Not only is an Amazonian water lily massive, with leaves that can grow up to 10 feet, but it’s also strong enough to withstand the weight of a small child. For years, researchers have attempted to ascertain how lily pads can do this. A recent study from Science Advances uncovered how a network of fractal veins, which radiate concentrically from a central stem, efficiently support the …
Edited by Laurie Cluitmans and published by Valiz, On the Necessity of Gardening explores gardening through social, cultural, political and historical perspectives. Organized as an abecedarium (a written work consisting of the letters of an alphabet, in order) the book traces the ways that gardens—once perceived in medieval times to be sites of paradise—became, by the 18th century, spaces of power and politics. This tale …
2019 Plant Discoveries Include a Cancer-Fighting Fungus and More 102 plants and eight fungi were officially named by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2019 (roughly 2,000 new species are named worldwide every year). Among the roster of the recently identified are a few additions with remarkable attributes, including a bamboo fungus from Yunnan that can fight cancer; a “miracle” berry, from the …
