Plants of the Day

Adansonia

baobabs

What two main pollinators did David Baum photograph on these baobabs - mainly found in Madagascar and named after Michel Adanson?

Laurus nobilis

laurel

Why is the Mediterranean basal angiosperm laurel forever linked with the Olympics? Hint: the image on the right is from Greek mythology and the shrub/tree laurel is evident to the left of that image.

?

What holo-parasitic family is now included in the order Saxifragales?

Photo by Faisal I. Al-Dossary

Hura crepitans

(Euphorbiaceae)

This tropical tree is one of the most deadly sources for arrow poisons. The species possesses other features that make it a nasty plant for humans and other mammals. Find one of these.

Tree of the Day

In this Nature article, a tree representing relationships of Australasian peoples was used to "map" on the character of political state.

What type of data was used to construct this tree? (14Oct2010)

Myosotis

forget-me-not

J. R. R. Tolkien mentions this flower in reference to what character in his "Lord of the Rings" [hint: the reference is made in Book 1]

Lodoicea maldivica

coco-de-mer, double-nut, Seychelles palm

This genus of 1 species is endemic to the Seychelles and has generated a lot of interest in having the largest seed known, and in that the shape of the seed has suggested the devil's work or aphrodisiacal properties.

What is unusual about how this species was first discovered?

Only 2 angiosperms occur in Antarctica: Antarctic hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica) [shown on the right side of the photo] and what other species [shown on the left side]?

These occur on north facing slopes with mosses and liverworts, also seen in the photo.