… diversity of fossil plants and animals. The Early Cretaceous of Mongolia in particular is well known for its fossil dinosaurs and other vertebrates, but fossil plants from Mongolia are … and China that are yielding new, exceptionally well-preserved fossil seed plants. Our goal is to understand the diversity and evolutionary implications of these fossil plants. The fossils … and Cretaceous age “whole plants” from multiple co-occurring fossil organs. Our research is adding significantly to knowledge about extinct seed plants during the Jurassic and Early …
Type: Staff bio
… scientist who invented dozens of products for peanuts. What’s most important about his story is why he devoted so much time and ingenuity to peanuts and how he did so much more than make a … and Marie Clark Taylor, who studied how light affects plant growth). Instead, this snapshot is devoted to celebrating how one humble scientist used his botanical superpowers to solve a real-world problem. It is a story about successfully tackling agricultural sustainability and economic stability at the …
Type: Blog
… delighted to see a special guest star at the Tropical Greenhouse: Alice the Amorphophallus is on display, in full and glorious fruit! Visitors are asking: why are some of the berries on … You can see the difference on Alice’s infructescence (fruit stalk) , too: the stalk is curving. As the chubby, seed-filled fruits from Stinky’s pollen continue to ripen and enlarge, the structure is bending over the small, non-viable fruits from Spike’s pollen. Each of the berries produced …
Type: Blog
… life. Try this soil seed-bank test to discover the magic of topsoil. The soil seed-bank test is used by farmers, scientists, and others to find out what weed seeds are hidden in a garden or … could affect the growth of the crop. You can use the same basic procedure to find out what is living in the soil in your yard or other location. For this variation of the test, your … soil from a woodland area Dry leaves (leaf litter) from the ground above the soil collection site Moss growing nearby Directions Pour a layer of gravel about 2 inches deep on the bottom of …
Type: Blog
… flora of the areas we are going to visit. We search out areas of the world where the climate is similar to that of the midwestern United States, and we make lists. Lots of lists. Massive … gasoline in the country, driver wages, botanist guides, food, and lodging. All of this data is condensed into a one-page document that our hosts submit to the national environmental … each country for approval and permits for the trip. Among our goals on plant-collecting trips is to collect seeds to conserve and to look for plants of horticultural interest to display in …
Type: Blog
… Home gardeners can sympathize: not every seed that is planted grows. This truth extends to restored prairies that are grown from seed mixes, … development has left us with less than one-tenth of one percent of prairieland, which is vital part of our ecosystem. Today, the prairie can be found only in small patches, and … to a large swath of acreage in the suburbs, she and her team visited each restored prairie site to compare the plant communities to the mix of seeds that were planted there initially. “I …
Type: Blog
… cabinet. Currently, I am in the second year of my research of the vanilla orchid. Vanilla is an exciting plant to study because it grows as a vine with two different types of roots. These … in the wild can germinate without one or more mycorrhizal fungi. As a scientist, my goal is to study the interactions that the vanilla orchid has with these fungi as they mature. This is important because most vanilla farms are monocultures—it is easier to obtain clones from …
Type: Blog
… attracts a wasp that hunts the spider as potential food for its own larvae. Thus the wasp is fooled into landing on the flower—and picking up its pollen—while hunting. So cheeky! A … (Check out more on orchids fooling mating bees with this famous video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h8I3cqpgnA .) Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ has dancing skirts and chocolate fragrance. I’m Happy Just to Dance with You Before this dance is through I think I’ll love you too. I’m so happy when you dance with me. The most …
Type: Blog
… as busy ever. Our cool-weather crops include brussels sprouts, spinach, and toscano kale. Fall is a great time to grow vegetables—insects die off, weeds wither, moisture plentiful. If you … Remove debris such as leaves, clippings, and bits of fruits and vegetables. Garden sanitation is important to remove the overwintering habitat for many insects. Cucumber beetle and squash … growing season—with row covers, garden blankets over raised beds, cold frames, etc. Now is the best time to gather plants at the end of the season for beautiful arrangements for the …
Type: Blog
… Farm Morning at Blackberry Farm The barn on Blackberry Farm Ross showed how easy it is to incorporate fresh produce and gardening into your life in his lecture, “Eating Between the … throughout the season.” In addition to being a well-known restaurant and inn, Blackberry Farm is a fully working farm. Ross spent nearly ten years managing the gardens at Blackberry; now he helps chefs get more involved in the garden. Even though the farm is a large operation, the lessons learned there can be easily adapted in containers or raised …
Type: Blog
