Begonia vine (Cissus discolor)

Irah-irah or begonia vine or cissus javana (Cissus discolor) is a plant species in Vitaceae, semi-perennial in tropical climates, grows on the surface of the ground or climbs, up to 4 m long, has two varieties, namely Cissus discolor var. mollis and Cissus discolor var. rotundifolia.

C. discolor has soft fleshy leaves and stalks. The leaves have an oval shape, the base is heart-shaped, the tip is pointed, the edges are slightly serrated, the surface is wavy, a main bone in the middle with several sideways veins.

The leaves on the top surface have a doff dark green color with silver trimmings filling the spaces between the veins, while the other varieties have a color only green. The bottom surface is glosy maroon color. These color features are very important which differentiate them from other species.

The single stem has a square shape with corners, green or red in color and is strong but flexible. The internodes produce maroon petioles, roots or spiral stalks as new shoots or hooks to supports for propagating on the ground or climbing trees.

Cissus discolor var. mollis has smaller mature leaves and a narrower shape ratio with a width of 9 cm and a length of 13 cm. Cissus discolor var. rotundifolia has larger mature leaves and a fatter shape ratio with a width of 14 cm and a length of 23 cm.

The flowers in panicles, whitish yellow and red in color, grow at each leaf junction along the stem and have yellow stalks. The fruit in a panicle, spherical, blackish red, has a large stalk and is red in color.

Begonia vine lives in the shade on the forest floor with a pH of 6.1-7.5, usually under large trees for climbing media. Thrives in a shady place with sunlight intensity of 60-75% at an altitude of 400-1000 m.

Trenches are found on slopes, flat surfaces in primary forest, secondary forest and abandoned lands on clay and sandy soil. Widely used as an ornamental plant in hanging pots, it is also useful as a medicine for swelling, abdominal pain and menstrual laxative.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Cissus
Species: Cissus discolor
Varieties: Cissus discolor var. mollis and Cissus discolor var. rotundifolia

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Red costate tiger moth (Aloa lactinea)

Red costate tiger moth ( Aloa lactinea ) is an animal species in the Erebidae, a moth with a wingspan of 40 mm, a yellow belly, black antennae with red basalt joints, dark red palpi on the sides and white below, black terminal joints, living in forests and agriculture in the lowlands to mountainous areas. A. lactinea has a white head with a red stripe on the back. Thorax is white. The wings are predominantly white in color with black dots on each corner of the cells and a red margin. The wings have branched pulse lines and a starchy surface. The wing-covered upper abdomen is black with large elliptical plots and is colored yellow forming cells. The lower abdomen is white and has fine hairs that fall out easily. A pair of antennas is black. The forelegs are red, white and black. The other legs are white on the top and black on the bottom. The final joints are white and black which form alternating rings. Tip and sole black all over. The larvae are black in color with a lateral crest ...

Takenoshin Nakai swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nakaianum) replaces V. magnificum and C. magnificum

NEWS - Researchers reported an erect herbaceous species distributed in the eastern part of Honshu Island, Vincetoxicum magnificum (Nakai) Kitag. based on Cynanchum magnificum Nakai, nomen nudum. Therefore, they named this species Takenoshin Nakai swallow-wort ( Vincetoxicum nakaianum K.Mochizuki & Ohi-Toma). Vincetoxicum Wolf (Asclepiadeae) is the third largest genus in the Asclepiadoideae consisting of about 260 species geographically extending from tropical Africa, Asia and Oceania to temperate regions of Eurasia. A total of 23 species are known from Japan, including 16 endemic species. Molecular phylogeny divides Japanese Vincetoxicum into four groups: the “Far Eastern” clade consisting of 11 endemic species and 4 more widespread species, 1 sister species to the “Far Eastern” clade, the “subtropical” clade consisting of 2 species and the “Vincetoxicum s. str.” clade consisting of 5 species. V. magnificum (Nakai) Kitag. (Japanese: tachi-gashiwa) is closely related to V. macro...

Dlium