THE SHAPE OF ENERGY

Kopia – Essence.jpg

Back to Heidelberg Botanical Garden in Germany. Afternoon hours, still
warm temperature, a lot of greenery and flowers and suddenly this red sphere between the leaves.
At the beggining I really believed it might be some sort of artifical decoration. The hue was exceptionally vivid and the form appeared too immaculate. Unlike the majority of blossoms that people often take time to admire, it did not seem soft or delicate. Instead it appeared solid and thick.

From a distance it merely appears as a round, red blossom. However as you come closer, it begins to lose that straightforward outline. The nearer you come, the less it fits the definition of a "flower" in the usual sense. It transforms into a multitude of fine lines extending in various directions, each line culminating in a small yellow pollen.

The plant is known as SCADOXUS MULTIFLORUS, also calked as BLOOD LILY. This bulbous species is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa and is a part of the Amaryllidaceae family. What initially appears to be a uniform sphere is, in fact, a dense cluster of multiple small blossoms featuring long red stamens and visible yellow pollen.

Due to its distinctive round shape and vibrant color it is frequently cultivated as an ornamental specimen within botanical collections. Nevertheless, despite its appealing look, this plant is deemed toxic if ingested. So please be careful!