Poem: "The Forgotten Flower"
Jun. 2nd, 2026 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis is today's freebie. It was inspired by prompts from siliconshaman, enchanted_jae, and frith. It also fills the "Lavender" square in my 6-1-26 card for the Pride Fest bingo. This poem belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics and is filed in the Shiv thread.
"The Forgotten Flower"
[Morning of Sunday, September 18, 2026]
In the Sunday Science section of
newspapers around the nation
appeared an announcement for
a new wildflower discovered in
the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
There had been a few references
to such a thing in colonial times,
but no scientist had documented it
then, and people forgot about it.
Now it had been found by a team
surveying rare plants, complete
with a photo and description.
It was a small, unassuming plant
bearing clusters of star-shaped flowers
in shades of white to lavender or pale blue.
The sticky petals and stems suggested
possible carnivorous action, similar to
the sundews, pitcher plants, and
bladderworts already known to prey
on insects due to the poor sandy soil.
Similarly the fuzzy, sticky seeds
were believed to hitch rides on
passing animals for dispersal.
One scientist included a note,
"Fertilized by the Jersey devil!"
while others disputed the claim.
The journalist observed that
insects might have difficulty
pollinating the sticky flowers
without getting glued and eaten,
whereas the Jersey devil was
indisputably too big to get stuck
(and rumored to have a sweet tooth).
The new wildflower was named
Myosotis × novacaesariensis
for its state of origin, and was
a relative of the forget-me-not.
All across New Jersey, folks
grinned and declared
its common name:
Fugettaboutit.
* * *
Notes:
This poem was inspired by a discussion under my "Nature" post about the discovery of a different wildflower in the Pine Barrens.
Myosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. The forget-me-not is the official flower of Alaska.
Forget-me-nots are a classic woodland garden plant, forming extensive carpets of their powder blue flowers, seemingly without effort on the part of the gardener. They are a particularly memorable plant, as a cluster of flowers sticks to clothing like Velcro to ensure you don't forget them, hence the name.
The carnivorous species of the Pine Barrens, Pitcher Plant, Sundews and Bladderworts, have evolved different ways to capture and consume insects and other tiny animals. Pitcher Plants develop large, water-tight basins from specialized leaves, which trap rainwater and contain digestive enzymes. Pitcher Plants exude enticing aromas that attract insects to investigate, and when the insects move or fall into the “pitcher,” downward facing hairs stop them from escaping. In contrast, sundews trap insects on sticky leaf surfaces, which then release enzymes to digest the animals. Bladderworts have tiny sacs attached to their modified leaves, which into water or are embedded in boggy soil, depending on the species. Very small animals are sucked into the sacs when they approach the sacs’ openings, where they are subsequently digested. Scientists believe these carnivorous abilities evolved to supplement the plants’ diets in conditions where it is difficult for plants to obtain enough nutrients from the soil and water alone.
A wolf walks into a flower — and appears to pollinate it
Recently, Lai and her colleagues discovered something new about these creatures — the animals occasionally consume the nectar of a plant called the red hot poker.
In other words, the carnivorous Ethiopian wolf may also be a pollinator.
Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis)
The flowers are the edible part to this plant. Eat them as a trail snack or use them to decorate cupcakes, toss them in a salad or as a garnish on your dinner plate.
siliconshaman, enchanted_jae, and frith. It also fills the "Lavender" square in my 6-1-26 card for the Pride Fest bingo. This poem belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics and is filed in the Shiv thread."The Forgotten Flower"
[Morning of Sunday, September 18, 2026]
In the Sunday Science section of
newspapers around the nation
appeared an announcement for
a new wildflower discovered in
the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
There had been a few references
to such a thing in colonial times,
but no scientist had documented it
then, and people forgot about it.
Now it had been found by a team
surveying rare plants, complete
with a photo and description.
It was a small, unassuming plant
bearing clusters of star-shaped flowers
in shades of white to lavender or pale blue.
The sticky petals and stems suggested
possible carnivorous action, similar to
the sundews, pitcher plants, and
bladderworts already known to prey
on insects due to the poor sandy soil.
Similarly the fuzzy, sticky seeds
were believed to hitch rides on
passing animals for dispersal.
One scientist included a note,
"Fertilized by the Jersey devil!"
while others disputed the claim.
The journalist observed that
insects might have difficulty
pollinating the sticky flowers
without getting glued and eaten,
whereas the Jersey devil was
indisputably too big to get stuck
(and rumored to have a sweet tooth).
The new wildflower was named
Myosotis × novacaesariensis
for its state of origin, and was
a relative of the forget-me-not.
All across New Jersey, folks
grinned and declared
its common name:
Fugettaboutit.
* * *
Notes:
This poem was inspired by a discussion under my "Nature" post about the discovery of a different wildflower in the Pine Barrens.
Myosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. The forget-me-not is the official flower of Alaska.
Forget-me-nots are a classic woodland garden plant, forming extensive carpets of their powder blue flowers, seemingly without effort on the part of the gardener. They are a particularly memorable plant, as a cluster of flowers sticks to clothing like Velcro to ensure you don't forget them, hence the name.
The carnivorous species of the Pine Barrens, Pitcher Plant, Sundews and Bladderworts, have evolved different ways to capture and consume insects and other tiny animals. Pitcher Plants develop large, water-tight basins from specialized leaves, which trap rainwater and contain digestive enzymes. Pitcher Plants exude enticing aromas that attract insects to investigate, and when the insects move or fall into the “pitcher,” downward facing hairs stop them from escaping. In contrast, sundews trap insects on sticky leaf surfaces, which then release enzymes to digest the animals. Bladderworts have tiny sacs attached to their modified leaves, which into water or are embedded in boggy soil, depending on the species. Very small animals are sucked into the sacs when they approach the sacs’ openings, where they are subsequently digested. Scientists believe these carnivorous abilities evolved to supplement the plants’ diets in conditions where it is difficult for plants to obtain enough nutrients from the soil and water alone.
A wolf walks into a flower — and appears to pollinate it
Recently, Lai and her colleagues discovered something new about these creatures — the animals occasionally consume the nectar of a plant called the red hot poker.
In other words, the carnivorous Ethiopian wolf may also be a pollinator.
Forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis)
The flowers are the edible part to this plant. Eat them as a trail snack or use them to decorate cupcakes, toss them in a salad or as a garnish on your dinner plate.
One question
Date: 2026-06-02 11:39 pm (UTC)