Red flame (Strobilanthes reptans)

Red flame (Strobilanthes reptans) is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae, perennial shrub, up to 50 cm tall, isophyllous, stems sometimes forming a rosette but usually falling, dark red, branching and forming colonies.

S. reptans has leaves with stalks 0.5-8 cm long, pubescent, glabrous and dark red. The leaves are oval or elliptical or oblong-ovate or suborbicular, 1.5-8 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, the upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is dark red.

A bone in the center with several lateral veins and dark red in color, the base is rounded or heart-shaped, the tip is rounded and the margins are slightly serrated.

Terminal inflorescence, spike-shaped, up to 6-8 cm long. Bracts oblanceolate to elliptical, 8-12 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, persistent and pubescent in veins. Petals 6.5-10 mm and 5 lobes to the base.

Lobes are linear-lanceolate, ciliated and pubescent along the veins and smooth thinning apex. Corolla white or pale purple with darker veins, 1.3-1.5 cm long and glabrous. Basalt cylindrical tube for 4-6 mm. Orbicular lobe, 2-5 mm and glabrous. Stamens 4 items.

Capsule 7-9 mm, apical pubescent, 8-16 seeds, round and 1 mm in diameter. Red flames grow vines and form dense colonies to cover the soil surface or moist vertical structures.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Strobilanthes
Species: Strobilanthes reptans

Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar (Amanita javanica)

OPINION - Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar ( Amanita javanica ) is a mysterious fungus species and has been enigmatic since it was first reported by Boedijn in 1951 and after that no explanation or reporting of specimens is believed to be the same as expected. Boedijn (1951) described A. javanica which grew on Java island as having the characteristics covered in the Amanita genus. Corner and Bas in 1962 tried to describe Javan mocca and all species in Amanita based on specimens in Singapore. Over time some reports say that they have found A. javanica specimens in other Southeast Asia including also China, Japan, India and Nepal. But there is no definitive knowledge and many doubt whether the specimen is the same as described by Boedijn (1951). I was fortunate to have seen this species one afternoon and soon I took out a camera for some shots. In fact, I've only met this mushroom species once. Javan mocca is an endangered species and I have never seen in my experience in...

Purhepecha oak (Quercus purhepecha), new species of shrub oak endemic to the state of Michoacán, Mexico

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