False staghorn fern (Dicranopteris linearis)

Resam or false staghorn fern (Dicranopteris linearis) is a plant species in the Gleicheniaceae, a common fern with stems growing from rhizomes, cylindrical in shape, straight, branching at an angle of 45 degrees, forming fronds that continuously sprout and branch.

D. linearis has white sorus and appears on the underside of the leaf, lining up along the left and right of the veins. Rhizomes spread by cloning, spreading along the ground and climbing other vegetation, often forming thickets 3 meters or more deep.

Colonies of this species form mats that are layered. The branches can reach over 6 meters in length and can climb up to 10 meters high if supported by the tree. The last leaf segment is linear, up to 7 cm long and a few millimeters wide. The underside is hairy and sometimes waxy.

This fern grows easily in infertile, nutrient-poor soils, disturbed habitats and steep slopes. This species dominates many areas of the rainforest as a pioneer species in ecological succession and colonizes empty sites such as lava flows, talus and abandoned roads.

When it grows in a new place it will produce layers of stems and leaves repeatedly until there is a network of vegetation. Dead leaves and stems decompose very slowly, so the tissue remains. The network is then filled with organic forest detritus, forming a layer of litter up to 1 meter thick.

The tissue is penetrated by rhizomes and roots, thereby serving as a substrate in itself. These ferns may have allelopathic effects and prevent the growth of other plants. This plant is used to treat worms, boils, skin wounds, fever and kill bacteria.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Subclass: Polypodiidae
Order: Gleicheniales
Family: Gleicheniaceae
Genus: Dicranopteris
Species: Dicranopteris linearis
Variety: Dicranopteris linearis var. alternans, Dicranopteris linearis var. bidentata, Dicranopteris linearis var. ferruginea, Dicranopteris linearis var. inaequalis, Dicranopteris linearis var. linearis, Dicranopteris linearis var. rigida, Dicranopteris linearis var. stipulosa, Dicranopteris linearis var. subferruginea, Dicranopteris linearis var. subspeciosa
Form: Dicranopteris linearis f. emarginata

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia)

Bellyache bush ( Jatropha gossypiifolia ) is a species of plant in the Euphorbiaceae. It is a shrub, growing 2.5–4 meters tall. The leaves are three-lobed, up to 13 cm long and 13 cm wide, sticky, with spiny margins, purple when young and green as they mature. The petioles are up to 9 cm long, dark red to brown, and have yellow spikes. The flowers are small, fan-shaped, dark red with yellow centers. The fruit is ovoid; young fruits are green. Older fruits are brown, dry, and burst to release the seeds. Taxon: Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Subfamily: Crotonoideae Tribe: Jatropheae Genus: Jatropha Species: Jatropha gossypiifolia Variety: Jatropha gossypiifolia var. elegans, Jatropha gossypiifolia var. gossypiifolia Publications: Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers. Balakrishnan, N.P. & Cha...

Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi)

The Javan hawk-eagle or Javanese eagle or Elang Jawa ( Nisaetus bartelsi ) is one of the endemic eagle species on Mount Merapi , medium to large, and slim with a length of up to 70 cm. The reddish-brown head (cadre) has a crest of 2 to 4 feathers for up to 12 cm long and a yellowish brown neck. Black crested with white ends, black crown and mustache, while back and wings are dark brown. The esophagus is whitish with a long black line in the middle. The chest has black streaks spread over the brownish yellow which eventually turn into a dense line pattern and red transverse above the whitish color of the abdominal and leg feathers. Feathers cover the legs to close to the base of the finger. A brownish tail with four dark lines and a wide cross is clearly visible on the lower side, and the tip of the tail is thin white striped. Females are similar in color, but have a slightly larger size. The iris is yellow and brownish, half-black, sera yellowish, and yellowish legs. Young birds ha...

Dlium