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’
Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formely known as Dicentra spectabilis (a scientific name still widely used) has this very easily recognizable heart shape, hence the popular name of bleeding-heart. Other common names include lyre flower, heart flower and lady-in-a-bath. The flower has 2 large outer petals (those in the shape of a heart) and two inner petals, narrow, … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 9. Lamprocapnos spectabilis
The blossoms of columbines may look complex but they conform to the model of 5-star flower forms. 5 lanceolate, petal-like sepals are interspersed with 5 petals standing upward, spurred or saccate at the base. In the spur, there is nectar on which bees, hawk moths and hummingbirds feed. Stamens are numerous (often more than 50) … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 6. Aquilegia
This is one of my favourite flowers and this is due in part to the beautiful botanical illustration of Arthur Harry Church representing a cross-section of the flower and showing the grace of its curved filaments. So often an exceptional botanical illustration made me pay more attention to a botanical subject, which I would otherwise … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 5. Geranium phaeum
Ornithogalum umbellatum or star-of-Bethlehem is a bulbous plant that can be found in Romanian meadows from mid to late spring and it is related with many familiar garden plants such as hyacinth, bluebells, grape hyacinths and squills. The petal-like perianth is radially symmetric and consists of six lanceolate tepals, 3 smaller than the other 3, … Continue reading Daily Sketches – June 30 Flowers – 4. Ornithogalum umbellatum
Alina Lupu 