Persian buttercup

Discussion 0 posts |  Only members can post. Join?

No topics have been posted yet.

About Persian buttercup

also known as
Ranunculus asiaticus
Flower of David
Nurit

The Persian buttercup grows wild in the dry terrains of Iran, Israel, Turkey and Greece. This hardy flowering bulb is known as the ultimate survivor, as it thrives in the harsh desert-like conditions that would kill many other plants. The storage roots of the nurit have a special and unique survival mechanism for resisting drought and heat that is found in no other plant. In the first rainfall of winter, the cell walls block the sudden influx of water, which could cause the cells to burst. At the same time, they protect the cells from dehydration by absorbing water. In botanical circles the flower is known as a 'resurrection plant ‘ as it can live without water, and is 'resurrected' when water becomes available. The cell walls of the storage roots of the bulb serve as a shield and under microscope assume the form of interlocking Stars of David; hence its sobriquet, ‘the flower of David’.

The most common wild type native to Israel is a red, five-petal flower with a black centre, which bears some resemblance to an anemone. In summer, its roots are exposed to the scorching heat - up to 60 degrees centigrade - of the desert earth. The cultivated type - sold commercially as bulbs - has multiple layers of petals and comes in a variety of colours, including white, yellow, pink, red and magenta. Both wild and cultivated types have the same unusual survival mechanism.

CODE:

CONGRATULATIONS! This is a beautiful capture of the Ranunculus Asiaticus.
Please JOIN US and post your beautiful Persian buttercup in our pool:

www.flickr.com/groups/persianbuttercup
"></a>


CONGRATULATIONS! This is a beautiful capture of the Ranunculus Asiaticus.
Seen in 'Persian buttercup':

www.flickr.com/groups/persianbuttercup

http://www.flickr.com/groups/persianbuttercup