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Showing posts with label Animal Plant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Plant. Show all posts

Syca-stonechat Bird

Some cool animal plant images:


Syca-stonechat Bird
animal plant
Image by ihave3kids
The Flamboyant Syca-stonechat Bird

Created for:
Make It Interesting ~ Challenge #1 (Bird)
and
Photobicho ~ Photochimera challenge 20
vegetable-plant,Sycamore tree

thanks to :
Koshyk for the Stonechat bird
Didier Descouens for the sycamore leaves
Ellenvd for the background
and
Rubyblossom for the frame


Little Brown Jugs
animal plant
Image by BlueRidgeKitties
Hexastylis arifolia flowering at the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. You have to look really closely to see the flowers. They are said to attract fungus gnats for pollination through their odor, so they don't need to be pretty. The seeds of these plants are spread by ants, which they attract with a sticky coating that the ants like to eat. The ants will carry the seeds into their burrows and protect them from other animals that might eat them, thus safely planting them away from the mother plant.

DSCF0661

A few nice animal plant images I found:


DSCF0661
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia


DSCF0658
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia


DSCF0634
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia

Cool Animal Plant images

A few nice animal plant images I found:


Skeletonizer
animal plant
Image by jeffsmallwood
When I was clearing out some overgrown plants along the back yard I found hundreds of caterpillars all over our grape vine. And I literally mean hundreds. They were stacked next to and on top of each other all over the plant. At first I couldn't identify them because most of the pictures I found of this caterpillar usually display black bands rather than spots. But I did finally find this one to be a Grape Leaf Skeletonizer (Harrisina americana). It turns into a small black moth and the caterpillar only eats grape foliage. The adult moth doesn't look eye catching at all, but I thought the caterpillar was rather neat. There are some more photos of these in the macro set.

ISO-400, f/4.5, 1/320 sec., 105mm, Canon EOS Digital Rebel
CRW_9571


After A Hard Day's Work
animal plant
Image by ibarra_svd
Water buffalo have been domesticated in the Philippines as far back as pre-Hispanic times and are often used by farmers in the Philippines to plow the fields and as a means of transportation. The carabao is one of the most important animals in the country, especially in agriculture. Carabao skin was once used extensively in the Philippines to create a variety of products, including the armor of pre-colonial Filipino warriors.

One of the many reasons for the failure of the attempted Japanese pacification of the Philippines during their 1941-1945 occupation was their indifference to the basics of the Filipino economy. The carabaos provided the necessary labor that allowed Filipino farmers to grow rice and other staples. Japanese army patrols would not only confiscate the rice but would also slaughter the carabos for meat, thereby preventing the farmers from growing enough rice to feed the large population. Before World War II, there were an estimated three million carabaos in the Philippines. By the end of the War it is estimated that nearly 70% of them had been lost.

The old “payatak” method of farming is still the method of choice in Northern Samar. The soil of the rice paddy is first softened with rainwater or diverted watershed, then the farmer guides a group of carabaos in trampling the planting area until it is soggy enough to receive the rice seedlings. This time consuming task produces lower yields and lower income when compared with the advancement in irrigated fields. In the late 1980s, the carabao puppet character Kardong Kalabaw became popular as a symbol of the Filipino people's hard work and sense of industry.
(from Wikipedia)


Plants Versus Zombie
animal plant
Image by lets.book

Chernobyl, April 2009

A few nice animal plant images I found:


Chernobyl, April 2009
animal plant
Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video
NASA image acquired April 28, 2009

On April 26,1986, Reactor Number Four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the Ukraine-Belarus border exploded, and the reactor burned for days afterwards. It was the worst accident in the history of nuclear power, releasing radionuclides over parts of what today are Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. The accident affected hundreds of thousands of people, including forcing the evacuation of 116,000 residents from a highly contaminated area, and causing some 4,000 confirmed cases of childhood thyroid cancer. The Soviet Union built a shelter, commonly referred to as a sarcophagus, around the reactor, and the Ukranian government permanently closed the site in 2000.

On April 28, 2009, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite took this true-color picture of the nuclear reactor. The large body of water in the right half of the image is the northwestern end of a 12-kilometer- (7.5-mile-) long cooling pond, and water channels run through the network of reactor-related buildings west of the pond. Reactor number four appears on the west end of a long building northeast of an L-shaped water channel.


Mixing with the network of abandoned buildings, water channels, and roads, areas of green appear—a testament to the vegetation that was growing around the site some 20 years after the accident. After the evacuation of the region affected by Chernobyl, satellite imagery revealed widespread abandonment of agricultural fields, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That did not, however, halt vegetation growth near the site. A wider view of the area acquired by Landsat in 2004 showed green fields around Chernobyl. In fact, plants and animals appeared to have made something of a comeback, according to some studies. Residents who defied evacuation orders and remained in the region described wildlife encounters in a 2007 article from The Washington Post, although experts debated the health of the wildlife in the region.

NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 Team. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: EO-1 - ALI

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Pollenators at Work
animal plant
Image by timsackton
Taken Jun 16, 2012 in Concord, Massachusetts, United States
¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at f/9.0, ISO100, no flash.
Lens: EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ 85 mm

Lithops 3529

A few nice animal plant images I found:


Lithops 3529
animal plant
Image by yellowcloud
Re-potting the survivors:
After fighting spider mites with an out-of-soil quarantine I re-potted my plants. I chose more dense arrays of plants in the pot than before.
Here I put only Lithops aucampiae together.

Lithops are extremely succulent plants originating from the semi-deserts of southern Africa. Their plant body rests under ground, while on top they have transparent windows to let sunlight in for photosynthesis. A camouflage pattern on the windows lets them appear more or less like a pair of pebblestones, so hungry animals may hardly find them. I like them because they look like ornamented knobs or gemstones.

DO NOT MISS:
www.lithops.info/
www.lithops.de/
www.lithops.co.za/
www.lithop.supanet.com/
Be aware that sites from the southern hemisphere
have a six-month-shift in the description of the
annual lithops growing cycle.


Texas Peach , Prunus persica ....#2
animal plant
Image by Vietnam Plants & The USA. plants
Chụp hình vào ngày 4-3-2012 lúc 4:21 buổi trưa tại thành phố Waco, thuộc bang Texas, nằm về phía Nam của nước Mỹ. Theo dõi cùng một cây từ khi ra hoa cho đến kết trái .

Taken on March 4 , 2012 at 4:21 pm, in Waco city, Texas state, southern of America.
Same plant, since it blossomed until it has developing fruits

Ở các tỉnh thuộc miền Bắc nước ta ( tiếp giáp vùng biên giới gần Trung Quốc ) như Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn có trồng rất nhiều cây Đào lông và thu hoạch rất tốt mỗi mùa vụ .

Vietnamese plants this Prunus persica in some provincals belongs to Northern of Vietnam , near the border between Viet Nam and China .

Vietnamese named : Đào lông ( có lớp lông măng trên trái Đào ).
Common names : Peach, Texas Peach
Scientist name : Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.
Synonyms :
Family : Rosaceae / Rose family
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Rosidae
Order Rosales
Genus Prunus L. – plum
Species Prunus persica (L.) Batsch – peach

**** www.duoclieu.org/2012/02/cay-ao-prunus-persica-l-batch-ho...
**** www.vho.vn/wap/?module=1&id=12146
**** www.yhoccotruyen.htmedsoft.com/baocheduoc/htmdocs/DaoNhan...

**** www.lrc-hueuni.edu.vn/dongy/show_target.plx?url=/thuocdon...

Ðào - Prunus persica (L,) Batsch, thuộc họ Hoa hồng - Rosaceae.

Mô tả: Cây gỗ nhỏ, cao 8-10m, mọc lâu năm, thân nhẵn, phân cành nhiều, màu đo đỏ, chồi có lông mềm. Lá hình bầu dục ngọn giáo, dài 8-15cm, rộng 2-3cm, có mũi nhọn dài, nhăn nheo, có răng mịn, màu lục thẫm hay lục nhạt tuỳ giống; cuống lá có tuyến. Hoa hình chuông màu đo đỏ, có khi trắng, thường mọc đơn độc, có cuống ngắn. Quả hạch hình cầu, có một rãnh bên rõ, phủ lông tơ mịn, khi chín hơi có màu đỏ, vỏ quả trong hoá gỗ bao lấy hạt (nên người ta gọi là quả hạch).

Mùa hoa tháng 1-4, quả tháng 5-9.

Bộ phận dùng: Hạt - Semen Persicae, thường gọi là Ðào nhân. Lá và hoa cũng thường được dùng.

Nơi sống và thu hái: Cây của Bắc Trung Quốc và Mông Cổ, đã được trồng lâu đời ở nước ta. Ðào thích nghi với vùng khí hậu nhiệt đới núi cao các tỉnh Lào Cai, Hà Giang, Lạng Sơn. Ðào cũng được trồng ở những nơi có khí hậu mát và ấm ở miền Bắc nước ta. Người ta ăn quả lấy hạch. Ðập vỡ vỏ lấy hạt, ta thường gọi là nhân, nên mới có tên là Ðào nhân, thực ra đó mới là hạt Ðào, đem phơi hoặc sây khô. Lá thu hái quanh năm, dùng tươi.

Thành phần hoá học: Phần thịt của quả Ðào chứa chất màu (carotenoid, lycopen, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin), 15% đường, acid hữu cơ (acid citric, acid tariric), vitamin C, acid clorogenic, ít tinh dầu. Hạt chứa 50% dầu béo, 3,5% amygdalin. 0,40-0,70%, tinh dầu, ennulsin; còn có acid prussie, cholin, acetylcholin. Lá Ðào chứa amygdalin, tanin, coumarin. Hoa chớm nở chứa glucosid, trifolin. Nhựa Ðào chứa I-arabinose, d-xylose. I-rhamnose, acid d-glucuromic.

Tính vị, tác dụng: Ðào nhân có vị đắng, ngọt, tính bình, có tác dụng phá huyết, khử tích trệ, nhuận táo, hoạt trướng, lợi tiểu. Lá Ðào có vị đắng, tính bình, có tác dụng làm tan kết tụ và giảm đau, ngoài ra còn có tác dụng lợi tiểu mạnh. Người ta đã nghiên cứu về các tác dụng ức chế sự đông máu, tác dụng chống dị ứng, tác dụng chống viêm của nhân Ðào, tác dụng diệt khuẩn, tẩy và diệt giun của lá Ðào.

Công dụng, chỉ định và phối hợp: Ðào nhân, dùng sống trị kinh nguyệt bế tắc, sinh hòn cục, bụng dưới đầy, đau, vấp ngã ứ huyết; dùng chín thì hoạt huyết, chữa đại tiện khó đi do huyết táo, ngày dùng 6-12g dạng thuốc sắc. Ðào nhân còn dùng chữa ho như hạt mơ. Lá Ðào thường dùng sắc nước hoặc vò ra lấy nước tắm ghẻ, sưng ngứa, chốc lở, xát và ngâm chữa đau chân. Hoa Ðào có khi cũng được dùng làm thuốc thông tiểu tiện và tẩy dùng chữa thuỷ thũng, bí đại tiện. Ngày dùng 3-5g hãm uống. Nhựa Ðào dùng trị đái ra dưỡng trấp, đái đường.

Ðơn thuốc:

1. Chữa kinh nguyệt không đều, đau bụng máu: Ðào nhân, Hồng hoa, Ngưu tất, Tô mộc, Mần tưới, Nghệ vàng đều bằng nhau, mỗi vị 8-15g sắc uống.

2. Chữa bí đại tiện: Dùng Ðào nhân 40g luộc ăn vào lúc đói.

3. Chữa đại tiểu tiện không thông: Dùng lá Ðào một nắm to, giã vắt lấy nước cốt uống.

4. Chữa phù thũng: Dùng vỏ cây Ðào ngâm rượu uống.

5. Chữa đái dưỡng trấp: Dùng nhựa cây Ðào 12g tán nhỏ uống với nước sắc. Dây tơ hồng 30g làm thang.

6. Chữa đái dưỡng: Dùng nhựa Ðào 20g tán nhỏ uống với nước sắc. Ðịa cốt bì và Râu ngô mỗi vị 30g làm thang.

7. Chữa chốc lở, rôm sảy, sưng âm hộ: Giã lá Ðào tươi xoa xát.

8. Chữa phù, đại tiện táo bón: Dùng hoa Ðào 3-5g, sắc uống.

9. Chữa bại liệt nửa người: lấy 2000 nhân quả Ðào đã bóc vỏ cho vào một lít rưỡi rượu để ngâm 21 ngày, vớt nhân Ðào đem phơi khô sấy dòn, tán nhỏ mịn, trộn với nước cháo cho vừa dẻo làm viên to bằng hạt đậu đen, mỗi ngày uống 30 viên với một thìa rượu ngâm nước của nó.

10. Chữa đau vùng tim đột ngột: Lấy 30 g nhân hạt Ðào bóc vỏ giã nhừ, cho vào một chén nước đun kỹ để uống 3 lần.

Kiêng kỵ: Không có ứ trệ, đàn bà có thai không nên dùng.

________________________________________________________________

**** plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=prpe3

**** www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Prunus+persica
( Clickr on link to read more, please )

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers; Fruit; Oil; Oil; Seed.
Edible Uses: Gum; Oil; Oil; Tea.

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[1, 2, 34, 46]. The fruit is often used in ice creams, pies, jams etc[183]. When fully ripe, the fruit of the best forms are very juicy with a rich delicious flavour[K]. Wild trees in the Himalayas yield about 36.5kg of fruit a year[194]. The fruit of the wild form contains about 5.2% sugars, 2% protein, 1.6% ash. Vitamin C content is 2.3mg per 100g[194]. The fruit is a good source of vitamin A[201]. Fruits of the wild peach are richer in nutrients than the cultivated forms[194]. The size of fruit varies widely between cultivars and the wild form, it can be up to 7cm in diameter and contains one seed[200]. Flowers - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a garnish[183]. They can also be brewed into a tea[183]. The distilled flowers yield a white liquid which can be used to impart a flavour resembling the seed[183]. Seed - raw or cooked. Do not eat if it is too bitter, seed can contain high concentrations of hydrocyanic acid. See the notes above on toxicity. A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed[57]. Although the report does not mention edibility it can be assumed that it is edible. The seed contains up to 45% oil[218]. A gum is obtained from the stem. It can be used for chewing[64].

Composition
Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.
Fruit (Dry weight)
350 Calories per 100g
Water : 0%
Protein: 5.5g; Fat: 1.4g; Carbohydrate: 90g; Fibre: 10g; Ash: 4g;
Minerals - Calcium: 60mg; Phosphorus: 135mg; Iron: 6.5mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 30mg; Potassium: 1800mg; Zinc: 0mg;
Vitamins - A: 3000mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.15mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.25mg; Niacin: 4.7mg; B6: 0mg; C: 70mg;
Reference: [ 218]
Notes: The figures given here are the median of a range quoted in the report.

**** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach
The peach tree, Prunus persica, is a deciduous tree, native to China, where it was first cultivated. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach. The species name persica refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia, whence it was transplanted to Europe. It is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. It belongs to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae.

Description

Prunus persica grows to 4–10 m (13–33 ft) tall and 6 in. in diameter. The leaves are lanceolate, 7–16 cm (2.8–6.3 in) long, 2–3 cm (0.79–1.2 in) broad, pinnately veined. The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 2.5–3 cm diameter, pink, with five petals.
The fruit has yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a skin that is either velvety (peaches) or smooth (nectarines) in different cultivars. The flesh is very delicate and easily bruised in some cultivars, but is fairly firm in some commercial varieties, especially when green. The single, large seed is red-brown, oval shaped, approximately 1.3–2 cm long, and is surrounded by a wood-like husk. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes). There are various heirloom varieties, including the Indian peach, which arrives in the latter part of the summer

Taxonomy

The scientific name persica, along with the word "peach" itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia (now Iran). The modern botanical consensus is that they originate in China, and were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the Silk Road before Christian times.[2] The botanical name is derived from the Greek word for the fruit after it was introduced into the Mediterranean through Persia and from China.
Cultivated peaches are divided into clingstones and freestones, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity, while yellow-fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Both colours often have some red on their skin. Low-acid white-fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighbouring Asian countries, while Europeans and North Americans have historically favoured the acidic, yellow-fleshed kinds.

( Clickr on link to read more , please )

Planting
Most peach trees sold by nurseries are named cultivars budded or grafted onto a suitable rootstock. Trees can be grown from either a peach or nectarine seed, but the fruit quality of the resulting tree will be very unpredictable.
Peaches are recommended to be located in full sun, and to allow good air flow, to assist the cold air to flow away on frosty nights and to keep the area cool in summer. Peaches are recommended to be planted in early winter, as this allows time for the roots to establish and to sustain the new spring growth. When planting in rows, it is recommended to plant the rows north to south.[28]
For optimum growth, peach trees prefer a constant supply of water, which should be increased shortly before harvest. The best-tasting fruit is produced when the peach is watered throughout the season. Drip irrigation is ideal, with at least one dripper per tree. Although it is better to use multiple drippers around the tree, this is not necessary.[28] A quarter of the root being watered should be sufficient.
Peaches have a high nutrient requirement, needing more nitrogen than most other fruit trees. An NPK fertilizer should be applied regularly, and an additional mulch of poultry manure in autumn soon after the harvest could benefit the tree. If the leaves of the peach are yellow or small, this is a sign that the tree needs more nitrogen. Blood meal and bone meal, 3–5 kilograms (6.6–11 lb) per mature tree, or calcium ammonium nitrate, 0.5–1 kilogram (1.1–2.2 lb), are suitable fertilizers. This also applies if the tree is putting forth little growth.
If the full number of peaches are left on the branches, they will be under-sized and lacking in sugar and flavour. In dry conditions, extra watering is recommended. The fruit are normally thinned when they have reached 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter, usually about two months after flowering. Fresh fruit are best consumed on the day of picking, and do not store well. They are best eaten when the fruit is slightly soft, having aroma, and heated by the sun.

Storage
Peaches should be stored at room temperature and refrigeration should be avoided as this can lessen the taste of the peach. Peaches are climacteric[29] [30] [31] and hence they will continue ripening after being picked from the tree

Cultural significance
Peaches are known in China, Japan, Korea, Laos, and Vietnam, not only as a popular fruit, but also for the many cultural traditions, such as the Peaches of Immortality, and folk tales associated with it.
Peach blossoms are highly prized in Chinese culture, and because they appear before leaves sprout. The ancient Chinese believed the peach to possess more vitality than any other tree. When early rulers of China visited their territories, they were preceded by sorcerers armed with peach rods to protect them from spectral evils. On New Year's Eve, local magistrates would cut peach wood branches and place them over their doors to protect against evil influences.[33] Peach kernels (桃仁 táo rén) are a common ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine to dispel blood stasis, counter inflammation and reduce allergies.[34]
It was in an orchard of flowering peach trees that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei took an oath of brotherhood in the opening chapter of the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Another peach forest, the “Peach Blossom Spring” by poet Tao Yuanming is the setting of the favourite Chinese fable and a metaphor of utopias. A peach tree growing on a precipice was where the Taoist master Zhang Daoling tested his disciples.[35]
Momotaro, one of Japan's most noble and semihistorical heroes, was born from within an enormous peach floating down a stream. Momotaro or "Peach Boy" went on to fight evil oni and face many adventures.
In Korea, peaches have been cultivated from ancient times. According to Samguk Sagi, peach trees were planted during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period, and Sallim gyeongje also mentions cultivation skills of peach trees. Peach is seen as the fruit of happiness, riches, honours and longevity. It is one of the ten immortal plants and animals, so peaches appear in many minhwa (folk paintings). Peaches and peach trees are believed to chase away spirits, so peaches are not placed on tables for jesa (ancestor veneration), unlike other fruits.[36][37]
A Vietnamese mythic history states that, in the spring of 1789, after marching to Ngọc Hồi and then winning a great victory against invaders from the Qing Dynasty of China, the King Quang Trung ordered a messenger to gallop to Phú Xuân citadel (now Huế) and deliver a flowering peach branch to the Princess Ngọc Hân. This took place on the fifth day of the first lunar month, two days before the predicted end of the battle. The branch of peach flowers that was sent from the north to the centre of Vietnam was not only a message of victory from the King to his wife, but also the start of a new spring of peace and happiness for all the Vietnamese people. In addition, since the land of Nhật Tân had freely given that very branch of peach flowers to the King, it became the loyal garden of his dynasty.
It was a by peach tree that the protagonists of the Tale of Kieu fell in love. And in Vietnam, the blossoming peach flower is the signal of spring. Finally, peach bonsai trees are used as decoration during Vietnamese New Year (Tết) in northern Vietnam.

Nutrition and research
A medium peach is 75 g (2.6 oz). It should have 30 Cal, 7 g of carbohydrate (6 g sugars and 1 g fibre), 1 g of protein, 140 mg of potassium, and 8% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C.[38]
As with many other members of the rose family, peach seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, including amygdalin (note the subgenus designation: Amygdalus). These substances are capable of decomposing into a sugar molecule and hydrogen cyanide gas. While peach seeds are not the most toxic within the rose family, that dubious honour going to the bitter almond, large doses of these chemicals from any source are hazardous to human health.
Peach allergy or intolerance is a relatively common form of hypersensitivity to proteins contained in peaches and related fruit (almonds). Symptoms range from local symptoms (e.g. oral allergy syndrome, contact urticaria) to systemic symptoms, including anaphylaxis (e.g. urticaria, angioedema, gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms).[39] Adverse reactions are related to the "freshness" of the fruit: peeled or canned fruit may be tolerated.





Zwartbles Ewe
animal plant
Image by Ambersky235

Please visit my website www.think-differently-about-sheep.com

In the photograph gallery of my website you will find more photographs not only of sheep but other animals. Also photographs sized for desktop wallpaper of a variety of subjects including sheep, cattle, horses, birds , fish, plants, architecture and scenery

2009-02-27 001 003

A few nice animal plant images I found:


2009-02-27 001 003
animal plant
Image by 石川 Shihchuan
大花咸豐草 < 鬼針草屬 < 菊科

(Pilose Beggarticks, Spanish Needles, Beggar-ticks, Bur-marigold, Cobbler's-pegs,Common Blackjack, Hairy Beggar Ticks, Kosendangusa)

上有小白紋毒蛾幼蟲 < 毒蛾科

(Small tussock moth)


2009-02-27 001 004
animal plant
Image by 石川 Shihchuan
大花咸豐草 < 鬼針草屬 < 菊科

(Pilose Beggarticks, Spanish Needles, Beggar-ticks, Bur-marigold, Cobbler's-pegs,Common Blackjack, Hairy Beggar Ticks, Kosendangusa)

上有小白紋毒蛾幼蟲 < 毒蛾科

(Small tussock moth)

Nice Animal Plant photos

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2009-06-22 031
animal plant
Image by 石川 Shihchuan
渡邊氏東方蠟蟬(渡邊氏長吻白臘蟬) < 東方蠟蟬屬 < 蠟蟬科

在烏桕上 < 烏桕屬 < 大戟科

(Chinese tallow tree, Florida aspen, Gray Popcorn Tree)

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Burdock
animal plant
Image by BlueRidgeKitties
Arctium lappa growing at the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. This plant is actually not native, but introduced from Eurasia. It literally hangs on to animals to spread its seeds. The velcro-like hooks on the ends of the individual seeds serve to cling on to fur and clothing, eventually being brushed off again in another location down the trail by the animal or human they hitched a ride with. We call the plant and its fruits "Klette" in Germany and also use the same term to describe a clingy individual who just won't leave you alone thus becoming a nuisance.


A stranger in the garage
animal plant
Image by jaci XIII
original photo by gill4kleuren
squirrel photo by public-domain-photos
garage photo by www.flickr.com/photos/sergiopepe/526771062/
flowers by MaureenOlder



Tagpfauenauge
animal plant
Image by enbodenumer
Inachis io; Syn.: Nymphalis io (Tagpfauenauge) auf Targetes erecta

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Some cool animal plant images:


Spotted Knapweed
animal plant
Image by BlueRidgeKitties
Another invasive species along the Blue Ridge Parkway - these were introduced from Europe in the 1800s, probably accidentally through contaminated seed. The plants actually produce a toxin that can inhibit other plants around it from growing, a process referred to as allelopathy. Each plant can produce over 1000 seeds that are spread by wind, birds, and other animals and can remain viable for at least five years before germinating. These features allow the plant to quickly crowd out the native species where it takes hold, thus leading to its USDA classification as an invasive plant.


Spines
animal plant
Image by BlueRidgeKitties
This cactus has clothed itself into an almost impenetrable armor of spines and hairs to protect its succulent stem from thirsty desert animals. There is one time in its life though when it utterly depends on animals: You can see the hint of pink at the bottom left corner and some other places where a flower bud is about to poke through its needle dress. Cacti typically produce very showy flowers to attract their pollinators.


Epiphyllum - Maiden's Prayer
animal plant
Image by epiforums
At the Wild Animal Park, San Diego.
desc: Azalea pink with darker midstripe. Medium. Hybridizer: Leo M. Daly.

Inside Eden

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Inside Eden
animal plant
Image by Suviko
A greenhouse filled with gerberas and mandarin trees in the middle of a square in Helsinki. I forgot to write down artists' names, but they called this Eden.




animal plant
Image by Den Flater

Rose in North Garden

A few nice animal plant images I found:


Rose in North Garden
animal plant
Image by bill barber
From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.


Shrub Rose on North Fence
animal plant
Image by bill barber
From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.


Yellow Shrub Rose at North Fence
animal plant
Image by bill barber
From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.

Cool Animal Plant images

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Lithops group Jan09 to June09
animal plant
Image by yellowcloud
Lithops are extremely succulent plants originating from the semi-deserts of southern Africa. Their plant body rests under ground, while on top they have transparent windows to let sunlight in for photosynthesis. A camouflage pattern on the windows lets them appear more or less like a pair of pebblestones, so hungry animals may hardly find them. I like them because they look like ornamented knobs or gemstones.

DO NOT MISS:
www.lithops.info/
www.lithops.de/
www.lithops.co.za/
www.lithop.supanet.com/
Be aware that sites from the southern hemisphere
have a six-month-shift in the description of the
annual lithops growing cycle.

bee_on_schermbloem

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bee_on_schermbloem
animal plant
Image by RMD Observations

Ok... you have GOT to hear the story of why my Girlfriend is dancing. I can't give it up here, she's too shy for me to say it. So you'll have to click on the picture and read the full description for the story. But it involves Sarah,...

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Ok... you have GOT to hear the story of why my Girlfriend is dancing. I can't give it up here, she's too shy for me to say it. So you'll have to click on the picture and read the full description for the story. But it involves Sarah,...
animal plant
Image by colorblindPICASO
...our friend Rick, and a robotic banana. Ok... ready? It started out just like any normal day. We knew of a game and we were gonna play it. Then, out of nowhere our friend Rick called and said "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you!!!!!" Did I mention his last name was Astley?=)

HA! Take that Sarah! And... any other innocent bystanders that just got Rickrolled. I made the mistake of doing this once before and introducing Sarah to the concept. Two problems with that. First, she LIKES 80s music. So she went online right then and bought the fracking MP3 from Amazon. Secondly she thinks just randomly playing it with me in the room constitutes Rickrolling me. I keep telling her she has to TRICK me into playing it. So now the score is 2-0.=D

On another note, what's with all the "barefoot dancing" searches all the sudden? I've seen a lot of those in my stats for this shot. With all the barefoot modern dance and belly dancing shots I'm surprised this one even shows up in those.


Sheep Graze on the Yorkshire Moors
animal plant
Image by Ambersky235
Please visit my website www.think-differently-about-sheep.com

In the photograph gallery you will find more photographs not only of sheep but other animals. Also photographs sized for desktop wallpaper of a variety of subjects including sheep, cattle, horses, birds , fish, plants, architecture and scenery


Animal-print orchid
animal plant
Image by jessie owen

Actinidia kolomikta:Growing in the Chalice Well Gardens Glastonbury

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Actinidia kolomikta:Growing in the Chalice Well Gardens Glastonbury
animal plant
Image by Ambersky235

Please visit my website www.think-differently-about-sheep.com

In the photograph gallery you will find more photographs not only of sheep but other animals. Also photographs sized for desktop wallpaper of a variety of subjects including sheep, cattle, horses, birds , fish, plants, architecture and scenery


Carnivorous plant row
animal plant
Image by phil dokas
Plants that eat animals hang out with skulls.


Affectionate Sheep Yorkshire Dales
animal plant
Image by Ambersky235
Sheep have friends, they show affection for one another in many ways such as one sheep laying his head upon the back of another sheep. We observed these two sheep who were obviously friends for they kept close company. At one time as they were sitting side by side in the afternoon sun of one of the companions laid his head upon the back of his friend. This is quite a common occurrence.

Please visit my website www.think-differently-about-sheep.com
In the photograph gallery you will find more photographs not only of sheep but other animals. Also photographs sized for desktop wallpaper of a variety of subjects including sheep, cattle, horses, birds , fish, plants, architecture and scenery

120814_Museumsdorf_A_ 067

A few nice animal plant images I found:


120814_Museumsdorf_A_ 067
animal plant
Image by weisserstier


Amsel
animal plant
Image by enbodenumer
Amsel (Turdus merula) oder Schwarzdrossel

Bad in der Morgensonne


Amsel
animal plant
Image by enbodenumer
Amsel (Turdus merula) oder Schwarzdrossel

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsel

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2010-10-14 175 01
animal plant
Image by 石川 Shihchuan
在雞屎藤上的長喙天蛾幼蟲
Macroglossum caterpillar on skunkvine

雞屎藤 < 雞屎藤屬 < 茜草科
Skunkvine, stinkvine, fever vine


Eastern Carpenter Bee (Female)
animal plant
Image by ralph and jenny
We had plenty of carpenter bees in our Mexican Heather this year.

Cool Animal Plant images

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bee_on_raps
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Image by RMD Observations


kinder_wissel
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Image by RMD Observations

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IMG_2634
animal plant
Image by RMD Observations
adoptiterrein and surroundings


insect1
animal plant
Image by RMD Observations

DSCF0643

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DSCF0643
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia


DSCF0638
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia


DSCF0723
animal plant
Image by CMagdalin
Nerima Japanese Gardens, Queens Park - Ipswich, Queensland - Australia