The present invention relates to a combination of plants which can very suitably be used to tell the time.
Such a combination of plants is known per se. In the book entitled "Pflanzenleben" ("Plant Life") published in 1921 (Anton Werner von Marilaun, 3rd edition, Volume 2 (1921), pages 420-422) mention is made of a combination of plants which can be used as a clock. The idea of a "flower clock" appears to have already been expressed and also developed in more detail by Linnaeus, as can be seen from a table on page 421 of the said book. However, it is also clear from the book that although attempts have been made to construct a flower clock, these have been unsuccessful. The main reason mentioned for the failure of such attempts is that only an extremely limited proportion of the various plants which form part of the flower clock bloom in the same season. It is further stated that light and warmth are factors which play a role in the various flowers opening and closing at the right time, but it is also stated that these are certainly not the only factors which are of importance. According to Von Marilaun it then also remains unclear why the flowers of certain plants open and/or close at certain times of day. This is still unclear today.
It can be seen from the reference described above that Linnaeus worked with all sorts of plants and took no account of annual, terrestrial or water plants, height, climate and composition. The plants named in the Linnaeus list also commonly grow on different substrates, in different environments, in different seasons and even in completely different climates. As has been stated, it was then also found that the flower clock could not be constructed as a unit. The aim of the present invention is to select a combination of plants which can be constructed as a unit and which thus can be used as a "clock".
In addition to the problems mentioned above, which to date have stood in the way of the composition of a working flower clock, there are also other difficulties which have to be overcome. For instance, the various plants in a working flower clock must not influence one another's flowering behaviour and the plants must be able to tolerate one another well. Moreover, the plants to be combined must all be able to grow in comparable, and preferably in the same, types of soil. The plants must also bloom in the same period of the year under the same climatological conditions. The plants must thus also be able to thrive in the same climate. It is also important that the plants to be used also bloom in the same season after sowing. Furthermore, the plants to be combined must flower prolifically.
The aim of the present invention is to construct a working flower clock, taking the abovementioned problems into account. More particularly, the aim of the invention is to find a combination of plants such that it is possible to tell the approximate time on the basis of the opening and/or closing of the flowers in the various plants present, the plants used tolerating one another well, growing in the same type of soil, thriving in the same climate, blooming in the same period of the year and all flowering prolifically. Of course, the flower clock must preferably also be operative within a fairly usable period of time.
The invention therefore relates to a combination of plants which is suitable for telling the time on the basis of the opening and/or closing of flowers present in the various plants, which combination comprises at least three, and preferably at least four, of the following plants:
All plant species and taxa named in this application also include all sub-species, varieties and cultivars which have been derived therefrom. All basionyms and synonyms of the said species and taxa according to the international code for botanical nomenclature, as accepted by the thirteenth International Botanical Congress in Sydney in August 1981 (see International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, E.G. Voss et al., Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, Utrecht/Antwerp, 1983) are also included. The scientific names, synonyms and basionyms of the plants named in this application are listed in Table II, which is incorporated further below in the application.
Plants (a) to (i) open in the period between 06.00 and 14.00 and are therefore suitable in particular for telling the time within this period. It has been found that outstanding results are obtained when plant (c) is Petrorhagia prolifera, plant (d) is Calendula arvensis, plant (e) is Helichrysum bracteatum and/or Helichrysum annuum, plant (f) is Argemone mexicana and/or plant (i) is Portuiaca grandiflora. To provide an optimum facility for telling the time it is preferable to incorporate all plants (a) to (i) in the combination of plants according to the invention.
If a longer time span is desired, one or more of the following plants can preferably be added to the combination of three or more of the plants (a) to (i):
Depending on the desired time span, one or more of the plants (j) to (s) can be added to plants (a) to (i).
It has been found that the combination of plants according to the invention can be used in particular in regions which have a temperate climate, both in the northern and in the southern hemisphere. This means that the best results are obtained between northern latitudes of 30 ° and 65 ° and between southern latitudes of 20 ° and 50 °, as well as in mountainous areas between these regions in the sub-tropics. In the northern hemisphere the combination of plants can be used as a clock from June to September, whilst in the southern hemisphere the corresponding period is November to February.
The combination of plants according to the invention can very suitably be supplied as a combination of seeds and/or plant parts which are capable of growing into a complete plant, for example seedlings, of three or more of the plants (a) to (i) and, if desired, one or more of the plants (j) to (s), which combination is able to grow into such a combination of plants. The invention thus also relates to such a combination of seeds and/or plant parts. Said combination of seeds and/or plant parts can be supplied in many forms, in many substrates and in numerous different types of packaging. For instance, the seeds can, for example, very suitably be supplied in a mat made of, for example, paper.
The invention also relates to a device for telling the time, which device comprises a combination of the plants (a) to (i) and optionally one or more of the plants (j) to (s) or a corresponding combination of seeds and/or seedlings of said plants. A device of this type very suitably comprises a trough containing a substrate containing nutrients, such as earth, glass wool, rock wool, hydrograins or turf, in which the plants or plant parts have been placed or in which the seeds have been sown. Preferably, the plants are arranged in sequence of opening and/or closing. This can be done, for example, in the form of a circle, but, of course, any other shape is also possible. The same applies with regard to seedlings and/or seeds.
Finally, the invention relates to a method for telling the time making use of a combination of three or more of the plants (a) to (i) and, if desired, one or more of the plants (j) to (s), it being possible to tell the time on the basis of the opening and/or closing of the flowers in the various plants present, with reference to the schedule given in Table I.