#Pisonia

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Monday 21 October 2024

The tropical evergreen Pisonia umbellifera ‘Variegata’ (birdcatcher tree, birdlime tree, umbrella catchbirdtree, map plant, para para) has foliage with distinctive variegation. When the shrub flowers it produces open clusters of fragrant, sticky, small green flowers tinged with pink and followed by sticky fruits. These are responsible for some of the common names as insects and small birds can get stuck to the flowers and fruit, so these are best removed.

Jill Raggett

[flimsy-roost]

very funny to me when an adaptation is referred to as "an accident of evolution." friend all of evolution is an accident

[kazifatagar]

Black hole in the middle of an ocean turns out to be a sad story for birds

Eagle-eyed Google Maps users marveled at what appeared to be a gaping hole in the Pacific Ocean. A ridge encircled an eerie black pit, seemingly plunging deep into the Earth. Some speculated it was a blurred-out military base for national security reasons. But the truth was more sinister. Social Media Links Follow us on: Instagram Threads Facebook Twitter YouTube DailyMotion Read More News…

[bloodiedrogue]

🌙 and 🎧 <3

🌙 favourite book?

it's a tie between imaginary friend by stephen chbosky and tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica. i literally devoured both in one sitting they were amazing!!

🎧 three songs that pop up on your spotify shuffle?

can't keep checking my phone by unknown mortal orchesta

pisonia prologue by tora-i

circles by durand jones and the indications

[currentsinbiology]

This Tree Appears to Kill Birds Just For The Heck of It

It's not unusual for plants to stick, prick, or entangle their seeds into some hapless animal that steps too close in search of a meal or a place to rest.

But one genus of tree found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans has taken this method of distributing its seeds a little too far, killing many of the birds that land in its branches by weighing them down and preventing them from flying away.

The thing is, there doesn't seem to be a clear reason for this wanton slaughter, leading one ecologist to suggest that it's just one of those macabre quirks of evolution.

Alan Burger from the University of Victoria in Canada had heard of the Pisonia tree and its killer reputation back in the 1990s, so travelled to Cousin Island in the Seychelles to take a closer look at a population of Pisonia grandis and its seabird colonies.

Many of the tree's species produce long seeds coated with a thick mucus and small hooks, which stick to almost anything that brushes against them, including insects and many of the seabirds – such as noddies – that land or nest in the tree.

What sets the Pisonia apart from other trees that use glue or prickles to hitch a ride is that these seeds can pile up rather quickly – especially if a bird falls or lands among the pods on the ground – weighing down smaller individuals and making it impossible for them to fly.

If they're not picked off by a passing scavenger or predator, most birds die and decompose at the foot of the tree. Some poor victims can sometimes be seen still stuck high in the branches, as Jason Bittel at The Washington Post so colourfully puts it, "like macabre Christmas tree ornaments".

This isn't some occasional mishap either; it's so common, the Pisonia has been nicknamed 'the bird-catcher tree'.

[dendroica]

Canopy of Pisonia grandis (via USFWS - Pacific Region)

Photo Credit: USFWS / Andrew S. Wright

About halfway between Hawai‘i and American Samoa lies Palmyra Atoll - a circular string of about 26 islets nestled among several lagoons and encircled by 15,000 acres of coral reefs.

[noravillegreen]

Yes, I've shown off this guy before, but he deserves another go... 'cause he's a stunner! ✨ . #birdcatchertree #pisoniaumbellifera #pisonia #foliage #leaflove #plantlife #plantfolk #gardenlife #plantstyling #plantstyle #plantbased #houseplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #camouflage #plantstrong #plantbased #interiors #gardendesign #plantshop #noraville #centralcoastnsw Open Sunday 10 - 2✌️ (at Noraville Green)

[faeparrish]

call your name by tora! she's a new artist with just a few songs out and this one is in my blue and jordan playlist 💖

thank you !! 💗

call your name by tora

couldn’t listen all the way through | not my thing | it’s okay | kinda catchy | ok i really like this | downloading immediately | already in my library

I love this. I LOVE this. her voice is so beautiful and the instrumental is so powerful ! definitely listening to the rest of her stuff omg 💖

[merelygifted]

Scientists Attached Tracking Devices to Magpies. But Nobody Asked The Magpies

When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies for a pilot study, we didn't expect to discover an entirely new social behavior rarely seen in birds.

Our goal was to learn more about the movement and social dynamics of these highly intelligent birds, and to test these new, durable and reusable devices. Instead, the birds outsmarted us.

As our new research paper explains, the magpies began showing evidence of cooperative "rescue" behavior to help each other remove the tracker.

While we're familiar with magpies being intelligent and social creatures, this was the first instance we knew of that showed this type of seemingly altruistic behavior: helping another member of the group without getting an immediate, tangible reward.

Australian magpies generally live in social groups of between two and 12 individuals, cooperatively occupying and defending their territory through song choruses and aggressive behaviors (such as swooping). These birds also breed cooperatively, with older siblings helping to raise young.

During our pilot study, we found out how quickly magpies team up to solve a group problem. Within 10 minutes of fitting the final tracker, we witnessed an adult female without a tracker working with her bill to try and remove the harness off of a younger bird.

Within hours, most of the other trackers had been removed. By day 3, even the dominant male of the group had its tracker successfully dismantled.

We don't know if it was the same individual helping each other or if they shared duties, but we had never read about any other bird cooperating in this way to remove tracking devices.The birds needed to problem solve, possibly testing at pulling and snipping at different sections of the harness with their bill. They also needed to willingly help other individuals, and accept help.The only other similar example of this type of behavior we could find in the literature was that of Seychelles warblers helping release others in their social group from sticky Pisonia seed clusters. This is a very rare behavior termed "rescuing".  ...

[stingray-stories]

Day 167 12/11/2021

-Last day of work! What the hecko! So glad I got to spend it in the field. Today we wrapped up some seabird monitoring plots on Whiporwhil and Eastern. These are super cool spots on the refuge. We walked a lot but had a great day. We saw lots of baby cutie birds like a little white tern chick. Lots of baby sharks. A bunch of coconut crabs!! Sooo many it was awesome! Lots of beautiful and big Pisonia trees. It was pretty rainy today so it was a little chilly but not too bad. It was an awesome last day!!

-After that, we made a lei for Tiffany so Kay Lynn, our current PM, can pass the responsibility to her.

-Yummy lasagna.

-Hang and chat.

-Jurassic Park 3.

-Manta light.

-HP and bedtime.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 7 February 2023

In the tropical glasshouse of Inverness Botanic Garden height in the planting was created by the tropical evergreen Pisonia umbellifera 'Variegata' (birdlime tree, bird catcher tree). In the wild this tree produces fruit with a sticky sap that can trap insects, small mammals and birds.

Jill Raggett

[screengrabb]

Islands - 25

[talesofdrunkennessandcruelty]

This Tree Appears to Kill Birds Just for the Heck of It

[ao3feed-tomarrymort]

by Baryshnikov

Tom Riddle is parasitic and Harry will prove it, even if it kills him.

Words: 3181, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Potter, Tom Riddle, Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Abraxas Malfoy, Druella Rosier Black, Mulciber Sr. (Harry Potter), Avery Sr. (Harry Potter), Ginny Weasley (referenced)

Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley (past), Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Tom Riddle (referenced), Abraxas Malfoy/Tom Riddle (referenced)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, Politician Tom Riddle, Police Officer Harry Potter, Politics, British Politics, Timeline What Timeline, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Exploitation, Seduction, Obsession, Paranoia, Dubious Ethics, Mind Games, Moral Ambiguity, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Sexual Content, Age Difference

[fetus-cakes]

real-life carnivorous or aggressive plants always fascinate me

[gkar56]

Grove of Pisonia grandis by USFWS - Pacific Region Via Flickr: Photo Credit: USFWS / Andrew S. Wright About halfway between Hawai‘i and American Samoa lies Palmyra Atoll - a circular string of about 26 islets nestled among several lagoons and encircled by 15,000 acres of coral reefs.