White mustard scientifically known as Sinapis Alba is an annual herbaceous plant of the Brassicaceae ⁄ Cruciferae (Mustard family). It is occasionally also referred to as Brassica Alba or B. hirta. The plant probably originates from the Mediterranean region, but various cultivars are grown in Northern, Central, Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, it can be found worldwide. It has been found as far north as Greenland, and naturalized throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Some of the well-known common names of the plant are Salad mustard, kedlock, yellow mustard, yellow or white mustard, Wild mustard, Salade…
Author: Sylvia
Lactuca muralis, or Mycelis muralis (L.) Dumort commonly known as wall Lettuce is a perennial flowering plant of the genus Lactuca in the family Asteraceae, subfamily Cichorioideae, tribe Cichorieae. Members of this tribe have flowers composed of either ray florets or disk florets, but never both. Wall Lettuce has always been easy to identify because it has only 5 petals on its ray flower, unlike any similar species. The plant is native to southern Europe and western Asia; it is invasive in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. It has been found from eastern Canada south to New York and west…
Eragrostis cilianensis commonly known as Stinkgrass is a species of grass belonging to Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae family. The plant is native to Europe (i.e. Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, Italy, Romania, Yugoslavia, France, Portugal and Spain), Africa (i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland), the Arabian Peninsula (i.e. Saudi Arabia), Western Asia, the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. India and Pakistan) and eastern Asia (i.e. China, Japan, Myanmar and Thailand). The plant is known by…
Sweet Fern scientifically known as Comptonia peregrina is a species of flowering plant in the Bayberry family Myricaceae. It is the only extant (living) species in the genus Comptonia, although a number of extinct species are placed in the genus. The plant is native to eastern North America, from Ontario and Quebec in the north, east to Nova Scotia, south to the extreme north of Georgia, and west to Minnesota. Popular common names of the plant are Ferngale, fern bush, meadow fern, shrubby fern, Canada sweetgale, spleenwort bush, sweet bush, sweet ferry and Sugar fern. The genus name Comptonia, is…
Cephalanthus occidentalis popularly known as Buttonbush is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. The plant is native to Central Valley in California, and to eastern and southern North America. It occurs from Nova Scotia to Ontario, south through Florida, and west to the eastern Great Plains with scattered populations in New Mexico, Arizona, California, and northern Mexico. Common names include Common buttonbush, Button Willow, Honey Bells, Button ball, globe-flower, riverbush, Eastern buttonbush, Pincusion flower and buckbrush. Genus name comes from the Greek words kephale meaning head and anthos meaning flower in reference to the flower heads.…
Sweet Gale scientifically known as Myrica gale is a deciduous shrub belonging to Myricaceae (Bayberry family). The plant is native throughout western and northern Europe, from Portugal, Spain, Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands to Scandinavia. It also occurs in France, Germany, and Poland and across the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into eastern Russia. It is distributed throughout much of northern North America, including Alaska, all of Canada, Washington, Oregon and from Minnesota eastwards to New England in the USA, as well as the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It is found in northern parts of Japan, the…
Solanum aethiopicum popularly known as bitter tomato, Ethiopian eggplant or nakati, is a fruiting plant of the genus Solanum and Solanaceae (Potato family). The plant is native to wild tropical Africa and South America; specifically Brazil. However, this species is less domesticated in south France and Italy. Recently, the plant species has spread to sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of South America. It is also known as Ethiopian nightshade, garden eggs and mock tomato. It is a popular vegetable in north-east India, and is known as khamen akhaba in Manipuri and samtawk in Mizo. They are called Titay bii or…
Ulluco scientifically known as Ullucus tuberosus is one of the most economically important and widely grown plants belonging to Basellaceae (Basella family). The scientific name for the genus, Ullucus, is based on the Quechua name, and that is probably why we prefer ulluco to olluco in English. The plant is native to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and to a lesser extent in Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, and Chile. It is one of the most economically important and widely grown plants in the Andean region of South America. In fact, it happens to be the staple and predominant root crop in many highland…
Mandragora officinarum popularly known as Satan’s apple or mandrake is a perennial plant belonging to Solanaceae – Potato family. The plant has a chubby root resembling that of a parsnip. The root of this plant bifurcates resembling a pair of legs. The plant is native to Mediterranean Sea, within the borders of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in North Africa; southern Spain, southern Portugal, Italy included Sardinia and Sicily, (Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a novel about it), former Yugoslavia, Greece and Cyprus in southern Europe; southern Turkey; Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan in the Levant. Mandrake, Satan’s Apple, Love…
Shea butter tree scientifically known as Vitellaria paradoxa is a small to medium-sized tree belonging to Sapotaceae (Sapodilla family). Shea butter is actually a byproduct of shea nuts that are harvested from the Vitellaria paradoxa tree in West Africa. The plant is native to semi acrid and sub humid savannas of sub Saharan Africa from Senegal to Sudan, Western Ethiopia and Uganda. It may also be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Congo. The shea tree is also known as the “karite tree” (which means “tree of life”) because of its many healing properties. Shea…
Agrostis capillaris, popularly known as common bent, colonial bent, or browntop, is a rhizomatous perennial plant in the grass family (Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae). Agrostis capillaris is often mentioned to in many scientific articles and research as Agrostis tenuis. The accepted name according to ITIS is A. capillaris, while A. tenuis remains a synonym it is commonly found and incorrectly labeled as the primary name. The plant is native to northern Africa (i.e. Tunisia), the Canary Islands, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, western and eastern North America, Greenland, Central and South America, the sub-Antarctic islands and parts of western and central Asia…
Aucuba japonica, commonly called spotted laurel or gold dust plant, is a rounded, shade-loving, evergreen shrub in the Dogwood family (Cornaceae). The plant is native to rich forest soils of moist woodland areas, thickets, by streams and near shaded moist rocks in China, Korea, and Japan. It was later introduced to England in 1783 by John Graeffer. It was brought to the United States in the 1860’s by Robert Hall, the same person who was unfortunate enough to introduce Hall’s honeysuckle, which now runs rampant across the eastern U.S. woodlands. Some of the well-known common names of the plant include…
Dioscorea bulbifera commonly known as the air potato or air yam is a species of true yam in the yam family, Dioscoreaceae. The plant is native to Tropical Africa, Southern Asia, Maldives, and Northern Australia. In Myanmar, it is found in Chin, Kachin, Mandalay, Mon, Sagaing, and Shan. It is extensively cultivated and has become naturalized in many regions (Latin America, the West Indies, the Southeastern United States, and various oceanic islands). It is also known as the up-yam in Nigerian Pidgin English, since the plant is cultivated more for its bulbils than for its tubers. Name air potato refers…
Chinese yam scientifically known as Dioscorea polystachya or Dioscorea batatas is an ornamental vine belonging to flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. The plant is native to East Asia (Japan, Korea, Kuril Islands, Philippines, Vietnam) and was introduced into North America as an ornamental vine. In North America, D. polystachya is currently present in: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other names for Chinese yam are Chinese potato, cinnamon vine, cinnamon yam, hardy yam, Japanese mountain…
Crotalaria spectabilis commonly known as Showy rattlebox is an erect, much-branched plant belonging to Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to tropical Asia, but is now distributed pantropically. It has been planted widely and has naturalized in many tropical countries, including south-eastern United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Apart from Showy rattlebox it is also known as Indian rattlebox, Showy crotalaria, Yellow crotalaris, Rattlebox, Showy Rattlepod, Silent rattlepod, Greater rattlepod, cat’s bell and rattlepod. The genus name Crotalaria is derived from the Greek word crotalon, which means castanet and refers to the rattling sound the seeds produce…
Red Bead Tree scientifically known as Adenanthera pavonina is a very fast-growing deciduous tree belonging to Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to Southern China and India and widely naturalized in Malaysia, Western and Eastern Africa as well as in most islands of both the Pacific and Caribbean regions. Apart from red bead tree it is also popularly known as Circassian bean tree, Circassian-tree, Polynesian peanut, bead tree, coral bean tree, coralwood, false jequirity, false red-sandalwood, false wiliwili, peacock flower-fence, red beantree, red sandalwood tree, red-sandalwood, redwood, saga tree, sandal beadtree, sandalwood-tree and zumbic tree. Genus epithet…
Prunus emarginata popularly known as bitter cherry or Oregon cherry is a species of Prunus belonging to Rosaceae (Rose family). The plant is native to western North America, from British Columbia south to Baja California, and east as far as western Wyoming and New Mexico. It is often found in recently disturbed areas or open woods on nutrient-rich soil. Bird Cherry, Wild Cherry, Wild Plum, Bitter cherry, and Quinine Cherry are some of the popular common names of the plant. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is…
Saskatoon berry scientifically known as Amelanchier alnifolia is a medium sized shrub which belongs to the Rose family Rosaceae. It is closely related to the apple, hawthorn and mountain ash. The plant is native to North America from Alaska, Western Canada and western (southwards to North California, Utah and Colorado) and north central Unites States. In Canada, the species is found in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, North West Territories and Nunavut. The plant has gone by several names including Alderleaf serviceberry, Dwarf Service-berry, Alder Leaf Shadbush, Mountain Juneberry, Pacific Serviceberry, Rocky Mountain Blueberry, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Berry, Saskatoon…
Brugmansia suaveolens commonly known as Brazil’s white angel trumpet or angel’s tears is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Angel trumpets are closely related to potato, tomato, eggplant, petunia and tobacco. The plant is native to coastal rainforests of south eastern Brazil. As a result of human interaction with this species, it can now be found growing in residential areas throughout much of South America and occasionally in Central America, Mexico, California, Greece and even in parts of Florida. Like several other species of Brugmansia, it exists as an introduced species in areas outside its native…
Pyrostegia venusta, also commonly known as flame vine or orange trumpetvine, is a flowering woody vine of the genus Pyrostegia in the Bignoniaceae family, which also includes trumpet creeper. The plant is native to South America (i.e. Brazil, Bolivia, north-eastern Argentina and Paraguay). Occasionally it is naturalized in eastern Australia (i.e. in south-eastern Queensland and the coastal districts of central and northern New South Wales). It is also naturalized overseas in eastern Africa (i.e. Tanzania) and south-eastern USA (i.e. Florida). Flame flower, flame vine, flaming trumpet vine, orange creeper, orange trumpet vine, Flaming trumpet, Golden shower trumpet, Orange Bignonia, flame…
Heracleum mantegazzianum, commonly known as giant hogweed is a monocarpic flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae ⁄ Umbelliferae. It is also known as giant cow parsley, hogsbane, Cartwheel flower, Giant cow parsnip, Giant hogweed, Hogweed, Mantegazzi’s Cow-Parsnip, Siberian cow-parsnip and wild rhubarb. In New Zealand, it is also sometimes called wild parsnip (not to be confused with Pastinaca sativa) or wild rhubarb. The plant is native to western Caucasus region of Eurasia. It was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in the 19th century, and has also spread to other areas in Western Europe, the United States, and…
Empetrum nigrum, popularly known as crowberry, black crowberry, or blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the Crowberry family Empetraceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the northern hemisphere. The plant is native to northern parts of Europe and Asia as well as Greenland and eastern North America, south to northern Minnesota, Michigan, the coast of Maine, the alpine areas of northern New England and New York, and formerly one disjunct on Long Island. Depending on the circumscription of this taxon it is also considered to occur in the arctic regions of western North America south to the alpine areas…
Prunus pumila, commonly known as sand cherry, is a North American species of cherry in the rose family Rosaceae. The plant is native to eastern and central Canada from New Brunswick west to Saskatchewan and the northern United States from Maine to Montana, south as far as Colorado, Kansas, Indiana, and Virginia, with a few isolated populations in Tennessee and Utah. It grows in sandy locations such as shorelines and dunes. Some of the well-known popular names of the plants are Dwarf American Cherry, Sand cherry, Western sand cherry, Eastern sand cherry, Great Lakes sand cherry and Sesquehana sand cherry.…
Peperomia pellucida also known by common names pepper elder, shining bush plant, and man to man is an annual, shallow-rooted herb belonging to Piperaceae (Pepper family). The family Piperaceae comprises about a dozen genera and around 3000 species. The genus Peperomia represents nearly half of the Piperaceae with the genus Piper making the rest. The plant is native to tropical Central and South America. It is now widely distributed throughout the tropics and is often naturalized as a weed and occasionally cultivated. It is now cultivated throughout parts of India, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific. In Africa it occurs…
Viburnum lentago scientifically known as nannyberry, sheepberry, or sweet viburnum, is a large deciduous shrub belonging to Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle family). The plant is native to northeastern and Midwestern United States and to southern Canada from New Brunswick west to southeastern Saskatchewan. It can also be found in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Appalachian Mountains as far south as Kentucky and Virginia. Although widespread in eastern North America, this plant is only known to exist in Missouri in low woods and wooded slopes in Schuyler County. Nannyberry, Sweet Viburnum, Blackhaw, Wild Raisin, Sheepberry, Black Haw, Cowberry, Nannyberry Viburnum, Nanny Plum,…
Tayberry scientifically known as Rubus fruticosus x R. idaeus is a cultivated shrub in the genus Rubus of the family Rosaceae patented in 1979 as a cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry, and named after the River Tay in Scotland. The fruit is sweeter, much larger, and more aromatic than that of the loganberry. The tayberry is grown for its edible fruits which can be eaten raw or cooked, but the fruit do not pick easily by hand and cannot be machine harvested, so they have not become a commercially grown berry crop. As a domestic crop, this…
Amelanchier canadensis commonly known as Juneberry or serviceberry is a small multiple-stemmed tree or shrub belonging to Rosaceae (Rose family). It belongs in the Rosacea family, meaning that it’s related to roses. It is a genus comprised of more than 20 species of deciduous shrubs. This genus also includes saskatoons, which are grown commercially for fruit production in Canada and the North Central U.S. Unfortunately, saskatoons are not considered winter hardy in Kentucky and have serious leaf spot problems in this region. Most other species of Amelanchier are cultivated for use in landscape plantings; however, several of these ornamental cultivars…
Velvet tamarind scientifically known as Dialium cochinchinense is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae. The plant id native to Ghana, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam and many west African countries. The velvet tamarind can also be found in West African countries such as Ghana where it is known as Yoyi, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Nigeria where it is known as Awin in Yoruba, Icheku in Igbo and Tsamiyar kurm in Hausa. It is threatened by habitat loss. Velvet-tamarind, Sierra Leone-tamarind and West African Velvet Tamarind are some of the well-known common names…
Rubus phoenicolasius popularly known as Japanese Wineberry or wineberry is an Asian species of raspberry in the rose family Rosaceae. It is in the genus Rubus, which also consists of blackberry and raspberry. The name Rubus phoenicolasius is translated as blackberry with purple hairs. The plant is native to eastern Asia including China, Japan, and Korea and has been introduced into parts of North America and Europe. The species was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental plant and for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries. It has subsequently escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in parts of…
Spondias mombin, also known as yellow mombin or hog plum is a species of tree and flowering plant in the Anacardiaceae (Sumac family). The plant is native to lowland moist forests of the Amazon in Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, the three Guianas, as well as southern Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, and the West Indies. The tree was introduced by the Portuguese in South Asia in the beginning of the 17th century. It has been naturalized in parts of Africa, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, The Bahamas, Indonesia, and other Caribbean islands. It is rarely cultivated except in parts…