clickandrender.blogspot.com: Canada Trip Day 26: Muttart Conservatory, Edmonton

8 July 2010 - This was our last day in Edmonton and also the second last day of our entire Canada trip. Mum's friend took us to the Muttart Conservatory. I'm impressed by the large varieties of plants in a not-so-large conservatory made up of four glass pyramids. I particularly love the showcase on the different types of cacti. I wish the labelling can be more complete. There are some plants which were without labels and I did to do a good bit of investigation online before I stumble upon them. To be fair, I came across a very interesting term, inflorescence and there are so many types in the way the flowers of plants are arranged while trying to find the names of the plants. It's amazing to actually see the physical appearances of the plants which we only know by name on bottles and packaging of shampoos, lotions, soaps and so forth.

Stone engravings on the wall at Muttart Conservatory

Mermaid lying on a bed of flowers - Muttart Conservatory

Witch Hazel

Mexican Orange - Choisya ternata 'Aztec Pearl'

Lotus corniculatus "Plenus" Bird's Foot Trefoil

Dragon Mouth (Horminum pyrenaicum) Europe

Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) Asia

Maidenhair Tree (Gingko biloba)

Sleeping lady sculpted from moss, Gaia Mother Earth

Common Fig (Ficus carica)

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis): An interesting fact is the chemistry of jojoba oil is similar to that of sperm whale oil but cannot handle the high temperatures to be a replacement of the latter, as a lubricant for machinery.

Moonstones (Pachyphytum oviferum) North America

Kangaroo Paws (Anigosanthos sp.) Pacifica

Elephant Foot Tree (Beaucarnea recurvata) North America

Shaving Brush Tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum): Its bark was used to make tea in El Salvador to treat diabetes and floral tea can be made for gastrointestinal ailments.