Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Nightshade family

On 16 September 2015, I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after my volunteer shift. There seemed to be more flowers in bloom than on my previous visit. Shoo Fly, Shoofly or Shoo-fly, Peruvian Bluebell, even Apple of Peru ... take your pick, lol. It is native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant, as at the Reader Rock Garden, where this photo was taken. This plant is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The green or black-mottled calyces have always fascinated me. Branches of the mature Chinese lantern-style fruits can be dried and used for winter decoration. There were also quite a few distant small birds flitting from tree to tree at one point. They were impossible to see well enough to get photos or IDs - - a little Hermit Thrush was the only bird I managed to photograph. I also noticed a Jack Rabbit in the Garden and then, when I drove through the adjoining cemetery, it or another one was running in among the gravestones. When it saw my car coming, it froze and waited till I had moved on.

Shoo Fly, Shoofly or Shoo-fly, Peruvian Bluebell, even Apple of Peru ... take your pick, lol. It is native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant, as at the Reader Rock Garden, where this photo was taken on 17 September 2014. This plant is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The green or black-mottled calyces have always fascinated me. Branches of the mature Chinese Lantern-style fruits can be dried and used for winter decoration. I will add a couple of photos of the flower in a comment box below.

The seedpods of Black Henbane are some of my favourite seedpods. I noticed these growing near the edge of the Bow River on the east side at Mallard Point, Fish Creek Park, on 22 September 2015. The water gave me a nice, clear background. "An annual or biennial (forming a rosette the first year) plant that reproduces by seed only. Black Henbane was introduced from the Mediterranean and has been used as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages, and was also used in ancient religious rites because of its hallucinogenic properties. It was even used as a flavoring in beer until the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals when ingested – tissues contain several toxic alkaloids. Symptoms of poisoning include impaired vision, convulsions, coma, and death from heart or respiratory failure. It is a member of the nightshade family and also called ‘stinking nightshade’. A single plant can produce as much as half a million seeds in one season, which are viable for about 4 years." www.invasiveplants.ab.ca/Downloads/FS-BlackHenbane.pdf - On that morning, I was out with friends on a three hour birding walk. A beautiful sunny day, with the temperature between 8C and 13C, and 44 bird species were seen (not all by me, as usual). The American White Pelicans and the Cormorants are always favourites of mine. After the walk, friend Sandy asked if I wanted to go back to the place SW of the city and SW of Millarville, where I had managed to spot (on 17 September) a group of three mature Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) mushrooms. We don't get the bright red ones with white dots here (the kind that you see in children's fairytale books), but we very occasionally come across a yellow or orange one if we are very lucky. I think I have only ever seen these three times - at West Bragg Creek, Rod Handfield's land at this very location, and I think Marsden Creek in Kananaskis. I was so longing to see one again and thought it was worth the drive just to check. Well, I found the field easily on 17 September, but had forgotten about the sign there that said No Trespassing, No shooting, Patrol Area. I wasn't sure what Patrol Area meant, but I could almost imagine several Dobermans being released to attack me! I never go anywhere that has a No Trespassing sign, anyway. So, I walked through the trees along the edge of the field and tried to peer into the field, being careful not to catch the barbed-wire fence. I caught sight of a cluster of three fungi that looked like they were Amanitas, though they were fully "opened" and I couldn't see any spots. Only managed to get one really poor photo. Since then, I learned that this location is actually part of Rod Handfield's land - I thought it belonged to someone else. Rod had always told our botany group that we were welcome to explore his land at any time. When Sandy and I called in on 22 September, we were able to check for any Fly Agarics - not a single one to be found this time, not even the three I had found a few days earlier. Several years ago, there was quite a large patch of them right there. It's a bit late in the fungi season, unfortunately. We wandered through the forest just a little way - such a beautiful, rich forest floor. We have all reckoned that this forest is one of our favourites, with so many things to be found. However, for some reason, we haven't had any trips out there the last three or so years. Many thanks for driving out there yesterday, Sandy - much appreciated!

I always think this is rather a strange flower, but with such a beautiful pattern on the petals. Photographed this noxious weed on 23 June 2015, when I was on a botany walk at Griffith Woods. "An annual or biennial (forming a rosette the first year) plant that reproduces by seed only. Black Henbane was introduced from the Mediterranean and has been used as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages, and was also used in ancient religious rites because of its hallucinogenic properties. It was even used as a flavoring in beer until the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals when ingested – tissues contain several toxic alkaloids. Symptoms of poisoning include impaired vision, convulsions, coma, and death from heart or respiratory failure. It is a member of the nightshade family and also called ‘stinking nightshade’. A single plant can produce as much as half a million seeds in one season, which are viable for about 4 years." www.invasiveplants.ab.ca/Downloads/FS-BlackHenbane.pdf -

I always think that Black Henbane is a strange flower, but with such a beautiful pattern on the petals. Photographed the seedpods of this noxious weed in Carburn Park yesterday, 17 August 2014. I love the seedpods this plant produces! "An annual or biennial (forming a rosette the first year) plant that reproduces by seed only. Black Henbane was introduced from the Mediterranean and has been used as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages, and was also used in ancient religious rites because of its hallucinogenic properties. It was even used as a flavoring in beer until the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals when ingested – tissues contain several toxic alkaloids. Symptoms of poisoning include impaired vision, convulsions, coma, and death from heart or respiratory failure. It is a member of the nightshade family and also called ‘stinking nightshade’. A single plant can produce as much as half a million seeds in one season, which are viable for about 4 years." www.invasiveplants.ab.ca/Downloads/FS-BlackHenbane.pdf -

Shoo Fly, Shoofly or Shoo-fly, Peruvian Bluebell, even Apple of Peru ... take your pick, lol. It is native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant, as at the Reader Rock Garden, where this photo was taken on 10 September 2013. This plant is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The green or black-mottled calyces have always fascinated me. Branches of the mature Chinese lantern-style fruits can be dried and used for winter decoration.

Shoo Fly, Shoofly or Shoo-fly, Peruvian Bluebell, even Apple of Peru ... take your pick, lol. It is native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant, as at the Reader Rock Garden, where this photo was taken on August 17th. This plant is a member of the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. The green or black-mottled calyces have always fascinated me. Branches of the mature Chinese lantern-style fruits can be dried and used for winter decoration.

Is anyone else finding that Flickr has been incredibly slow the last few days? I can click on something and five minutes later, something finally happens. I have Light Speed, not High Speed, but this is slower than it usually is. I've been on the verge of giving up many times! Anyway, these are some of my favourite seedpods, those of Black Henbane. Like little, veined urns. Had never photographed them in winter, against the snow, before. An introduced, invasive plant.

I was lucky enough to see this plant on an acreage near Millarville (south of Calgary) last year. "Datura stramonium is also known by the common names jimson weed, ditch weed, stink weed, loco weed, Korean morning glory, Jamestown weed, thorn apple, angel's trumpet, devil's trumpet, devil's snare, devil's seed, mad hatter, crazy tea, malpitte,and "poor man's acid". It is a common weed in the Nightshade Family. It contains tropane alkaloids that are sometimes used as a hallucinogen. The active ingredients are atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. Due to the elevated risk of overdose in uninformed users, many hospitalizations, and some deaths, are reported from recreational use." From Wikipedia.

I find this an attractive flower, but also a rather strange one. The purple veining is quite striking. The next photo in my photostream shows the seedpods of this plant - like a row of tiny urns. This particular plant was growing at Strathcona Park Ravine when we were there for a walk yesterday morning.

Black Henbane is one of my favourite wildflowers, though all parts of this plant are poisonous and it is a weed : ). The flowers are a little creepy, but quite spectacular. Love the seedpods of this plant! It was introduced from Eurasia.

I find these stems of dried Black Henbane seedpods absolutely fascinating! Love the spike-tipped sepals that surrounded the fruit. This plant is pulled here, as it is an unwanted plant, spreading a huge number of seeds.

All parts of this wild plant, which belongs to the Nightshade family, are poisonous. It contains toxic alkaloids and narcotics. I think the flower itself is quite impressive and I find the seedpods fascinating.