Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: UBC Botany Photo of the Day

This leaf tip was maybe three quarter's of an inch across when open, as in my image. "The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Flytrap David Attenborough looks at how this well known carnivorous plant captures its prey. This short video is from the BBC. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIGVtKdgwo I felt very honoured to be asked if I would give permission to have this image (and two others) displayed on the Harvard University's website, ARKive (May 2011). "A vast treasury of wildlife images has been steadily accumulating over the past century, yet no one has known its full extent - or indeed its gaps - and no one has had a comprehensive way of gaining access to it. ARKive will put that right, and it will be an invaluable tool for all concerned with the well-being of the natural world." Sir David AttenboroughWildscreen Patron www.arkive.org/venus-flytrap/dionaea-muscipula/image-G112... www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/2014/02/dionaea-muscipula.php

It was a real treat yesterday to have the chance to go on the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail in Kananaskis, Rocky Mountains! The trail is quite steep, leading up to alpine meadows and amazing views over deep valleys, scree slopes, alpine meadows, and jagged, barren mountain peaks. We see different plants up here, of course; ones that we don't get in the city. The lovely yellow Glacier Lily, seen above, is just one of them. Today, I am letting my body recover before setting out on a day of botanizing tomorrow, returning to a lovely property near Millarville, south west of the city. We are so lucky being allowed to go back again, to record more of the plants, birds, insects, animals and fungi, etc..

Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Various strains have been introduced to North America as a forage crop since about 1900. We came across this plant growing at Carburn Park on 23rd June 2009 - I think this is the only location in the city where it grows. Belongs to the Pea family and blooms June-August. It is considered a weed - but, as usual, a very beautiful weed. Image used on UBC Botany Photo of the Day website, 8 April 2013. www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/2013/04/onobrychis-viciif...

Photographed this plant at Bragg Creek Natural Area, east of the Kananaskis boundary. "Mountain Cranberry is a small evergreen shrub in the flowering plant family Ericaceae that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. It is seldom cultivated, but fruit is commonly collected in the wild." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_vitis-idaea

Don't worry, it's not your eyes, just a rather blurry of a flower that I don't normally get the chance to see! I wanted to show why this beautiful, tiny wildflower got its name : ) This was seen on Plateau Mountain, way south of Calgary, on 31st July.

This is such a brilliant green Lichen and it almost glows : ) This beautiful specimen was found in the forested area of Janel Butler's farm a few days ago, when we botanized their acreage. "Wolf lichens are so named because of their common use as poisons for wolves and foxes in Europe centuries ago. The lichen, with its toxic vulpinic acid, was mixed with ground glass and meat, apparently a deadly combination. The lichen was also used as a source for making a yellow-coloured dye, which is not difficult to imagine." By Daniel Mosquin, on Botany Photo of the Day. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2005/05/letharia_vulpin.php Went on a morning's walk at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this morning. We saw one of the Harlequin Ducks sitting on a log in the middle of the river and the male Hooded Merganser was on the lagoon. I had really hoped the Merganser would be swimming in an area where I could get a close view and shot - out of luck again, LOL. Wasn't sure if my legs would work today, after our very long day of hiking yesterday, but I was glad I managed to get in a walk today.

This wildflower is also known as Common Silverweed, Indian Sweet Potato, and Silverweed Cinquefoil. This is a native, common, low-creeping plant that spreads with long, red runners. Makes excellent ground cover - for those who don't like to mow lawns : ) Seen a few days ago at the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, north west of Calgary. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_anserina

"Hydnellum aurantiacum is an inedible fungus, commonly known as the orange tooth or orange Hydnellum for its reddish orange or rusty red colored fruiting bodies. Like other tooth fungi, it bears a layer of spines rather than gills on the underside of the cap. Due to substantial declines in sightings, this species is listed as critically endangered in the United Kingdom. The upper surface is orange or orange-brown in the centre, with a lighter margin. It may be velvety or tomentose when young, but will become wrinkled or lumpy in age ..... This species is inedible, due to the toughness of the flesh." From Wikipedia. This one was seen on 12th September in the West Bragg Creek Natural Area.

This plant is a member of the Rose family and grows in moist, open areas, often on sandy shores and banks. The stems are long and tufted and produce reddish green runners (stolons) that root and form new plants at nodes.

This beautiful Jamaican Poinsettia bush/tree is growing in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.

This Sea Buckthorn bush was covered in these bright orange berries - and thorns. Seen on a walk in South Glenmore Park this morning, 17 November 2007. "Its dense vegetation prevents most light from reaching the ground, which leads to the disappearance of herbaceous plants. Unprotected soil is washed away during flooding, resulting in increased siltation of waterways."