Newly-emerged needles of Larix laricina
Flowers get most of the attention at this time of the year in northern temperate areas, but emerging foliage deserves some as well. The tactile experience of brushing one’s fingers along the needles of a branch of Larix laricina is another delight of spring.
A mass of inflorescences on Pimelea ferrugina ‘Bonne Petite’
The Australian Native Plant Society has an excellent write-up on pink rice flower, including the etymology of its generic name: “from Greek pimele, “soft fat”, presumably referring to the oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons”.
Flowers of Gardenia carinata folding for the evening
Golden gardenia, or Gardenia carinata, is a member of the coffee family or Rubiaceae.
The fruits and foliage of Ugni molinae
Flavour descriptions for the fruit of Ugni molinae range from “tastes of wild strawberries” to “mildly spicy-guava like”.
Moss balls of Rigodium implexum
Few scientific papers make mention of Rigodium implexum. Among these, though, one leads with: “One of the most bizarre scenarios in bryology are the strange mossballs formed by Rigodium implexum Schwaegr. lying in masses on the forest floors of the Valdivian rain forests in Chile”.
Flowers on the baseball-shaped Euphorbia obesa
Perhaps this odd plant would have been an appropriate species to feature for April Fool’s Day, because it is full of trickery.
Golden flowers and bracteal leaves of Chrysosplenium davidianum
First planted in UBC Botanical Garden in 2012, patches of David’s golden saxifrage can now be found here and there as a groundcover throughout UBC’s David C. Lam Asian Garden. The golden colour is particularly evident in the early spring, due to a combination of the new leaves, the flowers, and the higher intensity of light reaching the forest floor before the trees fully leaf out.
