Herbarium of the Bizarre (Meredith Hemphill)

Fun Fact: Sweet Gum seeds were carried onboard the space shuttle in 1984. The seeds were brought back down to earth and planted, and the trees survive to this day.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)
• Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)
• https://americanorchard.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/the-most-dangerous-tree-in-the-suburbs/
• Kill the flu with this common backyard tree from Legacy Wilderness Academy (15 July 2024). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=YGnksW_adH8
• Sweetgum: An ancient source of beneficial compounds with modern benefits by Jody M. Lingbeck, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.156307
• https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/treetalk/ecobot-sweetgum
• Magnificent Trees of Indiana by Caroll D. Ritter (2022)
• Trees of the Carolinas by Stan Tekiela (2007)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar

Someday I should cover the plantain fruit, too, just to be chaotic—I mean informative.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/plantain-weed
2. https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Plantago%20major
3. https://www.weedsandwildmedicine.co.uk/blog-1/plantain-the-sacred-herb-under-our-feet
4. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013)
5. Plantago major in Traditional Persian Medicine and modern phytotherapy: A narrative review by Younes Najafian (2018)
6. Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of Plantago major L. and its active constituents by Ali Nazarizadeh, et al. (2013)
7. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/plantago-major/
8. The traditional uses, chemical constituents and biological activities of Plantago major L.: A review by Anne B. Samuelsen (2000)
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major

Less late than last time! We are approaching being back on schedule! Moving into my first house is harder than I thought, y’all.

Recipe for Bengali Mashed Elephant Food Yam: https://seasonalflavours.net/ol-bhaate-elephant-foot-yam/#google_vignette

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/amorphophallus-paeoniifolius.html
2. https://conservatory.cals.cornell.edu/2016/05/18/featured-plant-amorphophallus-paeoniifolius/
3. A phytopharmacological review on an important medicinal plant - Amorphophallus paeoniifolius by Yadu Nandan Dey, et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8520.100303
4. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/collierco/2021/07/15/the-mystery-of-the-missing-amorphophallus/
5. https://garden.org/plants/view/177687/Elephant-Yam-Amorphophallus-paeoniifolius/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorphophallus_paeoniifolius

I’m trying a new thing today. Y’all will get to hear my “radio voice.” Is that a treat or a punishment? You tell me.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/triffid-triffidus-celestus/
2. Steve Sekeley (Director). (1963). The Day of the Triffids [Film]. Security Pictures, Ltd.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffid
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids
5. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951)

Sometimes plants come in very silly shapes.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/3891/nepenthes-bokorensis-wild
• Species composition of ant prey of the pitcher plant Nepenthes bokorensis Mey (Nepenthaceae) in Phnom Bokor National Park, Cambodia by Shingo Hosoishi, et al. (2012). Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 5(1), pg. 3-7.
• Report of carnivorous plants (Droseraceae, Lentibulariaceae and Nepenthaceae) from seasonally dry savannahs in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia by Pierre-Olivier Maquart, et al. (2021). Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 14(1), pg. 1-4.
• Nepenthes bokorensis, a new species of Nepenthaceae from Cambodia by Francois Sockhom Mey (2009). Carniflora Australis, 7(1), pg. 6-15.
• Nepenthes holdenii (Nepenthaceae), a new species of pyrophytic pitcher plant from the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia (2010) by Francois Stockhom Mey, et al. In: Carnivorous Plants in their Habitats by Stewart McPherson.
• https://www.livescience.com/carnivorous-penis-pitcher-plant-picked
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_bokorensis

This week’s plant is a little shy, so be sure to give it a warm welcome! Just don’t try to give it a hug.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. “Mimosa pudica L. (Laajvanti): An overview” by Hafsa Ahmad et al. https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0973-7847.99945
2. https://www.britannica.com/plant/mimosa
3. https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-sensitive-plant
4. https://greenhouse.biology.indiana.edu/features/fun-plants/Mimosa-pudica.html
5. “Neutralisation of lethality, myotoxicity and toxic enzymes of Naja kaouthia venom by Mimosa pudica root extracts” by Monimala Mahanta et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00373-1
6. “The potential of Thai indigenous plant species for the phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated land” by P. Visoottiviseth, K. Francesconi, & W. Sridokchan https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00293-7
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_pudica

Special thanks to the production of the Little Shop of Horrors stage musical I saw at NC State when I was in college. That was a first class play. I say as someone who goes to the theater maybe twice a year. But I have seen my fair share of horror musicals. There are more of them than you think.

I don’t quite have my recording setup ready in the new house yet, so sorry the audio is kind of bleh.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/audrey-ii/
2. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Roger Corman [Dir.].
3. https://playbill.com/article/did-you-know-that-audrey-ii-in-little-shop-of-horrors-is-a-female-man-eating-plant
4. https://littleshop.fandom.com/wiki/Audrey_II
5. Little Shop of Horrors (1986). Frank Oz [Dir.].

Meet the stinging nettle, a plant you don’t want to touch but might want to eat…or wear.

Alysse Creations: https://alysse-creations.info/

The website is in French, because they are in France.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Nettle as a distinct Bronze Age textile plant by C. Bergfjord, et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fsrep00664
2. https://www.britannica.com/plant/stinging-nettle
3. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties by Hari Prasad Devkota, et al. (2022) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules27165219
4. https://theecologist.org/2009/aug/20/second-skin-why-wearing-nettles-next-big-thing
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stinging-nettle
6. The medicinal chemistry of Urtica dioica L.: from preliminary evidence to clinical studies supporting its neuroprotective activity by Prabhakar Semwal, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs13659-023-00380-5
7. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-nettle-leaf
8. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica

With (sort of) special appearances by Tobin Bell, Rosalind Franklin, and a 19th-century Dutch scientist whose name I certainly did not get right.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) - A model system for tissue culture interventions and genetic engineering by Thumballi R. Ganapathi, et al. (2004) [Abstract]
2. In vitro transformation of cultured cells from Nicotiana tabacum by Agrobacterium tumefaciens by L. Marton, et al. (1979) [Abstract]
3. https://www.pmiscience.com/en/smoke-free/nicotine/tobacco-plant-research/
4. On the historical significance of Beijerinck and his contagium vivum fluidum for modern virology by Neeraja Sankaran (2018)
5. Therapeutic potential and phytoremediation capabilities of the tobacco plant: Advancements through genetic engineering and cultivation techniques by Nidhi Selwal, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2023.102845
6. PLANT vs. PATHOGEN: Enlisting Tobacco in the Fight Against Anthrax by Graeme Stemp-Morlock (2006) https://doi.org/10.1289%2Fehp.114-a364
7. “Tobacco Research and Its Relevance to Science, Medicine and Industry” by T.C. Tso (2006) DOI: 10.2478/cttr-2013-0824
8. Phytochemicals derived from Nicotiana tabacum L. plant contribute to pharmaceutical development by Wenji Zhang, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffphar.2024.1372456

I’m dedicating this week’s episode to one of my plant biology professors, Dr. Larry Blanton, because it’s about his favorite plant: Welwitschia mirabilis. It’s weird and wonderful, and there is literally nothing else like it.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. “Distribution of Welwitschia mirabilis” by Robert J. Rodin https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1953.tb06480.x
2. https://pza.sanbi.org/welwitschia-mirabilis
3. “Pollination Biology of Welwitschia mirabilis HOOK. f. (Welwitschiaceae, Gnetopsida)” by Wolfgang Wetschnig and Barbara Depisch
4. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Namibia

Our plant this week is Desert Cotton, which is also known as Kapok Bush. It turns out there is also a Kapok Tree, and that was totally not confusing at all when we were researching this episode. 😵‍💫

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Association of Morphological, Ecological, and Genetic Diversity of Aerva javanica Populations Growing in the Eastern Desert of Egypt by Noha A. El-Tayeh, et al. (2020) https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030402
2. Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud
3. A Review on the Pashanbheda Plant “Aerva javanica” by Vinit Ravjibhai Movaliya and Maitreyi Zaveri (2014)
4. https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/famine-foods/famine_food/aerva-javanica/
5. https://www.enature.qa/specie/tuwaim/
6. Phytochemical Analysis of Anastatica hierochuntica and Aerva javanica Grown in Qatar: Their Biological Activities and Identification of Some Active Ingredients by Vandana Thotathil, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules28083364
7. https://www.medicinalplants.doh.gov.ae/en/Encyclopedia-of-medicine-plant-of-UAE/Aerva-javanica
8. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aerva+javanica
9. https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/aerva_javanica.htm
10. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerva_javanica

I would like to introduce you to a tree that you can eat, brush your teeth with, and also use to make nanoparticles.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World by Akbar S. Ahmed (1999)
• Salvadora persica L. Toothbrush Tree with health benefits and industrial applications: An updated evidence-based review by Mohamed Farag, et al. (2021). Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 29(7), pg. 751-763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2021.05.007
• Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)
• https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Salvadora+persica
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadora_persica

There is COVID in our house, and I still have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow. I can’t think of a clever description, but I managed to make an episode on time, so be proud of me, please. This tree is named after intestines. That’s pretty interesting, right?

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR372
2. https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=734
3. Chemical composition, secondary metabolites and nutritive value of elephant-ear tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb): A review by N.J. Ekanem, Udoh Inyang, & Kingsley Ikwunze (2022) http://dx.doi.org/10.51791/njap.v49i2.3489
4. Enterolobium cyclocarpum Seed Passage Rate and Survival in Horses, Costa Rican Pleistocene Seed Dispersal Agents by Daniel H. Janzen (1981) https://doi.org/10.2307/1937726
5. https://www.govisitcostarica.com/blog/post/elephant-ear-tree-history-costa-rica-national-tree.aspx#
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterolobium_cyclocarpum#cite_ref-14
7. https://winrock.org/enterolobium-cyclocarpum-the-ear-pod-tree-for-pasture-fodder-and-wood/
8. Tropical Plants of Costa Rica by Willow Zuchowski

I forgot to plug in my microphone, but it’s late and that took a long time to record, so it’s just going to sound however it sounds. 🙃 I’m totally a professional.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170907-the-mystery-of-the-lost-roman-herb
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/miracle-plant-eaten-extinction-2000-years-ago-silphion
3. https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/silphium-mystery
4. Next chapter in the legend of silphion: Preliminary morphological, chemical, biological and pharmacological evaluations, initial conservation studies, and reassessment of the regional extinction event by Mahmut Miski (2021) https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010102
5. https://allthatsinteresting.com/silphium
6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium

If you’ve ever eaten a Pawpaw, let me you what you think it tastes like. Is it “sunny and electric”?

You can buy frozen Pawpaw pulp (and other forest-foraged goodies) from Integration Acres: https://integrationacres.com/

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.seriouseats.com/what-are-pawpaws-wild-fruit-midwest-how-to-prep-and-eat-pawpaws
2. https://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/01/establishing-a-pawpaw-tree-in-your-backyard/
3. https://www.nps.gov/articles/pawpaw.htm
4. “Where’s a Good Giant Ground Sloth When You Need One?” by Carol Ann McCormick (March-April 2010) in North Carolina Botanical Garden Newsletter.
5. Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson (1977)
6. Trees of the Carolinas Field Guide by Stan Tekiela (2007)
7. The Appalachian Project. (2024, Sept. 21). The pawpaw, often referred to as "America's forgotten fruit," holds a special place in the history and culture of Appalachia. [Social media post] Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/AppalachianProject/posts/pfbid02xtvQgHH4f4NDMw5gfh1RQn75ji8Bk89xHSPkZBZQUBL1Fwoty3TYVEXtAU6xXigEl
8. https://heritageconservancy.org/pawpaw-a-big-fruit-in-need-of-bigger-love/

It’s the very first episode of Herbarium Bizarre, and for this very spooky Friday, October 13th, we’re learning about a plant that looks like a ghost! And also like a mushroom. A mushroom ghost, perhaps? 👻

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://bio4climate.org/featured-creature/featured-creature-ghost-pipes/
• https://www.foraged.com/blog/how-to-use-ghost-pipe
• https://nystateparks.blog/2018/08/28/the-ghost-plant-a-closer-look-at-the-spookiest-plant-in-the-forest/
• https://wanderingrosetravels.com/trip-activities/ghost-pipe-wildflower-rare-mystical/
• https://www.wildcalifornia.org/post/into-the-haunted-forest-ghost-pipe

Happy New Years! 🧨 It’s not a new century, but we’re going to talk about the Century Plant anyway. Because I wanted to. It’s big and spiky, and once in a great while, it makes an asparagus tree (sort of).

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://facts.net/nature/plants/13-astounding-facts-about-century-plant/
2. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/agave-americana-century-plant
3. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=agam
4. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/agave/
5. https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/an-ode-to-the-century-plant/
6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_americana
7. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/century-plant-bloom-palmdale-agave-americana/3190660/

Roses are red,

But can never be blue.

Thanks for listening,

Welcome back for part two!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• https://bouqs.com/blog/roses-meaning-symbolism-what-roses-signify/
• https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant
• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)
• Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-earth Enchantments by Ellen Dugan (2016)
• Herbal Magick: A guide to herbal enchantments, folklore, and divination (2nd ed.) by Gerina Dunwich (2019)
• Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021)
• Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers by Marta McDowell (2023)
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa/
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_symbolism

It’s electric! An Electric Daisy, that is, also known as Toothache Plant, Buzz Buttons, Jambu, and a bunch of other things.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• The effect of toothpicks containing flavoring and flavoring plus jambu extract (spilanthol) to promote salivation in patients diagnosed with opioid-induced dry mouth (xerostomia) by Bennet Davis, et al. (2017) https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2017.0402
• Phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Spilanthes acmella: A review by Suchita Dubey, et al. (2013) https://doi.org/10.1155%2F2013%2F423750
• Rhamnogalacturonan from Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen: Gastroprotective and ulcer healing properties in rats by Daniele Maria-Ferreira, et al. (2014) https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0084762
• https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/spilanthes-acmella-jambu
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acmella-oleracea/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/toothache-plant#summary
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea

Spooky, scary mushrooms are glowing in the forest. 👻

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https:/id.biodiversity.org.au/node/fungi/60094367#overview
2. “Fungus of the Week: Ghost Fungi Bioluminescence” by Alison Downing, et al. from McQuarie University
3. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/15/hunting-the-ghost-fungus-glowing-mushrooms-in-australias-forests
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTWBt00vVU
5. https://theconversation.com/the-glowing-ghost-mushroom-looks-like-it-comes-from-a-fungal-netherworld-111607
6. The ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis (Berk.), new to Indonesia, poisoned foragers by Ivan P. Putra, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjs.2023.01.002
7. Bioluminescence in the ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis does not attract potential spore dispersing insects by Philip Weinstein, et al. (2016) https://doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.02.01

Let me tell you a little story about how star slime took over the world.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/2115
• https://www.britannica.com/science/Nostoc
• https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/nostoc/
• https://themeaningofwater.com/2024/06/02/when-a-cyanobacteria-takes-over-the-world/
• https://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/nostoc-commune/
• https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/nostoc-commune-star-jelly-zzs2rwhrb
• https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/nostoc_a_green_jelly_like_substance_growing_in_lawns

Should there ever be another toilet paper shortage, just grow this plant in your yard, and you’ll be good to go.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2016/jul/29/plant-lambs-ears-and-keep-wool-carder-bees-happy
2. https://hilltop.indiana.edu/news-events/_news/news9i.html
3. https://mimiciftligi.com/en/blogs/gastronomi_ve_dogal_sifa/kuzu-kulagi-bitkisi-faydalari-nelerdir
4. https://www.joellane.org/history/the-gardens/lambs-ear
5. https://shorehomeandgarden.com/2022/08/02/the-lore-behind-alluring-lambs-ears/
6. https://ourpermaculturelife.com/edible-medicinal-ornamental-herb-lambs-ear/
7. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/stachys-byzantina/
8. https://nativebeeology.com/2020/05/12/carder-bees-and-lambs-ear/
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachys_byzantina

I’m back from vacation with a new microphone. So, how do you feel about murderous trees?

P.S. The new microphone is great. It is a lot more sensitive than the old one, though, so I’m sorry about the airplane (?) at about 4:35.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/strangler_figs.php
2. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST250
3. https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1975.14.5.S/
4. https://www.science.org/content/article/being-strangled-may-save-tree-s-life
5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_aurea
6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_benghalensis
7. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangler_fig
8. Tropical Plants of Costa Rica by Willow Zuchowski

I apologize if you can hear my mom wrapping presents in the background of this episode, but ‘tis the season. For Part 2 of our festive plant trio, we meet a tree that cries bitter tears and kills intestinal worms. Happy Holidays!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• “Commiphora myrrh: a phytochemical and pharmacological update” by Gaber El-Saber Batiha et al. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00210-022-02325-0
• https://www.botanicalrepublic.com/blogs/beauty/what-is-myrrh-oil-used-for-in-skincare
• https://www.drugs.com/npp/myrrh.html
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/myrrh
• “The Role of Myrrh Metabolites in Cancer, Inflammation, and Wound Healing: Prospects for a Multi-Targeted Drug Therapy” by Rasha Saad Suliman et al. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fph15080944

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! 💚 These orchids definitely think that only fools rush in—in fact, they’re counting on it.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995293
2. https://www.science.org/content/article/orchids-deceive-amorous-male-wasps
3. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-sexually-deceptive-spider-orchids-wasps.html
4. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Plant_Strategies/mimicry.shtml
5. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2014/09/deceptive-orchids-luring-wasps-for-pollination/

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so Happy Harvest! This week, we’re reviewing the year in new botanical discoveries.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/new-fungus-species-at-worlds-end.htm
2. Exophiala chapopotensis sp. nov., an extremotolerant black yeast from an oil-polluted soil in Mexico; phylophenetic approach to species hypothesis in the Herpotrichiellaceae family by Martin R. Ide-Perez, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297232
3. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-story.html
4. Simocybe ramosa, a new species from the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area by Libelje Mortier, et al. (2024) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1656/045.031.0108
5. https://blog.pensoft.net/2024/10/09/drone-discovers-new-plant-species-in-hawaii/
6. https://blog.pensoft.net/2024/03/07/five-new-plant-species-with-striking-flowers-discovered-in-china/
7. Revealing brownish Mycena diversity in China: New discoveries and taxonomic insights by Renxui Wei, et al. (2024) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10060439

Oh my stars, I finished editing early this time! Which is good, because I’ll be in Berlin next week, and I need to hustle to get an episode banked for when I’m gone.

Give a holler in the comments if you also have childhood head lice trauma. 🙃

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/594
2. Bitter apple (Citrullus colocynthis) - A review of a wild plant growing from Asia to Africa with high medicinal potentials by Sidra Jabeen, et al. (2017)
3. Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad (Bitter Apple Fruit): Promising Traditional Uses, Pharmacological Effects, Aspects, and Potential Applications by Qin-Yuan Li, et al. (2022) https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.791049
4. Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)
5. “Citrullus colocynthis: Colocynth, Bitter Apple, Bitter Gourd” by Abdalbasit Adam Mariod, et al. (2017) in Unconventional Oilseeds and Oil Sources
6. Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apple): bioactive compounds, nutritional profile, nutraceutical properties and potential food applications: a review by Vasundhara Rao and Amrita Poonia (2023) https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-022-00118-9

Welcome back to Mandrakes! In part two, I’m covering the magical uses and folklore of Mandrake, as well as some of the places it has sprouted up in pop culture.

This is another plant we learned about in my ethnobotany class, so shout out #2 to Dr. De Gezelle.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by Guillermo Benítez, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874
2. https://youtu.be/xSdD-mVsjRg?si=sfyNighAK-K3ZmPb
3. Myths and mandrakes by Anthony John Carter (2003) https://doi.org/10.1258%2Fjrsm.96.3.144
4. https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/magical-mystical-and-medicinal/mandrake
5. https://www.wired.com/2014/06/fantastically-wrong-mandrake/
6. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/mandrake.shtml

I was hoping this plant was going to be a little more explode-y, but you can paint and make cheese with it, so that’s pretty cool.

I didn’t really think about the fact that my day off was also the day everyone sets off fireworks (even though they’re illegal in North Carolina) before I decided it would be a good time to record. At least it’s kind of on theme.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Prokinetic and Laxative Effects of Chrozophora tinctoria whole plant extract by Ayaz Ali Sher, et al. (2022) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules27072143
2. https://discoverpollinators.org/all-about-pollinators/ants/
3. A review on medicinal aspects of Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A. (Euphorbiaceae) by Sumaiya Fatima, et al. (2022)
4. Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud
5. Pharmacological evaluation of Chrozophora tinctoria as wound healing potential in diabetic rat's model by Harikesh Maurya, Monika Semwal, & Susheel Kumar Dubey (2016) https://doi.org/10.1155%2F2016%2F7475124
6. The book on how to make all the colour paints for illuminating books: unravelling a Portuguese Hebrew illuminators’ manual by Maria J. Melo, et al. (2018)
7. https://www.maltawildplants.com/EUPH/Chrozophora_tinctoria.php
8. A 1000-year-old mystery solved: Unlocking the molecular structure for the medieval blue from Chrozophora tinctoria, also known as folium by P. Nabais, et al. (2020) https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fsciadv.aaz7772
9. Phytochemical analysis, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of Chrozophora tinctoria: a natural dye plant by Feyza Oke-Altuntas, et al. (2017) https://doi.org/10.1080%2F13880209.2016.1277767
10. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/who-are-the-pollinators/ants
11. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrozophora_tinctoria

Happy Native American Heritage Day in the United States! We’re talking about a plant that featured heavily in traditional Native American agriculture which has now become a huge global crop. In the U.S., it’s called corn, but the international name is maize.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.britannica.com/plant/corn-plant
2. https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/%E2%80%98all-corn-is-the-same%E2%80%99-and-other-foolishness-about-america%E2%80%99s-king-crops
3. “A single domestication for maize shown by multilocus microsatellite genotyping” by Yoshihiro Matsuoka, et al. https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.052125199
4. https://www.popcorn.org/All-About-Popcorn/History-of-Popcorn
5. https://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN2632641520080226/
6. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/evolution/corn
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_maize

The Snowflake Fairy

Robed in white comes Snowflake Fairy,

braving wintry winds and ice,

pearly "Maid of February,"

whom the glistening frosts entice.

Gladly welcome Snowflake Fairy,

on your terrace give her room.

She alone in February

braves the cold to shed her bloom.

—Elizabeth Gordon

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• https://www.bloomandwild.com/the-blog/snowdrop-flowers-meaning
• https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/plant_profiles/snowdrops
• Plants That Kill: A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larson (2018)
• Galanthus trojanus: a new species of Galanthus (Amaryllidaceae) from north-western Turkey by Aaron P. Davis and Neriman Ozhatay (2001). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 137, pg. 409-412. DOI: 10.1006/boj1.2001.048.
• Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)
• https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77118772-1/general-information
• Galantamine for Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment by Clement Loy and Lon Schneider (2006). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001747.pub3
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/galanthus-nivalis/
• Homer's Moly identified as Galanthus nivalis L.: Physiologic antidote to stramonium poisoning by Andreas Plaitakis and Roger C. Duvoisin (1983). Clinical Neuropharmacology, 6(1), pg. 1-6. [Abstract].
• Collins Gem: Wild Flowers by Martin Walter (2002)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus
• https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/snowdrop/

Happy Friday the 13th! This plant has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to say it. We’re actually talking about Sunflowers, because they’re seasonal and they have taken over our front yard for some reason.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://gardencollage.com/change/sustainability/scientists-using-sunflowers-clean-nuclear-radiation/
2. https://www.kew.org/plants/sunflower
3. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a32638/sunflower-fun-facts/
4. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-sunflowers-are-ukraines-national-flower-180979850/
5. The National Sunflower Association (https://www.sunflowernsa.com/)
6. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/helianthus/
7. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-disaster-sunflowers-idUSTRE77I0PG20110819/
8. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/helianthus_annuus.shtml
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sunflower

I broke out my Intro to Plant Biology textbook from college for this. I just want you to know that.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://www.britannica.com/plant/banana-plant
• Raven Biology of Plants (8th ed.) by Evert Eichhorn (2013)
• A Dictionary of Plant Pathology by Paul Holliday (1989)
• https://asm.org/articles/2021/june/clone-wars-how-fusarium-fungi-control-the-banana-i
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-bananas
• PBS News Hour. (16 January 2016). Inside the fight to save the bananas we know (and love). [Video]
• https://www.thespruce.com/banana-tree-growing-profile-3269353
• https://www.inverse.com/science/artificial-banana-flavor-real-science
• https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.365.6450.207
• Tropical Plants of Costa Rica by Willow Zuchowski (2007)

I want to tell you about one of my favorite botanicals! It’s a fungus you’re sure to recognize. The mushrooms are red with white spots. It’s called Amanita muscaria or fly agaric, and it is both hallucinogenic and poisonous. What’s not to love? 🍄

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCS9ePWuLU
2. “Amanita muscaria: Chemistry, ecology, myths” by Carboue, Q. & Lopez, M. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030069
3. “The deceptive mushroom: Accidental Amanita muscaria poisoning” by Rampolli, F.I. et al. https://doi.org/10.12890%2F2021_002212
4. https://www.acslab.com/mushrooms/amanita-muscaria-vs-psychedelic-mushrooms
5. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/flyagaric.shtml
6. “Fly agaric and man” by R. Gordon Wasson in Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs (1967)
7. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/fly-agaric/

I forgot to mention this in the episode, so bonus fact: mad honey poisoning can theoretically be fatal, but no one has actually died from it since the 1800s. These days, we have treatments for severe poisonings, one of which is actually atropine!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://theapiarist.org/mad-honey/
2. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/mad-honey-red-hallucinogen
3. Risks for human health related to the presence of grayanotoxins in certain honey by the European Food Safety Authority (2023) https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7866
4. Grayanotoxin poisoning: ‘Mad honey disease’ and beyond by Suze A. Jansen et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12012-012-9162-2
5. https://bigthink.com/health/mad-honey/
6. https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/hidden-poison-rhododendron-nectar
7. Mad honey: uses, intoxicating/poisoning effects, diagnosis, and treatment by Sana Ullah et al. (2018) https://doi.org/10.1039%2Fc8ra01924j
8. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_honey
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron

This week’s carnivorous plant is bad news for gnats, flies, and mosquitoes, but maybe good for cows?

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://botany.org/home/resources/carnivorous-plants-insectivorous-plants/pinguicula-the-butterworts.html
2. https://www.learnaboutnature.com/plants/carnivorous/butterworts/
3. https://www.ukhouseplants.com/plants/pinguicula-butterworts
4. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinguicula
5. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-butterwort

I accidentally made my first two-parter! Oops? Mandrake is just a really interesting plant, and there was a lot I wanted to tell you about it. In part one, I’ll cover what a Mandrake is, why this plant was so important to the ancient world, and why it’s one of my “romantic” plants for February.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by Guillermo Benítez, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874
2. https://youtu.be/xSdD-mVsjRg?si=sfyNighAK-K3ZmPb
3. Myths and mandrakes by Anthony John Carter (2003) https://doi.org/10.1258%2Fjrsm.96.3.144
4. https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/magical-mystical-and-medicinal/mandrake
5. https://www.wired.com/2014/06/fantastically-wrong-mandrake/
6. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/mandrake.shtml

It’s the last week of Carnivorous Plant Month. 😢 But we’re finishing up with a real overachiever.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://entomologytoday.org/2024/03/27/bladderwort-carnivorous-plant-mosquito-biological-control/
2. https://www.britannica.com/plant/bladderwort
3. http://www.batladyherbals.com/2021/03/bladderwort.html
4. Evaluating the carnivorous efficacy of Utricularia aurea (Lamiales: Lentibulariaceae) on the larval stages of Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) by Ajeet Kumar Mohanty, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjae038
5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utricularia

I’m back, everyone! My voice doesn’t sound the best still, but I’m plowing ahead anyway. For the belated final week of Southern Plant Month, let’s meet the most hated plant in the South: kudzu.

If you’re in North Carolina and would like to try some of the kudzu delicacies I mentioned, look up Carolina Kudzu Crazy (https://www.facebook.com/p/Carolina-Kudzu-Crazy-100063473593361/).

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/
2. https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/dining/kudzu-edible-why-aren-eating/BXAct9CtIshpWaB8f9D2PO/
3. https://conservingcarolina.org/get-rid-of-kudzu/
4. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-history-and-use-of-kudzu-in-the-southeastern-united-states/
5. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/kudzu-invasive-species/
6. A single dose of kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm by David M. Penetar, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.05.025
7. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu
8. Fundamentals of Weed Science (6th ed.) by Robert L. Zimdahl

a.k.a Monkshood or Aconite

This episode has it all: murderers, witches, werewolves, vampires, and tips for your poison garden! And it would have been on time, if not for Spectrum. 😒

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8492936.stm
2. https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/plants_and_gardening/monsters_magic_and_monkshood
3. https://www.britannica.com/plant/monkshood
4. Aconite poisoning by Thomas Y. K. Chan (2009) https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650902904407 [Abstract]
5. https://www.drugs.com/npp/aconite.html
6. Mode of antinociceptive and toxic action of alkaloids of Aconitum species by U. T. Gutser, et al. (1997) https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00005136 [Abstract]
7. Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021)
8. https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-toxic-root-president-four-patients-hospital-poisoning/31215533.html
9. https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/aconitum-napellus-monkshood-wolfsbane-05-13-2016.aspx
10. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum

Featuring several detours into catmint, which is almost, but not quite, the same thing.

Article on catnip from my defunct blog: https://encyclopaediafelidae.com/crazy-for-catnip/

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Catnip: Its raison d’être by T. Eisner (1964)
2. https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/catmint-vs-catnip/
3. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211103125.htm
4. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/catnip-nepeta-cataria/
5. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e433
6. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nepeta-cataria/
7. Catnip and oestrous behaviour in the cat by G. F. Palen and G. V. Goddard (1966) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(66)80100-8
8. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm
9. Inheritance of the catnip response in domestic cats by N. B. Todd (1962) https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a107121
10. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats/
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip

I finally got to break out my Ancient Egyptian Herbal for this one!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-benefits-of-moringa-oleifera
• Moringa oleifera: A review on nutritive importance and its medicinal application by Lakshmipriya Gopalakrishnan, Kruthi Doriya, and Devarai Santhosh Kumar (2016). Food Science and Human Wellness, 5(2), pg. 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2016.04.001
• Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)
• An Ancient Egyptian Herbal by Lise Manniche (2006)
• Traditional uses, pharmacological efficacy, and phytochemistry of Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori: A review by Anndurai Senthilkumar, et al. (2018). Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9, pg. 465. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00465
• https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Moringa+peregrina
• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/health-benefits-moringa
• The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: 25th Anniversary Edition by Valerie Ann Wormwood (2016)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_peregrina

I’ve been humming “Every Rose Has it’s Thorn” for a week. 🌹🌹🌹

Music by James Milor and LuminousPresence from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• Herbaceous: Growing, Harvesting, and Using Herbs by Sarah Baker (ed.) (2003)
• https://bouqs.com/blog/roses-meaning-symbolism-what-roses-signify/
• https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant
• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)
• Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021)
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa/
• The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Greatest Drinks by Amy Stewart (2013)
• Genetic relationships and evolution of old Chinese garden roses based on SSRs and chromosome diversity by Jiongrui Tan, et al. (2017) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15815-6
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_symbolism

I’m returning to my tradition of wintry and holiday-themed plants for December. You can call it a tradition once you’ve done it two years in a row, right? First up is Holly, which I’ve always considered a bush, but apparently it’s a tree? Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://www.cloudforests.ie/blog/the-holly-tree
• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (1985)
• Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2009)
• https://treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/trees-plants-animals/trees/holly/holly-mythology-and-folklore/
• https://www.moonfallmetaphysical.com/s/stories/holly-uses-in-witchcraft
• https://www.thespruce.com/eighteen-species-holly-trees-and-shrubs-3269647
• https://thepresenttree.com/blogs/tree-meanings/holly-tree-meaning
• Trees of the Carolinas Field Guide by Stan Tekiela (2007)

Happy Halloween! For our (almost) Halloween episode, I wanted something that felt like it belonged at a Halloween party. I hereby introduce you to the Bleeding Tooth Fungus, a mushroom that looks scary but is actually pretty nice to have around.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-bleeding-tooth-fungus
2. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/fungus-lichen/is-bleeding-tooth-fungus-safe.htm
3. https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/devils-tooth-fungus.html
4. http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/f2012/deflorin_patr/index.htm

It’s one of history’s favorite poisons, Deadly Nightshade! It’s also one of my favorite plants, because it is both pretty and horribly toxic. The flowers are my favorite color!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report by Mohamed Adnane Berdai, et al. (2012)
2. https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/magical-mystical-and-medicinal/belladonna
3. https://sites.evergreen.edu/plantchemeco/deadly-nightshade/
4. https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/deadly-nightshade-botanical-biography
5. https://www.rxlist.com/how_do_anticholinergic_agents_work/drug-class.htm
6. An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Belladonna by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration by Catherine Ulbricht, et al. (2004)
7. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/belladonna.shtml
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticholinergic
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna
10. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/deadly-nightshade/

We haven’t done a fungus in a while, and this one was separately sent to me by both of my parents. So, it was practically an order from on high.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/dead-mans-fingers-purdue-landscape-report/
2. Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.)Grev. (Dead man's fingers) and its ethnomycological study by Ganesh Hedawoo (2021)
3. https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2019/10/from-the-grave-dead-mans-fingers/
4. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dead-mans-fingers
5. https://first-nature.com/fungi/xylaria-polymorpha.php
6. https://extension.psu.edu/spooktacular-flora-and-fungi
7. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylaria_polymorpha
8. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dead-mans-fingers/
9. https://woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/dead-mans-fingers/

Today we’re talking about one of my favorite fruits, the tomato. You’re probably pretty familiar with it, as it’s one of the most popular crops in the world, especially for home gardeners. But there might be a thing or two you didn’t know about this very common food plant.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. “Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Solanine Toxicity (Solanum tuberosum L., Solanum lycopersicum L.)” by Dr. Donald G. Barceloux
2. Genetic Diversity in Plants, Chapter 8: Genetic Diversity in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and its Wild Relatives, by Guillame Bauchet & Mathilde Causse
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221008015
4. https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomato
5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11101-007-9085-x
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2012.657809
7. https://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/history/
8. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-tomato-was-feared-in-europe-for-more-than-200-years-863735/
9. https://www.uvm.edu/news/extension/history-tomatoes

There are always eyes watching you in the woods—even on the plants! This week’s plant continues the October vibes with White Baneberry, a.k.a. Doll’s Eyes.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers-white-baneberry-actaea-pachypoda.html
• https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2017-10-27-dolls-eyesa-great-halloween-plant
• https://www.jacksonprogress-argus.com/content/tncms/live/
• https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=acpa
• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Actaea+pachypoda
• https://oaklandcountyblog.com/2019/09/13/a-dark-secret-of-dolls-eyes/
• https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACPA

Beware the Ides of March…and happy early Saint Patrick’s Day! Who doesn’t love some history? Today’s history lesson is about shamrocks. What actually is a shamrock, anyway? ☘️ It’s a more complicated question than you might think.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.britannica.com/plant/clover-plant
2. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/22170#page/113/mode/1up
3. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/30126#page/235/mode/1up
4. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/how-ireland-lost-the-battle-for-the-shamrock-in-germany-1.17004
5. https://time.com/5550579/shamrock-history/
6. https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/the-difference-between-irish-shamrocks-and-four-leaf-clovers/
7. https://extension.psu.edu/the-botany-behind-the-shamrock
8. https://www.bhg.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/traditions/fun-facts-about-four-leaf-clovers/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock

"They took all the trees, and put ‘em in a tree museum…”

—Counting Crows

That will kind of make sense in about 10 seconds. I should totally make a playlist for this podcast. Drop your recommendations in the comments.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://extension.umd.edu/resource/serviceberry-early-flowering-maryland-native-tree/
• Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amelanchier/
• Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson (1977)
• The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl (2023)
• Magnificent Trees of Indiana by Caroll D. Ritter (2022)
• Trees of the Carolinas by Stan Tekiela (2007)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier

Make sure you celebrate International Plant Appreciation Day tomorrow!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Carnivorous plants: Phylogeny and structural evolution by Victor A. Albert, Stephen E. Williams, & Mark W. Chase (1992) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1523408
2. Fluid physico-chemical properties influence capture and diet in Nepenthes pitcher plants by Vincent Bazile, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu266
3. https://www.britannica.com/plant/pitcher-plant
4. https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2023/11/how-carnivorous-Asian-pitcher-plants-acquired-signature-insect-traps.html
5. How a sticky fluid facilitates prey retention in a carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes rafflesiana) by Victor Kang, et al. (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.002
6. Bait, not reward: CO2-enriched Nepenthes pitchers secrete toxic nectar by Chandni Chandran Lathika, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.25.568661
7. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/carnivorous-pitcher-plants
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcher_plant
9. https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/fall-2020/articles/tropical-pitcher-plants-are-beautiful-but-deadly

Happy Holidays! This tree tastes like gingerbread!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://500wordsmag.com/food/everything-you-need-to-know-about-doum-palm-fruit/
• Influence of doum (Hyphaene thebaica L.) flour addition on dough mixing properties, bread quality and antioxidant potential by Waleed Aboshora, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-2063-1
• https://infonet-biovision.org/trees/doum-palm
• Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)
• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hyphaene+thebaica
• https://shevaundoherty.com/the-fruits-of-doum/
• https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Hyphaene_thebaica
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphaene_thebaica

This plant is deadly poisonous. But there seems to be some disagreement on how deadly, which seems like something that would be easy to come to a conclusion on. Just don’t eat it.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://www.jeremybartlett.co.uk/2017/01/24/corncockle-agrostemma-githago/
• https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/488938/Poisonous-Corncockle-spotted-in-the-UK
• Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021)
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/agrostemma-githago/
• https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Agrostemma+githago
• https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/corn_cockle.htm
• Phytochemistry and biological activities of Agrostemma genus: A review by Aleksander Smakosz, Adam Matkowski, & Izabela Nawrot-Hadzik (2024) https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121673
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrostemma_githago

You remember that time I forgot to plug my microphone in? 😅 Well, I didn’t do that again, but I think I didn’t have the recording settings correct because the audio sounds like it recorded through the laptop mic. Which is to say, it's terrible. The script will be publicly available on Patreon, for free, for anyone who has trouble hearing/understanding this one.

That aside, this week, we’re going to take a shallow dive into a very large and diverse genus of plants by meeting three of its most popular species.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

“Plant Guide: Indian Tobacco” by M. Kat Anderson, Natural Resources Conservation Service Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023) https://www.britannica.com/plant/Lobelia https://npcweb.org/underfoot-indian-tobacco-lobelia-inflata/ Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014) Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014) Wild Flowers of North Carolina and Surrounding Areas by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell (1979) National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region (2nd ed.) by John W. Thieret, William A. Niering, & Nancy C. Olmstead (2001) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobelia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobelia_inflata

Now that February is almost over, you’ll finally get to learn about a properly romantic plant. But hey, chocolate is always worth waiting for, right?

This episode references human sexual behavior. Only very mildly, but in case the kiddos like to listen, here’s your advance notice.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://doi.org/10.1215/00141801-52-4-673
2. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/archaeology-chocolate-180954243/
3. https://www.secondshistory.com/home/2021/2/21/chocolate-mesoamerican-aphrodisiac
4. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate
5. https://www.keithscacao.com/blogs/keiths-cacao-blog/the-taste-of-love-how-chocolate-became-the-world-s-favorite-aphrodisiac
6. Chocolate, “food of the gods”: History, science, and human health by Maria Teresa Montagna, et al. (2019) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph16244960
7. Cocoa and chocolate consumption: Are there aphrodisiac and other benefits for human health? By Eo. Afoakwa MPhil (2016) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2008.11734163
8. Tropical Plants of Costa Rica by Willow Zuchowski

Our plant today symbolizes both war and healing. It’s been used to make beer, soup, and tea, but if you see it in the wild, you would probably just think it’s a weed. Which it is, but a useful one.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Flowers and their Meanings by Karen Azoulay
2. https://www.almanac.com/yarrow-and-its-medicinal-uses-healing-garden-herb
3. https://www.almanac.com/plant/yarrow
4. https://www.botanical.com/~botanid5/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html
5. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/yarrow
6. https://santafebotanicalgarden.org/march-2011/
7. “Yarrow” from University of California Master Gardener Program
8. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-151/yarrow

Let’s take a Peyote trip (sort of)! 🌵 This cute, little, hallucinogenic cactus was one of the first plants I put on my list when I started this podcast. It's had a special place in my heart since my college ethnobotany class.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://apnews.com/article/indigenous-spirituality-protecting-peyote-sacred-d4855e65f6b011c6677d8050af9a2f8d
• Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures by F.J. Carod-Artal (2015)
• “Peyote (Mescaline)” in Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine (2nd ed.) by F.J. Couper (2016)
• Chapter 33 - Abuse of Magic Mushroom, Peyote Cactus, LSD, Khat, and Volatiles by Amitava Dasgupta in Critical Issues in Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Testing (2nd ed.) (2019)
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lophophora-williamsii/
• “Peyote” in Encyclopedia of Toxicology (3rd ed.) by C.M. Stork and S.M. Schreffler (2014)
• The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Greatest Drinks by Amy Stewart (2013)
• “Drug Fact Sheet: Peyote and Mescaline” from U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (2020)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyote

It’s festive Friday the 13th! Today we’re looking at English Ivy, a plant that makes me want to rage.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (1985)
• Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2009)
• Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich (2019)
• The attachment strategy of English ivy: a complex mechanism acting on several hierarchical levels by Björn Melzer, et al. (2010) https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2010.0140
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hedera-helix/
• https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/english_ivy.htm
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_helix

While researching this episode, I stumbled across an Insta called @horrorcultureplants that I highly recommend giving a follow.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Biological flora of Central Europe: Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. by Lubomír Adamec (2018). Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 35, pg. 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2018.10.001
• Studies on the leaf movement of Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., part I: Process and mechanism of the movement by Joji Ashida (1932). Memoirs of the College of Science, Kyoto Imperial University, Series B, 9(3), pg. 143-246.
• https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/waterwheel-plant/
• Fossil Aldrovanda by John D. Degreef (1997). Carnivorous Plant Newsletter, 26(3), pg. 93-97. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn263.jd244
• Prey capture analyses in the carnivorous aquatic waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., Droseraceae) by Simon Poppinga, et al. (2019). Scientific Reports, 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54857-w
• “This Carnivorous Plant Invaded New York. That May Be Its Only Hope.” by Mario Renault (13 August 2019). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/science/waterwheel-plants-carnivorous.html
• How the carnivorous waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) snaps by Anna S. Westermeier, et al. (2018). Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285(1878). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0012
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldrovanda_vesiculosa

I actually planned to have two parts this time. And I hope this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: this podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes, not medical advice. Please, please do not attempt using tobacco for any of the historical medical purposes mentioned in this episode just because I said it’s been done before. Not everything that has been done should be repeated.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. Medicinal uses of tobacco in history by Anne Charlton (2004) https://doi.org/10.1258%2Fjrsm.97.6.292
2. Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) by Marianna Jennifer Datiles & Pedro Acevedo-Rodriguez (2014) https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.36326
3. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/tobacco-in-colonial-virginia/
4. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1677/a-brief-history-of-tobacco-in-the-americas/
5. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/tobacco-the-early-history-of-a-new-world-crop.htm
6. https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/nicotiana/tabacum/
7. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nicotiana-tabacum/
8. https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/MN/Nicotiana
9. Tobacco smoking: the leading cause of preventable disease worldwide by Jonathan M. Samet (2013) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thorsurg.2013.01.009
10. https://www.st-group.com/about-us/our-tobacco/history-of-tobacco/
11. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Nicotiana+tabacum

We’re getting a bit of a head start on Spooky Season. Poisonous mushrooms! Political intrigue! Murder most foul! Like, seriously. So foul. And I’m pretty sure this is at least the second time Nero has come up on this show. I can’t escape that guy.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/17/1175494500/new-hope-for-an-antidote-to-death-cap-mushrooms-and-other-poison-fungi
2. https://www.britannica.com/science/death-cap
3. “Death Cap mushrooms can kill” from British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
4. https://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/death-cap-mushrooms.html
5. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/mushroom-poisoning-has-unreported-consequence-dog
6. The death of Claudius, or Mushrooms for murderers by R. Gordon Wasson (1972)
7. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides

Scary story time! But like, seriously. Thanks to Dr. Jillian De Gezelle for introducing me to this beautiful, nightmarish flower.

Apologies if the sound editing is not my best work. It’s been that kind of week.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.unilad.com/news/worlds-scariest-drug-crime-gangs-20220822
2. “Pharmacological properties of Datura stramonium L. as a potential medicinal tree: An overview” by Priyanka Soni, et al. (2012)
3. https://sunrisehouse.com/herbal-drugs/datura/
4. “Million dollar ride: Crime committed during involuntary scopolamine intoxication” by Sonja Reichert, et al. (2017)
5. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/poisonous-flower-tiktok-angels-trumpet-b1877286.html
6. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/datura.shtml
7. “World’s Scariest Drug: Columbian Devil’s Breath” from VICE (2012)
8. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/datura/
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura

Welcome to the first of three holiday-themed episodes! Thanks for the suggestion, Mom. This week’s subject is Frankincense. Not a plant, exactly, but a plant product that has enormous importance in human history and culture.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/frankincense
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/frankincense-trees-declining-overtapping
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/science/frankincense-trees-collapse.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
4. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2009.1472.1479
5. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/boswellia
6. https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/brief-history-frankincense

It’s time for our holiday surprise! What’s green, sits in treetops, and makes people weirdly romantic? Yes, it’s mistletoe, my favorite festive parasite. 🎄

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.dictionary.com/e/mistletoe/
2. https://blog.nwf.org/2012/12/12-things-to-know-about-mistletoe/
3. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/biology-mistletoe-180976601/
4. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/mistletoe/
5. https://www.britannica.com/plant/parasitic-plant

Today, we’re talking about the world’s favorite natural fiber. It’s pretty strange, if you think about it, that Cotton plants grow these fluffy, candy floss clouds.

To be clear, it’s cotton boll, not bowl. My accent is not my friend in this episode.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.fairindigo.com/blogs/news/what-is-pima-cotton-and-how-is-it-different
2. https://www.cottoninc.com/cotton-production/quality/classification-of-cotton/overview/
3. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/cotton-and-wool/cotton-sector-at-a-glance/
4. http://www.historyofclothing.com/textile-history/history-of-cotton/
5. “Cotton: From Field to Fabric” from the National Cotton Council of America
6. “The Story of Cotton” from the National Cotton Council of America
7. https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/what-cotton
8. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gossypium-hirsutum/
9. https://nymag.com/strategist/article/what-is-egyptian-cotton-explainer.html
10. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cotton/evolution/
11. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cotton/what/
12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium

This one goes out to you, D’Bravius. I have never known anyone else to get so excited about a Magnolia tree.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/333
2. https://gardens.si.edu/learn/blog/the-botany-of-magnolias/
3. https://www.gardenia.net/genus/magnolia-tree
4. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/magnolia-virginiana-sweet-bay-magnolia
5. https://blog.natureplusme.com/types-of-magnolia
6. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-acuminata/
7. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-fraseri/
8. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-macrophylla/
9. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-tripetala/
10. A review of pollination of Magnolia by beetles, with a collecting survey made in the Carolinas by Richard S. Peigler (1988) in Magnolia
11. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia
12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora

Today’s topic, Carolina Horsenettle, was suggested by Kate Shaw. Check out her podcast, Strange Animals Podcast, here: https://strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net/

My Experience with Solanum carolinense in the Treatment of Epilepsy, by Dr. C. F. Barber (1895): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/458507

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-profiles/horsenettle
2. https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/how-toxic-is-this-weed/
3. https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=393&cname=Horse+nettle
4. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/horse-nettle
5. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-carolinense/
6. "Pasture Weed Fact Sheet: Horsenettle" by G. Neil Rhodes, Jr. & William P. Phillips, Jr., University of Tennessee Extension
7. https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/horse-nettle-poisoning

This time, we’re going to talk about something truly terrifying: medical fraud! 😱 But also a bleeding plant, because you have to have balance. And no, we are not going to talk about how late this episode is. In fact, I don’t even know what you’re talking about.

If you want to know more about black salve, check out episode 253 of Sawbones (link below).

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.verywellhealth.com/bloodroot-4175168
2. Sanguinaria canadensis: Traditional medicine, phytochemical composition, biological activities, and current uses by Andrew Croaker, et al. (2016) https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms17091414
3. Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)
4. https://dsps.lib.uiowa.edu/roots/bloodroot/
5. Wild Flowers of North Carolina and Surrounding Areas by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell (1979)
6. McElroy, Sydnee and McElroy, Justin. (2018, 16 November). Black Salve (No. 253). In Sawbones. Maximum Fun. https://maximumfun.org/episodes/sawbones/sawbones-black-salve/
7. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/bloodroot-sanguinaria-canadensis-l
8. https://extension.psu.edu/spooktacular-flora-and-fungi
9. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanguinaria

It’s the first listener suggestion! Thanks to Ryan for today’s topic: Jack-o-Lantern Mushrooms. And my regards to your step-dad. I hope he learned from his mycological mistake.

Jack-o-Lantern Identification: https://youtu.be/gwjabCshMI4?si=EsJaSrsjhcgByyfs

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://foragerchef.com/know-thy-enemies-jack-olantern-mushrooms/
2. https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/omphalotus-illudens.php
3. https://defector.com/an-ode-to-the-jack-o-lantern-mushroom-a-poisonous-friend
4. https://grocycle.com/jack-o-lantern-mushroom/
5. “Irofulven – Halloween Trick or a Beacon of Light” by Elinoar Shavit in Medicinal Mushrooms, Vol 1(1), Spring 2008
6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalotus_olearius

Today is No-Buy Friday in the U.S. Aren’t you glad you can listen to this podcast for free? ;)

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)
• https://www.flowermeaning.com/bleeding-heart-flower-meaning/
• Wild Flowers of North Carolina and Surrounding Areas by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell (1979)
• https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/perennials/bleeding-heart/all-about-bleeding-hearts
• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dicentra/
• https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/293049/lamprocapnos-spectabilis/details
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region (2nd ed.) by John W. Thieret, William A. Niering, & Nancy C. Olmstead (2001)
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicentra_formosa
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamprocapnos
• https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/bleeding-heart-dicentra-spectabilis/

Special thanks to Brooke for suggesting today’s episode topic, Mariposa Lilies. Also, “mariposa” and “lily” have ceased to sound like words to me.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• https://smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/Mariposa_Lily.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_soil

Butterfly Mariposa Lily

• Phylogeography and population genetics reveal ring species patterns in a highly polymorphic California lily by Adriana I. Hernández, Jacob B. Landis, & Chelsea D. Specht (2022) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14313
• “Plant Guide: Mariposa Lily” from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, & National Plant Data Center
• https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/calochortus_venustus.shtml
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus_venustus

Catalina Mariposa Lily

• https://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Liliaceae/Calochortus%20catalinae.htm
• https://smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/Catalina_Mariposa_Lily.php
• https://theodorepayne.org/nativeplantdatabase/index.php?title=Calochortus_catalinae

Plummer’s Mariposa Lily

• https://messengermountainnews.com/the-rare-plummers-mariposa-lily/
• https://lpfw.org/our-region/wildlife/mariposa-lily/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus_plummerae
• Causes and correlates of interannual variation in flowering of Calochortus plummerae (Liliaceae) by Kimberlyn Williams, Erica Burck, & Cesar L. Garcia (2021) https://doi.org/10.3120/0024-9637-68.4.360

This episode appears not to have published last week when it was supposed to, and I don't know why. I'm sorry about that. It was finished and scheduled, but it still said "draft."

Today's topic is the Musk Plant. No relation to Elon. It’s a flower that smells like that stuff that’s in all the perfumes and colognes. Except, it doesn’t anymore, and that’s a mystery!

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

• Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)
• https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Erythranthe%20moschata
• https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/mimulus/moschatus/
• The lost scent of Mimulus moschatus by W.B. Gourlay (1947). Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 72, pg. 285-287
• Lost fragrance of musk by Eric Hardy (1934). Nature, 134, pg. 327. https://doi.org/10.1038/134327c0
• The lost scent of Mimulus moschatus by J.P. Hudson (1948). Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 73, pg. 24-25
• The lost fragrance of musk. Nature, 134, pg. 54–55 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134054a0
• The scent of Mimulus moschatus by H.N. Ridley (1947). Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 72, pg. 373
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region (2nd ed.) by John W. Thieret, William A. Niering, & Nancy C. Olmstead (2001)
• The musk mystery: A suggestion by Sir W. Beach Thomas (15 November 1930). The Spectator, pg. 10
• Mimulus moschatus in Massachusetts by M. E. Ward (1904). Rhodora, 6(71), pg. 227-228 https://www.jstor.org/stable/23293612
• https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/erythranthe_moschata.htm
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythranthe_moschata

April is Carnivorous Plant Month! Because I said so. This week, we’re talking about one of Charles Darwin’s favorite plants, the Venus Flytrap.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.zmescience.com/science/venus-flytrap/
2. https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2021/01/five-things-about-venus-flytraps/
3. Testing Darwin’s hypothesis about the wonderful Venus flytrap: marginal spikes form a ‘horrid prison’ for moderate-sized insect prey by Alexander L. Davis, et al. (2019) https://doi.org/10.1086%2F701433
4. https://www.fws.gov/species/venus-fly-trap-dionaea-muscipula
5. https://www.the-scientist.com/how-the-venus-flytrap-captures-its-prey-71429