TREES
a "Moreton
Bay Ash" tree, & me
-photo by KerryAnne
my favourite tree, & type of tree - they stand so elegantly.........
(the farmer took this tree out shortly afterward - life is so ephemeral........)
-photo by KerryAnne
my favourite tree, & type of tree - they stand so elegantly.........
(the farmer took this tree out shortly afterward - life is so ephemeral........)
A definition:
Although "tree" is a term of common parlance, there is no universally recognized precise definition what a tree is, - neither botanically nor in common language.
Although "tree" is a term of common parlance, there is no universally recognized precise definition what a tree is, - neither botanically nor in common language.
In some
usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants, only plants that
are usable as lumber, only
plants above a specified height or only perennial species. At its broadest,
trees include the taller palms, the tree ferns, bananas and bamboo.
(Wiki.)
Trees tend to be long-lived, some
reaching several thousand years old. The tallest known specimen on Earth is
115.6 m (379 ft) and they have a theoretical maximum height of 130m
(426 ft). Trees have always been in existence on the Earth . Trees are
not a taxonomic group but are a number of plant species that have a woody
trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants and make full use of
the sunlight.
Flowers and fruit may also be present, but some
trees such as conifers instead have pollen cones and seed cones, and others
such as tree ferns produce spores instead.
The roots of a tree serve to anchor it to the ground and gather water
and nutrients to transfer to all parts of the tree, and for reproduction
defense, survival, energy storage and many, many other purposes. The first root
produced by a newly germinated seedling is a taproot which goes straight
downwards. Within a few weeks lateral roots branch out of the side of
this and grow horizontally through the upper layers of the soil. In most trees,
the tap root eventually withers away and the wide-spreading laterals remain.
Near the tip of the finer roots are single cell root hairs. These are in immediate contact
with the soil particles and can absorb water and nutrients such as potassium in solution. The roots
require oxygen to respire and only a few species such as the mangrove and the pond cypress (Taxodium
ascendens) can live in permanently waterlogged soil.
In the
soil, the roots encounter the hyphae of fungi. Many of these are
known as mycorrhiza and form a mutualistic relationship with the tree roots.
Some are specific to a single tree species, which will not flourish in the
absence of its mycorrhizal associate. Others are generalists and associate with
many species. The tree acquires minerals such as phosphorus from the fungus
while it obtains the carbohydrate products of photosynthesis from the
tree. The hyphae of the fungus can link different trees and a network is
formed, transferring nutrients from one place to another
Trees are the source of many of
the world's best known fleshy fruits. Apples, pears, plums, cherries and citrus
are all grown commercially in temperate climates and a wide range of edible
fruits are found in the tropics. Other commercially important fruit include
dates, coconuts and other nuts, figs and olives. Palm oil is obtained from the
fruits of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). The fruits of the
cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao)
are used to make cocoa and chocolate and the berries of coffee
trees, (Coffea arabica)
and (Coffea canephora),
are processed to extract the coffee beans. In many rural areas of the world,
fruit is gathered from forest trees for consumption.
Many trees have flowers rich in
nectar which are attractive to bees. The production of forest honey is an
important industry in rural areas of the developing world where it is
undertaken by small-scale beekeepers using traditional methods. ]The flowers of the elder (Sambucus) are used to make elderflower cordial and petals of the plum (Prunus spp.) can be candied.
The leaves of trees are widely gathered
as fodder for livestock and some can be eaten by humans but they tend to be
high in tannins which makes them bitter. Leaves of the curry tree (Murraya koenigii) are eaten, those of
kaffir lime Citrus × hystrix (e.g., Thai food]) Ailanthus (e.g., in Korean dishes such as bugak) and those of the European bay tree (Laurus nobilis) and the California bay
tree (Umbellularia
californica) are used for flavouring food. Camellia sinensis, the source of tea, is a small tree but seldom reaches its full
height, being heavily pruned to make picking the leaves easier.
The Oldest Tree in the World
Getty Images
It's not always easy to date a living
tree, but most experts agree that a bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva)
in California's Inyo National Forest,
nicknamed Methuselah, was 4,843 years old in 2012
The Largest Tree in the World
Getty Images
In terms of sheer volume, the giant
sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) known as General Sherman is a monster
of a tree -- at 52,508 cubic feet, it's the world's largest tree.
The world's widest tree
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy; this has left it as a clonal colony, rather than a single tree. A 330 m long road was built around its circumference, but the tree continues to spread beyond it.
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy; this has left it as a clonal colony, rather than a single tree. A 330 m long road was built around its circumference, but the tree continues to spread beyond it.
The Great Banyan Tree has a hole in the middle where the main trunk once
stood.
A search of the net will give you
some amazing facts. Worth a look!!
There are so many good books on trees: for example:
1.
Tree Identification Book : A New
Method for the Practical Identification and Recognition of Trees go to:
2.
........... such a fun
book!!!
Amazon has 198,772 entries in the section "books on
trees".
Go there.....While you are there - take a look around - just type anything into the search box - they have tons of cool stuff!!
Go there.....While you are there - take a look around - just type anything into the search box - they have tons of cool stuff!!
<><><><><><><><>
And, here is a site with stacks
of interesting info:
<><><><><><><><><><><>
You probably read this on some sort of computing device:
Such things need maintenance. There is a totally inappropriate
sexist joke, in some quarters, about a little old 'person'' who wondered why
the car would not go. When asked about when maintenance was last done -
"What is that?"
.............................................
Personal experience:
Yes, I lost my most precious photos. Because I did not have them copied,
or backed up.
I now have them, (what I have left!!), copied, and backed up - I used:
Please back-up your precious documents - don't loose them, like I did.
And, please tell a friend - may save their .........
(The way it happened, wasn't even someone hacking! Some computer
"tech" was eliminating some old files from my computer - to help it
run faster. Bingo!! Photos gone!!!)
Concerning hacking.....
Did you know that there are now more than 220,000 new attempts to
interfere with computers, created every day. Most are destroyed pretty quickly.
BUT>>>>>>>>> NOT all of them
Made me rethink my computer protection.
It is now, not a question of "ïf" they will take out my
computer, it is a question of "when".........
So, I now use, and I recommend for you:
and, this one is good:
UniBLUE speed up my
computer:
Some old sage said something about being prepared, &
vigilant.........yes......
As you know, sales may generate commissions......
Here is that info site again:
Go and hug a tree now!!
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
You may have noticed that I have not asked you for your email......
I do not send pesty repeat emails to try & get you to buy........
(I personally find them annoying - and I don't do it to you.........)
In return, may I ask a favour??
If you would care to reconsider the information above, and purchase something - it would make us both happy!!
U R worth it!!!!!!
enjoy...................
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
You may have noticed that I have not asked you for your email......
I do not send pesty repeat emails to try & get you to buy........
(I personally find them annoying - and I don't do it to you.........)
In return, may I ask a favour??
If you would care to reconsider the information above, and purchase something - it would make us both happy!!
U R worth it!!!!!!
enjoy...................
No comments:
Post a Comment