How Plants Are Named

How many named species are valid?

Estimates of biodiversity in both living and fossil groups depend on raw counts of currently recognized named species, but many of these names eventually will prove to be synonyms or otherwise invalid. This difficult bias can be resolved with a simple "flux ratio" equation that compares historical rates of invalidation and revalidation. Flux ratio analysis of a taxonomic data set of unrivalled ...

Gobar Gas Plants: How Appropriate Are They?

The technology of producing methane gas from cow-dung and other wastes and using it as fuel for various, purposes has received considerable attention in India during the last de-cade. In the light of the growing energy shortage that the country facesgobar gas is being cited as having great potential for answering the energy needs of rural areas. Ink this climate it is relevant to explore the de...

Food Taxes: How Likely Are Likely Effects?

How dangerous are winter and spring holiday plants to pets?

tions regarding potential plant poisonings, especially around the holidays, when festive plants may be placed in locations accessible to curious pets. This article will help you better recognize plants commonly encountered during winter and spring holidays and treat pets exposed to them. Remember, an owner may not know a plant’s name, and attempting to identify a plant from an owner’s descripti...

How many species of flowering plants are there?

We estimate the probable number of flowering plants. First, we apply a model that explicitly incorporates taxonomic effort over time to estimate the number of as-yet-unknown species. Second, we ask taxonomic experts their opinions on how many species are likely to be missing, on a family-by-family basis. The results are broadly comparable. We show that the current number of species should grow ...