Crotalaria juncea, popularly known as Sunn hemp, brown hemp, Indian hemp or Madras hemp is a tropical Asian plant of the legume family (Fabaceae). The plant is generally considered to have originated from Asia especially Asia tropical (Bangladesh; Bhutan; India). It is now widely cultivated in the drier areas of the tropics and subtropics and in many temperate areas with a hot summer. It is recorded in many countries across the African continent from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea, from Tunisia to South Africa and in the Indian Ocean islands. The plant has got several common names including…
Author: Sylvia
Finger Lime or caviar lime, scientifically known as Citrus australasica, are very small, uniquely-shaped fruits that are classified as microcitrus and belong to the Rutaceae (Rue family), which includes all forms of citrus fruits. According to the Swingle system it is not part of the genus citrus, but in a related genus Microcitrus. The plant is native to lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest in the east coast of Australia, ranging mainly from south east Queensland to north-east New South Wales in tropical to subtropical rainforest communities. Apart from Finger Lime it is also known as Australian Finger Lime, Finger Lime,…
Citrus hystrix, called the kaffir lime, makrut lime or Mauritius papeda, is a citrus fruit classified in the Rutaceae – Rue family. The plant is native to tropical Southeast Asia including southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. It also has widely naturalized in tropical areas with the specific location of its original distribution uncertain. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leaves emit an intense citrus fragrance. The plant has got several common names including Mauritius papeda, Makrut lime, papeda, leach lime, rough…
Pouteria campechiana commonly known as the canistel or Yellow Sapote or egg fruit is an evergreen tree belonging to pouteria genus and Sapotaceae – Sapodilla family. The plant is native to Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It is also cultivated in other countries, such as Costa Rica, Brazil, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Egg Fruit, Egg Fruit Tree, Mexican Sapodilla, Ti-Es, Yellow Sapote, Amarillo, Boracho, Caca de nino, Cahixo, Caniste, Canizte, Costiczapotl, Cucumu, Fruta huevo, Gema-de-ovo,…
Common Teak scientifically known as Tectona grandis is a tropical hardwood tree species placed in the flowering plant family Lamiaceae which includes fragrant Premna, as well as herbs like marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, bugle, motherwort, self-heal, wall germander, cat nip, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage and hyssop and a whole host of other plants. Some forms of teak are known as Burmese teak, Central Province teak (CP teak), as well as Nagpur teak. The plant is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh but is…
Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as crape myrtle, is a wide-spreading shrub or small tree in the genus Lagerstroemia in the family Lythraceae. The plant is native to temperate and tropical Asia. It has been widely cultivated as an ornamental and has become naturalized in Europe, America, and the Caribbean. Few of the additional common names of the plant are Crapemyrtle, Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle, Crepeflower, Pride of India, Queen Crape Myrtle, Queen of Flowers, Queen of Shrubs, Queen’s Flower, Cuddle Tree, Banabá, Giant Crepe myrtle and Indian crape myrtle. Genus name honors Magnus von Lagerstroem (1691-1759), Swedish botanist, Director of…
Mentha arvensis, the corn mint, field mint, or wild mint, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Mentha genus in the mint family Lamiaceae. It has a circum-boreal distribution, being native to the temperate regions of Europe and western and central Asia, east to the Himalaya and eastern Siberia, and North America. Mentha canadensis, the related species, is also included in Mentha arvensis by some authors as two varieties, M. arvensis var. glabrata Fernald (North American plants such as American Wild Mint) and M. arvensis var. piperascens Malinv. ex L. H. Bailey (eastern Asian plants such as Japanese…
Finger Millet, also known as Ragi is considered important millet grown extensively in numerous regions of India and Africa. Its scientific name is Eleusine coracana. It ranks sixth in production after wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and bajra in India. It is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to Eleusine Gaertn. (goosegrass) genus and Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae (Grass family). The plant is native to Africa, Asia, Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands. Interesting crop characteristics of finger millet are the ability to withstand cultivation at altitudes over 2000 m above sea level, its high drought tolerance, and the long storage time of the…
Culantro scientifically known as Eryngium foetidum is a member Apiaceae ⁄ Umbelliferae (Carrot family), which includes carrots, celery, parsley, and parsnip. The plant is native to continental Tropical America and the West Indies. Although widely used in dishes throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Far East, culantro is relatively unknown in the United States and many other parts of the world and is often mistaken and misnamed for its close relative cilantro or coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.). It has a similar aroma and flavor to cilantro, but they are not the same plant. It has little long, serrated leaves…
Cucumis anguria, commonly known as Wild cucumber, cackrey, maroon cucumber, West Indian gherkin, and West Indian gourd, is a vine belonging to Cucumis L. (melon) genus and Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber family). The plant is native to Africa and occurs from the woodlands of Angola and Zimbabwe to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. It is similar and related to the common cucumber (C. sativus) and its cultivars are known as gherkins. It is an important cucurbit vegetable and conventional medicinal crop. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Gherkin, cackrey, maroon cucumber, West Indian gherkin, West Indian gourd, Bur…
Boswellia sacra commonly known as frankincense or olibanum-tree are a tree in the Burseraceae family. It is the primary tree in the genus Boswellia from which frankincense, a resinous dried sap, is harvested. The plant is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Yemen), and northeastern Africa (Somalia). It typically grows in the dry, mountainous regions of India, Africa and the Middle East. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Bible frankincense, Frankincense, Incense, Frankincense tree, Olibanum tree and Omani frankincense. The word ‘frankincense’ comes from the French term for ‘pure incense’. The trees produce high quality resin…
Prunus cerasoides, commonly known as wild Himalayan cherry and sour cherry, is a deciduous cherry tree of Prunus genus and Rosaceae (Rose family). The plant is native to East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Its range extends in the Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh in north-central India, to Southwest China, Burma and Thailand. It grows in temperate forest from 1,200–2,400 meters (3,900–7,900 ft.) in elevation. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Padam, Wild Himalayan Cherry, Dwarf Cherry and bird cherry. In India the plant is restricted to sub-montane and montane Himalaya ranging from 1500-2400 m asl.…
Sheep’s fescue or sheep fescue scientifically known as Festuca ovina is a species of grass of genus Festuca L. (fescue) and Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae (Grass family). It is occasionally confused with hard fescue (Festuca trachyphylla). The plant is native throughout Europe (with the exception of some Mediterranean areas) and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to North America. Few of the popular common names of the plants are Common fescue, Sheep fescue, ovina and Blue Fescue. It is classified under the British NVC community CG2, i.e. Festuca ovina – Avenula pratensis grassland, one of the calcicolous…
Toothed Bur-Clover scientifically known as Medicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago and Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to Europe, Central Asia, China, Japan, and North Africa. It is highly cultivated in Argentina, Australia and areas of the US particularly the Pacific Northwest, the southeast, and the southwest. It is also cultivated in much of South America, especially in Chile. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Few of the popular common names of the plant include bur clover, burr medic, California bur-clover, Californian…
Plectranthus amboinicus, once recognized as Coleus amboinicus, is a semi-succulent perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae which includes common herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, sage, rosemary, and thyme with a pungent oregano-like flavor and odor. The plant is native to Southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and Swaziland to Angola and Mozambique and north to Kenya and Tanzania. It is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in the tropics where it is used as a traditional medicine, spice, and ornamental plant. Few of the popular common names of Indian Borage includes Cuban oregano, Country borage, French thyme, Indian…
Phytolacca Acinosa, also known as Indian poke, Shang Lu in Chinese is a species of perennial plant in genus Phytolacca and Phytolaccaceae family. The plant is native to China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan, Tibet, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Germany, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, USA and Wisconsin. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Indian poke, Indian pokeweed, food pokeberry, and Indian pokeberry, Sweet Belladonna, Sarangun, Matazor and Himalayan Pokeberry. The plant provides food and medicines for local use.…
Panicum virgatum, commonly called switch grass, is a Missouri native ornamental grass which was an important component of the tall grass prairie which once covered large areas of the State. The plant is native to across eastern and central North America except California and the Pacific Northwest. Few of the popular common names of the plant are tall panic grass, Wobsqua grass, blackbent, tall prairie grass; wild redtop, thatch grass, Virginia switch grass and tall panic grass. Genus name Panicum is derived from a classical Latin name for millet. The species name virgatum is from the Latin meaning ‘wand-like’ or…
Paddy Straw Mushroom, known simply as a straw mushroom, and more formally as Volvariella volvacea, is a type of edible mushroom belonging to Pluteaceae family. The plant is widely grown in the hot, steamy climate of tropical, subtropical regions and temperate regions of both the eastern and Southeastern Asia and used extensively in Asian cuisines. The thumb sized mushrooms are heavily cultivated for food are often available fresh in Asia, but are more frequently found in canned or dried forms outside their nations of cultivation. Attempts to grow them in the southern United States so far have been unsuccessful. Worldwide,…
Jacaranda mimosifolia, commonly called Black poui, Blue Jacaranda, Jacarand belongs to the Bignoniaceae (Trumpet-creeper family), which contains other genera containing some well-known species including Bignonia, Catalpa, Marrkamia, Spathodea, Tabebuia and Tecoma. The plant is native to central and eastern South America, including Uruguay, parts of Argentina (Entre Rios, Jujuy, Salta, and Tucuman), Paraguay (Alto Paraguay, Cordillera) and as far as Bolivia. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Jacaranda, Xicranda, Brazilian rose wood, Black poui, Blue Jacaranda, Jacarand, green ebony, mimosa-leaved jacaranda, mimosa-leaved jacaranda, Fern Tree and sharp-leaved jacaranda. Older sources call it Jacaranda acutifolia, but it…
Ziziphus mauritiana, also known as Indian jujube, Chinese date, ber, Chinee apple is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. The species is believed to have originated in Indo-Malaysian region of South-East Asia. It is now widely naturalized throughout the Old World tropics from Southern Africa through the Middle East to the Indian Subcontinent and China, Indo-Malaya, and into Australasia and the Pacific Islands.[3] It can form dense stands and become invasive in some areas, including Fiji and Australia and has become a serious environmental weed in Northern Australia. Few of the most popular common names of…
Cordia dichotoma commonly known as Clammy cherry is a species of flowering tree in the borage family, Boraginaceae. The plant is native to China (Fujian, Guangdong Guangxi, Guizhou, southeast Xizang, and Yunnan) the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Philippines Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Australia (Northern Territory and Queensland) and New Caledonia. Few of the popular common names of the plant include Fragrant Manjack, Bird lime tree, Clammy cherry, Cordia tree, Glueberry tree, Indian cherry, Indian glue berry, Sebesten, sebesten plum, pink pearl, snotty gobbles, snotty gobbles, cumming cordia, glue berry,…
Chironji or Charoli, scientifically known as Buchanania lanzan is a deciduous tree of the Anacardiaceae plant family and is also known as Almondette tree. The plant originated in the Indian sub-continent and is widely grown throughout Burma, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Yunnan. The tree is natural wild growth in the tropical deciduous forests of Northern, Western and Central India, mostly in the States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh and in Varanasi and Mirzapur districts and Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Besides India, the plant is also found in other tropical Asian countries, Australia and Pacific islands. Chironji…
Japanese apricot scientifically known as Prunus mume is an Asian tree species classified in the Armeniaca section of the genus Prunus subgenus Prunus and Rosaceae (Rose family). The plant is native to China (western Sichuan and western Yunnan), Japan, Korea, north Laos and North Vietnam. The species is cultivated throughout most of China, particularly in areas south of the Chang Jiang. Few of the popular common names of the plants are Chinese plum, flowering plum, Japanese flowering apricot, Japanese plum, smoked plum, ume, winter plum and Japanese apricot. Genus name comes from Latin means plum or cherry tree. Specific epithet…
Xanthosoma brasiliense commonly known as Tahitian taro, Tahitian spinach is a species of flowering plant in the Araceae (Arum family). The plant is native to tropical South America and the West Indies. Few of the most popular common names of the plant are Tahitian spinach, tannier spinach, belembe, Tahitian taro, calalou, Celery stem Taro, Elephant Ear and Kalalu. It is one of several leaf vegetables used to make callaloo, and it may be called calalu in Puerto Rico. This plant was domesticated in the Amazon and it is now grown throughout tropical regions of the world. The leaves and stems…
Pygeum africanum (or Prunus africana), commonly known as the African plum tree or pygeum, is an evergreen tree that belongs to the rose family Rosaceae, which also houses cherries and plums. The plant is native to the mountainous regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, African forest regions, Central and South American mountains, and the Gulf of Guinea, and the Madagascar and Comoros islands. Pygeum is an herbal extract taken from the bark of the African cherry tree. Few of the popular common names of the plant are African Cherry, African Plum, Red Stinkwood, Pygeum Bark, pygeum, iron wood, African prune, bitter almond,…
Red Leaf Lettuce is a member of the genus Lactuca of the family Asteraceae. It is among the hundreds of varieties of lettuce that are grown all over the world and has mild watery flavor and soft buttery leaves tinged with red. As it is a type of leaf lettuce it has crisp leaves loosely attached to a stalk rather than the tightly attached leaves of romaine lettuce. It is extremely similar to green leaf lettuce except with a deep red tint to the edges of the leaves. Healthy and fresh red leaf lettuce has crunchy, blemish-free leaves and no…
Baptisia tinctoria also known as yellow false indigo, wild indigo is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Fabaceae. The plant is native mainly along the southern Canada and Eastern Side of the United States from Maine to Minnesota and all the way south to Florida, but typically no further than southeast of Louisiana. As it is rare in some parts of its range, it is protected by some state authorities: in Kentucky it is threatened; in Maine it is considered endangered. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Wild indigo, yellow wild indigo, dyer‘s baptisia, false…
Prunus salicina commonly called the Japanese plum or Chinese plum is a small deciduous tree native to China. It is now also grown in fruit orchards in Korea, Japan, the United States, and Australia. Although native of China, the common name Japanese plum is used because the first imports of this fruit tree to the USA were from Japan. The fruit used both as food and as medicine, is related to apples, peaches and other members of the Rosaceae family. The Chinese plum is also known by its species name Prunus mume and by other common names, including Japanese apricot…
Prunus campanulata Taiwan Cherry also known as Formosan cherry, Bellflower cherry is a flowering cherry tree in the Rose family (Rosaceae). The tree is native to Taiwan, China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Hunan, Fujian, and Zhejiang) and Vietnam and has been presented as an ornamental to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the USA. In New Zealand, P. campanulata invades the under storey of relatively complete indigenous forests and is considered invasive in some areas, particularly on the North Island, where it has spread and dominates native vegetation. There, in the region of Northland, it is prohibited to sell, propagate,…
Allium fistulosum, the Welsh onion, also commonly called bunching onion, long green onion, Japanese bunching onion, and spring onion, is a species of perennial plant belongs to the Allium species of the Liliaceae or onion family. Allium is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants that comprises of scallion, onion, leek, garlic, chives, shallot and many others. The plant is native to China though cultivated in many places and naturalized in scattered locations in Eurasia and North America. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Welsh onion, ciboul, onion-leek, Japanese bunching onion, Japanese leek, stone leek, Welsh leek,…