University of Dundee Botanic Garden (2)

By david

16 comments

The single large glasshouse here is separated into two “biomes”, one tropical, the other temperate.

Approach to west entrance of glasshouse

In here, of course, the temperature, and scenery, was in stark contrast to the gardens outside.

I have seen bunches of green or ripe yellow bananas on the plants before, but never at the following stages……..

There were tangerines (Citrus reticulata) and also lovely pommelos/pummelos (Citrus maxima).

Tangerine

Pommelo

Everything in the tropical biome, from trees to understorey to ground cover is, of course very different from outdoors, being lush and very green.

Also, in contrast with outdoors, there were more flowering and fruiting plants, displaying “hot” colours.

Agapetes variegata

Pachystachys lutea

Neoregelia spectabilis (?)

Coffee (Coffea arabica)

There were some cooler colours, too, including this beautiful Brunfelsia.

Brunfelsia calycina

This is also known by the name “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” because, on the first day the blooms are purple, the next day they are light blue, and, on their last day, they turn to white.

Oxalis vulcanicola

Water Lettuce (Pistia sratiotes)

“Earthy” tones were also represented in several specimens, including…….

Tree Fern (Dicksonia antartica)

Seedpods on Lipstick Tree (Bixia orellana)

…..and, finally, the ferocious-looking trunk of the Kapok (Ceiba pentandra).

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

In the final blog part on “The Botanics”, I’ll show some of what we discovered in the temperate biome.

7 Mar, 2010
14 likes

Comments

Spritzhenry

What an amazing set of plants, David!

Do you know - an open garden we've visited a few miles from here has that Brunfelsia growing OUTSIDE in their garden!!!!

7 Mar, 2010

Andrewr

Hmmm - I wonder if that's yesterday's plant after the winter we've just experienced

7 Mar, 2010

David

Thanks, Spritz. Brunfelsia outside! Since when did Somerset become part of the "neotropical" zone? I was thinking similarly, Andrew, lol! :-) But, hope that it does survive.

7 Mar, 2010

Spritzhenry

It was there last summer, after the previous cold winter! Mind you, it's in a walled garden. The lady was most surprised when I told her it was a tender plant - she said it had been there for years!

7 Mar, 2010

Hywel

Another interesting blog :o)

8 Mar, 2010

Sixpence

Interesting and wonderful set of plants and fruits thanks for showing

8 Mar, 2010

Amy

Some fantastic plants there David , the trunk of the kapok looks as though it has limpets clinging to it , is this where the Kapok cotton material comes from ?

8 Mar, 2010

David

Hopefully, it will have survived this one, Spritz. :-)

You're welcome, Hywel and 6d. :-)

Too many to show here, Amy. Yes, kapok is the name for the fibre extracted from the seed pods. :-)

8 Mar, 2010

Clarice

Avery interesting blog thanks David...

8 Mar, 2010

Hollyeves

enjoyed your blog.........

8 Mar, 2010

Amy

Thanks David , you know it never occurred to me to wonder where it came from before ...lol....

8 Mar, 2010

David

There was also a cotton bush (Gossypium -the name is reminiscent of fabrics, too, although gossamer, to me, relates to silk/spiders' webs) with the cotton fibres in full show. I noted the label - but forgot to take a pic, lol!! :-))

8 Mar, 2010

Megan75

Lipstick tree made me think of chestnut outer pods at first glance. What a lovely, informative blog, I really enjoyed it. : o )

8 Mar, 2010

Balcony

Another fantastic blog, David! So many interesting plants, too! The Brunfelsia looks just like a Busy Lizzie but in blue! The flowers, I mean, as the leaves don't look like Busy Lizzy leaves.

You've just shown me my first ever look at a banana flower! I'd never before seen one! I thought the flowers were probably smaller & perhaps white at the end of every banana. :-)

8 Mar, 2010