These flowers are hydrangeas, which are native to Japan and which colours vary with the acidity of the soil they grow on. They are very common on the island and these also live inside the volcano's caldera :)

Estas flores são hortênsias, nativas do Japão e cujas cores variam consoante a acidez do solo em que crescem. São muito comuns na ilha e estas também vivem dentro da caldeira do vulcão :)

São Miguel - Açores/Azores - Portugal

... fresh Physalis in their husks. Both to eat and to photograph!

Physalis is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry.

Not all Physalis species bear edible fruit. Select species are cultivated for their edible fruit, however; the typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins.

These fruits contain 18 kinds of amino acids.

These berries are also abundant in polysaccharides, compounds that may help fortify the immune system.

Yes, Nature creates its own jewellery.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

PHYSALIS alkekengi or Chinese Lantern Plant, they are native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.

Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit, these are often cut and used for Thanksgiving and Halloween arrangements.

Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over.

Also can be grown in tubs.

Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves.

Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room.

Thank you for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

PHYSALIS, orange, fruit, "Magda Indigo", "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", NikonD7000, "Magda indigo"

Mer Bleue Bog, Greenbelt, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Due to the peat acidity and lack of minerals, most plants cannot survive in the bog, Sphagnum acts as an insulation against the sun and shortens the growing season by retaining the cold long after the snow melts. All these conditions make this area ideal for plants that are accustomed to the rigours of the North, and the peat bog has become the kingdom to plants of the Tundra. The Labrador Tea, Leatherleaf and Laurel: three of the main shrubs that carpet the northern tundra along with trees like the Larch (or Tamarack) and Black Spruce. Source: National Capital Commission

La tourbière de la Mer Bleue,

Ceinture de verdure, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

En raison de l'acidité de la tourbe et du manque de minéraux, la plupart des plantes ne peuvent pas survivre dans la tourbière, la sphaigne agit comme un isolant contre le soleil et raccourcit la saison de croissance en retenant le froid longtemps après la fonte des neiges. Toutes ces conditions rendent cette zone idéale pour les plantes habituées aux rigueurs du Nord, et la tourbière est devenue le royaume des plantes de la toundra. Le thé du Labrador, la feuille de cuir et le laurier : trois des principaux arbustes qui tapissent la toundra du nord ainsi que des arbres comme le mélèze laricin et l'épinette noire. Source : Commission de la capitale nationale

"Klüsserath, official spelling until July 16, 1936: Clüsserath, on the Moselle is a local community in the Trier-Saarburg district in Rhineland-Palatinate, located approximately in the middle of Bernkastel-Kues and Trier. It belongs to the municipality of Schweich on the Roman Wine Route.

Klüsserath is located on the eastern border of the Trier-Saarburg district and is adjoined by the Bernkastel-Wittlich district.

Located in a wide, natural amphitheater in the Moselle valley, the “Klüsserath Brotherhood” wine wall behind the town is considered a classic Middle Moselle vineyard that slopes steeply to the south. Approximately 90 hectares of vineyards with a slope of up to 83% make the core location one of the largest contiguous southern slopes of the Moselle. The town of Klüsserath - a classic street village, stretches two kilometers in length between this steep slope and the Moselle. The long parallel streets are connected to each other by small alleys. The extent of Klüsserath has a proverbial character: As long as Klüsserath. The expression is also known: Richt aus Klüssert (straight ahead Klüsserath), which means something like straight ahead.

The Salm flows into the Moselle near Klüsserath.

Between the town and the foothills of the Moselle, the B 53, a former Middle Moselle road, runs along a flood protection dam that was built between 1927 and 1933.

The place name Klüsserath was subject to a wide variety of interpretations. The final syllable “-rath” refers to a clearing site (a settlement that was created through clearing). The first part of the place name could be derived from Chlodwig or Chlothar. The ending “-rada” could also indicate a swamp area at the confluence of the Moselle and Salm.

Various regional historians agree that Klüsserath was originally laid out and inhabited by Celts, although there is no reliable evidence of this. Accordingly, the local population belonged to the Celtic Treveri tribe. On his trip to Trier, the famous rhetorician and poet Ausonius visited the area at the confluence of the Salm and the Moselle and reports about it in his Mosella: “There, where green mats stretch along the river, where the Salm foams, unruly, no contemptible little water, unites with Mosella, otherwise peace in the landscape, is my homeland, my new one. With game and fish and vines, where could they be found richer! Diana, goddess of the hunt, you protect the homeland, the new one.”

At the end of the 5th century, the Franks advanced to Trier and subsequently took possession of the land in the Moselle valley. So they also settled in Klüsserath in the eastern part of the town, while the Gallo-Roman residents had settled on the Salm. On the site of the local castle there is said to have been a Franconian manor, which also included the first Klüsserath church (Michelskirche). Early ruling relationships for Klüsserath are documented as early as 634. Echternach Abbey probably received vineyards including winemakers and all accessories from Irmina von Oeren. In 698 Gerelind, daughter of the steward Odo, and Plektrud's grandson Arnulf, the founder of the abbey in Echternach, Saint Willibrord, gave goods in Klüsserath. The Echternacher Hof at the eastern end of the town is the successor to a farm from the eighth century. On May 20, 748, Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz, donated many properties of the Metz Cathedral to the Gorze Abbey, which he had founded, including: also “the village of Cluserado”. On November 12, 826, the Prüm Abbey exchanged various goods with Count Sigard and received, among other things, land and vineyards in Klüsserath. The diocese of Trier also owned property in Klüsserath. It seems that several manors existed in Klüsserath at the same time. Around 1200, the monastery of Sankt Thomas an der Kyll also acquired various goods in Klüsserath. From the end of the 13th century, the Lords of Bruch appeared as landlords in Klüsserath and, among other things, got a “house” there, which is probably the moated castle that is still preserved today. This was first mentioned in a document in 1270. The stone bridge was built over the filled-in ditch instead of the former covered wooden bridge. Today the castle is privately owned.

In 1295 a parish church was reported for the first time that was dedicated to St. Remigius and later also to St. Michael. There are records from 1304 of the construction of a new, larger church, whose Gothic choir can still be seen in today's parish church.

On December 15, 1468, the Elector of Trier, Johann II, “formally took over the protection and administration of the village of Clüsserath”. In 1512, Emperor Maximilian I interrupted his journey to Trier to the Reichstag in Klüsserath.

The pastor Johann Gerhard von Manderscheid, who was in office in Klüsserath, founded a rosary brotherhood in 1681 and donated nine vineyards to this association. The vineyards provided income with the help of which the pastor's position was filled regularly and permanently. This is where the name of the wine region known today comes from. Around 1700 a new building replaced the old Echternacher Hof, which has been preserved to this day.

On May 15, 1783, the foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the parish church, which was inaugurated on May 27, 1787.

Until the end of the 18th century, Klüsserath belonged to the Electorate of Trier and was part of the Pfalzel district.

As a result of the seizure of the region by French revolutionary troops, the town of Klüsserath belonged to the French canton of Schweich in the Saard department from 1798 to 1814.

Due to the agreements made at the Congress of Vienna, the region was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia. Under the Prussian administration, Klüsserath became part of the Trier district in the Trier administrative district, which from 1822 belonged to the Rhine Province. The municipality of Klüsserath was assigned to the mayor's office of Trittenheim.

The local castle was auctioned off in 1803.

In 1909 a pontoon ferry replaced the old boat ferry to Köwerich. In 1922, a war memorial was erected in the cemetery in memory of those who died in the First World War. In 1923, as a result of the occupation of the Ruhr area by the Allies and due to inflation, payments in Klüsserath were only made in French francs. In 1933/34 the parish church was expanded to its current size.

The citizens of Klüsserath experienced the end of the Second World War on March 18, 1945. The Americans occupied the village in the early morning hours of March 10, after the last German soldiers had withdrawn across the Moselle to Köwerich and Trittenheim the evening before. However, on March 11th, German guns near Heidenburg opened fire on occupied Klüsserath, which more or less continued until March 18th. During these battles, civilians suffered the heaviest casualties. Many houses were badly damaged by shells, including the church and the castle.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

Olives are a high-fat fruit and they are full of beneficial compounds. With a deep mythological history, they were so the story goes a gift to humankind from the Greek goddess Athena.

Olive Tree

If you have travelled along the Aegean coast of Turkey, you will have seen scores and scores of gnarled silvery-leafed olive trees clinging to hillsides and lining every little country road. Everywhere you look you see olive groves. In our area every village family owns at least some olive trees and their living depends partly on the success of the harvest that year. Unfortunately this year despite a promising start, it hasn’t been good due to the excessive heat in August. This income is supplemented by owning sheep, cattle, and by doing other manual jobs –basically whatever they can get.

Olive Branches

The olive picking season which started at the end of October is almost over and what a backbreaking business it is

Turkey is a great country to experience olive and olive oil culture because it has one of the most important olive growing countries in the world. If you want to taste delicious olive oils you should visit especially the southern Turkey.

Anatolia is actually the motherland of olive trees, also where the olive oil is born. Also olive oil is an important player in Turkish cuisine, especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean diet. It is already famous for its health benefits.

TURKISH OLIVE OILS

Turkey is the 4th biggest olive oil producer in the world. Turkish olive oils are extremely smooth and have a more gentle taste. The best olive oils are not easy to find, and if you are like most people. Once you have tasted a high quality Turkish olive oil, your life will never be the same.

TYPES OF OLIVE OIL

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin is the highest quality and most expensive olive oil classification. Extra virgin olive oil is made simply by crushing olives and extracting the juice. Good extra virgin olive oil is fruity, bitter and pungent.

Early Harvest Olive Oil: Early harvest oils, with their bitter taste, low acidity, and higher antioxidant content are worth paying a little extra for.

Other Olive Oils: Virgin Olive Oil, Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil, Refined Olive Oil, Riviera Olive Oil.

OLIVE OIL PRODUCERS

Olive oils are produced by traditional and modern methods. In Turkey, there are hundreds of various olive oil producers to discover, each with individual qualities that make them even more excellent. Many of these olive oils are the winners of the world's most prestigious olive oil competitions.

Turkey is rapidly becoming one the of largest olive oil producing countries in the world. In spite of wildfires that destroyed olive trees in western Turkey, its production increased by 62 percent in the 2017/18 harvest season.

Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.

I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.

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Explore #189 - 01.07.2009

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Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue, -purple or black berries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as "blueberries" and are mainly native to North America[1]. They are usually erect but sometimes prostrate shrubs varying in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall. In commercial blueberry production, smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), and the larger species as "highbush blueberries". The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and from 1–8 cm long and 0.5–3.5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.

The fruit is a false berry 5–16 mm diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally blue on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from May through June though fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry

O mirtilo, também conhecido como arando ou uva-do-monte, ou até blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) é um arbusto que pertence à família Ericaceae (família da azálea). As plantas são arbustos de pequeno porte que crescem em sub-bosques de florestas temperadas na Europa. Vive em regiões nas quais o inverno é bastante rigoroso, daí a dificuldade em cultivá-lo no Brasil.

Em Portugal vive em regiões nas quais o inverno é rigoroso, porque necessita em média de 500 horas anuais de temperatura entre os 10º e os 12º celsius. É na zona do médio Vouga, no vale do Rio Vouga que se encontra o local ideal para a produção deste fruto, nos concelhos de Oliveira de Frades, Sever do Vouga, Águeda e Albergaria-a-Velha, sendo Sever do Vouga o que reúne as melhores condições.

The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken.

The Egyptian vulture is usually seen singly or in pairs, soaring in thermals along with other scavengers and birds of prey, or perched on the ground or atop a building. On the ground, they walk with a waddling gait. They feed on a range of food, including mammal faeces (including those of humans), insects in dung, carrion, vegetable matter, and sometimes small animals. When it joins other vulture species at a dead animal, it tends to stay on the periphery and waits until the larger species leave.Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) form a significant part of the diet of Spanish vultures.Studies suggest that they feed on ungulate faeces to obtain carotenoid pigments responsible for their bright yellow and orange facial skin. The ability to assimilate carotenoid pigments may serve as a reliable signal of fitness.

Egyptian vultures are mostly silent but make high-pitched mewing or hissing notes at the nest and screeching noises when squabbling at a carcass. Young birds have been heard making a hissing croak in flight.They also hiss or growl when threatened or angry.

Egyptian vultures roost communally on large trees, buildings or on cliffs.Roost sites are usually chosen close to a dump site or other suitable foraging area. In Spain and Morocco,summer roosts are formed mainly by immature birds. The favourite roost trees tended to be large dead pines. The number of adults at the roost increases towards June. It is thought that breeding adults may be able to forage more efficiently by joining the roost and following others to the best feeding areas. Breeding birds that failed to raise young may also join the non-breeding birds at the roost during June.

This species faces a number of threats across its range. Disturbance, lead poisoning (from ammunition used in hunting game), direct and secondary poisoning, electrocution , collisions with wind turbines, reduced food availability and habitat change are currently impacting upon European populations with juveniles showing higher declines and mainland populations showing higher rates of juvenile mortality than island populations. Illegal poisoning against carnivores seems to be the main threat operating on the breeding grounds in Spain and the Balkans. Declines in parts of Africa are likely to have been driven by loss of wild ungulate populations and, in some areas, overgrazing by livestock and improvements in slaughterhouse sanitation. Within the European Union, regulations introduced in 2002, controlling the disposal of animal carcasses, greatly reduced food availability, notably through the closure of traditional "muladares" in Spain and Portugal. However, recently passed regulations will permit the operation of feeding stations for scavengers and guidelines about how to operate them exist, and in eastern Europe dietary diversity has no effect on population sizes, but instead could affect territory size. Poisoning is a threat to the species, often through the use of poison baits targeted at terrestrial predators, and through the consumption of poisoned animals. Recent analyses from many countries including Bulgaria have highlighted potential contamination of Egyptian Vultures that may lead to increased mortality. Antibiotic residues present in the carcasses of intensively-farmed livestock may increase the susceptibility of nestlings to disease (e.g. avian pox has been reported as a cause of mortality in Bulgaria ).

It appears that diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) often used for livestock, and which is fatal to Gyps spp. when ingested at livestock carcasses is driving the recent rapid declines in India. NSAIDs are reportedly toxic to raptors, storks, cranes and owls, suggesting that vultures of other genera could be susceptible to its effects. It seems plausible that this species previously had less exposure to the toxin owing to competitive exclusion from carcasses by Gyps spp. vultures In 2007, diclofenac was found to be on sale at a veterinary practice in Tanzania. In addition, it was reported that in Tanzania, a Brazilian manufacturer has been aggressively marketing the drug for veterinary purposes and exporting it to 15 African countries. This drug has recently been approved for veterinary use in Europe, and is commercially available in France and Spain, which is a major concern for the species.

Mortality at power lines has been found to be particularly common on the Canary Islands and potentially risky in other regions of Spain and in Africa, with 17 individuals found killed by electrocution in Port Sudan, over 10 days in 2010, indicating a potentially serious problem that has persisted for decades and will continue to contribute to Egyptian Vulture population declines. In Morocco at least, the species is taken for use in traditional medicine, and it (like all African vultures) may have local commercial value as a traditional medicine throughout Africa. Competition for suitable nest sites with Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) may reduce breeding success in the short-term.

Griffon vultures have been used as model organisms for the study of soaring and thermoregulation. The energy costs of level flight tend to be high, prompting alternatives to flapping in larger birds. Vultures in particular utilize more efficient flying methods such as soaring. Compared to other birds, which elevate their metabolic rate to upwards of 16 times their basal metabolic rate in flight, soaring griffon vultures expend about 1.43 times their basal metabolic rate in flight. Griffon vultures are also efficient flyers in their ability to return to a resting heart rate after flight within ten minutes.

As large scavengers, griffon vultures have not been observed to seek shelter for thermoregulation. Vultures use their bald heads as a means to thermoregulate in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. Changes in posture can increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%. This change allows for the more than doubling of convective heat loss in still air. Griffon vultures have also been found to tolerate increased body temperatures as a response to high ambient temperatures. By allowing their internal body temperature to change independently of their metabolic rate, griffon vultures minimize their loss of water and energy in thermoregulating. One study in particular (Bahat 1995) found that these adaptations have allowed the Griffon vulture to have one of the widest thermal neutral zones of any bird.

It declined markedly throughout the 19th–20th centuries in much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, mainly due to direct persecution and "bycatch" from the poisoned carcasses set for livestock predators (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). In some areas a reduction in available food supplies, arising from changes in livestock management practices, also had an impact (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). It is very highly vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (Strix 2012) and electrocution has been identified as a threat (Global Raptors Information Network 2015). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used for veterinary purposes pose a threat to this species. One case of suspected poisoning caused by flunixin, an NSAID, was recorded in this species in 2012 in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2015). Diclofenac, a similar NSAID, has caused severe declines in Gyps vulture species across Asia.

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

Blue hydrangeas in a daylight. Some are loosing brightness of their initially indigo colour due to lack of the soil acidity. Anyhow, even pale, they still look very nice.

A very nice blend. It fits so well my taste in coffee. Subtle, well-balanced acidity. With notes of chocolate and cherries. I love it!

Thank you Caffe Luxxe!

www.caffeluxxe.com/

In this nation of more than more than 300,000 small, family-run coffee farms, the expansive Gemadro Estate stands as an exception. With its pure water supply, near pristine growing environment and dedication to conservation-based farming methods, this 2,300-hectare farm on the banks of the Gemadro River is setting new standards for progressive, sustainable coffee farming.

At the Gemadro estate, high altitude coffee plants flourish in the protective shade of towering 50-foot ferns. With just 1,100 hectares under cultivation, the remaining estate is devoted to a natural, primary forest that supports the local ecosystem.

The coffee trees on the Gemadro Estate are shade-grown Arabica Typia, the ultimate Ethiopian Arabica species.

Limón peruano / Peruvian lemon

Pintura peruana. Autor desconocido.

Imagen captada en la entrada de una tienda de cuadros en Miraflores. Avda. Petit Thouars.

A Wonderful Painting that was for sale on the streets of Lima.

Avda. Petit Thouars.

This is the Peruvian lemon, unique in its flavor and acidity,and as far as I know it can only be grown in Peru.

Without this ingredient you won't be able to make an authentic "Pisco Sour" (the national drink), or cebiche.(Pandamon)

PLEASE VIEW LARGE - Press "L" on your keyboard... It looks much better!

Pulsa la tecla L para verla mejor sobre fondo negro y en grande.

Río Tinto (Red River) receives its name from the intense red color of its waters (red wine color). Color is natural, as it crosses mountains of iron and copper pyrites. The high concentration of salts and the high acidity of the water give rise to interesting deposits and formations.

Río Tinto recibe su nombre por el color rojo intenso de sus aguas (color vino tinto), de forma natural, ya que atraviesa montañas de piritas de hierro y cobre. La alta concentración de sales y la gran acidez del agua da lugar a depósitos y formaciones interesantes.

Griffon vultures have been used as model organisms for the study of soaring and thermoregulation. The energy costs of level flight tend to be high, prompting alternatives to flapping in larger birds. Vultures in particular utilize more efficient flying methods such as soaring. Compared to other birds, which elevate their metabolic rate to upwards of 16 times their basal metabolic rate in flight, soaring griffon vultures expend about 1.43 times their basal metabolic rate in flight. Griffon vultures are also efficient flyers in their ability to return to a resting heart rate after flight within ten minutes.

As large scavengers, griffon vultures have not been observed to seek shelter for thermoregulation. Vultures use their bald heads as a means to thermoregulate in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. Changes in posture can increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%. This change allows for the more than doubling of convective heat loss in still air. Griffon vultures have also been found to tolerate increased body temperatures as a response to high ambient temperatures. By allowing their internal body temperature to change independently of their metabolic rate, griffon vultures minimize their loss of water and energy in thermoregulating. One study in particular (Bahat 1995) found that these adaptations have allowed the Griffon vulture to have one of the widest thermal neutral zones of any bird.

It declined markedly throughout the 19th–20th centuries in much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, mainly due to direct persecution and "bycatch" from the poisoned carcasses set for livestock predators (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). In some areas a reduction in available food supplies, arising from changes in livestock management practices, also had an impact (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). It is very highly vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (Strix 2012) and electrocution has been identified as a threat (Global Raptors Information Network 2015). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used for veterinary purposes pose a threat to this species. One case of suspected poisoning caused by flunixin, an NSAID, was recorded in this species in 2012 in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2015). Diclofenac, a similar NSAID, has caused severe declines in Gyps vulture species across Asia.

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

If it works for pineapple...

...it doesn't necessarily work for blueberries. There's nothing bad about it, but blueberries just don't hold up as well as pineapple as a topping. Their flavor's not as strong and they might as well not be there. Maybe they don't have the sharp acidity that makes pineapple stand out.

I don't know how they are all facing the same direction. I just tossed them randomly. My strange luck again.

The recipe was simple: Preheat oven to 500° F., oil the pan with avocado oil, spread out the dough, lay the sauce, sprinkle with ground black pepper and green chili flakes, cover with shredded mozzarella, lay the pepperoni, cover with more mozzarella, lay the blueberries, and bake for 10 minutes.

To celebrate their 5th birthday, Parallel 49 Brewing has created a Bumbleberry Sour Ale called “Surrounded by Idiots. Labelled using a mash up of past beer characters this beer pours a colour of rich purple with a finger or so of head that settles very quickly and without a trace. The aroma is sharp with a blend or acidity and earthy, wild yeast character. The berries add to the acidity and add a fruity character to the nose. Tasting the beer it is very acidic. The initial hit is all sour and leads to a bigger than expected body and berry flavour. Blended with the wild yeast character there is a pleasant amount of residual sweetness along side the richness of the berries which both help to balance the intense sour flavour. The finish leaves a lingering sourness and wild yeast character making for an overall very sour, but quite enjoyable anniversary beer.

Viewed from a bridge across the Mosel.

"Pfalzel is one of the 19 districts of the city of Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Pfalzel lies in the northeast of the city, west of the Moselle. It has around 3,450 inhabitants.

The Steigenberg in the Pfalzel district is 350 m high. The Wallenbach (Kyll) rises at its northeast foot.

Similar to the Ruwer district opposite, Pfalzel is located in the flood area of ​​the Moselle. For several years now, a partially mobile flood protection system that can be installed quickly has protected houses on the Moselle up to a water level of over eleven meters. The massive protective gates on the Moselle cycle path cannot be overlooked.

Hardly any of Trier's previously independent districts can look back on a history as diverse as Pfalzel. The name goes back to the Latin word “palatiolum” (= little Palatinate) and was originally the name for a palatial castle complex from the 4th century, which was most likely closely related to the imperial court in Trier. Some of the walls of the complex that have been preserved to this day extend up to the second floor.

In the 7th century, a nunnery was founded in the building, which was de facto dissolved in 1016/17 by Archbishop Poppo von Babenberg and converted into a canon monastery. The monastery ring was supplemented with a gatehouse, cloister, chapels and farm buildings. Until the 16th century, the castle and monastery were surrounded by an impressive rampart wall that has been preserved to this day and was supplemented by a tithe barn, an Electoral Trier office building, a mint and a mill.

Under Archbishop Albero of Montreuil (1131–1152) work began on building a castle complex in the western part of the Palatiolum. A previous castle construction cannot be determined from the written sources. The Palatinate Castle repeatedly served as an alternative and “counter-residence” for the Archbishops of Trier when there were disputes with the municipality of Trier.

A civil farming settlement developed in the area around the castle, which, secured with its own defensive wall, gained town status in 1346.

During Electoral Trier times, the Pfalzel district comprised 54 towns around Trier. In French times, the canton of Pfalzel existed with several mairie.

In the Prussian period from 1815 onwards, Biewer and Ehrang, among others, belonged to the Pfalzel mayor's office. Biewer was separated in 1930 and incorporated into Trier, but Pfalzel initially remained independent.

On March 1, 1968, the two independent communities of Ehrang and Pfalzel were united to form one large community. Just a year later, however, on June 7, 1969, the municipality of Ehrang-Pfalzel was incorporated into the city of Trier. Since then, Pfalzel and Ehrang/Quint have been districts of the city of Trier.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

Chablis, the wine powerhouse, located in the Yonne department of northern Burgundy is famous for its unoaked Chardonnay wines. The liveliness, minerality and firm acidity of the cool-climate whites of Chablis stand in sharp contrast with the rich, oaky style New World Chardonnays, whether they be from California, Australia, Chile, etc. – they just don’t appeal as much to me as the traditional French Chablis - Panorama des Clos, Chablis, France

La MAGRANA és d’aquells productes naturals que donen crèdit al vell consell hipocràtic de fer de l’aliment la nostra medicina.

I és que en els darrers anys s’han realitzat investigacions gràcies a les quals se sap que entre altres propietats, ajuda a neutralitzar els efectes nocius dels radicals lliures preveient l’oxidació, purifica la sang, evita la formació de plaques d’ateroma, alleuja la acidesa estomacal, ajuda a fer la digestió, regula la pressió sanguínia, tonifica l’organisme, reforça el sistema immune i ajuda a prevenir l’aparició de nombroses malalties, inclòs el càncer.

Especialment ingerida com suc.

puntdesabor.com/la-magrana-rica-en-vitamines-i-propietats/

Els fruits de les Magranes de l'hort de casa. Salt (Gironès) CAT.

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Health and Vitamins.

The MAGRANA is one of those natural products that give credit to the old hypocritical advice of making our food our medicine.

And in recent years, research has been carried out, which is known as among other properties, it helps to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals preventing oxidation, purifying blood, preventing the formation of atheroma plates, It relieves stomach acidity, helps digestion, regulates blood pressure, tones the body, strengthens the immune system and helps prevent numerous diseases, including cancer.

Especially ingested as juice.

puntdesabor.com/la-magrana-rica-en-vitamines-i-propietats/

The fruits of the grenades in the house garden. Salt (Gironès) CAT.

Silk painting on Habotai 8 silk. With an acidity of 5.00-6.00 ph Onions work well with acid dyes on silk. The potential problem is that the silk is weakened by the acids if left to long.

The red colour here is a raspberry and even the texture has been left on the silk. overall the silk stood for two days before organic material was removed.

Fluvial water with a solution of ferric and sulphate ions from phreatic alteration and surficial weathering on sulphide deposits. La Poderosa creek, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain.

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

Hortos Isola dei Nuraghi IGT

Cantina Sociale di Dorgali (Sardinia, Italy)

Italian red wine (Dorgali, Sardinia)

Winemaking Process: With maceration for 15 days in truncated cone shape wooden fermenters at a controlled temperature of maximum 28 degrees c.

Refinement: French medium toasting barriques for 14 months.

Colour: Intense ruby red, with a violet nuance; very clear.

Bouquet: Intense; fresh and fragrant; you may feel pleasant notes of ripe red fruit, of jam and spices;

Taste: Dry, full body; you may feel a well balanced tannicity in perfect harmony with the fresh acidity; a taste of fruity and jam notes, with light vegetable nuances; the finish is persistent and clean.

Matching Guidelines and Serving Suggestion: Many dishes of regional cuisine; savoury first courses, grilled meat and roast, seasoned cheeses. Open the bottle at least 30 minutes before serving at 16 -18 degrees C.

© All rights reserved

🇫🇷La production de café de qualité prémium est classée dans le top 15 des plus grands producteurs mondiaux de cette denrée, et réputée pour ses arabicas riches en saveursLe Costa Rica une superficie de 51 000 km², soit env la moitié de la surface de Cuba.Le café y est donc cultivé en petite quantité par beaucoup de petits producteurs (Fincas de 5 à 10 ha)En revanche, les producteurs misent sur la qualité en cultivant cette petite quantité de façon minutieuse Les café du Costa Rica sont les plus prisés et les plus chers du marché. Cultivé à haute altitude sur des terres volcaniques très riches, il offre des tasses lourdes avec une acidité intense et un arôme des plus complexes. Le Costa Rica produit uniquement de l’arabica,

Les baies de café poussent après la saison des pluies, entre mai et novembre. Une fois mûres, elles sont récoltées à la main. Elles sont ensuite lavées puis transformées pour donner le café en grain Les cerises sont plongées dans un grand réservoir d’eau afin de trier les bonnes et les mauvaises graines. Celles qui sont creuses vont flotter et seront éliminées. Les baies sont ensuite dépulpées pour extraire les deux noyaux. Ceux-ci sont de nouveau plongés dans l’eau et y restent pendant 24 h à 48 h pour fermenter. Après cette étape, les grains sont nettoyés et séchés au soleil. Ils sont ensuite décortiqués puis triés à la main avant d’être torréfiés.

🇬🇧 Costa Rica is one of the world's top 15 producers of premium quality coffee and is renowned for its richly flavoured Arabicas. Costa Rica has an area of 51,000 km², about half the size of Cuba, so coffee is grown in small quantities by many small producers (fincas of 5-10 ha). However, producers focus on quality by cultivating these small quantities with care. Grown at high altitudes on very rich volcanic soils, it offers heavy cups with intense acidity and a very complex aroma. Costa Rica produces only Arabica,

The coffee berries grow after the rainy season, between May and November. Once ripe, they are harvested by hand. They are then washed and processed into coffee beans. The cherries are immersed in a large tank of water to sort out the good and bad beans. The hollow ones will float and be removed. The berries are then pulped to extract the two pits. These are again immersed in water and remain there for 24 to 48 hours to ferment. After this stage, the beans are cleaned and dried in the sun. They are then dehulled and sorted by hand before being roasted.

🇪🇸 Costa Rica es uno de los 15 mayores productores mundiales de café de primera calidad y es famosa por sus Arábicas de rico sabor. Costa Rica tiene una superficie de 51.000 km², aproximadamente la mitad que Cuba, por lo que el café es cultivado en pequeñas cantidades por muchos pequeños productores (fincas de 5-10 ha). Sin embargo, los productores se centran en la calidad cultivando con esmero estas pequeñas cantidades. Cultivado a gran altitud en suelos volcánicos muy ricos, ofrece tazas pesadas con una acidez intensa y un aroma muy complejo. Costa Rica sólo produce Arábica,

Los granos de café crecen después de la estación lluviosa, entre mayo y noviembre. Una vez maduros, se cosechan a mano. Las cerezas se sumergen en un gran tanque de agua para separar los granos buenos de los malos. Los huecos flotan y se retiran. A continuación, las bayas se despulpan para extraer los dos huesos. Estos se sumergen de nuevo en agua y permanecen allí de 24 a 48 horas para fermentar. Tras esta etapa, los granos se limpian y se secan al sol. A continuación, se descascarillan y se seleccionan a mano antes de tostarlas.

🇩🇪 Die Produktion von Premium-Qualitätskaffee gehört zu den Top 15 der weltweit größten Produzenten dieses Lebensmittels und ist bekannt für seine ertragreichen Arabicas.Costa Rica mit einer Fläche von 51.000 km², oder ca. die Hälfte der Fläche Kubas.Der Kaffee wird dort von vielen kleinen Produzenten in kleinen Mengen angebaut (Fincas von 5 bis 10 ha)Die Produzenten hingegen setzen auf Qualität, indem sie diese kleine Menge von ...

Die Kaffeebeeren wachsen nach der Regenzeit zwischen Mai und November. Sobald sie reif sind, werden sie von Hand gepflückt. Die Kaffeekirschen werden in einen großen Wassertank getaucht, um die guten und schlechten Samen auszusortieren. Diejenigen, die hohl sind, schwimmen auf und werden aussortiert. Die Beeren werden dann entpulpt, um die beiden Kerne zu extrahieren. Diese werden wieder in Wasser getaucht und bleiben dort für 24 bis 48 Stunden, um zu fermentieren. Nach diesem Schritt werden die Beeren gereinigt und in der Sonne getrocknet. Anschließend werden sie geschält und handverlesen, bevor sie geröstet werden.

Il Costa Rica è uno dei primi 15 produttori al mondo di caffè di qualità superiore ed è rinomato per i suoi Arabica ricchi di sapore. Il Costa Rica ha una superficie di 51.000 km², circa la metà di Cuba, quindi il caffè viene coltivato in piccole quantità da molti piccoli produttori (fincas di 5-10 ettari). Tuttavia, i produttori puntano sulla qualità coltivando queste piccole quantità con cura. Coltivato ad alta quota su terreni vulcanici molto ricchi, offre tazze pesanti con acidità intensa e un aroma molto complesso. Il Costa Rica produce solo caffè Arabica,

Le bacche di caffè crescono dopo la stagione delle piogge, tra maggio e novembre. Una volta mature, vengono raccolte a mano. Le ciliegie vengono immerse in una grande vasca d'acqua per separare i chicchi buoni da quelli cattivi. Quelli vuoti galleggiano e vengono rimossi. Le bacche vengono poi spappolate per estrarre i due noccioli. Questi vengono nuovamente immersi in acqua e vi rimangono per 24-48 ore a fermentare. Dopo questa fase, i chicchi vengono puliti ed essiccati al sole. Vengono poi decorticati e selezionati a mano prima di essere tostati.

I've been waiting for many weeks for the monster hydrangea in the back garden to bloom so that I could see what colour it was (we have been living here for only a few months so I haven't seen it's flowers before). They are generally pink or blue, depending on the acidity of the soil. I still don't know whether it's pink or blue- I don't think it knows either! But the effect of 'both' is rather lovely.

This weekend has gone far too quickly and here we are at Sunday evening already....wishing everyone a happy new week ahead :)

Cove Point Winery's 2018 Petite Sirah. I guess we can say Petite Sirah is a "cousin" to Syrah but there is a difference. Syrah is fuller bodied than Sirah, which is a more medium bodied. Another cousin is "Shiraz", which is basically the same grape as Syrah; the only difference is where it is grown and in what climate.

CPW's 2018 Petite Sirah is slightly smoky with dark fruit notes, medium-to-full tannin with light acidity. We just had some with our Winter Chili, and it made for a nice pairing.

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Hydrangea Colors Are Determined By The Acidity Of The Soil

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Hydrangeas are A a genus of flowering plants.

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Hydrangea (disambiguation) and Hortensia (disambiguation).

Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒə/[3][4] or /haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/[5]) is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly H. macrophylla) are also often called hortensia.[6] The genus was first described from Virginia in North America,[7] but by far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) by climbing up trees. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, though the widely cultivated temperate species are all deciduous.[8]

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

The flowers of many hydrangeas act as natural pH indicators, producing blue flowers when the soil is acidic and pink ones when the soil is alkaline.[9]

Etymology

Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means 'water vessel' (from ὕδωρ húdōr "water" + ἄγγος ángos or ἀγγεῖον angeîon "vessel"),[10][11][12] in reference to the shape of its seed capsules.[13] The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring the French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.[14] Philibert Commerson attempted to name the flower Lepautia or Peautia after Lepaute. However, the flower's accepted name later became Hortensia. This led to people believing Lepaute's name was Hortense, but the Larousse remarks that this is erroneous, and that the name probably came from hortus, garden.[15]

Life cycle

Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems. Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy fertile flowers in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, sterile showy flowers with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are often extended in a ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.

There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with corymb style inflorescences, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"—Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals. The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can appear, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.

Colors and soil acidity

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Species

Hydrangea paniculata

97 species are accepted.[20]

Hydrangea acuminata Siebold & Zucc.

Hydrangea albostellata Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea alternifolia Siebold

Hydrangea × amagiana Makino

Hydrangea amamiohsimensis (Koidz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ampla (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea anomala D.Don – (climbing hydrangea) Himalaya, southwest China

Hydrangea arborescens L. – (smooth hydrangea) eastern North America

Hydrangea arguta (Gaudich.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea aspera Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea asterolasia Diels

Hydrangea barbara (L.) Bernd Schulz

Hydrangea bifida (Maxim.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea breedlovei Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea bretschneideri Dippel – China

Hydrangea caerulea (Stapf) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea carroniae Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea chungii Rehder – China

Hydrangea cinerea Small – (ashy hydrangea) eastern United States

Hydrangea coenobialis Chun – China

Hydrangea corylifolia (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea crassa (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea daimingshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea davidii Franch. – China

Hydrangea densifolia (C.F.Wei) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea diplostemona (Donn.Sm.) Standl.

Hydrangea fauriei (Hayata) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & Granados (syn. Dichroa febrifuga) – central & southern China to Malesia and New Guinea

Hydrangea glaucescens (Rehder) Y.De Smet & Granados – China, Myanmar and Vietnam

Hydrangea gracilis W.T.Wang & M.X.Nie – China

Hydrangea heteromalla D.Don – Himalaya, west and north China

Hydrangea hirsuta (Gagnep.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea hirta (Thunb.) Siebold – Japan

Hydrangea hwangii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea hydrangeoides (Siebold & Zucc.) Bernd Schulz – Ulleungdo, Japan, Kurils

Hydrangea hypoglauca Rehder – China

Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea involucrata Siebold – Japan, Taiwan

Hydrangea jelskii Szyszył. – Andes

Hydrangea kawagoeana Koidz.

Hydrangea kwangsiensis Hu – China

Hydrangea kwangtungensis Merr. – China

Hydrangea lalashanensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea lingii G.Hoo – China

Hydrangea linkweiensis Chun – China

Hydrangea liukiuensis Nakai

Hydrangea lobbii Maxim.

Hydrangea longifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea longipes Franch. – western China

Hydrangea luteovenosa Koidz.

Hydrangea macrocarpa Hand.-Mazz. – China

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – (bigleaf hydrangea) southeast Japan, southern China

Hydrangea mangshanensis C.F.Wei – China

Hydrangea marunoi Tagane & S.Fujii

Hydrangea mathewsii Briq.

Hydrangea megalocarpa (Chun) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea minamitanii (H.Ohba) Yahara

Hydrangea × mizushimarum H.Ohba

Hydrangea moellendorffii Hance

Hydrangea mollissima (Merr.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea nahaensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea nebulicola Nevling & Gómez Pompa

Hydrangea obtusifolia (Hu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ofeliae Sodusta & Lumawag

Hydrangea otontepecensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – (panicled hydrangea) eastern China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea peruviana Moric. ex Ser. – Costa Rica and Panama, Andes

Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. – (climbing hydrangea) Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea pingtungensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea platyarguta Y.De Smet & Samain

Hydrangea pottingeri Prain (synonym Hydrangea chinensis Maxim.) – Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, southeastern China, and Taiwan

Hydrangea preslii Briq.

Hydrangea quercifolia W.Bartram – (oakleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea radiata Walter – (silverleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea robusta Hook.f. & Thomson – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea sargentiana Rehder – western China

Hydrangea scandens (L.f.) Ser. – southern Japan south to the Philippines

Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – Japan, Korea

Hydrangea serratifolia (Thunb.) Ser. – Chile, western Argentina

Hydrangea sikokiana Maxim.

Hydrangea sousae Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea steyermarkii Standl.

Hydrangea strigosa Rehder – China

Hydrangea stylosa Hook.f. & Thomson – China

Hydrangea taiwaniana Y.C.Liu & F.Y.Lu

Hydrangea tapalapensis Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea tarapotensis Briq. – Andes

Hydrangea tomentella (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea × versicolor (Fortune) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea viburnoides (Hook.f. & Thomson) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea wallichii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea xanthoneura Diels – China

Hydrangea xinfeniae W.B.Ju & J.Ru

Hydrangea yaoshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea yayeyamensis Koidz.

Hydrangea × ytiensis (J.M.H.Shaw) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea yunnanensis Rehder

Hydrangea zhewanensis P.S.Hsu & X.P.Zhang – China

Fossil record

Hydrangea knowltoni

†Hydrangea alaskana is a fossil species recovered from Paleogene strata at Jaw Mountain Alaska.[21] †Hydrangea knowltoni has been described from leaves and flowers recovered from the Miocene Langhian Latah Formation of the inland Pacific Northwest United states. The related Miocene species †Hydrangea bendirei is known to from the Mascall Formation in Oregon, and †Hydrangea reticulata is documented from the Weaverville Formation in California.[22][23]

Four fossil seeds of †Hydrangea polonica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.[24]

Cultivation and uses

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flowerheads, with Hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown. It has over 600 named cultivars, many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as bigleaf hydrangea, can be broken up into two main categories; mophead hydrangea and lacecap hydrangea. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear. If not pruned regularly, the bush will become very "leggy", growing upwards until the weight of the stems is greater than their strength, at which point the stems will sag down to the ground and possibly break. Other species only flower on "old wood". Thus, new wood resulting from pruning will not produce flowers until the following season.

The following cultivars and species have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit under the synonym Schizophragma:[25]

S. hydrangeoides var. concolor 'Moonlight'[26]

S. hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides 'Roseum'[27]

S. integrifolium[28]

Hydrangea root and rhizome are indicated for the treatment of conditions of the urinary tract in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine and may have diuretic properties.[29] Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide.[31][32]

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

A hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", from Japan, won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[35]

In culture

In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha's birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.

In Korean tea, Hydrangea serrata is used for an herbal tea called sugukcha (수국차) or isulcha (이슬차).

The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, especially in Asia. The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase "you are the beat of my heart," as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"[36]

Hydrangea quercifolia was declared the official state wildflower of the U.S. state of Alabama in 1999.[37]

Hydrangeas were used by the Cherokee people of what is now the Southern U.S. as a mild diuretic and cathartic; it was considered a valuable remedy for stone and gravel in the bladder.[38]

Extrafloral nectaries were reported on hydrangea species by Zimmerman 1932, but Elias 1983 regards this as "doubtful".[39]

Hydrangea macrophyllas change color due to the pH level of the soil they grow in. Alkaline soil with a pH of 7 or higher, causes the blooms to be pink, while changing the pH to acidity (5.5 or lower) causes the flowers to turn blue. Hydrangeas are unique in their color changes relative to soil pH.

Cathédrale de Bayeux - France - Normandie

© all rights reserved by B℮n

Please take your time... to View it large on black

Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. The first definition of a wine-area called Chianti was made in 1716. The earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the thirteenth century when viticulture was known to flourish in the Chianti Mountains around Florence. Discover the most celebrated region of Tuscany. The vineyards of this area produce one of the best wines in the world: Chianti Classico. This Wine represents a major source of wealth for the Chianti area, no wonder then that this product has been particularly looked after and protected, in order to distinguish its quality from other wine productions. This is why a rigid legislation has been introduced to regulate the production of Classic Chianti. The first limit obviously regards the geographical area where the grape must grow. But not only the vineyards must be cultivated in the prescribed area: the whole process of wine-making, storage and bottling must take place inside the protected zone. The grape variety from which Chianti is produced is Sangiovese. The alcoholic strength must not exceed 12 %. In addition to this, there are other requirements that must be followed, regarding the average amount of dry product (24 g/l); the acidity rate (4,5 g/l), the colour (intense ruby red), the smell (fruity, with nuances of wildflowers, berries, cherries or plums) and taste (harmonious, dry, strong and with respectable tannin).

We drive on the glorious wine roads of Tuscany. We visit the farms and cellars and of-course taste the great Chianti wine. Photo of the warm colors of the Tuscany evening sunset taken on the Casale dello Sparviero estate.

Denk je aan Toscana, dan zie je stadjes op heuveltoppen, wijngaarden omzoomd door cipressen zover het oog reikt. Liefhebbers weten dat je overal tussen die landerijen. wijnhuizen kunt vinden waar je ook nog eens kunt proeven... het idee alleen al doet je toch bijna het water in de mond lopen. Ook als je weer thuis bent en je neemt een slok van je meegebrachte wijn, ben je er in je gedachten weer helemaal: op dat zonovergoten terras in Castellina in Chianti of bij dat fantastische restaurant met die truffelgerechten in Monteriggioni. Zeg je wijn in Toscana, dan zeg je Chianti, een wijn die zich in de laatste 30 jaar tot Classico heeft ontwikkeld. Chianti is de bekendste en populairste van alle Italiaanse wijnen. De wijn wordt gemaakt van de alom aanwezige Sangiovese-druif, die graag veel zon heeft en goed bestand is tegen grote temperatuurschommelingen. De belangrijkste Chianti-zones worden gevormd door de streek Chianti Classico gelegen rond Castellina. Zoals met zoveel in Italia, is ook de wijnbouw begonnen in het zuiden, maar hebben de noorderlingen het later overgenomen. Na de Romeinse tijd kwam de zuidelijke wijnbouw in de versukkeling. De oudste ononderbroken wijntraditie. In de Renaissance kwam de productie weer helemaal terug en wel in...Toscana. Rijke handelaars en bankiers zoals de families Frescobaldi en Antinori namen druivenrassen mee uit Frankrijk en legden daarmee de basis voor het feit dat Toscana tegenwoordig de oudste onononderbroken wijntradities van Italië kent.

This morning it was already hot and the heat waves were making it difficult to take photos, so I had to take what I could get. It was just too good of a sighting on a downed cape buffalo bogged down in the mud to pass up.

The vultures (there was more than 1 species) at this time were really vying for the best position to get into the access holes already made. (Their beaks are not built for breaking through the tough skin) Lots of fighting/sparring about, it was very entertaining.

There was a whole host of scavengers at this carcass, the hyena’s and who knows what else during the night had already opened the thick skin of the buffalo. The heat was quickly making the remains a dark messy mush. Thanks to our awesome guide, we were not positioned downwind.

These vultures have a body length of 78 to 99cm (31 to 39”), with a wingspan of 1.8 to 2m (6 to 7ft) and weigh in at 4 to 7.2kg (9.3 to 16lbs). This vulture unfortunately is critically endangered, poisoning has wiped out an astounding number of white-backed vultures.

This species is known for its gluttonous eating habits and with a committee (group) of about 100, they can strip a 45kg (100lbs) carcass clean in about three minutes. Sometimes eating so much that they are unable to fly. (A group of vultures eating a carcass is called a wake)

Carrion may let off a nasty stench, but a vulture’s sense of smell is quite terrible, a common trait of old world vultures. They rely on their good eyesight and the presence of other scavengers to find food. Feeding on dead animals might seem like risky business, but the high acidity levels of the vulture’s stomach acids neutralize any pathogens. So, the vulture cannot get a bad case of food poisoning nor will it spread diseases to other animals. They are vital cogs in the workings of the African ecosystem. Consuming primarily carrion, the vulture keeps the environment clean of rotting flesh helping to reduce the spread of bacteria.

Four seahorses are depicted, referencing the four horsemen of the apocalypse, biblical figures who appear in the Book of Revelation. Each of the horsemen represents a different facet of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death. Instead of the conventional equestrian representation, this mural pays tribute to the adorable seahorses, representing rising temperatures, water acidity, water pollution, and overfishing.

Fluvial water with a solution of ferric and sulphate ions from phreatic alteration and surficial weathering on sulphide deposits. Tinto river, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain.

Blue Hydrangea is my favorite color. In my area, the soil must be conditioned to maintain the blue color because the hydrangea color depends on the soil acidity, like an indicator solution acts in chemistry lab.

The blue hydrangeas are very popular, but by the second season most have turned pink. People have actually stopped at my house to ask how mine stay blue : )

Taken at Marches aux Fleurs, Ile de la City, Paris, France

Several Thoughts as Haiku Notes :

===============================

The Yin and the Yang

the forces of creation

beginning the end

===============================

The way of the Tao

as above also below

everything is one

===============================

The Yin and the Yang

they're not really opposites

complementary

===============================

When you have questions

look and listen for the signs

synchronicity

===============================

A Yin/Yang Perception of Opposites

Tao Te Ching -:- Verse 2

====================================

When people see things as beautiful,

ugliness is created.

When people see things as good,

evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

====================================

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (also, yin-yang or yin yang) describes how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, and male and female) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality of yin and yang. This duality lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung), as well as in the pages of the I Ching written in 1,000 BC and before.

Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin yang shows a balance between two opposites with a little bit in each.

In Daoist metaphysics, distinctions between good and bad, along with other dichotomous moral judgments, are perceptual, not real; so, the duality of yin and yang is an indivisible whole. In the ethics of Confucianism on the other hand, most notably in the philosophy of Dong Zhongshu (c. 2nd century BC), a moral dimension is attached to the idea of yin and yang.

......................................................................................... Wikipedia

By measuring starlight - specifically, the color and brightness - astronomers have determined that our Milky Way has about 100 billion stars in its system. Using the Milky Way as a model, astronomers have multiplied the number of stars in a typical galaxy (100 billion) by the number of galaxies in the known universe (2 trillion). The result is an absolutely astounding number of approximately 200 billion trillion stars in our known universe. Given that the earth’s star (the sun) has eight planets revolving around it, one of which has humans on it. Is it reasonable to believe that human beings here on the planet earth are the only beings in existence?

====================================================

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdD80MkLEE4

====================================================

Yin --- Yang

0 --- 1

- ... +

abdomen --- back

absorbing --- penetrating

acidity --- alkalinity

affective --- cognitive

afternoon --- morning

autumn --- spring

back --- front

backward --- forward

belly --- head

below --- above

black --- white

bottom --- top

broken --- solid

calm --- chaos

center --- extreme

centripetal force --- centrifugal force

chills --- fever

cinnabar --- lead

circle --- square

circular --- straight

clockwise --- counter-clockwise

cold --- hot

contracting --- expanding

copper--- tin

dark --- light

death --- life

diffuse --- focused

down --- up

earth --- sky

eight --- nine

emotional --- logical

empty --- full

end of motion --- beginning of motion

even --- odd

fat --- muscle

female --- male

feminine --- masculine

flexible --- firm

fluid --- static

follower --- leader

forgiveness --- anger

freezing water --- boiling water

fruits --- cereals

girl --- boy

heart --- mind

heaven --- earth

ice --- fire

introvert --- extrovert

intuitive --- logical

involuntary --- voluntary

inward --- outward

left --- right

light --- shadow

low --- high

me --- I

minus --- plus

momentum ---position

moon --- sun

mother --- father

night --- day

non-action --- action

north --- south

northwest --- southeast

off --- on

open --- close

orange --- azure

passion --- reason

passive --- active

pink --- blue

potassium --- sodium

process --- structure

pull --- push

quiescence --- activity

quiet --- loud

receiving --- giving

receptive --- creative

relaxed --- tense

right brain --- left brain

salt --- pepper

sensitivity --- firmness

short --- tall

sister --- brother

six --- seven

slow --- fast

small --- large

softness --- hardness

spiritual --- physical

static --- energetic

stillness --- motion

subconscious --- conscious

subjective --- objective

submissive --- dominant

sugar --- salt

sunset --- sunrise

sweet --- sour

taking --- giving

tiger --- dragon

tranquil --- active

vagina --- penis

valley --- mountain

venus --- jupiter

water --- fire

wave --- particle

weak --- strong

west --- east

wet --- dry

winter --- summer

wisdom --- intelligence

woman --- man

xue-blood --- qi-energy

yielding --- aggressive

zero --- one

====================================

youtu.be/aXuTt7c3Jkg

====================================

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNEruEsb5T4

=====================================

A Cybernetic Thought

=====================================

The creation of negative entropy through

complimentary forces of energy.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/we-are-dead-stars-the-a...

======================================================

===================================================

-:- ( 1 ) - ( 2 ) - ( 3 ) - ( 2X5 ) - ( 6 ) - ( 7 ) - ( 8 ) - ( 9 ) - (2X10) -:-

===================================================

With over 100 species, the hydrangea was originally discovered in Japan. Its genus name roughly translates to "water barrel," referring to its heavy need for water. Also, the colors of hydrangea flowers are directly linked to the acidity of the soil they are grown in. The more acidic, the more aluminum is available, and the more blue the flowers will be. In base soils, the flowers are pink. Hydrangeas are one of the few plants to absorb and use aluminum.

A friendly cashier at our Home Depot once gave me a valuable tip on how to grow blue hydrangeas without too much hassle. She advised me to bury a rusty nail near the hydrangea to raise soil acidity. Voila! My hydrangea is blooming blue after being cut down. 😄

Not all from my garden, most from my travels.

Hydrangea, the name, comes from the Greek words "hydro" or water, and "angeion," or vase = water vase, they prefer a lot of water.

A very ancient plant, found in fossils going back thousands of years.

In most species the flowers are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), they are blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple.

In these species the colour is affected by the presence of aluminium ions which are available or tied up depending upon the soil’s pH content.

For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower colour can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers.

I wish you all the very best and thank you for all your kind words, time, comments, likes and faves.

Very much appreciated. M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Hydrangea, blooms, pink, leaves, flowers, blue, garden, Nature, outdoors, colour, "conceptual art", "Magda indigo", NikonD7000

Hverir è una delle zone geotermali più attive di tutta l'islanda. Conosciuta anche come Hverarönd, la regione è famosa per il colore ocra dei suoi paesaggi e, principalmente, per le numerose fumarole e le pozze di fango bollente che si distribuiscono lungo tutta la sua superficie.

La vegetazione è inesistente: il calore della terra, l’acidità nel suolo e i fumi velenosi rendono pressoché impossibile la vita.

Hverir is one of the most active geothermal areas in all of Iceland. Also known as Hverarönd, the region is famous for the ocher color of its landscapes and, mainly, for the numerous fumaroles and boiling mud pools that are distributed throughout its surface.

Vegetation is non-existent: the heat of the earth, the acidity in the soil and the poisonous fumes make life almost impossible.

IMG_4089m

Ijen Crater Lake （伊真火山口湖）

Indonesia

The Ijen Crater has the most acidic lake in the world, with a pH level close to zero. This strong acidity comes from underground hot water mixed with gases from a magma chamber.

... fresh Physalis in their husks. Both to eat and to photograph!

Physalis is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry.

Not all Physalis species bear edible fruit. Select species are cultivated for their edible fruit, however; the typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins.

These fruits contain 18 kinds of amino acids.

These berries are also abundant in polysaccharides, compounds that may help fortify the immune system.

Yes, Nature creates its own jewellery.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

PHYSALIS alkekengi or Chinese Lantern Plant, they are native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.

Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit, these are often cut and used for Thanksgiving and Halloween arrangements.

Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over.

Also can be grown in tubs.

Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves.

Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room.

Thank you for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

PHYSALIS, orange, fruit, "Magda Indigo", "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", "Magda indigo"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The way to which mankind may hold

Is not the eternal way.

Eternal truths cannot be told

In what men write or say.

The name that may be named by man

Is not the eternal name

That was before the world began

Or human language came.

In that the namable took root,

The tree of fire and force,

Which, having blossomed and borne fruit,

Returns then to its source.

Who warms his body at that fire,

Sees nothing but its smoke;

But he who puts aside desire,

The flame’s self will invoke.

These two things are the same in source

But different in name;

Who solves this mystery has recourse

To that from whence he came.

................................. Charles H. Mackintosh (1926)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God (the great everlasting infinite First Cause from whom all things in heaven and earth proceed) can neither be defined nor named.

For the God which can be defined or named is but the Creator, the Great Mother of all those things of which our senses have cognisance.

Now he who would gain a knowledge of the nature and attributes of the nameless and undefinable God, must first set himself free from all earthly desires, for unless he can do this, he will be unable to penetrate the material veil which interposes between him and those spiritual conditions into which he would obtain an insight.

Yet the spiritual and the material, though known to us under different names, are similar in origin, and issue from the same source, and the same obscurity belongs to both, for deep indeed is the darkness which enshrouds the portals through which we have to pass, in order to gain a knowledge of these mysteries.

................................. G.G. Alexander (1895)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Existence is beyond the power of words

To define:

Terms may be used

But are none of them absolute.

In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,

Words came out of the womb of matter;

And whether a man dispassionately

Sees to the core of life

Or passionately

Sees the surface,

The core and the surface

Are essentially the same,

Words making them seem different

Only to express appearance.

If name be needed, wonder names them both:

From wonder into wonder

Existence opens.

................................. Witter Bynner (1944)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That Which Is Called The Tao Is Not The Tao

The flow of energy . . . . .

Here . . . . .

It . . . . .

Is . . . . .

Nameless . . . . .

Timeless . . . . .

Speed of Light . . . . .

Float . . . . . beyond fear . . . . .

Float . . . . . beyond desire . . . . .

Into . . . . . this Mystery of Mysteries

through this Gate . . . . . of All Wonder

................................. Timothy Leary (Psychedelic Prayers, 1966)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

====================================

youtu.be/aXuTt7c3Jkg

====================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personal Thoughts from August 07, 1976

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Energy is one.

Individuals are parts of that one.

Individuals through a source such as Love

(or other emotion or virtue) are one.

Thoughts are a source of energy.

Energy is neither created or destroyed.

Thoughts are neither created or destroyed.

Individuals are tuned-in to thoughts.

We do not think; we experience thought.

Our level of development is how we use

these thoughts to experience other

thoughts.

We are actually experiencing energies.

Our level of development is how we can

tune-in to these energies.

Our true purpose is to think and develop;

think and develop; become the source of energy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Personal Haiku (05/05/2021)

============================

The Dao to humans

as lakes and oceans to fish

existence unknown

============================

A Couple of Haiku Notes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tao gives birth to One

One gives birth to yin and yang

then birth to all things

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Yin and the Yang

they're not really opposites

complementary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

youtu.be/dFb7Hxva5rg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Yin/Yang Perception of Opposites

Tao Te Ching -:- Verse 2

====================================

When people see things as beautiful,

ugliness is created.

When people see things as good,

evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

====================================

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (also, yin-yang or yin yang) describes how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, and male and female) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality of yin and yang. This duality lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung), as well as in the pages of the I Ching written in 1,000 BC and before.

Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin yang shows a balance between two opposites with a little bit in each.

In Daoist metaphysics, distinctions between good and bad, along with other dichotomous moral judgments, are perceptual, not real; so, the duality of yin and yang is an indivisible whole. In the ethics of Confucianism on the other hand, most notably in the philosophy of Dong Zhongshu (c. 2nd century BC), a moral dimension is attached to the idea of yin and yang.

......................................................................................... Wikipedia

A Cybernetic Thought

=====================================

The creation of negative entropy through

complimentary forces of energy.

Yin --- Yang

0 --- 1

abdomen --- back

absorbing --- penetrating

acidity --- alkalinity

affective --- cognitive

afternoon --- morning

autumn --- spring

back --- front

backward --- forward

belly --- head

below --- above

black --- white

bottom --- top

broken --- solid

calm --- chaos

center --- extreme

centripetal force --- centrifugal force

chills --- fever

cinnabar --- lead

clockwise --- counter-clockwise

cold --- hot

contracting --- expanding

copper--- tin

darkness --- light

death --- life

diffuse --- focused

down --- up

earth --- sky

eight --- nine

emotional --- logical

empty --- full

end of motion --- beginning of motion

even --- odd

expands --- contracts

fat --- muscle

feeling --- knowledge

female --- male

feminine --- masculine

flexible --- firm

fluid --- static

follower --- leader

forgiveness --- anger

freezing water --- boiling water

fruits --- cereals

heart --- brain

introvert --- extrovert

intuitive --- logical

involuntary --- voluntary

inner --- outer

inward --- outward

left --- right

liquid --- solid

low --- high

magnetic --- electrical

me --- I

minus --- plus

momentum --- position

moon --- sun

mother --- father

negative --- positive

new testament --- old testament

night --- day

non-action --- action

north --- south

northwest --- southeast

off --- on

open --- close

orange --- azure

passion --- reason

passive --- active

passivity --- aggressiveness

potassium --- sodium

process --- structure

pull --- push

quiet --- loud

receiving --- giving

receptive --- projecting

relaxed --- tense

salt --- pepper

sensitivity --- firmness

short --- tall

six --- seven

slow --- fast

small --- large

soft --- hard

spiritual --- physical

static --- energetic

stillness --- motion

subconscious --- conscious

subjective --- objective

submissive --- dominant

sugar --- salt

sunset --- sunrise

sweet --- sour

taking --- giving

tiger --- dragon

tranquil --- active

valley --- mountain

venus --- jupiter

water --- ice

weak --- strong

west --- east

wet --- dry

winter --- summer

wisdom --- intelligence

woman --- man

xue-blood --- qi-energy

yielding --- aggressive

zero --- one

====================================================

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdD80MkLEE4&list=PLGm3KNNHzSQ...

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A haiku question

Is it wise to seek wisdom?

Ask someone who knows

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seek and you shall find

ask and it will be given

those who are wise know

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真理应该是唯一的宗教

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Zhēnlǐ yīnggāi shì wéiyī de zōngjiào

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I was enjoying this lovely one in the Stanley Park lower display gardens when a visitor from Argentina told me they call it Hortensia, and it turned out that Hydrangea is the Latin name for Hortensia (Hortensia means “of the garden”)

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil. Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds, citrus peel or eggshells will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue, as described in an article on Gardenista. A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

The hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", bred by Ushio Sakazaki from Japan, was named Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Mer Bleue Bog, Greenbelt, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Due to the peat acidity and lack of minerals, most plants cannot survive in the bog, Sphagnum acts as an insulation against the sun and shortens the growing season by retaining the cold long after the snow melts. All these conditions make this area ideal for plants that are accustomed to the rigours of the North, and the peat bog has become the kingdom to plants of the Tundra. The Labrador Tea, Leatherleaf and Laurel: three of the main shrubs that carpet the northern tundra along with trees like the Larch and Black Spruce. Source: National Capital Commission

La tourbière de la Mer Bleue,

Ceinture de verdure, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

En raison de l'acidité de la tourbe et du manque de minéraux, la plupart des plantes ne peuvent pas survivre dans la tourbière, la sphaigne agit comme un isolant contre le soleil et raccourcit la saison de croissance en retenant le froid longtemps après la fonte des neiges. Toutes ces conditions rendent cette zone idéale pour les plantes habituées aux rigueurs du Nord, et la tourbière est devenue le royaume des plantes de la toundra. Le thé du Labrador, la feuille de cuir et le laurier : trois des principaux arbustes qui tapissent la toundra du nord ainsi que des arbres comme le mélèze et l'épinette noire. Source : Commission de la capitale nationale

$9.99 with a Pregnancy Warning! 12.5% over a couple of nights. The cool climate wine region Friuli Venecia Giulia is boarded by the Alps in north-east Italy. With a hint of white flowers. Bright acidity is followed by a clean refreshing finish. So the label goes on the back

"Bernkastel-Kues (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛɐ̯nkastəlˈkuːs]) is a town on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a well-known winegrowing centre. The town is a state-recognized health resort (Erholungsort), seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues and birthplace of one of the most famous German polymaths, the mediaeval churchman and philosopher Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus).

Bernkastel-Kues is located in the Moselle valley, about 50 kilometers from Trier. The highest elevation is Mount Olympus (415 m above sea level), the lowest point (107 m above sea level) is on the banks of the Moselle. The urban area covers a total area of ​​23.71 km², of which 5.93 km² is used for agriculture. This makes Bernkastel-Kues one of the largest cities in the Middle Moselle in terms of area. Immediately neighboring local communities are (clockwise, starting from the north) Zeltingen-Rachtig, Graach an der Mosel, Longkamp, ​​Monzelfeld, Mülheim an der Mosel, Lieser, Maring-Noviand and Platten.

Left tributaries of the Moselle are Heldengraben, Thelengraben, Waldgraben, Krausbach and the stream from the Wehlener Forest. The right tributaries of the Moselle are Goldbach, Heidesheimgraben, Tiefenbach and Schadbach.

Archaeologists discovered the first evidence of human settlement (3000 BC) in Cusa. Around 370, Decimus Magnus Ausonius, Roman poet and teacher at the imperial court, wrote his poem Mosella. Adalbero of Luxembourg, provost of the Trier Monastery of St. Paulin, became Lord of Bernkastel. The first documented mention of Bernkastel dates back to the first half of the 11th century. At the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries a geographer named a place Princastellum. This is considered evidence of a Roman fort in the 4th century near today's Landshut castle ruins; This is indicated, among other things, by fittings, ceramics and iron finds below the castle. The form of the name in the 12th century Beronis castellum was a learned relatinization that referred to the Trier provost Adalbero of Luxembourg (11th century). The third castle construction began in 1277 under the rule of Trier Archbishop Heinrich II von Finstingen . On May 29, 1291, King Rudolf I of Habsburg granted Berrincastel city rights. The Landshut Castle, which was built at that time, only received this name in the 16th century. In 1332 the city rights were reconfirmed by Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria's collecting privilege. Archbishop Boemund II became elector through the Golden Bull. According to legend, he was cured of a serious illness by a glass of wine - the legend of the Berncastler Doctor began. In 1401, Nicolaus Cusanus was born in the house of the Moselle boatman Henne Cryfftz (Krebs), which can be visited. In 1451, the St. Nicholas Hospital (Cusanusstift), a hospital for the poor, was built. In 1505, the name Landshut appeared for the first time for the archbishop's castle in a sovereign decree from James II. In 1512, Emperor Maximilian stayed in Bernkastel on his way to the Reichstag in Trier. The plague raged in Bernkastel in 1627 and in Kues in 1641. In 1692, Landshut Castle fell victim to a fire and has been in ruins ever since. In 1787 the Electorate of Berncastel had 4,743 inhabitants. From 1794 to 1814 Bernkastel was a cantonal town under French rule; at the Congress of Vienna (1815) Bernkastel and Kues were added to the Kingdom of Prussia. Bernkastel became the seat of the Bernkastel mayor's office and in 1821 the seat of the Bernkastel district . In 1848 the revolution also came to Bernkastel: the black, red and gold flag was hoisted at the town hall and a vigilante group was formed. The first road bridge between Bernkastel and Kues was built in 1872/74, and the first rail connection in 1882/83.

The town in its current form was created on April 1, 1905 through the merger of the town of Bernkastel with the wine-growing village of Kues opposite. In 1926 there were major wine unrests on the Moselle, the tax office in Bernkastel and the customs office in Kues were stormed. During the Reichspogromnacht on November 9, 1938, there were serious riots against Jewish fellow citizens; the synagogue was destroyed. Towards the end of the Second World War, the city was bombed several times. On February 19, 1945, numerous houses around the market square in Bernkastel were destroyed and 41 people were killed. In an attack on March 2nd, large parts of the old town hall and other buildings were destroyed and 29 people were killed. On March 11th the Moselle bridge was blown up and the bombardment by American artillery began the following day. On March 15th the Americans moved into Kues and on the 16th into Bernkastel.

The first democratic elections after the war took place in 1946; Hans Weber became city mayor. On November 7, 1970, Andel and Wehlen were incorporated. As a result of the Rhineland-Palatinate administrative reform, the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues was formed through the merger of the offices of Bernkastel-Land, Lieser, Mülheim, Zeltingen and the city of Bernkastel-Kues. The Burgberg Tunnel was officially opened in 1997. In 2000 the partnership between Bernkastel-Kues and Karlovy Vary (Karlovy Vary) began. In 2005 the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of the merger of Bernkastel and Kues; The community became a climatic health resort.

Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

© all rights reserved by B℮n

Please take your time... to View it large on black

Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. The first definition of a wine-area called Chianti was made in 1716. The earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the thirteenth century when viticulture was known to flourish in the Chianti Mountains around Florence. Discover the most celebrated region of Tuscany. The vineyards of this area produce one of the best wines in the world: Chianti Classico. This Wine represents a major source of wealth for the Chianti area, no wonder then that this product has been particularly looked after and protected, in order to distinguish its quality from other wine productions. This is why a rigid legislation has been introduced to regulate the production of Classic Chianti. The first limit obviously regards the geographical area where the grape must grow. But not only the vineyards must be cultivated in the prescribed area: the whole process of wine-making, storage and bottling must take place inside the protected zone. The grape variety from which Chianti is produced is Sangiovese. The alcoholic strength must not exceed 12 %. In addition to this, there are other requirements that must be followed, regarding the average amount of dry product (24 g/l); the acidity rate (4,5 g/l), the colour (intense ruby red), the smell (fruity, with nuances of wildflowers, berries, cherries or plums) and taste (harmonious, dry, strong and with respectable tannin).

We drive on the glorious wine roads of Tuscany. We visit the farms and cellars and of-course taste the great Chianti wine. Here we visit Casale dello Sparviero. Harmoniously set in the hills of Castellina in Chianti, in the Siena's Classico area, the estate is spread 380 hectares. The vineyards are set on the altitude of 250 metres and encircled by woods and self vegetation.

Denk je aan Toscana, dan zie je stadjes op heuveltoppen, wijngaarden omzoomd door cipressen zover het oog reikt. Liefhebbers weten dat je overal tussen die landerijen. wijnhuizen kunt vinden waar je ook nog eens kunt proeven... het idee alleen al doet je toch bijna het water in de mond lopen. Ook als je weer thuis bent en je neemt een slok van je meegebrachte wijn, ben je er in je gedachten weer helemaal: op dat zonovergoten terras in Castellina in Chianti of bij dat fantastische restaurant met die truffelgerechten in Monteriggioni. Zeg je wijn in Toscana, dan zeg je Chianti, een wijn die zich in de laatste 30 jaar tot Classico heeft ontwikkeld. Chianti is de bekendste en populairste van alle Italiaanse wijnen. De wijn wordt gemaakt van de alom aanwezige Sangiovese-druif, die graag veel zon heeft en goed bestand is tegen grote temperatuurschommelingen. De belangrijkste Chianti-zones worden gevormd door de streek Chianti Classico gelegen rond Castellina. Zoals met zoveel in Italia, is ook de wijnbouw begonnen in het zuiden, maar hebben de noorderlingen het later overgenomen. Na de Romeinse tijd kwam de zuidelijke wijnbouw in de versukkeling. De oudste ononderbroken wijntraditie. In de Renaissance kwam de productie weer helemaal terug en wel in...Toscana. Rijke handelaars en bankiers zoals de families Frescobaldi en Antinori namen druivenrassen mee uit Frankrijk en legden daarmee de basis voor het feit dat Toscana tegenwoordig de oudste onononderbroken wijntradities van Italië kent.

The best coffee shop in Bogotá.

****

Also known as vacuum, syphon, vacpot, vacuum coffee maker, or globe, is a method of brewing that works by the principle of heat transfer and vacuum. Created in 1840 by a Scottish naval engineer, it consists of the following pieces: two glass globes, one of them as a funnel, a filter, the base and the flame. The result is a drink of high sweetness, high acidity and medium body.

The coffee was brewed in a coffee maker I had never seen - and honestly, except in a photo or shop window, I didn't see it later either - made up of two glass balls, held by a handle, a rod, and a lighter underneath. It looked like something stolen from the school chemistry lab. I was studying in a high school that had a sensational chemistry lab!

The barista prepared the coffee in front of us and I gaped, as the coffee went up and down the coffee maker, just like the chemical experience.

This strange way of making hourglass coffee was nothing more than the siphon coffee maker, which, as it turns out, is very rare to see around.

Terraced iron-sulphate-stromatolites formed by acid leachates from pyrite-bearing mine wastes, Tintillo river (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain)

Terraced iron formations of millimetric to metric scale are usually developed during the oxidation and hydrolysis/precipitation of dissolved iron in the acidic solutions after they emerge from waste piles, tailings, or mine portals, and they display a morphological pattern similar to that observed in travertines formed in Ca2+-HCO3 ––rich spring waters. TIFs differ from calcareous travertines, however, in their mineralogical composition, which is characterized by hydrous iron (oxy)hydroxides and/or hydroxysulfates, in agreement with the typical Fe(II)/Fe(III)-SO4 2– chemical composition of most acid mine drainage solutions. These spectacular formations are the result of the interaction between (1) highly acidic and Fe(II)-enriched waters, (2) atmospheric oxygen, and (3) acidophilic microbes that have found perfect habitats for their Fe-oxidizing metabolisms in these extreme environments. The abiotic processes could be more important than the biotic factors in winter (higher flow, lower temperature), and conversely, the bacterial activity could play a major role in summer (lower flow, higher temperature).

The water from the Tintillo river (and other rivers and creeks from Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain) has a nearly unique red and orange colour derived from its extremely acidic chemical makeup, with very high levels of iron and heavy metals. There are a number of subsurface sulfide (mainly pyrite) bodies responsible for this acidity. These mineral bodies belong to the Iberian Pyrite Belt, formed 350 My ago in the Devonian Period, connected to active and hydrothermal volcanism that led to the formation of a volcanic-sedimentary complex. Volcanic activity in the region led to eight giant volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits associated with polymetallic massive flanks of volcanic cones in the form of pyrite, but also chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and cassiterite.

References:

Iron terraces in acid mine drainage systems: A discussion about the organic and inorganic factors involved in their formation through observations from the Tintillo acidic river (Riotinto mine, Huelva, Spain)

pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article-pdf/3/3/13...

The Tintillo acidic river (Rio Tinto mines, Huelva, Spain): an example of extreme environmental impact of pyritic mine wastes on the environment or an exceptional site to study acid-sulphate mine drainage systems?

www.researchgate.net/publication/235355068_The_Tintillo_a...

found this big plant along the waters edge by the pond, soil acidity must be quite low, because these plants like neutral to alkaline soils.

Prunella vulgaris, the common self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter's herb, brownwort or blue curls,[2][3][4][5] is a herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae.

Self-heal is edible:[2] the young leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads; the plant as a whole can be boiled and eaten as a leaf vegetable; and the aerial parts of the plant can be powdered and brewed in a cold infusion to make a beverage.[2]

Description

Closeup of flowers

Prunella vulgaris grows 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in) high,[6] with creeping, self-rooting, tough, square, reddish stems branching at the leaf axes.[7]

The leaves are lance-shaped, serrated and reddish at the tip, about 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.59 in) broad, and growing in opposite pairs down the square stem.[7] Each leaf has 3-7 veins that shoot off the middle vein to the margin. The stalks of the leaves are generally short, but can be up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long.[8]

Kleine Braunelle, Blüte.jpg

The flowers grow from a clublike, somewhat square, whirled cluster; immediately below this club is a pair of stalkless leaves standing out on either side like a collar. The flowers are two-lipped and tubular. The top lip is a purple hood, and the bottom lip is often white; it has three lobes, with the middle lobe being larger and fringed upwardly. Flowers bloom at different times depending on climate and other conditions, but mostly in summer (from June to August in the USA).[7]

Self-heal propagates both by seed and vegetatively by creeping stems that root at the nodes.[9]

Two subspecies of Prunella vulgaris have been identified: var. vulgaris and var. lanceolota. [10][11]

Habitat

Prunella vulgaris is a perennial herb native in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, and is common in most temperate climates.[2] It was introduced to many countries in the 1800s and has become invasive in the Pacific Islands, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.[2][12] In Ireland, it is generally abundant.[13][14] This herb also grows in Kashmir where it is known as kalyuth. It is boiled in water, which used to wash and bathe in order to relieve muscle pain.[15]

It grows on roadsides, gardens, waste-places,[13] and woodland edges, and usually in basic and neutral soils.[7][16]

Uses

P. vulgaris var lanceolata

Prunella vulgaris is edible, and can be used in salads, soups, stews, and boiled as a pot herb.[17][18]

The herb, which is called xia ku cao (夏枯草) in Chinese, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat dizziness, red eyes, dry cough, and dermatitis and boils.[19] It is also a main ingredient in several herbal teas in southern China, including commercial beverages such as Wong Lo Kat.[20]

The Nlaka'pamux drink a cold infusion of the whole plant as a common beverage.[21] The plant is traditionally used by some Indigenous cultures to treat various physical ailments.[22]

Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals include betulinic acid, D-camphor, D-fenchone, cyanidin, delphinidin, hyperoside, manganese, lauric acid, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, myristic acid, rutin, linoleic acid, ursolic acid, beta-sitosterol, lupeol, and tannins.[23][24]

Etymology

Prunella is derived from 'Brunella', a word which is itself a derivative, taken from "die Bräune", the German name for quinsy (a type of throat inflammation), which Prunella was historically used to cure.[25] Vulgaris means 'usual', 'common', or 'vulgar'.[25]

Self-heal and heal-all refer to its uses in traditional medicine