With a wingspan from 6.0 to 7.0 cm, this butterfly is one of the largest ones in Europe. The ‚Argynnis paphia' was mentioned for the first time by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist physician, and zoologist for the modern biological naming scheme of binomial nomenclature., who laid the foundations.
The butterfly on wild shrub
Buddleja davidii, also called summer lilac, butterfly-bush,
or orange eye, which is a species of flowering plant in the
family Scrophulariaceae.
The term "rhubarb" is a
combination of the Ancient Greek rha and barbarum; rha refers both to the plant
and to the River Volga.
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is a
herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes. It produces large
leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy petioles. and small
flowers grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red
inflorescences. The value of rhubarb can be seen in Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo's report of his embassy in 1403–05 to Timur in Samarkand: "The best of all merchandise coming to Samarkand was from China: especially silks, satins, musk, rubies, diamonds, pearls, and rhubarb..."
Historical cultivation
Rhubarb has been used for medical
purposes by the Chinese for thousands of years, and appears in The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root
Classic which is thought to have been compiled about 2,700 years ago. Though
Dioscurides' description of ρηον or ρά indicates that a medicinal root brought
to Greece from beyond the Bosphorus may have been rhubarb, commerce in the drug
did not become securely established until Islamic times. During Islamic times,
it was imported along the Silk Road, reaching Europe in the 14th century
through the ports of Aleppo and Smyrna, where it became known as "Turkish
rhubarb". Later, when the usual route lay through Russia, "Russian
rhubarb" became the familiar term.
(Picture taken in beginning of June)
(These pictures were taken at the end of March)
Medicinal uses of Rhubarb
Rhubarb has a long history of herbal
usage. The primary result of rhubarb root as an herbal medicine is a positive
and balancing effect upon the digestive system. Rhubarb is one of the most
widely used herbs in Chinese medicine. Rhubarb roots are harvested in the fall
from plants that are at least six years old. The roots are then dried for later
use. The root is used as an anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic,
antitumor, aperient, astringent, cholagogue, demulcent, diuretic, laxative,
purgative, stomachic and tonic. Rhubarb roots contain anthraquinones which have
a purgative effect, and the tannins and bitters have an an effect that is
opposite that of an astringent.
When taken internally in small
doses, rhubarb acts as an astringent tonic to the digestive system, when taken
larger doses rhubarb acts as a very mild laxative. The root can be taken
internally for the treatment of chronic constipation, diarrhea, liver and gall
bladder complaints, hemorrhoids, menstrual problems and skin eruptions due to
an accumulation of toxins. Note that this remedy should not used by pregnant or
lactating women, or patients with intestinal obstruction. Used externally,
rhubarb root can be used in the treatment of burns.
People have further claimed that
Rhubarb enhances the appetite when it is taken before meals in small amounts,
that it also promotes blood circulation and relieves pain in cases of injury or
inflammation, inhibits intestinal infections. and can also reduce autoimmune
reactions. The impact of the rhubarb depends on how it is prepared. More
recently there have been claims that rhubarb root (Rheum officinale) can be
useful in treatment of Hepatitis B.
For centuries, the plant has grown wild along the banks of
the River Volga, for which the ancient Scythian hydronym was Rhā. The cost
of transportation across Asia made rhubarb expensive in medieval Europe. It was
several times the price of other valuable herbs and spices such as cinnamon,
opium, and saffron. The merchant explorer Marco Polo therefore searched for the
place where the plant was grown and harvested, discovering that it was
cultivated in the mountains of Tangut province.
In culinary use, fresh raw petioles (leaf stalks) are crisp
(similar to celery) with a strong, tart taste. Most commonly, the plant's leaf
stalks are cooked with sugar and used in pies and other desserts. A number of
varieties have been domesticated for human consumption, most of which are
recognised as Rheum x hybridum by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Rhubarb is usually considered a vegetable. In the United
States, however, a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the
United States as a fruit, it counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations
and duties. A side effect was a reduction on imported rhubarb tariffs, as
tariffs were higher for vegetables than fruits.
Rhubarb contains anthraquinones including rhein, and emodin
and their glycosides (e.g. glucorhein), which impart cathartic and laxative
properties. It is hence useful as a cathartic in case of constipation.
(Sources "rhubarbinfo" and Wikipedia)
More informations:
The Rhubarb Compendium: More than you ever wanted to know about
rhubarb
"The future will either be green or not at all."(Bob Brown)
„This
is the color of balance and harmony. From a color psychology perspective, it is
the great balancer of the heart and the emotions, creating equilibrium between
the head and the heart.
From a
meaning of colors perspective, green is also the color of growth, the color of
spring, of renewal and rebirth. It renews and restores depleted energy. It is
the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a
sense of well being. This is why there is so much of this relaxing color on the
earth, and why we need to keep it that way.
Green
is an emotionally positive color, giving us the ability to love and nurture
ourselves and others unconditionally. A natural peacemaker, it must avoid the
tendency to become a martyr.
This is
a color that has a strong sense of right or wrong, inviting good judgment. It
sees both sides of the equation, weighs them up, and then usually takes the
moral stand in making appropriate decisions. On the negative side, it can be
judgmental and over-cautious.
Green
promotes a love of nature, and a love of family, friends, pets and the home. It
is the color of the garden lover, the home lover and the good host.
It is
generous and loves to share, but it also looks for recognition. It is friendly
and can keep confidences. This
color relates to stability and endurance, giving us persistence and the
strength to cope with adversity.“
You might also like this very GREEN Video of mine: °°Inocent Droplets of Rain°° Raindrops photographically playful manner “Innocent droplets of rain make almost all events quite natural. ― Visar Zhiti, The Condemned Apple: Selected Poetry
Red Foxglove /Roter Fingerhut (Digitalis purpurea)
The foxgloves (Digitalis) is a genus of the family Plantain
Family (Plantaginaceae). The botanical name is derived from Latin. Digitus for
"finger". In Europe, domestic Digitalis species Grecian Foxglove and
Foxglove are cultivated for the production of cardiac glycosides. There are
about 40 different anthranoids been identified in the genus Digitalis.
More pictures on my video / photo slide show "The Beauty of Purple Flowers" :
In Europe, domestic Digitalis species Grecian Foxglove and
Foxglove are cultivated for the production of cardiac glycosides. There are
about 40 different anthranoids been identified in the genus Digitalis
In Europe, domestic Digitalis species Grecian Foxglove and
Foxglove are cultivated for the production of cardiac glycosides. There are
about 40 different anthranoids been identified in the genus Digitalis. The
Digitalis is highly poisonous. A group of medicines extracted from foxglove
plants are called digitalin (‚Cardiac‘ and ‚Glycoside‘ informations on
wikipedia).
it seems quite probable
that the shape of the flowers suggested the idea of a glove, and that
associated with the name of the botanist Fuchs, who first gave it a botanical name, may have
been easily corrupted intofoxglove. It
happens, moreover, the namefoxglove is a very ancient one and exists in a
list of plants as old as the time of Edward III. The "folks" of our
ancestors were the fairies and nothing is more likely than that the pretty
coloured bells of the plant would be designated "folksgloves",
afterwards, "foxglove". In Wales it is declared to be a favourite
lurking-place of the fairies, who are said to occasion a snapping sound when children,
holding one end of the digitalis bell, suddenly strike the other on the hand to
hear the clap of fairy thunder, with which the indignant fairy makes her escape
from her injured retreat. In south of Scotland it is called "bloody
fingers" more northward, "deadman's bells" whilst in Wales it is
known as "fairy-folks-fingers" or "lambs-tongue-leaves".
Location: "Wichenstein" Nature Reserve, Kanton St.Gallen, Switzerland
Wichenstein with its expanse of over 20 hectares is considered a nature reserve of national importance. The large area is situated against the backdrop of an imposing limestone wall with caves.
Pointing out the simple but complex poetry of natural things
~ °Naturpunkt
Location: Schuttannen, Hohenems, Vorarlberg, at 1150 meters altitude in a fantastic location. From here you can make many beautiful walks, or just have a great day of skiing, hiking, sledding, snowboarding. The video and pictures I made from an old barn, enjoying the winter sun and idyllic landscape.
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