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Cape Gooseberry

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Cape Gooseberry

The Cape gooseberry is not a gooseberry, nor is it from the Cape district in South Africa!

  • A Cape gooseberry is a species of tomato-like fruit, that originated in South American countries including Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.
  • ‘Cape gooseberries’ are also known as ‘Physalis’, ‘giant groundcherries’, ‘golden berries’, ‘Aztec berries’, ‘African ground cherries’, ‘Peruvian groundcherries’, ‘husk cherries’, ‘Inca berries’, ‘Peruvian tomatoes’, ‘Peruvian cherries’, ‘poha berries’, and many other names.
  • The plant that the cape gooseberry grows on has the scientific name Physalis peruviana, from the family Solanaceae, the family of nightshades; and it is similar to other edible fruits that grow in a similar form in the Physalis genus, like the tomatillo, husk tomato and other groundcherries.
  • The Cape gooseberry fruit is contained inside a dry, leaf-like receptacle known as a ‘husk’, that is something comparable to a lantern in shape.
  • Cape gooseberries typically have smooth, glossy skin that is orange or yellow when ripe, with juicy flesh the same colour; and they are green when unripe.
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Cape Gooseberry
Image courtesy of Pen Waggener/Flickr
  • The Cape gooseberry can be eaten fresh, dried or cooked, often in Mexican cuisine; made into jams, pies or other desserts; and added to salads.
  • Cape gooseberries have a sweet to tangy taste with a fruity flavour, and a sweetness that is greater than tomatoes; though they should not be eaten when unripe, as they tend to be poisonous.
  • The shape of a Cape gooseberry is spherical, and the fruit generally ranges from 1 to 3 centimetres (0.4 to 1.2 inches) in diameter, and the pulp contains many small edible seeds.
  • Cape gooseberries are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and niacin, and they contain a number of other vitamins and minerals.
  • Cape gooseberries generally fall to the ground before they are ripe, and they can be stored for many months in their husk.
Bibliography:
Cape Gooseberry, 1997, California Rare Fruit Growers, https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/cape-gooseberry.html
McLeod C, Cape Gooseberry – Physalis, 2014, Garden Drum, http://gardendrum.com/2014/05/29/cape-gooseberry-physalis/
Physalis, 2016, University of Minnesota Extension, http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/physalis/
Physalis peruviana, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana

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Wolfsbane

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Wolfsbane

Don’t let wolfsbane be the bane of your life!

  • Wolfsbane is a genus of highly toxic perennial plants, found in the mountainous regions across Asia, Europe and North America.
  • The scientific name of the wolfsbane is Aconitum and it is from the family Ranunculaceae, the family of buttercups.
  • ‘Wolfsbane’ is also known as ‘monkshood’, ‘aconite’, ‘blue rocket’, ‘devil’s helmet’ and ‘women’s bane’, among others; and it is said to have been used as a method of killing troublesome wolves, hence one of the plant’s common names.
  • Wolfsbane typically grows to be a height of 0.6 to 1.2 metres (2 to 4 feet), and it is often used ornamentally in the garden, especially towards the back of a garden bed.
  • The blooms of wolfsbane are grouped along tall stems, and they are generally a blue or purple colour, though they can also be pink, yellow or white.
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Wolfsbane
Image courtesy of Randi Hausken/Flickr
  • Wolfsbane flowers are similar in appearance to a monk’s hood, and what appears to be five petals, are actually sepals.
  • Wolfsbane consists of pseudaconitine, a toxin that is very poisonous, and a person (or animal) can be poisoned by consuming any part of the plant, though touching the plant may also be hazardous, especially if one has open cuts or abrasions.
  • Wolfsbane poisoning can cause vomiting or nausea early on, leading to a burning feeling, weakness and numbness, and it usually affects the heart, often causing death within a short time-frame if left untreated.
  • Sunny locations are preferred by wolfsbane plants, although they can still survive in shade, and they grow from tubers; or new plants can be started from seed.
  • The toxic attribute of wolfsbane plants has not been neglected throughout history, as it has been used for both hunting, particularly for poison arrows, and assassination.
Bibliography:
Aconitum, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum
Buchan U, How to Grow: Monkshood, 2015, The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11215801/How-to-grow-Monkshood.html
Rhoades J, Aconitum Monkshood: What is the Best Way to Grow Monkshood in the Garden, Gardening Know How, http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamenta l/flowers/monkshood/growing-monkshood-plants.htm

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Museo Subacuático de Arte

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Museo Subacuático de Arte

The Museo Subacuático de Arte takes things to a whole new level.

  • The Museo Subacuático de Arte is a museum of sculptures that can be found underwater, in the Mexican waters around the city of Cancun; the island Isla Mujeres; and the resort area Punta Nizuc; between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
  • The ‘Museo Subacuático de Arte’, literally means ‘Museum of Underwater Art’, and it is also known by the name ‘Cancun Underwater Museum’, while the acronym ‘MUSA’ is also used in reference to the museum.
  • More than 500 statues and sculptures populate the Museo Subacuático de Arte across two areas, the first area or ‘gallery’, as it is called, being Salon Manchones, featuring more than 470 statues at a depth of 8 metres (26 feet), and the second named Salon Nizuc with more than 20, at a depth of 4 metres (13 feet).
  • The Museo Subacuático de Arte was created with the intent to draw visitors away from the natural reefs nearby, that were suffering damage from tourism, to the artificial reefs formed in the museum; and it now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
  • The shallow gallery area of the Museo Subacuático de Arte can be seen through a glass-bottom boat tour or snorkeling, while the deeper area can be viewed by scuba diving.
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An Exhibit of the Museo Subacuático de Arte
Image courtesy of snackariah/Flickr
  • The Museo Subacuático de Arte project was originally formed and coordinated by Jaime González Cano, the marine park director; Roberto Díaz Abraham, the Cancun Nautical Association President; and Jason deCaires Taylor, a sculptor from Britain.
  • Six different sculptors have contributed to the Museo Subacuático de Arte gallery, with the vast majority of pieces created by Jason deClaires Taylor; and there are replicas of some of the sculptures in a nearby visitors centre that is dedicated to the museum.
  • The sculptures of the Museo Subacuático de Arte are made with marine-friendly concrete, and originally had a combined weight of 181 tonnes (200 tons), and in 2015, they utilised a space greater than 420 square metres (4521 feet).
  • Due to the Museo Subacuático de Arte being located in the protected area of the National Marine Park of Cancun, a permit was required to sink sculptures in the water.
  • Exhibits of the Museo Subacuático de Arte began arriving in 2009, with the most recent sculpture being placed in 2013, though it is possible that many more will be added in the future, as the permit allows them to place up to 10,000 sculptures, though large amounts of funding is required to add more to the museum.
Bibliography:
Cancun Underwater Museum, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancun_Underwater_Museum
MEXICO: Jason deCaires Taylor’s Stunning Cancun Underwater Museum, 2013, Green Global Travel, http://greenglobaltravel.com/2013/08/14/jason-decaires-taylor-cancun-underwater-museum/
Museo Subacuático de Arte, 2016, MUSA, http://musamexico.org/
Nolan S, A real-life Atlantis: British artist creates stunning sculpture city under the sea off Mexico, 2013, Daily Mail Australia, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2463180/Jason-deCaires-Taylor-British-artists-unveils-latest-set-stunning-sub-aquatic-sculptures.html
 Projects: Mexico, n.d, Jason deCaires Taylor, http://www.underwatersculpture.com/projects/mexico/

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Resurrection Plant

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Resurrection Plant

Sometimes, when you’re all curled up like the resurrection plant, there’s only one thing that will help you open back up.

  • Resurrection plants are a species of plant found in the habitat of the Chihuahuan Desert, located across the Mexican and United States border.
  • The scientific name of the resurrection plant is Selaginella lepidophylla and it is from the Selaginella genus which is the only family member of Selaginellaceae, the family of spikemoss.
  • ‘Resurrection plants’ are also known as ‘resurrection moss’, ‘dinosaur plants’, ‘flowers of stone’, and ‘roses of Jericho’, though they should not be confused with the Anastatica hierochuntica plant which is also known as ‘rose of Jericho’.
  • Resurrection plants are known for opening outwards when exposed to moisture, and being closed in a tight ball when dehydrated.
  • The colour of a dry resurrection plant is brown, while it turns green when moist, and the leaves, when unfurled, are fern-like.
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A Resurrection Plant
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Resurrection plants can survive extensive periods without water, and when moisture is provided, it can appear to “resurrect” even from stages of extreme dryness.
  • The leaves and stems of the resurrection plant form a rosette shape, which assists in its ability to curl into a ball, and the plant grows from rhizomes.
  • Resurrection plants range from 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) in height and have a diameter up to 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches) when open.
  • A herbal tea can be made from the resurrection plant, which is used in traditional medicine to treat sore throats and colds.
  • Resurrection plants can be very difficult to grow unless they are in their native habitat, as the plant needs specific watering requirements and care, to maintain healthy plants.
Bibliography:
Anyone grow Selaginella Lepidophylla?, 2007, Houzz, http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1832787/anyone-grow-selaginella-lepidophylla
Rafsanjani A, Brule V, Western T & Pasini D, Hydro-Responsive Curling of the Resurrection Plant Selaginella lepidophylla, 2014, Scientific Reports, http://www.nature.com/articles/srep08064
Resurrection Plant, Rose of Jericho, Flower of Stone, 2016, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53493/#b
Selaginella lepidophylla, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selaginella_lepidophylla

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Venus Flytrap

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Venus Flytrap

Don’t get caught in the Venus flytrap!

  • Venus flytraps are a species of small insect-eating plants that grow from rhizomes, that are native to eastern subtropical United States.
  • The scientific name of the Venus flytrap is Dionaea muscipula, and it is from the Droseraceae family, the family of sundews; and the species is the only one in its genera.
  • ‘Venus flytraps’ are also known as ‘Venus fly traps’ and ‘Venus’ flytraps’; and they are of a bright green to red colour, with up to seven leaves that have a pink to red interior surface; and the plant grows to approximately 20 cm (7.9 inches) in diameter.
  • The traps of the Venus flytrap are also the leaves, and they are a hinged pair of almost semi-circles, with what look like eyelashes on the outer edges.
  • Two to five trigger hairs are found inside each part of the Venus flytrap trap, which triggers the trap to close on contact with an object, and they can close in less than a second, at approximately 100 milliseconds.
Venus Flytrap, Carnivorous, Pot, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Plant, Vegetation, BloomingA Venus Flytrap
Image courtesy of Alex Chief/Flickr
  • Once something is trapped, Venus flytraps exert digestion fluids to dissolve the inner body of the prey into an absorbable liquid, while the inedible exoskeleton is disposed of after the traps reopen.
  • To avoid closing from non-food triggers such as dust, Venus flytrap traps will only close if more than one of its trigger hairs is touched in a period of twenty seconds from the first touch.
  • Venus flytraps most often capture and eat ants and spiders, but they also catch other insects including beetles; and it takes from 5 to 12 days to digest its caught prey, the time dependent on the prey size and other conditions.
  • If an inedible object falls into a Venus flytrap trap, the trap will reopen and dispose of the object in about half a day after trapping.
  • Venus flytraps bloom small flowers coloured white, that cluster at the top of the plant, and after flowering the plant often produces many tiny seeds that are black in colour.
Bibliography:
Diaonaea muscipula (Venus Flytrap), n.d, KEW Royal Botanical Gardens, http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/dionaea-muscipula-venus-flytrap
The Mysterious Venus’ Flytrap, n.d, Botanical Society of America, http://botany.org/bsa/misc/carn.html
Venus Flytrap, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_flytrap

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Xochimilco

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Xochimilco

The bright colours of Xochimilco really convey a sense of fun!

  • Xochimilco is a district or borough of Mexico City, in Mexico, North America, and a lake of the same name is also found in the region.
  • The area of Xochimilco comprises of a range of roughly 125 square kilometres (48 square miles), and contains many canals, made hundreds of years ago in the Pre-Hispanic period.
  • Xochimilco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, as part of the historic centre of Mexico City, due to its long-established extensive canal network.
  • The many canals that snake throughout Xochimilco, stem from the nearby lake and are utilised for transportation, often using brightly coloured boats named ‘trajineras’, and as a result, the area has become a significant tourist attraction.
  • In 1928, the Mexican government created Xochimilco as part of a restructuring project of Mexico City, separating the city into 16 boroughs, and as of 2010, around 415,000 individuals resided in the district.
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Xochimilco
Image courtesy of Christian Cordova/Flickr
  • Originally Xochimilco was the area of which a city of the same name was located, and the site is now considered a part of the borough’s historical centre.
  • There are many man-made islands in the Xochimilco area, know as ‘chinampas’, which are surrounded by the canals, one of which is known as the Island of Dolls, as many dolls can be found hanging there.
  • The term ‘Xochimilco’ comes from the native Aztec language, translated as ‘flower field’ or similar, referring to the area once being a site used for agricultural purposes, mainly growing flowers and crops on the chinampas; and the area is still known for its flower production.
  • Xochimilco’s canals are threatened by pollution, urbanisation, introduced fish species, and over-pumping of the water which has led to severe decline in water levels; all of which contribute to risking its status as a World Heritage Site.
  • In Xochimilco, 49 different festivals are run in the borough each year, with the main festivals celebrating the most beautiful women in the region, ice-cream, and olives, among other things.
Bibliography:
Delsol C, The Stunning Ancient Canals of Mexico City’s Xochimilco, 2015, SFGATE, http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/The-stunning-ancient-canals-of-Mexico-City-s-6130287.php
Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, 2016, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/412
Xochimilco, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco

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