Winter Residents

Day 131: Homo sap. as a species thinks of itself as the cream of creation. We have opposable thumbs. We have incredibly versatile brains. We have created technology to help us create more technology. We have imagined such concepts as "time" and "money," and we are constantly battling to come out on top of the other guy. Admirable traits? I think not. All of the above have done little except cause us grief, and would do nothing to help us survive in the same "real world" of those creatures we refer to inappropriately as "lesser." Many of the physical adaptations on which we pride ourselves are nothing to write home about when compared, for example, to a hummingbird whose countercurrent circulatory system and ability to enter a state of torpor allow it to survive sub-freezing temperatures. Would we survive with 60-70% of our cells frozen solid? Not hardly, but some frogs can, and so can many plants. The fact that I can grip a hammer, embrace a conspiracy theory, make a phone call to speak to an AI interface, race to meet a deadline, buy unimaginable numbers of things no sensible being needs, and stomp my opponents into the mud means nothing compared to a hummingbird's remarkable ability to endure despite all Nature throws at it.

Drymocallis Glandulosa, Sticky Cinquefoil

Day 304: Of a dozen or so species to be found in field guides under the name of "Potentilla" which are reported to occur in Mount Rainier National Park, at least two have been reclassified taxonomically to Drymocallis. While both Potentilla and Drymocallis still retain the common name of "Cinquefoil," they are genetically distinct; case in point, Drymocallis glandulosa, a "protocarnivore." As its scientific name suggests, this Drymocallis exhibits gland-tipped hairs (trichomes) along its stem and on its sepals. These glandular structures secrete a sticky substance which serve as a line of defense against predation by insects, but unlike the trichomes of true carnivores like Round-Leaved Sundew, the secretions produced by Drymocallis contain no digestive enzymes. Whether or not Drymocallis is on an evolutionary path toward full carnivory is a subject of much conjecture among botanical researchers, but its present morphology points up an interesting consideration: maybe insects won't take over the world. Plants are finding ways to fight back!