Danae racemosa (L.) Moench Asparagaceae. Alexandrian or Poet's laurel. Distribution: Turkey to Iran. A monotypic genus with supreme adaptation to dry conditions, bearing its flowers and fruits on phylloclades, leaf like expanded stems. The phylloclades are too thick for sunlight to pass through so have chlorophyll containing cells on both sides (the cells in the middle do not) and stomata on both sides to facilitate CO2 diffusion into the plant. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.

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Danae racemosa (L.) Moench Asparagaceae. Alexandrian or Poet's laurel. Distribution: Turkey to Iran. A monotypic genus with supreme adaptation to dry conditions, bearing its flowers and fruits on phylloclades, leaf like expanded stems. The phylloclades are too thick for sunlight to pass through so have chlorophyll containing cells on both sides (the cells in the middle do not) and stomata on both sides to facilitate CO2 diffusion into the plant. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London. Dr Henry Oakeley. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.