Weekly Observations
Jul 17 - Jul 23, 2005
In another case of trees not knowing what
season it is, I've seen several
jacarandas
with flowers this week, though they usually bloom the end of March. There
are several in Milagro Park (the little park in the 'S' curve just west
of Chapala). Suppose they call it Milagro Park because it is
a miracle there is park there instead of condos?
Also blooming are the ubiquitous castor plants (Ricinus
communis), source of the deadly poison ricin, as well as the famed
castor oil that some children consider nearly as deadly, though it
really is beneficial. The plant, a native of Africa, has flower stalks
with two types of flowers blooming at the same time, neither of which
have true petals. The female flowers grow in masses at the top of the
flower stalk and have feathery red stigmas, while below them the male
flowers are just a yellow mass of stamens.
Along the lake's edge in the swampy soils are many large
Jimsonweed (Datura spp.) that have flowers much larger than those
from species I've seen up north. Fully open, the white tubular
flowers look to be about 8 to 10 inches across, and about a foot long.
All Jimsonweeds have halucinogenic alkaloids and are poisonous if too
much is ingested.
The past few days have been humid, which is not unusual this
time of year. The nightly thunderstorms leave the ground wet, then when the
sun comes out it evaporates any of that water that lies near the surface.
There is enough moisture in the air by afternoon that the view of the
mountains is softened by haze.
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