Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m tall by 2.5 m broad with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, penny mac and hortensia, it is cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates. It is not to be confused with H. aspera'Macrophylla'. The term macrophylla means large- or long-leaved; the opposite leaves can grow to 15 cm in length. They are simple, orbicular to elliptic and acuminate, they are serrated. The inflorescence of Hydrangea macrophylla is a corymb, with all flowers placed in a plane or hemisphere, or a whole sphere in cultivated forms. Two distinct types of flowers can be identified: central, non-ornamental, pentamerous ones, peripheral, tetramerous ones; the latter are considered as sterile, but a study of several cultivars showed that all the flowers were fertile. The four sepals of decorative flowers have colors ranging from pale pink to red fuchsia purple to blue.

The non-decorative flowers have five small petals. Flowering lasts from early summer to early winter; the fruit is a subglobose capsule. Hydrangea macrophylla is native to Japan and Korea, it is reported from seaside habitats as well as mountains from Honshu southwards. This species has naturalized in New Zealand and the Americas. Hydrangea macrophylla blooms can be blue, pink, light purple, or dark purple; the color is affected by soil pH. An acidic soil will produce flower color closer to blue, whereas an alkaline soil will produce flowers more pink; this is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants. In climates where Hydrangea macrophylla flowers, place in a mixed shrub border or at the back of a flower bed, its rich foliage and large size make it a wonderful background for white or light colored flowers tall growing perennials and annuals. In warm climates H. macrophylla is good for adding a splash of early summer color to shady areas and woodland gardens.

Minimal pruning is recommended for most prolific flowering. Flowers are air dried and are long lasting. While Hydrangea macrophylla is not considered a difficult plant to grow, it may fail to flower; this may be due to cold winter damage to the flower buds, not getting enough sunlight, too much nitrogen fertilizer, or pruning at the wrong time of year. H. macrophylla forms flower buds in late summer. As a result, pruning in late summer, fall or winter could remove potential flowers. Phyllodulcin and their 8-O-glucosides, thunberginols A and F can be found in H. macrophylla. Thunberginol B, the dihydroisocoumarins thunberginol C, D and E, the dihydroisocoumarin glycosides thunberginol G 3'-O-glucoside and -hydrangenol 4'-O-glucoside and four kaempferol and quercetin oligoglycosides can be found in Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium, the processed leaves of H. macrophylla var. thunbergii. The leaves contain the stilbenoid hydrangeic acid; the various colors, such as red, purple and blue, in H. macrophylla are developed from one simple anthocyanin, delphinidin 3-glucoside, which forms complexes with metal ions called metalloanthocyanins.

Lunularic acid, lunularin, 3,4′-dihydroxystilbene and a glycoside of lunularic acid have been found in the roots of H. macrophylla. Hydrangine is another name for the coumarin umbelliferone, may be responsible for the possible toxicity of the plant. Amacha is a Japanese beverage made from fermented leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla var. thunbergii. Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium is a drug made from the fermented and dried leaves of H. macrophylla var. thunbergii with possible antiallergic and antimicrobial properties. It has a hepatoprotective activity by suppression of D-galactosamine-induced liver injury in vitro and in vivo. Hydrangea macrophylla is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone. Leaf extracts of Hydrangea macrophylla are being investigated as a possible source of new chemical compounds with antimalarial activity. Hydrangeic acid from the leaves is being investigated as a possible anti-diabetic drug as it lowered blood glucose and free fatty acid levels in laboratory animals.

The two main types of H. macrophylla cultivars are called lacecap. Other types are in different species; some popular hydrangea cultivars include: - Splendor In The Grass Hydrangeas- Their Pruning and Care http://www. HydrangeasHydrangeas.com/mopheads.html - All About Hydrangeas: Information on Hydrangea macrophylla. Http://www.floridata.com/ref/h/hydran_m.cfm http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/shrubs/hgic1067.html Hydrangea Thoughts I - Informative but non-scholarly essay on Hydrangea

Donald Douglas was a Scottish actor in the United States who performed in films, on the stage and in radio. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 24 August 1905, was christened at a church in Twickenham, England. Young Douglas was the son of a businessman and lawyer. Business brought his father to New York on several occasions, five-year old Douglas, with his sister Hazel, were brought to America as second cabin class passengers, on board the British steamer Mauritania, which sailed from the Port of Liverpool on 29 October 1910, arrived at the Port of New York, 4 November, he became an American citizen in 1939. Adopting the stage name "Don Douglas", he became a singer and actor in musical shows such as Footlites. In 1928, his big break came when he won glowing revues for his performance in The Desert Song in the Orpheum Theatre in Chicago; this would lead to his career in talking pictures. Douglas appeared in over 100 films from the late 1920s to the 1940s including The Great Gabbo, Life Begins, Men in White, Madame X, Cheers for Miss Bishop, Voyager, Little Tokyo, U.

S. A. Tall in the Saddle, Murder, My Sweet and Show Business. One of his more prominent roles was one of his last: In Gilda, he plays the man who pretends to marry Rita Hayworth but is a henchman of Glenn Ford's character. Douglas was a one-man cast on The Black Castle, he was the announcer. A review of The Black Castle in the trade publication Billboard complimented Douglas's handling of multiple roles in the drama. Bob Francis wrote: "Except for the fact that he is inclined to ham the wizard, making the role seem more silly than awesome, Douglas puts on a good 15 minutes, his vocal changes are sharp and clear, his characterizations come over effectively."He had the title role in John Steele and played Chief Jake Workley in Scattergood Baines.:296 He was a member of the cast of Kelly's Courthouse.:189 Douglas died on 31 December 1945 in Los Angeles, aged 40, after emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in California. Don Douglas on IMDb Don Douglas at Find a Grave

Brian Kent is an American musical artist. From his album Breathe Life, Kent’s single “Whatcha Doin’ To Me” entered the Billboard Dance Chart, peaking at #35 in 2009 with nine weeks on the chart, it reached #1 on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Hot 20 Chart. His next single was “I’ll Find A Way”, subsequently nominated for the 2010 Out Music Single of The Year and Out Music Producer Of The Year, his music video for the single “I’m Not Crazy” was on the Logo TV top ten music video list for fifteen weeks. He is a nightclub promoter, as former co-owner and managing partner of San Francisco nightclub Beatbox