Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't

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Guanajuato, Mexico Recap Part 2 - Floristic Affinities & Biogeography Jun 13, 2024

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Two hours of rants about wonderful plants in Central Mexico. A follow-up to the previous episode and a description of plant species, taxonomic affinities and habitats encountered in the mountains of Querétaro and Guanajuato States, Mexico. Also a brief gear list and explanation of the various tools used when botanizing desert mountains.
Why the genus Garrya (the silktassels) is so cool,
A new Astrolepis sp. (Undescribed)
Stevia pyrolifolia (Asteraceae) - it's waxy-as$ leaves at 10,000 feet
Dyscritothamnus filifolius (Asteraceae) and the limestone cliffs and sketchy roads it inhabits
Vallesia glabra (Apocynaceae)
Spondias purpurea (Anacardiaceae)
Strombocactus disciformis (Cactaceae)
Lophophora diffusa (Cactaceae)
Mammillaria perezdelarosa ssp andersoniana
Arctostaphylos pungens (Ericaceae)
Comarostaphylis polifolia (Ericaceae)
and a ton more

Central Mexico Recap & Habitat Summary Jun 11, 2024

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This episode sponsored by Fiberpad, where you can glue duct-taped wheatgrass and fiberglass to your face in order to clear up any blemishes nice. What can limestone do for you and how does it form?
A long, winding rant through the mountains of Querétaro about habitats and species encountered at elevations between 6,000' and 10,000' including:
Karwinskia humboldtiana (Rhamnaceae)
Baccharis conferta (Asteraceae)
Penstemon campanulatus (Plantaginaceae)
Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus (Cactaceae)
Kadenicarpus pseudomacrochele (Cactaceae)
Isolatocereus dumortieri (Cactaceae)
Opuntia stenopetala (Cactaceae)
Pinguicula moranensis (Lentibulariaceae)
Quercus crassipes (Fagaceae)
Agave salmiana subsp. crassispina (Asparagaceae, Agavoideae)
Dasylirion longissimum (Asparagaceae, Nolinoideae)
Various Stevia sp. (Asteraceae)
featuring mountains made out of marble, seafloors made out of calcium-rich muck, and much more.

Pollination Systems & Bird Pollination with Jeff Ollerton May 28, 2024

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Jeff Ollerton is a pollination biologist and researcher based out of the EU and currently working in KunMing, Yunnan Province, China. He has written two excellent books - one entitled "Pollinators and Pollination" and another entitled "Birds and Flowers" about birds as pollinators. In this nearly two hour long conversation we talk about a variety of taxa as well as ecological phenomena. I am still kicking myself for forgetting to bring up the topic of the South African monocot genus Strelitzia (Order Zingiberales) which has a weighted-lever-mechanism that allows only birds to access the stamens.

Rio Grande Valley Botany with Ernest Herrera May 25, 2024

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In this episode we talk with field botanist Ernest Herrera about the rich floristic diversity of the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas and Northern Mexico. We talk about a variety of cool plant species as well as the cultural history and cultural repression of this unique region, how it will adapt to climate change, how to change culture in order to get people to start appreciating their native flora more, how to convince people to kill their lawns, what happened to horned lizards, what's up with Texas Tortoises, and a sh*t ton more.
Ernest Herrera is a botanist, herper, and field biologist born and raised in South Texas.

Central Texas Orchids, Limestone sinkholes, New Aster species May 22, 2024

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In this episode we talk about why plant "rescue" is a bullshit term, how Epipactis is probably pollinated hoverflies that it dupes, whats up with this new species of Asteraceae discovered in the Chihuahua desert, why people who don't know much about botany or ecology initially prefer non-native plants orver native ones, best place to get a Texas toast waffle machine, stealing a bus bin from Olive Garden, etc
Note : I mistakenly say Deb "described" this new species of composite. I meant to say "discovered". Blame my sleep deficit gfy

Death Valley Botany with Matt Berger Apr 30, 2024

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In this episode we talk with Botanist Matt Berger about Death Valley Plants, discovering new species, Limestone endemic plants, Dune Beetles, Desert Shrimp, specifist.ecology and more.

The Other 99% of Life on Planet Earth : Couch Microscopy with Dr. Julia van Etten Apr 23, 2024

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This conversation will make you want to buy a microscope and will make you rethink the way you envision the Tree of Life, where animals, plants and fungi are just a tiny speck on the overall tree of life.
Dr. Julia Van Etten (of the @Couch Microscopy Instagram page) talks about what the hell a Protist is and where you can find them (everywhere). We reveal how Protists are the fine particles that weave within and throughout our world."The Tree of Life is Really a Web".
The paper that the thumbnail is from can be found at : https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/figures?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002395

Western Railroading, Sobriety, & Male Archetypes Apr 23, 2024

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In this episode we take a break from botany-related content to talk with my friend and fellow former locomotive engineer and railroader Lance Jenkins about railroading, sobriety, sad male archetypes in the US, stealing overtime, precision scheduled railroading and how it's responsible for the wreck in East Palestine Ohio, "The Sun Train", and a whole lot more.

Diatomaceous Earth, Horse Cripplers & Leaf Blowers Apr 20, 2024

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South Texas Sandsheet, Uvalde County Botany, Using a Leafblower & Diatomaceous Earth to rid yourself of crabs, what the sh*t is a Heterokont aka Stramenophile, Texas Men Will Be Able to Admit Having Feelings in 2028, and more

Hunter Martinez aka Cactus Quest Apr 13, 2024

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In this episode we talk with Hunter Martinez of the Cactus Quest YouTube Channel about how he got into growing cacti from seed and lurking on them in habitat. We discuss the spirituality of loving plants and deserts, the pros and cons of the collector habit common among this family of plants, why so many cacti grow on limestone geology, and the benefits of growing from seed over purchasing full-grown plants.

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