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din don


din don
Photo Information
Copyright: Franco Degani (degani) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 200 W: 0 N: 291] (2188)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-27
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Nikon D 80, Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS
Exposure: f/6.0, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-07 12:30
Viewed: 536
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Digitalis purpurea (Common Foxglove, Purple Foxglove or Lady's Glove), is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae (formerly treated in the family Scrophulariaceae), native to most of Europe.
It is a herbaceous biennial plant. The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, 10-35 cm long and 5-12 cm broad, grey-green, downy, and with a finely toothed margin; they form a tight rosette at ground level in the first year. The flowering stem develops in the second year, growing to 1-2 m tall. The flowers are arranged in a showy, terminal, elongated cluster, each tubular, pendent, purple (also pink, rose, yellow, or white in selected cultivars). They are also spotted inside bottom of the tube. The fruit is a capsule which splits open at maturity to release the numerous tiny (0.1-0.2 mm) seeds.
Toxicity
Due to the presence of the cardiac glycoside digitoxin, the leaves, flowers and seeds of this plant are all poisonous to humans and some animals and can be fatal if eaten.
Extracted from the leaves, this same compound, whose clinical use was pioneered as digitalis by William Withering, is used as a medication for heart failure. He recognized that it "reduced dropsy", increased urine flow and had a powerful effect on heart. Unlike the purified pharmacological forms, extracts of this plant didn't frequently cause intoxication because they induced nausea and vomiting within minutes of ingestion, preventing the patient from consuming more.
The main toxins in Digitalis are the two chemically similar cardiac glycosides: digitoxin and digoxin. Like other cardiac glycosides, the Digitalis toxins exert their effects by inhibiting the ATPase activity of a complex of transmembrane proteins that form the sodium potassium ATPase pump, (Na+/K+-ATPase). Inhibition of the Na+/K+-ATPase in turn causes a rise not only in intracellular Na+, but also in calcium, which in turn results in increased force of myocardial muscle contractions. In other words, at precisely the right dosage, Digitalis toxin can cause the heart to beat more strongly. However, digitoxin, digoxin and several other cardiac glycosides, such as ouabain, are known to have steep dose-response curves, i.e. minute increases in the dosage of these drugs can make the difference between an ineffective dose and a fatal one.
Symptoms of Digitalis poisoning include a low pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, and uncoordinated contractions of different parts of the heart leading to cardiac arrest and finally death.
The plant is sometimes grown in gardens. In suitable conditions it generally seeds itself in partial shade, and can become a minor weed.
Selected forms, either for colour or for dwarf habit, are sold as pot plants.

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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To zulfu: thank youdegani 1 05-08 23:11
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Critiques [Translate]

lo sai che è una digitale da cui si trae un farmaco per il cuore? si chiama credo digitalis purpurea.
la prendo come un omaggio al mio lavoro
ciao

  • Great 
  • mariki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1086 W: 65 N: 2302] (9437)
  • [2008-05-07 13:05]

Hello Franco,

Beautiful capture of this digitalis. Good POV and sharpness. Great light and colours. You have even captured a bee.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hola Franco.
Excelente macro de esta dedalera.
Buenos detalles y colorido.
Un cordial saludo, JL.

Che espressione di colori! Nitidisima e con bei riflessi.

Roberto

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 0 N: 5286] (15770)
  • [2008-05-07 14:54]

Hi Franco

A great composition and POV with beautiful, rich colour and superb detail. Very skillful. Well observed and captured.


James

Hi Franco,good picture,good name,good compotition.Regards leyla

Hello My dear friend Franco,
Anbother excellent close-up capture of a beautiful flower. I am missing your amazing landscapes:(. TFS.
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 650 W: 0 N: 131] (719)
  • [2008-05-08 4:43]
  • [+]

Hello Franco, very impresive capture of this beauty. TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

what an amazing shot, Franco.Very well seen and framed.
Goldy

A fine capture of a group of Digitalis purpurea flowers Franco, but be careful my friend, they are poisonous!
Mehmet

Ciao Franco, belle din don dan con fantastici colori, ottima nitidezza, bravo, ciao Silvio

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