Common Research. Hoverfly, Syrphus ribesii, on Centaurea montana, Greater Blue Bottle or Mountain Bluet, Botanische Tuin Fryslân "De Kruidhof", Buitenpost, Friesland, The Netherlands

            A bit exasperated, that fine English Botanist William Curtis (1746-1799) who founded The Botanical Magazine  - later named for him - defends his publication's 'mission', as we would say today. He does this articulately in the first paragraph devoted to the description of Centaurea montana, Mountain Bluet:
"It has been suggested by some of our readers, that too many common plants, like the present, are figured in this work. We wish it to be understood, that the professed design of the Botanical Magazine is to exhibit representations of such". He goes on to write that the Magazine is devoted to educating laymen to become Botanists. For complaining Botanists, Curtis adds that he also publishes 'new' plants: "... it will appear that one third of the plants figured have some pretensions to novelty". As if to illustrate his point, the colored figure of our relatively common Centaurea has got to be one of the finest in this volume (nr 77, vol. 3, 1790-91).
The beautiful garden at Buitenpost, Friesland, The Netherlands, which I revisited this morning has many merits. Not the least of these is the fact that it has been a 'research' garden since 1930, now attached to the University of Groningen and especially the Department of Pharmacy. Interestingly, research is today done on very common plants such as Queen Anne's Lace, Anthriscus sylvestris (in this case for a remedy for some kinds of cancer).
Here then is a bud-bursting Centaurea montana. Our female Hoverfly 'Syrphus ribesii' seems hardly able to contain her desire... No doubt she'd be slightly stung to learn that her name is derived from the Greek word for gnat. Unlike pesky gnats Syrphus doesn't bite or sting at all and she and her clan are welcome pollinators in any garden. A bit unkind, I think, of Johan Christian Fabricius (1745-1808) to have in 1775 introduced that name for the family of this Pretty Hoverfly.
   

Taken in: Nederland / Friesland / Buitenpost (show map)

Taken on: May 22, 2012

Tags:

Johan Christian Fabricius

Hoverfly

Greater Blue Bottle

Mountain Bluet

'The Botanical Magazine'

William Curtis

Centaurea montana

University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

cancer

Queen Anne's Lace

Anthriscus sylvestris

gnat

Botanische Tuin Fryslân 'De Kruidhof', Buitenpost, Friesland, The Netherlands

1001 Nights

flixkrAward

BlinkAgain

NaturesFinest

flickrdiamond

DiamondClassPhotographer

my_gear_and_me

ish@Flickr « less

Groups appears in: • FlickrCentral • Sony Cybershot Owners more » • Bees, bees, bees! • Insect Photography • ish@Flickr • Natures Finest (Invited Images Only) • Flickr Nature Mania (FNM) • N A T U R E [no limits] • NaturePhotographs • INSECTS ARE BEAUTIFUL. • NATURE ♥ unlimited ♥ (Public Group Forever) • !!FlickrGreen ~ Everyday is Earth Day!! • Stop the Canadian Seal Hunt now! • Nel regno della flora e della fauna • Flickr Diamond - Invited Photos ONLY • ✿Flowers!✿ • ***This should be a Postcard!*** • !*Flickr Award Group*! (GIVE 5 AWARDS) • Natura per tutti • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • 自然の写真館 / Nature Gallery • as beautiful as you want • BEE FREE!! • Nature With All Its Wonders - Add One (1) photo and award Two(2) • Only "The Best" are Memories through Photography • [CLOSED]My Gear and Me #1 - (Post 1 - Award 5) • All Things ~*Earthy*~ • Blink Again - Post 1 - Comment 2 (no 30/60 limit ) • INSECTARIO ENTRE AMIGOS « less

Camera: Sony DSC-TX100V, f/4.5, 1/500 sec, 4.4mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony DSC-TX100V
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	4.4mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Show full info

Stats: 6,760 views / 85 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: