Future of Botany and Herbaria

While I've addressed how my undergraduate program has converted many potential non-plant biologists into plant biologists, often I hear about how many universities do not support botany programs. I've experienced this personally, though at the time I was interested in the wildlife biology program. Colorado State University's college of natural sciences posted above the botany …

Fascination of Plants Day

I found out about it too late.   It was late in the evening of May 18th, and I saw an Annals of Botany Facebook post from the Oxford University Press blog about Fascinating of Plants Day. Many others knew about it, as #FoPD yielded a plethora of tweets. I’ll be more prepared for it …

#Project365: March

March came with a theme where I live: first fortnight dominated by light snow storms and the second fortnight revealing many spring blooms. Here are some species that entered the Project365 ranks. To think I've been at this for 90 days now--taking a picture and uploading it every day. (Though a few a had to …

The Value of the Earth

My backyard is a jungle. A Vinca minor and Vinca major jungle. All these periwinkles create a pedestrian hazard where if you shuffle your feet just slightly you will likely lodge your toe under the grounded vines and potentially fall on a prickly rose vine, because I have those too—though “vine” may be a misnomer …

The Value of Best Friends for a Plant in the Tropics

Your average plant would not survive without fungi.  In all regions of the world and among almost all plants, mycorhizzal fungi essentially are socks.  As you would cover your feet with a sock, plants cover their roots with fungi.  However, while socks can wick moisture and keep you warm, mycorhizzal (my-co-rise-uhl) fungi provide plants with …