Page 134 - Steppe - Aigana Gali

Djida
Spanning one-fifth of the Earth’s curvature, the Eurasian Steppe is characterised by feathergrass and fescue steppe grasslands that
resemble an undulating sea, swaying with the constant wind. Ephemeral flowers flood the dry steppes with surprising surges of colour; critically endangered lapwings nest on bare salty ground, and millions of birds stop to feed, rest, and molt their feathers at shallow lakes within the Kazakh Forest Steppe ecoregion. Bound in the west by the Ural River, in the north and east by more humid forest steppe, and in the south by the Kazakh Semi-Desert ecoregion, winters are long and cold. Plants that thrive here can survive droughts, strong winds, fires, and grazing.
Species-rich meadow-steppes include plants such as earth-nut pea, cutleaf anemone, Roman wormwood, and early sedge. The central Eurasian steppe is dominated by the genus Stipa and genus Artemisia, and Djida is the most predominant flowering shrub in this ecoregion. Also known as the Sweet Vernal, these perennials bloom in early spring, transforming the grasslands into golden carpets that glow like buttercups beneath the great blue sky. Also a strong heart medicine, this diminutive plant is used in remedies for chronic heart problems.
“When it blossoms, it fills the barren space with an overpowering scent of honey, dust, and wood - Djida carries the vivid and immediate memory
of my homeland.”
Aigana Gali
110 Lorem ipsum
DJIDA
Acrylic, Oil on Canvas 182 x 122 cm