Once the national flower of Venezuela and still gracing the country's 500 bolivar note, Catasetum pileatum is highly esteemed by collectors even though its large flowers last only a few days. This unusual orchid produces flowers that are either male or female, not both, as in all other orchids. Male flowers of this species are colorful and variegated, as seen here, while females are yellow-green and uniform in pattern. Besides Venezuela, C. Read More...
Explore More After many months of long nights and darkened days, spring hath sprung itself free from the jailhouse of winter. What is an equinox? Astronomically, an equinox occurs when the sun is directly above the equator. The term combines the Latin word aequi, meaning “equal,” with nox, which means “night,” and corresponds to the two days o the year, the other being the fall or autumnal equinox, when day and night are equivalent. Read More...
By Christina McSorleyBBC News NI
Getty ImagesIn October, the Republic of Ireland will not only decide on its next President, it will also decide whether to scrap its laws on blasphemy.
It is the second referendum this year to strip away another law in its constitution.
In May, the country voted overwhelmingly to change the constitution to liberalise abortion laws.
Four months later, voters are being asked to remove a reference to blasphemy from the Constitution. Read More...