Celebrating Plants and People
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Unknown, Undisturbed Tropical Forest Discovered Using GoogleEarth
Some of the plants they found included a rarely seen orchid, and they discovered a tropical mistletoe, Helixanthera schizocalyx, a hairless parasitic shrub that attaches to tree branches, growing up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) high. All together, the team collected and brought back more than 500 plant specimens, which are being studied in Kew’s…
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New Type Of Photosynthesis Discovered And That Opens New Worlds
The chlorophyll-f based photosynthesis reported today represents a third type of photosynthesis that is widespread. However, it is only used in special infrared-rich shaded conditions; in normal light conditions, the standard red form of photosynthesis is used. (Click on title for full story).
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Taming Rice And Potatoes: Anti-Diabetes Super Food Is Lentils
Replacing half a serving of rice with lentils caused blood glucose to drop by up to 20 per cent. Replacing potatoes with lentils led to a 35-per-cent drop. (Click on title for full story.)
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Science Turns To Plants’ Essential Oils To Fight Surgery-Related Infections
Even though synthetic antibiotics have been the best weapon for eradicating microbial infections since the arrival of penicillin, the overuse of these medications is gradually rendering them ineffective. Scientists think that if new strategies are not developed soon, medical treatments could retreat to the era where slight injuries and common infections develop into serious medical…
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Flowers Use Every Trick In The Book: Bees Learn The Language Of Scent As Well As Color
The study also shows that once bees had learnt how a pattern of scent was arranged on a flower, they then preferred to visit unscented flowers that had a similar arrangement of visual spots on their surface. (Click on title for full story.)
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Maybe The Most Amazing Thing About Orchids Is Their Weird And Wonderful Seeds. You Just Need An Electron Microscope To Realize It
Lots of people get worked up about orchids, the apogee, or something near it, of floral extravagance. They are plants whose flowers are so potent they can produce lust bordering on obsession. Their seeds, on the other hand, produce disdain. “Dust seeds,” botanists and fanciers alike scoff. Rarely has anyone bothered to take a closer look.…
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The Oldest Ones Are Leaving Us: The Mass Death Of Africa’s Iconic Tree
“The deaths of the majority of the oldest and largest African baobabs over the past 12 years is an event of an unprecedented magnitude,” the scientists wrote. “These deaths were not caused by an epidemic and there has also been a rapid increase in the apparently natural deaths of many other mature baobabs.” (Click on…
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Plants Camouflage Just As Animals Do. With One Important Difference
Unlike animals, plants may be limited in their use of camouflage by the fact that chlorophyll – which they need to live via photosynthesis – is green. As a result, the researchers say it may sometimes be a disadvantage to a plant to be any other colour – meaning their camouflage comes at a cost.…
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Is Your Car Driving The Destruction Of The Rain Forest?
Palm oil used for biodiesel has increased sharply over the last years while food consumption of palm oil is declining. (Click on title for full report)
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“Grass” Roots Campaign To Remove Nails From City Trees Gaining Support
“I have been reading several articles and research papers that have scientifically proven that trees fee pain. Nails can weaken trees causing them to die, and most trees in the city have multiple nails in them. So I decided to do something about it.” (Click on title for full story.)