The Ancestor of All Flowers - Amborella trichopoda. Cameo by Jurassic Fern Dungeon.

It's astonishing how unnoticeable this plant - arguably one of the most famous plants in botany textbooks all over the world - would be to anybody walking through the slopes of this humid forest filled with tree ferns at 500 m (1640") elevation. Yet this species is considered to be the most ancient flowering plant lineage in existence, a lineage that stretches back 130 million years. Plants are dioecious (male or female) and their flowers are axillary and small - just a modest perianth; some bracts and anthers if male and, if female, 5 carpels and a few staminodes.
The population of plants I saw nested on the slopes of this little ravine was almost entirely female (supposedly they flower in March but in New Caledonia, since it never seems get too cold, many plants don't seem to adhere to any strict phenology, seeming instead to just flower whenever temperatures and precipitation allow). The plants occurred in the shady understory, their leaves speckled with #Cephaleuros algae. I saw a flying fox dip out from high up in the canopy of a large tree while the rain drizzled down around me. The tree ferns next to me were easily 70 feet tall. The forest floor was a thick carpet of duff and old fern fronds.
It was subtly comforting to be staring at this plant, a link to the past and to the emergence of what came to be the dominant photosynthetic life form on Earth's landmasses - the Angiosperms. A modern descendant of the oldest flowering plant that stood as a window looking in to the past 130 million years of plant evolution (and of the past 130 million years of evolution of all life on Earth, really) was growing here right next to me, dotting the slopes of this forest so inconspicuously. Without any context for it, it would've been easy to walk right by without even noticing. But its place in the history of life on Earth is paramount. Flowering plants are the foundation of human civilization and the entire base of Earth's food chain. Without them, none of us would be here. Had they not evolved, and conifers, cycads and ferns still been the dominant photosynthesizers, Earth today would look drastically different. Yet here we are, and on those forested slopes in the shady understory on the island of New Caledonia is #Amborella trichopoda.
Species list for this episode :
Angiopteris evecta (Marattiaceae)
Ptisana attenuata (Marattiaceae)
Hoya nicholsoniae (Apocynaceae)
Geodorum densiflorum (Orchidaceae)
Cyathea intermedia (Cyatheaceae)
Amborella trichopoda (Amborellaceae)
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[@igorjee]

Video quality pretty good for the Mesozoic.

[@Angiebobandi]

"WHY DOES IT DO DAT" summarizes how I feel trying to learn all this stuff

[@Andrewjohnmay1983]

angie g INCENSED!!

[@Nellywellum]

I like it when se says it like that.

[@charleschidsey6192]

This statement sums up the entirety of scientific thought.

[@garybaxter7297]

Tony and his arboreal asphyxiation kink. This Guy's Big Fat Brain and his sense of humor crack me up.

[@boa9535]

Gary Baxter: His name is Tony Santoro.

[@garybaxter7297]

@@boa9535 thanks bud

[@boa9535]

Gary Baxter: I’m sorry, but I didn’t intend to insult you. I was just trying to pass on factual information. He’s titled another video “Tony Santoro’s Guide to Botany.”

[@garybaxter7297]

@@boa9535 not insulted by any means, I am human and perfection evades us all. Have a great day Boa.

[@rachiesayd9423]

Thanks! I referred to him as Jack in another comment section, until I discovered that is the name of his dog!!! He totally sounds like a Tony, if you know what I mean.....

[@andybaldman]

4:10 I want to see an hour-long compilation of just Joey's conversations with critters.

[@mezmarionybarra]

YAZZZZZZ!

[@Daniellaofsweden]

Yes! I would love to see some animals as well. Maybe at dusk so we can see some geckos? New caledonia has the worlds largest ones, the Leachianus.

[@andybaldman]

@@Daniellaofsweden You're adorable. And I love your vids! The vivariums are beautiful.

[@boa9535]

andybaldman: His name is Tony Santoro.

[@andybaldman]

@@boa9535 That's his screen name. Google Joey Santore.

[@Laggie74]

"I'm gotta teach you a lesson you can't refuse." Love the accent.

[@suikatime]

happy that he is out there for me as I wile away in my factory as they slowly rob me of the very thing that makes me a human animal...

[@Nellywellum]

Me too.

[@Jameson1776]

That’s the attitude how about do something about the situation.

[@Nellywellum]

@@Jameson1776 Wow, THANK YOU!! Fuck, why didn't I think of that?! GTFO, condescending dick. You don't know our lives.

[@eden7010]

Jani Abolish capitalism

[@ethanallenhawley1052]

@@eden7010 Got a better idea?

[@swayback7375]

"Have you had enough?" Hell no! I need more, this is unreal! Maybe even fantastic or stellar, running out of lame complements here, just beat me with that rachis!

[@charleshash4919]

Betcha dat rachis wood make a purty gud "rhiddum stik"

[@victorsaloum9731]

that tree fern oh my god.17:41.

[@BRIANJAMESGIBB]

I KNOW !!!

[@Purwapada]

. Cyathea intermedia is the tallest treefern species in the world (I think it beats cyathea brownii even!!!)

[@andybaldman]

You can stand under my Amborella.

[@newq]

*SEES TITLE* IT'S HAPPENING!! IT'S HAPPENING!! *HEAVY BREATHING*

[@CRMayerCo]

You are amazing. 👍🏻👍🏻 KZbin is mostly a cesspool, but your channel is gold.

[@FayeVert]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has wanted to spend the night in the Fern Room at Garfield Park Conservatory. Never occurred to me to try it, though.

[@rainiercountry7060]

Hey man. You make me smile. I’m not a plant guy, well I wasn’t. Anyway, you make me smile, mostly cuz, you’ve got a way about ya N’such. I’m kinda an asshole most the time on account of people shooting at me and seeing terrible stuff n’whatnot. Anyway, you should be happy knowing that you bring joy to people. I for one appreciate what you’re doing!

[@joemeyers4131]

Hey are you from Cape Cod and where's yurr codd ??

[@WiseSnake]

27:30 Definitely a member of Papilionidae. That thing popping up is called an osmeterium; used for defensive poking. lol

[@evilsharkey8954]

Wise Snake, defensive stinky poking!

[@Wizradical]

It's a Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly Papilio aegeus.

[@ronsmith1364]

I hope you brought your sketch book & sat & spent time capturing a memento of that journey for yourself. Thanks for all you share. 🙇‍♂️🙏

[@dingviet4310]

I fucking LOVE this guy's channel. I can't stop watching.

[@Kalanchoe1]

I kept this video for a rough day. thank you, it really does help.

[@MrSharps02]

i thought we had impressive ferns in the PNW holy mackerel

[@SyBernot]

Ya know, I was also thinking, get out of the sun, go visits some fronds. Always makes you feel a little umbel in the presence of all that selagi and stiff rachis.

[@Wizradical]

27:37 the caterpillar is a It's a Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly Papilio aegeus.

[@willi-fg2dh]

can't remember who said it (i'm an old) but it went something like this: "people only use 10% of their brains because if we used the whole thing, the first living thing we set eyes on we would just sit and stare thinking 'WOW, look at that!" you, sir, are in danger of using more than that 10%

[@progenitor_amborella]

it's funny watching people take lsd or mushrooms because they do EXACTLY that.

[@coyotetrickster5758]

The whole 10% thing is bs, but yeah, the creative intelligent people still have that sense of awe that kids have as they are swatting in the mud as it rains.

[@forestofheavy]

That Dept of Unauthorized Forestry logo would look great on a round patch...just sayin'

[@chriswilliams6612]

im not sure if i get smarter watching these, but at least it feels like i am. thank you, your videos are excellent!

[@psilocyborg6969]

AAAH! I LOVE PLANT! I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! AAAAAHH PLANT!

[@TheModernHermeticist]

Thanks for the hike.

[@michaelnancyamsden7410]

Wonderful video. New Caladonia. What a place.

[@vencent8329]

yall randomly hear someone talking in forest loud you know him

[@andybaldman]

Joey, do you use a key before you make these vids? I have a hard time accepting that you just know all of these off the top of your head. What's your process when you go into a new area to make a vid?

[@ghewins]

Wow, what an incredibly spectacular place to botanize

[@bluetoad2001]

the fern stickbug is pretty cool. these ferns blow my mind. they must somehow be the beginnings of trees in the ‘beginning’.

[@MaxBrix]

KZbin is determined to get me to watch your videos.

[@MaxBrix]

Who can't use some Latin 'n $#!t

[@andybaldman]

And you should be thankful for it, lol

[@sarasmr4278]

You gotta nice umbel is why

[@annkasten4367]

Thank you so much for taking us with you!

[@user-wm9qw3mf6w]

Love your videos man. Makes me want to learn so much more and do some planting :)

[@muscovyducks]

You made us wait, and patiently wait we did

[@mattclark7724]

Stick bug" You're blowing my cover ya sassy bastard! "

[@jasminewood395]

Man, that is so cool, all of it. Those fucking dinosaur ferns just blow me away ! Really sparks the imagination

[@craighoover1495]

I was just today reading about some of these ferns in Simpson's, Plant Systematics. Nice to see some actual plants in this episode.

[@Tindomul1of9]

The first time I've seen the plant(Amborella) other than a photograph in a textbook. Thank you!

[@newq]

Chirst. New Caledonia is fucking amazing. It's like a trip back to the goddamn Jurassic. I don't know how I'll do it, but I have to make my way there someday. Bucket list shit. Also, this is officially my favorite of his videos ever. I've watched it like three times already. That little ravine is a fucking time machine.

[@mjade1673]

Wow,🤩, excellent read💓! Thank you🙏

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

The Amborella Genome Project has shed some light on ‘Darwin’s abominable mystery ‘, l.e. , the rise of angiosperms.

[@lennonberndt7289]

watching this in your hoodie that just showed up. love it pal. p.s. more of your dogs please.

[@aviefallis7534]

I love your comments you add post-production! I rented out some of the books you recommended in the 101 video and I've been loving to follow along!

[@victorsaloum9731]

Avie Fallis no need to waste money and rent return them and go into the cpbbd subreddit and there’s a download link for all the books into one file.

[@Sacto43]

@@victorsaloum9731 what? Like reddit subreddit? I'm old...speak slowly.

[@Sacto43]

Found it! Thank you!

[@victorsaloum9731]

@@Sacto43 joey santoros school of biological sciences haha

[@aviefallis7534]

@@victorsaloum9731 Oh, I didn't know! I really do enjoy the hardback copies

[@AndrewBeals]

With fronds like those, who needs anemones?

[@VickyDPi]

This was a particularly horny video eh? Really nice. Loved the eusporangia money shot. Love following you around through geologic eras, into dungeons and refugial valleys. Hope you are having the time of your life man!!

[@metrikal1]

Yall sleeping on Montsechia HORNWORT GANG

[@pitayapandi]

would you be open to opening your subtitles/cc to community contribution? It helps to have something to read along while you watch, and I would be perfectly willing to help as well

[@btwbrand]

I use the google translated captions and they do well with all of his videos. Not perfect but very good considering the subject matter of the videos.. The taxonomical names it may have trouble with but there is usually an on-screen card to spell it out close by.

[@stacehansen3140]

Just sitting here, plucking my mustache and Happy Day! New CPBBD!

[@charleschidsey6192]

“You look good for a shelf fungus”, another classic pick up line for the botany enthusiast.

[@Filbie]

I fully appreciate being called a sassy bastard

[@NewMessage]

"Fern's Dungeon" is my favorite Dark Web site.

[@susandoerr3896]

good afternoon. i get to remodel on my own you angelic potty mouthed person. . anyway where we differ but i have gotten raunchy too but with my older sister who doesn't get it sometimes . she teaches little ones her whole life. does a good job. boy the president could use her as a sounding board and would nt rattle her. amazing.

[@wolfbear7]

I could listen to you for a very long time. Even though you're from Chicago or thereabouts, you sound like someone from home, which is near New York City. I love it that you have this abiding respect for plants and have learned things on your own. This shit matters. You are right, life on Earth would be very different if plants evolved in a different way. I like finding out how things work and why, and plants don't actively lie like some people do. I just like learning stuff and especially when I respect that what I'm hearing is the truth as far as you know it. What a world. I hope we don't blow it up. We already do enough to our environment by shitting where we live. We need to use our brains, but we've been "educated" not to. Thank You. I'm off to fuck myself.

[@cgriggsiv]

It is so awesome that you are able to walk through living fossils of the Cretaceous and probably even older

[@serrakilduff6580]

Nice to see all the New Caledonian flora- really familiar but odd looking from a Southern Pacific perspective. Cool Eleocarpus. There are a couple of species in New Zealand. The one that is the easiest to remember is Eleocarpus hookerianus. :) yep...

[@patrickphillips634]

I want a CPBBD sticker for my Jeep or water bottle......

[@707stormfur707]

For real. CPBBD is one of maybe a half dozen channels I'd totally advertise on my car

[@zorrokitty5666]

fizz i’ve told so many people about his channel even non plant people

[@bonlynx]

Yesss he's got shirts but we really need stickers!!

[@grannyplants1764]

@Poop Snorkle geez even here we get road rage.....🌿🌻

[@charleshopkins3598]

They say some people never know when to come in from the rain, but in your case I am glad you staid to show and botanize some exotic plants I will never see. Go get dry on the outside and wet inside with a cold beer. Thanks again

[@thegardenoffragileegos1845]

Will the ancients survive us.

[@HikingWithShawn]

You're like the Andrew Dice Clay of Botany :D haha Nice work!

[@antonstegen1737]

A Jurasic park moment.- nice.

[@fatherpossum]

I actually always love ferns even as a young kid but now I am even more in love with them, freaking impressive

[@joemeyers4131]

I wish I didn't live in the desert for that for seeing ferns . My dad had different ferns in front yard where we grew up in Los Angeles county .

[@FOREVERMOREtoLOVE]

thank you. my homicidal feelings needed quelling.

[@cgriggsiv]

Good afternoon You sassy bastard I will be watching this later on tonight after work

[@PepperGuru]

Damn, I love this show

[@5x5trueaudio]

The safe word of the day is "osmeterium"...

[@RedactedEarth]

Another banger my man

[@crex-pd1vv]

greetings!

[@lisakukla459]

Whoa, is that a turkey tail mushroom? If so, that thing is yuge!

[@swayback7375]

Are there homeless in new caledonia? Maybe I could stowaway on a slow boat and sneak onto the island, fade into the undergrowth and play with these plants til I die?

[@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt]

Yeah, like any rich country they have plenty of homeless hiding out in the nooks and crannies

[@swayback7375]

@@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt how deadly would you judge the wilderness there? Seems pretty benign for the tropics, so ...only moderately deadly... I might last a couple weeks ... might just worth it

[@lucastham9328]

At 13:23 there seems to be a climbing aroid, maybe some sort of anadendrum/rhaphidophora sp.?? nice

[@jasminewood395]

Finally a fresh upload! I'm dyin over here!

[@standarddeviation7963]

I wish this channel existed when I was taking Environmental Science.

[@travismcj]

Please come to the wet tropics of Australia.

[@chicagosebdesigns]

Hell yeah i know Garfield Park Conservatory... I took a few photographs there!!! #Chicago look for them on Instagram: ChicagoSeb

[@meplant-man634]

I am having to live vicariously through your videos. Currently stuck in a cesspool of human infrastructure.

[@hyperelliptik]

13:17 A hoya was my first houseplant. Got it around 2017, it stayed the winter-half-year by a north-facing window in the small apartment I shared with another student, then moved in with me where I live now where it has spent the last 2 1/2 years perched upon a random shelf. Still lives. Cut off parts of it several times in attempts to propagate it. Never repotted. Never flowered. I think it's holding on by spite alone.

[@art.cryptid.creates]

Angiopteris evicta is a really bad invasive species where I live (Hawaii) so I do basically get the kill bill sirens going off in my head every time I see one. BUT it is really cool to see one in its natural habitat for a change.

[@taraldstein7165]

I love the fern dungeon! And the Hoya. And the forest. All of it. Keep it coming!

[@geoffbreen2386]

Where Hoya nicholsoniae occurs in north eastern Australia it has been re determined as Hoya potsii. There is a group of related Hoya species in the south west Pacific including Hoya samoensis from.... Samoa.

[@PhoenixProdLLC]

Cracks me up when you talk to the various creatures 😁 And this video was particularly stand out! 👋👋👋🙏😊 Hope the rest of the state was great for you. 🙋

[@bmfj3104]

The way you crap knowledge right into my head is beautiful. I mean if crap can be beautiful. So there you go. I hate to say it but I love this channel but the universe could care less. Thanks Tony.

[@lucastham9328]

17:15 another well known species, G.citrinum also does that

[@dylan8285]

Holy cow i thought the massive tree ferns i saw in Hawaii were big but these are next level massive. Although i like the ones in Hawaii their so fuzzy and soft to touch these 2x4 ferns are so wooden and wrinkly and dont look as nice.

[@stuntone]

About time, wanna be on my Podcast G ??? 🙏🏽🔴🎙🎥🌎📈🍄🌱

[@rolo2415]

Lifestyles of the selaginallacious and the famous. Don't hear me complaining...

[@skydiaz8151]

Sweet baby jesus. That's a big boy.

[@nCUonnection]

Are staffs supposed to have staffs? Those are stiff staffs. You can say you've "made a stiff staff video" and put it on the internet.

[@BenhamMichael]

What's the best time of year to visit New Caledonia to see flowers in bloom?

[@hiddencryptid]

NGL, I heard that bird at 1:45, and looked out my window saying "WTF was that?!"

[@floydt2029]

Amazing plants! thanks for your show!

[@Daniellaofsweden]

You're like the uncle I never had. This channel is the best.

[@veteranscannabisadvocacygr5401]

EarthWise 🌏 You are a walking Forest 🌳 Treasure , a walking/ talking Reflection in the perfection of Natural World

[@niceshoeswannafk]

you're a hero. more sporangia!

[@CindyBallreich]

FYI, "Sporange" is the only legitimate rhyme for "Orange". You can cheat with "Door Hinge", but everyone knows you couldn't pull it off.

[@pomodorino1766]

Amborella trichopoda @ 18:52

[@merrydaye4763]

Lol you must tell me your Fet avatar;) Thanks for ths videos and for being you.

[@lisakukla459]

Omg 😂 I'm watching as I work on a macrame chandelier. I was looking away when you said "Oh, look at that, somebody's working on some macrame!" That was a weird moment for me. Hahaha

[@nonoluigi]

The fern rachis at 14:46 doesn’t look like it has “woolly tufts or long soft hairs,” which is the dictionary.com definition for “floccose,” as you called it. Nice new word, but the pic looks more like wrinkly elephant skin or something (although elephants are actually hairy). Is the camera/pic not catching it or is your personal definition different? Fascinating video, BTW!

[@boboala1]

I likes me a big tree fern! I dig the natural camouflage the insects have developed. Brilliant! It seems like every leaf on every frond has sporangia pods lined up next to each other completely outlining/following the leaf contour. Must be thousands of 'em per frond. Is this why they've survived so long thru the ages?

[@sjmazzoli]

these episodes keep getting better..thanks