The bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae) has more than 2600 species and is largely restricted to the New World Tropics (with one native species in tropical West Africa). Only 19 species venture into the southern and southeastern United States, and none are native to Washington State. Nonetheless, the WSU Herbarium contains three full cabinets of bromeliads (with […]
Wilhelm Friedrich Benedikt Hofmeister (1824-1877) may be the most important botanist you have never heard of. In the mid-19th Century, Hofmeister published a series of papers and books that laid the foundation of modern plant anatomy, cell biology, and reproductive biology. Remarkably, Hofmeister was entirely self-trained as a botanist; his early career was in the […]
Penstemons or beardtongues (genus Penstemon) are among the showiest native plants in North America, with large, colorful flowers varying from white, yellow, and red to every shade of blue or purple. Not surprisingly, penstemons have a devoted fan base (followers call themselves penstemaniacs) who even have their own organization, the American Penstemon Society. Penstemon is the […]