• ES Picture of the Day 29 2022

    From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Tue Nov 29 11:01:08 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Carob Mushroom in Early Stage of Growth

    November 29, 2022


    Fungo di carrubo

    Photographer: Emanuele Nifosì

    Summary Author: Emanuele Nifosì

    Shown above is the rather rare carob mushroom I came across in Regusa,
    Sicily (Italy). The scientific name of this yellow-orange fungus is
    " Laetiporus sulphureus." This year, due to the drought, these
    mushrooms were even more rare. They can be found on the lower trunk of
    some carob trees, or, even more rarely, on the trunks of almond
    trees. August and September, after a rainy day or two, is when the
    Carob mushroom begins to grow.

    The fruiting body of the fungus grows in only a small percentage of
    carob trees for two reasons: firstly, because it’s generated by a
    secondary parasite that manages to "infect" the tree only through
    wounds; secondly, because the carob tree is widespread, but in a very
    narrow climatic belt. In Italy, about 70% of this species exists in the
    province of Ragusa. Note that this mushroom also forms on deciduous
    trees such as chestnut, beech or eucalyptus, but when it does it seems
    to develop a certain toxicity, which is why it’s considered edible only
    when plucked from carob or almond trees -- after boiling. Photo taken
    on September 11, 2022.

    Photo details: Nikon D700 camera; Nikkor lens 70-210: ISO 400; f. 5/6;
    1/100 second exposure.
    Contrada Cuturi, Regusa, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 36,815488,
    14,700164


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    * Discover Life
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    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 39 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)
  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Thu Dec 29 11:00:38 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Dalene Matthee Big Tree

    December 29, 2022

    Louise_IMG_20221210_114403 (003)

    Photographer: Louise van der Meulen

    Summary Author: Louise van der Meulen; Jim Foster

    The stunning specimen featured above is thought to be over 800 years
    old. Found in the montane forest near Knysna, South Africa, it’s
    called the Dalene Matthee Big Tree. And big it is -- standing 131
    ft (40 m) with a diameter of 5.6 ft (1.72 m). This handsome giant
    belongs to the Podocarpus falcatus species (family
    Podocarpaceae) and is commonly referred to as a yellowwood tree.
    Photo taken on December 9, 2022.

    The sign at its base reads -

    Like a towering king it stood towering above the white alder and
    mountain saffron, stinkwood, assegai and hard pear. As if God had
    planted long before the others. Its giant root anchored it to the
    ground like giant arms.

    Dalene Matthee, Circle in a Forest, 1984.


    Knysna, South Africa Coordinates: 33.9167 -22.9579


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    Plant Links

    * Discover Life
    * Tree Encyclopedia
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    * Encyclopedia of Life - What is a Plant?
    * USDA Plants Database
    * University of Texas Native Plant Database
    * Plants in Motion
    * What Tree is It?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 43 weeks, 3 days, 20 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)
  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Thu Sep 29 12:01:08 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Use of Wild Plants in Floriculture

    September 29, 2022


    Menashe_Thistle_Picture2

    Menashe_Thistle_Picture3a

    Photographer: Menashe Davidson
    Summary Author: Menashe Davidson

    Over recent years, the floriculture trade, in particular cut
    flowers and potted ornamentals, has been on the rise, driven by the
    growing interest of society in environmental and well-being benefits.
    Consequently, it’s in the best interest of floriculturists to tap
    upcoming trends related to new ornamental plants. Wild plants are a
    category of potential candidates that could be used as ornamentals. The
    term “wild” when applied to plant species refers to plants that grow
    spontaneously in self-maintaining populations, in a natural or
    semi-natural ecosystem, that can exist independent of any direct human
    action.

    The common globe thistle, Echinops adenocaulos, is a prickly
    wildflower in the Asteraceae family that thrives almost everywhere in
    Israel (top photo). The plant's Hebrew name is 'kipodan', meaning
    "hedgehog", because the spherical inflorescence of the flowers
    resembles a hedgehog. Seeing the thistle's cheerful bloom of impressive
    purple flower during Israel’s mid-summer, gave me the idea that this
    plant is a potential candidate to be used as an ornamental in my home
    garden. In addition, after the flower's petals fade, the fruits and
    seeds of the small globe thistle plant are eye-catching in their own
    right.

    Last year, I collected a bundle of many single fruits called
    " achenes" that I inserted on an apical plate that were then
    sown in containers in my home garden during mid-winter. The top photo
    (taken on June 22) and the bottom photo (taken on July 29) demonstrate
    my success in the domestication of a wild plant without any modifying
    human labor to meet its specific needs.


    Rishon Le Zion, Israel Coordinates: 31.9730, 34.7925


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    * Discover Life
    * Tree Encyclopedia
    * What are Phytoplankton?
    * Encyclopedia of Life - What is a Plant?
    * USDA Plants Database
    * University of Texas Native Plant Database
    * Plants in Motion
    * What Tree is It?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 30 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)