In praise of the colours red and orange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Greek pyr (‘fire’), alluding to the gorgeous red colour of the male Eurasian bullfinch, and the Latin ulus, a suffix indicating something small.

Red-headed bullfinch (P. erythrocephala) is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the Indian Subcontinent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This palm is believed to have originated in the Philippines, but is widely cultivated elsewhere in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, in New Guinea, in the West Indies, and on many Pacific Ocean islands.

Its nut, called betel nut, is an ingredient in betel, a mild intoxicant, consisting of a leaf from the betel bush (Piper betle), which is wrapped around bits of areca nut and, according to your taste, tobacco or spices, taken with a small amount of lime. Chewing this mixture increases your spit production, and your saliva turns brick-red. Blotches of betel spit are ubiquitous in many Asian countries – on streets, house walls, stairs, and elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

This species is utilized for countless purposes. Oil from the nuts, and also dried copra, is used for cooking and in lamps. Mats, weaved from the leaves, are used as walls and roofs in houses, and mats and rope are produced from the fibres in the husk. Charcoal is made from the shells, and the trunk is utilized as timber and firewood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Icelandic name of the bird, rita, whereas the English name was given in allusion to its call. The specific name is from Ancient Greek tridaktylos (‘three toes’), referring to the fact that this species is missing the small, back-pointing fourth toe, which most other gull species possess.

In North America, this species is called black-legged kittiwake to differentiate it from its near relative, the red-legged kittiwake (R. brevirostris), which breeds on small islands in the far northern Pacific.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The common name stems from its brilliantly orange, cup-shaped ascocarps, which often resemble orange peels, strewn on the ground. The specific name was applied in 1800 by mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1761-1836), who was born in South Africa, but moved to Europe in his twenties. It is Latin, meaning ‘orange’ or ‘golden’, originally from the Arabic naranj and Ancient Persian narang, the name of the citrus fruit, which is today called orange in English (see Citrus x sinensis elsewhere on this page).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may reach a total length of 14 cm, and some individuals are known to live for 15 years. Adults are greenish, sometimes brownish or yellowish, whereas juveniles are bright orange, called red efts. Both adults and juveniles have spots on the body. This species produces a neurotoxin named tetrodotoxin, which makes it unpalatable to fish and crayfish.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘greenish’, referring to the colour of most adults.

 

 

 

 

 

On April 2, 1949, a glass, containing water and duckweed, was standing outside the door of the biology classroom. Agnete Bisgaard immediately became curious and examined the content. To her great surprise, she was soon standing with a specimen of the alpine newt in her hand. The very same day, a packet, containing 3 alpine newts and some humid moss, was sent to the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen.

The following day, Agnete Bisgaard was informed that the identification was correct, and a new amphibian was added to the Danish list. The find was published in major newspapers, showing pictures of the 12-year-old school boy and the alpine newt.

Due to the initiative of professor Ragnar Spärck, the species was protected, and the statement said that “(…) the animal is protected in Denmark, and collecting it must only take place for scientific purposes, and with the proper permission from the Nature Conservation Council. Violation will be punished with a fine. (…) State Ministery, July 12, 1951.” (Source: bjergsalamander.dk/index.php/bjergsalamandergruppen/historie)

 

 

 

 

 

Incidentally, the name of the colour orange stems from the fruit – not the other way around. Before the introduction of the fruit, there was no expression for the colour orange, which was termed yellow or red. The name of the fruit was adopted from the Old French orange, which, in turn, was lent from the Italian arancia that was based on Arabic naranj, which was derived from the Sanskrit word for the fruit, naranga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kumquat originated in southern China. It was mentioned in Chinese literature at least as far back as the 12th Century. In Cantonese, it is called 金橘 (gam gwat), from gam (‘golden’) and gwat (‘orange’). In English, this was corrupted to kumquat or cumquat.

Today, it is widely cultivated in warmer areas of Asia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The broad-headed skink was so named because of its wide jaws, giving the head a triangular appearance. The adult male is brownish, with a bright orange head in the mating season. The female has five light stripes running down the back and tail, similar to the five-lined skink.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name commemorates Dutch botanist and physician Sebald Justinus Brugmans (1763-1819), who is especially remembered for his expertise in the treatment of gangrene. The common name alludes to the trumpet-shaped flowers, which, however, are very poisonous, hence Angel’s, presumably the Death Angel.

Brugmansia suaveolens is a shrub to 5 m tall, often many-branched. Leaves are ovate or oblong, to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide, margin entire, tip pointed. Flowers are funnel-shaped, very fragrant at night, to 30 cm long, calyx green, inflated, to 12 cm long, with 5 elliptic lobes, corolla usually white with green base, tip with 5 spreading, pointed lobes. Some forms have yellow, orange, or pink flowers. It is native to Brazil, but is widely cultivated elsewhere due to the splendid flowers.

The specific name is derived from the Latin suavis (‘sweet’) and olens (‘fragrance’).

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, this genus was classified as belonging to the elder family (Sambucaceae), but was then moved to the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). However, genetic research has revealed that it belongs to the viburnum or moschatel family (Viburnaceae).

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek sambuca, the name of an ancient instrument of Asian origin. The pith was removed from elder branches to make flutes. The name elder is from Anglo-Saxon, aeld, meaning ’fire’ – the hollow stems were used to kindle a fire. The popular names pipe tree and bore tree stem from the habit of removing the soft pit of elder branches to make pipes. The same procedure would make pop-guns, popular among small boys. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) writes: ”It is needless to write any description of this [the elder], since every boy that plays with a pop-gun will not mistake another tree for the elder.”

Common elder (S. nigra) is described on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry, whereas blue elder (S. cerulea) is presented on the page Plants: Plants of Sierra Nevada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This plant grows on mountain slopes, along rivers, and in forests and grasslands, from the lowlands up to an altitude of c. 2,600 m. Its berries, which may be black, red, or orange, are edible, as are the flowers, and other parts of the plant are widely used in herbal medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has an erect or ascending stem, sometimes more than 1 m long, with numerous aerial roots, leaves to 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, inflorescence in a dense terminal umbel-like cluster, 25 to 60 cm long, flowers to 2.5 cm long, bright orange-red with a yellow, deeply 3-lobed lip. The shape of the flower gave rise to the common name crucifix orchid.

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, toads in the Caucasus were thought to be this species, but they have now been upgraded to a separate species, Bufo verrucosissimus.

The scientific name is the classical Latin term for toads.

 

 

 

 

 

It was previously placed in the genus Bufo, and some authorities still regard Anaxyrus as a subgenus of that genus.

 

 

 

 

 

The fruit is highly distinctive, a globular head on the domed tip of the flower-stalk, consisting of fleshy carpels, usually with many nutlets.

A number of species are presented on the pages Autumn, and Plants: Himalayan flora.

 

It grows in arctic, subarctic, and temperate regions, southwards to southern Canada, Germany, Mongolia, and Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

An alternative scientific name is R. calycinoides, meaning ‘like calycinus‘, alluding to the likeness of the leaves to those of R. calycinus, which is distributed from the Himalaya eastwards to northern Indochina and south-western China.

 

 

 

 

 

The common name may refer to a tradition among indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest, who ate the berries with salmon roe. Others claim that the name alludes to the colours of the berries, which resemble the colours of some species of salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

Nepalese raspberry (R. nepalensis), which belongs to the latter group, is very common at altitudes between 2,100 and 3,200 m, from Uttarakhand eastwards to Sikkim, creeping along the ground in open forests and along trails. In this habit, it resembles the cloudberry (above), but has bright red, delicious, slightly sour fruits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This species is presented in depth on the page Plants: Ancient and huge trees.

 

 

 

 

 

This shrub, a member of the mallow family (Malvaceae), grows to about 1 m tall, thriving on alkaline soil, sandy as well as clayey, up to altitudes around 2,500 m.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek sphaira (‘sphere’) and alkea (‘mallow’), referring to the roughly spherical shape of the fruit of the genus. The specific name is Latin, possibly alluding to the variability of the plant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other pictures from these trips are shown on the pages People: Portraits, and Animals – Birds: Gulls, terns and skimmers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columnea purpurata is a shrubby herb, to 2 m long, growing on rocks or as an epiphyte. The stem and leaves are covered in white hairs, leaves often large, lanceolate, to 37 cm long and 11 cm wide. Inflorescences are dense, clustered along the stem, bracts and calyx bright orange, fuzzy, turning purple when drying (hence the specific name), corolla yellow, tubular, to 3 cm long, densely hairy.

The native range of this plant is from extreme southern Mexico through Central America to Colombia. It is used medicinally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is of unknown origin, possibly derived from the Latin sol (’sun’) referring to the fact that plants of this genus prefer to grow in sunny places.

Fruits of these plants are red, orange, yellow, or black. A number of species are described below, whereas others are presented on the pages Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry, and Autumn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) brought its seeds back to Europe. As the plants readily grew in the local climate, the Spanish government started encouraging its production, and by the early 17th Century, it had become a common ingredient in the Spanish cuisine.

In other European countries, however, it took ages before people began eating tomatoes. Initially, the English thought it was poisonous, calling it wolf peach. In 1758, this name was adopted by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), when he named the plant Solanum lycopersicum, derived from Ancient Greek lykos (‘wolf’) and the Latin persicum (‘Persian (fruit)’, i.e. peach).

This belief arose because many people got sick when they ate tomatoes. However, the tomato was not to be blamed. In the Middle Ages, wealthy Europeans often ate from pewter plates, which had a high content of lead. Tomatoes are rather acidic, and when placed on pewter plates, this acid would leach lead from the plate, resulting in many deaths from lead poisoning. At that time, nobody made the connection between plate and poison, and the tomato was thought to be the culprit. (Source: smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name, meaning ‘the false capsicum’, refers to the leaves, which resemble those of green pepper (Capsicum).

The common name Jerusalem cherry is a misnomer, as the plant does not bear cherries, and it is not native to the area around Jerusalem. The name may simply stem from some gardener, who brought back the plant from Jerusalem and attached the name to the plant without researching its true native area. (Source: m.wisegeek.com)

Another common name, Madeira winter cherry, stems from the time when Portuguese sailors brought the plant from South America to Madeira. From here, it was introduced to Europe, where it became a status symbol among the upper classes.

 

 

 

 

 

This species has a rather limited distribution, found in southern New Mexico and western Texas, and in the Mexican states Chihuahua and Coahuila. It is common in parts of the Chihuahuan Desert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is native to Tropical Asia, southern China, and northern Australia, but is widely cultivated elsewhere for its gorgeous flowers, which are bright red in wild populations, but often orange or sometimes yellow in cultivated forms.

Its many uses are described on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is an evergreen perennial, native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was first described in 1788 by the famous English naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), who gave it the specific name reginae, which means ‘of the queen’, in honour of the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, also known as Sophia Charlotte (1744-1818), the wife of King George III.

The plant grows to 2 m tall, with leaves to 70 cm long and 30 cm wide, with stalks to 1 m long. They are arranged in two ranks, forming a fan-shaped crown. Due to its beautiful flowers, it is very popular as an ornamental plant and is cultivated in hot countries around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common sea-buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) is found from Ireland and southern Scandinavia southwards to the Mediterranean, eastwards through Russia to Xinjiang and Mongolia, and thence southwards to Pakistan and Ladakh, north-western Himalaya.

 

 

 

 

 

Many of these butterflies are called brush-footed butterflies. This name refers to a brush-like set of hairs on the forelegs of some species. Another common name is four-footed butterflies, as many members are known to stand on only four legs. The forelegs are reduced and often curled up.

A number of species of this family are presented below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The peacock pansy (Junonia almana) was named due to its large, bluish ‘peacock eyes’ on the orange wings. This species is distributed from India and Sri Lanka eastwards to China, Taiwan, and Japan, and thence southwards to the Indonesian Archipelago and the Philippines. It is very common, living in a wide variety of habitats up to an altitude of about 500 m, occasionally up to 1,000 m.

 

 

 

 

 

In Ancient Greek mythology, Acraea was the daughter of the river-god Asterion. Together with her sisters Euboea and Prosymna, she acted as nurse to goddess Hera.

It is much debated, whether the tawny coster should be named Acraea terpsicore or A. violae, but today most authorities accept terpsicore as the correct name. Originally, this species was restricted to the Indian Subcontinent, but spread to Indochina during the 1990s and to Malaysia and Indonesia in the 2000s. During a tropical storm in 2017, many specimens were blown to the north-eastern coast of Australia, and since then it has spread to much of northern Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is widely used for various purposes in East Asia, the wood as building material and firewood, the fruits to make wine, the seed oil as a lubricant, the bark as a source of red dye, and the root medicinally.

The genus was named in honour of German botanist Gottlieb Wilhelm Bischoff (1797-1854), who was among the first to examine the reproduction of mosses and liverworts. Thus, the common name has nothing to do with bishops, but is a corruption of the generic name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name was given in honour of German botanist Adam Lonicer (1528-1586), whereas the name honeysuckle stems from the sweet nectar in the flowers. Some species are indeed fragrant, and several are cultivated as ornamentals. One of the cultivated species, Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica), often escapes and has become invasive in many places, described on the page Nature: Invasive species.

 

 

 

 

 

Several pictures, depicting this bird, may be seen on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Animals: Urban animal life.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name, derived from Ancient Greek leirion (‘lily’) and dendron (‘tree’), the specific name, derived from tulip and the Latin fer (‘bearing’), as well as the common name tulip tree, all refer to the large flowers, which superficially resemble lilies or tulips. The popular name fiddle-tree refers to the peculiar shape of the leaves, which sometimes resemble small violins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most populations are migratory, spending the winter along shores in western and southern Europe, Africa, Arabia, southern Iran, the Indian Peninsula, and southern China.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek haima (‘blood’) and pous (‘foot’), alluding to the reddish feet of the Eurasian oystercatcher. The old English name of these birds was sea-pie (‘the pied one living at the sea’). These birds got their present name in 1731 by English naturalist Mark Catesby (1683-1749) who studied flora and fauna in the New World. He noticed that the American oystercatcher (H. palliatus) ate oysters.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized form of Ancient Greek Dianthos, a term first applied by Greek scholar and botanist Theophrastos (c. 371-287 B.C.), derived from Dios (Zeus) and anthos (‘flower’).

As for the common names, the verb ‘to pink’ dates from the 14th Century, meaning to decorate with a perforated or zigzag pattern. The flowers of many members of this genus have numerous fringes on the petals, so they were named pinks. This means that the colour pink derives its name from the colour of the petals of many of these flowers, not the other way around. The term carnation is believed to have been derived from the Latin corona-ae (‘wreath’, ‘garland’, or ‘crown’), as these flowers were often used in Greek and Roman ceremonial wreaths.

The Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria) is native to Europe, where it occurs from Scandinavia southwards to the Mediterranean, and from England and Portugal eastwards to the Caucasus and northern Iran. It has also been introduced to North America, where it has become naturalized and is regarded as an invasive species in many places.

It is a slender plant, growing to about 60 cm tall, with narrow, linear, widely spaced, opposite leaves, to 7.5 cm long. Inflorescences are few-flowered, terminal or axillary clusters, each flower surrounded by erect, hairy, stiff, leaf-like bracts, corolla deep pink, to 1.3 cm across, sometimes with small white dots.

The specific name is a classical Latin term for a species of pink.

The name Deptford pink dates back to the 17th Century, applied by naturalist Thomas Johnson (1600-1644), who described a pink flower growing in Deptford, in the south-eastern part of London. However, it is unlikely that this species grew in London, and the plant he described may have been the maiden pink (D. deltoides).

 

 

 

 

 

It is fairly large, with a length up to 2 cm. Adults only live a few months, but the larvae take many years to mature. They feed on a variety of items, including decomposing wood, dead insects, their own faeces, and micro-organisms.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyro (‘fire’) and chroa (‘colour’), whereas the specific name is Latin, meaning ‘scarlet’ or ‘crimson’, derived from coccum, a scarlet dye made from certain types of insects. Both names of course refer to the scarlet colour of this beetle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name was first used by Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin (1560-1624), when he described the Alpine columbine (A. alpina). It is derived from the Latin aqua (‘water’) and legere (‘to collect’), thus ‘water jar’, referring to the shape of the flower.

Another interpretation claims that it is derived from the Latin aquila (‘eagle’), where the spurs are likened to eagle claws.

The common name columbine is derived from the Latin columba (‘dove’), referring to the alleged resemblance of the inverted flower to five doves, clustered together. Another popular name is granny’s bonnet, again referring to the flower shape.

The crimson columbine (Aquilegia formosa) is a stately plant, which may grow to 80 cm tall. It is easily identified by its red, yellow-tipped flowers. It is native to western North America, found from Alaska southwards along the Pacific coast to Baja California, eastwards to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Chihuahua.

It occurs in a variety of habitats, including chaparral, woodlands, and coniferous forests, mainly growing along streams. In mountains, it may be found up to elevations around 3,300 m.

In former times, several native tribes used the plant medicinally, and a perfume was extracted from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The common name refers to the resin, which is extracted from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The genus was named by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in honour of a friend, merchant Magnus von Lagerström (1696-1759), who was director of the Swedish East India Company. Lagerström was a keen naturalist, and, despite never visiting Asia, he was able to procure many specimens from India and China, which he presented to Linnaeus. (Source: E. Bretschneider 1898. History of European Botanical Discoveries in China)

Chinese crepe-myrtle (Lagerstroemia subcostata) is a smallish tree, to 14 m tall, with a characteristic smooth and pale bark, which makes you think that the tree is dead. Leaves short-stalked, oblong or ovate, to 4.8 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, pointed. Flowers purple or white in hairy terminal panicles to 15 cm across, petals 6, to 6 mm long, wrinkled. The fruit is an ellipsoid capsule, to 8 mm long.

It is native to Japan, Taiwan, China, and the Philippines, growing in forests and along streams, from low to medium elevations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other common names of this plant include pigeon berry and Brazilian skyflower, and in Tonga it is known as mavaetangi (‘tears of departure’), alluding to the fruit, which is a small, globose, yellow or orange berry, to 1 cm across. Unripe berries are toxic and are known to have killed children, dogs and cats. Birds, however, are not harmed by the berries.

The generic name was given in honour of Italian physician, botanist, and poet Gualdo Tadino (1529-1590), better known as Castore Durante da Gualdo.

A picture, depicting the flowers, is shown on the page In praise of the colour blue.

 

 

 

 

 

According to Kew Bulletin (1897), this species has insecticidal properties, being especially obnoxious to fleas. Infected rooms are thoroughly swept with brooms, made from this plant, and the pests are said to disappear. Its medicinal usage is described on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

In his delightful book All about Weeds, American botanist Edwin Spencer (1881-1964) writes about pollination of milkweeds:

“(…) they have one of the most distinct flowers of the plant kingdom. It is made for the purpose of tricking insects in order that cross fertilization may be assured. (…) insects attempting to get nectar from the cups in the flower. There are five of these cups on each flower, and they usually are found hanging mouth downward. They are very smooth, and a foot of the insect that tries to alight on one of them invariably slips off and lands on the slit, which lies between two of the cups. This is exactly what should happen; the very purpose for which the flower was made. In that slit lies the male principle of the flower in such a position that it may never come in contact with the female organ, unless it is pulled out and pulled in again. So the foot of the insect goes into the slit and finds itself caught as if between two tough little wires. If the insect is strong enough, a jerk or two will bring out the foot, and along with it two little bags of pollen, which ride away on the insect’s leg to another flower, where the foot again slips into a slit, but this time carrying the pollen bags (…) right down upon the stigmatic surface of the female organ. There the bags stay, and the pollen in them develops as it should (…). Of course, that same insect leg may come out of the second flower slit with two more bags of pollinia hanging to it like two little saddle bags. (…) it takes a strong leg to do this work, and strong insects are sometimes seen with several bags of pollinia hanging to their legs. If the insect is not strong enough, he pays dearly for the sip of nectar he gets. (…) if he cannot pay for that nectar by carrying away to another flower those two little pollinia bags, he hangs there until he dies (…).”

 

 

 

 

 

Like most of the 14 species in this genus, the Daurian redstart is strongly sexually dimorphic, the female being pale brown with an orange-red tail. Like the male, however, it has a prominent white wing-patch.

It breeds in south-eastern Siberia, from Lake Baikal eastwards to Amurland, Ussuriland, and Sakhalin, and in Mongolia, Tibet, most of China, and northern Korea, wintering in southern China, Japan, Taiwan, north-eastern India, and Southeast Asia.

A number of redstarts are described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kallos (‘beautiful’) and chortos (‘grass’).

Other pictures, depicting these lilies, may be studied on the page Quotes on nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The native area of this plant is thought to be southern Mexico or Central America, but as it has been cultivated in this area for thousands of years, it is a matter of speculation. Today, it is cultivated in numerous countries with a tropical or subtropical climate.

The generic name is the feminine form of the adjective Caricus, a shortening of Caria and ficus (‘fig’), thus ‘the fig from Caria’, in Ancient Greek Karia, a Greek province in present-day south-western Turkey. This name was applied by Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753, perhaps referring to the sweet taste of the fruit.

The specific name is the name of the plant in an Arawak language, which was adopted by the Spaniards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several of the species are very colourful, the males displaying a predominantly bright red plumage, the females predominantly a yellow plumage.

The brilliantly coloured orange minivet (P. flammeus) lives in dense forests, from western India and Sri Lanka eastwards to southern China, and thence southwards through Southeast Asia to Indonesia. Formerly, this species was regarded as a subspecies of the scarlet minivet, which is now called P. speciosus.

Other species of minivet are described on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Birds in Bagan.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dios (Zeus) and pyros (‘wheat’), thus ‘Zeus’s wheat’, in a broader context translated as ‘divine food’. It alludes to the fruit of the Caucasian persimmon (D. lotus). The word persimmon stems from pichamins (‘dried fruit’), the Powhatan word for an American species of the genus.

The oriental persimmon (D. kaki), which has a sweet, slightly tangy fruit, is native to southern China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam, and Assam in north-eastern India. It was first cultivated in China more than 2,000 years ago, and cultivation spread to Japan in the 7th Century, to Korea in the 14th Century, and to southern Europe, California, and Brazil in the 19th Century.

Kaki is the Japanese name of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pretty plant has been introduced to a number of other countries, including England, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, it easily escapes and often becomes invasive, and in the latter two countries, import of the plant is prohibited.

In England, it has a number of peculiar common names, including fox-and-cubs, Devil’s paintbrush, and Grim the Collier. The name fox-and-cubs refers to the fact that the flowerheads on a plant do not all open at the same time. An open flowerhead is likened to a fox, whereas the still closed flowerheads on either side of it are the cubs. The name Devil’s paintbrush probably alludes to the numerous black hairs on the involucre (the leaves surrounding the flowerhead).

The name Grim the Collier takes some explanation. It was first mentioned in connection with the plant, in the form Grimme the Collier, by herbalist John Gerard (c. 1545-1612) in his Herball from 1597. The name appears in a play from about 1564, Damon and Pythias, by Richard Edwardes, which was performed for Queen Elizabeth I. One of the characters in this play is Grim the Collier (‘Grim the coal miner’), who was described as being “of a right Croydon sanguine” – a term applied to persons with auburn hair and tawny skin. The name of course refers to the orange or red flowerheads, and to the black hairs on the involucre, which are likened to the coal dust in a miner’s beard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he described it in 1781, Austrian naturalist Franz Xaver von Wulfen (1728-1805) noted that it differed from the true chanterelles. Research has shown that it is not even distantly related to them, and it is now placed in a separate family, Hygrophoropsidaceae.

It is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, being very common in coniferous forests, but may also grow in deciduous forests and heathland. Research indicates that it may constitute several species.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyro (‘fire’) and stegia (‘cover’), the former referring to the flower colour, the latter to its vigorous climbing habit, as it will often cover entire buildings. The specific name stems from Ancient Italian wenostos (‘beautiful’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common orange lichen (X. parietina), also known as yellow scale or shore lichen, has a very wide distribution, found in most of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. As it is one of the few lichens, which is favoured by eutrophication, it is very common on rocks, large trees, roofs, walls, etc.

The specific name, from the Latin paries (‘wall’), was applied by Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite its bright orange breast, the original English name of the bird was redbreast. Orange, as a colour name, was unknown in English until the introduction of oranges in the 16th Century. Before that, there was no expression for the colour orange, which was termed yellow or red. The name of the fruit was adopted from the Old French orange, which, in turn, was lent from the Italian arancia that was based on Arabic naranj, which was derived from the Sanskrit word for the fruit, naranga.

In the 15th Century it became popular to give human names to familiar species, and the bird came to be known as robin redbreast, which was eventually shortened to robin. (Source: D. Lack 1950. Robin Redbreast. Clarendon Press, Oxford).

Robins on the Canarian Islands Gran Canaria and Tenerife are quite distinct by having a smaller, more reddish patch on the breast, a white eye-ring, and greyish rather than brownish upperparts. Their song is also different, somewhat like the song of song thrush (Turdus philomelos). They may constitute a separate species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This plant is native to the American tropics, but due to its pretty flowers it has been introduced almost worldwide. In warmer countries, it often escapes, and as it is toxic to grazing animals, it often forms large thickets, out-competing natural vegetation.

Two of the colour forms of this plant, red and yellow, gave rise to the popular name Spanish flag, due to the similarity of these colours to the ones in the Spanish national flag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The male golden palm weaver (Ploceus bojeri) is bright yellow with an orange head. This bird has a rather restricted distribution, found in extreme southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, and eastern Kenya. It lives in savanna, preferably along rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The name weaver ant stems from their nest, which is made by ‘weaving’ together leaves, using larval silk. A colony of these ants may include several nests in a single tree, or the nests may be spread over several adjacent trees. In one instance, a colony occupied 151 nests, distributed among 12 trees. A colony may count up to half a million individuals. Each colony has a single queen in one nest, from which her progeny is carried to other nests. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oecophylla_smaragdina, with a list of references)

 

 

 

 

 

The inflorescences are whorls of pretty, orange flowers, arranged up the stem, which may grow to 3 m tall. Occasionally, plants with red, white, or purple flowers may be encountered.

In Trinidad, the leaves are brewed as tea for treatment of fever, coughs, womb prolapse, and malaria.

The pictures below were taken in Bagan, Myanmar. A Buddhist pagoda is seen as a silhouette in one of the pictures, and the bird in the upper picture is a male purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus), sucking nectar from the flowers. Other pictures, depicting this bird, are presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Bagan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The origin of the generic name is unknown.

Aralia spinosa is popularly known as the Devil’s walking-stick or Hercules’ club, the specific and common names alluding to the vicious spines on stem, flower-stalks, and midribs of the leaves. It is a deciduous shrub, occasionally growing to 8 m tall, stem to 20 cm across, leaves very large, bipinnate, up to 1.2 m long. The small flowers are creamy-white, to 5 mm across, arranged in large composite panicles, to 60 cm long. The fruit is a purplish-black berry with a diameter of about 8 mm.

It occurs in the eastern half of the United States, from Iowa and Pennsylvania southwards to Texas and Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

Although called scarlet pimpernel, the flowers of this plant come in a variety of colours, including scarlet, red, flesh-coloured, and bright blue. A picture, depicting the blue-flowered form, is shown on the page In praise of the colour blue.

The flowers of these plants open only when the sun shines, leading to a number of popular names, including shepherd’s weatherglass. The name pimpernel stems from around 1400, ultimately derived from the Latin piperinella, from piper (‘pepper’), in (‘resembling’), and ella, a diminutive suffix, thus ‘the little one that resembles pepper’. What it refers to is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

This species is distributed in the major part of Europe and temperate parts of Asia, eastwards to Japan. Its larvae feed on leaves of various members of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), preferably cuckoo-flower (Cardamine pratensis) and garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek krepis (‘slipper’ or ‘sandal’), according to some authorities referring to the shape of the fruit.

A very beautiful member of this genus is golden hawk’s-beard (C. aurea), which is distributed in European mountains, in the Jura, the Alps, the Apennines, the Abruzzos, and on the Balkans, and it is also found in Asia Minor. In the Alps, it grows in meadows and pastures, preferably on acid soils, at altitudes between 1,000 and 2,900 m.

 

 

 

 

 

It is a widespread breeding bird in almost all of Europe, including Iceland, and in a broad belt across southern temperate areas of Asia, eastwards to Ussuriland in south-eastern Siberia, north-eastern China, and the Japanese island Hokkaido.

Around the North Sea and the Mediterranean, birds are resident. Other populations are migratory, wintering in northern Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, and Indonesia.

The generic name was applied to the green sandpiper (T. ochropus) by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1599), who was the founder of the botanical garden of Bologna – one of the first of its kind. The name is derived from trungas, the classical Greek term for a thrush-sized, tail-bobbing wading bird, mentioned by Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.).

The specific name is derived from totano, the Italian name for the redshank.

 

 

 

 

 

Common bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is widely distributed in Temperate Eurasia, growing in drier habitats with low vegetation. In the Himalaya, it is found between 1,500 and 4,000 m altitude, from Pakistan east to central Nepal.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is from Ancient Greek geo (‘ground’) and kikhle (‘thrush’), referring to the almost exclusively ground-feeding habit of these birds.

Altogether 11 subspecies of the pretty orange-headed ground-thrush (Geokichla citrina) are distributed along the Himalaya, in eastern and Southern India, on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in Indochina, southern and eastern China, and northern Borneo, and on Java and Bali. It is resident in the major part of this huge area, but some northern populations are migratory, spending the winter in north-eastern and southern India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and southern China.

Subspecies cyanota of southern India is very distinct, having a white face with two vertical black streaks below and behind the eye. It has been suggested that it forms a separate species, but intermediate forms occur where its range overlaps with that of nominate citrina.

 

 

 

 

 

The fruit is large, green, splitting lengthwise and revealing two rows of seeds, covered in a bright orange, fleshy layer. It yields a large amount of white latex (hence its common name). This latex is sometimes used to adulterate chicle, and locally it is chewed as a substitute for chewing gum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name was given in allusion to its leaves, which resemble leaves of linden species (Tilia). A picture, depicting the gorgeous yellow flowers, is shown on the page In praise of the colour yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chinese screw palm (Pandanus tectorius), formerly known as P. odoratissimus var. sinensis, is a small tree, to 10 m tall, distinguished by its numerous spiny leaves, which may grow to 1.8 m long. it is distributed along seashores, from eastern China and Taiwan southwards through Southeast Asia to northern Australia and many Pacific islands. It is sometimes planted as a living fence, and the leaves are used for weaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pagoda flower (C. paniculatum), by some authorities called Javan glorybower, is a stout herb, sometimes growing to 2 m tall. It was named for its spectacular, pyramidal clusters of red or scarlet flowers.

This plant is native to subtropical and tropical Asia, from India eastwards to southern China and Taiwan, and thence through Southeast Asia to Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Guinea. It is widely cultivated and often escapes, making it difficult to determine whether a population is genuinely wild or not.

A close relative, C. infortunatum, is described on the page Plants: Himalayan flora.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This species is famous for its hallucinogenic properties, and, until recently, it constituted an important part in shamanistic rituals of several peoples, including the Sami, semi-nomadic reindeer herders of far northern Scandinavia and Russia. Their shamans wore pointed red hats, symbolizing the mushroom that was their sacrament, and red capes, which symbolized their flight through the air when they consumed the mushroom on their most sacred night of the year – the Winter Solstice (then December 25).

It is generally believed that the Vikings went berserk by eating fly amanita, but this is probably a wrong presumption, as you become rather lethargic by eating it.

The specific name is derived from the Latin musca (‘fly’), alluding to its usage to kill flies. German Catholic Dominican friar Albertus Magnus (c. 1200-1280) records in his work De vegetabilibus that “it is called the fly mushroom because it is powdered in milk to kill flies.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In arctic and temperate areas, most broad-leaved trees and bushes shed their foliage in autumn. Before falling, the leaves turn various colours, often red. In subtropical areas, a number of trees also attain red foliage, mostly in the winter months.

A large number of pictures, depicting plants with red foliage, are shown on the page Autumn.

 

Three of its popular names stem from the similarity of its fruits to those of the true almond (Prunus amygdalus), but the two species are not at all related, as beach almond belongs to the family Combretaceae, whereas the true almond is in the rose family (Rosaceae).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand cedar was named in honour of British botanist and explorer John Carne Bidwill (1815-1853), who investigated plant life in New Zealand and Australia, discovering several species new to science. In 1851, while marking out a new road in Queensland, Bidwill got lost and was without food for eight days. He eventually succeeded in cutting a way through the scrub with a pocket hook, but never properly recovered from starvation, and died in March 1853, 38 years old. (Source: Serle, P. 1949. Bidwill, John Carne (1815-1853). Dictionary of Australian Biography. Angus & Robertson)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name may refer to the Greek mythological figure Zelus, one of Zeus’s attendants. The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘long-legged’.

 

 

 

 

 

Common glasswort is edible, raw or cooked, often steamed and coated in butter or olive oil. Due to its high content of salt, it must be cooked in plenty of water, and no salt added.

The generic name is probably derived from the Latin sal (‘salt’), which refers to the habitat of these plants, and cornu (‘horn’), referring to the tip of the shoots, which somewhat resembles a horn. Other common names include pickleweed, picklegrass, and marsh samphire, the latter believed to be a corruption of the French name (herbe de) Saint-Pierre, meaning ‘St. Peter’s herb’. In North America, Salicornia virginica is occasionally sold under the names sea beans, samphire greens, or sea asparagus.

 

 

 

 

 

Its seeds are rich in protein, fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, in greater amounts than in many other grains. The name quinoa is derived from Quechua kinwa or kinuwa.

To the Incas, this crop was sacred, called chisoya mama (‘mother of all grains’). Traditionally, the Inca emperor was the one to sow the first seeds of the growing season, using ‘golden implements’. (Source: H. Popenoe 1989. Lost crops of the Incas: little-known plants of the Andes with promise for worldwide cultivation. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.)

When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Andes, they refused to acknowledge the qualities of quinoa, calling it ‘food for Indians’. They even forbade its cultivation at one point, and the Incas were forced to grow wheat instead. (Source: D.W. Gade 1999. Nature and culture in the Andes. University of Wisconsin Press)

 

 

 

 

 

Ganesh and other Hindu gods are presented in depth on the page Religion: Hinduism, including a legend, which explains how Ganesh got his elephant-head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’), like the common name referring to the wonderful scarlet, coral-red, or orange-red flowers of the genus.

These flowers are much visited by birds, including bulbuls and sunbirds, which feed on the nectar, and parrots, which eat the entire flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘cock’s comb’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This species is utilized medicinally. The fruits are edible, and an oil, called kusum, is extracted from the seeds. It is host to a lac insect, Kerria lacca, which is native to India.

The generic name was given in honour of Swiss botanist Johann Christoph Schleicher (1770-1834), and the specific name is Latin, meaning ‘rich in oil’.

 

 

 

 

 

The gorgeous Kohleria spicata is found from southern Mexico eastwards to Venezuela, and thence southwards to Peru. It was formerly utilized in traditional folk medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In former times, the burning boat was pushed out to sea, ceremonially carrying the diseases away, but in later years this practice was abandoned, and the boat was burned on land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Chinese lore, the lion is a mythological creature, often in the role as protector. Many sculptures in Taiwan depict male lions with a paw placed on a globe-like item, which is in fact an embroidered ball. In the old days, balls, made from discarded clothes, were presented by children as offerings to temples – a symbol of yang (light forces) and friendship.

Lion sculptures are also often placed as guardians outside temples and on Daoist graves. Several pictures, depicting such sculptures, are shown on the pages Religion: Daoism, and Culture: Graves.

During Daoist festivals, so-called lion dances often take place in front of temples and shops. Usually this dance is performed by two men, hidden under a gaily coloured cloth, which acts as the body of the lion, whereas a lion mask is held by the man in front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a letter to the manager of the construction at Stockholm Castle, King Johann III (1537-1592) orders him to purchase ‘rust lead’ or ‘pit bran’, as the king wanted all roofs of his castle to be painted red. In Sweden, in the 1600s, it was still unusual to paint your house, and tar was mixed with the colour pigments to conserve the wood.

During the 1700s, industrial production of the red pigment started in earnest. From 1764, the dye was produced at the Falu Gruva in Falun, and in the 1800s, it became increasingly common for laymen to paint their houses with it. In 1861, 900 tons were produced, and in the 1900s, production varied between 1000 and 2000 tons.

In 1992, the Falu Gruva closed down after more than a thousand years of pit-mining – only production of the red dye continued. In 2012, about 500 tons of pigment was produced, corresponding to 1,900,000 liters of ’Swedish-red’ paint. (Source: falurodfarg.com/om-foretaget/det-finns-bara-en-falu-rodfarg)

Below is a collection of pictures, showing buildings painted with ‘Swedish-red’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the covered bridges are truss bridges, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. A lattice bridge is a type of truss bridge, where a large number of small planks are placed diagonally to form a lattice.

About 1,500 covered bridges have been preserved in the United States. Some are presented on the page Culture: Bridges.

Hart Bridge, which spans the Housatonic River, West Cornwall, Connecticut, is a wooden lattice truss bridge from c. 1864, 52 m long and 4.6 m broad. It was constructed of timber from red spruce (Picea rubens), and wooden pegs, or trunnels, were used for joining the timbers.

 

 

 

 

 

The Brazilian peppertree (S. terebinthifolia) is a shrub or small tree, sometimes to 10 m tall, leaves alternate, to 22 cm long, pinnately divided, with up to 15 ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate leaflets, to 6 cm long and 3.5 cm wide, margin with small teeth, rachis usually with a narrow wing. The numerous small white flowers are borne in dense axillary clusters, fruit a bright red drupe, to 5 mm across.

It is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, growing in a wide variety of habitats, from dry dunes to swamps. It is widely cultivated in South America for its flowers, which are the main source of food for a stingless bee, Tetragonisca angustula, which is an important honey producer. The dried fruits are sold as pink peppercorns, which add a pepper-like taste to food.

It has been introduced elsewhere as an ornamental plant, especially in the southern United States, where it often becomes naturalized.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek skhinos, the classical name of another member of the family, the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘with leaves like the turpentine tree’ (Pistacia terebinthus).

 

 

 

 

 

Corymbia ficifolia, popularly known as red-flowered gum, and scientifically formerly as Eucalyptus ficifolia, is endemic to a rather small area in south-western Australia. However, due to its gorgeous flowers, it is one of the most commonly planted ornamental ‘eucalypus’ species. It grows to about 12 m tall, from December to May displaying an abundance of scarlet, pink, or orange flowers.

The specific name is derived from the Latin ficus (‘fig’) and folium (‘leaf’), alluding to the similarity of its leaves to those of some species of fig trees.

 

 

 

 

 

The term pileated refers to the prominent red crest of this bird, from the Latin pilleus (‘cap’) and atus (‘resembling’), thus ‘with a cap-like (crest)’.

 

 

 

 

 

A popular name of the plant is Christmas star. From the 17th Century, Franciscan monks in Mexico included the plant in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped pattern of the bracts was said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and their bright red color represented the blood of the crucified Jesus.

In Mexico and Guatemala, poinsettia is called Flor de Noche Buena, meaning ‘Flower of the Good Night’ (i.e. Christmas Eve). In Spain, it is known as Flor de Pascua (‘Easter flower’), and in Chile and Peru, it is called La Corona de los Andes (‘Crown of the Andes’).

The name poinsettia commemorates Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851), who was the first United States Minister to Mexico. He is credited with introducing the plant to the States in 1825.(Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The name four o’clock family stems from another member of the family, the Marvel-of-Peru (Mirabilis jalapa), whose flowers do not open until late in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other pictures, depicting this species, may be seen on the pages Plants: Ancient and huge trees, Nature: Nature’s patterns, and Silhouettes.

 

 

 

 

 

Popular names include Barbados nut, poison nut and purging nut, the latter two attesting to the toxic kernels. However, non-toxic varieties are known from Mexico, where the kernels are a very popular snack.

 

 

 

 

 

The Shwedagon and other pagodas are described on the page Religion: Buddhism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other common names of these plants include ball lily, fireball, oxtongue lily, poison root, and powderpuff lily.

Scadoxus multiflorus is native to the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, and to the major part of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Somalia and thence southwards to South Africa. It is also found in the Seychelles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five or six subspecies of Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), also called black-handed or Central American spider monkey, are distributed from south-eastern Mexico eastwards to Panama.

Spider monkeys, and many other monkeys and apes, are presented in depth on the page Animals – Mammals: Monkeys and apes.

 

 

 

 

 

The fruits are capsules, to 3 cm long, with a knobby surface. They contain many black, very hard seeds, which resemble shotgun pellets, hence one of the common names, Indian shot.

For thousands of years, this species has been a source of food for various indigenous peoples, including the Mayans, reflected in the popular name edible canna. The tubers are eaten, raw or cooked, and their high content of starch make them suitable for baking. Today, the leaves are used in Mexico to wrap around pastries, such as tamales, and in the Far East they are wrapped around sticky rice, which adds a unique flavour to it.

The name Canna indica is a misnomer. In Brazil, one of its popular names is cana-da-índia (‘cane of the indians’), alluding to the slender, cane-like stem. This name may have confused Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), when he named this plant in 1758.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

True bugs are a very large group of insects, with around 75,000 species worldwide. They are very diverse, but have one thing in common, namely piercing mouthparts with which they suck juice from plants or, in some cases, from other animals. Their mouthparts are contained in a beak, a so-called rostrum, which is usually held underneath the body when not in use. True bugs are often found in large congregations, densely clustered on stones, walls, or elsewhere.

Many species of true bugs are various shades of red, often with black markings. Some examples are shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A picture, depicting blue waterlily (N. caerulea) is shown on the page In praise of the colour blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red maple is famous for its brilliant autumn foliage, shown on several pictures on the page Autumn. But its flowers are also bright red, as seen from the pictures below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name honours William Sherard (1659-1728), an outstanding English botanist of his day. He was a wealthy man who contributed to the publication of many books and articles dealing with botany.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are all described in depth on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures, depicting fuchsia flowers, are shown elsewhere on this page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Latin term for the holm oak (Quercus ilex). When Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) named the common holly Ilex aquifolium, he probably found some similarity between the leaves of these plants. In Britain, as late as the 19th Century, the term ilex was still being applied to the oak as well as the holly. The specific name is in fact a corruption of the old Roman name of the plant, acrifolium, meaning ‘sharp leaf’. This sharpness has led to the belief that the leaves were part of the Crown of Thorns, worn by Jesus during the Crucifixion, and the red holly berries symbolize the drops of blood, dripping from his forehead.

The common holly is usually a shrub, but may occasionally grow into a large tree, to 25 m tall and with a trunk diameter of 1 m or more. It has a scattered distribution in Europe, northern Africa, and Turkey.

 

 

 

 

 

This species and many other Hibiscus species are described on the page Plants: Mallows and allies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A red drink, called karkade, is produced from the bright purplish-red, fleshy calyx, and also a very healthy jam, containing lots of anthocyanins. In Nepal, the calyx is eaten raw or pickled, and in Europe and North America it is used as food colouring. In various African and Asian countries, the green leaves are eaten as a spicy vegetable, and bast is produced from the stem fibres. Roselle is also much utilized in folk medicine, related in detail on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

The name roselle is from the French, a diminutive of rose, referring to the red calyx, which, with a bit of imagination, resembles a small rose.

The pictures below are all from Taiwan, where roselle is commonly cultivated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other pictures, depicting Indian tribal people, may be studied on the page People: Vanishing peoples of India, whereas the confrontation between the Dravidians and the invading Aryans is described on the page Religion: Hinduism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to efloras.org/Flora of China, Photinia includes about 60 species, found from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, and also some species in Mexico, whereas Stranvaesia has about 6 species, found from the Himalaya eastwards to Southeast Asia and China.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, northern birds were all migratory, spending the winter in central and southern Europe. However, in later years an increasing number of northern birds now remain in the area year-round, often feeding on road kills.

In former days, this bird was much persecuted, as it was often observed with remains of chickens. However, research has shown that it mainly feeds on carcasses, and many of the chicken remains were from dead chickens that had been thrown on middens. It has now recovered in many parts of its former distribution areas.

The generic name is the classical Latin term for this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

This shrubby herb, which grows to 60 cm tall, is native from Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming southwards to northern Mexico, growing on dry slopes and in chaparral, a community of shrubby plants, adapted to dry summers and moist winters, which are typical of southern California..

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘grey’ or ‘ash-coloured’, presumably referring to the leaves, which may sometimes be greyish, but are usually green.

Hummingbirds are much attracted to the flowers, giving rise to two other common names of the plant, hummingbird flower and hummingbird trumpet.

 

 

 

 

 

It is native from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Japan, and thence southwards to the Philippines and Malaysia, but has been introduced as an exotic plant to many other places. It often escapes and may easily expel native flora due to its dense foliage. It is regarded as an invasive species in south-eastern United States, Australia, and Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Greek generic name Arctostaphylos, as well as the Latin specific name uva-ursi, both mean ‘bear-grape’, which of course refers to the bright red berries. Traditionally, these berries have been utilized as folk medicine. Certain American tribes used the leaves as an antiseptic in urinary tract problems.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek gaster (‘belly’) and acantha (‘thorn’), referring to a number of spines, usually 6, protruding from the abdomen. These spines, as well as a shield-like carapace, covering almost the entire animal, are means of defense against enemies.

Gasteracantha falcicornis is distributed in eastern and southern Africa. In this species, the central spine on each side is prolonged into a long, curved ‘horn’, a fact which is reflected in the specific name, from the Latin falx (‘sickle’) and cornu (‘horn’). The female is larger and more colourful than the male, with a bright red shield, sometimes with yellow lateral stripes.

Many other spiders are described on the page Animals: Cobwebs.

 

 

 

 

 

This medium-sized tree, growing to 20 m tall, is native to Tropical Asia and Australia. The fruits, which are red pods, contain oil-rich seeds, which are sometimes roasted and eaten.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The four-coloured bush-shrike, formerly named Telophorus quadricolor, is now regarded as a subspecies, nigricauda, of the widespread gorgeous bush-shrike (T. viridis). Subspecies nigricauda is restricted to coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’) and gaster (‘belly’).

 

 

 

 

 

Other species of mistletoe are described on the page Plants: Parasitic plants.

 

 

 

 

 

This bird is also known as Peters’s twinspot, described in 1868 by German naturalist and explorer Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters (1815-1883) who travelled extensively in southern Africa 1842-1848. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens, which he then described in Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique… in den Jahren 1842 bis 1848, ausgeführt (1852-1882), dealing with mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, insects, and plants.

The specific name is derived from the Latin niveus (‘snow-white’) and gutta (‘drop’), of course alluding to the spotted underside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fruits occur in a wide variety of colours: yellow, pink, and numerous shades of red and purple, often produced abundantly. If they are not picked by people, they remain on the tree, until they are over-ripe and fall to the ground. Wild birds are not at all able to eat all these berries, which often lie almost in layers on the ground beneath the tree. Rotting cherry plums are much praised by butterflies and wasps. Pictures, depicting the fruits, are shown on the page Autumn.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek kerasos (‘cherry’), and the Latin ferus (‘wild’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The common and scientific names refer to the red colour of the male, which resembles the colour of the red robes and cap, worn by cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In northern Europe, both species emerge late in winter or early in spring, coccinea growing in drier forests, austriaca mostly in humid areas, notably along forest streams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mainly three species are cultivated: white-fleshed pitahaya (H. undatus), which has red-skinned fruits with white flesh, red-fleshed pitahaya (H. costaricensis, also known as H. polyrhizus) with red-skinned fruits, containing red flesh, and yellow pitahaya (H. megalanthus), which has yellow-skinned fruits with white flesh.

In English, Hylocereus species have many names, including night-blooming cereus, strawberry pear, belle-of-the-night, Cinderella plant, and Jesus-in-the-cradle. In Chinese, they are called 火龙果 (‘red dragon fruit’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many genera of the poppy family have gorgeous flowers, including true poppies (Papaver, below), Himalayan poppies (Meconopsis), some of which are described on the page Plants: Himalayan flora 2, and horned poppies (Glaucium, below).

Two groups of plants, which were formerly regarded as separate families, are now included in the poppy family, namely Fumariaceae, which includes corydalises, fumitories, and bleeding hearts, and Pteridophyllaceae, with only one genus and one species, Pteridophyllum racemosum, found in Japan.

Fumitory is presented on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The red horned poppy (G. corniculatum) occurs from southern Europe eastwards to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, southwards to northern Africa, Arabia, and Iran, and also in Australia, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Its flower colour varies from dark red to dark orange.

Glaucium leiocarpum is quite similar to red horned poppy, but the petals are yellow towards the tip and red towards the base, often with dark spots near the base. It is distributed in Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, growing in stony areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The leaves were used medicinally by Native Americans. In modern herbal medicine, it is regarded as a mild sedative and relaxant, suitable for children. It improves sleep quality and can prevent nightmares. It is also taken for hyper-activity, headache, migraine, depression, and nerve pain.

The seeds are used in cooking. Formerly, the pollen was utilized cosmetically by Native Americans.

In 1903, California poppy became the official state flower of California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As its name implies, the Puerto Rican tody (Todus mexicanus) is restricted to Puerto Rico, where it mainly lives in high-altitude, humid forests. It is a tiny bird, to 11 cm long and weighing 5-6 g. Its plumage is mainly green and whitish, but the throat and underside of the bill are bright red.

The specific name is a misnomer. French naturalist and surgeon René Primevère Lesson (1794-1849) described the bird from a skin, which he thought came from eastern Mexico. Local names include San Pedrito (‘Little Saint Peter’) and medio peso (‘half-dollar bird’). Apart from alluding to the diminutive size of the bird, it is not clear what they refer to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This species is native to temperate areas of Eurasia, from England and Spain eastwards to central Siberia. Formerly, it was believed that populations in the Far East and eastern United States were also part of this species, but they are now generally regarded as separate species, C. keiskei in China and Japan, and C. pseudomajalis in the eastern United States.

In Greek mythology, lily-of-the-valley was grown in the woods by Apollo to protect the delicate feet of his nine muses. On old English name of the plant was glovewort, as a salve for sore hands was produced from it. Other names include may bells, Our Lady’s tears, and Mary’s tears.

 

 

 

 

 

The Asian black bulbul is predominantly black, or slate-black, bill and gape are bright read, and the feet are orange. Sometimes, white-headed morphs are seen. The specific name leucocephalus is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’), and kephalos (‘head’), so this species must have been described from a white-headed specimen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Literally, the generic name means ‘stone-breaker’, from the Latin saxum (‘rock’) and frangere (‘to break’). You might think that the name would refer to the fact that many saxifrage species grow in cracks in rocky areas, but presumably it indicates the medicinal usage of one or more species in the treatment of kidney stones and the like.

Saxifraga brunonis is a most characteristic species, easily identified by its numerous red runners. It is widespread in the Himalaya, found from Kashmir eastwards to south-western China, at altitudes between 2,400 and 5,600 m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both species are described in depth on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the Indian Subcontinent.

 

 

 

 

 

It is assumed that the Persians acquired bulbs from nearby Turkestan about two thousand years ago. Cultivation of tulips spread slowly westwards, and it is known that they were cultivated in Constantinople as early as 1055, and in Vienna from 1554.

The name tulip is derived from Ancient Persian tauleban (‘turban’), alluding to the flower shape of most species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first white settler here was Ebenezer Bryce, whom the national park is named after. He grazed his cattle on the plateau above the gorge and had an entirely different opinion about this magnificent landscape: “A hell of a place to lose a cow.”

The figures are shaped by rivulets and rain water, eroding the soft sediment along the edge of a fault. This erosion caused many tiny gorges to emerge, through which the sediment could be washed out more quickly, leaving only ‘fins’ of harder material, filled with holes and cracks. As the park is situated at a high altitude (c. 2300 m), the climate is harsh. In the holes and cracks, rain water freezes and expands, eroding away even more sediment. Only the hardest material remains, often shaped to the strangest forms. In American, these figures are called hoodoos.

 

 

 

 

 

Some species are presented below, and many others are described on the page Plants: Rhododendrons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rudbeckia hirta is often called black-eyed Susan. However, this name is also used for a number of other plants.

The generic name was applied by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in honour of Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702), also known by the Latinized name Olaus Rudbeckius, who was professor of medicine, and periodically rector magnificus, at Uppsala University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first Fuchsia species was described from the island of Hispaniola by a French monk and botanist, Charles Plumier (1646-1704), during his third expedition to the Greater Antilles 1696-1697. He named this new genus after German botanist Leonhard Fuchs (1501-1566), who wrote a book about herbal medicine, published in Latin in 1542. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuchsia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to the leaves, which resemble grape vine leaves.

The origin of the name passion flower is described on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

The red slug (Arion rufus) is one of the largest species in the genus, to 20 cm long. It is widespread in the major part of western Europe. In Scandinavia and northern Britain, it is replaced by a close relative, the black slug (Arion ater). However, the red slug was widely introduced to Scandinavia by monks during the Middle Ages and has replaced its black cousin in many places. It is also extending its range further eastward in Europe.

It is not clear, whether a reddish species, which has recently turned up in Turkey, on both sides of the Bosphorus, is A. rufus or A. ater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tannins are extracted from galls of this species, popularly called Chinese galls, which are also widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments, including cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, and intestinal bleeding. The fruit is edible when cooked. It has an acid flavour.

 

 

 

 

 

These plants are native to the western parts of the Americas, from Alaska southwards to the Andes, with one species, C. pallida, distributed across Siberia, westwards to the Kola Peninsula, and southwards to the Altai Mountains.

They obtain part of their nutrients from roots of other plants. The flowers of some species are edible, and were formerly consumed by various native tribes, but as these plants tend to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissue, roots and green parts can be very toxic.

The generic name was given in honour of Spanish surgeon and professor of botany Domingo Castillejo Muñoz (1744-1793).

Below, 4 species with bright red bracts are presented, and others are described on the page Plants: Parasitic plants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stem is erect, to 60 cm tall, leaves variable, to 8 cm long, bracts bright red to yellowish, flowers green to purple, lined with red or yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A widely distributed plant, found from California eastwards across Arizona and New Mexico to Texas, growing in rocky areas and shrubberies.

The specific name is derived from the Latin lana (‘wool’), alluding to the woolly hairs covering stem and leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

The common name refers to the fact that the plant may grow to 80 cm tall, stem and leaves often dark purple.

The specific name is derived from the Latin minium, a red pigment, alluding to the colour of the bracts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dock is an old term applied to various plants with large leaves, whereas sorrel is a brownish-orange to pale chestnut colour, referring to the often conspicuously reddish-brown fruits of this genus when ripe. The fruit is mostly a triangular nutlet, often winged, and arranged in dense clusters.

An old home remedy, if you are stung by a nettle, is to apply the juice of dock to the affected area, which will afford instant relief. An old rhyme says:

 

 

It grows in wet areas, such as lake sides, along streams, and in wet meadows, often standing in water. It is distributed in most of Europe, eastwards to south-western Siberia and the Caucasus, southwards to Spain and Turkey.

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek hydor (‘water’), and the Latin lapathi, an old name for docks and sorrels.

 

 

 

 

 

This shrub, sometimes scrambling over other plants, may grow to 3 m tall, stem smooth, furrowed, leaves elliptic, to 9 cm long and 3 cm wide, tip pointed base spear-shaped, basal lobes to 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, reflexed. Flowers 2-6 together in whorls, outer petals brownish, to 2 mm long, inner petals red or reddish-brown, circular, to 7 mm across. Nut ovoid, to 2.5 mm long and 1 mm broad, brown, shining.

Young leaves and stems are edible, eaten raw. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat coughs, rheumatism, and stomach trouble. Formerly, a decoction of the root was utilized to treat smallpox.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columnea consanguinea is a woody herb, growing to 1 m tall. The specific name, meaning ‘with blood’, refers to the red blotches on the underside of its leaves. This species has a rather limited distribution, found only in Costa Rica and Panama.

 

 

 

 

 

My own ‘colourful’ adventures during Holi are related on the page Travel episodes – India 1991: Attending Hindu festivals in Rajasthan.

 

 

 

 

 

An Asiatic plant, which was previously called Penstemon frutescens, has now been placed in a separate genus, Pennellianthus. It is found in extreme eastern Siberia, southwards to Sakhalin Island.

The core area of beardtongues is the Southwest, especially the states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming. One species here is the magnificent Utah beardtongue (Penstemon utahensis), which grows in shrublands and desert, from eastern California eastwards to Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprising 43 species, these trees are native to the Southern Hemisphere, in Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Several species are dominant in temperate forests.

The silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii) is widespread in New Zealand, but is found nowhere else. The common name probably alludes to its bark, which is often whitish, especially in younger specimens. This tree can grow to huge dimensions, up to 30 m tall, and with a trunk diameter up to 2 m.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kallos (‘beauty’), and from the Latin stamen (‘stamen’), naturally alluding to the beautiful flowers of these plants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stipules (leaf-like appendices at the base of leaves) are often distinct on these plants. After flowering, the style forms a long, straight or up-curved beak, which separates into 5 elastic spring-like coils, each containing a single seed that is expelled, usually when the style is touched.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek geranos (‘crane’), alluding to the fruit, whose shape resembles a crane’s bill.

After blooming, the leaves of some crane’s-bill species turn bright red or magenta. Two examples are shown below.

 

The common name, as well as the specific name, derived from the Latin lucidus (‘light’), refer to the shining leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a total population of nearly 700,000, the Eurasian crane is one of the most numerous crane species, only surpassed by the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis). In western Europe, breeding numbers have increased dramatically in several countries, including Sweden with 15,000 to 20,000 pairs, Germany with about 8.000 pairs, and Denmark with about 500 pairs. In 1998, the total number in Europe was estimated at 45,000 pairs, but this number has since increased significantly.

Pictures, depicting various crane species, are displayed in the gallery at Animals: Cranes. You may also read about the sandhill crane on the page Animals – Birds: Sandhill cranes are a threat to breeding birds, whereas my encounter with the black-necked crane is related on the page Travel episodes – China 2009: Among black-necked cranes.

 

 

 

 

 

Reaching a height of up to 176 cm, the sarus crane is the tallest among the cranes – in fact, it is the tallest flying bird of all. This species is divided into three subspecies: antigone, living on the plains of northern India and south-western Nepal, sharpii in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and gilli in northern Australia. It has become extinct in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In Southeast Asia, it is threatened by draining, dam construction, overgrazing, poaching, and collecting of its eggs, in Australia by draining and cattle grazing.

Although the Indians revere this bird for religious reasons, it has declined drastically in later years due to draining, cultivation, urban development, industrial pollution, and an increased usage of chemical pesticides.

Today, the world population of the sarus crane is estimated at 15,000-20,000, with 8,000-9,000 in northern India.

 

 

 

 

 

The native range of the gorgeous epiphyte Hillia triflora is from south-eastern Mexico through Central America to north-western Colombia.

 

 

 

 

 

These plants have been utilized as food in Central America since at least 7500 B.C. Green or red fruits are eaten fresh, fried, or pickled, or as a vegetable in dishes. Dried or pounded fruits make popular spices like chili and paprika. The leaves are edible, widely used in Asian cuisines.

The name chili is the old Nahuatl name of the plant, whereas tabasco pepper is named after the Mexican state of Tabasco. In Spanish, jalapeño means ‘from Jalapa’, also called Xalapa, the capital city of Veracruz, Mexico. The name cayenne pepper stems from Cayenne, or French Guiana, from where this type was first introduced to Europe. Piri-piri, also written pili-pili, is Swahili for ‘pepper’.

The medicinal usage of Capsicum species is described on the page Plants: Plants in folklore and poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elsewhere, this tree has been planted extensively, especially in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Kenya, South Africa, and the island of Tristan da Cunha.

 

 

 

 

 

The inflorescence is a compact flowerhead with numerous flowers, to 1.9 cm long, golden-yellow in most subspecies, occasionally whitish, orange, or red. The calyx is very characteristic, with a dense cover of white hairs.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek anthyllio, diminutive of anthos (‘flower’). Originally, the plant was named Vulneraria rustica by Swiss physician and naturalist Konrad Gessner (1516-1565), derived from the Latin vulnus (‘wound’) and rusticus (‘rural’), alluding to the usage of the plant for healing wounds, and its habitat. It was also used for cough.

Pictures, depicting the normal form with yellow flowers, are shown on the pages In praise of the colour yellow, and Plants: Flora of the Alps and the Pyrenees.