ABC Wednesday

It’s is Wednesday again already. If you are visiting for Wordless Wednesday skip all these words and scroll down to the next post.

Prairie Baby's Breath
Euphorbia corollata
(yoo-FOR-bee-uh) (kor-uh-LAY-tuh)

I don’t think I have ever updated my blog twice in one day but I guess there is a first time for everything. I went to the New York Botanical Garden on Sunday to try some rose photography and while making my way out to the rose garden I had my eye out for a plant whose name began with ‘E’. I actually found several with these two coming out the best. The first one is Euphorbia corollata, which is known colloquially as Redneck Baby’s Breath. I hadn’t seen this Midwest native before but it certainly caught my attention as there was literally a million flowers on the plant. From a far I did think it was Baby’s Breath but as I got closer I could see that it wasn’t. It reminded me of a giant cloud of white flowers.



Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
(er-RIN-jee-um yuk-ki-FOH-lee-um)
Apiaceae (ay-pee-AY-see-ay)

The second plant is similar to the first in the fact that it too likes dry and tough conditions. It looks like something you would stumble on in New Mexico or Arizona but it is another Midwestern plant. The long leaves are very reminiscent of Yucca foliage (hence the species name). I find it interesting for it’s common name, Rattlesnake Master. It was so named because people used to think it was helpful after one was bitten by a rattlesnake (which is not the case). There were several other medicinal uses during the 19th century none of which are used today. There is plant that is closely related to this one called Blue Sea Holly (Eryngium amethystinum) and I really wanted a picture of that to show here I couldn’t find any blooming. Both the white and blue versions some of the stems are the same color as the flower, which I found fascinating. This was my first reference to the family, Apiaceae, which is commonly known as the Celery family. Among its 300 species are some deadly plants like Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and some garden favorites like Masterwort (Astrantia major) and many edible plants including Parsley and Carrots. One of the identifying factors of this family is the plants have hollow stems (I know, really helpful plant trivia).

I am looking forward to seeing what the other people come up with for ABC Wednesday. I am already planning my ‘F’ shot. I wish I had more time to visit everybody’s Blog during the week. I really must put to together a list and click through it a couple of times a week. There at least 100 Blogs that I like and my approach to visiting them is a bit scatterbrained. I will again try and visit everyone.



Here are a few of the blogs joining in:
(I'll post more when I find them.)

mrs nesbitts place
hin's photoblog
tech the man
a bit of this a dash of that
Little Rock Daily Photo
photoxication
Kissing the Dogwood
strolling through Georgia
Ruth's Garden Blog
dwq online
kate isis
bidadlah.com
photography by kml
AVCR8TEUR'S Blog
Salty Dogs
The Modern Goddess
Simply Sage
HeART of the Nest

EDITED TO ADD: Apparently Blogger doesn't seem to want to upload my list of links and my pictures. Sorry for those people that came to see the pictures and saw nothing your patience is greatly appreciated. I will have to start checking my posts on my wife's computer as the pictures appeared fine on mine.