Max, I think, Madeira is an island off Portugal, near or of the Canaries. (I should Google). I think the Pride of Madeira- as used in California - may have something to do with the significant coastal and elsewhere population of Portugese. Name and plant probably a palliative for the marginalized and homesick. California probably similar to Australia - the Anglo shellac forcing the superiority of its culture down on everything - or so they thought! Echium, I like the sound much better, a much better match to how I respond to the blooms!
Stephen
http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Lots of Melbourne gardens have these glories, simply known here as Echium.
On 26/3/08 11:05 AM, "Stephen Vincent" wrote:
> Thanks, Anny and Mark, for your vigourous plant/flower searches.
> I am sorry to say, in this case, you are not winners.
>
> A friend in local horticulture came up with both accurate photo and name:
>
> Pride of Madeira
>
> for picture and furhter details go to:
>
> http://daviswiki.org/Pride_of_Madeira
>
> Normally a kind of dense green leaf shrub, it's flourishing in bloom and
> beautiful this time of year in coastal California.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Stephen
> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
>
>
> Anny Ballardini wrote: No, I think I know what
> they are but I never knew their name. They are tall,
> over one meter, is that right? And they come in different colors, all shades
> of blue but also rose and pink. They might be of the orchid family because
> each tiny flower (of the bigger bunch) has a similar pattern, and they stand
> tall toward the sky. I found on the net some blue flowers of the ginger
> family but I cannot find the page any more.
>
> On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM, Mark Weiss wrote:
>
>> blue bottlebrush? http://thefragguys.com/img/Surbpurpleacro.jpg
>>
>> At 05:40 PM 3/25/2008, you wrote:
>>> Not it, but thanks. These flowers spiral bunch in the manner of a,
>>> haha, toilet brush. (from wide diameter at base of many close
>>> together flowers, to one at the top.
>>>
>>> Stephen
>>> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
>>>
>>> Mark Weiss wrote: There is a candelabra flower.
>>> http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/brunswigorient.htm. Failing that,
>>> scan in a photo of the offending plant and maybe we can do a group
>>> hunt (and even find some derelict easter eggs).
>>>
>>> It occurred to me the other day that agribusiness has missed a bet by
>>> not marketing its eggs painted this time of year. Me, I prefer bunny
>>> stew for easter.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>>
>>> At 05:14 PM 3/25/2008, you wrote:
>>>> I've got a poem going that, currently, suffers from 'nominal fallacy'!
>>>> I don't know if 'nominal fallacy' was on that original list with
>>>> 'pathetic fallacy' and all the others. But I have been wrong twice
>>>> so far on getting the name right on this plant/flower combination
>>>> and I don't want to risk further embarrassment.
>>>> First I put 'lavender blue' pedals on a bottle-brush plant. Only
>>>> to find it was not a bottle-brush because it was pointed out that
>>>> such plants only have 'red spiky flowers'.
>>>> Second time through I put 'lilac blue' flowers a ceanothus plant.
>>>> Which is accurate to such a plant, but it was not the plant. Thank
>>>> you, Google, for the correcting image!.
>>>> This morning I found the plant with other such plants - some had
>>>> raspberry and others had deep blue petals (on vertical 6 to 12 inch
>>>> spiral, flowering 'branches '.) I asked a passerby. Ten minutes
>>>> later she came back in her car. "My husband says it called a
>>>> 'Candle of Madera' ." Indeed the multiple flowering plant looked
>>>> like an inverted candelabra.
>>>> However, nowhere to be found on Google!
>>>> I and my poor, nominally compromised poem will appreciate an
>>>> accurate report from a knowledgeable green thumb - if there is one
>>>> on the premises?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance, and, as a reward, I will be happy to send a
>>>> copy of the repaired poem, even post the corrected version on my
>>>> blog. I would post a jpeg of the culprit on my blog, but the
>>>> worn-out camera went in for much need repair.
>>>>
>>>> Honestly, perhaps like Spicer, I am trying real hard to put the
>>>> real flower in a real poem!
>>>>
>>>> Stephen V
>>>> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
>>
>
>
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