Milo Berrigan
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miloberrigan.bsky.social
Milo Berrigan
@miloberrigan.bsky.social
900 followers 1.1K following 140 posts
Fan of plants, prose, and the public domain.🌿📖🎨
Posts occasionally. Responds sporadically. Just generally bad at this.
Anti-AI and pro-people.✊ #SciArt #Booksky #JAFF (she/her)
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miloberrigan.bsky.social
Congrats on the new release! Can't do much better than #1! :)

#JAFF
Screen shot of Amazon listing for "Intentions and Mishaps" showing it as #1 in the "British Short Stories" sales category.
February 6, 2025 at 6:46 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
What an interesting premise. And such a cinematic cover!

(And for an A-List movie, too. Your Darcy looks so much like Michael Fassbender! Excellent "casting.")
Image of Micheal Fassbender as Mr. Rochester in the movie adaption of Jane Eyre.
February 5, 2025 at 9:27 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Update!

Apologies to the artists of yore! Just saw this preserved specimen of Pipa pipa and you can clearly see that some toadlets emerge bottom first and others top first!

They were documenting a real phenomenon. I just misinterpreted it.
Photograph of a preserved specimen of Pipa pipa. There are two toadlets emerging from the toad’s back, one is front first and the other bottom first. Image by Endeneon (Via Wiki Commons)
January 27, 2025 at 5:25 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
This one is from a field study by the German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, a pioneering entomologist who spent years researching the insects (& occasional toads) of Surinam.

She was born in *1647*. And she knew things about the natural world that I just learned today.

How cool is that?
Early 18th-century illustration of the Surinam Toad in its native habitat. This specimen is depicted swimming in shallow waters near a large semi-aquatic plant that fills out most of the frame. The water is lightly colored for clarity, but what little color is present is a light brown. This is accurate as the Surinam Toad lives in murky waters. Unlike the previous illustrations, which highlight the end stage of the reproductive cycle, this one focuses more on the first. Showing the toad with the eggs as they are first deposited on the back. Some toadlets are also shown emerging and one is already swimming on its own in the water. In nature, both of these would not be visible at the same time. It is a bit of artistic license intended to capture the whole cycle in a single frame. From a technical perspective, it is exceptionally well done. The etching is incredibly detailed and highly precise. Note for screen readers: the image source, cited below, has a Latin title. Image from Metamorphosis insectorum surinamensium by Maria Sibylla Merian. (1705).
January 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Turns out there *are* some inaccuracies to these older illustrations, though.

Artists of yore often portrayed the toadlets like little joeys. Drawing them both entering and exiting their “pouch.” But, in truth, the toadlets have a one-way ticket.

Once they emerge, they’re on their own.
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of the Surinam Toad. This illustration is very similar to the first one, with the specimen drawn prone and legs splayed. The only notable difference is that the interior of the wells on its back are colored a dark, blood red. This color is not accurate to nature, but it succeeds in conveying a sense of vitality. Giving the impression of life beneath the surface. Image from the Iconographia Zoologica: A Paper Animal Kingdom (Special Collections University of Amsterdam) (c. 1800) Artist unknown. Close up of the previous picture showing the toadlets in greater detail. Most of these are shown entering rather than exiting the holes with only their little toad tushes visible. It’s very cute even though it is inaccurate.
January 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
I can’t believe that I’ve never heard of this!

The fertilized eggs are deposited on the female’s back and the yolks sink into a special layer of skin. The embryos mature there – through the tadpole stage – and emerge as tiny toadlets.

Then she sheds that layer of skin and starts again!
Mid-19th century scientific illustration of the Surinam Toad. It looks, of course, very similar to the toad depicted in the previous picture. However, this specimen is depicted sitting on the shoreline with tuffs of grass and rocks visible in the background. It is turned with its back to the viewer, highlighting the toadlets entering and exiting the wells. Note for screen readers: the image source, cited below, has a German title. Image from Bilder-Atlas zur wissenschaftlich-populären Naturgeschichte der Amphibien in ihren sämmtlichen Hauptformen by Leopold Joseph Fitzinger. (1864).
January 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Is anyone else new to the Pipa pipa party?!? 🐡🐸🐡

I came across this 18th century illustration of the Surinam Toad (Pipa pipa) – drawn with dozens of baby toads sprouting from its back – and I totally thought it was a historical error. An artifact of outdated science...

But it’s real?!? 🧵
Late 18th-century scientific illustration of the Surinam Toad, a fully-aquatic toad native to the tropical regions of South America. It has dull brown skin and a wide, flat body with a triangular head. This appearance functions as camouflage, allowing it to look like a dead leaf or piece of rotten wood floating in the water. The specimen is drawn prone, with its legs fully splayed. It has long spindly toes on its front feet and its back feet are wide and fully webbed. On the toad’s back, there are dozens of circular wells arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. They look something like a reverse bubble wrap. With pits or holes instead of bubbles. Tiny toadlets are shown emerging from some of these holes and a few more toadlets fill the rest of the frame. Image from The Naturalist's Miscellany (Vol. 1) by George Shaw. (1789). Close up of the previous picture showing the emerging toadlets in greater detail. Toadlets are shown entering and exiting the holes on the toad’s back.
January 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Plant of the Day🌿🐡

CAUCASIAN WINGNUT (Pterocarya fraxinifolia)

Illustration from Flore médicale des Antilles (Vol. 7) by M.E. Descourtilz. (1829)
Early 19th-century illustration of the Caucasian Wingnut, also known as the Caucasian Walnut, a flowering tree native to the Caucasus. Illustration shows a single branch with a couple sprays of leaves. The leaves are dark green with serrated edges and grow in matching pairs on either side of a central stem. Two fruits of the tree are also shown in an in-set. They are brown with an irregular surface, similar to other walnuts.
January 20, 2025 at 3:55 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Just want to welcome new folks joining from TikTok!

Sorry you lost your habitat! I hope you can find a niche here. Change sucks but just remember that's how new species are created. How beauty and wonder enter the world. 🐡💙📚

▪Tic Bean (Vicia faba)
▪Tok-Tok Beetle (Psammodes longicornis)
Early 19th century illustration of the Tic Bean, also known as the Fava Bean or the Broad Bean, which grows in wide distribution and is a staple of many diets around the world. It has soft, oval-shaped leaves and delicate white and purple flowers that look similar to pansies. The beans are depicted in an offset to the drawing and shown in different stages of maturation. This image is taken from a Japanese agricultural manual and there is a great deal of text to accompany the drawing. The text is in Japanese and there is no translation. However, it likely contains information on the methods used to grow and cultivate the plant. Image from Honzo Zufu (Vol. 40) by T. Iwasaki. (1830-1844) Mid-19th century scientific illustration of the Tok-Tok Beetle, a species of ground-dwelling beetle native to South Africa. It is black or dark brown and has an elongated body divided into two segments. The Tok-Tok Beetle taps on the ground to attract mates, creating a rhythmic sound from which they get their name. Image from Iconographia Zoologica (Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam.) Artist Unknown. (1844)
January 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Including snowwomen with bustles!

(I imagine this blanket is for the wind - or to maintain some element of surprise - but it totally reads like they're protecting her modesty. Like, it would be ungentlemanly to view a snowwoman in a state of undress.)
Turn of the century photograph of a woman building a snowwoman in a forested area. The snowwoman is incredibly lifelike and wearing a full gown with a bit of a bustle in the back. Behind them there is a pair of men holding up a blanket as if to create a wall. The purpose of this is unclear.
December 25, 2024 at 8:01 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
12th Day: "Twelve Drummers Drumming"

▪ Drumstick Tree (Moringa oleifera)
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of the Drumstick Tree, a flowering tree native to India. A single branch of the tree is depicted in the drawing. It has small oval leaves and sprays of delicate white flowers. The tree produces seed pods that can reach almost a foot and a half in length. An example of one of these pods is also depicted. These are most likely the proverbial “drumsticks” that give the plant its English common name. Image from Flore médicale by F.P. Chaumeton. (Vol. 2) (1829)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
11th Day: "Eleven Pipers Piping"

▪ Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of the Ghost Pipe, a parasitic plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America, and northern South America. The plant is shown with a large brown root ball at the base. These roots attach themselves to fungi beneath the soil and, through that attachment, the plant derives its energy. As a result, it does not use photosynthesis and does not need chlorophyll, so the plant is entirely white. It grows in scaly stalks that droop a little at the tip, looking something like white asparagus. Image from Exotic Flora by W.J. Hooker. (Vol. 2) (1825)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
10th Day: "Ten Lords a-Leaping"

▪ Lords-and-Ladies (Arum maculatum)
▪ Leaping Spider Orchid (Caladenia macrostylis)
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of Lords-and-Ladies, a flowering plant native to Europe and East Asia. The flower consists of a single teardrop-shaped petal that wraps around a large central stamen and is fused at the base. The interior of the petal is pink and the exterior is green. The appearance of the flower is highly reminiscent of female genitalia and the large central stamen is often perceived as a representation of male genitalia. As a result, many of the plant’s common names refer in some way to copulation. Lords-and-Ladies is also known as Adam and Eve, Cows and Bulls, and Devils and Angels. Image from Icones plantarum medico-oeconomico-technologicarum by F.B. Vietz. (Vol. 1) (1800) Late 19th-century scientific illustration of the Leaping Spider Orchid, a delicate orchid native to Australia. The plant has a long slender stem that is bare except for a couple thin leaves. At the top of each stem there is a single, wispy flower. The flowers have five pale green petals with a bright red stripe down the center. They are very thin and spread in such a way as to give the appearance of the body of a spider. Hence the name. Image from Australian orchids by R.D. Fitzgerald. (Vol. 2) (1884-1894)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
9th Day: "Nine Ladies Dancing"

▪ Dancing Ladies (Globba albiflora)
Late 19th-century scientific illustration of Dancing Ladies, a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. It has large, smooth, oval-shaped leaves and yellow flowers with a spot of orange in the center. These flowers have a very unusual shape, including a petal that looks like a hook. This hooked petal rises from the top of the blossom and flares into a star shape at its tip. The name “Dancing Ladies” likely comes from this petal looking like the graceful neck of woman with a bowed head. When the flowers catch the wind, it would appear as if she’s dancing. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 103) (1877)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
8th Day: "Eight Maids a-Milking"

▪ Milkmaids (Cardamine pratensis)
Mid 18th-century scientific illustration of Milkmaids, a flowering herb native to most of Europe and western Asia. It has heart-shaped leaves near the base, but these become more oval-shaped as they near the top, eventually becoming thin and blade-like. At the top of the plant there are a handful of small pink flowers each with four delicate petals. Image from Herbarium Blackwellianum by Elizabeth Blackwell. (Vol. 3) (1757)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
7th Day: "Seven Swans a-Swimming"

▪ Swan River Pea (Gastrolobium celsianum)
Mid 19th-century scientific illustration of the Swan River Pea, a low-growing shrub native to Western Australia. It has smooth, oval-shaped leaves and red flowers. The flowers are comprised of only two petals which are fused together to form a crescent-shaped pod. When in bloom, these petals split apart to expose the flower’s reproductive organs. This specimen is not in bloom, but those reproductive features are depicted in the drawing as an inset. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 78) (1852)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
6th Day: "Six Geese a-Laying"

▪ Goosegrass (Eleusine indica)
▪ Garden Eggs (Solanum aethiopicum)
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of Goosegrass, an annual grass that grows in warm, sunny climates all over the world. The grass has smooth, straight stems topped with small sprays of seeds. Similar in appearance to wheat. This drawing is taken from an illustrated guide to Japanese agriculture and includes several columns of Japanese text, presumably describing the plant and its uses. Image from Honzo zufu by T. Iwasaki. (Vol. 17) (1830-1844) Late 18th-century scientific illustration of Garden Eggs, an edible fruiting plant found primarily in Asia and tropical Africa. It has large, teardrop-shaped leaves with slightly irregular edges and small fruits growing at intervals along the stem. These fruits look like miniature pumpkins, which is why Garden Eggs is also known as Pumpkin on a Stick. Image from Kräuterkenner, Plantarum indigenarum et exoticarum Icones ad vivum coloratae by Einer Gesellschaft. (Vol. 6) (1792)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
5th Day: "Five Golden Rings"

▪ Goldband Lily (Lilium auratum)
Mid 19th-century scientific illustration of the Goldband Lily, an edible lily native to Japan. The image is of a single blossom of the plant. The flower consists of six large white petals that curl backwards towards the stem. The petals are covered in small purple dots and have a stripe of yellow running down their center. This is the “goldband” that gives them their name. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 88) (1862)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
4th Day: "Four Calling Birds"

▪ Hummingbird Trumpet (Epilobium canum)
Mid 19th-century scientific illustration of Hummingbird Trumpet, a flowering plant native to western North America. The drawing shows two stems of the plant in bloom. It has smooth, oval-shaped leaves and red flowers. The blossoms are long and conical, shaped something like a trumpet. This shape corresponds to the beaks of hummingbirds, which drink the flower’s nectar. Hence the name, Hummingbird Trumpet. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 76) (1850)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
3rd Day: "Three French Hens"

▪ Mignonette of the French (Saxifraga umbrosa)
▪ Fat Hen (Atriplex prostrata)
Early 20th-century scientific illustration of Mignonette of the French, a low-growing flowering plant native to the Pyrenees. The plant has oval leaves with scalloped edges that form a rosette shape at the base. A single flowering stem grows from the center of this cluster. The stem is covered in small sprays of white blossoms speckled with red. Image from Les Fleurs de Jardins by A. Guillaumin. (1929) Early 19th-century scientific illustration of Fat Hen, a flowering plant native to Eurasia and North Africa. It has dark green leaves shaped like arrowheads with serrated edges. The stems are red near the base, shifting to a dark green towards the tip. The specimen depicted isn’t in bloom and has no flowers. Image from Flora Danica by G.C. Oeder. (Vol. 10) (1819-1823)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
2nd Day: "Two Turtle Doves"

▪ Turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum)
▪ Dove Orchid (Peristeria elata)

[Sources for all images in alt text]
Mid 18th-century scientific illustration of Turtlegrass, a marine seagrass that grows in meadows in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The drawing shows a turtle eating a single stalk of grass. The grass is about twice the length of the turtle and looks something like a green onion. Image from Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands by M. Catesby. (Vol.2) (1754) Early 19th-century scientific illustration of the Dove Orchid, an rare orchid native to Central America and the national flower of Panama. The plant has a green bulbous base from which emerge four long, blade-like leaves. These leaves surround a central stalk covered in white flowers. The flowers have an intricate petal structure and are speckled with tiny flecks of purple. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 58) (1831)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
🌿THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: BOTANY EDITION🌿🐡

A bouquet for each day. (Just in case your true love already has a well-stocked aviary and doesn’t need 184 more birds.)

1st Day: "A Partridge in a Pear Tree"

▪ Partridge Berry (Leycesteria formosa)
▪ Pear Tree (Pyrus communis)
Early 19th-century scientific illustration of the Partridge Berry, a flowering shrub native to the Himalayas and southwestern China. Also known as the Himalayan honeysuckle, it has large teardrop shaped leaves and sprays of small white flowers. The flowers are trumpet-shaped and appear in clusters. Image from Curtis Botanical Magazine. (Vol. 65) (1839) Late 18th-century scientific illustration of different varieties of the common pear. There are five specimens depicted. Two are light green and covered in small dark green dots, two are dark red or maroon, and one is light green and covered in streaky brown flecks. Image from Arbres et arbrisseaux, plantes, fleurs et fruits, peints pour être joints au Dictionnaire des jardiniers by Laurent de Chazelles. (Vol. 2) (1796)
December 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Close up of the tiny baby standing in the birth canal. Meme of a dramatic entrance. (I think this is Da'Vonne Rogers being evicted from the TV show Big Brother.)
December 11, 2024 at 6:03 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
Going through a book of 15th-century medical illustrations and can’t get over this tiny baby just *strutting* out of the birth canal…
15th-century medical illustration of a woman in childbirth. Her legs are spread, and her cervix is dilated. But instead of seeing the crown of the baby’s head emerging – as you would expect – there is a tiny baby standing in the birth canal. The baby, which is only a few inches tall, is holding the cervix open with its hands and peering out.
December 11, 2024 at 6:03 PM
miloberrigan.bsky.social
And for Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb, whose brutal murder by the Assad regime helped spark the 2011 uprising,

May your memory Live-Forever.

🌿 Live-Forever (Sedum telephium)
Photo of Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb, age 13. He has dark eyes and dark hair, cut short with bangs that frame his face. He's wearing a blue polo shirt and half-smiling. A typical school portrait of young teenager. Like he's torn between smiling like a kid and trying to look serious and mature. Late 18th-century scientific illustration of Live-Forever, a flowering plant native to Eurasia. The plant has a red stem and smooth green leaves with serrated edges. Some of the leaves have a red stripe down the center and others are covered in red dots. At the top of the stems there are dense clusters of tiny flowers. Some clusters are pink, some yellow, and others white.
December 8, 2024 at 6:07 PM