Tongue fern (Pyrrosia adnascens)

Pakis lidah or tongue fern (Pyrrosia adnascens) is a plant species in the Polypodiaceae, a long creeping rhizome, up to 1 mm thick, in cross-section usually with a single central sclerenchyma strand, the distance between phyllopodia is 1-2 cm and lateral shoots alternate with phyllopodia.

P. adnascens has peltate scales, 3-5x1 mm, all over the base to the ciliate. Light brown tips, often with distinct hyaline and ciliate margins. Dimorphic midrib. The sterile frond has a stalk of 1-1.5 cm. Lamina 1-6x1-2 cm, cuneate base and rounded tip.

The fertile midrib gradually narrows at the base to the stem for a length of 5 cm. Lamina 8-25-0.45-0.8 cm, blunt tip to acute. Hydathodes appear rarely, few and are not clear. Monomorphic indumen but rarely, whitish to brown in color. Long hair 0.2-1.2 mm. Sori sinks with the central bundle of paraphyses.

Tongue fern grows on the trunks of living trees, dead trees and rocks at an altitude of 0-1300 m. Generally grows in humid areas and can withstand drought for up to 6 months. The whole plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Polypodiidae
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Polypodiineae
Family: Polypodiaceae
Subfamily: Platycerioideae
Genus: Pyrrosia
Species: Pyrrosia adnascens
Form: Pyrrosia adnascens f. adnascens, Pyrrosia adnascens f. calcicola

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...

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