Buckley - FLORA

09/11/2023

Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata): 16cm (6.3in) flowers. The Official flower of Shanghai, China, the tree is also known as the Lilytree and in simplified Chinese: 玉兰花; (traditional Chinese: 玉蘭花). It is native to central and eastern China and present in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang Dynasty and if you look at the right angle the flowers appear as little birds. These flowering trees have also been planted in the grounds of the Emperor's palace in China.

27/08/2023

A British of Italian origin, the poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) was the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s leader. An artistic movement that was characterized, among other things, by using botanical elements to intuitively represent concepts. On the left, Rossetti’s self-portrait ...

20/08/2023

This variety of orchids (Dracula Simia) looks amazingly like little baby monkeys. See more: themindcircle.com/unusual-fruits-and-vegetables/

20/08/2023

The snake gourd flower (Trichosanthes cucumerina) is a fascinating botanical specimen that stands out for its unique appearance and interesting characteristics. Native to Southeast Asia, this climbing plant is known for its long, twisting vines that produce striking, large, white flowers. The flowers of the snake gourd plant possess an intricate design, with intricate lacy patterns on their surface. They typically bloom during the warmer months, attracting pollinators with their subtle yet alluring fragrance.
The snake gourd flower holds cultural significance in many regions. In some cultures, it's not only admired for its aesthetic beauty but is also valued for its medicinal properties. Traditional medicine often incorporates various parts of the snake gourd plant, including its flowers, for their potential benefits. Furthermore, the plant's young, tender fruits are utilized in culinary dishes, highlighting its dual role as both an ornamental and edible plant.
Gardening enthusiasts often appreciate cultivating snake gourd plants for their decorative and versatile qualities. Watching the intricate flowers unfurl and observing the eventual development of the snake-like fruits can be a rewarding experience for those with a green thumb. Whether admired for its aesthetics, valued for its traditional uses, or relished as a unique addition to recipes, the snake gourd flower remains a captivating and multifaceted botanical wonder.

23/07/2023

A 2-foot-tall specimen of the Pongapong flower
(Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) in full bloom during the rainy season. It looks like a witch's hat and is one of the rarest plants found in the Masungi georeserve, the Philippines.

The world's largest flowers: https://t.ly/8d-Lv

03/07/2023

Browse a gallery of some of nature's most weird and wonderous trees and brush up on some key facts that every dedicated tree-hugger should know.

28/06/2023

Can this be true?

This is a single tree... It's the world's largest cashew tree and covers an area of about 8,000 square meters.

More images/info about this amazing tree: https://bit.ly/46u0aGv

28/06/2023

Before 1820, tomatoes were considered poisonous and not fit for human consumption, at least in the USA. Thanks to Robert Johnson, a horticulturist, who ate them publicly in Salem, New Jersey, USA on 28 June 1820, and dispelled the mythology.

27/05/2023

All strawberries were once no larger than blueberries.

17/04/2023

We have six reasons why dandelions shouldn’t be considered a “weed”. Check it out: https://toxinfreeusa.org/6-reasons-dandelions-shouldnt-be-called-a-weed

Here are some other things that you may find interesting (we got this from the David Attenborough Fans page)…

The dandelion is the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars. The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.

The dandelion flower opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep.

Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile.

The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves.

Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. Seeds are often carried as many as 5 miles from their origin!

If you mow dandelions, they’ll grow shorter stalks to spite you.

A not so fun fact: Every year countries spend millions on lawn pesticides to have uniform lawns of non-native grasses, and we use 30% of the country’s water supply to keep them green.

05/04/2023

BLUE BANANA, WITH TANG of VANILLA
Blue banana. Vanilla flavoured , Hawaii and Southeast Asia via Ahmet Solmaz

15/03/2023

Blue Mushroom (𝘔𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘤𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘢): Mycena is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterised by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are grey or brown, but a few species have brighter colours such as this new blue mushroom. This is a fascinating tiny fungi that has been discovered in the past few months by Eric Cho in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

27/02/2023

This tree photographed on Waihe’e Beach, Maui, Hawaii Islands, looks like it's walking or running. Run Forrest! Run!!

Trees that really walk: http://bit.ly/3FzV7HR

04/02/2023

The grapes this bonsai has produced are almost as big as the plant itself. Yes, bonsai trees can yield full-size fruit, although this is not common.

More bonsai fruit trees: https://bit.ly/3ZNvIDA

📷 Ohbonsai

01/02/2023

Strangler Fig Tree (genus Ficus): One of the most remarkable hemiepiphytes is the towering strangler fig tree which starts life as a tiny seed in the canopy of a random tree. The roots grow down to the forest floor where they take root and begin to take nutrients from the soil. Gradually the roots wrap around the host tree, widen, and slowly form a lattice work that surrounds the host's trunk. The fig's crown grows foliage which soon overshadows the tree. Eventually, the host tree dies leaving the fig with a hollow trunk which is easily climbed thanks to the many openings in the trunk. Figs sometimes help anchor tropical trees during bad storms and are often the only tree species remaining after forest clearing, since their knotted and twisted wood is shunned by loggers. Photo taken by Fred Breglia in Nanning, Guangxi, China. 🌳

31/01/2023

It’s official: Victoria boliviana is the world’s largest giant waterlily. 🎉

The discovery made by Kew and our partners in Bolivia last year now holds the Guinness World Records for:

😱 Largest species of waterlily
🍃 Largest waterlily leaf
📏 Largest undivided leaf

27/01/2023

The giant bamboo species known as Dragon Bamboo (Dendrocalamus Giganteus) is one of the tallest and largest varieties of bamboo. It has a grayish-green color and grows in clumps of closely spaced culms that can reach up to 30-40 meters (100-130 ft) in height.

📷 Francesco Verone

18/01/2023

A creepy form of parasitism is one of evolution's favorite strategies, and scientists are starting to figure out how it works.

13/01/2023

07/01/2023

Colonialism began with the search for spices. I know because it changed my family’s life, says podcaster Anna Sulan Masing

05/01/2023

Adenium socotranum, Socotra Island, Yemen
The island has a dry desert climate with strong monsoonal winds. Most the island consists of limestone and its soils are infertile. The plant grows in gravelly, well-drained soil and limestone rock formations.