Alpine Plants is the name given to those plants whose habitat is in the neighbourhood of the snow, on mountains partly covered with it all the year round. As the height of the snow-line varies according to the latitude and local conditions, so also does the height at which these plants grow. The mean height for the alpine plants of Central Europe is about 6000 feet; but it rises in parts of the Alps and in the Pyrenees to 9000, or even more. The high grounds clear of snow among these mountainspresent a very well marked flora, the general characters of the plants being a low dwarfish habit, a tendency to form thick turfs, stems partly or wholly woody, and large brilliantly-coloured and often very sweet-smelling flowers. They are also often closely covered with woolly hairs. In the Alps of Middle Europe the eye is at once attracted by gentians, saxifrages, rhododendrons, primroses of different kinds, etc. Ferns and mosses of many kinds also characterize these regions. Some alpine plants are found only in one locality. Considerable success has attended the attempt to grow alpine plants in gardens. Research Alpine Plants
Colubridae is the 'Typical Snakes' family of reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (Sakes). The family contains about 2000 species in 290 genera and about 14 subfamilies, the members being found in tropical, subtropical and temperate zones, and varying widely in habit and choice of habitat. Research Colubridae
Crane is the common name of birds of the genusGrus, order Grallae, or Grallatores. They are generally of considerable size, and remarkable for their long necks and stilt-like legs, which eminently fit them for living in marshes and situations subject to inundations, where they usually seek their food. This is partly of vegetable matter, but they also devour insects, worms, frogs, lizards, reptiles, small fish, and the spawn of various aquatic animals. They build their nests among bushes or upon tussocks in marshes, and lay but two eggs.
Cranes annually migrate to distant regions, and perform voyages astonishing for their great length. The common crane (Grus cinerea) has the general plumage of an ash-grey colour, the throat black, the rump ornamented with long, stiff, and curled feathers, the head with bristly feathers; legs black and is about 120 cm long. It inhabits Europe, Asia, and the north of Africa.
The crowned crane (Grus pavonina, or Balearica pavonina) has the general plumage of a bluish ash-grey colour, the tail and primary quills black, the wing-coverts pure white and the head is crowned with a tuft of slender yellow feathers, which can be spread out at pleasure. It inhabits North and West Africa.
The demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) is so called from the elegance of its form. It is an ash-grey colour, and the head is adorned with two tufts of feathers formed by a prolongation of the ear-coverts. Its habitat is Africa and the south of Europe. Among North American species are the whooping crane (Grus americana), a larger species than the common crane, and the brown or sand-hill crane (Grus canadensis). Research Crane
The Dodo (Didus ineptus) was a huge, flightless bird of the pigeon order, Columbidae, formerly found in abundance only on the island of Mauritius. The Dodo had rudimentary wings, short, stout legs and a tail of soft plumage. The beak was strongly arched towards the end, and the upper mandible had a hooked point like that of a bird of prey. In 1644 when the island was first colonised by the Dutch the dodo was present in great numbers, but within forty years a combination of the loss of natural habitat to cyltivation and hunting for food led to the Dodo's extinction in the first and most famous ecological tragedy committed by Man.
In 2002 scientists at Oxford university, England extracted DNA from the only remaining Dodo tissue in existence and claimed to have discovered that the Dodo was a pigeon. However, this had already been known for at least 100 years, as evidenced by Lloyd'sEncyclopaediaDictionary, published in 1895 by Edward Lloyd Limited of London describes the dodo as 'A large bird, belonging to the order Columbidae, or Pigeons'. Research Dodo
The gemsbok (Oryx gazella) is a large powerful member of the antelope family inhabiting the plains of South Africa. Herds of ten or more gemsbok are still seen in south-western Africa, their sandy-grey flanks nearly invisible against the desert and brushland habitat. Both sexes have sharply pointed horns that extend up to about 1.2 m. The gemsbok stands more than 122 centimetres high and has a horse like posture and gallop. The horns are lowered parallel to the ground and the animals lunge with great accuracy when holding off lions and other predators. They are also swift runners that can outpace a horse or a pack of African hunting dogs. Gemsbok can survive dry seasons, eating melons and plant bulbs. Their long horns and striking facial markings have made them prized hunting trophies. Research Gemsbok
Golden-rod (Solidago) is a genus of plants of the family Compositae. They are chiefly natives of North America, which hosts some sixty species where they occur in every habitat. Most of the species have erect, rod-like, scarcely branched stems, with alternate serrated leaves, and terminal spikes of small yellow flowers. The only British species is the European golden-rod (Solidago virgaurea), which bears a long cluster of showy flower heads and is found in woods and thickets. Research Golden-Rod
Laurinaceae is a family of herbs, shrubs and trees. They are mostly tropical in habitat and possess marked aromatic properties. They bear evergreen, coriaceous leaves and small greenish flowers. Research Laurinaceae
Sphagnum is a genus of mosses commonly known as bog-moss from their unusual habitat. They have erect stems several centimetres long, and bear the male organs on lateral stems, somewhat resembling catkins, and the female organs on shorter lateral stems, resembling buds. Research Sphagnum
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Habitat
