Snowflake wattle (Zapoteca portoricensis)

Snowflake wattle (Zapoteca portoricensis) is a plant species in Fabaceae, perennial, shrubs with many branches, pioneer plants that can live in various types of soil at an altitude of 500-2000 m, green leaves have white features, wood is used as energy and leaves for animal feed.

Z. portoricensis has several supporting roots and finer roots that extend to the ground surface. Tubular stem with green bark. Young twigs are bright green, tubular and have linear angles.

Mature leaves are dark green and young leaves are bright green. Length of up to 20 cm, width of up to 15 cm and at night or dark or rain will fold towards the trunk. The upper surface has white marks around the bones forming linear lines.

Pod-shaped fruit, thin and straight, green and has spaces filled with seeds. The mature pods will dry out, the sides will thicken and hard which suddenly burst from the tip to spit out the seeds in a circular motion.

Snowflake wattle grow to fill disturbed lands including, erosion slopes, river banks and road sides. Live in a variety of habitats up to altitude of 1900 m, but thrives on 250-800 m, rainfall 2000-2400 mm/year and dry season 3-6 months, temperature 22-28C and pH 4.5.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Ingeae
Genus: Zapoteca
Species: Zapoteca portoricensis

A deep-sea isopod Bathyopsurus nybelini adapted to feed submerged Sargassum algae

NEWS - Incredible footage shows a marine species, Bathyopsurus nybelini , feeding on something that sinks from the ocean’s surface. Researchers using the submersible Alvin found the isopod swimming 3.7 miles down using its paddle-like legs to catch an unexpected food source: Sargassum. Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the University of Montana, SUNY Geneseo, Willamette University and the University of Rhode Island found the algae sinking, while the isopod waited and adapted specifically to find and feed on the sinking nutrient source. The Sargassum lives on the surface for photosynthesis. The discovery of a deep-sea animal that relies on food that sinks from the waters miles above underscores the close relationship between the surface and the deep. “It’s fascinating to see this beautiful animal actively interacting with sargassum, so deep in the ocean. This isopod is extremely rare; only a handful of specimens were collected during the groundbreaking Swedis...

Pink poui (Tabebuia rosea)

Pink poui ( Tabebuia rosea ) is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae, a small neotropical tree, growing up to 30 meters tall and up to 100 cm in diameter. It has layered and irregular branches, with gray to brown bark and vertical fissures. The leaves are compound, finger-shaped, five-petaled, length up to 33 cm, width up to 15 cm and long stalk up to 9 cm. The flowers are large, bright red or purple or white, fan-shaped, up to 9 cm long, up to 8 cm wide. The fruit capsule is slender and up to 35 cm long. The fruit dries and dehisces, producing anemochorous seeds with hyaline membrane wings. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Tabebuia Gomes ex DC. in Biblioth. Universelle Genève, n.s., 17: 130 (1838) Species: Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC. in Prodr. 9: 215 (1845) HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS Couralia rosea (Bertol.) Donn.Sm. in Bot. Gaz. 20: 9 (1895) Sparattosperma roseum (Bertol.) Miers in Proc....

Blue pea (Clitoria ternatea)

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