Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Weekend wildflowers: the non-white ones...

(click pics to enlarge)

While white is a common early flower color, there are plenty of other hues to be spied. Some, like the Yellow Mandarin below, make you do a double take because the flowers blend in color-wise with the foliage...and thought it doesn't 'look' it, this is a member of the Lily family. There is a far less common Mandarin that is whitish with purple dots called Nodding Mandarin. Intriguing, this one...

I do a pretty good job of killing some house plants, mainly because I forget to water at times. Next is the Large Bellwort, a droopy flower with droopy leaves reminiscent of lacking turgor pressure. The Cherokee made a poultice from the upper sections of the plant to treat rheumatic pains and sore muscles. I also love how the stem appears to go through the base of the leaf...

You saw the Canadian White Violet in yesterday's post...this is the Smooth Yellow Violet that has been in bloom for a few weeks now. Violets can be hard to identify as the over-20 different genera can hybridize locally.

The overcast conditions aided a lot of the photos, like this Wood Violet that glows a gorgeous lilac color. In general, the flowers are quite edible and full of vitamins and even salicylic acid, often used as a garnish and on salads...

In stark contrast, spectrum- and safety-wise, is the royally vibrant Dwarf Larkspur whose deep blue-purple blooms can be seen and identified long before getting to them. However, it's poisonous to animals and humans if ingested, containing the toxic alkaloids delphinine and ajacine...

While toxic in some forms, this non-showy flower belongs to a member of the Buttercup family: Blue Cohosh. Medicinal uses ranged largely in 'female' health issues; it should not be equated or confused with the similarly named but unrelated and safer Black Cohosh.

Tomorrow, I'll wrap up with a few other botanical items. Enjoy this beautiful calm weather in place the rest of the week!

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