… (Caryophyllaceae) that is found only in the Hawaiian Islands. This genus of plants is known for having an extraordinary diversity of reproductive systems and serves as an excellent model to …
Type: Research
… hummingbird is migrating. It’s perfect timing, because the hummingbirds get energy for their journey southward by sipping nectar from the blossoms of these plants native to … outside with lichens and dead leaves. The young hatch in about 15 days, and remain in the nest for another 20 days or so as the female brings them insects. An aerial wonder , the …
Type: Blog
… meaning into that name: Cyprus was the sacred island of Venus’s birth, pedilon is the word for slipper, and calceolus means little shoe. The lady’s slipper orchid is native to a broad … swept through Britain in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries not only raised demand for the exotic plants of the world but also took a toll on the native plants of the English …
Type: Blog
… a drey , when they see one. The eastern gray squirrels in our region build dreys in trees for shelter and protection from the elements. What you see as a messy clump of leaves is actually … pattern in locations of squirrel dreys. To date, my findings are inconclusive. While searching for squirrel dreys, I did notice two other interesting things I would like to share. Look …
Type: Blog
… been handed down through generations, a practice that helps maintain the food crop gene pool for future generations. The Abraham Lincoln tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ‘Abraham Lincoln’) was … as the preacher bean because its abundant yield of purple-streaked green pods gives cause for thanks and praise. The nearby Painted Lady bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Painted Lady’), native …
Type: Blog
… from the fact that many of the species are dependent on one or just a few native plant species for their survival, and as a result, may serve as valuable indicators of the health of our … seek. There are day-flying moths also, like some of the hawkmoths (which are often mistaken for hummingbirds) that are seen visiting a variety of flowers in full daylight. Moths are also a … of species that emerges about every two weeks during the year, with midsummer being the peak for species and abundance. Many moth species have relatively short flight periods and can only be …
Type: Blog
… The Greeks had done it: they chose the word Hepatica (hepar = liver in Greek), as the name for plants with tri-lobed leaves that look rather like a human liver. The Romans coined the familiar name Pulmonaria (pulmo = lungs in Latin) for the perennial with spotted leaves that suggested a diseased lung. Likewise, Linnaeus named a … with a new “common” name: titan arum. Attenborough felt that the Latin name was inappropriate for television audiences. Today, as titan cultivation succeeds at more and more botanic gardens …
Type: Blog
… My work so far has investigated the consequences of climate change and species invasions for plant-pollinator mutualisms, plant populations, and plant communities. Using …
Type: Staff bio
… rotting animal carcass, old dirty socks, and even the smell of death itself, which accounts for the plant’s common name, the corpse flower. In its natural habitat on the island of Sumatra … to vapor) and travel long distances; the heat may also advertise that there’s a fresh carcass for insects to check out. Carrion flies and dung beetles like this one ( Catharsius sp.) think that stink smells great. Photo ©2012 via potokito-myshot.blogspot.com A different view of ewwww! Carrion beetles, dung flies, and flesh flies aren’t responding to …
Type: Blog
… The genus Artocarpus contains numerous economically important species (grown for timber and fruit) native to Southeast Asia. Two species, jackfruit and breadfruit, are …
Type: Research
