Friday Fractal L: Achilles Flower

Here we are, at my 50th Friday Fractal. I have yet to tire of the beautiful spiraling and branching forms of the Mandelbrot set. I've found no shortage of matching forms in nature, either. Even in my own garden, I find lovely fractal shapes, some as delicate as a feather, but as hardy as a weed.

But don't get me wrong... this layered fractal, with a leafy Mandelbrot base, isn't meant to mimic a weed, but one of my favorite plants:

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Moonshine')

I should note, the native yarrow in Colorado is white, not yellow. I picked this one up at the nursery a few years ago, planted it in a pot next to my pond, and it has dominated my little garden since. The yarrow makes an excellent plant for the xeriscaping gardener, thriving in a drought. While I'm fond of the soft foliage of the plant. The bipinnate compound leaves have a very fern-like feel for a plant that blooms on arid steppes. They are also quite "aromatic", a word that, in this case, means "rather stinky."

In ancient times, the yarrow plant was used as an astringent, for cleaning out wounds, and various other remedies. The plant's medicinal use was mentioned by Homer, in Book 11 of the Iliad:

But as Patroclus ran by lord Odysseus' ships,

right where they held assemblies and judicial court,

where they'd built their altars to the gods as well,

he met Eurypylus, royal son of Euaemon,

limping from the battle, his thigh wounded by an arrow.

Down his head and shoulders ran rivulets of sweat.

Black blood seeped from his nasty wound. But his spirit

was still strong. Seeing him, Menoetius' worthy son

felt compassion. He spoke winged words of sympathy:

"You leaders, rulers of Achaeans,

it seems to be your destiny to feed the dogs

with your white flesh at Troy, far from your friends,

far from your native land. But come now,

Eurypylus, you royal warrior, tell me

whether Achaeans will manage to contain

warlike Hector, or whether they'll all die,

slaughtered here on Hector's spear."

Wise Eurypylus then said in answer to Patroclus:

"Lord Patroclus, there's no longer anything

can save Achaeans, who'll fall back to their black ships.

All those who were our finest fighters

are lying by the ships, hurt or wounded

at Trojan hands, whose strength keeps growing.

But take me safely back to my black ship,

cut the arrow from my thigh, and with warm water

wash away the black blood there, then rub on

fine soothing medication, whose use, they say,

Achilles taught you, an art he learned

from Chiron, most righteous of the Centaurs.

Of our healers, Podaleirius and Machaon,

one, I believe, lies wounded in our huts,

himself requiring some worthy healer,

the other's out there on the plains, holding off

the fighting spirit of the Trojans."

Menoetius' fine son then said to Eurypylus:

"How can you get this cure? What can we do,

noble Eurypylus? I'm on my way

to inform warlike Achilles of the news

which Geranian Nestor, Achaea's guardian,

asked me to report. But I won't leave you

in such suffering."

When Patroclus had finished,

he put his arm around Eurypylus' chest, then took

that shepherd of his people to his hut. Seeing them,

an aide put down some ox hides. Settling him there,

with a knife Patroclus cut out the arrow, razor sharp,

from his thigh, then with warm water washed the black blood off.

He put some bitter root onto his hands and rubbed it in,

something to relieve the hurt, remove all pain.

The wound then dried, and blood stopped flowing.

And the bitter root that saved Eurypylus? Named for Achilles' medicinal skills (supposedly learned from a Centaur), it was the Achillea millefolium, or common Yarrow.

All fractals made by the author using ChaosPro