Poppy~

After cyclamen, I think the poppy to be the most graceful Jordanian wildflower flower, particularly, Papaver subpiriforme, pictured left. Though their unopened buds droop softly, once opened, a crumpled crimson flower unfurls to stand erect upon a long and delicate stem.

Much mythology and lore surrounds the poppy, revered by the ancients and the medievals for its magical powers. Poppy remains have been found in Egyptian tombs over 3000 years old and there are many references to its magical and healing powers in Greek and Roman myths. The species Papaver Somniferus (not indigenious in Jordan) is named after the Roman God, Somnus, bringer of sleep. Demeter, the Greek Earth goddess also believed in the healing power of the poppy and from them she was relived of pain as she searched for her abducted daugher, Persephone. When Adonis died, poppies were said to have sprung from the tears of his beloved, Aphrodite, and based on this myth, poppies became a favorite love charm of the Middle Ages; the list of poppy association with myth, sleep, dreams, the underworld, healing, etc. is long.

Glaucium aleppicum

Besides Genus Papaver, Jordan boasts at least three species of poppies from genus Glaucium. The plant and the flowers are sturdier than those of genus Papaver and the buds are more elongated and often erect.

Glaucium grandiflorum

Romemeria hybrida

Papaver subpiriforme

I photographed these two poppies on our Easter walk. As the wind gently blew over them they appeared to be talking. Really! Even my dear husband noticed and he is not one to talk to flowers--even though he now knows a few by name.

"The flowers appear on the earth,

The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance."

Song of Solomon 2:12-13

The clouds parted at about 11:30 this morning so I grabbed the camera and the youngers and I headed south, towards the Jordan Valley, just about 25 minutes from our home and the habitat of some of the most diverse flora in the world. What a riot of color greeted us! God has graciously let the rain fall in abundance this past winter and now we are enjoying an exquisite spring.

My youngers are pretty good sports about receiving impromptu botany lessons ad naueseum. I have to admit, I do get a little loopy about wildflowers when they are this beautiful and profuse. Younger son was happy to find a scorpion under a rock and enjoyed chasing a couple of lizards. He also saved the day when he rescued my lens cap which had fallen into a rocky crevice.



These pictures are especially for Lori, who specifically requested pictures of "fields of flowers". I wish you could have been with us today, Lori. I'll post some individual "portraits" later on.