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A Walk in a Fern Bluff Park (28 April 2007) This walk took place in Friendly Oaks Park by Jerry Cates A Perfect Spring Day, Again, With Lots of Flowers... Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis)
This tiny flower, barely 1/2 inch (12 mm) across, blooms all over the Fern Bluff M.U.D. Most do not notice the flower at all, and many that do think it a weed. The history of this plant, and its name, are unique. Scarlet pimpernel figured in a series of novels by Baroness Emmuska Orczy that were set in the French Revolution. In the novels, the Scarlet Pimpernel is courageous and daring, but has successfully hidden his identity from his fellow French citizens as he goes about rescuing innocents from the guillotine. The flower is, on close examination, of unusual beauty, and I've seen evidence of it in each park during my travels. Like the figure in Orczy's novels, it is difficult to catch. Unlike him, however, it open its petals in bright sunlight, but during overcast periods, or when bad weather approaches, it closes up. This habit has earned it a reputation as "the Poor Man's Weather Glass". Because previous walks in the park, this year, have almost all been on days with threatening weather conditions, this flower has not been visible. Drummond's Skullcap (Scutellaria drummondii)
Last week we found a few drummond's skullcap blooms in Cheatham's Park. Today they could also be found in Friendly Oaks Park, though only in the small areas where the lawnmowers had not gotten to them. Since last week's images were not the best, I took another, this time under magnification, to show off the subtle beauty of the bloom. Like scarlet pimpernel, this plant has tiny blooms. Yellow Stonecrop (Amerosedum lanceolatum) One of the most common wild flowering plants found in our parks is the yellow stonecrop. This plant grows in shallow soil atop extensive limestone outcroppings. Its name comes from the belief, in times past, that its roots dug into the rock, weakened it, and eventually split it apart.
Archives of previous walks in the park: 12 May 2007, 05 May 2007; 28 April 2007, 21 April 2007, 14 April 2007, 1 April 2007 Easter Egg Hunt; 24 March 2007, 17 March 2007; Nov. 03, 2001; April 04, 2001; March 25, 15, 10-11, 04, 2001; February 24, 18, 10, 2001 |
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