Leaf of the Day: A Musical Note for Del

My search for the nice piece of water plantain to draw has not advanced much today but I did go to Leu for a couple of hours found a small piece of plantain with one flower, and was very pleased to see the Musical Note Tree is in blossom for a second time. I had missed it last time. These flowers are delicate and are over and done in a couple of days so the plantain will have to wait. (neat bit of procrastination that!)



This bewitchingly pretty shrub is one of the clerodendrums which are becoming real favourites of mine with their variety of pretty and ingeniously designed flowers and fruit. I drew the Fountain Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum minahassae) before here.
I was rather confused about the name and I am not sure if it was a clerodenrum but is now a rotheca or vice versa?.. but this is the label.





The Musical Note name is obviously because the closed flower buds resemble sprays of pure white musical notes standing up on top of the stems. A pretty mixture of crotchets, quavers and minims.



This was the first time I had seen the flowers actually open. They open briefly before falling and have those long red curling stamens again, quite lovely. The leaves are pretty too, slender and pointed and seem to have odd erratic serrations on the margins.
Don't overclip these pretty plants, if you do they won't sing for you!

I try to keep this blog about nature and plants and not much about me, but I have to say that the black dog has been sitting on my shoulder for over a week now and I really want to rant and rave about the unfairness of life. It is because Del, the husband of my very good friend Harlee has died. As well as being a friend, Harlee is my best blog pal, was the first to sign up to it and has been its greatest champion. Del was a musician and all round very nice bloke. Anyone who brings music to us should be treasured.
I often have people in mind when I am doing a drawing... this one just had to be for Del.

_______________________________________________

The Musical Note Tree