Botanical University Challenge

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Annual plant knowledge quiz among UK and Irish Universities. For more information https://botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/

One flowerhead of dandelion, individual yellow strips massed into large circular yellow mass. Diagram of components of each individual flower. Labelling: Ligulate floret, typical for some members of the family Asteraceae  A. Ovary B. Calyx, a crown-shaped pappus. C. Stamens, anthers in tube around style, though filaments are separate. D. Ligulate petal extends tubular corolla. E. style and stigmas.
Tickets to watch final of Botanical University Challenge live - https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkclGJt6D6eFEqXrlWw3TweVUQ1o0U1g0VlMwRjUzWVlXODlUME4zQVQzUy4u&route=shorturl
Picture of black and white grapes. Cluster of purple-blue with white powder coating ovoids on green stems (black grapes) and green semi-translucent ovoids on green stems (green grapes. Picture grapes leaves wrapped around something (likely rice, vegetables, herbs, spices) into oblong, fat dull green parcels. Bowl of dried grapes - red, brown shades - raisins, sultanas, currants.
What is orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot! By the way, the parrot in the post is a ring-necked parrot/rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), many of which have taken up residence in urban areas in UK. The picture of the orange is considered among the best photos in Wikimedia Commons, produced by stacking several individual photos.
Photo of long dangling bunches of black grapes. Diagram of grape berries showing first the names of regions within the grape, and also which region contributes to which aspect of enzymes, chemicals, primary and secondary metabolites into grape juice. Names in other UK & Irish languages: grawnwin, fíonchaora
Drawing of variegated Aspidistra, showing long linear yellow-green striped leaf. Photo of flowers - very unremarkable, red centres with 8 cream perianth segments around them. Photo of plant placed out doors against house.
Pictures thrift Armeria maritima, also names in Irish (rabhan), Welsh (clustog Fair) Cornish (bryton, tam-on). Picture close up cluster pink flowers. View of plant, as green cushion on grey rock at seaside (with lichen on the rock). Green thin leaves point upwards as cushion with stiff flower stalks with cluster of pink flowers at the top., coming out of the green cushion.
Scottish machair with clump of thrift in foreground. Covered in flowers since machair is fertile low-lying grassland.
Close up of cluster (umbel) of white flowers on red stalks. large, long, white bracts below make it look like one big flower, rather than a spray of little ones.
Drawing from a flora and photo closer-up of single bright yellow flower, 5 petals.
Picture of long green strands with whorls of branches (shorter green strands) at intervals.
Pictures: yew tree probably about 2000 years old - whole very large tree and close up of trunk. Pictures of male and female reproductuve structures, usually found on different trees, taken from kind donation of pictures to Wikimedia Commons.
Young people sitting in a lecture theatre watching final of Botanical University Challenge 2025. QR code for free tickets to 2026 final at University of Reading.
Diagram flower showing where stigma is; close-up section of tulip stigma with pollen on it (yellow solid with brown powder); maize stigmas - long pale yellow threads waving in breeze, held away from green leaves.
Green plants.
Pictures sichuan pepper (small red-brown dried spheres) , used in food (looks delicious) and structure hydroxy-aplha-sanshool, (fatty acid amide).
Diagram of epicalyx and pictures in two species.
Photo of a 19 kg (42 lb) coal ball from Indiana USA. Looks like a large black sphere. Also photo of microscopic section from a coalball, showing cell structure.
Copy of photo in magazine Private Eye. Picture of Seville oranges for sale, labelled Civil oranges.
Low growing shrub with green needle-like leaves. Clusters of small pink flowers.
Drawing tormentil from The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose, page 261 in 2006 edition.
Drawing of Welsh poppy (Papaver (Meconopsis) cambrica) from The Wild Flower Key, by Francis Rose. page 114 in 2006 edition.
Ranunculus acris from The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose. Page 103. Adjacent bits of other Ranunculus sp. rubbed out.
Picture floral patterned dress hanging up in a shop. Close up of one of the flowers. Is it really 'buttercup'? What is its real name? Obvious member of poppy family (Papaveraceae). Probably Welsh poppy, Papaver cambricum.
circle of carrot roots many different colours/colors - white, yellow, red, orange, purple. Pretty feathery leaves face outward, giving green surround to the circle.
Pictures to do with ginger beer - bottles, old and new, glass of it with decorative lime slice. Structure of major flavour compound [6]-gingerol, a sesquiterpene. Also, QR code to book free ticked to see final of Botanical University Challenge in person.
Pictures of students at past Botanical University Challenge and Student Botany Festivals. One is watching a botanical artist at work, cluster of students around a table. The other is students talking with representative at careers fair during the event.
Plant with long green strap-like leaves. Botanical drawing, photo of a group growing together, graceful leaves dropping downwards. Also photo seed pods, whole and ground, as spice cardamon.
Audience of students at BUC2025, just before so many of them gave 3 minute talks on their botanical science work and enthusiasms with a single slide. Some students signed up in advance, but partway through many others got up to join in. Amazing the enthusiasm!
QR code for ticket to see final of Botanical University Challenge 2026 in person See link at https://botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/
Picture of plant with tuft of pink bracts at the top of a long stem that look vaguely like a tulip. Close-up of one and also another photo showing a display of the plants for sale in a shop.
botanical drawing of a plant and photo of shoots - red-white, swollen, dumpy, on a black plastic tray for sale.
Absorption spectra of chlorophylls and anthocyanin. Also show a rainbow of where colours humans see are related to light wavelength. Hence can see that green light is not absorbed by chlorophyll, therefore humans see leaves as green. Anthocyanin absorbs in green region, hence blue and red colours in some petals, or red tinged leaves. Other pigments also present in real life and exact absorption spectrum depends on chemical structure and protein- lipid environment around them. Structure of 2 anthocyanins also shown - many rings, double bonds.
Picture of plant with long green leaves, spray of white flowers and a wide brown, edible root/rhizome.
Pictures of 4 seeds
Pictures of stems that look like leaves .
Pictures bright blue-purple sweetcorn cobs and potatoes. Chemical structures of major compounds that cause these colours, anthocyanins with their many rings and double bonds.
Thick brown rhizome root, cut surface shown which is intense orange. Also shown pile of orange powder from dried, pulverized root and chemical structures of main polyphenol responsible for the orange colour.
Pictures long green leaves of black cardamom plant, elegant drooping white with red stripes flower, and the black seed pods used as a spice.
QR code for tickets to final Botanical University Challenge 2026. Also use https://botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/
Diagram of a berry and pictures of 3 botanical berries - shiny red currants, green-golden kiwifruit and blue bilberries.
Pictures 6 heads of lettuce. Red, green leaves. Very open leaf arrangement or all closed over each other. Leaves with frilly outline or solid oval shapes
Pictures of Dill. Feathery leaves, delicate yellow flowers, flat brown seeds.
Picture small tree growing on island in big lake surrouded by hill. Second photo of knobbly structures on the tree roots that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Tree trunk with bark sliced off in harvest for cinnamon spice.
Vivid blue 5 petaled star-shaped flower
Gorgeous photo of flowering pasquflower. 6 pale purple sepals with feather bracts below. No petals. Leaves and stems silver-grey and hairy. This very lush plant surrounded by gravel is much bigger than those wild in England - this one was photographed in Cambridge Botanic Garden!
Pictures ginger plant from a book drawing, and photo if its rhizome being prepared for use in a meal.
Map of distribution purple saxifrage in UK and Ireland. Photo of plant flowering on a cliff, probably Lake District. Thanks to Calum Mclennan for the photo.
Wallpaper with honeysuckle design. Repeated flowers, green leaves and stems.
Picture of students about to talk on their plant passions at 3rd Student Botany Festival 2025. Amazing experience - not heard such enthusiasm and commitment at any scientific conference.
Pictures water fern. Individual and then totally covering a canal.
Pictures pale yellow, many petalled flowers on a shrubby plant (looks like yellow rose). Closer view of a pink flowered one. Not roses but paeonies. Monotypic taxon. Only 4 days to go on BUC Crowdfunder QR code or https://reading.hubbub.net/p/botanicaluniversitychallenge/pitch/
Picture book cover of Finding the Mother Tree
3 pics and some text from piece about Advent Botany on TikTok https://botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/
pictures green leaves and fairly inconspicuous cream flowers.
Picture of a fern growing in a crack in rock.
Joke. Wych tree is the police's most poplar on hollyday? The Copper Beech!