Hibiscus syriacus commonly called rose of Sharon or shrub althea is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The plant is native to south-central and southeast China, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Asia. The name of the genus comes from the Latin hibiscum, name utilized by Pliny (23-79) for indicating the Althaea officinalis, in its turn descending from the Greek ibiskos, referred to some Malvaceae. Specific epithet suggests the plant comes from Syria which appears to be false because it is native to eastern Asia. Common names include Rose mallow, Rose of Sharon, Shrub althaea,…
Author: Sylvia
Tall fescue scientifically known as Festuca arundinacea is a coarse textured grass tolerant to a wide variation in environmental conditions. It is a cool-season perennial C3 species of bunchgrass belonging to Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae (Grass family). The plant is native to Northern Africa (i.e. northern Algeria, northern Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), the Azores, all of Europe, continental United States, southern Canada, western Asia and Pakistan. It is an important forage grass throughout Europe, and many cultivars have been used in agriculture. It is also an ornamental grass in gardens, and a phytoremediation plant. Reed fescue, alta fescue, coarse fescue, rescue,…
Blue Lotus scientifically known as Nymphaea caerulea, sometimes also called Blue Water Lily, is a psychoactive plant belonging to Nymphaeaceae (Water-lily family) that has been used for thousands of years. The plant is native to north-eastern, eastern and southern Africa (i.e. Egypt, Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa) and some parts of south-western Asia. Today, the plant also grows in other parts of the world, and can be found in India and some other parts of Asia. The Blue Lotus is occasionally confused with the Sacred Lotus…
Bougainvillea glabra, named after Louis de Bougainvillea, a French navigator who came across it in Brazil during the 18th century, it has gained popularity all over the world, due to its versatility, richness and suitability to thrive in degrading environmental conditions. Bougainvillea, Glory of the Garden, Lesser Bougainvillea and Paper Flower are few of the popular common names of the plant. The plant is native to South America from Brazil to Peru and to Southern Argentina. It is a semi-climber and can be grown as a hedge, a shrub, a climber over a sunny wall and also in pots and…
Tiger Lily scientifically known as Lilium lancifolium is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Lily family (Liliaceae). It is an Asian species of lily, native to eastern temperate Asia—China (Anhui, Gansu, Guangxi, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Zhejiang), Japan and Korea. It is widely planted as an ornamental because of its showy orange-and-black flowers, and has become naturalized in numerous scattered locations in eastern North America (particularly in New England). It bears the proper common English name tiger lily, but that name has been applied to other species as well. Devil Lily,…
Raphanus raphanistrum commonly known as wild radish, white charlock or jointed charlock is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae ⁄ Cruciferae. The plant is native to western Asia, Europe and parts of Northern Africa. It has been introduced into most parts of the world and is regarded as a habitat threatening offensive species in many areas, for example, Australia. It spreads rapidly and is often found growing on roadsides or in other places where the ground has been disturbed. Wild radish, jointed charlock, Runch, jointed radish, jointed wild radish, white charlock, pointer charlock, sea radish, white charlock, wild turnip,…
Atriplex hortensis, commonly known as mountain spinach or Garden orach is a species of plant in the amaranth family used as a leaf vegetable that was common before spinach and still grown as a warm-weather alternative to that crop. (For many years, it was classified in the goosefoot family, but it has now been engrossed into the Amaranthaceae.). The plant is native to central Asia and widely naturalized in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the whole of Europe with the exception of the British Isles and North Europe. Genus name comes from the Greek named for orach,…
Caucasian spinach scientifically known as Hablitzia tamnoides, the sole species in the genus Hablitzia, is an edible, herbaceous perennial plant belonging to family Amaranthaceae and subfamily Betoideae. Originating in the Caucasus region, it has been grown in Scandinavian countries as an ornamental before making a bit of a renaissance recently by author and plant expert Stephen Barstow. In fact it is one of the very few vines in its family as one source put it, Hablitzia is remarkable and altogether irregular in the order to which it belongs by its tall climbing habit. It is also probable one of the…
Dianthus superbus commonly known as Fringed pink or large pink is a European/Asian loosely tufted species belonging to Pink family Caryophyllaceae. The plant is native to whole of Europe with the exception of the British Isles, West-Siberia, East Siberia, Sakhalin, Mongolia, China, Japan and Taiwan. Greek botanist Theophrastus gave these flowers the genus name Dianthus, which means “divine flower.” The common name of “pink” comes from the Old English word “pynken,” meaning to cut or notch, in reference to the distinctive sharp edges of the petals. In fact, this family of flowers brought about the use of the word “pink”…
Hibiscus mutabilis, also known as the Confederate rose, Dixie rosemallow, or the cotton rosemallow, is a plant noted for its showy flowers belonging to Hibiscus family (Malvaceae). The plant is native to Japan and China. In Alabama it is extensively cultivated and occasionally escapes or persists. Baru Landak, Botan, Changeable Rose, Chinese Rose, Confederate Rose, Confederate Rose Mallow, Cotton Rose, Mati-laki-mati-bini, Rose of Sharon, Changing Rose, Common Rose Mallow, Cotton Rosemallow, Dixie, Dixie Rose Mallow, Rose Mallow, White Mallow, land lotus, lotus bendy, meadow lotus and Cottonrose hibiscus are few of the popular health benefits of Cotton Rose plant. The…
Alangium salviifolium, commonly known as sage-leaved alangium, is a flowering plant in the Cornaceae family. The plant is also commonly known as Ankolam in Malayalam, Ankola in Kannada, Akola or Ankol in Hindi and Alanji in Tamil. The plant is native to Western Africa, Madagascar, Southern and Eastern Asia (China, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Philippines), tropical Australia, the western Pacific Ocean islands and New Caledonia. In the Indian sub-continent, it is found in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odessa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. In the African region in…
Lagerstroemia speciosa commonly known as giant crepe-myrtle, Queen’s crepe-myrtle, banabá plant for Philippines, or pride of India is a species of Loosestrife family Lagerstroemia. The plant is native to temperate and tropical Asia including the Indian subcontinent, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This species has been widely cultivated as ornamental and is now naturalized in tropical regions of Asia and Africa, Australia, Mexico, Central and South America, and the West Indies. The generic name honors M. Lagerstroem, 1691-1759, a Swedish patron of science and the specific epithet ‘speciosa’ is a Latin word for showy, referring…
African mango scientifically known as Irvingia gabonensis is a species of African trees in the genus Irvingia; sometimes known by the common names wild mango, bush mango, dika or ogbono. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are particularly appreciated for their fat- and protein-rich nuts. The plant is native to humid forest zone from the northern tip of Angola, including Congo, DR Congo, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and south-western Uganda. Few of the popular common names of the plant are bread tree, African wild mango, wild mango, bush mango, African mango, Dika Nut, Abesebuo, Andok, Boborou, Bush mango, Dika, Duika, Ebi,…
Closely related to common grapes, Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial plant with a number of common names, including Devil’s Backbone and Veldt Grape. It is a species in the genus Cissus which consists of around 324 to 444 species and belongs to the Grape Family Vitaceae. Although it isn’t completely certain where Cissus quadrangularis first arose, India and Sri Lanka are two high candidates. However, this perennial plant has been distributed by man throughout the drier parts of Africa and Asia (S. Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Senegal to Northern Nigeria, SE Egypt, Madagascar, Yemen, Oman, SW Saudi Arabia, Comoros, India,…
Lilac essential oil comes from the leaves of the Syringa vulgaris plant which belong to the Oleaceae family. The plant is a native to Middle East and Eastern Europe, particularly the Balkan region. Today, these plants are cultivated widely in other regions including India and North America, specifically in the United States. Lilac essential oil is extracted by steam-distillation of the leaves. It is light purple in color and has a refreshing floral scent. Its documented use in medicinal practices only stretches back a few hundred years but has likely been used by indigenous people for far longer. Lilacs are…
Lilac or common lilac scientifically known as Syringa vulgaris is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. The plant is native to open woodlands, rocky hills and scrubby areas in Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. It has been naturalized throughout much of the northeastern half the US and Canada, as well as into some western states. Grown for its scented pink flowers in spring, this large shrub or small tree is widely cultivated and has been naturalized in parts of Europe and North America. It is not regarded as an aggressive species, found in the wild in…
Sea hibiscus scientifically known as Hibiscus tiliaceus is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The plant is native to tropical shores of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Today it is cultivated or naturalized throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Popular common names of the plant are Cotton tree, Beach Hibiscus, Bladder Ketmia, Coast Hibiscus, Coastal Hibiscus, Coast Cottonwood, Coastal Cottonwood, Cottonwood Hibiscus, Green Cottonwood, Hawaiian Tree Hibiscus, Lagoon Hibiscus, Linden Hibiscus, Mahoe, Mahuat, Mountain Mahoe, Native Hibiscus, Norfolk Hibiscus, Native Rosella, Kurrajong, Sea Hibiscus, Sea Rose Mallow, Tree Hibiscus, Yellow Mallow Tree, Cottonwood,…
Chinese peony or common garden peony scientifically known as Paeonia lactiflora is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the Peony family Paeoniaceae. The plant is native to central and eastern Asia from eastern Tibet across northern China, Mongolia, Russia and eastern Siberia. Apart from Chinese peony it is also known as Chinese peony, Common garden peony, White peony, Japanese peony, Garden peony, fragrant peony, tree Peony, Coral Peony and common Peony. Genus name comes from the Greek name for Paeon, physician of the gods and reputed discoverer of the medicinal properties of plants in this genus. Specific epithet…
Myrciaria floribunda, Guavaberry or more famously known as the rumberry is a small evergreen tree belongs to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The plant is native to Caribbean and is now found growing wild in many locations including Central and South America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and on many islands in the Lesser Antilles. The guava berry has also been introduced to Florida, Hawaii, Bermuda, and the Philippines. The fruit which is often confused with guava is actually very different from it. Though it has the tanginess of guava, it is rather a close relative to Camu Camu.…
Rhus aromatica, commonly called fragrant sumac, is actually a deciduous Missouri native shrub belonging to Sumac family Anacardiaceae. The plant is native to North America. It can also be found in southern Canada (Alberta to Quebec) and nearly all of the lower 48 states except peninsular Florida. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Fragrant sumac, Skunk bush, Stink bush, Sweet sumach, Aromatic sumac, Lemon sumac, Polecatbush, Squawbush, Sweet sumac, squawbush, sweet-scented sumac, winged Sumac, smooth Sumac and staghorn Sumac. The genus Rhus is derived from the old Greek name for Sumac which means rhous. The species…
Syzygium paniculatum popularly known as the magenta lilly pilly or magenta cherry is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. Syzygium paniculatum is commonly confused with Syzygium austral. The plant is native to New South Wales, Australia, occurring along a narrow, linear, coastal strip in five separate geographical areas: Jervis Bay, Coalcliff, Botany Bay, Central Coast and Seal Rocks. Popular common names of the plant are Australian brush-cherry, brush cherry, Australian water-pear, magenta cherry, magenta lilly pilly, scrub cherry, scrub cherry, creek lilly-pilly, creek satinash and watergum. The name of the genus is the combination of the…
Kei apple plant, botanically known as part of Dovyalis caffra or Iberia caffra is a sub-tropical, evergreen fruit tree or shrub, and a member of the Flacourtiaceae or Placourtia family. Botanically speaking it is a berry though appearance-wise it looks more like an apricot and flavor-wise compared to citrus as a result of its high acidity. The plant is native to southern region of Africa including Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Its distribution extends from the Kei River in the south, from which the common name derives, northwards along the eastern side of the continent to Tanzania. Some of the…
Lantana camara commonly known as common lantana is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae). The plant is native to the Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean (i.e. the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico) and tropical South America (i.e. Venezuela and Colombia). Other common names of L. camara include big sage, Lantana verbena, arch man, common lantana, curse of India, kamara lantana, lantana, large-leaf lantana, largeleaf lantana, pink flowered lantana, pink-flowered lantana, prickly lantana, red flowered lantana, red flowered sage, red sage, red-flowered lantana, red-flowered sage, shrub verbena, tick berry, white sage, wild sage and yellow…
Lansium parasiticum, commonly known in English as Duku Fruit, langsat or lanzones, is a species of tree in the Mahogany family with commercially cultivated edible fruits. The species is mainly grown in Southeast Asia, throughout the Malay Archipelago from Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia and in Indonesia. It is extensively cultivated in southern Peninsular Malaysia. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Langsat, Lansa, Lanzon, Lanzone, Lansa, Leang sat, Kokosan, Duku-langsat, Lansones, Boboa, Buahan, Longkong, Bonbon, Bongko, Bongkong, Bijitan, Pitisan, Langsek, Lasak, Lanseh, Ayer-ayer, Bejetlan, Laang-saat, arbol-do-lanza, bòn-bon, duku, duku-langsat, langsat, langsep, lansibaum, lansium, lansones, lanzones, lanzón and longkong.…
Annona Montana, mountain soursop or wild custard apple, is a tropical fruit tree in the Annonaceae family which includes cherimoya (A. cherimola), soursop (A. muricata) and paw paw (Asimina triloba). Mountain soursop is native to South America, Central America and West Indies – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela, the Amazon, and islands in the Caribbean. In its native range, it grows at altitudes from sea level to 650 meters (2,130 ft.). Popular common names of the plant are Mountain Soursop, Wild Custard Apple, Wild Soursop, mountain sop…
Barbados cotton scientifically known as Gossypium barbadense is an evergreen perennial plant which is actually a cross between Gossypium herbaceum L. and Gossypium raimondii Ulbrich or Gossypium gossypioides (Ulbrich) Standley. The plant is native to the coasts of Peru and Ecuador. It was domesticated in north-western South America. In Peru cotton products from Gossypium barbadense such as yarn, cordage and fishing nets date back to about 2500 BC. This luxury cotton, highly valued on the global market, is still grown in Northern Peru — the place where its origins can be found, and where it is known as Peruvian Pima…
Cotinus coggygria, commonly known as smoke tree, European smoketree, Eurasian smoketree, is an upright, deciduous shrub species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. The plant is native to large area from southern Europe, east across central Asia and the Himalayas to northern China. Few of the popular common names of the plants are Elm-leaved sumac, Fustet, Smoke bush, Smoke tree, Venetian sumac, Wig tree, Young fustic, European smoketree, Common smoketree, Purpler smoke tree, Smoke wood and Venetian sumach. It gets its common name of smoketree (or smokebush) not from the tiny, insignificant, yellowish flowers which appear in branching, terminal…
Murraya koenigii commonly known as Curry leaves is a leafy medicinal as well as green leafy plant which belongs to family Rutaceae. The plant is native to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India east to China and Hainan. It has been widely cultivated in South-East Asia and some parts of the United States and Australia. In tropical Africa it is planted in many countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and most of the Indian Ocean Islands. Apart from curry leaves it is also known as Curry leaves, Curry leaf tree, Sweet nim, currybush and Indian bay. Genus name honors Johann Andreas Murray…
Entada phaseoloides commonly named the box bean or St. Thomas’ bean first described by Linnaeus, with its current name described by Merrill. E. phaseoloides is a liana in the pea family, called Gugo, Balugo or Tamayan in the Philippines and Bàm bàm in Viet Nam. The plant is native to tropical Africa: Sierra Leone to Tanzania, Madagascar; tropical Asia: India to South China and Malaysia and tropical north Australia. It was probably introduced to Mexico. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Cali Bean, Calinut, Elephant creeper, Elva, Elva Climber, Garbee Bean, Gila Bean, Go-go Vine, Gogo,…
Solanum americanum, commonly known as American black nightshade, small-flowered nightshade or glossy nightshade is an herbaceous flowering plant of wide though uncertain native range. The plant is native around the Tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, including Hawaiʻi, Indochina, Madagascar and Africa. Solanum americanum is one of the most widespread and morphologically variable species belonging to the section Solanum. It can be confused with other black nightshade species in the Solanum nigrum complex. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Glossy nightshade, American black nightshade, Black nightshade, Large-fruited black nightshade, American nightshade, small-flowered nightshade, Common purple nightshade, Glossy…