Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 26, 2020
Researching the plant featured in today’s photograph seems to have helped resolve much of a long-standing mystery: why is there a Beer Trail in UBC Botanical Garden? And what does that have to do with a photo of Obama in Asheville, North Carolina?
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on November 29, 2018
It seems next week will see the appearance of the first significant span of freezing temperatures this winter in our region. Snow isn’t in the immediate forecast, so I won’t have the opportunity to improve upon this photograph, but the cold temperatures will likely be enough to start the seasonal leaf-rolling and -drooping of many […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 14, 2018
Common names range from the poetic to the descriptive to the eminently practical. A number of common names for Kalmia angustifolia land in the latter part of the spectrum: lambkill, sheepkill, and even calfkill.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 20, 2018
The diminutive bog cranberry or small cranberry is wide-ranging across northern Europe, Asia, and North America. As one of its common names implies, it is a species of bogs–and also fens, muskeg, and arctic-alpine tundra.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 11, 2018
Bark-sniffing? Check. Mushroom-licking? Yep. Indumentum-licking? Not yet, but maybe next time. Apparently, the hairs on the underside of the leaves of northern Labrador tea give a buzz when licked (see the indigenous knowledge section), which opens up an entirely new way of experiencing rhododendrons that I hadn’t considered before. Perhaps I should add it to […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 4, 2018
Leptecophylla tameiameiae, or pūkiawe, is a member of the heath family (Ericaceae) native to the Hawaiian islands and Marquesas Islands. It is variable in appearance, perhaps related to its ability to grow in habitats ranging from the semi-arid lava deserts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to montane wet forests.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 29, 2018
This colourful gem is from a genus that is closely related to Vaccinium–the blueberries. Agapetes means “beloved” or “desirable”. Some readers may recognize its similarity to the Greco-Christian type of love known as agape.
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