Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Highbanks in Bloom










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There are plenty of interesting flowers blooming in the fall. Some plants grow all year and don't flower until very late. Why are we so fascinated by flowers? Is it because they bear fruit? Because they represent new life? I'm not sure, but we as humans certainly have an innate attraction to them.

To make this an educational post, I have marked one of the photos with a question mark below the image. Whoever (or is it whomever?) guesses correctly the genus of this plant, common name or scientific name (both would really be impressive) wins the very unofficial "Botanist of the Day" award, which I have just made up. Good luck. Tomorrow, I wrap up our highbanks series before we are off to Maine on Friday. And, don't forget the major announcement as well.

Tom

8 comments:

  1. One of the things I mostlike about flowers is all the beautiful colors they come in. Not to mention the various textures and fragrant aromas some of them have. Beautiful shots! Enjoy Maine, and hope it doesn't rain so you can get some beautiful Maine pictures in "leaf peeping season!"
    Mom

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  2. I agree with Mom about why we humans enjoy flowers -- plus, they attract bugs.

    Great capture of the cell phone using specimen.

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  3. Flowers are beautiful and I think wild ones are the most beautiful. I don't know the name of the flower with the question mark but it is interesting.

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  4. Tom: What neat captures. If I needed help on identifing a plant I would get with you. LOL

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  5. Ah, that question-marked plant would be Common Dodder, Cuscuta gronovii. It is an interesting morning-glory relative that lacks chlorophyll and parastizes host plants by sucking the life from them.

    Arthur Cronquist

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  6. Um...what Arthur said...

    The suspense continues to kill me, Tom...How long do you intend to torture your readers so? <:(

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  7. I love the New England Aster- great for our trip to Maine this weekend!

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  8. Arthur Cronquist, you win the Botanist of the Day award. Mr. Cronquist is always up for a challenge. I need to take a few shots of some obscure montane species from Maine, and maybe I'll have none other than Merritt Lyndon Fernald chime in with an I.D.

    Thanks everyone, the announcement with pictures is about to come

    Tom

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