Plant of the day is: Morina longifolia or Himalayan whorlflower

Plant of the day is: Morina longifolia or Himalayan whorlflower

This plant spins me right round.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs

Not hard to see why they call it the whorl flower.  There seem to be a bunch of flowers circling the stem, in some kind of a whorl like fashion.  Fascinating.

Taxonomy:  Until fairly recently this genus occupied the family Morinaceae and was the the only genus (monotypic).  It has now been moved into the significantly larger Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family which includes such favorites as Abelia, Centranthus, Cephalaria, Kolkwitzia (long time since I've spelled that), Valeriana, Weigela, and who could forget the crowd favorite Lonicera.  A lot of Caprifoliaceae members in cultivation now that I look at it.  Pretty neat.  I planted Weigela today and watered Valeriana.  Anyways, there are about 12 recognized species in Morina so it is a fairly small group of interesting plants.  M. persica is taller with spinier foliage and M. coulteriana has pale yellow flowers.

Description:  Flowers in the family are generally tubular funnel shaped or bell like and these follow suit.  We'll go with trumpet shaped, which is how they are described often enough.  Flowers tend to start more white and then fade to a pink/crimson color.  It is a hardy perennial in zones 5-9 (ish) which reaches about 1m in height and about .4m wide.  As you may have guessed it originates from the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan at altitudes of around 3000-4000m and flowers from June-September.  Has linear/lanceolate leaves that are dark green and a bit glossy.  Mind the spines!  The leaves have spines along the leaf margins, there are selections of this plant and it seems to be slightly variable in terms of their severity.  The bracts are quite noticeable as well and really remind of a kind of Jetson's platform for the flowers.

                                  

Just lovely that is.

Culture:  Likes pretty moist loamy soils and will handle light open wood shade to full sun.  Can be easily grown from stored seed and germinates in around two weeks.  They do have decent sized cotyledons and germinate with a vigor so if you start them in a small cell/container be prepared to transplant into something larger VERY soon.  They DO have a taproot that travels several centimeters in a very short time.  Does not divide well.  In the Saint Louis summer I should think a little shade in the late afternoon would be a relief.  Well drained soil is really the key though.  

Random fun stuff:  The leaves reportedly have a spicy citrus kind of a scent to them, can't wait to try!  I read something that suggested they might irritate skin as well soooo maybe a mixed bag?  The stem, leaves, and flowers are used in Tibetan medicine and are said to have a sweet and astringent taste (I will not be eating them).  Named after this cool French physician and botanist (seems to be a trend for that really) named Rene Morin who has the fantastic distinction of producing, in 1621, the world's first plant catalog, Catalogus plantarum horti Renati Morini.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs

And one last fun fact:  In what I consider a brilliant move, yes very well done, the fertilized flowers change to darker colors so that pollinators are continually attracted to the newer flowers to help with maximum fertilization and seed production.  Isn't it great, how everything in nature has this wonderful place and strategy.  Brings a smile to my face.

 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs

Plant of the day is: Lychnis fulgens or catchfly

Plant of the day is: Lychnis fulgens or catchfly

Photo Credit: Tatyana Shulkina 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

I had it in my head that there would plenty of pictures of this plant to choose from online and I was sadly mistaken.  There really is a big need for more creative commons available plant photography.

That being said, this little link right here is more or less find-able if you know where to look so I see no reason I can't share.  http://livingcollections.org/mobot/Planting/1166394?tab=images There are a few others amazing pictures the world hasn't seen out there and of course let me Google that for you:  Google Images of Lychnis fulgens

Taxonomy, etc:  Another member of the Caryophyllaceae or pink family, Lychnis is a relatively small genus with only about 15 accepted species according to http://www.theplantlist.org/, my go to source for all things taxonomy.  A popular horticultural plant Lychnis coronaria (that I learned in school) is now Silene coronaria.  Those botanists are always keeping us on our toes and forcing website and textbook updates.  The difference between the two genera?  Lychnis members have 5 styles where Silene have 3, and seed capsules have 5 teeth compared to 6 in Silene.  Stems are also often sticky.  Catchfly...get it?

Description/Range:  A native perennial of Siberia, Manchuria, Korea, and Japan.  It is a hardy form zones 4-8 here in US and reaches a spread of about 1-2 feet (I can verify).  Flowers are an orangish-red?  I'm awful with that, but I love the color.  I'm a sucker for yellows, oranges, and reds.  Perhaps I'm drawn to the color of brimstone?  Flowers occur in few flowered cymes (see below) and the petals are two-lobed. Leaves are sessile (no petiole) and are ovate/lanceolate.  Here in Saint Louis, they flower early to mid summer and set seed around August.  As far as I know, seedlings are not common.  I'm not sure if the cold winter temps thwart germination or some other environmental contribution.

Culture:  Where I've observed it growing it grows in a dappled shade and more full midday sun.  A lot of information suggests that it likes very well drained soils and sunny locations but I hear tell of a planting that died under those conditions.  Observed site was a fairly moist rich soil in a fairly shady spot.  Still a good bunch of flowers considering the spot I thought.  I would venture that it prefers more of a moist woodland soil than some would give it credit for.  I may get the chance to tinker with that, I'll add notes if I find anything interesting.

Fun fact:  How do you say it?  Depends.  Listen here: http://www.memidex.com/lychnis+flower#audio 

Also, Lychnis comes from the Greek lychnos or lamp in reference to their bright flowers.

The prairie dropseed is running rampant right now, one of my favorite smells.  Apparently you love it or hate it.  JLee.

Plant of the day is: Moringa oleifera or miracle tree

Plant of the day is: Moringa oleifera or miracle tree

Ounce to ounce it contains 3 times more iron than spinach, 4 times the amount of vitamin A than carrots, and 4 times the calcium in milk.  It also is chock full of protein and a complete compliment of amino acids.  Leaves, fruit, seeds, and depending on who you talk to, the roots and flowers are also edible.  Now THAT is a plant made for mastication!

Taxonomy:  Moringa oleifera is a member of the monotypic family Moringaceae (I get to learn a new family in the process) which means it is the sole genus in the family.  Neat.  In simple terms it makes it a real standout of a plant.  You'd almost think a legume of some type from seeing the leaves and fruit pods but no, more closely related to a mustard than a legume.  An association that becomes apparent when looking at the oil content of the seed ...but more on that later.  There are 13 other officially recognized species of Moringa, with another notable shout-out being Moringa stenopetala (short petal).

Fruit pods.  Very large pods.

Range/Description:  It is a native of the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Northwestern India but is being utilized in many areas of the world now.  Most notably, efforts are underway to promote its use for nutrition and a sustainable food source in impoverished areas of Africa.  Honduras is also ramping up production.  I believe that it is evergreen or deciduous based on where it is growing (please correct if I am wrong).  It only grows to about 30 feet but can reach that height very quickly.  Reportedly can put on 20 feet of growth in 2 years, which is amazing.  Leaves are feathery and tripinnate with many small leaflets.  Side leaflets are elliptical while the terminal leaflet is more obovate and slightly larger.  Flowers are white,have five petals, and are borne in sprays and are fragrant.  Flowering begins just 6 months after planting, which is impressive.  The fruit pods (often called drumsticks) split lengthwise into 3 parts and contain about 20 brown seeds with 3 wings.  It is very drought tolerant and can be easily propagated by sticking cut branches about 3 to 6 ft long into the ground (I'd venture a hormone treatment helps).

Flowers n leaves.  Can see the tripinnate if ya look closely.

Uses:  Everything.  I'm blown away, seriously.  An oil (ben oil) can be extracted from the seed which has a very long shelf life, can be used in cooking, burned as fuel, and used as lubricant.  It may be one of the most useful plants for humans that nature has concocted, truly a miracle.  The uses for this plant are really too numerous for me to even get into here.  I will say that despite some reports that it might be unsafe to eat the root, I bet it's probably fine in small amounts, kinda like ginger.  Since it is so closely related to mustards, the root can be made into somthing similar to horseradish.  The seeds can be stir fried and have a taste similar to peanuts (maybe?).  It's food, it's fuel, oh did I mention it cleans water!?  Yes, the crushed seeds actually pull particulates down out of the water and lower bacterial concentrations.  That is cooler than cool.  I believe there is an operation in place in Africa using Moringa to purify drinking water.  Considering the massive need for vitamin A and clean drinking water in much of the tropics, this plant stands to improve the lives of many.

A plant well worth respecting and being thankful for.  A stark reminder that our lives are immeasurably improved by the world around us.  We're not separate from the world, just a participating member.  I'd like to see us participate a little more responsibly.  Utilizing a plant like this is a great step in the right direction.

Plant of the day is: Petrorhagia saxifraga or tunic flower

Plant of the day is: Petrorhagia saxifraga or tunic flower

An uncommon little perennial plant often coined as a 'miniature baby's breath'

Pronounced: pet-row-RAY-jee-ah saks-i-FRAH-ga .  It's for fun.

Greek origin: petros = rock, rhagas = chink

Latin origin: saxum = rock/stone, frangere = to break

Mixing and matching.  Oye.  See also family Saxifragaceae.  All this in reference to its propensity to grow in/around rocks.

Taxonomy:  Another member of the Caryophyllaceae or pink/carnation family.  Petrorhagia was previously listed as Tunica and there is still a fair bit of information out there that references as such.  It is a relatively small genus with only about 23 accepted genera.  An interesting botanical term to run across for the family description is that the stamens of the flowers are isomerous to the perianth.  Which means...they are the same number as  the parts of the corolla and caylx.  Often there are 5 petals and 5 sepals for the flower making for...you guessed it, 5 stamens (sometimes 10).

I spoil you ya know?

A nice close up.

 Description:  I've spent quite a bit on the rest of the post and this is the last one.  Running out of gas in the tank!  That being said, this a small little compact plant that is likely a great addition when space is limited and you want little pop in the summer months.  These are supposed to kick out flowers for quite awhile cut back old flowers and it supposedly reblooms.  The foliage only grows to about 4 inches in height while the flowers rise up to about 12 inches.  The flowers can vary quite a bit in color from pinks, whites, and purples with some great streaks of color thrown in.  A native of Pyrenees, Turkey, and southern and central Europe and has been in cultivation since 1774.  Despite it's rather uncommon presence I feel like it could make a bit of a come back.

Culture:  One site lists as zone hardy 4-10 one site listed as 4-8 and another from 2-9 so take your pick I guess. A fan of full sun and dry soils.  Some sites report that good drainage is a requirement while others indicate that it is actually quite tolerant of clay soils.  If I had to venture a guess I would say that lower spots with heavier clay will prove to be a problem for these.  I'm often surprised by some of the plants that grow in my very heavy clay soil at home.  The trick is just to not water much (if at all) during the summer and often times those plants will pull through the spring just fine.

Introduction:  No, not like meeting someone, but a species that has been moved from its home.  USDA website lists this occurring in small random pockets of scattered counties in several states.  I found an article from the Illinois Plant Information Network that noted they were identified in Champaign county but that they were fairly rare?  They do set seed well but I have a feeling they aren't strong competitors.  Certainly worth watching with keen interest however.

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/ilpin/2128.co

An't you glad I picked such a pretty flower today?

And yes, I'm experimenting with formatting ...still not sure what I like.  Work in progress.  Deal.

Plant of the day is: Bartsia alpina or velvetbells

Plant of the day is: Bartsia alpina or velvetbells

The name and the flower sounds so pretty, but don't be fooled, this is a vampiric flower!

Taxonomy:  

• Another neat family to stumble upon and explore.  Bartsia is a member of the Orobanchaceae family or the broomrape family which has been historically included in the Scrophulariaceae or figwort family.  It contains about 89 genera and some 1,600-ish accepted species.  There is generally a tubular calyx (all the sepals of a flower) formed by 2-5 united sepals.  5 united petals form the corolla (or all the petals of a flower).  See, stuff to learn here :).  Upper lip is 2 lobed while the lower lip is 3 lobed.  4 stamens, 2 short and 2 long, the botanical term for that is:  didynamous.  Of course there is a special word for that, oh botanical language, I'll forever be learning you.  

• Members of the family http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orobanchaceae are either holoparasitic or hemiparasitic (fully or partly parasitic).  The holoparasites generally lack chlorophyll.  These plants have specially adapted roots called haustoria (the plural of haustorium) that penetrate the hosts cell tissue and steal nutrients.  Pretty cool eh?  

Hirsute:  Did I mention hairy?

Description:  

• For a fantastic botanical description, check it out here, I don't have the scrupulous bug tonight.  This puts it better than I would :).  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00809.x/full  For a quick description though, it is a short perennial plant with a woody rhizome.  Flowers are purple and zygomorphic (only bilaterally symmetrical down one plane...like a face, depending on the face I suppose). 

• Can be found in several parts of the world really, mountainous regions of Europe and northern climates (kind of boreal/subarctic?).  It has hopped the pond and makes appearances in Greenland, Iceland and Canada (Hudson Bay).  Apparently the mean annual max isotherm is anywhere from 20-28C.  Probably tricky to grow it in Missouri.  A big fan of limestone soils though, which we've got!

Culture:

• The trick to growing a plant like this is having its preferred host growing with it at roughly the same time.  Here in Missouri we have Castilleja or indian paintbrush that stuns with some beautiful bracts in some of our mesic prairies.  I've heard it on good account that it is quite fond of Schizachyrium scoparium or little bluestem (little bluestem is a little easier...whew).  Anyways, I digress.  This particular plant likes several species that can also be found in the same botanical description above.  A few Carex, Persicaria, and Empetrum stand out but there are around 15 different standout species in a variety to families.  Ideally you want a developed host plant available at germination/growth but not something so aggressive as to out compete the seedling or create adverse conditions for watering practices/disease promotion.  

Not exceptionally tall.  It's cold out there.

That's it for my seriousness for now :).  I hope we've all learned something.  

Plant of the day is: Urodon dasyphyllus or mop bushpea

Plant of the day is: Urodon dasyphyllus or mop bushpea

For a plant so spectacular looking, I get a little cranky when I can't find any good creative commons licensing.  It is fantastic looking plant and one to look out for, if you're ever in Australia.

This picture hardly does it justice...but it's a good start

So right off the bat I have to reference another amazing plant blog I came across researching this plant yesterday morning.  For the due credit he deserves for capturing some amazing photos, you'll just have to leave my blog for a second.  

http://esperancewildflowers.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/urodon-dasyphyllus-mop-bushpea.html

I will certainly be in contact with William Archer about his amazing work to be sure.  Fantastic photography and descriptions of plants in the Esperance area of south western Australia.  Well done sir!  Well done!  I know how much time that takes :).

Not even really sure how I came across this plant but I was killing some time before breakfast at Spencer's (you really must try it).  Spencer's Grill in Kirkwood

For a great map detailing the range of Urodon dasyphyllus here is another link (they get cranky about pulling images or I'd just plop it down here).  http://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/9008

Getting down to it, it is a member of the Fabaceae (pea/bean) family and belongs to a very small genus.  Aside from U. dasyphyllus there is only one other member of the genus A. capitatus.  A few more fun facts to be found at Esperance Wildflowers that I'm not going to repeat.  It is a prostrate shrub around 1-1.5 feet tall depending on its location/moisture availability.  Likes very dry sandy/gravely soils.  Leaves are grey-green (typical of plants in hot/dry environments) and flowers are terminal (at the end of stems).  It has previously been included in the genus Pultenaea but it lacks the stipules of other members of the genus.  It can be upright, but the stems/branches (unsure how woody this is) will lay down flat on the ground or on something else when they get larger.

Unfortunately that is about all I can get you.  After about 20 minutes of trying to hunt for a really solid botanical description I've come up with bupkis.  If anyone runs across one, please let me know, I'd love to read it.  Honestly I'm very surprised that so little information is out there for such a striking and interesting plant.  I was immediately drawn to it as soon as I saw it.  Someday I hope to meet it in person.

Another good reference site: http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:apni.taxon:695433#

Enjoy!

Plant of the day is: Crambe maritima or sea kale

Plant of the day is: Crambe maritima or sea kale

Thar she is!

No, it does not in fact live in a pineapple under the sea, but it does live BY the sea.  Much like sponge-bob's frantic antics, this posts information is going to be a little less organized.  Honestly, I'm thinking about the laundry I still have to do tonight. 

Taxonomy/Range:  It is a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard/crucifer/cabbage family and is in fact very closely related to cabbage.  It is a halophyte, not an avid fan of the video game franchise Halo, but a salt tolerant plant that grows wild along many coasts of Europe from the North Atlantic to the Black Sea.  It is found along the high tide borders of beaches, while not exceptionally common, it can form some impressive colonies.  Sadly, in the UK, a few protections have been required to protect them from harvesting and habitat loss.  That being said, it is a relatively hardy plant I think will be around for some time.

Description:  A perennial with a deep root system that can handle drought very well.  Obviously salt tolerant, and a few sources have conflicting information about soil types it will tolerate.  I think it will likely tolerate a wide range of soils provided they are decently drained.  It is cold hardy down to -20C, which sounds like a lot but that is only really -4F, we can get that here in Saint Louis on any given winter.  Foliage is VERY attractive, with large showy glaucous leaves (blue-green).  Habit is mound forming and slowly spreading.  Larger plants can be divided but establishing plants don't take particularly well to transplanting.  I don't feel like/have the time to get super botany(ey) with the flower description but as an insight, the Brassicaceae family in general has very uniform flowers in terms of features.  They have 4 petals and 4 sepals and have 6 stamens with 4 long ones and 2 short ones. Flowers occur in racemes or large panicles of small white flowers that smell quite wonderful.  The bees are reportedly quite fond of it as well.

Glaucous indeed!

Culture:  Not particularly difficult to grow from seed but appreciated cooler temps (50-60F) for germination and is very irregular (not all germinate at once).  I wonder if a quick soak (30mins) of a low ppm GA3 solution wouldn't help with some of those problems.  I've soaked other Brassicaceae seeds for short times without serious germination issues.  Once seedlings emerge, transplant into a deeper container and grow to about 4 inches before planting in its intended site.

Food and History:  It's supposed to be quite tasty and I'd like to sink my teeth in some.  It is a fairly common find in markets in the UK and France but I wouldn't hold your breath looking for it here.  If anyone has a good source feel free to let me know.  The young leaves can be blanched which essentially means you cover the young emerging leaves so they don't develop chlorophyll and/or other compounds which can make the leaf taste unpleasant (usually more bitter).  Gaining popularity in the mid 1700s, people used to throw shingles on top of emerging plants to blanch them.  They became quite a bit more popular when Thomas Jefferson mentioned them in his Garden Book of 1809 (I'll clearly be looking into this more).  Fascinating.  For more food stuffs.  Hunt away.  Many halophytes make tasty meals apparently.

I blanch at the thought!

Fun fact:  Crambe is derived from the Greek word Krambh which means a cabbage like plant and maritima for 'of the sea.'

And now a pretty inflorescence.  

Plant of the day is: Epilobium dodonaei or alpine willowherb

Plant of the day is: Epilobium dodonaei or alpine willowherb

Today's plant is a little trickier to find information on, but it is a real looker.  It reminds me of Dalea purpurea in habit.  The flowers are fantastic and feature characteristics of one of my favorite families (that sounded weird in my head), the Onagracea or willowherb/evening primrose family.  I assume willowherb is more of a European term.

See the narrow sepals between the petals?  Cool huh.

Family time:  Members of the family are generally characterized by 4 petals and 4 sepals.  The sepals are often very showy, which is why I REALLY like them.  They're kind of like extra icing on some already good looking flowers.  Examples you might be familiar with include the evening primrose Oenothera, as well as the ever popular Fuchsia (another bonkers cool flower).

Also, in the above picture is a fine example of a bract or a modified leaf or scale with a flower or flower cluster in its axil.  Look to the little green leaf below the bottom left flower.  It subtends (grows underneath) the peduncle (like a flower stem).  Fun stuff.

Here's the habit

Range/Culture:  Found in Central and Southern Europe in alpine to subalpine regions.  Mostly found in the mountains of France east to Western Ukraine and the Caucasus.  As is evidence from the above picture, it is a fan of well drained gravely soils.  It is clump forming and as a distinguishing characteristic from a few other Epilobiums, the flowers form in terminal spikes and flower stems are larger than E. fleischeri.  Leaves are sessile, fairly lanceolate/linear and alternate.

The juicy tidbit.  Wiki translate pages for the win.  This gains its specific epithet (species) name from the Flemish physician and botanist Rembert Dodoens, dedicated professor in Leyden and personal physician of Emperor Rudolf II.  

That's it for today folks, enjoy!

Quick addition:  Also a food source for a really cool bat moth Hyles vespertilio

Awesome.  Not sure on photo credit.  Don't sue me.  I'm sharing the awesome.