Jul. 4th, 2006

urbpan: (Boston)
Today is the United States National Holiday. We celebrate not because we have military might, or global influence, or because we have a high standard of living. We celebrate because the nation was founded not on familial lines, nor decree from God, but on an idea:


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.


enjoy the fireworks.
Here's hoping that the current regime runs out of the consent of the governed real soon.

Also: Happy Birthday Dad! Happy Birthday Kendra! Happy Birthday Brooke!
urbpan: (Default)

Photo by [livejournal.com profile] cottonmanifeso. Location: Castle Island walkway, South Boston.

Urban species #185: Scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis

Imagine our surprise, when walking the asphalt walkway that encircles Pleasure Bay, nearly a mile away from the shore, when we discovered an unknown wildflower. All along the paved path, busy with summertime stollers, there were clumps of mugwort, chicory, and smartweeds. Suddenly, we came across a low, prostrate weed, with the most lovely little star shaped, rich orange flowers, and none of us on the Urban Nature Walk had ever seen it before. Some research showed it to be scarlet pimpernel, which, while it is known and named for its red color, can tend toward orange, and even has red and blue varieties.

How does a plant find its way to a space in a paved walkway surrounded by salt water? Seeds are surprisingly sturdy vessels of life. The seed of the scarlet pimpernel is known to have been buried for 30 years and then, put in the right conditions, sprung to life as a new plant. More tellingly, there are records of scarlet pimpernel seed having been found in the droppings of gulls. Since the droppings of gulls do not constitute a rare substance along the coast of Boston, this seems a likely origin for our plant.

This attractive little weed is a native of Eurasia. It tends to grow in waste areas, not rich cultivated soils, and favors high calcium levels (a quality associated with seaside areas, due to mollusk and crustacean remains in the sand). It is relatively rare in eastern North America, but much more common on the West Coast and in the Midwest.

Profile

urbpan: (Default)
urbpan

May 2017

S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
1415 1617181920
21222324252627
28293031   

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 6th, 2025 08:12 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios