Centaurea cyanus, commonly known as cornflower or bachelor's button, is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Europe. In the past, it often grew as a weed in cornfields, hence its name. It is now endangered in its native habitat by agricultural intensification, particularly by over-use of herbicides. However, Centaurea cyanus is now also naturalised in many other parts of the world, including North America and parts of Australia through introduction as an ornamental plant in gardens and as a seed contaminant in crop seeds.
Centaurea solstitialis, the yellow star-thistle, is a species of thorny plant in the genus Centaurea, which is part of the family Asteraceae. A winter annual, it is native to the Mediterranean Basin region and invasive in many other places. It is also known as golden starthistle, yellow cockspur and St. Barnaby's thistle.
Flower's gerbil is a large gerbil distributed mainly in Egypt, from the eastern fringes of the Nile delta to the Sinai Peninsula, south of El Arish. Less than 250 individuals of this species are thought to persist in the wild, but it is not considered to be at threat, since it is common within its area of habitat and nothing poses a direct threat to it. This species is found in rocky desert, sandy coastal plains, grass valleys, palm tree groves and cultivated areas.
Leocereus is a genus of cactus. Its only species is Leocereus bahiensis, first described by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose in 1926.
The red-flanked duiker is a species of small antelope found in western and central Africa in countries as far apart as Senegal and Sudan. Red-flanked duikers grow to almost 15 in (38 cm) in height and weigh up to 31 lb (14 kg). They have russet coats, with greyish-black legs and backs, and white underbellies. They feed on leaves, fallen fruits, seeds and flowers, and sometimes twigs and shoots. The adults are territorial, living in savannah and lightly wooded habitats, and the females usually produce a single offspring each year. They have lifespans of ten to fifteen years in captivity.
The red forest duiker, Natal duiker, or Natal red duiker is a small antelope found in central to southern Africa. It is one of 22 extant species form the subfamily Cephalophinae. While the red forest duiker is very similar to the common duiker, it is smaller in size and has a distinguishing reddish coloring. Additionally, the red forest duiker favors a denser bush habitat than the common duiker. The Natal red duiker is more diurnal and less secretive than most forest duikers, so therefore it is easier for them to be observed. In 1999, red forest duikers had an estimated wild population of 42,000 individuals.
Quercus lyrata, the overcup oak, is an oak in the white oak group. The common name, overcup oak, refers to its acorns that are mostly enclosed within the acorn cup. It is native to lowland wetlands in the eastern and south-central United States, in all the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, inland as far as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois. There are historical reports of it growing in Iowa, but the species appears to have been extirpated there. It is a slow-growing tree that often takes 25 to 30 years to mature. It has an estimated lifespan of 400 years.
Doria's tree-kangaroo is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical mountain forests on the island of New Guinea. It is one of the largest tree-kangaroos, living alone in trees and active at night to feed on leaves or fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Threats include hunting and habitat loss.
Pericopsis elata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is known by the common names African teak, afromosia, afrormosia, kokrodua and assamela.
The buffy hummingbird is a species of bird in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Leucippus. This bird lives in dry forest and scrubland in northern South America where it feeds on insects and the nectar, flesh, and juice of cactus fruits.
Centaurea gymnocarpa, also known as fiordaliso di Capraia (Italian) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a rare species endemic to Italy found only on Capraia, a small island located in the Tuscan Archipelago, with the species being distributed across 8 subpopulations on the island's surface. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky areas, colonizing in the cracks and fissures of cliffs.
Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. melitense, synonym Helichrysum melitense, is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Malta, specifically to the island of Gozo. It is known as the Maltese everlasting. It can be found in Dwejra, and in cliffs in Gozo near Fungus Rock. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation on Coastal garigue and vertical sheer cliffs. Recently, it was recorded in new locations on the island of Gozo. This plant is on the decline in the wild, and it is threatened by habitat loss. It is very easy to cultivate, and it is gaining ornamental popularity amongst the locals.
Senecio lamarckianus, the bois de chèvre, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family and a member of the genus Senecio. It is endemic to the island of Mauritius and is threatened by habitat loss.
The long-snouted bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the only species within the genus Platalina. It is endemic to northern Peru and northern Chile. It feeds almost exclusively on the nectar and fruit of the columnar cactus. The species is rare, but has a wide distribution with at least 25 populations, and is listed as near-threatened due to habitat loss causing the removal of their primary food source.
Anacolosa densiflora is a species of plant in the Olacaceae family. Currently, it is an endangered species that is endemic to India.
Leucopogon parviflorus, commonly known as coast beard-heath or native currant, is a shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae. It is native to all Australian states and territories excluding the Northern Territory and the ACT and also grows in New Zealand. The species can grow to between 1 and 5 metres in height and has leaves that are 11 to 29 mm long and 2.4 to 7.5 mm in width, often with curved tips. The white flowers are around 15 mm long and are produced in spikes of 7 to 13. These occur throughout the year.
Dypsis brevicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a dwarf palm found on only three sites in Madagascar, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. The plant is part of the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants, a study of representative species from all over the world which is studying extinction trends for plants.
Iris marsica is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Apennine Mountains, in Italy. It has glaucous, sickle-shaped or curved, light green leaves, slender stem with 2 branches, and 3 violet, light blue violet, dark violet, and dark purple flowers. It was only found and described since 1973, and is not yet in general cultivation. It was once thought to be a form of Iris germanica, but has different morphological characteristics and different chromosomal differences.
Tulipa hungarica, the Danube tulip, Banat tulip or Rhodope tulip, is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae. It is also in the subgenus Tulipa. It is found on the rocky mountainsides of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovenia, especially along the gorges of the river Danube. It has small bright yellow flowers in spring and blue-grey leaves.
Ramonda heldreichii is a species of flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It was formerly treated as Jankaea heldreichii, the only member of the monotypic genus Jankaea. It is endemic to Mount Olympus in Greece where it is a relict species from the Tertiary period.
