Cyanotypes: The origins of photography | Kew
Feb 28, 2023 · Anna Atkins: The first photo book. Anna Atkins produced what is known as the first photographic illustrated book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, in 1843. Atkins was a talented illustrator but wanted to find a more accurate way to depict the structure of a …
Ginkgo tree - Ginkgo biloba | Plants - Kew
The ginkgo tree is classified as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List and has also been given a high priority conservation status by the Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) method.. Living gymnosperms (naked-seed-bearing plants that include ginkgos, conifers, cycads, and gnetophytes) are one of the most threatened groups of living organisms on the planet, with 40% of ...
Rafflesia arnoldi - Kew
While it isn’t listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, numbers of Rafflesia species across Indonesia are falling due to the impact of ecotourism.. To assist with pollination, Rafflesia flowers also produce heat which helps to spread their foul aroma. Rafflesia arnoldi pollen, unlike many other pollens, is a thick sticky liquid that dries on the back of …
Striking seasonal wonders of the Lesser Sundas | Kew
Stretching from Bali to Timor, the Lesser Sunda islands are covered in seasonal tropical forests that are home to unique flora and fauna, including the world’s largest lizard the Komodo dragon and 74 bird species found nowhere else.
The first global list of all legume species - Kew
Feb 10, 2022 · Legumes are one of the most economically important and versatile plant families. There are nearly 23,000 species (22,939 to be precise) of legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, soya beans, peanuts, and many valuable timbers, including the much-prized rosewoods.
Coca – much more than a drug source - Kew
Jul 10, 2024 · What is coca? Coca plants belong to a group of 270 species of the genus Erythroxylum.Just two of these tropical plants are cultivated by people at scale: E. novogranatense in the drier regions and E. coca in humid forest areas of the South American continent. Coca grows as a small, bushy plant, with tiny flowers and bright red fruits sprouting in groups along the length of its long thin branches.
Four flowers that have become queer symbols | Kew
Oct 23, 2023 · Violets. Possibly one of the oldest queer symbols, violets have been linked to lesbian love for over two and a half thousand years – as long as the very origins of the word. The poet Sappho lived on the Greek island of Lesbos in the 6 th century BCE and is celebrated as one of the greatest lyric poets of her time. While very little of her poetry has survived to the modern day, the fragments ...
Cacao tree - Theobroma cacao | Plants - Kew
One of the world’s most popular products, chocolate, comes from the cacao, or cocoa tree. It is made from cocoa beans: The seeds stored in the yellow fruit of the cacao tree. Cacao beans have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs mixed ground cacao beans with chilli to make a bitter and spicy drink.
Welwitschia mirabilis - Kew
Across the harsh environment of the northern Namib desert, a truly unique plant has been flourishing almost unchanged for thousands of years. Welwitschia mirabilis, often just referred to as Welwitschia, can survive for hundreds of years in the arid desert by absorbing water from sea fog and deep groundwater. Welwitschia play a key …
Tomato - Solanum lycopersicum | Plants - Kew
As members of the nightshade family (Solanceae), tomatoes were thought to be poisonous when brought to Europe and grown only as ornamental plantsBotanically, tomatoes are berries and considered fruit.However, in 1893 the US Supreme Court defined them as vegetables for tax purposes. The first genetically-engineered food to be sold in shops was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was modified to extend ...