Beautiful Botany Edition #1

By Ashley Zhao

Hey there! It's Ashley, and welcome to Beautiful Botany, Edition #1. In this blog, we'll be travelling all over the continents and looking at some of the world's rarest (and deadliest) plants. Remember to check in every Sunday for the next edition!

This week's plant is the Dewy Pine. This plant has many odd traits, but the most uncanny is the environment they call home.

Dewy Pines inhabit some of the driest, hottest places in the world. They live through long stretches without rain, and temperatures often rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). They have quite strong roots but only a few fine roots, which absorb ground water.

Without any rain or underground access, how do these plants survive in such extreme conditions?

True to its name, Dewy Pines absorb the dew that gathers every morning. They have very sticky glands on their leaves, giving them a larger surface area and allowing extra dew to gather.

Not only are these plants resilient, but they're they're also carnivorous.

Living in such harsh conditions allowed Dewy Pines to evolve. Hardly any minerals and nutrients in the soil forced them to find a different way to collect the essentials for survival.

Dewy Pine leaves are covered in stalks with sticky glands on top. The glands create mucilage, which traps bugs with surprising strength.

If you're ever travelling through hot, dry places, keep an eye out for Dewy Pines. However, their numbers dwindle every year, so it's likely you won't be able to find any.

Thanks for reading this edition, and I'll see you next time. Don't forget the Transmissions Team is hiring!