Doctor Fungus - Produced by four medical professors/specialists, the information presented is meant as a resource for physicians, but is accessible to patients as well. Which means that before you go checking out exotic-sounding infection pictures in the image bank, be prepared for a graphically jarring experience, unless you are in the business. Fungal infections of people, animals, and plants are covered, and the effects of fungi on industry, the environment, and agriculture are discussed. For farmers, the introduction of a 'white, stinky fungus from Honduras' may well replace methyl bromide, a widely-used soil fumigant that, under federal law, must be phased out by 2005. The difference between 'mold' and 'mould' is also explained, and it has nothing to do with American versus English usage. Rating: 10 out of 10 (17 January 2003) AD
http://www.doctorfungus.org/
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Based in Austin, Texas, this organisation is dedicated to wildflower appreciation, education and conservation, aiming to 'inspire people of all ages to reconnect themselves to the land.' Their website's main function appears to be to let visitors know how to obtain printed information or visit open days in person, although there are several features worth pointing out: the virtual tour of the headquarters includes some excellent interactive panoramas (for which you'll need the QuickTime plug-in) and you'll find a number of articles on flowers available to read online. The Native Plant Information section lets visitors browse a large database of US wild plant species, and there are downloadable advice sheets to help enthusiasts to improve their plant-growing skills. Overall, a great resource for green-fingered Americans, but, with even the links section restricted to the US, perhaps less useful for visitors elsewhere. (26 November 2001) RJN
http://www.wildflower.org/
Poisonous Plants Informational Database - The list of plants that have evolved chemical defenses is long indeed, and the usual suspects are here, along with some surprises for the non-specialist. Although the poisonous plants pages of Cornell University are a work in progress, startling information is offered about seemingly innocent favorite flowers. The lupins harbor anagyrine, an alkaloid that produces severe birth defects in animal and human alike, if ingested by a pregnant female. The list of toxic agents includes ricin, a substance used to murder a Bulgarian journalist. delivered via the sharp point of an umbrella. Perhaps the most riveting page features popular candy bar wrappers, and some cautionary remarks. (16 September 2001) AD
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/plants.html
Auburn University Entomology & Plant Pathology - The main section of this comprehensive site covers a guide to the insects of Alabama trees, dividing them as pests of tree crowns, main stem and roots and root collars. "Crown insect pests", for example, is further divided into routes dealing with insects attacking foliage, buds and branches, flowers and fruits, which finally lead to the individual species. For all types of readers, the text amply covers life cycles as well as crop damage with excellent photos for identification. Unfortunately not all the orders are covered yet, so the best bet is to go directly to the "Web publications" icon if it's the natural history aspect you're interested in (bag worms, cicadas etc, etc,). Other interesting areas are Fire ants and Cockroaches. (12 August 2001) CCL
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/dept/ent/ent.html
Plants of the Machiguenga - A neurologist goes to Peru to look for headache cures in the rainforest, returning with some 90,000 plant samples. Those plants are not listed here, but a few fascinating glimpses are allowed into his loot bag, although the Amazonian rain barometer, being a mushroom, probably didn't make it. We may think only of rainforest plants for their potential disease-fighting properties, but the villagers speak of hunting-magic plants, some used only for bathing babies, and hallucinogenics, which are the primary source of the shaman's powers. Accounts of village life and excerpts from his travel log tell how dogs are prepped with infusions for the hunt, how fish are caught using curare, and of his encounter with a botfly, that most friendly of parasites. (30 May 2001) AD
http://www.montana.com/manu/
