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Author Archives: Alastair Culham
About Alastair Culham
A professional botanist and biologist with an interest in promoting biological knowledge and awareness to all.#AdventBotany 2018, Day 9: Christmas Orchid or Star of Bethlehem
The wonderfully named Angraecum sesquipedale is also known as the Chritsmas orchid or Darwin’s orchid. It seems an appropriate plant to write about as it brings together a reminder of Christmas with the father of evolution, Charles Darwin, himself a Unitarian … Continue reading →
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 8: the hyacinth
I was sitting at my breakfast table this morning thinking ‘what plant should be next for #AdventBotany2018″? The rich smell of the blue hyacinth in front of me was filling the room when I had one of those ‘you idiot’ … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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#AdventBotany 2018, Day 7: Reindeer Games
By Claire Smith We all know what to leave out for Father Christmas – a nice mince pie and a glass of sherry. Or maybe milk, if you don’t want Santa sozzled on his sleigh. But what about Rudolph and the … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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#AdventBotany 2018 Day 6: Christmas Bells
Christmas bells is the name for a colourful South African geophyte (plant with an underground storage organ), Sandersonia aurantiaca, due to the appearance of its bell shaped flowers appearing in December-January. Of course, if you grow this in the UK … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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#AdventBotany 2018, Day 5 – Winterberry
Europeans are familiar with the evergreen holly, Ilex aquifolium, that is used as a midwinter decoration because it is evergreen and shows the promise of new life and growth in the spring. It’s also prized for its red berries. However, … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #AdventBotany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent, ilex
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1 Comment
#AdventBotany2018, Day 4: The Golden Bough
By John David Not an obvious topic for Advent, but bear with me, the connection will become clear. The Golden Bough is most famously the title of a book written by Sir James Frazer and first published in two volumes … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science, RHS research
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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#AdventBotany 2018, Day 3: The Pomander – a smorgasbord of Lamiaceae and Rutaceae with a pinch of Sperm Whale Poo
by Fi Young As a child I remember my grandparents giving a pomander as a Christmas gift. Their pomander was made from an orange studded with cloves, and I don’t mean cloves of garlic unless you want to ward off … Continue reading →
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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1 Comment
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 2: The homeless drupe – a look at the ‘precocious’ Prunus that US Marines won’t go near
By Meg Cathcart-James What do Alexander the Great, Henry the VIII’s gardener and ancient China have in common? They all enjoyed apricots!
Posted in Herbarium RNG, Public Engagement with Science
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Tagged #Advent Botany, #AdventBotany2018, Advent
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1 Comment
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 1: Put a Cherry on the Top!
For me, the glace cherry is a staple ingredient of Christmas cooking. I include them in both my Christmas cake and Christmas pudding recipes – both are based on ‘Delia Smith’s Christmas’ although her original version of the pudding recipe … Continue reading →
#AdventBotany Christmas Day: A rose with no thorns; eyes without sight
By Alastair Culham This is the 100th #AdventBotany blog and the fourth for Christmas day. The first Christmas blog featured the Star of Bethlehem, the second, Christmas Cactus, and the third, a tough and Christmas flowering heather. This is the … Continue reading →