blogisthis
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nybg:
Good plant GIFs are so few and far between, and seeing as it’s Halloweentime—how could I not? Poor rats. —MN
- Nepenthes attenboroughii is a montane species of insectivorous pitcher plant of the genus Nepenthes. It is named after the celebrated broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who is a keen enthusiast of the genus. The species is characterised by its large and distinctive bell-shaped lower and upper pitchers and narrow, upright lid. The type specimen of N. attenboroughii was collected on the summit of Mount Victoria, an ultramafic mountain in central Palawan, the Philippines. In the latter half of 2009, this taxon received a great deal of publicity in the national press of various countries as a sensational new plant that catches and kills rats.
- Venus flytrap (dionaea muscipula).
- A cape sundew (Drosera capensis) capturing a midge (perhaps of family Cecidomyiidae).
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nybg:
Some dainty and petaled things to distract you, if only for a moment, from the past few days’ trials. Chatting about Linnaeus in honor of his prolific nomenclature never hurts, either. —MN
Linnaeus, The Name Giver
Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus was an early information architect. He believed that every kind of plant and animal on Earth should be named and classified.
1. Festive Fuchsia
2. Blue Beauty
3. Scientific Innuendo
4. Garland of Blue
5. Floral Fireworks
6. Reproductive Radiance
7. Multipurpose Plant
8. Cropped Crown
Photographs by Helene Schmitz
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nybg:
Oh, David Attenborough. This would almost be creepy if it were anyone but you. Thankfully, your decades of service in nature education have given you carte blanche to be as strange as could ever suit your fancy.
Here’s to the educators—the nature show hosts, the science teachers, the botanists, the volunteers, and even the NYBG Explainers—who keep our love of green and growing things alive in future generations. Because somebody has to hug the plants, even if only figuratively. —MN
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nybg:
Because how can you ever have enough of a plant world-famous for smelling like roadkill left by the side of the highway three days too many? I like to rail on about Amorphophallus titanum from time to time, but I reblogged this more because you rarely get a look at what’s going on below deck. Both busy and a little bit alien. —MN
Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum)
The titan arum produces one of the world’s largest unbranched inflorescence, growing up over 3 m (10 ft) in height. An inflorescence is a cluster of smaller flowers arranged together, giving the impression of a single larger flower.
The inflorescence gives off a rotting odour, which attracts insects to the strings of pollen inside the spathe (the petal like structure). As the female flowers mature earlier then the male flowers, the chance of self pollination is reduced.
Etymology: (Amorphos - misshapen + phallos - phallus + titan - giant. Giant misshapen penis )
Margaret Woods/Moore on Flickr, TGrayPhotography on Wikipedia Commons
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nybg:
Thought for a half-second that this was pizza and got weird-level excited. Turns out it’s pine, but still exciting in its own way; it reminds me of days spent looking at plant cells in onion skin under science class microscopes. And who doesn’t like the aroma of pine in autumn? (If you don’t like that aroma, I’m sorry—but you’re super missing out.) —MN
Micrograph of a pine tree section by Josefine Stenudd on Flickr.
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Walking with Anna Eriksson through the cemetery of Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm, Sweden.
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nybg:
Seriously, the sun will have winked out and the universe collapsed in on itself before we get tired of this pun. A happy belated Halloween to everyone in the northeast who’s had to put the holiday on hiatus. —MN
Gourd-geous!
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Yum.
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nybg:
Panellus stipticus! It’s Quasi-Weekly Fungus Time, and I thought you could use some bioluminescence in your day. I mean…glowy things. Seriously. —MN
