Friday, May 19, 2006

Flora Friday

As some of you have gathered, I am an avid academic. I really did love every day of high school :-) , and graduate school made me the person I am meant to be. So today when I had the opportunity to have a live lecture from a fantastic professor with an expertise on Plant Systematics & Phylogenetics, well I was right fascinated!

This is what I learnt:

(I picked up some exhibits - one must follow some scientific process afterall)
Exhibit A: birch leaf - the branch tastes like wintergreen - used to make birch beer

Exhibit B: notice the different shapes of the leaves from the same stem - one, two (like oven mittens), three. This is sassafras: smells delicious. It is of the same family as the avocado tress, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Interestingly cinnamon is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, whereas sassafras is indigenous to North America

Exhibit C: honeysuckle - just a sweet pretty plant - my most beautiful fragrance

Exhibit D: wild roses - indigenous to Asia - and so pretty

Exhibit E: princess tree/ empress tree. Pretty purple flowers, light smell. The wood is white and very valuable

Exhibit F: black locust - beautiful fragrance, has thorns, grows on high trees, our ertswhile expert climbed the tree for this sample


wild grape vines are indigenous to North America (picture below is wild grape vine growing on tulip trees)
green plants actually have many colors, but the chlorophyll overpowers the other colors and thus we see the green. However, in the Autumn, when the chlorophyll is stripped away we see the other colors like red, orange, yellow

mangoes and poison ivy are from the same family - therefore some people are allergic to mangoes (not me - I love mangoes)


tulip trees are from the same family as magnolia and are indigenous to North America

tulip tree (to the left)
magnolia (below)

7 comments:

marcos said...

Hi Doc
Your passion about biology particularly such difficult (to which I add 'tiring') issue like Plant Systematics may rescue some interest from those like me after reading your post...
'Bizarre...' is really cool, it matches blinking lights at danceclubs.
As for 'Age of Consent', Sofia C. led me to it rather than Kirsten. I have been to Japan a few times and I could understand perfectly the sense of Sofia's 'Lost in translation' (have you watched it?). I've gone through the same situations over and over there. Marie Antoinette trailer brings a somewhat difficult theme wrapped in New Order - it deserves checking it, doesn't it? Love it or hate it, but watch it.
I came accross your Ms. Pinto's story which I found mostly amusing. Obrigado e até logo!

Nazli Hardy said...

Caco - Excellent! In that case we are moving onto Physics: next posting will be on the stars!

Alright - I am going to watch "Age of Consent" - by virture of Sofia and your recommendation - and I shall ignore the fact that Kirsten has the lead role ;-) And I shall make the attempt to watch "Lost in Translation". I too have experienced culture/translation situations - but these days I just laugh/smile in the face of confusion and hope it covers some ground.

As for Ms Pinto - I bet she is leading some exciting model life while I marvel at Biology and Physics and Chemistry!

Obrigado e até logo!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love honeysuckle. We have it by both the front and back doors of our house. It reminds me of summer evenings sitting in the back garden and talking to my dad about our days at work. For me its such a comforting smell.

Nazli Hardy said...

Beth - I know that "summer evening" image - simply magical! And yes comforting.

:-)

Skepteach said...

Wow, I wish I had had the chance to attend this lecture! I watch gardening shows even though I don't have a garden...I just enjoying knowing more about the green things around me. Great examples too by the way.

Anonymous said...

hi Nazlı this tulip tree fascinate me havenot known tulips grown in trees.these are wild ı believe am ı right. ı love nature too.where I live there are lots of olive trees also orange trees.
magnolia is wonderful.ÇOKKKK GÜZELLL
from now on ı also will call you doc.
see ya:)
I am taking a trip around:)

Zee said...

Hmm, I'm going "backwards" in your blog. The more I see the more I like your style and mixture of items (issues). But your plant exhibit truly surprised me - excellent!
Usually people seem to photograph their cats, their dogs, their babies, their partying friends...
It is seldom someone cares to give space for plants the way you did!