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Meredith Hemphill

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Herbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCranberryPass the cranberry sauce! Did you read that to the tune of the Bob’s Burgers song? I hope so.Music by James MilorInformation provided by:https://www.cranberryinstitute.org/cranberry-health-researchhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-botany-behind-why-cranberries-became-a-thanksgiving-staplePeterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)https://www.cranberries.org/Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2009)Cranberry: Chemical composition, antioxidant activity an...
2025-12-0111 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSkeleton FlowerSorry it sounds so echo-y. I’m dog/housesitting for my parents, so I’m not in my usual recording space. Ruby the Beagle says “hi.” Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Diphylleia grayi-inspired stretchable hydrochromics with large optical modulation in the visible–near-infrared region by Guofa Cai, et al. (2018). ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10(43), pg. 37685-37693. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b12490 [Abstract]https://www.thespruce.com/skeleton-flower-plant-profile-4802581Cytological effects of chemicals on tumors, XXV: Further studies on the effect of Diphylleia grayi extracts on tumor cell...
2025-10-1011 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreNarrow-leafed CampionThere seems to be disagreement whether it ought to be spelled narrow-leafed or narrow-leaved. Neither is easy to say, for the record.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17100574https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/120221-oldest-seeds-regenerated-plants-sciencehttps://www.livescience.com/2602-extinct-tree-christ-time-rises-dead.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/02/22/3436826.htmGermination, genetics, and growth of an ancient date seed by Sarah Sallon, et al. (2008). Science, 320(5882), pg. 1464. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1153600 [Abstract]https://www.selinawamucii.com/plants/caryophyllaceae/silene-stenophylla/Exceptional seed longevity and robust...
2025-09-2613 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDutch Elm DiseaseThis episode ended up being way more involved that I expected, but I learned so much, and I thought I knew Dutch Elm Disease pretty well already. Hopefully, y’all will learn a lot, too.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/pest_pathogen/dutch-elm-disease-html/https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/pdlessons/Pages/DutchElm.aspxhttps://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/pest-and-disease-resources/dutch-elm-disease-ophiostoma-novo-ulmi/A Dictionary of Plant Pathology by Paul Holliday (1989)https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/native-elm-bark-beetlehttps://themanitoban.com/2009/11/dutch-elm-vaccine-tested-in-winnipeg/530/https://www.unisci.co...
2025-09-1417 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreVegetable LambWe will resume my trilogy of invasive plants next week once I find my mind. Has anyone seen it?Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/running-ponies/animal-or-vegetable-legend-of-the-vegetable-lamb-of-tartary/The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: A curious fable of the cotton plant by Henry Lee (1887)https://www.nybg.org/poetic-botany/barometz/https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/curious-tale-of-vegetable-lambThe Vegetable Lamb of Tartary by Alice F. Tryon (1957). American Fern Journal, 47(1), pg. 1-7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartary
2025-09-0617 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreEpisode 88 Delayed (feat. Autumn)Don't worry, I'm okay. My car is very much not okay, unfortunately.
2025-08-2800 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePrivetsIf you’re thinking of planting a Privet, you should pivot and plant something else. Well, if you live in North or Central America, anyway, but that doesn’t rhyme.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.lewisginter.org/chinese-privet/https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/chinese-privethttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ligustrum-japonicum/https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ligustrum-sinense/https://triangleland.org/company-news/species-spotlight-chinese-privethttps://www.se-eppc.org/manual/privet.htmlhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligustrum_sinense
2025-08-1508 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCallery PearI have a complicated relationship with this stinky dead fish tree.For your entertainment, a Reddit thread about Bradford Pears: https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/comments/1bn1wpv/why_bradford_pear_is_so_hated/Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://indiananativeplants.org/2013/callery-pear-a-bad-bad-plant-in-bloom-right-now/https://www.bhg.com/gardening/trees-shrubs-vines/trees/bradford-pear-tree/https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/callery-pear-bradford-pearhttps://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/callery-pearhttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pyrus-calleryana/https://extension.umd.edu/resource/bradford-pear/https://www...
2025-08-0311 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreRafflesia, a.k.a. Corpse FlowerMeet the world’s biggest (and possibly stinkiest) flowers.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/world/worlds-largest-flower-indonesia-scn-trnd/index.htmlhttps://www.britannica.com/plant/RafflesiaPlants That Kill: A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larson (2018)https://www.kew.org/plants/rafflesia-arnoldihttps://parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.htmlhttps://richardniesenbaum.com/plants-people-2/rafflesia/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/02/colossal-blossomhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia
2025-07-1812 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreFairy LanternsIf you’re in the U.S., I hope you try and have a happy 4th of July. And as a public safety professional in my day job, I must remind you to please not start any fires or injure anyone with fireworks. ‘Kay thanks.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.popsci.com/environment/fairy-lantern-japan-extinct-fungi/https://www.discoverwildlife.com/plant-facts/thismia-malayana-factshttps://www.livescience.com/61925-fairy-lantern-plant-rainforest.htmlhttps://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-story.htmlRediscovery of Thismia neptunis (Thismiaceae) after 151 years by Michal Sochor, et al. (2018). Phyt...
2025-07-0409 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreLavenderBe a lavender menace.Music provided by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/capricorn-birth-flower/https://www.britannica.com/plant/lavenderhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Lavender-ScareCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-earth Enchantments by Ellen Dugan (2016)https://www.hrc.org/resources/lavender-graduationThe Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Greatest Drinks by Amy Stewart (2013)https://www.osgf.org/blog...
2025-06-2111 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePansySupport the Pansy Project and get a cute shirt: https://birdscanflystore.com/collection/the-pansy-project/Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/capricorn-birth-flower/Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2011)https://www.osgf.org/blog/2020/6/29/vi0rxptrmtd4v8n2epbm3otxj56z5oPeterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed...
2025-06-1308 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreVioletsRoses are (sometimes) red,Violets are (sometimes) blue,And if you ask Sappho,Violets are gay, too!Happy Pride Month 🌈Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://bouqs.com/blog/violet-flower-meaning-symbolism/Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steve...
2025-06-0707 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreGinkgoThese extra-special trees are similar to both conifers and fruit trees, but they are actually something much, much older. Ginkgoes are the only tree species around today that was alive at the same time as dinosaurs! 🦕 How cool is that?Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginkgo-biloba-benefitsMedicinal Plants at Home by Maria Transito Lopez Luengo and Carlota Manez Ariso (2015)https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-ginkgo/art-20362032Herbs at a Glance: A Quick Guide to Herbal Supplements by the National Center for Com...
2025-05-3013 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreWalking PalmIs it really possible that these trees walk around the rainforest like the Ents in Lord of the Rings?I forgot to mention that there won’t be an episode next week. Here’s your one-week notice that I’ll be on vacation next Friday. ✈️Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Stilt-Root Walking by an Iriateoid Palm in the Peruvian Amazon by John H. Bodley and Foley C. Benson (1980). Biotropica, 12(1), pg. 67-71. https://doi.org/10.2307/2387775https://www.sciencealert.com/a-persistent-rumor-suggests-this-tree-can-walk-around-but-is-it-trueThe function o...
2025-05-1610 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreHenbaneToday, at long last, I am revealing my favorite fact about witches’ flying ointment. 🧹Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.gothichorrorstories.com/witches-garden/witch-garden-feature/witches-garden-plants/henbane/Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)https://www.britannica.com/plant/henbaneCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Plants That Kill: A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larson (2018)Herbal Magick: A guide to herbal enchantme...
2025-05-1011 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCobra PlantA.k.a. the California Pitcher Plant or the Cobra Lily. It’s not a lily, not even a little bit, but it does look surprisingly serpentine. 🐍Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:The cobra's tongue: Rethinking the function of the “fishtail appendage” on the pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica by David W. Armitage (2016). American Journal of Botany, 103(4), pgs. 780-785. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1500524https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/darlingtonia_californica.shtmlhttps://www.kqed.org/science/12317/predatory-plant-lure-of-the-cobra-lilyhttps://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/cobra-lily/Pollination Biology of Darlin...
2025-05-0209 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSundewsThe carnivorous plants are back, and this time we’re looking at my favorite bug traps, Sundews!I forgot to mention in the intro that I’m going to be at RavenCon in Richmond, VA this weekend—actually, as this airs, I’m probably already on my way—and AtomaCon in North Charleston, SC next weekend. Come say “hi!”Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven...
2025-04-2511 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCordycepsWatch the real-life Zombie Fungus in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://screenrant.com/girl-all-gifts-fungal-infection-hungries-explained/https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/cordycepsInterkingdom host jumping underground: Phylogenetic analysis of entomoparasitic fungi of the genus Cordyceps by Naruo Nikoh and Takema Fukatsu (2000). Molecular Biology and Evolution, 17(4), pg. 629-638. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026341 https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/but-not-simpler/the-fungus-that-reduced-humanity-to-the-last-of-us/https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/cordycepsUnique bioactives from Zombie Fungus (Cordyceps) as promising multitargeted neuroprotective agents...
2025-04-1914 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCambodia's Penis Pitcher PlantsSometimes plants come in very silly shapes.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/3891/nepenthes-bokorensis-wildSpecies composition of ant prey of the pitcher plant Nepenthes bokorensis Mey (Nepenthaceae) in Phnom Bokor National Park, Cambodia by Shingo Hosoishi, et al. (2012). Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 5(1), pg. 3-7.Report of carnivorous plants (Droseraceae, Lentibulariaceae and Nepenthaceae) from seasonally dry savannahs in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia by Pierre-Olivier Maquart, et al. (2021). Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 14(1), pg. 1-4.Nepenthes bokorensis, a new species of Nepenthaceae from...
2025-04-1209 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreAquatic WaterwheelWhile researching this episode, I stumbled across an Insta called @horrorcultureplants that I highly recommend giving a follow.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Biological flora of Central Europe: Aldrovanda vesiculosa L. by Lubomír Adamec (2018). Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 35, pg. 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2018.10.001Studies on the leaf movement of Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., part I: Process and mechanism of the movement by Joji Ashida (1932). Memoirs of the College of Science, Kyoto Imperial University, Series B, 9(3), pg. 143-246.https://www.c...
2025-04-0511 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreServiceberry"They took all the trees, and put ‘em in a tree museum…”—Counting CrowsThat will kind of make sense in about 10 seconds. I should totally make a playlist for this podcast. Drop your recommendations in the comments.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://extension.umd.edu/resource/serviceberry-early-flowering-maryland-native-tree/Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014)https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/a...
2025-03-2908 minSpiritual Stew
Spiritual StewEpisode Three - Spiritual Stew Interview with Meredith HemphillIn this episode, I engage in a deep conversation with Meredith Hemphill, a writer and communicator who shares her upbringing in the United Methodist Church and how higher education challenged her faith, leading her to explore a fusion of beliefs, including neo-paganism and Christianity. Meredith reflects on the tensions between spirituality and sexuality within conservative religious contexts, and we examine the contemporary issues facing religion, including societal intolerance and the potential for unity amidst diversity. She offers insights on the future of organized religion and how it can adapt to a rapidly changing spiritual landscape. Lastly, Meredith promotes her...
2025-03-2650 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreToothbrush TreeI would like to introduce you to a tree that you can eat, brush your teeth with, and also use to make nanoparticles.Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World by Akbar S. Ahmed (1999)Salvadora persica L. Toothbrush Tree with health benefits and industrial applications: An updated evidence-based review by Mohamed Farag, et al. (2021). Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 29(7), pg. 751-763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2021.05.007Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)ht...
2025-03-2208 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSnowdropsThe Snowflake FairyRobed in white comes Snowflake Fairy,braving wintry winds and ice,pearly "Maid of February,"whom the glistening frosts entice.Gladly welcome Snowflake Fairy,on your terrace give her room.She alone in Februarybraves the cold to shed her bloom.—Elizabeth GordonMusic by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)ht...
2025-03-1513 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMoringaI finally got to break out my Ancient Egyptian Herbal for this one!Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-benefits-of-moringa-oleiferaMoringa oleifera: A review on nutritive importance and its medicinal application by Lakshmipriya Gopalakrishnan, Kruthi Doriya, and Devarai Santhosh Kumar (2016). Food Science and Human Wellness, 5(2), pg. 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2016.04.001Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010)An Ancient Egyptian Herbal by Lise Manniche (2006)Traditional uses, pharmacological efficacy, and phytochemistry of Moringa peregrina (Fo...
2025-03-0810 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreBleeding HeartToday is No-Buy Friday in the U.S. Aren’t you glad you can listen to this podcast for free? ;)Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023) Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014) https://www.flowermeaning.com/bleeding-heart-flower-meaning/ Wild Flowers of North Carolina and Surrounding Areas by William S. Justice and C. Ritchie Bell (1979) https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/perennials/bleeding-heart/all-about-bleeding-hearts https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu...
2025-02-2810 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreRoses, Part 2Roses are red,But can never be blue.Thanks for listening,Welcome back for part two!Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023) https://bouqs.com/blog/roses-meaning-symbolism-what-roses-signify/ https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014) Herb Magic for Beginners: Down-to-earth Enchantments by Ellen Dugan (2016) Herbal Magick: A guide to herbal enchantments, folklore, and divination (2nd ed...
2025-02-2112 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMusk FlowerThis episode appears not to have published last week when it was supposed to, and I don't know why. I'm sorry about that. It was finished and scheduled, but it still said "draft."Today's topic is the Musk Plant. No relation to Elon. It’s a flower that smells like that stuff that’s in all the perfumes and colognes. Except, it doesn’t anymore, and that’s a mystery!Music by James Milor from PixabayInformation provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secr...
2025-02-1408 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreRoses, Part 1I’ve been humming “Every Rose Has it’s Thorn” for a week. 🌹🌹🌹Music by James Milor and LuminousPresence from PixabayInformation provided by:Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023)Herbaceous: Growing, Harvesting, and Using Herbs by Sarah Baker (ed.) (2003)https://bouqs.com/blog/roses-meaning-symbolism-what-roses-signify/https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plantCunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014)Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021)https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa/The Drunken Bo...
2025-02-1411 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePeyoteLet’s take a Peyote trip (sort of)! 🌵 This cute, little, hallucinogenic cactus was one of the first plants I put on my list when I started this podcast. It's had a special place in my heart since my college ethnobotany class. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://apnews.com/article/indigenous-spirituality-protecting-peyote-sacred-d4855e65f6b011c6677d8050af9a2f8d Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures by F.J. Carod-Artal (2015) “Peyote (Mescaline)” in Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine (2nd ed.) by F.J. Couper...
2025-01-3110 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCorncockleThis plant is deadly poisonous. But there seems to be some disagreement on how deadly, which seems like something that would be easy to come to a conclusion on. Just don’t eat it. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.jeremybartlett.co.uk/2017/01/24/corncockle-agrostemma-githago/ https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/488938/Poisonous-Corncockle-spotted-in-the-UK Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/agrostemma-githago/ https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Agrostemma+githago https://www.rxlist.co...
2025-01-2408 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreLobeliasYou remember that time I forgot to plug my microphone in? 😅 Well, I didn’t do that again, but I think I didn’t have the recording settings correct because the audio sounds like it recorded through the laptop mic. Which is to say, it's terrible. The script will be publicly available on Patreon, for free, for anyone who has trouble hearing/understanding this one. That aside, this week, we’re going to take a shallow dive into a very large and diverse genus of plants by meeting three of its most popular species.
2025-01-1711 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSweet GumFun Fact: Sweet Gum seeds were carried onboard the space shuttle in 1984. The seeds were brought back down to earth and planted, and the trees survive to this day. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (2014) Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (3rd ed.) by Steven Foster and James A. Duke (2014) https://americanorchard.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/the-most-dangerous-tree-in-the-suburbs/ Kill the flu with this common backyard tree from Legacy Wilderness Ac...
2025-01-1013 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreNostocLet me tell you a little story about how star slime took over the world. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/2115 https://www.britannica.com/science/Nostoc https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/nostoc/ https://themeaningofwater.com/2024/06/02/when-a-cyanobacteria-takes-over-the-world/ https://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/nostoc-commune/ https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/nostoc-commune-star-jelly-zzs2rwhrb https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/nostoc_a_green_jelly_like_substance_growing_in_lawns
2025-01-0410 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreGingerbread TreeHappy Holidays! This tree tastes like gingerbread! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://500wordsmag.com/food/everything-you-need-to-know-about-doum-palm-fruit/ Influence of doum (Hyphaene thebaica L.) flour addition on dough mixing properties, bread quality and antioxidant potential by Waleed Aboshora, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-2063-1 https://infonet-biovision.org/trees/doum-palm Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud (2010) https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hyphaene+thebaica https://shevaundoherty.com/the-fruits-of-doum/ https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Hyphaene_thebaica ht...
2024-12-2007 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreEnglish IvyIt’s festive Friday the 13th! Today we’re looking at English Ivy, a plant that makes me want to rage. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay (2023) Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (1985) Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2009) Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich (2019) The attachment strategy of English ivy: a complex mechanism acting on several hierarch...
2024-12-1410 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreHollyI’m returning to my tradition of wintry and holiday-themed plants for December. You can call it a tradition once you’ve done it two years in a row, right? First up is Holly, which I’ve always considered a bush, but apparently it’s a tree? Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.cloudforests.ie/blog/the-holly-tree Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (2nd ed.) by Scott Cunningham (1985) Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan (2009) https://treesf...
2024-12-0710 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePlants and Fungi Discovered in 2024Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so Happy Harvest! This week, we’re reviewing the year in new botanical discoveries. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/new-fungus-species-at-worlds-end.htm Exophiala chapopotensis sp. nov., an extremotolerant black yeast from an oil-polluted soil in Mexico; phylophenetic approach to species hypothesis in the Herpotrichiellaceae family by Martin R. Ide-Perez, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297232 https://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-story.html Simocybe ramosa, a new species from the Boston Harbor Is...
2024-11-3015 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreBananas, feat. FusariumI broke out my Intro to Plant Biology textbook from college for this. I just want you to know that. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/plant/banana-plant Raven Biology of Plants (8th ed.) by Evert Eichhorn (2013) A Dictionary of Plant Pathology by Paul Holliday (1989) https://asm.org/articles/2021/june/clone-wars-how-fusarium-fungi-control-the-banana-i https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-bananas PBS News Hour. (16 January 2016). Inside the fight to save the bananas we know (and love). [Video] https://www.thespruce.com/banana-tree-growing-profile-3269353 https://www...
2024-11-2313 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePawpaw TreeIf you’ve ever eaten a Pawpaw, let me you what you think it tastes like. Is it “sunny and electric”? You can buy frozen Pawpaw pulp (and other forest-foraged goodies) from Integration Acres: https://integrationacres.com/ Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.seriouseats.com/what-are-pawpaws-wild-fruit-midwest-how-to-prep-and-eat-pawpaws https://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/01/establishing-a-pawpaw-tree-in-your-backyard/ https://www.nps.gov/articles/pawpaw.htm “Where’s a Good Giant Ground Sloth When You Need One?” by Carol Ann McCormick (March-April 2010) in North Carolina Botanical Ga...
2024-11-1512 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDesert SquashOh my stars, I finished editing early this time! Which is good, because I’ll be in Berlin next week, and I need to hustle to get an episode banked for when I’m gone. Give a holler in the comments if you also have childhood head lice trauma. 🙃 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.feedipedia.org/node/594 Bitter apple (Citrullus colocynthis) - A review of a wild plant growing from Asia to Africa with high medicinal potentials by Sidr...
2024-11-0809 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreElephant Foot YamLess late than last time! We are approaching being back on schedule! Moving into my first house is harder than I thought, y’all. Recipe for Bengali Mashed Elephant Food Yam: https://seasonalflavours.net/ol-bhaate-elephant-foot-yam/#google_vignette Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/amorphophallus-paeoniifolius.html https://conservatory.cals.cornell.edu/2016/05/18/featured-plant-amorphophallus-paeoniifolius/ A phytopharmacological review on an important medicinal plant - Amorphophallus paeoniifolius by Yadu Nandan Dey, et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8520.100303 https://bl...
2024-11-0209 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreBloodrootThis time, we’re going to talk about something truly terrifying: medical fraud! 😱 But also a bleeding plant, because you have to have balance. And no, we are not going to talk about how late this episode is. In fact, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. If you want to know more about black salve, check out episode 253 of Sawbones (link below). Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.verywellhealth.com/bloodroot-4175168 Sanguinaria canadensis: Traditional medicine...
2024-10-2812 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreAudrey IISpecial thanks to the production of the Little Shop of Horrors stage musical I saw at NC State when I was in college. That was a first class play. I say as someone who goes to the theater maybe twice a year. But I have seen my fair share of horror musicals. There are more of them than you think. I don’t quite have my recording setup ready in the new house yet, so sorry the audio is kind of bleh. Music by James Milor from Pixabay ...
2024-10-1913 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreWolfsbanea.k.a Monkshood or Aconite This episode has it all: murderers, witches, werewolves, vampires, and tips for your poison garden! And it would have been on time, if not for Spectrum. 😒 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8492936.stm https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/plants_and_gardening/monsters_magic_and_monkshood https://www.britannica.com/plant/monkshood Aconite poisoning by Thomas Y. K. Chan (2009) https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650902904407 [Abstract] https://www.drugs.com/npp/aco...
2024-10-1314 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreGhost FungusSpooky, scary mushrooms are glowing in the forest. 👻 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https:/id.biodiversity.org.au/node/fungi/60094367#overview “Fungus of the Week: Ghost Fungi Bioluminescence” by Alison Downing, et al. from McQuarie University https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/15/hunting-the-ghost-fungus-glowing-mushrooms-in-australias-forests https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTWBt00vVU https://theconversation.com/the-glowing-ghost-mushroom-looks-like-it-comes-from-a-fungal-netherworld-111607 The ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis (Berk.), new to Indonesia, poisoned foragers by Ivan P. Putra, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjs.2023.01.002 Bioluminescence in the...
2024-10-0409 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePlantain (Plantago)Someday I should cover the plantain fruit, too, just to be chaotic—I mean informative. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/plantain-weed https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Plantago%20major https://www.weedsandwildmedicine.co.uk/blog-1/plantain-the-sacred-herb-under-our-feet Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013) Plantago major in Traditional Persian Medicine and modern phytotherapy: A narrative review by Younes Najafian (2018) Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of Plantago major L. and its active co...
2024-09-2708 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDeath CapsWe’re getting a bit of a head start on Spooky Season. Poisonous mushrooms! Political intrigue! Murder most foul! Like, seriously. So foul. And I’m pretty sure this is at least the second time Nero has come up on this show. I can’t escape that guy. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/17/1175494500/new-hope-for-an-antidote-to-death-cap-mushrooms-and-other-poison-fungi https://www.britannica.com/science/death-cap “Death Cap mushrooms can kill” from British Columbia Centre for Disease Control https://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/death-cap...
2024-09-2212 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSunflowersHappy Friday the 13th! This plant has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to say it. We’re actually talking about Sunflowers, because they’re seasonal and they have taken over our front yard for some reason. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://gardencollage.com/change/sustainability/scientists-using-sunflowers-clean-nuclear-radiation/ https://www.kew.org/plants/sunflower https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a32638/sunflower-fun-facts/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-sunflowers-are-ukraines-national-flower-180979850/ The National Sunflower Association (https://www.sunflowernsa.com/) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/heli...
2024-09-1411 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreKudzuI’m back, everyone! My voice doesn’t sound the best still, but I’m plowing ahead anyway. For the belated final week of Southern Plant Month, let’s meet the most hated plant in the South: kudzu. If you’re in North Carolina and would like to try some of the kudzu delicacies I mentioned, look up Carolina Kudzu Crazy (https://www.facebook.com/p/Carolina-Kudzu-Crazy-100063473593361/). Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/ https://www.ajc.co...
2024-09-0612 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreNo Episode This WeekI'm sick. 🤧
2024-08-2900 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCottonToday, we’re talking about the world’s favorite natural fiber. It’s pretty strange, if you think about it, that Cotton plants grow these fluffy, candy floss clouds. To be clear, it’s cotton boll, not bowl. My accent is not my friend in this episode. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.fairindigo.com/blogs/news/what-is-pima-cotton-and-how-is-it-different https://www.cottoninc.com/cotton-production/quality/classification-of-cotton/overview/ https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/cotton-and-wool/cotton-sector-at-a-glance/ http://www.historyofclothing.com/text...
2024-08-2309 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMagnoliaThis one goes out to you, D’Bravius. I have never known anyone else to get so excited about a Magnolia tree. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/333 https://gardens.si.edu/learn/blog/the-botany-of-magnolias/ https://www.gardenia.net/genus/magnolia-tree https://www.gardenia.net/plant/magnolia-virginiana-sweet-bay-magnolia https://blog.natureplusme.com/types-of-magnolia https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-acuminata/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-fraseri/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-macrophylla/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-tripetala/ A...
2024-08-1711 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreTobacco, Part 2With (sort of) special appearances by Tobin Bell, Rosalind Franklin, and a 19th-century Dutch scientist whose name I certainly did not get right. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) - A model system for tissue culture interventions and genetic engineering by Thumballi R. Ganapathi, et al. (2004) [Abstract] In vitro transformation of cultured cells from Nicotiana tabacum by Agrobacterium tumefaciens by L. Marton, et al. (1979) [Abstract] https://www.pmiscience.com/en/smoke-free/nicotine/tobacco-plant-research/ On the historical significance of Beijerinck and his...
2024-08-1012 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreTobacco, Part 1I actually planned to have two parts this time. And I hope this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: this podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes, not medical advice. Please, please do not attempt using tobacco for any of the historical medical purposes mentioned in this episode just because I said it’s been done before. Not everything that has been done should be repeated. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Medicinal uses of tobacco in history by Anne Charlton (2004) https://doi...
2024-08-0313 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMariposa LilySpecial thanks to Brooke for suggesting today’s episode topic, Mariposa Lilies. Also, “mariposa” and “lily” have ceased to sound like words to me. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/Mariposa_Lily.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_soil Butterfly Mariposa Lily Phylogeography and population genetics reveal ring species patterns in a highly polymorphic California lily by Adriana I. Hernández, Jacob B. Landis, & Chelsea D. Specht (2022) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14313 “Plant Guide...
2024-07-2610 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreLamb's EarShould there ever be another toilet paper shortage, just grow this plant in your yard, and you’ll be good to go. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2016/jul/29/plant-lambs-ears-and-keep-wool-carder-bees-happy https://hilltop.indiana.edu/news-events/_news/news9i.html https://mimiciftligi.com/en/blogs/gastronomi_ve_dogal_sifa/kuzu-kulagi-bitkisi-faydalari-nelerdir https://www.joellane.org/history/the-gardens/lambs-ear https://shorehomeandgarden.com/2022/08/02/the-lore-behind-alluring-lambs-ears/ https://ourpermaculturelife.com/edible-medicinal-ornamental-herb-lambs-ear/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/stachys-byzantina/ https://nativebeeology.com/2020/05/12/carder-bees-and-lambs-ear/ https://en.m.wikipedia.or...
2024-07-2007 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDead Man's FingersWe haven’t done a fungus in a while, and this one was separately sent to me by both of my parents. So, it was practically an order from on high. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/dead-mans-fingers-purdue-landscape-report/ Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.)Grev. (Dead man's fingers) and its ethnomycological study by Ganesh Hedawoo (2021) https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2019/10/from-the-grave-dead-mans-fingers/ https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dead-mans-fingers https://first-nature.com/fungi/xylaria-polymorpha.php https://extension.psu.edu/spooktacular-flora-and-fungi https://en.m.wikipedia.or...
2024-07-1206 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDyer's CrotonI was hoping this plant was going to be a little more explode-y, but you can paint and make cheese with it, so that’s pretty cool. I didn’t really think about the fact that my day off was also the day everyone sets off fireworks (even though they’re illegal in North Carolina) before I decided it would be a good time to record. At least it’s kind of on theme. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Prokinet...
2024-07-0609 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreTriffidsI’m trying a new thing today. Y’all will get to hear my “radio voice.” Is that a treat or a punishment? You tell me. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/triffid-triffidus-celestus/ Steve Sekeley (Director). (1963). The Day of the Triffids [Film]. Security Pictures, Ltd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951)
2024-06-2910 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDesert CottonOur plant this week is Desert Cotton, which is also known as Kapok Bush. It turns out there is also a Kapok Tree, and that was totally not confusing at all when we were researching this episode. 😵‍💫 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Association of Morphological, Ecological, and Genetic Diversity of Aerva javanica Populations Growing in the Eastern Desert of Egypt by Noha A. El-Tayeh, et al. (2020) https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030402 Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud A Review on...
2024-06-2207 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreYarrowOur plant today symbolizes both war and healing. It’s been used to make beer, soup, and tea, but if you see it in the wild, you would probably just think it’s a weed. Which it is, but a useful one. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Flowers and their Meanings by Karen Azoulay https://www.almanac.com/yarrow-and-its-medicinal-uses-healing-garden-herb https://www.almanac.com/plant/yarrow https://www.botanical.com/~botanid5/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/yarrow https://santafebotanicalgarden.org...
2024-06-1507 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMad HoneyI forgot to mention this in the episode, so bonus fact: mad honey poisoning can theoretically be fatal, but no one has actually died from it since the 1800s. These days, we have treatments for severe poisonings, one of which is actually atropine! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://theapiarist.org/mad-honey/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/mad-honey-red-hallucinogen Risks for human health related to the presence of grayanotoxins in certain honey by the European Food Safety Authority (2023) https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7866 Grayanotoxin poisoning: ‘Ma...
2024-06-0810 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCatnipFeaturing several detours into catmint, which is almost, but not quite, the same thing. Article on catnip from my defunct blog: https://encyclopaediafelidae.com/crazy-for-catnip/ Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Catnip: Its raison d’être by T. Eisner (1964) https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/catmint-vs-catnip/ www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211103125.htm https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/catnip-nepeta-cataria/ https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e433 https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nepeta-cataria/ Catnip and oestrous behaviour in the...
2024-06-0109 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDeadly NightshadeIt’s one of history’s favorite poisons, Deadly Nightshade! It’s also one of my favorite plants, because it is both pretty and horribly toxic. The flowers are my favorite color! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Atropa Belladonna intoxication: a case report by Mohamed Adnane Berdai, et al. (2012) https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/magical-mystical-and-medicinal/belladonna https://sites.evergreen.edu/plantchemeco/deadly-nightshade/ https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/deadly-nightshade-botanical-biography https://www.rxlist.com/how_do_anticholinergic_agents_work/drug-class.htm An Evidence-Based Systematic Review...
2024-05-2511 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreGuanacaste TreeThere is COVID in our house, and I still have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow. I can’t think of a clever description, but I managed to make an episode on time, so be proud of me, please. This tree is named after intestines. That’s pretty interesting, right? Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR372 https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=734 Chemical composition, secondary metabolites and nutritive value of elephant-ear tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Gris...
2024-05-1808 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreStinging NettleMeet the stinging nettle, a plant you don’t want to touch but might want to eat…or wear. Alysse Creations: https://alysse-creations.info/ The website is in French, because they are in France. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Nettle as a distinct Bronze Age textile plant by C. Bergfjord, et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fsrep00664 https://www.britannica.com/plant/stinging-nettle Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties by Hari Pras...
2024-05-1109 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreBladderwortIt’s the last week of Carnivorous Plant Month. 😢 But we’re finishing up with a real overachiever. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://entomologytoday.org/2024/03/27/bladderwort-carnivorous-plant-mosquito-biological-control/ https://www.britannica.com/plant/bladderwort http://www.batladyherbals.com/2021/03/bladderwort.html Evaluating the carnivorous efficacy of Utricularia aurea (Lamiales: Lentibulariaceae) on the larval stages of Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) by Ajeet Kumar Mohanty, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjae038 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utricularia
2024-04-2610 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreButterwortThis week’s carnivorous plant is bad news for gnats, flies, and mosquitoes, but maybe good for cows? Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://botany.org/home/resources/carnivorous-plants-insectivorous-plants/pinguicula-the-butterworts.html https://www.learnaboutnature.com/plants/carnivorous/butterworts/ https://www.ukhouseplants.com/plants/pinguicula-butterworts https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinguicula https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-butterwort
2024-04-1908 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarrePitcher PlantsMake sure you celebrate International Plant Appreciation Day tomorrow! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: Carnivorous plants: Phylogeny and structural evolution by Victor A. Albert, Stephen E. Williams, & Mark W. Chase (1992) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1523408 Fluid physico-chemical properties influence capture and diet in Nepenthes pitcher plants by Vincent Bazile, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu266 https://www.britannica.com/plant/pitcher-plant https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2023/11/how-carnivorous-Asian-pitcher-plants-acquired-signature-insect-traps.html How a sticky fluid facilitates prey retention in a carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes rafflesiana) by...
2024-04-1207 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreVenus FlytrapApril is Carnivorous Plant Month! Because I said so. This week, we’re talking about one of Charles Darwin’s favorite plants, the Venus Flytrap. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.zmescience.com/science/venus-flytrap/ https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2021/01/five-things-about-venus-flytraps/ Testing Darwin’s hypothesis about the wonderful Venus flytrap: marginal spikes form a ‘horrid prison’ for moderate-sized insect prey by Alexander L. Davis, et al. (2019) https://doi.org/10.1086%2F701433 https://www.fws.gov/species/venus-fly-trap-dionaea-muscipula https://www.the-scientist.com/how-the-venus-flytrap-captures-its-prey-71429
2024-04-0510 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreToothache PlantIt’s electric! An Electric Daisy, that is, also known as Toothache Plant, Buzz Buttons, Jambu, and a bunch of other things. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The effect of toothpicks containing flavoring and flavoring plus jambu extract (spilanthol) to promote salivation in patients diagnosed with opioid-induced dry mouth (xerostomia) by Bennet Davis, et al. (2017) https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2017.0402 Phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Spilanthes acmella: A review by Suchita Dubey, et al. (2013) https://doi.org/10.1155%2F2013%2F423750 Rhamnogalacturonan from Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K...
2024-03-2907 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSilphiumI forgot to plug in my microphone, but it’s late and that took a long time to record, so it’s just going to sound however it sounds. 🙃 I’m totally a professional. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170907-the-mystery-of-the-lost-roman-herb https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/miracle-plant-eaten-extinction-2000-years-ago-silphion https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/silphium-mystery Next chapter in the legend of silphion: Preliminary morphological, chemical, biological and pharmacological evaluations, initial conservation studies, and reassessment of the regional extinction event by Mahmut...
2024-03-2317 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreShamrockBeware the Ides of March…and happy early Saint Patrick’s Day! Who doesn’t love some history? Today’s history lesson is about shamrocks. What actually is a shamrock, anyway? ☘️ It’s a more complicated question than you might think. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/plant/clover-plant https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/22170#page/113/mode/1up https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/30126#page/235/mode/1up https://www.irishtimes.com/news/how-ireland-lost-the-battle-for-the-shamrock-in-germany-1.17004 https://time.com/5550579/shamrock-history/ https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/article/the-difference-between-irish-shamrocks-and-four-leaf-clovers/ https://extens...
2024-03-1508 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreStrangler FigI’m back from vacation with a new microphone. So, how do you feel about murderous trees? P.S. The new microphone is great. It is a lot more sensitive than the old one, though, so I’m sorry about the airplane (?) at about 4:35. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/strangler_figs.php https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST250 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1975.14.5.S/ https://www.science.org/content/article/being-strangled-may-save-tree-s-life https://en.m...
2024-03-0807 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreTheobroma cacaoNow that February is almost over, you’ll finally get to learn about a properly romantic plant. But hey, chocolate is always worth waiting for, right? This episode references human sexual behavior. Only very mildly, but in case the kiddos like to listen, here’s your advance notice. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://doi.org/10.1215/00141801-52-4-673 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/archaeology-chocolate-180954243/ https://www.secondshistory.com/home/2021/2/21/chocolate-mesoamerican-aphrodisiac https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate https://www...
2024-02-2310 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreWasp-Mimicking OrchidsHappy Belated Valentine’s Day! 💚 These orchids definitely think that only fools rush in—in fact, they’re counting on it. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995293 https://www.science.org/content/article/orchids-deceive-amorous-male-wasps https://phys.org/news/2017-05-sexually-deceptive-spider-orchids-wasps.html https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Plant_Strategies/mimicry.shtml https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2014/09/deceptive-orchids-luring-wasps-for-pollination/
2024-02-1607 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMandrake, Part 2Welcome back to Mandrakes! In part two, I’m covering the magical uses and folklore of Mandrake, as well as some of the places it has sprouted up in pop culture. This is another plant we learned about in my ethnobotany class, so shout out #2 to Dr. De Gezelle. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by Guillermo Benítez, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874 https://youtu.be/xSdD-mVsjRg?si=sfyNighAK-K3ZmP...
2024-02-0907 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMandrake, Part 1I accidentally made my first two-parter! Oops? Mandrake is just a really interesting plant, and there was a lot I wanted to tell you about it. In part one, I’ll cover what a Mandrake is, why this plant was so important to the ancient world, and why it’s one of my “romantic” plants for February. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by Guillermo Benítez, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874 https://youtu.be/xSdD-mVsj...
2024-02-0208 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDaturaScary story time! But like, seriously. Thanks to Dr. Jillian De Gezelle for introducing me to this beautiful, nightmarish flower. Apologies if the sound editing is not my best work. It’s been that kind of week. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.unilad.com/news/worlds-scariest-drug-crime-gangs-20220822 “Pharmacological properties of Datura stramonium L. as a potential medicinal tree: An overview” by Priyanka Soni, et al. (2012) https://sunrisehouse.com/herbal-drugs/datura/ “Million dollar ride: Crime committed during involuntary scopolamine intoxica...
2024-01-2612 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCarolina HorsenettleToday’s topic, Carolina Horsenettle, was suggested by Kate Shaw. Check out her podcast, Strange Animals Podcast, here: https://strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net/ My Experience with Solanum carolinense in the Treatment of Epilepsy, by Dr. C. F. Barber (1895): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/458507 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-profiles/horsenettle https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/how-toxic-is-this-weed/ https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=393&cname=Horse+nettle https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ho...
2024-01-1908 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreJack-o-Lantern MushroomIt’s the first listener suggestion! Thanks to Ryan for today’s topic: Jack-o-Lantern Mushrooms. And my regards to your step-dad. I hope he learned from his mycological mistake. Jack-o-Lantern Identification: https://youtu.be/gwjabCshMI4?si=EsJaSrsjhcgByyfs Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://foragerchef.com/know-thy-enemies-jack-olantern-mushrooms/ https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/omphalotus-illudens.php https://defector.com/an-ode-to-the-jack-o-lantern-mushroom-a-poisonous-friend https://grocycle.com/jack-o-lantern-mushroom/ “Irofulven – Halloween Trick or a Beacon of Light” by Elinoar Shavit in Medicinal Mushrooms, Vol 1(1), Spring 2008 https://en.m.wikipedi...
2024-01-1208 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreCentury PlantHappy New Years! 🧨 It’s not a new century, but we’re going to talk about the Century Plant anyway. Because I wanted to. It’s big and spiky, and once in a great while, it makes an asparagus tree (sort of). Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://facts.net/nature/plants/13-astounding-facts-about-century-plant/ https://www.gardenia.net/plant/agave-americana-century-plant https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=agam https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/agave/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/an-ode-to-the-century-plant/ https://en.m.wikiped...
2024-01-0507 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreAmanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)I want to tell you about one of my favorite botanicals! It’s a fungus you’re sure to recognize. The mushrooms are red with white spots. It’s called Amanita muscaria or fly agaric, and it is both hallucinogenic and poisonous. What’s not to love? 🍄 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCS9ePWuLU “Amanita muscaria: Chemistry, ecology, myths” by Carboue, Q. & Lopez, M. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030069 “The deceptive mushroom: Accidental Amanita muscaria poisoning” by Rampolli, F.I. et al. https://d...
2023-12-2913 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMistletoeIt’s time for our holiday surprise! What’s green, sits in treetops, and makes people weirdly romantic? Yes, it’s mistletoe, my favorite festive parasite. 🎄 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.dictionary.com/e/mistletoe/ https://blog.nwf.org/2012/12/12-things-to-know-about-mistletoe/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/biology-mistletoe-180976601/ https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/mistletoe/ https://www.britannica.com/plant/parasitic-plant
2023-12-1509 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMyrrhI apologize if you can hear my mom wrapping presents in the background of this episode, but ‘tis the season. For Part 2 of our festive plant trio, we meet a tree that cries bitter tears and kills intestinal worms. Happy Holidays! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Commiphora myrrh: a phytochemical and pharmacological update” by Gaber El-Saber Batiha et al. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00210-022-02325-0 https://www.botanicalrepublic.com/blogs/beauty/what-is-myrrh-oil-used-for-in-skincare https://www.drugs.com/npp/myrrh.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics...
2023-12-0908 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreFrankincenseWelcome to the first of three holiday-themed episodes! Thanks for the suggestion, Mom. This week’s subject is Frankincense. Not a plant, exactly, but a plant product that has enormous importance in human history and culture. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/topic/frankincense https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/frankincense-trees-declining-overtapping https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/science/frankincense-trees-collapse.html?smid=nytcore-android-share https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2009.1472.1479 https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/boswellia https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/brief-history-frankincense
2023-12-0108 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreMaizeHappy Native American Heritage Day in the United States! We’re talking about a plant that featured heavily in traditional Native American agriculture which has now become a huge global crop. In the U.S., it’s called corn, but the international name is maize. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/plant/corn-plant https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/%E2%80%98all-corn-is-the-same%E2%80%99-and-other-foolishness-about-america%E2%80%99s-king-crops “A single domestication for maize shown by multilocus microsatellite genotyping” by Yoshihiro Matsuoka, et al. https://doi.org...
2023-11-2408 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreSensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica)This week’s plant is a little shy, so be sure to give it a warm welcome! Just don’t try to give it a hug. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Mimosa pudica L. (Laajvanti): An overview” by Hafsa Ahmad et al. https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0973-7847.99945 https://www.britannica.com/plant/mimosa https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-sensitive-plant https://greenhouse.biology.indiana.edu/features/fun-plants/Mimosa-pudica.html “Neutralisation of lethality, myotoxicity and toxic enzymes of Naja kaouthia venom by Mimosa pudica root extracts” by Monimala...
2023-11-1708 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreWelwitschiaI’m dedicating this week’s episode to one of my plant biology professors, Dr. Larry Blanton, because it’s about his favorite plant: Welwitschia mirabilis. It’s weird and wonderful, and there is literally nothing else like it. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Distribution of Welwitschia mirabilis” by Robert J. Rodin https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1953.tb06480.x https://pza.sanbi.org/welwitschia-mirabilis “Pollination Biology of Welwitschia mirabilis HOOK. f. (Welwitschiaceae, Gnetopsida)” by Wolfgang Wetschnig and Barbara Depisch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arm
2023-11-1009 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreTomatoToday we’re talking about one of my favorite fruits, the tomato. You’re probably pretty familiar with it, as it’s one of the most popular crops in the world, especially for home gardeners. But there might be a thing or two you didn’t know about this very common food plant. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Solanine Toxicity (Solanum tuberosum L., Solanum lycopersicum L.)” by Dr. Donald G. Barceloux Genetic Diversity in Plants, Chapter 8: Genetic Diversity in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum...
2023-11-0311 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreBleeding Tooth FungusHappy Halloween! For our (almost) Halloween episode, I wanted something that felt like it belonged at a Halloween party. I hereby introduce you to the Bleeding Tooth Fungus, a mushroom that looks scary but is actually pretty nice to have around. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-bleeding-tooth-fungus https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/fungus-lichen/is-bleeding-tooth-fungus-safe.htm https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/devils-tooth-fungus.html http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/f2012/deflorin_patr/index.htm
2023-10-2708 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreDoll's EyesThere are always eyes watching you in the woods—even on the plants! This week’s plant continues the October vibes with White Baneberry, a.k.a. Doll’s Eyes. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers-white-baneberry-actaea-pachypoda.html https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2017-10-27-dolls-eyesa-great-halloween-plant https://www.jacksonprogress-argus.com/content/tncms/live/ https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=acpa http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Actaea+pachypoda https://oaklandcountyblog.com/2019/09/13/a-dark-secret-of-dolls-eyes/ https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantP...
2023-10-2006 minHerbarium of the Bizarre
Herbarium of the BizarreGhost PipeIt’s the very first episode of Herbarium Bizarre, and for this very spooky Friday, October 13th, we’re learning about a plant that looks like a ghost! And also like a mushroom. A mushroom ghost, perhaps? 👻 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://bio4climate.org/featured-creature/featured-creature-ghost-pipes/ https://www.foraged.com/blog/how-to-use-ghost-pipe https://nystateparks.blog/2018/08/28/the-ghost-plant-a-closer-look-at-the-spookiest-plant-in-the-forest/ https://wanderingrosetravels.com/trip-activities/ghost-pipe-wildflower-rare-mystical/ https://www.wildcalifornia.org/post/into-the-haunted-forest-ghost-pipe
2023-10-1310 minThe Latinx/e In Social Work Podcast
The Latinx/e In Social Work PodcastIllnesses Happen to People | Meredith Hemphill, LCSW-R, DSW & Abigail Nathanson, LCSW, DSW, APHSW-C, ACSOur guests today are:Meredith Hemphill, LCSW-R, DSW (she/her/hers) works as a Clinical Director and Director of Community Relations at City Center Psychotherapy in New York City. She teaches within the social work programs at New York University and Columbia University, and is a graduate of the Zelda Foster certificate program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in social work from New York University, and bachelor’s degree at Brown University. She has acted as a Guest Editor for the Clinical Social Work Journal for...
2023-10-031h 04Caregivers - The Bloodline with LLS
Caregivers - The Bloodline with LLSStrap on your Oxygen Mask First: Being a Parent with CancerMeredith Hemphill Ruden, DSW, LCSW Join us as we speak to Dr. Meredith Hemphill Ruden, who had an informative session at CancerCon on Parenting with Cancer. Meredith is a licensed clinical social worker, 13-year Melanoma cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Feather Foundation. In this episode, Meredith dives into the challenging topic of being a parent while dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. After becoming a social worker following treatment, she started to notice that there weren’t as many resources to help parents who had cancer. To combat this shortfall, she started The Feather Foundation, a no...
2020-12-0834 minParenting - The Bloodline with LLS
Parenting - The Bloodline with LLSStrap on your Oxygen Mask First: Being a Parent with CancerMeredith Hemphill Ruden, DSW, LCSW Join us as we speak to Dr. Meredith Hemphill Ruden, who had an informative session at CancerCon on Parenting with Cancer. Meredith is a licensed clinical social worker, 13-year Melanoma cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Feather Foundation. In this episode, Meredith dives into the challenging topic of being a parent while dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. After becoming a social worker following treatment, she started to notice that there weren’t as many resources to help parents who had cancer. To combat this shortfall, she started The Feather Foundation, a no...
2020-12-0834 minCaregivers - The Bloodline with LLS
Caregivers - The Bloodline with LLSStrap on your Oxygen Mask First: Being a Parent with CancerMeredith Hemphill Ruden, DSW, LCSW Join us as we speak to Dr. Meredith Hemphill Ruden, who had an informative session at CancerCon on Parenting with Cancer. Meredith is a licensed clinical social worker, 13-year Melanoma cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Feather Foundation. In this episode, Meredith dives into the challenging topic of being a parent while dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. After becoming a social worker following treatment, she started to notice that there weren’t as many resources to help parents who had cancer. To combat this shortfall, she started The Feather Foundation, a no...
2020-12-0834 minPALOOLA: Botanical
PALOOLA: BotanicalWinterise, with Dr. Meredith RudenBotany in Psychology In 2015, 55% of the World’s population lived in urban centers, a number that will increase to 68% by 2050, according to the UN. Today, half of the World’s urban population lives in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants, and many with little daily access to nature. Just before the pandemic hit New York in March, I started Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)—something I had wanted to try for some time—and it was great in helping me to structure my day, and focus my energy to get the most out of work and play. With new...
2020-11-1922 min