My Love of the Country

Queen Anne's Lace

It's everywhere this time of year. I love it ... what's not to like, right? So delicate!
Here's what Wikipedia says ...
Daucus carota (common names include wild carrot, (UK) bird's nest, bishop's lace, and (US) Queen Anne's lace) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia and naturalized to North America and Australia.
Queen Anne's Lace was introduced and naturalized in North America. Its name is because, well, the flower resembles lace; the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. (very cool) The function of the tiny red flower, is to attract insects.
 The crushed seeds were once thought to be a form of birth control and its use for this purpose was first described by Hippocrates over 2,000 years ago. Research conducted on mice has offered a degree of confirmation for this use - queen anne's lace was found to disrupt the ovum implantation process, which reinforces its reputation as a contraceptive. Chinese studies have also indicated the seeds block progesterone synthesis, which could explain this effect.
Anyway, enough of the boring descriptions ... here is some wonderful imagery.

(Oh, and don't forget to feed the fish on the way out.)

Summer Lace by FirstLightPhotography

Queen Anne's Lace in Sepia by eireanneilis

Lacey Flowers by PrettyPetalStudie

Queen Anne's Lace by claireswilson