Acaena exigua NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S.<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-surface-slicks-create-superhighway-for-fish/"> Fish</a> and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. Acaena exigua is an extinct species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name liliwai. It was endemic to Hawaii, where it was known from Kauaʻi and west Maui. It had not been seen or collected since 1957 and was feared extinct until 1997, when one plant was discovered in a remote montane bog on <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=maui&amp;cvid=11f593b142284a109c4b71b63cd85874&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Maui</a>. The plant died in 2000, and the species is now considered extinct.Acaena exigua A. Gray var. subtusstrigulosa Bitter: Classification. Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS Classification Report. Rank Scientific Name and Common Name; Kingdom: Plantae – Plants Subkingdom: Tracheobionta

Acaena exigua

Acaena exigua NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation...

Abies guatemalensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.A. guatemalensis is a conical tree growing 20 to 35 meters tall and 60 to 90 cm in girth. The branches grow largely horizontally. The <a title="Bark (botany)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_(botany)">bark</a> is a blackish-brown and is divided into plates. The branchlets are reddish-brown to deep blackish-red and pubescent. The <a class="mw-redirect" title="Buds" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buds">buds</a> are globular-ovoid, resinous, and roughly 5 mm in length. The <a class="mw-redirect" title="Leaves" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaves">leaves</a> are somewhat comb-like or nearly pectinate in arrangement. They are unequal and deep green above and waxy in texture underneath. They measure 1.5 to 5.5 cm long by 1.2 to 2 mm wide. <a title="Stoma" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoma">Stomata</a> are usually absent above, but appear in 8 to 10 lines below. They contain two marginal resin canals and the apex of the leaf is notched and emarginate. The female <a title="Conifer cone" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conifer_cone">cones</a> are oblong-cylindric and the apex is pointed to somewhat flattened. They are yellowish-brown in colour with a violet bloom and measure 8 to 11.5 cm long by 4 to 4.5 cm wide. The scales are oblong, or broader than long. The <a title="Bract" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bract">bracts</a> are hidden, about one half the height of the scale and are cuneate-obovoid in shape. The <a title="Seed" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed">seeds</a> are a light brown nut to 9 mm in length with a wing to 1.5 cm long"

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Abies guatemalensis

Abies guatemalensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Abronia macrocarpa NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Abronia macrocarpa is a perennial herb with a hairy, glandular stem growing up to half a meter tall. The glandular oval leaf blades are up to 5 centimeters long by 3.5 wide and are borne on relatively long <a title="Petiole (botany)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petiole_(botany)">petioles</a>. The <a title="Inflorescence" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflorescence">inflorescence</a> is a cluster of up to 75 magenta or light purple flowers each up to 3 centimeters long. The tubular, strongly fragrant flowers open at dusk and are <a title="Pollination" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollination">pollinated</a> by <a title="Moth" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moth">moths</a>. The winged fruit is up to 1.5 centimeters long. It is <a title="Biological dispersal" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_dispersal">dispersed</a> by wind.

Its natural habitat is sandy soils with little other vegetation, often in openings of post-oak woodlands

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Abronia macrocarpa

Abronia macrocarpa NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Abutilon eremitopetalum NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

Abutilon eremitopetalum ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.Abutilon eremitopetalum, commonly known as the hidden-petaled abutilon or hiddenpetal Indian mallow, is a species of <a title="Flowering plant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant">flowering</a> shrub in the <a title="Malva" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malva">mallow</a> family, Malvaceae. It is endemic to dry forests and low shrublands on the <a title="Windward and leeward" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windward_and_leeward">windward</a> side of the island of Lānaʻi in <a title="Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Hawaii</a>. It is classified by the IUCN Red List as critically endangered by habitat destruction.The species was first discovered in 1987. Fish are gill-bearing aquatic craniate animals that lack limbs with digits. They form a sister group to the tunicates, together forming the olfactores. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=fish&amp;cvid=051056fee95547398bc5795d84ee6725&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Fish</a> and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Abutilon eremitopetalum

Abutilon eremitopetalum NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Abutilon menziesii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. Abutilon menziesii is <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=endangered+species&amp;cvid=78d216ecaa634aeb936f4769c391ccc9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">endangered</a>.Abutilon menziesii, known as Koʻoloaʻula in Hawaiian, is an endangered species of flowering shrub in the mallow family, Malvaceae,  Malvaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a sprawling shrub that can reach up to 10 feet in height. The leaves, which range from an inch in width to about five inches, vary in their shapes. They have a velvety feel to them. The small hibiscus-shaped flowers generally hang downward. Though charming up close, the flowers can be hidden by the much larger leaves and not often visible at a distance. Although the Hawaiian name ʻula refers to the more commonly seen red color, koʻoloa ʻula

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Abutilon menziesii

Abutilon menziesii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Abutilon sandwicense NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Abutilon sandwicense, commonly known as the greenflower Indian mallow, is a species of <a title="Flowering plant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant">flowering plant</a> in the <a title="Malva" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malva">mallow</a> family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Oʻahu, <a title="Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Hawaii</a>, in the <a title="United States" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States">United States</a>. It inhabits dry forests on the slopes of the Waiʻanae Range at elevations of 400–600 m (1,300–2,000 ft). Associated plants include lama (Diospyros sandwicensis), ēlama (<a title="Diospyros hillebrandii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_hillebrandii">D. hillebrandii</a>), māmaki (Pipturus albidus), kalia (Elaeocarpus <a class="new" title="Elaeocarpus bifidus (page does not exist)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elaeocarpus_bifidus&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1">bifidus</a>), āulu (Sapindus oahuensis), olopua (<a title="Nestegis sandwicensis" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestegis_sandwicensis">Nestegis sandwicensis</a>), and alaheʻe (Psydrax odorata). Greenflower Indian mallow is a shrub, reaching a height of 1.5–3 m (4.9–9.8 ft). It is threatened by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Habitat loss" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_loss">habitat loss</a>.

Abutilon sandwicense

Abutilon sandwicense NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Acanthomintha ilicifolia. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Acanthomintha ilicifolia, known by the common name San Diego thornmint, is a rare species of flowering plant in the <a title="Lamiaceae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamiaceae">mint family</a>. It is native to <a title="Baja California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_California">Baja California</a> and <a title="San Diego County, California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_County,_California">San Diego County, California</a>, where it is a resident of the <a title="Chaparral" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral">chaparral</a> and <a title="Coastal sage scrub" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_sage_scrub">coastal sage scrub</a> plant communities and <a title="Vernal pool" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernal_pool">vernal pools</a>.

Acanthomintha ilicifolia has been <a title="Local extinction" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_extinction">extirpated</a> from many of the sites where it was previously noted in San Diego County. It is a federally listed threatened species in the United States. This species is also listed as endangered under the <a title="California Endangered Species Act" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Endangered_Species_Act">California Endangered Species Act</a> which means that killing or possessing the plants is prohibited within <a title="California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">California</a> unless authorized by the California Department of Fish and Game.

Acanthomintha ilicifolia

Acanthomintha ilicifolia. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=e31edaa0953840a0af562f33e9814b78&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.  Acanthomintha duttonii is a species of annual plant endemic to San Mateo County, California in the family Lamiaceae. It is commonly called San Mateo thornmint and is found growing on serpentine soils near the Crystal Springs Reservoir in a six-mile long strip on the east side of Montara Mountain at elevations of approximately 150 to 300 meters. an annual herb that is native to California and and is endemic (limited) to California. also called Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.1 ( rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere ).

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii

Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe...

Achyranthes mutica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/"> Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.Achyranthes mutica A. Gray – blunt chaff flower Subordinate Taxa. This plant has no children Legal Status. Threatened and Endangered Information: This plant is listed by the U.S. federal government or a state. Common names are from state and federal lists. Click on a place name to get a complete protected plant list for that location.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=43301dd515c748d8ad14055801b02e2c&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Achyranthes mutica (also called blunt chaff flower) is a species of <a title="Plant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant">plant</a> in the family <a title="Amaranthaceae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranthaceae">Amaranthaceae</a>. It is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to <a title="Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Hawaii</a>. Its natural <a title="Habitat" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat">habitats</a> are <a title="Hawaiian tropical dry forests" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_tropical_dry_forests">dry forests</a> and subtropical or tropical dry <a title="Shrubland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrubland">shrubland</a>. It is threatened by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Habitat loss" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_loss">habitat loss</a>.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Achyranthes mutica

Achyranthes mutica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-investigate-the-mysterious-origin-of-flowering-plants/">plants</a> and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata Genus is derived from the Greek achyron, chaff, and anthos, flower, referring to the chaffy parts of the flower. The Latin ephithet splendens means shining

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Achyranthes splendens (ʻEwa hinahina; also called Maui chaff flower, round chaff flower, round-leaf chaff flower, or round-leaved chaff flower) is a species of flowering plant in the <a title="Amaranth" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth">pigweed</a> family, <a title="Amaranthaceae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranthaceae">Amaranthaceae</a>, that is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to <a title="Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Hawaiʻi</a>. Its natural <a title="Habitat" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat">habitats</a> are <a title="Hawaiian tropical dry forests" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_tropical_dry_forests">dry forests</a>, <a title="Hawaiian tropical low shrublands" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_tropical_low_shrublands">low shrublands</a>, and <a title="Sand" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand">sandy</a> shores. It is threatened by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Habitat loss" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_loss">habitat loss</a>. Native Hawaiians have, for centuries, considered its extract to be an effective natural cure for constipation.

Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata

Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe...

Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae (=Lotus d. ssp. traskiae) NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.Syrmatium veatchii, <a title="Synonym (taxonomy)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synonym_(taxonomy)">synonyms</a> Lotus dendroideus and Acmispon dendroideus, is a species of <a title="Faboideae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faboideae">legume</a> native to <a title="California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">California</a>. It is known by the common name island broom. It is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Channel Islands of California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Islands_of_California">Channel Islands of California</a>, where it grows on coastal bluffs and cliffs. It is a spreading perennial herb or erect <a title="Shrub" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrub">shrub</a> approaching 2 meters in height. It is hairless to hairy and gray-green in color. The branches lined with leaves each made up of a few oval leaflike leaflets up to 1.5 centimeters long each. The <a title="Inflorescence" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflorescence">inflorescence</a> bears up to 10 yellow pealike flowers, each roughly a centimeter long and fading red as they age

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae (=Lotus d. ssp. traskiae)

Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae (=Lotus d. ssp. traskiae) NatureServe Explorer...

Aconitum noveboracense. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Aconitum noveboracense, also known as northern blue monkshood or northern wild monkshood, is a flowering <a title="Plant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant">plant</a> belonging to the buttercup family (<a title="Ranunculaceae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculaceae">Ranunculaceae</a>). Members of its genus (<a title="Aconitum" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum">Aconitum</a>) are also known as wolfsbane.

The <a title="United States Fish and Wildlife Service" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service">United States Fish and Wildlife Service</a> government lists it as a <a class="mw-redirect" title="Threatened" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatened">threatened</a> species.<a class="external autonumber" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum_noveboracense#endnote_ecos.fws.gov.129">[1]</a> It grows in rare portions of <a class="mw-redirect" title="New York State" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State">New York State</a> and in portions of the <a title="Driftless Area" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area">Driftless Area</a>.

Northern monkshood is noted for its very distinctive, blue hood-shaped flowers. The flowers are about 1 inch in length, and a single stem may have many flowers. Stems range from about 1 to 4 feet in length. The leaves are broad with coarse, toothed lobes.
<ul>
 	<li>Only found in Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New York.</li>
 	<li>Typically found on shaded to partially shaded cliffs, <a class="mw-redirect" title="Algific talus slopes" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algific_talus_slopes">algific talus slopes</a>, or on cool, streamside sites. These areas have cool soil conditions, cold air drainage, or cold groundwater flowage. On algific talus slopes, these conditions are caused by the outflow of cool air and water from ice contained in underground fissures. These fissures are connected to sinkholes and are a conduit for the air flows.</li>
</ul>
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Aconitum noveboracense

Aconitum noveboracense. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Adenophorus periens NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=fish&amp;cvid=051056fee95547398bc5795d84ee6725&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Fish</a> and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Adenophorus periens is a rare species of <a title="Fern" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern">fern</a> known by the common name pendant kihi fern. It is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to <a title="Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Hawaii</a>, where it is known from one population in <a title="Puna, Hawaii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puna,_Hawaii">Puna</a> on the island of <a title="Hawaii (island)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_(island)">Hawaii</a> and a few occurrences on <a title="Kauai" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauai">Kauai</a> and <a title="Molokai" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molokai">Molokai</a>. The fern occurs in wet mountain forests on volcanic slopes. It grows on trees. There are perhaps 2000 individual plants remaining. This is a federally listed <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> of the United States.

This fern is easily distinguished from others in its genus, with its long, hanging fronds that may exceed 40 centimeters in length, twice as long as other Adenophorus. The leaflets on the fronds are twisted at an angle to the <a title="Rachis" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachis">rachis</a> and the leaf edges are lined with unique hairs. <a title="Genetic analysis" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_analysis">Genetic analysis</a> reveals that the fern has a high <a title="Genetic diversity" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_diversity">genetic diversity</a> for such a rare species.

Threats to the species include <a title="Lava" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava">lava</a> and <a title="Volcanic gas" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_gas">gas</a> from the volcanoes on which it grows, as well as the death of its host trees, <a title="Introduced species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduced_species">introduced species</a> including <a title="Weed" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed">weeds</a> and <a title="Feral pig" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_pig">feral pigs</a>, and <a class="mw-redirect" title="Geothermal electricity" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_electricity">geothermal development</a>.

Adenophorus periens

Adenophorus periens NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Adiantum vivesii. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/plants-cannot-keep-up-with-rising-co2-levels/">plants</a>, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.Adiantum vivesii is <a title="Endemism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endemism">endemic</a> to <a title="Puerto Rico" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico">Puerto Rico</a>, where it is known from a single population made up of perhaps 1000 individuals near <a title="Quebradillas, Puerto Rico" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebradillas,_Puerto_Rico">Quebradillas</a>, in the <a class="mw-redirect" title="San Juan – Caguas – Guaynabo metropolitan area" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan_%E2%80%93_Caguas_%E2%80%93_Guaynabo_metropolitan_area">San Juan – Caguas – Guaynabo metropolitan area</a> on the northern side of the island.The fern was discovered in 1985 and described to science as a new species in 1989. Soon after, it was listed as an <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a>. It is a putative hybrid between Adiantum obliquum and A. tetraphyllum. In 2003 a specimen that most likely represents this species was collected on Petit Morne in Martinique by botanist <a class="mw-redirect" title="Maarten Christenhusz" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maarten_Christenhusz">Maarten Christenhusz</a> collection number 2678 (BM, SP, TUR, U, UC), which means that the hybrid has occurred twice independently.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Adiantum vivesii

Adiantum vivesii. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Aeschynomene virginica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.Aeschynomene virginica is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Virginia jointvetch and sensitive jointvetch. It is native to a small section of the East Coast of the United States, where it has a fluctuating annual global population scattered in about 20 mostly small occurrences. Counts and estimates revealed two populations in New Jersey including several thousand individuals, one population of a few hundred plants in Maryland, several variable and unstable populations in ditches in North Carolina, and several populations including about 5000 individuals in Virginia. Habitat

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Aeschynomene virginica

Aeschynomene virginica NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Agalinis acuta NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Agalinis acuta is an annual hemiparasitic plant native to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flash-flooding-devastates-maryland/">Maryland</a>, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island, New York. Common names include sandplain gerardia and sandplain false foxglove. It is one of about 70 species that comprise genus Agalinis. It currently resides within the family Orobanchaceae, but historically was aligned with members of the Scrophulariaceae. This was one of several re-alignments that were the consequence of the disintegration of the Scrophulariaceae as the result of conclusions based on molecular phylogeny data from the chloroplast genome. While historically regarded as a separate species, molecular phylogenetic data indicates that Agalinis acuta should be consolidated as part of the species Agalinis decemloba.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Agalinis acuta

Agalinis acuta NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Agave eggersiana NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=canada&amp;cvid=b3d93bdc390d43a7878fe6e35c4015bf&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network. Agave eggersiana

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.Agave eggersiana, Eggers' century plant, is an <a title="Endangered species" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species">endangered species</a> of spiky <a title="Plant" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant">plant</a> which grows in the <a title="Virgin Islands" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Islands">Virgin Islands</a>, in dry, exposed areas. Agave eggersiana is a perennial herb known in the wild only from the island of <a class="mw-redirect" title="St. Croix" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Croix">St. Croix</a> of the U.S. <a title="Virgin Islands" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Islands">Virgin Islands</a> (USFWS 1998a).A small number of plants remain on private land and are threatened by tourist development (USFWS 1998b). Other threats include feral pigs and goats on <a title="National Park Service" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service">National Park Service</a> land (USFWS 1998b). Research needs include distribution and abundance, general biology and ecology (USFWS 1998a). The U.S. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-surface-slicks-create-superhighway-for-fish/">Fish</a> and Wildlife Service requests that any interested parties (concerned government agencies, the scientific community and/or industry) submit data or suggestions concerning this species (USFWS 1998b). The plant is being cultivated at the <a title="St. George Village Botanical Garden" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George_Village_Botanical_Garden">St. George Village Botanical Garden</a> in St. Croix U.S.V.I.(USFWS 1998a) and at <a class="mw-redirect" title="Fairchild Botanical Gardens" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Botanical_Gardens">Fairchild Botanical Gardens</a> in south <a title="Florida" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida">Florida</a>.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Agave eggersiana

Agave eggersiana NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Alectryon macrococcus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/intense-wildfires-in-manitoba-canada/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north%20america&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=&amp;sc=0-0&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=2A486C7EEB7F4DC9A48B1971A274D39A">North America</a> and the world. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 2013, its population was estimated at nearly 579 million people in 23 independent states, or about 7.5% of the world's population.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Alectryon macrococcus

Alectryon macrococcus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Allium munzii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. Allium munzii is an onion that grows from a reddish-brown <a title="Bulb" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulb">bulb</a> just over a centimeter long. It produces an erect stem up to about 35 centimeters in maximum height and a single leaf which is usually a bit longer. The <a title="Umbel" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbel">umbel</a> contains up to 35 flowers each under a centimeter long. They have <a title="Tepal" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepal">tepals</a> that are white with a dark green midvein, turning red with age. Pollen and anthers are yellow

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. Munz’s onion is a California threatened plant species, which means that killing or possessing the plant is prohibited by the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). It is also listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Allium munzii

Allium munzii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.rush.edu/">Rush University Medical Center</a> found that the MIND diet, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, significantly slows <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorful-foods-can-prevent-cognitive-decline/">cognitive</a> decline in older adults and improves their cognitive functioning. 



The MIND diet includes at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable, and another vegetable of choice per day, washed away with a glass of wine, together with frequent nut snacks. It should also include regular consumption of beans (every two days), poultry and berries (twice per week), and fish (once per week.) A person following the MIND diet should significantly limit items such as butter, sweets, pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast foods.



<a href="https://www.rush.edu/news/new-mind-diet-may-significantly-protect-against-alzheimers-disease">Previous studies</a> have already suggested that following a MIND diet can significantly protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. According to the new research, which is published in the <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad210107">Journal&nbsp;of Alzheimer’s Disease</a>, participants in a longitudinal study who moderately followed the MIND diet had increased cognitive functioning later in life.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Some people have enough plaques and tangles in their brains to have a postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but they do not develop clinical dementia in their lifetime,” said study&nbsp;lead author Klodian Dhana, an assistant professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rushu.rush.edu/research/departmental-research/internal-medicine-research/geriatrics-gerontology-and-palliative-medicine-research">Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine</a> at&nbsp;Rush Medical College.&nbsp;



“Some have the ability to maintain cognitive function despite the accumulation of these pathologies in the brain, and our study suggests that the MIND diet is associated with better cognitive functions independently of brain pathologies related to Alzheimer’s disease.”



Participants from the&nbsp;ongoing <a href="https://www.rushu.rush.edu/research/departmental-research/memory-and-aging-project">Memory and Aging Project</a>, which has begun in 1997, were given a score according to how closely they followed the MIND diet and undertook annual evaluations and cognitive tests. The scientists found that participants with higher MIND diet scores performed significantly better at cognitive tests and showed less signs of cognitive decline as they grew older.&nbsp;



“We found that a higher MIND diet score was associated with better memory and thinking skills independently of Alzheimer's disease pathology and other common age-related brain pathologies. The diet seemed to have a protective capacity and may contribute to cognitive resilience in the elderly,” explained Professor Dhana.



“Diet changes can impact cognitive functioning and risk of dementia, for better or worse. There are fairly simple diet and lifestyle changes a person could make that may help to slow cognitive decline with aging, and contribute to brain health."



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The MIND diet slows cognitive decline

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center found that the...

A new study published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10902-021-00440-y">The Journal of Happiness Studies</a> has investigated the impact of fruit, vegetables and exercise on individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cuddling-with-dogs-can-improve-your-well-being/">well-being</a>. The experts found that fruit and vegetable consumption, along with physical activity, increase general life satisfaction.



While correlations between healthy lifestyles and well-being have previously been documented and used in public health campaigns advocating the value of healthier diets and exercise, this new study shows that there is also a positive causation between a healthy lifestyle and general wellbeing.&nbsp;



“There has been a bigger shift in recent years for healthier lifestyle choices. To establish that eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising can increase happiness as well as offer health benefits is a major development,” said study co-author Uma Kambhampati&nbsp;from the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “This may also prove useful for policy campaigns around environment and sustainability.”



The researchers argued that the capacity of individuals to delay gratification and apply self-control plays a fundamental role in influencing lifestyle decisions. This ability enables individuals to give greater weight to the investment component of their lifestyle, which might not always be pleasant, rather than merely the affective component, where desires are gratified immediately.&nbsp;



For example, many people engage in strenuous physical exercise as a long-term goal of increasing their wellbeing, instead of munching tasty fast foods on their couches to achieve instant gratification.&nbsp;



"Behavioral nudges that help the planning self to reinforce long-term objectives are likely to be especially helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” explained lead study author Dr. Adelina Gschwandtner, a senior lecturer at the University of Kent’s <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/economics">School of Economics</a>. “If a better lifestyle not only makes us healthier but also happier, then it is a clear win-win situation.”



Humans’ unique ability to invest in long-term goals of maintaining good health and well-being by consuming fruits and vegetables and engaging in sports activities is now proven to be also a source of mental well-being and thus overall life satisfaction.&nbsp;



Although men are generally shown to be more willing to exercise and women more prone towards healthy eating, both genders appear to be particularly good long-term planners, able to delay instant gratification in order to achieve later and more prolonged states of well-being and life satisfaction.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fruit, vegetables, and exercise can increase life satisfaction

A new study published in The Journal of Happiness Studies...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> reveals how aspen forests maintain the diversity they need to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. The experts found that aspen trees change their genetic structure over time as they balance the need to compete for sunlight and defend themselves from pests.&nbsp;



Since Aspen is the most broadly distributed tree species in North America, it serves as a "bellwether species," or a good indicator of how forests will adapt to anthropogenic climate change and other environmental challenges.



Trees are often faced with competition from other trees for sunlight, and they respond by making growth a priority. But with all of that energy committed to height growth, the trees become more vulnerable to pests.



The new research, which is funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> (NSF), demonstrates that evolutionary forces can quickly shape entire forests. The study also shows that exposure to a range of environmental changes promotes the diversity that trees need to overcome various stressors.&nbsp;



"This long-term project provides new insights into the role of forest structure on genetic diversity in aspen groves, and how that affects leaf traits that influence the abundance and distribution of herbivores," said Colin Orians, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. &nbsp;



According to a report from NSF, the findings are valuable for conservation biologists who want to protect diverse forest ecosystems from the threats of global warming, invasive species, and other environmental changes.



"What this work has done is show how key traits - like growth and defense - can be coupled together and how genetic diversity will allow populations to adapt to new stresses," said Rick Lindroth, an ecologist at University of Wisconsin–Madison.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Aspen trees change their genetic structure to adapt

A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reveals how...

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> (UCR) are currently studying whether they can turn edible plants such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/romaine-lettuce-not-safe/">lettuce</a> or spinach into mRNA vaccine factories. 



One of the challenges of the available mRNA vaccines is that they need to be constantly kept at very low temperatures and are thus difficult to store and transport. A $500,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> aims to overcome these challenges by creating edible plant-based mRNA vaccines that can be stored at room temperature.



The researchers plan to deliver DNA containing mRNA vaccines into plant cells where they will replicate and produce enough mRNA to replace a traditional shot. “Ideally, a single plant would produce enough mRNA to vaccinate a single person,” explained Juan Pablo Giraldo, an associate professor in the <a href="https://plantbiology.ucr.edu/">Department of Botany and Plant Sciences</a> at UCR. 



“We are testing this approach with&nbsp;spinach and lettuce&nbsp;and have long-term goals of people growing it in their own garden. Farmers could also eventually grow entire fields of it.”



Key to develop such vaccines are chloroplasts, which are small organs from plant cells that play a fundamental role in converting sunlight into energy the plants can use. 



“They’re tiny, solar-powered factories that produce sugar and other molecules which allow the plant to grow,” explained Professor Giraldo. “They’re also an untapped source for making desirable molecules.”



In previous studies, by delivering foreign genetic material into plant cells, Professor Giraldo and colleagues have found that chloroplasts can be used to express genes that are not natural parts of the plants. This discovery is crucial for the new research on plant-based mRNA vaccines.&nbsp;



“Our idea is to repurpose naturally occurring nanoparticles, namely plant viruses, for gene&nbsp;delivery to plants,” said Nicole Steinmetz, a professor of Nanoengineering at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> who will collaborate with Professor Giraldo in this new project. 



“Some engineering goes into this to make the nanoparticles go to the chloroplasts and also to render them non-infectious toward the plants.”



If this project succeeds, the future of vaccination may look more like eating a side-dish rather than getting a shot in the arm. “I’m very excited about all of this research,” Giraldo said. “I think it could have a huge impact on peoples’ lives.”



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Edible plants could replace shots as vaccines

Scientists from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are currently...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> has found that nearly 85 percent of 5,500 coastal areas all over the world leach sediment to coral reefs. This phenomenon is currently the second largest threat to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-help-corals-survive-when-they-get-into-hot-water/">coral reefs</a> after climate change. Scientists claim that increasing reforestation efforts in these regions could significantly reduce sediment run-off and protect reefs.



Excess sediment run-off along coastal areas is generally caused by land clearing and agrochemical pollution. The sediment causes a massive reduction in light levels, which are crucial for coral growth and reproduction.



“Increased sedimentation can cause aquatic ecosystems to be more sensitive to heat stress, which decreases the resilience of corals to pressures caused by climate change,” explained lead author Dr. Andrés Suárez-Castro&nbsp;from University of Queensland’s&nbsp;<a href="https://cbcs.centre.uq.edu.au/">Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science</a>.&nbsp;



“If the link between the land and sea is not recognized and managed separately, any future efforts to conserve marine habitats and species are likely to be ineffective.”



According to Dr.&nbsp;Suárez-Castro&nbsp;and his research team, a key solution to reduce the amount of sediment run-off would be for countries to commit to land and forest restoration along coastal regions. They estimate that if an average of 1,000 hectares per coastal basin was restored, sediments reaching coral reefs could be reduced by 8.5 percent for 63,000 square kilometers of reefs.



“Reforestation is hugely important as it maintains the stability of soils that are vital in limiting erosion risk – it also helps to trap more sediments and prevent them from reaching aquatic systems,” Dr.&nbsp;Suárez-Castro&nbsp;said.



Even though global initiatives such as the Paris Climate Agreement are stressing the importance of forest restoration, it will be a great challenge to get countries and local governments to commit to reforestation activities, said the study authors.



“It’s encouraging to see many countries with high coral diversity committing large areas to land restoration, however the cost of reforestation, as well as political and social barriers may make it difficult to achieve these ambitious goals,” explained Dr. Suárez-Castro.&nbsp;



Further research is urgently needed to facilitate more informed and educated conversations around the importance of an integrated land-sea approach for protecting our planet.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15811">Global Change Biology</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reforestation needed to save coral reefs from sediment run-off

A new study led by University of Queensland has found...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has found that rather than evolving gradually, land plants evolved in two dramatic bursts which occurred over 250 million years apart. The first burst occurred early in plant evolution (420 million to 360 million years ago), giving rise to the development of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-grape-variety-traced/">seeds</a>. The second burst was characterized by the emergence of flowers, and started only about 100 million years ago.



“The most surprising thing is this kind of stasis, this plateau in complexity after the initial evolution of seeds and then the total change that happened when flowering plants started diversifying,” explained lead study author&nbsp;Andrew Leslie, an assistant professor of Geological Sciences in the <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/">School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences</a> at Stanford. “The reproductive structures look different in all these plants, but they all have about the same number of parts during that stasis.”



Based solely on observation, Professor Leslie and his co-authors designed a system which classifies the number of different kinds of parts in plants’ reproductive structures. They scored each species according to how many types of parts it had and the degree to which they exhibited clustering of those parts. With this method, they managed to categorize about 1,300 land plant species from 420 million years ago until the present.



“This tells a pretty simple story about plant reproductive evolution in terms of form and function: The more functions the plants have and the more specific they are, the more parts they have,”&nbsp;said Professor Leslie. “It's a useful way of thinking about broad-scale changes encompassing the whole of plant history.”



Through this method, the team discovered an initial burst in complexity, with the evolution of seeds in the early Devonian period, when the Earth was warmer and devoid of trees and terrestrial vertebrate animals. Afterwards, although massive changes occurred in the animal kingdom with the emergence and diversification of land animals, plants did not see any major evolutionary burst until the development of flowers in the late Cretaceous period.



“Insect pollination and animal seed dispersal may have appeared as early as 300 million years ago, but it's not until the last 100 million years that these really intricate interactions with pollinators are driving this super high complexity in flowering plants. There was such a long period of time where plants could have interacted with insects in the way that flowering plants do now, but they didn't to the same degree of intricacy,” concluded Professor Leslie.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abi6984">Science</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants evolved in two dramatic bursts 250 million years apart

A new study led by Stanford University has found that...

In a new report from <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a>, experts say that changing diets to tackle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-people-are-increasingly-anxious-over-climate-change/">climate</a> change is unattainable for minority groups. The researchers found that a significant number of individuals in the lowest income and education groups cannot afford a healthier diet.



The experts say that making food more affordable for ethnic minority groups is crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the food industry.



The new research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natfood/">Nature Food</a>, shows that a healthy, more environmentally friendly diet is achievable for a large portion of the population. On the other hand, this type of diet is unaffordable for up to 38 percent of Black and Hispanic individuals in the lowest income and education groups, according to the study.&nbsp;



The researchers emphasize that a diet including more whole grains, dairy, fruit and vegetables, seafood, and plant protein, combined with lower levels of added sugars, refined grains, saturated fats and sodium, could be achieved within current food budgets for 95 percent of the US population.



Widespread adoption of the optimized diet could decrease food-related greenhouse gas emissions by two percent, land use by 24 percent, and energy consumption by four percent. At the same time, however, water consumption would increase by 28 percent.



The study authors are calling on policy makers to improve urban planning and infrastructure to lessen the time and monetary burden associated with accessing healthy food choices.



The experts are also calling for educational programs in schools to promote healthy eating. Land use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with U.S. diets are nearly double the world average.&nbsp;



The Cardiff study has revealed that on average, a individual's daily diet generates 3.4 kg of carbon dioxide emissions, 15.6 m2 of land use, 972 liters of blue water. At the national level, this is the equivalent of 385 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions, 1.77 million km2 of land, and 110 billion m3 of water.



“Our study shows that those who are well-paid and/or well educated are more likely to adopt healthier diets but are also responsible for larger environmental impacts in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, blue water footprint, land occupation, as well as energy consumption,” said study co-author Dr. Pan He.



“While shifting to a healthy diet can reduce the environmental impacts and is affordable for most people, this would be unattainable for disadvantaged groups who may still be stuck on the way of change."



“Policies that make nutritious food more affordable are needed to promote better nutrition and improved environmental outcomes simultaneously, particularly for more vulnerable socio-economic groups.”



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Healthier diets are not attainable for everyone

In a new report from Cardiff University, experts say that...

Despite a growing demand for coconuts worldwide, the trees grow slowly and are challenging to clone. Coconut trees are also facing many different threats, including climate change, disease, and rising sea levels.



In a new study led by <a href="https://www.kuleuven.be/english/">KU Leuven</a>, researchers have developed a method to multiply coconut trees faster and store them more efficiently in gene banks.



The research was inspired by another fruit - the banana. Based on previous work with banana plants, study co-author Bart Panis predicted that a certain plant hormone could also be successful in coconut trees.&nbsp;



"Coconut plants do not form side shoots. They put all their energy into one shoot that has to grow as fast and as tall as possible. This makes it very difficult to clone and store the plants," said Panis.



First, the scientists extracted the coconut tree embryo from the coconut. Next, they applied the plant hormone to the meristem contained in the embryo. This caused the embryo to form not only one shoot, but several side shoots.&nbsp;



"Nobody thought we could do it. But we persevered with determination," said Panis. "There are other methods of vegetatively propagating coconut trees but we are confident that this is the first method that is also time- and cost-efficient."&nbsp;



The team's top priority is to safeguard the coconut tree's genetic diversity as efficiently as possible. The researchers explained that it is very crucial to preserve as many varieties of the coconut plant because each variety has specific characteristics - some are resistant to a particular disease, while others are more resistant to heat or drought.



"Currently, the coconut tree is kept as a tree in field collections. But some of these collections are threatened by Lethal Yellowing Disease," said study lead author Hannes Wilms.



"Our technique now also allows the shoots of the coconut plant to be preserved for eternity by cryopreservation, in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196°C."



"This is important for the future: if a new disease was to affect coconut production, there may be a variety in the gene bank that is resistant to this disease and can be planted out in the affected areas,” said Panis.



"There's a huge demand for coconut. The existing plantations are old and need to be replanted in the short term. So our technique meets the great demand for healthy plant material."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



---



By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists have had a breakthrough in cloning coconut trees

Despite a growing demand for coconuts worldwide, the trees grow...

Researchers have struggled for decades to understand whether cocoa, an ancient fermented product that the Aztecs made from the beans of cacao trees, is beneficial for health. Cocoa is known to contain a large concentration of flavanols, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that protect our cells from damage. As a result, cocoa consumption could potentially help us age better and reduce the risk for developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses.



The&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmostrial.org/">COSMOS</a>&nbsp;Trial (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study), led by experts at <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</a> and the <a href="https://fredhutch.org/">Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center</a>, gathered data from 21,444 men and women in order to investigate the health impacts of a daily supplement of cocoa flavanols and a multivitamin supplement.&nbsp;



In the context of this large project, Dr. Yanbin Dong - a geneticist and cardiologist at the <a href="https://www.augusta.edu/mcg/medicine/gpi/">Georgia Prevention Institute</a> from the Medical College of Georgia - was recently awarded a $3 million grant from the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> to perform a detailed analysis of the effect of cocoa consumption on inflammatory factors and genetic changes associated with aging.&nbsp;



Dr. Dong is expected to conduct sophisticated genetic analyses looking for the impact of cocoa on age-related genetic changes by using “epigenetic clocks,” which are biochemical tests that measure biological age based on the amount of DNA-methylation.



Preliminary results of the COSMOS Trial show that cocoa flavanols have potential benefits on platelet activation, LDL oxidation, lipid profiles, endothelium-dependent vasodilation, blood pressure, inflammation, and insulin resistance, which are all crucial for cardiovascular health.



Dr. Dong’s hypothesis is that flavanol consumption can also reduce epigenetic aging and “inflammaging” (a chronic, low-grade type of inflammation that increases with aging) and, thus, that cocoa consumption can help people live longer, healthier lives.&nbsp;



The researchers emphasized that flavanols are often destroyed in normal cocoa and chocolate processing, making these unreliable sources of flavanol compounds. According to Dr. Dong, a better source of cocoa flavanols is dark chocolate, which also contains iron, copper and other healthy ingredients that help boost immunity and lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and general cognitive decline.&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cocoa can help people live longer, healthier lives

Researchers have struggled for decades to understand whether cocoa, an...

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://d.docs.live.net/59aea50aab103926/Documents/nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00358-x">Nature Food</a> found that global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are double the amount of emissions associated with plant-based foods. Taking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-majority-of-global-farmland-is-at-risk-of-pesticide-pollution/">farmland</a>, livestock, and land use changes into consideration, global food production is responsible for 17,318 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually - accounting for 35 percent of all human-caused greenhouse emissions.&nbsp;



A computer modeling study led by Professor Atul K. Jain at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne</a> is the first to analyze carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions from all sub-sectors related to food production and consumption. These sub-sectors include land use changes, farmland management activities, raising livestock, and all of the operations that take place after the food leaves the farm.&nbsp;



“Although CO2 is the most important and most frequently discussed GHG (greenhouse gas), methane generated by rice cultivation and animals, and nitrous oxide from fertilizers are 34 and 298 times more powerful than CO2, respectively, when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere," explained study lead author Xiaoming Xu.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The researchers discovered that animal-based food emissions contributed 57 percent of food-based emissions, while plant-based emissions amounted to only 29 percent. Out of all meat and dairy products, beef was by far responsible for the most emissions (four billion metric tons), followed by cow milk, pork, and chicken meat. Among vegetables, rice production appeared to be the most damaging, contributing two billion metric tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;



In terms of location, the scientists found that South and Southeast Asia, as well as South America are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases related to food production and consumption, with China leading both animal- and plant-based emissions.



According to Professor Jain, developing climate mitigation strategies must rely on accurate estimates of GHG emissions from all sources, including those from the production and consumption of total and individual plant- and animal-based foods.



This comprehensive study is an important step forward towards encouraging policymakers to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions before climate change will become irreversible.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Animal products linked to double the emissions of plant-based foods

A recent study published in the journal Nature Food found...

A recent study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> found that flowers are employing “mechanical buckling,” a term that signifies the deformation of a structural component under load. The flowers are using this strategy to produce three-dimensional, iridescent patterns that can lure <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-provide-a-refuge-for-urban-pollinators/">pollinators</a>. 



Although in civil engineering buckling is typically associated with mechanical failure and is something that engineers try to avoid at all costs, for flowers, this phenomenon is surprisingly employed to their advantage.&nbsp;



Flowers use a variety of strategies to attract pollinators, including not only the well-known employment of chemical color from pigments, but also the less-known phenomenon of iridescence – the optical effect produced by an intricate pattern of microscopic ridges on the surface of petals that diffract light. The scientists discovered that hibiscus flowers employ buckling to alter the deformations of the surface of petals in order to produce iridescence.&nbsp;



“The petal striations on hibiscus flowers develop during petal growth, and&nbsp;Professor Beverley Glover’s team, who were the first to discover the iridescence properties in flowers, suspected that they may be caused by mechanical properties as the petals expanded," explained study lead author&nbsp;Dr. Sarah Robinson&nbsp;from the University of Cambridge’s <a href="https://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/">Sainsbury Laboratory</a>.



By using a robotic system developed to measure mechanical properties in plants, Dr. Robinson and her colleagues applied a certain force to stretch immature hibiscus petals which have not yet developed striations to check whether it was possible to mechanically induce the patterns.



“We saw striations appear almost instantaneously when a mechanical stress was applied. This told us that it was buckling that was causing a wrinkling of the petal surface and not a slower biological process," explained Dr. Robinson. "We were able to measure the striations and show that they had the same properties as they do when they develop naturally.&nbsp;



"One of the big surprises was that we could also induce striations at 90 degrees to the striations that naturally occur, which indicates that the orientation of the striations is not pre-patterned. However, we could not induce striations in other parts of the petals, suggesting that the ability to form striations is under genetic control."



Considering that more than 35 percent of the world’s crop harvests rely on animal pollinators, it is of crucial importance to gain a better understanding of how the relationship between plants and pollinators functions. This study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(21)01164-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2211124721011645%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Cell Reports</a>, is a major step forward in elucidating this mysterious connection. 



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Flowers use mechanical buckling to lure pollinators

A recent study from the University of Cambridge found that...

Endangered plants