Coutarea hexandra, more commonly referred to as Coutarea, is a semi-deciduous plant that is classified as a member of the Rubiaceae family. This family, one of the largest in nature, contains numerous renowned species, such as coffee (Coffea) and gardenias (Gardenia). Tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America are the plant’s natural habitat, including Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, among others. The plants are also known as Caribbean Trumpet Tree, Cabbage Tree, Jamaica Dogwood, Guyana Chestnut, Squirrel wood, Naseberry Tree, Siricote, Dogwood Tree, and Coutari, among other well-known common names. Coutarea hexandra is utilized for…
Author: Sylvia
Phyllanthus amarus commonly known as Stonebreaker or Carry Me Seed is a small, herbaceous plant belonging to Phyllanthus genus and Euphorbiaceae Juss. (Spurge family). The plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world including various countries in South America, Africa, India, China, Sri Lanka and South East Asia. It is sometimes found growing in parts of North America and Europe. Popular commons names for this plant include gale of the wind, carry me seed, seed on the leaf, pick-a-back, kidney stone crusher, creole senna, seed-under-leaf, stone breaker plant, shatter stone, Stone-Buster and Stone-Crusher. The genus name “Phyllanthus”…
False Patchouli, formally classified as Pogostemon heyneanus, is an herbaceous plant that is classified within the Lamiaceae family, more commonly known as the mint family. Numerous aromatic herbs comprise this family, including basil, mint, oregano, and lavender. The plant is native to Southeast Asia. Its natural range includes countries such as Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. Some of the popular common names of the plants are White Patchouli, Fragrant Indian Pogostemon, Scented Plectranthus, False Pogostemon, Malabar Patchouli, Light Patchouli, Dwarf Patchouli, Indian Patchouli, Vanilla Leaf, Light-leafed Pogostemon, Philippine Patchouli, Fragrant Plectranthus, Wild Patchouli,…
Premna odorata is a species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family. It is frequently referred to as the Chinese Headache Tree or aromatic premna. Naturalized in southern Florida, the plant is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, Yunnan, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Northern Australia. Additionally, it has been documented in the Northern Territory, Assam, Sulawesi, the Bismarck Archipelago, Malaya, Borneo, Hainan, Thailand, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Island, New Guinea, Maluku, Christmas Island, Queensland, Laos, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Myanmar, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Few of the popular common names of the plants are Chinese Headache Tree, East Indian…
Chinese bush clover scientifically known Lespedeza cuneata is a flowering plant species with notable characteristics and ecological significance. It is a member of the Pea or Fabaceae family. The plant is native to eastern Asia, specifically China, Japan, and Korea. Later it was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s for various purposes. Nowadays it is present elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes an invasive plant. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Silky bush clover, Sericea lespedeza, Hairy bush clover, Sericea lespedeza shrub, Silky lespedeza, Silk lespedeza, Chinese bush-clover, Japanese bush clover, Chinese…
Patchouli scientifically known as Pogostemon cablin is an herb belonging to Lamiaceae Martinov (Mint family) and is used in aromatherapy, perfumes, and other fragrances. The plant is native to island region of Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula, Malaysia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. It is also found in many parts of North East India, china and Vietnam. It is extensively cultivated in tropical climates around the world, especially in Asia, Madagascar, South America, and the Caribbean. Some popular common names of the plants are Green Leaf Patchouli, Indian Mint, Indian Patchouli, Stinkweed, Patchouli Herb, Pucha-Pat, Scented…
Ocimum americanum also called American Basil or hoary basil, is a species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae (Mint Family). The plant comes from Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, and many places in the Americas, such as North America, Central America, and South America. It lives on Christmas Island, in Queensland, and in some places of tropical America. People often call these plants different names, such as Genovese Basil, Lettuce Leaf Basil, Lemon Basil, African Blue Basil, Spicy Globe Basil, Italian Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Purple Basil, Dark Opal Basil, Large-Leaf Basil, Emily Basil, Christmas Basil, and Mammoth Basil.…
Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen bush that is related to the olive family and is also called the Sweet Olive or False Holly. The plant comes from many places in East Asia, including the Himalayas, the regions of Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan in mainland China, Taiwan, southern Japan, and Southeast Asia, all the way down to Cambodia and Thailand. Sweet Olive, Fragrant Olive Tree, Sweet Olive Bush, Fragrant Tea Olive, Fragrant Tea Olive Tree, Chinese Olive, Tea Olive Tree, Olive Holly, Scented Olive, Fragrant Olive Shrub, Fragrant Olive Bush, Fragrant Olive, False Holly, and Holly Tea Olive are some of…
Avaram Senna, whose formal name is Senna auriculata, is a leguminous tree in the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is related to other Senna species. In South Asia, the plant comes from many places, such as India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It lives in dry parts of India and Sri Lanka. People often do it in Sri Lanka along the coast and in the dry zone. In its native language, it is called matura tea tree, avaram, ranawara, or avaram senna or its English name. The plants are also…
Certainly, people with high cholesterol in their blood are more likely to have heart attacks or strokes. Cholesterol builds up on the artery walls and makes them narrow, which can lead to blockages. To stay safe, it’s recommended in the journal Circulation (72:686) that people with high cholesterol should get treatment to lower it. But what exactly counts as “high cholesterol” is the important question. To understand this, we should start by saying that cholesterol is a mix of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and HDL is good while LDL is not so good. You should only be…
The fruit-bearing tree Dacryodes excelsa, also known as the Gabon Plum, is in the Diospyros genus and the Burseraceae Kunth family (Frankincense family). It is known for having fruit-bearing species. Other trees that make aromatic resins, like frankincense and myrrh, are linked to this one. The plant is native to Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and other countries in Central and West Africa. The plants are also known as Gabonese Ebony, West African Ebony, African Ebony, Nigerian Ebony, African Ebony Persimmon, Gabon Persimmon, Congolese Ebony, Cameroon Ebony, Black Ebony, African Persimmon, Gabonese Persimmon, Benin Ebony, and Gaboon Ebony.…
Hairy Senna, whose formal name is Senna hirsuta, is a type of perennial herb that is in the pea family (Fabaceae Lindl.). Most of South America, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Cuba are home to the plant. In North America, Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, and Puerto Rico are home to the plant. People from Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, and Queensland, Australia have also become citizens of this country. Wild Sensitive Plant, Hairy-leaf Wild Sensitive Plant, Hairy Wild Indigo, Hairy Wild Coffee, Hairy Wattle, Hairy-leaf Wild Sensitive Plant, Hairy Cassia Weed, Hairy Cassia, Hairy Wild Senna, Hairy Senna Shrub, Hairy Wild…
The Henry’s chestnut, also called the Henry chestnut, is a type of chestnut tree in the family Fagaceae. Its formal name is Castanea henryi. This plant comes from several places in China. It can be found in the hilly areas of southeastern and southwestern China, in provinces like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, as well as in some parts of Southeast Asia. People often call these trees Henry’s Chestnut, Henry’s Round-Fruited Chestnut, Henry’s Mountain Chestnut, Henry’s Chestnut Oak, Chinese Chestnut, Henry’s Chinkapin, Henry’s Chinese Chestnut, Henry’s Giant Chestnut, Henry’s Smooth-Bark Chestnut, Henry Chinkapin, Henry’s Small-Leaf Chestnut, Henry’s Sweet Chestnut, Henry’s Chinquapin,…
The Mammea africana tree, which is also called the African apricot or the African mammee apple, is an evergreen tree in the Calophyllaceae family. It is not botanically linked to the common mango (Mangifera indica), but the two fruits taste a bit alike. The plant is native to warm and subtropical parts of Africa. It can be found in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and other West African countries. Common names for these plants include African Pear, African Cherry, African Plum, Gabon Nut, Dika Nut, Wild Plum, Bush Apple, African Bush Plum, African Apple, Ogbono Nut, Ogbono…
Salsola tragus, which is also called Russian-thistle or tumbleweed, is a big, bushy plant in the Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae Vent.). The plant comes from Southeast Europe to Central Asia, and maybe even some parts of northern Africa. It has become a native plant in many places around the world, including North America. It is often linked to the West in the United States. These plants are also known as Desert brome, Wandering weed, Cyclone weed, Tumble thistle, Salsola weed, Walking weed, Sand sagebrush, Prickly tumbleweed, Wind witch, Bushy Russian thistle, Wind-blown weed, Rolling weed, and Russian thistle. Salsify, Tumble-brush, Salsola,…
The Himalayan blue poppy, whose formal name is Meconopsis betonicifolia, is a type of flowering plant in the Poppy family. Western science was given its official name for the first time by a British officer in 1912. The plants’ original home is in the eastern Himalayas. The species lives in parts of Tibet, Bhutan, and China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. This lovely flower does well in the cool, mountainous areas of the Himalayas. Its bright blue petals make it stand out. It is grown as an ornamental plant in parks all over the world, but its natural habitat is mostly…
Locust berry, whose formal name is Byrsonima lucida, is a small tree or shrub that grows naturally in Florida. It is in the Malpighiaceae Juss. Family, which is also known as the Barbados cherry family. The plant comes from Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela, among other places in the southern United States and Central and South America. It lives only on islands in the Caribbean and in the state of Florida in the United States. Byrsonima lucida and its fruit became known to Europeans when European sailors and settlers came to the Americas. People…
Markhamia lutea is a tree species that is commonly known as the Nile tulip or siala tree. It is in the Bignoniaceae family, which has many well-known yard trees, shrubs, and creepers. It comes from East Africa, in places like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and some parts of Sudan and Ethiopia. Its flowers are big and yellow. It has something to do with the African tulip tree. Markhamia was named for a man who worked in India and was born in 1830 and died in 1916. As well as Nile Lily, Nile Trumpet Flower, Golden Trumpet Tree, Nile Orchid…
Scorpiurus muricatus plant, also known as the prickly caterpillar plant or prickly scorpion’s tail, is an annual legume plant in the pea family. The plant comes from Western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and other Mediterranean countries are home to this species. It also lives in Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya in North Africa. In some parts of Western Asia and the Middle East, you can also find it. But it has also been brought to other parts of the world where the conditions are right for growing it. Caterpillar Scorpion Tail, Prickly Clover, Prickly Trefoil, Hedgehog…
Satureja thymbra is a perennial green dwarf plant from the Mint family that is also called savory of Crete, whorled savory, pink savory, and Roman hyssop. Its leaves smell very strongly of mint. The plant comes from the Mediterranean, which includes parts of Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East. In Israel, the plant can be found in the Mount Carmel area, which is south of Haifa. It can also be found in Upper Galilee, which is hilly, in Samaria, and in the Judean Mountain. You may also know these plants as White Thyme, Broad-leaved Savory, Poultry Savory, Creeping Mountain Savory,…
People often call Lotus purpureus “asparagus pea” or “winged pea.” It is an annual legume plant in the pea family (Fabaceae Lindl.). People think that the plant came from either warm Africa or Southeast Asia. People have grown it in several African countries as well as in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, among other places in Asia. It was grown and used in other parts of the world, like the Caribbean, Central America, and some parts of Africa, during the colonial period. The plant was brought to these areas by European colonial forces, where it was changed to fit…
The official name for the African Teak, also called Kiaat, is Pterocarpus angolensis. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree in the genus Pterocarpus and the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The plant comes from several African countries, mostly in East and Southern Africa. States like South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Zambia are in its range. It’s not clear if it lives in the western parts of southern Africa. The plants are also known as Katikati, Lingue, Baku, Azobe, Senegalia Africana, East African Mahogany, Doussie, Akume, Red Mahogany, Chanfuta, Senegal…
Maranta leuconeura scientifically known as prayer plant is a type of flowering plant in the Marantaceae R. Br. (Prayer-Plant) family. This family also has famous houseplants like Calathea, Stromanthe, and arrowroot. The plant comes from Central and South America. In the Brazilian jungles, it grows most often. The plant is known for its big, soft, oval leaves that are decorated with complex patterns. The plants are also known as the Herringbone Plant, the Rabbit Tracks Plant, the Rabbit’s Foot Plant, the Zebra Plant, the Calathea Prayer Plant, the Marisela Prayer Plant, the Rattlesnake Calathea, the Oval Leaf Prayer Plant, St.…
Scientists call pale flax Linum bienne. It is a flowering plant species in the Flax family (Linaceae DC. ex Perleb). The plant comes from the Mediterranean, western Europe, Western Asia, and all the way up to England and Ireland in the north. It is linked to common flax (Linum usitatissimum), which is grown for its seeds and fibers. This plant was brought to North America and now lives naturally along the Pacific coast from Oregon to the central coast of California. It is also found in Pennsylvania and Hawaii. People often call these plants Common Flax, White Linen Flax, Flax…
Weeping Love Grass, whose scientific name is Eragrostis curvula, is a unique perennial grass that is in the Poaceae family, which is also known as the grass family and is one of the biggest plant groups in the world. The plant comes from southern Africa, like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Morocco, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It lives in eastern New South Wales, the ACT, south-eastern Queensland, and south-western Western Australia. In Victoria and the southern parts of South Australia, it is less common. This species was brought to other countries from other places. Bushman’s grass, African lovegrass, Plateau…
Diplotaxis muralis, commonly known as Annual Wall-Rocket, is an herbaceous plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which is also known as the mustard family. It is closely related to other well-known plants like mustard, cabbage, and broccoli. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but it is found throughout the temperate world. It has become naturalized in various parts of North America, Australia, and other regions with temperate climates. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Wall Penny Cress, Garden Rocket, Sand Rocket, White Rocket, Tower Mustard, Wall Mustard, Mediterranean Wall-Rocket, Wall Lettuce, Wild…
Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl is the formal name for yellow chamomile, also called oxeye chamomile. It is a species of perennial flowering plant. The plant comes from Europe, the Mediterranean, and Western Asia. It has also spread to some places in North America. The Europeans brought yellow chamomile to North America, where it became a native plant and can still be found in some places today. Because it can spread so quickly, it is often thought of as an alien species in some places. People often call these plants things like Dog Fennel, Dill weed Chamomile, Wild Chamomile, Field…
The umbrella tree, whose formal name is Schefflera arboricola, is a bushy, compact plant in the ginseng family (Araliaceae Juss.). The plant comes from places in Southeast Asia like Taiwan, southern China, and Malaysia. It can also be found in New Guinea and other parts of the South Pacific. It can now be found in parts of Queensland in the northern, tropical parts of Australia. These plants are also known as the Australian ivy palm, the parasol plant, the Dwarf umbrella tree, the Umbrella plant, the Chinese evergreen, the Trinette, the Gold Capella, the Amate, the Miniature umbrella tree, the…
Lactuca saligna commonly known as Willow leaf lettuce is a type of flowering plant belonging to the botanical genus Lactuca and is part of the Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl (Aster family), which includes other well-known leafy greens like lettuce, dandelions and chicory. The plant is native to Europe including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Western Asia including Turkey (also part of its European range), Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It also has naturalized in various regions around the world including much of North America. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Willow…
Japanese millet, or Echinochloa esculenta, is a type of grass in the family Poaceae Barnhart. It is actually a cereal grain crop that is mostly grown in Asia. It is a tamed species that comes from wild millet barnyard grass (E. crus-galli). It is thought to have come from Southeast Asia, which includes parts of India, China, Japan, and Korea. It has been cultivated and spread naturally in many places of the world, though, because it is useful as a food source and forage crop. Japanese millet is grown in its home country as well as in the US, Africa,…