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Arborescence (treeness) has happened—and unhappened—many times in evolutionary history. Plants are nothing if not plastic. Some herbaceous plants like strawberries have woody ancestors while some woody plants like mulberries have herbaceous ancestors. In other words, arborescence exemplifies convergent evolution. Different evolutionary pathways can produce similar treelike outcomes in gene expressions. Taking the form of a tree brings specific disadvantages (slow growth, immobility) along with distinct advantages (stability, longevity). Even grasslike angiosperms (monocots) can achieve treelike form if they produce enough lignin to rigidify and thicken their outer tissue. Palms are monocots that can grow taller than most lignophytes. Other monumental monocots include dragon trees and Joshua trees, both in the asparagus family. Arborescence is dynamic: not an evolutionary state but a strategy shared by various genera. Its expression varies within the same species. Depending on habitat, the same plant might present as a tall, single-trunked individual—a classic "tree"—or a lowly, multitrunked shrub.

Jared Farmer, Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees

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i've been failing for hours to get warm

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Ramalina peruviana

Quipu lichen, Peruvian ribbon lichen

This fruticose lichen has many thin, flattened branches and tiny, isidiate branchlets growing out of lateral soredia and branch tips. The surface is pale gray-green interrupted by ellipsoidal or linear pseudocyphellae and punctiform soralia. It only rarely produces apothecia. R. peruviana grows on bark and occasionally rock in tropical and costal regions worldwide. So why is it named R. peruviana? Well, the type specimen used by Erik Acharius to describe the species was found in Peru. What's a type specimen, you may ask? Well when you describe a species, you need to have one specimen of that organism from which characteristics and features of the species description are drawn, and it needs to be stored in a collection where it can be accessed to compare characteristics and potentially DNA with future potential specimens. So even though this entire species grows all over the place and isn't only found in Peru, the name is a nod to the specimen which set the standard for the entire species name. It's pretty weird to think about using one individual as the standard when we know so much physical variation exists between members of the same species, right?

images: source | source

info: source | source | source

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from inside a cave in the Ozarks in totality

l Joshua Kwekel l Ozark National Forest

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Reblog to hug prev poster (they need a hug)

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what do you meaaaaaaan this is baby sturgeons youre lying to me.... you just Shrunk him

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IC 447

Nick Fritz on Instagram

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Shimunia on Etsy

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Club-horned Wasp - Sapygidae

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by Svetlana Kondrashova

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by Jaeyoun Ryu

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i know that "unalive" is part of larger worrying trend of self censorship but if you really are in a situtation where you have to avoid the words "die" or "kill" the english language already has centuries worth of much better euphemisms. the iconic and perennial "six feet under"? the lovely imagery of "pushing up daisies"? "shuffle off this mortal coil"????? literally anything from the monty python dead parrot bit???? you have so many options. please try to be more creative at least

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Lamproderma pseudomaculatum

by m.k_matto

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Sketches 🕊️ °˖➴

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This is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life

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by Onidaiko