Lynn Cremona

Each cup-like flower contains 10 stamens (the male parts of the flower that holds the pollen) that surrounds a central ovary. The heads of these stamens are embedded in the sides of the cup-like flowers.

As a bee or other pollinating insect enters the flower, the movement causes the release of the pollen bearing tips. As the 10 stamens spring inward, they spread their pollen on the furry body of the bee, who then carries it to the next flower, which allows for cross pollination.

Deptford is a town in the south of England where the plant grew in such abundance that it became the source of its common name.

Dianthus from Greek words Rios (godly), and anthos (flower)

Armenia is Latinized from the old French name armoires for a cluster headed Dianthus.

What distinguishes this Aloe from the many other aloes?
Thank you,
Lynn

Thank you for that correction !

re the Zig Zag design in the web (Stabilimenta)
http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content...

Orb-weaving spiders are ideal organisms for the study of conflict between behavioral investments in foraging and defense because their webs provide physical manifestations of those investments. We examined the impact of including stabilimenta, designs of bright-white noncapture silk, at the center of orb webs for foraging and defense in Argiope aurantia. Our findings suggest that stabilimentum building is a defensive behavior, supporting the “web advertisement” hypothesis that the high visibility of stabilimenta can prevent birds from flying through webs. Yet, spiders often do not include stabilimenta in their webs, indicating that a serious cost is associated with them. We also show, through comparison of paired webs with and without stabilimenta, that stabilimenta reduce the prey capture success of spiders by almost 30%. This demonstrates the potential impact that defensive behaviors of spiders can have on their foraging success and suggests that much of the variation in stabilimenta may be accounted for by a cost—benefit trade-off made when including stabilimenta in webs.

http://bit.ly/1olxCqu
Females ¾ to 1⅛ inches (19-28 mm). Males 1/4" to 3/8" (5-9 mm)
others report size to be
Female: 8-12 mm; Male: 3.5-4.5 mm

In 1676 British soldiers stationed in Jamestown, Virginia became intoxicated by Datura stramonium when it was inadvertently included in their salads by the regimental cooks. The episode was widely publicized and the plant culprit became known as "Jamestown weed", and later as jimsonweed.

The nocturnal blossoms and pollination ecology of Datura are among the most ingenious and unusual of all wildflowers of western North America. The entire corolla is neatly folded or pleated (plicate) and twisted (convolute) in the bud forming a compact cylinder. Each day at dusk during the summer months the buds begin to gradually unfold. Each corolla slowly unfurls and then suddenly snaps open as the intertwined lobes come loose from one another. At this instant a powerful fragrance is emitted.

Five long stamen filaments are attached to the funnelform corolla at the throat. The filaments extend as ridges down the inner corolla tube, forming 5 narrow canals to the base of the ovary where the disc-shaped nectary is located. The nectar canals can best be seen by examining a corolla tube in cross section. The curious name "revolver flower" refers to nectar canals which resemble the cylinder chambers of a 5-shot revolver. At night the nectar oozes along the length of the canals within the corolla tube.

During mid and late summer the white, fragrant blossoms are frequently visited by large nocturnal hawk moths (family Sphingidae). They are sometimes called Sphinx Moths because the alarm posture of the larva resembles the Egyptian sphinx. Several species of hawk moths are known to visit blossoms of Datura, but two of the most common are Manduca quinquemaculata and M. sexta. The larval forms of both are better known as tomato and tobacco hornworms.

Since Datura, tomatoes and tobacco all belong to the Nightshade family (Solanaceae), the larvae are apparently content to feed on whichever plant is available to them. The larvae are remarkably camouflaged with green markings and are difficult to spot as they rapidly devour your tomato plants. After feasting on Datura (or your tomato plants) all summer, the robust, ravenous caterpillars crawl to the ground and burrow into the soil where they undergo pupation. Unlike many other moth larvae they do not spin a cocoon. Probably every tomato gardener has unearthed the large, carmel-colored pupa with its peculiar "jug handle" appendage, which is actually a case for the developing proboscis of the adult moth.

Another fascinating aspect of the Grant's research concerns a rather unconventional type of floral reward for hawk moths visiting Datura blossoms. Several intoxicating alkaloids are known to occur in Datura, but heretofore have not been correlated with pollination. Apparently Datura nectar is "spiked" with alkaloids and the hawk moths seem to like it and come back for more. Sometimes they arrive early and hover around the flowers, impatiently waiting for the blossoms to "pop" open. Intoxicated moths have been observed flying erratically around Datura clumsily landing on blossoms and crashing into leaves or falling upon the ground.

Taraxacum officinale (aka. - Common Dandelion, or Wandering Dandelion, Blowball, Lions-tooth, Cankerwort, Milk Gowan, Witch Gowan, Yellow Gowan, Irish Daisy, Monk´s Head)

The active substances Phenylpropanoids appear to have inflammation-modulating properties, while triterpenoid saponins are adaptogenic (combat stress).

The name Taraxacum is derived from the Greek taraxos (disorder) and akos (remedy) although another derivation is suggested, taraxo (I have caused) achos (pain).

The famous botanist Linnaeus used the Dandelion in his floral clock as it closed between 8-9 pm

In Homeopathy there are four strong indications for the remedy
Taraxacum:
• the best being a painless but strong pressure to urinate with profuse
emission.
• The tongue is the characteristic “mapped tongue” with disordered digestion
giving a white coating where areas exfoliate to leave sensitive dark red
patches.
• Taraxacum has profuse, even violent night sweats usually before midnight,
just when going to sleep. There is chilliness and the perspiration is very
debilitating , causing biting on the skin.
• Taraxacum has tearing pains in the limbs with restlessness and an
extreme tenderness to touch when the limbs are in an unusual position.

Great photo
We haven't gotten around to making a homeopathic remedy out of Laetiporus sp.....Yet!

aka:
Agave Snout Weevil