Category: Botany

Aside

You know when you get a trichome that has sap at the end?
“In the type IV glands of the related species Solanum pennellii (previously Lycopersicon pennellii), as well as in many other Solanaceae species, including tobacco, Datura and Petunia spp., glucose and sucrose are acylated with 3–4 acyl groups of both straight and branched chains ranging in carbon number from 2 to 12 (Van Dam and Hare, 1998). The resulting polyester acyl sugars (Figure 2) are secreted from the glands, sometimes in relatively large quantities, and the exudate causes the plant surface to become sticky and provides a strong deterrent to insects

The first acylation reaction of glucose is catalyzed by UDP-glucose fatty acid:glycosyltransferase, and additional acylations of the sugar moiety appear to occur by a series of disproportionation reactions, the first of which is catalyzed by an enzyme that belongs to the serine carboxypeptidase family (Li and Steffens, 2000). The subsequent reactions have not been yet characterized. The acyl groups are derived from elongation of short straight and branched fatty acids, which themselves are derived from degradation of amino acids” — (Walters and Steffens, 1990)

From Harnessing plant trichome biochemistry for the production of useful compounds

Musings on SAR & JAR

What I’m currently reading through and consolidating my thoughts on, so keep in mind, the writing here is subject to change as I continue to read. Let’s talk about harpin proteins. What’s everyone’s thoughts? I’ve tried them, they’re really rather interesting; especially when considering SAR vs Jasmonic response. Most of the response the plant shows after application is through stimulation of… Read more →

Why Cannabis Grown with the Addition of LAB May Produce a Superior High

Hypothesis: Mode of Actions for the increased trichome / calyx ratio, increased terpene content, and how this might affect our perception as to the potency of probiotically grown cannabis. My current hypothesis as to why cannabis grown in a system that utilizes homemade LAB (lactobacillus serum), produces a perceivable increase in potency when compared to non-probiotic cannabis. The LAB in question should be homemade, and from the… Read more →