The banana plant is a gigantic herb that springs from an underground stem, or rhizome, to form a false trunk 3β6 metres (10β20 feet) high. This trunk is composed of the basal portions of leaf sheaths and is crowned with a rosette of 10 to 20 oblong to elliptic leaves that sometimes attain a length of 3β3.5 metres (10β11.5 feet) and a breadth of 65 cm (26 inches). A large flower spike, carrying numerous yellowish flowers protected by large purple-red bracts, emerges at the top of the false trunk and bends downward to become bunches of 50 to 150 individual fruits, or fingers. The individual fruits, or bananas, are grouped in clusters, or hands, of 10 to 20. After a plant has fruited, it is cut down to the ground, because each trunk produces only one bunch of fruit. The dead trunk is replaced by others in the form of suckers, or shoots, which arise from the rhizome at roughly six-month intervals. The life of a single rhizome thus continues for many years, and the weaker suckers that it sends up through the soil are periodically pruned, while the stronger ones are allowed to grow into fruit-producing plants.
Jadobe Β· 3 months ago
Zebra bullhead shark
The zebra bullhead shark (Heterodontus zebra) is a bullhead shark of the family Heterodontidae found in the central Indo-Pacific between latitudes 40Β°N and 20Β°S, from Japan and Korea to Australia.[1][2] It is typically found at relatively shallow depths down to 50 m (160 ft), but off Western Australia, it occurs between 150 and 200 m (490 and 660 ft).[1] It can reach a length of 1.25 m (4.1 ft).[2] The reproduction of this bullhead shark is oviparous.[2] |
Jadobe Β· 3 months ago
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras")
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras"). Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus Naja.[1][2][3] |
Jadobe Β· 3 months ago
Black-necked spitting cobra
The black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) is a species of spitting cobra found mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are moderately sized snakes that can grow to a length of 1.2 to 2.2 m (3.9 to 7.2 ft) in length. Their coloration and markings can vary considerably. They prey primarily on small rodents. They possess medically significant venom, although the mortality rate for untreated bites on humans is relatively low (~ 5β10%, in endemic regions under 1%). Like other spitting cobras, they can eject venom from their fangs when threatened (one drop over 7 metres (23 ft) and more in perfect accuracy). The cytotoxic venom irritates the skin, causing blisters and inflammation, and can cause permanent blindness if the venom makes contact with the eyes and is not washed off. |
Jadobe Β· 3 months ago
The rinkhals (/ΛrΙͺΕk(h)Γ¦ls/; Hemachatus haemachatus), also known as the ringhals /ΛrΙͺΕhΓ¦ls/[4] or ring-necked spitting cobra,[5] is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae
The rinkhals (/ΛrΙͺΕk(h)Γ¦ls/; Hemachatus haemachatus), also known as the ringhals /ΛrΙͺΕhΓ¦ls/[4] or ring-necked spitting cobra,[5] is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is found in parts of southern Africa.[1][3] It is not a true cobra in that it does not belong to the genus Naja, but instead belongs to the monotypic genus Hemachatus. While rinkhals bear a great resemblance to true cobras, they also possess some remarkable differences from these, resulting in their placement outside the genus Naja.[6] In 2023, the Zimbabwe population was described as a new species, H. nyangensis.[7] |
Prev678910Next
Prev9101112131415...64Next