#gardenia

snakedisorder:

Malice Mizer, Gardenia Booklet, 2001

Osa pulchra blooming at the Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, California.

Osa pulchra is the holy grail of showy tropical flowering plants and most of us have never heard of it. This spectacular member of the Rubiaceae is exceptionally rare, both in the wild and in cultivation. It is quite unusual that a flowering plant of such exuberant beauty can go virtually unknown for so long in cultivation. Its close relatives of better fame Portlandia grandifloraandCubanola dominguensis, are familiar to some horticulturists in tropical climates.

While in bloom this magnificent shrub may superficially resemble a coffee tree with white Brugmansia flowers hung from its branches, but surpasses both in elegance. The pendent trumpet-shaped fragrant white flowers are thick in texture and 22 cm in length.

I have been working with a good friend, Dylan Hannon, Curator of the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science and Tropical Collections at the Huntington Botanical Gardens (San Marino, California) for the past 4 years to help insure this species’ survival ex situ within Hawai'i and in a few other suitable tropical countries.

Until 2007, this endangered species was only known from two disjunct populations in the south of Costa Rica, one on the Atlantic side and the other on the Pacific side in wet lowland rainforest. Less than 30 individuals exist between these two populations in which natural reproduction is very poor. In addition, because of the location and nature of both colonies, botanists have been hesitant to accept that these plants weren’t planted by humans at some point due to their proximity to human dwellings¹. Five years ago Osa pulchra was found for the first time in Bocas del Toro, Panama. University of Panama biologists Reyes Carranza and Fermín Hernández found this species during an environmental impact survey² . This exciting discovery may be the first record of a wild population.

Nearly all plants in cultivation outside Mesoamerica trace back to seven seedlings resulting from a pod collected in 1996 on a Missouri Botanical Garden expedition to the Osa Peninsula. About 100 F1 seedlings were raised at the Huntington and distributed to select conservatories in mainland USA in 2006¹. Notably showy specimens can currently be seen at the New York Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Huntington.

Propagation of Osa pulchra is not for the impatient horticulturist. Growing from seed is the preferred method. Asexual propagation is possible but it exacts a sacrifice of the terminal stem. As with Portlandia,Osa have exhibited stubborn apical dominance, sometimes referred to as the ‘conifer effect’. Hand pollination must be carried out between two different clones because individual flowers are infertile. Gestation will take up to 11 months, upon which seeds must be sown with haste due to their limited window of viability.

¹ Hannon, DP. (2007). Osa pulchra: fragrant trumpet flowers from central america. Tropical Flowering Tree Society Quarterly, (Winter), 9-11.
² Aiello, A, Correa, M, Galdames, C, Alvarado, M, & Calderon, ML. (2007, August 31). Remarkable new plant record for panama. STRI News, Retrieved from striweb.si.edu/strinews/PDFs/August_31_2007.pdf

© Uluwehi Knecht (text) © Dylan Hannon (text)

Dame Gertie Gardenia has made a grand yet grandiose re-entrance yet again, complete with a bustle and train, this year. Too much? Methinks not.

#gardenia #flowers #flora #fleur #fleuriste #floral #fleuris #flowersinurbia #nature #gardens #naturephotography #naturelover
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdzJ-eMrA0X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

White Spring Flowers in my Semi-tropical Florida Garden

Sinnoh Gym Leaders

Pokecember 2019

Favorite Gym Leaders - Flannery and Gardenia

Flannery b/c she’s cool and the first gym leader that gave me trouble in my childhood and made me realize that I need to train more than my starter.
Gardenia b/c I love her personality in the anime and I love all grass trainers.

Surprise!

“It was a beautiful day and Gardenia was excited to see her old friend Cynthia again, who invited her to take a stroll in Floaroma Town, one of Gardenia’s favorite places in the world.

They had so much to talk about, it’s been months since the last time they met after all. But Gardenia wasn’t aware of Cynthia’s plans.

They talked for hours and it felt as if those months apart never happened. Suddenly, Cynthia stopped short, Gardenia worried a little “Is everything okay, Cyn?”

Something is flying towards us – Cynthia said while looking at the sky.

WHAT?! – Gardenia screamed. She couldn’t help but being a bit scared but as soon as she distinguished the silhouette her fear became happiness and joy.

Surprise! – Cynthia said with enthusiast as Shaymin, the legendary Pokémon, approached them and quickly tuned into Land Forme and landed on Gardenia’s shoulder.

I can’t believe this! – Tears running down her cheeks– How is this possible?! – Gardenia questioned her friend.

The last time we met you told me how much you missed Shaymin - Cynthia replied – You looked so sad that I resolved to do everything I could to find her,
to bring back the old cheery Gardenia I knew – She said grinning.

Thank you Cyn, you’re the best! I don’t know what you did but it means the world to me – Gardenia smiled sweetly at Cynthia while cleaning her tears.
Shaymin suddenly started to rub her cheek against Gardenia’s which made her smile widely.

Cynthia couldn’t help but take a picture of that adorable scene, she knew it was all worth it.

The spent all afternoon playing together, it seemed like Shaymin didn’t want to leave Gardenia’s side ever again, seems like Gardenia wasn’t the only one that missed those moments.”

____________________

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this one smells so good

Patreon//Clothed Prints//18+ Prints//Gallery

Slowly adding prints to the Storenvy…

If you’re waiting for me to add a particular piece so you can buy it, just pm me. I’ll add things faster if I know people actually wanna buy them. (This goes for the variety of merch that can be made through Society6, too!)

oddkittenart:

Forgot to attach the Pokegirl pairing options to my earlier post about mousepad/pillowcase/large print preorders!

Only a few hours left to get your orders in!: http://izzikat.indiemade.com/product/preorder-galore-mousepadspillowcaseslarge-prints

izzikiss:

Patreon//Clothed Prints//18+ Prints//Gallery

Slowly adding prints to the Storenvy…

If you’re waiting for me to add a particular piece so you can buy it, just pm me. I’ll add things faster if I know people actually wanna buy them. (This goes for the variety of merch that can be made through Society6, too!)

Day 152 of 365 - Can You Smell Them? - the first gardenias of the season.

#gardenia #fragrance #blackandwhitephotography #bnw #bnwphotography #leicaq2monochrom #macrophotography #flowers #flowersofinstagram #365days #365photochallenge2022

Leica Q2 Monochrom
Summilux 1.7/28mm in Macro Mode
1/1000s | f/16 | ISO 3200
(at Virginia Beach, Virginia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeSLHk-Oz_P/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Gardenia needs to be loved and protected 5ever.

Forgot to attach the Pokegirl pairing options to my earlier post about mousepad/pillowcase/large print preorders!

Only a few hours left to get your orders in!: http://izzikat.indiemade.com/product/preorder-galore-mousepadspillowcaseslarge-prints

Ages ago, young lovers used flowers as code to share their feelings to each other. Gardenias were the flower of secret love.