named by Linnaeus

The fruit of Mespilus germanica

Mespilus germanica

Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 23, 2018

If, like me, you are a fan of the word “bletting”, then medlar is the fruit for you. Bletting is a process whereby the astringent and firm tissues of the fruit are broken down with time into an edible sugary mush. Side-by-side photos of semi-ripe fruit and bletted fruit are available via Wikipedia: Mespilus germanica.

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Inflorescence of Kalmia angustifolia

Kalmia angustifolia

Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 14, 2018

Common names range from the poetic to the descriptive to the eminently practical. A number of common names for Kalmia angustifolia land in the latter part of the spectrum: lambkill, sheepkill, and even calfkill.

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Tillandsia recurvata on ocotillo

Tillandsia recurvata

Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 11, 2018

Mexican ball moss is not a true moss. Like its close relative, Spanish moss, it is a member of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae).

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Arenaria grandiflora, plant

Arenaria grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 5, 2018

Large-flowered sandwort is primarily native to mountainous regions bordering the western and central parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Aptly illustrated in the first photograph, the typical habitat is dry, rocky sites.

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The flowering head of Medicago sativa

Medicago sativa

Published by Daniel Mosquin on August 20, 2018

Alfalfa, or lucerne, lined the roadsides in many places during my recent trip across Canada’s Prairies. In a few places, it was also cultivated as a crop for hay.

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A white-flowered Arethusa bulbosa

Arethusa bulbosa

Published by Daniel Mosquin on July 26, 2018

Dragon’s mouth orchid, like several other orchid species, is subject to mutations in flower colour (including the lack of pigmentation). The pink-coloured flowers in the second photograph have the typical colouration.

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Late autumn cones of Larix decidua

Larix decidua

Published by Daniel Mosquin on July 4, 2018

One of the deciduous genera of conifers, the ten or eleven species of Larix are native to the temperate-cold zones of the northern hemisphere. Larix decidua, in its autumn foliage in these photographs, is native to higher elevations of southern Europe in a range spanning from France to Ukraine.

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