Friday 31 July 2015

FRIDAY GREENS #31 - SUNSHINE

Sun backlighting leaves of Coprosma repens, which is a species of flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Coprosma, in the family Rubiaceae, native to New Zealand. Common names include taupata, mirror bush, looking-glass bush, New Zealand laurel and shiny leaf. In Australia it has become naturalised in coastal areas of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania, to the extent that it is now classified as an environmental weed.
I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.
The meme is only as successful as you make it be!

Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

Thursday 30 July 2015

FORGET-ME-NOT

Myosotis (from the Greek: "mouse's ear", after the leaf) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae (or Cynoglossum family). In the northern hemisphere they are commonly called forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses.

There are currently 74 accepted species in the genus although some 503 species names have been recorded, many of which are synonyms of currently accepted names and others are awaiting resolution. The genus is largely restricted to two discrete geographic centres - western Eurasia with about 60 confirmed species and New Zealand with around 40 confirmed species. Very small numbers of species occur elsewhere including North America, South America and Papua New Guinea. Myosotis species are now common throughout temperate latitudes through the planting of cultivars and introductions of alien species.

Myosotis have pentamerous actinomorphic flowers with 5 sepals and petals. Flowers are typically 1 cm diameter or less, flat, and blue, pink,white or yellow with yellow centres, growing on scorpioid cymes. They may be annual or perennial with alternate leaves. They typically flower in spring or soon after snow-melt in alpines eco-systems. Their seeds are found in small, tulip-shaped pods along the stem to the flower. The pods attach to clothing when brushed against and eventually fall off, leaving the small seed within the pod to germinate elsewhere. Myosotis scorpioides is also known as scorpion grass due to the spiralling curve of its inflorescence. Myosotis alpestris is the state flower of Alaska.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Friday 24 July 2015

FRIDAY GREENS #30 - PARKLANDS

A sunny and warm Winter's day in the Parklands.

This post is also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.
The meme is only as successful as you make it be!

Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

Thursday 23 July 2015

PINCUSHION FLOWERS

Scabiosa is a genus in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word scabious; however some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in related genera such as Knautia and Succisa; at least some of these were formerly placed in Scabiosa. Another common name for members of this genus is "pincushion flowers".

Some species of Scabiosa are annuals, others perennials. Some are herbaceous plants; others have woody rootstocks. The leaves of most species are somewhat hairy and partly divided into lobes, but a few are smooth and some species have simple leaves. The flowers are borne on inflorescences in the form of heads; each head contains many small florets, each floret cupped in a membranous, saucer-shaped bract. Scabiosa species and varieties differ in the colours of their flowers, but most are soft lavender blue, lilac or creamy white. The calyx has five sepals in the form of awns almost as long as the petals. After the flowers have dropped, the calyces together with the bracts form a spiky ball that may be the reason for the "pincushion" common name.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.



Wednesday 22 July 2015

BAYSIDE SUMMER MEMORIES

Summer memories of the beach in Brighton, one of Melbourne's Bayside suburbs. The City of Bayside is a Local Government Area in Melbourne. It is located in the southern suburbs, with an area of 36 square kilometres and an estimated population of about 100,000 people. It comprises the City of Brighton, City of Sandringham, City of Moorabbin, City of Mordialloc and City of Bayside. As well as having quite exclusive and very expensive real estate by the seaside in Brighton, for example, it also has areas of industrial and business park usage, as in Moorabbin, for example.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.




Tuesday 21 July 2015

Monday 20 July 2015

BLUE LIGHT

A glass paperweight illuminated from beneath and its reflection on a piece of glass behind it.

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

Friday 17 July 2015

SHATTERED ILLUSIONS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

FRIDAY GREENS #29 - GREEN PATH

I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.
The meme is only as successful as you make it be!

Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

Thursday 16 July 2015

KALANCHOE

Kalanchoe also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to the Old World. Only one species of this genus originates from the Americas, 56 from southern & eastern Africa and 60 species in Madagascar. It is also found in south-eastern Asia until China.

These plants are cultivated as ornamental houseplants and rock or succulent garden plants. They are popular because of their ease of propagation, low water requirements, and vigour.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.




Friday 10 July 2015

FRIDAY GREENS #28 - WATERING CAN

I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post.
The meme is only as successful as you make it be!

Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

Thursday 9 July 2015

CYMBIDIUM ORCHID

Cymbidium, or boat orchids, is a genus of 52 evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. One of its first descriptions come from Olof Swartz in 1799. The name is derived from the Greek word kumbos, meaning 'hole, cavity'. It refers to the form of the base of the lip. The genus is abbreviated Cym in horticultural trade. This genus is distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia (such as northern India, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Borneo) and northern Australia.

The larger flowered species from which the large flowered hybrids are derived, grow at high altitudes. Cymbidiums became popular in Europe during the Victorian era. One feature that makes the plant so popular is the fact that it can survive during cold temperatures (as low as 7˚C).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

Friday 3 July 2015

SUNSET SILHOUETTES

This post is part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

FRIDAY GREENS #27 - TOADSTOOL

First hints of Spring sunshine on the grass, as the days begin their slow lengthening...
I appreciate your comments, and please add a link back to this page from your own Friday Greens blog post. The meme is only as successful as you make it be!

Please add your own GREEN post using the Linky tool below:

Thursday 2 July 2015

JONQUILS

Narcissus jonquilla (jonquil, rush daffodil) is a bulbous flowering plant, a species of Narcissus (daffodil) that is native to Spain and Portugal, but has now become naturalised in many other regions: France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, Madeira, British Columbia, Utah, Illinois, Ohio, and the southeastern United States from Texas to Maryland.

Narcissus jonquilla bears long, narrow, rush-like leaves (hence the name "jonquil", Spanish junquillo, from the Latin juncus = "rush"). In spring it bears heads of up to five scented yellow or white flowers. It is a parent of numerous varieties within Division 7 of the horticultural classification. Division 7 in the Royal Horticultural Society classification of Narcissus includes N. jonquilla and N. apodanthus hybrids and cultivars that show clear characteristics of those two species.

N. jonquilla has been cultivated since the 18th century in France as the strongest of the Narcissus species used in Narcissus Oil, a component of many modern perfumes.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.