Plant Week, Day IV

Posted by MadScientist (Düsseldorf, Germany) on 2 May 2008 in Plants & Nature and Portfolio.

Mutations are common with ferns; this frond from a Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern) was alive and completely white when I removed it. Obviously a mutation inhibited synthesis of chlorophyll in that frond; the rest of the plant was green.

Comments (9)

Margie from Auckland, New Zealand

Very cool eye-catching shot.
And a silver fern...so of course I have to comment since that emblem is on our national sports teams uniforms.
:)

2 May 2008 3:55am

@Margie: Now I know what a silver fern (Cyathea dealbata) is :) but this one is actually just a bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), as it is very common here. To have treeferns in our forests and gardens would be a dream!

Michael from Wuppertal, Germany

Wieder mal sehr schöne Farne! Muss mal sehen, ob wir uns auch so ein paar in den Garten setzen! Palmen kämen da nicht so gut... Boden ist sehr lehmig und teiwleise serh viel Schatten- ich denke, Farne kämen da besser mit klar!?

2 May 2008 3:52pm

@Michael: Ja, der gute rheinische Lößlehm! Egal, was Du da reinsetzt: für gute Drainage (Steine, Sand) würde ich auf jeden Fall sorgen, sonst säuft Dir die Pflanze ab - auch Farne. Eine Prüfung, ob der Boden sehr kalkhaltig ist, kann auch nicht schaden: die meisten Pflanzen mögen es eher leicht sauer. Falls das zuviel Mühe macht: Palmen / Farne etc. sehen auch im Kübel gut aus. Sobald es warm ist, kannst Du sie rausstellen, im Winter bzw. ab den ersten Nachtfrösten) sollten sie dann hell und kühl (Keller mit Fenster / Garage / Waschküche) überwintert werden (hier heimische Farne kannst Du natürlich draußen lassen; die werfen ihre Wedel ab und machen im Frühjahr neue).
Schon mal an Bambus gedacht...? War heute im BoGa Köln, fand ich sehr inspirierend!

akarui from Kagoshima, Japan

I like this one. The shape of the fern and a very good separation with the dark background are nice. I don't know if it is a wall but I like the texture.

2 May 2008 6:20pm

@akarui: This is one of our leather armchairs :-)

Laurie from New Jersey, United States

Very cool find. Well done.

2 May 2008 7:17pm

@Laurie: Thanks, Laurie! This albino frond was indeed a surprise! :-)

Ronnie 2¢ from London, United Kingdom

Interesting find. Ferns, I believe are among the oldest of plants so will have learned a few tricks!

3 May 2008 5:22pm

@Ronnie 2¢: Today's ferns are quite modern plants, but their growth patterns and sexuality is very ancient (at least partially). Really ancient plants that don't have changed since primeval times are cycads and some conifer species.

Twelvebit from Victoria, United States

Dramatic lighting.

5 May 2008 3:19pm

@Twelvebit: True color ;-)
Just a white frond on a black leather armchair.

Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan

I like ferns....... and especially the way you arranged this composition!. A most stylish presentation, the effect on the black background (with little patterns in it, too) is very pleasant!

8 May 2008 10:46am

@Japanalia: That was just a lucky moment: I laid that frond on one of our black leather seats; the effect is indeed quite 'stylish' :)