Blue Stem

blue stem

Laura writes

This is a tattoo of the prairie grass Andropogon gerardii, or big blue stem. My masters research involved land disturbance, mycorrhizae and soil properties associated with this & two other common prairie plants.

Also notice that this tattoo is over a wicked scar from a car accident where I shattered my calcaneus. More than half of a prairie plant is below ground, keeping the plant alive during regular disturbances (such as fire or grazing). The extensive root system over my repaired heal symbolizes stability, strength and recovery. I had the obscure idea, but the artist (Kit) made my botanical mumblings a reality.

[Original Flickr page]

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July 4th, 2008 9:19 AM Tags:
by Carl Zimmer in Science Tattoo Emporium | 1 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

One Response to “Blue Stem”

  1. Tattoos Says:

    Carl, that’s an excellent looking stem. I’ve never seen one before but perhaps that stem can soon gain some popularity and some ground over common plant/flower tattoos like the cherry blossom and lotus.

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