Author: Lili Paradi
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101/150: Not a banana, not a mango, it’s a pawpaw fruit!
Plantae: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliopsida: Magnoliales: Annonaceae: Asimina: Asimina triloba Linnaeus, Dunal What do you get when you cross the taste of a banana with the look and texture of a mango? A pawpaw fruit! Believe it or not, the tropical-looking pawpaw tree, which is native to North America, gives the largest tree berry in all of…
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94/150: O Canada Darner!
Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Odonata: Aeshnidae: Aeshna: Aeshna canadensis Walker, 1908 A real Canadian dragonfly, the Canada darner Aeshna canadensis is native to all ten Canadian provinces. Ranging from a brilliant blue to a rich brown in colour, Canada darner males are usually seen hovering near edges of boggy freshwater habitats, whereas the milder coloured females…
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81/150: This species is just peachy!
Animalia: Chordata: Ascidiacea: Stolidobranchia: Pyuridae: Halocynthia: Halocynthia pyriformis (Linnaeus) Sea peaches are part of the class of invertebrates Ascidiacea – known as sea squirts or tunicates. They are more closely related to chordates (animals with a back bone) than other invertebrates because at some point in their life stage they exhibit vertebrate characteristics such as…
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66/150: Well, that is just dumb luck
Plantae: Pteridophyta: Pteridopsida: Hydropteridales: Marsileaceae: Marsilea vestita (Linnaeus) Don’t be fooled, Hairy waterclover (Marsilea vestita) may LOOK like something that could give you a lifetime of good luck, but in reality are just four-leaf clover wannabes. Hairy waterclover, also known as Hairy pepperwort, is a type of aquatic fern that you can find in damp…
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63/150: The Ultimate Diving Champion
animalia: Chordata: Aves: Anseriformes: Anatidae: Clangula: Clangula hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Now this species is set for the Olympics! The Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) – formerly known as Oldsquaw – sets the record for one of the deepest diving ducks (over 60 metres)! Whereas Olympic athletes perform impressive feats like these for medals, the Long-tailed Duck…