Drip tips drain leaves more efficiently…

Leaf shape is a wonderful illustration of diversity, for the range of existing morphologies is strikingly high. Even more, leaves prove evolutionarily labile characteristics as these organs may prove dramatically different between closely related species. Detailed reasons for such diversity is not yet completely documented of course, for there are probably plenty, maybe there is even a specific explanation to each individual shape. Or maybe such an evolutionary repertory could result from drifting developmental pathways without adaptive explanation. Both processes may also be involved but today, we stand to an adaptive story: the amazing drip tip adaptation of acuminate leaves.

Fences

What use are fences?

 

• Protecting cows
• Protecting orchids growing on verges
• Protecting naturalists taking pictures of orchids

 Your guess… :-)

Spinelesses, 32th.

The 32th Edition of Circus Of The Spineless took place at Deep Sea News recently when I was away, and it’s a very interesting piece in a very nice form. You should spend some time there and have a nice reading.

Now the 33rd Edition will be hosted here next month, so you can already send submissions at seedsaside (at) gmail (dot) com…

Brenne wetlands

Just back from a wonderful area, La Brenne, which is a natural regional park (more here) constituted of hundreds of lakes and wet meadows. Since the time is rainy at spring, and leaves are just , it’s been an amazing bath in acute greeny greens…

Moreover, since spring almost never comes alone, we’ve been gratified by many good surprises (plants of course, but not only, so you can keep reading… ;).

Back to Freedom

Last fall, at the very first signs of cold, not so long after the late flowers and fruits were gone, we met with two little green jewels of the European Rose Chafer, Cetonia aurata. Hard times were expected, so we brought them to their new home (ours). They spent wintertime as a long lasting fest, feeding on apples and pollen pellets.

Now that spring is back (actually, now that I’ve seen some of their kind flying by), it was time for them to leave… We set both free. They stayed a few minutes on the new leaves and decided to go their way. Back to freedom.

Berry Go Round #4!

You can read the fourth edition of the Berry Go Round here at Foothills Fancies. Spring inspired many interesting posts and plants theme posts are flowering through the blogosphere. Enjoy the latest photosynthetic news…

Les joies de l’informatique

Ah les joies de l’informatique… Par Chanson Plus Bifluorée.

Lizzards making a soup

Read the whole story at Pharyngula. A lizzard species introduced on a small island evolved a completely new organ to adapt to a rather radical diet change in only about thirty generations (introduction dates from 1971). Really cool evolution story to store. On their way they became shorter on leggs, have a bigger mouth though they don’t shout at each other since they also turned from territorial creatures into more communal neighbours.

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Nothing to do with lizzards, something I thought to blog about but a colleague did it just better than I would have done. The experiment described above is (sort of) not cool, or at least unethical, because it hurts plainfully “plant dignity” (’cause those creepy lizzards have gone veggan). Yep, somewhere on earth there will be committees to investigate if planned experiments are not going to be damaging plant dignity. What is the next swearword?

Take in global conversation

It’s above Expelled  being exposed for what it is, a shameful piece of typical fraudulent creationist propaganda. Greg Laden’s has an excellent piece about the case bringing the (cell) gap into a general public discussion. Maybe he’s right, and American people may eventually end up with a better understanding and knowledge than any other people worldwide as to what cells are made of and as to how they function. Finally creationism has found its use: serve as an anchor to educate lay people into the true nature wonders… Or would the compulsive commitment to a fair treatment occuring there (actually completely unfair since it’s giving equal weight to a handful of lies) become the major cultural obstacle to a better understanding of the world?

Ah, fair treatment. Let’s revive the stork theory…

Panoramic of a mossy trunk

Okay, it’s moss times at Seeds Aside, so I give you this panorama… This might have been another game (with “how many moss species do you see here?”), but I can’t identify these so I won’t start up. If you want a good game, these seeds still need some guesses… :-)

(for a larger size, click on the picture).