Satureja, savory commonly known as winter savory is a low-growing, semi-woody herb belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae or Labiatae. There are about 30 species of plants within the genus, which may be annuals, semi-evergreen perennials and sub-shrubs. As a genus, savory is found throughout much of the northern hemisphere, but in particular in warmer and drier regions. The plant is native to warm temperate regions of southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa. It has been naturalized in Great Britain since 1562. The plant is commonly known as Winter Savoury, Winter savory, Savory, perennial savory, mountain savory, creeping savory and…
Author: Sylvia
Barbados gooseberry, botanically classified as Pereskia aculeate is a scrambling shrub belonging to Cactaceae, or cactus family. The plant is native to Central America (i.e. Panama), the Caribbean and South America (i.e. French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay). Occasionally it naturalized in the coastal districts of eastern Australia (i.e. in south-eastern and northern Queensland and the coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales). It also naturalized overseas in southern Africa, Mexico and southern USA (i.e. Texas and Florida). This unusual cactus cultivar is commonly known as the Barbados shrub, blade apple, blade apple cactus,…
Etlingera elatior also known as torch ginger, ginger flower or Indonesian tall ginger is a species of herbaceous perennial plant belonging to Zingiberaceae or Ginger family). Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, and Alpinia magnifica. The plant is native to tropical Africa but is also found in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and southern Thailand. It is distributed throughout South-East Asia, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Philippines, Australia (Queensland) and Polynesia. However, the species is widely cultivated and can be found naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is also widely grown…
Pennisetum glaucum, commonly called pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet in the northeastern part of the world. It is a major source of food to the local villagers of that region. In India, it is widely known as Bajra. It is an annual bunch grass belonging to Poaceae / Gramineae (Grass family). The plant is native across Africa from West to East and from there to Southern Africa where it is commonly grown as a grain crop. It was introduced to India in 3000 BC and later it is grown as a fodder crop in America,…
Canarium schweinfurthii commonly known as the bush candle, African olive, African elemi is a species of large tree belonging to Burseraceae (Frankincense family). The plant is native to Angola, Mali, Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, United Republic of Togo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Zambia. Few of the popular common names of the plant are African Elemi, Bush candle tree, Schweinfurth’s olive, canarium, mupafu, ube osa, mpafu, kenari or mbani. The African elemi tree is one of several sources of the economically useful oleoresin known…
Justicia gendarussa, commonly known as willow-leaved justicia or Gendarussa is a small erect, branched shrub belonging to Acanthaceae (Acanthus family). The plant is native to China and is distributed widely across India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. It has been described as rare and endemic to India, though those claims are at least confusing, in the context of statements that the plant is widely used in various forms for many of its medicinal and insecticidal properties. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Black malabar nut, Black vasa, Water willow, Willow-leaved justicia, gendarussa and Asian Water-willow. The plant…
Canarium luzonicum, commonly known as elemi, is a tree belonging to Burseraceae (Frankincense family). The plant is native to Philippines but it is also found in South and Central America, Australia, Brazil, India, the Malay Peninsula, and Moluccas. Some of the popular common names of the plant are elemi, Manila elemi-tree, Elemi canary-tree, Elemi oil, Java almond, Manila elemi, Oily pili and Pili nut. Pronounced “e-lə-mē”, the word comes from Latin “elimi”, itself derived from the Arabic phrase al lāmi meaning above and below, and referring to its usage as a curative compound in ancient European cultures. In the scentful…
Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineapple weed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed is an annual plant belonging to Asteraceae / Compositae (Aster family). The plant is native to western North America. It has been introduced to Europe, Asia, Greenland, Iceland, South America, and New Zealand. This species grows throughout Canada and the United States, and it is a common weed in Alaska, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territory where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. Few of the popular common names of the plants are Wild chamomile, Disc mayweed, false chamomile, Rayless chamomile, Rayless mayweed, Rounded chamomile…
Swietenia macrophylla, commonly known as mahogany, Honduran mahogany or big-leaf mahogany is a species of plant in the Meliaceae (Mahogany family). The plant is native to Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. However, it is nearly extinct in Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica; close to commercial extinction in Bolivia; declining in Mexico, Belize and Brazil; and in severe decline in Guatemala, Peru, Nicaragua and Honduras. The species has been extensively planted mainly in Southern Asia and the Pacific including India, Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. It has also…
Pandan scientifically known as Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical evergreen tree belonging to Pandanaceae (Screw pine family). The plant originates from the Moluccas (Indonesia). It is widespread in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (including Irian Jaya), and the Philippines, and is probably cultivated in many other countries, having been brought in by South-East Asian migrants. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Fragrant Pandan, Fragrant screw pine, Bai toey hom, Bai toey, Ban lan ye, Boro, Curry leaf, Daun pandan, Hedan, La dua, Pandan bau, Pandan rampai, Pandan wangi, Pandan, Pandano, Pandanus leaf, Raampa, Raampe faiy,…
Kousa Dogwood scientifically known as Cornus kousa is a small deciduous tree belonging to Cornaceae (Dogwood family). Some of the popular synonyms are Benthamia kousa and Cynoxylon kousa. The plant is native to multiple regions in East Asia, including forests of China, Japan, and Korea. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and is naturalized in New York State. The first kousa dogwood in the United States was found in 1875. Some of the popular common names include kousa, kousa dogwood, Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, Japanese dogwood and Japanese flowering dogwood. Genus name comes from the Latin word cornu meaning…
Musk strawberry or hautbois strawberry scientifically known as Fragaria moschata, is a species of strawberry belonging to Rose Family (Rosaceae). The plant grows wild to a limited extent in forests in Central Europe, north into Scandinavia, and east into Russia. But it has also been under cultivation in Europe since long. The plants are hardy and can survive in many weather conditions. They are cultivated commercially on a small scale, particularly in Italy. Apart from Musk strawberry it is also popularly known as Hautbois strawberry and Hautboy strawberry. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a…
Ligustrum lucidum commonly known as Chinese privet tree or glossy privet and Nu Zhen Zi in Pinyin is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. Sometimes it is a bit annoying when ligustrum lucidum berries are ripe. The plant is native to southern China, it has been naturalized in Spain, Italy, Algeria, Canary Islands, New Zealand, Lesotho, South Africa, Japan, Korea, Australia, Norfolk Island, Chiapas, Central America, Argentina, Uruguay, and the southern United States (California, Arizona, Maryland, and the southeast from Texas to North Carolina). The name Chinese privet is also used for Ligustrum sinense. Some of…
Toxicodendron succedaneum commonly known as the wax tree, Japanese wax tree or Japanese Hazenoki tree is a flowering plant species in the genus Toxicodendron and Anacardiaceae (Sumac family). The plant is native to Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Mongolia, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand) and was introduced to South America. It has been introduced to and is naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and Cuba. Some of the popular common names of the plant are Japanese wax, Japanese lacquer tree, Japanese tallow tree, Japanese wax tree, Japanese waxtree, poison ivy, poison…
Indigofera suffruticosa, commonly known as Anil indigo, Guatemalan indigo or small-leaved indigo is a flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae / Leguminosae. The plant is native to subtropical and tropical Americas, including the southern United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as northern Argentina. The species has naturalized in Hawaii and is present in American Samoa, Guam, and a large number of the Pacific Island groups. It has been introduced into tropical regions of the Old World. This species has been widely introduced to other parts of the world and today has a…
Argania spinosa, commonly known as argan tree, is a large shrub or small tree belonging to Sapontaceae family and is a sole species in the genus Argania. The tree is endemic to the calcareous semi-desert, low-rainfall, forested Sous valley of southwestern Morocco which is bordered on the east by the Sahara Desert and on the north by the Atlas Mountains. The trees presently function as a buffer zone by preventing incursion of the Sahara Desert (desertification) further west into Morocco. In 1998, UNESCO designated a chunk of this argan forest area as an international Biosphere Reserve for purposes of monitoring…
Lotus corniculatus commonly known as Birdsfoot Trefoil is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae / Leguminosae. The plant is native to northern and eastern Africa (i.e. northern Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania), most of Europe, western Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan), the Indian sub-continent (i.e. India, Nepal and Pakistan) and eastern Asia (i.e. Mongolia, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan). It has been introduced to many areas including Australia, North and South America. Popular common names include Bird foot deer vetch, bird’s foot lotus, bird’s…
White melilot or White Sweet Clover scientifically known as Melilotus albus is a nitrogen-fixing legume belonging to the Fabaceae / Leguminosae (Pea family). Although it is called a ‘clover’ it is more closely related to Alfalfa than to true clovers. The plant is native to Europe and Asia. (Europe: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Belarus, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania). (Asia: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Myanmar/Burma). It has been introduced…
Sainfoin scientifically known as Onobrychis viciifolia is a deep-rooted perennial legume belonging to Fabaceae / Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to Turkey, Iran and Europe. It was first cultivated in northern France and in the United Kingdom. It is now widespread in warm-temperate Europe, Asia, Mediterranean countries and western North America. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Common Sainfoin, Sainfoin legume, Esparcet, Holy-clover and Vicia-leaved holy-clover. The plant is possibly occasionally used for food. It is an excellent soil stabilizer and conditioner, especially on dry, limestone soils and is sometimes grown as an ornamental.…
Blackjack or beggar ticks scientifically known as Bidens pilosa is an annual species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Aster family (Asteraceae / Compositae). The plant is native to tropical America (i.e. in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, the Caribbean, French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). It is widely naturalized throughout Queensland, eastern New South Wales, the Northern Territory and the northern parts of Western Australia. It is less common in the ACT, in some parts of Victoria and South Australia, and in south-western Australia. Its many…
Rorippa sylvestris commonly known as the creeping yellowcress, keek, or yellow fieldcress is an invasive species of plant belonging to Brassicaceae / Cruciferae (Mustard family) and is one of the three perennials in the genus. The plant is native to Europe and Asia and now widely established throughout North America. This mustard has been located in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana in the northwestern U.S. however sites have been located as far south as Texas, Alabama and Mississippi as of 1966. It is also found in nurseries in eastern Canada, but has been recorded in all of the southern provinces.…
Lathyrus cicera commonly known as Red pea or Red vetchling is an annual cool-season grain legume belonging to Fabaceae / Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and it is known from other places as an introduced species. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Flat-pod peavine, Flatpod peavine, Flat-podded vetchling, Dwarf chickling-vetch, lesser chickpea, Red pea, Chickling-vetch, Red vetchling, Vetchling and wild vetch. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It has occasionally been cultivated in southern Europe for the edible seed.…
Love-in-a-mist scientifically known as Nigella damascena is a charming old-fashioned flower that blooms in spring and early summer. The plant belongs to one of about 15 species in this genus in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae).The plant is native to southern Europe (but adventive in more northern countries of Europe), north Africa and southwest Asia, where it is found on neglected, damp patches of land. Apart from Love in a mist it is also known as devil in the bush, bird’s nest, blue crown, blue spider flower, chase the devil, garden fennel, jack in prison, jack in the green, Katherine’s flower,…
Streptopus amplexifolius commonly known as Watermelon berry, twisted stalk or clasping twisted stalk is a species of flowering plant in the Liliaceae (Lily family). The plant is native to North America (Greenland, northern United States including Alaska; and most of Canada including Yukon and Northwest Territories). It is also found in central and southern Europe (from Spain to Ukraine and as far north as Germany and Poland) and in eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, Myanmar (Burma) and eastern Russia (Yakutia, Amur, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Khabarovsk, Primorye)). Some of the popular common names of the plant are Clasp twisted stalk, Clasping…
Nigella arvensis commonly known as field nigella or wild fennel is a species of flowering plant of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes dill, anise, cumin, caraway and other herbs. The plant is native to North Africa, central, southern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region, and the Middle East as far as Iran, and has gone extinct in Switzerland and Crete. It is a minor crop, used locally as a substitute for Nigella sativa, black caraway. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Black bread-weed, Wild fennel, Nigella, Wild fennel-flower, field fennel flower, field fennel flower and…
Arundo donax popularly known as Giant reed is a tall perennial cane belonging to Poaceae / Gramineae (Grass family), which includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of the natural grassland. It is one of several so-called reed species. The plant is native to the Greater Middle East. It has been widely planted and naturalized in Mediterranean area and introduced to many subtropical and warm temperate regions. It has been cultivated throughout Asia, southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years. In North America, it was intentionally introduced from the Mediterranean to the Los Angeles…
Caigua pronounced kai-wa, is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, the same family of plants as pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon and gourds, among others. Its scientific name is cyclanthera pedata and it is also known by the common name of Achocha, Slipper goard and Stuffing gourd. It is a plant with medicinal uses and endless characteristics worth knowing. The plant is not known in the wild, but presumably native to many parts of Central America, South America and the Andes. It is found in the Caribbean Islands, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. These plants are also quite…
Codonopsis lanceolata, popularly known as Todok, deodeok or lance asiabell, is a flowering plant belonging to Campanulaceae family. The plant is native to northeast China (Anhui, Fujian, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanxi and Zhejiang), Eastern Russia, Korea and Japan. It is a variety of bonnet bellflower. Some of the popular common names of the plants are Bonnet Bell Flower, Lance Asia Bell, Todok and deodeok. Genus name comes from the Greek words kodon meaning a bell and opsis meaning resembling for the shape of the corolla. Specific epithet means lance-shaped leaves. Plants in the genus Codonopsis are occasionally…
Weeping fig scientifically known as Ficus benjamina is a woody evergreen plant in the fig or mulberry family (Moraceae). The plant is native to a large area including India, southern China, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, the Philippines, northern Australia, and the islands of the South Pacific. The tree is cultivated in many parts of the world including American Samoa (Tutuila), French Polynesia (cult.), Marshall Islands (Kwajalein (cult.), Majuro (cult.), Tonga as well as Florida, in the United State. The tree grows naturally in Asia and northern Australia but has long since been a popular houseplant here in Europe. In tropical places,…
Lasia scientifically known as Lasia spinosa is a large, spiny, marsh plant belonging to genus Lasia Lour and Araceae family. The plant is native to Indian subcontinent to Malesia across East Asia. It is naturally distributed in Eastern Asia (China, Taiwan), Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka), Indo-China (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) and Malesia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea). It is often known as Saru in Manipuri, Kohila/Mahakohila/Engilikohila in Sri Lanka, Zawangzang in Mizoram, and Laksmana in Sanskrit. Few of the popular common names of the plant are Geli-geli, Bekil, Spiny Lasia, Lasia, Pimply lasia and Unicorn…