CORNFLOWER DRY FLOWER[CENTAUREA CYANUS]
Listing description
Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower or bachelor's
button, is an annual flowering plant in the
family Asteraceae, native to Europe. In the past it often
grew as a weed in
cornfields (in the broad sense of the word "corn", referring to grains, such as
wheat, barley, rye, or oats), hence its name.
Detailed description
It
is now endangered in its native habitat by agricultural
intensification, particularly over-use of herbicides, destroying
its habitat. It is also, however, through introduction as an ornamental
plant in
gardens and a seed contaminant in crop seeds, now naturalised in many other parts of the world,
including North America and parts of Australia.
Uses
The cornflower is considered a beneficial weed, and its
edible flower can be used for culinary decoration, for example to add colour to
salads. Cornflowers have been used and prized historically for their blue
pigment.Cornflowers are often used as an ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas, and is famous
in the Lady Grey blend of Twinings.
Folklore and symbolism
In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in
love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's
love was not returned.
The blue cornflower has been the national flower
of Estonia since 1968 and
symbolizes daily bread to Estonians. It is also the symbol of the Estonian
political party, People's Union,
the Finnish political
party, National Coalition
Party, and the Swedish political
party, Liberal People's
Party, and has since the dawn of the 20th century been a
symbol for social liberalism there.[citation needed] It is the official flower of the Swedish
province of Östergötland and
the school flower of Winchester College and
also of Dulwich College where
it is said to have been the favourite flower of the founder, Edward Alleyn.
The blue cornflower was one of the national symbols
of Germany.[10] This is partly
due to the story that when Queen Louise of Prussia was fleeing Berlin and pursued by Napoleon's forces, she hid
her children in a field of cornflowers and kept them quiet by weaving wreaths
for them from the flowers. The flower thus became identified with Prussia, not least because
it was the same color as the Prussian military uniform.[11] After the
unification of Germany in 1871, it went on to become a symbol of the country as
a whole. For this reason, in Austria the blue
cornflower is a political symbol for pan-German and rightist ideas.[12][13] Members of
the Freedom Party wore it at the opening of the Austrian parliament in 2006.
It was also the favourite flower of Louise's
son Kaiser Wilhelm I.[15] Because of its
ties to royalty, authors such as Theodor Fontane have used it
symbolically, often sarcastically, to comment on the social and political
climate of the time.
The cornflower is also often seen as an inspiration
for the German Romantic symbol of
the Blue Flower.
Due to its traditional association with Germany, the
cornflower has been made the official symbol of the annual German-American
Steuben Parade.
In France the Bleuet de France is the symbol of
the 11th November 1918 armistice and, as such,
a common symbol for veterans (especially
the now defunct poilus of World War I), similar to
the Remembrance poppies worn in the United Kingdom and in Canada.[16]
A Cornflower design (Blue Cornflower) was used by
Corning Glass Works for the initial release of Corning Ware Pyroceram Cookware.
Its popularity in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia was
so high that it became the symbol of Corning Glass Works. The production of
Blue Cornflower Corning Ware (known as Pyrosil Ware & Pyroflam in Europe)
spanned over 30 years, with initial production from 1958 to 1988 and a second
short run from 1993-1994 marking the 35th anniversary of their flagship
consumer product. Corning Ware is no longer produced by Corning Glass Works, as
the Consumer Products Division was sold to Borden, Inc./World Kitchen LLC. in 1998.
Production of Pyroceram was discontinued in the United States and Canada by
World Kitchen in 2000 in lieu of stoneware products, however, the popularity of
the Blue Cornflower Corning Ware pattern (as well as a growing market for
Pyroceram cookware) pushed World Kitchen, LLC. into a re-introduce Pyroceram
Cookware imported from France in 2009 with the familiar Cornflower pattern.
In music, a Norwegian-style violinist,
"Cornflower" (often "Kornflower") is a local musician of
the Southwestern United States.
PRICE
$70.34/KG
For more information:
mobile: +2348039721941
contact person: emeaba uche
website: www.franchiseminerals.com
e-mail: emeabau@yahoo.com
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