Published by Daniel Mosquin on August 10, 2017
Sometimes I can’t track down what seems to be the most agreed-upon name for a taxon, and this is one of those times. Depending on the resource, this species is listed under Caralluma retrospiciens, Caralluma acutangula and Desmidorchis retrospiciens. I’ve opted to follow the latest version of The Plant List. Bart Wursten, the photographer, also […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on July 13, 2017
Asclepias curassavica has many common names including tropical milkweed, bloodflower, Mexican butterfly weed and wild ipecacuanha. The genus name, Asclepias, is derived from the name of the Greek god of healing, Asklepios, as tropical milkweed has many traditional medicinal uses despite its mild toxicity to vertebrates. Tropical milkweed is a tender perennial subshrub, typically 1m […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 2, 2017
Stathmostelma pauciflorum is a perennial species native to parts of eastern and central Africa. It can be found in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its preferred habitat is seasonally waterlogged grassland from sea level to 1500m (~4900 ft.). According to Goyder’s 1998 paper A revision of the African […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on April 13, 2017
Hubricht’s amsonia or Arkansas bluestar is one of approximately twenty plant species endemic to the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on February 15, 2017
In its native Australia, Alyxia ruscifolia is known by the common names chainfruit, prickly alyxia, native holly, and moonya. It is a shrubby member of the dogbane family, or Apocynaceae; the family also contains growth forms such as trees, climbers, scramblers, herbs, and stem succulents. Alyxia is a moderately-diverse genus, with 14 species in Australia, […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 8, 2015
Stapelia leendertziae has sapromyiophilous flowers–that is, its flowers are pollinated by flies. Sapromyiophilous flowers have evolved convergently in many families of flowering plants. They usually have large scent-emitting flowers that are coloured red or purple. These characteristics mimic the food and brood sites of carrion and dung flies. Johnson and Jürgens (2010) examined the scent […]
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