'Most Interesting' scale, of all my pictures.
The title needs a word of explanation.
Our rose garden extends along the length of the shed and a little beyond. A few years ago many of our roses were afflicted by a disease, a virus I think. It caused their leaves to yellow and grow in a distorted threadlike manner. Many of the rosebushes in the centre area died, whilst some of the affected ones at each end recovered. Some of the older stronger bushes were not affected at all. We re-planted the centre section, but the replanted specimens didn’t thrive and ultimately died also. So we decided that we should plant something else in this patch for a while. Since the bit at the back of the workshop that we have available for vegetables is very limited we decided it would be a good idea to put in a few extra beans and eggplants here. And the dill? Well, I was planting a whole lot of dill seed last fall in the herb garden, a small space just across the pathway at the back of the shed. I had taken quite a handful of seed from the tin, too much in fact. (I have lots because I save it myself from the mature plants). You always need plenty of dill, so it wouldn’t do any harm if I just scattered it amongst the roses, would it?
The Bear’s Breeches plant was given to us about three years ago. There wasn’t room for it in the perennial garden and we wanted to nurse it along a bit, so we plopped it down here where it would get both sun and shelter. Didn’t know it would get this big!
When we acquired the steel sculpture a number of years ago, I thought it would be nice to put a little lavender border along the side of the patio to edge the rose garden. I usually cut it back hard in the spring, but this winter was gentle and the bushes looked so strong and happy I didn’t have the heart to scalp them and so…….they are doing rather well this summer.
I painted this first for two long sessions 'en plein air', sitting on the patio. Then, since I had to leave off for a while and the scene had changed somewhat, I finished it with two long sessions in the studio, working partly from reference photos. This is the first proper full size painting I have made this year.
Update, November 2013: I am pleased to note that this painting is now not only the 'most interesting' of all my pictures (according to Flickr), but has attracted the most views on my site. My personal opinion is that this is the best picture I have ever painted.
Bigleaf magnolia — Magnolia macrophylla
Family: Magnoliaceae
Confidence: high. The combination of extremely large entire leaves, pale/silvery hairy undersides, stout fuzzy young growth, and the red-seeded magnolia fruit fits Magnolia macrophylla particularly well. NC State describes its leaves as reaching about 3 feet long and 1 foot wide, green above and silvery-pubescent beneath.
What is visible
The bright red structure near the center is the tree's maturing aggregate fruit, not a flower. Magnolias produce a cone-like collection of individual follicles. In bigleaf magnolia the fruit is roughly 2–3 inches long, initially green and hairy, becoming reddish in late summer. As the follicles split open, they expose conspicuous red-coated seeds; the seeds may subsequently hang on thin threadlike strands.
The enormous foliage is equally diagnostic. M. macrophylla has oblong to obovate leaves with entire, somewhat wavy margins. The upper surface is green while the underside is silvery-white and pubescent, which corresponds closely to the pale undersides and fuzzy branch tissue visible here.
About the plant
Bigleaf magnolia is a deciduous tree generally about 30–40 feet tall and wide. It is native mainly to scattered areas of the southeastern United States, especially rich woods, ravines and river valleys. It is uncommon in the wild and tends to occur in relatively small, isolated populations.
The flowers appear in May–June and are exceptional: creamy white, fragrant, approximately 8–14 inches across, usually with purple or rose coloring near the bases of the inner tepals. The tree consequently produces some of the largest individual leaves and flowers of any North American native tree.
By late summer, the flowers have developed into the fruit shown in your photograph. Birds and small mammals eat the red seeds, giving the fruit an ecological function as well as making it visually striking.
Photograph
The photograph is built around an unusually effective natural spotlight. Almost all of the vegetation falls into deep shadow while the red fruit receives a small, intense patch of illumination. That makes the fruit function almost like a jewel within the foliage.
The large illuminated leaf on the left gives enough botanical context to explain the subject without competing strongly with it. The sweeping dark leaves on the right form a curved enclosure around the fruit and concentrate attention toward the center. The near-black shadows also suppress distracting background detail.
The resulting image is less a conventional botanical record than a study of light, scale and concealment: the huge leaves create an almost tropical atmosphere, while the tiny brilliant fruit becomes the visual focal point.
To view more in this series, please click "here" !
Nerine is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennials, some evergreen, associated with rocky and arid habitats. They bear spherical umbels of lily-like flowers in shades from white through pink to crimson. In the case of deciduous species, the flowers may appear on naked stems before the leaves develop. Native to South Africa, there are about 30 species in the genus. Though described as lilies, they are not significantly related to the true lilies Lilium, but more closely resemble their relatives, Amaryllis and Lycoris. The genus was established by the cleric and Amaryllidaceae specialist William Herbert in 1820. Nerines have been widely cultivated and much hybridized worldwide, especially Nerine bowdenii, N. sarniensis and N. undulata (previously known as N. flexuosa). The hybrid cultivar 'Zeal Giant' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The other 20 species are rarely cultivated and very little is known regarding their biology. Many species are threatened with extinction due to the loss or degradation of their habitat. Species of Nerine are herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs. Their leaves are linear, obviously flat in some species and appearing threadlike in others. Their flowers are borne in an umbel on a solid leafless stem (scape). Individual flowers are either radially symmetrical (actinomorphic) or have one plane of symmetry (zygomorphic). Each flower has six narrow red or pink tepals joined at the base to form a short extended or recurved tube. The free parts of the tepals are generally wavy. There are six stamens that are inserted in the base of the petals and frequently protrude from the flower. The stamens can be straight or curved with thin filaments and oblong anthers that attach to their filament at the back (dorsifixed). The inferior ovary has one to many ovules. The style is threadlike and has a three-lobed stigma. The fruit is a capsule. Many species of Nerine have petals with wavy edges, such as Nerine humilis. Profusion of flowers in Nerine filifolia, note the filiform leaves of this species.
Nerine species can be either evergreen or deciduous; the deciduous species can either grow during the winter or the summer. The growth cycle thus defines three groups. There is a strong association between a species' growth habit, the shape of its leaves and the amount of DNA in its cell nuclei. The largest group of 12 species contains the evergreen nerines that retain their leaves throughout the summer and winter (N. angustifolia, N. appendiculata, N. filamentosa, N. filifolia, N. frithii, N. gaberonensis, N. gibsonii, N. gracilis, N. masoniorum, N. pancratioides, N. platypetala and N. rehmannii). Their leaves are narrow and they have the smallest amount of DNA per nucleus (18.0â24.6 pg). Four deciduous species grow in the winter and do not have any leaves during the summer (N. humilis, N. pudica, N. ridleyi and N. sarniensis). They have wide leaves and more DNA per nucleus (25.3â26.2 pg). A final group of seven species only grow during the summer and have no leaves in the winter (N. bowdenii, N. duparquetiana, N. krigei, N. laticoma, N. marincowitzii, N. pusilla and N. undulata). They have wide leaves and the most DNA per nucleus (26.8â35.3 pg). The earliest published name for the genus was Imhofia, given by Lorenz Heister in 1755. The later name Nerine, published by William Herbert in 1820, was widely used, resulting in a decision to conserve the name Nerine and reject the name Imhofia. The genus name derives from the Nereids (sea-nymphs) of Greek mythology that protected sailors and their ships. When Herbert chose the name of these nymphs for the first species of the genus, Nerine sarniensis, he alluded to the story of how this South African species arrived on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel. It is said that a ship carrying boxes of the bulbs of this species destined for the Netherlands was shipwrecked on Guernsey. The boxes of bulbs were washed up on the island and the bulbs became established and multiplied around the coast.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This insect, of which there were dozen sitting on the hot paved surface at the entrance to the Adventure Park at the Urique Canyon, was interesting. They look like pea pods sitting on edge. About 3 inches in length they looked just like peas. Any suggestion for a name would be welcome. I think it is a Katydid variation.
Katydid, any of numerous predominantly nocturnal insects related to crickets and grasshoppers and noted for their loud mating calls. Katydids have large hind legs and are distinguished by their extremely long, threadlike antennae and the thick, upwardly curved ovipositor (egg-laying structure) of the females. Often large and green, many katydids have long wings, but some common species are nearly wingless. Katydids are most abundant in the tropics—the Amazon rainforest is home to about 2,000 species—but katydids are also found in cooler and drier regions throughout the world; the United States is home to over 100 species. They live on trees, bushes, or grasses, often matching the appearance of their surroundings. Many species resemble leaves; leaf-katydids of the American tropics precisely mimic partially eaten or otherwise disfigured leaves. Owing to such adaptations and their lack of daytime activity, relatively little is known of this group of insects, despite their ubiquity, abundance, and variety.
The Common Heath moth (Ematurga atomaria) is a common day-flying moth that is found on moors and heaths throughout Britain. It is an abundant species on the Peak District moors and I sometimes mistake flying ones for Green Hairstreaks. Even though I see dozens of them they rarely settle for long, and when they do settle they are often obscured by vegetation. Their caterpillars feed on Heather although this one is perched on Bilberry. You can see this one is a male as he has feathery antennae to help him locate the females by scent (pheromones). Females have simple threadlike antennae and are usually paler-winged. The scientific name is Ematurga atomaria. Ematurga means day-worker, because they are active in daytime unlike most moths, which are nocturnal. Atomaria refers to the tiny specks on the wings, ie atoms in the earlier sense of the word, before its chemical definition of the smallest chemical particle.
This is a Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana), an annual flowering plant in the Cleomaceae family.
Identification
Flowers: The blooms are showy, with pinkish-purple petals arranged in loose clusters. Long, threadlike stamens extend outward well beyond the petals, giving the plant its “spidery” appearance.
Buds: The unopened flower buds at the top are elongated and upright, eventually opening downward along the stem as the plant matures.
Leaves: Although not as visible here, Cleome typically has palmate leaves (5–7 narrow leaflets radiating like fingers).
Stem: Tall, upright, and somewhat spiny, with flowers forming in succession up the stalk.
Description
Spider flowers can grow 3–5 feet tall, blooming through summer into early fall. They are attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Some gardeners call them “sticky plants” because the stems can exude a slightly tacky sap.
They are often planted in sunny beds or borders for their height and dramatic, airy flowers.
Blechnum filiforme or thread fern is an endemic New Zealand fern species in the hard fern family, Blechnaceae. Thread fern has a creeping and climbing habit. It is one of the few high-climbing ferns in New Zealand and the only climbing Blechnum. It has three different types of fronds: long climbing fronds with long pointed leaves (as in the picture), shorter creeping fronds with nearly round leaves, and fertile fronds with threadlike leaves that give the species its common name.
© All Rights Reserved. Please do not use or reproduce this image on Websites/Blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
Cosmos bipinnatus, commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the Americas. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as ornamental plants in temperate climate gardens.
Description
In natural habitat
Cosmos bipinnatus is an annual that is often considered half-hardy, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–6 ft to (rarely) 9 ft (0.61–1.83–2.74 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. The branched stem is usually densely to occasionally occupied by fine, split up, rough trichomes, some specimens are completely hairless. The petiole itself is inconspicuous, winged, 10 (rarely to 15) mm long, sometimes the leaves are almost sessile.
The partial leaves are linear-filiform to narrow linear with a width of 0.5 to 1 (rarely to 1.7) mm; the tips are pointed, hardened, but not particularly sharp. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself.
The achenes become blackish, are smooth or short-bristly. Their shape is spindle-like. They are rounded off into a short, 0.5 to 1.7 mm long, but distinctly pronounced rostrum. The inner achenes are up to 18 mm long, their yellowish beaks are 4 to 5 (rarely to 10) mm long. A pappus is missing or it consists only of two to three awn-like, 1-3 mm large bristles.
Flowers
The very conspicuous cup-shaped inflorescences have a diameter of usually 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) and contain tongue and tubular flowers, which are surrounded by bracts. There are usually 8 outer bracts, and they are ovate to lanceolate-tail-shaped, 7-15 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. The inner bracts are ovate-lanceolate and 8-12 mm long. They are translucent with many black stripes and a clear edge up to 1 mm wide, sometimes with yellowish or pink pigments, the tip is ciliate. The sprout leaves have gold-yellow, thread-like tips and protrude between the tubular flowers. The broadened base of these spreader leaves is translucent, provided with a yellow line. During flowering, the plant can sag under its weight. This problem can be solved by grouping the feet together so that the leaves hang together.
The mostly eight ray florets are pink to violet or white colored, at the base may show noticeable stains caused by anthocyanin. The tongues are reversely ovate shaped, have a length of usually 20-35 mm and a width of usually 12-20 mm. The tips are almost dull and have three broad, wavy teeth. Below that, they are greatly rejuvenated. In the center of the flower baskets is a large number of tubular flowers (also called disc florets), whose overgrown petals are yellow, turn white in the lower part and reach a length of 5-6 mm. The anthers are brownish-black and about 3 mm long, at the tips are short-triangular, translucent attachments with a length of 0.5-0.8 mm. The branches of the stylus are short and rather dull, with a length of .5 mm.
Distribution
This plant is native to Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Since it is used as an ornamental plant in many countries and prone to sedimentation, it is an invasive plant in many areas of the world. It has naturalized in scattered locations across North America, South America, the West Indies, Italy, Australia, and Asia, where it is a garden escape (introduced species) and in some habitats becoming a weed.
Cultivars
Cultivars of Cosmos bipinnatus in cultivation today include:
Apollo Series
'Apollo Carmine' agm
'Apollo Pink' agm
'Apollo White' agm
'Daydream' features a pink inner ring on a white background
Double Click Series features semidouble to fully double flowers that resemble Japanese anemones (Anemone japonica)
'Double Click Cranberries'
'Double Click Rose Bonbon'
'Double Click Snow Puff'
'Double Click Vari Extra'
'Rubenza' agm
'Sensation', also known as 'Early Sensation', is a widely available mix of tall varieties
'Sensation Pinkie' agm
Sonata series
'Velouette'agm
'Versailles', developed for the cut flower trade, are shorter than the species, with heights remaining below three feet
'Versailles Dark Rose'
'Vesailles Tetra'
(those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit).
Cultivation
Germination takes between 7 and 10 days at the optimal temperature of 75 °F (24 °C); flowering begins between 60 and 90 days after germination
It prefers a soil pH between 6.0 and 8.5, reflecting its native habitat in the alkaline regions of Central America
Flowering is best in full sun, although partial shade is tolerated
Excessive rain can cause cultivation problems, due to the delicate nature of the stems. Heavy rain can cause breakage. Cosmos bipinnatus can tolerate heat as long as adequate moisture is provided, however, it does not handle droughts, strong winds or cold temperatures well. Snails, slugs and aphids have a taste for Cosmos bipinnatus. Successfully cultivated plants can mature 2 to 4 feet (0.61 to 1.22 m) x 12 to 18 inches (300 to 460 mm).
They are not tolerant of frost, but can be grown outdoors in a temperate climate with a warm to hot summer and are therefore called half-hardy in British gardening literature.
Pollinators
The flowers of Cosmos bipinnatus attract birds and butterflies, including the monarch butterfly. It can be part of butterfly gardening and pollinator/honey-bee habitat gardens.
Littorina fabalis male. A large obvious penis, positioned at the posterior of the head on the right side, is present on mature males in all seasons, and can be exposed on dead or living specimens of both species.
Shell height 12.5mm. Llŷn, North Wales. September 2015.
FULL ACCOUNT BELOW
Sets of OTHER SPECIES:
www.flickr.com/photos/56388191@N08/collections/
PDF available at www.researchgate.net/publication/351037569_Differentiatin... .
Differentiating Littorina obtusata sensu stricto (Linnaeus, 1758)
from Littorina fabalis (Turton, 1825).
Ian F. Smith
Abstract
Adult males of Littorina obtusata sensu stricto and L. fabalis (synonym L. mariae) can be reliably differentiated by the forms of the penes on both extracted dead specimens and unsedated intact animals. Differentiation can often be made within a local population on the basis of shell form, size and colour after these features have been correlated with penis forms in a sample of specimens. The shell features can then be used to identify further local specimens, but cannot be relied on at other localities without confirming penis forms there.
Materials, methods, protocols for acquiring experience, environmental associations of phenotypes, and some sample sites are described and illustrated.
Contents
1. Preliminary check.
2. Taxonomic history.
3. Identification resources.
4. Penis examination methods.
5. Differences in penis morphology.
6. Differences in female anatomy.
7. Differences in shell morphology and colour.
7a. Shell colours.
7b. Shell sizes.
7c. Shell spires.
7d. Shell apertures.
8. Phenotypes of different wave exposures.
8a. Sheltered shores.
8b. Semi-exposed shores.
8c. More exposed shores.
9. Collecting and reliable recording.
10. Acknowledgements.
11. References and web links.
12. Glossary.
1. Preliminary check
Lacuna pallidula, detailed account below image flic.kr/p/hTnxJa , has a similar low spire, very similar spawn, and occurs with L. fabalis on Fucus serratus . It has a much thinner shell with widely open umbilicus, contrasting with the thick columella of L. fabalis.
2. Taxonomic history of L. obtusata and L. fabalis.
1758 to 1914: multiple species and varieties named.
1915 to 1965: all species, except Arctic varieties with spires, combined into one species referred to as Littorina obtusata (Linnaeus, 1758) or, mainly by British workers, as L. littoralis auct. For detail of historic nomenclature confusion see caption below image 1Dof flic.kr/p/QFCUWm .
1966 to 1988: gradual acceptance of two species, based on penis differences, named L. obtusata sensu stricto (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. fabalis (Turton, 1825), synonym L. mariae Sacchi & Rastelli, 1966. Arctic varieties with pointed spires were included in one or other of the pair on the basis of their penes.
In the following account, any use of “L. obtusata” in the now unaccepted sense of including both species has “sensu lato” or “s.l.” after it. The name with no addition, or sometimes for emphasis with “sensu stricto” or “s.s.”, refers to the now accepted segregated sense.
3. Identification resources
Differentiation of the two species by penis form was first published in 1966 by Sacchi & Rastelli, but did not appear in many identification guides until the late 1980s. Consequently, most pre 1988 works, apart from post 1966 specialist papers, are of limited use. Some later publications, such as Graham (1988), recognise the two species but provide insufficient information and images for discrimination of the many phenotypes. Hayward & Ryland (1990) and Hayward & Ryland (1995 & reprints to 2009), have images www.seawater.no/fauna/mollusca/fabalis.html that confuse www.ispotnature.org/node/646985 as the only L. mariae shell illustrated has features frequent on juveniles of both species, and the L. obtusata image has thick aperture walls more typical of L. fabalis.
Williams (1990) has useful information on forms and ecology. The authoritative volume Systematics and evolution of Littorina by Reid (1996) has fifty A4 pages of detailed description and comparison of all phenotypes and geographical variations of these two species. It is essential reading for those undertaking scientific study of Littorina species www.raysociety.org.uk/publications/zoology/the-systematic... .
4. Penis examination
“...only the characters of the adult reproductive system are unequivocal... . ...identifications using [shell features] should be confirmed by dissection before routine application in the field” (Reid, 1996). A rare ambiguity in penes linked to hybridization has been reported at one site in Portugal (Carvalho et al., 2016). An obvious penis, positioned at the posterior of the head on the right side 2Dof flic.kr/p/RcvnFf , is present on mature males in all seasons, and can be exposed on dead or living specimens.
Dead material
Specimens can be killed instantly by plunging into boiling water, or by leaving in a freezer overnight, or by gradually adding Magnesium chloride or Magnesium sulphate crystals to the water in a small container to first anaesthetize and then kill them. The only dissection required is to carefully crush the shell in a tabletop vice with any rubber protectors removed 3Dof flic.kr/p/QFCUmy , avoiding damage to the soft parts, and to pick off the broken fragmets. This method allows unrestricted view of all the necessary details and is quick and reliable, but requires killing of the specimen and destruction of the shell. Alternatively, if boiled for several minutes, the animal can be extracted with a pin from the unbroken shell. Though the penis as a whole is likely to contract on death, especially if boiled, and will be fixed in one of several possible expansions and positions 4Dof flic.kr/p/QFCUab , its glands are often distended and more easily discerned, and it is likely to resemble published images of dead specimens 4Dof flic.kr/p/QFCUab .
Living unsedated specimens
Penes can be examined and photographed on live specimens without harm or anaesthesia using the techniques described in Smith (2012 & 2016 flic.kr/s/aHskNP6GoL ). While live, the penis can be held in a variety of positions 5aDof flic.kr/p/Q2jb82 & 5bDof flic.kr/p/Rcvmo5 and will often be generally more expanded than on dead material, but the glands are often less prominent than on dissected penes and frequently hidden when held against the body. Time and patience will be required as this pair of species may be reluctant to extend from their shells, and several views or images may be needed to accumulate the necessary detail. Best results are obtained if the examination can be within 48 hours of capture. When not being examined, keep in a refrigerator at about 6°C in tightly closed plastic boxes dampened by, but not awash with, seawater. L. fabalis will extend when immersed and restrained 7Dof flic.kr/p/Q2jabc as described in Smith (2012 & 2016), but L. obtusata s.s. exposes itself more readily when damp than when submerged 8Dof flic.kr/p/RcvkCY & 9Dof flic.kr/p/Q2j9un .
5. Differences in penis morphology,
Mamilliform penial glands
L. fabalis has 3 to 17 large glands in a single row along 40% to 70% of the ventral edge of its penis 10Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvk2Y . The glands are usually visible on live unsedated specimens 7Dof flic.kr/p/Q2jabc .
L. obtusata has 10 to 54 closely packed small glands, in one or more irregular rows along 75% to 90% of the length of its penis 10Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvk2Y near its ventral edge and on the mesial face usually held against the body 9Dof flic.kr/p/Q2j9un ; sometimes multiple rows occupy 60% of the width of the penis. The small glands often do not protrude into view on live unsedated specimens unless the penis is twisted to expose the proximal face 11Dof flic.kr/p/RfXgF8 .
Filament (glandless tip of penis).
L. fabalis has long and vermiform filament. On dead or anaesthetized specimens filament is 30% to over 60% of total length of penis 10Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvk2Y . Growth is allometric; small individuals frequently have filaments 30% to 40%, while the largest usually have filaments of 50% to >60% of penis length 6Dof flic.kr/p/RTWK1i . Penis is motile and varying in length on any individual unsedated specimen 5bDof flic.kr/p/Rcvmo5 , and the appearance is affected by positioning/angle of view, so it is advisable to take several observations or photographs when examining live specimens.
L. obtusata has short triangular filament. On dead or anaesthetized specimens 10% to 25% of total length of penis 10Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvk2Y . On live unsedated specimens it may be difficult to discern the precise limit (distal gland) of the filament because the small glands are hidden. However, being short, wide and triangular, it is obviously different 12Dof flic.kr/p/RfXgop & 13Dof flic.kr/p/RfXg8z from the vermiform filament of L. fabalis.
Size of penis depends on the size of the individual male and is not diagnostic of species. On the sheltered Menai Strait, most adult male L. obtusata are larger, and so have larger penes, than most male L. fabalis. On more exposed shores in North Wales, the sizes of the two species can be almost equal.
6. Difference in female anatomy
The copulatory bursa, requires skilled dissection and cannot be examined without killing. It is not illustrated here, see Reid (1996) for details and diagrams.
L. fabalis; half length of jelly gland, not reaching capsule gland.
L. obtusata; extends full length of jelly gland to capsule gland.
The ovipositor can be observed on live females restrained as described in Smith (2012 & 2016). Goodwin & Fish (1977) stated that, in 99% of cases examined by them in Wales, its colour is “to varying degrees black pigmented” on L. obtusata 14Dof flic.kr/p/RfXfWn , while L. fabalis “lacks pigmentation” 15Dof flic.kr/p/RfXfGp , but this was not my experience in Wales 16Dof flic.kr/p/Q2j6nF , and Reid (1996) also found it not always so . The colour is often lost on preserved specimens as the surface frequently sloughs off.
To identify females without dissection, the shell forms and shore zone of each species on the same shore need to be ascertained by examination of some penes on males. This information can also be used to find if local ovipositor colours conform with Goodwin and Fish (1977).
7. Differences in shell morphology and colour
No single shell feature is diagnostic in all situations, and some features intergrade. When several features are considered in combination with habitat detail, it is often possible to give a probable identification, but, for certainty, confirmation by examination of penes is required. Some shores, such as in Denmark and from Kent to Dorset, have problematic shell forms, so penis examination is especially necessary (Reid, 1996). Correlations, validated by penis examination, of species with shell form and colour on specific shores can be found in published previous studies, but should be used with caution as shell form may vary on different parts of the same shore (Reimchen, 1981) and may change from year to year with variation in the climate. Shells of Arctic and subarctic populations differ from those south of the Lofoten Islands; they are less well known and are excluded from this account except where specifically mentioned; further detail in Reid (1996).
7a. Shell colours of both species are often classified with the terms below; percentages are of specimens in a large collection of a mixture of both species from across Britain (Smith, 1976, in Reid, 1996). Some authors give slightly different interpretations of a colour term for each species, and it can be difficult to define the limits of fusca, brownish olivacea and faintly marked dark reticulata. Colours are best viewed on live specimens in water as the shell and the periostracum, which often contributes to the colour, erode and fade readily on dead shells 17Dof flic.kr/p/R5n3xZ .
Olivacea: 55%. Exterior olive green 18Dof flic.kr/p/RfXeZ2 to olive brown 19Dof flic.kr/p/R5mYDB , interior often purplish to brownish. Usually the commonest colour form, and almost diagnostic, of L. obtusata on shores well sheltered from waves. An algal coating on L. fabalis 20Dof flic.kr/p/R2FMv5 may confuse unless scraped off; true olivacea L. fabalis are extremely rare or absent in Britain, but they do exist in at least two places in Galicia, Spain on Zostera.
Reticulata: 33%. Exterior yellow to brown with darker reticulate 21Dof flic.kr/p/PYwgVE , chequered 22Dof flic.kr/p/R2FKwW or zig zag 23Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvdds pattern; interior varied, can be white 21Dof flic.kr/p/PYwgVE , sometimes tinted pink or violet and sometimes with exterior pattern showing near rim within aperture 24Dof flic.kr/p/R2FJeL . Usually the commonest colour form of both species on shores exposed to wave action.
Citrina: 10%. Exterior yellow 25Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvc5A grading to white; interior white 26Dof flic.kr/p/R3LhL5 . Usually the commonest colour of L. fabalis on shores well sheltered from waves, but not diagnostic as it also occurs on L. obtusata 27Dof flic.kr/p/R3Lhcj on the same shores.
Fusca: dark brown to black on L. obtusata 19Dof fig.5 flic.kr/p/R5mYDB ; dark chestnut brown on L. fabalis (Reid, 1996). Rare, generally less than 1%, but 100% of sample of 14 L. obtusata s.l. from a site on brackish Isefjord, Denmark (Rasmussen, 1973). A sample of 8 thin shelled, dwarf, L. fabalis from exposed cliff near Aberdeen all appear to be form fusca, but the specimens, at 28Dof flic.kr/p/PZBeay , were photographed 45 years after death, so the colour may have altered.
Each of following less than 1%.
Aurantia: orange. 29Dof flic.kr/p/PZBdiU
Rubens: red or brick red. 30Dof flic.kr/p/QGHGD9
Inversicolor: two broad dark bands. 31Dof flic.kr/p/PZBccW
Zonata: single pale band around periphery (“equator”) of bodywhorl. 33Dof flic.kr/p/R6s4Fe (right specimen).
Alternata: two pale bands. 33Dof flic.kr/p/R6s4Fe (left specimen).
On some shores, juvenile L. fabalis up to 4mm diameter are pure white resembling the 3.5mm diameter spiral tubes of spirorbid worms living on the fronds of Fucus serratus frequented by L. fabalis. With later growth of another colour, the juvenile shell is preserved as a pure white early spire 23Dof flic.kr/p/Rcvdds & 34Dof flic.kr/p/QGHFW7 . Care is required as the spire of L. obtusata is often eroded to dingy whitish, though careful examination will often show traces of the eroded colour 35Dof flic.kr/p/Rdzcqb . And populations of L. fabalis lacking white spirorbid like spires can weather to dingy white with traces of colour in the same way as L. obtusata 36Dof flic.kr/p/R6s3wF .
7b. Shell sizes
On most shores, L. obtusata has a larger mean height than L. fabalis, but there is usually a large overlap in sizes of the largest L. fabalis specimens and young specimens of L. obtusata 37Dof flic.kr/p/R3LbTo . The mean size of both species varies greatly with local conditions 44Dof flic.kr/p/Q3o4dM .
7c. Shell spires
In Britain and most of Atlantic Europe, generally, but not consistently enough for reliable differentiation, L. fabalis has a flat or very low spire 36Dof flic.kr/p/R6s3wF and L. obtusata a low 38Dof flic.kr/p/R6s1kr or slightly raised domed spire 18Dof flic.kr/p/RfXeZ2 , often with an angled shoulder on the body whorl giving a squared or barrel like profile 38Dof flic.kr/p/R6s1kr . Juveniles of both species usually have flatter spires than adults 31Dof flic.kr/p/PZBccW , 32Dof flic.kr/p/R6s4KH , 39Dof flic.kr/p/QGHEsW & 50Dof flic.kr/p/R3L2LW .
Occasional specimens 40Dof flic.kr/p/R6s1gD or local populations have a protruding pointed spire, especially in sheltered brackish conditions, e.g. L. obtusata var. aestuarii in the tidal River Deben, Suffolk, in Jeffreys (1869) fig. 8, plate CI at archive.org/stream/britishconcholog05jeffr#page/n489/mode... (now scarce or extinct at that locality). On Arctic and subarctic shores north of the Lofoten Islands, and in Greenland and most of Iceland, many of both species have protruding pointed spires. Only L. obtusata occurs in Atlantic North America; it often has a developed spire in northern Maine and Canada.
7d. Shell apertures
Aperture size is affected by the physical and biological environment, and juveniles have a less expanded body whorl and aperture. The shell walls thicken with maturity in both species, constricting the aperture internally, generally more markedly in L. fabalis, but varying in degree with environment. The most useful measure of shell thickness is that of the lip at the base of the columella (C) divided by the length of the aperture (LA) 41Dof flic.kr/p/R6rZHz . In a sample of 59 adult shells, including less frequent extreme forms, C/LA was usually less than 0.29 on L. obtusata and greater than 0.29 on L. fabalis, but only with a 75% accuracy (Reid, 1996). Accuracy was greater if extreme forms were excluded. Juveniles of the two species are often very similar with thin shell walls, a sharp, fragile aperture rim and an unconstricted opening, and often the anterior (base of aperture) is drawn out into a moderate spout. As small juveniles lack penes, identification cannot always be verified. Association with verified adults, and shell size and colour, if on a shore where there is a large interspecific difference in these features, are usually the best guide 31Dof flic.kr/p/PZBccW & 32Dof flic.kr/p/R6s4KH .
Graham (1988) states that “a notch where the outer lip and last whorl meet” is indicative of L. obtusata, but its presence varies with age/spire development and it is not a reliable predictor of species (D. Reid, in litt.) 42Dof flic.kr/p/QGHDiw & 43Dof flic.kr/p/PZB3Fs .
8. Phenotypes of different wave exposures
On British rocky shores that have full marine salinity and fucoid algal growth, shell sizes and dominant colours of L. obtusata and L. fabalis vary with the degree of wave exposure. Image 44Dof flic.kr/p/Q3o4dM and its caption summarise approximately the most frequent correlations.
8 a. Sheltered shores, not estuarine, scale 8, 7 or 6, are the best for initial experience of differentiating the two species, providing the tidal range is sufficient to clearly separate and define a zone of Ascophyllum nodosum on the middle/upper shore and a zone of Fucus serratus on the lower shore (low spring tide required to expose) 45Dof flic.kr/p/QGHCb1 . Olivacea L. obtusata at its largest will probably be on the Ascophyllum, and easily differentiated from citrina L. fabalis at its smallest with thick aperture walls on the Fucus serratus 46Dof flic.kr/p/R6rYa4 . Unbiased samples can be obtained by shaking plants into a bucket. Juveniles of both species may be yellow and have a similar shape with an anterior spout 37Dof flic.kr/p/R3LbTo , but juveniles from Ascophyllum with adult L. obtusata will likely be that species and be as large as adult L. fabalis, and far larger than tiny juveniles of L. fabalis. If findings are as described, the identifications will almost certainly be correct, but examining the penes will add to experience. Sites with phenotypes as described can be found on the narrow inner portion of the Menai Straits between the two bridges and probably extending to Bangor and Y Felinheli; aerial photograph at data.nbn.org.uk/imt/?mode=SPECIES&species=NHMSYS00210... .
L. fabalis does not eat Fucus serratus, but uses the flat fronds as suitable feeding platforms for its diet of micro epiphytes and detritus. It is sometimes absent in sheltered situations, despite the presence of F. serratus, if excess sediment coats the plants, e.g. possible cause of absence in upper reaches of Severn Estuary (Williams, 1994). Where turbidity and sediment in estuaries 47Dof flic.kr/p/Rh3x7n or impact of sand laden currents 48Dof flic.kr/p/Rh3wNX prevent the growth of intertidal fucoid algae, both mollusc species are usually absent or very scarce.
8 b. Semi exposed shores, Ballantine scale 4, will provide experience at the opposite end of the phenotype sequence. Ascophyllum, a favoured food of L. obtusata, will be absent or present as a few scattered stunted plants, and L. obtusata will likewise be absent or present as small specimens on scant Fucus vesiculosus or other algae. Fucus serratus is still usually common at scale 4 and L. fabalis usually achieves its largest size here, sometimes equalling or exceeding any L. obtusata present. Differentiating the species can be very difficult on such shores because their sizes are often similar, the predominant colour form of both species is reticulata, and both tend towards larger apertures with thinner shells. Examination of penes is very necessary. An aerial photograph of this sort of shore open to a fetch across the Irish Sea of 100km to 175km, with a wide wave cut platform and plenty of F. serratus but no observed Ascophyllum, is at data.nbn.org.uk/imt/?mode=SPECIES&species=NHMSYS00210...! 0951H+G!0851H+G Large, reticulate L. fabalis were common here (penes checked). The aperture lip of adults was strongly thickened and the opening correspondingly narrowed. The interior was white 21Dof flic.kr/p/PYwgVE , sometimes tinted pink or violet and the exterior pattern often showed within the rim 49Dof flic.kr/p/QGHAn1 . No L. obtusata were found because they were absent or not detected among very similar L. fabalis. A thin shelled, wide apertured, citrina juvenile L. fabalis was initially mistaken for L. obtusata, but the white spirorbid like initial whorls and its presence among adult L. fabalis strongly suggested it was L. fabalis 50Dof flic.kr/p/R3L2LW .
8 c. Exposed shores, Ballantine scale 3, 2 & 1, usually lack either species, but L. fabalis may occur in dwarf form on scale 3 shores 51Dof flic.kr/p/QGHA9q & 28Dof flic.kr/p/PZBeay if sufficiently moist micro habitats exist with secure refuges for dwarfs to retreat into from violent waves. On some Scottish exposed shores with frequent splash and spray, it “may be found further up on the shore on other fucoids where there is adequate protection from desiccation” (McKay & Smith, 1979). It even sometimes occurs at mean high water neap level on Fucus spiralis (Sacchi, 1969 in Reid, 1996). It also occurs in exposed positions on Mastocarpus stellatus in Galicia, Spain; Palmeria palmata at Grindvik, Iceland; Devaleraea stellatus on Achill Island, Ireland; and on red encrusting algae and bare rock in northern Norway (Reid, 1996). On exposed shores, usually, the aperture is larger and the shell thinner than in other situations, and may resemble L. obtusata s.s. from moderately exposed shores.
In a sample of eight from a scale 3 site near Aberdeen, aerial image at data.nbn.org.uk/imt/?mode=SPECIES&species=NBNSYS00001... , all were fusca dwarfs, height mode 4.2mm, max. 5.5mm, with large apertures and thin shells apart from the wide columellar lip 51Dof flic.kr/p/QGHA9q . The spires varied greatly, some, like many L. fabalis, almost flat , others with a large bulging penultimate whorl well proud of the aperture that resembles many L. obtusata s.s..
9. Collecting and reliable recording, suggestions.
# Disregard stranded shells; their anatomy cannot be verified, they lack helpful habitat detail, the periostracum containing much colour may be eroded, and the shell may be bleached and weathered 17Dof flic.kr/p/R5n3xZ .
# If possible, start with a sheltered shore and then a semi exposed shore to gain experience.
# An individual specimen may have atypical features 51Dof flic.kr/p/QGHA9q or be deformed 52Dof flic.kr/p/Q3nXct , so examine several; for inspection of penes, eight mature ones give a 99% chance of both sexes if there is a 50:50 ratio.
# To obtain all colours and sizes, collect the sample randomly, e.g. by shaking plants into a bucket. If only the largest are selected by eye, the sample may be biased to females as they are larger than males on average, especially L. fabalis on sheltered shores.
# Take separate clearly labelled samples from discrete habitats e.g. Ascophyllum and F. serratus zones. Be aware that some shores have more than one wave exposure; see Reimchen (1981), link in references.
# Transport specimens in sealed plastic boxes dampened, but not awash, with seawater.
Store in a fridge at about 6ºC and examine as soon as possible; L. obtusata s.s. exposes itself more readily when damp rather than when submerged.
# Check any shell based identification with examination of some penes.
# When submitting records to a recording scheme, make sure to include that the penes were examined so that at a future date your record can be separated from the mass of less reliable records. Check with the scheme organizer that the detail will be included
when entered. Records submitted to the Marine Recorder of the Conchological Society of G.B. & Ireland have anatomical notes included and uploaded as integral parts of the record; contact marine@conchsoc.org . Other detail such as shore exposure and algal zone are also helpful and welcomed. Clear photographs of shell aperture and penes, or preserved specimens, are valued by the Marine Recorder.
10. Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Dr David Reid for his careful examination of this account and for his highly valued advice, but any errors or omissions are my (IFS) responsibility.
I wish to thank Simon Taylor, Marine Recorder for the Conchological Society of G.B. and Ireland, for helpful discussion and the provision of specimens and photographs, and I am grateful to Dr Jan Light for help with literature and specimens.
11. References and web links
Ballantine, W.J. 1961. A biologically-defined exposure scale for comparative description of rocky shores. Field studies 1(3): 1-19. www.field-studies-council.org/resources/field-studies-jou...
Carvalho, J., Sotelo, G., Galindo, J. & Faria, R. 2016. Genetic characterization of flat periwinkles (Littorinidae) from the Iberian Peninsula reveals interspecific hybridization and different degrees of differentiation. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 118: 503 to 519. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bij.12762/abstract
Goodwin, B.J & Fish, J.D. 1977. Inter- and intraspecific variation in Littorina obtusata and L. mariae (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia). J. Moll. Stud. 43: 241 to 254. Extract at mollus.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/3/241.extract
Graham, A. 1988. Molluscs: prosobranch and pyramidellid gastropods: keys and notes for the identification of the species. Brill & Backhuys, for Linn. Soc. Lond. & Estuarine and Brackish-water Sciences Assoc. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) no.2. Edition 2 (662pages). Leiden.
Hayward, P.J. & Ryland, J.S. (eds.) 1990. The marine fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe. Volume 2. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Hayward, P.J. & Ryland, J.S. (eds.) 1995 and reprints to 2009. Handbook of the marine fauna of North-West Europe. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Jeffreys, J.G. 1865. British conchology. vol.3. London, van Voorst. (L. fabalis included in L. obtusata as var. fabalis.)
archive.org/stream/britishconcholog03jeffr#page/356/mode/1up
Jeffreys, J.G. 1869.British conchology. vol.5. London, van Voorst. Plate ci, fig.8 of Littorina obtusata var. aestuarii (As Littorina aestuarii) from Shottisham Creek, R. Deben, near Felixstowe, Suffolk. Abundant there between tide marks. Well developed spire. (Now extinct or nearly so.) archive.org/stream/britishconcholog05jeffr#page/n489/mode...
McKay, D.W. & Smith, S.M. 1979. Marine Mollusca of East Scotland. Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. [An early adoption of the differentiation as L. littoralis (for L. obtusata s.s.) and L. mariae (for L. fabalis) before nomenclature became settled. Maps reliable as all entries made or vetted by the experienced authors.]
Reid, D.G. 1996. Systematics and evolution of Littorina. Ray Society, London.
www.raysociety.org.uk/publications/zoology/the-systematic...
Reimchen, T.E. 1981. Microgeographical variation in Littorina mariae Sacchi & Rastelli and a taxonomic consideration. J. Conch. Lond. 30: 341 to 350.
www.web.uvic.ca/~reimlab/Microgeographical%20Variation-00...
Sacchi, C. F. & Rastelli, M. 1966. Littorina mariae, nov. sp.: les differences morphologiques et ecologiques entre "nains" et "normaux" chez l'espece L. obtusata (L.) (Gastr., Prosobr.) et leur signification adaptive et evolutive. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. 105: 351 to 369.
Smith, D.A.S., 1976. Disruptive selection and morph-ratio clines in the polymorphic snail Littorina obtusata (L.) (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). J. Mollus. Stud. 42: 114 to 135.
Smith, I.F. 2012. Anatomy of marine gastropods without dissection.
Mollusc World 28: 13 to 15. Conch. Soc. GB & Ireland.
Smith, I.F. 2016. Revision of Smith, I.F. 2012. Anatomy of marine gastropods without dissection. flic.kr/s/aHskNP6GoL and pdf version at www.researchgate.net/publication/310467378_Anatomy_of_mar...
Williams, G.A. 1990. The comparative ecology of the flat periwinkles, Littorina obtusata (L.) and L. mariae Sacchi et Rastelli in Field Studies 7: 469 to 482. fsj.field-studies-council.org/browse-by-category/marine-b... (scroll down to 1990) [Fig. 2 has an exposure scale in reverse order of Ballantine scale so 1 = Ballantine 8; and caption error: closed boxes are L. obtusata, open boxes are L. mariae/fabalis.]
Williams, G.A. 1994. Variation in populations of Littorina obtusata and Littorina mariae (Gastropoda) in the Severn Estuary. Biol J Linnean Soc 51: 189 to-198.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8312.1994.tb00...
12. Glossary
3Dof = Image 3 in Flickr album.
allometric (adj.) = of disproportionate growth of a part or parts of an organism as the whole organism grows.
aperture = mouth of gastropod shell; outlet for head and foot.
coll. = in the collection of (named person or institution; compare with leg.).
columella = solid or hollow axial “little column” around which gastropod shell spirals; hidden inside shell, except on final whorl next to lower part of inner lip of aperture where hollow ones may end in an umbilicus or siphonal canal.
columellar (adj.) = of or near central axis of coiled gastropod.
columellar lip = lower (abapical) part of inner lip of aperture.
columellar muscle = large muscle connecting foot/head of gastropod to its shell at the columella.
distal = positioned or facing away from midline of body.
epiphyte = an organism growing on a larger plant for support, but not nutrition.
epizooic (adj.) = of non-parasitic organisms living on surface of animals.
filament = a slender threadlike object or fibre in animal or plant structures.
filament (in Reid, 1996) = glandless tip of penis a.k.a. distal tubule. Often not threadlike.
flagellum = threadlike organ or appendage.
height (of gastropod shells) = distance from apex of spire to base of aperture along/parallel to axis of coiling (see flic.kr/p/R6s1kr ).
in litt. (abbreviation of Latin “in litteris”) = in unpublished correspondence.
leg. (abbreviation of legit) = collected/ found by (compare with coll.)
mamilliform = shaped like a nipple.
mesial = facing towards the midline of the body.
mobile = able to move self, e.g. a horse, or to be moved by an agent, e.g. a wave or a cell phone.
motile = moves self spontaneously without volition; applicable to whole animals or to parts of them such as cells, gametes, penes or cilia.
penes (plural of penis) = male copulatory organs.
phenotype = form of a species resulting from influence of particular environmental factors.
proximal = towards the centre of the body or point of attachment.
sensu lato (abbreviation s.l.) = in the wide sense, possibly an aggregate of more than one species.
sensu stricto (abbreviation s.s.) = in the strict sense, excluding species that have been aggregated or confused with it.
spire = all whorls of a gastropod shell, except the final body whorl. But in this account, “spired shells” are taken to be those with a pointed apex protruding beyond the body whorl rather than the domed spire of some that extends beyond the body whorl.
taxonomic (adj.) = of or relating to taxonomy.
taxonomy = the description, identification, naming, and classification of organisms.
vermiform = shaped like a worm.
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Nerine is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennials, some evergreen, associated with rocky and arid habitats. They bear spherical umbels of lily-like flowers in shades from white through pink to crimson. In the case of deciduous species, the flowers may appear on naked stems before the leaves develop. Native to South Africa, there are about 30 species in the genus. Though described as lilies, they are not significantly related to the true lilies Lilium, but more closely resemble their relatives, Amaryllis and Lycoris. The genus was established by the cleric and Amaryllidaceae specialist William Herbert in 1820. Nerines have been widely cultivated and much hybridized worldwide, especially Nerine bowdenii, N. sarniensis and N. undulata (previously known as N. flexuosa). The hybrid cultivar 'Zeal Giant' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The other 20 species are rarely cultivated and very little is known regarding their biology. Many species are threatened with extinction due to the loss or degradation of their habitat. Species of Nerine are herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs. Their leaves are linear, obviously flat in some species and appearing threadlike in others. Their flowers are borne in an umbel on a solid leafless stem (scape). Individual flowers are either radially symmetrical (actinomorphic) or have one plane of symmetry (zygomorphic). Each flower has six narrow red or pink tepals joined at the base to form a short extended or recurved tube. The free parts of the tepals are generally wavy. There are six stamens that are inserted in the base of the petals and frequently protrude from the flower. The stamens can be straight or curved with thin filaments and oblong anthers that attach to their filament at the back (dorsifixed). The inferior ovary has one to many ovules. The style is threadlike and has a three-lobed stigma. The fruit is a capsule. Many species of Nerine have petals with wavy edges, such as Nerine humilis. Profusion of flowers in Nerine filifolia, note the filiform leaves of this species.
Nerine species can be either evergreen or deciduous; the deciduous species can either grow during the winter or the summer. The growth cycle thus defines three groups. There is a strong association between a species' growth habit, the shape of its leaves and the amount of DNA in its cell nuclei. The largest group of 12 species contains the evergreen nerines that retain their leaves throughout the summer and winter (N. angustifolia, N. appendiculata, N. filamentosa, N. filifolia, N. frithii, N. gaberonensis, N. gibsonii, N. gracilis, N. masoniorum, N. pancratioides, N. platypetala and N. rehmannii). Their leaves are narrow and they have the smallest amount of DNA per nucleus (18.0–24.6 pg). Four deciduous species grow in the winter and do not have any leaves during the summer (N. humilis, N. pudica, N. ridleyi and N. sarniensis). They have wide leaves and more DNA per nucleus (25.3–26.2 pg). A final group of seven species only grow during the summer and have no leaves in the winter (N. bowdenii, N. duparquetiana, N. krigei, N. laticoma, N. marincowitzii, N. pusilla and N. undulata). They have wide leaves and the most DNA per nucleus (26.8–35.3 pg). The earliest published name for the genus was Imhofia, given by Lorenz Heister in 1755. The later name Nerine, published by William Herbert in 1820, was widely used, resulting in a decision to conserve the name Nerine and reject the name Imhofia. The genus name derives from the Nereids (sea-nymphs) of Greek mythology that protected sailors and their ships. When Herbert chose the name of these nymphs for the first species of the genus, Nerine sarniensis, he alluded to the story of how this South African species arrived on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel. It is said that a ship carrying boxes of the bulbs of this species destined for the Netherlands was shipwrecked on Guernsey. The boxes of bulbs were washed up on the island and the bulbs became established and multiplied around the coast.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Passion Fruit Vine Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize.
Wikipedia ®
Eriastrum diffusum is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name miniature woollystar. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Texas, where it grows in many types of open habitat. This is an annual herb producing a thin, usually woolly stem about 8 inches long, growing upright or spreading outward. The leaves are divided into 2 to 4 narrow, threadlike linear lobes. The small flowers have yellowish throats and white to pale blue corollas.
100x/9 Flowers and Plants - Woollystar wildflower
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Cosmos bipinnatus, commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican aster, is a medium-sized flowering herbaceous plant native to Mexico. The species and its varieties and cultivars are popular as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens. It naturalized in scattered locations across North America, South America, the West Indies, Italy, Australia, and Asia, where it is a garden escape (introduced species) and in some habitats becoming a weed.
Cosmos bipinnatus is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may reappear via self-sowing for several years. The plant height varies from 2–4 ft (0.61–1.22 m). The cultivated varieties appear in shades of pink and purple as well as white. Its foliage is finely cut into threadlike segments. When flowering, the plant can become top heavy. This problem is alleviated when grown in groups, as the bipinnate leaves interlock, and the colony supports itself.
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A rather large fairy wasp with feathered wings. The antennae are threadlike which indicates a male. I am not familiar with the family and would like confirmation. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairyfly for information quoted.
Katydids are nocturnal insects related to crickets and grasshoppers, noted for their loud mating calls. Katydids have large hind legs and are distinguished by their extremely long, threadlike antennae and the thick, upwardly curved ovipositor (egg-laying structure) of the females. Often large and green, many katydids have long wings. The United States has over 100 variety varieties if Katydids.
This particular Katydid was found in my front yard in some shrubbery. The Katydid has a leaf like appearance protecting it from predators. Easy to miss if you don't look closely.