Cryptobotany

New Palm Species Discovered

It appears this one has been hiding in plain sight. Image.

Cryptobotany Fiction: Flora Curiosa

The stories are the precursors and often directly influence contemporary “killer plant” science fiction and fantasy books and films.

Exclusive: New Parasitic Plant’s Scientific Name

On May 2nd, I ran the story here about George Yatskievych, the scientist with the Missouri Botanical Garden who has rediscovered and identified a rare parasitic plant (above). A single specimen of the plant was found in Mexico in 1985. The plant wasn’t seen again until St. Louis botanist George Yatskievych and a colleague found it in a pine oak forest in Mexico’s mountains. George Yatskievych studying the parasite in Mexico. Photo by J. L. Contreras J./ courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden. However, a riddle for me was why I could not find the new scientific (Latin) name attached to any [...]

Parasitic Plant Rediscovered After 20 Years

A plant only its mother and father could love? It looks beautiful to me. This is a cryptobotany triumph. This rediscovered parasitic plant was found June 12, 2006, in Guerrero, Mexico, and not seen since 1985. Photograph by George Yatskievych. A scientist with the Missouri Botanical Garden has rediscovered and identified a rare parasitic plant that hasn’t been seen by botanists in more than 20 years. A single specimen of the plant was found in Mexico in 1985, but the plant wasn’t seen again until St. Louis botanist George Yatskievych and a colleague found it in a pine oak forest [...]

An Old Chestnut

Ohio has a secret, which has been revealed a bit. A secret tree, that is. The state has kept their secret for seven years. They retain part of the hidden knowledge about the above pictured tree, because they aren’t telling anyone where it is located. This Ohio treasure’s existence was closely guarded until last week when the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources revealed that a full-sized American Chestnut tree still stands in a marsh near Lake Erie. For tree experts, it’s a big deal. American chestnuts that grew up to 120 feet once accounted for about 25 [...]

Madagascar’s Cryptids

Harry Trumbore’s drawing of Madagascar’s kalanoro, from The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates. New species of lemurs keep being discovered in Madagascar. But there’s a long history of other cryptids being reported from the world’s fourth largest island. Besides the big three (Kalanoro, Elephant Bird, and Man-Eating Tree) that have historically been most discussed in cryptozoological and cryptobotancial circles regarding Madagascar, what lesser zoological cryptids are discussed from there? What other strange animals exist in the literature, many of which were noted in passing at Cryptomundo, after I first published information from near that corner of the [...]

Rats! Or Not?

Remember the recent story of the discovery of a rat-eating pitcher plant? Do they or don’t they? Rats! Or not? It sure kicked up a few pro and con feelings about the whole issue. Some people wondered if pitcher plants can actually “eat” (i.e. dissolve and digest) rats? Despite scientific literature saying it happens, skeptics exist. Are the rats really mice? Interesting distracting question, sort of like, how many times a week do you beat your husband? How many rodents are eaten by your local neighborhood pitcher plants? Are rat-eating pitcher plants only found in Australia? Do rodents actually fall [...]