Lets Talk Turkey

The American origin of the turkey was not known to the people of Europe and Asia, so different names were applied to the Turkey. It appears that the word turkey was a result of a miss understanding of its origin. The name turkey was chosen by the thought that its origin was of the area Turkey, and that choice of name was compounded by the fact that the Turks were introducing it to the rest of Europe. It is known that the European population of turkeys were derived from Mexico (Doubtless north east Mexico). The early confusion has led to many different names for the same animal in different languages. For example, in Mexico the common Aztec name Guacalote is still used today. Where as in Spain, it is known as Pavo (Pavo Real is Peacock). In German, Türkei;Italian, Turchia; French, la Turquie; Russian, Турция; Chinese, 土耳其. As you can see almost every language uses a modification of the word turkey.

Starch, Why and How?.....Keyword 23 Degrees

As we all know the earth revolves around the sun at a 23 degree angle creating life zones with major seasonal climate change. Over the millenia plants have taken advantage of this situation and accommodated for its extremes. There are periods throughout the year where seasonal plant growth gives away into dormancy. In preparation for this dormancy these plants must prepare for next years growth. They store up energy safely through the cold and wet winter in the form of starch. When a molecule of water is removed from a molecule of sugar it becomes starch. Starch is a non soluble product which during wet periods will not drift away such as sugar would. The period of growth termination in autumn necessitates the storing of energy for the ensuing growth season (spring). The energy that accumulates in the form of sugar in the months of photosynthesis moves into the tissues chosen for storage such as seeds, wheat, potatoes as tubers, sweet potatoes as roots, and finally bulbs such as onions and garlic. Through dehydration synthesis the end product is starch. In this situation, this insoluble starch remains there safely stored in a manor that water cannot remove it. In spring the starch through the process hydrolysis is turned back into sugar (Glucose) and is used as energy to allow sprouts to grow through a short period until their there leaves have grown enough to develop their own photosynthetic tissue.

In the tropics there are dense Forests where there is no great seasonal change and their plants are created in greater density where rain is available. Plant growth in these areas is almost uniform every year. It appears that the need for starch in this environment is less than in temperate zones. In this particular post we will not be going into detail about the differences of tropical life, but I will cover it in another posting in the near future.

Spider Phobia

Female Black Widow spider

Within ourselves there our countless phobias and they are not trivial. they can have a large influence on the way we conduct our lifes. For example, a woman will scream and jump on a chair when a mouse is observed. Some of the more common phobias are snakes, bats, bees, cockroaches and claustrophobia. the most common phobia to our American society is arachnophobia. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders.

When I was a small child I developed a strong case of arachnophobia.
This phobia affected my life quite a bit when I was a young boy. I was a carpenters assistant in my late teens and I was forced to crawl in small spaces infested with many spiders to do work such as wiring. I remember crawling under lots of daddy long legs which would frighten me. As I got older I forced myself to study the whole life history of spiders and their relationships all over the world. This modified my phobia to the point where I could be in the presence of these animals without being freaked out, but even though this phobia has been modified, it still exists within me.

My spider phobia was passed onto my daughter. She is afraid of spiders and especially the long legged house spider in the family Pholcidae, referred to by several common names such as Daddy Long Legs and Cellar Spider. This contains an ambiguity because of a terrestrial similar looking animal that lives on the ground outside also called the Daddy long legs. Many people fear this animal and incorrectly think it is a spider. Daddy Long Legs refers more correctly to a group of spider-like animals which hare not like spiders at all. Scientifically Daddy Long legs are referred to as phalangioides. They have body parts that are suggestive of a giant mite. Daddy Longs Legs do not have an abdomen or web glands like spiders.

Spider phobia is often fueled by the belief that most spiders are harmful and poisonous. However in our environment very few of them are and most should not be feared. The black widow is the only reported poisonous spider in the southern California landscape. Female black widows can deliver a poisonous bite if they become threatened and somewhat immobilized. If she were simply crawling on your skin she would rarely bite unprovoked. Black widow bites are rarely fatal and are very treatable if caught early.

Many people also have a great fear of Tarantulas, which are also found in our Southern California landscape. People often fear tarantulas because of their size and ominous demeanor. However most people incorrectly assume that they are viscous and poisonous. For the most part unless they are harassed they are docile and harmless.

Spiders are a very important and well integrated part of the fauna of the world. They are very beneficial predators and keep many populations of insect pests in check. Spiders are also a valuable food source for birds and small mammals, particularly in the winter. Despite their infamous reputation they should not be feared but treated with respect and caution. Like many animals they will not bother you unless you bother them. Spiders are an important part of our giant web of life.

Disambiguation of Smoke Tree

Smoke Tree is used in our language in two ways. Those who reside in Southern California usually only know it as the Psorothamnus Spinosa, a much photographed and spoken of native plant mainly found in shallow washes in the Sonora desert area. Smoke Tree is very common to be seen while driving through the arid regions of southern California. The late Ansel Adams is well known for his photographs of Smoke Tree and did an excellent job of popularizing this desert tree. Although our local deserts would refer to the Smoke Tree as P. Spinosa, The rest of the United States and throughout the temperate world, Smoke Tree refers to Cotinus Conggygria.

The Smoke Tree of our local desert, P. Spinosa, is a member of the pea family and the flowers would reflect this floral structure.

Photo:Wikipedia

On the other hand, the Smoke Tree common to the World, C.Conggyria, is a member of the Anacardiaceae. This family includes the cashew, pistachio, and mango.

Photo:Wikipedia

Expanding the Details on Ehrharta Erecta

In part this blog entry is a response to an article on Wikipedia. This article contains some valuable information with the exception of the horizontal rooting at the nodes and the total height. Only rarely do horizontal rhizomes develop roots. At least 99% of the environment where I live, in Riverside CA, reproduction occurs by seeds only. I was aware of the very first appearance of Ehrharta Erecta Lam. in our vicinity. Ehrharta first appeared in the University of California, Riverside botanical gardens. Its source probably Arrived from University of California, Los Angeles inadvertently from transplants. Within four or five years it had invaded the fifty acres that were under cultivation. The wider spread seed dispersal mechanism is not completely clear to me. There is one mechanism however that is realistic and not debatable. Early in the plants life it begins to produce long lax horizontal culms (the flowering portion), which are up to two and a half feet in length and settle flat on the ground. As the seed matures it drops directly to the ground. The conditions to produce further dispersal are not obvious. At time of seed release the enfolding gloom and lemma firmly contain the single seed. The seed shrinks to a very small size and rattles in this enclosure. These two enfolding bracts are completely smooth therefore limiting wind dispersal. From what I have seen, I would accuse the cottontail rabbit for a portion of the dispersal. The trivial name E. Erecta, chosen by the author is enigmatic. I know two other species of Ehrharta that are found in California, E. longiflora and E. calycina. These two species grow completely erect, whereas as the E. erecta is prostrate. It is puzzling why the author chose Erecta for a plant that is prostrate, when other species are basically erect.

P.S. I have a small flock of pullets and I am training them to eat the widest possible range of food materials, wild plants and kitchen left overs. There is no plant that is more eagerly consumed than E. Erecta.