polymorph photos on Flickr

The Morph and the Lighthouse by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Polymorph diffuser by Karsten Schmidt

No. 2/20: The Starry Night by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum, Oaks Wood, Cambourne showing hairs for containing pollinating midges DSC_8985 by Brian Eversham

Unique among the British flowers, the bulbous base of the flower heats up, and emits a strong scent, which attracts midges, which fly past the hairs but are unable to fly out again. They spend the night inside, feeding on the nectar, and in the morning, the hairs wilt, and the midges, covered in pollen, fly out and look for another flower, taking pollen with them.

No. 4/20: Meandering Morph by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Meadow Brown - Maniola jurtina by Wesly van Batenburg

2 1

The Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina, is a butterfy found in the Palearctic ecozone. Its range includes Europe south of 62 N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands.The larvae feed on grasses.

Similar species are Gatekeeper (which prefers to rest with its wings open) and Small Heath (which is smaller).

There is marked sexual dimorphism in this species. Males are less colorful, with smaller eyespots and much reduced orange areas on the upper forewings. They are also much more active and range far about, while females fly less and often may not away from the area where they grew up.

A variable number of smaller eyespots are usually found on the hindwing undersides. These may number up to 12 per individual butterfly, with up to 6 on each wing. The factors that govern polymorphism in this trait are not resolved, although a number of theories have been proposed (Stevens 2005). On the other hand, the evolutionary significance of the upperwing eyespots is more obvious: The more active males have a markedly more cryptic upperside pattern, whereas the females have more often opportunity to present their eyespots in a sudden display of colors and patterns that presumably make neophobic predators hesitate so that the butterfly has better chances of escaping.

Teapotty at the Chi-Tek Tea Party at the V&A by Rain Rabbit

Chi-TEK Tea Party of electronic / hacked teapots by women artists at the V&A, London www.mztek.org/programs/chi-tek/

Teapotty! is a teapot sitting on a servo which takes readings from a magnetometer which is influenced by neodymium magnets in a cup. The magnetometer takes the reading from the north position, plays a bit of something similar to the Tetley Tea tune and then moves to a new position - where the teacup moves to. BlinkM RGB LEDs indicate the new position of the teapot by changing colour based on the teapot's new position from 0-180 degrees. I made some polymorph diffuser covers for them & also added heart confetti to emphasise the feeling of heartwarming happiness a cup of tea can bring :-)

My videos & blog post about Teapotty are here: rainycatz.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/teapotty-electronic-te...

Mr Create at Royal Quays Outlet Centre by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

doll armature & plan by Lenny Carter

1

I drew a plan for the twisted wire and the placing of the 'bones' which is polymorph - this will help her arms and legs bend in the right place.

apparently I've placed the 'bones' to close together but this is my first time so I'm bound to make mistakes.

the doll was covered with wadding and material - it also has tie-downs which help the doll stand up and walk.

Genziana (Gentiana) by Luigi Strano

3 13

Gentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Gentianeae and monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. This a large genus, with about 400 species.

This is a cosmopolitan genus, occurring in alpine habitats of temperate regions of Asia, Europe and the Americas. Some species also occur in northwest Africa, eastern Australia and New Zealand. They consist of annual, biennial and perennial plants. Some are evergreen, others are not.

Gentians have opposite leaves that are sometimes arranged in a basal rosette, and trumpet-shaped flowers that are usually deep blue or azure, but may vary from white, creamy and yellow to red. Many species also show considerable polymorphism with respect to flower color. Typically, blue-flowered species predominate in the Northern Hemisphere, with red-flowered species dominant in the Andes (where bird pollination is probably more heavily favored by natural selection). White-flowered species are scattered throughout the range of the genus but dominate in New Zealand. All gentian species have terminal tubular flowers and most are pentamerous, i.e. with 5 corolla lobes (petals), and 5 sepals, but 4-7 in some species. The style is rather short or absent. The corolla shows folds (= plicae) between the lobes. The ovary is mostly sessile and has nectary glands.

Gentians are fully hardy and like full sun or partial shade, and neutral to acid soil that is rich in humus and well drained. They are popular in rock gardens.

According to Pliny the Elder, Gentian is an eponym of Gentius (180-168 BC), the King of Illyria, said to have discovered its healing properties. Some species are of medicinal use and their roots were harvested for the manufacture of tonic liquor, for instance in France "Suze" or similar liquors. Gentian is also used as a flavouring, for example in bitters, and the soft drink "Moxie" which contains "Gentian Root Extractives"

La Genziana (Gentiana) è un genere di piante della famiglia delle Gentianaceae, che comprende circa 400 specie.

Questo genere si trova un po' ovunque nell'habitat alpino delle regioni temperate dell'Asia, dell'Europa e del continente americano. Alcune specie si trovano anche nell'Africa nord-occidentale, nell'Australia orientale ed in Nuova Zelanda. Si tratta di piante annuali, biennali e perenni. Alcune sono sempreverdi, altre no. Sul versante italiano delle Alpi sono presenti diverse specie, che fioriscono durante l'estate. Sono quasi tutte "specie protette". Alcune specie si trovano anche sugli Appennini.

I fiori sono a forma di imbuto; il colore è più comunemente azzurro o blu scuro, ma può variare dal bianco, avorio e giallo al rosso. Le specie col fiore di colore blu predominano nell'emisfero settentrionale, quelle col fiore rosso sulle Ande; le specie a fiore bianco sono più rare, ma più frequenti in Nuova Zelanda.

Le genziane crescono su terreni acidi o neutri, ricchi di humus e ben drenati; si possono trovare in luoghi pienamente o parzialmente soleggiati.

Fonte : Vikipedia

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Butterfly by Achuthanand Ravi

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's 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. The earliest known butterfly fossils date to the mid Eocene epoch, between 40–50 million years ago.

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. 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.

DSC04801 by Carsten Olsen

NWA 11805

Achondrite-Diogenite-pm

Northwest Africa

Find: 2018

TKW: 109,4 g / OBJ: 4,33 g

NWA 11805 is a minimally weathered Polymict Diogenite that was originally submitted for classification and brought to market by my good friend, and fellow IMCA member, Chris Colvin. Chris and I have been friends since he first started collecting, and we have shared many bits of knowledge together over lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant. When he told me he was working on his first classification I was excited to see what would come of it, but little did I know that it would be such a fascinating and rare petrology of an HED.

Chris had bought a ~110g lot of HED specimens from another merchant we are both familiar with, who had himself acquired it from a Moroccan merchant soon before this. Tony Irving performed the classification, revealing an interesting brecciated combination of both angular mineral debris, lithic diogenite clasts and microgabbroic eucrite. The bulk of the mineral debris composition (>90%) is diogenitic, with the rest being minor eucritic exsolved pigeonite, calcic plagioclase, silica polymorphs and titanium-rich chromite and troilite.

Eucrites and diogenites are both igneous rocks, and as you may know, they both originate from the crust of Vesta; with diogenites thought to originate deeper within the crust. It is not unexpected therefor that NWA 11805 would be something of an amalgam between the two petrologies. Examining the cut surfaces closely you can easily make out the distinction between the breccia components, particularly of note are a smattering of lovely green orthopyroxene clasts.

When Chris decided to bring NWA 11805 to market I wanted to acquire a specimen, and ultimately I ended up buying the main mass with the intention of cutting slices. This was an awkwardly shaped specimen with something of a dome shape, one side having near complete coverage by a brown weathered fusion crust. As a result, cutting the mass in order to produce specimens with some good surface area was somewhat tricky. I needed to angle the specimen in the vice grip just right so that the cut went along the meat of the curved specimen. Even with the ultra-low kerf of my blade this resulted in an expensive 9g of cutting and polishing loss out of a 50.3g mass, but the specimens came out pretty good. Each specimen is a full slice of the main mass with some crust on at least one surface. All of them have enough surface area to produce an appreciable specimen and they have been polished to 2500 grit in order to best reveal those features. If you have an optical loupe you, and can get your hands on a specimen, you are in luck because the interior is even more stunning under the loupe.

When Polymict Diogenites are on the market they tend to be priced at the 40$/g range, making this specimen a relatively affordable example of the classification. This is a relatively rare classification with only 34 specimens classified, and 33 of them having very low total known weights. Only four Polymict Diogenites have been found outside of the hot dessert region. I have always said that the greatest gift that Northwest Africa gave us collectors is a plentitude of rare petrological types to enjoy. This classification is a fine example of that…

Gentlemorph by Tabita Harvey by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Polymorph diffuser by Karsten Schmidt

4

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juvenile by Brian Carruthers-Dublin-Eire

2

Measurements

spanwidth min.: 54 cm

spanwidth max.: 60 cm

size min.: 32 cm

size max.: 36 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 11 days

incubation max.: 12 days

fledging min.: 17 days

fledging max.: 17 days

broods 15

eggs min.: 1

eggs max.: 25

Status: Widespread summer visitor to Ireland from April to August.

Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is currently evaluated as secure.

Identification: Despite its obvious song, relatively infrequently seen. In flight, can be mistaken for a bird of prey such as Sparrowhawk, but has rapid wingbeats below the horizontal plane - ie. the wings are not raised above the body. Adult male Cuckoos are a uniform grey on the head, neck, back, wings and tail. The underparts are white with black barring. Adult females can appear in one of two forms. The so-called grey-morph resembles the adult male plumage, but has throat and breast barred black and white with yellowish wash. The rufous-morph has the grey replaced by rufous, with strong black barring on the wings, back and tail. Juvenile Cuckoos resemble the female rufous-morph, but are darker brown above.

Similar Species: Sparrowhawk

Call: The song is probably one of the most recognisable and well-known of all Irish bird species. The male gives a distinctive “wuck-oo”, which is occasionally doubled “wuck-uck-ooo”. The female has a distinctive bubbling “pupupupu”. The song period is late April to late June.

Diet: Mainly caterpillars and other insects.

Breeding: Widespread in Ireland, favouring open areas which hold their main Irish host species – Meadow Pipit. Has a remarkable breeding biology unlike any other Irish breeding species.

Wintering: Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have a first line of defence: they attack, or ‘mob’, the female cuckoo, which reduces the chance that their nest is parasitized.

To deter the warbler from attacking, the colouring of the grey cuckoo mimics sparrow hawks, a common predator of reed warblers. However, other females are bright rufous (brownish-red). The presence of alternate colour morphs in the same species is rare in birds, but frequent among the females of parasitic cuckoo species. The new research shows that this is another cuckoo trick: cuckoos combat reed warbler mobbing by coming in different guises.

In the study, the researchers manipulated local frequencies of the more common grey colour cuckoo and the less common (in the United Kingdom) rufous colour cuckoo by placing models of the birds at neighbouring nests. They then recorded how the experience of watching their neighbours mob changed reed warbler responses to both cuckoos and a sparrow hawk at their own nest.

They found that reed warblers increased their mobbing, but only to the cuckoo morph that their neighbours had mobbed. Therefore, as one cuckoo morph increases in frequency, local host populations will become alerted specifically to that morph. This means the alternate morph will be more likely to slip past host defences and lay undetected. This is the first time that ‘social learning’ has been documented in the evolution of mimicry as well as the evolution of different observable characteristics - such as colour - in the same species (called polymorphism).

From the University of Cambridge “When mimicry becomes less effective, evolving to look completely different can be a successful trick. Our research shows that individuals assess disguises not only from personal experience, but also by observing others. However, because their learning is so specific, this social learning then selects for alternative cuckoo disguises and the arms race continues.”.

“It’s well known that cuckoos have evolved various egg types which mimic those of their hosts in order to combat rejection. This research shows that cuckoos have also evolved alternate female morphs to sneak through the hosts' defenses. This explains why many species which use mimicry, such as the cuckoo, evolve different guises.”

Back of Mr Frosty by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

DSC04792 by Carsten Olsen

NWA 11805

Achondrite-Diogenite-pm

Northwest Africa

Find: 2018

TKW: 109,4 g / OBJ: 4,33 g

NWA 11805 is a minimally weathered Polymict Diogenite that was originally submitted for classification and brought to market by my good friend, and fellow IMCA member, Chris Colvin. Chris and I have been friends since he first started collecting, and we have shared many bits of knowledge together over lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant. When he told me he was working on his first classification I was excited to see what would come of it, but little did I know that it would be such a fascinating and rare petrology of an HED.

Chris had bought a ~110g lot of HED specimens from another merchant we are both familiar with, who had himself acquired it from a Moroccan merchant soon before this. Tony Irving performed the classification, revealing an interesting brecciated combination of both angular mineral debris, lithic diogenite clasts and microgabbroic eucrite. The bulk of the mineral debris composition (>90%) is diogenitic, with the rest being minor eucritic exsolved pigeonite, calcic plagioclase, silica polymorphs and titanium-rich chromite and troilite.

Eucrites and diogenites are both igneous rocks, and as you may know, they both originate from the crust of Vesta; with diogenites thought to originate deeper within the crust. It is not unexpected therefor that NWA 11805 would be something of an amalgam between the two petrologies. Examining the cut surfaces closely you can easily make out the distinction between the breccia components, particularly of note are a smattering of lovely green orthopyroxene clasts.

When Chris decided to bring NWA 11805 to market I wanted to acquire a specimen, and ultimately I ended up buying the main mass with the intention of cutting slices. This was an awkwardly shaped specimen with something of a dome shape, one side having near complete coverage by a brown weathered fusion crust. As a result, cutting the mass in order to produce specimens with some good surface area was somewhat tricky. I needed to angle the specimen in the vice grip just right so that the cut went along the meat of the curved specimen. Even with the ultra-low kerf of my blade this resulted in an expensive 9g of cutting and polishing loss out of a 50.3g mass, but the specimens came out pretty good. Each specimen is a full slice of the main mass with some crust on at least one surface. All of them have enough surface area to produce an appreciable specimen and they have been polished to 2500 grit in order to best reveal those features. If you have an optical loupe you, and can get your hands on a specimen, you are in luck because the interior is even more stunning under the loupe.

When Polymict Diogenites are on the market they tend to be priced at the 40$/g range, making this specimen a relatively affordable example of the classification. This is a relatively rare classification with only 34 specimens classified, and 33 of them having very low total known weights. Only four Polymict Diogenites have been found outside of the hot dessert region. I have always said that the greatest gift that Northwest Africa gave us collectors is a plentitude of rare petrological types to enjoy. This classification is a fine example of that…

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juvenile (2 spot) by Brian Carruthers-Dublin-Eire

1

Measurements

spanwidth min.: 54 cm

spanwidth max.: 60 cm

size min.: 32 cm

size max.: 36 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 11 days

incubation max.: 12 days

fledging min.: 17 days

fledging max.: 17 days

broods 15

eggs min.: 1

eggs max.: 25

Status: Widespread summer visitor to Ireland from April to August.

Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is currently evaluated as secure.

Identification: Despite its obvious song, relatively infrequently seen. In flight, can be mistaken for a bird of prey such as Sparrowhawk, but has rapid wingbeats below the horizontal plane - ie. the wings are not raised above the body. Adult male Cuckoos are a uniform grey on the head, neck, back, wings and tail. The underparts are white with black barring. Adult females can appear in one of two forms. The so-called grey-morph resembles the adult male plumage, but has throat and breast barred black and white with yellowish wash. The rufous-morph has the grey replaced by rufous, with strong black barring on the wings, back and tail. Juvenile Cuckoos resemble the female rufous-morph, but are darker brown above.

Similar Species: Sparrowhawk

Call: The song is probably one of the most recognisable and well-known of all Irish bird species. The male gives a distinctive “wuck-oo”, which is occasionally doubled “wuck-uck-ooo”. The female has a distinctive bubbling “pupupupu”. The song period is late April to late June.

Diet: Mainly caterpillars and other insects.

Breeding: Widespread in Ireland, favouring open areas which hold their main Irish host species – Meadow Pipit. Has a remarkable breeding biology unlike any other Irish breeding species.

Wintering: Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have a first line of defence: they attack, or ‘mob’, the female cuckoo, which reduces the chance that their nest is parasitized.

To deter the warbler from attacking, the colouring of the grey cuckoo mimics sparrow hawks, a common predator of reed warblers. However, other females are bright rufous (brownish-red). The presence of alternate colour morphs in the same species is rare in birds, but frequent among the females of parasitic cuckoo species. The new research shows that this is another cuckoo trick: cuckoos combat reed warbler mobbing by coming in different guises.

In the study, the researchers manipulated local frequencies of the more common grey colour cuckoo and the less common (in the United Kingdom) rufous colour cuckoo by placing models of the birds at neighbouring nests. They then recorded how the experience of watching their neighbours mob changed reed warbler responses to both cuckoos and a sparrow hawk at their own nest.

They found that reed warblers increased their mobbing, but only to the cuckoo morph that their neighbours had mobbed. Therefore, as one cuckoo morph increases in frequency, local host populations will become alerted specifically to that morph. This means the alternate morph will be more likely to slip past host defences and lay undetected. This is the first time that ‘social learning’ has been documented in the evolution of mimicry as well as the evolution of different observable characteristics - such as colour - in the same species (called polymorphism).

From the University of Cambridge “When mimicry becomes less effective, evolving to look completely different can be a successful trick. Our research shows that individuals assess disguises not only from personal experience, but also by observing others. However, because their learning is so specific, this social learning then selects for alternative cuckoo disguises and the arms race continues.”.

“It’s well known that cuckoos have evolved various egg types which mimic those of their hosts in order to combat rejection. This research shows that cuckoos have also evolved alternate female morphs to sneak through the hosts' defenses. This explains why many species which use mimicry, such as the cuckoo, evolve different guises.”

Dactylorhiza sambucina by Luciano Dionisi

3 16

Il nome generico (Dactylorhiza) è formato da due parole greche: “dito” e “radice” e si riferisce ai tuberi suddivisi in diversi tubercoli (tuberi a forma digito-palmata). Il nome specifico (sambucina) deriverebbe dall'odore di sambuco che emanano alcune piante di questa specie.

È una pianta erbacea glabra alta 10 - 40 cm. È un'orchidea terrestre in quanto contrariamente ad altre specie, non è “epifita”, ossia non vive a spese di altri vegetali di maggiori proporzioni.

Le foglie, da 4 a 7 in tutto, quelle inferiori sono oblungo-obovate ovvero oblanceolate-lineari con apice ottuso, mentre le foglie superiori sono lanceolate con apice acuto.

I fiori sono riuniti in infiorescenze dense e multiflore a forma cilindrico-ovoidale. I singoli fiori inoltre sono posti alle ascelle di brattee fogliacee a forma lanceolata, acute all'apice; le inferiori sono più lunghe dei fiori e avvolgono l'infiorescenza, le altre più lunghe dell'ovario. Lunghezza dell'infiorescenza: 5 - 10 cm. Lunghezza delle brattee: 4 cm.

Dactylorhiza sambucina (Elder-flowered orchid) is a widespread European orchid with a boreal-alpine distribution. The orchid species shows a stable and dramatic flower-color polymorphism, with both yellow- and purple-flowered individuals present in natural populations throughout the range of the species in Europe. The evolutionary significance of flower-color polymorphisms found in many rewardless orchid species has been discussed at length, but the mechanisms responsible for their maintenance remain unclear. The mean frequency of yellow-flowered D. sambucina across natural populations in Europe is 53% ± 2.6. Any differences did not find between the two morphs for other traits such as plant height or the number of leaves and flower size, and the two morphs are identical for floral scent. (Gigord LD, Macnair MR, Smithson A., 2004)

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dactylorhiza_sambucina

Back of Meandering by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Morph and Friends by Jessica Perrin by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Heavy Bassline (Stockholm Syndrome) Ring by Poppy Porter

Ring based on my synesthetic response to the bassline from Stockholm Syndrome by Muse. Ferro-Fluid like bassline with clear drips forming as pulled by some invisible force and carnelian and tourmaline guitar distortion. Polymorph thermoplastic, Auto-Air Colours, resin.

Associate Dean for Research for the School of Engineering and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University Fiorenzo Omenetto explains Silk Polymorphism by Arts at MIT

In recent decades, developments in software and hardware technologies have created dramatic shifts in design, manufacturing and research. Software technologies have facilitated automated process and new solutions for complex problems. Computation has also become a platform for creativity through generative art and design. New hardware platforms and digital fabrication technologies have similarly transformed manufacturing, offering more efficient production and mass customization. Such advances have helped catalyzed the maker-movement, democratizing design and maker culture. This influx of new capabilities to design, compute and fabricate like never before, has sparked a renewed interest in material performance.

We are now witnessing significant advances in active matter, 3D/4D Printing, materials science, synthetic biology, DNA nanotechnology and soft robotics, which have led to the convergence of software, hardware and material technologies and the growing field of programmable materials.

This conference was about the emerging field of active matter and programmable materials that bridges the worlds of art, science, engineering and design, demonstrating new perspectives for computation, transformation and dynamic material applications.

If over the past few decades we have experienced a software revolution, and more recently, a hardware revolution, this conference aims to discuss the premises, challenges and innovations brought by today’s materials revolution. We can now sense, compute, and actuate with materials alone, just as we could with software and hardware platforms previously. How does this shift influence materials research, and how does it shape the future of design, arts, and industrial applications? What tools and design processes do we need to advance, augment and invent new materials today? What are the key roles that industry, government, academic and public institutions can play in catalyzing the field of programmable materials?

This two-day conference consisted of a range of talks and lively discussion from leading researchers in materials science, art & design, synthetic biology and soft-robotics along with leaders from government, public institutions and industry.

Learn more at activemattersummit.com

All photos ©L. Barry Hetherington

lbarryhetherington.com/

Please ask before use

Grenouille de Berger - Italian Pool Frog (Pelophylax [lessonae] bergeri) - Corse, France - avril 2011 (2) by Philippe Evrard

2

Souvent, plusieurs espèces du genre Pelophylax cohabitent et il est difficile d'arriver alors à des déterminations fiables à 100% sur le terrain. Chaque espèce est polymorphe et il existe également de nombreux cas d'hybridation. Le recours à la génétique s'avère souvent indispensable. En Corse, il n'y a qu'une seule espèce de Pelophylax.

Certains auteurs considèrent que la Grenouille de Berger est une sous-espèce de la Grenouille de Lessona (Pelophylax lessonae). Dans ce cas, son nom scientifique serait Pelophylax lessonae bergeri.

Small concave diffuser by Stephen Smith

The concave shape was inspired by Steb1's small concave diffuser he created for his MT24 EX (Canon equivalent of Nikon's R1C1 macro flash system), you can see Steb1's equipment setup here - flic.kr/s/aHsjjHRWp5.

I molded some plastic around the end of the SB-R200 using polymorph which protuded enough to slot in a small plastic tube. The tube naturally bends into an oval shape when slotted into the plastic mold. A concave, oval shaped deodorant lid is placed in the end which has further diffusion by 2 layers of velum paper glued to the deodorant lid. Not ideal for lighting background but concentrates the light at the subject and is very portable and not clunky or oversized like previous designs.

Four-spotted Ladybug In Yellow And Black by Daniel Ruyle

FOURMI Camponotus lateralis04 by dominique andré

1 1

Camponotus lateralis

Cette espèce se rencontre autour du bassin méditerranéen.

Camponotus lateralis est une fourmi de petite taille (3 à 7 mm pour les ouvrières ; 10 mm pour la reine). Elle présente un développement lent qui est de 3 mois du stade d'œuf au stade d'ouvrière. C'est une espèce dite polymorphe et monogyne. La parade nuptiale s'étend de début avril à fin mai, les reines peuvent s'accoupler avec une dizaine de mâles. La plupart d'entre elles ne survivent pas (gobées par des oiseaux...). Les survivantes (environ deux pour mille) se débarrassent de leurs ailes en les arrachant, puis pondent leurs premiers œufs qui ne serviront qu'à des fins nutritives. Les premiers " vrais " œufs sont blancs nacrés et sont peu nourris. Les reines se retrouvent sous des branches ou des pierres après leur essaimage.

Camponotus lateralis a le thorax et la tête rouge légèrement transparents. Bien nourrie, son abdomen est gonflé et présente quelques rayures (surtout avec le lait). Elle porte 11 segments au bout de ses antennes. La reine possède un abdomen bien ovale et bombé quand elle est prête à pondre.

Il n'existe pas de castes chez Camponotus lateralis mais leur polymorphisme permet de distinguer :

les ouvrières qui travaillent à la survie de la colonie en servant de nourrices, de chasseuses, de ramasseuses... ;

les médias qui sont de "super" ouvrières, plus grandes, et parfois amenées à faire la guerre ;

les majors qui sont nés pour faire la guerre mais qui peuvent également chasser ou ramasser de la nourriture ;

les mâles qui ne vivent que pour s'accoupler. Ils ont des yeux spécialement adaptés pour repérer les reines. Ils meurent après l'accouplement ;

les reines qui pourront donner naissance à une nouvelle colonie. Comme les mâles, elles sont ailées avant l'accouplement mais s'en distinguent par leur taille plus grosse.

Camponotus lateralis n'est pas dangereuse autant par ses armes spéciales que par son nombre. Elle ne possède pas de dare au bout de son abdomen et ses mandibules ne sont pas très puissantes. De plus, ce n'est pas une espèce de grande taille.

Camponotus lateralis est dite à fondation indépendante, ce qui signifie que la reine fonde elle-même sa propre colonie. La reine n'est donc plus alimentée pendant plusieurs mois mais elle fait des ouvrières avant l'hivernage. Les fourmilières de camponotus lateralis détenues en captivité avoisinent les 600 ouvrières.

Camponotus lateralis hiverne (hiberne) pendant à peu près 5 mois de début novembre à fin mars lorsque la température descend sous les 10 à 15 °C. Hiverner lui est impératif pour reprendre des forces.

Camponotus lateralis essaime d'avril à août. Généralement, les individus sexués sortent toutes et tous ensemble du nid pour aller se reproduire ce qui évite trop de pertes. Malheureusement, les princesses et les mâles sont incapables de se défendre contre les insectes hostiles et les oiseaux et la plupart meurent. Quand elle atterrit, la princesse devenue reine se cache rapidement pendant toute une année, et pendant cette année, elle ne mange que ses ailes désormais inutiles jusqu'à la première ouvrière. Habituellement, les premières soldates naissent après la naissance d'une cinquantaine d'ouvrières.

Source Wikipedia

Morph's Epic Art Adventure London: Looking After the Ocean by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

melon by troye owens

Nom scientifique : Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo, famille des Cucurbitacées, sous-famille des Cucurbitoideae, tribu des Melothrieae, sous-tribu des Cucumerinae.

Le melon cultivé appartient à la sous-espèce Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo dont le faux-fruit est très polymorphe. Le fruit sauvage d'origine ne dépassait pas 30 à 50 g mais il a servi de base à la définition de très nombreuses variétés1. Celles-ci sont diversement rassemblées selon les auteurs en groupes, dont les plus importants sont :

Parmi les melons consommés comme fruits (récoltés à maturité):

Le groupe cantalupensis, melon cantaloup ;

Le groupe reticulatus, melon brodé ;

Le groupe inodorus, melon d'hiver ;

parmi les melons consommés comme légumes (récoltés avant maturité) :

Le groupe flexuosus, melon serpent ;

Le groupe momordica, melon phut (Inde).

Le terme « melon » vient du latin melo, melonis. Ce terme provient d'une racine grecque signifiant « pomme », « fruit » (« pomme » se dit malum en latin).

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) juvenile (1-spot) by Brian Carruthers-Dublin-Eire

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Measurements

spanwidth min.: 54 cm

spanwidth max.: 60 cm

size min.: 32 cm

size max.: 36 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 11 days

incubation max.: 12 days

fledging min.: 17 days

fledging max.: 17 days

broods 15

eggs min.: 1

eggs max.: 25

Status: Widespread summer visitor to Ireland from April to August.

Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is currently evaluated as secure.

Identification: Despite its obvious song, relatively infrequently seen. In flight, can be mistaken for a bird of prey such as Sparrowhawk, but has rapid wingbeats below the horizontal plane - ie. the wings are not raised above the body. Adult male Cuckoos are a uniform grey on the head, neck, back, wings and tail. The underparts are white with black barring. Adult females can appear in one of two forms. The so-called grey-morph resembles the adult male plumage, but has throat and breast barred black and white with yellowish wash. The rufous-morph has the grey replaced by rufous, with strong black barring on the wings, back and tail. Juvenile Cuckoos resemble the female rufous-morph, but are darker brown above.

Similar Species: Sparrowhawk

Call: The song is probably one of the most recognisable and well-known of all Irish bird species. The male gives a distinctive “wuck-oo”, which is occasionally doubled “wuck-uck-ooo”. The female has a distinctive bubbling “pupupupu”. The song period is late April to late June.

Diet: Mainly caterpillars and other insects.

Breeding: Widespread in Ireland, favouring open areas which hold their main Irish host species – Meadow Pipit. Has a remarkable breeding biology unlike any other Irish breeding species.

Wintering: Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have a first line of defence: they attack, or ‘mob’, the female cuckoo, which reduces the chance that their nest is parasitized.

To deter the warbler from attacking, the colouring of the grey cuckoo mimics sparrow hawks, a common predator of reed warblers. However, other females are bright rufous (brownish-red). The presence of alternate colour morphs in the same species is rare in birds, but frequent among the females of parasitic cuckoo species. The new research shows that this is another cuckoo trick: cuckoos combat reed warbler mobbing by coming in different guises.

In the study, the researchers manipulated local frequencies of the more common grey colour cuckoo and the less common (in the United Kingdom) rufous colour cuckoo by placing models of the birds at neighbouring nests. They then recorded how the experience of watching their neighbours mob changed reed warbler responses to both cuckoos and a sparrow hawk at their own nest.

They found that reed warblers increased their mobbing, but only to the cuckoo morph that their neighbours had mobbed. Therefore, as one cuckoo morph increases in frequency, local host populations will become alerted specifically to that morph. This means the alternate morph will be more likely to slip past host defences and lay undetected. This is the first time that ‘social learning’ has been documented in the evolution of mimicry as well as the evolution of different observable characteristics - such as colour - in the same species (called polymorphism).

From the University of Cambridge “When mimicry becomes less effective, evolving to look completely different can be a successful trick. Our research shows that individuals assess disguises not only from personal experience, but also by observing others. However, because their learning is so specific, this social learning then selects for alternative cuckoo disguises and the arms race continues.”.

“It’s well known that cuckoos have evolved various egg types which mimic those of their hosts in order to combat rejection. This research shows that cuckoos have also evolved alternate female morphs to sneak through the hosts' defenses. This explains why many species which use mimicry, such as the cuckoo, evolve different guises.”

UCL Museums and Public Relations Away Day by Institute of Making

A couple of weeks ago Museums and Public relations department had an away day at the Institute of Making.

Pewter casting with cuttlefish.

Back of the Parrot by Matthew Wells

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

UCL Museums and Public Relations Away Day by Institute of Making

A couple of weeks ago Museums and Public relations department had an away day at the Institute of Making.

Composite materials station.

blue leather boxing gloves on white table by IELTS Writing 1

DNA Genotyping and Sequencing. A technician at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, part of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), washes arrays used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These studies search the genome for small variations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs, that occur more frequently in people with a particular disease than in people without the disease.

Must Credit to: writing9.com not Flickr.

Copy Link Address: writing9.com

The Morph Trail Begins by Matthew Wells

With Morph No. 12: Astromorph

Shortcuts to All 20 Morphs:-

Luminescence Open Day, Saturday 25th May, 2013 by Institute of Making

More Polymorph fun

Daffodil - Jonquil (Narcissus) by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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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.

Partially devitrified rhyolitic obsidian (Roaring Mountain Member, Plateau Rhyolite, Upper Pleistocene, ~59 ka; Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA) 10 by James St. John

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

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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.

Polymorph by Christopher Williams

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weird abstract tattoo design. Could use some color...

Orange Linckia Starfish by Grantsviews

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linckia laevigata

Linckia.jpg

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Asteroidea

Order: Valvatida

Family: Ophidiasteridae

Genus: Linckia

Species: L. laevigata

Binomial name

Linckia laevigata

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Linckia laevigata (sometimes called the "blue Linckia" or blue star) is a species of sea star (commonly known as a starfish) in the shallow waters of tropical Indo-Pacific (a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia). The variation ("polymorphism", in this case, a "color morph") most commonly found is pure, dark, or light blue, although observers find the aqua, purple, or orange variation throughout the ocean.

Rice Genetics II_p391 by IRRI Photos

1. Genomic DNA was isolated from rice plants regenerated from calli grown for 28 d (A) or 67 d (B). The DNA was digested with Hin d III and Southern analyzed with the 3-kb Hin d III fragment of the actin gene. The results demonstrate that regenerants from short-term cultures have less DNA polymorphism than those repenerants produced from long-term callus cultures. C = control.

books.google.com.ph/books/irri?id=B4KrnP8cMQAC&lpg=PA...

Part of the image collection of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Blue Arctic Fox by Derbyshire Harrier

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Luminescence Open Day, Saturday 25th May, 2013 by Institute of Making

Bending neon tubing with Richard Wheater and Julia Bickerstaff

Back of Mr Create by Matthew Wells

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Hand-Moldable Plastic - Low Temperature Thermoplastic - 100g Bag by Adafruit Industries

Available at Adafruit!

Hand-Moldable Plastic - Low Temperature Thermoplastic - 100g Bag by Adafruit Industries

Available at Adafruit!

Press

Conception, scénographie, chorégraphie et interprétation Pierre Rigal

Créée au Gate Theatre de Londres en 2008, cette performance chorégraphique - jouée plus de 200 fois dans le monde - inspirée par des textes de Edgar Keret, met en scène un inquiétant dandy, mannequin polymorphe mu par l’enchaînement standardisé de ses propres automatismes, mais aussi par les rouages de son étroit espace vital. Absurde, drôle et angoissant, Pierre Rigal met sous presse la menaçante banalité de l’homme contemporain.

MA 9 OCT 20h

Danse - durée 1h

En ouverture de la Fête de la science et dans le cadre de Experimenta

www.theatre-hexagone.eu

No. 8/20: Morph and Friends by Matthew Wells

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