IRG 21 September 2011

[Maggi Young]

Just to tempt you as to what is in the IRG 21.........
( online now!)

Cliff Booker gets enthusiatic about parasites .... but these don't bite or chew humans.....

We steal a couple of photos from the Forum

Ian Young talks about spun sugar.......

and a new contributor from Canada gives us an insight into some of the favourite species from his book.
 

[fleurbleue]

  good news ! I and my friends can't wait for it... 

[IRG ED Team]

The issue of IRG referred to here is now online.


The article written by Cliff Booker in IRG 21, September 2011:  “IT’S OK BEING A PARASITE WHEN YOU GIVE SO MUCH BACK”,  begins with plants in the Dolomites. Here are some extra photos from the other areas mentioned by Cliff….the Gargano peninsula  in Southern Italy and the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain.


The Gargano promontory boasts a range of habitats, from extensive olive groves to the cyclamen rich Umbra Forest, from the uplands around Monte Sant’ Angelo to the coastal lakes of the north, from profuse orchid meadows to sparsely inhabited offshore islands; from sandy beaches to barren limestone outcrops ... the area has it all.


Ornithogalum sp., Orchis papilionacaea, Coastal arch, Immovable road block.

 

Whilst in the Gargano I purchased an excellent book entitled; ‘Orchidee Spontanee nel Parco Nazionale del Gargano’ by Angela Rossini and Giovanni Quitadamo (ISBN 88-8431-091-1) that beautifully illustrates the entire panoply of orchids to be found in the area. Only available in Italian unfortunately, this book assisted greatly with identification during our stay.

Orchis purpurea
Gargano townscape
Cliffs in the mountains

   


Roadside verges are awash with colour in April.

          

  


Parasitic and hemi-parasitic plants flourished in a range of habitats and Orobanche species could be found in an array of pastel shades. Carnivorous plants grew in abundance in the shady and moisture drenched cliffs and boulders.


    


The Picos de Europa are truly beautiful mountains and a photographer’s dream.

    

  

  

[IRG ED Team]

Further to Cliff's article, some interesting links to parasitic plants, the Dolomites, the Gargano and the Picos de Europa:-

http://www.parasiticplants.org/
http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/
http://www.botany.org/parasitic_plants/
http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/publications/pdfs/record_MaWildlife_2011.pdf

http://www.dolomiti.org/dengl/
http://www.colletts.co.uk/

http://www.italytravelsguide.com/gargano-peninsula.php
http://www.first-nature.com/flowers/sites-gargano.php
http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Photo_diary/Gargano/Web_pages/gargano_2009_page1.htm


http://www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com/v_portal/apartados/pl_basica.asp?te=2045
http://www.thepicosdeeuropa.com/wild-flowers.html
http://www.picos-accommodation.co.uk/flora-and-fauna-picos-de-europa.html

[IRG ED Team]

In drawing attention to the Forum in the pages of IRG 21, some photos from the Forum were used. One of these was of Colchicum 'Wine Cup', shown by Hagen Engelmann of Germany.
We thought some more photographs of this charming cultivar would be appreciated.



'Wine Cup' is a Colchicum speciosum cultivar, raised quite recently in the Berlin garden of Werner Wolff. He  has selected bulbs (of colchicum speciosum and others) for a long time.
The flowers are sturdy, cup-shaped and of a fine size. The flower is not as dark as 'Jenny Robertson'. The colour is a red purple. It blooms in the middle to late part of the season.
It seem to be a good hardy plant.  The throat  detail and size of the flower  can  be seen well on Hagen's photos.





The pictures are all taken in the "GARTEN IN DEN WIESEN"  (GARDEN IN THE MEADOWS) of Karla and Hagen Engelmann.
See their website : www.engelmannii.de

[David Nicholson]

Who's that sprawled across the rocks like some Apollo on speed in Cliff's article? 

Cracking edition folks. Mrs N, who is a great fan of Heucheras enjoyed it too.

[Maggi Young]

Who's that sprawled across the rocks like some Apollo on speed in Cliff's article? 

Cracking edition folks. Mrs N, who is a great fan of Heucheras enjoyed it too.

I wondered the same thing.... may have  been some fellow Sue chatted up on holiday.

Mrs N. might find Grahame Ware and Dan Heims' book a nice gift for the festive season, David?

[David Nicholson]

Who's that sprawled across the rocks like some Apollo on speed in Cliff's article? 

Cracking edition folks. Mrs N, who is a great fan of Heucheras enjoyed it too.

I wondered the same thing.... may have  been some fellow Sue chatted up on holiday.

Mrs N. might find Grahame Ware and Dan Heims' book a nice gift for the festive season, David?

And there was I thinking she might like a new toaster

[Tim Ingram]

I wonder if you can fit springs to clogs? What a hugely enjoyable photographic tour of parasitic and hemiparasitic plants. They often turn up in talks but never in this variety. Cliff you should team up with a botanist and write something on these plants, they are so extraordinary and interesting, and your photographs capture the plants and landscape so well.