natural

Photo of the Day: Magical mini mushroom spotted in Taipei

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Photos of a tiny, otherworldly mushroom collected in Taipei have gone viral. On Nov. 17, 2022, 32-year-old Eric Cho (卓霆宇), who works as a pharmacist, spotted this species of mushroom near 150, Section 3, Zhishan Road, in Taipei City's Shilin District. The mysterious mushroom is believed to be Mycena subcyanocephala (近藍蓋小菇). When asked how he found t

There is this tale of two Himalayan Snow Lotuses

There is this tale of two Himalayan Snow Lotuses: the heavily harvested Saussurea laniceps, left, and the seldom collected Saussurea medusa. Both are native to the eastern Himalayas where they grow in rocky habitats above 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). S laniceps                            S medusa S. laniceps is prized by tourists who pick the strange-looking, rare flowers for souve

Photographer Travels To The Coldest Village On Earth Where The Temperature Can Reach -71.2C (-96F)

If you think that winter has already come to your city, pictures from Oymyakon, Russia, the coldest village on Earth, might change your mind. With the lowest temperature of −71.2 °C (−96 °F), recorded in 1924, and the average for January being -50°C (-60°F), this village is the coldest permanently inhabited place on this planet. New Zealand-based photographer Amos Chapple decided to go on

Forget Coffins – Organic Burial Pods Will Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees

The idea of coming full circle and returning whence we came from is one that appeals to many of us, regardless of our faith (or lack thereof), and this is an idea captured perfectly by this beautiful new burial method developed in Italy. The Capsula Mundi project by designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel has developed an organic, biodegradable burial capsule that will turn the deceased’s body

This Fungus is Known as ‘Dead Man’s Fingers’ And Is Kind of Disturbing

When Regan Daniels from North Carolina uploaded a few pictures of a fungus that looked like a dead man’s toes to the Facebook group Mushroomcore, her snaps instantly went viral, and it’s easy to see why. Ouch, look at that! Image credits: Regan Daniels Naturally, a few people immediately cried ‘fake’, but Daniels reassured people it wasn’t the case. And, well, look

World’s Largest Bromeliad, ‘Queen of the Andes’, Blooms Only Once in a Century

Extremely rare and endangered, this ancient marvel known as the “Queen of the Andes” is the largest bromeliad in the world. Photo: Waldemar Niclevicz Among the 3,000 species of bromeliads out there, this one is definitely the king! At over 30 feet tall, Puya raimondii is the world’s largest Bromeliad, sporting one of the largest flower stalks of any plant on earth! As the photos

3,000-Year-Old World’s Oldest Olive Tree on the Island of Crete Still Produces Olives Today

One day about 3,000 years ago, at a time when the Minoan civilization still ruled over Crete and long before the rise of Classical Greece, an olive fell to the ground in the area of Vouves. Or perhaps it was deliberately planted there by a human hand. Whichever the case, that olive seed sprouted and grew into a tree. And incredibly that tree is still alive today – and still producing frui

This is the Largest Seed in the World – It Weighs About the Same as a 8-Year-Old Child

On the gorgeous islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean grows a legendary palm, known for producing the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. With their rather suggestive shape and impressive weight of about 25kg (55 lbs), the seeds of the double coconut, or coco-de-mer, measure up to half a metre long. This type of palm, Lodoicea maldivica, is the sole species in its family that’s

9,500-Year-Old Tree Found in Sweden Is The World’s Oldest Tree

The world’s oldest tree, a 9,500-year-old Norwegian Spruce named “Old Tjikko,” after Professor Leif Kullman’s Siberian husky, continues to grow in Sweden. Discovered in 2004 by Kullman, professor of Physical Geography at Umeå University, the age of the tree was determined using carbon-14 dating. “During the ice age sea level was 120 meters lower than today and much of what is now th

Ship From 1911, That Even Served in WWII, Was Overtaken by Nature, Becoming a Floating Forest

While the SS Ayrfield was once a proud steam cargo ship, even used in World War II, its decaying shipwreck now stands as the famous Floating Forest of Homebush Bay. The Floating Forest is one of Homebush Bay’s signature landmarks. Image credit: Marc Dalmulder Homebush Bay is located on the south bank of the Parramatta River, in Sydney, Australia. The Bay and its surroundin

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