Guess the Close-up #4

Kudos to Crane at Greencliff Landscape Company for nailing close-up #3--an Asiatic lily. I’ll pass on some interesting bits of information about that beauty in half a mo. 

But first, what about this new one? Isn't it wild?! The close-up shows how it looked just today in all its proud and fading glory, at 2nd and Dayton. Take a gander; have a guess. Its identity will be vouchsafed to me by Debra.

The two Asiatic lily close-ups from last post are of the anther--the pollen-bearing part of the plant, borne at the end of the stamen, and the stigma, the tip of the pistil where the pollen is deposited by your wandering bee. From the stigma, pollen makes its way down the style to the ovary where seeds are formed--in the pod at the base of the petals. That’s it for Biology 101.

Here’s a story about the lily’s pistil: Venus--the Love Goddess--was rising from the sea, saw a lily and was jealous of its awesome attractiveness. She created that bulbous tipped pistil, with the stigma like a baboon’s butt, to mar its appeal. 

Venus notwithstanding, the lily is almost always associated with innocence and beauty. To wit, fleur-de-lis means “flower of the lily,” symbolizing the Virgin Mary in medieval cathedrals and carried by Joan of Arc. And all the au courant definitions for "lily" in the Urban Dictionary are equally, if not more, kick-ass. No less authority than The Bard put it this way: “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,/….Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” 

Bottom line: you just cannot beat the lily for beauty. Take that,Venus.

Though beautiful, the Asiatic lily itself does not have the sexy, lingering scent of most Oriental hybrids, such as the popular and easy to grow Lilium ‘Stargazer’ which you can see and smell at the NE corner of 3rd and Dayton. 'Stargazer' (because the flower looks up) is the one that the Saturday market guys are now putting in those fantastic bouquets with the anthers cut off to prevent the pollen from spreading. 

If spilled, the pollen will degrade the petal, and if you get some on your clothes, or even the tabletop, it will stain if you try wiping it off with a damp cloth. Rather roll over the spill with some adhesive tape, or brush it into your treasure box.

A final caveat: the ASPCA reports that the petals or leaves of most true lilies are highly toxic to cats. It's not good for us either, so you can love the sight and scent, but don't eat the lily.