Re: Ca Poppy (fwd)

[robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Interesting.

 > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Date: Sat, 11 May 2013 10:24:17 -0700 (PDT)
 >
 >  > From: Michael Ellis <http://www.footlooseforays.com/~mjellis>
 >  > Date: Sat, 11 May 2013 09:46:44 -0700
 >  > 
 >  > May 11, 2013
 >  > 
 >  > Howdy:
 >  > 
 >  > Here is my next Perspective which will air on KQED next Friday when  I will 
 >  > be in far eastern Turkey then in a different kind of poppies. 
 >  > 
 >  > Fondly,
 >  > 
 >  > Michael Ellis
 >  > footlooseforays.com 
 >  > 
 >  >  
 >  > 
 >  > Ca poppy
 >  > 
 >  >  
 >  > 
 >  > By Michael Ellis
 >  > 
 >  >  
 >  > 
 >  > Slowly riding my bicycle through Santa Rosa last week I was struck by the 
 >  > number of Ca poppies growing in everyone's garden and even popping 
 >  > up through cracks in the sidewalk. I have seen this exact flower cultivated 
 >  > in the far reaches of our planet?Chile, South Africa, London and even (gasp) 
 >  > North Carolina. The Ca state legislature made an excellent choice in 
 >  > 1903 when they unanimously voted the Ca poppy - our state flower.
 >  > 
 >  > This poppy is found in every single Ca county but one. It comes in a 
 >  > range of color types ?totally orange, totally yellow, orange with yellow 
 >  > centers, yellow with orange centers. One taxonomist concluded there were 
 >  > over 90 different species but now most botanists agree there is only one 
 >  > Ca poppy but with several varieties.
 >  > 
 >  > And by the way, it is not specifically illegal to pick a Ca poppy, 
 >  > as every school child will tell you. Actually it is against the law to pick 
 >  > any plant  (herb, tree or shrub) -not just poppies- that are growing on 
 >  > public and private land. Of course you may pick poppies in your own garden.
 >  > 
 >  > In October, 1816 the Russian ship, Rurik, sailed into San Francisco Bay. 
 >  > Because the poppy blooms from February all the way to November, it was 
 >  > noticed and collected by ship?s naturalist and he named it for the physician 
 >  > on board, Johann Frederich Eschscholtz.
 >  > 
 >  > Eschscholzia californica is the scientific name, the Mexicans call it: copa 
 >  > de oro- the cup of gold and I am certain each native tribe had their name 
 >  > for this beauty. It grows in Oregon and Washington, to Baja Ca and 
 >  > east all the way to New Mexico.  
 >  > 
 >  > The poppy is a member of the plant family to which opium belongs. However 
 >  > the plant alkaloids are different.  You will not alleviate much pain with 
 >  > this plant but it does act as a mild sedative. Natives use the leaves for 
 >  > medicinal purposes and of course the seeds can be eaten.
 >  > 
 >  > To quote John Thomas Howell the author of Marin Flora.. ? No poet as yet 
 >  > sung the full beauty of our poppy, no painter has successfully portrayed the 
 >  > satiny sheen of its lustrous petals. In its the abundance, this colorful 
 >  > plant should not be slighted: cherish it and be ever thankful that so rare 
 >  > flower is common.?
 >  > 
 >  > Amen. This is Michael Ellis with a Perspective.