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Peanut

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Peanut

Do peanuts drive you absolutely nutty?

  • Peanuts are a type of nut, or botanically a legume, that is popularly eaten across the world, and the plant species is native to South America and as such, the nut is a major part of the cuisine there.
  • The scientific name of the plant peanuts grow on is Arachis hypogaea, and it is from the family Fabaceae, the family of legumes.
  • ‘Peanuts’ are also known as ‘ground nuts’ and are sometimes called ‘goobers’ or ‘goober peas’.
  •  The peanut plant produces yellow flowers, and after they are fertilised, the petals fall off, after which the tip of the stem heads towards the ground and buries itself to produce the nuts, or technically ‘seeds’, in a pod underground.
  • The mesh-like, textured brown pods of peanuts grow to be approximately 3 to 7 centimetres (1 to 3 inches) in length and while the nut is not a ‘nut’ by botanical definition, it is utilised as one in the food industry.

Peanut, Food, Culinary, Brown, Shell, Ten Random Facts, Trivia

  • Although two is most common, between one to four creamy coloured individual peanuts can be found in a pod, and they are covered in brown to red skin that is easily removed; and the nuts usually darken in colour when roasted.
  • China produces the most peanuts in the world, with 17 million tonnes (18.7 million tons) in the 2013 period, of the total world production of 46 million tonnes (50.7 million tons); and while the United States only produced 4% of the world’s total that year, they are the most commonly consumed nut in the country.
  • Peanuts can be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, or salted, but they can also be ground into flour, or have oil extracted from them; used as an ingredient in baking, main dishes, or sauces; and commonly made into a paste to eat on bread or toast.
  • Raw peanuts are extremely high in manganese; very high in fat, niacin, copper, and folate; high in thiamin, vitamin E, protein, magnesium, and phosphorus; and are a good source of iron, potassium, zinc, fibre and vitamin B6, as well as containing other vitamins and minerals
  • Due to the high levels of a wide range of nutrients, peanuts have been used to feed malnourished people in times of famine; though the nuts can cause allergic reactions, as severe as anaphylaxis, and as such, many schools in some countries have banned consumption of the nuts at school.
Bibliography:
Peanut, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut
Peanut Facts, 2016, The Peanut Institute, http://www.peanut-institute.org/peanut-facts/
Peanuts, 2016, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101

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Sand Food

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Sand Food

Sand food looks like something from the beach rather than from the desert!

  • Sand food is a species of flowering herb found in deserts of the south-western area of the United States.
  • The scientific name of sand food is Pholisma sonorae and it is from the family Boraginaceae, the family of borages.
  • Sand food is found on sand dunes, and has a single scaly stem that can grow up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) underground.
  • Sand food has a brown, grey or cream coloured, roundish head with a diameter of up to 12.7 cm (5 inches), shaped like a mushroom, that sits above the sand.
  • To obtain moisture and nutrients, sand food plants use their long underground stem to take in water from the surrounding area, and attach themselves to another plant’s roots to absorb some of the host plant’s nutrients, like a parasite.
Sandfood, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Desert, Plant, Flowering, Sand
Sandfood
Image courtesy of Pacific Southwest Region/Flickr
  • The small flowers of the sand food plant often sit in a circle on the top of the head, and they are purple to violet in colour.
  • Sand food heads are generally partially concealed by sand, however when the sand is moved from around the plant, the stem and head combination is visually similar to a mushroom.
  • Exactly how sand food seeds are distributed is uncertain; however it is likely that the ever-shifting nature of sand, or insects or small mammals, bring the seeds deep under the sand.
  • Sand food flowers bloom in the months from April to June, and are covered in hairs that effectively reduce the effects of the heat of the sun.
  • Historically, the stems of sand food plants have been consumed by Native Americans, either cooked, or eaten raw; and as of 2012, they were an ‘at risk’ plant, mainly due to habitat disturbance by vehicles and habitat loss.
Bibliography:
Grant B, Sandfood Plant Info: Learn Facts About Sandfood Plants, 2016, Gardening Know How, http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/sandfood/sandfood-plant-info.ht
Pholisma sonorae, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholisma_sonorae
Pholisma Sonorae: A Strange Looking Flowering Plant, 2016, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/02/pholisma-sonorae-strange-looking.html
Pholisma Sonorae aka “Sand Food”, n.d, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sand-food

Darwin’s Frog

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Darwin’s Frog

Out of the mouths of Darwin’s frogs come babes.

  • Darwin’s frogs are a species of frog, native to South America’s Argentina and Chile.
  • Darwin’s frogs are also known by the names ‘Darwin’s toads’ and ‘southern Darwin’s frogs’, and their common names are reference to Charles Darwin who discovered the frogs in the 1830s.
  • The scientific name of a Darwin’s frog is Rhinoderma darwinii and it is one of two species in the family Rhinodermatidae, the family of the same name.
  • Darwin’s frogs grow to be around 2.2 to 3.5 centimetres (0.9 to 1.4 inches) in length and weigh 2 to 5 grams (0.07 to 0.17 ounces).
  • The skin of Darwin’s frogs is somewhat smooth and is usually coloured brown to green on the back, and a combination of black and white on the underside.
Darwin's Frog, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Green, Yellow, Amphibian, Animal,
A Darwin’s Frog
Image courtesy of Flavio Camus/Flickr
  • Darwin’s frogs are typically found among dead leaves in grassy or forest habitats, featuring streams or other smaller water bodies.
  • The diet of Darwin’s frogs consists primarily of insects as well as invertebrates like spiders, snails and worms, which it typically lays in wait for.
  • A Darwin’s frog has a pointed head and the frog utilises camouflage to evade predators, taking the appearance of a dead leaf when still.
  • Female Darwin’s frogs lay 30 to 40 eggs among decomposing vegetation on the forest floor, while the males keep watch over the eggs for around three weeks, and then collect them in their mouth and store up to 19 of them in their vocal sac, where they mature into tadpoles and then young frogs before being released from the adult male’s mouth after approximately six weeks.
  • Due to habitat loss and possibly disease, Darwin’s frogs are listed as vulnerable, with their population dwindling at a moderate rate.
Bibliography:
Darwin‘s Frog, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/darwins-frog/
Darwin’s Frog, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin%27s_frog
Darwin‘s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), n.d, Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/darwins-frog/rhinoderma-darwinii/
Linsted M, Rhinoderma Darwinii, 2000, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhinoderma_darwinii/
Rhinoderma Darwinii, 2016, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19513/0

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Fishtail Oxalis

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Fishtail Oxalis

From a little bulb does a fantastic fishtail oxalis grow.

  • Fishtail oxalis is a species of perennial herb that originates in some areas of South America and Central America, as well southern parts of North America.
  • ‘Fishtail oxalis’ are also known as ‘fish-tailed oxalis’, ‘broadleaf wood sorrels’, ‘pink shamrocks’, ‘garden pink-sorrels’, and ‘sorrels’.
  • The scientific name of fishtail oxalis is Oxalis latifolia and it is from the family Oxalidaceae, the family of wood sorrels.
  • Fishtail oxalis plants reach a height of roughly 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches), and the leaves have three leaflets that are generally shaped as a fish tail and are typically between 3 to 6 centimetres (1.2 to 2.4 inches) wide.
  • Fishtail oxalis grow from bulbs and generally shoot during autumn months if they have died off after flowering, and the plant does not usually produce seed in most countries.

Fishtail Oxalis, Trivia, Purple, Herb, Flower, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Fishtail oxalis usually produce 5 to 12 flowers in a group, that are of a mostly purple, pink, or white colour.
  • Fishtail oxalis spread easily from the multiplication of underground bulbs, and they can be used decoratively in the garden, particularly as a ground cover.
  • Spring months, and into summer, are the most common times for fishtail oxalis to bloom.
  • In some countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, India, and parts of Africa, fishtail oxalis are considered a major invasive weed, and they are also a pest in many other countries.
  • As a wood sorrel, fishtail oxalis are sensitive to light, and as a result the leaves and flowers close at night and sometimes during shady times of the day.
Bibliography:
Fishtail Oxalis, n.d, HerbiGuide, http://www.herbiguide.com.au/Descriptions/hg_Fishtail_Oxalis.htm
Oxalis Latifolia, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_latifolia
Oxalis Latifolia (Sorrel), n.d, Invasive Species Compendium, http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/38157
Oxalis Latifolia Kunth, n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Oxalis~latifolia

Achacha

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Achacha

Not many fruit pop like an achacha does.

  • Achacha is a variety of tropical fruit that originates from the Bolivian Amazon region of South America.
  • Achacha fruit grow on a trees with the scientific name Garcinia humilis, from the family Clusiaceae, a family of mostly tropical shrubs and trees.
  • ‘Achacha’ is known as ‘achachairú’ in its native area and has the literal translation of ‘honey kiss’.
  • The colour of the skin of achachas is generally a bright orange colour when ripe, often with a red tinge, while the flesh itself is white, and typically contains one large seed.
  • Achachas are shaped like an ovoid, and can reach 6 centimetres (2.4 inches) in length and have a diameter of 4 cm (1.6 inches).

Achacha, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Fruit, orange, Pile, Culinary, Gold

  • Achachas can be eaten fresh or in a salad, made into a dessert, or pureed and served as a cold beverage.
  • The rind of achachas is bitter, though it is often used to flavour drinks, while the flesh is a sweet and tangy flavour.
  • An achacha can be opened by making a slit in the skin and squeezing the fruit between your fingers, which causes the skin to pop off the flesh.
  • To store achachas, they should be kept at room temperature, and will usually keep longer if kept in a humid environment like a sealed container, so that the skin doesn’t dry out.
  • Achachas are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, folate and potassium, and they have low levels of sugar compared to many other fruits.
Bibliography:
About the Achacha, 2013, Achacha, http://achacha.com.au/
Achacha, 2016, Body + Soul, http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/health+foods+az/achacha,23975
Garcinia humilis, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_humilis

X-ray Tetra

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X-ray Tetra

Take more than a scan over these x-ray tetras.

  • X-ray tetras are a species of freshwater fish, native to some of the waterways of northern South America including the Amazon region.
  • ‘X-ray tetras’ are also known as ‘x-ray fish’, ‘water goldfinch’ and ‘golden pristella tetra’.
  • The scientific name of an x-ray tetra is Pristella maxillaris, from the family Characidae, the family of characids, and it is the only species of its genus.
  • X-ray tetras are notable for having a mostly transparent body, with their internals a shiny silver-gold colour and fins coloured black, white and yellow.
  • The length of x-ray tetras ranges from 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches), and they generally have a lifespan of 3-5 years in the wild.
X-Ray Tetra, Fish, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Transparent, Species, Animal
X-Ray Tetra
Image courtesy of Mike S/Flickr
  • X-ray tetras have a diet that consists of insects, crustaceans and worms, that are scavenged from the bottom of their river and swamp environments and sometimes they feed on aquatic plant material.
  • Female x-ray tetras produce from 300 to 400 eggs at a time during the wet season, which they lay among plants in the water, and the eggs can hatch from 24 hours onwards.
  • X-ray tetras have what is known as a ‘Weberian apparatus’, a group of tiny bones that act as a sound amplifier, and as a result, the fish are able to hear very well, allowing them to speedily move away from predators.
  • X-ray tetras have been popularly kept as fish tank pets, as they are attractive and quite resilient, however they are a schooling fish and as such it is best if they are kept in groups of at least six.
  • The first scientific description of an x-ray tetra dates back to 1894, by American marine biologist Albert Ulrey, though the fish was originally known under different scientific names, including Pristella riddlei.
Bibliography:
Interesting Facts About X-Ray Fish, 2016, Buzzle, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-x-ray-fish.html
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristella_maxillaris
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Seriously Fish, http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pristella-maxillaris/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/x-ray-tetra/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, About Fish Online, http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/xraytetra.html

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