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Recent entries: 1-25 of 60

1. Euonymus americanus

   Posted 2 days ago
   

   Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up:

   Thank you to nebulagirl@Flickr for the sharing of this beautiful photograph (original via the BPotD Flickr Photo Pool). It was taken in Red River Gorge, Kentucky during the month of October.

   As the Latin name suggests, Euonymus americanus is a native of the United States -- specifically the eastern continental side -- with a range extending west to Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Commonly known as hearts-a-bursting or strawberry bush, this shrub grows to 2 meters (6 ft) in height, and has a similar width. The habit is open and straggly. Flowers grow in the leaf axils where the ovaries develop into the warty capsules we observe in this photograph. The fruit reminds me of Arbutus unedo, also called strawberry bush or tree. However, Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae) has fleshy aggregate fruits that are edible and never dehisce or split open to release the seeds. It also has urceolate (urn-shaped) flowers, indicative of the Ericaceae. The Celastraceae is a predominantly tropical family with only three genera from the temperate regions (Euonymus, Maytenus and Celastrus).

   Additional photographs are available from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Euonymus americanus.

2. Ceraria namaquensis

   Posted 3 days ago
   

   Update: I've been so distracted, I forgot to credit Jackie Chambers for both the photographs and write-up. Thank you, Jackie!

   Ceraria namaquensis, or Namaqua porkbush, is native to South Africa and Namibia. This particular specimen was found in Augrabies Falls National Park. Due to its geographic location, with the Kalahari Desert to the north and Namaqualand to the south, the vegetation in the park is a fascinating combination of desert plants, fynbos, subtropical plants, and even some tropical plant species. All of these inhabit different niches within the landscape. The Augrabies Falls National Park website contains more information on the park's vegetation.

   Ceraria namaquensis tends to be grow as solitary individuals in sandy hollows or rocky crevices. This ensures they catch water run-off in a habitat where there is competition for the small amount of water available. Other adaptations to the hot, dry conditions are the swollen stems and succulent leaves. The short and almost cylindrical-shaped unusual leaves are found in clusters along the stem. While the plant can be evergreen, it is drought-deciduous, which means it may drop leaves in extreme drought conditions.

   A rather large succulent shrub, or small tree, Ceraria namaquensis can reach 3m in height, and has small pink flowers produced in the early summer (October to November in the southern hemisphere). A small botanical diagram of flowers is available from Aluka: Ceraria namaquensis.

   Ceraria namaquensis is collected by succulent enthusiasts and can be trained as bonsai.

3. Dendroctonus ponderosae

   Posted 7 days ago
   

   Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up and the first of the two photographs (I contributed the second). Ruth writes:

   Today's BPotD is not of a plant but rather of the arthropod "anti-plant". The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, is a serious pest of the genus Pinus in British Columbia. Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole (Pinus contorta), (the non-native) Scots (Pinus sylvestris) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) are all attacked by this beetle. The adult beetles bore through the bark to the phloem (nutrient transport system) where they feed and lay eggs.

   Outbreaks of this native beetle in North America have been experienced before, but this outbreak is an order of magnitude more severe than any previously recorded. Recent mild winters and an abundant food supply are considered to be the main cause of the explosion in beetle populations. British Columbia and Alberta apparently have the worst outbreaks, and these can be seen clearly from the air or on distant hillsides (in the second photograph) as reddish-brown patches through the forest. I took the first photograph in September along BC's Highway 5 to Kelowna.

4. Hylocomium splendens

   Posted 8 days ago
   

   It's been a tough year for the plant people at UBC. The most recent loss was the passing last week of Dr. Wilf Schofield, professor emeritus in the Department of Botany. An internationally-renowned bryologist (one who studies mosses and liverworts), Wilf had an immeasurable impact on the understanding of these diminutive plants (particularly in the Pacific Northwest of North America). Over a decade ago, Wilf was honoured with a special issue of the Botanical Electronic News, dedicated to him on the occasion of his 70th birthday: BEN 168. At the time, he had collected 107,990 bryophyte specimens -- over 4 per day for every day of his life. He continued to collect, I believe, until this past summer, and his collections form the majority of the UBC Herbarium's bryophyte collection.

   I didn't know Wilf as well as I would have liked -- the garden and the botany department (and herbarium) are separated by a 15 minute walk, and there are too few occasions to visit -- but in all my interactions with him, including as a student, I recall only positive things: patience, curiousity, intellect. His death is a loss that will be shared by many.

   This patch of stair-step moss / stepped feathermoss was also featured in this wider shot of the area.

5. Jasper National Park

   Posted 10 days ago
   

   A reflection, for a day of reflection and remembrance.

6. Alonsoa unilabiata

   Posted 10 days ago
   

   Thanks again to Jackie Chambers for today's entry (both the photograph and write-up):

   There is something mysteriously attractive about Alonsoa unilabiata, or the mask flower. The pink flowers have a dark purple centre with two obvious yellow patches -- giving the slightly eerie effect of bright eyes looking out from behind a mask. The dark centre to the flower and contrasting yellow patches are characteristics shared by members of the closely-related genus Diascia, e.g., Diascia longicornis.

   The rather theatrical effect created by the petals is complimented by the double rows of curved appendages at the base of the flower. These are the stamens, which are swollen and curled downwards, also seen in this photograph.

   These peculiar flowers range from 15-18 mm across, and bloom from August to October. This annual plant can reach up to 15cm in height and has oval leaves with toothed margins arranged in opposite pairs along the stem.

   This little flower was spotted at Vanrhyn's Pass, just outside of the small village of Nieuwoudtville on the Bokkeveld Plateau, an area which is home to an incredible variety of spring-flowering annuals and geophytes. For more about this fascinating place (and to start planning your own trip) see Nieuwoudtville -- Place of Hidden Treasures.

7. Potentilla sp.

   Posted 13 days ago
   

   Ruth is again responsible for today's write-up:

   My mother, Melinde Sanborn, submitted today's awesome photo. She recently went to Mongolia on a group tour and took pictures of anything green for me to identify and use for Botany Photo of the Day. Thanks mom!

   Potentilla is a large genus of approximately 330 species. Many species are common garden weeds and invaders of disturbed habitats, though some are also used as garden ornamentals. We've had to abandon attempts at identifying this particular plant, as references for the plants of Mongolia are hard to come by, to say the least. The Flora of China has a key to Potentilla that might be helpful, but the list of taxa is long, and these are very difficult to identify from photographs (assuming the species is distributed in China as well as Mongolia).

   This picture is taken in the Gobi. It is redundant to call it the Gobi Desert, as gobi means "desert" or (more literally) "gravel-covered plain". The Gobi covers 1,295,000 square km (500,002 mi²) and is Asia's largest desert and the fourth largest in the world. Despite its large size, it is spread across only two countries: Mongolia and China. The area of the Gobi in Mongolia is called the Nemegt Basin, known locally as the Valley of Dragons. It is rich in fossils, including fossilized dinosaur eggs.

8. Ranunculus aquatilis

   Posted 14 days ago
   

   Ruth writes:

   A family friend of mine, Sandi Hewlett, submitted this photo from a walking tour that she took in the Sierra de Aracena of southwestern Spain. Thanks so much Sandi!

   Apparently, this graceful water weed, commonly known as the white water-crowfoot, is found all over North America. I've never seen it! Ranunculus aquatilus also grows in still water bodies of Europe, Africa and Asia (it was also previously featured on BPotD here: Ranunculus aquatilis).

   If you look closely, you can see that there are two leaf forms present on this plant. The submersed leaves are feather-like with many leaflets (>20), whereas the leaves that float on the surface are broad and flat with a scalloped edge. Some sources hint that the surface leaves prop up the flowers, as they are produced at roughly the same time. The flowers appear around May, which is when this photo was taken.

   Like similar flowering water plants (e.g., Nymphaceae), beetles are attracted to the flowers and may be an important pollinator. Other insect interactions include the flowers supplying shelter for water spiders and larvae of dragonflies & damselflies.

   The fruit is a one-seeded indehiscent achene, a trait shared by many members of the Ranunculaceae. The achene is eaten by waterfowl.

9. Conophytum maughanii

   Posted 15 days ago
   

   My apologies for missing yesterday's entry -- my nap last night turned into a good night's rest -- but we'll make up for it by having an entry this Saturday. Ruth has put together today's entry:

   UBC's Botany Photo of the Day would like to thank sky_view@Flickr for sharing today's awesome picture (original) via the BPotD Flickr Photo Pool.

   The genus Conophytum is closely related to the living stones, or Lithops. Both genera are in the Aizoaceae. Like the living stones, species of Conophytum generally produce two above-ground plump succulent leaves. In the picture above, the Conophytum maughanii specimen is breaking dormancy, revealing new wrinkly crimson leaves. Last year's bloom is also present in this photo as the shriveled projection between the leaves. The center of the two leaves is where the meristem resides -- where new pairs of leaves will be produced irregularly. The leaves are often described as being "windowed", meaning they have leaves mostly buried underground and just a window (the leaf surface) is exposed for light harvesting. In time, they may form larger clumps of paired-leaved individuals, but often are simply a single pair of leaves just popping out of the rocky substrate where they dwell. Conophytum and Lithops species are native to Africa, and more specifically, Namibia and South Africa. They are gaining popularity as houseplants as they require very little water and a sunny window.

10. Cornus canadensis

    Posted 16 days ago
    

    Native to temperate coniferous forests of North America and eastern Asia, Canadian bunchberry is a commonly observed perennial member of the dogwood family. As common as it is, it still boasts a uncommon trait: it is believed to have one of the most rapid movements among all plants. The individual flowers (note: the four large white bracts surround a cluster of twenty or so individual flowers) can open in less than 0.4 milliseconds. As they open, the flowers expel pollen, initially accelerating the grains at a rate of 24000m/s², or 2400 times the acceleration of gravity. For videos demonstrating the mechanism and further explanation, visit Tale of the Dogwood. One of the first few people to observe and subsequently publish the observations about this intriguing property was my uncle, who shares his experience in "The Explosive Pollination Mechanism in Cornus canadensis L.".

11. Gladiolus scullyi

    Posted 17 days ago
    

    Thank you to Jackie Chambers, UBC Botanical Garden horticulturist, for both today's write-up and photograph (from her recent trip to South Africa):

    Gladiolus scullyi can be found in South Africa, in the stony, clay scrub land of Namaqualand and Western Karoo. Summer in this part of the world is hot and dry, whereas winter can bring rain and cool temperatures. As a geophyte & existing underground as a corm for part of the year, Gladiolus scullyi is able to withstand these fluctuations in temperature and moisture availability. For more information on the growing conditions of this area, see Namaqualand information via the Conophytum project (more on that genus later this week -- Daniel).

    The plant emerges after the winter rains, with flowers produced in August to October (spring time in the southern hemisphere). Individual plants can reach up to 60cm high. The genus name Gladiolus is derived from the Latin for "small sword" and is a reference to the basal, linear leaves.

    Gladiolus flowers are composed of 3 sepals and 3 petals, but these structures are similar in colour and texture and so are often referred to singularly as tepals. The plant may produce two to eight flowers, each approximately 3cm in diameter. Flowers are cream or pale yellow at the center, and becoming muddy pinkish-purple towards the tepal tips (see more photographs). The flowers are strongly scented, producing a fragrance sometimes compared to violets.

    Gladiolus venustus is another species found in the same area, and it may look very similar to Gladiolus scullyi. According to Manning & Goldblatt in South African Wild Flower Guide 9, the difference is in tepal color and shape. Gladiolus venustus tends to have a bright yellow center and bold cerise markings; also the lower tepals are sharply flexed downwards and pinched together (photographs of Gladiolus venustus).

12. Aristolochia grandiflora (tentative)

    Posted 20 days ago
    

    Thanks to Ruth for both today's photograph and write-up. I've tentatively identified the plant as Aristolochia grandiflora. Ruth writes:

    If the stink doesn't kill you, the aristolochic acid will! Beware of the dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia)! Species of Aristolochia such as Aristolochia clematitis have been traditionally used in both western and Chinese medicine, with occasionally fatal outcomes. When it doesn't kill, it has also been known to cause nephropathy or liver disease.

    The flowers of these particular plants smell of dead mouse in order to attract fly pollinators. My professor had one in class the other day and offered to let us smell it...it was dreadful! I couldn't get the rotten mousey stench out of my nose for hours.

    The genus contains approx. 120 species of woody vines and perennials (ref: Mabberley's The Plant-Book). The floral architecture of aristolochias is obviously noteworthy. The flowers are inflated chambers formed by a fusion of the sepals. The corolla (ring of petals) is absent as the sepals are showy and ornate. The structure forming the pipe-like shape is called the tube and the tissues that fan out at the end to display the reproductive parts are called the limbs. The stamens and the style come together to make a gynostemium, with the ovary being inferior to the flower parts. For an illustration, and to see photographs of more species, see Aristolochias Native to Belize.

    The name aristos means "best" and locheia means "childbirth", hence the families common name of the birthworts. In conclusion, study and admire this flower from a distance. Happy Halloween! BOO!

13. Cephalanthera austiniae

    Posted 21 days ago
    

    Ruth and I cowrote today's entry:

    First of all, we would like to thank Kevin Deboer for today's photographs, posted in the Cephalanthera austiniae photo gallery on the E-Flora BC site (and used here with permission).

    Who would have thought that the dainty and glamorous Orchidaceae would supply two of Halloween week's specimens? This ghostly species, Cephalanthera austiniae, is commonly known as the phantom orchid. The common name is due to its white colouration and preferred habitat -- mature and old-growth forests, where it resides in understories with few competitors.

    Due to the lack of any colouration, it is readily apparent that this species does not photosynthesize. Instead, it is a mycoheterotroph; "an achlorophyllous, nonphotosynthetic plant that obtains fixed carbon from photosynthetic plants via mycorrhizal fungi" (ref.). This mechanism is similar to the one employed by Monotropa uniflora. In the case of Cephalanthera austiniae, it grows in association with fungal species in the Thelophoraceae. As noted by Brian Klinkenberg in this article on the phantom orchid in British Columbia, it is actually a subset of the Thelophoraceae -- a group known as the black thelophorids -- in which it shares an association. Black thelophorids are restricted to mature forests, hence one of the restrictions on phantom orchid distribution and abundance.

    Cephalanthera austiniae is a native to British Columbia and extends south to Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho. In British Columbia, the phantom orchid is restricted to thirteen sites in three general locales: the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island and near Chilliwack. This restricted range and low number of plants (only 42 flowering stems observed within BC in 2000) has led to it being designated a red-listed species in British Columbia. BOO!

14. Rafflesia kerrii

    Posted 22 days ago
    

    Ruth S., with another write-up:

    Shona Ellis is the lucky lady that was guided to this masterpiece of a flower in Thailand's Khao Sok National Park in December 2007. Thank you, Shona, for contributing this beautifully disgusting photo!

    Pee eeuuhh! A parasite of Terastigma vines in southeast Asia, the genus Rafflesia is a very strange one indeed. This angiosperm has no leaves, roots or stems. It is completely dependent on its vine host as its hyphae-esque threads invade the vine's woody tissues. Of the 16 known species of Rafflesia, the most famous is Rafflesia arnoldii, gaining recognition for having the largest flower on Earth (approx. 1 meter or 3 feet in diameter). As an aside, recognition for the largest inflorescence in the world goes to Amorphophallus titanum, commonly known as the corpse plant or titan arum.

    Plants of this species of Rafflesia are only visible when in bud and flower. The bud starts out as a brown bract-encased ball and, over the course of a year, matures to a cabbage-looking mass that then opens up to display its huge, fleshy, 5-merous flower. The thick brown bracts are visible in one of the pictures provided above. Blowflies are observed to be the target pollinators of Rafflesia kerrii, and for this reason a very special cologne is brewed up and worn by the flower. The gag-inducing scent of rotting flesh is excreted for the week that this flower lives. The smell has been compared to that of a rotting buffalo carcass. I think this would make a perfect Halloween costume, although you might be spending it alone...BOO!

    Wikipedia has more on Rafflesia kerrii.

    Daniel adds: For those of you who interested in the Schizophyllum commune entry from a couple days ago, do check out amadej@UBC BG Forum's images submitted in response to the entry for more spookiness: Schizophyllum commune.

15. Dracula simia

    Posted 23 days ago
    

    Thanks to Eric in SF@Flickr for today's photograph (original) via the BPotD Flickr Pool, and thanks to Ruth again for today's write-up:

    "I want to suck your blood!" Although Ecuador and Transylvania are on separate continents, this gorgeously creepy orchid was named Dracula simia by the botanist Luer in 1978. Although this small orchid is not at all parasitic, one can see its resemblance to the "popped collar" cape of the popular representation of Dracula. Also, the spurs on the ends of the three petals somewhat resemble the fictional Dracula's fangs. The name Dracula literally translates to "little dragon", whereas the specific epithet simia translates to "monkey". The genus Dracula contains 120+ known species. Dracula simia is from the cloud forests of southeast Ecuador, where it grows at elevations between 1000-2000 meters (3250-6500 feet). In general, species of Dracula enjoy cooler temperatures -- do not let their environments exceed 27 degrees C (80 degrees F). They also enjoy a humid environment (80-90%) with a slight breeze.

    Ecology Photographic has more photographs of Dracula.

    The Transylvanian-born King of Romania, Vlad Tepes, was nicknamed "The Impaler" for his terrifying rule during the 1400s, when 40,000+ people were killed by his brutal methods. His "hunger" for blood and willingness to kill developed into the modern story of Dracula. BOO!

16. Schizophyllum commune

    Posted 24 days ago
    

    Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up, and C.Wick of Atchison, Kansas for today's photograph. C.Wick (of the UBC Botanical Garden forums) has posted a couple additional photographs in this thread on the BPotD Submissions Forum, including one with the "pleasing fungus beetle". Thank you both! Ruth writes:

    There is a fungus among us! And a sexy one at that! Unlike plants and animals, fungi have multiple sexes, or mating types. Schizophyllum commune has a whopping 28,000 distinct sexes. Some of the more primitive fungi have as few as two sexes, making this a superstar amongst fungi. When we think of different sexes, we picture different sexual structures such as pistils or stamens in plants. Fungi don't exactly have different structures or organs for the mating process -- instead, wherever they touch, they can exchange nuclei. Tom Volk writes extensively about sexual reproduction in fungi in his article on Schizophyllum commune.

    Commonly referred to as the split-gilled polypore, or, more commonly, split gill, this wood-decaying fungus can be found on every continent (particularly in deciduous forests). The name literally translates to schizo meaning "split", phyllum meaning "leaf" (referring to its shape like a palmate leaf) and commune meaning "common" because of its widespread distribution.

    This being the week of Halloween, look for something frightful in each article. This fungus has been known to cause human mycosis. For example, it has been observed growing into a young girl's nasal cavity where it began producing fruiting bodies. It has also been found invading other parts of the respiratory system, especially the lungs. It has been discovered as the cause of brain abcesses, chronic maxillary sinusitis, bronchial mucoid impaction and other scary stuff! BOO!

17. Malus 'Golden Russet'

    Posted 27 days ago
    

    Thanks again to Ruth for both today's photograph and write-up. Unfortunately, due to a bit of miscommunication between myself and Ruth, this didn't get to me in time to post it prior to the garden's Apple Festival this year, but the event was a success by all accounts despite that.

    The food garden collection at the UBC Botanical Garden sports a wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops grown for display and educational purposes, and then harvested for donation to the less fortunate. Apple trees, such as this Malus 'Golden Russet' are staked up on trellises surrounding much of the food garden. The trellises consist of rows of thick metal wires tied to wooden posts. From youth, the limber apple trees are guided along the wires to encourage a trained growth pattern. This process, espalier, is used extensively in the commercial grape industry as well as small space gardens for intensive production.

18. Physalis alkekengi

    Posted 28 days ago
    

    Thanks to Ruth for providing both today's photograph and write-up:

    The holidays are upon us! 'Tis the season to carve pumpkins, cook up old family recipes and throw a few logs in the fireplace. As a little girl, my father and I would harvest the Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi) from our garden to decorate the house for the holidays. We would buy gourds and straw flowers (Helichrysum bracteatum) to make a festive centerpiece for the table and fireplace mantles.

    As a garden specimen, Chinese lanterns are fairly easy to grow (do note the immature fruits are reputedly poisonous, though!). They have a moderately aggressive root system and will spread. We grew them in a shady area with only filtered light but I understand they will do well in a sunny spot as well. Chinese lanterns seem like such a special and exotic plant but the genus Physalis is common all over the Americas (particularly Mexico), Europe and Asia. They are also called winter berry and alkekengi.

    Daniel adds: For a little bit of extra reading today, you might want to see what Alex Waterhouse-Hayward has to say about UBC Botanical Garden.

19. Jasper National Park

    Posted 29 days ago
    

    Back from vacation! I'll sneak in one of my vacation photographs. This was taken on October 6 at Horseshoe Lake in Jasper National Park.

    I understand Ruth's been busy on BPotD entries in my absence, so we'll be back to daily entries during the week starting tomorrow!

20. Raphanus sativus (hybrids)

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    A big thank you to farming john@Flickr, aka John Lomen of Red Lake Organic Farm, for today's photograph. If you're a local and you step in to the Kamloops Regional Farmers' Market, do tell John "Hi" from all of us here at BPotD. And, don't forget to support your local farmers! If they grow organic produce, even better!

    As noted by Wikipedia, radishes have been domesticated and cultivated since pre-Roman times. The NY Times, in "Hail the Speedy Radish, in All Its Forms" places the origin to at least 7th century BCE in China.

    A radish growing guide is available from Cornell University. The guide includes a list of a few cultivars; I believe one of the varieties in today's photograph is 'Cherry Belle', a popular North American cultivar.

21. Cladina sp.

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    I'm not sure of the identity of this one, but I suspect Cladina rangiferina, or reindeer moss (though it's really a lichen). This was growing at ~850m (2800ft) in elevation. It was a common sight in the White Pass area, although I must admit it does look a bit different when a macro lens is used (see other images of Cladina spp.).

    It also seems that all Cladina species are now lumped into Cladonia; the USDA PLANTS database still uses Cladina.

22. Ipomoea stans

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    And another thank you to David Tarrant for these two photographs, also taken in late July near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in late July. Much appreciated!

    Commonly known as tumbavaqueros in Mexico, Ipomoea stans is a Mexican endemic (so has a more restricted range than yesterday's Ipomoea longifolia). It is estimated that there are somewhere between 500 and 700 species of Ipomoea, making it the largest genus in the Convolvulaceae.

    I should have noted it in yesterday's entry (as it was Thanksgiving in Canada) -- the "sweet potato" that often finds its way onto Thanksgiving tables is also an Ipomoea: Ipomoea batatas.

23. Ipomoea longifolia

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    Today's photograph is courtesy of David Tarrant, taken during one of his walks with Walter Meagher near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in late July. As always, thank you, David.

    Pinkthroat morning-glory is native to northern and central Mexico, and southwestern USA. The name Ipomoea means "like a worm", referring to the twining habit of many members of this genus (thanks to Calflora.net for the definition). You can get a sense of what is meant by viewing the Ipomopsis photographs (particularly Ipomoea cristulata) on the web site of Erik Enderson.

24. David C. Lam Asian Garden

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    While I'm on vacation in Manitoba, these are the sorts of scenes I'm missing back in Vancouver -- the foggy afternoons with warm low sunlight in the David C. Lam Asian Garden. This photograph is from a couple years ago, taken while slightly leaning out my office window.

25. Jacquinia pungens

    Posted 1 month ago
    

    I'm on vacation, so please accept my apologies for the brief entries. -- Daniel.

    Thank you to Charlie Willis of Harvard University for submitting today's photograph taken in summer of 2007 at the Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán (CICY) Jardines Botánico in Mérida, Mexico. Much appreciated!

    As Charlie noted in his correspondence with me, the common name of this tropical shrub is cudjoewood. Jacquinia pungens was Cal's Plant of the Week in mid-May of 2004, so head on there for a brief description as well as cultural requirements in greenhouse conditions. A comprehensive ecological description of the plant is more-or-less available (depending on whether you have institutional access or not) through Janzen, D. 1970. ">">Jacquinia pungens, a Heliophile from the Understorey of Tropical Deciduous Forest. Biotropica. 2(2):112-119. Janzen notes that Jacquinia pungens has the uncommon behaviour of bearing leaves during the dry season and losing its leaves for the rainy season (a contrary behaviour to most tropical deciduous plants). He also makes mention of how plants protect themselves from herbivory: toxic compounds in the foliage and needle-tipped leaves.