Caulerpa taxifolia is considered one of the worst invasive species in the world. It is also one of the most popular case studies in invasion biology. Its story is riveting, featuring themes like mutation, adaptation, early detection but no rapid response, exploitation of human disturbances, classic traits of successful invasives (e.g. rapid growth, asexual propagation, generalist behavior, toxic chemicals that discourage herbivory); there is even an example of successful eradication. Plant Humor recently featured an excellent post telling Caulerpa’s story. They kindly allowed me to share it on Awkward Botany. So here it is, the nightmarish account of Killer Algae.
Month: April 2018
Awkward Botanical Sketches #1
At the beginning of the year I unveiled my plan to share some of my sketches with you as I learn how to draw. This is to make up for not writing quite as many posts so that I can spend time working on some other projects. It also serves as a great motivator to actually draw, which isn’t something I do very often. Turns out that if you want to get better at something, you actually have to do it.
To help me in my quest, I collected a few books. Some are instructional and others simply feature inspirational artwork. I’ve included links to a few of these books with my drawings below. If you have any books you would like to recommend, particularly a book that has helped you learn to draw, please let me know in the comment section below.
And now on to my dumb drawings…
My first drawing in Drawing Nature by Jill Bliss
Drawing of a hibiscus flower with help from Illustration School: Let’s Draw Plants and Small Creatures by Sachiko Umoto
A sketch inspired by Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale
Sketch of an old tree inspired by a drawing in Clare Walker Leslie’s book, Drawn to Nature
Sketch of agave in bloom inspired by an image on the back of some guy’s shirt at Treefort Music Fest
Sketch of a tiny tuft of grass I was trying to identify. It’s still a bit of a mystery.
awkward botany 