Jorge Brito hanging flower (Ceratostema jorgebritoi) and Siete Iglesias hanging flower (Ceratostema sieteiglesiana)

Jorge Brito hanging flower (Ceratostema jorgebritoi) dan Siete Iglesias hanging flower (Ceratostema sieteiglesiana)

NEWS - Ceratostema jorgebritoi has unique spirally arranged leaves and is the second species in the genus with tetrameric flowers. Ceratostema sieteiglesiana is distinguished by its spirally arranged leaves and distinctive five-winged hypanthium, further enhanced by conspicuous calyx branches. Both are new species.

Jorge Brito hanging flower (C. jorgebritoi) is similar to C. flexuosum (A.C. Sm.) J.F. Macbr., but has tetrameric flowers with oblong (vs. lanceolate) petal lobes, 5-9 acuminate (vs. 3-5 acuminate) and spirally arranged (vs. distichous).

Terminal inflorescence (vs. axillary), larger floral bracts (26.0×9.5 mm vs. 4.0-5.0×2.0 mm), longer hypanthium (3.4-10.1 mm vs. 3.0-4.0 mm), lanceolate-deltaic calyx lobes (vs. oblong) with a pointed apex (vs. acuminate) and narrow triangular corolla lobes (vs. lanceolate).

The species is found in Gualaquiza, Morona-Santiago, southeastern Ecuador. It grows in the eastern Andean foothills at elevations of 1600-1800 meters in primary forest and disturbed secondary areas. The researchers propose a conservation status of EN (Endangered). The name is dedicated to Jorge Brito-Molina, a biologist who has made significant contributions to terrestrial amphibians and micromammals.

Siete Iglesias hanging flower (C. sieteiglesiana) is similar to C. zamorana M.M.Jiménez & Vélez-abarca, but leaves are smaller (1.7-5.5×0.6-2.5 cm vs. 7.7-12.7×3.7-6.5 cm), inflorescences are short to very short-stalked (vs. long-stalked), flower parts are pubescent (vs. pruinose), flower stalks are shorter (1.92.7 cm vs. 2.2-4.1 cm) and subterete (vs. subquadrangular).

Bracteoles subulate (vs. ovate), calyx lobes longer (12.7-19.1 mm vs. 11.3-12.5 mm), sinus and apex pointed (vs. acuminate), corolla lobes longer (28-30 mm vs. 15-16 mm), outer black (vs. magenta) and filaments longer (9.5-13.1 mm vs. 4.5 mm).

C. sieteiglesiana is endemic to the forests around the city of San Juan Bosco, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. The new species was found at 1500-1700 m elevation in a layered forest containing trees and saplings covered with moss. Conservation status EN (threatened). Named after the type location of this rare species, the Municipal Conservation ecological area Siete Iglesias.

Original research

Marco M. Jiménez, Gabriel A. Iturralde, J.R. Kuethe, Leisberth Vélez-Abarca & Henry X. Garzón-Suárez (2024). New species of Ceratostema (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae) from the southeast Andes of Ecuador-I. Phytotaxa 663 (3): 111-126, DOI:10.11646/phytotaxa.663.3.1

Dlium theDlium

Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica)

Cogon grass ( Imperata cylindrica ) is a species of plant in the Poaceae, an annual grass, sharp leaves, long and scaly shoots, creeping underground, white or purplish flowers, very adaptive and grows in all climates. I. cylindrica has sharply pointed shoot tips that emerge from the ground, up to 3 meters high, short stems, rising above the ground surface. Leaves are long ribbon-shaped, pointed tip, narrow base, up to 100 cm long, very rough and sharply serrated edges, long hairs at the base and wide veins. Inflorescences in panicles, up to 28 cm long, spikes long-haired and white to 1 cm. The seeds spread quickly with the wind or via rhizomes that quickly penetrate the soil. This species grows in tropical to subtropical areas, elevation up to 2000 meters, temperature 20-40C, rainfall 500-3500 mm/year, pH 4-7.5, lots of sunlight to a bit of shade. This plant dominates open land, former forests, dry rice fields, roadsides and so on. This plant contains mannitol, glucose, sacharose...

Liberian coffee (Coffea liberica)

Liberian coffee ( Coffea liberica ) is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family, a tree up to 20 meters tall, with numerous, radial and irregular branches, brown bark, and linear fissures. The leaves are oval, thick, up to 35 cm long, up to 20 cm long, shiny green, and have petioles up to 1 cm long. The fruit is round to oval, irregular, and up to 2 cm wide. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Subfamily: Ixoroideae Tribe: Coffeeae Genus: Coffea L. in Sp. Pl.: 172 (1753) Species: Coffea liberica W.Bull in Nursery Cat. (William Bull) 97: 4 (1874) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Coffea abeokutae Cramer in Meded. Dept. Landb. Ned.-Indië 11: 286, 396 (1913) Coffea abeokutae var. camerunensis A.Chev. in Encycl. Biol. 22: t. 44 (1942) Coffea abeokutae var. indeniensis (Siebert) A.Chev. (1942) Coffea abeokutae var. longicarpa Portères in Ann. Agric. Afrique Occ. 1(2): 224 (1937) Coffea abeokutae var. macrocarpa...

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...

Dlium