See? It’s a plant that looks like a baseball! And on Friday, the Minnesota Atheists Regional Conference will be sponsoring a baseball game in St Paul, the Mr Paul Aints vs. the Amarillo Sox. You should come. Here’s the schedule for the meeting: Dave Silverman, Hector Avalos, Ayanna Watson, Robert Price, Teresa McBain, J. Anderson Thompson, and me. Probably no baseball plants, though. They’ve been wiped out in the wild.
(via WebEcoist)
lanceleuven says
Well I’m glad for the explanation about the baseball game sponsoring. At first I thought PZ was being flippant about using this wonderful plant as a baseball. It seemed a strange sentiment to come from the keyboard of a biologist!
Ben Goren says
This is a member of the Lithops genus, no? Any chance for a bit more specificity…?
Cheers,
b&
Paulino says
Who are you trying to fool? This is a terrestrial sea-urchin!!
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Vile Human Being says
The Chicago Cubs of botany.
Tethys says
Convergent Evolution in action.
The baseball plant is Euphorbia obesa.
Tethys says
Here is another example of convergence. The Sand Dollar Cactus Astrophytum asterias. Evolution is just amazing.
paulburnett says
Yes, it is a Euphorbia obesa – I have one in my cactus and succulent collection that’s 12 or 13 years old.
adamk says
The plant does not look at all like a baseball.
It’s probably a triffid.
Glen Davidson says
Odd idea to camouflage a baseball like that. But then again, what right to they have to always expect a bright white ball?
Glen Davidson
ChasCPeterson says
keep your eye on de ball
SC (Salty Current), OM says
Gorgeous. Looks like an ocean plant (or animal)!
By the way, sunflowers.
otrame says
I am a sucker for succulents. That is a beauty.
gijoel says
Honestly it looks like a facehugger will burst out of that thing and try to make sweet love to your mouth.
Ben Goren says
Tethys, paulburnett, thanks. Somehow it’s not surprising that, if it’s not a living stone that it should be Euphorbia….
b&
peterh says
M. C. Escher would be entranced.
faehnrich says
That’d be cool to grow a baseball, but Cleveland would do better with growing a team that’s actually decent.
georgemontgomery says
Looks like it could be a pope’s hat…
blindrobin says
That is no plant, it’s a fossilised tribble.
jakc says
I go with Triffid.
johnharshman says
To me, it looks like an echinoid. Except for the extra ambulacra; should be only 5.
ChasCPeterson says
More plants that look like echinoids (that can’t count). Cactus this time.