Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Perú and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus.
They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1 to 12 m tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad.
The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The fruit is a narrow five-lobed achene.
Bougainvillea are relatively pest-free plants, but may suffer from worms, snails and aphids. The larvae of some Lepidoptera species also use them as food plants, for example the giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia).
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Snapped this sign in Greensborough, an outer suburb of Melbourne. They really like their customers, I must say, ;-). But isn't the script beautiful?
This post is part of the Signs Signs meme.
Hippeastrum is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. They generally have large fleshy bulbs and tall broad leaves, generally evergreen, and large red or purple flowers. Hippeastrum is a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae.
The name Hippeastrum, given to it by William Herbert, means "Knight's-star-lily", although precisely what Herbert meant by the name is not certain. For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of this genus, often sold as indoor flowering bulbs particularly at Christmas in the northern hemisphere. By contrast the generic name Amaryllis applies to bulbs from South Africa, usually grown outdoors. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean.
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
Thomastown Trash and Treasure Market is a Sunday market that is open 8am till 3pm. It is located near the corner of Wood Street and Settlement Road, Thomastown in Melbourne. In a large outdoor space, this market offers an assortment of tools, hardware, clothing, kitchen items, and all sorts of odd curios - you never know quite what you'll find. There is a small entry fee and parking is handy.
This post is part of the Blue Monday meme.
In the warm shadehouse,
A single fallen yellow leaf -
Presage of Autumn.
This post is part of the Shadow Shot Sunday meme.
“It’s not the feeling of the high when you’re running round
It’s the friends that you find when you’re coming down;
From smooth sailing to foggy rocky roads
I won’t be faked by my reflection like that dog that dropped his bone.”
Dampiera linearis (Common Dampiera or Wedge-leaved Dampiera) is an erect perennial herb in the family Goodeniaceae. The species, which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia, grows to between 0.15 and 0.6 metres in height.
It produces blue flowers between July and December in its native range. In cultivation, the species prefers a well-drained situation in full sun or light shade. It tolerates some dryness and moderate frost.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
