Family / Families: Rutaceae Scientific Name(s): Dictamnus albus L.
Institution(s): Jardin des Plantes
Location(s): Paris, France Entry Author(s): Daniel Mosquin
Copyright Holder(s): Monceau@Flickr
Image Permissions: Please contact the copyright holder for permission to use. Photographer(s) Appreciation: A thank you to Monceau@Flickr for sharing this photograph of Dictamnus albus via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool. Thank you, once again!
Tags: Jardin des Plantes, named by Linnaeus, Rutaceae, Sapindales, via Flickr
Dictamnus albus, or gas plant, in flower
Not (likely) the burning bush of the Bible nor the dittany of the Harry Potter universe, Dictamnus albus is nevertheless sometimes assigned these common names in English. It is also known as gas plant or fraxinella. I’ll opt to use gas plant, though I suppose that common name could also apply to some members of the Brassicaceae or Fabaceae.
If I ever were to encounter Dictamnus albus, the temptation to be a botanical arsonist would have to be fought. Gas plant has been shown to produce over one hundred chemical compounds, including a variety of terpenoids that primarily constitute its volatile oils. While the surfaces of the plant are covered in these sticky oils (as Wikipedia notes, a fragrant, lemony aroma), these oils are also released into the surrounding air (at an increased rate with temperature). If the air has been still for some amount of time, a lighter or match near the base of an inflorescence will produce a small ball of flame for a less than a second, which quickly burns itself out with no readily-apparent harm to the plant:
While butterflies will visit the flowers, it is clear that the presence of volatile oils are meant to dissuade other insect visitors (of the hungry variety). Its defenses do not end there. Grown as a garden ornamental, it is not a plant to be handled without caution; among the many chemical compounds it produces are coumarins, the same class of organic compounds that produce the phytophotodermatitis of giant hogweed–a long-lasting (years? decades?) skin irritant that is sensitive to exposure to sunlight.
On a different topic for local readers, UBC Botanical Garden is having an Instagram photo contest for photos taken within the Garden. Read more below, and if you get a chance to visit the gardens, please participate!
Your photo contest writeup has brought back so many memories of wonderful hours in the UBC Botanical & Oriental Gardens, strolling & photographing in the 70’s 80’s when I often had occasion to visit Vancouver. Visions to remember & cherish. And now with your Botany Photo of the Day, i continue to learn and discover. THANK YOU !
I have the gas plant in my garden. Its a lovely specimen and of course I love it . Never knew it could not be handled without caution. It has been cut for flower arrangements I have entered it in local garden clubs and have touched it numerous times during the year.
My niece attended UBC and I have had the pleasure of visiting the gardens many times. One of my favourite places
I must have hundreds of pics of the garden,
I followed the HP link. They show a photograph of Origanum dictamnus. It may be worthy of an entry in its own right. In the meantime, I’ll just jack this entry.
I first became aware of Dittany of Crete when a French gardener sent me a photo of some plant we were discussing. I had to ask about the lush, gray-green fuzzy groundcover that he had growing around the base of the plant. For years, I was unable to locate it.
Last year, I found it at Cistus on Sauvie’s Island near Portland and purchased two. Both were obliterated by the cold and wet, wet winter this past year. I have since reviewed its hardiness. It appears to be hardy to as low as 0 F/-17.8 C; however, the tag from my purchase from Portland Nursery last week recommends planting it in scree (talus). So, the conclusion is that it was the wet, not the cold, that did them in. I’m contemplating just sticking my new aquisition in a strawberry pot with some sedums – one more thing I have to drag into the greenhouse in late October.
If anyone has managed to get it to work planted in the ground in Cascadia biome, I would love to get the information on how you’re keeping it alive. Perhaps growing it grit is sufficient to keep it going in Oregon.
You’ve given me an idea for some (after-dark) Friday night entertainment (my gas plant is in bloom right now).
🙂
Does anyone know of any children named Fraxinella? That must have happened by now. Maybe that’s what I’ll name my next cat.
Quite a common plant on the limestone hills outside Budapest. They are more often various shades of pink than white.
Your photo contest writeup has brought back so many memories of wonderful hours in the UBC Botanical & Oriental Gardens, strolling & photographing in the 70’s 80’s when I often had occasion to visit Vancouver. Visions to remember & cherish. And now with your Botany Photo of the Day, i continue to learn and discover. THANK YOU !
I have the gas plant in my garden. Its a lovely specimen and of course I love it . Never knew it could not be handled without caution. It has been cut for flower arrangements I have entered it in local garden clubs and have touched it numerous times during the year.
My niece attended UBC and I have had the pleasure of visiting the gardens many times. One of my favourite places
I must have hundreds of pics of the garden,
Beautiful, never look so close
I followed the HP link. They show a photograph of Origanum dictamnus. It may be worthy of an entry in its own right. In the meantime, I’ll just jack this entry.
I first became aware of Dittany of Crete when a French gardener sent me a photo of some plant we were discussing. I had to ask about the lush, gray-green fuzzy groundcover that he had growing around the base of the plant. For years, I was unable to locate it.
Last year, I found it at Cistus on Sauvie’s Island near Portland and purchased two. Both were obliterated by the cold and wet, wet winter this past year. I have since reviewed its hardiness. It appears to be hardy to as low as 0 F/-17.8 C; however, the tag from my purchase from Portland Nursery last week recommends planting it in scree (talus). So, the conclusion is that it was the wet, not the cold, that did them in. I’m contemplating just sticking my new aquisition in a strawberry pot with some sedums – one more thing I have to drag into the greenhouse in late October.
If anyone has managed to get it to work planted in the ground in Cascadia biome, I would love to get the information on how you’re keeping it alive. Perhaps growing it grit is sufficient to keep it going in Oregon.
I am from Brazil and I have never seen this plant before. I loved it. The flowers are gorgeous and the fire effect is very interesting…