heythereuniverse:

Leaf, in green. Stomata, in pink.

the-beauty-of-nature:

A cross section through a pine needle.

i can tell you guys all you need to know about this anatomical anomaly

it’s got a suberized cuticle, rosette cells in the mesophyll, an endodermis, vascular tissue embedded in transfusion tissue, and resin ducts

it’s a very special kind of leaf

matthen:

Visualising extinctions over the past million 531 years.  The size of the circle shows how the biodiversity of the earth differs from the long-term trend.  The resulting fluctuations seem to repeat every 62 million years or so, with 5 main extinction events in total.  The most recent was of course the end of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.  Does this mean the Earth is due another?! [This follows the analysis of an interesting nature article]  [more] [code]

(Source: brilliantbotany)

heythereuniverse:

Human Tooth.

heythereuniverse:

Anther.

brilliantbotany:

This is the Indian Pipe plant, an eerie-looking plant, in my opinion. Monotropa uniflora is a heterotroph. That means that it doesn’t photosynthesize. Instead, it’s a parasitic plant that relies on mycorrhizal fungi for its nutrients.
Why is it white? No chlorophyll, no green.
It’s also known as the Ghost Plant, and the Corpse Plant. 

laughingsquid:

Where Do Goldfish Come From?

heythereuniverse:

Pine stem via Dark Field Microscopy.

thebioguru:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Fern’s are sporophyte dominant, but here is the characteristic gametophyte (prothallus) where antheridia and archegonia give rise to eggs and sperm. The archegonia can be found at the cleavage of the “heart” while the antheridia are towards the apex. Water is required for fertilization so sperm can swim to ova to form a zygote, which will then grow into the new sporophyte generation.

it’s the day after valentine’s day, but i think this still is relevant

alchymista:

Cordyceps

Cordyceps are a group of parasitic fungi containing over 400 described species. Their hosts are ususally insects but they can also infect other fungi. One species parasitizes ants and can change its victim’s behaviour. The cordyceps impels the ant to climb up a stem where it dies. From this elevated vantage point the fungus’s fruiting body grows out of the victim’s body, allowing the spores to be more widely distributed by the wind. Some species, such as the caterpillar fungus, are considered to have medicinal properties in China and Tibet.

thebioguru:

Cross section comparison of Monocot stem (left) with Dicot stem (right).

alchymista:

Coccolithophores

Tiny coccolithophores have had a big impact on the planet over time. Though they are single-celled, these photosynthesising organisms are enclosed in a mosaic, or cage, of microscopic plates that make many very beautiful to look at. The plates are made of calcium carbonate, which the coccoliths pull from the surrounding water. As these small organisms live and die in their trillions, they bequeath their tiny plates to the ocean floor where they form rocks such as chalk. Over geological time, coccoliths have removed significant amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to keep Earth cool as the sun grew hotter.

staceythinx:

I don’t know about you, but these macro shots by Dusan Beno kind of freak me out. I mean seriously, what is that thing on the top? (Apparently it’s a buzzer midge, but that can’t be real…can it?)

omg awesome

liminowl:

Environment of a Botanist by ~asianjane

My pressed plant collection in Sydney, Australia, posted from my old Deviantart account. Anyways, this is relevant in three ways:

(1) I am reading The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo in which a whole wall of mounted flowers features.

(2) I want to press plants again this spring, but this time, instead of donating them to the local herbarium, I’d like to frame them and use them to decorate my walls.

(3) Senioritis is hitting me hard and I would like to add more things to my list of things to do when not studying for class.

oh hey this is one of the many things i’m gonna learn how to do this semester :)