Theme
10:18am June 18, 2015
By JP Smith (Author) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons[Image description: Closeup of a fern with very large sori, which look like big round reddish clumps on the underside of the leaves.]From Wikipedia:A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. This New Latin word is from Ancient Greek σωρός (sōrós ‘stack, pile, heap’).In fungi and lichens, the sorus is surrounded by an external layer. In some red algae it may take the form of a depression into the thallus.In ferns, these form a yellowish or brownish mass on the edge or underside of a fertile frond. In some species, they are protected during development by a scale or film of tissue called the indusium, which forms an umbrella-like cover.Sori occur on the sporophyte generation, the sporangia within producing haploid meiospores. As the sporongia mature, the indusium shrivels so that spore release is unimpeded. The sporangia then burst and release the spores.The shape, arrangement, and location of the sori are often valuable clues in the identification of fern taxa. Sori may be circular or linear. They may be arranged in rows, either parallel or oblique to the costa, or randomly. Their location may be marginal or set away from the margin on the frond lamina. The presence or absence of indusium is also used to identify fern taxa.I’ve seen a lot of these, I just never knew what they were or what they were called.  The large ones are really impressive.  They can grow in all kinds of configurations and sizes, though, even just talking about ferns alone.

By JP Smith (Author) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[Image description: Closeup of a fern with very large sori, which look like big round reddish clumps on the underside of the leaves.]

From Wikipedia:

A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. This New Latin word is from Ancient Greek σωρός (sōrós ‘stack, pile, heap’).

In fungi and lichens, the sorus is surrounded by an external layer. In some red algae it may take the form of a depression into the thallus.

In ferns, these form a yellowish or brownish mass on the edge or underside of a fertile frond. In some species, they are protected during development by a scale or film of tissue called the indusium, which forms an umbrella-like cover.

Sori occur on the sporophyte generation, the sporangia within producing haploid meiospores. As the sporongia mature, the indusium shrivels so that spore release is unimpeded. The sporangia then burst and release the spores.

The shape, arrangement, and location of the sori are often valuable clues in the identification of fern taxa. Sori may be circular or linear. They may be arranged in rows, either parallel or oblique to the costa, or randomly. Their location may be marginal or set away from the margin on the frond lamina. The presence or absence of indusium is also used to identify fern taxa.

I’ve seen a lot of these, I just never knew what they were or what they were called.  The large ones are really impressive.  They can grow in all kinds of configurations and sizes, though, even just talking about ferns alone.

6:52am June 17, 2015
“Nacimiento de una Dryas iulia, Mariposario de Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-13, DD 03” by Diego Delso. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons[Image description:  Photograph of a dryas iulia butterfly ecloding – emerging from its chrysalis.  It is upside-down and its pinkish-red wings look like pieces of cloth.]Please don’t delete the image description, it’s there for visually impaired people and other screenreader users.More about this type of butterfly, from Wikipedia:Dryas iulia (often incorrectly spelled julia),[1] commonly called the Julia Butterfly, Julia Heliconian, The Flame, or Flambeau, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus Dryas, it is native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. Over 15 subspecies have been described.Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to birds and belongs to the “orange” Batesian Mimicry mimic complex.[2]This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantanas (Lantana) and Shepherd’s-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), and the tears of caiman, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears.[3] Its caterpillar feeds on leaves of passion vines including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.

“Nacimiento de una Dryas iulia, Mariposario de Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, España, 2012-12-13, DD 03” by Diego Delso. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

[Image description:  Photograph of a dryas iulia butterfly ecloding – emerging from its chrysalis.  It is upside-down and its pinkish-red wings look like pieces of cloth.]

Please don’t delete the image description, it’s there for visually impaired people and other screenreader users.

More about this type of butterfly, from Wikipedia:

Dryas iulia (often incorrectly spelled julia),[1] commonly called the Julia Butterfly, Julia Heliconian, The Flame, or Flambeau, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus Dryas, it is native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. Over 15 subspecies have been described.

Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to birds and belongs to the “orange” Batesian Mimicry mimic complex.[2]

This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantanas (Lantana) and Shepherd’s-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), and the tears of caiman, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears.[3] Its caterpillar feeds on leaves of passion vines including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.

The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.

1:29am May 15, 2015
I don’t actually know what objects are contributing to this shadow on the floor that looks like a face silhouette in profile.

I don’t actually know what objects are contributing to this shadow on the floor that looks like a face silhouette in profile.

3:32pm February 27, 2015

biodiverseed:

asylum-art:

The aerial photographs of Kacper Kowalski.

If you haven’t seen much of Poland yet, then Kacper Kowalski’s aerial photos will make the perfect introduction. Born in 1977, the artist originally holds a degree in architecture, but has turned to piloting and photography instead. While flying above northern Poland, he found two incredibly beautiful lakes and decided to capture them as they change throughout the seasons. One of the lakes is in Kashubia and another one in Pomerania. Being in control of both the plane and the camera gives Gdynia-based artist a unique ability to control and handle each shot as he pleases, so each photo is thought-through and completed. 

#Poland #Europe #biodiversity #photography

OMG that’s some of the most amazing photography I’ve ever seen.

4:23am February 1, 2015

Moon out window. Me in bed.

I wish for 36 hour days. 12 daylight awake, 12 night awake, 12 night asleep.

Hate having to choose between beautiful nocturnal activity, and sleep.

4:00am January 30, 2015

escapekit:

The Spirit of Winter

A collection of winter photos shot between 2012-2014 by Finnish photographer Mikko Lagerstedt.

Oooooooh those are beautiful.

10:37pm January 28, 2015

Night in my apartment 2

10:34pm January 28, 2015

Night in my apartment.

12:52am January 27, 2015

My dark world again.

I wish my mushroom nightlight would photograph better. I’ve got them all over the house for both decorative and safety reasons, need to get even more. It’s like having bioluminescent mushrooms all over the house, except they change color so there’s a bit of an enchanted forest feel to it. These pics are all my bedroom.

9:09pm January 12, 2015

My dark world #3

Shrine to my dad, window, cat, and more!

12:20am December 19, 2014
[Silhouette of me and my cat Fey in a hospital bed with the back tilted nearly upright, backlit by the yellow-orange glow of the nightlight behind us. You can’t see much within the black silhouettes, but you can see the walls behind us, with faintly visible decals of scenes from the redwoods. At the top is a quote from one of my poems: “Here in the shadows where everything blends, the darkness and I are the closest of friends.”] (*) Here is the full poem on my main poetry blog, in case you want to leave comments on the poem in a more traditional blog style, or make use of other Wordpress features. For everyone else, here is the full poem: Wings of Midnight Velvet The darkness enfolds me in black velvet wings She holds me close and she holds me tight She whispers to me of unspeakable things Only understood in the darkest of night Like a lone hermit thrush, she hauntingly sings You are safe here with me until morning’s light Here in the shadows where everything blends The darkness and me are the closest of friends _______________________________ (*) Please don’t remove that image description, it helps blind and visually impaired people, including people with visual processing issues (which means many autistic and dyslexic people, as well as people with Nonverbal Learning Disability), understand what’s going on in the picture. I’m only sometimes able to write these because of my own visual and language issues, so it’s infuriating to go through all that work for the sake of accessibility, only to have it disappear on the first reblog.

[Silhouette of me and my cat Fey in a hospital bed with the back tilted nearly upright, backlit by the yellow-orange glow of the nightlight behind us. You can’t see much within the black silhouettes, but you can see the walls behind us, with faintly visible decals of scenes from the redwoods. At the top is a quote from one of my poems: “Here in the shadows where everything blends, the darkness and I are the closest of friends.”] (*)

Here is the full poem on my main poetry blog, in case you want to leave comments on the poem in a more traditional blog style, or make use of other Wordpress features.

For everyone else, here is the full poem:

Wings of Midnight Velvet

The darkness enfolds me in black velvet wings
She holds me close and she holds me tight
She whispers to me of unspeakable things
Only understood in the darkest of night
Like a lone hermit thrush, she hauntingly sings
You are safe here with me until morning’s light
Here in the shadows where everything blends
The darkness and me are the closest of friends

_______________________________

(*) Please don’t remove that image description, it helps blind and visually impaired people, including people with visual processing issues (which means many autistic and dyslexic people, as well as people with Nonverbal Learning Disability), understand what’s going on in the picture. I’m only sometimes able to write these because of my own visual and language issues, so it’s infuriating to go through all that work for the sake of accessibility, only to have it disappear on the first reblog.

11:21pm October 3, 2014
stunningpicture: So proud of my mother for doing her own research after I sent her that meme. A sign she hung in her car window.

stunningpicture:

So proud of my mother for doing her own research after I sent her that meme. A sign she hung in her car window.

4:32pm September 27, 2014

fatgirlposing:

Do you absolutely love The Fat Naked Art Project? Do you live in or around NYC and want to shoot with me? You’re in luck because I’ll be in NYC December 13th-16th and I”m looking for people to shoot with. I’ll be renting a location (not sure where yet though). Please spread this like wildfire and send me a message if you want to shoot!! 

3:27pm September 21, 2014
kathleenshimp: Sun and window pattern through sheer curtain.

kathleenshimp:

Sun and window pattern through sheer curtain.