Saturday, June 15, 2013

Nature's stained-glass

Salpiglossis sinuata (Painted Tongue)
Nature has a way of showing off its beauty in a simple yet fascinating way. At this time of the year, flowers showcase a spectacular display of color, and every year I come across an unusual species of flower that capture my attention and is quickly photographed by my camera. One such species has been planted recently outside the Rectory by faithful gardeners Frances and Sam Raabe, who methodically and meticulously take care of our flower beds. One such flower is known as Salpiglossis, or painted tongue, and offers up a kaleidoscope of color, with each flower rich in shadings of pigment and strong veins. Related to petunias, salpiglossis have the same open-faced, trumpet-like flowers. Salpiglossis sinuata is a flowering plant native to southern Chile. It was introduced to the northern hemisphere in the 1820s.
Salpiglossis - the orange variety
Unlike petunias, Salpiglossis is a relatively upright grower, reaching up to 3 feet in the garden. Flowers are about 21/2 inches in diameter. The colors are cream, lemon-yellow, gold, orange, brown, red, scarlet, violet, and near blue. Most of them are overlaid with veins and other patterns of color, making them look like stained glass. The flowers have a five-lobed funnel-shaped corolla, up to 7 cm (2.5 in) long and 5.5 cm (2 in) diameter, each lobe with a notched apex, velvety in texture, either violet or orange, and have contrasting darker stripes along each petal.

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