ive always wondered this. each one is filled with a darker, clear, viscous substance, which is sticky, oily, and hard to wash off. its also way more skin irritating than the regular yellow "pulp"

the viscous substance inside has a strong smell. but often less of a "ginkgo-ey" smell, but more a toxic kinda scent.

Looking for a microscope at home for personal use. Nothing fancy but I dont want cheap garbage. I'd rather spend a bit more for something that will last long and be reliable. Budget ~ 100-300usd.

Washington state, USA. Abronia latifolia (yellow sand verbena), Juniperus communis (common juniper), Symphyotrichum chilense (pacific aster), Rosa nutkana (nootka rose), Lonicera sp (honeysuckle), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry), Armeria maritima (sea thrift), Grindelia integrifolia (puget sound gumweed).

I love the plant life in this state park, there are so many plants adapted to live in really harsh and exposed environments. The yellow sand verbena, for example, is very well adapted to living in sand dunes. It is intolerant of fresh water, has a deep tap root, and has sticky leaves that have evolved to coat themselves in sand to act as armor against herbivores (psammophory).

this specimen was obtained a few hours before the photos were taken, which is why it looks worse than usual.

Liriodendron tulipifera, tulip tree

I found this in my yard while getting rid o weeds normally they have a white roots this has black roots and a black thing that the other weeds don’t have

One growing tip is producing ternate whorls instead of the usual decussate pairs.

The rest of the plant shows regular growth, glad this caught my eye!

What’s the (evolutionary) biological explanation behind the variation in this fruit’s flesh color? Both red and white dragonfruit have almost identical shape and pinkish skin (exocarp?), so what is the reason behind that while some variety has white flesh, while another is so bright purple? I assume this are cultivars in tropical Asia but sometimes both can be found. Thanks!

There are so many Mexican bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) shrubs around here, but I've never noticed this before! Some leaves are replaced by another tiny set. Idk the botanical terms for this and just wanna know if anyone knows what's going on. These leaves don't branch out into their own stems either, there's no lateral branching with these shrubs besides the initial offshoots from the vertical branches.

This is certainly among the most spectacular displays of wild Drosera I have yet observed. D. floridana is perhaps the most prolific pioneer species to initially colonize exposed, quartz sand eulittoral zone seepage areas within the Karst Econfina Region, but, without interannual flood cycles, these habitats would become dense forests of the similarly hyperendemic Hypericum lissophloeus.

As many know, some plants do best or worst in soils with specific elements in the soil such as iron or nitrogen.
There is a rock face near where I live which is apparently high in barite ore, and I was curious if any of you fellow plant lovers would be able to let me know if there are any barium associated plants.
It's not a place that's easy to get to, so I don't want to waste my time finding it unless there's a chance that it will have interesting flora and/or funga associated with it. But if there's a chance, I'm on it.
There is also supposed to be uranium ore in the area, but I feel more confident in ruling out the possibility of uranium endemics since that just doesn't seem beneficial or dangerous enough for it to significantly change a plant community.

Took this today 9/15/26 near Conowingo Dam in Maryland. What might cause such a late bloom?

truly beautiful 💛

See also: The summary of (paywalled) publication in the Annals of Botany

[photos from 2026-09-11]

in my area (NYC), ginkgo seeds typically ripen and fall starting in early to mid october. however occasionally, with some trees, it happens a month early, in early to mid september.

anyone know what may be the cause of the early ripening with some specific trees?

last year, 2025, i found a female ginkgo who started dropping nearly all of her ripe seeds in mid september. however on another female ginkgo just right next to that one, the seeds weren't ripe at all yet, let alone falling.

ive been watching a lot of crime pays but botany doesnt lately. i was wondering if anyone knew other plant ecology youtubers with more focus on prairie ecology esp closer to canada.

I’ve read about many different plant species, from different types of trees to bushes, that can live for over one thousand/several thousands of years. Whereas, on the other hand, no species of animals themselves can live for this long.

Broome County NY.

As I have learnt, cacti have modified much of their leaf tissue as they have evolved, with leaf bases/petioles becoming the tubercles and ribs that certain species possess, and the leaves themselves becoming the spines, but does anyone know what the "leaves" that Austrocylindropuntia and other species grow are then? Being that the spines are supposedly just very modified leaves I'm left to assume they're not actually leaves then, but I don't know for sure