Chairlift @ Lollapalooza 2016, Grant Park, Chicago, IL, on Saturday, July 30, 2016.

 

Lollapalooza 2016 Setlist:

 

Look Up

Polymorphing

Amanaemonesia

I Belong in Your Arms

Show U Off

Romeo

Crying In Public

Moth to the Flame

Ch-Ching

Get Real

Alchemilla glaucescens Wallr., syn.: Alchemilla hybrida L.

A Lady's-mantle, DE.:Filz Frauenmantel, Weichhaar Frauenmantel

Slo.:puhasta plahtica

 

Dat.: May 3. 2014

Lat.: 46°21'37.68"N Long.: 13°42'9.34"E

Code: Bot_795/2014_DSC0765

 

Habitat: former pasture with some scattered trees, old overgrown scree slope, slightly southeast inclined; calcareous ground; dry, nutrients poor, shallow soil layer, among low grasses and mosses; partly sunny, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevation 600 m (1.970 feet),alpine phytogeographical region.

 

Substratum: soil.

 

Place: Lower Trenta valley, between villages Soča and Trenta, right bank of river Soča, near Trenta 2b cottage, East Julian Alps, Posočje, Slovenia EC.

 

Comment: The genus Alchemilla is, along with the genera Hieracium and, may be also, Rubus, probably the most difficult of all in terms of correct species determination. Nobody really knows how many species it comprises. Some estimate the total number to be about 250. Amateur or semiprofessional botanical books usually 'skip' this problem by describing two or three species or groups (aggregates) only. This, of cause, makes field determination almost hopeless for a botanical amateur. But also in standard botanical works like Ref.: (1), (2), (3) and, for my country, Ref.: (4) authors treat this genus widely differently. To illustrate this, look at the number of species and/or aggregates of this genus described in these works. In Ref.:(1), for example, describing in total about 4.500 plants on over 2.600 printed pages only 12 species and/or aggregates are treated, while, on the other side, over 120 species are described in Ref.:(2) for Austria territory only. The reasons for extreme polymorphism in this genus, causing these ambiguities, are frequent hybrids along with obligate apogam (nonsexual) propagation, resulting in countless morphologically different and stable hybrids. Also insufficient knowledge about the distribution of all these individual 'species' contributes its part to the confusion. So, in spite the fact that I am trying to do my best, don't believe too much in my determinations in this genus.

 

Description: the whole plant, including inner and outer calyx with flower base, flower stalks, main stalk, ground leaf stalks and leaves (upper and lower side and edges) are densely hairy (lower side denser). Hairs shiny, pilose to villous mostly oriented off and up the stalks. Larger leaves have diameter 3-3.5(4) cm (in May). Flower stalks are up to 10 (15) cm tall. Many plants were present among low grasses and mosses.

 

Ref.:

(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 786.

(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora Österreich Liechtenstein, Südtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 501.

(3) Rothmaler 3, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, 11. Aufl., Elsevier, Spectrum (2007), p 242.

(4) A. Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Založba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 262.

臺北榮總暨國立陽明大學聯合記者會新聞稿

原發性痛經之基因學及腦造影研究於醫學與腦科學上的最新發現：

原發性痛經是腦疾病嗎?

主講人：謝仁俊 主治醫師/教授

北榮醫研部臨床研究科/陽大腦科學研究所

  

原發性痛經(Primary Dysmenorrhea；以下簡稱PDM)是指沒有器官性骨盆腔問題的經痛，為女性最常見的婦科問題，約影響全球3/4比例的女性，卻也是最常被忽視的一項疼痛醫學的問題，在疼痛醫學與疼痛科學的領域中被歸類為慢性疼痛。PDM的真正機轉仍然未詳，但普遍被接受的理論是子宮內的發炎因子、子宮肌攣縮與血管收縮的共同作用所致。

  

在全球不同國家或地區所做的研究調查發現，少女四到九成有過PDM的經驗，其中有10%到20%的女性因為嚴重經痛而無法工作或上學，研究指出長期原發性痛經與焦慮、憂鬱等情緒失調有顯著關係。此外，臨床上中年以後才進入高峰期的諸多功能性疼痛疾病(functional pain disorder；指無明確的器官結構性異常致病原因)：如纖維肌痛症、腸燥症、偏頭痛、原因不明之下背痛、顳顎障礙症等，女性的罹病比例皆遠高於男性，若追蹤其病史，則女性患者有非常高的比例曾有過長期的原發性痛經。 因此PDM極可能是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因之一。目前越來越多的腦科學的證據顯示慢性疼痛疾病伴隨有腦部的疼痛處理網路之顯著異常，因此了解PDM之中樞神經系統變化及經痛對身心的影響，對婦女健康實則意義重大 。

  

榮陽疼痛研究團隊由陽明大學腦科學研究所特聘教授暨台北榮總醫學研究部主治醫師謝仁俊領導，主要由陽明大學腦科學研究所、台北榮總醫學研究部整合性腦功能研究小組(Integrated Brain Research Unit，簡稱IBRU)及台北榮總婦產部組成，並結合陽明大學公衛研究所及陽明大學腦科學研究中心一起進行研究。經由科技部、台北榮總及陽明大學腦科學研究中心的計畫與經費的支持，多年來針對此項常被忽略的年輕PDM女性進行為期數年的整合型多形式腦造影(multimodal brain imaging)研究，內容涵蓋基因學、行為、心理、荷爾蒙、疼痛知覺反應、臨床表徵、腦部正子斷層造影(Positron Emission Tomography，簡稱PET; 用來探討人腦的新陳代謝及神經元活性)、功能性與結構性腦磁振造影(functional- and structural-MRI; 用來研究人腦的神經網路及灰白質的結構)及腦磁圖(Magnetoencephalography，簡稱MEG ; 用來研究腦波)之研究。

  

以下為謝教授團隊針對年輕PDM女性國際首發研究結果系列報告：

1.PDM 女性的腦部有正常變異(normal variants)的比例數倍於同年齡無PDM的女性，目前原因與影響不明，有待腦神經科學及公共衛生醫學更深入的研究。

     

2.PDM女性腦部疼痛網路呈現灰白質結構性變化，並且隨著月經而有每個月的週期性改變。每月經痛所引起的短期性大腦灰質體積的變化，在長年累積下，就造成不隨週期性月經而改變的長期性大腦灰質體積的變化，灰質的變化意涵該腦區的功能有所改變。

     

3.PDM女性腦部疼痛調控系統(pain modulatory systems)呈現神經功能性連結(functional connectivity)的異常降低，尤其是以大腦導水管旁灰質(periaqueductal grey matter；簡稱PAG)為主的疼痛調控之神經連結。大腦導水管旁灰質PAG跟預設網路(Default Mode Network，簡稱DMN)相關腦區的功能連結降低，表示他們的對疼痛刺激的調控功能不足；而大腦導水管旁灰質與運動輔助區(supplementary motor area)內之內臟運動區(visceromotor area)的功能連結增加，是許多骨盆腔慢性疼痛疾病的異常表現。 預設網路DMN主要由腹內側前額區(ventromedial prefrontal cortex)及後扣帶迴(posterior cingulate cortex)所組成，是人類心智功能的大腦神經樞紐，重度憂鬱症、思覺失調症(舊名為精神分裂症)、慢性疼痛疾病均伴隨著預設網路的異常。我們發現在年輕PDM女性中其預設網路已呈現不良的神經可塑性(maladaptive neuroplasticity)，正是諸多慢性疼痛疾病的共同腦部表徵。而慢性疼痛疾病經常伴隨著諸多腦部的異常以及多項心智功能的障礙，如專注力、記憶、憂鬱等，造成整體生活品質的下降。

    

4.腦源性神經滋養因子(Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF)基因管控BDNF蛋白質的製造及分泌，此蛋白質與壓力及疼痛相關的情緒反應處理有關。腦源性神經滋養因子單核苷酸多態性(BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism)的基因亞型若帶有Met allele等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) ，則會導致BDNF的分泌不足而功能低下。本研究發現台灣PDM女性族群帶有更多的Met 等位基因且有較高的焦慮情緒，換言之帶有Met等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) 者發生痛經的風險較高。

     

5.基因腦造影學(imaging genetics或genetic neuroimaging)的研究顯示帶有BDNF Val66Met 單核苷酸多態性之Met/Met 基因型的PDM女性，其腦部疼痛調控神經網路具有較顯著的易感性(vulnerability)，未來出現對疼痛產生不良神經可塑性的機率較高，這對日後引發慢性疼痛將有機轉性的重要影響。

  

以上都是榮陽疼痛研究團隊領先國際的首要發現，我們認為PDM所引起的腦部變化是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因，而這些腦部變異則是諸多慢性功能性疼痛疾病其中樞神經功能失調之共同的前導性機轉。我們的研究更呈現一項重要的新觀念：慢性疼痛是一個腦中樞的疾病，我們必須積極的發展無痛(Pain Free)的臨床醫學與對疼痛的積極有效的治療。

  

本項研究之早期成果，於數年前曾由國際疼痛學會(International Association for the Study of Pain，IASP)之期刊PAIN®舉行正式國際記者會，向國際報導我們的研究發現而轟動國際，成果見諸國際性主要報紙與電視媒體醫療健康版之頭條。最新的研究成果則發表於2016年1月的PAIN®，並有專文評論(Editorial Commentary)報導我們的研究成果在疼痛醫學的重要貢獻與意義。我們的系列研究有部分成果已多篇發表在Pain®、Neuroimage、European Journal of Pain及PLOS ONE等重要國際醫學及腦科學學術期刊，而針對嚴重型疼痛之新的非侵襲性疼痛治療技術亦在發展進行中。我們希望透過本次記者會向國內社會大眾報告榮陽疼痛研究團隊在PDM最近的研究成果及相關醫療意義，更呼籲大家重視女性的痛經問題與對嚴重經痛的及時有效治療之必要性。

   

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

 

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

 

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing. The rocks principally range from aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

 

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

 

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

 

Locality: loose boulder near the base of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

 

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

 

Blijdorp, Rotterdam, Zoo

  

Butterflies are part of the class of Insects in the order Lepidoptera. Moths are also included in this order. Adults butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). Other families within Lepidoptera are referred to as moths. Butterfly fossils date to the mid Eocene epoch, 40–50 million years ago.[1]

 

Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate over long distances. Some butterflies have and parasitic relationships with organisms including protozoans, flies, ants, other invertebrates, and vertebrates. [2] [3] Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies (e.g., Harvesters) eat harmful insects. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly

Moon dust from Hupe collection

From the famous Hupe meteorite collection. Purchased on eBay March 4, 2017. 1 oz.

 

About This World Record Setting Meteorite From The Moon:

 

Northwest Africa 5000 is the largest meteorite from the ancient Lunar Highlands ever found. Originally weighing in at 25 lbs 6.6 ounces (11,528 grams), it was massive. Although the weight is very impressive, its presence is tremendous.

 

When trying to portray Northwest Africa 5000, one may be at a loss for words -- it is simply too beautiful to properly describe. It is the most handsome meteorite from the moon ever found -- the contrast is incredible. The matrix looks like a black and white intaglio print of the universe rendered by a spirited yet masterful artist.

 

This stone contains breccias within breccias, and the preferential orientation of clasts lends a unique 3-D appearance to flat surfaces. Generous amounts of shiny metal are present in almost every piece, adding yet another impressive element to nature’s artwork.

 

Northwest Africa 5000 is by far the most spectacular meteorite from the Moon, and has become legendary, establishing new benchmarks for excellence!

 

From the eBay website:

 

Northwest Africa 5000 is not only from the Moon, it actually takes on the appearance of our nearest celestial neighbor unlike any other lunar meteorite in existence. There can only be one, number one and Northwest Africa 5000 is it.

 

This celestial masterpiece lay undisturbed for millennia in the world’s largest and hottest desert, the Sahara, until it was liberated by some very fortunate hunters of treasure in July of 2007. After lengthy, emotional and expensive negotiations, it was acquired by The Hupe Planetary Collection in October of the same year.

 

Northwest Africa 5000

Morocco

Find: July 2007

Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia)

 

History: Found in July 2007 in southern Morocco and provided to Adam Hupé in October 2007.

 

Physical characteristics: A single, large cuboidal stone (11.528 kg) with approximate dimensions 27 cm × 24 cm × 20 cm. One side (which appears to have been embedded downward in light brown mud) has preserved regmaglypts and is partially covered by translucent, pale greenish fusion crust with fine contraction cracks.

 

Abundant large beige to white, coarse-grained clasts up to 8 cm across (some of which have been eroded out on exterior surfaces of the stone, likely by eolian sand blasting) and sparse black, vitreous clasts up to 2 cm across (containing irregular small white inclusions) are set in a dark gray to black, partially glassy breccia matrix.

 

One partially eroded clast exposed on an exterior surface contains both the coarse grained beige lithology and the more resistant black, vitreous lithology in sharp contact.

 

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Almost monomict fragmental breccia dominated by Mg-suite olivine gabbro clasts consisting predominantly of coarse-grained (0.5-2 mm) calcic plagioclase, pigeonite (some with fine exsolution lamellae), and olivine with accessory merrillite, Mg-bearing ilmenite, Ti-bearing chromite, baddeleyite, rare zirconolite, silica polymorph, K-feldspar, kamacite, and troilite.

 

Some gabbro clasts have shock injection veins composed mostly of glass containing myriad fine troilite blebs and engulfed mineral fragments. Black, vitreous impact melt clasts consist of sporadic, small angular fragments (apparently surviving relics) of gabbro and related mineral phases in a very fine grained, non-vesicular, ophitic-textured matrix of pigeonite laths (up to 20 microns long × 2 microns wide) and interstitial plagioclase with tiny spherical grains of kamacite, irregular grains of schreibersite and rare troilite.

 

Geochemistry: Gabbro clasts: plagioclase (An96.1-98.0Or<0.1), pigeonite (Fs32.0-64.5Wo6.7-13.1; FeO/MnO = 51.1-62.0), olivine in different clasts range from Fa23.9-24.2, Fa40.4 to Fa58.8 (with FeO/MnO = 81-100), chromite [(Cr/(Cr + Al) = 0.737, Mg/(Mg + Fe) = 0.231, TiO2 = 5.9 wt%], ilmenite (4.1 wt% MgO). Bulk composition: (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of 6 subsamples gave mean values of 5.3 wt% FeO and 0.4 ppm Th.

 

Classification: Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia). Specimens: A total of 40.2 g of sample, two polished mounts and one large polished thin section are on deposit at UWS. AHupé hold the main mass.

 

Submitted by: A. Irving, UWS.

Just out of curiosity, I wanted to turn a "Laser Eye" towards an eye loupe, instead of a Human eye.

 

The precise plastic type hasn't yet been matched with the results, but eventually I will get around to looking for more plastic Raman spectra.

 

The white text - surprise, surpise! - is titanium dioxide (TiO2), and the Raman results point to the rutile polymorph.

TiO2 is very important as a white ingredient in a whole range of products including paints, cosmetics, medicine and photoelectrochemical materials.

 

The black plastic did not give any usable results, as expected.

Les Sources Occultes 003/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

 

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Beija-flor Tesoura (Eupetomena macroura) - Swallow-tailed-Hummingbird

A text In English:

The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, so called from its forked tail, is one of the largest hummingbirds in cities and gardens, but it also occurs in gallery forests, bushy pastures and edges of woods or coppices. It is green, except for the blue head and upper breast, turning to iridescent purple according to the direction of light; it has dark wings and a heavy black bill. The tail is dark blue with the external feathers longer than central ones. It is very aggressive and attacks other hummingbirds that dare to visit flowers in certain trees. Where the flowers are available for many months, the individual is fiercely territorial, but generally needs to search soon for other flowering plants. It flies to catch small insets on or under leaves in the gallery forests or woodlands. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest saddled on a branch, not far from the main trunk in the shade of leaves. Perched on favorite branches, the male can utter long but low chirps. Once in a while, it interrupts these singing sessions to feed, and flies back for more song or to clean the plumage. They occur from the Guianas and Amazon River to Paraguay and southeastern Peru. They can get along with partially deforested zones, but may disappear with intensive agriculture and with the development of treeless cities.

 

Um texto em Português:

Beija-flor Tesoura (Eupetomena macroura), fotografado em Brasília-DF, Brasil.

Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788): tesoura; swallow-tailed hummingbird c.

Destaca-se das espécies estudadas pelo maior porte e pela cauda comprida e bifurcada, o que lhe valeu o nome popular. Como é comum entre os beija-flores, é uma espécie agressiva que disputa com outras o seu território e fontes de alimento.

Nidificação: o ninho, em forma de tigela, é assentado numa forquilha de arbusto ou árvores, a cerca de 2 a 3 m do solo. O material utilizado na construção é composto por fibras vegetais incluindo painas, musgos e liquens, aderidos externamente com teias de aranhas.

Hábitat: capoeiras, cerrados, borda de matas e jardins.

Tamanho: 17,0 cm

A SEGUIR UM TEXTO ENCONTRADO E REPRODUZIDO DO ENDEREÇO nationalgeographic.abril.uol.com.br/ng/edicoes/83/reporta... DA NATIONAL GEOGRAFIC:

 

Prodígios da micro-engenharia, os beija-flores são os campeões dos pesos-leves entre as aves

Uma faísca safira, um frêmito de asas, e o minúsculo pássaro - ou seria um inseto? - some como miragem fugaz. Reaparece instantes depois, agora num ângulo melhor. É pássaro mesmo, um dervixe do tamanho do meu polegar com asas que batem 80 vertiginosas vezes por segundo, produzindo um zumbido quase inaudível. As penas da cauda, à guisa de leme, delicadamente direcionam o vôo em três direções. Ele fita a trombeta de uma vistosa flor alaranjada e do bico fino como agulha projeta uma língua delgada feito linha. Um raio de Sol ricocheteia de suas penas iridescentes. A cor refletida deslumbra como uma pedra preciosa contra uma janela ensolarada. Não admira que os beija-flores sejam tão queridos e que tanta gente já tenha tropeçado ao tentar descrevê-los. Nem mesmo circunspectos cientistas resistem a termos como "belo", "magnífico", "exótico".

Surpresa maior é o fato de o aparentemente frágil beija-flor ser uma das mais resistentes criaturas do reino animal. Cerca de 330 espécies prosperam em ambientes diversos, muitos deles brutais: do Alasca à Argentina, do deserto do Arizona à costa de Nova Scotia, da Amazônia à linha nevada acima dos 4,5 mil metros nos Andes (misteriosamente, essas aves só são encontradas no Novo Mundo).

"Eles vivem no limite do que é possível aos vertebrados, e com maestria", diz Karl Schuchmann, ornitólogo do Instituto Zoológico Alexander Koenig e do Fundo Brehm, na Alemanha. Schuchmann ouviu falar de um beija-flor que viveu 17 anos em cativeiro. "Imagine a resistência de um organismo de 5 ou 6 gramas para viver tanto tempo!", diz ele espantado. Em média, o minúsculo coração de um beija-flor bate cerca de 500 vezes por minuto (em repouso!). Assim, o desse pequeno cativo teria batido meio bilhão de vezes, quase o dobro do total de uma pessoa de 70 anos.

Mas esses passarinhos são duráveis apenas em vida. Quando morrem, seus ossos delicados e ocos quase nunca se fossilizam. Daí o assombro causado pela recente descoberta de um amontoado de fósseis de aves que talvez inclua um beija-flor ancestral de 30 milhões de anos. Como os beija-flores modernos, os espécimes fósseis tinham o bico longo e fino e os ossos superiores das asas mais curtos, terminando em uma saliência arredondada que talvez lhes permitisse fazer a rotação na articulação do ombro e parar no ar.

A outra surpresa foi o local do achado: no sul da Alemanha, longe do território dos beija-flores atuais. Para alguns cientistas, essa descoberta mostra que já existiram beija-flores fora das Américas, mas se extinguiram. Ou quem sabe os fósseis não fossem de beija-flor. Os céticos, entre eles Schuchmann, afirmam que muitas vezes, ao longo da evolução, outros grupos de aves adquiriram características semelhantes às do beija-flor. Os verdadeiros beija-flores, diz Schuchmann, evoluíram nas florestas do leste do Brasil, onde competiam com insetos pelo néctar das flores.

"O Brasil foi o laboratório do protótipo", diz o ornitólogo. "E o modelo funcionou." O beija-flor tornou-se a obra-prima da microengenharia da natureza. Aperfeiçoou sua habilidade de parar no ar há dezenas de milhões de anos para competir por parte das flores do Novo Mundo.

"Eles são uma ponte entre o mundo das aves e o dos insetos", diz Doug Altshuler, da Universidade da Califórnia em Riverside. Altshuler, que estuda o vôo dos beija-flores, examinou os movimentos das asas do pássaro. Observou que, nele, os impulsos elétricos propulsores dos músculos das asas lembram mais os dos insetos que os das aves. Talvez por isso o beija-flor produza tanta energia por batida de asas: mais, por unidade de massa, que qualquer outro vertebrado. Altshuler também analisou os trajetos neurais do beija-flor, que funcionam com a mesma vertiginosa velocidade encontrada nas aves mais ágeis, como seu primo mais próximo, o andorinhão. "São incríveis; uns pequenos Frankesteins", compara.

Certamente eles sabem intimidar: grama por grama, talvez sejam os maiores confrontadores da natureza. "O vocabulário do beija-flor deve ser 100% composto de palavrões", graceja Sheri Williamson, naturalista do Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. A agressão do beija-flor nasce de ferozes instintos territoriais moldados à necessidade de sugar néctar a cada poucos minutos. Os beija-flores competem desafiando e ameaçando uns aos outros. Postam-se face a face no ar, rodopiam, mergulham na direção da grama e voam de ré, em danças de dominância que terminam tão subitamente quanto começam.

O melhor lugar para vermos tais batalhas é nas montanhas, especialmente no Equador, em que ricos ecossistemas se apresentam em suas várias altitudes. Sheri supõe que o sentido norte-sul das cordilheiras americanas também crie rotas favoráveis à migração para onde haja constante suprimento de flores. O que contrasta, diz ela, com as barreiras naturais que se estendem de leste a oeste na África, como o Saara e o Mediterrâneo.

Algumas espécies de beija-flor, porém, adaptaram-se a atravessar vastidões planas, onde o alimento é escasso. Antes de sua intrépida migração da primavera para os Estados Unidos e o Canadá, os beija-flores-de-garganta-vermelha reúnem-se no México e empanturram-se de insetos e néctar. Armazenam gordura e duplicam de peso em uma semana. Em seguida, atravessam o golfo do México, voando 800 quilômetros sem escalas por 20 horas, até a costa distante.

A região próxima à linha do equador é um reino de beija-flores. Quem sai do aeroporto de Quito, no Equador, pode ser logo saudado por um cintilante beija-flor-violeta, com pintura de guerra de manchas púrpura iridescentes nos lados da face. A leste da cidade, nas cabeceiras da bacia Amazônica, o beija-flor-bico-de-espada esvoaça na mata portando o bico mais longo de todas as aves em proporção a seu tamanho: mais de metade do comprimento total do animal. Nas encostas do Cotopaxi, um vulcão ao sul de Quito, o beija-flor-do-chimborazo foi avistado acima dos 4,5 mil metros. Ali ele passa a noite entorpecido em cavernas, pois desacelera seu ritmo metabólico o suficiente para não morrer de fome antes de amanhecer. Mais tarde, aquecido pelo Sol, ele recomeça a se alimentar.

"Quem estuda beija-flores fica irremediavelmente enfeitiçado", diz Sheri Williamson. "São criaturinhas sedutoras. Tentei resistir, mas agora tenho sangue de beija-flor correndo nas veias."

Canon EOS Digital D50

  

Text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Trumpet tree" redirects here. This term is occasionally used for the Shield-leaved Pumpwood (Cecropia peltata).

Tabebuia

Flowering Araguaney or ipê-amarelo (Tabebuia chrysantha) in central Brazil

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Asterids

Order: Lamiales

Family: Bignoniaceae

Tribe: Tecomeae

Genus: Tabebuia

Gomez

Species

Nearly 100.

Tabebuia is a neotropical genus of about 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and the Antilles south to northern Argentina and central Venezuela, including the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Cuba. Well-known common names include Ipê, Poui, trumpet trees and pau d'arco.

They are large shrubs and trees growing to 5 to 50 m (16 to 160 ft.) tall depending on the species; many species are dry-season deciduous but some are evergreen. The leaves are opposite pairs, complex or palmately compound with 3–7 leaflets.

Tabebuia is a notable flowering tree. The flowers are 3 to 11 cm (1 to 4 in.) wide and are produced in dense clusters. They present a cupular calyx campanulate to tubular, truncate, bilabiate or 5-lobed. Corolla colors vary between species ranging from white, light pink, yellow, lavender, magenta, or red. The outside texture of the flower tube is either glabrous or pubescentThe fruit is a dehiscent pod, 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in.) long, containing numerous—in some species winged—seeds. These pods often remain on the tree through dry season until the beginning of the rainy.

Species in this genus are important as timber trees. The wood is used for furniture, decking, and other outdoor uses. It is increasingly popular as a decking material due to its insect resistance and durability. By 2007, FSC-certified ipê wood had become readily available on the market, although certificates are occasionally forged.

Tabebuia is widely used as ornamental tree in the tropics in landscaping gardens, public squares, and boulevards due to its impressive and colorful flowering. Many flowers appear on still leafless stems at the end of the dry season, making the floral display more conspicuous. They are useful as honey plants for bees, and are popular with certain hummingbirds. Naturalist Madhaviah Krishnan on the other hand once famously took offense at ipé grown in India, where it is not native.

Lapacho teaThe bark of several species has medical properties. The bark is dried, shredded, and then boiled making a bitter or sour-tasting brownish-colored tea. Tea from the inner bark of Pink Ipê (T. impetiginosa) is known as Lapacho or Taheebo. Its main active principles are lapachol, quercetin, and other flavonoids. It is also available in pill form. The herbal remedy is typically used during flu and cold season and for easing smoker's cough. It apparently works as expectorant, by promoting the lungs to cough up and free deeply embedded mucus and contaminants. However, lapachol is rather toxic and therefore a more topical use e.g. as antibiotic or pesticide may be advisable. Other species with significant folk medical use are T. alba and Yellow Lapacho (T. serratifolia)

Tabebuia heteropoda, T. incana, and other species are occasionally used as an additive to the entheogenic drink Ayahuasca.

Mycosphaerella tabebuiae, a plant pathogenic sac fungus, was first discovered on an ipê tree.

Tabebuia alba

Tabebuia anafensis

Tabebuia arimaoensis

Tabebuia aurea – Caribbean Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia bilbergii

Tabebuia bibracteolata

Tabebuia cassinoides

Tabebuia chrysantha – Araguaney, Yellow Ipê, tajibo (Bolivia), ipê-amarelo (Brazil), cañaguate (N Colombia)

Tabebuia chrysotricha – Golden Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia donnell-smithii Rose – Gold Tree, "Prima Vera", Cortez blanco (El Salvador), San Juan (Honduras), palo blanco (Guatemala),duranga (Mexico)

A native of Mexico and Central Americas, considered one of the most colorful of all Central American trees. The leaves are deciduous. Masses of golden-yellow flowers cover the crown after the leaves are shed.

Tabebuia dubia

Tabebuia ecuadorensis

Tabebuia elongata

Tabebuia furfuracea

Tabebuia geminiflora Rizz. & Mattos

Tabebuia guayacan (Seem.) Hemsl.

Tabebuia haemantha

Tabebuia heptaphylla (Vell.) Toledo – tajy

Tabebuia heterophylla – roble prieto

Tabebuia heteropoda

Tabebuia hypoleuca

Tabebuia impetiginosa – Pink Ipê, Pink Lapacho, ipê-cavatã, ipê-comum, ipê-reto, ipê-rosa, ipê-roxo-damata, pau d'arco-roxo, peúva, piúva (Brazil), lapacho negro (Spanish); not "brazilwood"

Tabebuia incana

Tabebuia jackiana

Tabebuia lapacho – lapacho amarillo

Tabebuia orinocensis A.H. Gentry[verification needed]

Tabebuia ochracea

Tabebuia oligolepis

Tabebuia pallida – Cuban Pink Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia platyantha

Tabebuia polymorpha

Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC.[verification needed] (= T. pentaphylla (L.) Hemsley) – Pink Poui, Pink Tecoma, apama, apamate, matilisguate

A popular street tree in tropical cities because of its multi-annular masses of light pink to purple flowers and modest size. The roots are not especially destructive for roads and sidewalks. It is the national tree of El Salvador and the state tree of Cojedes, Venezuela

Tabebuia roseo-alba – White Ipê, ipê-branco (Brazil), lapacho blanco

Tabebuia serratifolia – Yellow Lapacho, Yellow Poui, ipê-roxo (Brazil)

Tabebuia shaferi

Tabebuia striata

Tabebuia subtilis Sprague & Sandwith

Tabebuia umbellata

Tabebuia vellosoi Toledo

 

Ipê-do-cerrado

Texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre.

Ipê-do-cerrado

Classificação científica

Reino: Plantae

Divisão: Magnoliophyta

Classe: Magnoliopsida

Subclasse: Asteridae

Ordem: Lamiales

Família: Bignoniaceae

Género: Tabebuia

Espécie: T. ochracea

Nome binomial

Tabebuia ochracea

(Cham.) Standl. 1832

Sinónimos

Bignonia tomentosa Pav. ex DC.

Handroanthus ochraceus (Cham.) Mattos

Tabebuia chrysantha (Jacq.) G. Nicholson

Tabebuia hypodictyon A. DC.) Standl.

Tabebuia neochrysantha A.H. Gentry

Tabebuia ochracea subsp. heteropoda (A. DC.) A.H. Gentry

Tabebuia ochracea subsp. neochrysantha (A.H. Gentry) A.H. Gentry

Tecoma campinae Kraenzl.

ecoma grandiceps Kraenzl.

Tecoma hassleri Sprague

Tecoma hemmendorffiana Kraenzl.

Tecoma heteropoda A. DC.

Tecoma hypodictyon A. DC.

Tecoma ochracea Cham.

Ipê-do-cerrado é um dos nomes populares da Tabebuia ochracea (Cham.) Standl. 1832, nativa do cerrado brasileiro, no estados de Amazonas, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Paraná.

Está na lista de espécies ameaçadas do estado de São Paulo, onde é encontrda também no domínio da Mata Atlântica[1].

Ocorre também na Argentina, Paraguai, Bolívia, Equador, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, El Salvador, Guatemala e Panamá[2].

Há uma espécie homônima descrita por A.H. Gentry em 1992.

Outros nomes populares: ipê-amarelo, ipê-cascudo, ipê-do-campo, ipê-pardo, pau-d'arco-do-campo, piúva, tarumã.

Características

Altura de 6 a 14 m. Tronco tortuso com até 50 cm de diâmetro. Folhas pilosas em ambas as faces, mais na inferior, que é mais clara.

Planta decídua, heliófita, xerófita, nativa do cerrado em solos bem drenados.

Floresce de julho a setembro. Os frutos amadurecem de setembro a outubro.

FloresProduz grande quantidade de sementes leves, aladas com pequenas reservas, e que perdem a viabilidade em menos de 90 dias após coleta. A sua conservação vem sendo estudada em termos de determinação da condição ideal de armazenamento, e tem demonstrado a importância de se conhecer o comportamento da espécie quando armazenada com diferentes teores de umidade inicial, e a umidade de equilíbrio crítica para a espécie (KANO; MÁRQUEZ & KAGEYAMA, 1978). As levíssimas sementes aladas da espécie não necessitam de quebra de dormência. Podem apenas ser expostas ao sol por cerca de 6 horas e semeadas diretamente nos saquinhos. A germinação ocorre após 30 dias e de 80%. As sementes são ortodoxas e há aproximadamente 72 000 sementes em cada quilo.

O desenvolvimento da planta é rápido.

Como outros ipês, a madeira é usada em tacos, assoalhos, e em dormentes e postes. Presta-se também para peças torneadas e instrumento musicais.

 

Tabebuia alba (Ipê-Amarelo)

Texto, em português, produzido pela Acadêmica Giovana Beatriz Theodoro Marto

Supervisão e orientação do Prof. Luiz Ernesto George Barrichelo e do Eng. Paulo Henrique Müller

Atualizado em 10/07/2006

 

O ipê amarelo é a árvore brasileira mais conhecida, a mais cultivada e, sem dúvida nenhuma, a mais bela. É na verdade um complexo de nove ou dez espécies com características mais ou menos semelhantes, com flores brancas, amarelas ou roxas. Não há região do país onde não exista pelo menos uma espécie dele, porém a existência do ipê em habitat natural nos dias atuais é rara entre a maioria das espécies (LORENZI,2000).

A espécie Tabebuia alba, nativa do Brasil, é uma das espécies do gênero Tabebuia que possui “Ipê Amarelo” como nome popular. O nome alba provém de albus (branco em latim) e é devido ao tomento branco dos ramos e folhas novas.

As árvores desta espécie proporcionam um belo espetáculo com sua bela floração na arborização de ruas em algumas cidades brasileiras. São lindas árvores que embelezam e promovem um colorido no final do inverno. Existe uma crença popular de que quando o ipê-amarelo floresce não vão ocorrer mais geadas. Infelizmente, a espécie é considerada vulnerável quanto à ameaça de extinção.

A Tabebuia alba, natural do semi-árido alagoano está adaptada a todas as regiões fisiográficas, levando o governo, por meio do Decreto nº 6239, a transformar a espécie como a árvore símbolo do estado, estando, pois sob a sua tutela, não mais podendo ser suprimida de seus habitats naturais.

Taxonomia

Família: Bignoniaceae

Espécie: Tabebuia Alba (Chamiso) Sandwith

Sinonímia botânica: Handroanthus albus (Chamiso) Mattos; Tecoma alba Chamisso

Outros nomes vulgares: ipê-amarelo, ipê, aipê, ipê-branco, ipê-mamono, ipê-mandioca, ipê-ouro, ipê-pardo, ipê-vacariano, ipê-tabaco, ipê-do-cerrado, ipê-dourado, ipê-da-serra, ipezeiro, pau-d’arco-amarelo, taipoca.

Aspectos Ecológicos

O ipê-amarelo é uma espécie heliófita (Planta adaptada ao crescimento em ambiente aberto ou exposto à luz direta) e decídua (que perde as folhas em determinada época do ano). Pertence ao grupo das espécies secundárias iniciais (DURIGAN & NOGUEIRA, 1990).

Abrange a Floresta Pluvial da Mata Atlântica e da Floresta Latifoliada Semidecídua, ocorrendo principalmente no interior da Floresta Primária Densa. É característica de sub-bosques dos pinhais, onde há regeneração regular.

Informações Botânicas

Morfologia

As árvores de Tabebuia alba possuem cerca de 30 metros de altura. O tronco é reto ou levemente tortuoso, com fuste de 5 a 8 m de altura. A casca externa é grisáceo-grossa, possuindo fissuras longitudinais esparas e profundas. A coloração desta é cinza-rosa intenso, com camadas fibrosas, muito resistentes e finas, porém bem distintas.

Com ramos grossos, tortuosos e compridos, o ipê-amarelo possui copa alongada e alargada na base. As raízes de sustentação e absorção são vigorosas e profundas.

As folhas, deciduais, são opostas, digitadas e compostas. A face superior destas folhas é verde-escura, e, a face inferior, acinzentada, sendo ambas as faces tomentosas. Os pecíolos das folhas medem de 2,5 a 10 cm de comprimento. Os folíolos, geralmente, apresentam-se em número de 5 a 7, possuindo de 7 a 18 cm de comprimento por 2 a 6 cm de largura. Quando jovem estes folíolos são densamente pilosos em ambas as faces. O ápice destes é pontiagudo, com base arredondada e margem serreada.

As flores, grandes e lanceoladas, são de coloração amarelo-ouro. Possuem em média 8X15 cm.

Quanto aos frutos, estes possuem forma de cápsula bivalvar e são secos e deiscentes. Do tipo síliqua, lembram uma vagem. Medem de 15 a 30 cm de comprimento por 1,5 a 2,5 cm de largura. As valvas são finamente tomentosas com pêlos ramificados. Possuem grande quantidade de sementes.

As sementes são membranáceas brilhantes e esbranquiçadas, de coloração marrom. Possuem de 2 a 3 cm de comprimento por 7 a 9 mm de largura e são aladas.

Reprodução

A espécie é caducifólia e a queda das folhas coincide com o período de floração. A floração inicia-se no final de agosto, podendo ocorrer alguma variação devido a fenômenos climáticos. Como a espécie floresce no final do inverno é influenciada pela intensidade do mesmo. Quanto mais frio e seco for o inverno, maior será a intensidade da florada do ipê amarelo.

As flores por sua exuberância, atraem abelhas e pássaros, principalmente beija-flores que são importantes agentes polinizadores. Segundo CARVALHO (2003), a espécie possui como vetor de polinização a abelha mamangava (Bombus morio).

As sementes são dispersas pelo vento.

A planta é hermafrodita, e frutifica nos meses de setembro, outubro, novembro, dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro, dependendo da sua localização. Em cultivo, a espécie inicia o processo reprodutivo após o terceiro ano.

Ocorrência Natural

Ocorre naturalmente na Floresta Estaciobal Semidecicual, Floresta de Araucária e no Cerrado.

Segundo o IBGE, a Tabebuia alba (Cham.) Sandw. é uma árvore do Cerrado, Cerradão e Mata Seca. Apresentando-se nos campos secos (savana gramíneo-lenhosa), próximo às escarpas.

Clima

Segundo a classificação de Köppen, o ipê-amarelo abrange locais de clima tropical (Aw), subtropical úmido (Cfa), sutropical de altitude (Cwa e Cwb) e temperado.

A T.alba pode tolerar até 81 geadas em um ano. Ocorre em locais onde a temperatura média anual varia de 14,4ºC como mínimo e 22,4ºC como máximo.

Solo

A espécie prefere solos úmidos, com drenagem lenta e geralmente não muito ondulados (LONGHI, 1995).

Aparece em terras de boa à média fertilidade, em solos profundos ou rasos, nas matas e raramente cerradões (NOGUEIRA, 1977).

Pragas e Doenças

De acordo com CARVALHO (2003), possui como praga a espécie de coleópteros Cydianerus bohemani da família Curculionoideae e um outro coleóptero da família Chrysomellidae. Apesar da constatação de elevados índices populacionais do primeiro, os danos ocasionados até o momento são leves. Nas praças e ruas de Curitiba - PR, 31% das árvores foram atacadas pela Cochonilha Ceroplastes grandis.

ZIDKO (2002), ao estudar no município de Piracicaba a associação de coleópteros em espécies arbóreas, verificou a presença de insetos adultos da espécie Sitophilus linearis da família de coleópteros, Curculionidae, em estruturas reprodutivas. Os insetos adultos da espécie emergiram das vagens do ipê, danificando as sementes desta espécie nativa.

ANDRADE (1928) assinalou diversas espécies de Cerambycidae atacando essências florestais vivas, como ingazeiro, cinamomo, cangerana, cedro, caixeta, jacarandá, araribá, jatobá, entre outras como o ipê amarelo.

A Madeira

A Tabebuia alba produz madeira de grande durabilidade e resistência ao apodrecimento (LONGHI,1995).

MANIERI (1970) caracteriza o cerne desta espécie como de cor pardo-havana-claro, pardo-havan-escuro, ou pardo-acastanhado, com reflexos esverdeados. A superfície da madeira é irregularmente lustrosa, lisa ao tato, possuindo textura media e grã-direita.

Com densidade entre 0,90 e 1,15 grama por centímetro cúbico, a madeira é muito dura (LORENZI, 1992), apresentando grande dificuldade ao serrar.

A madeira possui cheiro e gosto distintos. Segundo LORENZI (1992), o cheiro característico é devido à presença da substância lapachol, ou ipeína.

Usos da Madeira

Sendo pesada, com cerne escuro, adquire grande valor comercial na marcenaria e carpintaria. Também é utilizada para fabricação de dormentes, moirões, pontes, postes, eixos de roda, varais de carroça, moendas de cana, etc.

Produtos Não-Madeireiros

A entrecasca do ipê-amarelo possui propriedades terapêuticas como adstringente, usada no tratamento de garganta e estomatites. É também usada como diurético.

O ipê-amarelo possui flores melíferas e que maduras podem ser utilizadas na alimentação humana.

Outros Usos

É comumente utilizada em paisagismo de parques e jardins pela beleza e porte. Além disso, é muito utilizada na arborização urbana.

Segundo MOREIRA & SOUZA (1987), o ipê-amarelo costuma povoar as beiras dos rios sendo, portanto, indicado para recomposição de matas ciliares. MARTINS (1986), também cita a espécie para recomposição de matas ciliares da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, abrangendo alguns municípios das regiões Norte, Noroeste e parte do Oeste do Estado do Paraná.

Aspectos Silviculturais

Possui a tendência a crescer reto e sem bifurcações quando plantado em reflorestamento misto, pois é espécie monopodial. A desrrama se faz muito bem e a cicatrização é boa. Sendo assim, dificilmente encopa quando nova, a não ser que seja plantado em parques e jardins.

Ao ser utilizada em arborização urbana, o ipê amarelo requer podas de condução com freqüência mediana.

Espécie heliófila apresenta a pleno sol ramificação cimosa, registrando-se assim dicotomia para gema apical. Deve ser preconizada, para seu melhor aproveitamento madeireiro, podas de formação usuais (INQUE et al., 1983).

Produção de Mudas

A propagação deve realizada através de enxertia.

Os frutos devem ser coletados antes da dispersão, para evitar a perda de sementes. Após a coleta as sementes são postas em ambiente ventilado e a extração é feita manualmente. As sementes do ipê amarelo são ortodoxas, mantendo a viabilidade natural por até 3 meses em sala e por até 9 meses em vidro fechado, em câmara fria.

A condução das mudas deve ser feita a pleno sol. A muda atinge cerca de 30 cm em 9 meses, apresentando tolerância ao sol 3 semanas após a germinação.

Sementes

Os ipês, espécies do gênero Tabebuia, produzem uma grande quantidade de sementes leves, aladas com pequenas reservas, e que perdem a viabilidade em poucos dias após a sua coleta. A sua conservação vem sendo estudada em termos de determinação da condição ideal de armazenamento, e tem demonstrado a importância de se conhecer o comportamento da espécie quando armazenada com diferentes teores de umidade inicial, e a umidade de equilíbrio crítica para a espécie (KANO; MÁRQUEZ & KAGEYAMA, 1978).

As levíssimas sementes aladas da espécie não necessitam de quebra de dormência. Podem apenas ser expostas ao sol por cerca de 6 horas e semeadas diretamente nos saquinhos. A quebra natural leva cerca de 3 meses e a quebra na câmara leva 9 meses. A germinação ocorre após 30 dias e de 80%.

As sementes são ortodoxas e há aproximadamente 87000 sementes em cada quilo.

Preço da Madeira no Mercado

O preço médio do metro cúbico de pranchas de ipê no Estado do Pará cotado em Julho e Agosto de 2005 foi de R$1.200,00 o preço mínimo, R$ 1509,35 o médio e R$ 2.000,00 o preço máximo (CEPEA,2005).

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

 

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

 

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing. The rocks principally range from aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

 

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

 

The ellipsoidal cavity is a lithophysa. Such structures formed before the rock completely solidified. The original lava flow had some subspherical structures known as spherulites, composed of glassy to cryptocrystalline material (many felsic extrusive igneous rocks have these). Expanding gases in the spherulites destroyed this material, resulting in partially empty spaces.

 

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

 

Locality: loose boulder near the base of Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

 

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

 

Récolté par Jules Cimon

 

Substrat : sur bois de feuillu en décomposition; grégaire dans une seule petite colonie

Myxocarpe : sporocarpe stipité, jusqu’à 2,44 mm de hauteur totale

Sporocyste 0,84-1,44 mm de hauteur x 0,6-0,8 mm de diam., cylindrique-court ou piriforme, légèrement élargi à la base, vieux rose à rougeâtre, palissant en séchant

Péridium simple, membraneux, persistant, lisse au tiers supérieur, devenant papillé et finement ornementé en descendant, luisant, rougeâtre à brun orangé, laissant un calicule à la base

Calicule de profondeur variable du à la marge asymétrique, lisse ou parfois finement plissé radialement, brun orangé, à face interne ornée de stries presque circulaires ou polymorphes, 0,24-0,62 mm de hauteur x 0,72-0,8 mm de diam.

Stipe 0,43-1 mm de longueur x 0,07-0,12 mm de diam., court, cylindrique, élargi à l’apex et à la base, brun rougeâtre foncé, avec méchules blanchâtres en surface à la base, rempli de kystes à paroi un peu élargie de 0,64-1,26 µm de diam., ochracées, 7,4-19 µm de diam.

Hypothalle brun rougeâtre à noirâtre

Masse sporale vieux rose soutenu à rose orangé foncé

Capillitium ouvert, attaché à l’apex du stipe, formé d’élatères simples ou peu ramifiés, cylindriques ou aplatis, jusqu’à 250 µm de longueur x 3-7,1 µm de diam., ornés d'épines, de fines verrues, de crêtes annelées incomplètes et spiralées à gauche, reliées par des réticulations horizontales, avec rares jonctions triangulaires de 7,9 x 7,7 µm, et extrémités étroites et assez longuement clavées de 13,8-31,8 x 6,2-9,4 µm, avec excroissance irrégulière presque digitée à l'apex de 2,3-4 µm de longueur x 1,5-2,7 µm de diam. et éminences jusqu'à 1,4-2,2 µm de hauteur x 0,5-1,8 µm de largeur à la base

Spores globuleuses, finement verruqueuses, avec verrues disposées irrégulièrement et parfois groupées, uniguttulées, gris jaunâtre, 7,6-10,3 µm de diam., 8,5 µm de diam. en moyenne, Q = 1

Plasmode rosâtre à rougeâtre

 

Recherche et étude des clés: R. Labbé

Révision des travaux: R. Labbé

Identification: Edvin Johanessen

Étude microscopique et microphotographie: J. Labrecque

 

www.flickr.com/photos/23151213@N03/48926237512/in/photoli...

   

Alchemilla glaucescens Wallr., syn.: Alchemilla hybrida L.

A Lady's-mantle, DE.:Filz Frauenmantel, Weichhaar Frauenmantel

Slo.:puhasta plahtica

 

Dat.: May 3. 2014

Lat.: 46°21'37.68"N Long.: 13°42'9.34"E

Code: Bot_795/2014_DSC0765

 

Habitat: former pasture with some scattered trees, old overgrown scree slope, slightly southeast inclined; calcareous ground; dry, nutrients poor, shallow soil layer, among low grasses and mosses; partly sunny, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevation 600 m (1.970 feet),alpine phytogeographical region.

 

Substratum: soil.

 

Place: Lower Trenta valley, between villages Soča and Trenta, right bank of river Soča, near Trenta 2b cottage, East Julian Alps, Posočje, Slovenia EC.

 

Comment: The genus Alchemilla is, along with the genera Hieracium and, may be also, Rubus, probably the most difficult of all in terms of correct species determination. Nobody really knows how many species it comprises. Some estimate the total number to be about 250. Amateur or semiprofessional botanical books usually 'skip' this problem by describing two or three species or groups (aggregates) only. This, of cause, makes field determination almost hopeless for a botanical amateur. But also in standard botanical works like Ref.: (1), (2), (3) and, for my country, Ref.: (4) authors treat this genus widely differently. To illustrate this, look at the number of species and/or aggregates of this genus described in these works. In Ref.:(1), for example, describing in total about 4.500 plants on over 2.600 printed pages only 12 species and/or aggregates are treated, while, on the other side, over 120 species are described in Ref.:(2) for Austria territory only. The reasons for extreme polymorphism in this genus, causing these ambiguities, are frequent hybrids along with obligate apogam (nonsexual) propagation, resulting in countless morphologically different and stable hybrids. Also insufficient knowledge about the distribution of all these individual 'species' contributes its part to the confusion. So, in spite the fact that I am trying to do my best, don't believe too much in my determinations in this genus.

 

Description: the whole plant, including inner and outer calyx with flower base, flower stalks, main stalk, ground leaf stalks and leaves (upper and lower side and edges) are densely hairy (lower side denser). Hairs shiny, pilose to villous mostly oriented off and up the stalks. Larger leaves have diameter 3-3.5(4) cm (in May). Flower stalks are up to 10 (15) cm tall. Many plants were present among low grasses and mosses.

 

Ref.:

(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 786.

(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora Österreich Liechtenstein, Südtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 501.

(3) Rothmaler 3, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, 11. Aufl., Elsevier, Spectrum (2007), p 242.

(4) A. Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Založba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 262.

DeadZone Studio - deadzonemusic.com

 

Studio in 2007

These are my personal notes taken during a presentation at an Ohio Geological Society meeting. I give them here because they may be of some interest. Do not expect the notes to always be in complete sentences, etc.

-----------------------------------

Deep Structure and Origin of the Serpent Mound Disturbance

 

Presented by: Doyle Watts (Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA) (science-math.wright.edu/people/doyle-watts)

 

26 February 2001

----------

The Serpent Mound monument in southern Ohio (www.flickr.com/photos/raimist/379012286) has an astronomical alignment (the snake is facing sunset at solstice, the longest day of the year). It has a ~1060 A.D. construction date. 1066 A.D. saw a spectacular Halley’s Comet approach, and it's possible that there might be a connection between the Serpent Mound monument and that serpent in the sky.

 

Do many of the North American deformation structures represent impacts? An east-west trending “string of impacts” occurs in south-central Missouri and eastern Kansas and western Kentucky. But, it turns out that some of them formed in the Cambrian and some in the Devonian. A volcanic origin is more consistent with this line of features.

 

More of these structures are known south of the Pleistocene glacial maximum line, and there are bound to be some lurking under glacial sediments. There is an average of 1 new discovery of this type of structure each year.

 

The Serpent Mound Structure (members.quicknet.nl/nj.vandompselaar/files/Startpagina.va...) is on a belt of gravity and magnetic anomalies that passes through Ohio; it is also on the Grenville Front (at least where it’s interpreted to be). The coincidence of these features suggests that an endogenic/volcanic origin is more appropriate. If it is an impact, it’s aim was pretty good!

 

The Serpent Mound structure shows up in the Ohio Delorme Atlas, vegetation-wise.

 

The Serpent Mound structure has Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and Mississippian rocks in it, including the Berea Sandstone, which shouldn’t be in this part of Ohio. Surface-wise, the Serpent Mound structure has a downdropped outer ring graben (dropped ~1000’, in order to have Mississippian-aged Berea present), a central uplift, and a transitional zone between these two. The central uplift rocks have come upward (~1000’ - Ordovician rocks are poking through the Silurian). Six overturned anticlines are present at the center, radiating outward from the central uplift. Structure-wise, the central uplift resembles a napkin pulled through a napkin ring. The Serpent Mound structure is in an area with poor exposure, so need to go to stream cuts to see the rocks. The Berea in the area weathers as a topographic high, which can be seen on the ground in the field, and is also what shows up as the vegetation ring in the Ohio map atlas.

 

The Kentland Dome structure (Indiana) has analogies with Serpent Mound. At Kentland Dome, the coesite polymorph has been found in St. Peter Sandstone quartz. The presence of coesite is indicative of shock metamorphism. Kentland Dome also has authochthonous breccias - polylithic dry fluid flow breccias - the whole Indiana Paleozoic section can be found within these breccias. There has been flow and jumbling of material at Kentland Dome. Kentland also has nice shattercones with a horsetail appearance, indicative of shock metamorphism. In fact, Kentland Dome is the type locality for shattercones. Some here are 6’ in diameter. Robert Dietz first described shattercones from Kentland Dome. Shattercones are patterns usually attributed to the presence of a pebble or other inhomogeneity at the top (peak) of the shattercone Subtly overprinted are concentrically radiating structures. Shattercones require an abrupt, significant shock in order to form. Coesite and shattercones are considered diagnostic of impact structures.

 

Serpent Mound evidence - there has been controversy over the claimed presence of coesite at Serpent Mound (first identified from X-ray analysis of residue of lots of rocks; reported in the 1960s). This identification has not yet been reproduced. But, there is no doubt about the presence of coesite at Kentland Dome.

 

Two seismic lines are available that go over part of the Serpent Mound structure. One (Line BV-1-92, a northeast-southwest trending line done in 1992) goes almost all the way across, but does cross the outer ring graben, the transition zone, and the central uplift. The other (Line SM-1, a ~north-south trending line) skirts the eastern ring graben zone and the outer transitional zone.

 

Also available are:

1) a 2000’ long continuous core (# 3275) in the western transitional zone, done for mineral prospecting

2) a 3000’ long core drilled at the center of the Serpent Mound structure (now at Ohio Department of Natural Resources).

3) a well log (down to basement) from a well just to the east of the Serpent Mound structure.

 

Some shallow cores are also available from the northern part of the structure.

 

The seismic data has been reprocessed, the geophysical logs have been analyzed and field studies were done. Also helpful was a velocity log from the Smith well, about 10 miles away from the Serpent Mound structure, which helped in analyzing data. Reflectors are bowed downward at the center of the Serpent Mound structure. The shallower reflectors are more deeply bowed down than the deeper ones. Is the downward bowing due to the low velocity of the waves through the central uplift feature? (a velocity pulldown?) Velocity pulldowns are common artifacts on seismic lines. Are these artifacts, then?

 

Looked at the core drilled at the center of the Serpent Mound structure. Well log picks for the top of the Gull River Limestone [Middle Ordovician] were mapped and the Gull River was identified on logs and on seismic, in order to see if these are true reflectors, and not a velocity pulldown. The Gull River is 820’ further down than it “should be” in the central uplift area.

The Gull River Limestone to Conasauga Shale [Middle Cambrian] interval is thinned below the center of the central uplift.

Experimental projectile-at-layered-sand studies show the same reflector pattern as seen at Serpent Mound (including a decreasing downbowing with increasing depth).

The other seismic line (along the ring graben) shows a ring anticline in the Gull River, Knox, and Precambrian reflectors.

 

This is the paradox of Serpent Mound - the central uplift (at the surface) has a downdropped Conasauga in the subsurface. The subsurface expression of Serpent Mound extends beyond the limit as shown by surface mapping. Asphalt covers some outcrop minerals in the Serpent Mound structure area. Ring anticlines are also present around the outer graben ring.

 

The gravity anomaly at Serpent Mound was reconfirmed, but that has been long known. A gravity low coincides with the central uplift. Other impact structures have similar gravity anomalies. Gravity anomalies are to be expected if Serpent Mound is an impact.

 

The deep core from the central uplift (3000’ deep) reveals lithologies showing some tectonic thickening. The Fairview-Kope-Point Pleasant section [Upper Ordovician] (600’ thick normally) occurs through 2000’ of section (multiple repetitions). Part of the uplift is due to tectonic thickening. Autochthonous breccias occur at several levels. There are undoubted shattercones in the core. Quartz dissolved out of limestone shows planar deformation structures (PDS). These were sent to Vienna and the planes of deformation in these crystals were confirmed as being PDS.

 

So, the Serpent Mound structure does fit with an impact origin.

 

What is the age of the Serpent Mound Structure?

Mississippian sandstones here have been deformed and the Illinoisan tills haven’t been deformed. So, the geology doesn’t help in dating this. There are some red rocks in the core. Looked at the magnetism in the red rocks (hematite from the Silurian Brassfield Formation). The core has visible bedding planes (but unoriented in the core). When Serpent Mound rocks were magnetized, they were located on the equator (average 0˚ inclination of hematite from red rocks in the Brassfield Fm. of the Serpent Mound core). This is the result from uncorrected-for-dip measurements. When corrected for dip, the data scatters. So, it appears that magnetization of these rocks occurred after the rocks acquired their dip (post-deformation, or post-impact). The last time Serpent Mound was on the equator was the Late Permian. A Late Permian or early Triassic remagnetization event is well known for this part of the world - it affected central North America. So, Serpent Mound formed first, then the Late Permian remagnetization event occurred. This puts the timing of the Serpent Mound impact event to after the Mississippian and before the Late Permian.

 

Several things are consistent with an impact.

 

But, what about the magnetic anomaly that passes through the Serpent Mound structure? Isn’t this indicative of an endogenic/volcanic origin? A magnetic ridge does pass through Serpent Mound. The aim was pretty precise if so!

But, did the impact create the magnetic anomaly, and was the anomaly really there before-hand? Whacking rocks does change their magnetic signature.

 

Conclusion: it is an impact! Another thing to keep in mind, especially when comparing Serpent Mound to other impact structures: the Serpent Mound structure is deeply eroded.

 

New discoveries: the Muskingum County, Ohio anomaly filled in quickly and was buried by a kilometer of sediments. It has a 2-mile diameter. It’s surprising that an impact crater this size has a central peak. The lower size limit for central peaks being present in impact structures is about this size. The Serpent Mound Structure is ~10 kilometers across. The Chicxulub Impact Structure in Mexico is ~100 kilometers across.

------------------

 

In the dank spring of 2003, when Hong Kong was besieged by pestilence, it seemed unlikely that anyone of significance or global import could be based in the plagued city. Early in my research for a book about Hong Kong, China and the SARS outbreak, I met with Malik Peiris and Guan Yi, respectively professor and associate professor of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. The two men were co-heads of Pandemic Preparedness in Asia, a group that monitors influenza around the region; both were friendly, concerned, uncynical and each, in his own way, devoted to Hong Kong in a manner that seemed quaintly anachronistic. Peiris was the more soft-spoken of the two, his Sri Lankan-by-way-of-Oxford accent so droningly dispatched that it occasionally caused me to lean in to hear him. Guan spoke faster, his choppy, Chinese-inflected English making him hard to understand. When I was struggling to comprehend some element of virology, they would draw me little diagrams to illustrate their point.

  

Efren Reyes

To the top, via the pool hall

 

Lee Kuan Yew

Singapore's stern symbol

 

Sir Murray MacLehose

Making an outpost into a megacity

 

Tenzing Norgay & Sir Edmund Hillary

Courage and comradeship

 

Akio Morita & Masaru Ibuka

Sony's founders

They were so patient with me that I initially came away with the wrong impression of them. It took a while to understand just how significant these men were, not locally but globally. I was in the habit of assuming that important research in science and medicine was done elsewhere, in the gold-standard laboratories of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta or the Pasteur Institute in Paris. But here? In Hong Kong? How could our dying city host groundbreaking research? And if Peiris and Guan were truly great, important men, why would they be so generous with their time?

 

I'm embarrassed to admit it now, but I traveled around the world, speaking with virologists, epidemiologists and public-health officials in Geneva, Rotterdam, New York, Atlanta and Beijing before I finally figured out that the true heroes in the fight against SARS were right in Hong Kong, where I lived and worked. Peiris and his team were the first to identify the agent that causes SARS. Guan, through his network of contacts in southern China, was the first to label the wild-animal markets of Guangzhou as a byway through which the virus came to infect humans. He had spent months in those markets himself, drawing blood and swabbing for feces in order to map out the early epidemiology of the virus. His research would compel Chinese authorities to shut down the markets, possibly a key step in preventing subsequent outbreaks.

 

It had taken mankind centuries to figure out how yellow fever was spread; in the 1980s we had progressed to the point that it had taken only two years to determine what caused AIDS. Peiris and Guan had done similar research, in the face of an onrushing epidemic—as their colleagues were literally lying stricken in neighboring hospital wards—in a matter of weeks. Both men would continue their heroic work as Hong Kong became the likely epicenter for another emerging disease: avian influenza. Guan and his team would sequence more than 250 strains of the bird-flu virus H5N1, providing the first accurate genetic roadmap of how it is mutating—and where it might strike next.

 

There are only four questions you need to ask about a virus," Guan once told me. "What is it? What does it do? Where does it come from? And how do you kill it?" Malik Peiris, Guan Yi and their colleagues have made answering those questions their life. For that, we may owe them our lives.

 

Karl Taro Greenfeld is the former editor of TIME Asia and the author of China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century's First Great Epidemic

 

Research Interests:

Influenza: ecology, epidemiology, evolution and pathogenesis of animal and human influenza (see influenza research group), disease burden of human influenza, new diagnostic methods

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and 7 (HHV-7): The spectrum of disease in the immunocompetent and immunocompromised patient, diagnosis and pathogenesis

Virus-macrophage interactions and pathogenesis

Clinical virology: diagnostic methods and clinical management

 

Previous areas of research have included the epidemiology and pathogenesis of arbovirus infections, the epidemiology of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli and aspects of immunity in malaria.

 

Representative Research Publications:

INFLUENZA

Clinical and diagnostic aspects

2001 Chiu SS, Tse CYC, Lau YL, Peiris M. (2001) Influenza is an important cause of febrile seizures. Pediatrics www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/108/4/e63 and editorial

1999 Peiris M, Yuen KY, Leung CW, Chan KH, Ip PLS, Lai RWM, Orr KW, Shortridge KF. (1999) Human infection with influenza H9N2. Lancet 354: 916-7

1999 Peiris M, Yam WC, Chan KH, Ghose P, Shortridge KF. (1999) Influenza A H9N2: aspects of laboratory diagnosis. J Clin Microbiol. 37:3426-7.

1998 Yuen KY, Chan PKS, Peiris JSM, Tsang DNA, Que TL, Shortridge KF, Cheung PT, To WK, Ho ETF, Sung R, Cheng AFB and the H5N1 study group (1998) Clinical features and rapid viral diagnosis of human disease associated with avian influenza A H5N1 virus. Lancet 351: 467-471.

Viral ecology and evolution

2002 Guan Y, Peiris JSM, Lipatov AS, Ellis TM, Dyrting KC, Krauss S, Zhang LJ, Webster RG, Shortridge KF. (2002) Emergence of multiple genotypes of H5N1avian influenza viruses in Hong Kong SAR. Proc Natl Acad Sci. (USA) 99: 8950-8955

2002 Webster RG, Guan Y, Peiris M, Walker D, Krauss D, Zhou NN, Govorkova EA, Ellis TM, Dyrting KC, Sit T, Perez DR, Shortridge KF. (2002) Charactersiation of H5N1 influenza viruses that continue to circulate in geese in southeastern China. J Virol.76: 118-126.

2002 Guan Y, Peiris M, Kong KF, Dyrting KC, Ellis TM, Sit T, Zhang LJ, Shortridge KF. (2002) H5N1 influenza viruses isolated from geese in southeastern China: Evidence for genetic reassortment and interspecies transmission to ducks. Virology 292: 16-23.

2001 Peiris JSM, Guan Y, Markwell, Ghose P, Webster RG, Shortridge KF. (2001) Co-circulation of avian H9N2 and contemporary "human" H3N2 influenza viruses in pigs in southeastern China: potential for genetic reassortment ? J Virol. 75: 9679-9686.

2001 Shortridge KF, Peiris M, Guan Y, Dyrting K, Ellis T, Sims L (2001) H5N1 virus: beaten but is it vanquished ? Eds: B Dodet & M Vicari, Emergence and Control of Zoonotic Ortho- and Paramyxovirus diseases. Mereiux Foundation, Annecy, Conference proceedings. pp 91-97.

2001 Chin PS, Hoffman E, Webby R, Webster RG, Guan Y, Peiris M, Shortridge KF. (2001) Molecular evolution of H6 influenza viruses from poultry in southeastern China: Prevalence of H6N1 influenza viruses possessing seven A/HK/156/97 (H5N1)-like genes in poultry. J Virol 76: 507-516.

2000 Hoffmann E, Stech J, Chen M, Leneva I, Krauss S, Scholtissek C, Peiris M, Shortridge KF, Webster RG (2000). Characterization of the influenza A gene pool in avian species in Asia: Was H6N1 a derivative or a precursor of H5N1 ? J.Virol. 74: 6300-6315.

2000 Guan Y, Shortridge KF, Krauss S, Chin PS, Dyrting KC, Ellis TM, Webster RG, Peiris M. (2000) H9N2 influenza viruses possessing H5N1-like internal genes continue to circulate in poultry in southeastern China. J.Virol. 74: 9372-9380.

HUMAN HERPESVIRUS 6 and 7

2001 Chuh AA, Chiu SS, Peiris JSM. (2001) Human herpesvirus 6 and 7 DNA in peripheral blood leucocytes and plasma in patients with pityriasis rosea by polymerase chain reaction: a prospective case control study. Acta Derm Venereol. 81:289-90.

2000 Tong CYW, Bakran A, Williams H, Cheung CY, Peiris JSM. (2000) Association of human herpesvirus-7 with cytomegalovirus disease in renal transplant recipients. Transplantation 70: 213-216.

1999 Peiris M. (1999) Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7 in bone marrow transplant recipients. Crit.Rev. Onc.Hematol. 32: 187-196.

1998 Chiu SS, Cheung CY, Tse CYC, Peiris M. (1998) Early diagnosis of primary human herpesvirus 6 infection in childhood: Serology, polymerase chain reaction and virus load. J.Infect Dis. 178: 1250-56.

1997 Chan PKS, Peiris JSM, Yuen KY, Liang RHS, Lau YL, Chen FE, Lo SKF, Cheung CY, Chan TK, Ng MH. (1997) Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) infections in bone marrow transplant recipients. J.Med Virology. 53: 295-305.

1997 Lau YL, Peiris M, Chan GCF, Chan ACL, Chiu D, Ha SY. (1997) Primary human herpesvirus 6 infection transmitted from donor to recipient through bone marrow infusion. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 21: 1063-1066.

1997 Osman HK, Peiris JSM, Taylor CE, Karlberg JP, Madeley CR. (1997) Correlation between the detection of viral DNA by the polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood leukocytes and serological responses to human herpesvirus 6, human herpesvirus 7, and cytomegalovirus in renal allograft recipients. J Med Virol. 53:288-94.

1996 Osman HKE, Peiris JSM, Taylor CE, Warwicker P, Jarrett RF, Madeley CR. (1996) "Cytomegalovirus disease" in renal allograft recipients: Is human herpesvirus 7 a co-factor for disease progression J.Med.Virol. 48: 295-301.

 

CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC VIROLOGY

2001 Chan KH, Ng MH, Seto WH, Peiris JSM. (2001) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in sera of patients with primary EBV infection. J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Nov;39(11):4152-4.

2001 Lui SL, Luk WK, Cheung CY, Chan CY, Lai KN, Peiris JSM. (2001) Nosocomial outbreak of parvovirus B19 infection in a renal transplant unit. Transplantation 71: 59-64.

1998 Chan KH, Luo RX, Luo HL, Chen HL, Ng MH, Seto WH, Peiris JSM. (1998) Development and evaluation of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immunoglobulin M Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent assay based on the 18-kilodalton matrix protein for diagnosis of primary EBV infection. J.Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3359-3361.

1997 Woo PCY, Chiu SSS, Seto WH, Peiris M. (1997) Cost effectiveness of rapid viral diagnosis of viral respiratory tract infections in pediatric patients. . J Clin Microbiol. 35: 1579-1581.

1997 Chen FE, Liang RHS, Lo JY, Yuen KY, Chan TK, Peiris M. (1997) The treatment of adenovirus-associated haemorrhagic cystitis with ganciclovir. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 20: 997-999.

1995 Peiris JSM, Taylor CE, Main J, Graham K, Madeley CR. (1995) Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in renal allograft recipients: the role of semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nephrol Dial Transplant. 10:1198-205.

 

ARBOVIRUSES

1994 Peiris JSM, Amerasinghe PH, Amerasinghe FP, Calisher CH, Perera LP, Arunagiri CK, Munasingha NB, Karunaratne SH. (1994) Viruses isolated from mosquitoes collected in Sri Lanka. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1994 Aug;51(2):154-61.

1992 Peiris JSM, Amerasinghe FP, Amerasinghe PH, Ratnayake CB, Karunaratne SH,Tsai TF. (1992) Japanese encephalitis in Sri Lanka--the study of an epidemic: vector incrimination, porcine infection and human disease. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 86:307-13.

1981 Peiris JSM, Gordon S, Unkeless JC, Porterfield JS. (1981) Monoclonal anti-Fc receptor IgG blocks antibody enhancement of viral replication in macrophages. Nature. 289:189-91.

1979 Peiris JSM, Porterfield JS. (1979) Antibody-mediated enhancement of Flavivirus replication in macrophage-like cell lines. Nature. 282: 509-11.

MALARIA

1995 Snewin VA, Premawansa S, Kapilananda GM, Ratnayaka L, Udagama PV, Mattei DM, Khouri E, Del Giudice G, Peiris JSM, Mendis KN, et al. (1995) Transmission blocking immunity in Plasmodium vivax malaria: antibodies raised against a peptide block parasite development in the mosquito vector. J Exp Med. 181:357-62.

1990 Premawansa S, Peiris JSM, Perera KL, Ariyaratne G, Carter R, Mendis KN. (1990). Target antigens of transmission blocking immunity of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Characterization and polymorphism in natural parasite isolates. J Immunol. 144:4376-83.

1988 Peiris JSM, Premawansa S, Ranawaka MB, Udagama PV, Munasinghe YD, Nanayakkara MV, Gamage CP, Carter R, David PH, Mendis KN. (1988) Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies both block and enhance transmission of human Plasmodium vivax malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 39:26-32.

RECENT CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

2001 Peiris M (2001). Respiratory Tract Viruses. In Eds: Warrell, Cox, Firth, Benz, Oxford Textbook of Medicine, 4th Edition. - in press.

2001 Peiris JSM (2001). Nairobi sheep disease. In: Ed. Service MW. Encyclopedia of Arthropod-transmitted Infections of Man and Domesticated animals. CABI Publishing 364-368.

2000 Peiris,J.S.M. & Madeley,C.R. (2000) Virus infections. In: Barron,W.M & Lindheimer,MD eds. Medical disorders in Pregnancy. Baltimore, Mosby Year Book publishers. Pp466-515.

1997 Madeley,C.R. & Peiris,J.S.M. (1997) Paramyxoviruses In: Eds. Greenwood,D.P., Slack,R., Peutherer,J. Medical Microbiology 15th edition. Churchill - Livingstone, London.

1996 Madeley CR., Peiris M., McQuillin J. (1996) Adenoviruses. In: Viral and other infections of the human respiratory tract. Eds.: Myint S & Taylor-Robinson D. Chapman & Hall, London; Chapter 10; p 169-190.

1995 Madeley CR & Peiris JSM. (1995) Respiratory viruses. In: Manson's Tropical Diseases. Ed: Cook G.C. W.B.Saunders Co.Ltd. London; Chapter 36; p736-745.

This is the poroid form of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa slime mold. It was growing on a dead willow tree along the Dowagiac River. This slime mode also has a filamentous polymorph. In this local, I find the filamentous form most often.

 

Photographed using a Nikkor 85mm f/2.8 tilt shift lens on a Sony A7R with flash.

Chairlift @ Lollapalooza 2016, Grant Park, Chicago, IL, on Saturday, July 30, 2016.

 

Lollapalooza 2016 Setlist:

 

Look Up

Polymorphing

Amanaemonesia

I Belong in Your Arms

Show U Off

Romeo

Crying In Public

Moth to the Flame

Ch-Ching

Get Real

Rob was with a friend in a café when I noticed him as I walked past. I wasn’t sure if I should ask but my instincts got the better of me so I doubled back to him for a photo. He agreed without hesitation.

Rob owns Polymorph Body Piercing studio located in Newtown which is the oldest piercing studio in Sydney. As you can see he has some pretty impressive samples of his work. We chatted about general stuff and I found him to be a relaxed & easy going guy. He did casually mention that he also does performance arts where they use body piercings as suspension points to hang from.

Sounds interesting, but painful!

 

Thanks for being part of my Strangers Project.

 

This picture is #79 in my 100 Strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page

 

As borboletas são insectos da ordem Lepidoptera classificados nas super-famílias Hesperioidea e Papilionoidea, que constituem o grupo informal Rhopalocera.

 

As borboletas têm dois pares de asas membranosas cobertas de escamas e peças bucais adaptadas a sucção. Distinguem-se das traças (mariposas) pelas antenas rectilíneas que terminam numa bola, pelos hábitos de vida diurnos, pela metamorfose que decorre dentro de uma crisálida rígida e pelo abdómen fino e alongado. Quando em repouso, as borboletas dobram as suas asas para cima.

 

As borboletas são importantes polinizadores de diversas espécies de plantas.

 

O ciclo de vida das borboletas engloba as seguintes etapas:

 

1) ovo→ fase pré-larval

2) larva→ chamada também de lagarta ou taturana,

3) pupa→ que se desenvolve dentro da crisálida (ou casulo)

4) imago→ fase adulta

_______________________

 

A butterfly is any of several groups of mainly day-flying insects of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, butterflies' life cycle consists of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). All the many other families within the Lepidoptera are referred to as moths.

 

Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate over long distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Butterflies are important economically as agents of pollination. The caterpillars of some butterflies eat harmful insects. A few species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.

Polymorph's head was hand cast by me so she is green right the way through! Yay! She didn't turn out too badly I think :) What colour should I make next? :P Her body is an obitsu :)

Anthodites in a cave in Virginia, USA.

 

"Cave formations" in caves are technically called speleothem. Most speleothem is composed of travertine, a crystalline-textured chemical sedimentary rock composed of calcite (CaCO3). Travertine forms in most caves and at some springs by precipitation of crystals from water. Travertine speleothem occurs in a wide variety of forms. The most common variety of travertine speleothem is dripstone, which forms by the action of dripping water. The second-most common type of travertine speleothem is flowstone, which forms by precipitation of crystals from relatively thin films of flowing water. Flowstone typically has the appearance of a frozen waterfalls.

 

Shown above are anthodites, a scarce variety of speleothem that was first described from this very cave - Skyline Caverns in Virginia. Anthodites are radiating clusters of quill-like to slightly vermiform structures. Individual anthodite quills are hollow. Mineral analysis by White (1994) has shown that they are composed of aragonite (CaCO3), which is a polymorph of calcite. Some have recrystallized to calcite. The anthodites of Skyline Caverns were originally in sealed chambers in a mostly-sediment filled cave passage. During tourist trail construction, workers dug out sediments and encountered small chambers having common anthodites. They were subsequently named and described in the literature in 1949. The anthodite-bearing chambers were unusual in having near-vacuum conditions. Upon opening one chamber, a worker's hat was sucked in by the low air pressure.

 

When pure calcium carbonate, anthodites are white-colored. The yellows and reddish-browns seen above are from iron oxides.

 

Skyline Caverns is developed in structurally tilted carbonates (mixed dolostones and limestones) of the Rockdale Run Formation (Beekmantown Group, Lower Ordovician).

 

Locality: Skyline Caverns, Front Royal, central Warren County, northern Virginia, USA

-------------------

Reference cited:

 

White (1994) - The anthodites from Skyline Caverns, Virginia: the type locality. National Speleological Society Bulletin (Journal of Caves and Karst Studies) 56: 23-26.

 

Les Sources Occultes 003/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

 

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

臺北榮總暨國立陽明大學聯合記者會新聞稿

原發性痛經之基因學及腦造影研究於醫學與腦科學上的最新發現：

原發性痛經是腦疾病嗎?

主講人：謝仁俊 主治醫師/教授

北榮醫研部臨床研究科/陽大腦科學研究所

  

原發性痛經(Primary Dysmenorrhea；以下簡稱PDM)是指沒有器官性骨盆腔問題的經痛，為女性最常見的婦科問題，約影響全球3/4比例的女性，卻也是最常被忽視的一項疼痛醫學的問題，在疼痛醫學與疼痛科學的領域中被歸類為慢性疼痛。PDM的真正機轉仍然未詳，但普遍被接受的理論是子宮內的發炎因子、子宮肌攣縮與血管收縮的共同作用所致。

  

在全球不同國家或地區所做的研究調查發現，少女四到九成有過PDM的經驗，其中有10%到20%的女性因為嚴重經痛而無法工作或上學，研究指出長期原發性痛經與焦慮、憂鬱等情緒失調有顯著關係。此外，臨床上中年以後才進入高峰期的諸多功能性疼痛疾病(functional pain disorder；指無明確的器官結構性異常致病原因)：如纖維肌痛症、腸燥症、偏頭痛、原因不明之下背痛、顳顎障礙症等，女性的罹病比例皆遠高於男性，若追蹤其病史，則女性患者有非常高的比例曾有過長期的原發性痛經。 因此PDM極可能是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因之一。目前越來越多的腦科學的證據顯示慢性疼痛疾病伴隨有腦部的疼痛處理網路之顯著異常，因此了解PDM之中樞神經系統變化及經痛對身心的影響，對婦女健康實則意義重大 。

  

榮陽疼痛研究團隊由陽明大學腦科學研究所特聘教授暨台北榮總醫學研究部主治醫師謝仁俊領導，主要由陽明大學腦科學研究所、台北榮總醫學研究部整合性腦功能研究小組(Integrated Brain Research Unit，簡稱IBRU)及台北榮總婦產部組成，並結合陽明大學公衛研究所及陽明大學腦科學研究中心一起進行研究。經由科技部、台北榮總及陽明大學腦科學研究中心的計畫與經費的支持，多年來針對此項常被忽略的年輕PDM女性進行為期數年的整合型多形式腦造影(multimodal brain imaging)研究，內容涵蓋基因學、行為、心理、荷爾蒙、疼痛知覺反應、臨床表徵、腦部正子斷層造影(Positron Emission Tomography，簡稱PET; 用來探討人腦的新陳代謝及神經元活性)、功能性與結構性腦磁振造影(functional- and structural-MRI; 用來研究人腦的神經網路及灰白質的結構)及腦磁圖(Magnetoencephalography，簡稱MEG ; 用來研究腦波)之研究。

  

以下為謝教授團隊針對年輕PDM女性國際首發研究結果系列報告：

1.PDM 女性的腦部有正常變異(normal variants)的比例數倍於同年齡無PDM的女性，目前原因與影響不明，有待腦神經科學及公共衛生醫學更深入的研究。

     

2.PDM女性腦部疼痛網路呈現灰白質結構性變化，並且隨著月經而有每個月的週期性改變。每月經痛所引起的短期性大腦灰質體積的變化，在長年累積下，就造成不隨週期性月經而改變的長期性大腦灰質體積的變化，灰質的變化意涵該腦區的功能有所改變。

     

3.PDM女性腦部疼痛調控系統(pain modulatory systems)呈現神經功能性連結(functional connectivity)的異常降低，尤其是以大腦導水管旁灰質(periaqueductal grey matter；簡稱PAG)為主的疼痛調控之神經連結。大腦導水管旁灰質PAG跟預設網路(Default Mode Network，簡稱DMN)相關腦區的功能連結降低，表示他們的對疼痛刺激的調控功能不足；而大腦導水管旁灰質與運動輔助區(supplementary motor area)內之內臟運動區(visceromotor area)的功能連結增加，是許多骨盆腔慢性疼痛疾病的異常表現。 預設網路DMN主要由腹內側前額區(ventromedial prefrontal cortex)及後扣帶迴(posterior cingulate cortex)所組成，是人類心智功能的大腦神經樞紐，重度憂鬱症、思覺失調症(舊名為精神分裂症)、慢性疼痛疾病均伴隨著預設網路的異常。我們發現在年輕PDM女性中其預設網路已呈現不良的神經可塑性(maladaptive neuroplasticity)，正是諸多慢性疼痛疾病的共同腦部表徵。而慢性疼痛疾病經常伴隨著諸多腦部的異常以及多項心智功能的障礙，如專注力、記憶、憂鬱等，造成整體生活品質的下降。

    

4.腦源性神經滋養因子(Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF)基因管控BDNF蛋白質的製造及分泌，此蛋白質與壓力及疼痛相關的情緒反應處理有關。腦源性神經滋養因子單核苷酸多態性(BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism)的基因亞型若帶有Met allele等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) ，則會導致BDNF的分泌不足而功能低下。本研究發現台灣PDM女性族群帶有更多的Met 等位基因且有較高的焦慮情緒，換言之帶有Met等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) 者發生痛經的風險較高。

     

5.基因腦造影學(imaging genetics或genetic neuroimaging)的研究顯示帶有BDNF Val66Met 單核苷酸多態性之Met/Met 基因型的PDM女性，其腦部疼痛調控神經網路具有較顯著的易感性(vulnerability)，未來出現對疼痛產生不良神經可塑性的機率較高，這對日後引發慢性疼痛將有機轉性的重要影響。

  

以上都是榮陽疼痛研究團隊領先國際的首要發現，我們認為PDM所引起的腦部變化是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因，而這些腦部變異則是諸多慢性功能性疼痛疾病其中樞神經功能失調之共同的前導性機轉。我們的研究更呈現一項重要的新觀念：慢性疼痛是一個腦中樞的疾病，我們必須積極的發展無痛(Pain Free)的臨床醫學與對疼痛的積極有效的治療。

  

本項研究之早期成果，於數年前曾由國際疼痛學會(International Association for the Study of Pain，IASP)之期刊PAIN®舉行正式國際記者會，向國際報導我們的研究發現而轟動國際，成果見諸國際性主要報紙與電視媒體醫療健康版之頭條。最新的研究成果則發表於2016年1月的PAIN®，並有專文評論(Editorial Commentary)報導我們的研究成果在疼痛醫學的重要貢獻與意義。我們的系列研究有部分成果已多篇發表在Pain®、Neuroimage、European Journal of Pain及PLOS ONE等重要國際醫學及腦科學學術期刊，而針對嚴重型疼痛之新的非侵襲性疼痛治療技術亦在發展進行中。我們希望透過本次記者會向國內社會大眾報告榮陽疼痛研究團隊在PDM最近的研究成果及相關醫療意義，更呼籲大家重視女性的痛經問題與對嚴重經痛的及時有效治療之必要性。

   

(~4.85 centimeters across at its widest)

-----------------------------------

Igneous rocks form by the cooling and crystallization of hot, molten rock (magma and lava). If this happens at or near the land surface, or on the seafloor, they are extrusive igneous rocks. If this happens deep underground, they are intrusive igneous rocks. Most igneous rocks have a crystalline texture, but some are clastic, vesicular, frothy, or glassy.

 

Obsidian is readily identifiable. It is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Obsidian is natural glass - it lacks crystals, and therefore lacks minerals. Obsidian is typically black in color, but most obsidians have a felsic to intermediate chemistry. Felsic igneous rocks are generally light-colored, so a felsic obsidian seems a paradox. Mafic obsidians are scarce, but they are also black and glassy. Obsidian is sometimes referred to "glassy rhyolite".

 

Obsidian is an uncommon rock, but can be examined at several famous localities in America, such as Obsidian Cliff at the Yellowstone Hotspot (northwestern Wyoming, USA) and Big Obsidian Flow at the Newberry Volcano (central Oregon, USA).

 

Obsidian is moderately hard and has a conchoidal fracture (smooth and curved fracture surface), with sharp broken edges. Freshly-broken obsidian has the sharpest edges of any material known, natural or man-made (as seen under a scanning electron microscope).

 

Obsidian forms two ways: 1) very rapid cooling of lava, which prevents the formation of crystals; 2) cooling of high-viscosity lava, which prevents easy movement of atoms to form crystals. An example of obsidian that formed the first way is along the margins of basaltic lava flows at Kilaeua Volcano (Hawaii Hotspot, central Pacific Ocean). The obsidian sample seen here formed the second way.

 

Obsidian is unstable on geologic time scales - it will slowly convert to material that is not obsidian. A partially-converted obsidian is a distinctive rock called snowflake obsidian. The black portions of the rock seen here are rhyolitic obsidian (glass). The white patches ("snowflakes") are devitrification spots composed of cristobalite (SiO2, a polymorph of quartz).

 

Locality: unrecorded / undisclosed, but possibly from Twin Peaks, Utah, USA

 

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

01 Blaze a Trail | 02 Pearly King Morph | 03 The Messenger Morph | 04 The Power of Morphing Communication | 05 Morph Over, There's Room for Two! | 06 Morph into the Piñataverse | 07 Morpheus | 08 Apart Together | 09 London Parklife | 10 On Guard | 11 Mr Create | 12 Morph's Inspirational Dungarees | 13 Cactus Morph | 14 Forget-Me-Not | 15 Gingerbread Morph I 16 Totally Morphomatic! | 17 Dance-off Morph I 18 The Bard I 19 Mondrian Morph | 20 Morph Whizz Kidz Argonaut | 21 It's Raining Morphs! Halleujah! | 22 Messy Morph | 23 I Spy Morph | 24 Astromorph | 25 Make Your Mark | 26 Roll With It | 27 Morph and Friends Explore London | 28 Tartan Trailblazer | 29 London Collage | 30 Peace Love and Morph | 31 Midas Morph | 32 Freedom | 33 Good Vibes | 34 Tiger Morph | 35 Maximus Morpheus Londinium | 36 Chocks Away! | 37 Morph! It's the Wrong Trousers! | 38 Diverse-City | 39 Apples and Pears | 40 Morphlowers Please! | 41 Cyborg Morph | 42 Pride Morph | 43 The London Man | 44 Looking After the Ocean | 45 Rock Star! | 46 Wheelie | 47 Gentlemorph | 48 Polymorphism | 49 Whizz Bang! | 50 Stay Frosty | 51 Mmmmmmmoprh! | 52 Swashbuckler | 53 Morph Target | 54 Canary Morph | 55 Morph the Yeoman Guard | 56 Fish Ahoy!

 

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

01 Neville | 02 Messy Morph | 03 Meta-MORPH-osis | 04 Morley the Morph - Ready to Board | 05 Near and Far | 06 Bright Ideas | 07 Creativity Rocks! | 08 Growing Together | 10 Many Hands Make Valence | 11 Mr. Tayo Shnubbub 'The Wellbeing Hero' | 12 Captain Compass I 13 Hands-On & Hands-Up | 14 This is Us | 15 The Adventures of Morph | 16 Our School | 17 Riverside Spirit | 18 Morpheby | 19 GRIT | 20 Happiness is an Inside Job | 21 Growing Together in Learning and in Faith | 22 Look for the Light I 23 Bringing Great Energy and Spirit to Make Things Happen

DataBiNS: a BioMoby-based data-mining workflow for biological pathways and non-synonymous SNPs

 

Young C. Song, Edward Kawas, Ben M. Good , Mark D. Wilkinson and Scott J. Tebbutt

 

Bioinformatics 2007 23(6):780-782

 

DOI:10.1093/bioinformatics/btl648

 

Workflow available at www.cs.man.ac.uk/~hulld/workflows/DataBiNS.xml and www.mrl.ubc.ca/who/s-tebbutt/DataBiNS Supplementary Information.zip

 

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

 

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

 

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

 

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

 

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

 

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

 

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

 

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

 

Alchemilla glaucescens Wallr., syn.: Alchemilla hybrida L.

A Lady's-mantle, DE.:Filz Frauenmantel, Weichhaar Frauenmantel

Slo.:puhasta plahtica

 

Dat.: May 3. 2014

Lat.: 46°21'37.68"N Long.: 13°42'9.34"E

Code: Bot_795/2014_DSC0765

 

Habitat: former pasture with some scattered trees, old overgrown scree slope, slightly southeast inclined; calcareous ground; dry, nutrients poor, shallow soil layer, among low grasses and mosses; partly sunny, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevation 600 m (1.970 feet),alpine phytogeographical region.

 

Substratum: soil.

 

Place: Lower Trenta valley, between villages Soča and Trenta, right bank of river Soča, near Trenta 2b cottage, East Julian Alps, Posočje, Slovenia EC.

 

Comment: The genus Alchemilla is, along with the genera Hieracium and, may be also, Rubus, probably the most difficult of all in terms of correct species determination. Nobody really knows how many species it comprises. Some estimate the total number to be about 250. Amateur or semiprofessional botanical books usually 'skip' this problem by describing two or three species or groups (aggregates) only. This, of cause, makes field determination almost hopeless for a botanical amateur. But also in standard botanical works like Ref.: (1), (2), (3) and, for my country, Ref.: (4) authors treat this genus widely differently. To illustrate this, look at the number of species and/or aggregates of this genus described in these works. In Ref.:(1), for example, describing in total about 4.500 plants on over 2.600 printed pages only 12 species and/or aggregates are treated, while, on the other side, over 120 species are described in Ref.:(2) for Austria territory only. The reasons for extreme polymorphism in this genus, causing these ambiguities, are frequent hybrids along with obligate apogam (nonsexual) propagation, resulting in countless morphologically different and stable hybrids. Also insufficient knowledge about the distribution of all these individual 'species' contributes its part to the confusion. So, in spite the fact that I am trying to do my best, don't believe too much in my determinations in this genus.

 

Description: the whole plant, including inner and outer calyx with flower base, flower stalks, main stalk, ground leaf stalks and leaves (upper and lower side and edges) are densely hairy (lower side denser). Hairs shiny, pilose to villous mostly oriented off and up the stalks. Larger leaves have diameter 3-3.5(4) cm (in May). Flower stalks are up to 10 (15) cm tall. Many plants were present among low grasses and mosses.

 

Ref.:

(1) D. Aeschimann, K. Lauber, D.M. Moser, J.P. Theurillat, Flora Alpina, Vol. 1., Haupt (2004), p 786.

(2) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora Österreich Liechtenstein, Südtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 501.

(3) Rothmaler 3, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, 11. Aufl., Elsevier, Spectrum (2007), p 242.

(4) A. Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije, Tehnična Založba Slovenije (2007) (in Slovene), p 262.

Aragonite from Morocco.

 

A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6100 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.

 

The carbonate minerals all contain one or more carbonate (CO3-2) anions.

 

Aragonite has the same chemistry as calcite - it is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). However, aragonite has a different molecular structure - the atoms are packed differently. Different minerals having the same chemical formula are called "polymorphs" (another good example is graphite and diamond - both are carbon, C).

 

Unlike calcite, aragonite forms crystals in the orthorhombic class. Many aragonite crystals are acicular (needle-like) or pseudohexagonal. The latter is the result of six orthorhombic prisms growing parallel to each other. The sample seen here is a radiating cluster of pseudohexagonal, cyclic-twinned aragonite masses.

 

Aragonite is slightly harder than calcite, at H=3.5 to 4, occurs in many colors, and easily bubbles in acid. Aragonite is a little bit heavier than calcite, due to closer packing of atoms.

 

Most modern seashells and coral skeletons are composed of the aragonite. Whitish-colored lime sand beaches in the world are aragonitic. Occasionally, "whitings" are seen in shallow, warm ocean environments. Whitings (cloudy, milky seawater) turn out to have numerous tiny, hair-like needles of aragonite.

 

In the rock record, aragonitic or aragonite-rich sediments convert to calcite over time. Cenozoic-aged carbonate sedimentary rocks are often aragonitic. Mesozoic- and Paleozoic-aged carbonates are almost always calcitic. Many ancient fossils have had their aragonitic shells dissolved away. Ancient shells that were originally calcitic are often still well preserved.

 

Locality: Tazouta, southeast of Sefrou & southeast of Fez, Middle Atlas Mountains, northern Morocco

-----------------

Photo gallery of aragonite:

www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=307

 

Paropsisterna agricola

The common mainland form of P. agricola have elytra with golden brown main colouration, in Tasmania the main colourations are grey-green or red-brown with light speckles (particularly around the scutellum). An entirely black shiny morph occurs on both the mainland and Tasmania - approximately 3% of any population (thus genetically driven). Interestingly, the original description of the species back in 1877 was based on the black morph.

 

The teneral (newly emerged) beetles of both colour morphs are grey-black with a red elytral and pronotal trim that fades as they age, eventually changing to either forms described above. At the reproductive stage, after overwintering, the elytral trim will be translucent light brown, finally changing to black when fully mature.

 

Photographed at the end of December, Chimney Pot Hill, Mt Wellington, Tasmania.

 

References:

Nahrung (2004) - full paper on the biology of P. agricola.

Nahrung & Allen (2005) - abstract summary of P. agricola colour polymorphism.

Murphy (2006) - full PhD paper with photos and descriptions of some Paropsisterna and Paropsis species (particularly Tassie species) placed in the appendix.

Bonvaneture Island

Quebec, Canada

 

The Common Guillemot or Common Mure is 38–46 cm (15–18 in) in length with a 61–73 cm (24–29 in) wingspan. Male and female are indistinguishable in the field and weight ranges between 945 g (2 lb) in the south of their range to 1044 g (2.3 lb) in the north. In breeding plumage, the nominate subspecies (U. a. aalge) is black on the head, back and wings, and has white underparts. It has thin dark pointed bill and a small rounded dark tail. After the pre-basic moult, the face is white with a dark spur behind the eye.

 

"Bridled guillemots", have a white ring around the eye extending back as a white line. This is not a distinct subspecies, but a polymorphism which becomes more common the farther north the birds breed - perhaps character displacement with the northerly Thick-billed Murre, which has a white bill-stripe but no bridled morph. The white is highly contrasting especially in the latter species and would provide an easy means for an individual bird to recognize conspecifics in densely-packed breeding colonies.

 

The Common Guillemot or Common Murre flies with fast wing beats and has a flight speed of 50 mi/hr (80 km/h). Groups of birds are often seen flying together in a line just above the sea surface. However, a high wing loading of 2g/cm means that this species is not very agile and take-off is difficult. Common Guillemots or Common Murres become flightless for 45–60 days while moulting their primary feathers. -wiki

 

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Ipê Amarelo, Tabebuia [chrysotricha or ochracea].

Ipê-amarelo em Brasília, Brasil.

This tree is in Brasília, Capital of Brazil.

 

Text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Trumpet tree" redirects here. This term is occasionally used for the Shield-leaved Pumpwood (Cecropia peltata).

Tabebuia

Flowering Araguaney or ipê-amarelo (Tabebuia chrysantha) in central Brazil

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Asterids

Order: Lamiales

Family: Bignoniaceae

Tribe: Tecomeae

Genus: Tabebuia

Gomez

Species

Nearly 100.

Tabebuia is a neotropical genus of about 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and the Antilles south to northern Argentina and central Venezuela, including the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Cuba. Well-known common names include Ipê, Poui, trumpet trees and pau d'arco.

They are large shrubs and trees growing to 5 to 50 m (16 to 160 ft.) tall depending on the species; many species are dry-season deciduous but some are evergreen. The leaves are opposite pairs, complex or palmately compound with 3–7 leaflets.

Tabebuia is a notable flowering tree. The flowers are 3 to 11 cm (1 to 4 in.) wide and are produced in dense clusters. They present a cupular calyx campanulate to tubular, truncate, bilabiate or 5-lobed. Corolla colors vary between species ranging from white, light pink, yellow, lavender, magenta, or red. The outside texture of the flower tube is either glabrous or pubescentThe fruit is a dehiscent pod, 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in.) long, containing numerous—in some species winged—seeds. These pods often remain on the tree through dry season until the beginning of the rainy.

Species in this genus are important as timber trees. The wood is used for furniture, decking, and other outdoor uses. It is increasingly popular as a decking material due to its insect resistance and durability. By 2007, FSC-certified ipê wood had become readily available on the market, although certificates are occasionally forged.

Tabebuia is widely used as ornamental tree in the tropics in landscaping gardens, public squares, and boulevards due to its impressive and colorful flowering. Many flowers appear on still leafless stems at the end of the dry season, making the floral display more conspicuous. They are useful as honey plants for bees, and are popular with certain hummingbirds. Naturalist Madhaviah Krishnan on the other hand once famously took offense at ipé grown in India, where it is not native.

Lapacho teaThe bark of several species has medical properties. The bark is dried, shredded, and then boiled making a bitter or sour-tasting brownish-colored tea. Tea from the inner bark of Pink Ipê (T. impetiginosa) is known as Lapacho or Taheebo. Its main active principles are lapachol, quercetin, and other flavonoids. It is also available in pill form. The herbal remedy is typically used during flu and cold season and for easing smoker's cough. It apparently works as expectorant, by promoting the lungs to cough up and free deeply embedded mucus and contaminants. However, lapachol is rather toxic and therefore a more topical use e.g. as antibiotic or pesticide may be advisable. Other species with significant folk medical use are T. alba and Yellow Lapacho (T. serratifolia)

Tabebuia heteropoda, T. incana, and other species are occasionally used as an additive to the entheogenic drink Ayahuasca.

Mycosphaerella tabebuiae, a plant pathogenic sac fungus, was first discovered on an ipê tree.

Tabebuia alba

Tabebuia anafensis

Tabebuia arimaoensis

Tabebuia aurea – Caribbean Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia bilbergii

Tabebuia bibracteolata

Tabebuia cassinoides

Tabebuia chrysantha – Araguaney, Yellow Ipê, tajibo (Bolivia), ipê-amarelo (Brazil), cañaguate (N Colombia)

Tabebuia chrysotricha – Golden Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia donnell-smithii Rose – Gold Tree, "Prima Vera", Cortez blanco (El Salvador), San Juan (Honduras), palo blanco (Guatemala),duranga (Mexico)

A native of Mexico and Central Americas, considered one of the most colorful of all Central American trees. The leaves are deciduous. Masses of golden-yellow flowers cover the crown after the leaves are shed.

Tabebuia dubia

Tabebuia ecuadorensis

Tabebuia elongata

Tabebuia furfuracea

Tabebuia geminiflora Rizz. & Mattos

Tabebuia guayacan (Seem.) Hemsl.

Tabebuia haemantha

Tabebuia heptaphylla (Vell.) Toledo – tajy

Tabebuia heterophylla – roble prieto

Tabebuia heteropoda

Tabebuia hypoleuca

Tabebuia impetiginosa – Pink Ipê, Pink Lapacho, ipê-cavatã, ipê-comum, ipê-reto, ipê-rosa, ipê-roxo-damata, pau d'arco-roxo, peúva, piúva (Brazil), lapacho negro (Spanish); not "brazilwood"

Tabebuia incana

Tabebuia jackiana

Tabebuia lapacho – lapacho amarillo

Tabebuia orinocensis A.H. Gentry[verification needed]

Tabebuia ochracea

Tabebuia oligolepis

Tabebuia pallida – Cuban Pink Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia platyantha

Tabebuia polymorpha

Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC.[verification needed] (= T. pentaphylla (L.) Hemsley) – Pink Poui, Pink Tecoma, apama, apamate, matilisguate

A popular street tree in tropical cities because of its multi-annular masses of light pink to purple flowers and modest size. The roots are not especially destructive for roads and sidewalks. It is the national tree of El Salvador and the state tree of Cojedes, Venezuela

Tabebuia roseo-alba – White Ipê, ipê-branco (Brazil), lapacho blanco

Tabebuia serratifolia – Yellow Lapacho, Yellow Poui, ipê-roxo (Brazil)

Tabebuia shaferi

Tabebuia striata

Tabebuia subtilis Sprague & Sandwith

Tabebuia umbellata

Tabebuia vellosoi Toledo

 

Ipê-do-cerrado

Texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre.

Ipê-do-cerrado

Classificação científica

Reino: Plantae

Divisão: Magnoliophyta

Classe: Magnoliopsida

Subclasse: Asteridae

Ordem: Lamiales

Família: Bignoniaceae

Género: Tabebuia

Espécie: T. ochracea

Nome binomial

Tabebuia ochracea

(Cham.) Standl. 1832

Sinónimos

Bignonia tomentosa Pav. ex DC.

Handroanthus ochraceus (Cham.) Mattos

Tabebuia chrysantha (Jacq.) G. Nicholson

Tabebuia hypodictyon A. DC.) Standl.

Tabebuia neochrysantha A.H. Gentry

Tabebuia ochracea subsp. heteropoda (A. DC.) A.H. Gentry

Tabebuia ochracea subsp. neochrysantha (A.H. Gentry) A.H. Gentry

Tecoma campinae Kraenzl.

ecoma grandiceps Kraenzl.

Tecoma hassleri Sprague

Tecoma hemmendorffiana Kraenzl.

Tecoma heteropoda A. DC.

Tecoma hypodictyon A. DC.

Tecoma ochracea Cham.

Ipê-do-cerrado é um dos nomes populares da Tabebuia ochracea (Cham.) Standl. 1832, nativa do cerrado brasileiro, no estados de Amazonas, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Paraná.

Está na lista de espécies ameaçadas do estado de São Paulo, onde é encontrda também no domínio da Mata Atlântica[1].

Ocorre também na Argentina, Paraguai, Bolívia, Equador, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, El Salvador, Guatemala e Panamá[2].

Há uma espécie homônima descrita por A.H. Gentry em 1992.

Outros nomes populares: ipê-amarelo, ipê-cascudo, ipê-do-campo, ipê-pardo, pau-d'arco-do-campo, piúva, tarumã.

Características

Altura de 6 a 14 m. Tronco tortuso com até 50 cm de diâmetro. Folhas pilosas em ambas as faces, mais na inferior, que é mais clara.

Planta decídua, heliófita, xerófita, nativa do cerrado em solos bem drenados.

Floresce de julho a setembro. Os frutos amadurecem de setembro a outubro.

FloresProduz grande quantidade de sementes leves, aladas com pequenas reservas, e que perdem a viabilidade em menos de 90 dias após coleta. A sua conservação vem sendo estudada em termos de determinação da condição ideal de armazenamento, e tem demonstrado a importância de se conhecer o comportamento da espécie quando armazenada com diferentes teores de umidade inicial, e a umidade de equilíbrio crítica para a espécie (KANO; MÁRQUEZ & KAGEYAMA, 1978). As levíssimas sementes aladas da espécie não necessitam de quebra de dormência. Podem apenas ser expostas ao sol por cerca de 6 horas e semeadas diretamente nos saquinhos. A germinação ocorre após 30 dias e de 80%. As sementes são ortodoxas e há aproximadamente 72 000 sementes em cada quilo.

O desenvolvimento da planta é rápido.

Como outros ipês, a madeira é usada em tacos, assoalhos, e em dormentes e postes. Presta-se também para peças torneadas e instrumento musicais.

 

Tabebuia alba (Ipê-Amarelo)

Texto, em português, produzido pela Acadêmica Giovana Beatriz Theodoro Marto

Supervisão e orientação do Prof. Luiz Ernesto George Barrichelo e do Eng. Paulo Henrique Müller

Atualizado em 10/07/2006

 

O ipê amarelo é a árvore brasileira mais conhecida, a mais cultivada e, sem dúvida nenhuma, a mais bela. É na verdade um complexo de nove ou dez espécies com características mais ou menos semelhantes, com flores brancas, amarelas ou roxas. Não há região do país onde não exista pelo menos uma espécie dele, porém a existência do ipê em habitat natural nos dias atuais é rara entre a maioria das espécies (LORENZI,2000).

A espécie Tabebuia alba, nativa do Brasil, é uma das espécies do gênero Tabebuia que possui “Ipê Amarelo” como nome popular. O nome alba provém de albus (branco em latim) e é devido ao tomento branco dos ramos e folhas novas.

As árvores desta espécie proporcionam um belo espetáculo com sua bela floração na arborização de ruas em algumas cidades brasileiras. São lindas árvores que embelezam e promovem um colorido no final do inverno. Existe uma crença popular de que quando o ipê-amarelo floresce não vão ocorrer mais geadas. Infelizmente, a espécie é considerada vulnerável quanto à ameaça de extinção.

A Tabebuia alba, natural do semi-árido alagoano está adaptada a todas as regiões fisiográficas, levando o governo, por meio do Decreto nº 6239, a transformar a espécie como a árvore símbolo do estado, estando, pois sob a sua tutela, não mais podendo ser suprimida de seus habitats naturais.

Taxonomia

Família: Bignoniaceae

Espécie: Tabebuia Alba (Chamiso) Sandwith

Sinonímia botânica: Handroanthus albus (Chamiso) Mattos; Tecoma alba Chamisso

Outros nomes vulgares: ipê-amarelo, ipê, aipê, ipê-branco, ipê-mamono, ipê-mandioca, ipê-ouro, ipê-pardo, ipê-vacariano, ipê-tabaco, ipê-do-cerrado, ipê-dourado, ipê-da-serra, ipezeiro, pau-d’arco-amarelo, taipoca.

Aspectos Ecológicos

O ipê-amarelo é uma espécie heliófita (Planta adaptada ao crescimento em ambiente aberto ou exposto à luz direta) e decídua (que perde as folhas em determinada época do ano). Pertence ao grupo das espécies secundárias iniciais (DURIGAN & NOGUEIRA, 1990).

Abrange a Floresta Pluvial da Mata Atlântica e da Floresta Latifoliada Semidecídua, ocorrendo principalmente no interior da Floresta Primária Densa. É característica de sub-bosques dos pinhais, onde há regeneração regular.

Informações Botânicas

Morfologia

As árvores de Tabebuia alba possuem cerca de 30 metros de altura. O tronco é reto ou levemente tortuoso, com fuste de 5 a 8 m de altura. A casca externa é grisáceo-grossa, possuindo fissuras longitudinais esparas e profundas. A coloração desta é cinza-rosa intenso, com camadas fibrosas, muito resistentes e finas, porém bem distintas.

Com ramos grossos, tortuosos e compridos, o ipê-amarelo possui copa alongada e alargada na base. As raízes de sustentação e absorção são vigorosas e profundas.

As folhas, deciduais, são opostas, digitadas e compostas. A face superior destas folhas é verde-escura, e, a face inferior, acinzentada, sendo ambas as faces tomentosas. Os pecíolos das folhas medem de 2,5 a 10 cm de comprimento. Os folíolos, geralmente, apresentam-se em número de 5 a 7, possuindo de 7 a 18 cm de comprimento por 2 a 6 cm de largura. Quando jovem estes folíolos são densamente pilosos em ambas as faces. O ápice destes é pontiagudo, com base arredondada e margem serreada.

As flores, grandes e lanceoladas, são de coloração amarelo-ouro. Possuem em média 8X15 cm.

Quanto aos frutos, estes possuem forma de cápsula bivalvar e são secos e deiscentes. Do tipo síliqua, lembram uma vagem. Medem de 15 a 30 cm de comprimento por 1,5 a 2,5 cm de largura. As valvas são finamente tomentosas com pêlos ramificados. Possuem grande quantidade de sementes.

As sementes são membranáceas brilhantes e esbranquiçadas, de coloração marrom. Possuem de 2 a 3 cm de comprimento por 7 a 9 mm de largura e são aladas.

Reprodução

A espécie é caducifólia e a queda das folhas coincide com o período de floração. A floração inicia-se no final de agosto, podendo ocorrer alguma variação devido a fenômenos climáticos. Como a espécie floresce no final do inverno é influenciada pela intensidade do mesmo. Quanto mais frio e seco for o inverno, maior será a intensidade da florada do ipê amarelo.

As flores por sua exuberância, atraem abelhas e pássaros, principalmente beija-flores que são importantes agentes polinizadores. Segundo CARVALHO (2003), a espécie possui como vetor de polinização a abelha mamangava (Bombus morio).

As sementes são dispersas pelo vento.

A planta é hermafrodita, e frutifica nos meses de setembro, outubro, novembro, dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro, dependendo da sua localização. Em cultivo, a espécie inicia o processo reprodutivo após o terceiro ano.

Ocorrência Natural

Ocorre naturalmente na Floresta Estaciobal Semidecicual, Floresta de Araucária e no Cerrado.

Segundo o IBGE, a Tabebuia alba (Cham.) Sandw. é uma árvore do Cerrado, Cerradão e Mata Seca. Apresentando-se nos campos secos (savana gramíneo-lenhosa), próximo às escarpas.

Clima

Segundo a classificação de Köppen, o ipê-amarelo abrange locais de clima tropical (Aw), subtropical úmido (Cfa), sutropical de altitude (Cwa e Cwb) e temperado.

A T.alba pode tolerar até 81 geadas em um ano. Ocorre em locais onde a temperatura média anual varia de 14,4ºC como mínimo e 22,4ºC como máximo.

Solo

A espécie prefere solos úmidos, com drenagem lenta e geralmente não muito ondulados (LONGHI, 1995).

Aparece em terras de boa à média fertilidade, em solos profundos ou rasos, nas matas e raramente cerradões (NOGUEIRA, 1977).

Pragas e Doenças

De acordo com CARVALHO (2003), possui como praga a espécie de coleópteros Cydianerus bohemani da família Curculionoideae e um outro coleóptero da família Chrysomellidae. Apesar da constatação de elevados índices populacionais do primeiro, os danos ocasionados até o momento são leves. Nas praças e ruas de Curitiba - PR, 31% das árvores foram atacadas pela Cochonilha Ceroplastes grandis.

ZIDKO (2002), ao estudar no município de Piracicaba a associação de coleópteros em espécies arbóreas, verificou a presença de insetos adultos da espécie Sitophilus linearis da família de coleópteros, Curculionidae, em estruturas reprodutivas. Os insetos adultos da espécie emergiram das vagens do ipê, danificando as sementes desta espécie nativa.

ANDRADE (1928) assinalou diversas espécies de Cerambycidae atacando essências florestais vivas, como ingazeiro, cinamomo, cangerana, cedro, caixeta, jacarandá, araribá, jatobá, entre outras como o ipê amarelo.

A Madeira

A Tabebuia alba produz madeira de grande durabilidade e resistência ao apodrecimento (LONGHI,1995).

MANIERI (1970) caracteriza o cerne desta espécie como de cor pardo-havana-claro, pardo-havan-escuro, ou pardo-acastanhado, com reflexos esverdeados. A superfície da madeira é irregularmente lustrosa, lisa ao tato, possuindo textura media e grã-direita.

Com densidade entre 0,90 e 1,15 grama por centímetro cúbico, a madeira é muito dura (LORENZI, 1992), apresentando grande dificuldade ao serrar.

A madeira possui cheiro e gosto distintos. Segundo LORENZI (1992), o cheiro característico é devido à presença da substância lapachol, ou ipeína.

Usos da Madeira

Sendo pesada, com cerne escuro, adquire grande valor comercial na marcenaria e carpintaria. Também é utilizada para fabricação de dormentes, moirões, pontes, postes, eixos de roda, varais de carroça, moendas de cana, etc.

Produtos Não-Madeireiros

A entrecasca do ipê-amarelo possui propriedades terapêuticas como adstringente, usada no tratamento de garganta e estomatites. É também usada como diurético.

O ipê-amarelo possui flores melíferas e que maduras podem ser utilizadas na alimentação humana.

Outros Usos

É comumente utilizada em paisagismo de parques e jardins pela beleza e porte. Além disso, é muito utilizada na arborização urbana.

Segundo MOREIRA & SOUZA (1987), o ipê-amarelo costuma povoar as beiras dos rios sendo, portanto, indicado para recomposição de matas ciliares. MARTINS (1986), também cita a espécie para recomposição de matas ciliares da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, abrangendo alguns municípios das regiões Norte, Noroeste e parte do Oeste do Estado do Paraná.

Aspectos Silviculturais

Possui a tendência a crescer reto e sem bifurcações quando plantado em reflorestamento misto, pois é espécie monopodial. A desrrama se faz muito bem e a cicatrização é boa. Sendo assim, dificilmente encopa quando nova, a não ser que seja plantado em parques e jardins.

Ao ser utilizada em arborização urbana, o ipê amarelo requer podas de condução com freqüência mediana.

Espécie heliófila apresenta a pleno sol ramificação cimosa, registrando-se assim dicotomia para gema apical. Deve ser preconizada, para seu melhor aproveitamento madeireiro, podas de formação usuais (INQUE et al., 1983).

Produção de Mudas

A propagação deve realizada através de enxertia.

Os frutos devem ser coletados antes da dispersão, para evitar a perda de sementes. Após a coleta as sementes são postas em ambiente ventilado e a extração é feita manualmente. As sementes do ipê amarelo são ortodoxas, mantendo a viabilidade natural por até 3 meses em sala e por até 9 meses em vidro fechado, em câmara fria.

A condução das mudas deve ser feita a pleno sol. A muda atinge cerca de 30 cm em 9 meses, apresentando tolerância ao sol 3 semanas após a germinação.

Sementes

Os ipês, espécies do gênero Tabebuia, produzem uma grande quantidade de sementes leves, aladas com pequenas reservas, e que perdem a viabilidade em poucos dias após a sua coleta. A sua conservação vem sendo estudada em termos de determinação da condição ideal de armazenamento, e tem demonstrado a importância de se conhecer o comportamento da espécie quando armazenada com diferentes teores de umidade inicial, e a umidade de equilíbrio crítica para a espécie (KANO; MÁRQUEZ & KAGEYAMA, 1978).

As levíssimas sementes aladas da espécie não necessitam de quebra de dormência. Podem apenas ser expostas ao sol por cerca de 6 horas e semeadas diretamente nos saquinhos. A quebra natural leva cerca de 3 meses e a quebra na câmara leva 9 meses. A germinação ocorre após 30 dias e de 80%.

As sementes são ortodoxas e há aproximadamente 87000 sementes em cada quilo.

Preço da Madeira no Mercado

O preço médio do metro cúbico de pranchas de ipê no Estado do Pará cotado em Julho e Agosto de 2005 foi de R$1.200,00 o preço mínimo, R$ 1509,35 o médio e R$ 2.000,00 o preço máximo (CEPEA,2005).

The Blue_Room (january 1 2010) while recording synth drones & singing bowls.

 

Synths (left to right): Korg Triton TR61, Ensoniq Fizmo (with Kaoss Pad 3), Evolver Keyboard, Roland Jupiter 4, EMU Morpheus, Korg Wavestation SR, Waldorf Microwave XT, Roland JP8080, Access Indigo, Waldorf Q, Quasimidi Polymorph, Access Indigo 2 Redback.

Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus, and jonquil are used to describe all or some members of the genus. Narcissus has conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by a cup- or trumpet-shaped corona. The flowers are generally white and yellow (also orange or pink in garden varieties), with either uniform or contrasting coloured tepals and corona.

 

Narcissus were well known in ancient civilisation, both medicinally and botanically, but formally described by Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum (1753). The genus is generally considered to have about ten sections with approximately 50 species. The number of species has varied, depending on how they are classified, due to similarity between species and hybridisation. The genus arose some time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene epochs, in the Iberian peninsula and adjacent areas of southwest Europe. The exact origin of the name Narcissus is unknown, but it is often linked to a Greek word (ancient Greek ναρκῶ narkō, "to make numb") and the myth of the youth of that name who fell in love with his own reflection. The English word "daffodil" appears to be derived from "asphodel", with which it was commonly compared.

 

The species are native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa with a centre of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian peninsula. Both wild and cultivated plants have naturalised widely, and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century. Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are also insect-pollinated. Known pests, diseases and disorders include viruses, fungi, the larvae of flies, mites and nematodes. Some Narcissus species have become extinct, while others are threatened by increasing urbanisation and tourism.

 

Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, but became increasingly popular in Europe after the 16th century and by the late 19th century were an important commercial crop centred primarily in the Netherlands. Today narcissi are popular as cut flowers and as ornamental plants in private and public gardens. The long history of breeding has resulted in thousands of different cultivars. For horticultural purposes, narcissi are classified into divisions, covering a wide range of shapes and colours. Like other members of their family, narcissi produce a number of different alkaloids, which provide some protection for the plant, but may be poisonous if accidentally ingested. This property has been exploited for medicinal use in traditional healing and has resulted in the production of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Long celebrated in art and literature, narcissi are associated with a number of themes in different cultures, ranging from death to good fortune, and as symbols of spring.

 

The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and the symbol of cancer charities in many countries. The appearance of the wild flowers in spring is associated with festivals in many places.

 

Narcissus is a genus of perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, which die back after flowering to an underground storage bulb. They regrow in the following year from brown-skinned ovoid bulbs with pronounced necks, and reach heights of 5–80 centimetres (2.0–31.5 in) depending on the species. Dwarf species such as N. asturiensis have a maximum height of 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in), while Narcissus tazetta may grow as tall as 80 centimetres (31 in).

 

The plants are scapose, having a single central leafless hollow flower stem (scape). Several green or blue-green, narrow, strap-shaped leaves arise from the bulb. The plant stem usually bears a solitary flower, but occasionally a cluster of flowers (umbel). The flowers, which are usually conspicuous and white or yellow, sometimes both or rarely green, consist of a perianth of three parts. Closest to the stem (proximal) is a floral tube above the ovary, then an outer ring composed of six tepals (undifferentiated sepals and petals), and a central disc to conical shaped corona. The flowers may hang down (pendant), or be erect. There are six pollen bearing stamens surrounding a central style. The ovary is inferior (below the floral parts) consisting of three chambers (trilocular). The fruit consists of a dry capsule that splits (dehisces) releasing numerous black seeds.

 

The bulb lies dormant after the leaves and flower stem die back and has contractile roots that pull it down further into the soil. The flower stem and leaves form in the bulb, to emerge the following season. Most species are dormant from summer to late winter, flowering in the spring, though a few species are autumn flowering.

 

The pale brown-skinned ovoid tunicate bulbs have a membranous tunic and a corky stem (base or basal) plate from which arise the adventitious root hairs in a ring around the edge, which grow up to 40 mm in length. Above the stem plate is the storage organ consisting of bulb scales, surrounding the previous flower stalk and the terminal bud. The scales are of two types, true storage organs and the bases of the foliage leaves. These have a thicker tip and a scar from where the leaf lamina became detached. The innermost leaf scale is semicircular only partly enveloping the flower stalk (semisheathed).(see Hanks Fig 1.3). The bulb may contain a number of branched bulb units, each with two to three true scales and two to three leaf bases. Each bulb unit has a life of about four years.

 

Once the leaves die back in summer, the roots also wither. After some years, the roots shorten pulling the bulbs deeper into the ground (contractile roots). The bulbs develop from the inside, pushing the older layers outwards which become brown and dry, forming an outer shell, the tunic or skin. Up to 60 layers have been counted in some wild species. While the plant appears dormant above the ground the flower stalk which will start to grow in the following spring, develops within the bulb surrounded by two to three deciduous leaves and their sheaths. The flower stem lies in the axil of the second true leaf.

 

The single leafless Plant stem stem or scape, appearing from early to late spring depending on the species, bears from 1 to 20 blooms. Stem shape depends on the species, some are highly compressed with a visible seam, while others are rounded. The stems are upright and located at the centre of the leaves. In a few species such as N. hedraeanthus the stem is oblique. The stem is hollow in the upper portion but towards the bulb is more solid and filled with a spongy material.

 

Narcissus plants have one to several basal leaf leaves which are linear, ligulate or strap-shaped (long and narrow), sometimes channelled adaxially to semiterete, and may (pedicellate) or may not (sessile) have a petiole stalk. The leaves are flat and broad to cylindrical at the base and arise from the bulb. The emerging plant generally has two leaves, but the mature plant usually three, rarely four, and they are covered with a cutin containing cuticle, giving them a waxy appearance. Leaf colour is light green to blue-green. In the mature plant, the leaves extend higher than the flower stem, but in some species, the leaves are low-hanging. The leaf base is encased in a colorless sheath. After flowering, the leaves turn yellow and die back once the seed pod (fruit) is ripe.

 

Jonquils usually have dark green, round, rush-like leaves.

 

The inflorescence is scapose, the single stem or scape bearing either a solitary flower or forming an umbel with up to 20 blooms. Species bearing a solitary flower include section Bulbocodium and most of section Pseudonarcissus. Umbellate species have a fleshy racemose inflorescence (unbranched, with short floral stalks) with 2 to 15 or 20 flowers, such as N. papyraceus (see illustration, left) and N. tazetta (see Table I). The flower arrangement on the inflorescence may be either with (pedicellate) or without (sessile) floral stalks.

 

Prior to opening, the flower buds are enveloped and protected in a thin dry papery or membranous (scarious) spathe. The spathe consists of a singular bract that is ribbed, and which remains wrapped around the base of the open flower. As the bud grows, the spathe splits longitudinally. Bracteoles are small or absent.

 

The flowers of Narcissus are hermaphroditic (bisexual), have three parts (tripartite), and are sometimes fragrant (see Fragrances). The flower symmetry is actinomorphic (radial) to slightly zygomorphic (bilateral) due to declinate-ascending stamens (curving downwards, then bent up at the tip). Narcissus flowers are characterised by their, usually conspicuous, corona (trumpet).

 

The three major floral parts (in all species except N. cavanillesii in which the corona is virtually absent - Table I: Section Tapeinanthus) are;

 

(i) the proximal floral tube (hypanthium),

(ii) the surrounding free tepals, and

(iii) the more distal corona (paraperigon, paraperigonium).

All three parts may be considered to be components of the perianth (perigon, perigonium). The perianth arises above the apex of the inferior ovary, its base forming the hypanthial floral tube.

 

The floral tube is formed by fusion of the basal segments of the tepals (proximally connate). Its shape is from an inverted cone (obconic) to funnel-shaped (funneliform) or cylindrical, and is surmounted by the more distal corona. Floral tubes can range from long and narrow sections Apodanthi and Jonquilla to rudimentary (N. cavanillesii).

 

Surrounding the floral tube and corona and reflexed (bent back) from the rest of the perianth are the six spreading tepals or floral leaves, in two whorls which may be distally ascending, reflexed (folded back), or lanceolate. Like many monocotyledons, the perianth is homochlamydeous, which is undifferentiated into separate calyx (sepals) and corolla (petals), but rather has six tepals. The three outer tepal segments may be considered sepals, and the three inner segments petals. The transition point between the floral tube and the corona is marked by the insertion of the free tepals on the fused perianth.

 

The corona, or paracorolla, is variously described as bell-shaped (funneliform, trumpet), bowl-shaped (cupular, crateriform, cup-shaped) or disc-shaped with margins that are often frilled, and is free from the stamens. Rarely is the corona a simple callose (hardened, thickened) ring. The corona is formed during floral development as a tubular outgrowth from stamens which fuse into a tubular structure, the anthers becoming reduced. At its base, the fragrances which attract pollinators are formed. All species produce nectar at the top of the ovary. Coronal morphology varies from the tiny pigmented disk of N. serotinus (see Table I) or the rudimentary structure in N. cavanillesii to the elongated trumpets of section Pseudonarcissus (trumpet daffodils, Table I).

 

While the perianth may point forwards, in some species such as N. cyclamineus it is folded back (reflexed, see illustration, left), while in some other species such as N. bulbocodium (Table I), it is reduced to a few barely visible pointed segments with a prominent corona.

 

The colour of the perianth is white, yellow or bicoloured, with the exception of the night flowering N. viridiflorus which is green. In addition the corona of N. poeticus has a red crenulate margin (see Table I). Flower diameter varies from 12 mm (N. bulbocodium) to over 125 mm (N. nobilis=N. pseudonarcissus subsp. nobilis).

 

Flower orientation varies from pendent or deflexed (hanging down) as in N. triandrus (see illustration, left), through declinate-ascendant as in N. alpestris = N. pseudonarcissus subsp. moschatus, horizontal (patent, spreading) such as N. gaditanus or N. poeticus, erect as in N. cavanillesii, N. serotinus and N. rupicola (Table I), or intermediate between these positions (erecto-patent).

 

The flowers of Narcissus demonstrate exceptional floral diversity and sexual polymorphism, primarily by corona size and floral tube length, associated with pollinator groups (see for instance Figs. 1 and 2 in Graham and Barrett). Barrett and Harder (2005) describe three separate floral patterns;

 

"Daffodil" form

"Paperwhite" form

"Triandrus" form.

The predominant patterns are the 'daffodil' and 'paperwhite' forms, while the "triandrus" form is less common. Each corresponds to a different group of pollinators (See Pollination).

 

The "daffodil" form, which includes sections Pseudonarcissus and Bulbocodium, has a relatively short, broad or highly funnelform tube (funnel-like), which grades into an elongated corona, which is large and funnelform, forming a broad, cylindrical or trumpet-shaped perianth. Section Pseudonarcissus consists of relatively large flowers with a corolla length of around 50 mm, generally solitary but rarely in inflorescences of 2–4 flowers. They have wide greenish floral tubes with funnel-shaped bright yellow coronas. The six tepals sometimes differ in colour from the corona and may be cream coloured to pale yellow.

 

The "paperwhite" form, including sections Jonquilla, Apodanthi and Narcissus, has a relatively long, narrow tube and a short, shallow, flaring corona. The flower is horizontal and fragrant.

 

The "triandrus" form is seen in only two species, N. albimarginatus (a Moroccan endemic) and N. triandrus. It combines features of both the "daffodil" and "paperwhite" forms, with a well-developed, long, narrow tube and an extended bell-shaped corona of almost equal length. The flowers are pendent.

 

Androecium

There are six stamens in one to two rows (whorls), with the filaments separate from the corona, attached at the throat or base of the tube (epipetalous), often of two separate lengths, straight or declinate-ascending (curving downwards, then upwards). The anthers are basifixed (attached at their base).

 

Gynoecium

The ovary is inferior (below the floral parts) and trilocular (three chambered) and there is a pistil with a minutely three lobed stigma and filiform (thread like) style, which is often exserted (extending beyond the tube).

 

Fruit

The fruit consists of dehiscent loculicidal capsules (splitting between the locules) that are ellipsoid to subglobose (almost spherical) in shape and are papery to leathery in texture.

 

Seeds

The fruit contains numerous subglobose seeds which are round and swollen with a hard coat, sometimes with an attached elaiosome. The testa is black and the pericarp dry.

 

Most species have 12 ovules and 36 seeds, although some species such as N. bulbocodium have more, up to a maximum of 60. Seeds take five to six weeks to mature. The seeds of sections Jonquilla and Bulbocodium are wedge-shaped and matte black, while those of other sections are ovate and glossy black. A gust of wind or contact with a passing animal is sufficient to disperse the mature seeds.

 

Chromosomes

Chromosome numbers include 2n=14, 22, 26, with numerous aneuploid and polyploid derivatives. The basic chromosome number is 7, with the exception of N. tazetta, N. elegans and N. broussonetii in which it is 10 or 11; this subgenus (Hermione) was in fact characterised by this characteristic. Polyploid species include N. papyraceus (4x=22) and N. dubius (6x=50).

 

Phytochemistry

Alkaloids

As with all Amarylidaceae genera, Narcissus contains unique isoquinoline alkaloids. The first alkaloid to be identified was lycorine, from N. pseudonarcissus in 1877. These are considered a protective adaptation and are utilised in the classification of species. Nearly 100 alkaloids have been identified in the genus, about a third of all known Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, although not all species have been tested. Of the nine alkaloid ring types identified in the family, Narcissus species most commonly demonstrate the presence of alkaloids from within the Lycorine (lycorine, galanthine, pluviine) and Homolycorine (homolycorine, lycorenine) groups. Hemanthamine, tazettine, narciclasine, montanine and galantamine alkaloids are also represented. The alkaloid profile of any plant varies with time, location, and developmental stage. Narcissus also contain fructans and low molecular weight glucomannan in the leaves and plant stems.

 

Fragrances

Fragrances are predominantly monoterpene isoprenoids, with a small amount of benzenoids, although N. jonquilla has both equally represented. Another exception is N. cuatrecasasii which produces mainly fatty acid derivatives. The basic monoterpene precursor is geranyl pyrophosphate, and the commonest monoterpenes are limonene, myrcene, and trans-β-ocimene. Most benzenoids are non-methoxylated, while a few species contain methoxylated forms (ethers), e.g. N. bujei. Other ingredient include indole, isopentenoids and very small amounts of sesquiterpenes. Fragrance patterns can be correlated with pollinators, and fall into three main groups (see Pollination).

 

The taxonomy of Narcissus is complex, and still not fully resolved. Known to the ancients, the genus name appears in Graeco-Roman literature, although their interest was as much medicinal as botanical. It is unclear which species the ancients were familiar with. Although frequently mentioned in Mediaeval and Renaissance texts it was not formally described till the work of Linnaeus in 1753. By 1789 it had been grouped into a family (Narcissi) but shortly thereafter this was renamed Amaryllideae, from which comes the modern placement within Amaryllidaceae, although for a while it was considered part of Liliaceae.

 

Many of the species now considered to be Narcissus were in separate genera during the nineteenth century, and the situation was further confused by the inclusion of many cultivated varieties. By 1875 the current circumscription was relatively settled. By 2004 phylogenetic studies had allowed the place of Narcissus within its fairly large family to be established, nested within a series of subfamilies (Amaryllidoideae) and tribes (Narcisseae). It shares its position in the latter tribe with Sternbergia.

 

The infrageneric classification has been even more complex and many schemes of subgenera, sections, subsections and series have been proposed, although all had certain similarities. Most authorities now consider there to be 10 – 11 sections based on phylogenetic evidence. The problems have largely arisen from the diversity of the wild species, frequent natural hybridisation and extensive cultivation with escape and subsequent naturalisation. The number of species has varied anywhere from 16 to nearly 160, but is probably around 50 – 60.

 

The genus appeared some time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene eras, around 24 million years ago, in the Iberian peninsula. While the exact origin of the word Narcissus is unknown it is frequently linked to its fragrance which was thought to be narcotic, and to the legend of the youth of that name who fell in love with his reflection. In the English language the common name Daffodil appears to be derived from the Asphodel with which it was commonly compared.

 

Early

Narcissus was first described by Theophrastus (Θεόφραστος, c 371 - c 287 BC) in his Historia Plantarum (Greek: Περὶ φυτῶν ἱστορία) as νάρκισσος, referring to N. poeticus, but comparing it to Asphodelus (ασφοδελωδες). Theophrastus' description was frequently referred to at length by later authors writing in Latin such as Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23 AD – 79 AD) from whom came the Latin form narcissus (see also Culture). Pliny's account is from his Natural History (Latin: Naturalis Historia). Like his contemporaries, his interests were as much therapeutic as botanical. Another much-cited Greek authority was Dioscorides (Διοσκουρίδης, 40 AD – 90 AD) in his De Materia Medica (Greek: Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς). Both authors were to remain influential until at least the Renaissance, given that their descriptions went beyond the merely botanical, to the therapeutic (see also Antiquity).

 

An early European reference is found in the work of Albert Magnus (c. 1200 – 1280), who noted in his De vegetabilibus et plantis the similarity to the leek. William Turner in his A New Herball (1551) cites all three extensively in his description of the plant and its properties.It was to remain to Linnaeus in 1753 to formally describe and name Narcissus as a genus in his Species Plantarum, at which time there were six known species (N. poeticus, N. pseudonarcissus, N. bulbocodium, N. serotinus, N. jonquilla and N. tazetta).[1] At that time, Linnaeus loosely grouped it together with 50 other genera into his Hexandria monogynia.

 

Modern

It was de Jussieu in 1789 who first formally created a 'family' (Narcissi), as the seventh 'Ordo' (Order) of the third class (Stamina epigyna) of Monocots in which Narcissus and 15 other genera were placed. The use of the term Ordo at that time was closer to what we now understand as Family, rather than Order. The family has undergone much reorganisation since then, but in 1805 it was renamed after a different genus in the family, Amaryllis, as 'Amaryllideae' by Jaume St.-Hilaire and has retained that association since. Jaume St.-Hilaire divided the family into two unnamed sections and recognised five species of Narcissus, omitting N. serotinus.

 

De Candolle brought together Linnaeus' genera and Jussieau's families into a systematic taxonomy for the first time, but included Narcissus (together with Amaryllis) in the Liliaceae in his Flore française (1805-1815) rather than Amaryllidaceae, a family he had not yet recognised. Shortly thereafter he separated the 'Amaryllidées' from 'Liliacées' (1813), though attributing the term to Brown's 'Amaryllideae' in the latter's Prodromus (1810) rather than St.-Hilaire's 'Amaryllidées'. He also provided the text to the first four volumes of Redouté illustrations in the latter's Les liliacées between 1805 and 1808 (see illustration here of N. candidissimus).

 

Historically both wide and narrow interpretations of the genus have been proposed. In the nineteenth century genus splitting was common, favouring the narrow view. Haworth (1831) using a narrow view treated many species as separate genera, as did Salisbury (1866). These authors listed various species in related genera such as Queltia (hybrids), Ajax (=Pseudonarcissus) and Hermione (=Tazettae), sixteen in all in Haworth's classification. In contrast, Herbert (1837) took a very wide view reducing Harworth's sixteen genera to six. Herbert, treating the Amaryllidacea as an 'order' as was common then, considered the narcissi to be a suborder, the Narcisseae, the six genera being Corbularia, Ajax, Ganymedes, Queltia, Narcissus and Hermione and his relatively narrow circumscription of Narcissus having only three species. Later Spach (1846) took an even wider view bringing most of Harworth's genera into the genus Narcissus, but as separate subgenera. By the time that Baker (1875) wrote his monograph all of the genera with one exception were included as Narcissus. The exception was the monotypic group Tapeinanthus which various subsequent authors have chosen to either exclude (e.g. Cullen 1986) or include (e.g. Webb 1978, 1980). Today it is nearly always included.

 

The eventual position of Narcissus within the Amaryllidaceae family only became settled in the twenty-first century with the advent of phylogenetic analysis and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system. The genus Narcissus belongs to the Narcisseae tribe, one of 13 within the Amaryllidoideae subfamily of the Amaryllidaceae. It is one of two sister clades corresponding to genera in the Narcisseae, being distinguished from Sternbergia by the presence of a paraperigonium, and is monophyletic

 

The infrageneric phylogeny of Narcissus still remains relatively unsettled. The taxonomy has proved very complex and difficult to resolve, particularly for the Pseudonarcissus group. This is due to a number of factors, including the diversity of the wild species, the ease with which natural hybridisation occurs, and extensive cultivation and breeding accompanied by escape and naturalisation.

 

De Candolle, in the first systematic taxonomy of Narcissus, arranged the species into named groups, and those names (Faux-Narcisse or Pseudonarcissus, Poétiques, Tazettes, Bulbocodiens, Jonquilles) have largely endured for the various subdivisions since and bear his name. The evolution of classification was confused by including many unknown or garden varieties, until Baker (1875) made the important distinction of excluding all specimens except the wild species from his system. He then grouped all of the earlier related genera as sections under one genus, Narcissus, the exception being the monotypic Tapeinanthus. Consequently, the number of accepted species has varied widely.

 

A common modern classification system has been that of Fernandes (1951, 1968, 1975) based on cytology, as modified by Blanchard (1990) and Mathew (2002), although in some countries such as Germany, the system of Meyer (1966) was preferred. Fernandes described two subgenera based on basal chromosome number, Hermione, n = 5 (11) and Narcissus, n = 7 (13). He further subdivided these into ten sections (Apodanthi, Aurelia, Bulbocodii, Ganymedes, Jonquillae, Narcissus, Pseudonarcissi, Serotini, Tapeinanthus, Tazettae), as did Blanchard later.

 

In contrast to Fernandes, Webb's treatment of the genus for the Flora Europaea (1978, 1980) prioritised morphology over genetics, and abandoned the subgenera ranks. He also restored De Candolle's original nomenclature, and made a number of changes to section Jonquilla, merging the existing subsections, reducing Apodanthi to a subsection of Jonquilla, and moving N. viridiflorus from Jonquilla to a new monotypic section of its own (Chloranthi). Finally, he divided Pseudonarcissus into two subsections. Blanchard (1990), whose Narcissus: a guide to wild daffodils has been very influential, adopted a simple approach, restoring Apodanthae, and based largely on ten sections alone.

 

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) currently lists ten sections, based on Fernandes (1968), three of which are monotypic (contain only one species), while two others only containing two species. Most species are placed in Pseudonarcissus While infrageneric groupings within Narcissus have been relatively constant, their status (genera, subgenera, sections, subsections, series, species) has not. Some authors treat some sections as being further subdivided into subsections, e.g. Tazettae (3 subsections). These subdivisions correspond roughly to the popular names for narcissi types, e.g. Trumpet Daffodils, Tazettas, Pheasant's Eyes, Hoop Petticoats, Jonquils.

 

While Webb had simply divided the genus into sections, Mathew found this unsatisfactory, implying every section had equal status. He adapted both Fernandes and Webb to devise a more hierarchical scheme he believed better reflected the interrelationships within the genus. Mathew's scheme consists of three subgenera (Narcissus, Hermione and Corbularia). The first two subgenera were then divided into five and two sections respectively. He then further subdivided two of the sections (subgenus Narcissus section Jonquillae, and subgenus Hermione section Hermione) into three subsections each. Finally, he divided section Hermione subsection Hermione further into two series, Hermione and Albiflorae. While lacking a phylogenetic basis, the system is still in use in horticulture. For instance the Pacific Bulb Society uses his numbering system for classifying species.

 

The phylogenetic analysis of Graham and Barrett (2004) supported the infrageneric division of Narcissus into two clades corresponding to the subgenera Hermione and Narcissus, but does not support monophyly of all sections, with only Apodanthi demonstrating clear monophyly, corresponding to Clade III of Graham and Barrett, although some other clades corresponded approximately to known sections. These authors examined 36 taxa of the 65 listed then, and a later extended analysis by Rønsted et al. (2008) with five additional taxa confirmed this pattern.

 

A very large (375 accessions) molecular analysis by Zonneveld (2008) utilising nuclear DNA content sought to reduce some of the paraphyly identified by Graham and Barrett. This led to a revision of the sectional structure, shifting some species between sections, eliminating one section and creating two new ones. In subgenus Hermione, Aurelia was merged with Tazettae. In subgenus Narcissus section Jonquillae subsection Juncifolii was elevated to sectional rank, thus resolving the paraphyly in this section observed by Graham and Barrett in Clade II due to this anomalous subsection, the remaining species being in subsection Jonquillae, which was monophyletic. The relatively large section Pseudonarcissi was divided by splitting off a new section, Nevadensis (species from southern Spain) leaving species from France, northern Spain and Portugal in the parent section. At the same time Fernández-Casas (2008) proposed a new monotypic section Angustini to accommodate Narcissus deficiens, placing it within subgenus Hermione.

 

While Graham and Barrett (2004) had determined that subgenus Hermione was monophyletic, using a much larger accession Santos-Gally et al. (2011) did not. However the former had excluded species of hybrid origins, while the latter included both N. dubius and N. tortifolius. If these two species are excluded (forming a clade with subgenus Narcissus) then Hermione can be considered monophyletic, although as a section of Hermione, Tazettae is not monophyletic. They also confirmed the monophyly of Apodanthi.

 

Some so-called nothosections have been proposed, predominantly by Fernández-Casas, to accommodate natural ('ancient') hybrids (nothospecies).

 

Subgenera and sections

Showing revisions by Zonnefeld (2008)

 

subgenus Hermione (Haw.) Spach.

(Aurelia (Gay) Baker (monotypic) - merged with Tazettae (2008)

Serotini Parlatore (2 species)

Tazettae de Candolle (16 species) syn. Hermione (Salisbury) Sprengel, in Fernandes' scheme. Incorporating Aurelia (2008)

subgenus Narcissus L.

Apodanthi A. Fernandes (6 species)

Bulbocodium de Candolle (11 species)

Ganymedes (Haworth) Schultes f. (monotypic)

Jonquillae de Candolle (8 species)

Juncifolii (A. Fern.) Zonn. sect. nov. (2008)

Narcissus L. (2 species)

Nevadensis Zonn. sect. nov. (2008)

Pseudonarcissus de Candolle (36 species) Trumpet daffodils

Tapeinanthus (Herbert) Traub (monotypic)

 

Species

Estimates of the number of species in Narcissus have varied widely, from anywhere between 16 and nearly 160, even in the modern era. Linnaeus originally included six species in 1753. By the time of the 14th edition of the Systema Naturae in 1784, there were fourteen. The 1819 Encyclopaedia Londinensis lists sixteen (see illustration here of three species) and by 1831 Adrian Haworth had described 150 species.

 

Much of the variation lies in the definition of species, and whether closely related taxa are considered separate species or subspecies. Thus, a very wide view of each species, such as Webb's results in few species, while a very narrow view such as that of Fernandes results in a larger number. Another factor is the status of hybrids, given natural hybridisation, with a distinction between 'ancient hybrids' and 'recent hybrids'. The term 'ancient hybrid' refers to hybrids found growing over a large area, and therefore now considered as separate species, while 'recent hybrid' refers to solitary plants found amongst their parents, with a more restricted range.

 

In the twentieth century Fernandes (1951) accepted 22 species, on which were based the 27 species listed by Webb in the 1980 Flora Europaea. By 1968, Fernandes had accepted 63 species, and by 1990 Blanchard listed 65 species, and Erhardt 66 in 1993. In 2006 the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) International Daffodil Register and Classified List listed 87 species, while Zonneveld's genetic study (2008) resulted in only 36. As of September 2014, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 52 species, along with at least 60 hybrids, while the RHS has 81 accepted names in its October 2014 list.

 

Evolution

Within the Narcisseae, Narcissus (western Mediterranean) diverged from Sternbergia (Eurasia) some time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene eras, around 29.3–18.1 Ma, with a best estimate of 23.6 Ma. Later the genus divided into the two subgenera (Hermione and Narcissus) between 27.4 and 16.1 Ma (21.4 Ma). The divisions between the sections of Hermione then took place during the Miocene period 19.9–7.8 Ma.

 

Narcissus appears to have arisen in the area of the Iberian peninsula, southern France and northwestern Italy, and within this area most sections of the genus appeared, with only a few taxa being dispersed to North Africa at a time when the African and West European platforms were closer together. Subgenus Hermione in turn arose in the southwestern mediterranean and north west Africa. However, these are reconstructions, the Amaryllidaceae lacking a fossil record.

 

Names and etymology

The derivation of the Latin narcissus (Greek: νάρκισσος) is unknown. It may be a loanword from another language; for instance, it is said to be related to the Sanskrit word nark, meaning 'hell'. It is frequently linked to the Greek myth of Narcissus described by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, who became so obsessed with his own reflection that as he knelt and gazed into a pool of water, he fell into the water and drowned. In some variations, he died of starvation and thirst. In both versions, the narcissus plant sprang from where he died. Although Ovid appeared to describe the plant we now know as Narcissus there is no evidence for this popular derivation, and the person's name may have come from the flower's name. The Poet's Narcissus (N. poeticus), which grows in Greece, has a fragrance that has been described as intoxicating. This explanation is largely discredited due to lack of proof. Pliny wrote that the plant 'narce narcissum dictum, non a fabuloso puero' ('named narcissus from narce, not from the legendary youth'), i.e. that it was named for its narcotic properties (ναρκάω narkao, 'I grow numb' in Greek), not from the legend. Furthermore, there were accounts of narcissi growing, such as in the legend of Persephone, long before the story of Narcissus appeared (see Greek culture). It has also been suggested that daffodils bending over streams evoked the image of the youth admiring his own reflection in the water.

 

Linnaeus used the Latin name for the plant in formally describing the genus, although Matthias de l'Obel had previously used the name in describing various species of Narcissi in his Icones stirpium of 1591, and other publications, as had Clusius in Rariorum stirpium (1576).

 

The plural form of the common name narcissus has caused some confusion. British English sources such as the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary give two alternate forms, narcissi and narcissuses. In contrast, in American English the Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides for a third form, narcissus, used for both singular and plural. The Oxford dictionaries only list this third form under American English, although the Cambridge Dictionary allows of all three in the same order. However, Garner's Modern American Usage states that narcissi is the commonest form, narcissuses being excessively sibilant. For similar reasons, Fowler prefers narcissi in British English usage. Neither support narcissus as a plural form. Common names such as narcissus do not capitalise the first letter in contrast to the person of that name and the Latin genus name.

 

The name Narcissus (feminine Narcissa) was not uncommon in Roman times, such as Tiberius Claudius Narcissus, a Roman official in Claudius' time, an early New Testament Christian in Rome and later bishops and saints.

 

Daffodil

The word daffodil was unknown in the English language before the sixteenth century. The name is derived from an earlier affodell, a variant of asphodel. In classical Greek literature the narcissus is frequently referred to as the asphodel, such as the meadows of the Elysian fields in Homer (see Antiquity). Asphodel in turn appears to be a loanword coming from French via Mediaeval Latin affodilus from Classical Latin asphodilus and ultimately the Greek asphodelos (Greek: ἀσφόδελος). The reason for the introduction of the initial d is not known, although a probable source is an etymological merging from the Dutch article de, as in de affodil, or English the, as th'affodil or t'affodil, hence daffodil, and in French de and affodil to form fleur d'aphrodille and daphrodille.

 

From at least the 16th century, daffadown dilly and daffydowndilly have appeared as playful synonyms of the name. In common parlance and in historical documents, the term daffodil may refer specifically to populations or specimens of the wild daffodil, N. pseudonarcissus. H. N. Ellacombe suggests this may be from Saffon Lilly, citing Prior in support, though admittedly conjectural.

 

Lady Wilkinson (1858), who provides an extensive discussion of the etymology of the various names for this plant, suggests a very different origin, namely the Old English word affodyle (that which cometh early), citing a 14th-century (but likely originally much earlier) manuscript in support of this theory, and which appears to describe a plant resembling the daffodil. Ellacombe provides further support for this from a fifteenth century English translation of Palladius that also refers to it.

 

Jonquil

The name jonquil is said to be a corruption via French from the Latin juncifolius meaning 'rush-leaf' (Juncaceae) and its use is generally restricted to those species and cultivars which have rush like leaves, e.g. N. juncifolius.

 

Other

A profusion of names have attached themselves in the English language, either to the genus as a whole or to individual species or groups of species such as sections. These include narcissus, jonquil, Lent lily, Lenten lily, lide lily, yellow lily, wort or wyrt, Julians, glens, Lent cocks, corn flower, bell rose, asphodel, Solomon's lily, gracy day, haverdrils, giggary, cowslip, and crow foot.

A darkened room and a long exposure :)

for wooden blocks go to www.colouricious.com

 

Colouricious is a source of textile art ideas, and inspirations. To learn more, go to

www.colouricious.com

Les Sources Occultes 005/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédiens : Vigi Lust, Yvan

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Richmond Co., NC: These two Southern Toads exhibit differences in coloration that is frequently seen in this species. This variation in phenotype, called polymorphism, allows for better survival odds as the population responds to landscape shifts. These two specimens represent the relative extremes of coloration; large amount of red vs. no color.

Vadid Kicth Guthale Wordstrummer

 

Male Tinker Gnome Enchanter 16

Chaotic Good

 

Strength 8 (-1)

Dexterity 13 (+1)

Constitution 15 (+2)

Intelligence 34 (+11)

Wisdom 10 (+0)

Charisma 11 (+0)

Size: Small

Height: 3' 2"

Weight: 40 lb

Skin: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Hair: White; Curly

   

Specialty: Enchantment

 

Gave up: Conjuration Necromancy

 

Total Hit Points: 79

 

Speed: 20 feet

 

Armor Class: 12 = 10 +1 [dexterity] +1 [small]

Touch AC: 12

Flat-footed: 11

Initiative modifier: +1 = +1 [dexterity]

Fortitude save: +7 = 5 [base] +2 [constitution]

Reflex save: +6 = 5 [base] +1 [dexterity]

Will save: +12 = 10 [base] +2 [tinker gnome]

Attack (handheld): +8/+3 = 8 [base] -1 [strength] +1 [small]

Attack (unarmed): +8/+3 = 8 [base] -1 [strength] +1 [small]

Attack (missile): +10/+5 = 8 [base] +1 [dexterity] +1 [small]

Grapple check: +3/+-2 = 8 [base] -1 [strength] -4 [small]

 

Light load:

Medium load:

Heavy load:

Lift over head:

Lift off ground:

Push or drag: 20 lb. or less

20-40 lb.

41-60 lb.

60 lb.

120 lb.

300 lb.

  

Languages: Common Draconic Dwarven Elven Giant Gnome goblin Orc

  

Raven familiar

  

Feats:Combat Casting

Eschew Materials

Spell Focus (Enchantment)

Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment)

Craft Rod

Craft Wondrous Item

Forge Ring

Scribe Scroll [free to wizard]

Enlarge Spell

Quicken Spell

  

Traits:

 

Skill Name Key

Ability Skill

Modifier Ability

Modifier Ranks Misc.

Modifier

Appraise Int 8 = +6 +2 [raven]

Balance Dex* 1 = +1

Bluff Cha 9.5 = +0 +9.5

Climb Str* -1 = -1

Concentration Con 21 = +2 +19

Craft_1 Int 25 = +6 +19

Craft_2 Int 9 = +6 +3

Craft_3 Int 6 = +6

Decipher Script Int 21 = +6 +15

Diplomacy Cha 2 = +0 +2 [bluff]

Disguise Cha 0 = +0

Escape Artist Dex* 1 = +1

Forgery Int 15.5 = +6 +9.5

Gather Information Cha 0 = +0

Heal Wis 0 = +0

Hide Dex* 5 = +1 +4 [small]

Intimidate Cha 2 = +0 +2 [bluff]

Jump Str* -7 = -1 -6 [speed 20]

Knowledge (arcana) Int 25 = +6 +19

Listen Wis 0 = +0

Move Silently Dex* 1 = +1

Perform_1 Cha 0 = +0

Perform_2 Cha 0 = +0

Perform_3 Cha 0 = +0

Perform_4 Cha 0 = +0

Perform_5 Cha 0 = +0

Ride Dex 1 = +1

Search Int 6 = +6

Sense Motive Wis 0 = +0

Spellcraft Int 27 = +6 +19 +2 [Knowledge, arcane]

Spot Wis 0 = +0

Survival Wis 0 = +0

Swim Str** -1 = -1

Use Rope Dex 1 = +1

  

* = check penalty for wearing armor

 

Bluff >=5 ranks gives +2 on disguise checks to act in character.

Craft_1 >=5 ranks gives +2 on related appraise checks.

If the familiar is within reach, +2 on spot and listen ("alertness").

 

Zero-level Enchanter spells: 5 (4+1) per day

Abjuration

Resistance:Subject gains +1 on saving throws.

Divination

Detect Poison:Detects poison in one creature or small object.

*Detect Magic: Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft.

*Read Magic: Read scrolls and spellbooks.

Enchantment

*Daze: Humanoid creature of 4 HD or less loses next action.

Evocation

**Disrobe

Dancing Lights: Creates torches or other lights.

Flare: Dazzles one creature (–1 on attack rolls).

Light: Object shines like a torch.

Ray of Frost: Ray deals 1d3 cold damage.

Illusion

 

Transmutation

Mage Hand: 5-pound telekinesis.

Mending: Makes minor repairs on an object.

Message: Whispered conversation at distance.

Open/Close: Opens or closes small or light things.

Universal

Arcane Mark: Inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible).

Prestidigitation: Performs minor tricks.

 

First-level Enchanter spells: 7 (4+2+1) per day

 

Abjuration

*Alarm: Wards an area for 2 hours/level.

Endure Elements: Exist comfortably in hot or cold environments.

Hold Portal: Holds door shut.

Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law: +2 to AC and saves, counter mind control, hedge out elementals and outsiders.

 

Divination

*Comprehend Languages: You understand all spoken and written languages.

Detect Secret Doors: Reveals hidden doors within 60 ft.

Detect Undead: Reveals undead within 60 ft.

**Identify M: Determines properties of magic item.

True Strike: +20 on your next attack roll.

 

Enchantment Charm Person: Makes one person your friend.

 

**Hypnotism: Fascinates 2d4 HD of creatures.

 

Sleep: Puts 4 HD of creatures into magical slumber.

Evocation Burning Hands: 1d4/level fire damage (max 5d4).

 

Floating Disk: Creates 3-ft.-diameter horizontal disk that holds 100 lb./level.

 

Magic Missile: 1d4+1 damage; +1 missile per two levels above 1st (max 5).

 

Shocking Grasp: Touch delivers 1d6/level electricity damage (max 5d6).

Illusion

Color Spray: Knocks unconscious, blinds, and/or stuns 1d6 weak creatures.

Disguise Self: Changes your appearance.

Magic Aura: Alters object’s magic aura.

Silent Image: Creates minor illusion of your design.

*Ventriloquism: Throws voice for 1 min./level.

 

Transmutation

Animate Rope: Makes a rope move at your command.

Enlarge Person: Humanoid creature doubles in size.

Erase: Mundane or magical writing vanishes.

Expeditious Retreat: Your speed increases by 30 ft.

Feather Fall: Objects or creatures fall slowly.

Jump: Subject gets bonus on Jump checks.

Magic Weapon: Weapon gains +1 bonus.

Reduce Person: Humanoid creature halves in size.

 

Abjuration

Arcane Lock M: Magically locks a portal or chest.

Obscure Object: Masks object against scrying.

Protection from Arrows: Subject immune to most ranged attacks.

Resist Energy: Ignores first 10 (or more) points of damage/attack from specified energy type.

 

Second-level Enchanter spells: 7 (4+2+1) per day

 

Divination

**Detect Thoughts: Allows “listening” to surface thoughts.

Locate Object: Senses direction toward object (specific or type).

See Invisibility: Reveals invisible creatures or objects.

 

Enchantment

Daze Monster: Living creature of 6 HD or less loses next action.

**Hideous Laughter: Subject loses actions for 1 round/level.

T**ouch of Idiocy: Subject takes 1d6 points of Int, Wis, and Cha damage.

 

Evocation

Continual Flame M: Makes a permanent, heatless torch.

Darkness: 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow.

Flaming Sphere: Creates rolling ball of fire, 2d6 damage, lasts 1 round/level.

Gust of Wind: Blows away or knocks down smaller creatures.

Scorching Ray: Ranged touch attack deals 4d6 fire damage, +1 ray/four levels (max 3).

*Shatter: Sonic vibration damages objects or crystalline creatures.

 

Illusion

Blur: Attacks miss subject 20% of the time.

Hypnotic Pattern: Fascinates (2d4 + level) HD of creatures.

Invisibility: Subject is invisible for 1 min./level or until it attacks.

Magic Mouth M: Speaks once when triggered.

Minor Image: As silent image, plus some sound.

Mirror Image: Creates decoy duplicates of you (1d4 +1 per three levels, max 8).

Misdirection: Misleads divinations for one creature or object.

Phantom Trap M: Makes item seem trapped.

 

Transmutation

Alter Self: Assume form of a similar creature.

Bear’s Endurance: Subject gains +4 to Con for 1 min./level.

Bull’s Strength: Subject gains +4 to Str for 1 min./level.

Cat’s Grace: Subject gains +4 to Dex for 1 min./level.

Darkvision: See 60 ft. in total darkness.

Eagle’s Splendor: Subject gains +4 to Cha for 1 min./level.

Fox’s Cunning: Subject gains +4 Int for 1 min./level.

Knock: Opens locked or magically sealed door.

Levitate: Subject moves up and down at your direction.

Owl’s Wisdom: Subject gains +4 to Wis for 1 min./level.

Pyrotechnics: Turns fire into blinding light or choking smoke.

Rope Trick: As many as eight creatures hide in extradimensional space.

Spider Climb: Grants ability to walk on walls and ceilings.

Whispering Wind: Sends a short message 1 mile/level.

 

Third-level Enchanter spells: 6 (4+1+1) per day

Abjuration

Dispel Magic: Cancels magical spells and effects.

******Explosive Runes: Deals 6d6 damage when read.

Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law: As protection spells, but 10-ft. radius and 10 min./level.

Nondetection M: Hides subject from divination, scrying.

Protection from Energy: Absorb 12 points/level of damage from one kind of energy

 

Divination

Arcane Sight: Magical auras become visible to you.

Clairaudience/Clairvoyance: Hear or see at a distance for 1 min./level.

Tongues: Speak any language.

 

Enchantment

Deep Slumber: Puts 10 HD of creatures to sleep.

Heroism: Gives +2 bonus on attack rolls, saves, skill checks.

Hold Person: Paralyzes one humanoid for 1 round/level.

Rage: Subjects gains +2 to Str and Con, +1 on Will saves, –2 to AC.

Suggestion: Compels subject to follow stated course of action.

 

Evocation

Daylight: 60-ft. radius of bright light.

Fireball: 1d6 damage per level, 20-ft. radius.

Lightning Bolt: Electricity deals 1d6/level damage.

Tiny Hut: Creates shelter for ten creatures.

Wind Wall: Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.

Illusion

Displacement: Attacks miss subject 50%.

Illusory Script M: Only intended reader can decipher.

Invisibility Sphere: Makes everyone within 10 ft. invisible.

Major Image: As silent image, plus sound, smell and thermal effects.

 

Transmutation Blink:

You randomly vanish and reappear for 1 round/level.

Flame Arrow: Arrows deal +1d6 fire damage.

Fly: Subject flies at speed of 60 ft.

Gaseous Form: Subject becomes insubstantial and can fly slowly.

Haste: One creature/level moves faster, +1 on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves.

Keen Edge: Doubles normal weapon’s threat range.

Magic Weapon, Greater: +1/four levels (max +5).

Secret Page: Changes one page to hide its real content.

Shrink Item: Object shrinks to one-sixteenth size.

Slow: One subject/level takes only one action/round, –2 to AC, –2 on attack rolls.

Water Breathing: Subjects can breathe underwater.

 

Fourth-level Enchanter spells: 6 (4+1+1) per day

Abjuration

Dimensional Anchor: Bars extradimensional movement.

Fire Trap M: Opened object deals 1d4 damage +1/level.

Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser: Stops 1st- through 3rd-level spell effects.

Remove Curse: Frees object or person from curse.

Stoneskin M: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.

 

Divination

Arcane Eye: Invisible floating eye moves 30 ft./round.

Detect Scrying: Alerts you of magical eavesdropping.

Locate Creature: Indicates direction to familiar creature.

Scrying F: Spies on subject from a distance.

 

Enchantment

Charm Monster: Makes monster believe it is your ally.

* Confusion: Subjects behave oddly for 1 round/level.

Crushing Despair: Subjects take –2 on attack rolls, damage rolls, saves, and checks.

Geas, Lesser: Commands subject of 7 HD or less.

 

Evocation

Fire Shield: Creatures attacking you take fire damage; you’re protected from heat or cold.

Ice Storm: Hail deals 5d6 damage in cylinder 40 ft. across.

Resilient Sphere: Force globe protects but traps one subject.

Shout: Deafens all within cone and deals 5d6 sonic damage.

Wall of Fire: Deals 2d4 fire damage out to 10 ft. and 1d4 out to 20 ft. Passing through wall

deals 2d6 damage +1/level.

Wall of Ice: Ice plane creates wall with 15 hp +1/level, or hemisphere can trap creatures inside.

 

Illusion

Hallucinatory Terrain: Makes one type of terrain appear like another (field into forest, or the like).

Illusory Wall: Wall, floor, or ceiling looks real, but anything can pass through.

Invisibility, Greater: As invisibility, but subject can attack and stay invisible.

Phantasmal Killer: Fearsome illusion kills subject or deals 3d6 damage.

Rainbow Pattern: Lights fascinate 24 HD of creatures.

*Shadow Conjuration: Mimics conjuration below 4th level, but only 20% real.

 

Transmutation

Enlarge Person, Mass: Enlarges several creatures.

**** Mnemonic Enhancer F: Wizard only. Prepares extra spells or retains one just cast.

Polymorph: Gives one willing subject a new form.

Reduce Person, Mass: Reduces several creatures.

Stone Shape: Sculpts stone into any shape.

 

Fifth-level Enchanter spells: 6 (4+1+1) per day

 

Abjuration

*Break Enchantment: Frees subjects from enchantments, alterations, curses, and petrification.

Dismissal: Forces a creature to return to native plane.

Mage’s Private Sanctum: Prevents anyone from viewing or scrying an area for 24 hours.

 

Divination

Contact Other Plane: Lets you ask question of extraplanar entity.

Prying Eyes: 1d4 +1/level floating eyes scout for you.

Telepathic Bond: Link lets allies communicate.

Enchantment

Dominate Person: Controls humanoid telepathically.

**Feeblemind: Subject’s Int and Cha drop to 1.

Hold Monster: As hold person, but any creature.

*Mind Fog: Subjects in fog get –10 to Wis and Will checks.

*Symbol of Sleep M: Triggered rune puts nearby creatures into catatonic slumber.

Evocation

Cone of Cold: 1d6/level cold damage.

Interposing Hand: Hand provides cover against one opponent.

Sending: Delivers short message anywhere, instantly.

Wall of Force: Wall is immune to damage.

Illusion

Dream: Sends message to anyone sleeping.

False Vision M: Fools scrying with an illusion.

Mirage Arcana: As hallucinatory terrain, plus structures.

Nightmare: Sends vision dealing 1d10 damage, fatigue.

Persistent Image: As major image, but no concentration required.

Seeming: Changes appearance of one person per two levels.

*Shadow Evocation: Mimics evocation below 5th level, but only 20% real.

Sixth-level Enchanter spells: 5 (3+1+1) per day

Abjuration

Antimagic Field: Negates magic within 10 ft.

Dispel Magic, Greater: As dispel magic, but +20 on check.

*Globe of Invulnerability: As lesser globe of invulnerability, plus 4th-level spell effects.

Guards and Wards: Array of magic effects protect area.

Repulsion: Creatures can’t approach you.

Divination

*Analyze Dweomer F: Reveals magical aspects of subject.

*Legend Lore M F: Lets you learn tales about a person, place, or thing.

True Seeing M: Lets you see all things as they really are.

 

Enchantment

Geas/Quest: As lesser geas, plus it affects any creature.

Heroism, Greater: Gives +4 bonus on attack rolls, saves, skill checks; immunity to fear; temporary hp.

Suggestion, Mass: As suggestion, plus one subject/level.

Symbol of Persuasion M: Triggered rune charms nearby creatures.

Evocation Chain Lightning: 1d6/level damage; 1 secondary bolt/level each deals half damage.

*Contingency F: Sets trigger condition for another spell.

*Forceful Hand: Hand pushes creatures away.

Freezing Sphere: Freezes water or deals cold damage.

Illusion

Mislead: Turns you invisible and creates illusory double.

Permanent Image: Includes sight, sound, and smell.

Programmed Image M: As major image, plus triggered by event.

Shadow Walk: Step into shadow to travel rapidly.

Veil: Changes appearance of group of creatures.

 

Transmutation

Bear’s Endurance, Mass: As bear’s endurance, affects one subject/level.

Bull’s Strength, Mass: As bull’s strength, affects one subject/ level.

Cat’s Grace, Mass: As cat’s grace, affects one subject/level.

Control Water: Raises or lowers bodies of water.

Disintegrate: Makes one creature or object vanish.

Eagle’s Splendor, Mass: As eagle’s splendor, affects one subject/level.

Flesh to Stone: Turns subject creature into statue.

Fox’s Cunning, Mass: As fox’s cunning, affects one subject/ level.

Mage’s Lucubration: Wizard only. Recalls spell of 5th level or lower.

Move Earth: Digs trenches and build hills.

Owl’s Wisdom, Mass: As owl’s wisdom, affects one subject/ level.

Stone to Flesh: Restores petrified creature.

Transformation M: You gain combat bonuses.

 

Seventh-level Enchanter spells: 4 (3+1) per day

 

Abjuration

Banishment: Banishes 2 HD/level of extraplanar creatures.

Sequester: Subject is invisible to sight and scrying; renders creature comatose.

Spell Turning: Reflect 1d4+6 spell levels back at caster.

 

Divination

Arcane Sight, Greater: As arcane sight, but also reveals magic effects on creatures and objects.

Scrying, Greater: As scrying, but faster and longer.

Vision M X: As legend lore, but quicker and strenuous.

Enchantment Hold Person, Mass: As hold person, but all within 30 ft.

Insanity: Subject suffers continuous confusion.

***Power Word Blind: Blinds creature with 200 hp or less.

*Symbol of Stunning M: Triggered rune stuns nearby creatures.

Evocation Delayed Blast Fireball: 1d6/level fire damage; you can postpone blast for 5 rounds.

Forcecage M: Cube or cage of force imprisons all inside.

Grasping Hand: Hand provides cover, pushes, or grapples.

Mage’s Sword F: Floating magic blade strikes opponents.

Prismatic Spray: Rays hit subjects with variety of effects.

Illusion

Invisibility, Mass: As invisibility, but affects all in range.

Project Image: Illusory double can talk and cast spells.

Shadow Conjuration, Greater: As shadow conjuration, but up to 6th level and 60% real.

Simulacrum M X: Creates partially real double of a creature.

 

Transmutation

Control Weather: Changes weather in local area.

Ethereal Jaunt: You become ethereal for 1 round/level.

Reverse Gravity: Objects and creatures fall upward.

Statue: Subject can become a statue at will.

 

Universal

Limited Wish X: Alters reality—within spell limits.

 

Eighth-level Enchanter spells: 3 (2+1) per day

Abjuration

Dimensional Lock: Teleportation and interplanar travel blocked for one day/level.

Mind Blank: Subject is immune to mental/emotional magic and scrying.

Prismatic Wall: Wall’s colors have array of effects.

Protection from Spells M F: Confers +8 resistance bonus.

Divination

Discern Location: Reveals exact location of creature or object.

Moment of Prescience: You gain insight bonus on single attack roll, check, or save.

Prying Eyes, Greater: As prying eyes, but eyes have true seeing.

Enchantment

*Antipathy: Object or location affected by spell repels certain creatures.

Binding M: Utilizes an array of techniques to imprison a creature.

Charm Monster, Mass: As charm monster, but all within 30 ft.

Demand: As sending, plus you can send suggestion.

Irresistible Dance: Forces subject to dance.

**Power Word Stun: Stuns creature with 150 hp or less.

Symbol of Insanity M: Triggered rune renders nearby creatures insane.

Sympathy F: Object or location attracts certain creatures.

Evocation

Clenched Fist: Large hand provides cover, pushes, or attacks your foes.

Polar Ray: Ranged touch attack deals 1d6/level cold damage.

Shout, Greater: Devastating yell deals 10d6 sonic damage; stuns creatures, damages objects.

Sunburst: Blinds all within 10 ft., deals 6d6 damage.

Telekinetic Sphere: As resilient sphere, but you move sphere telekinetically.

Illusion

Scintillating Pattern: Twisting colors confuse, stun, or render unconscious.

Screen: Illusion hides area from vision, scrying.

Transmutation

Iron Body: Your body becomes living iron.

Polymorph Any Object: Changes any subject into anything else.

Temporal Stasis M: Puts subject into suspended animation.

 

Tinker Gnome:

 

+2 dexterity / +2 intelligence / -2 wisdom / -2 strength (already included)

 

Small (combat bonuses, +4 to hide already included)

 

Guild membership

 

+2 on will saves (already included)

 

+2 bonus on Craft (alchemy)

 

Wizard (Enchanter):

 

Familiar / Alertness, etc.

 

Bonus Feats (already included)

 

High intelligence gains bonus spells daily

 

Specialist gets 1 extra enchantment spell/level/day

  

Class HP rolled

Level 1: Enchanter 4

Level 2: Enchanter 4

Level 3: Enchanter 4

Level 4: Enchanter 3 +1 to intelligence

Level 5: Enchanter 3

Level 6: Enchanter 4

Level 7: Enchanter 3

Level 8: Enchanter 4 +1 to intelligence

Level 9: Enchanter 3

Level 10: Enchanter 1

Level 11: Enchanter 2

Level 12: Enchanter 1 +1 to intelligence

Level 13: Enchanter 2

Level 14: Enchanter 4

Level 15: Enchanter 4

Level 16: Enchanter 1 +1 to intelligence

    

Ur'locgru Wordspinner's Equipment:

 

0 lb

3 lb

_____

3 lb Weapons / Armor / Shield (from above)

Spellbook x1

 

Total

     

Raven familiar: Str 1 Dex 15 Con 10 Int 13 Wis 14 Chr 6; Hit points: 39; Initiative +2 (dex); Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average); AC: 22 (+2 size, +2 dex, +8 level); Claws +4 melee 1d2-5 Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +12, Listen +6, Spot +6; speaks one character language Alertness feat when in arm's reach; improved evasion; share spells; empathic link; deliver touch spells; speak with master; speak with birds; spell resistance 21; scry on familiar;

 

More about Ur'locgru Wordspinner:

 

Items: Headband of Int +6, Manuel of int +6, ring of mind shielding, ring of spell storing major, rod of wonder.

 

Personality: Fun loving and rarely serious. He enjoy playing pranks but most of all, annoying the headmaster of the library is his favorite pastime.

 

History: Vadid Wordstrummer is the very unlikely offspring of an unlikely pair. Considering how closely dwarves and deep gnomes live, it was only a matter of time until half-breeds emerged. Dwalf-dwarf half-gnomes. His parents were both mixed from both races and gave birth to four children. Two of which were half like their parents, one was born as a pure blooded dwarf and Vadid got the pure gnome blood.

 

Ever since they were little, the pure dwarf brother and Vadid never got a long real well. Vadid was always playing pranks on brother Dorgan who would get mad and try to hit him with a hammer. As they got older, they took a liking to magic. Dorgan found magic in names while Vadid found magic in singular words. Armed with magic, their feuds grew more intense until one day, Vadid went too far. Experimenting with a memory spell, Vadid accidentally made Dorgan forget the names of his parents and all words used to describe parents, care givers, providers. He's unable to talk about them except for them.

 

Angiopteris itoi (W.C. Shieh) J.M. Camus, Proc. Int. Symp. Pterid. (1988) 35. 1988 [1989].

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Synonyms:

Archangiopteris itoi W.C. Shieh, J. Jap. Bot. 45(6): 165, f. 2-3. 1970.

 

family Marattiaceae 合囊蕨科 リュウビンタイ科

 

Chinese name: 伊藤氏原始觀音座蓮

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Endemic in Taiwan. Critically endangered species, very rare. Habitat in broadleaf forest (Knapp, 2011).

Distributed in Wulai (烏來) in New Taipei City, and Lianhuachi (or Lianhwachi, 蓮華池) in Nantou county. However, the Lianhuachi population was extinct, and the Wulai population only have about 18 individuals (Hsu et al., 2000).

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

An cultivated individual at Yun Hsien Resort, Wulai area, New Taipei City, Taiwan. There is also the place which the native population has been found.

攝於台灣 新北市 烏來區 雲仙樂園。

2013/07/29

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References:

1. Hsu, T.W., S.J. Moore, and T.Y Chiang (2000) Low RAPD polymorphism in Archangiopteris itoi, a rare and endemic fern in Taiwan. Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin. 41: 15-18.

2. Knapp,R. (2011) Ferns and fern allies of Taiwan. KBCC press and Yuan-Liou publishing, Taipei, Taiwan.

3. 郭城孟 (2001) 蕨類圖鑒1基礎常見篇. 遠流出版事業股份有限公司, 台北.

4. Flora of Taiwan, 2nd ed.: tai2.ntu.edu.tw/ebook/ebookpage.php?volume=1&book=Fl....

5. Plants of Taiwan: tai2.ntu.edu.tw/PlantInfo/species-name.php?code=107%20002...

6. Tropicos: www.tropicos.org/Name/50050352

Les Sources Occultes 003/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

 

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Les Sources Occultes 003/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

 

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

臺北榮總暨國立陽明大學聯合記者會新聞稿

原發性痛經之基因學及腦造影研究於醫學與腦科學上的最新發現：

原發性痛經是腦疾病嗎?

主講人：謝仁俊 主治醫師/教授

北榮醫研部臨床研究科/陽大腦科學研究所

  

原發性痛經(Primary Dysmenorrhea；以下簡稱PDM)是指沒有器官性骨盆腔問題的經痛，為女性最常見的婦科問題，約影響全球3/4比例的女性，卻也是最常被忽視的一項疼痛醫學的問題，在疼痛醫學與疼痛科學的領域中被歸類為慢性疼痛。PDM的真正機轉仍然未詳，但普遍被接受的理論是子宮內的發炎因子、子宮肌攣縮與血管收縮的共同作用所致。

  

在全球不同國家或地區所做的研究調查發現，少女四到九成有過PDM的經驗，其中有10%到20%的女性因為嚴重經痛而無法工作或上學，研究指出長期原發性痛經與焦慮、憂鬱等情緒失調有顯著關係。此外，臨床上中年以後才進入高峰期的諸多功能性疼痛疾病(functional pain disorder；指無明確的器官結構性異常致病原因)：如纖維肌痛症、腸燥症、偏頭痛、原因不明之下背痛、顳顎障礙症等，女性的罹病比例皆遠高於男性，若追蹤其病史，則女性患者有非常高的比例曾有過長期的原發性痛經。 因此PDM極可能是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因之一。目前越來越多的腦科學的證據顯示慢性疼痛疾病伴隨有腦部的疼痛處理網路之顯著異常，因此了解PDM之中樞神經系統變化及經痛對身心的影響，對婦女健康實則意義重大 。

  

榮陽疼痛研究團隊由陽明大學腦科學研究所特聘教授暨台北榮總醫學研究部主治醫師謝仁俊領導，主要由陽明大學腦科學研究所、台北榮總醫學研究部整合性腦功能研究小組(Integrated Brain Research Unit，簡稱IBRU)及台北榮總婦產部組成，並結合陽明大學公衛研究所及陽明大學腦科學研究中心一起進行研究。經由科技部、台北榮總及陽明大學腦科學研究中心的計畫與經費的支持，多年來針對此項常被忽略的年輕PDM女性進行為期數年的整合型多形式腦造影(multimodal brain imaging)研究，內容涵蓋基因學、行為、心理、荷爾蒙、疼痛知覺反應、臨床表徵、腦部正子斷層造影(Positron Emission Tomography，簡稱PET; 用來探討人腦的新陳代謝及神經元活性)、功能性與結構性腦磁振造影(functional- and structural-MRI; 用來研究人腦的神經網路及灰白質的結構)及腦磁圖(Magnetoencephalography，簡稱MEG ; 用來研究腦波)之研究。

  

以下為謝教授團隊針對年輕PDM女性國際首發研究結果系列報告：

1.PDM 女性的腦部有正常變異(normal variants)的比例數倍於同年齡無PDM的女性，目前原因與影響不明，有待腦神經科學及公共衛生醫學更深入的研究。

     

2.PDM女性腦部疼痛網路呈現灰白質結構性變化，並且隨著月經而有每個月的週期性改變。每月經痛所引起的短期性大腦灰質體積的變化，在長年累積下，就造成不隨週期性月經而改變的長期性大腦灰質體積的變化，灰質的變化意涵該腦區的功能有所改變。

     

3.PDM女性腦部疼痛調控系統(pain modulatory systems)呈現神經功能性連結(functional connectivity)的異常降低，尤其是以大腦導水管旁灰質(periaqueductal grey matter；簡稱PAG)為主的疼痛調控之神經連結。大腦導水管旁灰質PAG跟預設網路(Default Mode Network，簡稱DMN)相關腦區的功能連結降低，表示他們的對疼痛刺激的調控功能不足；而大腦導水管旁灰質與運動輔助區(supplementary motor area)內之內臟運動區(visceromotor area)的功能連結增加，是許多骨盆腔慢性疼痛疾病的異常表現。 預設網路DMN主要由腹內側前額區(ventromedial prefrontal cortex)及後扣帶迴(posterior cingulate cortex)所組成，是人類心智功能的大腦神經樞紐，重度憂鬱症、思覺失調症(舊名為精神分裂症)、慢性疼痛疾病均伴隨著預設網路的異常。我們發現在年輕PDM女性中其預設網路已呈現不良的神經可塑性(maladaptive neuroplasticity)，正是諸多慢性疼痛疾病的共同腦部表徵。而慢性疼痛疾病經常伴隨著諸多腦部的異常以及多項心智功能的障礙，如專注力、記憶、憂鬱等，造成整體生活品質的下降。

    

4.腦源性神經滋養因子(Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, BDNF)基因管控BDNF蛋白質的製造及分泌，此蛋白質與壓力及疼痛相關的情緒反應處理有關。腦源性神經滋養因子單核苷酸多態性(BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism)的基因亞型若帶有Met allele等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) ，則會導致BDNF的分泌不足而功能低下。本研究發現台灣PDM女性族群帶有更多的Met 等位基因且有較高的焦慮情緒，換言之帶有Met等位基因(尤其Met/Met 基因型) 者發生痛經的風險較高。

     

5.基因腦造影學(imaging genetics或genetic neuroimaging)的研究顯示帶有BDNF Val66Met 單核苷酸多態性之Met/Met 基因型的PDM女性，其腦部疼痛調控神經網路具有較顯著的易感性(vulnerability)，未來出現對疼痛產生不良神經可塑性的機率較高，這對日後引發慢性疼痛將有機轉性的重要影響。

  

以上都是榮陽疼痛研究團隊領先國際的首要發現，我們認為PDM所引起的腦部變化是女性中年以後發生慢性功能性疼痛疾病的重要前因，而這些腦部變異則是諸多慢性功能性疼痛疾病其中樞神經功能失調之共同的前導性機轉。我們的研究更呈現一項重要的新觀念：慢性疼痛是一個腦中樞的疾病，我們必須積極的發展無痛(Pain Free)的臨床醫學與對疼痛的積極有效的治療。

  

本項研究之早期成果，於數年前曾由國際疼痛學會(International Association for the Study of Pain，IASP)之期刊PAIN®舉行正式國際記者會，向國際報導我們的研究發現而轟動國際，成果見諸國際性主要報紙與電視媒體醫療健康版之頭條。最新的研究成果則發表於2016年1月的PAIN®，並有專文評論(Editorial Commentary)報導我們的研究成果在疼痛醫學的重要貢獻與意義。我們的系列研究有部分成果已多篇發表在Pain®、Neuroimage、European Journal of Pain及PLOS ONE等重要國際醫學及腦科學學術期刊，而針對嚴重型疼痛之新的非侵襲性疼痛治療技術亦在發展進行中。我們希望透過本次記者會向國內社會大眾報告榮陽疼痛研究團隊在PDM最近的研究成果及相關醫療意義，更呼籲大家重視女性的痛經問題與對嚴重經痛的及時有效治療之必要性。

   

Cellules interstitielles au sein d’un testicule peu actif de gardon. Le tissu interstitiel, plus ou moins abondant selon l’état physiologique, contient des capillaires sanguins et des

cellules de Leydig (flèches rouges), isolées ou en petits amas. Polymorphes et à noyau arrondi, elles sont sécrétrices de stéroïdes, donc caractérisées par un réticulum lisse abondant, des vacuoles lipidiques et une importante quantité de mitochondries. Le cytoplasme contient de nombreuses inclusions lipidiques qui, dissoutes lors de la préparation du tissu, lui confèrent habituellement un pâle aspect. Les autres cellules présentes sur l'image sont les cellules de Sertoli (cercles verts entourant leur noyau), ainsi que des spermatogonies, très serrées (bleu foncé), témoignant du fait que le prélèvement a eu lieu peu après la période de reproduction (avril à juin chez cette espèce d'eau douce).

 

- Pour plus de détails ou précisions, voir « Atlas of Fish Histology » CRC Press, ou « Histologie illustrée du poisson » (QUAE) ou s'adresser à Franck Genten (fgenten@gmail.com)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interstitial cells in a low active testis. In the interstitium small numbers of Leydig cells (red arrows) which synthesize and secrete the male sex (steroid) hormones are found. These interstitial cells are polymorphous with spherical nuclei. The cytoplasm contains a lot of mitochondria, an abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum and numbers of lipid droplets dissolved during the routine histological protocol. The other cells (green circles around their nuclei) of the micrograph are Sertoli cells and many packed spermatogonia (dark blue) : thus this testis has been dissectedafter the breeding period.

 

- For more information or details, see « Atlas of Fish Histology » CRC Press, or « Histologie illustrée du poisson » (QUAE) or contact Franck Genten (fgenten@gmail.com)

  

Family ; Araceae

Arum maculatum

Commonly known as Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo pint

A striking hedgerow indicator species with a conspicuous pale green hood (spathe) and a purple or yellow finger like structure (spadix) above the tiny male and female flowers. Found in woods, copses, hedge banks and similar shady locations.

An erect perenial herb standing 15 - 50 cm high, with a fleshy tuber, all from the roots with no branched stems.

The leaves appear in january or february. long before the flowering shoots and are long petiolate in shape 5 - 20 cm in length with a network of veins. The arrow shaped leaves stem from a base with lobes pointing backwards and are variable, some having dark brown patches and others not. This characteristic is known as Polymorphism. This character is evidently inherited so that all the leaves on one plant are the same. The proportions of the two vary in different parts of the country, ranging from about 30% spotted in the south to about 2% in the north. The reasons for this are as yet unknown.

The plant flowers april to may. The flowers are unisexual and very small without perianth segments, arranged in a solid spadix with the female flowers below, followed by sterile ones and then the male flowers.

The inflorescence is surrounded by a 12 - 27 cm long convolute, pale green, sometimes purplish at the top spathe.

The fruit is a piosenous berry, 3.5 - 5mm in diameter, scarlet, fleshy and found in clumps at the top of the stalk that held the flowers. The fuits are usually present in july and august. This plant, especially the red berries, is poisenous and should never be used for medicinal purposes or eaten.

 

return to hedgerow website

 

Obsidian in the Pleistocene of Wyoming, USA.

 

Obsidian is a glassy-textured, extrusive igneous rock. Glassy-textured rocks have no crystals at all. They form by very rapid cooling of lava or by cooling of high-viscosity lava. Most obsidians form by the latter. Obsidian can be felsic, intermediate, mafic, or alkaline in chemistry. Most are felsic to intermediate.

 

A famous locality in North America is Obsidian Cliff at Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is a Pleistocene-aged lava flow with the chemistry of rhyolite (= a light-colored, felsic, aphanitic, extrusive igneous rock). The cliff itself shows columnar jointing, which formed by cooling and contraction. The rocks principally range from black-colored, aphyric rhyolitic obsidian to partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian. Lithophysae are sometimes present. Extremely small, microscopic crystals are present - they can be seen in thin sections. Some samples are reported to have small olivine phenocrysts. Small clusters of crystals, composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, are sometimes present.

 

Many of the whitish-colored spots and bands running through most Obsidian Cliff rock samples are areas of devitrification. Glass is unstable on geologic times scales and it slowly crystallizes. The light-colored spots and bands are now non-glassy. Spotted, partially devitrified obsidian is known by the rockhound term "snowflake obsidian" (see: www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16561606417). The spots are composed of silica (SiO2), but are not quartz. Rather, they are composed of a polymorph of quartz - cristobalite.

 

Why does Obsidian Cliff here not look black and glassy? The rocks are weathered, partially devitrified, and considerably lichen-covered. Classic, black, glassy obsidian can be seen in some of the boulders along the road.

 

Stratigraphy: Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka

 

Locality: Obsidian Cliff, eastern edge of Obsidian Creek Valley, Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, USA

----------------------

Age & some lithologic info. from:

 

Wooton (2010) - Age and Petrogenesis of the Roaring Mountain Rhyolites, Yellowstone Volcanic Field, Wyoming. M.S. thesis. University of Nevada at Las Vegas. 296 pp.

 

Les Sources Occultes 003/999

 

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

 

Comédienne : Yôko Higashi

Décors : Alisha Henry

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

 

Lumières : Marquis

Musiques : La Science des Fous - Urgence Disk

 

© Les Amis de l'Esprit de la Salamandre 1999

 

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

 

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

 

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

 

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

 

01. Green Fingers (Laura-Kate Draws) | 02. The Starry Night (Glen Brooks) | 03. Timeless (Roy Meats) | 04. Meandering Morph (RP Roberts) | 05. Mr Create (Jenny Leonard) | 06. Not So Handy Man (Lei-Mai LeMaow) | 07. Morpheus (Jodie Silverman) | 08. Morph and Friends (Jessica Perrin) | 09. Metamorphosis (Donna Newman) | 10. Polymorphism (Sue Gutherie) | 11. Morph in the Jungle (Amanda Quellin) | 12. Astromorph (Megan Heather Smith-Evans) | 13. Tiger Morph (Sandra Russell) | 14. Mighty Morph (Steve Johnson) |15. Wildermorph (Jina Gelder) | 16. Flora (Lisa Kirkbride) | 17. Tesselate (Jim Edwards) | 18. Fish Ahoy (Ali Elly Design) | 19. A Taste of What's to Come (Emily Ward) | 20. Morph-Code (Glen Brooks)