Flowering Polka-dot Plant, H. Phyllostacha

Here are some pictures of the flowers produced by my polka-dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostacha. I first noticed flowering about a week ago, when I first posted about the event, and I finally got around to taking some pictures before the last flower withered. In the last picture, you can see how the flowers grow from the stem, although those have dried up. Also, in the second-last picture, I placed the fresh flower that I had plucked for photography back among the leaves.

House Plant Profiles: Cyrtomium falcatum

Welcome to the first in my series of plant profiles! I have quite a few house plants (twelve at present), and have kept many others before. When I tell people about this, they usually start talking about how they bought a plant once and it died, causing them to give up on having plants. Rubbish! I've killed my share of plants as a beginner, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. So, for all those people out there who think they can't have plants: This series is for you! Each post will feature a beginner-friendly plant from my collection.

The first plant I'd like to introduce is Cyrtomium falcatum, commonly known as holly fern.

This is my young C. falcatum fern

There are many ferns that make good house plants, as they naturally live in damp low-light environments and are tolerant of over-watering. However, I have not owned any others and can't attest to their care needs. The fern I have is young and will stay small confined to a pot, but this species can grow to a great bushy size outdoors. Thanks to its hardy nature, C. falcatum has spread from its native habitat in East Asia to almost every continent. So if you live somewhere with mild winters, you can probably find this fern in the wild or on someone's front lawn!

Care Tips:

Lighting: Needs indirect light, not direct sun, which may scorch the plant's leaves. If the plant casts a shadow, the light source is probably too strong.

Water: The rule of thumb for most plants is to water when the soil is dry an inch below the surface. (About up to the first joint on your index finger, if you're like me and are unfamiliar with imperial units!) Ferns like C. falcatum are used to more moisture than other plants, so don't let the soil get completely dry.

Like all ferns, this plant grows by unrolling new fronds, a process known as "circinate vernation."
The unfurling fronds are colloquially called "fiddleheads," and commonly eaten as vegetables.

That's all for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading my first house plant profile. Please feel free to comment below if you like, and I welcome constructive criticism.

Flowering by H. phyllostacha

My polka dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostacha, has unexpectedly flowered! In the middle of a Canadian winter, no less.

Largest Bubble Nest Ever

So, another interesting fact about male betta fish; sometimes they will decide ro make a "bubble nest" (see picture.) This is a sign they are ready to mate, because after mating the eggs are held afloat in the bubble nest.

The nest pictured below is the largest Dawkins has ever made! Sometimes I catch him making one, and it's quite adorable to watch him blow bubbles. He's very discerning about the placement of bubbles, and a hard worker as you can see!

Meet my betta fish!

I recently took this picture of my betta fish, Dawkins, hanging out on a leaf. I adore this fish! He's got a very low-key personality for a betta, lives peacefully with other fish, and hardly flares his gills at anything (a show of aggression.)

If you are wondering why some of his scales are blue while the rest of him is white, that's because he is a special breed of betta that changes colour with age. I plan to write more about this "marbling" gene in a future post, as there is much more to say about it.

I named my betta after evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins. His books encouraged my fascination with biology when I first read them as a high school freshman, and have a permanent place on my bookshelf.

Return of the Ferns

These pictures were taken with my cellphone camera, unmagnified. The Ceratopteris gametophytes are now large enough to be seen by the naked eye. One that I measured was ~ 1.75 cm.

Fern Gametophytes

In my plant biology lab, we are growing Ceratopteris richardii ferns from spores. All pictures are my own work.

Hermaphrodite gametophyte

Male gametophyte

Hermaphrodite gametophyte

Growing Avocados, Part 1

The avocado pits I put in water are already starting to split open after a few days! The pits have a top and a bottom, so the shotglass helps keep them oriented the right way up.