Monday, May 3, 2010

Spring fever

The sedated winter ferments and foments a coup d'etat in the biological world that unleash upon the North East USA once the ice melts and air warms. The drumbeat of spring plays like speed-metal - hormone-charged new shoots ooze from the ground and bare branches in tempo of 200 beats per minute.


The fertile stems of the primitive Equisetum punch purposefully into the warm air, looking as they had looked for the past hundred million years.....in fact, looking more like rattler's tails rather than the common name, Horsetails....

....the toxic bridal veil of Amianthium muscaetoxicum, adventurous ruminants had been known to be rewarded with supreme enlightenment no less than rigor mortis....

.... the alluring guise of Trillium erectus belies a noxius smell due to its penchance for flies and its tendency to cut your tongue with tiny calcium oxalate crystals.


Elsewhere .....

.... Jack-in-the pulpit unpacks an uplifting sermon ....
.... Mountain Laurel summons an unrestrained cheer ....

....a trail of pink slippers were left by some maiden ....

.... to bait and ensnare a prince or emir ....

One of the many victims of this uprising, my little romp in the wild resulted in excessive inhalation of the pollen laden air....and a wretched paranasal sinusitis which lasted til' late summer.

How can something so good feel so bad ?

ps: Accordingly to some taxonomists, there should be only one species of the variable Arisaema triphyllum although completely green forms were also sighted. The encounter of the Cyrpripedium acaule occured in Virginia and was highlight of the trip. And thanks to the good people of defunct UBC forum for identifying the horsetail, which I had initially thought was a fungus, ha ; and Beth from Firefly forest for id-ing the Fly Poison.

8 comments:

Christine B. said...

I live in "horsetail-ville" where they are rampant spreaders and the bane of many gardeners. I haven't seen any up yet this spring, but then, the snow is still around in some places....

Christine in Alaska

Hort Log said...

Wow Alaska is sure gonna be challenging for a gardener....its one of the few places where a moose might stroll in for a snack.

Hermes said...

Very poetic, and I especially love the Trillium. I get hay fever some years so sympathise.

Hort Log said...

yep saw a few species of Trilliums but the red one is most striking. There's also a white one.

rLn! said...

UTTERLY gorgeous!!! Never mind that they may be poisonous or the cause of hay fever...these flowers are beautiFUL! \o/

philippine flowers said...

Wow! those wild flowers were really gorgeous. Wish I can add them in my garden. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

-pia-

Anonymous said...

I seldom leave comments on blogs, but you really impress me, also I have a few questions like to ask, what's your contact details?

-Johnson

Hort Log said...

thanks - you can see my email contact at the right column - cheers !

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