An awesome second-hand botanical book that I found recently circa 1952. I tried to look into the owner of the book, a Mr. Rex Moon Gloucester, yet could not find that name in any records (Ancestry). I did however find a Rex H Moon who was born in 1924 and lived in Gloucester so that was interesting. I also found some information on the books author (botanist C.W Wardlaw) via Wikipedia, as I find the stories behind the books intriguing as well (I will post a link below).
Other than that, I wanted to share a page with you from chapter 6, as it reminded me of a book we had touched upon in my course regarding the mathematics behind nature (Fibonacci sequence). This book by Sharman Apt Russell, focuses on the physics of beauty and the seven universal truths (in chapter 1) that have been discussed by philosophers/ scientists such as Kelly. C Smith (an astrobiologist) throughout the centuries. You can see patterns in our organs, the mid-sagittal plane in the body has bilateral symmetry and allows the brain to recognise differing orientations of the body, thus making visual perception easier. You can also see symmetry in the animals around us, such as the beautiful patterns found in a peacock's tail that will guarantee it a more successful chance at reproduction. Likewise, when you look at plants there is beauty in the symmetry of say the leaf of the Goethe (Kalanchoe pinnata) and petals of the Camellia (japonica) flower. There are rhythms in our body like the beat of our heart, the circadian rhythms that tell a bear when to hibernate, and the seasons that occur within the 365 days it takes for Earth to orbit around the Sun.
Chaos theory (Edward Lorenz) teaches us that the universe is self-organising, just as the Gaia hypothesis (James Lovelock) teaches us that the universe depends on positive and negative feedback. Yet despite its order and balance the universe is still mysterious, free, and unpredictable. With that I will leave you with this word I came across today, as it fits this topic perfectly; and although only a few chapters were touched upon, in regard to the curriculum I had to follow. I will go back and look through some of the other sections to further continue my research and learning. Attached below I will also share some pages from Russell's book, along with a link to K.C Smith's research, and some plant cells I photographed under my son's microscope.
Fun Fact- Plants release VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) into the air when in danger. Similar to animal pheromones, they allow plants to find food and identify their kin around them. One known as MeJa (methyl jasmonate) also warns neighbouring plants when they're under attack, say by grazing animals. Then after such an incident a plant would release Methyl salicylate, which acts chemically as a painkiller to help the plants recovery processes. In regard to parasites, VOCs also help to turn on anti-insect and fungal toxins as a means of self-preservation. They also send out sound signals, which you can find on YouTube as plant music. Other cool things I’ve found over the years online are planet sounds and the floral pattern of Mars seen dancing from planet Earth. Finally, did you know that holly leaves only become spiky once nibbled to act as a deterrent, and that plants have a vascular system just as we do? Xylem which transports water and minerals from the roots, and phloem which transports food around the plant from the leaves after photosynthesis.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Wardlaw (Claude Wilson Wardlaw)
https://kcs098.wixsite.com/research/my-research (Kelly. C Smith)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gPERvgAQTc (Plant music)
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/sinister-sounds-of-the-solar-system/ (Planet sounds)
