Episodios
-
Special thanks to the production of the Little Shop of Horrors stage musical I saw at NC State when I was in college. That was a first class play. I say as someone who goes to the theater maybe twice a year. But I have seen my fair share of horror musicals. There are more of them than you think.
I don’t quite have my recording setup ready in the new house yet, so sorry the audio is kind of bleh.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/audrey-ii/ The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Roger Corman [Dir.]. https://playbill.com/article/did-you-know-that-audrey-ii-in-little-shop-of-horrors-is-a-female-man-eating-plant https://littleshop.fandom.com/wiki/Audrey_II Little Shop of Horrors (1986). Frank Oz [Dir.]. -
a.k.a Monkshood or Aconite
This episode has it all: murderers, witches, werewolves, vampires, and tips for your poison garden! And it would have been on time, if not for Spectrum. 😒
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8492936.stm https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/plants_and_gardening/monsters_magic_and_monkshood https://www.britannica.com/plant/monkshood Aconite poisoning by Thomas Y. K. Chan (2009) https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650902904407 [Abstract] https://www.drugs.com/npp/aconite.html Mode of antinociceptive and toxic action of alkaloids of Aconitum species by U. T. Gutser, et al. (1997) https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00005136 [Abstract] Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (2021) https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-toxic-root-president-four-patients-hospital-poisoning/31215533.html https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/aconitum-napellus-monkshood-wolfsbane-05-13-2016.aspx https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum -
¿Faltan episodios?
-
Spooky, scary mushrooms are glowing in the forest. 👻
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https:/id.biodiversity.org.au/node/fungi/60094367#overview “Fungus of the Week: Ghost Fungi Bioluminescence” by Alison Downing, et al. from McQuarie University https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/15/hunting-the-ghost-fungus-glowing-mushrooms-in-australias-forests https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTWBt00vVU https://theconversation.com/the-glowing-ghost-mushroom-looks-like-it-comes-from-a-fungal-netherworld-111607 The ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis (Berk.), new to Indonesia, poisoned foragers by Ivan P. Putra, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjs.2023.01.002 Bioluminescence in the ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis does not attract potential spore dispersing insects by Philip Weinstein, et al. (2016) https://doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.02.01 -
Someday I should cover the plantain fruit, too, just to be chaotic—I mean informative.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/plantain-weed https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Plantago%20major https://www.weedsandwildmedicine.co.uk/blog-1/plantain-the-sacred-herb-under-our-feet Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013) Plantago major in Traditional Persian Medicine and modern phytotherapy: A narrative review by Younes Najafian (2018) Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of Plantago major L. and its active constituents by Ali Nazarizadeh, et al. (2013) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/plantago-major/ The traditional uses, chemical constituents and biological activities of Plantago major L.: A review by Anne B. Samuelsen (2000) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major -
We’re getting a bit of a head start on Spooky Season. Poisonous mushrooms! Political intrigue! Murder most foul! Like, seriously. So foul. And I’m pretty sure this is at least the second time Nero has come up on this show. I can’t escape that guy.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/17/1175494500/new-hope-for-an-antidote-to-death-cap-mushrooms-and-other-poison-fungi https://www.britannica.com/science/death-cap “Death Cap mushrooms can kill” from British Columbia Centre for Disease Control https://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/death-cap-mushrooms.html https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/mushroom-poisoning-has-unreported-consequence-dog The death of Claudius, or Mushrooms for murderers by R. Gordon Wasson (1972) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides -
Happy Friday the 13th! This plant has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to say it. We’re actually talking about Sunflowers, because they’re seasonal and they have taken over our front yard for some reason.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://gardencollage.com/change/sustainability/scientists-using-sunflowers-clean-nuclear-radiation/ https://www.kew.org/plants/sunflower https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a32638/sunflower-fun-facts/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-sunflowers-are-ukraines-national-flower-180979850/ The National Sunflower Association (https://www.sunflowernsa.com/) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/helianthus/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-disaster-sunflowers-idUSTRE77I0PG20110819/ https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/helianthus_annuus.shtml https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sunflower -
I’m back, everyone! My voice doesn’t sound the best still, but I’m plowing ahead anyway. For the belated final week of Southern Plant Month, let’s meet the most hated plant in the South: kudzu.
If you’re in North Carolina and would like to try some of the kudzu delicacies I mentioned, look up Carolina Kudzu Crazy (https://www.facebook.com/p/Carolina-Kudzu-Crazy-100063473593361/).
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/ https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/dining/kudzu-edible-why-aren-eating/BXAct9CtIshpWaB8f9D2PO/ https://conservingcarolina.org/get-rid-of-kudzu/ https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-history-and-use-of-kudzu-in-the-southeastern-united-states/ https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/kudzu-invasive-species/ A single dose of kudzu extract reduces alcohol consumption in a binge drinking paradigm by David M. Penetar, et al. (2015) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.05.025 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu Fundamentals of Weed Science (6th ed.) by Robert L. Zimdahl -
Today, we’re talking about the world’s favorite natural fiber. It’s pretty strange, if you think about it, that Cotton plants grow these fluffy, candy floss clouds.
To be clear, it’s cotton boll, not bowl. My accent is not my friend in this episode.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.fairindigo.com/blogs/news/what-is-pima-cotton-and-how-is-it-different https://www.cottoninc.com/cotton-production/quality/classification-of-cotton/overview/ https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/cotton-and-wool/cotton-sector-at-a-glance/ http://www.historyofclothing.com/textile-history/history-of-cotton/ “Cotton: From Field to Fabric” from the National Cotton Council of America “The Story of Cotton” from the National Cotton Council of America https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/what-cotton https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gossypium-hirsutum/ https://nymag.com/strategist/article/what-is-egyptian-cotton-explainer.html https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cotton/evolution/ https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cotton/what/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium -
This one goes out to you, D’Bravius. I have never known anyone else to get so excited about a Magnolia tree.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/333 https://gardens.si.edu/learn/blog/the-botany-of-magnolias/ https://www.gardenia.net/genus/magnolia-tree https://www.gardenia.net/plant/magnolia-virginiana-sweet-bay-magnolia https://blog.natureplusme.com/types-of-magnolia https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-acuminata/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-fraseri/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-macrophylla/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-tripetala/ A review of pollination of Magnolia by beetles, with a collecting survey made in the Carolinas by Richard S. Peigler (1988) in Magnolia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora -
With (sort of) special appearances by Tobin Bell, Rosalind Franklin, and a 19th-century Dutch scientist whose name I certainly did not get right.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) - A model system for tissue culture interventions and genetic engineering by Thumballi R. Ganapathi, et al. (2004) [Abstract] In vitro transformation of cultured cells from Nicotiana tabacum by Agrobacterium tumefaciens by L. Marton, et al. (1979) [Abstract] https://www.pmiscience.com/en/smoke-free/nicotine/tobacco-plant-research/ On the historical significance of Beijerinck and his contagium vivum fluidum for modern virology by Neeraja Sankaran (2018) Therapeutic potential and phytoremediation capabilities of the tobacco plant: Advancements through genetic engineering and cultivation techniques by Nidhi Selwal, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2023.102845 PLANT vs. PATHOGEN: Enlisting Tobacco in the Fight Against Anthrax by Graeme Stemp-Morlock (2006) https://doi.org/10.1289%2Fehp.114-a364 “Tobacco Research and Its Relevance to Science, Medicine and Industry” by T.C. Tso (2006) DOI: 10.2478/cttr-2013-0824 Phytochemicals derived from Nicotiana tabacum L. plant contribute to pharmaceutical development by Wenji Zhang, et al. (2024) https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffphar.2024.1372456 -
I actually planned to have two parts this time. And I hope this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: this podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes, not medical advice. Please, please do not attempt using tobacco for any of the historical medical purposes mentioned in this episode just because I said it’s been done before. Not everything that has been done should be repeated.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Medicinal uses of tobacco in history by Anne Charlton (2004) https://doi.org/10.1258%2Fjrsm.97.6.292 Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) by Marianna Jennifer Datiles & Pedro Acevedo-Rodriguez (2014) https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.36326 https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/tobacco-in-colonial-virginia/ https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1677/a-brief-history-of-tobacco-in-the-americas/ https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/tobacco-the-early-history-of-a-new-world-crop.htm https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/nicotiana/tabacum/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nicotiana-tabacum/ https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/MN/Nicotiana Tobacco smoking: the leading cause of preventable disease worldwide by Jonathan M. Samet (2013) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thorsurg.2013.01.009 https://www.st-group.com/about-us/our-tobacco/history-of-tobacco/ https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Nicotiana+tabacum -
Special thanks to Brooke for suggesting today’s episode topic, Mariposa Lilies. Also, “mariposa” and “lily” have ceased to sound like words to me.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/Mariposa_Lily.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_soilButterfly Mariposa Lily
Phylogeography and population genetics reveal ring species patterns in a highly polymorphic California lily by Adriana I. Hernández, Jacob B. Landis, & Chelsea D. Specht (2022) [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14313 “Plant Guide: Mariposa Lily” from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, & National Plant Data Center https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/calochortus_venustus.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus_venustusCatalina Mariposa Lily
https://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Liliaceae/Calochortus%20catalinae.htm https://smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/Catalina_Mariposa_Lily.php https://theodorepayne.org/nativeplantdatabase/index.php?title=Calochortus_catalinaePlummer’s Mariposa Lily
https://messengermountainnews.com/the-rare-plummers-mariposa-lily/ https://lpfw.org/our-region/wildlife/mariposa-lily/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calochortus_plummerae Causes and correlates of interannual variation in flowering of Calochortus plummerae (Liliaceae) by Kimberlyn Williams, Erica Burck, & Cesar L. Garcia (2021) https://doi.org/10.3120/0024-9637-68.4.360 -
Should there ever be another toilet paper shortage, just grow this plant in your yard, and you’ll be good to go.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2016/jul/29/plant-lambs-ears-and-keep-wool-carder-bees-happy https://hilltop.indiana.edu/news-events/_news/news9i.html https://mimiciftligi.com/en/blogs/gastronomi_ve_dogal_sifa/kuzu-kulagi-bitkisi-faydalari-nelerdir https://www.joellane.org/history/the-gardens/lambs-ear https://shorehomeandgarden.com/2022/08/02/the-lore-behind-alluring-lambs-ears/ https://ourpermaculturelife.com/edible-medicinal-ornamental-herb-lambs-ear/ https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/stachys-byzantina/ https://nativebeeology.com/2020/05/12/carder-bees-and-lambs-ear/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachys_byzantina -
We haven’t done a fungus in a while, and this one was separately sent to me by both of my parents. So, it was practically an order from on high.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/dead-mans-fingers-purdue-landscape-report/ Xylaria polymorpha (Pers.)Grev. (Dead man's fingers) and its ethnomycological study by Ganesh Hedawoo (2021) https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2019/10/from-the-grave-dead-mans-fingers/ https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dead-mans-fingers https://first-nature.com/fungi/xylaria-polymorpha.php https://extension.psu.edu/spooktacular-flora-and-fungi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylaria_polymorpha https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dead-mans-fingers/ https://woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/dead-mans-fingers/ -
I was hoping this plant was going to be a little more explode-y, but you can paint and make cheese with it, so that’s pretty cool.
I didn’t really think about the fact that my day off was also the day everyone sets off fireworks (even though they’re illegal in North Carolina) before I decided it would be a good time to record. At least it’s kind of on theme.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Prokinetic and Laxative Effects of Chrozophora tinctoria whole plant extract by Ayaz Ali Sher, et al. (2022) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules27072143 https://discoverpollinators.org/all-about-pollinators/ants/ A review on medicinal aspects of Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A. (Euphorbiaceae) by Sumaiya Fatima, et al. (2022) Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud Pharmacological evaluation of Chrozophora tinctoria as wound healing potential in diabetic rat's model by Harikesh Maurya, Monika Semwal, & Susheel Kumar Dubey (2016) https://doi.org/10.1155%2F2016%2F7475124 The book on how to make all the colour paints for illuminating books: unravelling a Portuguese Hebrew illuminators’ manual by Maria J. Melo, et al. (2018) https://www.maltawildplants.com/EUPH/Chrozophora_tinctoria.php A 1000-year-old mystery solved: Unlocking the molecular structure for the medieval blue from Chrozophora tinctoria, also known as folium by P. Nabais, et al. (2020) https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fsciadv.aaz7772 Phytochemical analysis, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of Chrozophora tinctoria: a natural dye plant by Feyza Oke-Altuntas, et al. (2017) https://doi.org/10.1080%2F13880209.2016.1277767 https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/who-are-the-pollinators/ants https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrozophora_tinctoria -
I’m trying a new thing today. Y’all will get to hear my “radio voice.” Is that a treat or a punishment? You tell me.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://www.carnivorousplantresource.com/the-plants/triffid-triffidus-celestus/ Steve Sekeley (Director). (1963). The Day of the Triffids [Film]. Security Pictures, Ltd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) -
Our plant this week is Desert Cotton, which is also known as Kapok Bush. It turns out there is also a Kapok Tree, and that was totally not confusing at all when we were researching this episode. 😵💫
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Association of Morphological, Ecological, and Genetic Diversity of Aerva javanica Populations Growing in the Eastern Desert of Egypt by Noha A. El-Tayeh, et al. (2020) https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030402 Desert Plants of Egypt’s Wadi El Gemal National Park by Tamer Mahmoud A Review on the Pashanbheda Plant “Aerva javanica” by Vinit Ravjibhai Movaliya and Maitreyi Zaveri (2014) https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/famine-foods/famine_food/aerva-javanica/ https://www.enature.qa/specie/tuwaim/ Phytochemical Analysis of Anastatica hierochuntica and Aerva javanica Grown in Qatar: Their Biological Activities and Identification of Some Active Ingredients by Vandana Thotathil, et al. (2023) https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules28083364 https://www.medicinalplants.doh.gov.ae/en/Encyclopedia-of-medicine-plant-of-UAE/Aerva-javanica https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aerva+javanica https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/aerva_javanica.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerva_javanica -
Our plant today symbolizes both war and healing. It’s been used to make beer, soup, and tea, but if you see it in the wild, you would probably just think it’s a weed. Which it is, but a useful one.
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Flowers and their Meanings by Karen Azoulay https://www.almanac.com/yarrow-and-its-medicinal-uses-healing-garden-herb https://www.almanac.com/plant/yarrow https://www.botanical.com/~botanid5/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/yarrow https://santafebotanicalgarden.org/march-2011/ “Yarrow” from University of California Master Gardener Program https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-151/yarrow -
I forgot to mention this in the episode, so bonus fact: mad honey poisoning can theoretically be fatal, but no one has actually died from it since the 1800s. These days, we have treatments for severe poisonings, one of which is actually atropine!
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
https://theapiarist.org/mad-honey/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/mad-honey-red-hallucinogen Risks for human health related to the presence of grayanotoxins in certain honey by the European Food Safety Authority (2023) https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7866 Grayanotoxin poisoning: ‘Mad honey disease’ and beyond by Suze A. Jansen et al. (2012) https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12012-012-9162-2 https://bigthink.com/health/mad-honey/ https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/hidden-poison-rhododendron-nectar Mad honey: uses, intoxicating/poisoning effects, diagnosis, and treatment by Sana Ullah et al. (2018) https://doi.org/10.1039%2Fc8ra01924j https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_honey https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron -
Featuring several detours into catmint, which is almost, but not quite, the same thing.
Article on catnip from my defunct blog: https://encyclopaediafelidae.com/crazy-for-catnip/
Music by James Milor from Pixabay
Information provided by:
Catnip: Its raison d’être by T. Eisner (1964) https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/catmint-vs-catnip/ www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211103125.htm https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/catnip-nepeta-cataria/ https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e433 https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nepeta-cataria/ Catnip and oestrous behaviour in the cat by G. F. Palen and G. V. Goddard (1966) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(66)80100-8 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm Inheritance of the catnip response in domestic cats by N. B. Todd (1962) https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a107121 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip - Mostrar más
