Flowers of San Francisco Botanical Garden

January 29, 2012

Camellias at SF Botanical Gardens

There are well over 300 species and cultivars of the Camellia genus in San Francisco Botanical Gardens. Though it doesn't grow well in this garden, the most economically important member of this genus is called Camellia sinensis, or the Tea Plant. This is the plant from which all true "teas" come, including black, green, oolong, and white teas. However, please don't confuse this tree with Melaleuca alternifoli, the Tea Tree from which tea tree oil is produced. That tree is in the myrtle family. Tea Plants have been cultivated for millennia throughout Asia, and have played an important part in Asian cultures. Originally brought to Japan from China by Buddists monks, tea eventually became a central part of traditional Japanese culture in tea ceremonies, or Sado (茶道, The Way of Tea). It is said that all aspects of traditional Japan are tied to the Way of Tea, so that to study tea, you study all things Japanese. In tea ceremonies, an un-blossomed, or just blossoming bud from a Tsubaki (椿, Camellia japonica) is used as the traditional decorative flower. The way camellias fall to the ground whole, and still in fully-bloomed beauty is symbolically linked to the Samurai warrior, who similarly dies in full splendor, without withering away.
There are several other genera of plants in the family to which the Camellias belong, Theaceae. Those plants are included here as well.

Camellia 'Destiny'

Camellia 'Dolores Hope'

Camellia 'Fashionata'

Camellia 'Flower Girl'

Camellia 'Glenn's Orbit'

Camellia 'Gualala Glow'

Camellia 'Kramer's Supreme'

Camellia 'Lily Pons'

Camellia 'Lulu Belle'

Camellia 'Salute'

Camellia 'Sweet Emily Kate'

Camellia 'Yume'

Camellia grijsoo

Camellia japonica 'Black Prince'

Camellia japonica 'C. M. Wilson'

Camellia japonica 'Cup of Beauty'

Camellia japonica 'Dr. Tinsley'

Camellia japonica 'Mathotiana'

Camellia japonica 'Tinsie

Camellia japonica 'Tinsie'

Camellia japonica 'Unryu' - Zig-Zag Camellia

Camellia reticulata 'Crimson Robe'

Camellia rosaeflora 'Grande'

Camellia saluenensis

Camellia sasquana 'Silver Dollar'

Camellia transnokoensis

Camellia williamsii 'J. C. Williams'

Camellia x williamsii 'Golden Spangles'

Camellia x williamsii 'Hiraethlyn'

Gorgeous tree camellia

Gorgeous low-growing shrub camellia

Camellias

Gordonia longicarpa

December 5, 2011

Buttercups at SF Botanical Garden

The buttercup Family, Ranunculaceae, is an old family of flowering plants. The family includes it's namesake, the buttercups, as well as clematises, hellebores, larkspurs (delphinuims), monkshoods (aconitums), meadow-rues (thalictrums), and devils-in-a-bush (nigellas). There are over 1700 species in this family. One common characteristic is the abundance of their "flower bits." These plants contain protoanemonin, which is a toxic substance that can cause rashes through touch or nausea, vomiting, dizziness, vomiting, or paralysis upon ingestion. Beggars have apparently purposely blistered their skin with buttercups to arouse sympathy from passers-by. Though toxic, meadow buttercups have been picked for generations and held under a friend's chin. The folklore has it that if if reflects yellow light on the chin, the friend likes butter. Many parts of these plants can be found in the fossil record, dating to around 125 mya in the early Cretaceous Period. These are flowers that dinosaurs might recognize, though of course they have been changing in the intervening millions of years. Currently, they are found worldwide, with the major exceptions of African and Australian deserts, and Greenland tundra.