The boteh ( Persian : بته ), is an almond or pine cone-shaped motif in ornament with a sharp-curved upper end. Though of Persian origin, it is very common and called buta in India , Azerbaijan , Turkey and other countries of the Near East . Via Kashmir shawls it spread to Europe at least in 19th century, where patterns using it are known since 1960s as paisleys , as Paisley, Renfrewshire in Scotland was a major centre imitating them.
31-467: In Asian ornament, the boteh motifs are typically placed in orderly rows, though especially in India they may appear in a pattern in a variety of sizes, colours, and orientations, which is also characteristic of European paisley patterns. Some design scholars believe the boteh is the convergence of a stylized floral spray and a cypress tree: a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity . The "bent" cedar
62-412: A fragrance. It is also the traditional wood used for Italian harpsichords . Dried seeds of Cupressus sempervirens are sometimes used to help people control skin conditions such as acne and to heal cuts or scrapes. The oil from the leaves of the plant can aid in recovery from minor ailments like nose congestion. Cupressus sempervirens grows primarily in places with wet winters and hot summers; in
93-519: A light source. The foliage grows in dense, dark green sprays. The leaves are scale-like, 2–5 mm long, and produced on rounded (not flattened) shoots. The seed cones are ovoid or oblong and 25–40 mm long. The cones have 10–14 scales, which are green at first and mature to brown about 20–24 months after pollination. The male cones are 3–5 mm long and release pollen in late winter. The cones of C. sempervirens can withstand years of being sealed and are known to perform serotiny . The tree
124-412: A population. Red squirrels ( Sciurus vulgaris ) and red crossbills ( Loxia curvirostra ) will eat seeds, and so serotinous cones, which last in the canopy longer, are more likely to be chosen. Serotiny occurs less frequently in areas where this seed predation is common. Pyriscence can be understood as an adaptation to an environment in which fires are regular and in which post-fire environments offer
155-561: Is fire , and the term serotiny is used to refer to this specific case. Possible triggers include: Some plants may respond to more than one of these triggers. For example, Pinus halepensis exhibits primarily fire-mediated serotiny, but responds weakly to drying atmospheric conditions. Similarly, Sierras sequoias and some Banksia species are strongly serotinous with respect to fire, but also release some seed in response to plant or branch death. Serotiny can occur in various degrees. Plants that retain all of their seed indefinitely in
186-443: Is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran . While some studies show it has modern medicinal properties, it is most noted for uses in folk medicine, where the dried leaves of the plant are used to treat various ailments. It is well-adapted to the environmental conditions that it lives in due to its ability to survive in both acidic and alkaline soils and withstand drought. Cupressus sempervirens
217-645: Is also a sign of strength and resistance but modesty. The floral motif originated in the Sassanid dynasty and was used later in the Safavid dynasty , and was a major textile pattern in Iran during the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. In these periods, the pattern was used to decorate royal regalia , crowns, and court garments, as well as textiles used by the general population. Persian and Central Asian designs usually range
248-842: Is also possible, these follow the flowering. Serotiny is contrasted with coetany. Coetaneous flowers or leaves appear together with each other. In the case of serotinous fruit, the term is used in the more general sense of plants that release their seed over a long period of time, irrespective of whether release is spontaneous; in this sense the term is synonymous with bradyspory . In the case of certain Australian, North American, South African or Californian plants which grow in areas subjected to regular wildfires , serotinous fruit can also mean an ecological adaptation exhibited by some seed plants , in which seed release occurs in response to an environmental trigger, rather than spontaneously at seed maturation. The most common and best studied trigger
279-448: Is called the "Graceful Cypress" ( sarv-e nāz ), and has a strong presence in culture, poetry and gardens. It bears several metaphors, including the "graceful figure and stately gait of [the] beloved". Iranians considered cypress to be a relic of Zoroaster . A Zoroastrian tradition recorded by Daqiqi maintains that King Vishtaspa , after converting to Zoroastrianism , ordered a cypress brought from paradise by Zoroaster to be planted near
310-586: Is considered as the most ancient among all national ornaments of Azerbaijan. There are many printed items decorated only with buta. Buta is displayed in the emblem of the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup , which was held in Azerbaijan. It is also the mascot of Buta Airways . Cupressus sempervirens Cupressus sempervirens , the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress , Tuscan cypress , Persian cypress , or pencil pine ),
341-733: Is moderately susceptible to cypress canker , caused by the fungus Seiridium cardinale , and can suffer extensive dieback where this disease is common. The species name sempervirens comes from the Latin for 'evergreen'. C. sempervirens has been widely cultivated as an ornamental tree for millennia outside of its native range, mainly throughout the Mediterranean region and in other areas with similar hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters , including California , southwest South Africa , and southern Australia . It can also be grown successfully in areas with cooler, moister summers, such as
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#1732776441931372-501: Is often stereotypically associated with vacation destinations in the Mediterranean region, especially Italy. The tree has been seen on travel posters for decades. In July 2012, a forest fire lasting five days burned 20,000 hectares of forest in the Valencian village of Andilla . However, a group of 946 cypress trees about 22 years old was virtually unharmed, and only 12 cypresses were burned. The Andilla cypresses had been planted by
403-519: Is widely present in culture, most notably in Iran, where it is both a sacred tree and a metaphor for "the graceful figure of the beloved". Cupressus sempervirens is a medium-sized coniferous evergreen tree growing up to 35 m (115 ft) tall, with a conic crown with level branches and variably loosely hanging branchlets. It is very long-lived, with some trees reported to be over 1,000 years old. Cupressis sempervirens produces lateral shoots , or branches, which often grow upwards towards
434-740: The British Isles , New Zealand , and the Pacific Northwest . It is also planted in Florida and parts of the coastal southern United States as an ornamental tree. In some areas, particularly the United States, it is known as "Italian" or "Tuscan cypress". Within its native range, C. sempervirens has historically been planted in gardens and cemeteries and used as a windbreak alongside roads. The tree can also prevent damage to land caused by violent weather. The vast majority of
465-623: The boteh design. In Uzbekistan the most frequently found item featuring the design is the traditional doʻppi caps. In Tamil Nadu the manga maalai (mango necklace) with matching earrings is a traditional feature of bharathanatyam dance. It is a prominent design in Kanchipuram saris . It has sometimes been associated with Hinduism . Patterns and ornaments of buta motifs can be found on Azerbaijani rugs , kalaghai and textiles, paintings of decorative-applied arts of Azerbaijan and also in decorations of architectural monuments. This motif
496-677: The southern hemisphere , fire-mediated serotiny is found in angiosperms in fire-prone parts of Australia and South Africa . It is extremely common in the Proteaceae of these areas, and also occurs in other taxa, such as Eucalyptus ( Myrtaceae ) and even exceptionally in Erica sessiliflora ( Ericaceae ). In the northern hemisphere, it is found in a range of conifer taxa, including species of Pinus , Cupressus , Sequoiadendron , and more rarely Picea . Since even non-serotinous cones and woody fruits can provide protection from
527-482: The CypFire European project to study various aspects of the cypresses, including fire resistance. New World Species : Serotiny Serotiny in botany simply means 'following' or 'later'. In the case of serotinous flowers, it means flowers which grow following the growth of leaves, or even more simply, flowering later in the season than is customary with allied species. Having serotinous leaves
558-479: The absence of a trigger event are strongly serotinous . Plants that eventually release some of their seed spontaneously in the absence of a trigger are weakly serotinous . Finally, some plants release all of their seed spontaneously after a period of seed storage, but the occurrence of a trigger event curtails the seed storage period, causing all seed to be released immediately; such plants are essentially non-serotinous, but may be termed facultatively serotinous . In
589-488: The best germination and seedling survival rates. In Australia, for example, fire-mediated serotiny occurs in areas that not only are prone to regular fires but also possess oligotrophic soils and a seasonally dry climate. This results in intense competition for nutrients and moisture, leading to very low seedling survival rates. The passage of fire, however, reduces competition by clearing out undergrowth, and results in an ash bed that temporarily increases soil nutrition; thus
620-456: The best-known myth that explains the association of the cypress with grief. The handsome boy Cyparissus , a favorite of Apollo , accidentally killed a beloved tame stag. His grief and remorse were so inconsolable that he asked to weep forever. He was transformed into a cypress tree, with the tree's sap as his tears. In another version of the story, it was the woodland god Silvanus who was the divine companion of Cyparissus and accidentally killed
651-515: The first fire temple . The oldest living cypress is the Sarv-e-Abarkooh in Iran's Yazd Province . Its age is estimated to be approximately 4,000 years. In classical antiquity , the cypress was a symbol of mourning, and in the modern era, it remains the principal cemetery tree in both the Muslim world and Europe. In the classical tradition, the cypress was associated with death and
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#1732776441931682-404: The heat of fire, the key adaptation of fire-induced serotiny is seed storage in a canopy seed bank, which can be released by fire. The fire-release mechanism is commonly a resin that seals the fruit or cone scales shut, but which melts when heated. This mechanism is refined in some Banksia by the presence inside the follicle of a winged seed separator which blocks the opening, preventing
713-573: The motifs in orderly rows, with a plain background. The motifs can still be found on Persian carpets , Azerbaijani rugs , kalaghai shawls and textiles, paintings of decorative-applied arts of Greater Iran and also in decorations of architectural monuments. It is woven using gold or silver threads on silk or other high quality textiles for gifts, for weddings and special occasions. In Iran and Uzbekistan , its use goes beyond clothing, with paintings, jewelry, frescoes, curtains, tablecloths, quilts, carpets, garden landscaping, and pottery also sporting
744-649: The onset of rains following fire. The relative importance of serotiny can vary among populations of the same plant species. For example, North American populations of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta ) can vary from being highly serotinous to having no serotiny at all, opening annually to release seed. Different levels of cone serotiny have been linked to variations in the local fire regime: areas that experience more frequent crown-fire tend to have high rates of serotiny, while areas with infrequent crown-fire have low levels of serotiny. Additionally, herbivory of lodgepole pines can make fire-mediated serotiny less advantageous in
775-696: The related non-serotinous species. In the genus Pinus , serotiny likely evolved because of the atmospheric conditions during the Cretaceous period. The atmosphere during the Cretaceous had higher oxygen and carbon dioxide levels than our atmosphere. Fire occurred more frequently than it does currently, and plant growth was high enough to create an abundance of flammable material. Many Pinus species adapted to this fire-prone environment with serotinous pine cones. A set of conditions must be met in order for long-term seed storage to be evolutionarily viable for
806-473: The seed from falling out. Thus, the follicles open after fire, but seed release does not occur. As the cone dries, wetting by rain or humidity causes the cone scales to expand and reflex, promoting seed release. The seed separator thus acts as a lever against the seeds, gradually prying them out of the follicle over the course of one or more wet-dry cycles. The effect of this adaptation is to ensure that seed release occurs not in response to fire, but in response to
837-446: The spring and autumn, the tree grows out its roots, stems, and leaves. Like most plants, Cupressus sempervirens requires light for such growth. Because the tree must survive wet winters and hot, dry summers, its roots are adapted to be stout and shallow for easier gathering of the nutrients in the soil. The roots of Cupressus sempervirens are adapted to function in both acidic and alkaline soils. In Persian , C. sempervirens
868-542: The stag. When the boy was consumed by grief, Silvanus turned him into a tree and thereafter carried a branch of cypress as a symbol of mourning. In Jewish tradition , cypress is held to be the wood used to build Noah's Ark and Solomon's Temple , and is mentioned as an idiom or metaphor in biblical passages, either referencing the tree's shape as an example of uprightness or its evergreen nature as an example of eternal beauty or health. The tree features in classical Aramaic writings. In popular culture, C. sempervirens
899-733: The survival rates of post-fire seedlings is greatly increased. Furthermore, releasing a large number of seeds at once, rather than gradually, increases the possibility that some of those seeds will escape predation. Similar pressures apply in Northern Hemisphere conifer forests, but in this case there is the further issue of allelopathic leaf litter, which suppresses seed germination. Fire clears out this litter, eliminating this obstacle to germination. Serotinous adaptations occur in at least 530 species in 40 genera, in multiple (paraphyletic) lineages. Serotiny likely evolved separately in these species, but may in some cases have been lost by
930-452: The trees in cultivation are selected cultivars with a fastigiate crown, with erect branches forming a narrow to very narrow crown often less than a tenth as wide as the tree is tall. The dark green "exclamation mark" shape of these trees is a highly characteristic signature of Mediterranean town and village landscapes. In cosmetics, it is used as an astringent , for firming, as an anti-seborrheic , for anti-dandruff, for anti-aging and as
961-410: The underworld because it failed to regenerate when cut back too severely. Athenian households in mourning were garlanded with boughs of cypress. Cypress was used to fumigate the air during cremations . It was among the plants that were suitable for making wreaths to adorn statues of Pluto , the classical ruler of the underworld. The poet Ovid , who wrote during the reign of Augustus , records