4/3 UW Greenhouse
Our class spent today at the UW greenhouse, learning various stories about plants and how they effect people and their cultures. The greenhouse has 1/10ths of all the plants in the world, and is run by the passionate Doug Ewing, who has been there for over a decade. It was filled to the brim with a variety of plants, and quite warm compared to the conditions outside. Some of the stories we heard were:
The Dracula Orchid looks like a mushroom despite being an orchid. With this appearance it is able to trick fungus gnats and other bugs that feed off of mushrooms. When they go to feed, the bugs get pollen over their bodies, allowing for pollination as they fly from orchid to orchid feeding.
The welwitschia, we learned is in the conifer family, despite looking unlike any confier I had seen before; it looked like more of a shrub than a tree. It is classified as a conifer because it is cone baring. This plant is normally found in places that receive ~25mm of water a year, and as a result of this is able to store rain. We also learned that this plant can not only survive, but flourish in non-desert areas if the conditions are right. The greenhouse's specimen was the perfect example, because despite being relatively young it was huge for its age.
Most interesting to me was what we were told about chiles and how they play an important role in many societies. The chemical capsaicin is found in the chiles and it what gives them their spiciness. It also can be used to preserve food. One thing I did not know is that chiles are originally from South America, and cultures that use them, such as India, did not have these flavors until the New World was discovered. They play an important role in societies near the equator because of their preservation abilities. As a result of the warmer temperatures, meat and other foods are more susceptible to spoiling, which the chemical prevents. This is why cultures near the equator have a higher tolerance and preference for spicy foods.
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