Babaco is a relative of papaya but is seedless having smooth skin as well as unique flavor. When the fruit is sliced, it forms star shaped. The fruit could be added to smoothies, sauces and salsa. Babaco is native to Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile. Besides its native range, it is successfully cultivated in New Zealand, California, Guernsey, Channel Islands and Italy. Common names of Babaco are Babáco, Champagne Fruit, Heilbron and Mountain paw paw. Babaco is a small herbaceous shrub which resembles the appearance of other papaya species. The plant grows up to…
Author: Sylvia
Yucca schidigera commonly known as Yucca, Yucca Root, Adam’s Needle, Soap Tree, Mohave yucca, soapweed, Joshua Tree, needle palm, Guardian of the Desert, Spanish Bayonet, Dagger Plant, Aloe Yucca, Bear Grass, Mohave Yucca or Mojave Yucca, Arbre de Josué, Our-Lord’s-Candle, and ghosts in the graveyard is a is a flowering plant that is native to the Mojave Desert, Chihuahuan Desert and Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, Baja California, New Mexico, southern Nevada and Arizona. Nearly 50 perennial species are found under the Yucca brand of herbs and they all belong to the Asparagaceae family and subfamily Agavoideae. The name “Yucca”…
Lactuca sativa is an annual plant belonging to daisy family Asterceae. It is cultivated as leaf vegetable sometimes for its seeds and stem. Firstly it was cultivated by ancient Egyptians who turned it from a weed and seeds were used for producing oil, a food plant which is grown for its succulent leaves. Lettuce is a hardy annual cultivated in low temperatures in order to prevent it from flowering quickly. Native to Mediterranean and Siberia and it is also transported to all areas of world. Generally plant measures 6 to 12 inches in height with colorful mainly green leaves. Lettuce…
Yellow Dock scientifically known as Rumex crispus is a perennial herb belonging to the Polygonaceae family, commonly referred to as the knotweed family. This family also includes rhubarb, buckwheat, and sorrel. The name was given by Linnaeus and appears to be the only name used in modern literature. The genus name ‘Rumex’ refers to a noun meaning acid. The attribute ‘crispus’ means curled, which refers to the curly and wavy leaves of this species, as does the common name ‘curled dock’. Other common name of the plants are curly dock, curled dock, narrow dock, sour dock, rumex, yellow dock, Chin-ch’iao-mai,…
Yams are members of the Dioscoreae family. Dependent on the yam variety, of which there are approximately 200, its flesh might be of different colors which includes white, ivory, yellow or purple while its thick skin either can be white, pink or even brownish-black. Their shape is long as well as round (frequently having offshoots known as “toes”) whilst their exterior texture is rough as well as scaly. Yams have got a starchy as well as slippery texture so when cooked, will be either creamy or even firm, based upon the variety. Their taste is earthy and also hardy, with…
Achillea millefolium, or yarrow is an aromatic perennial plant of the aster or Asteraceae (Compositae) family and is closely related to chrysanthemums and chamomile. The herb originates from the northern hemisphere (Europe, Asia and North America), but it can be found all over the world today. The yarrow plant carries several other common names like common yarrow, milenrama, milfoil, western yarrow, bloodwort, carpenter’s weed, plumajillo, Boreal yarrow, California yarrow, Giant yarrow, Coast yarrow, Pacific yarrow, devil’s nettle, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, old man’s mustard, sanguinary, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf and thousand-seal, knight’s milfoil, noble yarrow, staunchgrass, soldier’s woundwort, devil’s…
Armoracia rusticana is also known from other names such as Pepperrot, Red cole, Mountain radish, Great raifort and Horseradish. It is a perennial plant belonging to Brassicaceae family that also includes wasabi, mustard, cabbage and broccoli. Native to Southeastern Europe and Western Asia, it is well known all over the world. It is widely cultivated for its white, large and tapered root. The roots provide irritating, strong and intensely pungent taste. Lower leaves are oblong, toothed, heart shaped measuring 10 to 30 centimeters long. An upper leaves are lance shaped, alternate and toothed. Flowers are white, pinkish or purple measuring…
Salix alba (white willow) commonly known as Bay willow, Black willow, White willow, Willow bark, salix is a large deciduous tree native to Europe and western and central Asia. It was brought to the U.S. in the 1700s by European settlers and has since escaped and naturalized in many parts of North America. The plant belongs to the family Salicaceae and is often found near the lakes and ponds or planted in gardens and parks because of its ornamental morphology. Willow is a symbol of immortality and rebirth in China. In the other parts of the world willow often represents…
Raisins are shriveled brown, yellow or purple morsels called raisins. Actually they are grapes which have been dried in a food dehydrator or sun. Usually they are added to yogurt, oatmeal, cereal or granola and salads. Due to its small size, raisins are loaded with energy and rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals. Raisins possess a sweet taste and have high content of calories and sugar. Still they are beneficial to health when consumed in moderate amounts. It supports digestion, keeps bone strong and promotes iron levels. The varieties of raisin depends on type of grape used and could be…
Turnip greens are the leaves of plant turnip which is also known as turnip tops. Turnip plants are grown in wide range commercially. It is cultivated generally for its roots rather than leaves. Beside its roots, leaves could be used in variety of dishes. Turnip officially belongs to the scientific species or genus known as Brassica rapa which consists of various subspecies that has been cultivated widely such as napa cabbage, turnip, turnip rape, cime di rapa and mizuna. This group consists of many varieties of turnip which is classified in terms of the color of root. Turnip with white…
Hamamelis virginiana, known as common witch hazel, is a fall-blooming, deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks in eastern North America. Apart from Witch Hazel it is also known as American witch-hazel, Common Witch hazel, Virginian Witch hazel, Hazel nut, snapping hazel, tobacco wood, hamamelis water, spotted alder and winter bloom. It is part of the witch hazel family of plants, called Hamamelidaceae. Genus name comes from the Greek words hama meaning at same time and melon meaning apple or fruit in reference to the occurrence of both fruit and flowers at…
Butternut squash is a kind of winter squash which is inherent to North America and is believed to be cultivated in Massachusetts. The plant grows in the form of vine with a peculiar shape of an elongated bell. Scientifically it is known as Cucurbita moschata. It is a cross breed of Hubbard squash and Gooseneck squash. Butternut squash has yellow to pale brown skin with orange flesh that provides nutty flavor. It contains seeds which are edible and roasted as pumpkin seeds. When the squash ripens, the flesh color becomes more orange and its sweetness also increases. Though Butternut squash…
Wild Lettuce commonly refers to the bitter cousin of common garden lettuce is a biennial herb that belongs to the lactuca genus and the sunflower family. Its botanical name is Lactuca Virosa and is native to Europe. It is called by various names, such as Wild Lettuce, Bitter lettuce, Laitue vireuse, Opium Lettuce, Poisonous Lettuce, Tall Lettuce, Great Lettuce, Rakutu-Karyumu-So, compass plant, horse thistle, Prickly lettuce and wild opium. In Latin, Lactuca means ‘milky extract’ and Virosa means ‘toxic’. Wild lettuce contains a type of bitter tasting milky juice that can be extracted from almost any part of the plant.…
Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, Queen-Anne’s lace, Bees’ Nest, Bird’s Nest, Carrot, Carotte, Carrot, Yarkuki, Zanahoria Wild Carrot, Birds Nest Weed, Devils Plague, Garden Carrot, Bee’s nest plant and Bird’s nest root is a flowering plant and is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), which includes parsnip, parsley, fennel and angelica. The herb is native to temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia and naturalized to North America and Australia. It is quite similar in appearance to the deadly poison hemlock; D. carota is distinguished by a mix of tri-pinnate leaves, fine hairs on its solid green…
Date palm is a monocot plant which belongs to Arecaceae family usually cultivated in dry tropical regions for its edible and sweet fruit worldwide. Common names of Dates are Date Palm and Wild Date Palm. It is considered to be originated in region around Persian gulf- Arabian peninsula, Northern Africa and Northwest India. Since ancient times, dates have been cultivated from Babylonia and Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt as early as 4000 BCE. Ancient Egyptians used dates to make wine. Dates were vital as a food, making fermented beverage and a source of building material. The medium sized tree forms a…
Verbena officinalis commonly known as common vervain, common verbena, simpler’s joy, holy herb, or mosquito plant, wild hyssop, blue vervain, Vervain, Herb of the cross, Prostrate verbena, Enchanter’s Plant, Juno’s Tears, Pigeon’s Grass, Pigeon weed, Herb of Grace, Iron-weed, Wild Verbena, and Indian Hyssop is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. The name Vervain is derived from the Celtic ferfaen, from fer (to drive away) and faen (a stone), as the plant was much used for affections of the bladder, especially calculus. Vervain belongs to the plant family Verbenacea, not to be confused with…
The Feijoa (Acca Sellowiana) is a tree native to Brazil, South America, which is evergreen, perennial shrub and small tree classified in plant family Myrtaceae. Feijoa are commercially valuable and are cultivated in New Zealand and California. This plant is usually grown for its sweet and aromatic fruits. The plant has pale gray bark with greenish gray leaves. Feijoa plant lives for more than 45 years. There are 21 varieties of Feijoa such as Apollo, Choiceana, Coolidge, Edenvale Improved Coolidge, Edenvale Late and so on. Feijoa or pineapple guava also called guavasteen, pineapple guava or New Zealand Banana. It has…
Snake gourd scientifically known as Tricosanthes cucumerina is a plant which bears fruit that is consumed as vegetable. It is an annual climbing plant which belongs to Cucurbitaceae. Commonly it is known as Chinese Cucumber, Gudda Bean, Club Gourd, Serpent Cucumber, Serpent Gourd, Snake Tomato, Snake Gourd, Viper’s Gourd, Chichinda and Padwal. Snake gourd is found wild in South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia and Southern China. It is inherent to Northern Australia and got naturalized in Florida, islands of Indian and Pacific oceans and parts of Africa. Snake gourd is not widely…
Aloe vera is commonly known as Medicinal aloe, Chinese Aloe, True Aloe, Indian Aloe, Barbados Aloe, First aid plant, Burn Aloe, Babosa, Barbados aloe, Bitter aloes, Burn Plant, Coastal aloe, Common aloe, Curaçao aloe, Jaffarabad aloe, Mediterranean aloe, Musambra Aloe, Star cactus, Unguentine cactus, West Indian aloe, Aloe gel and Aloe leaf. It belongs to family of succulent plants in genus Aloe. Aloe vera is originated in Arabian Peninsula and Sudan. In these present days, species is cultivated widely in Near East, Northern Africa, Southern Mediterranean region and Asia. The plant is grown in subtropical regions of Mexico, United States,…
Tanacetum vulgare, commonly known as Tansy, common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, golden buttons, Curly Leaf Tansy, Buttons, wild tansy, gold leaf tansy, ginger plant, bitter buttons, hineheel, scented fern, stinking willie, hindheal, mugwort or parsley fern, is an erect, rhizomatous, weedy perennial with aromatic, fern-like foliage. The herb is a member of the family Asteraceae and it has traditionally been used in folk medicine for centuries. It is native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia, but was transported to the U.S. in colonial times for medicinal and horticultural purposes. The word “tansy” is derived from Greek word “Athanaton”…
Thyme scientifically known as Thymus vulgaris is an upright, woody-based perennial which is primarily grown as a culinary herb in herb gardens. The herb is commonly known as common thyme, German thyme, garden thyme, thyme, winter thyme, German winter, narrow-leafed French, Greek gray, broad leaf English and mother of thyme. It is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae and belongs to the genus Thymus which is part of the mint family and closely related to oregano—another powerful herb. The herb is native to the western Mediterranean region from the Iberian Peninsula to Italy (northern Italy,…
Brassica ruvo is commonly known from other names such as Broccoletto, Broccoli raab, Rapini, Ruvo kale, Italian turnip, Nabana, Saishin, Broccoli Rabe, Cima di Rapa and Brocoletti. As broccoli was developed in Italy, it was named as Brassica oleracea variety italic by botanists. The term broccoli is derived from Italian plural of broccoli which means little sprouts in Italian language that refers to flowering top of cabbage. Sometimes the large heading varieties of broccoli were named calabrese after region of Calabria in Italy. Rapini is originated in Mediterranean and China. It has been well known vegetables among Chinese, Hong Kong…
Scientifically called Anethum graveolens, have been used for hundreds of years for culinary and medicinal purposes. Dill shares the same family of celery and parsley being a sole species of its genus. It is native to Western Asia and Eastern Mediterranean region. The term dill was derived from old Norse word dylla which means to soothe or lull. In writing, it dates back to about 3000 B.C. and was mentioned in Egyptian medical texts. Other common names for Dill are Garden dill, American Dill, Aneth Odorant, Aneth, Anethi Fructus, Anethum graveolens, Anethi Herba, Dill Herb, Anethum sowa, Dill Oil, Dill…
Brassica rapa (Chinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage which do not form heads but possess smooth and dark green leaf blades that form in cluster that resembles celery or mustard greens. Bok choy can be known by various names such as Chinese cabbage, Chinese chard, Non-heading Chinese cabbage, Asian cabbage, Chinese mustard, Celery mustard, Chinese mustard cabbage, White cabbage, Chinese white mustard cabbage, Chinese white cabbage, Bok choy, Pak choi, Baak choi, Bird’s rape and Birdsrape mustard. Bok choy is characterized by green spoon shaped leaves with slightly flattened white stalks. As various varieties of Bok choy could…
Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage, eastern skunk cabbage, swamp cabbage, clumpfoot cabbage, meadow cabbage, foetid pothos and polecat weed is a low growing, foul-smelling tuberous plant of the Aurum family that grows in wetlands around the world. The plant is native to the eastern North America; it ranges from Nova Scotia and southern Quebec west to Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. It is secure as endangered in Tennessee. The skunk cabbage is named so because its leaves look a lot like the leaves of the cabbage. The whole skunk cabbage plant has a strong fetid…
Diospyros kaki is also known as Butter Fruit, Mabolo, Camogan Ebony, Mabola Persimmon, Velvet Apple, Mabola-Tree, Velvet Persimmon, Kaki, Keg fig and Date plum. It is a medium sized tree belonging to ebony family Ebenaceae which is originated in East Asia and is cultivated in China and Japan with various varieties developed for countless centuries. It is also grown in Asia, South America, Mediterranean, Hawaii and Southern U.S. for its fruit. It is regarded as Divine fruit due to its scientific name of Greek origin which is found during autumn. The tree measures 7 to 32 m high bearing alternate,…
Senna alexandrina commonly known as Senna is an ornamental plant belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and in the genus Senna. S. alexandrina is also known under the names Egyptian Senna, Bombay senna, Casse, Indian senna, Senna, Tinevelly senna, Tinnevelly Senna, East Indian Senna and séné de la palthe. The plant is native to North Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia. In Asia, it is mostly found in the temperate regions of India and China. The herb received the names “Alexandrian Senna” and “Egyptian Senna” because Alexandria in Egypt was the main trade port in past times.…
Drimia maritima (syn. Urginea maritima) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae). This species is known by several common names, including squill, sea squill, sea onion, squill, ein sit, ada sogani, Scilla, European squill, white squill, Urginea squill, Mediterranean Squill, Indian squill, Scilla bulb and Drimia indica. It may also be called red squill, particularly a form which produces red-tinged flowers instead of white. The plant is native to coastal regions of the Mediterranean and southern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. It is also found in Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Corsica,…
Abui scientifically known as Pouteria caimito, is a tropical fruit inherent to South America and is also found in Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela. This fruit belongs to Sapotaceae family. Abiu fruit is called Abiu, Yellow Star Apple and Blueberry Pie fruit. Abui tree requires moist and warm climate. The leaves are oblong to elliptic in shape and measures 10 to 25 cm by 40 to 55 mm broadest width. The flowers forms on two to five clusters and appears on leaf axils on long and thin shoots. These small flowers have four to five petals which are cylindrical and…
Rose hips are a round portion of rose flower which are found below the petals. It contains seeds of rose plant. Rose hips are fruit of rose plant which forms in autumn and late summer after the rose plant is pollinated. When the rose bud falls, the fruit of the plant arises. The fruit is red and could purple, orange or black. Rose hips could be found in the form of jellies, jams, bread, tisanes, soups, pies, wine and marmalade. The seeds and dried rose hips are used to make medicines. Rose hips have high content of Vitamin C which…