I was looking for a flower whose color would make the transition from green to blue and which could have been more suitable than the jade vine? The plant is native to Philippines and it's grown in gardens all over the world. The color, which we find impressive due to its rarity in the plant … Continue reading Daily Sketches – 20. Strongylodon macrobotrys (Jade Vine)
Today tutorial is on drawing Passiflora capsularis, a small, vanilla scented passion flower that grows in tropical areas. Passiflora is a pentamorous flower, having parts arranged in groups of five: 5 petals, 5 alternating sepals which in most species looks the same as the petals, differing only by a hook at the tip (awn). On … Continue reading Daily Sketches – 19. Passiflora
Today's sketch is of Molucella laevis, also called Bells of Ireland. The plant has nothing to do with Ireland, except the striking green color, being original from Turkey, Syria and Asia. Inflorescences are arranged in whorls of 6-8 around the stem and they are composed of a large cup-shaped calyx and a white or purple-pink, … Continue reading Daily Sketches – 17. Molucella laevis
Today I sketched the inflorescence of Spathiphyllum. Aroid species produce blooms consisting of one modified leaf called spathe (sometimes of bright colour, like in Anthurium) and a spike-like structure called spadix along the length of which are hundreds of tiny flowers. Spathiphyllum have "perfect flowers" which bear both male and female organs. The diamond-shaped structure … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 16. Spathiphyllum
This plant grows spontaneously in my garden and made me a little obsessed with Euphorbia genus. Thus I found out that one of the houseplants I thought was succulent is actually Euphorbia hypogaea and that there are thousands of Euphorbia species with fascinating shapes and colors. Here are few of my favorites: 1. E. atropurpurea … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 15. Euphorbia platyphyllos
Cypripedium calceolus is a species of lady's slipper orchid that grows in temperate climate. It is a protected species in Romania. Orchids have evolved by developing very interesting mechanisms for trapping and guiding insects. The shield visible at the base of the flower is a staminode (a modified sterile stamen) with the role of attracting … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 14. Cypripedium calceolus
Today I want to take a closer look at the Black Locust flower (Robinia pseudoacacia - the false acacia). Acacia grows only in sub-tropical and tropical areas and, although has leaves very similar to Robinia, the shape of the flower is different. The flower of Robinia has a morphology typical of plants of the Fabaceae … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 13. Robinia pseudoacacia
There were so many of these flowers in the meadows at the end of May, I liked them so much! I can say that I'm more attracted to the pinnate leaves and the tendrils from the end of the leaves stalk with which the plant clings to absolutely everything it finds around it, than the … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 12. Vicia grandiflora
The flowers of Digitalis purpurea, the purple foxglove, are tubular, pendent, arranged in a spiral around long spikes. Each flowers has 5 sepals, joined at the base, and 5 petals, joined in a tube, the lowest forming a lip as a landing area for pollinators. The lower petal also has markings to guide the pollinators … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 11. Digitalis purpurea
Today's tutorial subject is the colorful flower of Gaillardia. Part of the Asteraceae family, Gaillardia grandiflora has the same floral structure as Bellis perennis that I sketched a few days ago: a capitulum composed of hundreds of disc florets forming a circle in the middle, and ray florets surrounding this middle. By definition, ray florets … Continue reading Daily Sketches – 10. Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Fanfare’
