Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 12, 2018
I (Kem Luther) was contacted recently by a British Columbia provincial biologist about non-native and invasive mosses. The topic is not much discussed in bryological circles. When compared with the impact of non-native vascular plant species, the ecological issues presented by the invasion of non-vascular flora are relatively benign.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 8, 2018
Frankenia is the sole genus within the Frankeniaceae, or the sea heath family. This flowering plant family has a distribution that covers warm, dry areas of most continents, though the majority of species are Australian. Typically, plants in this family are associated with soils that are either saline, calcareous, or gypsum-rich.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 1, 2018
One of the showier species of ash in terms of floral display, Fraxinus sieboldiana is native to southeastern China, Korea, and Japan. The plant in today’s photograph was grown from seed collected in Japan two decades ago.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on April 23, 2018
One of the oldest-known living plants in the New World tropics is featured today: a 3800 year old underground tree from Brazil. Intrigued?
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on January 16, 2018
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of guest-instructing UBC’s Horticulture Training Program students on a winter twig identification walkabout. For our last species on the list, I couldn’t remember whether we were to look at Quercus robur (common oak or English oak) or Quercus rubra (red oak). We eventually sorted out my forgetfulness (it was the […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on November 9, 2017
Autumn crocus or meadow saffron has a beauty that belies its deadliness. Autumn-flowering geophytes (bulbous plants and ilk) are uncommon compared to their spring-flowering counterparts; among bulbophiles and other gardeners, Colchicum autumnale provides an easily-grown counterpoint to the typical hues of autumn in temperate climates.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 20, 2017
Lilium martagon is widely-distributed throughout Europe and Asia. Common names in English include martagon lily and Turk’s-cap lily; Wikipedia notes: “martagon is a Turkish word which also means turban or cap”. In French, it is known as le lis martagon.
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