Home / Resources and Writings / Weblog / June 2005


Last Great Harvest for Louisiana Cypress?

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation

One hundred years ago the cypress forests of Louisiana's swamps were cut down for timber. Now a century later the trees have matured to a size suitable for harvest. The wood of cypress is prized for its beauty and resistance to rot and pests. Landowners and loggers are anxious to harvest as many of the valuable trees as they can. Scientists and environmentalists would like to limit the harvest to insure the health of the forest.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:25 PM



Cancer Therapy Uses Chlorophyll Based Drug

Category(-ies): Novel Uses of Plants , Plants, Food and Medicine

The illness of a family member prompted Avigdor Scherz, a plant biochemist based at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, to develop a new treatment for prostate cancer. He knew that when chlorophyll is hit by light it releases “highly reactive molecules capable of destroying nearby cells” (from the article). He theorized that a drug made from the plant pigment could be activated by light focused on a specific area of the body.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:01 PM



Will the PhyloCode Replace Taxonomic Nomenclature?

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources

The Linnaean system of taxonomy, which classifies species by similarities of form and other traits, has served botanists for two and a half centuries. Molecular genetics now enable scientists to more accurately determine the descent of a species from its ancestors. A new nomenclature system, PhyloCode has been created to classify species based on their evolutionary history or phylogeny.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:38 PM



Zimbabwe Cracks Down on Urban Gardeners

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

Authorities in Zimbabwe are destroying vegetable gardens, planted in vacant areas by the urban poor, claiming that they are causing "massive environmental damage" (SignOnSanDiego.com). Years of drought and low agricultural production caused by government redistribution of farmland have resulted in a severe shortage of food. Even residents of more affluent neighborhoods had taken to planting crops in their yards.

Government officials claim that the urban agriculture is degrading city water sources. Land had been set aside at the edge of Harare for city dwellers to grow crops last year. It is not yet clear how those areas will be affected by the crackdown.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:38 PM



In Search of Elephants in the Trees

Category(-ies): Botanical Art

The enduring presence and beauty of trees can inspire deep emotional connections to things and events that are part of our lives. Artists interpret the image of trees in many different ways; each finding a unique view to portray. Many artists capture the nature of the tree itself. Some artists use the natural forms of trees as a type of 'canvas' for their creativity.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:17 PM



Gardeners Investing in Cisterns to Make it Through the Dry Days

Category(-ies): Climate Change

The past winter resulted in the lowest snow-pack levels in Lower British Columbia on record and water supplies for the summer throughout the Pacific Northwest of N. America are tight. Although it has been raining lately, many gardeners here and in other areas will soon be faced with dry conditions and water restrictions. Home water management can help.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:19 PM



Ordinary Apples Rich in Antioxidants

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers have ranked the eight apple varieties most commonly eaten in Canada by their antioxidant content. Many fruits contain more antioxidants than apples, but popularity and year-round availability make them an important source of antioxidants. The red delicious apple tested highest and in all apples the peel contained the greatest amounts of the healthful chemicals.

Link: Everyday apples pack antioxidant punch from MSNBC

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:27 PM



Chilean National Symbol Threatened

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues

The majestic alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides) is a national symbol of Chile. The grand trees can live for thousands of years and attain a height of 50 metres. Cutting live alerce trees was banned in 1976, but the lumber is highly sought after and the ban has driven up the price. The harvest of fallen or burned trees was allowed. Unscrupulous loggers have burned or damaged trees, so that there has been a steady supply of dead trees to harvest.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:29 PM



USDA Stops Organic Certification of Cosmetics

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

When the US Department of Agriculture created its organic certification program in 2002, it created a seal to indicate that goods were organically produced for cosmetics, pet food and even textiles. Now the agency has reversed itself, claiming there is no legal basis for the official organic label on such products. The law that created the program covers only food products.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:20 PM



California Rare Fruit Growers

Category(-ies): Plant Explorers , Plants, Food and Medicine

California is home to some of the most productive fruit growing land in the US and the world, so it is natural that an organization dedicated to the promotion of rare fruit cultivation would start up there. Since 1968 the California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. has encouraged public interest in fruits and edible plants that are not common in commercial production and now has members in over 35 countries worldwide.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:24 PM



Israeli Scientists Germinate 2000 Year-Old Palm Seed

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Scientists in Israel have germinated the 2000-year-old seed of a date palm, taken from archeological excavations at Masada. The seedling, named Methuselah by the researchers, now stands 30 centimetres tall. Investigators are curious to see what variations appear in the plant compared to modern date palms. Newer strains have replaced the ones found in the region 2000 years ago, when dates were used to treat infection. It is hoped that DNA testing will reveal the plant's medical secrets.

Link: 2,000-year-old palm seed germinates from the CBC

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:53 PM



In Search of the Holy Grail of Popcorn Breeders

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

If you have ever wondered why some popcorn kernels don’t pop, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana have an answer. In order for popcorn to pop, the pressure of steam inside the grain has to hit 135 pounds per square inch to burst the pericarp (the outer hull of the grain). In the final moments of heating, chemical changes occur in the pericarp to strenthen it, so that it can hold in sufficient steam to build up the pressure. Kernels with weak pericarps don't build up enough pressure to pop.

The research will help breeders target pericarp strength for better popping and brings them one step closer to the Holy Grail of popcorn breeding — a popcorn where the pericarp disappears, leaving only the fluffy white treats.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:32 PM



Yahoo! Pick of the Day

Category(-ies): Botanical Art , Botanical Resources

Once a day, Yahoo! editors pick one web site out of millions on the web as noteworthy.

On June 10, they picked UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research's Botany Photo of the Day: Yahoo! Picks - June 10, 2005 - Botany Photo of the Day.

While Botany Photo of the Day is a venture with participants from staff and researchers (read more about Botany PotD), it also owes much credit to two people: Tim Bray, who seeded the idea in a technology lunch we had at the garden; and Dr. Quentin Cronk, the garden's director, who has fostered a garden that allows seeds of ideas to grow.

If you agree with Yahoo! and think we're doing some noteworthy activities at UBC Botanical Garden, please consider reading Dr. Cronk's letter on the importance of plants and the role of botanical gardens.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:50 AM



Increased Nitrogen Endangers Rare Plants

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Discoveries

A broad ranging study of the effects of increased nitrogen on plant populations in natural environments suggests that it puts rare plants at a disadvantage and threatens their survival. Increased nitrogen makes some plants grow larger and faster, crowding out rare plants that do not respond as well to a higher level of the nutrient. Since the 1940s the amount of nitrogen available to plants has more than doubled due to pollution and increased use of fertilizers.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 12:53 AM



Rat's Tail and the Malachite Sunbird

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries

Scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have proven that the sterile inflorescence of Babiana ringens (rat's tail) is important for the reproductive success of the plant. Removal of the greyish spike from flowering plants decreased the number of visits by malachite sunbirds (Nectarinia famosa) to individual plants due to difficulty in drinking the nectar, thereby lowering chance of successful pollination. The malachite sunbird uses the sterile inflorescence to conveniently drink nectar from the flowers, simultaneously pollinating the plants.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:24 PM



India's Mizoram State Prepares for Bamboo Bloom

Category(-ies): Plant Relationships

Every 48 years in India's Mizoram state wild bamboo blooms in unison and after fruiting the plants die. In 1959, as in previous blooms, rats gorged on the abundant fruits and their population soared. After the supply of bamboo fruit was exhausted, the rats turned to the farmer�s crops. Famine followed. Authorities hope to be better prepared when the bloom comes again in 2007.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:43 PM



Scientists Modify Plants to Produce Anticancer Antibodies

Category(-ies): Novel Uses of Plants , Plants, Food and Medicine

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have inserted DNA coding into tobacco plants that causes the plants to produce monoclonal antibodies against colorectal cancer. After demonstrating that modified tobacco could generate antibodies that were shown to be effective against rabies in mice, the researchers turned their attention to developing a cancer treatment.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:00 PM



Remote Sensing as an Agricultural Tool

Category(-ies): Plant Diseases and Pests

In the late 1920s, when local pilots reported that they could identify areas of disease in fields of cotton, scientists at Texas Agricultural Experiment Station realized that aerial photos could be used to assess and measure diseased areas in field crops. Over the years researchers realized that different wavelengths, including those beyond the visible spectrum revealed different conditions in plants. Images from above could indicate a problem in the field before the grower was even aware of it.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:26 PM



Cat Owners Warned of Floral Danger

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues

British authorities are warning cat owners of the potential danger of lilies. As the popularity of the flowers has increased, so have poisoning cases. Lilies are very toxic to cats; as little as one leaf can be fatal. In a recent case, a family pet had brushed against a bouquet. The cat became ill within minutes of licking lily pollen from her fur and suffered renal failure and blindness before dying a few hours later.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:17 PM



The Emotional Impact of Flowers

Category(-ies): Plant Relationships

Humans have grown flowers for at least 5,000 years although most offer us no food or other obviously useful products. Modern floriculture is a multibillion-dollar industry. What caused humans to pursue this relationship? A team of researchers at Rutgers University theorizes that flowers produce positive emotional reactions that reward people for the efforts of cultivating the plants.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:15 PM



Florida Man Arrested for Poaching Wild Orchids

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues

After the initial purchase of a few orchids from a big box store four years ago, Gary Bienemann soon became hooked. He started gathering orchids from the woods near his home and travelled to South Florida, where he took rare protected orchids from the same swamp that served as a backdrop for the book The Orchid Thief. The collection at his home grew and he began selling the pilfered plants on eBay.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:50 PM