“It cam wi a Comesperma and it’ll gang wi a Comesperma”
Day 53 Comesperma ciliatum, a plant a day , Lowlands Reserve
The first plant I featured on Day 1, was the milkwort, the Comesperma virgatum. I’ve now come to the end of my Groundwork Challenge for Bush Heritage, so I’ll end on Day 53 with a Comesperma, the bright blue Comesperma ciliatum.
I’ve adapted the quote from James V’s deathbed assertion that the Stuart dynasty would end with his 6 day old daughter , Mary Queen of Scots. “It cam wi a lass and it’ll gang wi a lass” . Which translates as: “It began with a girl, and it will end with a girl”. As it happens, his prophecy was incorrect, Mary Queen of Scots’ son became James the Sixth of Scotland, and James the First of England. Queen Elizabeth II, house of Windsor, is a direct descendant of Mary Queen of Scots.
Possibly, the same will apply to this story blog, maybe the story title will prove to be incorrect, and this will be a never-ending story!
Actually, some of the lilac-coloured Comesperma virgatum are in flower right now in the Lowlands Reserve next to the Bibbulmun track and also next to our letterboxes. Long flowering from October to December. Not the actual plants which were flowering on Day 1, those have gone to seed, or are a shadow of their former selves. It intrigues me why 2 plants of the exact same species right next to each other flower at different times. Presumably because of differences in microclimate, or in DNA, some of the milkwort plants at our letter boxes started flowering 6 weeks ago and are now finished, and these are only centimetres apart from plants which are now flowering!
“ Come” or “Kome” means hair in ancient Greek. Sperma for seed in both Greek and Latin. I made a note back on Day 1 on 25 October 2020 to have to look out to see if any hairy seeds develop. Yes the seeds are sort of hairy. Here are the photos:
Lowlands Reserve is on Menang Noongar land.
I recognise and respect the Traditional Owners of this Country and their connection to the lands, waters and skies.
Lowlands Coastal Reserve is managed by the local community and the City of Albany. Bush Heritage Australia manage many other wonderful reserves.
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