Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ll be using manicules (those pointing finger symbols) to direct your attention to something I’m pondering that delights or interests me. Each entry is somehow related to an unusual, obscure, or simply charming to me word.
U is for…
Umbel – in botany an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) which spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin umbella “parasol, sunshade”.
That’s such a ridiculously technical definition, let me move us along to a photo for clarification.
See the ribs like an umbrella – you get the idea. This is the dried umbel from a carrot plant. I think most of us tend to think of carrots with their lacy green tops, but if allowed to grow to maturity, from the green leafy part grow umbels with tiny white flowers which later mature into the seed pods from which future generations of carrots can be grown.
Here’s a photo of another umbel flower – Alliums.
While I find the structure of the plants, and the flowers themselves fascinating, the thing I’m actually musing about is umbrellas. I’ve had a number of dreams which start with being out on a busy street on a rainy day, surrounded by people carrying umbrellas. In a couple of these dreams, as I’m watching the umbrellas turn into flowers, and in the very next moment the flowers become the heads of the people. It all happens in the deliciously seamless motion that only dreams can manage so beautifully.
I can only say I love dream-walking amidst flower-headed people. It’s magical. When I wake up, I wonder if I have a flower head in the dream too, but I just can’t see it. I like to imagine I do.
Last week, and ad from a favorite plant store, indicated they had a new shipment of umbrella plants. I wasn’t sure what exactly that was, and a google search sent me down a rabbit hole of various plants so named, and even trees called umbrella trees.
And somehow that reminded me a children’s book, so I headed over to my shelves and dug out The Paper-Flower Tree by Jacqueline Ayer. It’s a delightful tale from Thailand starring a little girl named Miss Moon who has a charming encounter with a peddler selling paper flowers adorning a tree he’s carrying. While she can’t afford it, Miss Moon wishes for nothing more than to have a paper flower tree of her own. The kind-hearted man gifts her with a flower and tells her, while he can’t promise, if the flower happens to have a seed and she plants it, it might well grow into her own tree. I, of course, encourage you to read the story to find out what happens, but in keeping with my practice of awarding book review ratings based on floriography, the language of flowers, giving a hint at the plot as well as my appraisal, I offer an Orange Tree (generosity); surrounded by White lilac (youthful innocence); Swamp Magnolia (perseverance); and Lily of the Valley (return of happiness).
I seem to have taken us on a bit of a rambling meander in today’s post, but luckily we had umbrellas and parasols on hand so hopefully no one got wet or too much sun. But now that we’re at the end of the path, it’s your turn. Tell me, do you love carrots or Allium? Use umbrellas or parasols, or both? Love kid’s books? Have an umbrella plant? Do tell – you know I love.
“The Umbrella” is a term we use in ice hockey – it’s a special power play system 😉
I’m also an umbrella person on rainy days, such as today.
Carrot is sort of the iconic food item in my state, our specialty is carrot cake, and just recently I experimented with a carrot bread (as in yeast bread) recipe.
Happy Monday!
Carrot bread sounds really interesting Tamara. And I’d never pass up a slice of carrot cake. 🙂
The way our mind works and makes connections from one thing to another sometimes seems random but I suspect is driven by memory and creativity. Lovely right brain wanderings.
I love the strange ways things connect – it makes me feel like the world is filled with endless possibilities.
Looks very delightful that umbel flower. I hav seen such red flowers in India…not sure of name though. They r freqly seen everywhere. Interesting book reco there…i once had a dream wher it’s raining inside my house and am walking using umbrella!
Dropping by from a to z “The Pensive”
I’ve been learning about Indian flowers through another a-to-z blog and it’s delightful – so many beautiful flower everywhere! Dreams are funny things, aren’t they? Thanks for your continued stops and comments Afshan.
You dream about umbrellas? I am charmed. I love carrots. I like Allium but have never grown it. I like umbrellas, but am not into parasols. I like kids’ books, the ones that make smile in particular.
Kids’ books can be so wonderful. Digging around to pull out the one I mentioned, had the fortunate result of reminding how many fabulous ones I have that are clearly awaiting re-reading. I’m going to make that my next how-do-it-get-more-fun-that-this project. 🙂
Yes, I do love kids’ books. 🙂 I may just look that one up.
And flower-headed people seem like delightful dream company. (As long as they are not carnivorous flowers!) 🙂
LOL – no carnivorous flowers allowed!
I’ve decided that post-challenge I really ought to do a few posts sharing my favorite kids’ books and getting recommendations for others. I’m pretty sure I could happily wile away forever in their magic.
I absolutely ADORE alliums.
That picture of the tree with roots (right beneath your flower-head dream) puts me in mind of one my favourite Rumi quotes: “And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”
That I’ve skipped forward to U today is no co-incidence Deborah. I think our dreams are at work–wrote about a dream today:)
Oh I’ve not heard that bit of Rumi wonderfulness, Arti – but I’ll never forget it. And you can bet come winter, I’ll be leaning down low and listening for the underground party!
Umbels are amazing botanical configurations. Your umbrella dreams sound so lovely.
It’s one of those endless mysteries of life that somehow delight me – why are dream umbrellas infinitely more wonderful than waking life umbrellas?
The Paper-Flower Tree by Jacqueline Ayer is a beautiful book. The illustrations are beautifully woven in this book!
I couldn’t agree more!
Yes, yes, yes.
Queen Anne’s lace is in the carrot family and the flowers look just like that, and grow as wild weeds in my yard (and are not so easy to get rid of with their long carrot-like tap root. Not that I want to get rid of all of them because they’re lovely, but sometimes I don’t want so many just right in that bed there.) I also have several types of allium growing, plus chives, which are the same family.
I do like umbrellas, and also a wide variety of children’s books, but I was not familiar with The Paper Flower Tree, so I’ll have to remember to look for it next time I go to the library.
U is for Undead
It’s only right you should like a flower with your name! I like it as well, but I totally get how its royalty can go to its head, thinking every spot of soil is her perfect spot.