Sexual reproduction in angiosperms was once a taboo sbject. When plants were first classified it was considered very rude (by the stuffy Victorian sponsors of the great plantsmen) to call flower parts anything to do with sex so we have…
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Though many people may not even know what lichens are or where they are found, these organisms play an important part in the ecology of our wildlife areas. Lichens are a combination of other species, which makes them unique in…
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The Buckeye Tree can be found in many states throughout the US. However, the state of Ohio has such a fascination with the tree that it is called the Buckeye state. They even designated the Buckeye Tree as the official…
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When we think of competition, we usually think of animals competing for food, territories or mates. But plants compete too. It’s true that most plants can make their own food but they need sunlight to do so. Although sunlight is…
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Epiphytes, how many types are there? No one really knows. In one research project, they found over 2100 species in just 500 square meter, about the size of a very small front yard! And epiphytes are not just in the…
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Biodiversity is the the variety of live found in different environments and ecosystems around the world. Any living organism, plant animal or even microorganism increases or contributes to the biodiversity. Epiphytes greatly increase the biodiversity of rainforest. An epiphyte is…
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There are basically two types of plants that live on land: those with vascular tissues (xylem and phloem for carrying water and nutrients through the plant’s body) and those that do not. The first plants to conquer the land were…
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A “Phylogenetic relationship” can be defined as being a reference to a timeline in the past that a species shared common ancestors. Our understanding about phylogenetic relationships hinges on the patterns we see within evolutionary changes occurring along the passage…
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The most important gymnosperms are the conifers but even the rare species are valuable for what they can tell us about plant evolution and also as important members of their respective ecosystems, contributing food, shelter and clean air to the…
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Deep in the forest, under the giant trees, lie the ancient pteridophytes, the ferns. They are not conspicuous or dominating, seldom reaching more than a meter or so high, with the exception of the tree ferns. They never flower and…
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