Herbarium of the Bizarre

It’s electric! An Electric Daisy, that is, also known as Toothache Plant, Buzz Buttons, Jambu, and a bunch of other things. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The effect of toothpicks containing flavoring and flavoring plus jambu extract (spilanthol) to promote salivation in patients diagnosed with opioid-induced dry mouth (xerostomia) by Bennet Davis, et al. (2017) https:/...

I forgot to plug in my microphone, but it’s late and that took a long time to record, so it’s just going to sound however it sounds. 🙃 I’m totally a professional. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170907-the-mystery-of-the-lost-roman-herb https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/miracle-plant-eaten-extinction-2000-years-ago-s...

Beware the Ides of March…and happy early Saint Patrick’s Day! Who doesn’t love some history? Today’s history lesson is about shamrocks. What actually is a shamrock, anyway? ☘️ It’s a more complicated question than you might think. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/plant/clover-plant https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/22170#page/113/mode/1up...

I’m back from vacation with a new microphone. So, how do you feel about murderous trees? P.S. The new microphone is great. It is a lot more sensitive than the old one, though, so I’m sorry about the airplane (?) at about 4:35. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/strangler_figs.php https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST250 https://www.norton...

Now that February is almost over, you’ll finally get to learn about a properly romantic plant. But hey, chocolate is always worth waiting for, right? This episode references human sexual behavior. Only very mildly, but in case the kiddos like to listen, here’s your advance notice. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://doi.org/10.1215/00141801-52-4-673 https://www.smith...

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! 💚 These orchids definitely think that only fools rush in—in fact, they’re counting on it. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995293 https://www.science.org/content/article/orchids-deceive-amorous-male-wasps https://phys.org/news/2017-05-sexually-deceptive-spider-orchids-wasps.html https://www.fs.usda.g...

Welcome back to Mandrakes! In part two, I’m covering the magical uses and folklore of Mandrake, as well as some of the places it has sprouted up in pop culture. This is another plant we learned about in my ethnobotany class, so shout out #2 to Dr. De Gezelle. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by Guillermo Benítez, et al. (2023) htt...

I accidentally made my first two-parter! Oops? Mandrake is just a really interesting plant, and there was a lot I wanted to tell you about it. In part one, I’ll cover what a Mandrake is, why this plant was so important to the ancient world, and why it’s one of my “romantic” plants for February. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine by...

Scary story time! But like, seriously. Thanks to Dr. Jillian De Gezelle for introducing me to this beautiful, nightmarish flower. Apologies if the sound editing is not my best work. It’s been that kind of week. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.unilad.com/news/worlds-scariest-drug-crime-gangs-20220822 “Pharmacological properties of Datura stramonium L. as a pot...

Today’s topic, Carolina Horsenettle, was suggested by Kate Shaw. Check out her podcast, Strange Animals Podcast, here: https://strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net/ My Experience with Solanum carolinense in the Treatment of Epilepsy, by Dr. C. F. Barber (1895): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/458507 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://cals.cornell...

It’s the first listener suggestion! Thanks to Ryan for today’s topic: Jack-o-Lantern Mushrooms. And my regards to your step-dad. I hope he learned from his mycological mistake. Jack-o-Lantern Identification: https://youtu.be/gwjabCshMI4?si=EsJaSrsjhcgByyfs Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://foragerchef.com/know-thy-enemies-jack-olantern-mushrooms/ https://www.first-...

Happy New Years! 🧨 It’s not a new century, but we’re going to talk about the Century Plant anyway. Because I wanted to. It’s big and spiky, and once in a great while, it makes an asparagus tree (sort of). Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://facts.net/nature/plants/13-astounding-facts-about-century-plant/ https://www.gardenia.net/plant/agave-americana-century-plant h...

I want to tell you about one of my favorite botanicals! It’s a fungus you’re sure to recognize. The mushrooms are red with white spots. It’s called Amanita muscaria or fly agaric, and it is both hallucinogenic and poisonous. What’s not to love? 🍄 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkCS9ePWuLU “Amanita muscaria: Chemistry, ecology, myths” by...

It’s time for our holiday surprise! What’s green, sits in treetops, and makes people weirdly romantic? Yes, it’s mistletoe, my favorite festive parasite. 🎄 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.dictionary.com/e/mistletoe/ https://blog.nwf.org/2012/12/12-things-to-know-about-mistletoe/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/biology-mistletoe-180976601/ https...

I apologize if you can hear my mom wrapping presents in the background of this episode, but ‘tis the season. For Part 2 of our festive plant trio, we meet a tree that cries bitter tears and kills intestinal worms. Happy Holidays! Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Commiphora myrrh: a phytochemical and pharmacological update” by Gaber El-Saber Batiha et al. https://doi.org/...

Welcome to the first of three holiday-themed episodes! Thanks for the suggestion, Mom. This week’s subject is Frankincense. Not a plant, exactly, but a plant product that has enormous importance in human history and culture. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/topic/frankincense https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/frankincense-trees-...

Happy Native American Heritage Day in the United States! We’re talking about a plant that featured heavily in traditional Native American agriculture which has now become a huge global crop. In the U.S., it’s called corn, but the international name is maize. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.britannica.com/plant/corn-plant https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/%E...

This week’s plant is a little shy, so be sure to give it a warm welcome! Just don’t try to give it a hug. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “ Mimosa pudica L. (Laajvanti): An overview” by Hafsa Ahmad et al. https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0973-7847.99945 https://www.britannica.com/plant/mimosa https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-sensitive-plant https://greenhouse...

I’m dedicating this week’s episode to one of my plant biology professors, Dr. Larry Blanton, because it’s about his favorite plant: Welwitschia mirabilis. It’s weird and wonderful, and there is literally nothing else like it. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Distribution of Welwitschia mirabilis” by Robert J. Rodin https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1953.tb06480.x https...

Today we’re talking about one of my favorite fruits, the tomato. You’re probably pretty familiar with it, as it’s one of the most popular crops in the world, especially for home gardeners. But there might be a thing or two you didn’t know about this very common food plant. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: “Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Solanine Toxicity (Solanum tuberosum L., S...

Happy Halloween! For our (almost) Halloween episode, I wanted something that felt like it belonged at a Halloween party. I hereby introduce you to the Bleeding Tooth Fungus, a mushroom that looks scary but is actually pretty nice to have around. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://www.aaas.org/news/weird-wonderful-creatures-bleeding-tooth-fungus https://www.gardening...

There are always eyes watching you in the woods—even on the plants! This week’s plant continues the October vibes with White Baneberry, a.k.a. Doll’s Eyes. Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers-white-baneberry-actaea-pachypoda.html https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2017-10-27-dolls-eyesa-great-halloween-plant ht...

It’s the very first episode of Herbarium Bizarre, and for this very spooky Friday, October 13th, we’re learning about a plant that looks like a ghost! And also like a mushroom. A mushroom ghost, perhaps? 👻 Music by James Milor from Pixabay Information provided by: https://bio4climate.org/featured-creature/featured-creature-ghost-pipes/ https://www.foraged.com/blog/how-to-use-ghost-pipe https://ny...