FFF93 - ICE PLANT

Aptenia cordifolia is a species of succulent plant in the ice plant family known by the common names heartleaf ice plant and baby sun rose. Perhaps the most common plant seen under this name is actually Aptenia 'Red Apple', a hybrid with red flowers and bright green leaves, whose parents are A. cordifolia and A. (Platythyra) haeckeliana. The true species of A. cordifolia has magenta purple flowers and more heart-shaped, mid-green, textured leaves.

Native to southern Africa, this species has become widely known as an ornamental plant. It is a mat-forming perennial herb growing in flat clumps on the ground from a woody base. Stems reach up to about 60 centimetres long. The bright green leaves are generally heart-shaped and up to 3 centimetres long. They are covered in very fine bumps. Bright pink to purplish flowers appear in the leaf axils and are open during the day. The fruit is a capsule just over a centimetre long.

The hybrid, Aptenia 'Red Apple', has, in some areas, escaped cultivation and now grows as an introduced species. Its far more vigorous growth and ability to root from small bits of stem makes it a poor choice for planting adjacent to wild lands as it can overwhelm native plants.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF93

1.	Nick, Melbourne	11.	Mary, MI	21.	Moni	31.	BirgittaB
2.	NixPixMix	12.	Carole M.	22.	Matkatar, Finland	32.	Enerhagen, Norway
3.	My Desktop Daily	13.	Zauberpalme	23.	Doris - Masadiso79	33.	Hostas and Lilys
4.	FirstSightingMigratingBird	14.	Jama-Singapore	24.	Senna	34.	Native Plants in Bulgaria
5.	Gunilla	15.	Simone, Germany	25.	Dawn	35.	Bev Baird
6.	Randi, Sweden	16.	Mascha	26.	Mama Zen	36.	Trini Garden
7.	Xavi, Barcelona	17.	Hazel	27.	wieczorama-fotografie	37.	A Student Gardener
8.	Maboe	18.	Heidrun, Germany	28.	Yellow plumeria flowers	38.	Senna
9.	Emille (Jesh StG)	19.	Tall, Dark, Handsome	29.	HoodPhoto OR-USA	39.	Jana's Photo Journal - USA
10.	Jeannette St G	20.	Synnöve	30.	Rake and Spade

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FFF92 - COUROUPITA

Couroupita guianensis, known by several common names, including cannonball tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Lecythidaceae, which also contains the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa). It is native to the rainforests of Central and South America.

The tree grows up to 35 metres in height. The clustered leaves vary in length, generally from 8 to 31 cm, but reaching up to 57 cm.  The fragrant flowers are borne in large bunches up to 80 meters long. Some trees flower profusely, until the entire trunk is buried in flowers. One tree can bear 1000 flowers per day. They are strongly scented, especially at night, and in the early morning. They are large, up to 6 cm wide, and often brightly coloured, the six petals in shades of pink and red near the bases and yellowish toward the tips. There is a ring of stamens at the centre, and an arrangement to stamens that have been modified into a hood.

The large fruit, which is woody and very spherical, measuring up to 25 cm wide, gives the species the common name “cannonball tree”. A smaller fruit contains perhaps 65 seeds, while a large one can have 550. One tree can bear 150 fruits. The fruit takes up to a year to mature in most areas, sometimes as long as 18 months.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF92

1.	My Desktop Daily	12.	Maboe	23.	Anneli	34.	white cosmos and this and that
2.	Nick, Melbourne	13.	Mary, MI	24.	Heidrun in Bavaria, Germany	35.	Bev, Canada
3.	NixPixMix	14.	Rake and Spade	25.	Tina, Germany	36.	Senna
4.	Gunilla	15.	Jennay @ A Day In the Life of Jennay	26.	Debbie at Travel with Intent	37.	Lake Louise, BC
5.	Andrea	16.	Sara Chapman in Seattle USA	27.	Nick, Melbourne 2	38.	WoolyMuses
6.	Randi, Sweden	17.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 2nd entry	28.	Susan	39.	Ruby
7.	Kalantikan	18.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 3rd entry	29.	Miiiaa	40.	girl friday
8.	Zauberpalme	19.	Jama-Singapore	30.	Dawn	41.	A Student Gardener
9.	BirgittaB	20.	Simone, Germany	31.	Moni	42.	Jana's Photo Journal - USA
10.	Emille (Jesh StG)	21.	Xavi,Barcelona	32.	Rajesh, India	43.	Senna
11.	Poetic Shutterbug	22.	Synnöve	33.	HoodPhoto OR-USA

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FFF91 - SPRING BLOSSOM

One of the best spring blossom trees, Prunus x blireana is a cross between the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) and the purple-leaved plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii'). The common name is the double flowering plum. It is a deciduous tree growing to around 5m  tall. It has slender, arching branches, double mauve pink flowers, and reddish purple leaves which turn purplish green in summer. Flowering time is from mid August to mid September in Australia. This hybrid is sterile, so does not produce fruit.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF91

1.	Nick, Melbourne	12.	My flowering cactus makes me want to dance	23.	Daniela Augustka	34.	HoodPhoto OR-USA
2.	My Desktop Daily	13.	Emille (Jesh StG)	24.	Heidrun	35.	wieczorama-fotografie
3.	NixPixMix	14.	A Thistle Epistle	25.	Tina, Germany	36.	WoollyMuses
4.	Gunilla	15.	Andrea from the Tropics	26.	Synnöve	37.	Rajesh, India
5.	Zauberpalme	16.	Trini Garden	27.	Ruby	38.	ann nz
6.	BirgittaB	17.	Mascha	28.	Dawn	39.	ann2
7.	Randi, Sweden	18.	Jennay @ A Day In the Life of Jennay	29.	Carole M.	40.	Boriana Boeva
8.	Maboe	19.	Jama-Singapore	30.	Mary, MI	41.	Native Plants in Bulgaria
9.	Shirley	20.	Simone, Germany	31.	Mama Zen	42.	Senna
10.	anki-itte	21.	Xavi, Barcelona	32.	Streets of SF Photos
11.	Native Plants in Bulgaria	22.	Moni	33.	Poetic Shutterbug

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FFF90 - JAPANESE STAR ANISE

Illicium anisatum, commonly known as the Japanese star anise, is a tree similar to Chinese star anise. It is highly toxic, therefore it is not edible; instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan, where it is known as shikimi. Cases of illness, including serious neurological effects such as seizures, reported after using star anise tea may be a result of using this species.

I. anisatum is native to Japan. It is similar to I. verum, but its fruit is smaller and with weaker odour, which is said to be more similar to cardamom than to anise. While it is poisonous and therefore unsuitable for using internally, it is used for treatment of some skin problems in traditional Chinese medicine.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF90

1.	NixPixMix	14.	Sara Chapman in Seattle USA	27.	Moni	40.	Gorgeous orchids from Hawaii
2.	My Desktop Daily	15.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 2nd entry	28.	Dawn	41.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 3rd entry
3.	Minoru,Tokyo	16.	Jennay @ A Day In the Life of Jennay	29.	Marit`s	42.	Bernie in Australia
4.	Randi, Sweden	17.	Pink water lilies	30.	A Student Gardener - back from vacation	43.	Mascha
5.	Fitness Buff	18.	Simone, Germany	31.	Susan	44.	Regina, PH
6.	Gunilla	19.	Poetic Shutterbug	32.	Hazel	45.	Lori @ LorikArt
7.	Matkatar, Finland	20.	Enerhagen, Norway	33.	Orchids from the Conservatory	46.	Mermaid at Frog Hollow
8.	Zauberpalme	21.	Aino	34.	HoodPhoto OR-USA	47.	Pixel Posts
9.	BirgittaB	22.	Doris - Masadiso79	35.	Senna	48.	bev Baird
10.	Mary,MI	23.	Tina, Germany	36.	Gladiola-li	49.	Jana's Photo Journal - USA
11.	Maboe	24.	Arija Australia	37.	wieczorama-fotografie	50.	Green, Here, There and Everywhere
12.	Nick, Melbourne	25.	WoollyMuses	38.	LindyLouMac	51.	Xavi, Barcelona
13.	Jama-Singapore	26.	Debbie at Travel with Intent	39.	Eva

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FFF89 - CYMBIDIUM ORCHID

Cymbidium, or boat orchids, is a genus of 52 evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It was first described by Olof Swartz in 1799. The name is derived from the Greek word kumbos, meaning 'hole, cavity'. It refers to the form of the base of the lip. The genus is abbreviated Cym in horticultural trade.

This genus is distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia (such as northern India, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Borneo) and northern Australia. The larger flowered species from which the large flowered hybrids are derived grow at high altitudes. Cymbidium plants are sympodial and grow to a height of 60 cm and the racemes as high as 90 cm. The raceme grows from the base of the most recent pseudobulb. Each flower can have a diameter of 5 to 10 cm, according to the species. They bloom during the winter, and each plant can have up to fifteen or more flowers.

The fantastic range of colours for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red [and orange] and black (and there may be markings of other colour shades at the same time), but not blue. The flowers last about ten weeks. They have a waxy texture. The rounded sepals and petals have about the same dimensions. They show very diverse colour patterns, different for every species.

It is one of the most popular and desirable orchids in the world because of the beautiful flowers. These plants make great houseplants, and are also popular in floral arrangements and corsages. They have been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in China. Cymbidiums became popular in Europe during the Victorian era. One feature that makes the plant so popular is the fact that it can survive during cold temperatures (as low as 7˚ C or 45˚ F).

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so!

FFF89

1.	NixPixMix	14.	Hazel	27.	Moni	40.	Perfection...More or Less
2.	Nick, Melbourne	15.	Jama-Singapore	28.	Julianne Victoria	41.	Fitness Buff
3.	guild-rez Canada	16.	Simone, Germany	29.	Lavender Fields of Provence	42.	Valerie, Australia
4.	Xavi, Barcelona	17.	Bernie in Australia	30.	HoodPhoto OR-USA	43.	ann nz
5.	Zauberpalme	18.	Luna Miranda	31.	Eva	44.	Lori@LorikArt
6.	Andrea	19.	Enerhagen, Norway	32.	Bev, Canada	45.	Ranu
7.	Mary,MI	20.	ann nz	33.	Andrew	46.	Self Sagacity FOLLOWS BACK
8.	Maboe	21.	Herding Cats	34.	Jennay @ A Day In the Life of Jennay	47.	Senna
9.	Gunilla	22.	Doris - Masadiso79	35.	Sara Chapman in Seattle USA	48.	Native Plants in Bulgaria
10.	Mascha	23.	Tina	36.	thetravelgal	49.	Jana's Photo Journal - USA
11.	Emille (Jesh StG)	24.	Photo By Manka	37.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 2nd entry	50.	Debbie at Travel with Intent
12.	NatureFootstep Photo	25.	Dawn	38.	Sara Chapman in Seattle, 3rd entry
13.	Loredana Donovan	26.	Susan	39.	Rajesh, India

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