Happy Monday!

This is "Gold of Ophir", one of many named selections of Oriental Poppies (Turkish origins). Its brilliant orange blossoms are spectacular. Either partially double or fully double, its paper-thin petals are pleated and are silk-like to the touch. And believe it or not, the flower is around 4 to 5 inches across and stands on sturdy stems of 3 to 4 feet tall!

I've had this plant for a few years now...... and I've always wondered about its name. Its blossoms are orange..... there's no gold anywhere. Big mystery. Ponder. It was only while snapping these photos that I saw....... with the sun shining from behind the plant, there are patches of shimmering golds...... dappled here and there. How brilliant! Hence....... its name?!

FYI: Ophir is an unidentified region famous in Old Testament times for its fine gold. The geographic list of Genesis 10 apparently places it in Arabia, but in the time of Solomon (c. 920 bc), Ophir was thought of as being overseas. Gold, almug (or algum) wood (i.e., sandalwood), ivory, monkeys, and peacocks were procured there. Many areas of the Arabian Peninsula have been proposed as the site of Ophir; the principal alternative locations overseas are East Africa and India. (Britannica.com)