Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Government & Organizations
**Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t**

Why do some plants grow where they do? How can geology cause new plant species to evolve? Why are some plants pollinated by flies, some by bats, some by birds, and others by bees? How does a plant evolve to look like a rock? How can destroying lawns soothe the soul? This is a show about plants and plant habitat through the lens of natural selection and ecology, with a side of neurotic ranting, light humor, occasional profanity, & the perpetual search for the filthiest taqueria bathroom.

Latest Episodes:

The Velcro Leaf Family, Fake Names at the ER, Christian Taliban, etc Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

Rambling intro ends at 47:00, Conversation about Velcro Leaf Family Loasaceae begins at 48:00.

Talking Peyote & Conservation in South Texas Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

Intro ends and conversation starts at 43:00.
My guest today is Joe Ben Walker from the indigenous peyote conservation initiative and we talk all things peyote in South Texas. We discussed the Peyotero System, How licenses are monitored, how the DEA keeps track of licenses, how habitat is being severely threatened and destroyed by land clearance, and how peyote came into use among modern Indigenous Americans (not just the tribes that lived where Peyote grew). This was a very enlightening conversation and one that needs to be listened to by anybody interested in the long term conservation of this threatened plant.

Talking Evolution, Cloud Forests & Nightshades Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

A Conversation with Dr. Stacy Smith from University of Colorado Boulder about the genus Iochroma and Plant Evolution. A 24 minute intro followed by 90 minutes of talk about evolution, selection pressures and why plants evolve the way they do. I haven't had this much fun on a conversation in a while.

An Interview with Carlos ”Aztekium” Velazco May 25, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we talk Northern Mexican Botany with the wonderful Carlos Velazco, author of numerous papers describing the floristic relationships of Northern Mexican Plants as well as the Nuevo León field guide to plants. The last thirty minutes we spend talking about the discovery of the incredibly cool and bizarre cactus, Astrophytum (Digitostigma) Caput-medusae.

Namibia, Resurrection Plants, Welwitschia, Caucasians in South Africa May 19, 2022

Show notes

A long rant about Namibian Botany, Dark Humor, Myrothamnus flabellifolius the resurrection plant, Welwitschia habitat etc.

Nuevo León Botany, Gypsum Endemics, Cactus Poaching Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

One long rant about Nuevo Leon plant communities, gypsum endemics, cactus poaching, high elevation "sky islands", Mall Security Guards at US Customs, Herbarium vouchers, etc

A Conversation with Kerry Knudsen, Lichenologist Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we talk with Kerry Knudsen, a blue-collar-construction-worker turned lichenologist. We spend a good first half of the podcast talking lichens and the last half of the podcast talking philosophy, and why it's important to be aware of - if not at least occasionally immerse yourself in - the non-human world known as "the rest of the biosphere (for chrissakes)".

Texas Sandsheet, Sand Endemics,Twitter Fights with Furries Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we discuss the rare and endangered Texas Almond, a sand endemic. We also discuss the trough urinal at Taqueria Jalisco by the Pilot Station in Falfurrias, whether Tetragonotheca rrpanda can be grown in West Texas, and being kicked in the groin for exuding "forced-positivity".

Undescribed Buckwheats, KILL YOUR LAWN, Limestone Erotica, Rod Blagojevich, etc Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we talk about the notorious Bristol Mountains Buckwheat which is still formally undescribed despite being known of for a decade and a half. We also talked about limestone geology of the Mojave Desert as well as why people should kill their lawns and why we should film a show about it. This episode also contains a cut at the hilarious Rod Blagojevich Cameo regarding the brad nailer and the $40 for pizza.

How Do Fungi Bang (and evolve)? Feb 19, 2022

Show notes

Generic Recombination is the means through which mutations (and evolution/speciation /phenotypic variation) occur, leading to changes in an organism's adaptation to and tolerance of its environment. In flowering plants, meiosis occurs in megaspore mother cells (in ovules aka seeds) and in microspore mother cells (in pollen grains that are produced within the anthers). A pollen grain then lands on a stigma and germinates, fertilizing an ovule and producing a seed (which is a new and different genetic individual). In fungi, it's a bit different - and a lot weirder. In this episode we explore how it's different and how it happens.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected