#ficus features

[ficuslyrata]

Creed III, 2023

[tomandonotaque]

Large island style backyard natural pool fountain photo A sizable natural pool fountain in the backyard

[honeygloom]

The hunter feasted

Mandibles, like twin serrated scythes

Sliced through a warm carcass

Blood saturated the forest floor

Feeding the hungry ferns

That rustled, as the hunter

Pulled meat from the bone

With tiny hands

At its mouth

[twenty-flight-rock]

Deck Pergolas

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - July 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Zoo welcomes birth of four endangered horse foals

“[The Marwell Zoo in GB] said it was "delighted" to welcome the arrivals to the endangered Przewalski’s horse herd. All four are female and said to be "doing well" after two were born in May and two in June. […] “These horses, that were previously listed extinct in the wild, are an example of how zoo breeding programmes can help restore threatened species around the world.” […] All the Przewalski’s horses alive today are descended from just 12 individuals. Current estimates suggest there are 178 mature individuals living in the wild.”

2. Restoring woodlands and planting trees for sustainability success

“In 2023, [the Marwell Zoo] planted 9,000 new trees […] both within the zoo and on our surrounding land. […] Marwell tries to encourage natural feeding behaviour and nutrition by including leafy material [in animals’ feed] as much as possible. […] Planting more trees and enhancing management of our existing woodlands, prepares the way to further self-sufficiency in browse production in the future. Plus, it creates new habitats for wildlife in our woodland areas.”

3. Inclusive Playgrounds Allow Children Of All Abilities To Play

“With ramps allowing children in wheelchairs to ascend the central play structure, as well as numerous other swings and apparatus usable for children of all abilities, the 16,000-square-foot P.K.’s Place is St. Paul’s first fully inclusive playground. […] To be universally accessible, a play area must have at least 70% of its play features fully accessible, far more than required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). […] Play areas should allow parents and grandparents with disabilities to participate as well.”

4. Combination treatment can increase human insulin-producing cells in vivo

“[Diabetes-model mice] were treated with the combination therapy [of a plant product called harmine and “a widely used class of type 2 diabetes therapy”] and their diabetes was rapidly reversed. Strikingly, human beta cell numbers increased by 700 percent over three months with this drug combination. "This is the first time scientists have developed a drug treatment that is proven to increase adult human beta cell numbers in vivo. This research brings hope for the use of future regenerative therapies to potentially treat the hundreds of millions of people with diabetes," said Dr. Garcia-Ocaña, the paper's corresponding author.”

5. Decades of Dedication: Australia’s Largest Ongoing Urban Restoration Project

“[Friends of Lake Claremont] has transformed the area into a thriving ecosystem, re-establishing native habitats and fostering biodiversity. This year, 800 native seedlings (100 trees, 350 shrubs and 350 ground covers) have been planted on the northwestern buffer of Lake Claremont. Volunteers replaced a large Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa) affected by [beetle] infestation with native plants to enhance the local wildlife habitat, thereby benefiting insects, frogs, birds and brown bandicoots. […] Overall, the project contributes to the area’s function as a regional ecological corridor, linking inland bushlands, the Swan River and the Indian Ocean.”

6. Important habitat for fish in Heart of the Fraser now conserved

“British Columbia’s iconic salmon now have more protected spawning habitat in the lower Fraser River, thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) conservation acquisition of Carey Island. […] Carey Island and its gravel channels offer calm and crucial spawning and rearing habitat for the river’s fish and aquatic species. […] The Pelólxw Tribe […is also] actively working to restore the resilience of aquatic habitat within this stretch of the Lower Fraser. NCC is exploring opportunities to collaborate with the Pelólxw Tribe in support of their vision for stewardship of the area, which prioritizes both ecological and cultural values.”

7. Prime editing efficiently corrects cystic fibrosis mutation in human lung cells

“[R]esearchers have developed a gene-editing approach that efficiently corrects the most common mutation that causes cystic fibrosis, found in 85 percent of patients. With further development, it could pave the way for treatments that are administered only once and have fewer side effects. The new method precisely and durably corrects the mutation in human lung cells, restoring cell function to levels similar to that of Trikafta [the standard treatment since 2019].”

8. Montana’s High Court Considers a Constitutional Right to a Stable Climate

“At issue was the appeal of a decision last year, when a Montana judge blocked a state law that prohibited agencies from considering climate impacts when deciding whether to approve fossil fuel projects such as new power plants, pipelines or mining. The ruling, by District Judge Kathy Seeley, was prompted by a lawsuit filed by 16 youths who argued that the law violated Montana’s constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment.” It was the first ruling in the United States to effectively establish constitutional rights to a stable climate[….]”

9. The US is about to get its first solar-covered canal

“The first canal-based solar project in the U.S. is nearing completion on tribal lands south of Phoenix, Arizona. […] The long, narrow solar array design would snake along the line of the canal and tap into the local electrical distribution grid every 1,000 feet, or every one megawatt. […] “Canal solar allows for greater power production per land size, cleaner water, less power transmission losses, and significant reduction in evaporation[….]” Covering the entire 8,000 miles of canals and waterways managed by the Bureau of Reclamation with solar panels could generate over 25 gigawatts of renewable energy and reduce water evaporation by tens of billions of gallons[….]”

10. Camera traps offer glimpse of first beaver born in Northumberland for 400 years

“"It’s such a relief that they have bred successfully and to see a new fluffy kit swimming with the family[….]” In just one year [since releasing the beavers], there has been a noticeable increase in resident trout, says the National Trust, along with more regular visits from kingfishers and grey herons. There are more insects at the site, too, thanks to the organic matter that builds up behind the dams, which in turn provides food for Daubenton’s bats. […] Beavers also play an important role in creating habitats that are more resilient to the effects of climate change[….]”

July 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[creators-lounge]

✏️ Creators' Content ✏️

This post is for anyone who is curious about our server members' content, and to share a lot of suggestions for people to check! 💕

Since Tumblr is a website that mostly depends on reblogs, everyone is welcomed to reblog to give these amazing creators a well deserved boost!

Remember to also encourage other content creators as well, you may make someone's day with a silly reblog or comment!

Note: This post might be edited depending on the members' information, comic updates, projects updates, etc, so check the original post instead of reblogs.

Note 2: This is a private server for plenty of reasons, we do not accept requests nor petitions to join, so we would be grateful if you do not put that pressure on our mods or on our members. Sorry in advance, and hope you still enjoy all of our artworks! You may check our QnA for a better explanation if you'd like, too.

v Members' Comics Section v

ALIVE by @tatatale

> First Chapter

A L I V E is not an AU as such, but a buch of characters from different AUs and timelines who decided that they'll form an AU. So it's technically an AU, but no. Enjoy.

Bovid-20 by @hansama

> First Chapter

Bovid-20 is a (very short) suspense mystery comic that tells the story of a home invasion in the middle of a lock-down. You are the main character of the story.

Bitty Problems by @theskeletongames

> First Chapter

A comic featuring bitties with Sanses, primarily focusing on Underfell Sans and his bitty

Delivery! by @anovainspace

> Comics

Three out!codes from collapsing alternative universes came together to one void, all just wanting to obtain access to the multiverse for their end goal; therefore, they created an alibi to not create suspicion for wandering around different places. Setting up a pen paling system for others to contact each other through mail and delivering said mail. 

Don't Forget by @zirkkun

> First Chapter

“Don’t forget us. We’re with you in the dark.” After years of abandonment, the Undertale multiverse has been mysteriously shrouded in darkness. there only remains one survivor by the name of Ink… but despite a faint hope from everyone who died that everything can return to normal, he’s forgotten all the pieces to restore the multiverse back to what it once was.

Flicker of a Neon Soul by @harmonytre

> First Chapter

Since the beginning of time, monsters have had colored souls. Only the royal family's soul could change color. That is, until two young skeletons find their colors.

How to greet a new pal by @theskeletongames

> First Chapter

A crossover comic with Sans falling into Underfell.

Idoltale by @nekojaf

> First Chapter

Idol and her friends go on a big multiverse adventure after a new and strange Force threatens their universes.

Impostortale by @s3-izures

> Masterpost

Armed with an obsession for masks and semi-immortality, a shapeshifter roams the multiverse in search of roles to fill, missions to complete, and shenanigans to commit.

Non-Lethal AU by @s3-izures

> Masterlist

A certain Destroyer has been found... except this one doesn't seem to be destroying anything so far. In fact, he seems like a bit of a wimp, doesn't he?

Paper Crane by @little-noko

> First Chapter

Where timelines and lives ends, in the void are countless shattered souls struggling to remain alive and come back to the living world they came from. A being without a name gather them to form a single entity, with nowhere to go, they found themselves traveling endlessly to make sense of who they are and why they are here.

Prismtale by @harmonytre

> First Chapter

Havana, Sans, Scarf Mouse, Bob, Monster Kid, Fuku Fire, and Ficus Licker are thrust into an adventure they'll never forget. Will they find a way home? How will they deal with their new powers? Who on earth is PC?

Save!tale by @mumder

> First Chapter

Sans is stuck in a ruthless loop of genocide runs. Except after the 678th reset, he for some reason awakens with all his memories, including one that haunts him - the image of a star. This fixation slowly drives him insane, as he becomes obsessed with becoming the epitome of determination.

Spitetale by @nosebleed-inglishera

> First Chapter

After several genocidal routes, everyone in the Underground started to remember, causing monstersto fearing for the next time they get killed again. Will Frisk take the choice to finally save everyone and fix their mistakes?

Timetale by @allesiathehedge

> Prologue

Seven hundred years after they were sealed underground, monsterkind still hopes that they would one day return to the surface. Not only does Sans have to worry about finding a solution to destroy the barrier on behalf of the King, but he also has to face a ghost of a past that he sorely wanted to keep buried. Will Sans be able to make peace with himself, his duties, and his failed love? Only time will tell...

Underlust Reimagine by @zirkkun

> First Chapter

An Underlust AU that takes a spin on the original concept to present a thematically similar story, but with some slightly different aspects that have led some of the characters to take different roles.

Under/Source by @slylock-syl

> First Chapter

After a virus wielding hacker threatens to cause chaos throughout other universes, Necros takes it upon himself to track them down and protect anyone he can along the way.

Underwizard by @susartwork

> Prologue

Humans began hunting monsters to gain great magical powers from their souls. After a huge massacre, seven human wizards decide to seal the monsters underground with a magic spell. Hundreds of years later a human child appears, determined to free all the monsters and save them from a new threat.

Unitale by @toky502

> First Chapter

Unitale (An alternate tale) is a comic of an alternative and altered version of many other stories from other undertale au's together, is just an alternate tale more.

Various comics by @wr-n

> Masterpost

> Eldritch AU

> Dust comics

Dust Comic is a comic following the Bad Sanses as they look for a way to cure Dust of his lethal dose of Determination and LV.

Members Projects and WIPs

Blocking Sans by @samess-moon (Twitter)

Damaged tale by @6nimus9

Damaged tale is an Alternate Timeline of Undertale that takes place in a frozen post-genocide timeline where only o̸n̵e̷ ̵c̸h̷a̷r̷a̶c̵t̷e̸r̸ remains, basing its concept in how consequences can strike back.

Encantale by @codeyspace

The Human vs Monster war ended a millenium ago. Monsters trapped in the underground with hope and magic. What should've led to their extinction was instead replaced by something... enchanting.

Escort Mission by Yoki-Doki (DeviantArt)

Way before the events of Undertale, even before the war between humans and monsters, a little girl lost her way in the monster kingdom. This is the quest to help her return home.

Flowerfield AU / Ask Sunflower by @asksunflower / @tatatale

This is an ask blog about a silly guy who acts like a cat and a goat king, but is actually a skeleton. He likes flowers and tea, and sometimes things happen.

Herb by @omero-megane (Twitter)

LAU by @nixensibrat

Lonertale by @blvdcharms

Lonertale is an AU revolving around a medieval, single-most pacifist timeline where war between humans and monster is post-poned up until the main cast of characters are young adults. Follow Asriel and his friends as they go on to protect monsterkind.

Storyteller by @cursedmuii (Twitter)

“I exist based on the will of stories. I have no place to return, no name, or age, but I am called Storyteller... Come here with me, I can take you everywhere with the stories I tell… only you listen to them.”

Strays AU by @stoukadraws

“Give me your hopes and dreams, and I shall grant you true salvation.” An unknown human falls into Mt. Ebott, and begins their journey through the Underground...But something is off. Will they discover what’s truly going on behind the scenes?

Undereats by @sui-imi (Twitter)

A food delivery service that works with restaurants across the multiverse. It's run by a Gaster called Exec. They work together with - and are located in - Commercetale, an AU where trades and sales empower monster magic.

Underforgotten by @nezu-tan

Undergut by @theartist-june (Tw. Gore)

Undergut is an AU where hunger makes for desperate times. It’s not that there is no food… it’s that food could barely sustain, could barely satisfy. Magic is not enough. We need more… more…! Will you be able to survive the hunger?

UnderREM by @socksandbuttons (And @/ohlookanothercartoontofallinto)

Dreamtale with dreams and the cast of Undertale.

Underrewind by @wishingstarinajar

A comic and fanfiction/short stories are currently in the works to tell the story about Rewind, the main protagonist of this AU.

Undervalue by @6nimus9

Monsters, instead of getting trapped down by a magic barrier, are trapped directly by humans, who after winning the war started by greed have decided to take advantage of the monsters’ ability to create precious stones and gems of different values.

Wickedtale by @alch3mic (AO3) (Read Tw's.)

WICKEDTALE is a reader insert fairytale inspired Undertale AU set in the twisted Ebott City. As one of its many unfortunate inhabitants, do you have what it takes to survive in such a wretched town surrounded by secrets and misery? Well, luckily for you there seems to be a certain skeleton in your life who will go to any lengths to assure your happy ending together.

Great artist you should check anyway!!

@bloowe-blu - @lazzlady - @minaruzi- @normalayasstuff - @sanssupremacy - @shenzcorner

Other fandoms content!

@galaxii-star (Multifandom) - RazzyPossum (FNAF) - @jadenskyfare

[b0nten]

LOVE ME ‘TIL DEATH CRACKS BOTH OUR SKULLS OPEN; WHAT WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOU?

[SYNOPSIS] ˚⁀➷｡ you chase grief to find closure. be it in your best friends’ eyes and laughs, in the two families you built separately, or in your high school sweetheart’s fading presence.

[NOTES] ˚⁀➷｡ idk lowkey angst???

alcohol tastes bitter when you drink it from the bottle. it burns when it cascades down your throat; it pierces your stomach when you’re drinking it while hungry.

Satoru’s passed out in the bathroom. Shoko is dissociating on the couch. you’re twenty-two and they’re twenty-three, and you’re all still dreaming of the life you wish you could have had — teenage hope and childish laughs fill the cracks of three lives that have been static for the last five years and a half.

february. valentines day just passed.

you keep a small picture of Suguru in your wallet so you don’t forget his face. it makes your heart knot and your stomach self-cannibalize; the vomit dries somewhere between the esophagus and the larynx, and your head gets bashed open, like you’re a pomegranate. if someone shakes it hard enough, you can swear memories will start falling out like seeds — after all, that’s what they really are. seeds: the cores of your existence.

the tiny porch of Shoko’s apartment is freezing. unlike Satoru, she doesn’t have those fancy radiators installed. but also unlike Satoru, she doesn’t prohibit smoking indoors, so it’d be a waste of money, time and space. the dying ficus in the corner wouldn’t be there otherwise.

a stray mayfly flies in front of you, lost from its group, searching for light. it doesn’t know your best friend will probably be cleaning its corpse from under the window.

the door creaks open, but you don’t bother turning around. from the corner of your eye, you catch chalk-white hair, and a pair of toned arms lean against the railing, next to yours, in just a moment.

“it’s midnight.” Satoru announces. “February fifteenth.”

a sigh escapes from his lips — one he tried to hold back.

February fifteenth. yours and Suguru’s anniversary. a sharp inhale cuts your throat like glass shards.

cerulean blue eyes move to scan your features. it’s not uncommon for the two of you to share heart-to-hearts anymore, and sometimes Shoko joins in too. though you’ve had more heart-to-hearts with her than Satoru, the boy still reads you like an open book, even though he has to crack the spine and dig his fingers deep enough into the cellulose to get it to open.

an image flashes across your mind. you and Suguru in the middle of Shibuya crossing, dressed in puffy winter clothes, fat scarves around your necks. his gloved hands on your cheeks as he jumps the gun, finally.

“i like you more than anything.” he said then.

Satoru, Shoko, Nanami and Haibara wide-eyed and still on the sidewalk.

“i like you more than everything.” you replied. your face was numb from the cold, but Suguru’s adoring gaze always somehow turned it warmer. he did it effortlessly, really, and in return, you made the sun shine in his eyes.

your head might explode if you think about it too much, but you feel like you can’t help yourself but chase the grief — such a hard-head you were and still are — and with the continuity came the downfall.

you’ve been keeping the pyramid scheme secret, you’ve hid the traces of the Suguru from today. you’re the only one that knows about his whereabouts, you’re the only one that has skinned him alive and gently dressed him in the shell again. you still get to see his face, and feel his presence. he’s a walking ghost of your past, haunting your desperate attempt at survival while you cling onto what you’ve got left of him.

he’s cruel when he wants to, even when he doesn’t want.

but you can’t bare yourself to stop it; you don’t want to forget his touch, his smell, his voice, his heart — you’ve long forgotten the smile anyways, besides the picture in your wallet — and maybe playing pretend is the best way to do that.

you’re just as cruel. and masochistic. but as long as it doesn’t slap you in the face, it’s okay, even though it may put your head on the chopping block.

you’ve grown used to the two small pairs of hands who run through your hair while you’re sat cross-legged on the floor, and across from you, Suguru’s eyes almost sparkle again. barely, but it’s there. he’s there. for a brief moment, you gain the hope you lose forthwith, when you see the robes and the room you’re standing in.

a hand on your shoulder pulls you out of the dwam. your eyes meet the okinawan sky in Satoru’s eyes again. Riko’s smile flares across your pupil, Satoru’s laugh rings in your ear, and the phantom of Suguru’s hand holds your smaller one in his: a picture you want to have embroidered in the innermost part of your retina, to have your optical nerve feed on it for the rest of your life and project it in front of you, blindly.

“Megumi wants to go book-shopping with you.” the strongest snickers, “he read all of the books you got last time. oh, and Tsumiki told me to ask you to come over next week or so to prepare the dolls for hinamatsuri.”

you smile. Satoru always tries to cheer you up by mentioning the kids, not that he wouldn’t be able to cheer you up himself, but there’s a fondness in your eyes when you hear about them, and especially when you spend time with them, one so pure that the heir to the Gojo clan cannot get enough of it. he truly is a great friend.

“i’ll take him shopping sometime this week.” you reply, and there is the glimmer in your eyes that makes Satoru’s smile brighter than the sun, “and i didn’t forget about the hinamatsuri. i’ll be over on the 27th.” you continue.

your best friend smiles — grins — it’s so endearing to see him smile after all that he’s been through. you smile back. co-parenting like this was never something you thought you needed, yet it helped you; it brought Satoru and you closer than ever before, and even though your relationship is purely platonic, it just made you comprehend the depths of your love towards each other.

through good and bad, thick and thin, heaven and hell — you’re not letting each other be alone anymore.

the door creaks open once again.

“let’s prank call Nanami and tell him a bank credit has been opened under his name.” the doctor grins.

six eyes look at each other, and you all enter the apartment again.

the next morning, you bid each other farewell. you smile to yourself on your way back to your place, skipping through the almost fully blossomed plum trees, stopping to buy yourself a bouquet of flowers, feeling the breeze and the sun fall against your skin forgivingly.

the front of your door looks different, though. you hit your foot against a small, carton box. you pick it up, and bring it in, setting it pretty on your kitchen counter, despite Shoko’s dramatic lectures on being careful and how the possibility of weird packages being bombs is always small but never nonexistent.

you flip the lid up. a cake. a small, little cake, white frosting and baby pink hearts adorning it. on the inside of the lid, an envelope. you tear it open with adolescent curiosity, and read.

happy anniversary, sweetheart.

come by when you can, we’re waiting for you.

P.S: the twins also left you a little gift.

you touch the inside of the envelope again. sure enough, another paper lies hidden in it. your heart bursts with gentle flowers, a gardenia blooming in your aorta, etching its roots deep into your right ventricle.

hand drawn, messily but with love, four stick figures. a very tall one with long, black hair and a circle serving as a bun, a shorter one with your hair color, and two smaller ones with fawn and dark brunette bobs. a family portrait, if you will. one that deserves its place on your fridge, right next to Megumi’s.

[thecoziestbean]

🐻🍯🌳HalsinTav Week: Scent Kink🌳🍯🐻

I don't have anything complete for HalsinTav week, but this is from a longer modern au I'm working on that features my primary Tav, Wren. For context, Halsin owns a plant nursery in a small town and Wren is an out-of-towner running from her problems by spending the summer there.

Wren looks down to find herself backed against one of his potting benches. Fresh dirt and damp terracotta blends with the scent of him: oak moss and cedar, coffee and spice, and something musky and primal that turns her insides to jelly. The weathered wood biting into her lower back hard enough that she winces, but Halsin doesn’t seem to care as he presses closer. His arms cage her in on either side, hands gripping the sides of the table hard enough that the veins in his forearms stand out where they’re exposed beneath the rolled back sleeves of his flannel. Wren thinks she hears the wood crack under his white-knuckle grip. The air in the greenhouse is heavy, humid, intensified by the nearness of Halsin’s body looming over her. He’s close enough that she can feel his breath warm on her cheek, a soft huff, like a curious animal scenting something strange it’s found in the woods. Wren’s blood thunders in her veins, a flush blooming across her skin to match the roses twining up the trellises just beyond the greenhouse walls. Halsin raises a hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, curling the fiery lock around a thick finger before letting it go. His fingers graze the taut column of her neck as he pulls them away, his touch gentle, almost hesitant, but his hazel eyes still burn hot with pent up emotion. Her pulse flutters like a hummingbird under his touch. “Your scent, it’s like…” he murmurs, trailing off like he hadn’t really meant to speak aloud, like the words aren’t really meant for anyone’s ears, least of all hers. He sucks in a deep breath, nostrils flaring while his hand lingers on her throat. Words fail Wren, lost as she is in the moment. She arches into his touch, hoping he can feel the way her blood sings for him, and stretches her lips towards his like a flower reaching for the sun. The sounds of smashing terracotta and an unfamiliar woman’s voice cussing a blue streak from the opposite end of the greenhouse shatter the moment. Halsin startles, a wild and panicked look in his eyes as he shoves back from the gardening bench, putting as much distance between himself and Wren as possible. “Fuck! Halsin?” the woman hollers. “I broke more of your fancy pots.” “‘S ok, Karlach,” he shouts in reply, voice hoarse like it’s been run through a wood chipper. A tall woman with broad shoulders and dark hair shaved on the side appears from around the corner of a row of ficus. She comes up short at the sight of Wren and Halsin, pretty dark eyes widening in surprise. “Oh, am I interrupting?”

[official-nature-posts]

Can you ramble about something from your biology field of interest for 5 to 115 minutes please? Favourite genus/species perhaps?

I did a bit of a ramble about Azolla a day ir two ago so go look at that bit i’ll do another.

So in the Ficus (figs) genus, which has over 800 species and includes the common fig, Ficus Carica which I will start off with as it is the most familiar to people. It is a small to medium sized tree native to the Mediterranean region as well as parts of Western Asia. It is drought tolerant and grows in semi arid and arid regions. The sweet, fleshy fruit of the tree warranted the cultivation of it across the region for thousands of years. It now is grown across the world. (this info relates to all ficus now) The fruit isn’t actually one fruit but an inverted inflorescence (look it up) called a Syconium. So basically a fleshy cave lined with fruits.

(fig torn in half)

On to the wasps. The cave like structure of has a small opening at the base of the fruit. All ficus are pollinated by minuscule wasps Sp. That generally fly into the fig, buzz around and pollinate it and die inside the fig and then dissolve wait its more complicated then that but I forgot so here is an article

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/fig_wasp.shtml

Some species of figs, generally called banyans or strangler figs, start life growing as an epiphytic (growing off the ground such as in a tree) vine, due to it’s fruits being eaten by birds and defecating in leaf litter in the trees branches or at the base of the tree. As it climbs it creates a lattice of aerial roots that choke the trunk of the host tree. The vine reaches up into the canopy, smothering the light of the host tree, and the roots attach to the ground. This eventually kills the host, allowing the ficus to hijack the structure of the tree, as if the first tree never existed.

Banyans are a little different, but the terms are generally interchangeable. Banyans form large spreading trees, sometimes through strangling, and as the branches grow out they drop aerial roots. Once they hit the ground, they thicken to become whole new trunks, still attached to the main tree though the branches. It props up the brach and allows the canopy to extend extemely wide. The Great Banyan Tree in Bengal has the appearance of a forest but it is all from one tree!

There is Ficus Pumila, the climbing fig, which clings to hard surfaces very closely, you would barely know it is a fig species. I’ve heard the fruits were used as a gelstiniser in some asian cooking though. The ability to cover walls in harsh environments means they are great for greening up building and as an extension of that, urban areas. So that is cool.

My favourite ficus is the Moreton Bay Fig, native to NSW in Australia. It has large, pointed oval leaves with a glossy, dark green top and a red underside. It can behave as a strangler/banyan, but that kinda depends on it being in the warmer more humid areas for it to put down aerial roots .It also grows well standing as a tree on it’s own, thus it was planted across the globe in warm temperate climates as a large feature tree in parks. It is great for climbing due to its low, wide canopy and huge buttress roots which stabilise it.

I’ll leave it at that.

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Trees in Buddhism (1)

Fig trees (Ficus) - Trees that bear fruit without flowering

“Enter the fig forest and seek the flowers, but get none. In the world of the three realms (Trailokya: Ref), you seek the unwavering and you do not get one. The practitioner who knows this, forsakes this and that together...like a snake shedding its old skin.” - Buddha

Above is an extract from a verse of the Buddha in the Sutta Nipata No.5.

A common feature of the fig genus (ficus) is the peculiar inflorescence. They appears as if it suddenly bears fruit without flowering. They are hermaphrodites or dioecious, collectively known as fig trees or figs. These belonging to the family Moraceae have about 850 species and are native throughout the tropics, with a few species also found in semi-temperate zones.

Hermaphrodites are generally those that have male and female reproductive organs in one individual. Those that do not are referred to as gonochoric. In the case of plants, they are referred to as monoicous and dioicous, respectively.

The fig fruit develops as a hollow, fleshy structure called the syconium that is lined internally with numerous unisexual flowers. The tiny flowers bloom inside this cup-like structure. The small fig flowers and later small single-seeded (true) fruits line its interior surface. At maturity, these 'seeds' (actually single-seeded fruits) line the inside of each fig.

The fruit of most species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife. Figs are also of considerable cultural importance throughout the tropics, both as objects of worship and for their many practical uses.

The Bodhi tree is well known for Siddhartha Gautama (Ref2) sat under the tree, meditated and finally attained enlightenment becoming the Buddha, also known as "sacred fig tree", belongs to this fig family.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

仏教の樹木 (1)

イチジク(無花果) 〜花を咲かせずに実のなる木

“無花果の林の中に入りて、花を求めて得ることなし。三界世間（参照）の中にありて揺るがざるものを求めて得られず。かく知っている修行者は、これをもあれをも、ともに捨てる。蛇が旧き皮を脱ぎ捨てるがごとく。“ーブッダ

上記は、経集 (スッタニ･パータ 5) にあるブッタの詩篇の抜粋である。

イチジク属に共通する特徴は、花序が特殊であることだ。イチジクが無花果と言われるように、この仲間は、花が咲かずに唐突に果実を生じるように見える。雌雄同体あるいは雌雄異株で、高木になるものから低木、またはつる性の木本になる種もある。モクセイ科に属するこの植物は、約850種あり、熱帯地方全域に自生し、数種は半温帯にも分布している。

雌雄同体 (しゆうどうたい) とは、一般に、雄の生殖器官と雌の生殖器官を一個体に持っているものを言う。そうでないものは雌雄異体 (しゆういたい) という。植物の場合にはそれぞれ、雌雄同株 (しゆうどうしゅ)、雌雄異株 (しゆういしゅ) という。

イチジクの果実は、中が空洞で肉厚の「サイコウニアム (隠頭花序)」と呼ばれる構造で、その内部には多数の雌雄同体の花が並んでいる。小さな花は、このカップ状の構造物の中で咲く。その内面には、小さなイチジクの花と、後に小さな一粒の種の真果が並ぶ。成熟すると、この「種子」(実際は1粒の果実) がイチジクの内側に並ぶ。

果実はほとんどの種で食用になるが、通常は地域経済的に重要であるか、山菜・野生の果物として食されるに過ぎない。しかし、野生動物にとっては非常に重要な食糧資源である。イチジクは、熱帯地方において、崇拝の対象として、また多くの実用的な用途として、文化的に非常に重要なものである。

菩提樹は、ゴータマ・シッダールタ（参照2）がこの木の下に座って瞑想し、ついに悟りを開いてブッダとなったことで知られ、「聖なるいちじくの木」とも呼ばれる、イチジク属の植物である。

[sgiandubh]

Hi! I wasn’t around for the chateau marmont photo either, so I don’t know what’s already been discussed. It does kind of look like there’s more of the grass to the left (our left) of the woman in white though. Sure looks like ugly decor, but 🤷🏻‍♀️. Doesn’t change my opinion that Sam and caitriona are together, but I think some of the possible photoshops are hard to be sure of. Definitely appreciate the speculation though!

Dear Chateau Marmont Anon,

If you take five minutes of your time and read the comments thread, two veterans (@mariaae and @dillon7fan) confirmed the picture was never discussed before being posted on 'that ol blunt knife blog' (I see you and now I know there is a definite shortage of capital letters in Spain).

And then, there's you, to whom I am willing to grant the benefit of the doubt.

Work with me:

You write, and I quote you: It does kind of look like there’s more of the grass to the left (our left) of the woman in white though.

You mean, this smiling lady?

That is not grass, my dear. That is, most probably, a ficus tree (but I stand corrected, I am no expert in these).

But that is not the big problem I have with this bizarre picture, featuring outdoorsy bistrot chairs and yes, a lot of greenery.

In all honesty and fairness, here is an interesting picture of Chateau Marmont's very indoor/outdoor restaurant. The nay contest outdoor area - furniture is a perfect match and there are shrubs (happy?):

Let's suppose the pic was taken on the patio area, facing the fancy covered structure that looks like a tent. Something still does not really click and I am pretty sure there's either a problem of angle or a matter of scale.

Not being a gardener, I asked myself if there is a standard height for this kind of privacy/screening shrubs. I found something very interesting, on the site of a Californian landscape professional established since 1869 (https://pacificnurseries.com/great-hedge-screen-plants-for-privacy/) and I have to say the suggested scale matches the picture:

Let's add 2 inches to this rough estimate, upping it to 3 feet and 2 inches (96 centimeters). In the context, the two inches are negligible, because these shrubs grow rather fast and are regularly pruned.

If we assume the leg length represents about half the person's height, well... we reach a height of about 6 feet and 4 inches, which means 193 centimeters. There are scientific reasons to this ratio, by the way, but do not ask me to elaborate on it (specialized input is always a big plus):

I do not remember Tracula to be that commanding. I can, however, think of someone whose height is very close to that result.

So, in a nutshell, it's a pick your adventure scenario, Anon. Either:

a) that is a (photoshopped) grass background and the guy can bilocate better than Star Trek's Data.

b) that's a shrub and the height of that person (body?) does not match Tracula's.

In all fairness, I think that's a shrub. I have no problem acknowledging my wrongs and my limits.

I also have another question: is Tracula documented as wearing watches? I am being very honest here and could do with your feedback.

Is that proof? It's another layer of speculation. I am not megalomaniac, thank God.

It's never (never, ever) waterproof with these people.

[ficuslyrata]

Citadel, 2023

[dashielldeveron]

shinsoushinsoushinsou…..sorry for going insane, he brings it out of me. I lobe him so much. This fic is so fun and sooooooooo tender 😭😭😭😭😭 Hitoshi is just That Guy, THE boyfriend. I love so many moments from this fic and like I literally couldn’t stop doodling for it. The dynamic between reader and shinsou went CRAZY so that’s why they feature so much in this lol, the way they handle each other with so much care UGHHHH the pining UGGGHNNNNNNN. I live for it. It made me so happy. (It’s also funny how you mention that these doodles grounded you because like omg reading your ficus and drawing for them grounds ME, like they’ve been so helpful to me recently) I hope u enjoy <3333333

it's him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! our beautiful boyfriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love himb!!!!!!!!!

GOD he is pretty. he is so pretty. you draw him so gorgeously. he's already pretty in canon, and then you draw him with fun little expressions canon doesn't let him show ; ; i don't even know what to do with this. i've hoarded this ask for a few days bc i simply haven't any idea how to move on with my life. it's so good. he's so good. look at him!!! the blush. the muscles. the neck. the sailor mercury shirt. his sooooooft looking hair. the beautifully SUFFOCATING way he hugs. that angry lil side profile in the turtleneck is going to kill me

and oh!!!! i really like the panelling in this!!! it makes it vibrant, somehow!! makes it pop!! and ohhhhhh you wrote his naaaaaaaaame on his wriiiiiiiiist and gave him sexy little rings. you're RIGHT. he WOULD. hoy boy shit. and of course the way you're representing reader is HILARIOUS, oh my gosh. it's like she only feels things to the extreme. i especially love her panicked expression on the phone; it reminds me of (and this is meant to be a compliment!!!) temmie from undertale??? it's VERY funny to look at. love it.

i love you. i feel at this point that i should send you a gift basket, or something. you always make my day xx.

[nikofortuna]

JTTW Chapter 14 Thoughts

Chapter 14 for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group! Another nature heavy one! Potential TW: under the cut is a parasitic plant that kind of looks like yellow spiderwebbing or something similar.

Though first a little by the by as I have mentioned before I actually prefer this aspect of the German translation, which translates Xin as heart instead of mind.

Anyway it’s flower symbolism time! Wisterias in Buddhism stand for humility and reflection, which is very fitting for our monkey to be overgrown by under the mountain.

Additionally if we go with the saying ‘somebody has something coming out of his ears’ which means that someone had enough of something, the detail of those flowers growing out of Sun Wukong’s ears is even more fitting. Though I’m not sure if it’s the same in English, but that’s how the saying goes in German.

Wisterias are also very pretty and grow very abundantly which is just a gorgeous sight to behold.

However there is actually some discrepancy found between translations about which plants grow out of his ears and growing on the mountain for that matter.

In the German translation the “creepers and vines” are actually specific plants. The first is called creeping fig or climbing fig (ficus pumila or 薜 bì), which is also the one mentioned in the J.F. Jenner translation.

They can grow to cover entire surfaces too! Like this wall for example.

Dodder or amarbel or how I like to call them ‘forbidden spaghetti’ (cuscuta or 蘿 luó) is the second one.

They have little flowers too.

Those two plants stand for eremitic life in Chinese symbolism. As that note is citing the Chinese characters, I’m inclined to take this for the accurate translation.

Regardless both plants function equally well in terms of symbolism in my opinion.

Continuing with translation shenanigans “axe or drill” in the Anthony C. Yu translation is “axe or chisel” in both other translations, which sounds more natural to me. Though “drill” does bring to my mind a funny little picture of Tang Sanzang with a hard hat and a handheld drill trying to drill away the mountain above Sun Wukong.

Checking out the original Chinese with Google translate I’ve also come across something interesting. 斧鑿 fǔzáo when separated from the rest just gets translated to “axe + chisel”, but together with the full section it gets translated as “axe to chisel” instead. However when translated as part of the complete speech it’s just “But I don't have an axe.”

“Only when he […] saw the handsome features of Tripitaka” an early instance of Tang Sanzang looks having a greater influence on people.

Love to see Sun Wukong getting along with people!

A little side note because I just find it to be a really cute detail regarding the whole “sugar man or honey man”, in the German translation specific sweets are mentioned because they start with the same letter. I just think that’s neat.

I love when a bit of Slice of Life is sprinkled in and attention to detail is paid for everyday things, I hope we see some more in the future!

Ah, the first time Tang Sanzang falls from his horse.

I must admit that the names of the six bandits are more straightforward and easier to understand in the J.F. Jenner and German translation. For the J.F. Jenner translation specifically they are translated as “Eye−seeing Happiness, Ear−hearing Anger, Nose−smelling Love, Tongue−tasting Thought, Mind−born Desire, and Body−based Sorrow”. This also makes the reactions of them easier to understand as they are actually matched to one bandit each! “This made the bandits happy, angry, loving, thoughtful, desirous, and sorrowful respectively” as in the J.F. Jenner translation again. It barely comes across that those are matched in the Anthony C. Yu translation.

The bit about monks looking out even for insects is very sweet! Especially since I am a moth enjoyer, they are so fluffy and adorable.

Shigong’s shoe-based shenanigans made me briefly try to link it to Cinderella. Journey to the West is known for starting a bunch of tropes, so it makes sense my brain would try to link it with a lot of stuff, but Cinderella is probably not related. A humorous thing to imagine still.

Closing this post with another note on Tang Sanzang. Ohoho so our dear monk is able to lie. And right after telling Sun Wukong that a monk should not lie as well. He has flaws! Very neat, I quite like that actually. Character development will be something very interesting to keep an eye out for.

[bleachbleachbleach]

I feel like this is just punishment for writing fic comments on my work laptop, but I recently had to update its OS and the new autocorrect feature for the Stickies app is stupidly aggressive.

Stop???? Correcting my prose??

Yeah, I did mean to type "fic's" and not FICUS

And "time machine" not "Time Machine" I can *handle* my own capitalizations THANK YOU

F I C U S.

[bumblebeeappletree]

Costa, Tammy and Sean explore the amazing Bogor Botanical Gardens. It’s a huge space – 87 hectares – so they split up to cover different parts.

Bogor is the oldest botanic garden in South-East Asia, founded in 1817, as well as being a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. It’s also a centre for research and home to more than 12,000 species of plants.

Some of the trees are hundreds of years old. Costa introduces us to the couples trees – two giants planted next to each other, a Red Meranti and a Ficus albipila, both planted in the 1800s – so named because couples often pose at their base for wedding photos and it’s said that standing here will make your love last forever.

Costa meets research Professor Dr Sri Rahayu, from the Research Center for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens & Forestry – BRIN, who specialises in hoya plants. Her work has taken her to most of Indonesia’s forests looking for unknown plants – she has described about 20 new species.

There is also a medicinal plant collection of more than 200 plants long used for medicine – some are being studied for the potential for treating illness as well as used in cosmetics.

Only 20% of Indonesia’s plants are understood so there is a lot of work still to do. Sri says many of these plants risk being lost before their properties are realised.

Featured plants:

Red meranti (Rubroshorea leprosula syn. Shorea leprosula)

Abbey tree (Ficus albipila)

Hoya towutiensis

Hoya sumatrana

Hoya sangguensis

Acanthus montanus

Lunasia amara