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The apple guava or common guava (Psidium guajava; known as Goiaba in Brazil and Guayava in parts of The Americas) is an evergreenshrub or small tree native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.[1] It is easily pollinated by insects; in culture, mainly by the common honey bee, Apis mellifera.
This species has become invasive in central and southern Florida and should not be planted or sold there. [2]
The plant is used in many different shampoo products for its scent.
http://blip.tv/play/geMCgdPabQI.html?p=1
Sometime between 1880 and 1886, a man by the name of Koster was working to establish a coffee plantation on Fiji when he accidentally introduced some of the seeds of Clidemia hirtia in his coffee stock. By about 1920 islanders realized the widespread problems of this plant, particularly in coconut groves, and called it “the curse.” Later Koster’s name was attached to it, and it was called Koster’s Curse. Since its early introduction to Fiji, it has spread to many other tropical islands and caused major problems as an invasive species.
Koster’s Curse, or Soapbush, is perennial shrub that can grow up to 6 feet tall, although it generally grows from 1 to 3 feet in height. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this plant are its leaves; they are slightly hairy with 5 major veins originating at the base of the leaf and extending all the way to its tip. The flowers are small and white, with five petals. When pollinated, these flowers give rise to small bluish-black berries.
Koster’s Curse is originally from Central and South America. It ranges all the way from Mexico to Paraguay. However, it was introduced to Fiji, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Hawaii. It has caused tremendous problems to the fragile ecosystems of Hawaii. It was first recorded from the island of Oahu in 1940. By the mid 1970s it was reported to have covered 90,000 acres. Now it is found on all major Hawaiian islands.
The major problem with Koster’s Curse is that it can spread rapidly in disturbed soil without any natural predators. When it does spread it will form monotypic stands that shade out all understory plant growth. This inhibits the rest of the forest from regenerating in these disturbed areas. It has been spread primarily by invasive pigs that track the seeds in their hoofs. Hikers also spread the seeds as they move among trails and islands. It is very important that hikers wash their boots before and after each hike in pristine rain forest areas where Koster’s Curse is found.
In the past the best way to stop the spread of Clidimia hirta was to use a combination of mechanical and chemical control. Plants were pulled up and then supplemented by herbicides in the area. Today a species of thrips (Liothrips urichi), originally from Trinidad, is being employed to control the spread of this species. Typically, with the introduction of biological control, the introduced insect predator rarely completely eliminates the species. However, it does decrease its competitive advantage in the problem areas.
Acanthaster planci is known as the Crown of Thorns Starfish. This sea star is an organism that has caused great concern all over the world, particularly in the South Pacific. The Great Barrier Reef has had crown of thorns outbreaks roughly every thirteen years since they were first discovered earlier this century. When the starfish come into a reef ecosystem in these plague proportions, they feed so heavily on corals that they can completely destroy a reef.
Even today, scientists debate whether these outbreaks are a naturally occuring phenomenon or if they are caused by human influences. There is concern that these outbreaks may be the result of added nutrients to the ocean from terrestrial sources such as agriculture and waste management.
Rob Nelson: “In 1999, when I was studying marine biology at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, I had the opportunity to be a Crown-of-Thorns eradication specialist. Basically, I got to go on a giant catamaran full of tourists out to Kelso Reef (50 miles offshore from Townsville), and while I was diving I’d take care of any starfish I saw. The tour company was worried the outbreak would completely destroy their local reef so we worked to control the population. On any one dive we might get 150 or more starfishes. The most humane way of killing a starfish was with sodium bisulphate, injected into 3 spots on the starfish crown. This chemical disrupts their nervous system, and they die quickly.
My main concern with the operation was that now we were acting as a secondary human influence on a population overgrowth that we did not know was human-caused. I understood that the goal on this reef was to save the existing reef community. I would have been sad to see such a beautiful reef destroyed, even if it was a natural process. In any case, the tour company could not save all the reefs. This was one of many patches of reef in the chain, the rest of which we allowed the starfish to feed upon.”
In 1959, the state of Hawaii recognized the many uses and cultural significance of the kukui tree, known elsewhere as the candlenut tree, by naming it the official state tree. These trees were one of many Polynesian introductions to the islands and thus were not a native tree. The most famous use for the tree and the source for its common name is its application as a fuel source. It also has many other uses such as an emollient, ink for tattoos, and as a poultice for headaches.
Kukui trees are easily identified on the slopes of Hawaiian mountains as they have very light, silvery-green foliage. From a distance, they stick out against the much darker green foliage of the other trees. The trees may reach 80 feet high. Leaf shape varies greatly but can be anywhere from rounded (ovate) to having three (trilobed) or five lobes. Leaves are generally four to eight inches long. A small green fruit surrounds the internal nuts.
The original distribution of the candlenut tree is difficult to pinpoint as it was spread by humans across the Pacific Ocean. The tree is commonly used in Indonesia, throughout Polynesia, and Japan.
Its not recommended to actually eat the raw seeds of a candlenut tree. The seeds have laxative properties, and the oil is an irritant. However, in Indonesian and Malaysian dishes, the seeds are used to make a thick sauce eaten with vegetables and rice.
The name Candlenut comes from the fact that the seeds of this tree have an extremely high oil content. In fact, its high enough that you can light a nut and use it to provide light. In Ancient Hawaii, the nuts were strung along the midrib of a coconut palm frond, lit and burnt one at a time. Each nut burns for about 15 minutes, and Hawaiians would use the duration of one burn to tell time. For instance, one might give instructions to be back when the second nut had burnt out.
Brassica oleracea (otherwise known as wild cabbage or wild mustard) is an incredibly diverse assemblage of edible plants that, while they appear to be different species, are in fact cultivars of the same species.
Brassica oleracea is native to southern and western Europe. It grew primarily in coastal areas as it has high salt- and lime-tolerance. It was not a very good competitor in open prairies and thus was restricted naturally to limestone sea cliffs.
Wild Cabbage is a biennial plant which means that it takes two years to reach maturity, set seed, and die. It forms a rosette of large leaves in the first year; in the second year it produces a large flower spike up to seven feet tall. The wild form has yellow flowers.
The cultivation of wild cabbage is not yet clear, although we know that both Greeks and Romans used this plant extensively as a garden vegetable. One of the main benefits of using this plant as a vegetable is its ability to store starch and essential nutrients (such as Vitamin C).
Today the cultivars of Brassica oleracea are divided into seven major groups. These groups are categorized by developmental form. These are as follows:
A few of the cultivars (especially brussels sprouts and broccoli) have high levels of sinigrin, a compound that may aid in the prevention of bowel cancer.
This plant is a coarse-growing perennial with trifoliate leaves that have coarsely lobed leaflets. It produces large, wisteria-like, purple flowers on long racemes and beans in flat, papery pods covered with a tawny down. Kudzu plants produce long lateral runners that generate roots at intervals. Being a member of the bean family (Fabaceae), bacteria in the roots fixes atmospheric nitrogen, thus increasing soil fertility wherever it grows
Kudzu was introduced into the US at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 and spread during the Great Depression of the 1930’s when the US Government paid farmers $8.00 an acre to plant the stuff on fallow fields and bare banks as a means of controlling erosion.
In its native lands, the roots are used to make a medicinal tea for treating dysentery and fever. In Japan, a kind of kudzu tofu is highly prized. The stems yield a fiber called ko-kemp that is useful in making cloth and paper. And, last but not least, the plant contains a chemical compound, daidzin, that has proven to be effective in suppressing the craving for alcohol.
The Mexican Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is also known as the Brazilian Free-tailed bat. It is one of the most abundant free-tailed bats in the world and one of the most abundant mammals in North America. In places like south Texas, the free-tailed bat roosts in large colonies during the summer months.
One roosting spot is located in the urban setting of Austin, Texas, underneath the Congress Street Bridge, south of downtown. Every night 700,000 to 1.5 million bats (depending on how many baby bats have been born in the season) emerge to feed on flying insects in the night sky. The bats in Austin are a spectacle that tourists have flocked to see since the bridge construction was made “bat-friendly” in 1980. Interestingly enough, this was done completely by accident. Small 1.5 inch slats on the bridge’s concrete extend 20 inches into the bridge. This hiding space proved to be an ideal roosting spot for Mexican free-tailed bats. Today other bridges in Texas are being fitted with similar slats to allow for the habitation of bats.
The Mexican free-tailed bat has a range that extends from coast to coast in the US and from Texas to Argentina. In the US, the bats migrate south in the winter and return to roosting sites in the summer. It is still unknown where the bats go in the winter months.
Mexican free-tailed bats live for an estimated seven to eight years. Once born it takes a couple years before they start breeding. Mature females will give birth to one pup each year for about five years.
These small bats eat primarily flying insects. They can eat three times their body weight each night while foraging.
The Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) is a medium-sized, non-venomous, Colubrid snake of Eastern North America. It is found in a variety of aquatic habitats, such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands, as well as man-made ditches and retention ponds.
Northern Water Snakes typically have dark dorsal (back) bands that are present on the anterior (towards the head) portion of the body that change to alternating dorsal (back) and lateral (side) blotches. Their ventral (belly) scales usually have dark half-moon shaped markings on them. Be aware that there can be a lot of variation within this general description! (Many water snakes can look very different from this!)
Unfortunately, water snakes are often confused and misidentified as venomous Cottonmouths or Copperheads. Some simple characters are present that can help the non-herpetologist distinguish between watersnakes and their venomous counterparts. First is the general shape of their head, although this is not the most reliable. Venomous snakes such as the Cottonmouth and Copperheads have a triangular shaped head that is very wide at the base due to the presence of the venom glands. However, to the untrained eye, defensive posturing (flattening and widening of the head and body) of many species of water snakes can be misleading. Fortunately, two other characters are present on the head of the animal to help the confused observer. Non-venomous water snakes have round pupils, not elliptical shaped (cat eyes), like those of venomous species. Finally, on a Northern Water Snakes, there will be no heat sensing PIT organ on the either side of the head between the eye and nostril. In addition to the head characteristics, Northern Water Snakes typically swim with their body below the water (just the head above the surface), while venomous snakes like the Cottonmouth swim on top of the water.
Water snakes eat primarily aquatic prey items such as small fishes and amphibians (frogs and salamanders), but on rare occasions, they have been found to eat invertebrates (worms, leeches, crayfish) and small mammals (shrews and voles). Recently, some populations have started feeding upon the introduced Round goby, an invasive species. Snake diets can also differ based on age or sex.
Predators of the Northern Water Snakes include birds, raccoons, opossums, foxes, snapping turtles, and other snakes.
Northern Water Snakes are live-bearing snakes! They mate in the early Spring and give birth in late summer to several pencil-sized young. The number of babies an individual female water snake can produce in a litter (or clutch) is highly dependent on a number of factors (like how much food is available), but it is most strongly associated with her own body size. In other words, the bigger the female, the more babies she can have!
Speaking of bigger, female Northern Water Snakes are quite a bit bigger than males in this species. The maximum body size reported in Conant and Collins for a Northern Water Snakes was 1500 mm (almost 5 feet).
Look, but don’t touch! Even though they are not venomous, water snakes are considered an aggressive species and will bite if handled. If you do pick one up and get bitten, don’t panic! Just treat the small wound like any other scrape or scratch (wash with soap, bandage if needed).
If you were the first to find this plant growing in the Namibian and Angolian deserts of west Africa you might be highly perplexed. It has only two leaves that grow from its base outwards. These leaves continue to grow throughout its life, and we know now that some of the oldest plants are over 2000 years old. But what may be even more remarkable is that it has no flowers. Instead it has naked seeds. Welwitschias are one of the lone survivors of one of the four lineages of gymnosperms, which today are known as the Gnetophyta. They’re known today as living fossils, much like crocodiles and ceolacanths.
In the wild, welwitschias are found in the deserts of west Africa in the countries of Namibia and Angola. While they are getting rarer due to their slow growth and fame by collectors, there are a fair number of these plants still in the wild. There are apparently more in Angola, due to the fact that there are more land mines in that country.
There are many welwitschias in botanical gardens as well. In fact, many gardens seek this plant to have as a specimen because of its unique taxonomy. One notable garden that has them is Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes) in Milwaukee.
Welwitschias have several special adaptations that allow them to live in the desert. First, they have unique structures on their leaves that allow them to harvest moisture from the dew that forms at night. They also have the ability to to perform CAM photosynthesis; they are the only gymnosperm that have this ability.
The Giant African Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) has been called the largest of the millipedes. It grows up to 11 inches in length. In Africa, where it is found, it lives in rotting plant material and generally avoids light.
In the exotic pet trade, the Giant African Millipede is a popular pet.
