Oleander, frangipani, Hoodia those weird potted plants on the “Enterprise” in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (Pachypodium), all belong to the family Apocynaceae, also known as the dogbane family and the periwinkle family. The family Ascelpiadaceae (milkweed family) has now…
Read more
The Pultenaea genus is endemic to Australia – all 100 odd species of them. They belong in the pea-flower subfamily which itself is part of the legume (Fabaceae) family. Most species are in the eastern states with only a few…
Read more
The Sarcochilus genus is endemic to eastern Australia and New Caledonia. There are around 20 of these diminutive species with 16 of them coming from Australia. The common name is fairy orchid and they may be epiphytic (growing on branches…
Read more
Among life forms that emerged from the primordial soup millions upon millions of years ago and began populating the Earth, there are few that have quite so long a lifespan as fish. Swimming about in the ancient seas of the…
Read more
Lying between Africa and Asia, the Red Sea is a protected ecosystem belonging to the Global 200 ecoregions named by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It encompasses around 2000 km of coral reefs, which contributes immensely towards its diverse ecosystem. According…
Read more
There are two main categories of sea shells: gastropods and bivalves. Gastropods have one shell and the creatures that live inside them are slug-like. These shells do not have hinges. The bivalves have hinges and look like identical halves. People…
Read more
The American eel is an ugly and slimy little creature that resembles a flattened snake in some respects but it has a most interesting life cycle. And not only that, it has secrets about its overall life that scientists have…
Read more
The life cycle of the American Eel (Anguilla Rostrata) has a very complex life cycle and its body completely changes at different times of the eel’s life. These changes are called metamorphoses. The eggs of the American Eel are laid…
Read more
The vampire squid is a diminutive deep-sea cephalopod found in the tropical and temperate oceans of the world. The vampire squid grows to about 15 cm (6 inches) in length, and its arms another 15 cm (6 inches) long, bringing…
Read more
Most people will know of histamine as the chemical reaction your body produces when having an allergic reaction. It’s a neuro-transmitter and humans always have some histamine in their bodies. More is produced from things like mosquito bites, bee stings,…
Read more