Two Young Suns

Euphorbia clandestina

This Euphorbia species has erect cylindrical knobbly stems with narrow channeled leaves on the upper part. It is often single-stemmed, but it may also sprout arms as our plant has done. Hugging the stem between the leaves are the cyathia (the singular is cyathium), the unique flowering structures found in Euphorbia. Each cyathium is nested within leaf-like bracts, and it consists of a cup with five protruding glands ringing its rim, with tiny flowers grouped at the center. The name clandestina means hidden, and this is because the cyathia hide among the leaves, in contrast to the related Euphorbia clava, which has cyathia held atop long stalks that make them very visible from a distance. Both species come from South Africa.

Well, technically it's not new : it's a nurse shark. What's new, however, is that it's the first xanthic (imagine albinism but in yellow) nurse shark ever found !! Not only it's not common AT ALL to find fishes with xanthism (it's the first cartilagenous fish ever recorded with this type of genetic "anomally"), but if it's there and still existing as an adult, it means the species is chill-ish with other predators (it probably would have been eaten by then). Its eyes are white so it can also be a form of albinism, in addition to xanthism !!!!!

And most of all : ITS SO CUTE !! AND IT'S SUCH A COOL FIND !!

Please if a marine biologist or someone with more info can interact with this post to feed me some more info or correct me on wrong infos i'e given I'd love it !

Trichocereus peruvianus

Trichocereus is a South American genus of columnar cacti with large white bat-pollinated flowers, typically fragrant. T. peruvianus differs from the typical Trichocereus because it is so blue in color, but its flowers are quite typical. It is a relative of the San Pedro Cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi.

Agave nickelsiae

Among the many striking Agave species are Agave nickelsiae and its close cousin Agave victoriae-reginae, both from northern Mexico and notable for their neat compact rosettes of leaves adorned with dramatic white lines that look like they were painted on. Both of these species are flowering now at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and this affords us the opportunity to observe their differences. To start with, our plant of A. nickelsiae has leaves that are longer and bluer than those of A. victoriae-reginae. A. nickelsiae also has a stouter and taller inflorescence, with larger flowers that are not as closely packed together as those of A. victoriae-reginae. But both of them are very impressive!