BellaVita Botanics’ Post

Unleashing the Potential of the Dogbane Family: Exploring the Hidden Gems in This Botanical Group Unleashing the Potential of the Dogbane Family: Exploring the Hidden Gems in Th... Read More - https://lnkd.in/dhhNvD5n

Petunia grandiflora is a popular ornamental plant known for its large, showy flowers. Below is the botanical classification: Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Petunia Species: Petunia axillaris × Petunia integrifolia (hybrid origin)Cultivar Group: Grandiflora #planttaxonomy

Hickories and walnuts belong to the same family — the walnut family (Juglandaceae). Up until the early 1800s, American botanists considered hickories to be walnuts (genus Juglans), and no distinction was made between the two groups of trees. In the 1800s, hickories became recognized as being taxonomically distinct from walnuts and were given their own genus to reflect this distinction — the Carya genus. An observable difference between hickories and walnuts involves the fruits. Hickories are dehiscent — the fruits completely or partially split open at maturity, and their husks are composed of sections or valves. With few exceptions, walnuts are typically indehiscent — the fruits do not split open at maturity. Pictured here are 5 hickories and 2 walnuts that grow in eastern North America. Bark isn’t always the best feature to help distinguish between species, but it can be useful in some circumstances. For example, the bark of shagbark hickory is similar to the bark of shellbark hickory, but the bark of both trees is very different from the bark of bitternut hickory.

Researchers at Missouri Botanical Garden in the U.S. have launched an initiative to create a digital repository of the 6 million plant specimens stored in the herbarium there. The six-year Revolutionizing Species Identification initiative aims to combine data obtained from visual and hyperspectral scanning with artificial intelligence to build up a plant repository unlike any before. Gunter Fischer and Jordan Teisher spoke with Mongabay’s Abhishyant Kidangoor about why this work is important at this point in time, how they envision the digital repository being used, and the challenges they anticipate as they build it out. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. https://lnkd.in/g4hGSu9b

Tacinga inamoena (K. Schum.) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy (Cactaceae, Opuntioideae) is a native Brazilian species found in the Caatinga phytogeographic domain. Although its flowers are adapted for bird pollination (ornithophily), few birds visit these plants in the ex situ collection at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Despite this, fruit production occurs, prompting an investigation into the floral visitors and other animals interacting with T. inamoena flowers. This study aimed to identify floral visitors and quantify florivory damage to flowers in the Cacti and Succulents thematic collection. During the study, 79 flowers were monitored, along with their floral visitors and 26 instances of florivory, totaling 110 observation hours during the anthesis period. Despite recording only five hummingbird visits, a high fruit set was observed, with 72 fruits formed. Results indicated that bees of the genus Trigona sp. were the main floral visitors. Florivory damage, primarily caused by lizards of the species Tropidurus torquatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1820), did not negatively impact fruit formation in this cactus species under cultivation. To fully understand the reproductive success of this species, further studies are needed to assess the viability of seeds formed under these conditions, as the species may be self-compatible and autogamous. https://lnkd.in/d9hVEvdv

We did not only produce a technical review on tackling the #illegalplanttrade but also a webinar on the issue. This webinar includes presentations from BGCI and botanic garden partners, sign up to learn more about the issue & what you can do. https://buff.ly/3ABxwaL #PlantConservation #GlobalConservationNetwork

#FridayFlora - Since 2002, the Arnold Arboretum has been a member of the Plant Collections Network, a network of botanical gardens administered through the American Public Gardens Association in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The primary focus of the Plant Collections Network is the long-term preservation of germplasm for research. Participating institutions commit to holding and developing collections that are primarily organized at the genus level. The Arboretum holds eight collections for the Plant Collections Network: Acer (maple), Carya (hickory), Fagus (beech), Forsythia (forsythia), Ginkgo (ginkgo), Stewartia, Syringa (lilac), and Tsuga (hemlock). Our collections focus is on botanical taxa—cultivated plants are exempt—and our goal is to maximize diversity both within each genus and within each species. The Arboretum’s holdings of these eight genera are quite robust, representing some of the largest and best documented collections of their kind in the world. Because of their importance, our Collections Policy prioritizes their development and care as core collections. #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #flora #florafriday

"Discover the Magic of Rare Botanical Gins! 🌿🍸 #MicroDistillery #CraftGin #BotanicalGin #GinLovers #SmallBatch #GinTok #ArtisanalSpirits #GinTime #GinJourney #CraftSpirits"

Have you seen the new Blooming Botanical Thinking Putty from Crazy Aarons? 🌸 😍 The changing color flowers is our favorite part! What is your favorite part of this beautiful putty from Crazy Aarons? 🧚♀️ 🍃 #astratoy #astramembers #puttyreview #newproduct

MAY PLANTS OF THE MONTH 🌱 This month's tour at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney features rare and resilient plants that have survived for millennia. The plant of the month, which you can see at all our sites, is the #WollemiPine (Wollemia nobilis): 🌲It was thought to be extinct until it was serendipitously discovered in 1994 🌲This critically endangered conifer is one of the world’s rarest plants 🌲Less than 50 adult trees remain in the wild 🔬Recent research using advanced genomic sequencing has detected some genetic variation in surviving trees. To help save the species from extinction Botanic Gardens of Sydney horticulturists and scientists launched a project last year whereby a meta-collection of trees representing the genetic diversity of the species was sent to botanic gardens around the world to create vital ex-situ conservation collections. 🌱 Translocation populations have also been created in natural areas similar to the wild habitats of the Wollemi Pine in the Blue Mountains. 🦠 Critical research also continues to investigate ways of combatting the deadly fungal pathogen Phytophthora cinnamoni threatening the wild population. These and other research projects are vital to ensure that this unique tree survives for future generations. ⬇️ Discover more