In this work, we apply and advance deep learning methods for computer vision in the context of a challenging flower dataset. Flower species are often differentiated only by very subtle indicators. However, images of a single species may still vary hugely in pose and scale, each image revealing only a subset of relevant distinguishing attributes. Experts or hobbyists will often use botanical key...

Insect biodiversity peaks in tropical rainforest environments where a large but as yet unknown proportion of species are found in the canopy. While there has been a proliferation of insect biodiversity research undertaken in the rainforest canopy, most studies focus solely on insects that inhabit the foliage. In a recent paper, we examined the distribution of canopy insects across five microhab...

During the next two weeks, floral-color change could be investigated in Aster divaricatus or A. prenanthoides, both of which grow on my property. You could investigate one or more of the above hypotheses relative to the situation in Aster. For example, you could investigate whether the presence of color-changed flowers enhances the plant as a visual target for pollinators as well as determine w...

A fter the grasses, the legume family (which includes peas, beans, and soya) is the plant group of greatest importance to mankind. The legume family is a source of products and services from tropical timber to atmospheric nitrogen fixation. As the botanist E. J. H. Corner (1) put it, ‘‘From arctic circle to tropics, desert to pergola, bacteria to plough, field to mouth, and legend to science, L...

The lipid microviscosity of microsomal membranes from senescing cut carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. cv. White Sim) flowers rises with advancing senescence. The increase in membrane microviscosity is initiated within 3 to 4 days of cutting the flowers and coincides temporaDly with petal-inroDling denoting the climacteric-like rise in ethylene production. Treatment of young cut flowers with a...