Papilio machaon

Papilio machaon, the Old World swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail. It is the type species of the genus Papilio. This widespread species is found in much of the Palearctic (it is the only swallowtail in most of Europe) and in North America. This species is named after Machaon, a figure in Greek mythology. He was a son of Asclepius in the works of Homer. The caterpillar spends the first part of its life with the appearance of a bird dropping, an effective defense against predators. As the caterpillar grows larger, it becomes green with black and orange markings. It has a defense against predators in the form of an osmeterium, which consists of retractable, fleshy projections behind its head that can release a foul smell if disturbed, which deters insects.

Chelidonium majus

Chelidonium majus subsp. grandiflorum, the greater celandine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae, native to Siberia, China, and Korea. Chelidonium majus was described by Carl Linnaeus in volume one of his Species Plantarum in 1753. The name celandine comes from Late Latin celidonia, from earlier Latin chelidonia or chelidonium, and ultimately from Ancient Greek chelidon meaning “swallow”, hence the common name swallowwort. Ancient writers said that the flower bloomed when the swallows returned and faded when they left. It is a traditional folk remedy against warts.

Chamaenerion angustifolium

Chamaenerion angustifolium, also known by the taxonomic synonyms Chamerion angustifolium and Epilobium angustifolium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. It is known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb. The plant is also traditionally known as Saint Anthony’s laurel. The generic name Chamaenerion means “dwarf-oleander” and the Latin specific epithet angustifolium translates as “narrow-leaved”. The common name fireweed derives from the species’ abundance as a colonizer on burnt sites after forest fires. In Russia, its leaves were traditionally used as a tea, before the introduction of tea from China starting in the 17th century, it was greatly valued and was exported in large quantities to Western Europe as Koporye tea, Russian tea or Ivan Chai. Fireweed has many uses in traditional medicine.

Bench

“There are stories in everything. I’ve got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts, and newspaper stands.”
– O. Henry

Vicia amoena

Vicia amoena, the lovely vetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, widely distributed in Siberia, Mongolia, China, and Korea. This plant is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant growing 50–100 cm tall. It has multiple branches per stem and is a scrambler. This species has heavily clustered purple vetch flowers. This species’s leaves are eaten in Korea and sold in food markets. Vicia means “binder” in Latin; this was the name used by Pliny the Elder for vetch.

Iris humilis

Iris humilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, with a wide distribution range from Europe to China. It has sword-shaped leaves, a short stem and yellow flowers with an orange beard. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It has the common name of sand iris. Although this name normally refers to Iris arenaria, which was formerly once thought to be a subspecies of Iris humilis, it is now a separate species in its own right. Iris humilis is also known as low iris and yellow iris. It is known as Sand-Schwertlilie (meaning sand iris) in Germany. The Latin specific epithet humilis refers to low growing or dwarfish. It was first published and described by German-Russian botanist and geographer Johann Gottlieb Georgi in Bemerkungen einer Reise im Russischen Reich in 1775. Most parts of the plant are poisonous.