botany

1y

My favourite photo of the week - Field Forget-me-not growing on a grassy bit which one of the local business parks is encouraging to grow as wildflowers. Smaller and paler flowers than the hulking big garden escapes I see more often in urban #Swindon. #WildflowerHour #Bloomscrolling #botany #plants #flowers #wildflowers #photography

Several clusters of pale blue flowers on top of a stem which is covered in short hairs. Some of the flowers are in the process of opening; these are pink rather than blue, the blue colour developing once they're fully open.

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1y

Scottish botanist and paleobotanist Robert Brown died #OTD in 1858.

In 1827, while observing pollen grains suspended in water under a microscope, Brown discovered the random movement of particles, later known as Brownian motion. He was the first to describe the cell nucleus, which he observed in orchid cells in 1831. He also made significant contributions to the classification of plants, introducing new families and genera.

#books #science #botany

Portrait of a person (Robert Brown), 1820. A captivating depiction of an individual by an unknown artist.

The miscellaneous botanical works of Robert Brown
by Brown, Robert, 1773-1858; Bennett, John Joseph, 1801-1876.

"The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown" is a collection of Brown's significant contributions to the field of botany, encapsulating his research, observations, and theoretical advancements. These works are foundational to various areas within botany and reflect Brown's meticulous scientific approach.

Brown's meticulous documentation and classification work laid the groundwork for modern botany. His discoveries regarding cell structure and motion influenced subsequent research in both botany and other scientific fields.

Brown introduced several key terms and concepts that are still in use today, such as "gymnosperm" and "angiosperm," aiding in the standardization of botanical nomenclature.

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101d

Turns out tomato sex is the reason we have one of life’s greatest foods: the modern potato. They’re hybrids of tomatoes and a non-tuberous potato ancestor called Solanum Etuberosum.

Thank you, horny little tomatoes.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-potato-may-have-evolved-from-a-tomato-ancestor-nine-million-years-ago-genetic-study-suggests-180987091/

Hat tip: @peteorrall

#Botany #Nature #Biology #Science #Tomatoes #Potatoes

Images of two species of potatoes. The first is Solanum Etuberosum, noted as being non-tuber-bearing. The second is Solanum Tuberosum, noted as being tuber-bearing.

Edited 101d ago

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1y

French botanist and explorer Jeanne Barret was born #OTD in 1740.

She is best known for being the first woman to circumnavigate the globe with Bougainville's expedition on the Boudeuse and Étoile from 1766 to 1769. Disguised as a man, under the name Jean Barret, she enlisted as a valet and assistant to the expedition's naturalist, Philibert Commerson, shortly before the expedition's ships weighed anchor. According to Bougainville, she was an expert in botany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Baret

Jeanne Barre
Unkwown - 18th century print. Originally found in Navigazioni di Cook del grande oceano e intorno al globo, Vol. 2 (1816) d'après Cristoforo Dall'Acqua (1734-1787).

Allegorical portrait of Jeanne Baret dressed as a sailor, dating from 1817, after her death.

The central figure of the portrait is Jeanne Baret, a French woman known for disguising herself as a man to participate in Louis Antoine de Bougainville's expedition around the world, making her the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Baret is depicted dressed as a sailor, wearing traditional seafaring clothing of the 18th century. This includes a loose-fitting shirt, trousers, and a sailor's hat, which symbolize her disguise and adventurous spirit.

Edited 1y ago

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1y

South African botanist and taxonomist Louisa Bolus was born #OTD in 1877.

She is known for her extensive work in the field of South African flora, particularly in the classification and description of new plant species. Her extensive collection and classification efforts greatly expanded the Bolus Herbarium, making it one of the most important botanical collections in the region.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisa_Bolus

#science #botany #womeninscience

Portrait of Louisa Bolus.

Louisa Bolus is presented in a modest, professional attire suitable for a botanist and academic of her time.

She is likely dressed in a high-collared blouse or dress, possibly with a jacket or shawl, reflecting the fashion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Her hair is probably neatly styled, either pulled back or in a simple updo, indicating her practical approach to her work.

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1y

Bananas are at risk of extinction, but scientists have a plan. 🍌

From @popsci: A fungus that can infect over 100 different plants is devastating the popular fruit.

https://flip.it/GPmKJH

#Bananas #Food #ClimateChange #Climate #Agriculture #Botany #Science

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1y

What Is Botanical Illustration? Learn About the History of This Scientific Art Form

By Emma Taggart and My Modern Met Team via @mymodernmet

https://mymodernmet.com/history-of-botanical-illustration/?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drawingclub&utm_term=drawingflowers&ck_subscriber_id=2836853634

#science #botany #scientificillustrators

300-Year-Old Botanical Illustration and the Art They Inspire Today

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1y

In October 1843.

Anna Atkins begins publishing Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, a collection of contact printed cyanotype photograms of algae, "by placing the unmounted dried-algae original directly on the cyanotype paper" to form the first book illustrated with photographs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Atkins

New York Public Library provides scans of 285 pages of its copy online:
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/photographs-of-british-algae-cyanotype-impressions#/?tab=navigation&scroll=3

#books #botany #photography #womeninSTEM

A cyanotype photogram made by Atkins which was part of her 1843 book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions

A photogram of Algae, made by Anna Atkins as part of her 1843 book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, the first book composed entirely of photographic images. At http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?419608

Cyanotype photogram of Wood Horsetail from the 1853 book Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns by Atkins and Dixon

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19d

New review: A nicely balanced collection of essays with long-lived trees from around the globe that provides ten different answers to the question: "And what else can you learn from tree rings?"

https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2026/01/14/book-review-in-the-circle-of-ancient-trees-our-oldest-trees-and-the-stories-they-tell/

#Books #BookReview #Bookstodon #Dendrochronology #Trees #Wood #Forests #Plants #Botany #Scicomm @bookstodon

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18d

The strange tale of Sigmund Freud’s begonia

How the gift of a plant helped Emma Freud finally get to know her great-grandfather

by Emma Freud

https://observer.co.uk/news/first-person/article/emma-freud-sigmund-freuds-begonia

#books #literature #botany

Begonia obliqua L.

Robert John Thornton (1768-1837) - Botanicus http://www.botanicus.org "Temple of Flora"

The image depicts Begonia obliqua (now more commonly known as Begonia species), showing:

A begonia with characteristic asymmetrical (oblique) leaves in rich green tones, with prominent red stems
Delicate pink blossoms and white star-shaped flowers scattered throughout the composition
An orange/brown butterfly in the upper left, adding life and movement to the scene

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begonia#/media/File:Begonia_obliqua00.jpg

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316d

8 women botanical artists from across Europe

Making contributions to both art and science

by Aleksandra Strzelichowska (from the archives) via @europeana

https://www.europeana.eu/en/stories/8-women-botanical-artists-from-across-europe

#botany #bookillustration #womeninStem

Title: 'Recueil de dessins de fleurs'

Creator: Madeleine-Françoise Basseporte

Institution: National Library of France

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363d

My daughter is starting to see all her USA federal national park summer job opportunities evaporate (many were stretch goals), and is looking now for summer lab research spots.

So if you are doing botany science (not horticulture) or have any leads, hit me up so I can relay. Boosts welcome.

(edit: you folks who are boosting and reading the getfedihired/botany tags are amazeballs, thank you!)

#botany #GetFediHired

Edited 363d ago

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1d

This week's #NewBooks at the library: I adopted damaged copies of The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants (look out for a review in the near future) and David Attenborough's Life Trilogy Boxset.

#Books #Scicomm #Bookstodon #Paleobotany #Palaeobotany #Plants #Botany #NaturalHistory @bookstodon @princetonupress

A photo of four books standing on a small, brown, wooden table. The out-of-focus background shows black shelves full of books and part of the beech-coloured laminate floor.

On the left, standing up, The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants, showing colour drawings of prehistoric plants (a conifer, a cycad, and a fern).

On the right, lying down, a dark green slipcase with three hardback books (in blue, red, and green bindings) partially pulled out. From top to bottom, we have David Attenborough's The Trials of Life, Living Planet, and Life on Earth.

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7d

🆕 The new issue of Annals of Botany is now online!

🌱 How leaf-dwelling fungi can reshape soil chemistry
🌬️ Why some wind-pollinated plants evolved grass-like traits
🔥 How plants recover after fire, drought, and salinity
and more…

New issue👉 https://botany.fyi/bep8tb

#plantscience #botany #plantbiology #soilmicrobiome #plantfungi #pollinationbiology #windpollination
#plantecology #plantadaptation #stresstolerance #fireecology

The cover image shows the inflorescence of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae; formerly Cleome gynandra), a leafy vegetable and medicinal plant widely cultivated in Africa. Commonly known as spider plant or spider flower, the species is characterized by its prominent, elongated floral structures. The accession shown here originates from Malawi in southeastern Africa.

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22h

Garden muse

Renaissance man and polymath Leonardo da Vinci was deeply interested in botany; many of his better-known works include signs of his careful examination of plants.

Top 10 Leonardo Drawings in the Royal Collection:
https://www.rct.uk/collection/stories/leonardo-in-the-royal-collection/top-10-leonardo-drawings-in-the-royal-collection?utm_source=Knowable+Magazine&utm_campaign=c402de6df9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_01_27_08_48&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_150f6a5cbe-c402de6df9-546465172

Da Vinci at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1629

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
A star-of-Bethlehem, woode anemone and spurge c.1506-12

The focus of this drawing is a clump of star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum L.), whose swirling leaves are seen in the studies for the kneeling Leda and in most copies of the painting, where it softens the edge of the rock on which the swan stands (the same device is seen by the infant Baptist’s legs in the St Anne cartoon, of a similar date).

Flanking the star-of-Bethlehem is wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa L.), and below is sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia L.) with details of its seedheads. Although the star-of-Bethlehem is somewhat stylised, the blades of grass growing untidily among and behind the anemones suggest that Leonardo observed these plants in the wild. Melzi's number 130.

Provenance
Bequeathed to Francesco Melzi; from whose heirs purchased by Pompeo Leoni, c.1582-90; Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, by 1630; probably acquired by Charles II; Royal Collection by 1690

https://col.rct.uk/sites/default/files/collection-online/4/f/755905-1526312430.jpg?_ga=2.13689712.670852902.1770025817-1950293379.1770025817

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5d

I'm back online, and the very first thing I did was upload what I was working on, y'all the coloring book/web zine about carnivorous plants is now LIVE. Please read about my passion and why I'm bursting with joy.

https://tippitiwichet.wordpress.com/bog-monsters-how-carnivorous-plants-do-the-things-they-do/

#gardening #humanMadeArt #coloring #carnivorousPlants #VenusFlytrap #wetlands #science #botany #ecology #zine

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236d

Defying classification, fantastical artworks reframe the racism of Carl Linnaeus

In the 18th century, the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus set out to classify life, creating a system of taxonomy that still endures. But, as Firelei Báez explains, his work included hierarchies of humans based on race that were ‘sheer nonsense’, embedding racist ideas into science that echo to this day.

https://aeon.co/videos/defying-classification-fantastical-artworks-reframe-the-racism-of-carl-linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/9516

#biology #botany #zoology

Linnaeus: Örtaboken (Herb book), early manuscript by L., 1725. "Earliest manuscript by L."

The image shows Örtaboken (“The Herb Book”), the earliest known manuscript by Carl Linnaeus, created in 1725 when he was still a young student. The page, yellowed with age, is filled with neat, handwritten text in dark ink, written in Swedish and Latin. Botanical names and descriptions are carefully arranged, often accompanied by delicate ink or pencil sketches of plants, leaves, or flowers in the margins.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Carl_von_Linn%C3%A9#/media/File:Linnaeus_-_%C3%96rtaboken,_early_manuscript,_1725.jpg

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