Carmel presents us with flowers in all seasons.
In this column we will always present one of the Carmel flowers, at the same time as it appears in the field, and you will be invited to visit it in one of the places where it blooms.
Crowned chrysanthemum
Crowned chrysanthemum is an annual herb with an erect central stem that is 70-35 cm tall. The color of its ligulate and tubular flowers is bright yellow. In the spring months, they create eye-catching yellow bloom spots on roadsides and abandoned fields. The seeds of the tubular central flowers lack a tassel, while the seeds of the ligulate peripheral flowers are equipped with wings. Crowned chrysanthemum is common in wastelands and garbage places from the Golan and Galilee in the north to the central Negev.
ID
| family: | Complex. |
| root: | Skewers. |
| height: | 70-35 cm. |
| Leaves: | The leaves are hairless, cut twice into thin, pointed lobes, and emit a pungent odor that repels insects. |
| stalk: | Upright, tall and hollow. The top of each branch bears a large yellow inflorescence, 4 cm in diameter. |
| rash: | In the spring, mainly in March and April. |
| The structure of the flower: | The inflorescence structure is similar but larger than that of the safflower: a ring of long linguineous flowers surrounds the tubular central flowers. |
| fruit: | The seeds of the tubular flowers in the center lack a tassel, while the seeds of the lingual envelope are equipped with wings. |
| smell: | The leaves and flowers have an aromatic scent. |
| nectar: | The plant produces nectar and is pollinated by insects. |
| uses: | The leaves and flowers are used to season salads, stews, and soups. The flowers are used for infusion. |
| Distribution in Israel: | The species grows in all parts of the Mediterranean country, also penetrating the Judean Desert and the central Negev. |
A place to meet the flower of the week
Parked the vehicle on the west side of the road in an empty lot at the end of Yona Engel Street in the Ramat Golda neighborhood, where the road makes a curve in front of a light pole located on the east side of the road.
On the right (eastern) side of the road near the lamppost you will see eye-catching clusters of crowned chrysanthemums.
If you go to visit the flower in the company of children, you can tell them the legend of the crowned chrysanthemum.
The Legend of the Crowned Chrysanthemum
Once upon a time, in a wide, green valley, there lived a family of beautiful, colorful, and happy flowers. There were red anemones, pink cyclamens, white daffodils with a yellow crown, and among them – a small, humble flower called a chrysanthemum.
The chrysanthemum was a little different from the other flowers. While the roses raised their stems proudly, and the anemones sparkled with a variety of colors, the chrysanthemum had yellow linguine and tubular flowers in its inflorescence, and it was small and modest. The other flowers used to look at it and smile with compassion.
"Why don't you shine like us?" asked the narcissus.
"Why don't you boast an intoxicating scent?" the rose wondered.
But the chrysanthemum only smiled shyly and did not answer.
Then, on a particularly stormy day, a strong wind blew. The tall flowers swayed and looked as if they would break. But the little chrysanthemum remained firm. It was firm, and its flexible stems allowed it to bend and rise again. When the storm passed, the flowers looked around. Some of them were broken, others had lost their leaves. But the chrysanthemum? It stood firm. When the sun emerged from the clouds, the raindrops sparkled and adorned the circumference of its inflorescence like a delicate crown of diamonds.
"You are crowned with a sparkling crown! You are strong and also radiant in your own way!" cried all the flowers. Since then, all the autumn chrysanthemums bear the memory of that chrysanthemum – flexible and strong, and after every rain, when drops sparkle on its blossom, they seem to be crowned with a royal crown.
Thanks for the fascinating information about the chrysanthemum.