The January Newsletter of the Muhlenberg Botanic Society is now online

The January 2013 Edition of the Muhlenberg Botanic Society Newsletter is now online

A new Fern Genus named "Gaga"

Duke University scientists have name a new fern genus after the singer Lady Gaga.

There are nineteen species in the genus Gaga including 2 new species and 17 split off from other genera based on DNA sequencing. Among the reasons the name was selected are the costume Lady Gaga wore at the 2010 Grammys which resembled a fern gametophyte and the fact that one of the identifying DNA sequences in one gene was "gaga" for the base sequence guanine-adenine-guanine-adenine.


Lady Gaga and the fern gametophyte.from http://today.duke.edu/2012/10/gagafern

here is the link to the youtube video of the 2010 Grammy performance with the costume.

Enjoy the ferns and the music!

Mike

p.s here is my favorite (biology based no less!)  Lady Gaga parody: 

Muhlenberg Botanical Society Meeting -November 2012 meeting - the last one of the year.

November 15, 2012: Link Davis, "Name That Remnant!"
7:00 pm - 9 pm at the North Museum

Come enjoy a botanical guessing game in which Link will show us 
the picture of a seed pod or flower remnant and ask the audience 
to guess what it is. Then he will follow with a picture of each plant
in bloom.

Link Davis, a lifelong resident of Montgomery Co., has degrees in
biology and physical science. For thirty years he taught physical science 
and chemistry in the Norristown Area School District. Since retirement
he has driven a school bus and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity 
and his local SPCA. He continues to educate children by presenting
lessons on insects and by sharing his collection with schools to enhance 
their curricula. Although his interest in wildflowers began about two
decades ago when he began attending botany walks sponsored by 
the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, it is only in the last five years
that he has seriously photographed the wildflowers of Southeastern PA.

How to Tell Native Butternuts from Butternut-Heartnut hybrids

Our native Butternuts are being heavily attacked but a canker fungus. One problem people encounter in trying to conserve them is that Butternuts readily hybridize with Japanese Walnuts (aka Heartnuts) and produce fertile offspring. Apparently most Trees we think are Butternuts are actually hybrids especially ones growing near our farms and houses. The Purdue Extension Service has a very good brochure (available in PDF)  out on how to identify the Hybrids.  I have used it to confirm my suspicions that the large tree in our neighbors yard is a hybrid. We get seedling from squirrel planted seeds in our yards all the time.

The First Meeting of the 2012-2013 Meeting season of the Muhlenberg Botanic Club will be held this Thursday September 20th at 7:00 pm

September 20, 2012:Members' Night Photos and Plant Exchange

Bring a show and tell item, old copies of nature magazines, slides, or a digital show to share. A laptop and digital projector setup will be available. If anyone has film slides to share, please let Mike know so he can bring a traditional projector.

For the plant exchange, please bring well-potted plants other members might like to adopt. Although our focus is on native plants, others are fine, too. Members who don't have plants to share are welcome—actually encouraged—to take plants home. We must continue to KEEPTHE MEETING ROOM CLEAN, SO PLEASE BRING PLANTS IN FAIRLY CLEAN POTS AND MAKESURE THERE ARE NO INSECTS ON THEM. If you spill dirt/plants, etc., YOU are responsible for cleaning up the mess. We need to leave the Kinsey room as clean or cleaner than we found it so we can continue these exchanges.
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Please note that this is the beginning of our fiscal year and membership dues are now due. 

If you would like to be contacted by e-mail for occasional spontaneous work days or field trips, plant rescues, or similar events, please include your e-mail address. At the bottom of the form, please include comments or suggestions for field trips and meetings, or topics you might like to see added to the newsletters or the website. Bring dues with this form to the September meeting or mail them to  

            

Matt Dilley, 20 Greythorne Rd.   Lancaster, PA 17603-7403
include your:    Name:  Address: City:  State:  Zip:  Phone:    E-mail address:

and would you like to receive the newsletter only by e-mail?  ____ yes  _____no

The September 2012 Muhlenberg Botanic Society Newsletter is up online
at the 2012 Newsletter web page it is available in PDF, doc and docx formats.