Elaeocarpus venustus

Elaeocarpus venustus is a species of flowering plant in the Elaeocarpaceae family. It is found only in India. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Cerastium fontanum

Cerastium fontanum, also called mouse-ear chickweed, common mouse-ear, or starweed, is a species of mat-forming perennial or, rarely, annual plant. It is native to Europe but introduced elsewhere. Its identifying characteristics are tear-shaped leaves growing opposite one another in a star pattern, hairy leaves, and small white flowers. Mouse-ear chickweed typically grows to 4"-8" tall and spreads horizontally along the ground via the formation of roots wherever the stem falls over and contacts the ground.
Description.
"Cerastium fontanum" is a low growing plant covered with small hairs which are not sticky, that is, without glandular tips. The erect flowering stems up to 45 cm long and leaves, opposite, up to 20 mm long without stalks. It has prostrate branches which do not bear flowers. The petals are shorter than the sepals or a little longer and are deeply divided. The flowers have 10 stamens with 5 styles.
Habitat.
It is common in grassland and along roadsides.
Distribution.
It is common throughout Great Britain and Ireland.
Etymology.
"Cerastium" is derived from the Greek word for 'horned', in reference to the shape of its fruit capsule.
"Fontanum" means 'of fountains', 'of springs', or 'of fast-running streams'. It is a cognate with 'fountain' and 'font'.


Archeophylla

Archeophylla is a genus of liverworts belonging to the family Pseudolepicoleaceae.
The species of this genus are found in New Zealand and Southern America.
Species:


Calligonum bakuense

Calligonum bakuense is a species of "Calligonum" shrub, endemic to Azerbaijan. It has pinkish flowers and grows on coastal sands along the Caspian shore, reaching 1.5 m in height. The habitat is limited to the Absheron Peninsula. The specific epithet "bakuense" is derived from Baku.
The species is listed in the 1989 Red Book of Azerbaijan and in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.


Isopaches

Isopaches is a genus of liverworts belonging to the family Anastrophyllaceae.
The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution.
Species:


Pityopus californicus


Bromus grandis

Bromus grandis is a species of brome grass known by the common name tall brome.
It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat from forest to coastal scrub.
Description.
"Bromus grandis" is a perennial bunchgrass growing up to tall. It has hairy leaves and open inflorescences of fuzzy flat spikelets.
It is related to "Bromus orcuttianus", which shares its range.


Calypogeia rhynchophylla

Calypogeia rhynchophylla is a species of liverwort in the Calypogeiaceae family. It is endemic to Costa Rica. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.


Winona Hazel Welch

Winona Hazel Welch (May 5, 1896 – January 16, 1990) was an American bryologist. As a professor at DePauw University, she became the first female head of the botany and bacteriology department at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
Early life.
Welch was born on May 5, 1896 in Goodland, Indiana to parents Charles A. and Carrie Johnson Welch. Prior to her birth, her grandfather immigrated to America from England and bought land in Indiana prior to the American Civil War. After his death, some of his mementos were donated to the Indiana State Museum. Welch was educated in a one-room school and her family discouraged thoughts of pursuing higher learning due to her gender. However, she earned money through teaching at public schools during World War I and was able to afford tuition at DePauw University for four years.
Education and career.
Upon her arrival at DePauw (DPU), Welch attempted to pursue chemistry but was rejected by William Blanchard based on her gender. As a result, she turned to study botany under the guidance of department head Truman G. Yuncker. Yuncker encouraged her to pursue graduate school after her undergraduate degree, and she subsequently earned her Master's degree at the University of Illinois studying plant taxonomy and ecology with W. B. McDougall and William Trelease. By 1928, she earned a PhD from Indiana University, where she stayed as an instructor until being offered a position at DPU as an assistant professor of botany. Welch was eventually promoted to Chairman of the botany department and earned a grant from the American Philosophical Society to study in Europe for a year. By 1940, she was elected secretary of the Indiana Academy of Science and promoted to Full professor.
As a result of her scientific success, Welch became the first female president of the Indiana Academy of Science in 1947. Upon Yuncker's retirement in 1956, Welch was selected as the new department head of Botany and Bacteriology. During her time as head, Welch published a comprehensive manual of moss in Indiana, titled "Mosses of Indiana." She retired in 1961 as Professor Emeritus and then served as curator of the Truman G. Yuncker Herbarium. In 1964, she became the inaugural winner of the Outstanding Woman Teacher award at DPU.
In 1987, a new moss species was named in her honor, "Fontinalis welchiana". She died on January 16, 1990.


Coriariaceae


Spiraeanthemum graeffei

Spiraeanthemum graeffei is a species of plant in the family Cunoniaceae. It is endemic to Fiji.


Tofieldia pusilla

Tofieldia pusilla is a flowering plant of the genus "Tofieldia" in the family Tofieldiaceae. It is also sometimes classified in the lily family, Liliaceae. Its common name is Scottish asphodel in Europe, and Scotch false asphodel in North America. The plant is native to northern North America and parts of Eurasia, its circumpolar distribution extending across Canada and the northern United States to Greenland, Iceland and northern Europe.


Tetratheca

Tetratheca is a genus of around 50 to 60 species of shrubs endemic to Australia. It is classified in the botanical family Elaeocarpaceae, now known to encompass the family Tremandraceae, which the genus originally belonged to. It occurs throughout extratropical Australia, and has been recorded in every mainland state except the Northern Territory.
Origin and evolution.
The origin of the genus is thought to be southwestern Western Australia, radiating eastward. The distribution of Tetratheca is mainly across the temperate southern part of the continent, most species exist as endemic to local areas and are highly disjunct, very few are widespread across Australia, no species exist across the Nullarbor Plan and only 7 species exist on both the western and the south-eastern side. (McPherson, 2008). The formation of the Nullarbor is thought to have created a barrier to dispersal between the east and west.
It is estimated that the family Elaeocarpaceae is 120 million years old and Tetratheca estimated to be around 37 to 39 million years old, with major diversification over the Miocene and evolving much faster than their relatives, many of which are rainforest species. This coincides with the rapid radiation and diversification of other sclerophyllous groups.
Species.
Species include:


Draba subumbellata

Draba subumbellata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by several common names, including parasol draba, mound draba, and White Mountains cushion draba. This small perennial plant is native to the White Mountains which straddle the California-Nevada state line and the Inyo Mountains nearby. It lives on barren rocky scree above 3000 meters.
This alpine-adapted plant forms cushion-like mats amongst the rock litter on mountain peaks. Its tiny leaves are covered in bushy hairs. At flowering small bunches of tiny buds open to reveal bright yellow petals each a few millimeters wide. The fruits are hairy, slightly inflated siliques less than a centimeter long.


Heuchera pilosissima

Heuchera pilosissima is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name seaside alumroot and Parish's alumroot. It is endemic to the northern two thirds of the California coastline, where it grows on coastal bluffs and in nearby forests. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing lobed oval-shaped leaves 4 to 9 centimeters wide, each on a long petiole. The erect inflorescence reaches over half a meter in maximum height and is covered in glandular hairs. It bears dense clusters of rounded, hairy flowers. Each flower has pink or yellowish lobes tipped with small white or pink petals. The stamens and stigma protrude from the narrow mouth of the flower.


Doritaenopsis

Doritaenopsis (abbreviated Dtps. in the horticultural trade) is the nothogenus that contains all hybrids between the orchid genera "Doritis" and "Phalaenopsis" (Dor × Phal).
Cultivation.
A "Doritaenopsis" and a "Phalaenopsis" will appear to the casual observer as the same orchid. And they are cultured the same, except that the spikes should not be automatically cut as they will often use the same main spike for a second blooming. The "Doritis" brings more flowers, flowers that last well into summer, sharper colors, and often multiple spikes. The tradeoff is slightly smaller flowers.


Agnes Ibbetson

Agnes Ibbetson (1757–1823), was an English plant physiologist.
Life.
She was the daughter of Andrew Thomson Esq., of Roehampton, a London merchant, and was born in London in 1757 and educated at home. In 1783 she married James Ibbetson at Bushey in Hertfordshire. He was the eldest son the Rev. James Ibbetson, rector of Bushey and Archdeacon of St. Albans. James, junior, was a barrister and amateur antiquary who had been admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1771, but he died in 1790 aged 35 leaving Agnes a widow. Sometime after James's death she moved to Devon where she lived for the rest of her life. She died on 9 February 1823 in Exmouth, aged 66. Her nephew was Charles Poulett Thomson, who was a politician and become the first Governor of Canada, being raised to the peerage as Baron Syndenham. Ibbetson was left with an annuity and comfortable financial circumstances.
Work.
Though isolated from the contemporary scientific community, Ibbetson began publishing her plant physiology in her fifties, and approached her work with an observational and experimental bent. Ibbetson made extensive use of microscopes, plant dissection, and other technology to pursue her studies, and believed that plant functions had mechanical explanations. Between 1809 and 1822 Mrs. Ibbetson contributed more than fifty papers to "Nicholson's Journal" and the "Philosophical Magazine" on the microscopic structure and physiology of plants, including such subjects as air-vessels, pollen, perspiration, sleep, winter-buds, grafting, impregnation, germination, and the Jussieuean method. In the botanical department of the British Museum are preserved some specimens of woods and microscopic slides prepared by her, with a manuscript description stating that they represent twenty-four years' work, and illustrating her erroneous belief that buds originate endogenously and force their way outward.
Legacy.
The leguminous genus "Ibbetsonia" was dedicated to her by John Sims, but is now considered identical with the "Cyclopia" of Ventenat.


Limnodea arkansana


British NVC community CG5

NVC community CG5 ("Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum" grassland) is one of the calcicolous grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of four communities of rank, tussocky grassland associated with low levels of grazing, within the lowland calcicolous grassland group.
It is a comparatively widely distributed community. There are two subcommunities.
Community composition.
The following constant species are found in this community:
The following rare species are also associated with the community:
Distribution.
This community is found in lowland limestone grassland throughout England.
One noted example occurs at Barnsley Warren in Gloucestershire, and within it are 30,000 Pasqueflowers ("Pulsatilla vulgaris"), Britain's largest colony.
Subcommunities.
There are four subcommunities:


Melinis repens

Melinis repens is a species of grass known by the common names rose Natal grass, Natal red top, or simply Natal grass. It is native to southern Africa and an introduced species, often considered a noxious weed, on other continents such as North America and Australia. It is an annual or perennial grass, growing up to a meter tall. Its growth rate is dependent on temperature. The inflorescence is an open array of branches bearing spikelets densely coated in silky white or pink hairs.


Dogbane

Dogbane, dog-bane, dog's bane, and other variations, some of them regional and some transient, are names for certain plants that are reputed to kill or repel dogs; "bane" originally meant "slayer", and was later applied to plants to indicate that they were poisonous to particular creatures.
History of the term.
The earliest reference to such names in common English usage was in the 16th century, in which they were applied to various plants in the Apocynaceae, in particular "Apocynum". Some plants in the Asclepiadoideae, now a subfamily of the Apocynaceae, but until recently regarded as the separate family Asclepiadaceae, were also called dogbane even before the two families were united. It is not clear how much earlier the name had been in use in the English language, which originated about 1000 years earlier in mediaeval times. However, centuries before the appearance of the English language, Pedanius Dioscorides, in his "De Materia Medica", had already described members of the Apocynaceae, such as "Apocynum" and "Cynanchum" by names equivalent to "dogbane"; "Apocynum" literally means "dog killer" or "dog remover", and "Cynanchum" means "dog strangler". In modern times some species of "Nerium", "Periploca" and "Trachelospermum", also in the Apocynaceae, are called dogbane or variants such as "climbing dogbane".
Modern significance of the term "dogbane family".
Some modern sources restrict "dogbane" in its strict sense to the genus "Apocynum", but it is doubtful that any such narrow definition could be justified even if it were enforceable. More widely, when authors refer to the "dogbane family" without qualification, they almost always mean Apocynaceae.
"Dogbane" as a term outside the family Apocynaceae.
Common names, either informal or vernacular, are seldom definitive, let alone stable. Some poisonous or offensive plants in practically unrelated families had similar common names in the vernacular and writings of various times; for example an edition "De Materia Medica", apparently of the early sixteenth century, mentions that species of "Aconitum" (family Ranunculaceae) were known as either "dog killer" (or murderer) or "wolf killer" ("...Sunt qui Cynoctonon: qui Lycoctonon... uocent"). Again, in modern times Isocoma menziesii in the family Asteraceae is known in some regions as dogbane.
Recent aberrant application of the term.
The term "dogbane", either in genuine confusion or as a deliberate sales ploy, has been applied without obvious justification to various groups of plants, such as some species of "Plectranthus", a genus in the catnip subfamily Nepetoideae of the mint family Lamiaceae. None have been reported to be especially harmful to dogs or cats, but some have been said to emit repellent essential oils when bruised, discouraging pets from visiting garden beds.


Agavoideae

Agavoideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales. It has previously been treated as a separate family, Agavaceae. The group includes many well-known desert and dry-zone types, such as the agaves and yuccas (including the Joshua tree). About 640 species are placed in around 23 genera; they are widespread in the tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions of the world.
Description and uses.
Species may be succulent or not. In general, Agavoideae leaves occur as rosettes at the end of a woody stem, which may range from extremely short to tree-like heights, as in the Joshua tree. The leaves are parallel-veined, and usually appear long and pointed, often with a hardened spine on the end, and sometimes with additional spines along the margins.
"Agave" species are used to make "tequila, pulque," and "mezcal", while others are valued for their fibers. They are quite popular for xeriscaping, as many have showy flowers.
Systematics.
The taxonomy of the group has varied widely. In the APG III system of 2009, adopted here, the Agavoideae are defined very broadly to include the former family Agavaceae along with other formerly separate families such as Anemarrhenaceae, Chlorogalaceae, Hostaceae, Yuccaceae, Anthericaceae, Hesperocallidaceae, and Chlorogalaceae, based on data from molecular systematics. Stevens comments that "The broad concept of Agavoideae [...] may not seem very satisfactory" but that none of the alternatives is better. Sources prior to 2009 will still have Agavaceae (in varying circumscriptions) as a separate family and may contain varying numbers of other families included in the Agavoideae in the APG III system.
Some genera formerly placed in this group (under whatever name) have been separated off; e.g. "Dracaena", which superficially resembles some species of "Agave", is currently placed in the subfamily Nolinoideae.
Genera.
A partial list of the genera included in the Agavoideae is given below. The reference is to the source that places the genus in this subfamily. As noted above, the genera currently included here have varied widely in their limits and assignment to families and subfamilies; some former family placements other than Agavaceae are found in the literature are given below.


Haworthiopsis woolleyi

Haworthiopsis woolleyi (synonym Haworthia woolleyi) is a succulent plant in the subfamily Asphodeloideae, found in the southern part of the Cape Provinces of South Africa (Steytlerville Division).


Calystegia peirsonii

Calystegia peirsonii is a species of morning glory known by the common name Peirson's false bindweed.
It is endemic to Los Angeles County, California, occurring at the junction of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Mojave Desert in the vicinity of the Antelope Valley.
Description.
"Calystegia peirsonii" is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing low-lying or climbing stems up to 40 centimeters long, and hairless and waxy in texture. The small leaves are up to 2 centimeters long, lobed, and generally triangular in shape.
The inflorescence produces flowers at the end of peduncles a few centimeters long. The white funnel-shaped flower is typical of morning glories and reaches up to 4 centimeters wide. The bracts form at the base of the peduncle and are short and rounded with an indented tip, usually only partially obscuring the calyx.
The species is most similar to "Calystegia occidentalis" which can occur in the same region occasionally. However that species differs in longer, more strongly pointed bracts, and the fact that those bracts form several millimeters below the peduncle on the stem. Additionally "C. occidentalis" generally has more triangular leaves with less distinct lobing.


Nepenthes micramphora

Nepenthes micramphora is a tropical pitcher plant known only from Mount Hamiguitan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is a highland plant growing at elevations of 1100–1635 m.
"Nepenthes micramphora" is closely allied to "N. abgracilis" and "N. cid", both also from Mindanao, and together these species comprise the informal ""N. micramphora" group".
The specific epithet "micramphora" is derived from the Greek "mikros" (small) and Latin "amphora" (amphora, urn), and references the tiny pitchers of this species.
Botanical history.
"Nepenthes micramphora" was formally described in 2009 by Volker Heinrich, Stewart McPherson, Thomas Gronemeyer, and Victor Amoroso. The description was published in the second volume of McPherson's "Pitcher Plants of the Old World". The herbarium specimen "V.Amoroso & R.Aspiras" CMUH 00003545 is the designated holotype, and is deposited at the Central Mindanao University Herbarium in Musuan, Bukidnon, the Philippines. It was collected on 31 January 2005, from Mount Hamiguitan, on the trail from San Isidro, at an altitude of 1300–1600 m.
Inflorescence measurements for the formal description were taken by Volker Heinrich at the type locality on 22 July 2008, since herbarium material of the floral structures could not be located.
Description.
"Nepenthes micramphora" is a climbing plant growing to a height of 2.5 m. The stem is circular in cross section and up to 3.5 mm in diameter, with internodes up to 15 mm long.
Leaves.
Leaves are sessile and coriaceous in texture. The lamina (leaf blade) is lanceolate-elliptic in shape and reaches 8 cm in length by 1 cm in width, being widest in its distal half. The lamina has an acute apex and is shortly attenuate at the base, clasping the stem for approximately one-third of its circumference. It is not decurrent down the stem. Two to three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib, while pinnate veins are numerous. Tendrils are up to 7.5 cm long and 1 mm wide.
Pitchers.
Rosette and lower pitchers are narrowly ovate in the basal portion and cylindrical or sometimes slightly infundibular above. They are very small, reaching only 4.1 cm in height by 1.6 cm in width. A pair of wings (≤4 mm wide) typically runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, although these may be reduced to ribs. The wings bear fringe elements measuring around 3 mm and spaced 2.5–3 mm apart. Only the basal third of the interior surface of the pitcher is glandular. The peristome is cylindrical and up to 0.8 mm wide, bearing ribs up to 0.1 mm high and spaced 0.1 mm apart. Teeth are not visible on the inner margin of the peristome. The pitcher lid or operculum may be elliptic, ovate, or orbicular, and generally has a cordate base. The lid lacks appendages and measures up to 2 cm in length by 1.8 cm in width, being slightly wider than the pitcher mouth. The nectar glands of the lower lid surface number more than 100. A branched or divided spur (≤3 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid.
Upper pitchers are produced from an early age. They may be infundibular throughout or narrowly infundibular in their basal part, becoming narrower and roughly cylindrical above. They are broadest in the middle or in the upper portion. Aerial pitchers are larger than their terrestrial counterparts, growing to 6.7 cm in height by 2 cm in width (although more often around 4 cm by 1.7 cm). The pitcher lid is of the same width as the mouth. Wings are always reduced to ribs. In other respects, upper pitchers are similar to the lower traps.
Inflorescence.
"Nepenthes micramphora" has a racemose inflorescence measuring up to 35 cm in length by 6 mm in width. The peduncle itself may be up to 8 cm long and 1 mm wide. Flowers are borne on one-flowered, non-bracteate pedicels (3–4 mm long), of which there are between 20 and 40 on the inflorescence. The ovate tepals measure up to 2.5 mm in length by 1.2 mm in width. Fruits are up to 20 mm long.
Indumentum.
The stem, lamina, and pitchers are glabrous. An inconspicuous indumentum of simple, rusty brown hairs (0.1 mm long) covers the inflorescence.
Ecology.
Distribution.
"Nepenthes micramphora" has only been recorded from the highland slopes of Mount Hamiguitan, Davao Oriental, in the extreme southeast of Mindanao island in the Philippines. Much of the surrounding region has not been explored for "Nepenthes", and this species may therefore be present in other parts of southern Mindanao. Its altitudinal distribution extends from 1100 m above sea level to the summit at 1635 m.
Habitat.
This species grows terrestrially in a wide range of habitats, including upper montane mossy forest, secondary vegetation, ridge tops, cliff sides, and landslides. It has also been recorded at the margins of montane forest around the so-called Bonsai Forest, which is named for its stunted trees. The species is restricted to ultramafic substrates. While "N. micramphora" tolerates shady conditions, it grows best under direct sunlight. On Mount Hamiguitan, "N. micramphora" is sympatric with "N. alata" ("sensu lato"), "N. justinae" (previously identified as "N. mindanaoensis"), and "N. peltata", and grows in the same altitudinal range as "N. hamiguitanensis". Despite this, no natural hybrids have been observed with certainty.
Conservation status.
In his 2009 book, "Pitcher Plants of the Old World", Stewart McPherson writes that "N. micramphora" is "not currently threatened" owing to its extensive populations on Mount Hamiguitan and the fact that visitors are only permitted to climb the mountain with the assistance of a guide. The future of wild populations of "N. micramphora" will be further secured if provincial officials of Davao Oriental are successful in their bid to gain recognition of Mount Hamiguitan as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Related species.
"N. micramphora" group.
"Nepenthes micramphora" gives its name to the informal ""N. micramphora" group", which also includes "N. abgracilis" from northeastern Mindanao and "N. cid" from north-central Mindanao. This group was introduced by Martin Cheek and Matthew Jebb in a 2013 paper that also included the formal descriptions of the latter two species. Before this, "N. micramphora" was considered an outlier or species of uncertain placement that did not fall into any of the established groups of Philippine "Nepenthes" (the three main ones being the "N. alata", "N. ventricosa", and "N. villosa" species groups).
"Nepenthes abgracilis", "N. cid" and "N. micramphora" are united by aspects of pitcher and stem morphology as well as shared habitat preferences. Cheek and Jebb identified seven diagnostic characters that they used to define the group:
These species show some similarities to those of the "N. alata" group, but differ in lacking a basal ridge or appendage on the lower surface of the lid.
"Nepenthes cid" differs from the other two species of the "N. micramphora" group in growth habit (it is epiphytic as opposed to terrestrial), indumentum development (vegetative parts hairy as opposed to subglabrous), and in having a distinct petiole (versus sessile in the other two). Both it and "N. abgracilis" have entire spurs, as compared to branched in "N. micramphora".
"Nepenthes micramphora" is most easily distinguished from "N. abgracilis" by its upper pitchers, which are more-or-less infundibular (versus subcylindric in "N. abgracilis"), narrowest at the base and widest in the middle or upper half (versus widest near the base), and much smaller in all respects (≤6.7 cm versus 16 cm high).
Other similar species.
"Nepenthes micramphora" is very similar to "N. bellii" of northern Mindanao in terms of the morphology of its stem, lamina, and inflorescence. Indeed, prior to the description of "N. micramphora" in 2009, the species was misidentified as "N. bellii" on its native Mount Hamiguitan. "Nepenthes micramphora" is smaller in all respects and can be distinguished on the basis of its pitchers, which differ markedly in shape, size, peristome width, and tendril length. It also produces a greater abundance of pitchers on its rosettes — up to 7 live traps have been recorded at any one time.
"Nepenthes gracilis" also bears a superficial resemblance to "N. micramphora" in the size and shape of its leaves, but this species is absent from the Philippines.
Natural hybrids.
"Nepenthes micramphora" has no confirmed natural hybrids, although certain plants from Mount Hamiguitan may represent crosses involving it and "N. hamiguitanensis", "N. justinae" (previously identified as "N. mindanaoensis"), and "N. peltata". Plants that were originally thought to represent a natural hybrid between "N. micramphora" and "N. peltata" are now recognised as belonging to a distinct species of possible hybridogenic origin, "N. hamiguitanensis".


Aeonium tabuliforme

Aeonium tabuliforme, the flat-topped aeonium or saucer plant, is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae, native and endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It's low-growing, typically reaching about 5 cm high but up to 45 cm in diameter. It grows on moist, north-facing cliffs and ledges at low altitude. A mass of fleshy, hairy, bright green leaves in flat rosettes, is produced on short unbranched stems, often on vertical surfaces. This species is short-lived and dies after flowering. Plants often take 3-4 years to flower, at which point they produce a tall (40-60 cm) raceme of yellow flowers.
The specific epithet "tabuliforme" means "flat".
This plant, which may be either biennial or perennial, is grown under glass in temperate regions. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. "A. tabuliforme" requires excellent drainage, and leaf color is best in full sun. It's relatively disease-free, but may be susceptible to aphids and mealybugs.
The cultivar 'Variegata' features darker green leaves with white edges.


Solanum capsicoides

Solanum capsicoides, the cockroach berry, known as polohauai'i in Polynesia, is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to eastern Brazil but naturalized in other tropical regions, where it sometimes becomes an invasive weed.
Synonyms.
This species had been included in "S. aculeatissimum" as variety "denudatum" by Dunal ("Solanum denudatum" of Bitter is "S. humile" as described by Lamarck). It was also included in the eggplant ("S. melongena") under its junior synonym "S. trongum" (as var. "sinuato-pinnatifidum"), also by Dunal.
In addition, the cockroach berry is sometimes referenced under the following obsolete names:


Conophytum burgeri

Conophytum burgeri ("Burger's onion") is a small, endangered, South African species of succulent plant, of the genus "Conophytum".
Description.
An onion-shaped, single-bodied, succulent plant, it is possibly the most unusual of all the species of the genus "Conophytum". It has a tiny fissure at the top of its body. Its epidermis is smooth, shiny and translucent, and its colour is light green to purple. It is slow-growing and sometimes subdivides through a gradual process over several years, to form two or even three heads. It varies in size and can reach the size of a small onion.
Unlike most other "Conophytums", it grows in a region of spring and early summer rainfall. However its habitat is extremely arid, and the plant may rely mainly on the copious winter fogs and dew that condenses on the rocks where it grows. When dormant, its outer covering dries into a thin, white, persistent leaf-sheath.
It produces a purple flower, in early autumn (April–May in South Africa), with the aroma of honey. The flowers open briefly in the late afternoon, has over 5 sepals and a long stigma (over 10mm).
Relatives and distinguishing features.
Some of its closest relatives such as "Conophytum ratum", "Conophytum achabense", "Conophytum hammeri" and "Conophytum subterraneum" do have a similar cone shape. "Conophytum burgeri" can be distinguished from these by its long stigma (over 10mm) and by its epidermis becoming purple to red in direct sunlight. ("Conophytum subterraneum" for example, has a stigma under 7mm long, and remains a green colour). "Conophytum ratum" has a larger fissure (3-4mm) that is embedded or sunken in the body. "Conophytum achabense" has only 4 sepals, and "Conophytum hammeri" has an obscure translucent window at its apex.
Distribution.
This species is endemic to Bushmanland in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, where it is known from the mines of the Aggeneys valley (between Sprinbok and Pofadder).
Here it grows on high, open, raised, exposed flats, in rocky clay soil, which is strewn with white quartz pebbles that keep the soil relatively cool.
Aggeneys was the farm of the Burger family, and it was named after the farmer Willem Burger, who noticed the unusual plant and contacted the botanist H.C. Kennedy.
Cultivation.
Water.
The desert habitat of this species receives its sparse rainfall mainly in Spring and early Summer, with very little rainfall in the winter. The plants may receive water from dew or condensation in the winter, because in cultivation "Conophytum burgeri" can be treated as a winter-rainfall species, like most other "Conophytum" species. All "Conophytums" have an annual growing period when they receive some water, and a dry dormancy period. In their growing period the soil must always dry out completely between waterings. In their dormancy they can be left dry and only given water if they visibly start to shrivel.
Alternatively, "Conophytum burgeri" can be given water occasionally throughout the year, at intervals of a week or two. It shrivels when it needs more water; and it splits open when it receives too much.
Seeds can be sown in early Summer, and given light watering regularly for a year, before the seedlings begin their annual dormancy periods.
Soil.
They grow well in shallow pots, and require extremely well-drained soil. A coarse or porous shale mixture, with little to no organic component, best approximates their natural soils in habitat.
Sunlight and temperatures.
They require direct and plentiful sunlight. It can be given slight shelter at the peak of the hottest summer days.
A cooler temperature at night and good ventilation is also beneficial for the plants.


Carya washingtonensis

Carya washingtonensis is an extinct species of hickory nut in the walnut family Juglandaceae. The species is solely known from the Miocene sediments exposed in Kittitas County near Ellensburg, Washington.
Type locality.
The species was described from the three nut specimens, all found at the no-longer-accessible Badger Pocket-Squaw Creek locality south of Ellensburg, which is now part of the Yakima Training Center. This locality is thought to be an extension of the Ginkgo Flow basalts, notable for the fossils found at Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. The Ginkgo Flow, part of the Wanapum basalts is the oldest segment of the Frenchman Springs Member, dating to around 15.6 million years old, or the Langhian stage of the Miocene.
The nuts were originally discovered as a single silicified, opalized mass of well over fifty nuts found in a petrified "Platanus" stump. The mass was discovered in the 1940s by Carl Clinesmith but as of 1987 the mass was lost and Steven Manchester presumed it was disaggregated with the individual nuts disseminated to various collections. However it is reported in a 1995 "Washington Geology" article by Wesley Wehr the specimen was, at that time, on display at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, part of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. At least a portion of the mass is still preserved in the collections at the Burke Museum as specimen number "UWBM38700".
History and classification.
"Carya washingtonensis" was described from three type specimens, the holotype, number "HU60073A", and two paratypes, numbers "HU60073B" and "IU5343". Both the holotype and one paratype are preserved in the paleobotanical collections housed at the Harvard University Biology Laboratories. The second paratype is deposited in the paleobotanical collections in the Indiana university, Department of Geology.
The specimens were studied by paleobotanist Steven R. Manchester, currently of the Florida State University Department of Geology as part of his PhD dissertation and was accepted for publication in 1984. Steven Manchester published his 1987 type description for "C. washingtonensis" in the journal "Monographs in Systematic Botany". The chosen specific name "washingtonensis", in reference to Washington state where only known specimens of the species have been recovered.
Description.
The nuts of "Carya washingtonensis" are globose in shape, with a smooth to slightly wrinkled surface. They show four faintly developed angles at the apex. The nuts range in size but are all within in length and in width. While the preservation quality varies, the silicification in a number of the specimens was enough to allow examination of the internal anatomy. In general the nut wall and septa are approximately thick without and do not have lacunae but do possess a secondary septum. The locule is divided into four compartments basally with inner ribs that are well developed and containing vascular bundles and the placentary bundles of primary septum arch out peripherally.
When described by Steven Manchester, the mass was interpreted to represent a Miocene rodent nut cache and was the oldest known at that time. Since then a slightly older cache was discovered in Germany. The German cache of "Castanopsis" fruits was found in a preserved sand dune dating to the Burdigalian stage of the Miocene, making it slightly older than the "Carya washingtonensis" cache.


Erythroxylum jamaicense

Erythroxylum jamaicense is a species of plant in the Erythroxylaceae family. It is endemic to Jamaica.


Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system

This article gives an overview of the maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
Introduction.
The maritime cliff communities of the NVC were described in Volume 5 of "British Plant Communities", first published in 2000, along with the other maritime communities (those of shingle strand-line and sand-dunes and saltmarshes) and vegetation of open habitats.
In total, 12 maritime cliff communities have been identified.
The maritime cliff communities consist of three subgroups:
List of maritime cliff communities.
The following is a list of the communities that make up this category:


Micranthes bryophora

Micranthes bryophora is a species of flowering plant known by the common name bud saxifrage. It is native to the western United States, where its two varieties are geographically separated. The more common var. "bryophora" is endemic to the mountains of California, and the rare var. "tobiasiae" is known only from the Payette National Forest of western Idaho.
This plant is a perennial herb producing a basal rosette of fleshy, hairy, lance-shaped leaves up to 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence arises on a peduncle up to 25 centimeters tall with widely spaced flowers, each at the tip of a pedicel. The inflorescence also contains reproductive bulblets. Each flower has five spade-shaped petals which are white with two golden spots near the base. At the center are ten stamens tipped with red anthers.


Solanum campechiense

Solanum campechiense, the redberry nightshade, is a plant in the family Solanaceae.


Digitaria ciliaris

Digitaria ciliaris is a species of grass known by the common names southern crabgrass, tropical finger-grass, tropical crabgrass or summer grass.
The grass is known as "ගුරු තණ - guru thana" in Sri Lanka.
Distribution.
"Digitaria ciliaris" is a tough plant, believed to have originated in Asia but now found all over the tropical belt of the planet, as well as in many temperate regions of both hemispheres. This grass is an invasive species considered an aggressive weed in certain countries, including China, Mexico and the United States.
Together with "Portulaca oleracea", "Ipomoea pes-caprae" and "Melanthera biflora", "Digitaria ciliaris" is usually one of the first species colonizing degraded or altered environments in tropical zones of the planet.
Description.
This grass is an annual plant that can grow up to 1 m tall, but is usually much shorter. The roots are at the nodes and the stems produce runners that allow the plant to grow fast forming scruffy-looking patches about 1 m across and half a metre in height. The leaves are linear to linear-ovate narrowing at the tip to 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence is at the top of a long stem, usually much taller than the leaves, with two to nine 5–10 cm long sub-digitate racemes.
Forage Crop.
Southern crabgrass, especially the cultivars Red River Crabgrass, 'Impact', and 'Quick-n-Big', have been utilized as a forage crop for livestock, as it is a highly nutritious warm season grass. Red river crabgrass responds well to nitrogen fertilizer, growing around 6 inches tall, and needs to be in rotation with cool-season forage.


Eriogonum longifolium

Eriogonum longifolium, the longleaf eriogonum or long-leaf wild buckwheat, is a dicot of the family Polygonaceae. In addition to populations of "E. longifolium" var. "longifolium" found in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, there are varieties or subspecies that are geographically isolated and at various levels of endangerment. According to the University of Michigan Native American Ethnobotony database, "Eriogonum longifolium" has been used as a food by the Kiowa and as a medicinal by the Comanche.
"Eriogonuum longifolium "leaves are described as being lanceolate, oblanceolate or oblong and with tomentose coating; the plant develops flowering stems which are up to 17 dm (67 in) tall.


Kogelbergia

Kogelbergia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stilbaceae described as a genus in 2000.
The entire genus is endemic to the Cape Province region of South Africa.


Zostera muelleri

Zostera muelleri is a southern hemisphere temperate species of seagrass native to the seacoasts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. and New Zealand. Today, "Zostera muelleri" can be found in regions of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, as well as areas of the eastern Indian Ocean, and the southwest and western central Pacific Ocean. "Zostera muelleri" is a marine angiosperm, and is commonly referred to as eelgrass or garweed. It is a fast growing and readily colonizing species that serves as a feeding ground for wading birds and aquatic animals, and a breeding ground for juvenile fish and shrimp species.
Seagrasses are a flowering plant species, not to be confused with seaweed, which do not form flowers, fruits, and seeds to reproduce. Seagrasses are important to the marine ecosystem for many reasons. For one, they provide food, homes, and breeding grounds to a variety of marine species. Secondly, meadows of seagrass are important carbon reservoirs or sinks, sequestering 10-18% of the ocean's carbon accumulation for long-term storage. Seagrasses also enhance sediment accretion, and protect coastlines from destructive wave energy.
Taxonomy.
"Zostera muelleri" belongs to the order Alismatales. There are approximately 72 species of seagrasses. There are three families of seagrasses, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae, and Cymodoceaceae. There is some taxonomic uncertainty with this species. "Zostera muelleri" is synonymous with "Z. mucronata", "Z. capricorni", and "Z. novazelandica", which were once separate species, but since then molecular and morphological studies have confirmed that they are members of the same species. In 2006, Jacobs et al. (2006) suggested the final name of the species be "Z. muelleri". "Zostera muelleri" has three subspecies, "Z. muelleri" subsp. "capricorni", "Z. muelleri" subsp. "mucronata", and "Z. muelleri" subsp. "muelleri".
Habitat and geographic range.
"Zostera muelleri" is a perennial species, meaning populations of it endure year round. They are mostly found in places such as littoral or sublittoral sand flats, sheltered coastal embayments, soft, muddy, sandy areas near a reef, estuaries, shallow bays, and in intertidal shoals. They aren’t common on reefs because there is little space and nutrients for them to grow there. "Zostera muelleri" is a marine species, but it can tolerate some freshwater inputs. It mostly occurs in mono-specific meadows, but it can grow alongside "Ruppia", "Halophila", and "Lepilena". "Zostera muelleri" is widespread in Southern Australia, and its also found in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Morphology.
This species has long strap-shaped leaves, rounded leaf tips and thin rhizomes that are <3 mm in diameter. There are visible cross-veins in the leaf. The rhizomes are either dark brown or yellow. Young rhizomes are typically yellow, but the leaves of this plant can turn red if they're under high sunlight. Because of its phenotype, "Z. muelleri" can be confused with "Z. tasmanica" and "Z. capensis." The leaf width morphology is variable, so "Z. muelleri" with thin leaves can sometimes also be confused with "H. uninervus".
Adaptations to marine life.
The species "Z. muelleri" evolved from terrestrial plants, but adapted to marine life around 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. In order to adapt to life in the ocean, the "Z. muelleri" genome lost/modified several genes which had once helped them survive on land, such as genes for hormone biosynthesis and signaling and cell wall catabolism. Some of the genes that were lost include genes associated with ethylene synthesis and signaling pathways, as well as genes involved in pectin catabolism. Additionally, genes for stomatal differentiation, terpenoid synthesis, and ultraviolet resistance were lost. The genes responsible for salinity tolerance and stress-resistance remain in the genome.
Reproduction.
Seagrasses are flowering species, but they can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Reproducing sexually increases genetic variation, which can enhance a plant's ability to adapt to a changing environment, but asexual reproduction requires less effort and is what "Z. muelleri" typically uses to maintain its population. When reproducing sexually, the plant's flowers form an inflorescence that is enclosed in a spathe (a large sheathing bract that encloses flower clusters in certain plant species). Each shoot can have up to 6 spathes, which contain 4-12 pairs of male and female flowers. Larger plants will have more flowers. Male flowers typically mature before female flowers. Once a flowering shoot matures, it darkens and breaks off the plant, and floats away. The enclosed seeds then become deposited in sediment someplace else. "Zostera muelleri" can reproduce asexually via rhizome encroachment, which is a form clonal reproduction. The plant can use this form of regeneration to recover from high intensity disturbances.
Threats and losses.
Threats to this species include coastal development, eutrophication, boat mooring, dredging, agricultural/urban runoff, and sedimentation. Meadows of "Z. muelleri" have been lost in areas of Port Phillip Bay and New Zealand due to habitat disturbance, sedimentation, and turbidity. During the 1960s, meadows of "Z. muelleri" in New Zealand were affected by a wasting disease. Because it is less tolerant of heat than other tropical species, climate change may be a threat to meadows of this species in tropical regions.
Conservation.
There are currently no conservation measures for this species.


Alatiliparis

Alatiliparis is a genus of orchids native to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. It contains 5 currently recognized species (as of May 2014):


Selenicereus setaceus

Selenicereus setaceus, synonym Hylocereus setaceus, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rocky shores, and sandy shores. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.


Fuchsia campos-portoi

Fuchsia campos-portoi is a plant of the genus "Fuchsia" native to Brazil.


Christian E.O. Jensen

Christian Erasmus Otterstrøm (Otterström) Jensen (1859–1941) was a Danish pharmacists and botanist - for decades a leading bryologist in Scandinavia. He studied botany and pharmaceutics at the University of Copenhagen and the Pharmaceutical College in Copenhagen. For the better part of his adult life, he ran a pharmacy in Hvalsø, Denmark, while devoting all available time to the study of mosses.
Sources.
Paulsen, Ove (1941) "Til Minde om Bryologen C. Jensen". Naturens Verden 1941.


Grapevine Pinot gris virus

Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) is a positive sense single-stranded RNA virus in the genus "Trichovirus". It affects the growth of grapevine plants' leaves and fruit, and is similar to grapevine berry inner-necrosis virus.
History.
Vineyards in northwest Italy began noticing symptoms of GPGV in 2003. The first two vineyards affected were Piana Rotaliana and Collio in Trentino Alto Adige. From there the virus spread to vineyards throughout Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia, then Emilia Romagna and Veneto. The virus was first identified on Pinot gris grapevines, hence the name, but soon spread to other varieties.
In 2011, Annalisa Giampetruzzi et al. published an article in the journal "Virus Research" officially identifying and naming the virus. Giampetruzzi and her colleagues used deep sequencing to find similarities to other viruses, and found stretches of viral RNA genome that corresponded to sequences found in the RNA genomes of both Grapevine Berry Inner Necrosis Virus (GINV) and Grapevine Rupestris Stem Pitting-associated Virus (GRSPaV). Smaller percentages of other viral genomes were also found. Because its complete genomic sequence could not be found in the NCBI Reference Sequence Database, the genome was considered completely novel and the virus officially named Grapevine Pinot gris virus. The virus was recognized by the National Plant Protection Agency of Italy in February 2014, and ProMEDMail published the first account of its existence.
After its arrival to different areas of Italy, the virus was found to be spreading across Europe, being found in Czechia and Slovakia in December 2014. In November 2015, the virus was identified in California, and in April 2016 it was found in Chinese vineyards in the Liaoning, Beijing, and Zhejiang provinces. The most recent outbreak of the virus occurred in Australia in August 2017.
Classification.
GPGV is a positive single-stranded RNA virus, meaning that the genome of the virus is made up of RNA nucleotides. While Giampetruzzi and her colleagues found the genome to have similarities to the marafiviruses Grapevine Syrah virus-1 and Grapevine Rupestris vein feathering virus, it was found to be more similar to the Trichovirus genus. Besides GINV, other Trichoviruses include Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus, Apricot pseudo-chlorotic leaf spot virus, Cherry mottle leaf virus, and peach mosaic virus.
Genome structure.
Giampetruzzi et al. originally reported a complete consensus sequence of 7258 nucleotides (excluding the polyA tail), which makes up three overlapping reading frames (ORFs). Each ORF's length in base pairs, weight in kilodaltons, and the proteins/enzymes for which it codes are in the table below. The sequence then proceeds with an untranslated region of 82 base pairs and terminates in the polyA tail that is typical of viral genomes.
Symptoms.
Symptoms are most identifiable in the spring when new shoots and leaves are beginning to grow. Symptoms of GPGV include chlorotic mottling of the leaves, leaf deformation, stunted growth, low quality fruit, abnormal branching, and reduced yield. The most common symptoms are the mottling and deformation of the leaves. Other symptoms that have been noted are bud bursting delays, shortened internodes, and more acidic berries. It is also important to note that symptoms might not even be evident in infected plants.
Replication cycle.
The replication cycle of this virus is not currently known. Possible reservoirs may include insects, mites, or nematodes. Based on the more-recent discovery of the virus, not much research has been done on this aspect.
Spread of the virus.
It is commonly accepted that this virus is spread by infected propagation machinery, materials, and tools, and possibly by the trading of propagated stems between vineyards.


Grevillea maxwellii

Grevillea maxwellii is a shrub which is endemic to the south west region of Western Australia. It grows to between 0.2 and 1.2 metres in height. The flowers, which have a pink-orange or pink-red perianth and pink-red style, appear in May and from September to November in the species' native range.
The species was first formally described by Donald McGillivray in 1986, his description published in "New Names in Grevillea (Proteaceae)". It is classified as "Declared Rare Flora" under the Wildlife Conservation Act in Western Australia.
It is similar in appearance to "G. asparagoides", "G. secunda" and "G. batrachioides".


Gyrothyra


Agrostis pallens

Agrostis pallens is a species of grass known by the common name seashore bentgrass.
Distribution.
It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Montana to California, where it grows in many types of habitat, typically open meadows, woodlands, subalpine areas, and other dry habitats. The diploid number of the grass is either 42 or 56.
Description.
"Agrostis pallens" is a perennial bunchgrass growing tall. It is occasionally rhizomatous. The ligule is long. The leaf blades are flat or inrolled, and long and wide. The lanceolate to somewhat ovate inflorescence is long. The glumes are long. The lemma is long, occasionally with a straight awn measuring between . The palea is either absent or vestigial. The anthers are long.
The grass blooms from April into May.
The grass grows from of elevation.


Vittaria longipes

Vittaria longipes is a fern species in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Daknopholis

Daknopholis is a genus of African and Indian Ocean plants in the grass family. The only known species is Daknopholis boivinii, native to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Aldabra and Madagascar.


Marchantia

Marchantia is a genus in the family Marchantiaceae of the order Marchantiales, a group of liverworts.
The "Marchantia" shows differentiation into two layers: an upper photosynthetic layer with a well-defined upper epidermis with pores and a lower storage layer. The thallus features tiny cup-like structures called gemma cups, containing gemmae, small packets of tissue that are used for asexual reproduction. The combination of barrel-shaped pores and the circular shape of the gemma cups are diagnostic of the genus.
Multicellular purple colored scales with single cell thickness and unicellular rhizoids are present on the ventral surface of the thallus.
Reproduction.
"Marchantia" can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction involves sperm from antheridia on the male plant fertilizing an ovum (egg cell) in the archegonium of a female plant. The antheridia and archegonia are borne atop special gametophore stalks called antheridiophores and archegoniophores, respectively. These are borne on separate thalli; hence, the plants are dioicous.
Once fertilized, the ovum is called a zygote and develops into a small sporophyte plant, which remains attached to the larger gametophyte plant. The sporophyte produces spores which develop into free-living male and female gametophyte plants.
Asexual reproduction occurs by means of gemmae, discoid clumps of cells which are genetically identical to the parent and contained in cup-like structures on the upper surface of the plant. These are dispersed when rain splashes into the cups and develop into new plants. Asexual reproduction can also occur when older parts of the plant die and the surviving newer branches develop into separate plants.


Bjerkandera fumosa

Bjerkandera fumosa is a species of poroid fungus in the family Meruliaceae.
Taxonomy.
It was first described to science as "Boletus fumosus" by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1801. Petter Adolf Karsten transferred the species to the genus "Bjerkandera" in 1879.
Description.
The form of "Bjerkandera fumosa" fruit bodies ranges from effused-reflexed (spread out over the substrate and turned back at the margin to form a cap) or cap-like, but attached directly to the substrate without a stipe. These caps can be solitary or closely overlapping, and are often fused with neighbouring caps. The caps typically measure wide by wide, and a buff-coloured upper surface with a texture ranging from finely hairy (tomentose) to smooth. The pores on the cap underside are circular to angular, numbering 2–5 per millimetre.
"Bjerkandera fumosa" has a monomitic hyphal system, containing only generative hyphae. The basidia are club-shaped, measuring 20–22 μm. Spores have the shape of short cylinders, and measure 5.5–7 by 2.5–3.5 μm. They are smooth, hyaline, and do not react with Melzer's reagent.
Habitat and distribution.
"Bjerkandera fumosa" causes a white rot in various hardwood species. It has a circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.


Bangiomorpha

Bangiomorpha pubescens is a red alga.
It is the first known sexually reproducing organism. A multicellular fossil of "Bangiomorpha pubescens" was recovered from the Hunting Formation in Somerset Island, Canada that strongly resembles the modern red alga "Bangia" despite occurring in rocks dating to .
This fossil of a type of red algae is the oldest example of an organism belonging to an extant phylum. The fossil includes differentiated reproductive cells that are the oldest evidence of sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction increased genetic variation, which led to an increased rate of evolution and the diversification of eukaryotes.


Campylospermum

Campylospermum is a genus of plants in the family Ochnaceae.
Species include:


Polygonum hickmanii

Polygonum hickmanii is a rare species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common names Scotts Valley polygonum and Hickman's knotweed. It is endemic to Santa Cruz County, California, where it is known from only two sites in the Scotts Valley. It grows on coastal prairie on mudstone and sandstone substrates, in an area known for its spring wildflowers. The small plant was first noted in 1990 and described as a new species in 1995. The plant is a federally listed endangered species.
"Polygonum hickmanii" is a small annual plant forming compact patches on the ground, its stem growing no more than about 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall. It is lined with linear leaves especially near the tips of the branches, and has a cylindrical, shreddy ochrea. Solitary flowers occur in the leaf axils. They are only 2 or 3 millimeters long and white or pink-tinged in color. The eight tiny stamens are tipped with orange-pink anthers.
Threats to "Polygonum hickmanii" include proposed development in its small, patchy habitat and the invasion of non-native plants.


Gayophytum

Gayophytum is a genus of annual herbs in the evening primrose family known commonly as groundsmoke. There are about nine species of groundsmoke, most of which are native to western North America. These are erect flowering herbs generally well under a metre in height and with narrow leaves. They produce white flowers which fade to pink or red.
Species include:


Gratiola heterosepala

Gratiola heterosepala is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Boggs Lake hedgehyssop.
It is native to northern California, where it grows in mud and very shallow water, such as the edges of vernal pools. One occurrence of the plant has been noted in Oregon.
Description.
"Gratiola heterosepala" is a petite annual herb with reddish-green stems a few centimeters tall. The thin stems and small leaves are dotted with hairlike glands.
The top of the stem is occupied by an inflorescence producing centimeter long tubular flowers which are yellow with white tips.
Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve.
The plant is found and protected at the Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve in Lake County, California.


Begonia nelumbiifolia

Begonia nelumbiifolia, the lilypad begonia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae.


Potamogeton lucens

Potamogeton lucens, or shining pondweed, is an aquatic perennial plant native to Eurasia and North Africa. It grows in relatively deep, still or slow-flowing, calcareous freshwater habitats.
Description.
Shining pondweed is a large plant with robust creeping rhizomes and long, terete, branching stems, typically up to 2.5 m but exceptionally to 6 m. The leaves are large, 75–200 mm (exceptionally more) long and 25–65 mm wide, 2-6 times as long as broad; as with the smaller "P. gramineus", the leaves on the branches are smaller than those on the main stem. The leaves are pale green or yellowish, translucent, shiny with distinctive netted veining, minutely denticulate margins, and a short petiole of 1–12 mm. Floating leaves are absent.
Flowers appear between June and September. The fruits are 3 mm across.
Like most other broad-leaved pondweeds, "Potamogeton lucens" is tetraploid, with 2n=52.
Over much of its range, shining pondweed is not likely to be confused with any other species. However, in southern Europe the related and quite similar "P. schweinfurthii" has recently been discovered. "P. lucens" can usually be distinguished by its relatively broader leaves, 2-6 times as long as they are broad, and most or all of which are petiolate, but some forms are very difficult to distinguish without a detailed comparison of multiple characters.
However, there are hybrids with various other pondweed species including "P. gramineus" ("P." × "angustifolius" ), "P. perfoliatus" ("P." × "salicifolius" ), "P. alpinus" ("P." × "nerviger" ), "P. nodosus" ("P." × "subrufus" ) "P. sarmaticus" ("P." × "pseudosarmaticus" ), "P. crispus" ("P." × "cadburyae" ), "P. praelongus" ("P". × "jutlandicus" ) and "P. natans" ("P." × "fluitans" ). It hybridises with "P. wrightii" ("P." × "inbaensis" )in Japan and China. Some of these hybrids can be quite common, and are not always easy to distinguish from "P. lucens".
A triple hybrid, "P. gramineus" × "lucens" × "perfoliatus" ("P". × "torssandrii" ), is also known.
Taxonomy.
"Potamogeton lucens" ("lucens" meaning 'shining') was one of the original species named by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753). Shining pondweed is morphologically quite variable, and as a result has received a bewildering number of synonyms.
DNA analysis indicates that "P. lucens" is one of the broad-leaved pondweed clade (section "Potamogeton") and is probably most closely related to "P. gramineus" and the North American "P. illinoensis".
Distribution.
"Potamogeton lucens" is native to Europe (including Britain, continental Europe, Scandinavia), Asia (Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), the Middle East and North Africa. In North America it is replaced by the rather similar "P. illinoensis".
Biochemistry.
A furanolabdane diterpenoid extracted from "P. lucens" is algicidal.
Dried and ground shining pondweed has been shown to be effective at binding heavy metals, raising the possibility of using biomass from this plant as a means of treating contaminated sediments.
Ecology and conservation.
"Potamogeton lucens" is strictly a lowland plant of standing or slow-flowing calcareous water, especially favouring peatland areas with a calcareous water supply such as the Cambridgeshire Fens. Although having a preference for deep water (0.5-2.0 m), it can persist in shallow areas, and may also grow in open reedbeds, which may provide a refuge in eutrophic waters.
Shining pondweed is more prevalent in older, poorly connected floodplain lakes and is a poor colonizer, slow to regenerate following floods and intolerant of drawdown. In Britain shining pondweed is mainly restricted to southern England with scattered outposts in Scotland and Wales, but is more widespread in Ireland. It is tolerant of eutrophication to some extent and in marl lakes it may replace "Chara" spp. as nutrient levels increase, before itself being ousted by fine-leaved pondweeds and eventually phytoplankton at higher nutrient levels. In a study of nutrient-rich river backwaters in the R. Tisza (Hungary), shining pondweed was tolerant of very high phosphate concentrations, so long as chemical oxygen demand and chlorophyll-a concentrations in the water were not too high. In the Netherlands, the invasive "Elodea nuttallii" may compete with it for habitat.
Globally and on the majority of national Red Lists, shining pondweed is not considered threatened. "P. lucens" has declined somewhat in Britain, but still remains reasonably widespread.
Shining pondweed is one of the so-called "Magnopotamion" group of pondweeds. These are a characteristic floristic component of the protected Habitats Directive habitat Type 'Natural eutrophic lakes with "Magnopotamion"'.
Cultivation.
Shining pondweed is rarely cultivated, even though it is both easy to grow and an attractive plant. Its distinctive, large, transparent netted leaves are unlike any other commonly cultivated pond plant. In common with other pondweeds of this group it roots poorly from stem cuttings and is best propagated by division of the rhizomes. It is easy to grow in a garden pond or even in a barrel, but unlike some other submerged plants needs to be able to root in a suitable substrate such as sand or aquatic compost. Plants being established should be weighted down initially to allow them to root. Where waterfowl grazing is likely, protection will be necessary, especially in the early summer growth period.


Tetraena giessii

Tetraena giessii, synonym "Zygophyllum giessii", is a species of plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and cold desert. It is threatened by habitat loss.


Vitex rotundifolia

Vitex rotundifolia, the roundleaf chastetree or beach vitex is a species of "Vitex" that is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. Its range includes continents and islands stretching from India east to Hawaii and from Korea south to Australia. This woody perennial plant typically grows approximately 1 m in height. It has a sprawling growth habit and produces runners that root regularly at nodes. This rooting pattern allows the plant to spread rapidly. At maturity, "V. rotundifolia" produces blue-purple flowers that are borne in clusters and ultimately yield small brown-black fruits. Its leaves are rounded at the tips with green upper surfaces and silver lower surfaces. While the plant is a seashore obligate, it grows over a wide latitude range. It has been used for medicinal purposes throughout its native range. More recently, it was imported to the eastern United States where it has become a seashore invasive. Control efforts are presently underway to protect the fragile beach dune ecosystem.
Description.
"Vitex rotundifolia" is a sprawling shrub that can grow as tall as 1.5 m though it typically ranges from 0.5 to 1 m in height. As a product of its rapid nodal rooting, the plant can form dense mats reaching in excess of 10 m from the parent plant. New stems are green, square and fleshy initially before maturing brown and woody. Older, large-diameter stems are covered with heavily fissured bark. Running horizontal stems produce frequent upright branches. Leaves are strongly aromatic, intensifying when crushed. The majority of leaves are simple, but they can occasionally be palmate trifoliate or 2-leaved. Leaves measure 2 to 6.5 cm in length and 1–4.5 cm in width. Leaf margins are entire. The leaf shape varies from ovate to obovate with acute bases and obtuse apexes. Occasionally, leaf apexes are acute or emarginate. Upper leaf surfaces are dark green whereas lower leaf surfaces range in color from silver to white to light green; all leaf surfaces are tomentose. Petiole bases are typically somewhat purple and measure 0 to 1 cm in length. Blades are cupped downward slightly. Leaf veins are lighter green than surrounding tissue. Flowers are borne in indeterminate panicles that may be terminal or axillary. Infloresences measure 3 to 7 cm in length. The calyx is cup-shaped and 4 to 4.5 cm long. Flowers are zygomorphic, purple to blue-purple, and short pedunculate. They are two-lipped and funnel-form (measuring 8 mm in length). Four stamens are didynamous and extend beyond the corolla tube (measuring 9 to 10 mm). The style extends beyond the stamens (total length: 12 mm). Pollen is tricolpate. Ovaries consist of two carpels with each containing two single seeded locules. Fruits are globose drupes that are green while immature but turn yellow and red before maturing to bluish black. The fruits are frequently incorrectly characterized in the literature as "seeds or berries". Each drupe contains a maximum of four seeds though there are usually fewer as a result of seed abortion. Each seed is encapsulated in a separate compartment. Endosperm is absent. Seeds germinate into tender seedlings that bear two cotyledons and quickly develop two red-margined true leaves. Ploidy level is 2n = 32, 34*.
Taxonomy.
"Vitex rotundifolia" is a member of the family Lamiaceae and subfamily Viticoideae. The plant was originally described by the son of Carl Linnaeus, Carl Linnaeus the Younger The original description was published in "Supplementum Plantarum" in 1782. The generic epithet, "Vitex", is derived from the Latin "viere", meaning “to bind or twist” in reference to the rope-like stems produced by some species in the genus. The specific epithet, "rotundifolia", is derived from the Latin "rotundus", which means "round, spherical", and "folium", meaning "leaf.” This is a reference to the rounded character of the leaves.
Family level classification.
"Vitex" and all other members of the family Verbenaceae save those in the subfamily Verbenoideae were recently moved to the family Lamiaceae. As a result of this reorganization, two monophyletic families were established from the paraphyletic Verbenaceae and polyphyletic Lamiaceae. This new classification scheme was initially proposed by Cantino in 1992. Subsequent cpDNA analysis, rbcL sequence analysis, chemotaxonomic studies, and morphological analyses have supported the original logic for family reorganization.
This revision has resulted in some confusion regarding the classification of "V. rotundifolia" in the literature. Despite the fact that the revision is well supported with volumes of data, many authors continue to incorrectly place the plant in Verbenaceae.
Species level classification.
Recent revisions of the genus "Vitex" have placed "V. rotundifolia" in synonymy with "V. trifolia" subsp. "littoralis" Steenis. Previous researchers have placed "V. rotundifolia" within "V. trifolia". Moldenke (1958) placed "V. rotundifolia" in synonymy with "V. trifolia" var. "simplicifolia". The placement of Moldenke was in disagreement with Corner (1939), which held "V. rotundifolia" as distinct from "V. trifolia". The placement of Corner was subsequently supported by several authors: Fosberg (1962), Munir (1987), and Wagner (1999).
Common names.
Likely due to the wide range over which "V. rotundifolia" is native, the plant has acquired a host of common names.
English speaking countries
China
Japan
Korea
Hawaii
Hybrids.
Multiple hybrids between "Vitex agnus-castus" and "Vitex rotundifolia" have been developed at the Chicago Botanic Garden. These cultivars have undergone successful trials at Longwood Gardens. The characteristics of the hybrids are more like those of "V. rotundifolia" than "V. agnus-castus". However, the hybrids are more upright than "V. rotundifolia" and have been described as "open and spreading." The leaf characteristics are intermediate between the two parent plants while the blue-purple flower color of the parents persists in the hybrid.
Distribution and habitat.
"V. rotundifolia" grows along sandy and rocky coasts from 0 to 15 m above sea level. Plants grow down to the ocean waves themselves. "V. rotundifolia" is highly tolerant of the harsh beach dune environment characterized by intense heat, high wind, coarse-textured soil, and elevated salinity.
This plant's natural range includes much of the Pacific Rim and many of the Pacific islands. The plant was observed by Munir from Northern and Western Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Polynesia, Hawaii, Malaya, Philippines, and Hong Kong. Moldenke reported "V. rotundifolia" in Brazil, Mauritius, Reunion, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Andaman Islands, China, Taiwan, Japan, Ryukyu Islands, Korea, Indochina, Thailand, Borneo, and Sarawak. The plant has also been observed in southern India. Cultivation of "V. rotundifolia" has been reported in England, Florida, Germany, the Hawaiian Islands, Hong Kong, Java, Johnston Island, Maryland, and New York. At present in the United States, beach vitex has become naturalized only in southeastern states along the east and gulf coasts.
Biology and ecology.
Beach vitex is a perennial that grows throughout the summer months in temperate and tropical areas of the Pacific. In temperate areas, the plant is deciduous and loses its leaves during the cool nights of fall. In the southeastern United States, leaves emerge in April while flowering occurs from June–August with fruiting following shortly thereafter. Fruits may remain attached to the plant into the early spring. "V. rotundifolia" is capable of overwintering on the dunes in South and North Carolina and in gulf coastal areas. It can survive in USDA hardiness zones 6b to 10.
Growth.
The plant grows rapidly, and reproduces through vegetative means. As the plant matures, it begins to flower. After maturation, the plant produces large numbers of fruits (up to 5581 fruits per square meter).
Pollination.
Insect visitation is the likely method of pollen transfer due to the spatial separation of the anthers and stigma, which would make self-pollination unlikely. Abe reported "V. rotundifolia" flowers on Nishino-shima Island were visited by flies, honey bees, beetles, butterflies, and ants though most of the visitors were ants. Diverse groups of pollinators visit the flowers in search of the 0.5 µl/flower nectar reward. Due to this wide range of visitors, it is unlikely the plant would require a specialist insect to mediate successful pollination.
Dormancy.
Evidence indicates that beach vitex possesses a combinational dormancy mechanism. This dormancy mechanism is made up of a physical dormancy component and a physiological dormancy component. The physical dormancy mechanism is believed to be inforced at least in part by cuticular alkanes that prevent water penetration. The mechanism of the physiological dormancy component is not yet fully understood. This dormancy mechanism allows for the establishment of a substantial soil seed bank that is capable of surviving and producing new seedlings in excess of 4 years after all vegetation has been removed. Dormancy mechanisms also allow the plant to undergo long-distance dispersal.
Dispersal.
There is substantial supportive evidence of a water-based dispersal mechanism for beach vitex fruits. "V. rotundifolia" plants are present throughout the Pacific including coastal areas of two continents and many islands. Bird dispersal is highly unlikely as there is no fleshy fruit reward; water dispersal is the most likely dispersal means capable of enabling dispersal over such long distances. Fruits are covered with thick coatings of hydrophobic cuticular alkanes allowing them to resist water penetration for extended periods. Researchers have observed "V. rotundifolia" fruits floating on rivers and oceans.
Genetic diversity.
Genetic diversity within populations has been found to be much lower than the average for most woody plants. Additionally, the divergence between populations was found to be higher. There were large genetic differences between populations, indicating there is limited gene flow between populations. This is understandable due to the limited ecological niche beach vitex inhabits. Since the populations are largely clonal, this may enhance genetic drift. Significant variations have been observed with regard to genotype and chemotype of various beach vitex samples collected from across China. Genotypic and chemotypic variations were closely associated. Large genetic variation between populations was observed with lower variation within populations, and plants within 20 m of each other were closely related. It was believed that differentiation of separated populations might be the cause of variations between populations.
Medicinal uses.
"Vitex rotundifolia" has many medicinal uses. These uses generally parallel those of "Vitex agnus-castus".
Environmental concerns.
In areas where it has been introduced outside of its native range, "V. rotundifolia" has proven to be an invasive species. This plant dominates dune ecosystems leading to a reduction in the prevalence of native species. Native species exclusion is of particular concern because some of the species that share a niche with "V. rotundifolia", such as sea beach amaranth ("Amaranthus pumilus" Rafinesque), are presently listed as threatened.
"Vitex rotundifolia" fruits have been shown to transfer cuticular alkanes to the sand substrate. This results in intense sand hydrophobicity that persists in the soil for many years. This hydrophobicity might negatively impact dune recovery or serve as a means for limiting growth of native plant species.
Sea turtle conservation groups have publicized concerns that dense "V. rotundifolia" growth may prevent sea turtles from reaching acceptable nesting sites. These same organizations believe that "V. rotundifolia" may limit the ability of baby turtles to reach the ocean after they hatch. A recent "USA Today" article mentioned these concerns as part of an effort to raise awareness of "V. rotundifolia", and has at least one review article. However, these concerns have not been validated scientifically. Several sea turtle species nest along the coasts of the Carolinas. These include the endangered loggerhead turtle ("Caretta caretta"), the endangered green turtle ("Chelonia mydas"), and the critically endangered Kemp's ridley ("Lepidochelys kempii"). If scientific evidence is found to support claims that "V. rotundifolia" harms sea turtles, this threat would constitute a substantial environmental issue.
Beach vitex emits large amounts of methyl chloride from its leaves. "V. rotundifolia" was one of the six highest emitting species of 33 possessing this characteristic. A total of 187 species were examined. Methyl chloride is produced naturally, but may be responsible for a substantial portion of the negative impacts on the stratospheric ozone layer.
Legislation.
In light of the invasive characteristics of "V. rotundifolia", it has been added to the North Carolina Noxious Weed List (effective 2/1/2009). Plants on this list are effectively banned within the state in that possession, sale, and transport of these species is illegal.
Virginia has enacted a permanent statewide quarantine (effective 05/07/12) to limit further "V. rotundifolia" spread.
 At least 12 municipalities in North and South Carolina have enacted ordinances that ban "V. rotundifolia" planting and require homeowners to remove established plantings from their property. In June 2020 Florida also banned "V. rotundifolia", making it illegal to purchase in Florida or to move it into or within the state.
Control measures.
Initially, beach vitex stems are wounded using a machete. A 5.25% solution of imazapyr is applied to the wounded areas of the stems. After a period of 6 months, all stems are removed. This treatment procedure is repeated until zero regrowth is observed. Triclopyr may be used to treat small resprouts and seedlings.


Scabiosa atropurpurea

Scabiosa atropurpurea (syn. "Sixalix atropurpurea"), the mourningbride, mournful widow, pincushion flower, or sweet scabious, is an ornamental plant of the genus "Scabiosa" in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is native to southern Europe.
Description.
"Scabiosa atropurpurea" has cauline leaves that are pinnately dissected, plants have red to purple flowers. It is native to southern Europe. It propagates by seeds which are dispersed by animals.
Cultivation.
It prefers cooler climates, high temperatures and humidity negatively impact its growth. "Scabiosa atropurpurea" grows best in rich, alkaline soils high in organic matter with good drainage. It makes a good cut flower.
"Scabiosa atropurpurea" 'Beaujolais Bonnets' is a cultivar grown for its long blooming period and burgundy flowers.
Invasive species.
It has become an invasive species outside of its native range, including the US state of California where it has invaded grasslands. It ranks as one of South Australia’s most commonly recorded weeds.


Anredera

Anredera is a genus of plants native to Latin America, the West Indies, Texas, and Florida. Some are naturalized in other regions (notably Mediterranean region and on various oceanic islands). Most of them evergreen vines of dry scrubland and thickets. Members of the genus are commonly known as Madeira vines. At least one species, "A. cordifolia" bears edible roots or tubers and leaves similar to those of "Basella alba".
Selected species.
Accepted species:


Ludwig Jost

 Ludwig Jost ForMemRS (born November 13, 1865 in Karlsruhe – February 22, 1947 in Heidelberg) was a German botanist, and university professor.
Life and work.
After attending the gymnasium in Karlsruhe, Jost studied natural sciences at the University of Heidelberg, then from 1885, was a student at Kaiser Wilhelm University in Strasbourg. In 1887 he obtained his PhD as a student of Anton de Bary, and later on, worked as an assistant to Karl von Goebel at the University of Marburg. Afterwards, he returned to Strasbourg, where in 1891, he received his habilitation under the sponsorship of Hermann zu Solms-Laubach. In 1894 he became an associate professor, and from 1919 to 1934, he held the chair of botany at the University of Heidelberg.
He earlier research largely dealt with morphological and histological issues — later on, his main field of study involved the physiology of plants; working with subjects such as: growth rhythm, nyctinasty, geotropism, leaf positioning, electrical potential differences on cell walls, et al.


Chaetophorales

Chaetophorales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae.


Solanum bahamense

Solanum bahamense, commonly known as the Bahama nightshade, is a plant in the nightshade family. It is native across the West Indies, from the Florida Keys east to Dominica (excluding Hispaniola). It is a common species in coastal habitats, often on calcareous soils.
Taxonomy.
Originally described by Carl Linnaeus, it has a convoluted taxonomic history. "S. bahamense" is known by many junior synonyms and involved in several cases of homonymy.
Some additional varieties of "S. bahamense" have been described, but they are not considered taxonomically distinct today:


Nepenthes masoalensis

Nepenthes masoalensis is one of two tropical pitcher plant species from Madagascar, the other being "N. madagascariensis".
"Nepenthes masoalensis" is known only from eastern Madagascar; it occurs in the Masoala Peninsula and the Mount Ambato region. It has been recorded from "Pandanus" and "Sphagnum" swamps, mountain ridgetops, and xerophytic vegetation. "Nepenthes masoalensis" is a lowland species, growing at 0–400 m altitude.


Platyzomataceae


Chaetopeltidaceae

Chaetopeltidaceae are a family of green algae in the order Chaetopeltidales.


Crinipes

Crinipes is a genus of plants in the Poaceae−grass family native to central Africa.
Species.
Species of "Crinipes" include:
Former species.
Species formerly classified within "Crinipes" include:


Hackelia floribunda

Hackelia floribunda is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names large-flowered stickseed and manyflower stickseed.
The plant is native to much of the western half of North America, in Canada and the Midwestern and Western United States
It is most often found in areas which are wet during the springtime, such as meadows, wetlands, and riparian areas.
"Hackelia floribunda" is a lush biennial or perennial herb with hairy stems reaching a maximum height of about . They emerge as a leafy clump, surrounded by many smooth lance-shaped leaves up to 24 meters long.
There are few leaves at the ends of the stems, which hold cyme inflorescences of blue flowers. Each flower has five lobes with petallike appendages at their bases.
The fruit is a tiny, mildly prickly nutlet.


Eucalyptus curtisii

 Eucalyptus curtisii, commonly known as Plunkett mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to south-east Queensland in Australia. It has smooth grey to silvery bark, lance-shaped, narrow elliptic or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and wrinkled, cup-shaped fruit.
Description.
"Eucalyptus curtisii" is a slender mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth grey to silvery bark that is shed in short curly flakes. Young plants and coppice regrowth have linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves that are long and wide and a slightly darker shade of green on the upper surface. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, elliptic or curved, glossy green but much paler on the lower surface. They are long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on a branching inflorescence near the ends of the stems, each branch with groups of seven buds. The groups are on a peduncle long, the individual buds on a pedicel long. Mature buds are oval to pear-shaped, long and wide with a rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from September to December and the flowers are white to creamy white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, wrinkled capsule long and wide.
Taxonomy and naming.
"Eucalyptus curtisii" was first formally described in 1931 by William Blakely and Cyril White from a specimen collected on sandstone hills "near Plunkett, [now Plunkett Conservation Park], about south-west of Brisbane". The description was publish in "Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland". The specific epithet ("curtisii") honours Densil Curtis, a farmer and naturalist, who collected the type specimens in 1923 and 1929.
Distribution and habitat.
Plunkett mallee grows in shrubland and open forest in poorly drained sites between Beenleigh, Inglewood, Dalby, and Theodore in south-east Queensland .
Cultural references.
"Eucalyptus curtisii" was adopted by Ipswich City Council as its floral emblem in 1996.


Melica smithii

Melica smithii (Smith's melic grass) is a species of grass that grows in the Canadian provinces Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, and the US states Idaho, Michigan, Montana, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The species is named after Charles Eastwick Smith.
Description.
The species have scabrous leaf-sheaths and leaf-blades, with the last one being lax as well. Both leath-sheaths and blades are long and wide. It have long panicle with solitary branches. They are also distant and naked and sometimes reflexed. The species' spikelets have 3-6 flowers, are long and are purple in colour.
Habitat.
Can be found deciduous forests amongst beech, maple, and hemlock trees.
Threat level.
In Wisconsin the species is considered to be endangered.


Selaginella umbrosa

Selaginella umbrosa is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family.
Umbrosa is native to South America, ranging from Yucatán to Colombia and Venezuela. It can be found in Barbados and Tobago, where it is most likely not native. It has also been introduced to the Island of Hawaii, where it was first seen cultivated in 1994, and then wild in 2000. The plant prefers to grow in shaded areas
The plant's stem is typically 8–25 centimeters long before branching, usually red in color. The branched portion is 10–25 centimeters, usually at a 45 to 90 degree angle from the stem.
In the traditional medicine of Belize, the plant is used to treat bladder infections, skin fungus, and mental illness.


Pelekium

Pelekium is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Thuidiaceae.
The genus has cosmopolitan distribution.
Species:


Lithocarpus cantleyanus

Lithocarpus cantleyanus is a tree in the beech family Fagaceae. It is named for a superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Nathaniel Cantley.
Description.
"Lithocarpus cantleyanus" grows as a tree up to tall with a trunk diameter of up to . The greyish brown bark is scaly or fissured or lenticellate. The coriaceous leaves measure up to long. Its brown acorns are ovoid and measure up to across.
Distribution and habitat.
"Lithocarpus cantleyanus" grows naturally in Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo. Its habitat is hill dipterocarp forests up to altitude.


Convolvulus cantabrica

Convolvulus cantabrica, common name Cantabrican morning glory or dwarf morning glory, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the genus "Convolvulus" of the family Convolvulaceae.
Description.
This bindweed is a hemicryptophyte scapose plant reaching on average in height. It has simple, alternate, lanceolate leaves, coarsely hairy on both sides. The wide funnel-shaped flowers are actinomorphic ("star shaped", "radial") and arranged on a long petiole at the leaf axils. The corolla is 15–25 mm long and usually pale pink, but it can be completely white. The flowers are hermaphrodite and pollinated by insects (entomogamy). The flowering period extends from May through October. The fruits are globose and pubescent capsules with 2–4 brownish seeds.
Distribution.
This species is native to southern Europe and widespread in the Mediterranean coasts.
Habitat.
"Convolvulus cantabrica" prefers rocky places, sunny slopes, xerophilous prairies, dry grassland and scrublands with calcareous soil, at an altitude of above sea level.


Juniperus komarovii

Juniperus komarovii is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found only in China.


Eriogonum rosense

Eriogonum rosense is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name rosy buckwheat. It is native to the mountains of eastern California and its range extends into Nevada.
Description.
This is a small perennial herb which forms mats up to about 20 centimeters wide on dry, rocky mountain slopes. It produces clumps of glandular, coarsely woolly leaves, each about a centimeter long and erects inflorescences on naked, woolly stalks. The flower clusters are generally rounded and the flowers are bright yellow to red-streaked orange.


Acourtia microcephala

Acourtia microcephala is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name sacapellote. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in woodland and chaparral, especially in the coastal mountain ranges.
"Acourtia microcephala" is a bushy perennial herb producing several erect stems from a woody caudex up to about 1.5 meters in maximum height. The stems branch toward the ends and are densely foliated in toothed, wavy-edged, glandular leaves 2 to 15 centimeters long. The stems and leaves are sticky with exudate. The inflorescences contain clusters of many flower heads, each cylindrical head wrapped in long, flat glandular phyllaries. The flower heads are discoid, containing only disc florets and no ray florets. Each disc floret has two lips, the outer of which is long, flat, and usually bright pink, and easily mistaken for a ligule. The fruit is a glandular achene a few millimeters long which has a pappus of bristles up to a centimeter in length.
This plant had a traditional medicinal use as a laxative.


Dedeckera

The monotypic genus Dedeckera contains the single species Dedeckera eurekensis, a plant known by the common name July gold which is endemic to California. It is found in the mountains east and south of the Sierra Nevada, especially the Inyo and White Mountains.
July gold is a member of the buckwheat family. It is a matting shrub which bears small fleshy leaves and tiny yellowish flowers. It is a plant of the dry mountainous scrub, where it grows on gritty limestone cliffs. July gold is a rare plant, and its populations are scattered due to its specific niche habitat. It is also a poor reproducer; only about 1% of its flower ovules produce viable seed. These factors make it a species of concern.
The genus was named for California botanist Mary C. DeDecker.


Solanum viarum

Solanum viarum, the tropical soda apple, is a perennial shrub native to Brazil and Argentina with a prickly stem and prickly leaves. The fruit is golf-ball-sized with the coloration of a watermelon. It is considered an invasive species in the lower eastern coastal states of the United States and recently on the Mid North Coast of Australia.
Synonyms.
This species has several synonyms, one of which is particularly ambiguous:
Introduction and control.
"Solanum viarum" is native to Brazil and Argentina, and was first discovered in the United States in 1988, having probably been introduced through contaminated seed or other agricultural products. It crowds out native species and forage for livestock
 Its habitat is terrestrial, in fields, rights-of-way, and open forest. It is spread by livestock and wildlife, such as raccoons, deer, feral hogs, and birds feeding on fruits.
It is classified as a noxious weed or plant in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont, and in California and Oregon is quarantine pest. It is a prohibited noxious weed in Arizona and Minnesota; Prohibited in Massachusetts; and a Plant Pest in South Carolina and Tennessee. It is also listed as a Tier 1 Noxious weed in Virginia, along with Giant Hogweed.
Since its introduction into the U.S., tropical soda apple has spread rapidly, and currently infests an estimated one million acres of improved pastures, citrus groves, sugarcane fields, ditches, vegetable crops, sod farms, forestlands (oak hammocks and cypress heads), natural areas, etc. in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Although it can be a threat to a variety of habitat, it tends to be most problematic in pastures in the Mid South.
It is controlled by triclopyr herbicide. "Gratiana boliviana", the tropical soda apple leaf beetle, has been used successfully as an agent of biological pest control to reduce the abundance of this plant in the United States, particularly in Florida.
Flowering.
The mature fruits are smooth, round, yellow and ¾ to 1¼ inches in diameter with a leathery-skin surrounding a thin-layered, pale green, scented pulp and 180 to 420 flattened, reddish brown seeds. Each plant is capable of producing 200 or more fruit per year. Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum) usually grows to 3–6 ft tall.


Ulva brevistipita

Ulva brevistipita is a species of blackish-green coloured seaweed in the family Ulvaceae that can be found in Australia and New Zealand.


Tapetum (botany)

The tapetum is a specialised layer of nutritive cells found within the anther, of flowering plants, where it is located between the sporangenous tissue and the anther wall.
Tapetum is important for the nutrition and development of pollen grains, as well as a source of precursors for the pollen coat. The cells are usually bigger and normally have more than one nucleus per cell. As the sporogenous cells undergo mitosis, the nuclei of tapetal cells also divide. Sometimes, this mitosis is not normal due to which many cells of mature tapetum become multinucleate. Sometimes polyploidy and polyteny can also be seen. The unusually large nuclear constitution of the tapetum helps it in providing nutrients and regulatory molecules to the forming pollen grains. The following processes are responsible for this:
Tapetum helps in pollenwall formation, transportation of nutrients to inner side of anther, synthesis of callase enzyme for separation of microspore tetrads.
Types of tapetum.
Two main tapetum types are recognised, secretory (glandular) and plasmodial (amoeboid). In the secretory type a layer of tapetal cells remains around the anther locule, while in the plasmodial type the tapetal cell walls dissolve and their protoplasts fuse to form a multinucleate plasmodium. A third, less common type, the invasive non-syncytial tapetum has been described in "Canna", where the tapetal cell walls break down to invade the anther locule but do not fuse to form a plasmodium.
Amongst the monocots Acorales, the first branching clade has a secretory tapetum, while the other alismatid clade, Alismatales are predominantly plasmodial. Amongst the late branching clades, the lilioid monocots are nearly all secretory while the commelinid monocots are diverse with respect to tapetal pattern.


Calypogeia

 is a genus of liverworts in the family Calypogeiaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete):


Ascidiota

Ascidiota is a genus of liverworts belonging to the family Porellaceae.
The species of this genus are found in Eastern Russia and Alaska.
Species:


Labordia pumila

Labordia pumila, the Kauai labordia, is a rare species of flowering plant in the Loganiaceae family. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is found only on Kauai. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. Like other "Labordia" species, this plant is known as Kamakahala.
There are only three remaining populations of this species, all on the Alakai Plateau, including one at the summit of Mount Waiʻaleʻale. Estimates of the total global population are generally around 800 or 900 but the number could be as high as 6000.
This is a shrub producing cymes of up to 15 orange flowers. It grows in the typical bog habitat of the Alakai Plateau.
This plant is threatened by feral ungulates, such as wild boars, and the introduction of invasive species of plants.


Bruniaceae

Bruniaceae is a family of shrubs native to the cape region of South Africa. They are mostly restricted to the Cape Province, but a small number of species occur in KwaZulu-Natal.
Description.
Species belonging to the Bruniaceae are heath-like shrubs. They have small, hard, scaly leaves that are alternate but regularly set and overlapping. A distinct character is the minute black tip of the leaves when these are young. The inflorescence is a dense spike or spherical flowerhead with up to 400 flowers at the end of the stems. Individual flowers are tube-shaped and hermaphrodite, there are five sepals which may be free or connected at their rim, while the ovary sits under the other parts of the flower. The fruit is dry when ripe, opens with two or four valves and contains fleshy seeds.
Taxonomy.
In the APG II taxonomy they are placed in the order Lamiales, but a 2008 study suggested that they are sister to the Columelliaceae, and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website proposes incorporating this finding by placing both families in order Bruniales.
Genera.
There are twelve genera, totalling 77 species: