It may not feel like it, but spring is here and with it comes the flourishing of new life in our oceans. Spring is also a great time to visit the coast and discover what lives beneath the waves. In this way we follow the footsteps of pioneering phycologist Dr Mary Parke. She studied the planktonic algae and seaweeds of the UK, especially those of the south-west of England.
Read more: https://www.exploreyourarchive.org/algae-and-seaweed-research-at-the-marine-biological-association/
#archives @archivistodon @histodons #uk #marine #algae #seaweed #biology #botony #libraries #library
World’s oldest fossilised trees discovered along Devon and Somerset coast
The fossilised Calamophyton remains show how early trees helped shape landscapes and stabilise riverbanks millions of years ago
The world’s oldest fossilised trees, dating back 390m years, have been found in the high sandstone cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast.
“When I first saw pictures of the tree trunks, I immediately knew what they were, based on 30 years of studying this type of tree worldwide,” said Dr Christopher Berry, a palaeobotanist at Cardiff University and the study’s co-author. “It was amazing to see them so near to home. But the most revealing insight comes from seeing, for the first time, these trees in the positions where they grew.
In quiet, meditative gardens,
My pliant xylem quickly hardens,
Displaying outstanding tensile strength.
Easily clipped to custom length
And hollow just like any grass,
My volume’s ratio to my mass
Is such that I’m bewildered where
I find the fuel to feed a bear.
#riddlepoems #poetry #poem #riddle #smallpoems #botony #landscaping #gardening #plants #materials #zen #panda #poetrycommunity
Is there a #Botony corner of Mastodon that can tell me what’s growing in this planter in my back yard?
Pitcher Poop Plant
Some species of carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes, have switched from capturing and digesting insects to absorbing animal poop for their daily dose of nutrients – and it's a switch that's proving very beneficial.
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