December Solstice Always Occurs at the Same Instant Everywhere on Earth

Summary: The December solstice, which occurs Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 10:44 Coordinated Universal Time, always occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth.

seasonal variations; solstices signal maximum polar tipping away from or toward the sun: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA Solar System Exploration

Every year the December solstice, which takes place Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, at 10:44 Coordinated Universal Time (5:44 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), always occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth.

Conversion of the instantaneous 2016 December solstice to local times in the world’s capitals yields dates ranging from Tuesday, Dec. 20, to Thursday, Dec. 22. For example, Alofi, capital of the 100-square-mile (260-square-kilometer) South Pacific island state of Niue, lies 10 degrees 5 minutes east of the date-changing International Date Line. The December solstice, which opens astronomical summer for Niue, is timed for Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 11:44 p.m. Niue Time (NUT). Niue’s time zone lags 11 hours behind UTC (UTC-11).

Apia, capital city of the Independent State of Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean, lies 8 degrees 15 minutes west of the date-changing IDL. Adjusted for summer time, which began Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, the December solstice takes place Thursday, Dec. 22, at 12:44 a.m. West Samoa Time (WST). Samoa’s summer time zone is 14 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+14).

Wednesday dates prevail for the world’s populous capitals. The 2016 December solstice happens in Mexico City, Mexico, at 4:44 a.m. (UTC-5). Across the Atlantic Ocean, in Lisbon, Portugal, it is 10:44 a.m. (UTC+1). Across the Pacific Ocean, in Jakarta, Indonesia, it is 5:44 p.m. (UTC+7).

Earth’s time zones convert Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to local time. UTC has been the official standard for world time since Saturday, Jan. 1, 1972. UTC starts at midnight, indicated as 0:00, and applies the 24-hour styling of military time notation for succeeding hours. For example, four and one-quarter hours after midnight, 4:14 a.m. is styled as 4:14. Noon is represented by 12:00. Mid-afternoon, at 3 p.m., is designated by 15:00. One minute before midnight, 11:59 p.m., is noted as 23:59.

The world’s time standard is linked to zero degrees longitude. The world’s present-day time zones, which are angled around internal and international borders, are calculated as hours or hours and minutes ahead of or behind UTC.

The range of times and dates for the 2016 December solstice emphasizes Earth’s inhabited vastness. Whether they note the December solstice, Earthlings, with a global population of around 7.5 billion as of October 2016, are all affected by the impact of the changing astronomical seasons upon lifestyles and life events.

Every year the December solstice opens astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The astronomical event triggers the Northern Hemisphere’s shortest season, shortest day and longest night as the Earth’s tilted axis increases daily hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere and as Earth’s somewhat elliptical orbit reaches closest approach to the sun, known as perihelion (Ancient Greek περί, perí, “near” + ἥλιος, hḗlios, “sun”).

Earth’s axis, currently tilted at 23.43711 degrees to its perpendicular orbital axis, leans away from the sun at the North Pole and toward the sun at the South Pole. The tilt that favors the Southern Hemisphere with astronomical summer precipitates astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The December solstice, known as the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, marks the year’s shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.

At the instant of the 2016 December solstice, Earth is drawing close to maximum orbital nearness to the sun. On Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, two weeks after the December solstice, Earth reaches perihelion.

Earth travels faster in orbital nearness to the sun and slower in orbital remoteness from the sun. The faster travel shortens the duration of the astronomical season that occurs at or near perihelion. From 1246 through 6429, winter rates as the shortest astronomical season. In 6430, when perihelion coincides with the March equinox, the Northern Hemisphere’s astronomical winter will cede the title of shortest season to astronomical spring.

The takeaway for the astronomical event variously dated as Dec. 20, 21 and 22 is that the December solstice always occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth.

With conversions to local time via Earth’s current time zones, the December solstice always happens at the same instant everywhere on Earth: standard world time zones as of September 2016: TimeZonesBoy, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

seasonal variations; solstices signal maximum polar tipping away from or toward the sun: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA Solar System Exploration @ http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galleries/seasonal-variations

With conversions to local time via Earth’s current time zones, the December solstice always happens at the same instant everywhere on Earth: standard world time zones as of September 2016: TimeZonesBoy, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Standard_World_Time_Zones.png

For further information:

“10 Things About the December Solstice.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/ten-things-december-solstice.html

Byrd, Deborah. “Everything You Need to Know: December Solstice 2016.” EarthSky > Astronomy Essentials > Earth. Dec. 15, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/?p=2951

“Current World Population.” Worldometers.
Available @ http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

“December Solstice 2016.” Time And Date > Time Zones > World Clock > Event Time Announcer.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20161221T1044&msg=December%20Solstice%202016

EarthSky. “Why Aren’t the Earliest Sunsets on the Shortest Day?” EarthSky > Earth. Dec. 7, 2014.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/earth/winter-solstice-and-late-sunrise

Erickson, Kristen. “What Causes the Seasons?” NASA Space Place > Seasons.
Available @ http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/

Espenak, Fred. “Astronomical Events in 2016.” EarthSky > Astronomy Essentials > Science Wire > Space. May 3, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/space/astronomical-phenomena-events-for-this-year

Espenak, Fred. “Earth at Perihelion and Aphelion: 2001 to 2100 Greenwich Mean Time.” Astro Pixels > Ephemeris.
Available @ http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/perap2001.html

Espenak, Fred. “Solstices and Equinoxes: 2001 to 2100 Greenwich Mean Time.” Astro Pixels > Ephemeris.
Available @ http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/soleq2001.html

Geggel, Laura. “Why Spring Gets About 30 Seconds Shorter Every Year.” Live Science > Planet Earth. March 19, 2015.
Available @ http://www.livescience.com/50194-spring-equinox-shorter-season.html

“How Many Time Zones Are There?” Time And Date > Time Zones.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/time/current-number-time-zones.html

McClure, Bruce. “December Solstice Brings Longest Days for Whole Earth.” EarthSky > Tonight. Dec. 21, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/tonight/longest-days-of-year-accompany-the-december-solstice

McClure, Bruce. “N. Hemisphere? Watch for Earliest Sunsets.” EarthSky Tonight > Dec. 7, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/tonight/earliest-sunset-today-but-not-shortest-day

McClure, Bruce. “Shortest Season Starts at December Solstice.” EarthSky > Tonight. Dec. 16, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/tonight/years-shortest-season-starts-with-december-solstice

McClure, Bruce. “Sun Reaches Southernmost Point at Solstice.” EarthSky > Tonight. Dec. 20, 2016.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/tonight/southernmost-sun-brings-december-solstice

Meeus, Jean. Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon, and Planets. Third edition. Richmond VA: Willmann-Bell, Inc., 2015.

“Perihelion, Aphelion and the Solstices.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/perihelion-aphelion-solstice.html

“Seasons: Meteorological and Astronomical.” Time And Date > Calendar.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/aboutseasons.html

“Shortest Day of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html

“Solstices and Equinoxes for New York (1750 -- 1799).” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html?year=1750&n=179

Stoller-Conrad, Jessica. “What’s a Solstice?” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory SciJinks (Science Hijinks). Last updated Sept. 22, 2016.
Available @ http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/solstice/

Webb, Brian. “UTC Conversion Table.” Space Archive Info > Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Available @ http://www.spacearchive.info/utc.htm

“What Is Midnight Sun or Polar Day?” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/midnight-sun.html

“What Is Polar Night?” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/polar-night.html

“Winter Solstice -- Shortest Day of the Year.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon.
Available @ http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/winter-solstice.html

Manon Lescaut Is the Dec. 3, 2016, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The Dec. 3, 2016, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is Manon Lescaut, a four-act tragic opera by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini.

Puccini's Manon Lescaut airs as the Dec. 3, 2016, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: Anna Netrebko @AnnaNetrebko via Twitter Nov. 10, 2016

Manon Lescaut, a four-act tragic opera about doomed lovers by Italian operatist Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924), is the Dec. 3, 2016, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast.

Five librettists collaborated on the original Italian libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa (Oct. 21, 1847-Sept. 1, 1906); Luigi Illica (May 9, 1857-Dec. 16, 1919); Ruggero Leoncavallo (April 23, 1857-Aug. 9, 1919); Domenico Oliva (June 1, 1860-April 28, 1917); Marco Praga (June 20, 1862-Jan. 31, 1929). The literary source is L’Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut, a novel published in 1731 by French novelist Antoine François Prévost d'Exiles (April 1, 1697-Dec. 23, 1763), known as Abbé Prévost. The novel appeared as the seventh and final volume of Mémoires et Aventures d’un Homme de Qualité (“Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality”).

The premiere took place Feb. 1, 1893. The venue was Teatro Regio (“Royal Theatre”), located at Piazza Castello in the historic center of Torino (Turin), Piedmont, northwestern Italy. Manon Lescaut was the first of two Puccini operas to premiere at Teatro Regio. Exactly three years later, Teatro Regio hosted its second premiere of a Puccini opera, La Bohème.

The composer and his librettists place Manon Lescaut in the second half of the 18th century. The plot unfolds in Amiens, Paris and LeHavre in France and ends in the New World, outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 production fast forwards the time to the 1940s. The setting is German-occupied France.

The Saturday matinee broadcast of Manon Lescaut begins at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (5:30 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). The estimated run time for the performance is about 3 hours 7 minutes. The performance, sung in the original Italian, comprises three acts and two intermissions.

Act I is timed at 36 minutes. A 33-minute intermission follows Act I.

Act II is timed at 41 minutes. A 26-minute intermission follows Act II.

Act III is timed at 51 minutes. The Saturday matinee broadcast performance ends with Act III’s final notes.

Marco Armiliato conducts all performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of Manon Lescaut. His birthplace is Milan, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. The Italian conductor debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 1993 production of Puccini’s La Bohème. This season Marco Armiliato reprises his debut role as conductor of the Met’s 2016-2017 production of La Bohème. He also occupies the conductor’s podium this season for Aida by Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) and Cyrano de Bergerac by Italian composer and pianist Franco Alfano (March 8, 1875-Oct. 27, 1954).

Anna Netrebko appears in the title role as the young beauty who attracts both love and luxury and who learns too late the value of true love. She was born in Krasnodar, southwestern Russia. The Russian operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 as Natasha Rostova in War and Peace by Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (April 23, 1891-March 5, 1953). Anna Netrebko also appears this season as Tatiana Larin in Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893).

Anna Netrebko shares the role of Manon Lescaut this season with Kristine Opolais. Anna Netrebko appears in most of the opera’s November performances and in the January Saturday matinee broadcast.

Kristine Opolais appears in the Nov. 21 performances and in the Dec. 7 and Dec. 10 performances.Her birthplace is Riga, Latvia. The Latvian operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Magda in Puccini’s Rondine. Kristine Opolais also appears this season as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème and in the title role of Rusalka by Czech composer Antonín Leopold Dvořák (Sept. 8, 1841-May 1, 1904).

Marcelo Álvarez appears as Chevalier Renato des Grieux, who loves Manon Lescaut despite her faults. He was born in Córdoba, central Argentina. The Argentian lyric tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1998 as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. Marcelo Álvarez appears this season as Don José in Carmen by Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Brindley Sherratt appears as Geronte di Ravoir, an elderly treasurer-general whose infatuation for Manon turns to revenge when she finally chooses des Grieux over him. His birthplace is Lancashire, North West England. The Lancastrian bass debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015 as Trulove in The Rake’s Progress by Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (June 17, 1882-April 6, 1971).

Christopher Maltman appears as Manon’s brother, whose fascination with a card game allows Manon to escape her intended destination to a convent and whose indiscreet revelation of Manon’s weakness for luxury enables Geronte di Ravoir to ensnare Manon. He was born in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, eastern England. The British operatic baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 as Harlequin in Ariadne aux Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Georg Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949). Christopher Maltman also appears this season as Papageno in The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Operabase, an online database, places Giacomo Puccini at number 3 in a ranking of 1,281 most popular composers for the five seasons from 2011/2012 to 2015/16. Manon Lescaut places at 58 in the list of 2,658 most popular operas.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 Repertory Report gives performance statistics through Oct. 31. Manon Lescaut holds place 40, with 224 performances, for the period from first Met performance, Jan. 18, 1907, to last performance, March 11, 2016. The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 season falls outside the report’s parameters.

The takeaway for Manon Lescaut as the Dec. 3, 2016, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is the elderly Geronte di Revoir’s predatory ensnarement of Manon by her weakness, Chevalier des Grieux’s true love for Manon despite her overwhelming flaws, and Manon’s tragic discovery of the value of true love too late.

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season's performances of Puccini's Manon Lescaut mark the first revival of Richard Eyre's staging, which debuted Feb. 12, 2016, at Met Opera as a new production, with sets by Rob Howell and costumes by Fotini Dimou: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Nov. 25, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Puccini's Manon Lescaut airs as the Dec. 3, 2016, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: Anna Netrebko @AnnaNetrebko via Twitter Nov. 10, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/AnnaNetrebko/status/796820739563421696

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season's performances of Puccini's Manon Lescaut mark the first revival of Richard Eyre's staging, which debuted Feb. 12, 2016, at Met Opera as a new production, with sets by Rob Howell and costumes by Fotini Dimou: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Nov. 25, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10157908681020533/

For further information:

Anna Netrebko @AnnaNetrebko. "Ready for Manon Lescaut @MetOpera." Twitter. Nov. 10, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/AnnaNetrebko/status/796820739563421696

"Composers: Composers Ranked by the Number of Performances of Their Operas Over the Five Seasons 2011/2012 to 2015/16." Operabase > Opera Statistics.
Available @ http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "On stage tonight: Puccini's Manon Lescaut starring Anna Netrebko and Marcelo Alvarez. Marco Armiliato, the Conductor is on the podium. Just five performances remain! bit.ly/2ej8v7H Photo by Ken Howard/Met Opera." Facebook. Nov. 25, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10157908681020533/

“Performances Statistics Through October 31, 2016.” MetOpera Database > The Metropolitan Opera Archives > Repertory Report.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Database%20Opera%20Statistics.xml

Prévost, Abbé. Manon Lescaut. Illustrations de Conconi, Marold et Rossi. Paris, France: E. Dentu, MDCCCXCII (1892).
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/manonlescautparl00pruoft

Helleborus 'BLT02' Has Abundant Pink Flowers and Dark Green Leaves

Summary: Helleborus ‘BLT02,’ a new hellebore cultivar created by British plant breeders Robin and Susan White, has abundant pink flowers and dark green leaves.

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Angel Glow’ (‘BLT02’), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 27, 2013: Wendy Cutler (wlcutler), CC BY 2.0,  via Flickr

Helleborus ‘BLT02,’ a new variety of hybrid hellebore created in Hampshire, South East England, by plant breeders Robin and Susan White, has abundant pink flowers and dark green leaves.

On Dec. 15, 2008, the husband-and-wife team of Anthony Robin White and Susan Barbara White filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a Helleborus plant named ‘BLT02.’ The inventors listed Amazing Breeders Company B.V. of Aalsmeer, North Holland province, northwestern Netherlands, as assignee. Primary examiner June Hwu reviewed the Whites’ application. On June 22, 2010, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted patent number PP21,093 for a Helleborus plant named ‘BLT02.’

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ originates in a hybridization conducted March 2002 at the Whites’ nursery, Blackthorn Nursery, located in the village of Kilmeston, Hampshire county, South East England. The hybridization involved a female Helleborus niger of the unpatented ‘Potter’s Wheel’ variety and a male Helleborus x sternii of the unpatented ‘Blackthorn Group’ variety. In June 2002, the hybridization’s seeds were sown in a greenhouse at Blackthorn Nursery. In February 2004 the Whites selected a single plant from the progeny.

The plant, now known as Helleborus ‘BLT02,’ subsequently underwent in vitro propagation at Amazing Breeders Company B.V. for four and one-half years. Successive propagations of Helleborus ‘BLT02’ confirmed the stable and true retention of the new variety’s distinctive characteristics.

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ presents characteristics that differ from those of its parents. The female Helleborus niger ‘Potter’s Wheel’ plants have separate flower and leaf stems. Helleborus ‘BLT02’ bears leaves and flowers on the same stems. The male Helleborus x sternii ‘Blackthorn Group’ plants put forth three leaflets per leaf. Helleborus ‘BLT02’ puts forth five leaflets per leaf.

The application’s description concerns one-year-old Helleborus ‘BLT02’ plants that were grown outdoors in Aalsmeer. Botanical details describe late-winter plants in February.

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ has a compact, mounded growth habit. Height measures 30 centimeters (11.81 inches). Helleborus ‘BLT02’ spreads to a diameter ranging from 20 to 30 centimeters (7.87 to 11.81 inches).

Upright stems reach a length of 30 centimeters (11.81 inches). Stem diameter is 20 centimeters (7.87 inches).

Stem texture is smooth. Coloring is brown purple (Royal Horticultural Society color 183C).

Leaves form an alternate arrangement along stems. Palmately compound leaves comprise leaflets with smooth surfaces and serrated edges. Leaflet shape is lanceolate (Latin: lanceolatus, “lance-shaped”), with a rounded base. Sharply pointed tips are described as acute.

Leaf length measures 20 centimeters (7.87 inches). Leaf width measures 15 centimeters (5.9 inches). Leaflet lengths range from 5 to 10 centimeters (1.96 to 3.93 inches). Leaflet widths range from 3 to 5 centimeters (1.18 to 1.96 inches).

Mature leaflets have dark green (RHS 133A) upper surfaces, with brown purple to gray green (RHS 183C, 133B) venation. Lower surfaces of mature leaflets are brown green (RHS 139C), with brown purple to brown green (RHS 183C, RHS 139C) veins.

The lengthy flowering season spans January through March. Each plant yields about three to four inflorescences. Each inflorescence yields about six to nine flowers.

Each flower in a loosely branched cluster displays five sepals. Sepal shape is ovate (Latin: ovatus, “egg-shaped”). Tips and base have a rounded shape described as rotundate. Sepals have smooth margins, known as entire, and smooth upper and lower surfaces.

Upper surfaces of fully open Helleborus ‘BLT02’ flowers are blue pink and brown green (RHS 63C, 139C). Lower surfaces of fully open flowers are blue pink, dark purple red and brown green (RHS 63C, RHS 59A, RHS 139C).

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ is available commercially as Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Angel Glow.’ The new hellebore cultivar created by Blackthorn Nursery embellishes indoor and outdoor spaces, from winter to early spring, with abundant pink flowers and dark green leaves.

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ image included in patent application filed Dec. 15, 2008, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Anthony Robin White and Susan Barbara White, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Angel Glow’ (‘BLT02’), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 27, 2013: Wendy Cutler (wlcutler), CC BY 2.0,  via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/wlcutler/8515660551/

Helleborus ‘BLT02’ image included in patent application filed Dec. 15, 2008, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Anthony Robin White and Susan Barbara White, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP021093

For further information:

“Blacher Cape Fuchsia.” Canadian Food Inspection Agency > Plants > Plant Breeders’ Rights > Crop Reports.
Available @ http://inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pbrpov/cropreport/cfus/app00005874e.shtml

Burrell, C. Colston; Judith Knott Tyler. Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2006.

“Hellebore, Lenten Rose ‘Angel Glow’ Helleborus x ericsmithii.” Dave’s Garden > Guides & Information.
Available @ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/205813/#b

“Helleborus Angel Glow® (‘BLT02’ PP21093).” Walters Gardens > Perennial Database Search.
Available @ http://www.waltersgardens.com/plants/view/?plant=2385

“Helleborus Plant Named ‘BLT02.’” United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). June 22, 2010.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP021093

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. “Document TGP/14: Glossary of Technical, Botanical and Statistical Terms Used in UPOV Documents.” UPOV (Union Internationale Pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales; International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). Dec. 9, 2006.
Available @ http://www.upov.int/edocs/mdocs/upov/en/tc_edc/2007/tgp_14_draft_1_section_2_3_2.pdf

“Lyttel Trophy: Robin and Sue White.” Alpine Garden Society > Books & Publications > Alpine News. September 2012.
Available @ http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/pdf_files/publication/R6042_AGS-News_Sept-2012_sc.pdf

Rice, Graham; Elizabeth Strangman. The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hellebores. Newton Abbot, England: David and Charles, 2005.

“Robin White.” Timber Press > Author Profile.
Available @ http://www.timberpress.com/author/robin_white/1234

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ Has White Flowers and Dark Green Leaves

Summary: A Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740,’ invented by German helleborist Josef Heuger, has white flowers and dark green leaves.

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ image included in patent application filed March 31, 2010, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

A Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740,’ which has white flowers and dark green leaves, is a newly cultivated variety of Lenten rose hellebore hybrid Helleborus x ericsmithii by German hellebore breeder Josef Heuger.

On March 31, 2010, Josef Heuger filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for his invention, a Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740.’ Annette H. Para was the primary examiner. On July 5, 2011, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted plant patent PP22,022 for a Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 740.’

In February 2005, the inventor discovered and selected a single flowering plant from the progeny of a cross-pollination program that he had conducted in November 2002. The cross-pollination of two proprietary selections of unnamed, unpatented Helleborus x ericsmithii seedlings as parents took place in a controlled greenhouse environment at his family’s nursery, Heuger Gartenbaubetriebe, in Glandorf, Lower Saxony state, northwestern Germany. Propagation by divisions since March 2005 yielded successive generations with stable, truly reproduced unique characteristics.

Helleborus x ericsmithii, the hybrid to which ‘COSEH 740’ and both parents belong, is a cross of Helleborus niger, known commonly as black hellebore or Christmas rose, and Helleborus x sternii. Helleborus x ericsmithii honors British hosta and hellebore breeder Eric Smith (1917-1986). Helleborus x sternii honors British botanist and horticulturalist Sir Frederick Claude Stern (April 18, 1884-July 10, 1967).

The application’s description compares ‘COSEH 740’ with another Heuger variety, Helleborus niger x Helleborus lividus ‘COSEH 710.’ Under U.S. plant patent PP21,063, ‘COSEH 710’ is described as a freely, long flowering hellebore with dark green leaves and large, light green flowers with reddish pink overtones. The two COSEH varieties differ in flower and leaf coloring. Also, ‘COSEH 740’ is deemed less vigorous than ‘COSEH 710.’

The inventor describes ‘COSEH 740’ plants that were grown during winter in 1.5-liter (1.58-quart) containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf. Day temperatures during production ranged from 12 to 32 degrees Celsius (53.6 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Night temperature range was from 3 to 18 degrees C (37.4 to 64.4 degrees F).

‘COSEH 740’ forms a globular, outwardly arching, upright shape. Its growth habit is moderately vigorous.

Plant height reaches about 26 centimeters (10.23 inches). ‘COSEH 740’ spreads to a diameter of about 43.7 centimeters (17.2 inches).

Foliage forms at the plant base as basal rosettes. The circular basal arrangement consists of palmately compound leaves. Overall leaf shape is orbicular.

Each leaf consists of five leathery, smooth leaflets growing out from a common point. Leaflet shape is elliptical to ovate (Latin: ovatus, “egg-shaped”), with sharply serrated edges.

Leaves measure total lengths of about 18.2 centimeters (7.16 inches) and total widths of about 22.4 centimeters (8.81 inches). Leaflet length is about 13.9 centimeters (5.47 inches), with a width of about 4.6 centimeters (1.81 inches).

Fully developed leaves have dark green (Royal Horticultural Society color 147A) upper surfaces with dark green to green gray (RHS 147A to N189A) venation. Lower surfaces of fully developed leaves are brown green (RHS 147B) with brown green (RHS 147B) veins.

‘COSEH 740’ offers a long, natural flowering season that spans winter to early spring. Each flower, which is not persistent, lasts about 10 days.

Flowers are arranged in a cluster of terminal buds on central and lateral stems known as a cyme (Ancient Greek: κῦμα, kûma, “swollen”). 'COSEH 740’ bears about seven flowers per terminal cyme. Flowers, which face slightly outward, may nod.

Each ‘COSEH 740’ flower opens in a single whorl of about five sepals. Sepal length is about 3.3 centimeters (1.29 inches), with a width of about 2.4 centimeters (0.94 inches).

Sepal shape is broadly elliptical to broadly obovate. Sepal tip shape is rounded to emarginate, or notched. Edges and surfaces are smooth.

Upper and lower surfaces of fully opened flowers are light green to gray (RHS 145D to 157A, 157B). Coloring toward the base is light green on upper surfaces (RHS 145B, 145C) and lower surfaces (RHS 145C). With development, upper surface color is closer to light green (RHS 144B).

The inventor’s observations reveal Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ as a good garden performer. ‘COSEH 740’ tolerates rain and wind. Temperature range tolerance is from about minus 10 to about 35 degrees Celsius (14 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Commercial names of ‘COSEH 740’ include Helleborus ‘Gold Collection® Joker’ and Helleborus ‘Winter’s Song.’

The 2015-2016 Heuger Helleborus catalog sells 'HGC Joker'℗ in pots sized 15 to 17 centimeters (5.9 to 6.69 inches). Its growth is described as vigorous. Heating, at 14 degrees C (57.2 degrees F), should start in mid-December. Selling is targeted to begin in mid-December.

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ shows well in indoor and outdoor spaces. The plant’s pleasantly arching shape frames an attractive palette of white flowers and dark green leaves and offers the enchantment of a lengthy winter to spring flowering season.

closeup of Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ flower, image included in patent application filed March 31, 2010, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ image included in patent application filed March 31, 2010, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022

closeup of Helleborus ‘COSEH 740’ flower, image included in patent application filed March 31, 2010, with United States Patent and Trademark Office: Josef Heuger, Public Domain, via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022

For further information:

Archibald, James “Jim” Cartledge. “’Raiser Unknown’: Eric Smith, a Plantsman.” Scottish Rock Garden Club > Archibald Archive. 2000.
Available @ http://files.srgc.net/archibald/writings/Raiser_unknown_Eric_Smith_a_plantsman_JCA.pdf

Avant, Tony. “Hellebores: Winter Hardy Shade Perennials for the Woodland Garden.” Plant Delights Nursery Inc. > Articles. June 2010.
Available @ http://www.plantdelights.com/Article/Hellebore-Lenten-Rose/Hellebores/Christmas-Rose/

Brittain, Julia. The Plant Lover’s Companion: Plants, People & Places. A Horticulture Book. Cincinnati OH: David & Charles/F+W Publications Inc., 2006.

Burrell, C. Colston; Judith Knott Tyler. Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2006.

“Hellebores at the Northwest Garden Nursery, Oregon.” Plinth et al. March 18, 2015.
Available @ https://plinthetal.com/2015/03/18/hellebores-at-the-northwest-garden-nursery-oregon/

"Helleborus Plant Named 'COSEH 740.'" United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). July 5, 2011.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP022022

"'HGC Joker'℗." Heuger > Katalog Helleborus 2015-2016. Available @ http://www.heuger.com/fileadmin/lookbook/page4.html#/24

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. “Document TGP/14: Glossary of Technical, Botanical and Statistical Terms Used in UPOV Documents.” UPOV (Union Internationale Pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales). Dec. 9, 2006.
Available @ http://www.upov.int/edocs/mdocs/upov/en/tc_edc/2007/tgp_14_draft_1_section_2_3_2.pdf

"Lenten Rose (Helleborus Gold Collection® Joker)." The National Gardening Association > Plants Database > Hellebores. Available @ http://garden.org/plants/view/546957/Lenten-Rose-Helleborus-Gold-Collection-Joker/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Helleborus 'COSEH 710' Has Light Green Flowers With Reddish Pink Flushes." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/helleborus-coseh-710-has-light-green.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "A Helleborus Plant Named 'COSEH 700' Has Large Light Green Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-helleborus-plant-named-coseh-700-has.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "A Helleborus Plant Named 'HGC Jacob' Has White to Light Green Flowers." Earth and Space News. Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-helleborus-plant-named-hgc-jacob-has.html

Rice, Graham; Elizabeth Strangman. The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hellebores. Newton Abbot, England: David and Charles, 2005.

Australia's Tropical Antelope Kangaroo Natural History Illustrations

Summary: Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations look at Australia's northern tropical kangaroos of Eucalyptus-, forb-, tussock grass-lush habitat niches.

head closeup of antelope kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus) by English artist and ornithologist John Gould (Sept. 14, 1804-Feb. 3, 1881); H.C. (Henry Constantine) Richter lithographer, (Charles Joseph) Hullmandel and (Joseph Fowell) Walton printers: J. Gould's Mammals of Australia (1863), vol. II, Plate 8 (opposite page 12): Public Domain via Biodiversity Heritage Library

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations allow an appreciation of an Australian animal that accounts for one of four acknowledged species whose herbivorous ("plant-eating") adults advance toward, not away from, croplands and pastures.

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations broach the antelope-like physical appearance, and sometimes the habitat niches and life cycles, of the Australia-only, antelope-like kangaroo, wallaby or wallaroo. Antelope kangaroos sometimes carry the common names antelope wallabies or wallaroos because of classification connections in the Macropodidae kangaroo, pademelon, quokka, tree-kangaroo, wallaby and wallaroo family. The scientific name Macropus antilopinus ("big-footed antelope-like [kangaroo]") derives from scientific descriptions in 1842 by bird artist and specialist John Gould (Sep. 14, 1804-Feb. 3, 1881).

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations sometimes elaborate antelope kangaroo grazing grounds amid perennial grasses and in open grasslands in northern and western Australia's tropical woodland understory.

The annual wet season from November through April furnishes breeding months for antelope kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos found natively in the Land Down Under's tropical north.

Australia goes summery December through February, autumnal March through May, wintry June through August and vernal September through November and, tropically northward, dry May through October. Dry seasons in northern Queensland and Western Australia and the septentrional Northern Territory have fewer green plants and lower water levels for pregnant and nursing females. Greens and water impel sexually mature two-year-old males and 16-month-old females to initiate breeding and deliveries in rainy, summery months despite year-round mating and birthing opportunities.

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations jump 16-year lifespans back to 30- to 35-day gestated eggs hatched into blind, hairless, lima bean-sized, 1-inch (2.54-centimeter), 0.03-ounce (0.85-gram) joeys.

Females optimally keep one embryo in birthing canals and one newborn whose instincts kindle three-minute crawls from birthing exits toward one pouch-borne joey under nine months.

Embryos, pink, scent-sensitive newborns with clawed, developed forelimbs and brown- or red-tan six- to 15-month-old joeys respectively live off yolk, low-fat milk and greens and milk. Physically and sexually mature females manage simultaneous pregnancy, nursing and joey-raising through diapausing embryonic development at 100 cells until the pouch maintains only the maturing newborn. Weaned antelope kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos need forbs and tussock-like grasses in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, the Northern Territory's Top End and Western Australia's Kimberley region.

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations offer grasses and herbaceous flowering plants grazed dawn, dusk and nights at altitudes under 1,640.42 feet (500 meters) above sea level.

Adulthood presents brown-tan-bodied, gray-, small-headed, gray-shouldered 33.07- to 66.14-pound (15- to 30-kilogram) females with white-tipped ear-backs and red-bodied, swollen-nosed 33.07- to 154.32-pound (30- to 70-kilogram) males.

Gould's description queued up three incisors per upper-jaw side and one false molar and four true molars per lower- and upper-jaw sides inside a broad muzzle. Gould's antelope fur-like, bare-, broad-muffled, short-muzzled specimen revealed top-rounded ears, strong-clawed, strong-footed long, stout forelimbs, muscular short hind-limbs and rough-bottomed hind-feet, each with large middle toes. Agro-industry, globally warmed climate change and hunting stress 2.62- to 4.92-foot- (0.8- to 1.5-meter-) tall antelope kangaroos in Eucalyptus-dominated, regenerating and savannah woodlands and open grasslands.

Antelope kangaroo natural history illustrations tribute antelope kangaroos that sometimes trample, with black-tipped, white-undersided fore- and rear-feet, green, short grasses in floodplain, hill and valley shade.

female (left) and male (right) of antelope kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus) by English artist and ornithologist John Gould (Sept. 14, 1804-Feb. 3, 1881), drawn from specimens collected by English explorer and naturalist John Gilbert (March 14, 1812-June 28, 1845) in Port Essington, Cobourg Peninsula, northwestern Northern Territory; H.C. (Henry Constantine) Richter lithographer, (Charles Joseph) Hullmandel and (Joseph Fowell) Walton printers: J. Gould's Mammals of Australia (1863), vol. II, Plate 9 (opposite page 13): Public Domain via Biodiversity Heritage Library

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

head closeup of antelope kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus) by English artist and ornithologist John Gould (Sept. 14, 1804-Feb. 3, 1881); H.C. (Henry Constantine) Richter lithographer, (Charles Joseph) Hullmandel and (Joseph Fowell) Walton printers: J. Gould's Mammals of Australia (1863), vol. II, Plate 8 (opposite page 12): Public Domain via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49740673

female (left) and male (right) of antelope kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus) by English artist and ornithologist John Gould (Sept. 14, 1804-Feb. 3, 1881), drawn from specimens collected by English explorer and naturalist John Gilbert (March 14, 1812-June 28, 1845) in Port Essington, Cobourg Peninsula, northwestern Northern Territory; H.C. (Henry Constantine) Richter lithographer, (Charles Joseph) Hullmandel and (Joseph Fowell) Walton printers: J. Gould's Mammals of Australia (1863), vol. II, Plate 9 (opposite page 13): Public Domain via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49740677

For further information:

Gould, J. (John). 12 October 1841. "Descriptions of Four New Species of Kangaroos: Osphranter antilopinus." Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, part IX: 80-81. London, England: Printed for The Society by R. and J.E. Taylor.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30679702
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofgen41zool#page/n91/mode/1up

Gould, John. 1863. "Osphranter antilopinus Gould. Red Wallaroo." The Mammals of Australia, vol. II: 12-13, Plates 8-9. London, England: Printed for The Author by Taylor and Francis.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49740673
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/mammalsAustrali2Goul#page/8/mode/1up

Lundie-Jenkins, Geoff. "Wallabies and Kangaroos." In: Michael Hutchins, Devra G. Kleiman, Valerius Geist and Melissa C. McDade, eds. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Second edition. Volume 13, Mammals II: 83-103. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2003.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces Celebrate Bountiful Farms and Gardens

Summary: Whether the main dish is a traditional turkey, trendy tofurky or other favored food, Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens.

USDA infographic shows that Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAgov), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Whether the main dish is a traditional turkey, trendy tofurky or favorite holiday entrée, eye-catching, sumptuous Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens through a colorful cornucopia of farm- and garden-fresh delectables, such as seasonal flowers, foliage, fruit, grains and vegetables.

Colorful, healthy and tasty fruits easily dominate Thanksgiving centerpieces with an array of inviting choices. Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo), with their orange outsides and insides, are a cultivar of winter squash. The annual fruit is thought to be native to North America. Fresh pumpkins, whether carved or untouched, are essential, natural components of Thanksgiving centerpieces on the table. They also serve as ideal outdoor Thanksgiving decorations for welcoming family and guests at the front door.

Farm- and garden-fresh pumpkins have traditional appeal as a main ingredient in Thanksgiving recipes. Pumpkin especially may appear in breads and muffins as well as in soups. Pumpkins claim an important honor as one of Thanksgiving's trademark pies.

Vibrant red cranberries epitomize Thanksgiving's fruit centerpiece. The native North American dwarf shrub Vaccinium macrocarpon yields the firm berries that boil and thicken into Thanksgiving's signature relish or sauce.

Thanksgiving centerpieces often welcome apples (Malus pumila) in fruit dishes. Applesauce, especially if made from farm- or garden-fresh apples, blends and contrasts  exceptionally well with Thanksgiving's main and side dishes. Combined with cranberries, apples make a perfect Thanksgiving condiment. Those farm- or garden-fresh apples also yield exquisite pies for the dessert menu.

Farm- and garden-fresh root vegetables colorfully complement pumpkins and their fruity coterie in Thanksgiving centerpieces. Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and yams (Dioscorea spp.) all enjoy popularity on Thanksgiving menus. As standalone items or in recipes, their color, flavor and texture are distinctive. Especially in the southern United States, sweet potatoes surpass pumpkins as the holiday's signature pie.

Mashed potatoes also reflect farm and garden bountifulness. White-fleshed russets and yellow-tinged Yukon Golds both find admirers among Thanksgiving celebrators. Additionally, sweet potatoes have gained recognition for their excellence as mashed potatoes.

Sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a variety of the native Mexican grain known as maize. Prepared as a vegetable, corn excels at complementing mashed potatoes as a standalone side dish. The gravy that so popularly decorates mashed potatoes agrees well with any corn kernels in their proximity. Corn also performs outstandingly in Thanksgiving casseroles.

Another popular Thanksgiving casserole ingredient is green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). Onions (Allium cepa) and Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup join green beans as the three main ingredients in Thanksgiving's classic casserole. The Campbell Soup Company introduced green bean casserole into American cuisine in 1955. Dorcas Reilly, the Campbell Soup home economist who is credited with creating the classic casserole, presented the original recipe card in 2002 to the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NHF), headquartered in North Canton, Ohio.

Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate traditional cereal grains, such as barley (Hordeum vulgare), rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum spp.). Thanksgiving stuffing recipes rely on cereal grains to absorb juices of Thanksgiving's favorite main dishes, especially turkey (Meleagris spp.).

Traditional cereal grains and trending pseudocereals appear in Thanksgiving centerpieces as breads, popovers and rolls. Exotic-sounding Thanksgiving newcomers, such as amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) and quinoa (Chenopodium), join the traditional panoply of cereal grains, such as oats (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat, in Thanksgiving's bread baskets. Rye's great variety, with options of light rye, dark rye, pumpernickel and marbled rye, exemplifies the appealing variety of traditional cereal grains for Thanksgiving's fresh centerpieces.

Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms and gardens by featuring another essential item for the table setting. Autumn's fresh flowers contribute earthy, sunny colors and rich fragrances to cut flower arrangements. Framing centerpieces with autumn's colorful leaves bestows natural, winsome touches upon the holiday display. As autumnal bloomers, chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum spp.) are particularly showy and vibrant at Thanksgiving.

The takeaway for Thanksgiving centerpieces' celebration of bountiful farms and gardens is that the beloved holiday relies on autumn's abundant harvests for colorful, fragrant, tasty foods as well as for gorgeous flower and leaf arrangements in vases and also in wreaths.

Autumn's palette, such as burnt orange chrysanthemums, contribute warm earth colors and fragrances to Thanksgiving centerpieces; Thanksgiving chrysanthemum display, Westwood, Norfolk County, southeastern Massachusetts, Nov. 24, : Julie Raccuglia, CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

USDA infographic shows that Thanksgiving centerpieces celebrate bountiful farms: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDAgov), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/11053824595/

Autumn's palette, such as burnt orange chrysanthemums, contribute warm earth colors and fragrances to Thanksgiving centerpieces; Thanksgiving chrysanthemum display, Westwood, Norfolk County, southeastern Massachusetts, Nov. 24, : Julie Raccuglia, CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jfolsom/5206317663/

For further information:

Marriner, Derdriu. "Sarah Josepha Buell Hale: Bunker Hill, Mary's Lamb, Mount Vernon and Thanksgiving Day." Wizzley > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving.
Available @ https://wizzley.com/sarah-josepha-buell-hale-bunker-hill-marys-lamb-mount-vernon-and-thanksgiving-day/