Plant Science Advice

#BotanyLive event from the Montshire Museum of Science on May 19, 2017 in Norwich, VT at their Science Unleashed event. I broadcast many of my tumblr posts and some of the plant science activities happening at The Montshire. Broadcast using periscope app. Event organized by Kes Schroer (pictured in screen grab).

Silene acaulis is an arctic plant that is commonly known as a “compass plant” because it’s southern flowers flower first before the north. Each individual is  dense mat that can generate its own heat and it self-composts any dead leaves/flowers it produces. This priority of southern flowers allows for an individual to flower over a longer period, thus increasing chances of pollination. Photo credit: Wikimedia commons,  Jerzy Opioła photographer. Creative Commons 4.0 license. 

Meet Imperata cylindrica, or Japanese blood grass. It is native to Southeast Asia and is invasive in the US. It can put down deep roots and regrow from them after burning. The mid-leaf vein tends to be asymmetric, and as a season goes on, it can take on a deep red hue. It is also a highly silicated grass, with tiny silica spikes on the leaf blades. It burns at a high temperature even when green, and it is a way to eliminate competitor plants. It can regrow after a fire. Many plants can't. photo: IRRI, CC2.0 license. 

Evil/eerie plant month continues with dodder. a parasitic plant of the genus Cuscata. It is most closely related to morning glory. Dodder parasitizes host plants and can actually detect preferred host species and target them to grow towards. Dodder can really take over a field of plants and it is an agricultural pest. Dodder wraps its tendrils around a host plant and grows structures called haustoria that actually do the taking of resources from the host plant. In the bottom image, you can see what dodder flowers look like. Top 2 images from Martin Labar (top and bottom). Bottom image from Jon Sullivan. Combined & unmodified, used under CC2.0. 

In October, Plant Science Advice will share advice from eerie or creepy or outright dangerous plants. Anacardium occidentale, the cashew tree has two pieces of advice. Cashews are a relative of poison ivy and produce a compound related to urushiol, anacardic acid that will irritate skin and is poisonous if ingested. It surrounds the seed (the “nut” we eat) and is in the yellow false fruit as well in lower levels. Both can be processed and eaten. the anacardic acid is inactiveated by heat. This is always done outside as the smoke can carry the anacardic acid in the air and it will irritate lungs. it’s a similar reason why you aren’t supposed to burn poison ivy. But if you really work at it, you can enjoy the product of your labors. Source of photo used under CC2.0. Abhishek Jacob, photographer.

photo source: wikimedia commons and wikimedia commons. from wikipedia

This is Hydrostachys polymorpha. It’s a plant that lives in the white foam created by waterfalls and rapids in rivers. This plant clings to rocks tenaciously and makes a living in the water, apparently flowering when the water is at its lowest each year. There are separate male & female flowers. This is a persistent plant. And is a good reminder to cling to life. There is reason to do so (this gets into a social issue I’m passionate about, mental health). Stay is also a book making the secular case for not committing suicide. You can read more about this plant here. Image source. CC3.0 license. David Gwynne-Evans, photographer.

Advice from the miracle berry. The miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum produces a molecule called miraculin that can make sour things, like lemons, taste sweet. You can get it in tablet form and coat your tongue. The effect lasts about half an hour or so. There are a few other plants that can alter perception: Gymnema sylvestre and Thaumatococcus daniellii. The former alters perception similar to the miracle berry pictured. The latter produces a very sweet protein.  Image source 

Photos by Ian Street

The hypothesized reason for carnivorous plants to have been selected for in evolution is because of the nutrient poor soil of the environments in which they're found. The Venus flytrap (scientific name: Dionaea muscipula) is one kind of carnivorous plant endemic to the Carolinas of the Eastern United States. Venus flytraps can photosynthesize like most plants, but needs to supplement nutrients other plants get from the soil with insects that trigger the lobes of the leaves to close down over them. Photo credit: Ian Street.

Arabidopsis thaliana has done the heavy lifting in basic plant science for 3 decades. It's given a lot of insights as to how plants work that has been extended into other species. It is a weed. It is native to central Asia, though related species grow widely in Asia/Europe. Arabidopsis was the first plant genome sequenced. Sketch by Ian Street. 

PIne tree outside the Life Sciences Center. Photographer: Ian Street 12/11/2014. Happy Holidays.

Oncidium Maculatum in the orchid house (native to Mexico).

Modified from Hey Skinny under CC2.0 license.