A weekly radio series featuring the Botany in Action Fellows discussing herbs from around the world

A program of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the Botany in Action Fellowship (BIA) provides PhD students from the U.S. who conduct plant-based scientific field research with funding, training and opportunities in public science engagement, placing them at different locales around the world. BIA Fellows’ research includes ethnobotany, diversity and conservation, restoration, and sustainable landscapes, strengthening the connection between environmental and human well-being.

Through their travels, BIA Fellows encounter native species of herbs that are plentiful, have cultural or special significance, and have interesting or unusual uses. Listen as they share their knowledge of and experiences with these herbs as botanists of the world.

2024

Camille DeSisto –

“Musa”

Duke University

Locale: Madagascar

Study: Integrating diverse knowledge of lemur-plant interactions to advance rainforest habitat restoration

Musa is one of two or three genera in the family Musaceae. The genus includes flowering plants producing edible bananas and plantains. Around 70 species of Musa are known, with a broad variety of uses.

Audio:

Camille DeSisto – Musa

David Felipe Rodríguez Mora –

Nettle “Urera Laciniata”

University of Texas at San Antonio

Locale: Colombia

Study: Conservation and Sustainable Management of the Cofán Shamanism Yagé Lianas

This member of the nettle family grows into a shrub about 3-8ft tall. It is native to Central and South Tropical America in the wet tropical biome. Its stinging hairs are used as a medicine and in shamanistic practice.

Audio:

David Felipe Rodriguez Mora – Urera Laciniata

Richard Hull –

“Snow Trillium”

Indiana University

Locale: Indiana

Study: Identifying changes in the Wabash River’s vascular plant flora

This trillum is a small wildflower that grows in biologially diverse forests in the Midwestern US. It only grows 3-4 inches tall, but has a showy bloom. One of the first blooms in spring with a three pedaled white flower, this flower is host to bees and other pollinators.

Audio:

Richard Hull – Snow Trillium

Viviana Londoño-Lemos –

“Beach Spider Lily”

University of Minnesota

Locale: Columbia

Study: Exploring the value of tropical dry forest soil seed banks

This lily grows across Latin America in coastal dry conditions. From the large leaf cluster underneath, 4 to 6 large white flowers bloom from mid-summer to late fall. The blooms open up imitating large, white spiders with long, slender pedals.

Audio:

Viviana Londono-Lemos – Beach spider lily

Naomi Miller –

“Jack in the Pulpit”

Lehigh University

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Exploring the interactions between canopy gaps and invasive plant communities in northeastern hardwood forests

Jack in the Pulpit is a three leaflet forest floor plant about 2 ft tall. The blossom grows on a separate stalk green with brown stripes. In spring, the blooms in the stalk are small greenish-white and mature to red berries later in the season.

Audio:

Naomi Miller – Jack in the Pulpit

Lauren Nerfa –

“Olena”

The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: Human dimensions and ecological outcomes of long-term forest restoration

Olena is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the roots of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, that requires temperatures between 68 and 86 °F and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. The rhizomes are used fresh or boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries, as well as for dyeing. Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma.

Audio:

Lauren Nerfa – Olena

Lydia Soifer –

“Resurrection Fern”

University of Florida

Locale: Panama

Study: Unraveling the impact of microclimates on the biogeography of epiphytes

This fern grows on top of other plants and structures off of the forest floor. The fronds grow between 4 and 12 inches in length. It reproduces by spores and can withstand severe drought, losing as much as 97 percent of its water mass and still surviving after the drought ends.

Audio:

Lydia Soifer – Resurrection Fern

2023

James Barnes –

“Bottle Gourd”

University of Virginia

Locale: Virginia

Study: School yard plant ecologies, biodiversity and classroom engagement

Known also as calabash, a vine grown for its fruit either harvested young to be consumed as a vegetable, or harvested mature to be dried and used as a utensil, container, or a musical instrument. When it is fresh, the fruit has a light green smooth skin and white flesh.

Audio:

James Barnes – Bottle gourd

Manuel Bernal Escobar

“Chingalé Jacaranda”

University of Miami

Locale: Colombia

Study: Exploring endemism through a permanent forest dynamics plot, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

The tree is evergreen or semi-deciduous and produces bluish purple flowers from August to November. Young trees have a long trunk with no branches. Large leaves grow directly from the top of the trunk giving them an appearance similar to tree ferns. When mature, Jacaranda copaia grows 98 to 115 ft and is normally branch free for more than 50% of its height.

Audio:

Manuel Bernal Escobar – Chingalé Jacaranda

Camille DeSisto –

“Madagascar Vanilla”

Duke University

Locale: Madagascar

Study: Integrating diverse knowledge of lemur-plant interactions to advance rainforest habitat restoration

Vanilla grows as an evergreen vine, either on the ground or on trees. In the wild it easily grows to 15 meters in length, and may grow to as much as 30 meters. Fruit is produced only on mature plants, which are generally over(10 ft) long. The fruits are 6–9 in long pods, often incorrectly called beans. Outwardly they resemble small bananas. They mature after about eight to nine months

Audio:

Camille DeSisto – Vanilla

Richard Hull –

“Goldenseal”

Indiana University

Locale: Indiana

Study: Identifying changes in the Wabash River’s vascular plant flora

Also called orangeroot or yellow puccoon, it is a perennial herb in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to North America. It may be distinguished by its thick, yellow knotted rootstock. The stem is purplish and hairy above ground and yellow below ground where it connects to the yellow rhizome. Fertile plants have a single stem with two palmately lobed leaves. Flowering plants produce a single flower with no petals and three sepals and 12 or more conspicuous white pistils; flowering occurs for a short time in spring.

Audio:

Richard Hull – Goldenseal

Lydia Soifer –

“Bird’s nest fern”

University of Florida

Locale: Panama

Study: Impacts of land use change on Epiphyte diversity, distribution, and ecosystem function in Panama

Bird’s nest fern forms large simple fronds visually similar to banana leaves, with the fronds growing to 20–59 in long and 3.9–7.9 in broad, with occasional individuals up to 6.6 feet in length by up to 2 feet width. They are light green, often crinkled, with a black midrib. The fern typically grows on organic matter. This fern often lives in palm trees, where it collects water and humus in its leaf-rosette. It thrives in warm, humid areas in partial to full shade.

Audio:

Lydia Soifer – Bird’s nest fern

Cassandra Ziegler –

“Ghost pipe”

Duquesne University

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Evaluating the impact of ecological forestry gaps on avian diet composition in Western Pennsylvania forests

The plant is waxy white, but some specimens have been described as having black flecks or pale pink coloration. Rare variants may have a deep red color. Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. Instead of generating food using the energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, and more specifically a mycoheterotroph. Its hosts are in the Russulaceae family. Through the fungal web of mycorrhizae the ghost pipe roots ultimately sap food from where the host fungi are connected to the photosynthetic trees.

Audio:

Cassandra Ziegler – Ghost pipe

2022

Veronica Iriart –

“Wild lupine”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Consequences of herbicide drift on plant mutualisms with pollinators and bacteria

Showy, elongate clusters of purple, pea-like flowers top the 1-2 ft. stems of this perennial lupine. Blue, pea-like flowers are in an upright, elongated, terminal cluster on an erect stem with palmately compound leaves.

Audio:

Veronica Iriart – Wild lupine

Sarah Klionsky

“Cranberry”

University of Connecticut

Locale: Connecticut

Study: Influence of plant community traits and nitrogen removal in restored wetlands

Cranberry is native to central and eastern Canada and the northeastern and north-central United States. It is a perennial shrub with white or pink flowers along with sour-tasting red or pink berries.

Audio:

Sarah Klionsky – Cranberry

Haley Lewis –

“Goldenrod”

Northwestern University

Locale: Illinois

Study: Green infrastructure’s use to improve stormwater management and biodiversity

Goldenrod is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas. They are mostly native to North America, including Mexico. The many goldenrod species can be difficult to distinguish, due to their similar bright, golden-yellow flower heads that bloom in late summer.

Audio:

Haley Lewis – Goldenrod

Florencia Pech-Cardenas –

“Epazote”

University of Minnesota

Locale: Yucatan, Mexico

Study: Handicraft production influences on livelihood in Mayan communities

Epazote is an annual or short-lived perennial herb native to Central America, South America, and southern Mexico whose name is derived from Nahuatl languages. Ideally collected before going to seed, epazote is used as a leaf vegetable, herb, and herbal tea for its pungent flavor.

Audio:

Florencia Pech-Cardenas – Epazote

Amanda Thiel –

“Chipilin”

Washington State University

Locale: Southern Mexico

Study: Botanical knowledge conservation amidst globalization on Mayan communities.

Chipilín, is a perennial legume that is native to Mexico and Central America. Chipilín leaves are a common leafy vegetable in the local cuisines of southern Mexico, including Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tabasco, and Central America, especially El Salvador and Guatemala. The leaves are high in iron, calcium, magnesium, and beta carotene. They can be boiled and served green, dried and used as an herb, or added to tamale doughs for color and flavor.

Audio:

Amanda Thiel – Chipilin

Emily Thyroff –

“’Uhaloa”

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: Use of endemic Santalum species in restoring Hawaiian dry forests

‘Uhaloa is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that has a wide tropical distribution. It is a short-lived subshrub or shrub, reaching a height of 6 ft and is most common in dry, disturbed or well-drained, moist habitats.

Audio:

Emily Thyroff – ‘Uhaloa

Alexa Wagner –

“Paw paw”

Case Western Reserve University

Locale: Ohio

Study: Impacts of forest restoration on shifts in the understory plant demographics

Paw paw’s name probably derives from the Spanish papaya, perhaps because of the superficial similarity of their fruits. They are shrubs or small trees 6-30 ft. tall. The northern, cold-tolerant common pawpaw is deciduous and forms flowers singly or in clusters of up to eight together. It has a flavor somewhat similar to both banana and mango.

Audio:

Alexa Wagner – Paw paw

Taylor Zallek –

“Salvinia”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: How community evolution to invasive species impacts future invasion success

Salvinia is a small, floating aquatic with creeping stems, branched, bearing hairs on the leaf surface but no true roots. Distribution is mostly tropical, yet is a commonly introduced invasive weed in warm climates.

Audio:

Taylor Zallek – Salvinia

2021

Samantha Bosco –

“Ramps”

Cornell University

Locale: New York

Study: Temperate nut trees and their use in temperate agroforestry

Ramps are a North American species of wild onion widespread across eastern Canada and the eastern United States. They are often found in woods with rich soils with moist ground in depressions, and along streamside bluffs.

Audio:

Samantha Bosco – Ramps

Veronica Iriart –

“Red clover”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Consequences of herbicide drift on plant mutualisms with pollinators & bacteria

Red clover is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions for its use in soil nitrogen fixation.

Audio:

Veronica Iriart – Red clover

Sarah Klionsky –

“Bunchberry”

University of Connecticut

Locale: Connecticut

Study: Relationship between wetland nitrogen removal, the plant community & microtopography

Bunchberry is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. It is a slow-growing herbaceous perennial generally forming a carpet-like mat. The above-ground shoots rise from slender creeping rhizomes and form colonies under trees.

Audio:

Sarah Klionsky – Bunchberry

Rachel Reeb –

“Goldenrod”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Using phenology to improve restoration outcomes in invaded landscapes

Goldenrod is a common name for many species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Goldenrods can be used as a sustainable method to enrich soil with nitrogen.

Audio:

Rachel Reeb – Goldenrod

Sarah Skubel –

“Rose”

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Locale: New Jersey

Study: Natural antimicrobials for the post-COVID era

A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Their flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colors ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa.

Audio:

Sarah Skubel – Rose

Emily Thyroff –

“Māmaki”

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: Use of endemic Santalum species in restoring Hawaiian dry forests

Māmaki is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae, that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. It inhabits coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 200–6,000 ft. Māmaki is a small tree that reaches a height of 30 ft and a trunk diameter of less than a foot.

Audio:

Emily Thyroff – Mamaki

Alexa Wagner –

“Wild geranium”

Case Western Reserve University

Locale: Ohio

Study: Impacts of forest restoration on shifts in the understory plant demographics

Wild geranium is a perennial herbaceous plant growing up to 2 ft tall, producing upright, usually unbranched stems and flowers in spring to early summer. The leaves have five or seven deeply cut lobes with a petiole arising from the rootstock. The flowers have five rose-purple, pale or violet-purple petals and ten stamens.

Audio:

Alexa Wagner – Wild geranium

Taylor Zallek –

“Duckweed”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: How populations of the Lemna minor respond to abandoned mine drainage

Duckweed is a floating freshwater aquatic plant, with one – four leaves each having a single root hanging in the water. As more leaves grow, the plants divide and become separate individuals. Duckweed is used as animal fodder, bioremediator, for wastewater nutrient recovery, and other applications.

Audio:

Taylor Zallek – Duckweed

2020

Kate Douthat –

“Sweetflag”

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Locale: New Jersey

Study: Wetland plant competition against invasive cattail

Sweet flag is an emergent wetland plant native to the northern United States and Canada. This perennial plant has bright green blade-shaped leaves that arise directly from the rhizomes and sheath into each other at the base. The foliage has a citrus-like spicy aromatic quality. This plant is protected as a state endangered species in Pennsylvania.

Audio:

Kate Douthat – Sweet flag

Zoe Hastings –

“Pohinahina”

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: Agroforestry design for biocultural restoration in Hawai’i

Pohinaina is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. This woody perennial plant typically grows approximately one meter in height. At maturity, Pohinahina produces blue-purple flowers that are borne in clusters and ultimately yield small brown-black fruits. Its leaves are rounded at the tips with green upper surfaces and silver lower surfaces.

Audio:

Zoe Hastings – Pohinahina

Ashley McGuigan –

“Musa”

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: Agroforest resilience and contributions to nutritional diversity in Fiji

Audio:

Ashley McGuigan – Musa

Rachel Reeb –

“Bloodroot”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Using phenology to improve restoration outcomes in invaded landscapes

Bloodroot is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America. They are variable in leaf and flower shape and have in the past been separated out as different subspecies due to these variable shapes. In bloodroot, the juice is red and poisonous

Audio:

Rachel Reeb – Bloodroot

Sarah Skubel –

“Rosemary”

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Locale: New Jersey

Study: Using a metabolomic approach to identify novel antibiotic synergies in plants

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Rosemary is used as a decorative plant in gardens. The leaves are used to flavor various foods, such as stuffing and roast meats.

Audio:

Sarah Skubel – Rosemary

Alexa Wagner –

“Spicebush”

Case Western Reserve University

Locale: Ohio

Study: Understory response to forest restoration and management

Spicebush is a shrub in the laurel family, native to eastern North America. Within its native range it is a relatively common plant where it grows in the understory in moist, rich woods, especially those with exposed limestone.

Audio:

Alexa Wagner – Spicebush

Eli Ward –

“Garlic mustard”

Yale University

Locale: Connecticut

Study: Impacts of invasive plants on soil nutrient availability in managed forests

Garlic mustard form clumps of round, slightly wrinkled leaves in their first year of growth that smell like garlic when crushed. The plants flower in spring of the next year, producing cross shaped white flowers in dense clusters. When flowering is complete, plants produce upright fruits that release seeds in mid-summer.

Audio:

Eli Ward – Garlic Mustard

2019

Kate Douthat –

“Parsley”

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Locale: New Jersey

Study: Plant community and water quality characteristics of green infrastructure

Parsley is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central Mediterranean region, but has naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and is widely cultivated as a herb, a spice, and a vegetable. Parsley is widely used in European, Middle Eastern, and American cuisine. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. In Europe, as well as in western Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Flat leaf parsley is similar, but it is easier to cultivate, and some say it has a stronger flavor. Root parsley is very common in European cuisines, where it is used as a snack or a vegetable in many soups, stews, and casseroles.

Audio:

Kate Douthat – Parsley

Nina Fontana –

“Fireweed”

University of California-Davis

Locale: California

Study: Traditional ecological knowledge and ethnoecosystems in the Carpathian Mountains.

Chamaenerion angustifolium, known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, and in Britain as rosebay willowherb, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of the boreal forests.

Audio:

Nina Fontana – Fireweed

Zoe Hastings –

“Olena”

The University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Locale: Hawai’i

Study: A functional trait approach to agroforestry design for biocultural restoration on a Pacific island

Audio:

Zoe Hastings – Olena

Toby Liss –

“Sweetshrub”

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Locale: New York

Study: Plant assemblage diversity affecting green roof function.

Calycanthus floridus known as Carolina spicebush and eastern sweetshrub are native to the Eastern United States, from New York and Missouri, south through the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, and Mississippi Valley, to Louisiana, and east to northern Florida. Sweetshrub is cultivated as an ornamental plant in the United States and England.

Audio:

Toby Liss – Sweetshrub

Rachel Reeb –

“Blue Violet”

University of Pittsburgh

Locale: Pennsylvania

Study: Using phenology to improve restoration outcomes in invaded landscapes

Viola sororia, known as the common blue violet, is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names, including common meadow violet, purple violet, woolly blue violet, hooded violet, and wood violet. Self-seeding freely, in lawns and gardens it can be considered a weed by some. Cleistogamous seed heads may also appear on short stems in late summer and early autumn.

Audio:

Rachel Reeb – Blue Violet

Eli Ward –

“Wood Sorrel”

Yale University

Locale: Connecticut

Study: Implications for ecology and management of invasive species on soil nutrient availability in temperate forests.

Oxalis is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family Oxalidaceae comprising about 570 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. Many of the species are known as wood sorrels as they have an acidic taste reminiscent of the sorrel proper, which is only distantly related. Some species are called yellow sorrels or pink sorrels after the color of their flowers instead. Other species are colloquially known as false shamrocks, and some called sourgrasses.

Audio:

Eli Ward – Wood Sorrel

2018

Betsabé Castro-Escobar –

“Common Rue”

University of California (CA)

Locale: California

Study: Calabash trees: evolution, geography, domestication and uses of Crescentia in the Carribean

Common Rue is a species of Ruta grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is now grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluish leaves, and sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil conditions. It is also cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.

Audio:

Betsabe Castro-Escobar – Common Rue

Kate Douthat –

“Wild Bergamot”

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Locale: New Jersey

Study: Plant communities of stormwater detention basins in New Jersey–their landscapes and local drivers

Wild Bergamot is a wildflower in the mint family (Lamiaceae) widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America. This plant, with showy summer-blooming pink to lavender flowers, is often used as a honey plant, medicinal plant, and garden ornamental. The species is quite variable, and several subspecies or varieties have been recognized within it.

Audio:

Kate Douthat – Wild Bergamot

Lynnaun Johnson –

“Vanilla Orchid”

The Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University

Locale: Illinois

Study: Phorophyte specificity of the Ghost Orchid and potential rarity of Mycorrhizal fungi drivers Vanilla Orchid is found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northeastern South America. It prefers hot, wet, tropical climates. It is cultivated and harvested primarily in Veracruz, Mexico and in Madagascar.

Audio:

Lynnaun Johnson – Vanilla Orchid

Toby Liss –

“Creeping Juniper”

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Locale: New York

Study: Plant assemblage diversity affecting green roof function.

Creeping Juniper is a low-growing shrubby juniper native to northern North America, throughout most of Canada from Yukon east to Newfoundland, and in the United States in Alaska, and locally from Montana east to Maine, reaching its furthest south in Wyoming and northern Illinois. Well over 100 different cultivars have been selected for use as ornamental plants in gardens.

Audio:

Toby Liss – Creeping Juniper

Sarick Matzen –

“Lousewort”

University of California, Berkeley

Locale: California

Study: Plant-based soil remediation: the effects of soil characteristics on arsenic uptake in Pteris vittata.

These low, semi-parasitic plants get some of their nourishment from the roots of other plants. The flower color and the finely cut foliage are distinctive. The genus name, from the Latin pediculus (a louse), and the common name Lousewort, refer to the misconception once held by farmers that cattle and sheep become infested with lice when grazing on the plants.

Audio:

Sarick Matzen – Lousewort

Nicole Tiernan –

“Coffea Arabica”

Florida International University

Locale: Florida

Study: Systematics and conservation of endemic Caribbean island Plumeria

Coffea Arabica is believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated, and is the dominant cultivar, representing some 60% of global production. Coffea Arabica’s first domestication in Ethiopia is obscure, but cultivation in Yemen is well documented by the 12th century.

Audio:

Nicole Tiernan – Coffea Arabica

2017

Jonathan Flickinger –

“Saw Palmetto”

Florida International University (FL)

Locale: Florida

Study: Diversity and classification of the Myrtle Family in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot.

Saw palmetto is a palm-like plant with berries. The berries were a staple food and medicine for the Native Americans of the southeastern United States. In the early 1900s, men used the berries to treat urinary tract problems, and even to increase sperm production and boost libido. Today, the primary use of saw palmetto is to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

Audio:

Jonathan Flickinger – Saw Palmetto

Betsabé Castro-Escobar –

“Broadleaf Plantain”

University of California, Berkeley

Locale: California

Study: Calabash Trees: Uses, selection and phenotypic variation in the Caribbean Island of the Greater Antilles.

Broadleaf plantain is probably the second most common broadleaf weed of turf after dandelion. It is extremely well adapted to most sites including dry or wet conditions, heavy soils and very low mowing heights. It is as much of a weed of roadsides and pastures as it is of manicured landscapes.

Audio:

Betsabe Castro-Escobar – Broadleaf Plantain

Toby Liss –

“Sassafras”

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Locale: New York

Study: How plant assemblage diversity affects green root function.

Sassafras is a deciduous North American tree with aromatic leaves and bark. The leaves are infused to make tea or ground into filé.

Audio:

Toby Liss – Sassafras

Sarick Matzen –

“Gray’s Licorice-Root”

University of California, Berkeley

Locale: California

Study: Plant-based soil remediation: the effects of soil characteristics on arsenic uptake in Pteris vittata.

Ligusticum grayi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Gray’s licorice-root. It is native to the western United States from Montana to California, where it grows in moist, mountainous habitat, such as meadows and forest floors.

Audio:

Sarick Matzen – Gray’s Licorice-Root

Ashley McGuigan –

“Goatweed”

University of Hawaii

Locale: Hawaii

Study: Agroforest resilience and contributions to nutritional diversity in Fiji.

It is a deciduous perennial growing to 30 cm (12 in), with bright red stems with green heart-shaped leaves (copper-tinged when young) which are slightly hairy on the bottom. In spring it produces pink, white, yellow or purple long-spurred flowers.

Audio:

Ashley McGuigan – Goatweed

Nicole Tiernan –

“Aloe Vera”

Florida International University

Locale: Florida

Study: Endemic Plumeria in Cuba.

Aloe vera is a plant species of the genus Aloe. It grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is cultivated for agricultural and medicinal uses. Aloe is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant.

Audio:

Nicole Tiernan – Aloe Vera

2016

Jonathan Flickinger –

“Cuban Oregano”

Florida International University (FL)

Locale: Caribbean Islands

Study: Diversity and classification of the Myrtle Family in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot.

The Caribbean Islands qualify as a hotspot of biodiversity due to their wealth of unique species at risk of extinction. The myrtle family, a large group of tropical trees and shrubs, includes over 500 species in the Caribbean. Mr. Flickinger’s research aims at discovering the relationships between species in the myrtle family across the region to better understand this significant component of tropical forests.

Audio:

Jonathan Flickinger: Cuban Oregano

Chelsie Romulo –

“Turtlehead”

George Mason University (VA)
Locale: Peru
Study: Working to conserve and sustainably mange the ecologically, culturally, and economically important palm tree Mauritia flexuosa (aguaje) in the Peruvian Amazon.

The aguaje palm tree covers approximately 10% of the Peruvian Amazon. Its fruit supports many different animal species in the Amazon rainforest. The fruit is harvested from the wild and sold in the city of Iquitos. Using satellite images from the NASA Landsat program, Ms. Romulo’s dissertation research proposes to produce recommendations for the conservation and sustainable management of this threatened palm and the forest.

Audio:

Chelsie Romulo: Turtlehead

Andrea Drager –

“Kola Nut”

Rice University
Locale: African rainforests
Study: Staying connected: How pollination relates to tree density in the Afrotropics.

Ms. Drager studies plant-pollinator interactions in the Congo Basin rainforest. These forest communities have hundreds of tree species and this means many of them are rare. She wants to understand how rare trees compete for pollinators and whether or not they are as successful as common species.

Audio:

Andrea Drager: Kola Nut

Sarick Matzen –

“Tulsi”

University of California, Berkeley (CA).

Locale: CA

Study: Plant-based soil remediation: The effects of soil characteristics on arsenic uptake in the brake fern, Pteris vittata.

Soil contamination is a common barrier to urban agriculture. Mr. Matzen works on affordable, sustainable soil remediation methods. H studies plant-based soil clean-up methods, using the brake fern, Pteris Vittata, which accumulates high concentrations of arsenic in its fronds. He then harvests the fronds to remove arsenic from the site, leaving the soil in place. He investigates how soil characteristics affect arsenic uptake in the fern.

Audio:

Sarick Matzen: Tulsi

Morgan Roche –

“Jewelweed”

University of Tennessee (TN)

Locale: Tennessee

Study: Mechanisms of Biodiversity loss following the spread of an invasive plant.

Invasive plants cause immense damage to our natural ecosystems, including the loss of native plants, animals, and microbial organisms. Ms. Roche’s research works to understand how and why we are losing this important native diversity.

Morgan Roche: Jewelweed

Rebecca Dalton –

“Red Clover”

Duke University (NC)

Locale: Rocky Mountains, CO

Study: Understanding how climate change affects plant-pollinators and plant-plant interactions.

With earlier and earlier snowmelt due to global warming, subalpine flowering plants are blooming earlier than they have in the historical past. Although warming affects all plants and their pollinators, each species responds slightly differently. Ms. Dalton studies how changes in timing of flowering and insect emergence affect species interactions.

Audio:

Rebecca Dalton: Red Clover

Jessica B. Turner

“Bay Laurel”

West Virginia University
Locale: West Virginia
Study: The Root of Sustainability: Understanding and Implementing medicinal plant conservation strategies in the face of land-use change in Appalachia.

Medicinal plants are economically and socially important plants throughout Appalachia. Due to unethical harvesting and human-caused habitat loss, these plants are becoming increasingly rare. Ms. Turner seeks to understand whether or not reintroduced ginseng and goldenseal will survive and grow on mined lands, as compared to land that was previously used for agriculture and a mature forest.

Audio:

Jessica B. Turner: Bay Laurel

Chelsie Romulo

“Elderberry”

George Mason University (VA)
Locale: Peru
Study: Working to conserve and sustainably mange the ecologically, culturally, and economically important palm tree Mauritia flexuosa (aguaje) in the Peruvian Amazon.

Audio:

Chelsie Romulo: Elderberry

Andrea Drager

“Moabi”

Rice University
Locale: African rainforests
Study: Staying connected: How pollination relates to tree density in the Afrotropics.
Ms. Drager studies plant-pollinator interactions in the Congo Basin rainforest. These forest communities have hundreds of tree species and this means many of them are rare. She wants to understand how rare trees compete for pollinators and whether or not they are as successful as common species.

Audio:

Andrea Drager: Moabi

Ryan Unks

“Pencil Euphorbia/Pushirooti”

University of Georgia
Locale: Kenya
Study: An interdisciplinary approach to explore how livelihoods and landscape-level ecological processes are related in Laikipia, Kenya.
Mr. Unks research focuses on recent changes in herding practices and vegetation in East Africa. He’s using an interdisciplinary approach to explore how livelihoods and landscape-level ecological processes are inter-related in Laikipia, Kenya. He’s also interested in understanding how different herders view changes in plant communities and how these changes are impacting livelihoods.

Audio:

Ryan Unks: Pencil Euphorbia/Pushirooti

Rebecca Dalton

“Spring Beauty”

Duke University
Locale: Colorado
Study: Ecology and evolution of flowering plants in a changing climate.

Due to human consumption of natural resources and production of industrial pollutants, global changes are occurring. One noticeable change in our ecosystem is earlier appearance of vegetation and flowers and these changes may influence how plants and their pollinators interact. Ms. Dalton seeks to examine how flowering species in Colorado are affected by earlier flowering and if and what the consequences may be for future population growth.

Audio:

Rebecca Dalton: Spring Beauty

2014

Jessica B. Turner

“Lavender”

West Virginia University
Locale: West Virginia
Study: The Root of Sustainability: Understanding and Implementing medicinal plant conservation strategies in the face of land-use change in Appalachia.

Audio:

Jessica B. Turner – Lavender

Anna Johnson

“Anise Hyssop”

University of Maryland Baltimore County (MD)
Locale: Maryland
Study: Novel Urban Plant Communities: Causes and Consequences of Diversity.

Ms. Johnson is an urban ecologist whose research involves looking at vacant lots in Baltimore and trying to understand what the combination of human and natural processes are that create the plant communities we see. Her research looks to explore how restoring the diversity of the regional pool of possible species interacts with variation in local environmental conditions caused by legacies of human land-use. Her work will help to inform future urban restoration efforts.

Audio:

Anna Johnson – Anisy Hyssop

Chelsie Romulo –

“Jerusalem Artichoke”

Audio:

Chelsea Romulo – Jerusalem artichoke

Stephen J. Murphy –

“Teaberry/Wintergreen”

The Ohio State University (OH).
Locale: Pennsylvania
Study: Forest landscape change in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mr. Murphy seeks to resample a subset of the forested landscape of southwestern Pennsylvania in order to increase understanding and change the misconception that forests are static entities, remaining relatively unchanged through time unless subjected to a severe disturbance such as fire or logging. Understanding this dynamic nature of forests is extremely important for predicting how they will look in the future.

Audio:

Stephen J. Murphy – Teaberry

Aurelie Jacquet –

“Red Clover”

Purdue University (IN)
Locale: Nepal, United States
Study: Neuroprotective effects of Nepalese and Native American traditional medicine on Parkinson’s disease models.

The natural and social diversity of Nepal and the United States represents a great opportunity to research a wide range of traditional medical treatments. Ms. Jacquet focuses her research on the discovering whether the plants used in Nepalese and Native American traditional medicine have a high potential to alleviate neuron death and changes in brain cells associated with Parkinson’s Disease. Her study is designed to meet the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goal #1: “Eradicate poverty and hunger,” by initiating new discussions in the field of public health policy, and the preservation of traditional practices.

Audio:

Aurelie Jacquet – Red clover

Aurelie Jacquet

“Sage”

Purdue University (IN)
Locale: Nepal, United States
Study: Neuroprotective effects of Nepalese and Native American traditional medicine on Parkinson’s disease models.

Audio:

Aurelie Jacquet – Sage

2013

Anita Varghese

“Black Pepper”

University of Hawaii (HI)
Locale: India
Study: Community based ecological monitoring and its implications for conservation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Ms. Varghese’s valuable case study links science-based research with traditional plant knowledge to assess the status of the frankincense tree found in the forests of India’s Western Ghats region. By studying the biology of the trees in response to harvesting and understanding the motivations and practices of indigenous harvesters of medicinal plants products like frankincense, her research will yield direct insight for improved conservation of ecologically and culturally important medicinal plants and their habitats. Her research seeks to involve local harvesters of wild plants in the long term monitoring of forests, thereby bringing their observations and knowledge on board for conservation action.

Audio:

Anita Varghese – Black Pepper

Anna Johnson

“Chicory”

University of Maryland Baltimore County (MD)
Locale: Maryland
Study: Novel Urban Plant Communities: Causes and Consequences of Diversity.

Ms. Johnson is an urban ecologist whose research involves looking at vacant lots in Baltimore and trying to understand what the combination of human and natural processes are that create the plant communities we see. Her research looks to explore how restoring the diversity of the regional pool of possible species interacts with variation in local environmental conditions caused by legacies of human land-use. Her work will help to inform future urban restoration efforts.

Audio:

Anna Johnson – Chicory

Jessica B. Turner

“Ginseng”

West Virginia University (WV)
Locale:West Virginia
Study:The Root of Sustainability: Understanding and implementing medicinal plant conservation strategies in the face of land-use change in Appalachia.

Medicinal plants are economically and socially important plants throughout Appalachia. Due to unethical harvesting and human-caused habitat loss, these plants are becoming increasingly rare. Ms. Turner seeks to understand whether or not reintroduced ginseng and goldenseal will survive and grow on mined lands, as compared to land that was previously used for agriculture and a mature forest.

Audio:

Jessica B. Turner – Ginseng

George Meindl

“Sheep’s Sorrel”

University of Pittsburgh (PA).
Locale: Pennsylvania and California
Study: Assessing the potential for cascading effects of heavy metal soil pollution: plants and pollinators.

Mr. Meindl focuses his research on phytoremediation, which involves the study of certain plant species that absorb soil metals and store them in above ground tissues, such as stems and leaves. Human land use, including agriculture, mineral mining, and industry, has resulted in toxic levels of heavy metal contamination in many areas. His project seeks to determine the potential risks phytoremediation poses to local insect populations, particularly pollinators.

Audio:

George Meindl – Sheeps sorrel

Samantha Davis

“Two-Leaved Toothwort”

Wright State University
Locale: Ohio
Study: The direct and indirect effects of plant invasion on a rare woodland butterfly

Ms. Davis documents how the rampant spread of garlic mustard contributes to the decline of the rare “West Virginia White” butterfly, driving out native host plants on which this woodland pollinator depends. She is among the first to document such a relationship. Her work serves as a model for other conservation and habitat restoration studies.

Audio:

Samantha Davis – Two-Leaved Toothwort

Kelly Ksiazek

“Nodding Onion”

Northwestern University
Locale: Illinois
Study: Conservation of forb species in urban environments: can green roofs provide sustainable habitat for native prairie plants?

Ms. Ksiazek’s research investigates the degree to which plants that grow on green roofs are inbreeding or reproducing with plants from other habitats such as those on the ground. If green roof plants are able to produce a wide genetic variety of offspring as they would in their natural habitat, then these unique green rooftops could be very helpful in providing places for plants and animals to live in the future.

Audio:

Kelly Ksiazek – Nodding Onion

2012

Sushma Shrestha

“Rhododendron”

Miami University
Locale: Nepal
Study: Integrating community forest ecological and ethno-botanical knowledge for biodiversity conservation.

Ms. Shrestha’s study applies state-of-the-art methods to address the practical question of how to scientifically map biodiversity and conservation, and at the same time map what the indigenous population knows about the landscape, its contents and its uses. The goal is to develop a scientifically and culturally informed conservation plan for a remote biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Himalayas. Her work has received the Richard Evans Schultes Award from the Society for Economic Botany and a Dissertation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

Audio:

Sushma Shrestha – Rhododendron

Anita Varghese

“Ginger”

University of Hawaii
Locale: India
Study: Community-based ecological monitoring and its implications for conservation in the Nilgiri Biospehere Reserve

Ms. Varghese’s valuable case study links science-based research with traditional plant knowledge to assess the status of two medicinally important species in India’s Western Ghat’s region. By examining the motivations and practices of indigenous harvesters of medicinal plants, and tracking the impact of harvest methods on plant populations, her research will yield direct insight for improved conservation of ecologically and culturally important medicinal plants and their habitats.

Audio:

Anita Varghese – Ginger

George Meindl

“Milkwort jewelflower”

University of Pittsburgh
Locale: California & Pennsylvania
Study: Assessing the potential for cascading effects of heavy metal soil pollution: plants and pollinators

Mr. Meindl focuses his research on the extent to which soil chemistry influences both plant morphology and tissue chemistry of flowering plants that vary in their affinity to serpentine soil, and whether these changes result in reproductive isolation between closely related populations through altered plant-pollinator interactions and/or gamete incompatibility.

Audio:

George Meindl – Milkwort jewelflower

Lisa Offringa

“Black Pepper”

City University of New York
Locale: Thailand
Study: Identifying plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of dementia

The prevalence of dementia is increasing worldwide in both industrialized and developing nations. Memory impairment, in excess of what is considered normal for age, is the most common symptom of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Plant compounds are the starting point for many current therapies for dementia. The objective of Ms. Offringa’s research is to investigate Thai medicinal plants with the potential to slow the progression of MCI to dementia, and treat the memory loss that accompanies this disorder.

Audio:

Lisa Offringa – Black Pepper

Aurélie Jacquet

“Himalayan Birch”

Purdue University
Locale: Nepal
Study: Neuroprotective effects of Nepalese traditional medicine on Parkinson’s Disease models

The natural and social diversity of Nepal represents a great opportunity to research a wide range of traditional medical treatments. Ms. Jacquet focuses her research on the discovering whether the plants used in Nepalese traditional medicine have a high potential to alleviate neuron death and changes in brain cells associated with Parkinson’s Disease. Her study is designed to meet the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goal #1: “Eradicate poverty and hunger,” by initiating new discussions in the field of public health policy, and the preservation of traditional practices.

Audio:

Aurélie Jacquet – Himalayan Birch

Samantha Davis

“Jewelweed / Spotted Touch-Me-Not”

Wright State University (OH)
Locale: Ohio
Study: The direct and indirect effects of plant invasion on a rare woodland butterfly

Audio:

Samantha Davis – Jewelweed / Spotted Touch-Me-Not

2011

Alison Hale

“False Solomon’s Seal”

University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Locale: Pennsylvania
Study: Testing a novel mechanism of forest understory invasion by garlic mustard: short- and long-term impacts.

In Pennsylvania’s forests, about 70% of all plants rely on a cooperative relationship with a unique group of fungi (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) to obtain the nutrients they need to survive. Ms. Hale’s research examines how toxic chemicals produced by garlic mustard, a widespread invasive plant, disrupt this beneficial synergy and destabilize the health of our native forests.

Audio:

Alison Hale – False Solomon’s Seal

Vandana Krishnamurthy

“Cycads”

University of Hawaii (HI)
Locale: India
Study: Ethnobotany, trade and population dynamics of the endemic Cycads species.

Ms. Krishnamurthy investigates conservation issues associated with the harvesting of two endangered species of Cycads in the Western Ghats of Southern India. Increasing commercial pressures are leading to the disappearance of these ancient, slow- growing plants, which have long been used by indigenous peoples for food, medicine and ceremonial purposes. A deeper understanding of the harvesting, trade and other factors that impact cycads is crucial to their long-term preservation.

Audio:

Vandana Krishnamurthy – Cycads

Lisa Offringa

“Ginger”

City University of New York (NY)
Locale: Thailand
Study: Identifying plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of dementia.

Traditional medicine in Thailand (a mix of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda from India) offers promising plants to investigate for compounds that are active against age-related memory loss. Through interviews with indigenous healers, Ms. Offringa is documenting traditional herbal medicines to treat mild cognitive impairment and slow the progress of dementia. In collaboration with Thai academic and botanical institutions, plants will be identified to species, collected, and tested for efficacy using contemporary Western laboratory methods.

Audio:

Lisa Offringa – Ginger

Sushma Shrestha

“Stinging Nettles”

Miami University (OH)
Locale: Nepal
Study: Integrating community forest ecological and ethno-botanical knowledge for biodiversity conservation.

Audio:

Sushma Shrestha – Stinging Nettles

Olyssa Starry

“Stonecrop / Wall Pepper”

University of Maryland
Locale: Maryland, United States
Study: The role of green roof plants in urban storm water management.

Green roofs offer an important solution to the problem of urban storm water management, retaining as much as 80% of rainwater they receive from small storms. However, not enough is known about how much water these structures retain under different environmental and planting scenarios. Ms. Starry’s research examines the role of three species of Sedum in the rainwater retention of green roof systems through both careful measurement of water in the substrate and plant, as well as changes in the condition of the plants.

Audio:

Olyssa Starry – Stonecrop / Wall Pepper

Anita Varghese

“Frankincense”

University of Hawaii (HI)
Locale: India
Study: Community based ecological monitoring and its implications for conservation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Audio:

Anita Varghese – Frankincense

Herbs In Action!

A weekly radio series featuring the Botany in Action Fellows discussing herbs from around the world

2024

Camille DeSisto –

“Musa”

Audio:

David Felipe Rodríguez Mora –

Nettle “Urera Laciniata”

Audio:

Richard Hull –

“Snow Trillium”

Audio:

Viviana Londoño-Lemos –

“Beach Spider Lily”

Audio:

Naomi Miller –

“Jack in the Pulpit”

Audio:

Lauren Nerfa –

“Olena”

Audio:

Lydia Soifer –

“Resurrection Fern”

Audio:

2023

James Barnes –

“Bottle Gourd”

Audio:

Manuel Bernal Escobar

“Chingalé Jacaranda”

Audio:

Camille DeSisto –

“Madagascar Vanilla”

Audio:

Richard Hull –

“Goldenseal”

Audio:

Lydia Soifer –

“Bird’s nest fern”

Audio:

Cassandra Ziegler –

“Ghost pipe”

Audio:

2022

Veronica Iriart –

“Wild lupine”

Audio:

Sarah Klionsky

“Cranberry”

Audio:

Haley Lewis –

“Goldenrod”

Audio:

Florencia Pech-Cardenas –

“Epazote”

Audio:

Amanda Thiel –

“Chipilin”

Audio:

Emily Thyroff –

“’Uhaloa”

Audio:

Alexa Wagner –

“Paw paw”

Audio:

Taylor Zallek –

“Salvinia”

Audio:

2021

Samantha Bosco –

“Ramps”

Audio:

Veronica Iriart –

“Red clover”

Audio:

Sarah Klionsky –

“Bunchberry”

Audio:

Rachel Reeb –

“Goldenrod”