Today’s Flowers: Foxglove
Thanks to our hosts:
Luiz Santilli, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
Up until I joined Today’s Flowers, I have no clue as to the names of some flowers. Since joining, I have done a lot of reading and research of our flora.
Today, my featured flower is the foxglove, a native to most of Europe. Its binomial name is Digitalis purpurea. Sounds familiar? It has cardiac glycoside digitoxin, which means that the leaves, flowers and seeds, are poisonous to humans and animals, that when eaten, could be fatal. But, I just could not help but admire their beauty.
The clinical use was pioneered as digitalis by William Withering, and was used as medication for heart failure. At a precisely right dose, Digitalis toxin can cause the heart to beat strongly. However, digitoxin, digoxin and several other glycosides, have steep-dose response curves. This means, minute increases in the dosage of these drugs can make the difference and ineffective dose and a fatal one.
Symptoms of digitalis poisoning include a low pulse rate, nausea, vomiting and uncoordinated contractions of different parts of the heart leading to cardiac arrest and finally death.
Did not mean to scare you! Just be careful.
April 26th, 2009 at 5:14 am
wowwwwww these are really beautiful! And i don’t have any idea what are their names. I think i haven’t seen any of them down here.
Great shots!
Arlene’s last blog post..PROUD BISDAK SA ABRIL – Letra R {RELO}
April 26th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Same here Tita, I’ve learned so much names and have been immensely interested, looking hard on flowers when I’m out. Though I did have a heart for flowers coz I grew up with my mom’s gardens full of blooms, but it’s different this time, it’s for a reason, hahahah. Anyway, undeniably beautiful flowers here,and yet so dangerous. Thanks for the visit.
Today’s Blah…’s last blog post..Mestizo Gumamela
April 26th, 2009 at 7:05 am
They are gorgeous aren’t they. These are particularly handsome specimens. I take it that the blue and puple ones aren’t Foxgloves or Digitalis. They look more like Delphiniums to me and also here Digitalis and Delphiniums flower at the same time (which is really a lot later). A very handsome flower border that you have photographed. It all looks so healthy, tidy and well planned.
PS. Digitalis are biannuals. The first year they make just the leaves and the second year they flower. However they seed themselves easily.
Tarolino, Finland’s last blog post..Today’s Flowers No 37 – Spring is here to stay
April 26th, 2009 at 7:16 am
@Tarolino, yes they are not part of the foxglove family, and I was wondering why it was included in the patch. Maybe for cross pollination or just for show.
April 26th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Wonderful shots of these flowers! I don’t see them so often anymore. I believe people are afraid having them because they are poisonous (digitalis), and small children can eat them. But they are a truly beautiful flower!
Thanks for visiting me! Been away, and are a bit late answering!
Valkyrien’s last blog post..SkyWatch: Struggling through the fog in search for blue sky!
April 26th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Lovely photos, I really like the last one … excellent!
DrowseyMonkey’s last blog post..Today’s Flowers #38
April 26th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
That is some garden with all those gorgeous blues! Foxglove is a plant I love to grow but mine won’t bloom until late May! A wonderful entry today!
April 26th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Beautiful photos.
Thanks for posting to TODAY’S FLOWERS.
April 26th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Ebie: What beautiful flowers and a wonderful set of photos. That was interesting information to share.
fishing guy’s last blog post..Today’s Flowers #38
April 26th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Beautiful flowers even if they are poisonous. Great photos.
Thanks for stopping by
kayleen’s last blog post..Today’s Flowers & Mellow Yellow
April 27th, 2009 at 4:15 am
i love your foxglove flowers especially the purple one soo pretty.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:59 am
what a beautiful garden, i love the flowers around there so stunningly blooming.
mymy’s last blog post..
April 27th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Fantastic captures! The colors are so lovely! You’d never guess they might be poisonous. But one can’t help admiring their beauty.
Shey’s last blog post..Like a Secret Garden
April 27th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Beautiful flowers !
It’s interesting to see flowers all over the world !
Have a nice day !
Mamapippa’s last blog post..<font color="#cc99ff">Blauwe zonnetjes …
April 27th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
What BEAUTIFUL blossoms with fascinating information. Thanks for sharing both.
Hugs and blessings,
Ruminations’s last blog post..Purple Photo Passion and Today’s Flowers
April 28th, 2009 at 3:27 am
They are so beautiful! I would have never thought that they are actually poisonous.
Rach (Heart of Rachel)’s last blog post..Weekend Snapshot #71
April 28th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Hi Ebie, a lot of fascinating information and a very interesting post. The foxglove used to grow wild in the hedgerows near my village when I was younger. I still love them even though its toxicity is deadly. I too have learned a lot since joining Today’s Flowers. It is a wonderful source of information and I am learning every day. Great photos, thanks for sharing them. I’m a little late this week. Sorry about that but our son is moving into a new apartment and we’ve been helping him. Have a great week.
Denise’s last blog post..Watery Wednesday