28Jul 2018 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

What’s the Difference Between Turnips and Rutabagas?

Food, Health
[caption id="attachment_20643" align="alignright" width="440"] Turnips - Image CCA 2.0 Generic License by thebittenword.com[/caption] There are two vegetables I'd always see at the grocery store as a child, though now I see them on a less regular basis -- turnips and rutabagas. They look a lot alike. Yet, they are different. How so? What's in a Name? The official or Latin names of the turnip and rutabaga are (you really do want to know, right?), Turnip: Brassica rapa var. rapa Rutabaga: Brassica napobrassica That doesn't tell us much, at least most of us. The first word is the same, Brassica. This word refers is the genus of a large group of plants, plants in the mustard family. They are sometimes referred to as cruciferous vegetables. In addition to turnips and rutabagas,…
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01Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

Do Black Snakes and Copperheads Crossbreed?

animals
Some country dwelling old timers give warning of a dangerous crossbreeding of two snakes — the copperhead and the black snake. The resulting combination is worse than a mere copperhead! This story is convincing to many young newcomers. Why would these old-timers misinform others suggesting they should eliminate both varieties of snake from their properties. Is the tale true? Do black snakes and copperheads crossbreed, or, even though sincerely believed, just a myth? Blacksnakes and Copperheads: Cellular Level References listed below assure us it is not only a myth but also an impossibility. These two snake varieties are of different species (strike one). Blacksnake cells differ fundamentally from those of the copperhead in their number of chromosomes (strike two). A difference in chromosome count is critical when it comes to…
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