#pericarp

[whats-in-a-sentence]

In Arabidopsis and many other members of the Brassicaceae, several fruit tissues develop, including the carpel walls or pericarp (known also as the valves), a central replum, a false septum, and valve margins that form at the valve and replum borders (Figure 21.33).

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[and-then-he-melted]

Your fundamental assumption here, that the best way to handle this is everything descended from A shares A's categories and a shared category defines a point of common ancestry (aka cladistic taxonomy) is fundamentally flawed. Unlike animals food has a nearly infinite to (forgive me for stretching this metaphor) interbreed. Think about something as complex as a pie, which is usually thought of as containing a pastry case, a filling, and some sort of topping the problem becomes obvious. You can trace a line of descent for a european pie like structure but what about when someone uses a kind of pastry that had historically been used for other kinds of dishes? Or takes a filling that has nothing to do with pies and puts it in a pastry case.

There is actually a much more appropriate scientific analogy for food classification discourse and that is anatomical terms. In botany the fruit of a hazel is a nut and apricots and coconuts are both drupes, despite hazel and apricots trees being more closely related to each other than to coconut palms. A nut or a drupe have not been defined in terms of the ancestry of their plants but in terms of which bit of the flower becomes which bit of the fruit, (incidentally a lot of culinary nuts are classed as drupes in botany). If multiple lines of animal descent develop wings and/or penises we can discuss those as categories despite the fact that the common ancestor of the lesser water boatman (Micronecta scholtzi) and the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) can be strongly suspected to have had neither.

A ravioli can be a pasta and a dumpling and if you get too weird with your definitions maybe even a pie. After all botanists have made definitions where an almond isn't a nut but instead sits beside the plums and peaches and coconuts.

All you fuckers are like “pop tarts are ravioli!” “Uncrustables are ravioli!”

I will hit you in the face with the concepts of convergent evolution and analogous structures

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Some Agrostology Vocabulary

for your next poem/story (pt. 2)

Agrostology—the branch of systematic botany that deals with grasses, especially their identification, classification, and evolution.

Hygroscopic - absorbing or attracting water; water sensitive

Imbricate - overlapping one another

Intercostal- the region between the nerves or veins of vascular tissue on a leaf or bract

Lenticular - lens-shaped—the appearance of certain seeds/fruits

Lignified - woody

Metabolically challenged - dead

Obovate - of the shape of an inverted egg

Parthenogenesis - meaning "virgin birth," a kind of apomixis (i.e., reproduction involving specialized generative tissues but not dependent on fertilization) in which the embryo develops from an egg cell that was not fertilized

Pearl - to remove the outer layer(s) of a grain by exposing them to abrasive surfaces that grind away the tissues

Perennial - living for several to many years, often blooming and dying back at the end of each growing season

Pericarp - the fruit wall

Plumose - feather-like

Repent - creeping or sprawling plants or stems, often rooting at the nodes; also referred to as trailing; when the accent is placed on the other syllable, you feel sorry or contrite about a past action

Retrorse - directed backward or downward, as in barbs on a bristle

Scarious - thin, dry, membranous, and non-green

Tawny - dull brownish-yellow

Tomentose - covered by dense, soft, woolly hairs

Turgid - swollen

Viscid - sticky, gummy

Wanting - lacking, missing

Source More: Word Lists ⚜ Agrostology Part 1

[guppybibi]

(i've never tried a pomegranate before & it looks noms)

Simon Riley who is oddly similar to a pomegranate.

It's not the most common comparison you'll see, but who can blame anyone when his hands are stained with red, much like the tart fruit. It takes quite a while to peel a pomegranate without the right methods, no? Same goes for Simon, it'll take a decent amount of time for him to unravel and unveil his true self to you, to anyone in general. You'll have to go through a hard pericarp before you can even get to the spongy mesocarp, rock hard walls formed through years of..issues let's say.

But good things do take time, the best crops of pomegranates don't take 5-6 years for nothing after all. The name possibly stemmed from the French word for fruit, pomme-grenade, fitting isn't it? And Ghost in particular considered himself a dead man, lacking a soul as he roams around the world as a shell of a man. Good thing (not really..), the pomegranate was considered the 'fruit of the dead', believed to have sprung from the blood of Adonis.

uhh and they're yummy pls pls someone buy me one

[vidavalor]

Vidaaaaaaa be got another suggestion for youuuuuu... Ep5 at 20:19 Aziraphale says "if you're going to just stand here and carp"... Id love some analysis on that, especially as it's a fish 🐠🐠🐠

Hi @havemyheartaziraphale! 💕There are chocolate seashells tonight, if you would like some. Feels appropriate for your maritime-themed request. 🐟

As you pointed out, a carp is a kind of fish... but to carp is to complain incessantly. It's to stand around and grouch, basically. This would seem to automatically push it up the list of fish-related wordplay in Crowley & Aziraphale speak because Crowley has a tendency to gripe on occasion and Aziraphale likes gentle and amusing ways to tell him to quit complaining that also come with a promise of some mood-boosting fish in the near future.

In S2, I think when Aziraphale uses this word is part of the charm of his use of it. While The Meeting Ball is technically for Maggie and Nina to help with the Gabriel miracle situation, we all know Aziraphale has really set it up with a romantic gesture towards Crowley in mind. Aziraphale wants to dance with Crowley in the open while they have people over to their bookshop. This is a big deal, since they've been doing their best to hide their relationship for thousands of years. He's trying to keep parts of it a surprise for Crowley, though, so he sends him to go get Maggie and Nina but the using fish word of carp in reference to Crowley's crankiness while Aziraphale is trying to get him out of the way for this big step of a surprise in S2 is pretty cute, since it's also calling back to-- and an evolution from, a bit-- their fish origins in ancient Rome.

Crowley was carping like a total crab (I know, I know lol) that day and Aziraphale, to his credit, was pretty unfazed, already able to recognize Crowley's grouchiness for the anxiety it masks. He had Crowley smiling by the end of the scene-- and no doubt a lot cheerier on the other side of some oysters.

Making use of carp in S2 funnier is also the fact that the word contains the word car, about which Crowley has been carping a bit during the season.

Other, amusing reasons why S2 is likely not the only time that Aziraphale has ever used carp as one of their vocab words is the further marine life reference in the fact that an arp is the technical name for the bark of a seal... and that carp is also in the word pericarp, which is the name for the layers of walls protecting a piece of fruit-- like the fruit-happy Serpent of Eden's cranky exterior that Aziraphale can see past pretty easily.

Crowley wasn't even really carping that much in S2 but referring to fish while steering Crowley out to go get Maggie and Nina was also a way of promising some fish in Crowley's near future... which is probably why Crowley just put his glasses on and went without further comment. 😉🐟

[gynandromorph]

well i just finished syconium, and i'm not certain what the ending meant. did she... alter the *entirety of reality* with her facture? was that the implication?

i think that's the gist of it... or, she changed society's memories of the past. she doesn't actually materially change the past (ex: greenie's face scar, apple's death, VD's death). she retouched the "credit" of the people she touched, essentially.

the way she mentions that she'll change the painting if they don't like it is a big deal. she was trapped by her artwork made as a child/young adult because it stuck with her reputation forever and affected how everyone saw her, including herself. being able to retouch or change that artwork, her body, is the freedom that allowed her to egress from the labyrinth.

let's look at the style's name:

budding branch, pericarpous vitellum -- or, in less esoteric terms, budding branch, outer yolk... not very illuminating. branches are mentioned a few times in the story, notably, as metaphors:

buds on a fig tree (and most plants) aren't growing fruit. they're growing branches. so she's created new... "notations in life," which allow people to grow in the path they want to grow in.

but she hasn't altered the roots.

on this page, we can see the strangler, their reputations trapping them, shatter as these new branches manifest into reality. you can notice the newer branches extending past the confines of the strangler.

[33-108]

PATALA III

The Devi said: Great Lord, I have doubts concerning the characteristics of Kula, the consciousness of the self. Be gracious to me, O Lord Śańkara!

Bhairava said: Listen with undivided attention to the characteristics of Kula that are to be explained. Where there is mind, there are the elements too, the senses and the sense objects of the body. These are permeated by one's own Śakti. One's vision dissolves along with the characteristics. The characteristics are fourfold - the place (sthāna), meditation (dhyāna), letters (bijas) and the characteristics.

The place (sthāna) is called the pinda; meditation is its substratum; letters of the alphabet are well described; the ultimate goal is formless.

Dearest, in the body (pinda) exist the cakras of five lines, sixteen lines, sixty-four petals, the truly beautiful hundred petals and the beautiful thousand petals lotus and above this is a very brilliant ten-million petals lotus. Above the ten-million petals lotus is a thirty-million petals lotus, of which each pericarp is similar to the flame.

Above that exists the all encompassing eternally emanating, integrated, supreme (svatantra), unshakable, all pervading and immaculate (niranjana) lotus. Through its own volition (svecchayā) its creation takes place and everything dissolves into the same. The Linga is revealed by it, in which the moveable and immoveable entities remain latent.

One suffers bondage by being ignorant of this transcendental form (rūpa) which is like an entire sphere, immutable and non-divisible into segments- but by perceiving it, one becomes emancipated from all fetters (bandhaiḥ pramucyate). O Goddess, the deity is devoid of mind and non-mind, independent of meditation (dhyāna) and concentration (dhāraņā), always perceivable, eternal, <in appearance> like a blue flower (atasi), rich in all hues and at the same time beyond all colours, attainable through transcendental wisdom (jñāna), through the succession of Masters and disciples (paramparā).

O Goddess, the characteristics of Kula have been

Todeclared as they are. As a deep understanding of this one should not worship, even in the mind, a linga made of wood, clay, stone, jewel, brass, gold, iron, crystal, tin, lead or copper

or which are (painted) with the colours of flowers as it is worshipped by common people and according to eighteen popular scriptures both vulgar and spiritual (ādhyātmika).

O great Goddess, this happens because common people are like animals (paśavah) and they are devoid of knowledge. Those are ignorant ones, indulging in wrong practices and devoid of any knowledge of the Kula tradition. One should not keep their company and should not derive any material benefit from them.

All the gods such as Brahmā, demons (asuras), saintly people engaged in spiritual practices, siddhas, yakşas. gandharvas, grass, bushes, insects, planets, sidereal constellations, stars, and others and all moving and static entities, all emanate <manifest> from the centre of the creative vibration (bindu) and dissolve into the same.

This Linga, is the doer of both creation and dissolution is worshipped by the siddhas. Its form, which shines by its own effulgence, is immaculate, eternal, is immeasurable and always pervading; is dazzling like meteor lighting up the sky. By realizing and perceiving this great Linga, one becomes eligible to attain emancipation (mokşasya bhājanah).

The Linga is not destroyed by frightening clouds, which shower hails and torrential rain, it is not destroyed even by fire, and does not fall when struck by a thunderbolt.

O Goddess, one who wants to achieve the transcendental attainments (siddhis) befitting a Kaula should worship this Linga by mentally conceiving sweetly scented flowers, incense, lamps, etc.

One should worship the mentally conceived Linga after properly knowing the implications of offering the following flowers: non-violence is the first flower, restraint transcendce of the sense organs, the second; compassion, the third; right disposition, the fourth; forgiveness, the fifth; subduing of anger, the sixth; meditation, the seventh; and wisdom is the eighth flower. After knowing this <secret of the implication of the flowers, one should worship the Linga enshrined in the body; one may achieve worldly enjoyment and emancipation.

O Goddess, this is the Linga located in the body, stable and strong, capable of bestowing all desires. One, who meditates on the mental Linga with self-consciousness, achieves all the results of whatever one desires; there is no doubt about it. O Goddess, here have been taught the characteristics of the Linga enshrined in the body, according to the Kaula tradition.

All other external Lingas, such as those made of stone, wood, clay and other materials, should be abandoned. The ordinary path is devoid of spiritual attainments (siddhimukti) and worldly enjoyments.

One whose desires (vāsanā) are concentrated in the body belongs to the Kula knowledge agama. But those whose desires are scattered outside <of the body> are considered to be an animal (paśu").

Now, O Goddess, the essence of the knowledge has been revealed to you. This knowledge should be imparted to one with devotion, but not to one who is devoid of devotion.

Here ends the third chapter of the Kaulajñānanirnaya also known as Jñānanirņiti, belonging to the Kaula tradition of Yoginis, revealed from Candradvipa through the most venerated (Śrimat) Macchaghna-pāda (Matsyendranatha).

[llondonfog]

for @bluelightning16 ♥ have the most wonderful of holidays, and thank you for being such a lovely writing partner ♥

a very merry (vanrouge) christmas; 1/3

It was perfect.

Silver sat back on his hands and knees and admired the small wristlet of acorns as if they were jewels stunning enough to rival that of the Queen herself.

With the help of the squirrels who lived in the woodlands around their modest home, he had been able to find eight acorns left untouched by the foraging creatures— it was certainly a lucky find, and not at all a generous donation of their winter stockpile given for the reward of his rare smile each time he picked one up.

Silver had hidden them safely within his pockets on the return home, but he hadn't needed to be worried. Papa was yet to return from his visit to the castle despite the late afternoon hour, and there was still enough daylight available for what had remained to be accomplished.

Each acorn had been pierced in the center very carefully by one of his father's sewing needles until a hole large enough for a piece of twine could be ran through them all, with the ends tied snugly to fit around a certain fae's wrist. To any untrained eye, it was a crude attempt at a bracelet; to Silver, it was nothing less than his greatest wish for his Papa made tangible.

"Have you prepared a gift for Lilia-sama yet?" Sebek had asked him curiously the other day as they scampered about in the woods behind the Zigvolt home, waving swords of sticks and gleefully rolling about in the fresh build of massive snow drifts. "My father says that it's a human tradition this time of the year, to celebrate family."

" . . . I've never heard of that before, perhaps Papa doesn't know about this tradition," Silver had reflected in wonder, ignoring Sebek's wrinkled up nose at the utterly domestic title for the great General Vanrouge. Letting his 'sword' hang slack in the snow and ignoring the unsubtle way that the younger boy was trying to knock it out of his grip for a cheap win, he had worried the end of his new mitten against his mouth, brows furrowing fretfully together. " . . . Did your father say it had to be something specific?"

Having given up his blatant sabotage, Sebek had merely shrugged, kicking up a puff of snow into the air. "I think it's just a weird excuse to give us things. My father told this ridiculous story about some kind of fat man who travels across the world and delivers gifts to every child to give them joy, all at the same time in one night— as if! He'd have to be more powerful than Waka-sama in order to do that, and no one can beat him! Just the other day, I saw—"

Silver shook his head to rid himself of the unfortunately loud memory of Sebek's effusive Malleus-sama praises, touching a finger gently to the shiny, smooth pericarp as if it were just as silky smooth as the rabbits outside.

A gift to give someone joy.

It had been all he could think about as he had considered various ideas as to what could replace the typical mischievous smile on his Papa's face with a true one as equally rare as Silver's own. An edible gift was simply out of the question— thanks to his unpredictable sleeping, Silver could not be trusted to cook on his own, and seeking out help from Malleus-sama, although he would be kind enough to assist, would defeat the purpose of Silver presenting a gift that he had created all by himself. Buying something was also a moot point— his father did not allow him to wander by himself to the village, and he would have to ask his papa for money which would raise all kinds of teasing questions. Which meant, the only option that remained was for Silver to craft something out of his own hands with materials from around the cottage and woods.

But what?

The answer revealed itself a few days later, having been tucked away in one of his father's old alchemy books that Silver had been dutifully copying to work on his penmanship. The sentence only truly sunk into his brain as he read over his scrawny letters that still weren't as firm and crisp as his papa's, voice soft and halting.

The oak tree, a prominent symbol of immortality, has long since been regarded as a powerful source of magic by countless traditions, as it is held in the highest of sacred honors among all other trees. Acorns in particular are often considered talismans imbued with that great power, associated with such benefits as longevity, pain relief, prosperity, and protection (especially from evil, lightning, and illness)—

He had needed to read no further. A charm that could aid not only in his father's protection and health, but to potentially bring him the relief of the pain that plagued his hips each morning? And even better, something small enough that Silver could readily find outside and make into the kind of trinket his father could keep by him at all times for maximum effect!

His smile dares to creep a bit wider on his face as he closes small fingers around the strung brown nuts, an unfamiliar eagerness beginning to build inside of him. He had even finished just on time too! Tomorrow would be the supposed holiday that Sebek had told him about, and he could reveal his present to his father who would smile at him with that special warmth actually reaching his crinkled crimson eyes this time—

"Silver?" His father's cheerful voice rings out suddenly through their quiet home, a clattering noise resounding from the front room. "Your dear old papa is home, and with dinner too~"

With a flustered start, Silver hurriedly hides the bracelet under the soft mounds of his pillows before his father's clever ears could sense a ruse, secure for now in the stacks of plump feathery down. Hastily clambering to his feet, it's with equal caution and welcome that he peeks out around the corner of the hallway at the grinning figure, scanning the room warily for any kind of noxious, smoking dish that might signal gastro-related doom for the evening. Finding none, that small smile breaks over his face once again, and he darts eagerly out to fall into the safe embrace of his father's arms around him, face pressed snugly into the fae's stomach.

"Welcome home, Papa," he murmurs into the wine-red tunic, lifting up his chin to beam shyly up at that pointed face. "Was your visit to the castle well? Did you get to see Malleus-sama while you were there?"

Dark, gentle talons stroke through his silvery locks, and his father's sharp features somehow softens as he allows Silver to cling to his middle, directing them both smoothly to the kitchen.

"Yes, yes to all things, child— Malleus sends his best wishes, and wanted me to tell you that he is greatly appreciative of your latest artwork. 'A most fearsome depiction of a gargoyle he had not seen before' I believe were his exact words," his father chortles while Silver hides a confused frown— gargoyle? Hadn't Malleus-sama realized it was a drawing of him as a dragon? He better practice his drawing skills as much as his handwriting now . . .

"And because the Queen kept me so long, I was able to sway her into sending me home with fresh dishes from their kitchens in apology to my little beast at home," Papa gently tweaks at his nose and Silver laughs unexpectedly, playfully batting the fae's hand away as his eyes light up with delight at the prospect of having a meal from the castle tonight. The kitchen table is lined with several sealed tureens and what looks to be a marvelous example of a cake, studded high with generous pieces of dried fruit.

"Really, Papa?! This is all for us?" It's even better than he could have hoped for! They'd have so much left over for tomorrow, and his father wouldn't even have to think about 'cooking' to celebrate this new holiday, they could simply dine on delicious leftovers with plenty of dessert to share!

"All for you," his papa corrects with a smile, and Silver blinks up at him as the fae delicately extracts himself from Silver's embrace.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for a few days on an errand from Her Majesty, so this ought to tide you over in the meantime. I really did think I could whip you up several nutritional potions to keep you hale and hearty, but with how long the discussions took today, I just simply did not have the time. Perhaps we ought to invest in that strange refrigerator contraption that the Zigvolts use so that we don't run into these situations in the future, I wonder if it could be modified to run on magic—"

But Silver hears none of his father's merry ramblings, swallowing down the devastated feeling in his stomach as he's pushed numbly towards the table to receive a heaping plateful of what should have been fragrant, enticing food. All he can think of is the innocuous little bracelet resting underneath his pillows, and even the cake crumbles to ash in his mouth along with the visions of spending a wonderful day with just his father by his side.

For how would they ever celebrate together now?

[sinnerofwalpurgisnacht]

hmmmmm…

🍞

...?

???

I'm not sure what this means so I'm going to talk about bread now.

Interestingly breads have a lot of different cooking methods. Beer bread may use beer as a leavening agent instead of alongside yeast. Otherwise it might only impact the flavour when it's baked.

Tortillas are fried and were originally made with corn. Wheat was only used later on. Corn kernels would undergo nixtamalisation which involves soaking in alkaline solution. This would be done with lye, wood ash and water, before limewater would be used later. The corn in the solution is then simmered.

This process makes the outer layer of each kernel, the pericarp, easier to remove. This also removes niacin from the hominy or nixtamal which is difficult to digest. Nixtamal is the name for the processed corn but it is also known as homeny. The corn is then washed of solution with water. This usually gets rid of all of the pericarp and the corn has now officially become nixtamal which can be ground into flour and made into a dough, which is called masa, with water. This dough is then shaped into a flat circle and fried.

Faust would like to get further into other breads with deeper research into the science behind them. However I'm exceedingly busy at the moment and will not be able to.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

In cereals and other grasses, the endosperm persists during seed development and becomes the major site for the storage of starch and protein (Figure 21.23). (...) In cereals, the endosperm is not consumed during embryogenesis, and as a result it takes up a much larger volume of the mature seed (see Figure 21.23). (...) The starchy endosperm is a unique tissue, accounting for the bulk of the endosperm in cereal grains (see Figure 21.23).

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[daniela--anna]

🥀Papaver somniferum (L., 1753), commonly known as the opium poppy, is a plant belonging to the Papaveraceae family.

🥀The scientific name underlines its psycholeptic properties due to the action of various alkaloids, mainly morphine, present in raw opium, a milky substance secreted by the typical seminiferous capsule that characterizes the Papaver genus.

🥀 Flowering occurs in June-August and pollination is entomogamous, i.e. through pollinating insects attracted by the colors and nectar produced by special glands, the nectaries, present in the petals.

🥀From Papaver somniferum the following are used:

Toasted seeds as food: spices (on bread and sweet cakes) and oil;

The latex emerging from the engraved immature pericarp (opium) as the raw material of drugs and narcotics, especially morphine.

🥀Opium contains approximately 25 alkaloids;

the most important are morphine, codeine, papaverine, noscapine and thebaine.

📚 Herbal culture

🥀Papaver somniferum (L., 1753), comunemente noto come papavero da oppio, è una pianta appartenente alla famiglia delle Papaveraceae.

🥀Il nome scientifico ne sottolinea le proprietà psicolettiche dovute all'azione di vari alcaloidi, principalmente la morfina, presenti nell'oppio grezzo, una sostanza lattiginosa secreta dalla tipica capsula seminifera che caratterizza il genere Papaver.

🥀La fioritura avviene in giugno-agosto e l'impollinazione è entomogama, ossia mediante insetti pronubi attratti dai colori e dal nettare prodotto da apposite ghiandole, i nettarii, presenti nei petali.

🥀Del Papaver somniferum si usano:

I semi tostati come alimento: spezie (su pane e torte dolci) e olio;

Il lattice uscente del pericarpo immaturo inciso (oppio) come materia prima di farmaci e stupefacenti, in particolare la morfina.

🥀L'oppio contiene circa 25 alcaloidi; i più importanti sono morfina, codeina, papaverina, noscapina e tebaina.

📚 Cultura eborustica

[blrowanducks-blog]

The Symbolic Value of the Lotus in Asian Culture

Symbols are mental images that by convention play a profound role in shaping cultures and their identities. They contain within themselves a neural nexus that has been stamped by the amygdala as being numinous. A collective, awe, develops around certain symbols that hold significant meaning and the lotus flower stands out as one of the most revered and cherished symbols in Asian culture.

When the divinity contained in the life substance is about to put forth the universe, the cosmic waters grow a thousand-petaled lotus of pure gold, radiant as the sun. This is the door or gate, the opening or mouth, of the womb of the universe. It is the first product of the creative waters, the material unconscious, corruptible in the particular, but now gold as incorruptible nature in totality. It opens to give birth first to the demiurge-creator, Brahmã, or further West, Yaldabaoth. From its pericarp then issue the hosts of the created world. This is the procreative aspect of the Absolute, and the cosmic lotus is its generative organ. The cosmic lotus is the highest form or aspect of Earth. It is personified as the Mother Goddess through whom the Absolute moves into creation.

Found across various countries and religions, the lotus has captivated the hearts and minds of people for centuries and the lotus holds immense spiritual symbolism in Asian cultures, particularly in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In Hinduism, the lotus is associated with deities like Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and arts. It represents purity, enlightenment, and divine beauty. Similarly, in Buddhism, the lotus is a central symbol that embodies purity, spiritual growth, and enlightenment. The lotus flower's ability to emerge gracefully from muddy waters, pristine and untouched, symbolizes the journey from ignorance to enlightenment.

The lotus has inspired countless artistic expressions throughout Asian history. From ancient sculptures to traditional paintings, the lotus is a recurring motif in Asian art. It is often depicted in various forms, such as blooming, bud, or seedpod, each carrying its own symbolic meaning. The delicate petals and vibrant colors of the lotus have been captured in intricate details, conveying a sense of elegance, grace, and purity. The lotus is not only a subject of artistic representation but also serves as a source of inspiration for artists, poets, and writers, evoking emotions of tranquility and serenity.

The lotus also holds deep philosophical significance in Asian cultures, representing the path to spiritual enlightenment and personal growth. In Buddhism, the concept of "lotus sutra" emphasizes the idea that all beings, regardless of their circumstances or origins, have the potential to attain enlightenment. The lotus serves as a metaphor for the human soul's journey towards self-realization, transcending the worldly attachments and reaching a state of enlightenment. Its ability to rise above the murky waters symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and challenges.

Beyond its spiritual and philosophical connotations, the lotus has become an integral part of Asian cultural identity. It is a symbol of national pride, representing purity, beauty, and resilience. In countries such as India, China, Japan, and Vietnam, the lotus is closely associated with their cultural heritage. In festivals, rituals, and ceremonies, the lotus is often featured as a decorative element, signifying auspiciousness, prosperity, and good fortune.

The lotus in mind stands as a testament to the enduring power of symbolism in shaping cultural narratives and fostering a profound connection between humanity, the natural world, and search for meaning outside the empirical world.

[konjaku]

姥百合[Ubayuri] Cardiocrinum cordatum

姥[Uba] : Elderly woman

百合[Yuri] : Lily

When the lobes of the pericarp open, they are connected by thread-like fibers, and flat seeds are stacked inside. So even though the lobes open, the seeds do not spill out, and when the wind blows from the side, they fly away from the top.

This plant grows in mountainous forests and produces long, slender flowers in summer. A species endemic to Japan.

[ihavetoomuchhomeworkforthis]

Hey so one time I came up with the idea of acorn frogs, as well as mushroom slugs, and I have a little piece of paper for each of them with some drawings and explanations, but I'm visiting my grandparents at the moment, so I can't go take pictures. I want to explain the acorn frog one though, because talking about the potential reproductive systems of hypothetical photosynthetic Vulcans (I made a post about that) reminded me of it? (I'll try to keep this one slightly less wordy)

Maybe when I get home I can go take pictures of the papers.

(Nerdy explanation and theorization follows:)

So the idea was that frogs would grow inside acorns on trees, as if the acorns were little eggs, and they'd be slightly translucent such that you could see the developing frog inside.

While the frog was developing, its spine would fuse to the inner acorn shell, like how turtles work, and when it was fully developed, it would kick through the smooth egglike part of the acorn, like a butterfly escaping its cocoon, or a chick breaking out of its egg. The violent actions would also snap the stem from the branch, causing the acorn frog to fall to the ground.

It would look a bit like a turtle, except that it would be a smol frog with biiig eyes and an acorn shell on its back

Never quite figured out how that would end up turning into a tree. Maybe it IS a seed still, and when it dies its acorn genes reactivate and it gets an afterlife of becoming a tree, although it has only as much chance of achieving this as any regular acorn, and possibly less since things might think they're yummy while in all the stages of being a frog. Fortunately the old acorn frog trees go through many generations of creating acorn frogs, just like normal trees.

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Now I just have to somehow connect this idea to the photosynthetic Vulcans one from earlier :)

(feel free to disregard this theorization if you prefer the whole "normal" pon farr thing)

Edit: Alright I've read back through this and noticed that I used "shell" to describe both parts of the acorn, which got confusing. After some research it was revealed that the scaley cap of the acorn (the part with a stem where it breaks off from the branch) is called the cupule, while the smooth egglike fruit wall (the rest of the visible acorn) is called the pericarp. To clear up my intentions, I'm going to go edit and replace all the following times I said "shell" with either cupule (scaley cap) or pericarp (smooth egg shaped part)

How about, once every seven years ;) the Vulcans start (asexually) growing 1-4 little acorns branching off of various places on their upper arms and legs. (At this point, it is harmless to snap off the acorns if the Vulcan doesn't want babies.) Different growth locations are superstitiously presumed to suggest different things about the future of the growing Vulcan, and it is common to tie colorful protective slings around the acorn to prevent jostling or premature dislocation.

The growth environment of these acorns is what makes them not exact clones, because lack of genetic diversity is boring and also dangerous. There are also various superstitions about what herb/mineral salves to put on the acorn's pericarp in hopes of different future personality traits, physical traits, etc. (It's believed that the salves might be able to soak through the pericarp and cause chemical changes.)

Since the pericarp is slightly translucent, you can check on the growth progress of your developing baby Vulcan. They recieve nutrients through what is effectively an umbilical cord, which goes through the stem of the acorn (through the cupule) into the arm/leg of the parent, and connects parent to offspring in a somewhat similar way as with humans.

These acorns only reach roughly the size of oranges before the baby Vulcan(s) will start kicking through the pericarp. Once free, the baby will maneuver itself around so as to cling to the arm or leg of the parent, snapping the stem of the cupule in the process (and therefore severing the direct connection to the parent). The parent Vulcan can safely pick up, hold, and relocate the baby Vulcan as soon as this happens. The cupule of the acorn clings to the baby's back as protection for a period of a few months, like how baby humans retain a piece of the umbilical cord, except more useful (this "useful" point is arguable, not only because there are no longer dangers, but also because without it, the baby Vulcan would have camouflage against their parent, and with it, a potential predator can see exactly where to grab/bite. However in current times it would protect them from any potential falls or bumps, and sort of looks cute). The baby Vulcan is blind and deaf and useless for a while, and will cling to the body of the parent with limited (but some) movement, like a baby sloth. Also its foliage is a lot fluffier and softer everywhere than that of the adults (hehe chubby baby) and probably a bit paler too, more like lamb's ear than oak leaves or the small scale-like leaves of various coniferous trees. The parent will typically end up decorating the cupule somehow now that the whole surface is accessible for painting (possibly tied to more superstitions about ritual patterns, I got that idea from a post about Cardassian eggs which I can't remember). The eventual breaking off of the cupule is a much celebrated milestone, and the baby Vulcan will also have gained quite a bit more sight, hearing, mobility, and size by this time. The cupule is usually saved. (The parent might need to continually pick up the baby and put it back on their arm or somewhere, because the babies don't know that it's very annoying and unhelpful to have a baby climbing on your face or hands. Maybe they have to put them in slings for sleep and to stop them from climbing around distractingly)

The baby Vulcan(s) (1 to 4 of them) will continue growing, developing, gaining senses and mobility, and climbing around the parent for at least another month after they lose their shells. They'll start climbing down to the feet of their parent to attempt to walk (crawl) around on their own, and generally have more success with that than human babies since they already have so much practice climbing.

Eventually the baby Vulcans will be able to do stuff on their own. They don't technically HAVE to climb around their parent once they've broken out of the pericarp and snapped the stem, so they could be left in the quarters, but the parent would probably like to let the babies cling to them, at least while they're still small.

The one problem with this is that Vulcans aren't sloths, and don't need to have a climbing instinct, so maybe I've gone about this wrong.

Or they'd just end up being really good cuddlers.

And they secretly want to climb the walls all the time.

And probably could (except that it would be illogical)

[kingdrawcse]

Decode Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

Do you like cranberry sauce? Cranberries contain plant phytochemicals called proanthocyanidins'原花青素' that may help prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.

Procyanidin A2 is an A type proanthocyanidin, which is a polyphenolic substance of flavanol monomer and its polymer. Their same feature is to produce anthocyanin when heated in an acidic medium. Therefore, it is named proanthocyanidins. Procyanidin A2 can be found in avocado, chestnut, cranberry juice concentrate, lychee fruit pericarp, and peanut skins, having strong antioxidant activity. 

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[nulisbiargakpapa]

Literally Jeruk

Saat saya bilang suka jeruk, saya sedang tidak terpengaruh oleh The Orange Girl atau Nami. Saya sedang membicarakan ketakjuban saya terhadap 1 buah jeruk utuh yang belum juga reda hingga detik ini—bagaimana buah ini memiliki warna cerah mostly orange, segmen yang lebih dari jari sebelah tangan, jaring putih yang terletak antara kulit luar (epidermis) dan daging buah yang belakangan saya tahu namanya albedo, rasa yang menyegarkan, hingga bulir-bulir kecil di dalamnya. Ternyata, bulir-bulir kecil di dalam jeruk pun ada sebutannya, pericarp atau daging buah. Sel-sel buah yang berisi jus dan biasanya dibungkus oleh lapisan tipis yang disebut sac, dan setiap sac berisi cairan manis dan asam, yang memberikan rasa khas pada jeruk. Belum lagi aroma kulitnya yang segar menyebar saat terkelupas.

Remarkable. At least for me.