daily news and photography about cacti and succulents
and some california natives too
Saturday Morning Botanical Illustration Blogging
© Smithsonian Institution
From the Catalog of Botanical Illustrations, Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution
Plate Number: 4
Publication: The Cactaceae Vol. 3 Pl 23, Fig 5
Client: Britton, N.L. and Rose, J.N. - Size: 11×14
Echinofossulocactus violaciflorus (Cactaceae) - Collection: Safford, W.E. 1359, 09 May 1907, Mexico; flowering plant.
Artist: Passmore, D.G. - 09 May 1907 - watercolor
OLETE MAIA from Brasil sent me a published report from 1977 on the nutritional content of Pereskia leaves, among some other documents I’ll be looking through too. On the other hand, I’m not a scientist, so at best I can read the abstracts. But this one has a picture to go with it, and a lovely picture it is.
It seems that Brasilians have been eating the leaves of the Pereskia aculeata and nobody had bothered to check on their nutritional value before 1977. After checking,
Food efficiency, apparent net protein utilization and apparent digestibility were also determined. The fibrous residue showed a high digestibility…
It’s protein content is 25.4%… suggests it is a good protein source…. On the other hand some leaves do not yield protein concentrate of good quality.
The rest of it is equations and tables and percentages.
Previously in our saga, the Venus Fly Trap caught a slug. And it was good. Apparently very good. Delicious even, because the slug seems to have died and become dessicated and mostly consumed by the plant.
It’s not as disgusting as the previous photo, but it’s entertaining in its own right.
Just try not to look closely. Examine how much more there is for the plant to consume….
If you like, I can post a bigger version of this, even more closeup. Or would that just be piling on?
[update: Link to our Carnivorous Plant Care instructions]
It’s just disgusting.
Don’t scroll down if you don’t have to.
I’m warning you….
Yes, it’s a Venus Fly Trap Caught-in-Action!
It caught a slug. It’s eating a slug.
It’s fascinating. I can’t look away. My eyes are burning, oh the burn, it hurts.
My Northern Garden lets us know that your local city water may be more alkaline than you think. And if you’re not thinking about it, then maybe you should get out a pH tester right now.
Adjusting pH for houseplants is one thingan entire garden is another. Malcolm uses a watering system that involves a sump pump, a 45-gallon garbage pail, and an octopus hose system.
Nice.
There’s a new science exhibit in Chicago about the secret life of plants, i.e. photosynthesis. <a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1897&entry_id=1732" title="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0224sugar_introfeb24,1,2705662.story" onmouseover="window.status=’http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0224sugar_introfeb24,1,2705662.story’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">The Tribune has the story</a>:<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><br /><img width="250" hspace="5" height="425" border="0" src="/blog/uploads/misc/36064666.jpg" /></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Every plant works on water. Some plants have learned to get by with amazingly little, but even cacti need some water. (Tribune photo by Antonio Perez)</span><br /></div><br />I wonder where this fabulous exhibit may be right now?<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Sugar from the Sun," (is) a new permanent indoor exhibit on photosynthesis… at the historic, 100-year-old Garfield Park Conservatory.</span><br /></div><br />So there it is. And what can they tell us?<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">In the garden or greenhouse, plants may seem like just something to look at. Yet inside their leaves, at the hidden level of chemical reactions, they are busily at work collecting sunlight — the energy that, passed up the food chain, keeps us all alive.</span><br /></div><br />So now you know. Now if I could only get to Chicago….<br /> <br />
From the Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, Plant Image Collection<br /><br /><img width="432" hspace="5" border="2" src="/blog/uploads/cactus/rah01306.jpg" /><br /><br />Agave americana variegata (Agavaceae)<br />
Photo by R.A. Howard, Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.<br /><br />
From the Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, Plant Image Collection.<br /><br /><img width="320" hspace="5" height="480" border="2" src="/blog/uploads/cactus/rah00072.jpg" /><br /><br />Agave schidigera (Agavaceae)<br />
Photo by R.A. Howard, Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.<br /><br />
The latest flyby picture of Mercury.<br /><br /><img width="432" hspace="5" border="2" src="/blog/uploads/misc/mercury.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1779&entry_id=1585" title="http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/pics/EW0108829708G.4release.jpg" onmouseover="window.status=’http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/pics/EW0108829708G.4release.jpg’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">Supersized original photo here</a><br /><br />via <a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1780&entry_id=1585" title="http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/01/15/messenger-at-mercury-hawesome/" onmouseover="window.status=’http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/01/15/messenger-at-mercury-hawesome/’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">Bad Astronomy Blog</a>.<br /><br />
It’s science day at cactus blog, and so we bring you <a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1736&entry_id=1539" title="http://science.letusfindout.com/do-cacti-have-leaves/" onmouseover="window.status=’http://science.letusfindout.com/do-cacti-have-leaves/’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">to the world of science</a>!<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Q: Do cacti have leaves?<br /><br />A: In most (cactus) species, except for the sub-family of the Pereskioideae, the leaves are greatly or entirely reduced….<br />
<br />
Cacti are commonly used for fencing material where there is a lack of either natural resources or financial means to construct a permanent fence. This is often seen in arid and warm climates, such as the Masai Mara in Kenya. This is known as a cactus fence.</span><br /></div><br />
Too much family hanging around? Feeling a little woozy from the Uncle and his Ron Paul talk? Did you just drink too much yesterday and now you’ve woken up with <a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1728&entry_id=1531" title="http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/sliced-cactus-can-cure-your-hangover_1009416.html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/sliced-cactus-can-cure-your-hangover_1009416.html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">a hangover?</a> Well, it’s too late for cactus to help. You should have eaten a pad before you started drinking at 7am yesterday morning.<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A new study has revealed that eating the prickly plant before boozing prevents post-alcohol sickness and headaches. Researchers at the Tulane University, New Orleans say that the cactus atypical carbohydrates obstruct the gut absorbing too many sugars. Many of the health benefits of cactus are related to its water-retaining properties, The Sun quoted lead researcher Prof Tony Blake, as saying. It is a good source of vitamins A, B, C and K and contains many essential minerals, he added. </span><br /></div><br />Now you know, so you have no excuses for the future. And it makes a delicious aperitif too.<br /><br />
From the Smithsonian <a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1707&entry_id=1511" title="http://ravenel.si.edu/botany/botart/showImage.cfm?myimage=images/15.JPG&mynumber=15" onmouseover="window.status=’http://ravenel.si.edu/botany/botart/showImage.cfm?myimage=images/15.JPG&mynumber=15′;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">Catalog of Botanical Illustrations</a> comes this amazing plate:<br /><br /><img width="402" hspace="5" height="546" border="2" src="/blog/uploads/misc/smithsonian15.JPG" /><br /><br />© Smithsonian Institution<br />
Plate Number: 15<br />
Publication: The Cactaceae Vol. 3 Pl 22, Fig 1,2,3 and 4<br />
Client: Britton, N.L. and Rose, J.N. - Size: 11×14<br />
<br /><a href="http://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/archives/1511-guid.html#extended">Continue reading "Cactus"</a>
Mythbusters used some of our cacti as set dressing for the episode where they tested chile pepper myths.<br /><br />Here’s a short video clip that we’ll leave up until they threaten to sue.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/26L1zIwRVUU"></param><embed width="425" height="350" adblockframename="adblock-frame-n7" adblockframedobject2="true" adblockframedobject="true" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/26L1zIwRVUU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"/object><br /><br />