Friday 13 June 2008

Water lentils

Water lentils can create that wonderful green colour with sun-lit yellow reflections on the surface of lakes and canals. In reality they are a pesterous weed (also called duckweed) that tends to take out oxygen from life beneath the water-surface. They are, for example, a threat to Venezuela's biggest Lake Maracaibo.

21 comments:

Ann said...

What amazing colours. It looks like a painting.

Dina said...

How funny--I just put on a pot of lentils to cook and now I see this. Your "water lentils" are much more colorful. What a picture!

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thanks, Ann!

Sorry, Dina! Enjoy your meal all the same! Thanks for your kind comment.

Suzanne said...

Isn't it amazing how some of the most dangerous plants are the most beautiful? What's that all about?

Diederick Wijmans said...

A big question mark, Susanne! Nature's self-defense against us, we-know-it-all-therefore-we-do-it-all, humanoids?

Carraol said...

Beautiful and informative picture. Cheers.

alaya said...

i agree, the colors are so beautiful. i clicked it right away, after seeing it on the portal.

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thanks for your comments, Carraol!!Ciao.

Thank you too, Alaya, for your kind comments!

Layrayski said...

Isn't it ironic? How something so beautiful could be at the same time destructive.

Great capture, sir. The colors are wonderful.

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thank you for yor kind comments, Layrayski!!

Profile Not Available said...

We have duckweed here too, and it does have the most amazing color. This photo is amazing! The contrasting colors are terrific!

Dido said...

Beautiful - well done for capturing the contrast so brilliantly.

My parents' back garden faces onto a small dead-end canal and one summer I remember helping my dad clearing out all the duck weed with a big home-made rake device. We tried everything; even a large net attached to a rowing boat, but the rake proved most use - though it took forever!!

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thank you, Kelly and Dido!
In my youth in Holland I saw this beautiful duckweed everywhere in our canals, ponds in the parks and in the lakes. I remember one of our puppy-dogs falling into the water thinking it was grass to walk on.

Marie-Noyale said...

This is "Still life" at its best,
if it were not for the perfect contrasted blackbird!!

Steve Buser said...

I share your disgust with the pesty plants, but on the other hand it is a great photo with the color-play

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thanks, Marie and Steve!!

Jane Hards Photography said...

It is true with most things the vivid more in colour of many things are the dangerous ones. This is a beautigul image. The two clours togetehr so striking.

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thanks, Babooshka!

Troop 1309 said...

What a wonderful combination of colors!

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

Wonderful scene and unique colours: a superb photo !

Diederick Wijmans said...

Thank you, Jana!!

Grazie Fabrizio! I appreciate your comments!