Rarest Stone Lilies

The world’s rarest whale

Figure 1. Location, species identification and morphology of the spade-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii). (A) Location of partial skulls found on the Chatham and White Islands, New Zealand, on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile (red squares) and the two recently stranded specimens discovered on Opape Beach, New Zealand (black circle). (B) Neighbour-joining tree of control region and cytoch...

Osteochondroma at its rarest site

INTRODUCTION Osteochondromas usually arise from the metaphyseal region of the growing skeleton but extraskeletal cartilaginous tumors are rarest. CASE REPORT A 65 year old woman presented with anterior knee pain and inability to flex her knee more than 90° since 1 year. Clinical examination and imaging studies revealed a nodular calcific mass in the anterior portion of the knee i.e. patella. ...

Zephyr Lilies: Simple Beauty Belies Complex Biology

Resurrection and resilience of the rarest butterflies

For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to things that are rare. As a child, these things included coins, stamps, and football cards. When I was invited as a young professor to lead efforts in science and conservation of one of the world’s rarest butterflies, I accepted enthusiastically. Beginning in 2002, I focused my efforts on conservation and recovery of St. Francis’ Satyr (Neo...

Using Gibberellins to Prevent Leaf Yellowing in Cut Lilies

Hybrid lilies are excellent cut flowers due to the availability of flowers with various colors and shapes. Extensive inter-species hybridization has resulted in numerous cultivars, and many new cultivars are introduced to the market each year. While the vigor and reliability of the crop has improved over the years, what has not changed is that the postharvest quality of the cut stem is an impor...