#solanaceae

Fleur de poivron, Capsicum annuum, famille des Solanaceae. Je trouve cela amusant de voir le poivron se développer au centre de la fleur !

AKA bittersweet, bitter nightshade, blue bindweed, Amara Dulcis, climbing nightshade, felonwort, fellenwort, felonwood, poisonberry, poisonflower, scarlet berry, snakeberry, trailing bittersweet, trailing nightshade, violet bloom, madness-berry, and woody nightshade.

Native to Eurasia and North Africa, but widely naturalised elsewhere. The seeds are spread by birds like the Eurasian thrush, since they can eat the fruit and not die. The fruit is intensely bitter, which reduces the likelihood of human deaths, but has a sweet aftertaste. Herbalists have certainly noted the effects if people eat them anyway - the monk and scholar Aldhelm of Malmesbury (c. 639-709) described its effects as inflicting a "touch of insanity" upon the user, leaving them "mad with dizziness".

Other parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine, but since you can develop an allergy that's not recommended either. The flowers are considered a symbol of fidelity in marriage, and used in bridal wreaths and Christian art from the Middle Ages, supposedly because they combine extreme bitterness with surprising sweetness.

Got some pages up for Solanaceae before I'm off to San Diego for Comic Con!

My output was low this month due to having two BIG conventions in one month but I'm hoping to make up for that in August with quite a few things.