Wild Almond scientifically known as Sterculia foetida is a spreading tree native from East Africa to north Queensland, Australia – Australia, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Kampuchea, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Yemen, Vietnam and Zanzibar. Other popular common names of the plant are Bastard Poon Tree, Great Sterculia, Hazel Sterculia, Wild Almond, Poom Tree, java olive tree, wild almond tree. This multi-purpose tree is often harvested from the wild, providing a popular food, as well as medicines and a range of materials for local use. Plant Description Wild Almond is…
Author: Sylvia
Vinegar is a sour liquid which is prepared by fermenting alcoholic liquids, and it mainly consists of acetic acid and water. The name ‘vinegar’ comes from the French words “vin” and “aigre”, which means sour wine. It was mainly produced from apples, which is why it was popularly known as apple cider vinegar, but since then it has been produced from beer, sugarcane, rice, malt, coconut, palm, dates, raisin, honey, and kiwi. The acidic content of vinegar makes it an ideal ingredient for cooking and for household purposes. It has also been used as a health tonic and has a…
Butter, commonly known as makkhan, is actually a pure form of animal fat as it is prepared at home and fresh. Adding one teaspoon of butter in the diet is extremely recommended as it is rich in antioxidants and contains carotene, vitamin A. In fact, lining rotis or parathas with butter or adding a teaspoon in hot rice is enough for reaping its health benefits. Butter, although made from milk, does not belong to the dairy group. The U.S. Department of Agriculture excludes butter from the dairy group because it contains only trace amounts of calcium. Butter is considered a…
Xanthan gum also known as Bacterial Polysaccharide, Corn Sugar Gum, Goma Xantana, Gomme de Sucre de Maïs, Gomme de Xanthane, Gomme Xanthane, Polysaccharide Bactérien, Polysaccharide de Type Xanthane, Polysaccharide Xanthane, Xanthan and Xanthomonas campestris is a complex exopolysaccharide which is produced from microorganisms during a fermentation process. Once the glucose, sucrose or fructose is fermented, this particular complex polysaccharide is produced and can be isolated by using an alcohol extraction. The end product is slimy goo, once it is dried, this gum can be crushed into a powder and thus used as an addition. While there are many claims that…
Baking powder is actually a dry chemical leavening agent, which is a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid and is used for increasing the volume and lightening the texture of baked goods. Baking powder is made up of Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3), cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate, C4H5KO6), and cornstarch. Baking powder works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus leavening the mixture. It is used instead of yeast for end-products where fermentation flavors would be undesirable or…
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate in scientific terms is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Its formula consists of one sodium (Na) atom, one hydrogen (H) atom, one carbon (C) atom and three oxygen (O) atoms. It is better known to chemist as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium acid carbonate. It is categorized as an acid salt, formed by combining an acid (carbonic) and a base (sodium hydroxide), and it reacts with other chemicals as a mild alkali. It is a fine white powder that looks like icing sugar and it is a common…
Vaccinium oxycoccos commonly known as Cranberries are a fruit that is native to cool temperate northern hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America. Cranberries are now grown in 18 different counties throughout central and northern Wisconsin. It is a species of flowering plant in the Ericaceae (Heath family). Some of the popular common names of the fruit are European cranberry, Cranberry, Moss berry, Small cranberry, Bog cranberry, Marsh berry, Swamp cranberry, Small cranberry and northern cranberry. They were used by American Indians for food, clothing dye, and medicine. Europeans named the fruit “crane berry” because they thought…
Prawn scientifically known as Aristaeomorpha foliacea is crustaceans that are similar in appearance to shrimps, but they can be notable by the gill structure which is branching in prawns and not in shrimp. The prawn is also related to the crab and the lobster. It is actually a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (i.e. a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term “prawn” is used particularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth nations, for large swimming crustaceans or shrimp, especially those with commercial significance in the…
Chicken scientifically known as Gallus gallus domesticus is a tropical member of the genus Gallus of the family Phasianidae. It is a domestic bird that cannot fly. The adult female chicken is called a hen, the adult male is called a rooster, and the young are called chicks. An immature male chicken is called a cockerel and an immature female chicken a pullet. There are many different breeds of chicken that are different sizes and colors. Bantams are miniature chicken breeds. A group of chickens is called a flock. Some of the popular common names of the chicken are Anastasia,…
Powder Puff Tree scientifically known as Barringtonia racemosa is actually a small tree in the family Lecythidaceae (Brazil-nut family) native to coastal areas of eastern Africa from Somalia to South Africa, through Madagascar and other Indian Ocean islands to tropical south Asia, southeast Asia, southern China, the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, northern Australia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Some of the popular common names of the plants include Barringtonia, Brack-Water Mangrove, Common Putat, Fish-Killer Tree, Fish-Poison Tree, Fish- Poison Wood, Freshwater Mangrove, Hippo Apple, Powder-Puff Tree, Putat, Small-Leaved Barringtonia and Wild Guava. The genus Barringtonia contains 56 species and is named after…
Pterocarpus indicus commonly known as Amboyna wood is actually a species of Pterocarpus and a member of the Fabaceae family native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Other poplar common names of the plants includes Andaman Redwood, Angsana, Beeswing Narra, Blanco’s Narra, Burmese Rosewood, Malay Paduak, Narra, New Guinea Rosewood, Pashu Padauk, Philippine Mahogany, Prickly Narra, Red Sandalwood, Redwood and Tenasserim Mahogany. It was one of two species (the other being Eysenhardtia polystacha)…
Known by botanists as Gliricidia sepium, Glory Cedar is a medium size leguminous tree belonging to the family Fabaceae native to seasonal dry forest areas of Mexico and Central America, namely, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It is now widely distributed in tropical Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. Some popular common names of the plant are Gliricidia, Mexican Lilac, Mother of Cocoa, Nicaraguan Cacao Shade, Quick Stick, St. Vincent Plum, Tree of Iron, Forest Lilac, Nicaraguan Coffee Shade and Quick Stick. It is commonly known as Piñon Cubano in the Dominican Republic, …
Coral Tree scientifically known as Erythrina variegata is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family) native to tropical Asia—from Taiwan and southern China through the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, islands in the Indian Ocean and all the way to tropical East Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to Fiji. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Tiger’s Claw, East Indian Coralbean, Sunshine Tree, Samoan Sunshine Tree, Coral Tree, East Indian Coral Tree, East Indies Coral Tree, Indian Bean…
Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William) is a species of Dianthus native to the mountains of southern Europe from the Pyrenees east to the Carpathians and the Balkans, with a variety disjunctive in northeastern China, Korea, and south easternmost Russia which has become a popular ornamental garden plant. Some of the popular common names of the plant include Sweet-William, Sweetwilliam, Bearded pink, China carnation and sweet William pink. It is an herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), growing to 13–92 cm tall, with flowers in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of…
Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as Butterfly Pea, Asian Pigeonwings, Bluebellvine, Blue Pea, Cordofan Pea and Darwin Pea, Blue Butterfly Pea, Butterfly Pea Flower and Cocos is an evergreen climber belonging to the Fabaceae family. Native territory of this vine is unclear… some say Asia and some say tropical America. The specific epithet is in reference to the Island of Ternate in Indonesia which was considered by Linnaeus as native territory. Regardless of native origin, it is today pan tropical thanks to naturalization from human cultivation. The flowers of this vine were imagined to have the shape of human female genitals,…
Adansonia digitata commonly known as baobab is the most widespread of the Adansonia species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. The plant is native to West Africa and migrated successively throughout the tropical parts of Africa, and beyond, by natural and human-mediated terrestrial and overseas dispersal. Other common names of the plant are African Baobab, Baobab, Bottle Tree, Cream Of Tartar Tree, Dead-Rat Tree, Ethiopian Sour Tree, Judas Fruit, Monkey-Bread Tree, Senegal Calabash, Sour Gourd and Upside Tree. It is a member of the Adansonia family. The vernacular name “baobab” is derived from…
Bauhinia varigata (Butterfly Tree) is a popular ornamental plant commonly known as Kachnar or Mountain-ebony. The plant is native to southern China, the Indian sub-continent (i.e. Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan) and Southeast Asia (i.e. Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand). It is now widely cultivated elsewhere in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. It has naturalized elsewhere in the tropics in Queensland and southern United States. It is known by several other vernacular names such as Bauhinia, Butterfly Ash, Camel’s Foot, Camel’s Foot Tree, Orchid Tree, Pink Orchid Tree, Poor Man’s Orchid, Purple Orchid Tree, Variegated Orchid Tree, White…
Thirteen hours. That’s how long we spend sitting every day – equal to 78 days per year! And we’re not even sitting well. We’re often slouched over desks or on our sofas or hunched up on a train or bus. But it’s easy to retrain ourselves. Slouching can have a negative impact on your body. Here’s how to straighten up ‘SIT UP, DON’T SLOUCH’ A common phrase growing up, but your mother or teacher was on to something. Whether we’re sitting, standing or even lying down, good posture makes sure that the force of gravity is distributed evenly through our…
Mesua ferrea commonly known as Ironwood Tree is an ornamental and hardwood timber tree native to Sri Lanka, India, southern Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Philippines, Malaysia and Sumatra. It grows well in river valleys of the evergreen forests of The Himalayas and Western Ghat Hills of Konkan and Malabar area. It also grows well in some parts of Tamil Nadu, Assam, Travancore, Andaman Islands. The plant is a species in the family Calophyllaceae and other common names of the plant are Ceylon Ironwood, Cobra’s Saffron, Indian Rose Chestnut, Ironwood, Ironwood Of Assam, Mesua, Poached Egg Tree, Sembawang Tree, Na…
Lonicera japonica commonly known as Honeysuckle or Japanese Honeysuckle is a vigorous, deciduous, twining vine native to eastern Asia—northern and eastern China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. It was introduced elsewhere and has become naturalized in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand and much of the United States, including Hawaii, as well as a number of Pacific and Caribbean islands. Also it has become a major invasive species in North America. Other popular common names of the plant are Chinese honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, Gold-and-silver-flower, Halls honeysuckle, honeysuckle, ribbon fern, woodbine and white honeysuckle. The plant belongs to the genus…
Also called Balsam or ‘Busy Lizzie’, this colorful and hardy succulent plant tolerates heavy shade, and so can grow into forested areas, especially rainforest boundaries and watercourses. Scientifically known as Impatiens walleriana, it is a species of the genus Impatiens and Balsaminaceae (touch-me-nots) family. The species is native to East Africa (i.e. southeastern Kenya, Tanzania, southern Malawi, western Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe). The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental in many parts of the world and has also become naturalized in many of these areas. Other popular common names of the plant are Busy Lizzy, Garden Impatiens, Impatiens, Japanese…
Tagetes lucida commonly known as Mexican marigold is a species of flowering plant in the Sunflower family Asteraceae that is native to Central America (Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala) and South America. It thrives in the south of the United States and in México and is grown in many warm temperate areas worldwide. It is cultivated as an ornamental in the highlands in Java. Other common names of the herb include Cloud Plant, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Tarragon, Mint-Marigold, Spanish Tarragon, Sweet Scent Marigold, Sweet Scent Mexican Marigold, Sweet Mace, Texas Tarragon, Winter Tarragon, yerbaniz, pericón, Cempaxóchitl, Yerbis Anis and hierbanís.…
Cosmos sulphureus is also known as Sulfur Cosmos and Yellow Cosmos is considered a half-hardy annual from the Asteraceae or Compositae family (commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family). The plant is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, and naturalized in other parts of North and South America as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Other popular common names of the plant are Klondike Cosmos, Orange Cosmos, Sulfur Cosmos and Yellow Cosmos. This species of Cosmos is considered a half-hardy annual, although plants may re-appear via self-sowing for several years. Genus name comes…
Known by botanists as Argyranthemum frutescens, Marguerite Daisy is sometimes referred to as the Boston Daisy, Cobbity Daisy, Dill Daisy, Federation Daisy, Marguerite, Marguerite Daisy, Paris Daisy, Paris Marguerite, Summer Daisy, Teneriffe Daisy and White Marguerite. It is a perennial plant from the family Asteraceae, the family of daisies. The plant is native to Canary Islands in Macaronesia. It has naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, East Europe, and Ukraine and is adventive in Norway, Germany, and Italy. It is cultivated in the horticulture trade and widely available and used as a flowering ornamental plant in private gardens and public parks.…
Whiteweed scientifically known as Ageratum conyzoides is a weed plant belonging to the family Asteraceae and tribe Eupatoriae. The plant is native to Southeastern North America to Central America, but the center of origin is in Central America and the Caribbean. Most taxa are found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Ageratum conyzoides now is found in several countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions, including Brazil. Other common names of the plant are Ageratum, Appa Grass, Bastard Agrimony, Billygoat-Weed, Blue Top, Chick Weed, Cocks Sticks Plant, Conyzoid Floss Flower, Floss Flower, Goatweed, Mother Brinkly, Tropic Ageratum and Winter…
Cheilocostus speciosus commonly known as Spiral Ginger, Cane reed, crepe-ginger, crape ginger, Malay ginger, spiral flag, wild- ginger, variegated ginger and costus is an important medicinal and ornamental plant belonging to genus Cheilocostus and Costaceae (Zingiberaceae) family. The plant is native to Southeast Asia and surrounding regions, from India to China to Queensland. It is especially common on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is also supposedly naturalized in Mauritius, Réunion, Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the West Indies. The genus name of Spiral Ginger “Cheilocostus speciosus” is derived from the Greek term Cheilo means lip,…
Solidago canadensis commonly known as Canadian goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Aster family) native to northeastern and north-central North America but established as an invasive plant in many other regions. Some other popular common names of the herb are Canada Goldenrod, Giant Goldenrod, Tall Goldenrod, common goldenrod, Shorthair goldenrod, Harger’s goldenrod and Rough Canada goldenrod. The herb can be found in a variety of habitats, although it is not shade tolerant. It typically is one of the first plants to colonize an area after disturbance and rarely continues once shrubs and trees become established. It…
Native to North America and Central America, Canadian Horseweed or Canadian fleabane is one of the common names of Erigeron Canadensis which is an annual weed that belongs to the Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae (Aster family). Other common names of Canadian Horseweed are horseweed, Canadian fleabane, colts tail, mares tail, butterweed, Flea Wort, Pride weed, Daisy Fleabane, Philadelphia Fleabane, Sweet Scabious, Frost weed, Field weed and Mourning Widow. The plant can also be found in the European part of the former USSR, the Caucasus, Eastern and Western Siberia, the Far East, Central Asia, Scandinavia, Atlantic and Middle Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia…
Eschscholzia californica commonly known as California poppy, Californian poppy, golden poppy, California sunlight, golden cup, flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold) is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae and is native to hillsides, roads and open areas of California but is found along the entire western coast of the United States as far north as Washington state and as far south as Mexico. It is an ornamental plant flowering in summer with showy cup shaped flowers in brilliant shades of orange; yellow and red (occasionally pink). It is also used medicinally and…
Native to Greater Antilles, northern Central America and southern– eastern Mexico to Belize, Florida Keys and the Caribbean, Singapore Plumeria is one of the common names of Plumeria obtuse that is large shrub or small tree member of Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family. Other common name of Singapore Plumeria is Frangipani, Pagoda Tree, Red Jasmine, Red Jasmine of Jamaica, Red Paucipan, Singapore Frangipani, Singapore Graveyard Flower, Singapore White Plumeria, Temple Tree and White Kalachuche. The plant is widely cultivated for its ornamental and fragrant flowers around the world where suitably warm climate exists. Genus ‘Plumeria’ is named after a French botanist, Charles…