Fauna and flora of the season...

There are many symbols traditionally associated with Christmas .We like to focus your attention to some of nature's glorious gifts that have enhanced the beauty of this magical season that embraces the whole world in a spirit of joy every year. When we mention nature's gifts ,we are not referring to the winter wonderland of snow that is definitely a part of Christmas in many a western country. Some even dream of experiencing the wonder of a white Christmas because snow adds to the magic . Snow is no doubt a wonderful gift nature has given the world, but we want to enhance your knowledge today about some other gifts from Mother Nature... the fauna and flora associated with the festive season which includes the Christmas tree, reindeer, feathered friends and flowers. They all play a prominent role, come every Christmas.

Poinsettias and roses

What are the season's most popular blossoms? The red poinsettia(Euphorbia pulcherrima), named after the first ambassador of the US to Mexico, Dr. Joel Robert Poinsett.It was he who introduced the plant to the United States in 1825.

Poinsettias are also known by other names such as winter rose, lobster flower, Mexican flame leaf, Noche Buena,Christmas star and Christmas flower. In Peru and Chile they are called the "Crown of the Andes". The botanical name of poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, means "the most beautiful Euphorbia". The plants are native to Central America and southern Mexico.

Even though it is the red hued poinsettias that you will generally see as decorations in most Christian homes, they come in a variety of colours. They also bloom in lemon, cream, peach and pink with gold and white splashed leaves. You may be more familiar with the artificial flowers because the natural blossoms are not common here.

Did you know that the bright red petals are actually not the plant's flowers? They only look like flowers. They are actually the bunch of upper leaves of the plant which are known as bracts. The green leaves are oval in shape and are lobed with a pointed tip. They have prominent lighter veins. The actual flowers of poinsettia are small, yellow or green, and grow in the centre of each leaf bunch. Flowers are borne at the stem tips in winter. New stems are red. Poinsettias are perennial sub-tropical plants flowering shrubs that can grow to 10 feet tall. There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available. Another flower associated with the season is the Christmas rose but it is not as popular as the poinsettia. The Christmas rose, also called the lenten rose,is a helleborus niger,and bears white or pinkish-green flowers, and blooms in late fall, winter or early spring depending on the climate.

Beautiful nodding saucer-shape flowers grace the stems .The leathery foliage is durable and attractivethroughout the summer and winter seasons. The flowers consist of five showy petallike sepals surrounded by leafy bracts. Flowers may be flat with many fuzzy stamens or tubelike with the stamens concealed.The leathery sepals persist for over a month, well after the seed capsules begin to form.

Robins and reindeer

Robins are one of the only birds to be heard singing in the garden on Christmas day in the United Kingdom. These birds are portrayed in cards, ornaments and the yummy Yule log during the season. Their melodious voices, along with their cheeky attitudes, have endeared robin red breasts to the British public, and in 1960 they were crowned the UK's national bird. The reason they are seen during the season is because they hold their territories all year round, warning off intruders with song.

Males may hold the same territory throughout their lives, and will even attack a bundle of red feathers or their own reflection if they mistake it for another individual.

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as the caribou in North America, is a species of deer native to Arctic and Subarctic regions. This includes both resident and migratory populations. They are widespread and numerous, but some of its subspecies are rare and at least one has already gone extinct. Reindeer vary considerably in colour and size. Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, though they are typically larger in males. However, there are a few populations in which females lack antlers completely.

Wild reindeer hunting and herding of semi-domesticated reindeer (for meat, hides, antlers, milk and transportation) are important to several Arctic and Subarctic peoples. Even far outside its range, the reindeer is well known due to the myth, probably originating in the early 19th century America, in which Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a popular element of Christmas. In Lapland, reindeer pull pulks.

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Pine and fir trees

The most significant seasonal decoration is the Christmas tree which is usually an evergreen conifer such as fir or pine .Fir (Abies)is a genus of 48-55 species of evergreen coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range.

All native species reach heights of 10-80 m (30-260 ft) tall and trunk diametres of 0.5-4 m (2-12 ft) when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by their needle-like leaves, attached to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup;and by erect, cylindrical cones 5-25 cm (2-10 in) long that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged seeds.

More than 100 different types of pine trees are currently known to the world, with 35 different varieties grown in the United States.Pine trees are an important part of the vegetation in North America,growing widely in popularity as an ornamental tree. Different types of pine trees are planted for both shade and appearance, depending upon the tree's potential growth. Pine trees are the only species of tree to reproduce from seeds in a cone. Most pine trees can grow anywhere and in any type of soil. Full sun is required, but very little water is needed once they are full grown.

As natural trees are difficult to buy today many people make do with an artificial tree usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to resemble the natural tree.

The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles,which with electrification could also be replaced by Christmas lights. The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century. It is clear that the modern Christmas tree originates in Renaissance and early modern Germany, there are a number of speculative theories as to its ultimate origin. Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Martin Luther.

Facts and pix: Internet