June 7, 2007

Columbine.

Columbine

Found down by the Limnology building.

And speaking of water... I like the way the top of the flower looks like one of those photographs of a drop of water. I wonder how hard it is to get a capture like that.

6 comments:

Susan said...

The strobe photography first used to capture those drops of water/milk
photographs was invented by Harold
Edgerton
at MIT, a really fascinating professor.  More of his high speed
imaging here and here

George M. Spencer said...

Formal name....Aquilegia, from the Latin, aquilinum, "eagle like", because the spurs suggested the talons of an eagle to Linnaeus; OR, from the Latin word for "water collector," alluding to the nectar in the spurs of its petals.

Columbine, from the Latin columba, "dove", the spurred petals perhaps having suggested a ring of doves around a fountain.
Other common names include: American Columbine, Canada Columbine, Eastern Columbine, Meetinghouses, Rock Bells, Honeysuckle, Rock Lily, Cluckies, Jack-in-Trousers, Wild Honeysuckle, Granny's Bonnets, Dancing Fairies, Ancolie du Canada (Qué)

The flower is adapted to long-tongued nectar-feeders, notably hawk moths and hummingbirds. The constriction in the funnel-shaped spur just below the secreting bulbous tip prevents small bees from getting at the nectar.

rook.org

ron st.amant said...

We're on the same page today...this was taken about 2 hours ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ron_stamant/535179032/

However, your picture is better than mine :(

Ann Althouse said...

Ron, yours is really nice. Hairy!

Christy said...

I do love columbine, so exotic to my eye. I never could get them to self-seed in my garden and after the first couple of years gave them up to cardinal lobelia which were happier in that location.

Meade said...

"Hairy!"

Great Moments in Pedantry:

Botanists refer to that characteristic as "pubescent," which means covered with trichomes or "stalked glands."