Here in San Francisco Magnolias and their relatives are popular trees. The evergreen magnolias of the South, the tulip trees, as well as the Asian magnolias that hail from the Himalayas. The fruits are most unusual structures:
In the olden times it is said that only the emperor could cultivate the peony flower. In the wilds of California grow two native species of Paeonias, but this here is the still young fruit of a showy garden Peony from across the sea. A tribute to Paeon, physician to the gods.
Not all fruits are possessed of symmetry and uniformity. Market rejects!
Some fruits in the touch-me-not family do not like to be handled. Example: Impatiens fruits curl and explode:
Impatiens roots, have you seen them? Succulent, fleshy, easy to pull.
What about roots to eat? I was just getting hungry for a nice soup full of parsnips, turnips, and carrots. Oh you poor thing…What happened to you underground?
Perhaps it is better to stick with something fragrant. How about a flower? Maybe not this one; something about this Stapelia flower is down right repulsive. Is it those purple hairs? Where’s the scratch and sniff?
Under the hoodie, the arum flower has got parts!? A shocker for me!
This flower is for all the ladies in the Pacific Islands making tapa cloth out of the inner bark of the paperbark mulberry tree. These flowers are only females. The male flowers are on another tree.
Well, let’s make a circle and go back to the magnolia family. Tulip tree flowers. Exquisite. The colors!!!
Mission Azul 