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Psammobates Geometricus
The geometric tortoise (''Psammobates geometricus'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus ''Psammobates''. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa. Identification It has a very strong, black and yellow patterned carapace, used for defence against predators. The patterns are arranged in ray-like markings and help the tortoise blend in with its environment. From a birds eye view the shell has geometrical symbols on it thus giving it its name. This tortoise is very small, and a full grown tortoise can only reach about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. The tortoise is one of the rarest species of tortoise of earth, only about 2,000 to 3,000 are alive today. However, because of its cryptic coloration and lack of activity, it makes it hard to create an accurate estimate of the population size. While it shares much of its superficial outer appearance with its relatives in the genus ''Psammobates'', i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms. He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy". Many of his writings were in Latin; his name is rendered in Latin as and, after his 1761 ennoblement, as . Linnaeus was born in Råshult, the countryside of Småland, in southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University and began giving lectures in botany there in 1730. He lived abroad between 1735 and 1738, where he studied and also published the first edition of his ' in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden where he became professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala. In the 1740s, he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 1760s, he continued to collect an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxalis
''Oxalis'' ( (American English) or (British English)) is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family Oxalidaceae, comprising over 550 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the Polar region, polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. Many of the species are known as wood sorrels (sometimes written "woodsorrels" or "wood-sorrels") as they have an acidic taste reminiscent of the sorrel proper (''Rumex acetosa''), which is only distantly related. Some species are called yellow sorrels or pink sorrels after the color of their flowers instead. Other species are colloquially known as false shamrocks, and some called sourgrasses. For the genus as a whole, the term oxalises is also used. Description and ecology These plants are annual plant, annual or perennial plant, perennial. The leaves are divided into three to ten or more obovate and top-notched leaflets, arranged palmately with all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the animal hatches. Most arthropods such as insects, vertebrates (excluding live-bearing mammals), and mollusks lay eggs, although some, such as scorpions, do not. Reptile eggs, bird eggs, and monotreme eggs are laid out of water and are surrounded by a protective shell, either flexible or inflexible. Eggs laid on land or in nests are usually kept within a warm and favorable temperature range while the embryo grows. When the embryo is adequately developed it hatches, i.e., breaks out of the egg's shell. Some embryos have a temporary egg tooth they use to crack, pip, or break the eggshell or covering. The largest recorded egg is from a whale shark and was in size. Whale shark eggs typically hatch within the mother. At and up to , the o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Captivity (animal)
Animals that are held by humans and prevented from escaping are said to be in captivity. The term is usually applied to wild animals that are held in confinement, but may also be used generally to describe the keeping of domesticated animals such as livestock or pets. This may include, for example, animals in farms, private homes, zoos and laboratories. Animal captivity may be categorized according to the particular motives, objectives and conditions of the confinement. History Throughout history not only domestic animals as pets and livestock were kept in captivity and under human care, but also wild animals. Despite the fact that wild animals have been harbored by humans for thousands of years, this captivity has not always approximated present zoos. Some were failed domestication attempts. Also, in past times, primarily the wealthy, aristocrats and kings collected wild animals for various reasons.The affluent built the first zoos as personal collections to demonstrate their d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Berkheya
''Berkheya'' is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, and the subfamily Carduoideae, the thistles. It is distributed in tropical Africa, especially in southern regions.Hind, N. (2006)568. ''Berkheya purpurea''. ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine'' 23(4), 289-96. Of about 75 species, 71 can be found in South Africa.Funk, V. A. and R. Chan. (2008)Phylogeny of the spiny African daisies (Compositae, tribe Arctotideae, subtribe Gorteriinae) based on ''trn''L-F, ''ndh''F, and ITS sequence data.''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 48(1), 47-60. Most species have yellow ray florets, a few have white, and ''B. purpurea'' has light purple or mauve florets. ''B. purpurea'' is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Some ''Berkheya'' are known as weeds.Clark, M. MA comparison between the flower-head insect communities of South African ''Berkheya'' and European Cynareae.In: ''Proceedings of the VIII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds''. (pp. 165-170). Ist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspalathus
''Aspalathus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to ''Ulex europaeus'', the thorny " English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed as a common name although the resemblance is largely superficial; for instance, gorse is thorny, whereas ''Aspalathus'' species are variously spiny or unarmed. The genus belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. There are over 270 species, mainly endemic to southwestern fynbos regions in South Africa, with over fifty occurring on the Cape Peninsula alone. The species ''Aspalathus linearis'' is commercially important, being farmed as the source of Rooibos tea. ''Aspalathus'' species generally are shrubs or sometimes shrublets. They typically are bushy, but some species may be sprawling or erect with free-standing branches. The flowers of most species are plentiful in season, a rich, showy yellow very common in the Western Cape mountains in parti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eragrostis Curvula
''Eragrostis curvula'' is a species of grass known by the common name weeping lovegrass. Other common names include Boer lovegrass, curved lovegrass, Catalina lovegrass, and African lovegrass. It is native to southern Africa. It is an introduced species on other continents.Gucker, Corey L. (2009)''Eragrostis curvula''.In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved 12-22-2011. Description ''Eragrostis curvula'' is usually a long-lived perennial grass, but it is sometimes an annual plant. It is variable in appearance, and there are many different natural and cultivated forms. In general, it forms tufts of stems up to tall. The tufts may reach a diameter of . The grass grows from a thick root network. Plants have been noted to have roots penetrating over deep in the soil and laterally. The roots can grow per day. The first root to grow into the soil from a seedli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pentaschistis Curvifolia
''Pentaschistis'' is a genus of grass in the family Poaceae. It includes the following species: * ''Pentaschistis chrysurus'' * ''Pentaschistis dolichochaeta'' * ''Pentaschistis mannii ''Pentaschistis mannii'' is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. It is found only in Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Po ...'' * '' Pentaschistis pictigluma'' References Danthonioideae Poaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Poaceae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ehrharta Calycina
''Ehrharta calycina'' is a species of grass known by the common names perennial veldtgrass and purple veldtgrass. Distribution It is native to southern Africa; from South Africa (within the Cape Provinces, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal), Lesotho and Namibia. It grows in Veld grassland habits and on low-lying sandy areas. Description ''Ehrharta calycina'' is a highly variable perennial grass, often but not always rhizomatous. It usually reaches in height, but is known to grow much taller in favorable conditions. The inflorescence is a narrow to wide open array of spikelets light in color when new and becoming darker and tinted purple to reddish with age. Taxonomy The Latin specific epithet of ''calycina'' is derived from ''calycinus'' meaning like a calyx or with a prominent calyx. It was first described and published in Pl. Icon. Ined. on table 33 in 1789. Introduced / invasive species The grass is an introduced species, including places such as; California, Egypt, Hawaii, I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cynodon Dactylon
''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasive species there. In Bermuda it has been known as "crab grass" (also a name for ''Digitaria sanguinalis''). It is also known by various names as ''Dhoob'', ''dūrvā'' grass, ''ethana'' grass, ''dubo'', dog grass, dog's tooth grass, Bahama grass, crab grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian ''doab'', ''arugampul'', grama, wiregrass and scutch grass. Description The blades are a grey-green colour and are short, usually long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in colour. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of two to six spikes together at the top of the stem, each spike long. It has a deep root system; in drought situations with penetrable soil, the root system c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Briza Maxima
''Briza maxima'' is a species of the grass genus ''Briza''. It is native to Northern Africa, Western Asia and Southern Europe and is cultivated or naturalised in the British Isles, the Azores, Australasia, the western United States, Central and South America, and Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat .... This species has a large number of common names, including big quaking grass, great quaking grass, greater quaking-grass, large quaking grass, blowfly grass, rattlesnake grass, shelly grass, rattle grass, and shell grass. It grows to a height of 60 cm. The seeds and leaves are edible. References External links Pooideae Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Bunchgrasses of Europe Plants described in 1753 Garden plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Themeda Triandra
} ''Themeda triandra'' is a species of perennial tussock-forming grass widespread in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Pacific. In Australia it is commonly known as kangaroo grass and in East Africa and South Africa it is known as red grass and red oat grass or as ''rooigras'' in Afrikaans. Kangaroo grass was formerly thought to be one of two species, and was named ''Themeda australis''. The plant has traditional uses as food and medicine in Africa and Australia. Indigenous Australians harvested it to make bread and string for fishing nets around 30,000 years ago. It was used as livestock feed in early colonial Australia, but this use was largely replaced by introduced plants. there is a large government-funded project under way to investigate the possibility of growing kangaroo grass commercially in Australia for use as a regular food source for humans. Description ''Themeda triandra'' is a grass which grows in dense tufts up to tall and wide. It flowers in summer, produci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
