Bonsai..

 

     

Sierra Juniper                                              Trident Maple

Date of Issue: 23 January 2012

   

Black Pine                                                    Azalea

 

Banyan

Hi !

Here are five beautiful stamps issued by US Postal service showing Bonsai, the plant art which gives a magnificent shape to the plants in small pots !! These are wonderful stamps  showing some well developed trees in small pots  and these nice stamps are  sure to be liked by all plant lovers and thematic stamp collectors !!

With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word “bonsai” (Japanese for “plant in a pot”) refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers. Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable.

One of the common styles of bonsai is shown on each of these five stamps. The first stamp depicts a Sierra juniper in semi-cascade style, in which the tip projects over the pot rim but does not extend below the base. Second is a trident maple in informal upright style, in which the trunk bends slightly to the left or right. Third is a black pine in formal upright style, with the trunk straight and tapering evenly, with symmetrical branches, from base to apex. Fourth is an azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, with several trunks emerging from one root system. The fifth and final stamp shows a banyan in cascade style, in which the trunk evokes a stream flowing down a mountainside, with the tip extending below the pot’s base. The plants depicted are roughly 15 to 20 inches tall.

Although no one knows when the first bonsai was created, it is generally accepted that Buddhist monks brought the practice from China to Japan about a thousand years ago. The bonsai collection at the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration.

A bonsai master begins with seeds, cuttings, a naturally stunted tree, or a very young tree. Over time, he or she prunes the roots and branches, uses wire to shape and “train” the branches, and sometimes scrapes or peels bark to achieve desired effects. The plant is watered and repotted when necessary, and can live a hundred years or more.

Native Trees of New Zealand..

 

 

2012 New Zealand Native Trees

Date of Issue : 1 February 2012

Hi !

Here is a beautiful set of stamps issued by  New Zealand Post on February 1, 2012  featuring  five iconic native New Zealand trees. Each of the beautiful species is depicted in a detailed illustrative style and the scientific name of each species is included in the design . This is an awesome set of stamps on Flora ! Each stamp design has a very cool light color background that contrasts with the color of the flower giving a very attractive look to the stamps. The special feature of the stamps is that they give botanical details of the plant. This set is sure to be liked by Flora theme collectors as well as a general plant lover !! Kudos to the designer of this beautiful set !! This is all for Today….Till Next Post…Have a Great Time !!

 

FDC

New Zealand’s isolation from the rest of the world has allowed its unique flora to evolve and flourish, resulting in the distinctive array of native trees present today. This high degree of endemism makes New Zealand’s native trees truly special, so much so that Conservation International has recognised New Zealand as a world biodiversity hotspot. Almost all of New Zealand’s native species of conifers, flowering trees and tree ferns occur nowhere else – resulting in native forests like no other on Earth.

Miniature Sheet

The individual stamps in this issue are as follows:

60c - Pōhutukawa

The pōhutukawa is a species of Metrosideros, and is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas tree due to its display of bright red, pollen-producing stamens in summer. The undersides of the leaves and flower buds are densely furry with white hairs. Although it is widely cultivated throughout the country, in nature it is restricted to the northern North Island, mostly in costal habitats.

$1.20 - Cabbage Tree

The cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) or tï kouka is found throughout New Zealand in moist soils and swamps. It is a tall, much-branched tree, and has long, narrow leaves with many parallel veins. The abundant small white flowers are attached to the branching stems of large inflorescences, and the fruits are white to purple berries.

  $1.90 - Kōwhai

The vibrant kōwhai tree is most conspicuous in spring, with its large golden-yellow flowers. Its flowers are bird pollinated and the petals are arranged in a sort of tube to contain a sufficient quantity of nectar. Sophora microphylla is widespread and grows near streams and at lake edges.

$2.40 - Nīkau

The nīkau (Rhopalostylis) is the furthest south palm in the Southern Hemisphere. It is impressive in height, and the top of the trunk is crowned by a spreading cluster of enormous leaves divided into leaflets. Flower clusters arise below the crown of leaves and form bright red berries. Where the nīkau is plentiful it gives the feeling of a tropical forest.

$2.90 - Mānuka

The mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is a widespread shrub that sometimes grows to a small tree. Its leaves are very small and quite sharply pointed, and it is abundant with small white flowers (although pink and red varieties are cultivated). The mānuka is well known for the dark, strong flavoured honey it produces.

: New Zealand Post