mthew
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A Sunday Sermon
Recently, a respected botanist we know and used to admire was photographed and quoted at a fascist anti-vax march against public health measures here in NYC. He wore a large yellow star on his clothes in a brazen attempt to align himself with Jewish victims of Christian European anti-Semitism over the centuries, but particularly in…
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The Other Sweetgum
Liquidambar acalycina, which iNaturalist calls Chang’s Sweetgum. These are the Burgundy Flush variety, but this has been such a rotten year for foliage. Compared to American Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, the leaves here are different, but the smaller, longer-horned seedpod is the quickest way to tell them apart.
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Raptor Wednesday
The big antenna at 40th St. and 5th Avenue, a long block away from our apartment, hosts these raptors as well as the occasional Red-tailed Hawk and Merlin. Lousy photos because it’s so damn far away, and now that it’s winter the spotting scope is much distorted by the heat pouring out the windows when…
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Sweetgum
The contents of a pod. You will note that there are winged seeds here and other bits. These other bits are infertile seeds. This source: “The infertile seeds found in each of the sweet gum’s compound seed capsules are a naturally occurring source of shikimic acid, one of the main ingredients in the manufacture of…
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Witch-hazel
Two different varieties of Common Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), the autumn bloomer.
Backyard and Beyond 