Suzanne's Spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Stalk detail of unidentified aloe
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Stalk detail of unidentified aloe
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Variegated African Candelabra, Euphorbia Ammak variegata.  Detail of the spines.

Whenever I'm photographing nature, I have a kind of dual personality.  The scientist in me is interested in seeing and learning about new things.  The artist in me is more concerned with visual impact.  I'm focused on things like color, shapes, patterns, light and shadows.  This detail of the ruffled spiny edge of a tall euphorbia is a crude attempt at finding a way to emphasize the graphical elements that most appealed to me, using the limited set of filters available to me.  It was easy to settle on monochrome rather than color, but harder to bring out details of the spiny ridge and leave the background muted.
For comparison, the color version can be seen here. _  http://smu.gs/WruV4C .
An earlier shot of the full plant is here. _ http://smu.gs/13SadQX

DP020-2013.  Posted January 20; processed January 19.
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata.  Trunk detail
Family Asparagaceae . . . Native to Mexico
To be more specific, this is a detail from the expanded caudex (the feature that gives this plant its other common name, 'Elephant's Foot'.  I was fascinated by the tiny signs of new growth all over the surface of the caudex, including this petite stem.  It was probably several inches tall.
For the unframed version, see here:  http://smu.gs/13RlRLR
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata.  Trunk detail a foot or so above the base of the caudex or elephant's foot.
Family Asparagaceae . . . Native to Mexico
Although this shot was, at the time I took it, all about textures, I was surprised to see two tiny areas of new growth.  They're pale sage green with brighter yellow specks.  One is near the center of the shot, and the other is in the lower left, very close to the edge of the shot.  Another instance of seeing more in my photos than I dreamed was there when I took them.

The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Asparagaceae #01 05

Bottle Palm or Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata.  Trunk detail
Native to Mexico (according to Wikipedia).
To be more specific, this is a detail from the expanded caudex (the feature that gives this plant its other common name, 'Elephant's Foot'.  I was fascinated by the tiny signs of new growth all over the surface of the caudex, including this petite stem.  It was probably several inches tall.
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Euphorbia #17 04
Variegated African Candelabra, Euphorbia Ammak variegata
Family Euphorbiaceae . . . Native to Saudi Arabia
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The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Aloe #03-2011H 00a

Karasburg Coral Aloe (sic), Aloe Karasbergensis. 
Family:  Asphodelaceae.

March 1, 2012
Hidden Lake Gardens Conservatory, Arid Dome.
(Canon 50D)
Suzanne's Spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
.
The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Suzanne's Spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
.
The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
Suzanne's Spurge
Family Euphorbiaceae
.
The Conservatory at Hidden Lake Gardens,
Lenawee County, Michigan
January 18, 2013
See photo in original gallery.