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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI14090864/00001
Notes
- Scope and Content:
- Source: Water Lilies 1
Length of Segment: 00:01:16
Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. Everyone knows water lilies. You know, those plants with flat rounded green leaves that float or rise just above the water's surface and produce colorful blooms that also float on the surface or rise above the surface on a slender stem. Claude Monet created two famous paintings titled, 'Water Lilies' at a time when water lilies were especially popular for formal gardens. The combination of placid water, the reflection of clouds, or perhaps an early morning fog and the smooth oval green of lily pads punctuated with splashes of color seem irresistible. Their beauty and the tranquility of the scene with water lilies have inspired artists, poets, and dreamers of many cultures. In Chinese culture, a water lily has been likened to a man of noble character. The lotus, a distant relative of true water lilies, has been linked to creation stories and the after-life in several eastern cultures. In Florida, we have at least six native species that have been called 'water lilies' or 'lotus', including the yellow lotus, also known as the 'water chinquapin' which produces a beautiful yellow flower that can be nearly a foot in diameter, the largest flower of any native North American plant. ( English )
- Scope and Content:
- Source: Water Lilies 2
Length of Segment: 00:01:15
Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. The water chinquapin is in a different family from true water lilies and can be distinguished in part by its leaves. Water chinquapin's two foot diameter leaves are round with no break at any point and with the stem centered so that they sometimes resemble an umbrella that has been inverted by the wind. Its waxy yellow flowers can be nearly a foot in diameter and its hard black seeds can exceed half an inch in diameter. Found from Ontario to Texas and southcentral Florida, the water chinquapin thrives in shallow lakes and backwaters of streams. At the center of each yellow flower is the pistil, a female reproductive structure. This is very large and has tiny openings that make it look like the top of a salt shaker. After pollination, the pistil further increases in size as the seeds inside grow. When mature, the dried pistil looks like a shower head and holds about twenty seeds. The pods are often used in dried flower arrangements. In nature, the dried pods fall into the water and disintegrate to release the seeds. These can lie dormant for decades, even hundreds of years until the conditions are just right for growth. ( English )
- Scope and Content:
- Source: Water Lilies 3
Length of Segment: 00:01:15
Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. The large, umbrella-leaved, waxy, yellow-flowered water chinquapin, or yellow lotus, is a true lotus related to the sacred lotus of India. It's a plant that was revered by Native Americans and adopted by early European-Americans for its culinary uses. All parts of water chinquapin are edible. The water chinquapin's long thick tubers, when cut open, resemble potatoes in both appearance and flavor. Young leaves and shoots were often boiled and eaten and the young seeds could be eaten either raw or cooked. I once read that the hard, black, half inch diameter seeds of water chinquapin could even be popped like popcorn. Don't try it; I did. Perhaps I took the wrong approach, but I tried popping several of these seeds with a little butter in the same manner as popcorn. At first, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden there was a barrage of violent explosions as these seeds burst with incredible force. No, they didn't puff up like popcorn. Yes, they were tasty with a nutty flavor. No, I wouldn't recommend repeating the experience. Try the still-green seeds if you'd like; they're akin to a large green sweet pea. ( English )
- Scope and Content:
- Source: Water Lilies 4
Length of Segment: 00:01:15
Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. Among the water lilies in the wetlands of the Florida Gulf Coast University campus is a yellow-flowered species about which I'm frequently asked the same question: “When will the flowers open?” The plant is spatterdock, sometimes also known as 'yellow pond lily' or 'cow lily', and the answer is that those yellow flowers are as open as they ever will be. The flowers of spatterdock are cup-like, appearing like a half-opened bud and usually about an inch in diameter. Each ball-like flower consists of three heavy, waxy, green sepals on the outside and three similar but yellow petals on the inside. The pollen and seed-producing structures are large but hidden down inside. These flowers are often on stalks that extend above the water's surface and depend on flying insects for pollination. Their cup-like structure may well prevent the pollen from being washed away in their pond environment. Spatterdock of different species can be found in wetlands across North America and has played many roles in Native American culture. Its roots are starchy and edible, its seeds are also edible and an important wildlife food. The leaves of spatterdock were often used as a covering for wounds. ( English )
- Scope and Content:
- Source: Water Lilies 5
Length of Segment: 00:01:15
Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Jackson, out with the wild things. One of the true water lilies found in Florida is known as the 'fragrant water lily' for its pleasant but strong fragrance. This plant, with its yellow-centered white flower, is native and abundant in our roadside ditches and ponds. It also has a fascinating life history. Each flower is only open in the sunshine. At night, and on overcast days, it closes. Each blooms for about three days, but only on the first day is it receptive to pollination and its strong odor attracts insects that carry pollen from other fragrant water lilies. On that first day, however, the fragrant water lily does not produce any pollen of its own, thus assuring cross-pollination. On the second and third day, each flower produces pollen, again attracting insects and thus sends its pollen out to pollinate other flowers. After the third day, the flower stem begins to coil, pulling the flower underwater. The seeds mature and are released underwater. The floating green oval leaves of fragrant water lily can be nearly a foot across, and have a split along one side; think of a pizza with a narrow slice removed. ( English )
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- Resource Identifier:
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