2.2 Bracken fern (western bracken)
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquiline var. pubescens) are deciduous and grow from brown to black woody rhizomes, forming large often dense patches. The leaves emerge from erect fronds and are pinnately compound, scattered, erect, coarse, narrowly or broadly triangular, to 2 m in height. Fronds (leaves) are pinnules (ultimate segments), entire in the apices of the pinnae, lobed toward the stalk. Reproduction is by spores produced in sporangia lining the under surface margins of the photosynthetic fronds when reproductive, covered by the narrow recurved edge of the leaf (Burrows and Tyrl, 2001, Panter et al., 2011).
Bracken fern is widely distributed in many places around the world. Bracken fern grows on burned over areas, in wood lands and other shaded places, on hillsides, open pastures and ranges in sandy or gravelly soils. The plant starts growth in the early spring and usually remains green until the leaves are killed by frost (Stegelmeier et al., 1999).
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquiline var. pubescens) is poisonous to cattle, sheep and horses; sheep, however, are more resistant. Bracken contains thiaminase inhibitors that lead to the development of thiamine deficiency in horses that can be remedied by giving thiamine. Milk from cows that graze bracken fern may be hazardous to humans. All portions of the fern
They would not keep the parsley inside because it would bring death in the home. They did feed it to their horses though. Aethusa Cynapium, also known as Fool’s Parsley, is very poisonous and should never be consumed by humans. Although it is Apiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa, much like Knotted Hedge Parsley, except they have a triangular, white flower look and has a very unpleasant smell to them. They are often confused with regular parsley, except they actually cause death. Poisoning from fool's parsley results in symptoms of heat in the mouth and throat and a post-mortem examination has shown redness of the lining membrane of the gullet and windpipe and slight congestion of the duodenum and stomach. In Europe, only the pregnant women and witches knew how to properly plant parsley and it was only planted on Good Friday for best results. In the medical sense, Parsley is loaded with Vitamins A,C, and K. Vitamins A and C will combat the substances in the body that will kill the cells before they cause
Bonnet, M., & Basson, P. W. (2004). the Toxicology of Claviceps purpurea: Ergot of Rye.
The American chestnut which was once almost eliminated from existence in the late 1950's has once again emerged thanks to conservation efforts. Chestnut blight, a deadly fungus, has the ability to kill chestnut trees. However, some chestnut species in Asia have resistance to blight. As a result, a method of conservation has been through hybridizing American species with Asian species. Another method of conservation has been through hypovirulence strains in the infection is reduced. Independently, this hypovirulence method may be a reason why some American chestnuts are surviving despite being infested with chestnut blight. This issue remains important to both the timber industry, although that isn't why chestnuts are being restored, and certain ecological organizations including the Nature Conservancy.
Wilhite, L.P., and J.R. Toliver. 1990. Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. Baldcypress. P. 563–572 in Silvics of North America, Vol. 1: Conifers, Burns, R.M., and B.H. Honkala (tech. coords.). Agricultural Handbook 654. US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
In the book, Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls, depicts an inspiring, young boy named Billy, who struggled with life’s complication. Billy was an ordinary boy who lived in the country. Although his family was not wealthy, he lived a content life. He grew up in the mountains of Ozarks in Oklahoma. The whole story took place years ago, perhaps in the mid 1900s. It was evident that Billy’s appreciation of the scenery of the environment around him proved that he loved the woods. As he grew up, he began to learn the complexity of life. Billy matures as he learns to accept suffering and to make sacrifices.
which contained fern spores and the food they needed to survive. We then look at
The fertilizer pellets used are made out of N.P.K. (Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potassium). When used properly there is no risk of over fertilizing or “burning” the plants (H. Lauffer, D. Lauffer, and Williams). The pellets are balanced proportionally and are very safe to use.
Sordaria fimicola is a species of microscopic fungus that is an Ascomycete and are used to test for genetic variation in the lab setting (Sordaria fimicola: A Fungus used in Genetics, Volk). These organisms are what are called model organisms, or species that has been widely studied usually because it is easy to maintain and breed in a laboratory setting and has particular experimental advantages (Sordaria fimicola, Volk). S. fimicola, because it is in the Ascomycota phylum, have a distinguishing reproductive structure called the ascus, which is surrounded by the perithecium. This cylindrical sac-like structure houses 8 haploid spores; created through meiosis to produce 4 haploid spores and then mitosis to make 8 (Lab Manual, pg. 59-68). Based on the genotype they will vary in order and color. There are 3 different ratios that can arise from the 8 ascospores: 4:4, 2:2:2:2, and 2:4:2 (black/wild type and tan coloration). The 4:4 ratio suggests that no crossing over had occurred because there is no difference in order of the color parents that were mated. The two other ratios suggest genetic recombination, or crossing over, because of the
Where the Red Fern Grows is a novel about a young boy and his two dogs, but to an animal-lover, it is much more. The story is told in the first person narrative, by an adult reminiscing about his childhood; the reader experiences life through the eyes of an eleven year old boy living in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Over the boy's shoulder, an older narrator frequently speaks while the younger narrator talks on. Billy, as a boy, wants a dog more than anything else in the world:
When mosses and liverworts first evolved, they dominated the terrestrial environment. But they were soon challenged by the more advanced tracheophytes. The ferns and "fern allies" formed the great planetary forests of the late Paleozoic. By the end of the Paleozoic, a new group of plants was challenging the 150 million-year domination of the ferns and fern allies. The seed plants protected the embryonic sporophyte from drying up by encasing it in a tough waterproof seed coat. The evolution of the seed is as profound a step as the evolution of the shelled egg in reptiles. Just as the evolution of the amniotic egg enabled reptiles to become the first truly
The tundra is known for its’ cold temperatures, but also its’ limited plant species. The growth of the vegetation is primarily low to the ground and the biomass of plants is concentrated in the roots. Here the plants reproduce more likely by division and building than by flower pollination. Some of that growthforms that you will find in the tundra include tussock, mats or cushion plants, rosettes, and dwarf shru...
But whoever had decided to place this particular fern at poolside obviously didn’t know that the spores of veriformans contained a deadly beta-Carboline alkaloid. Even touching the attractive green fronds could make you sick, and if a child were to take a mouthful, he would almost certainly
The secondary walls of sclerenchyma cells are thick and contain abundant lignin. This relatively indigestible strengthening polymer accounts for more than a quarter of the dry mass of wood. Lignin is present in all vascular plants, but not in bryophytes. Sclerenchyma cells stop growing in length when mature and cannot elongate any further. They are so specialized for support that many are dead at functional maturity, but they produce secondary walls before the protoplast (the living part of the cell) dies. In some cases, the rigid walls remain as a ‘skeleton’ that support the plant for hundreds of
Think about cactus and this image bursts up in our mind which is a spiked plant with no flowers and fruits growing in deserts. However, certain cacti blossom and bear fruits also. The cactus flowers have several health returns to offer. Catch up with some interesting facts and benefits of cactus flowers right here with us.
Brahmma kamal is a sacred flower name after creator lord Brahma, Brahma kamal is rare ,threatened and nearly endemic medicinal herb of the himalayan region.It is found on alpine, grassy slopes with rocky bases and near streams, in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 to 4000m .In Uttrakahand it is found Nanda devi reserves and Govindghat wildlife santuary ,Roopkund region .It is evergreen herb with large pale yellow ,boat shape ,papery bracts surrounding the dense cluster of flower heads.The taste of plant is bitter in taste. Brahma kamal grows up to a height of 30 cm and fall in the category of night flowering cactus. It is used in many herbal medicines. The entire plant is used. It resembles like lotus flower.