FfFfFfFF 58,120 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 The “ugliest orchid in the world”, a toadstool discovered at Heathrow airport, and a bizarre scaly shrub have topped a list of new species named by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and their collaborators in 2020. The researchers said the 156 new plants and fungi highlighted the amazing diversity of species that remain to be found, with the potential to provide new crops, medicines and gardener’s favourites. One is a morning glory plant, whose sweet purple tubers are already eaten by local people in the high Andes of Peru. A third of the new species are orchids, but one confounded the family’s reputation for great beauty, with RGB Kew calling it the “ugliest in the world”. The plant – Gastrodia agnicellus – was found in a national park in Madagascar and its 11mm flowers are brown, fleshy and grotesque, and are likely to be pollinated by flies. The strangest new species was a dwarf shrub with bizarre scaly leaves that grows in extremely hot natural salt pans in Namibia. DNA analysis showed the plant is part of the cabbage order, but represents a completely new family – such discoveries are rare. One discovery did not involve scientists tramping through jungles or across mountains but was found by searching online. The spectacular Tanzanian hibiscus was found by the Australian specialist Lex Thomson, who was studying online images of historic herbarium specimens. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/17/ugliest-orchid-in-the-world-among-2020s-new-plant-discoveries-kew-gardens Spoiler Also discovered this year are the following: - Cortinarius heatherae, species of fungi - Acanthostachys calcicola - Aloes rakotonasoloi - Diplycosia puradyatmikai - Marsdenia chirindensis https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/top-10-species-named-2020 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
homomo 23,883 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Rude that orchid ain’t hurting nobody 0110100001100101011011000110110001101111 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wetasspussy 609 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Are we gonna shame plants for their looks now? So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up So much time on the other side Waiting for you to wake up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALGAYDO 35,111 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 minute ago, FfFfFfFF said: I’m trying real hard to be mature about this, but... inB4 someone says they wanna stick their d*ck in this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorcerer92 837 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Thrilling how scientists are still discovering so many new species of plants and animals each year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanStan 574 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Wonder who Twitter SJWs will try to cancel for this plant being called ugly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Better Day 5,766 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 The second plant looks like a vagina that eats Together You And I! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARTPOPe 10,169 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Oh my, that hibiscus is stunning Reminds me of Hibiscus schizopetalus. And wow... how pink the flowers of that Morning Glory are 11 minutes ago, Sorcerer92 said: Thrilling how scientists are still discovering so many new species of plants and animals each year It's really fascinating that so many remote areas (especially those of tropical rainforests) are still pretty much unexplored by foot and we don't know much about their biodiversity. existing in the context of all in which I live and what came before me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celloo Deng 56,317 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Looks like something from Stranger Things she/her 🖤 Gaga, Billie, MJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister 9,907 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Nature is never ugly. The future's uncertain and the end is always near. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOVE JUNKIE 3,299 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, wetasspussy said: Are we gonna shame plants for their looks now? We've been doing it for centuries now on a three day bender Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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