PoppingaLab
@poppingalab.bsky.social
Plant and animal biomechanics, functional morphology, and biomimetics. Highlights from the Botanical Garden of the TU Darmstadt.
Press release from TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social on the exciting discovery of the Great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo) in the botanical garden:
www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet...
www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet...
August 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Press release from TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social on the exciting discovery of the Great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo) in the botanical garden:
www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet...
www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet...
The Darth Vader plant, Aristolochia salvadorensis!
July 29, 2025 at 8:33 PM
The Darth Vader plant, Aristolochia salvadorensis!
Coffee party time with our friend's association: great weather and flowering Aloe ovatifolia - not much left to be desired :)
July 13, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Coffee party time with our friend's association: great weather and flowering Aloe ovatifolia - not much left to be desired :)
Some biology students received a very special, unofficial certificate at this year's graduation ceremony...
June 29, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Some biology students received a very special, unofficial certificate at this year's graduation ceremony...
Plant identification exerises - every student's dream!
June 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Plant identification exerises - every student's dream!
Great talk by our guest Prof. Linnea Hesse from Hamburg University about the functional morphology of plants in 3D and over time. Let's hope we can do even more together in the future! Foto by Arooj Sajjad.
June 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Great talk by our guest Prof. Linnea Hesse from Hamburg University about the functional morphology of plants in 3D and over time. Let's hope we can do even more together in the future! Foto by Arooj Sajjad.
Relaxed interview shooting for a TUDa-related movie in our Botanical Garden. Thanks Arooj @aroojsajjad.bsky.social for your participation!
June 12, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Relaxed interview shooting for a TUDa-related movie in our Botanical Garden. Thanks Arooj @aroojsajjad.bsky.social for your participation!
Maybe someone has a fitting paper in the pipeline?
The Journal of Biosciences launches a Special Issue about functional morphology and biomechanics of plants and animals. Guest editors for this issue are Wencke Krings, Simon Poppinga, Thomas Speck, and Stanislav Gorb.
www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Jou...
The Journal of Biosciences launches a Special Issue about functional morphology and biomechanics of plants and animals. Guest editors for this issue are Wencke Krings, Simon Poppinga, Thomas Speck, and Stanislav Gorb.
www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Jou...
June 7, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Maybe someone has a fitting paper in the pipeline?
The Journal of Biosciences launches a Special Issue about functional morphology and biomechanics of plants and animals. Guest editors for this issue are Wencke Krings, Simon Poppinga, Thomas Speck, and Stanislav Gorb.
www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Jou...
The Journal of Biosciences launches a Special Issue about functional morphology and biomechanics of plants and animals. Guest editors for this issue are Wencke Krings, Simon Poppinga, Thomas Speck, and Stanislav Gorb.
www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Jou...
From June 14-22, the BioBlitz, a participatory campaign for citizens to record the diversity of wild species, will take place in the Botanical Garden of the TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social. There will also be a special day of action on June 14 from 11 a.m. We look forward to beautiful finds!
June 6, 2025 at 8:45 AM
From June 14-22, the BioBlitz, a participatory campaign for citizens to record the diversity of wild species, will take place in the Botanical Garden of the TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social. There will also be a special day of action on June 14 from 11 a.m. We look forward to beautiful finds!
The TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social Open Campus day was a blast - good weather (mostly) and 6 hrs of non-stop discussing plant science with the public. A huge thanks to the team, @aroojsajjad.bsky.social and Peter Kappel! Photo by Sebastian Hess.
May 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social Open Campus day was a blast - good weather (mostly) and 6 hrs of non-stop discussing plant science with the public. A huge thanks to the team, @aroojsajjad.bsky.social and Peter Kappel! Photo by Sebastian Hess.
We will be supporting the TU Darmstadt Open Campus - Tag der Wissen schaf(f)t with an information stand about the Botanic Garden and ongoing research projects, a guided tour of the biodiversity measures on the Campus Lichtwiese, and a children's lecture on carnivorous plants!
May 9, 2025 at 7:28 PM
We will be supporting the TU Darmstadt Open Campus - Tag der Wissen schaf(f)t with an information stand about the Botanic Garden and ongoing research projects, a guided tour of the biodiversity measures on the Campus Lichtwiese, and a children's lecture on carnivorous plants!
Echium wildpretii in front of the Teide volcano, during our botanical excursion to Tenerife. Photo by Kerstin Reifenrath.
May 9, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Echium wildpretii in front of the Teide volcano, during our botanical excursion to Tenerife. Photo by Kerstin Reifenrath.
The dead horse arum lily (Helicodiceros muscivorus) temporarily captures its pollinators in so-called kettle traps.
April 27, 2025 at 8:13 PM
The dead horse arum lily (Helicodiceros muscivorus) temporarily captures its pollinators in so-called kettle traps.
Deherainia smaragdina surprises with green petals and a strong cheesefoot odor...
April 15, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Deherainia smaragdina surprises with green petals and a strong cheesefoot odor...
Flowering Mibora minima, the smallest grass in the world.
March 27, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Flowering Mibora minima, the smallest grass in the world.
Lots of pollen on the yew (Taxus baccata), during a public guided tour in the Botanical Garden :)
March 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Lots of pollen on the yew (Taxus baccata), during a public guided tour in the Botanical Garden :)
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) in full bloom
March 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) in full bloom
Bulbophyllum lasiochilum has a motile labellum for pollinator interaction.
February 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Bulbophyllum lasiochilum has a motile labellum for pollinator interaction.
That's quite a catch!
February 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
That's quite a catch!
In addition to suction, the anterior and posterior suckers of the Mediterranean medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) can also hold on by grasping, clinging and other effects. The BiPas project in our lab investigates this further! Image from DOI: /10.1098/rsif.2020.0300
February 11, 2025 at 7:32 PM
In addition to suction, the anterior and posterior suckers of the Mediterranean medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) can also hold on by grasping, clinging and other effects. The BiPas project in our lab investigates this further! Image from DOI: /10.1098/rsif.2020.0300
Beautiful orchestration of Jeffrey's pine cone scales during drying. doi.org/10.3390/plan...
January 28, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Beautiful orchestration of Jeffrey's pine cone scales during drying. doi.org/10.3390/plan...
The flower of Roridula gorgonias, a carnivorous plant with symbiotic bugs that feed on prey caught in glue traps and fertilize the plant with their excrement.
January 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
The flower of Roridula gorgonias, a carnivorous plant with symbiotic bugs that feed on prey caught in glue traps and fertilize the plant with their excrement.
Our Nepenthes alata x merrilliana captured a big cockroach!
January 20, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Our Nepenthes alata x merrilliana captured a big cockroach!
The leptosporangium of Adiantum peruvianum shooting its spores, recorded with 50.000 fps
January 16, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The leptosporangium of Adiantum peruvianum shooting its spores, recorded with 50.000 fps
Selaginella uncinata, the blue spikemoss, has a striking bluish shimmer that supports photosynthesis in shady environments.
January 14, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Selaginella uncinata, the blue spikemoss, has a striking bluish shimmer that supports photosynthesis in shady environments.