1 . Last year, brilliant’ botanists from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, discovered, identified and named 114 spectacular new species of plants and fungi (真菌) from around the world. Let’s find out more about some of Kew’s most wonderful new finds.
ROYAL MUSHROOM
NAME: Queen’s hedgehog fungus
FROM: Surrey, England
Named after the late Queen Elizabeth II, this rare fungus was found in an ancient forest in White Down, Surrey. According to the scientists who discovered it, the soft, white needles under the fungus’15cm-wide cap look like hedgehogs’ needles — giving it the second part of its name. Cool!
WORLD’S STRANGEST DAFFODIL
NAME: Sternbergia mishustinii
FROM: Turkey
The flowers of this rare species are bright yellow, but they’re only 2cm long and don't open up into a visible flower. Just 300 of these plants have been discovered, secret to hide them from illegal plant collectors.
RECORD-BREAKING WATERLILY
NAME: Giant Bolivian waterlily
FROM: Bolivia. South America
Check out this huge waterlily — its 3m wide leaves are big enough for a kid to float on! The big species has just won three Guinness World Records for largest waterlily, largest waterlily leaf and largest undivided leaf. And get this — although the giant plant was only named last year, a dried sample has been kept in Kew’s own Herbarium since 1845! Botanists had thought it was a similar, related species. Thankfully, the case of mistaken identity is all cleared up now. Unbe-leaf-able!
1. What’s Queen’s hedgehog fungus like?A.It has yellow flowers. | B.It’s native to England. |
C.It looks like hedgehogs. | D.It’s critically endangered. |
A.The oldest fungi. | B.The biggest leaves. |
C.The fastest growing plant. | D.The largest waterlily species |
A.A botanical magazine. | B.A geographic textbook. |
C.A historical document. | D.Guinness World Records. |
With high yield and superior quality, Chinese hybrid rice varieties have been introduced around the world,
In the past 40 years, Chinese scientists
Yuan Longping,
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3 . During the holidays, many people hang mistletoe (槲寄生) over doorways. People share kisses under this evergreen plant. It is a popular Christmas tradition. But don’t let the image of romantic plant used during the happy times of the holidays fool you. In the forests they’re from, mistletoe plants can do some real damage. Let’s take a look at how and why.
The mistletoe plant is evergreen. This means it has leaves that remain green throughout the year. It is also poisonous and has white berries (浆果) and small, yellow flowers. The mistletoe lives on other plants, taking water and nutrients from them. For this reason, mistletoe plants are considered parasites (寄生植物).
The white berries of mistletoe plants contain seeds. Some birds and mammals like to feed on these berries. When they do, the seeds may stick to the animal eating the berries. The animal may carry the seeds to another part of the tree of bush. They may also carry the seeds to another plant altogether. The seeds start to grow roots that dig through the bark of the tree or bush. The roots grow into the tissues of the plant they’ve taken over. That’s how mistletoe plants take nutrients and water away from the host plants. Mistletoe can be hard to remove once it infects (感染) a plant. The best way to fight off a mistletoe infection is to cut off the infected branch completely. If the mistletoe takes over more parts of the plant, it can start to weaken the plant and make it harder for it to grow.
As mistletoe plants grow in the trees, they become a thick mix of branches and roots. This big mass is sometimes called a “witch’s broom.” Some animals nest in these witches’ brooms.
1. What is the effect of the mistletoe on host plants?A.It makes the plants turn green. |
B.It makes the plants attacked by pests more frequently. |
C.It affects the growth of the plants. |
D.It stops the plants producing nutrients and water. |
A.It provides water and nutrients for other plants. |
B.It is a poisonous evergreen plant. |
C.It stands for peace during the Christmas holidays. |
D.It has some magic power like a witch’s broom. |
A.An Unlikely Parasite: Mistletoe | B.A Widespread Plant: Mistletoe |
C.A Witch’s Broom: Mistletoe | D.A Popular Gift: Mistletoe |