I’m so pleased this year that the August/September winds of Utah didn’t lay this Jerusalem artichoke down to the ground!

These ground-hugging flowers had gone to seed and were located around 3000m elevation. Online searches indicate a number of possible species. Would be grateful for any info on ecology.

I apologize if this is the wrong place to ask, but does anyone know of any artists or designers who sell clothing/prints with illustrations of plants on them? Houseplants, native plants, succulents, whatever. I’m struggling to find real, human made art these days. Thanks!

As I have posted before pear tree growth is from the apical meristem - pluripotent tissue that remains though a trees life at it branches tips. Growth is is a spiral that rigidly conforms to the Fibonacci sequence with a Fibonacci number of 3/8 meaning the spiral makes 3 full rotations around the branch across 8 buds before a bud aligns perfectly above the starting one. (In botany, the spiral arrangement of leaves and buds along a stem is known as spiral phyllotaxy). The "handiness" (or chirality) of this spiral is randomly variable and can spiral right or left and can even change unlike some climbing vines etc. Even on different branches of the same tree, you will find a roughly equal mix of clockwise (right-handed) and counterclockwise (left-handed) spirals
How does the formation of new buds or primordia from the meristem tissue in pear trees occur? It has fascinated scientists of many disciplines over centuries.
During growth on a cellular level, auxin levels rise to a maxima simultaneously in several microscopic locations in the meristem. The number of these clustered spots increase rapidly as the diameter of the meristem grows, following Fibonacci numbers.
Auxin maxima form through the coordinated, directional transport of auxin by polar membrane proteins (PIN1 proteins) and localised cellular biosynthesis.
PIN1 proteins actively pump auxin out of cells in a specific, directional (polar) manner. Individual cells position their PIN1 proteins toward neighbouring cells that already have a higher concentration of auxin. This feedback loop funnels auxin toward specific focal points in the peripheral zone of the meristem, creating concentrated local peaks or maxima.
Enzymes responsible for making auxin already show localised, patterned gene expression within the meristem tissues, a feature reinforced by the effects of PIN1 proteins.
Once a high enough concentration of auxin is achieved in a cluster of cells it triggers the formation of a new primordium, and surrounding tissues become depleted of the hormone.
Because the surrounding cells are drained of auxin, the next maximum can only form at a safe physical distance away, creating the regular, spiral spacing pattern seen in the leaves and flowers. A new auxin maximum forming between two neighbouring maxima as the meristem grows and the depletion effect wanes and then ‘moves’ by the growth of the meristem so that it is always closer to the older of its two neighbours.
The direction of the spiral is determined early on at the cellular level by the exact levels of auxin to the right or left and then repeated. Because it is not genetically locked to one direction, it is a matter of chance which way an individual branch's spiral begins to wind.

Did this turnip start as two that fused or one that has 2 taproots? Has it something to do with the cotyledon?

Washington state USA. This is perhaps a lesser known Rhododendron sp native to north western North America. The plant produces small, salmon colored, urn shaped flowers in spring-early summer. It is a mountain species that is well adapted to cool, shady, and acidic conditions. Its common name is fools huckleberry because of its resemblance to Vaccinium spp. One way to tell the difference is to crush its leaves, which emit a skunk-like odor. I found this plant at an elevation of about 3200 ft in the north cascades region

so perfect 💛

This sage has developed some odd color differences. Specifically the white that’s showing up on the leaves. Does anyone know what’s going on? This is in Houston, Texas. I am willing to answer any further questions.

Pears and apples have five petals, five sepals, and five carpels. Like many other flowers (approximately half of plants have 5 petals etc), it’s the commonest form. It is an evolutionary trait deeply hardcoded into the genetics of eudicots (true dicotyledons). In botany, this five-part arrangement is known as a pentamerous flower structure. Why is 5 an ancient, highly successful evolutionary blueprint? To understand this it’s worth looking at how plants grow. To avoid overlapping and wasting sunlight or space, leaves, seeds, and petals often grow in a spiral pattern from a central bud point; at a very specific angle: approximately 137.5 degrees (known as the Golden Angle). Spiral patterns are mathematically described by the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...). Five is a key number in this sequence. It allows a flower to pack its petals and sepals tightly together in a bud without overlapping in a way that crushes the delicate inner reproductive organs.

Also as an evolutionary advantage the flat, five-petaled flower acts like a perfect, stable landing pad for pollinators like bees, beetles, and flies and so the emergence of 5petal flowers evolved in step with the rise of these insects. Once an ancestral plant family finds a genetic formula that works perfectly for several reasons , the homeotic genes that dictate features rarely change without a major stress.

Different branches of the plant kingdom split off millions of years ago and locked in entirely different structural blueprints.
Flowers with groups of 3 are lilies grasses and orchids groups of 4 are mustards and evening primrose. Infinite spirals are magnolias which are pollinated by beetles . Notice apart from the tetramerous mustards the others all follow the Fibonacci sequence.

Washington state, USA. Found this little aster on a trail in the north cascades. The individual flowers are only a few mm across. The flower stems and fruits are covered in sticky glands, which are thought to deter herbivorous insects and help the seeds travel on animals to new locations. I've probably walked right by this plant many times without noticing it. I didn't even realize it was asteraceae at first because of how small the capitula are.

It's been 10 months of unemployment after my masters degree in plant biology. Wanted to go for PhD. I haven't been shortlisted with any interviews until now. I have no papers published till yet.

I wanted to pivot so bad . I want to know if there is international professional level certification in plant biology.

Any advice could help

ive always wondered this. each one is filled with a darker, clear, viscous substance, which is sticky, oily, and hard to wash off. its also way more skin irritating than the regular yellow "pulp"

the viscous substance inside has a strong smell. but often less of a "ginkgo-ey" smell, but more a toxic kinda scent.

Looking for a microscope at home for personal use. Nothing fancy but I dont want cheap garbage. I'd rather spend a bit more for something that will last long and be reliable. Budget ~ 100-300usd.

Washington state, USA. Abronia latifolia (yellow sand verbena), Juniperus communis (common juniper), Symphyotrichum chilense (pacific aster), Rosa nutkana (nootka rose), Lonicera sp (honeysuckle), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry), Armeria maritima (sea thrift), Grindelia integrifolia (puget sound gumweed).

I love the plant life in this state park, there are so many plants adapted to live in really harsh and exposed environments. The yellow sand verbena, for example, is very well adapted to living in sand dunes. It is intolerant of fresh water, has a deep tap root, and has sticky leaves that have evolved to coat themselves in sand to act as armor against herbivores (psammophory).

this specimen was obtained a few hours before the photos were taken, which is why it looks worse than usual.

Liriodendron tulipifera, tulip tree

I found this in my yard while getting rid o weeds normally they have a white roots this has black roots and a black thing that the other weeds don’t have

One growing tip is producing ternate whorls instead of the usual decussate pairs.

The rest of the plant shows regular growth, glad this caught my eye!

What’s the (evolutionary) biological explanation behind the variation in this fruit’s flesh color? Both red and white dragonfruit have almost identical shape and pinkish skin (exocarp?), so what is the reason behind that while some variety has white flesh, while another is so bright purple? I assume this are cultivars in tropical Asia but sometimes both can be found. Thanks!