the
Penumbra
Plant news and the thinking behind it.
Every week: three reports, a thinker, and a plant.
Standards
Every factual claim links to its source. Where a claim comes from direct observation rather than published work, it is labeled as observation.
Corrections are posted publicly, dated, and noted on the piece itself. Nothing is quietly edited after publication.
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Columnea purpureovittata
fragmented black clay
Young example of a Anthurium PanaMama 1.0– dressleri RG x papilliaminum ‘RL’
black clay and warm light
Hardened off leaf on Carib Queen exhibiting all the best traits of the parent plants: Anthurium dressleri ‘Clone II’ and Anthurium rugulosum ‘Lago Agrio rd’.
Chlorospatha kolbii grown indoors in North Carolina
Anthurium species traded commercially as BVEP
Anthurium VIejo Enigma (Anthurium papillilaminum ‘FS’ x Anthurium crystallinum ex-Antioquia)
Anthurium ‘Black Magic’ sibling B (luxurians x dressleri).
Macleania smithiana is a Neotropical blueberry.
Anthurium regale growing indoors here in North Carolina.
Anthurium papillilaminum
Dark green, glossy, heart-shaped leaves with prominent veins, on a plant in low light.
Close-up of a dried flower with curly, brown tendrils, part of a plant hanging on a wooden stick with in the background.
Field work.
Close-up of glossy green variegated leaves with water droplets, dark background.
Close-up of the stem and roots of a potted plant, showing green stems, a dried flower spike, and visible roots against a plain background.
A smartphone displaying the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) website, placed among moss and plants in a natural setting at night, with visible foliage in the background.
Close-up of green leaves and a small green bud, with a dark background.
Handwritten notes in a dotted notebook page about the study of history and structure, mentioning history as an organic system and discussing information, future knowledge, and movement.
Handwritten notes discussing soil properties, independent solubility, soil factors, and soil science concepts on a notebook page, with a small sketch of a tree labeled 'Tree' and 'Root hairs soil'.
A potted plant with large, green, heart-shaped leaves with water droplets, against a dark background with text about the plant.
Open notebook with handwritten notes about Shannon entropy, complexity, and biological concepts on a sandy surface.
Interior of a room with a wire grid on the right side holding various objects, a bookshelf above, a potted plant in the foreground, and a small lamp illuminating the wall.
A potted plant with green and patterned leaves is placed on a gravel surface next to a textured wall. The scene is illuminated by warm lighting, casting shadows of the plant onto the wall.
Ten herbaria hold an estimated 16.5% of the world's plant specimens. Here's where — and why it matters.