The Pines That Lean Towards The Equator

(via Amusing Planet) Most trees grow vertically straight, but under challenging conditions where individuals have to compete for light, or when mechanical stress is intense, trees may grow at an angle. Cook pines —named after Captain James Cook, whose second voyage around the globe carried the first botanists to classify the tree. When grown outside of its native range, the Cook pines have a pronounced lean that’s so ubiquitous that it is often used as the identifying characteristic for the species.