What is the story of baby-blue-eyes?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
May 10, 2002
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There is a small flower, baby-blue-eyes (Nemophila menziesii Hooker & Arnott), [ne moff' i la men zee' se i] found in the shaded washes, chaparral, and wooded slopes of California. It is an ephemeral, a short-lived plant that grows, blooms, and sets seed in a brief wet season. The seeds wait out the year until the rains return.
Archibald Menzies was born in March 1754 at Weem in Scotland. His first job was as a gardener on the grounds of the Castle Menzies for the third baronet, Sir Robert, the wealthier side of the family. The Menzies clan was famous for its arboriculture; the Castle was famous for its huge well-tended trees.
Sometime around 1770, Archibald and his brother William went to work as gardeners at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. Archibald studied medicine at Edinburgh University and became a ship's surgeon for a trading company. In 1790, he was appointed ship's naturalist and surgeon aboard the HMS Discovery commanded by George Vancouver.
For the next four years, Archibald circumnavigated the world with the Discovery and its supply ship, Chatham. He explored the Pacific coast of the Americas and was probably the first European to see the giant redwoods. He collected seeds and samples of 300 American species; 25 were named in his honor. He climbed the 14,000-foot Mauna Loa in Hawaii. The ships then went on to explore Australia and New Zealand.
It is chance that Archibald on a brief visit should find the ephemeral baby-blue-eyes. When the plant was later classified, it was placed in the genus Nemophila, originally named for the plants' preference of growing in the shade. But, Nemophila means "grove-loving" as were the Menzies clan.
The California Academy of Sciences has posted photographs of the wonderful wildflowers found in their state. To view the photographs of the blue form of Nemophila menziesii, click on the link:
http://www.calacademy.org/research/botany/wildflow/names/207176.htm 
To view the white form of N. menziesii, click on the link:
http://www.calacademy.org/research/botany/wildflow/names/207172.htm
To read more about Archibald Menzies, click on the link:
http://www.menzies.org/pages/society/magazine/one/onep3.html
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
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Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
Exclusively from National Geographic, this survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years. Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
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You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening or as a landscape tree in certain areas of the U.S. Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Comes in a copper-colored container and will be approximately 10''H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
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The Last Place on Earth Two-Volume Box Set
National Geographic®
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Determined to document the vanishing riches of central Africa's last undeveloped reaches, National Geographic photographer Michael ''Nick'' Nichols set out with ecologist Mike Fay on the ''megatransect expedition,'' a grueling 456-day, 2,000-mile trek from Congo's deepest forest to Gabon's virgin shore. The result of their efforts is The Last Place on Earth, revealing a landmark work so startling that it caused the government of Gabon to set aside 11 percent of the country's interior rain forest as national parkland, creating 13 new national parks to protect virgin lands and wildlife.
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The Last Place on Earth is a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and the Wildlife Conservation Society. All proceeds go to Congo basin forest conservation. 250 photographs. Volume I, 344 pages. Volume II, 128 pages. Hardcover. Vol I, 15'' x 10 3/4''. Vol II, 8 1/2'' x 11''. © 2005
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National Geographic®
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You are invited to roam the world in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Explore the diversity of our planet's lands and inhabitants in compelling stories covering topics such as animals, nature, science, technology, culture, history, travel, adventure, exploration, and geography. The monthly National Geographic magazine is your key benefit of membership.
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