Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Vanishing Wild Flowers

According to a report , flowering plants are fast vanishing from the earth. Some of the wild flowers which were very common a few years ago, are no longer seen in their habitats. These are two of the wild flowers which have disappeared from my neighbourhood.
The pink flowers of the Barleria mysorensis were a common sight in meadows around here ten years ago, but the thorny little bush is nowhere to be seen now. I found this lone representative struggling for survival on the hill at the edge of my suburb.


With so many flowering plants vanishing, I wonder how long these butterflies will be there.

The Blue Tiger is clever, because it migrates every year to the forests. But the forests are diminishing at an alarming rate.....



What will happen to this Eggfly, which has markings like eyes to confuse the predators?
I read Juliet Jowitt's article about the vanishing flowering plants in the Guardian of July 7, 2010 with growing consternation.





14 comments:

  1. Can’t imagine what the repercussions will be. The flowering plants are not only beautiful, they contribute in a big way to keeping the earth cooler and wetter. And many are yet to be discovered! A timely post indeed, Lotusleaf.

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  2. Yes, indeed! A very timely post! And a very sad statement about our world. Your photos are marvelous as always.

    Sylvia

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  3. It is so sad that so many things, plants and animals are vanishing from our world. You have captured the blooms and the butterflies beautifully.

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  4. Shailaja, It is an alarming situation. Yes, many flowers have not even been discovered, and may become extinct before humans name them.
    Sylvia, I hope something will be done aboutit.
    Crafty Gardener, welcome and thanks for your comments.

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  5. It would be very sad to see these wildflowers and the wildlife they attract vanish from our plantet. It is up to us gardeners to grow them in our gardens and preserve them for the future.

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  6. Yes, we have not learned to live peacefully with the plants and animals of the world. Maybe some day this will happen. Your butterfly pictures are stunning. Take care and have a great day.

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  7. It's terribly alarming that plants and critters are going extinct...when we are the cause of that extinction. I am so glad you have joined the WW wildflower celebration~I need and want to learn about your flowering native plants. Gail

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  8. Such a shame so many flowers are disappearing. Those butterflies are beautiful!

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  9. Sandbox: Yes, we gardeners should grow those wild flowers. But some of the flowers don't grow anywhere else but in their native habitats.
    Garden of threads: welcome and thanks for your comments.
    Gail: Thanks for hostingthe meme. I got to see so many wild flowers from all over the world!
    Tina: Thanks for your visit.

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  10. Hello Lotusleaf there are many wildflowers here that also are under threat or have succumbed already due to the invasive farming methods over the last 25 years. So many of our wildflowers sustain the local fauna of the area with their nectar and egg laying sites and once the flowers are gone sometimes the insects and butterflies go too.

    Lovely flowers and such beautiful butterflies :) Rosie

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  11. Many wildflowers are going extinct! We have to protect them before they are gone forever!

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  12. Lotusleaf....I am trying to jump start a butterfly program I attempted 18 years ago, educating the public that the clearing of land for development and agriculture is depleting the butterfly population as well as other valuable insects. Many of these wild plants are used by butterflies to host their larvae. Development comes at a very high price. It is important to encourage people to create areas for native plants in their gardens. It is a very serious situation and people need to wake up.

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  13. Rosie and Malar: it is so sad that the food plants of the butterflies and other insects are disappearing fast. If pollinators become less, world food production will also diminish.
    Helen, good luck with your project. As you say, it is important for people to grow native plants in their gardens.

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  14. Lovely and Important post LL! It is sad to think of the millions of plants that will not be around ... not to mention the forest. Beautiful butterfly photos. When will we wake up and make the necessary changes.

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