On hot summer days, this thistle is somehow cool to the touch

In the mountains of southern Spain, one type of thistle plant seems to have built-in air conditioning.

The flowers of the thistle Carlina corymbosa are, on average, about 3 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding air, ecologist Carlos Herrera reports February 13 in Ecology. The most extreme cooling — sometimes up to 10 degrees C — occurs during the hottest part of the day. This means when the air temperature reaches a sweltering 45° C, the plant’s flowers can remain close to a relatively cool 35° C.

.email-conversion { border: 1px solid #ffcccb; color: white; margin-top: 50px; background-image: url(“/wp-content/themes/sciencenews/client/src/images/[email protected]”); padding: 20px; clear: both; }

→ Continue reading at Science News

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

Former Pediatrics Professor Donates $1 Billion, Makes Albert Einstein College of Medicine Tuition-Free

Going to medical school comes at a cost — the average med school grad owes $250,995 in total student loan debt, not including any...

Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Stock Market

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a significant force behind the impressive gains witnessed in the stock market over the past year. This revolutionary...

These Are the ‘Loneliest’ Jobs in the U.S., According to a New Report

More than four in 10 workers feel "very" or "somewhat" lonely at work, according to a recent report from employee listening and manager effectiveness...