Staff September 26, 2016<\/p>\n

Photos: iStock unless otherwise noted.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Did you know<\/strong>: that plants may arrange their flowers<\/strong> in order to attract bees? Smarter than we thought. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh determined that the way in which plants arrange their flowers can affect the flight patterns of bees, thus maximizing plants\u2019 chances for reproduction. According to a report from the University and summarized by the website Science Daily, the researchers studied the flights of bumble bees a s they collected nectar from wild larkspur flowers in Canada: \u201cThey found that when the plants\u2019 flowers were present on only one side of the stem, bees would more often fly vertically between flowers. By comparison, when a plant had flowers all around its stem, bees would be less likely to fly upwards. The findings are helping to aid scientists\u2019 understanding of how plants can control how their pollen is spread by foraging insects.\u201d The study is said to help scientists understand how plants may control how their pollen is distributed; more to the point, it may also \u201cinform the development of plant crops with high yields, by enabling scientists to understand how plants can transfer pollen most efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Did you know:<\/strong> that regular old grass has the potential to produce cheap, clean, renewable energy? Enter Scottish scientists, again, to demonstrate that sunlight and a \u201ccheap catalyst\u201d can be employed to glean hydrogen from fescue. Researchers at Cardiff University have proved that hydrogen can be obtained from \u201cgarden grass\u201d<\/strong> in sufficient amounts to qualify as fodder for renewable energy. The cellulose found in plants is apparently a promising source of hydrogen, and through the process called photoreforming (or photocatalysis), the scientists combined sunlight and a simple catalyst \u2014 nickel \u2014 to convert cellulose and water to hydrogen. Let\u2019s let professor Michael Bowker explain: \u201cUp until recently, the production of hydrogen from cellulose by means of photocatalysis has not been extensively studied. Our results show that significant amounts of hydrogen can be produced using this method with the help of a bit of sunlight and a cheap catalyst. Furthermore, we\u2019ve demonstrated the effectiveness of the process using real grass taken from a garden. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that this kind of raw biomass has been used to produce hydrogen in this way. This is significant as it avoids the need to separate and purify cellulose from a sample, which can be both arduous and costly.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Did you know:<\/strong> that Ojibwe legend says that the bark of the birch tree<\/strong> received its dramatic coloration because it protected Waynaboozhoo? One bitterly cold winter, Waynaboozhoo\u2019s grandmother sent him to obtain fire from the Thunderbird. Disguised as a rabbit, the young lad reached Thunderbird\u2019s home and asked for shelter and warmth. While Thunderbird had his back turned, Waynaboozhoo rolled in his host\u2019s fire and fled, carrying the fire with him, his back ablaze. Thunderbird, of course, was enraged, and followed him, flinging lightning bolts. Fearing for his life, Waynaboozhoo hid behind a birch tree, which promised to protect him. The bolts missed Waynaboozhoo but struck the tree, scarring its brilliant white bark with charred spots. Thus, the birch appears to bear burn marks on its skin.<\/p>\n

oldest-tree<\/p>\n

4. Did you know:<\/strong>that there\u2019s a \u201cworld\u2019s oldest tree\u201d<\/strong>? Of course there is. Leave it to the Nordic peoples, that hardy lot, to host what\u2019s thought to be the world\u2019s oldest living tree. Way up atop Fulu Mountain in Sweden, there\u2019s a raggedy looking Norway spruce that\u2019s estimated to be nearly 9,560 years old. Scientists had once thought that spruce was relatively new to the Swedish mountain region in Dalarna province, but it turns out \u2014 ha! \u2014 they were wrong. (Warning: Don\u2019t ever tell a Swede he\u2019s wrong.) Cones and wood found beneath trees at the peak in Fulufjallet National Park were tested, and results revealed trees that were 375, 5,660, 9,000 and 9,550 years old (the study results were reported in 2008); clear signs indicated the material carried the genes of the trees. (Testing was performed at a carbon-14 dating lab in Miami. Go figure.) Leif Kullman is given credit for the discovery, and the oldest tree was named \u201cOld Tjikko\u201d after Kullman\u2019s dog.<\/p>\n

dangerous-tree<\/p>\n

5. Did you know:<\/strong> that there\u2019s a \u201cworld\u2019s most dangerous tree\u201d<\/strong>? It\u2019s true. According to a story in Mental Floss, that must-read publication for all things factual and trivial, Hippomane mancinella (\u201carbor de la muerta\u201d or manchineel tree) holds the Guinness World Record for world\u2019s most dangerous tree. Most notably found in the tropical paradise of the Caribbean (as well as South America and even parts of Florida!), nearly every part of the tree is toxic. Bark, leaves, fruit? You can\u2019t trust any bitty bit. So don\u2019t touch it, don\u2019t eat it and don\u2019t even stand under it. Simply touching the bark can result in chemical burns (so, y\u2019know, hands off!), water dripping from leaves can scald your skin, and its fruit can be deadly. The whole darned plant is a toxin factory, but the worst of it is the compound phorbol, found \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 everywhere in the plant. Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean used the tree to make poison arrows, and although it hasn\u2019t been proved, poison from the manchineel tree is said to have killed explorer Ponce de Leon. Our advice? Stick with the mangoes. (That is, unless you\u2019re allergic.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff September 26, 2016 Photos: iStock unless otherwise noted. 1. Did you know: that plants may arrange their flowers in order to attract bees? Smarter than we thought. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh determined that the way in which plants arrange their flowers can affect the flight patterns of bees, thus maximizing plants\u2019 chances […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n