The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.

Великолепная книга "Uncommon Paper Flowers" представляет соблазнительный мир необычных растений, которые вы можете создать собственными руками.

Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
Published by garik835, 2021-01-27 03:35:33

UPF_19

Великолепная книга "Uncommon Paper Flowers" представляет соблазнительный мир необычных растений, которые вы можете создать собственными руками.

Keywords: оригами, рукоделие

. MMON

Extraordinary
Botanicals AND
How to
Craft Them

KATE ALARCON



Extraordinary Botanicals and
How to Craft Them

KATE ALARCîN

Still-life photography by Alice Gao

Text and Part III photography copyright
© 2019 by KAT E A L A R C Ó N .

Part I photography copyright © 2019 by A L I C E G AO .
Part II photography copyright © 2019 by L I Z DALY .

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-7693-2 (hc)
ISBN 978-1452-18138-7 (epub, mobi)

Manufactured in China.

Photography (Part I) by A L I C E G A O .
Prop styling (Part I) by K I R A C O R B I N .

Photography (Part II) by L I Z D A LY .
Design by L I Z Z I E V A U G H A N .
Typesetting by J A R E D G E N T Z .

Typeset in G O T H A M , G R E N A L E , A N D C A S L O N .

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CHRONICLE BOOKS LLC
680 Second Street

San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

THE FOLLOWING TRADEMARKS WERE USED IN THIS BOOK: Master Color Tool, Inc.; Elmer's is a registered trademark of Sanford,
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue is a registered trademark of Duncan L.P.; Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen is a registered trademark of
Enterprises DBA iLoveToCreate Corporation; Art-C is a registered Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft Corporation; FolkArt Home Decor
trademark of Momenta, Inc.; BazzillBasicsPaper is a registered is a registered trademark of Plaid Enterprises, Inc.; Krylon is a
trademark of Bazzill Basics Paper, Inc.; BBC is a registered registered trademark of SWIMC LLC; Mod Podge is a registered
trademark of The British Broadcasting Corporation; Canson trademark of Plaid Enterprises, Inc.; Nuvo is a registered trademark
Mi-Teintes is a registered trademark of Canson Societe Par Actions of Tonic Studios Limited; PanPastel is a registered trademark
Simplifee; Colortool is a registered trademark of Design Master of Bernadette Ward and Ladd Forsline; Pringles is a registered
Color Tool, Inc.; Copic is a registered trademark of Kabushiki Kaisha trademark of Pringles LLC; Prismacolor Premier is a registered
Too (Too Corporation) Corporation; Core'dinations is a registered trademark of Sanford, L.P. Newell Operating Company; TintIT. is a
trademark of American Crafts, L.C.; Darice cardstock is a registered registered trademark of Design Master Color Tool, Inc.; Tsukineko is
trademark of Darice, Inc.; DecoArt is a registered trademark of a registered trademark of Tsukineko Co., Ltd.; Werola is a registered
DecoArt, Inc.; Design Master is a registered trademark of Design trademark of Seaman Paper Asia Company Ltd.

FOR

Andrew, Ben, Evie, and Gracie

Contents

Welcome to the Uncommon Plant Kingdom 8

PART I

The Flora
13

15 29

Woodland Desert

43

Glasshouse

57 71

Cutting Garden Witch Garden

PART II PART III

Foundational Tools Making
and Techniques the Flowers
85
101

Materials 86 Woodland projects 103
The basics 87 Desert projects 127
Forming petals 88
Attaching petals 90 Glasshouse projects 151
Flower anatomy 92 Cutting Garden projects 175
Embossing cardstock 95 Witch Garden projects 199
Adding color 96

Acknowledgments 218
Glossary 219
Templates 221
Index 245

WELCOME TO THE

Uncommon
Plant Kingdom

The plant kingdom—with its spines, spikes, tendrils, create playful, unexpected arrangements. As you craft
crinkles, tufts, trumpets, purses, and pistils—is both your own paper flowers, I hope you’ll feel free to pair
spectacularly diverse and deeply strange. It offers the anthuriums with succulents, or opium poppies with
paper flower maker an inexhaustible variety of forms, cobra lilies. Part of the fun of making uncommon
textures, and colors to attempt to re-create. The plants flowers is using them in uncommon arrangements.
and flowers that seduce me into devoting hours (and
sometimes even weeks) to re-creating them are often Translating Nature in Paper
the dark and the unusual, the overlooked and the
underused. I love to try to capture the creepy beauty of a Paper flower making might seem like a fairly nar-
carnivorous plant or the fairy-tale quality of a foxglove. row pursuit: it’s a craft that basically requires you to
translate one subject (flora) into one medium (paper).
The flora you’ll find here are uncommon in a But the almost infinite variety found within the plant
few different ways: some are oddly shaped and little kingdom, the wide array of paper stocks, and a whole
known, like the star cactus (Astrophytum asterias) or universe of surface design techniques provide tremen-
jack-in-the-pulpit. Some, like the spider plant and dous room for the paper flower artist to experiment
red hot poker, are familiar enough in the garden or and innovate. It’s an ever-evolving craft teeming with
greenhouse but not often used in arrangements. Some fresh challenges and puzzles to solve: making a lichen
are lesser-known varieties of cut flower favorites like is vastly different from making a poppy, and being an
roses, peonies, and poppies. expert at rose-making isn’t much help when you’re
trying to craft mushrooms.
The plants and flowers in these pages are orga-
nized by habitat. I chose flowers for each environment Although paper flower making requires a measure
with a clear picture of the habitat in mind—a clearing of artistic flair to achieve a convincing lifelike appear-
at the edge of a forest, a desert in bloom, a slightly ance, you must first understand the basic construction
unruly cutting garden. Grouped by landscape, the of a given plant or flower type, especially for more
plants and flowers in each section seem at home complex and unusual designs. Because I’m drawn to
together and reveal shapes and textures that they have such a broad range of plant life, I spend a lot of time
in common—the delicate forms of the woodland plants developing the technical ability to make a new plant or
and the sculptural qualities of cacti, for example. But I flower. For some designs, in order to make a particular
also love to mix flowers from different environments to flower or plant I’ll refer back to a series of successful

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 8

techniques developed through trial and error in earlier Over the years the box has become a big, messy refer-
projects. That aspect of the design process—the ence space full of potentially cool ideas, dead ends, and
unlocking of one technique that opens up the possibility half-solved puzzles.
of another project, with its own puzzles—is a central
part of what I find compelling about paper flowers. A As much as I love to solve a botanical puzzle
lot of what you’ll see in the following pages is a result now, I was completely consumed when I first got
of restlessness and curiosity. started. Above all, I wanted my work to be mistakable
for the real thing, and I needed to figure out a lot of
When I begin a new paper flower project, usually techniques to achieve that goal. I threw myself into
I’ll start by identifying the elements I feel uncertain trial and error and experimentation, and I thrilled at
about—maybe it’s the fuzzy center of a king protea each problem solved. But the more realistic my work
or the gills of a mushroom—and tackle those first. became, the less satisfied I was with the goal of realism.
Working out these elements first ensures that I don’t I began to appreciate the artistry that emerged from the
end up with a flower that’s perfect except that it com- gaps between a flower as it was in nature and the flower
pletely lacks an essential element, like the center or gills. I could make.
Then, once I’ve figured out all the elements—center,
petal shape, leaves, colors—I’ll start putting the plant The unique style I’ve developed is usually most
together. Often, especially if it’s a very involved plant, evident when I’m being resourceful—improvising to
I’ll make half of one, just to make sure I have my model make a design happen even if it’s not an exact copy.
right. Once I’m pretty confident in the design, I start Now I try to be thoughtful about how realistic and how
putting the full structure together. Usually if I’m mak- stylized I’d like a design to be. I like the playfulness
ing multiples of something, I’m tweaking the design of a mix of levels of realism. My Echeveria succulents
with each additional flower. I find the hard deadline of (page 127), one of the first designs I felt really proud
a class or tutorial helpful, since it forces me to commit of, are a good example of finding a balance between a
to a finished design and write the instructions for a plant that looks real and one that looks constructed,
project that might still feel imperfect to me. Every few though I didn’t quite appreciate it when I first made
weeks I sweep my workspace for projects that are half them. Each leaf is carefully painted and embossed to
worked up and not going anywhere, and I dump them look just like a real echeveria from the top, but when
into a big plastic box that I keep in my craft closet. viewed from the side, the backs of the leaves give it
all away, revealing that the fleshy leaves are actually

9 WELCOME TO THE
UNCOMMON PLANT KINGDOM

just bent paper. And since there’s no coloring on the collect a few fallen petals to trace at home. Even bits
back of the leaves, you can see the jewel tones of the and pieces of a plant can be of enormous help in refin-
unpainted paper. With the side exposed, you can see ing the design of a paper bloom.
the realism and fakery at once. The bright color on the
unpainted side bounces off the powdery, plain, purplish Paper flower making might set your mind working
surface of the tops of the petals, creating a subtle glow. feverishly to solve every plant you encounter outside—
Part of the beauty of paper flowers is the painted and botanical gardens should come with a warning label for
unpainted elements working together, complementing this reason. But the true bliss of making paper flowers
one another. is going outside and marveling at what you’ll never
perfectly capture, either because a plant is too complex
Finding Inspiration or because there’s just too much of it to try to re-create.
When I surrender to that impossibility, I’m in awe of
Nothing will make you notice plant life like trying to the plant kingdom.
re-create it. And once you begin paper flower crafting,
you’ll start to notice botanical inspiration everywhere.
The retail plaza where I do most of my shopping has
glazed planters filled with beautiful flowers, which are
replenished with new varieties every season. Whenever
I see the planters, I consider surreptitiously swiping a
flower to serve as inspiration for a paper design. (My
occasional floral theft—just a single flower head, just
one little leaf !—distresses my exceptionally upstanding
children. I mostly defer to them; after all, someday they
may be the ones bailing me out after someone catches
me making off with a pansy head. In my mug shot,
I’ll have dirt on my face and leaves in my hair.) And
though I would never dream of pilfering blooms from
the beautiful home gardens I pass every day while walk-
ing my dog, I’ll admit that I sometimes very casually

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 10

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The following pages are organized into three sections. Whether
you're a flower enthusiast, a nature lover, a paper flower maker,
or a general crafter, I hope you'll find beauty and adventure ahead.

PART I
The Flora presents portraits of thirty plants organized by
natural environment. Each portrait is presented alongside
information about the floralÕs history, folklore, and meaning.
(The meaning of a flower was often derived from the
language of flowers, an ancient, elaborate code used in the
Middle East, Asia, and Europe. It was said that this code
allowed lovers to secretly exchange messages through small
bouquets of flowers that conveyed specific sentiments.)

PART II
In Foundational Tools and Techniques, youÕll find detailed
information on the tools and materials youÕll need and
instructions for the essential techniques in paper flower
making. This section is essential for readers making
the projects in this book and will also be of interest to
noncrafters seeking a behind-the-scenes look into paper
flower making.

PART III
Making the Flowers presents the detailed step-by-step
instructions for making the projects in Part I using
techniques from Part II.



PART I

The Flora



Woodland

W oodland
Foxglove

C O M M O N N A M E S : fairy caps, fairy thimbles, fairy SEE PAGE 103
gloves, witchÕs gloves, dead manÕs bells, throatwort,
witchÕs thimbles
L AT I N N A M E : Digitalis purpurea
M E A N I N G : insincerity, a wish

Though the name “foxglove” might conjure an image ranging from stomach complaints to mental illness,
of refined foxes prancing on their hind legs, a little and van Gogh may have begun taking the drug during
glove on each paw, many insist that the name is a his stay in Saint-Paul Asylum in 1889. Proponents of
corruption of “folk’s gloves,” or rather, fairy folk’s this theory point to a portrait van Gogh painted of his
gloves. But it turns out that this etymology is far from doctor, Dr. Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, holding a foxglove
settled. The Old English from which we get the name stem as evidence.
has no tradition of fairies, and the simplest explanation
for the “fox” in foxglove is that it corresponds with the In fact, van Gogh favored yellows even before his
Old English word for fox. Oxford etymologist Anatoly treatment at the asylum, and his vision was tested while
Liberman declares with finality: “In sum, foxglove taking the drug and found to be excellent. Further,
means foxglove, and this disturbing fact has to be scholars doubt whether he would have survived doses of
accepted.” May the fancy foxes prance in celebration! digitalis sufficient to experience prolonged xanthopsia.
Like the old stories about foxgloves and fairy folk, the
The magic of the foxglove lies not in its associa- tale of van Gogh’s foxglove vision is likely as apocry-
tion with the world of fairies but in its medicinal prop- phal as it is enchanting.
erties. Digitalis has been used to treat cardiac ailments
since the eighteenth century and continues to be pre-
scribed today. One of the possible side effects of taking
digitalis is a color vision deficiency called xanthopsia,
which causes the eyes to see the world through a yellow
filter, exaggerating yellows at the expense of other
colors. Medical historiographers have speculated that
Vincent van Gogh’s striking yellows may have been
a result of digitalis-induced xanthopsia. Digitalis was
widely prescribed in the nineteenth century for ailments

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 16





Jack-in-the-Pulpit W oodland


C O M M O N N A M E S : Preacher John, brown dragon, SEE PAGE 106
devilÕs dear, wake robin
L AT I N N A M E : Arisaema triphyllum
M E A N I N G : passion

Jack-in-the-pulpit is an odd little wildflower, native to the tube of a female flower (or jill, as it is sometimes
North America. The spadix, a blunt spike in the flow- playfully called). Unlike the jack, the jill has no escape
er’s center, evokes a preacher ( Jack) ensconced in his hatch, which ensures maximum pollination.
pulpit, a leaflike structure called a spathe. The bottom
half of the spathe forms a tube around the bottom of This faux-carnivorous system isn’t the plant’s only
the spadix and the tiny flowers that grow there. The clever adaptation. Jack-in-the-pulpits have evolved
top half of the spathe forms an overhang that prevents another strategy for adapting to difficult conditions,
the tube from filling with rainwater. Though this little called sequential hermaphroditism. When resources
funnel traps insects, jack-in-the-pulpits are not actually are scarce, a plant that produced only female flowers
carnivorous plants—the trapped insects are pollinators, can switch sexes, producing male flowers, which don’t
not prey. need as much energy because they don’t need to do the
heavy lifting of reproduction: storing enough energy to
The male jack—so called because it produces tiny produce berries. When conditions improve, the plant
male flowers—holds its pollen at the bottom of the can switch back to producing female flowers.
spadix, inside the tube formed by the spathe, which
means that it can’t spread its pollen through the air.
Instead, jack-in-the-pulpits attract pollinating insects
by emitting an odor that has been compared to stag-
nant water and fungi. When a gnat climbs down the
spathe in pursuit of the odor’s source, it soon finds that
the tube is too slippery to crawl back up. Its fate now
depends on the sex of the plant. Male pollinators have
a little opening at the bottom of the spathe that allows
the pollen-covered gnat to escape. If all goes accord-
ing to plan for the plant, the gnat will then crawl into

19 PART I THE FLORA

W oodland
Log with Moss &
Lichen

C O M M O N N A M E : moss C O M M O N N A M E : lichen SEE PAGE 111
L AT I N N A M E : Bryophytae M E A N I N G : melancholy
M E A N I N G : maternal love

Amid the beautiful, delicate, and varied woodland While moss is a plant, lichen is a symbiotic organism, a
flowers and plants, it’s easy to overlook a botanical partnership between multiple fungi and algae. The fil-
feature like a fallen log. Yet these features teem with aments of the fungi provide a structure that surrounds
life and perform a number of vital services for a forest the algae, which do the work of photosynthesis, allow-
ecosystem. Downed logs play an essential role in the ing the lichen to turn sunlight into energy. Although
health of a forest, hosting decomposers who help return lichen and moss are often confused, the language of
organic matter to the soil, preventing erosion and flowers assigns them very different meanings: moss
moisture loss, and increasing biodiversity by providing signifies maternal love, while lichen expresses solitude
habitat and nourishment for a wide variety and dejection.
of flora and fauna.

As a fallen log begins to break down, its bark
becomes loose, granting easy access to insects, which in
turn create a feast for birds. Over time the center of the
log grows soft, which allows small mammals like chip-
munks to burrow through, providing cover from pred-
ators. Eventually, the core becomes hollow, and a fox
or coyote might claim the space as a den. And airborne
seeds that settle on the log may sprout, producing new
saplings rising from old wood.

Mosses and lichens aid the process of decay by
retaining moisture and preventing water from evapo-
rating on the log’s surface. Though these ancient and
primitive growths often appear together and can share
similarities of form, mosses and lichens are not related.

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 20





Rosy Bonnet W oodland


L AT I N N A M E : Mycena rosea SEE PAGE 114
M E A N I N G : suspicion

This beautiful pink mushroom grows in clusters near
the base of trees. In its early stages of growth, a new
bonnet has the classic convex, rounded cap you might
associate with mushrooms. As the mushroom matures,
the cap flattens and becomes concave around the edges,
exposing the row of gills underneath. This slightly
inverted cap isn’t a perfect circle, but rather an irregular
disk that gives the mushroom a whimsical, fairy-tale
quality. The caps can range from very pale to deep
pink, with the color most concentrated at the cap’s
center and fading at its edges.

The rosy bonnet contains potentially lethal
amounts of muscarine, a toxic alkaloid that when
ingested acts on the central nervous system, causing air-
way paralysis, intestinal spasms, pulmonary edema, and
even death. Muscarine poisoning usually occurs when
a forager mistakes a poisonous mushroom for an edible
one. As the language of flowers suggests, it’s safest to
regard wild mushrooms with extreme suspicion and
obtain an expert opinion before eating.

23 PART I THE FLORA

W oodland
Bleeding Mycena

C O M M O N N A M E S : blood-foot mushroom, bleeding SEE PAGE 119
fairy helmet, burgundydrop bonnet, bleeding bellcap
L AT I N N A M E : Mycena haemotopus
M E A N I N G : suspicion

The bleeding mycena (pronounced “my-SEEN-uh”) insects. Surprisingly, the mushrooms seem to know
grows in clusters on decaying wood and on diseased when to deploy this secret weapon: they don’t waste
areas of living trees, sometimes sprouting from the their fairy fire during the day, when daylight would
cracks in dead logs. Its bell-shaped caps come in a make it invisible. Instead, bioluminescent fungi light up
range of brownish pinks, with pale gills underneath. only at night, when their glow will show to best effect.
For such a lovely little mushroom, it has a range of
sinister common names, including the tragic-sounding These crafted mushrooms, presented with stipes
“bleeding fairy helmet.” Even its Latin species name, sliced and bleeding, make for a striking table display.
haemotopus, comes from the Greek haemato, or blood Unfortunately, real bleeding mycena haven’t been
and pus or foot. A curious trait inspired these grim tested for enough types of toxicity to make them safe
monikers: when you cut the stipe (or stem) of these to eat.
diminutive fungi, a dark red liquid drips from the site
of the injury. This bloody excretion is actually latex,
which is thought to protect the mushroom by gum-
ming up the mouths of insect predators.

The drama of these little mushrooms doesn’t
stop there: bleeding mycena are also bioluminescent,
emitting a faint but steady greenish glow. This glow,
sometimes called foxfire or fairy fire (the same biolumi-
nescence found in fireflies and angler fish), results from
a chemical reaction between the compound luciferin
and the enzyme luciferase, which release light energy
when combined. Scientists theorize that the fungi’s
glow is a reproductive strategy to draw spore-spreading

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 24





Calypso Orchid W oodland


C O M M O N N A M E S : VenusÕs slipper orchid, lady SEE PAGE 122
slipper orchid, fairy slipper orchid, deerÕs head orchid
L AT I N N A M E : Calypso bulbosa

This spectacular woodland orchid’s name evokes its mistake, this time pollinating a more distantly
Calypso, the beautiful nymph who enchanted Homer’s related bloom.
Odysseus, holding him prisoner on her island until
Zeus ordered his release. In fact, like the nymph, Newly emerged queen bumblebees are one of the
the orchid’s name derives from the Greek word for calypso’s most important pollinators (worker bees are
“hidden,” since the plant grows tucked away in shel- too large to fit into its dainty purse.) Like the jack-
tered areas on the forest floor. in-the-pulpit, this orchid is not carnivorous but is still
quite unkind to insect visitors (though the calypso
Besides being one of the more beautiful woodland doesn’t have an assigned meaning in the language of
orchids, and the only species in its whole genus, the flowers, “false promise” might be fitting).
calypso is of special interest to botanists because of its
reproduction strategy. A yellow beard of tiny, pollen-
bearing hairs sits at the entrance to a little purse, or
slipper. Toward the back of this purse are nectaries,
organs that secrete nectar. Lured by a sweet vanilla-like
odor, an insect visits the purse only to find that it has
been duped—the nectary is a fake, and there’s nothing
to eat. Covered in pollen, the disappointed insect
moves on, pollinating the next calypso that draws it
in. This strategy, called food deception, has the added
benefit of helping the plant avoid inbreeding. Even-
tually, the insect will abandon that patch of calypso,
looking farther away for food. When it encounters
another calypso it may not recognize it: small variations
in color and form can deceive the insect into repeating

27 PART I THE FLORA



Desert



Echeveria D e s ert

C O M M O N N A M E S : hen and chicks, Mexican snowball, SEE PAGE 127
Mexican gem
L AT I N N A M E : Echeveria

These charming succulents, made up of rosettes of Echeveria, which comes in an array of complex
fleshy leaves in subtle, watercolor tones, are long-lived pinks, purples, greens, and oranges, is fittingly named
and fairly easy to care for. The leaves have a powdery, for a watercolorist, Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy.
sea-glass quality called the bloom, or, less romantically, Echeverría y Godoy, a nineteenth-century Mexican
epicuticular wax. This wax, which also appears on the botanical artist and explorer, was part of “Flora Méx-
surface of plums and blueberries, acts as sunblock, icana,” an ambitious expedition to document the flora
protecting the echeveria from UV rays. It also prevents and fauna of Mexico. His field studies captured the
moisture loss and water damage: the whitish film color and form of collected plant specimens while they
allows the plant to repel water, which is why water still retained their shape and color. Because of political
droplets bead up on succulent leaves. instability, the “Flora Méxicana” project was never
completed; fortunately, Echeverría y Godoy’s masterful
Though the echeveria’s rosette of leaves may make illustrations survived.
it look like a flower, the plant’s flowers are actually
arching spikes of tiny flowers in orange, yellow, or
white, which are pollinated by bees and hummingbirds.

The language of flowers has little to say about the
succulent, but with its numerous methods of sexual and
asexual reproduction, “fertility” might be considered as
a possible meaning for the plant. One of its common
names, hen and chicks, refers to the mini-echeveria off-
sets that cluster around a mature plant. Tiny echeveria
will also grow on the base of a leaf plucked from the
succulent, and a beheaded mother plant will grow pups
on its stump.

31 PART I THE FLORA

D e s ert Blue Torch Cactus

C O M M O N N A M E S : tree cactus, blue candle SEE PAGE 130
L AT I N N A M E : Pilosocereus azureus
M E A N I N G : endurance

The blue torch is a columnar cactus that can grow to be classic fine strands of fibers. The plant’s large, white,
12 ft (3.7 m) tall when cultivated, and up to 30 ft (9 m) funnel-shaped flowers bloom at night, attracting
tall in the wild. This impressive succulent is native to pollinators like bats and sphinx moths.
arid regions of Brazil, where it grows in both rocky
and sandy terrain. Its Latin genus name means “hairy If you see a real blue torch cactus, don’t touch it.
cereus,” as most pilosocereus cacti have both spines While you may have the dexterity to avoid the golden
and wisps of white fibers growing together out of spines, your touch might disturb the wax that makes
the areoles that run up and down the cactus. In some the cactus’s skin blue and protects it from the sun. You
pilosocereuses, like the old man cactus, the white definitely don’t want your fingerprints all over some-
fibers are so long and thick that they seem to form one’s prized blue cactus.
a cloud around the plant. The hair on a blue torch,
though, is much more subtle.

The blue torch’s skin varies from sea green to
robin’s egg blue and even turquoise. The intensity of
the blue color can vary even for a single plant. A young
blue torch will become more intensely blue when it
grows to maturity. A mature plant may sport even
richer blues if moved to a sunnier location. The plant’s
color comes from a wax that protects the cactus from
the sun; when stripped of the wax, the plant’s skin is a
much less distinctive green.

The cactus has charms beyond its blue coloring,
including rows of golden spines that run up and
down its ribs. Interlaced with these spines are the

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 32





Prickly Pear Cactus D e s ert

C O M M O N N A M E S : barbary pear, cactus pear, SEE PAGE 135
Indian fig, tuna fig
L AT I N N A M E : Opuntia
M E A N I N G : satire

A prickly pear cactus is made up of flat, fleshy pads, daughter be sacrificed to him. A battle ensued, and the
protected by a wicked combination of spines and Aztecs lost. Exiled, they were left to wander in search
glochids, barbed hairs that lodge in a predator’s skin. of a new homeland, carrying a large stone statue of
The pads bear dark red fruit, rich in fiber and antioxi- Huitzilpochtli in hopes of winning his assistance.
dants. Native to the Americas, the prickly pear has long
been used by indigenous people as a source of nutrition, Meanwhile, Huitzilpochtli had become angry
hydration, and medicine. In Mexican cuisine, both the with his nephew, Copil, who had betrayed him. In
fruits, or tunas, and the pads, or nopales, are carefully his wrath, Huitzilpochtli cut out his nephew’s heart
stripped and used to make a variety of both savory and and threw it as far as he could. It landed on an island
sweet dishes. (now, Mexico City) in the middle of a lake. From
the heart grew a prickly pear cactus, studded with
This cactus plays an important role in the story fruits that resemble human hearts. Huitzilpochtli told
of the founding of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the the Aztec priests to look for an eagle perched atop a
ancient Aztec empire. As the story goes, the Aztecs prickly pear cactus, eating a snake. The Aztecs found the
had recently migrated from the north and settled in island and, seeing this sign, established Tenochtitlan.
the Valley of Mexico in the city of Culhuacan. Having The modern-day coat of arms of Mexico features the
helped the king of Culhuacan win an important battle, bird, snake, and prickly pear cactus.
the Aztecs were rewarded with the gift of the king’s
daughter, whom the Aztecs were expected to worship
as a goddess.

When the king came to visit his daughter, he
found one of the Aztecs wearing her skin. The Aztec
explained that Huitzilpochtli (pronounced “weet-
sil-POACHED-li”), the Aztec god of the sun, war,
and human sacrifice, had demanded that the king’s

35 PART I THE FLORA

D e s ert Night-Blooming Cereus

C O M M O N N A M E S : queen of the night, SEE PAGE 138
DutchmanÕs pipe cactus, orchid cactus
L AT I N N A M E : Epiphyllum oxypetalum
M E A N I N G : transient beauty

“We’d sit mesmerized, as the bud trembled and are attracted to the flower’s heavy magnolia scent and
shuddered while it unwound its long slender white white petals that seem to glow in the moonlight. Some
petals and spread them before our incredulous eyes bats hover over the bloom and daintily sip nectar by
as a delicately incised saucer full of froth,” wrote poet means of a very long tongue, while others just perch on
Hubert Creekmore, a member of Eudora Welty’s the flower and stick their whole head in.
Cereus Society. The “society,” composed of Welty’s
artistic and literary friends, would gather on her porch Much of the night-blooming cereus’s symbolism
to celebrate the one night of the year the flowers on derives from the ephemeral nature of the flowers. To
her night-blooming cereus would open and, only hours the Victorians, the flower represented fleeting beauty;
later, wither. in China, such flowers represent short-lived glory.
In India, a similar night-blooming flower is called
Cereus fans and botanical gardens celebrate Brahma Kamal. It’s said that Brahma, the Hindu god
this strange floral event, but the logistics of planning of creation, lives in the flower, and if a supplicant prays
a blooming party can be difficult, since it’s hard to during the brief time the bloom is open, the prayer will
predict exactly which day the flower will bloom. Tem- be answered.
perature, moisture, and even the phases of the moon
seem to affect the timing. Cereus plants growing near Welty’s Cereus Society’s motto had a more
each other will often bloom on the same night, leading lighthearted take on the strange flower: “Don’t take it
scientists to hypothesize that the plants use some ‘cereus,’ life’s too mysterious.”
form of chemical communication to time the bloom,
ensuring that flowers on multiple plants are available
for pollination.

Because they open at night, when bees and
butterflies are scarce, night-blooming cacti depend
on nocturnal pollinators like bats and moths, which

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 36





Agave D e s ert

C O M M O N N A M E S : century plant, maguey, SEE PAGE 143
American aloe, Mexican aloe
L AT I N N A M E : Agave
M E A N I N G : bitterness

Although they are often mistaken for cacti, agaves are stalk can grow up to 30 ft (9 m) tall and bears small
actually succulents. Native to the American Southwest tubular flowers that attract Mexican long-nosed bats.
and Mexico, agave has been an essential food source for These bats reach the flower’s nectar by inserting their
indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The leaves, long muzzles into the tubular flowers.
flowers, stalk, and heart of the agave are all edible, and
its juice can be fermented to produce alcoholic bever- Sadly, the flower marks the end of the agave’s life
ages like pulque, mezcal, and tequila. cycle. After the agave blooms, it dies, in a reproductive
strategy known as semelparity. The agave expends all of
Tequila is made from blue agave, which takes six its resources on a single fatal reproductive event, reserv-
to eight years to mature and develop the right amount ing no additional energy to sustain itself afterward. The
of fructose. When the plant is ready for harvest, all its dead agave leaves behind several pups, or little agave
leaves are removed by a jimedor, an expert agave farmer, offsets, to take its place.
and its huge heart is exposed. The heart, which can
weigh up to 240 lb (109 kg), is then baked and mashed
to extract the juice, which is fermented and distilled to
make tequila.

This sculptural plant forms a rosette of smooth,
sword-shaped leaves. Early in the plant’s life the leaves
are packed tightly at the center of the rosette, the spines
of the leaves pressed against each other. As the rosette
grows and unfolds, the agave leaves bear an impression
of the spines of their rosette-mates.

It can take an agave up to forty years to store
enough energy to flower, but the truly impressive
flower stalk is well worth the wait. An agave flower

39 PART I THE FLORA

D e s ert Star Cactus

C O M M O N N A M E S : sand dollar cactus, sea urchin SEE PAGE 146
cactus, star peyote
L AT I N N A M E : Astrophytum asterias

This little cactus looks a bit like a tiny green pumpkin make interesting, sculptural houseplants and have been
that’s sprouted a set of tassels and a crown of flowers. Its grown indoors since the mid-nineteenth century. Just
genus name, Astrophytum, means “star plant” and refers be sure to water with a light hand, because overwater-
to the way that, when viewed from above, lines of wooly ing star cacti can be disastrous. Because the bottom half
tufts appear to radiate out from its center. Star cacti is sunk in the soil, it’s easy for the underside to rot if
grow in scrubby areas of southern Texas and northeast- kept too wet. Even more alarming is the fact that a star
ern Mexico. Small and squat, they’re easy to miss when cactus that has absorbed too much water can swell and
they’re nestled into the gravel. But when the cacti burst actually crack its hard outer shell. But a star cactus in
into bloom in late spring, their flowers dazzle. bloom is pure delight and a gardening accomplishment
to be proud of, so the little extra care that can persuade
The star cactus’s body is made up of between five yours to flower is more than worth it.
and eleven ribs, each dotted down the middle with tufts
of woolly fibers. The cactus is completely spineless, but
the tufts of hair might give you pause, since they so
closely resemble glochids, the devilish little fibers that
embed themselves in the skin of anyone inexperienced
enough to touch them. But the fur on a star cactus
is completely benign. It grows from structures called
areoles, which in other cacti may produce spines,
glochids, flowers, and branches. In fact, it’s the
presence of areoles that distinguishes cacti from other
succulents.

Star cacti are endangered in the wild, where they
continue to be illegally collected. Fortunately, cultivated
star cacti are available through the nursery trade: they

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 40



D e s ert

SEE PAGE XX

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 42

G la s s hou s e


SEE PAGE XX Glasshouse

43 PART I THE FLORA



Anthurium G la s s hou s e


C O M M O N N A M E S : tail flower, flamingo flower, SEE PAGE 151
laceleaf, painted tongue, boy flower
L AT I N N A M E : Anthurium andraeanum
M E A N I N G : hospitality

Native to tropical regions of Central and South an insect visits a male flower and picks up his pollen, it
America, most anthuriums are epiphytes, organisms will skip over the spent female flowers on this particular
that grow on the surface of another plant. Anthur- spadix and fly off to a spadix on another anthurium
iums, which grow on moss and fallen leaves caught plant, where ideally it will deposit the pollen on a
between branches, get their name from the Greek receptive female flower.
word anthos, meaning “flower,” and oura, meaning
“tail.” In fact, “tail flower” is one of this plant’s com- Known for their undemanding nature and their
mon names. extremely long-lived blooms, anthuriums may seem
a little bit commonplace and unglamorous. But they
What might look like a flower—the colorful, make lovely cut flowers, and fashionable florists often
heart-shaped “petal” with a spike for a center—is include anthuriums in compositions alongside more
actually an inflorescence, a cluster of flowers growing traditional cut flowers for a stunning effect.
on a single stem. In this case, tiny flowers grow up and
down the spadix—the tapered rod in the center of the
inflorescence. The single shiny “petal” is a spathe, a
modified leaf that protects the spadix while it matures.

The spadix contains both male and female flowers,
making the inflorescence bisexual (also called “perfect”
in plant speak). It has both male and female reproduc-
tive structures; thus, an anthurium could potentially
pollinate itself, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.
The plant solves this problem by having the female
and male flowers take turns. First the female flowers
become receptive to pollination; when that phase is
finished, the male flowers release their pollen. When

45 PART I THE FLORA

G la s s hou s e
Spider Orchid

C O M M O N N A M E S : cricket orchid SEE PAGE 154
L AT I N N A M E : Brassia caudata

The spider orchid evokes its arachnid namesake The spider orchid is native to Mexico, Brazil,
in several ways. The lip, or labellum, is the apron-like Bolivia, the Caribbean, and Florida, though it hasn’t
petal that grows from the bottom of the center of the been seen in Florida since the 1990s and is believed to be
flower and its slight arch suggests a rounded spider’s extirpated there (extirpation has occurred when a plant
body. Five thin, elongated “petals,” resembling legs, species becomes extinct in one of its native habitats).
radiate from the body. The petals—actually three petals
and two sepals—curve backward, further evoking a
spider pose. The flowers hang suspended in the air on
their arched stems like spiders in a web.

The spider orchid’s blooms have actually evolved
to mimic spiders. The arachnid-like flower lures the
female spider-hunter wasp, also known, terrifyingly, as
a tarantula hawk. The wasp attacks the faux “spider,”
repeatedly stinging it in the “abdomen”—that is, the
orchid’s lip—and seizing its “head,” which is actually the
column, a nub at the center of the flower. As the wasp
struggles to subdue her prey, her head is covered in pol-
len. Eventually, when she gives up and continues on her
hunt, she may mistake another brassia flower for a spider
and, during her next attack, inadvertently fertilize it with
the pollen she is carrying. Whether she ever realizes she
has been deceived or assumes she has just tangled with
some very tenacious spiders is a mystery.

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 46





Blushing Bride G la s s hou s e

Tillandsia

C O M M O N N A M E S : sky plant, air plant SEE PAGE 159
L AT I N N A M E : Tillandsia ionantha

Native to Central America and Mexico, tillandsias— normal part of the plant’s development, is called apop-
also commonly known as air plants—are popular tosis, or programmed cell death.
houseplants thanks to their ability to grow in or on just
about any support system. Although these epiphytes Trichomes not only give tillandsias their
grow on host trees and other plants, they aren’t powdery appearance but also can provide helpful
parasites; the host simply provides a physical support information about the air plant species’ preferred
that allows them to grow up off the ground (inorganic environment. Plants with more powdery leaves
supports like utility lines and fence posts can also act as usually favor more arid regions, where they need a
support systems for tillandsias). heavy coating of trichomes for both hydration and
sun protection. More lightly coated leaves indicate
Although they produce small roots, these serve that the plant flourishes in a setting with less intense
only to anchor them in place on host plants. Because sunlight and more plentiful moisture.
they aren’t parasites, tillandsias need to absorb their
own water and food. Air plants absorb nutrients Tillandsias can seem almost magical in their ability
directly through their leaves via minute organs called to survive completely unrooted in soil, but they actually
trichomes, tiny hair-like scales that cover both sides of do require care in watering. The popular advice to keep
the leaf. Each trichome is composed of a nail-shaped them misted can do the plant more harm than good.
shield of dead cells and a little stalk connecting the When the trichomes are constantly swollen with water,
shield to the leaf. Moisture is wicked up by the dead it is difficult for the plants to aspirate. A good soak
cells and passes through the stalk into the leaf. This every week or two, with intermittent spritzing now and
process, in which cells die in a fixed sequence as a then, will keep an air plant hydrated and breathing easy.

49 PART I THE FLORA

G la s s hou s e
Lady’s Slipper
Orchid

C O M M O N N A M E S : Venus slipper SEE PAGE 162
L AT I N N A M E : Paphiopedilum
M E A N I N G : capricious beauty

Paphiopedilums—or paphs, as they’re often called by rub off onto the stigma. The insect has only to push
horticulturalists—are mostly terrestrial orchids native to past the anthers—the male organs—to escape, but in
Southeast Asia. Scientists believe these bizarre-looking doing so, it picks up a fresh load of pollen to deposit
plants may be among the oldest, most primitive orchid on its next adventure.
types growing today.
Sustainably raised lady’s slippers can be highly
The genus name, which literally translates as rewarding houseplants. Coax them into bloom, and
“Aphrodite’s sandal,” refers to the orchid’s pouch. This the flowers will last up to three months. Because
pouch, or saccate labellum, is a modified petal that the orchids usually grow on forest floors, they don’t
attracts and captures insects. Lady’s slippers may look require a lot of light; a spot in an east-facing window
and act like a carnivorous plant, but they trap insects will likely please a paph. And since lady’s slippers
only as a means of spreading pollen. The orchid attracts aren’t actually carnivorous, they don’t require insect
its pollinators, often flies or small bees, using scent. meals—all they need is liquid fertilizer, which is much
Lured by an odor that can range from floral to fetid, less of a chore to acquire.
the insect lands on what appears to be a suitable perch
in the center of the flower but is actually a slippery
wart on an organ called a staminode. Unable to find its
footing, the insect drops into the purse.

Once inside, the insect finds that the inner walls
of the trap are far too slippery to climb. The only
means of escape is a ladder of upward-growing hairs
at the very back of the pouch. This ladder routes the
insect directly to the stigma, the flower’s female repro-
ductive organ. If the insect has visited another lady’s
slipper earlier in the day, any pollen it is carrying will

UNCOMMON PAPER FLOWERS 50


Click to View FlipBook Version