Tag Archives: Vegetation

Sea-Lavender

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Sea-Lavender

Sea-lavenders are just full of variety and colour.

  • Sea-lavenders are a genus of at least 150 flowering plants that are either perennial or annual, depending on the species, that are commonly found in salt marshes, and rocky, desert, or coastal habitats.
  • ‘Sea-lavender’ is also known as ‘marsh-rosemary’, ‘caspia’, and ‘statice’, although these names may only refer to certain species of the plant.
  • The scientific name of sea lavender is Limonium and it is from the family Plumbaginaceae, the family of plumbagos or leadworts.
  • Sea-lavenders have native species in all continents except South America and Antarctica, with a high concentration of species in the Mediterranean and west to central Asian regions.
  • The sea-lavender genus has an extensive height range of 0.1 to 2 metres (0.3 to 6.6 feet) according to species, however, they are more commonly 0.1 to 0.7 metres (0.3 to 2.3 feet) high.

Sea-Lavender, Plant, Vegetation, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Purple, Australia, Genus

  • The showy calyx surrounding a sea-lavender flower is often considered the ‘flower’, even though technically it isn’t, and it can be coloured purple, pink and violet, as well as the occasional yellow or white; while the actual flower is generally small and often white in colour.
  • The leaves of sea-lavenders usually grow at the base of the plant and are generally of a leathery texture, and depending on the species, range from 1 to 30 centimetres (0.4 to 11.8 inches) in length.
  • Sea-lavender flowers usually sit in clusters on tall stems above the leaves, and typically bloom in summer, however some early bloomers can be found in spring, while others can be found flowering in autumn.
  • Some species of sea-lavender are used decoratively in gardens or for other landscaping purposes, and they are often used as cut flowers or dried flowers, due to the long lasting and colourful papery calyx.
  • The scientific name of sea-lavenders, ‘Limonium’, comes from Latin, which originally came from the Ancient Greek word for ‘meadow’, ‘leimōn’.
Bibliography:
Genus Limonium, n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Limonium
Limonium, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonium
McKinley B & Wright B, Limonium, statice, caspia, 2007, My Teleflora, https://www.myteleflora.com/uploadedFiles/Contents/Design_Education/Floral_Publication_Collection/Flowers-And_Article_Archive/Limonium-June%2007.pdf
Plant Profile: Limonium, 2014, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866714.htm

 

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Sugar Apple

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Sugar Apple

Sugar apples are sweet delicacies with no added sugar. Amazing, right?

  • Sugar apples are a type of fruit grown on trees that have their origins in the Americas.
  • The scientific name of the plant bearing sugar apples is Annona squamosa and it is from the family Annonaceae, the family of custard apples, however many commercial varieties are hybrids of Annona squamosa and Annona cherimola, of which the fruit is sometimes known as ‘atemoya’.
  • A ‘sugar apple’ is also known as ‘ata’, ‘aati’, ‘annon’, ‘sweetsop’, ‘pineapple sugar-apple’ – which usually refers to the hybrid ‘atemoya’, ‘sweet apple’, and ‘custard apple’, although the latter term can also refer to fruit of other species in the same genus.
  • Sugar apples are a heart, conical or roundish shape, and generally reach a diameter of 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) or more and can weigh between 100 grams and 3 kilograms (3.5 ounces to 6.6 pounds), depending on the species or variety.
  • Sugar apples are typically bumpy in appearance, and their skin is generally a dark green colour which changes to a light green, sometimes with a yellow, blue or red tinge when ripe, and, the flesh is a white or creamy colour.

Sugar Apple, Custard Apple, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Green, Cut, Fruit, Exotic, African Pride, Trivia, Vegetation

Custard Apple
Image courtesy of Hort Innovation
  • The flesh of sugar apples is quite slippery and juicy, and has a soft texture; and depending on the variety, it may have segments.
  • Sugar apples notably have a flavour comparable to custard, and are otherwise particularly sweet, and they are usually eaten raw and sometimes made into a drink with the addition of ice-cream or milk.
  • Sugar apples are popularly cultivated in a number of regions around the world, including parts of Asia and Australia, as well as other tropical or sub-tropical areas.
  • Around 20 to 40 black seeds can be found in most sugar apple varieties, which contain a toxin and thus should not be consumed.
  • Sugar apples are extremely high in vitamin C and are a good source of vitamin B6 and fibre, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Sugar Apple, 2016, Purdue Agriculture, https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sugar_apple.html
Sugar-apple, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar-apple
Australian Custard Apples, 2016, Hort Innovation, http://www.custardapple.com.au/

Hairy Portulaca

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Hairy Portulaca

The hairy portulaca’s way of growing is truly dependent on the climate.

  • A hairy portulaca is a flowering species of annual succulent plant, that originated in the Americas, though it is sometimes grown as a perennial.
  • ‘Hairy portulacas’ are also known as ‘hairy pigweeds’, ‘kiss-me-quicks’ and ‘akulikulis’, and they may also be called ‘moss roses’, although this title is also often used to refer to other species in the same genus.
  • The scientific name of a hairy portulaca is Portulaca pilosa and it is from the family Portulacaceae, the family of purslanes.
  • Hairy portulacas grow to be 5 to 20 centimetres (2 to 8 inches) in height and have a tendency to spread across the ground.
  • Hairy portulacas mostly bloom in the summer months, and the flowers range from 0.5 to 1.5 centimetres (0.2 to 0.6 inches) in diameter and are coloured pink, purple or red.

Hairy Portulaca, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Pink, Flower, Vegetation, Trivia, Garden, Bright

  • The growing habit of hairy portulacas depends on the climate, as warm and moist climates cause the plant to spread, while it tends to grow upwards in cooler and less moist climates.
  • Numerous white hairs sprout from the branches of hairy portulacas, and the hairs tend to be more plentiful on plants in habitats with less water.
  • Hairy portulacas are commonly used ornamentally, particularly to cover rocks or other surfaces like a mat, however in some parts of the world, including parts of Asia and Australia, the plant is considered a weed.
  • Historically, hairy portulaca plants have been used to treat fevers or used for pain relief in traditional medicine in Brazil.
  • Extract of the hairy portulaca plant is often used in some cosmetic products, and in particular, skin conditioning.
Bibliography:
Portulaca pilosa, 2013, Australian Portulaca, http://australianportulaca.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/portulaca-pilosa.html
Portulaca pilosa, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_pilosa
Portulaca pilosa, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Portulaca_pilosa.htm
Portulaca pilosa  L. 1753, 2010, Some Magnetic Island Plants, http://www.somemagneticislandplants.com.au/index.php/plants/841-portulaca-pilosa

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Evodia

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Evodia

Evodia provides the double whammy – both the wood and the flowers.

  • An evodia is an evergreen flowering tree that can grow to a medium size, and is native to Australia and New Guinea.
  • ‘Evodia’ is also known as ‘pink flowered doughwood’, ‘eudia’, ‘doughwood’ and ‘corkwood’.
  • The scientific name of evodias is Melicope elleryana and it is from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus.
  • Evodias reach heights of around five to six metres (16 to 20 feet) when cultivated and up to 25 metres (82 feet) in the wild.
  • The small tubular flowers of evodias grow in clusters along the branches of the tree, and are of a pink colour with long stamens.

Evodia, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Pink, Flower, Vegetation, Plant, Australia

  • Evodias bloom throughout the warmer months of December to March, and the flowers are very attractive to birds, especially lorikeets, as well as butterflies, for the nectar they produce.
  • Evodias are found in forest habitats particularly in rainforest areas, and they are often home to Ulysses butterfly larvae.
  • The trunk of evodias tends to have a layer of cork-like bark; and the trees can be used as a source of timber, and they are often grown for ornamental purposes.
  • Australian-German Ferdinand von Mueller, a botanist, was the first to scientifically classify evodias and initially named the tree Euodia elleryana in 1865.
  • After flowering, small fruits of an ovoid shape develop, that change from green to a black, brown or grey colour when ripe, that then split open to each release a small, black shiny seed, that birds also like to feed on.
Bibliography:
Melicope elleryana, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melicope_elleryana
Melicope elleryana, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Melicope_elleryana.htm
Melicope elleryana (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley, n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Melicope~elleryana
Melicope elleryana  (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley 2001, 2015, Some Magnetic Island Plants, http://www.somemagneticislandplants.com.au/index.php/blog/11-plants/898-melicope-elleryana

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Blanket Leaf

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Blanket Leaf

Blanket leaves are literally blanketed in leaves.

  • Blanket leaves are small trees or large shrubs that are native to parts of Australia’s southeast, and are found in the states of Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria.
  • The scientific name of a blanket leaf is Bedfordia arborescens and it is from the family Asteraceae, the family of daisies, and it is very similar to some other species in the Bedfordia genus.
  • Blanket leaf plants generally reach heights between 3 and 5 metres (10 to 16 feet), although they can grow up to 8 metres (26 feet) tall.
  • ‘Blanket leaves’ are also known as ‘blanket bushes’, ‘tree blanketleaves’, ‘tree blanketferns’, and ‘flannel leaves’.
  • The small flowers that bloom on a blanket leaf plant are coloured yellow and grow in clusters, while the leaves are a green colour on the top side and a white colour on the underside.

Blanket Leaf, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Plant, Green, Australia

  • Blanket leaves are found in rainforest and other forest habitats, particularly those in mountainous areas, and in Tasmania they are a vulnerable species due to environmental factors and the small proportion of suitable land available for the plant.
  • The underneath of blanket leaf leaves are typically covered with white fuzz, made up of numerous white hairs, which also occurs on new branches.
  • Blanket leaves bloom during the spring months, generally between October and January.
  • The fruit of a blanket leaf plant is very small, reaching approximately two to three millimetres (0.08 to 0.12 inches) in diameter, and the seeds are dispersed with the wind.
  • Blanket leaves grow best in partly shady areas, and in moist soil conditions, and they are able to withstand snow and frost.
Bibliography:
Bedfordia arborescens, n.d, Tasmanian Government, http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Bedfordia-arborescens-LS.pdf
Bedfordia arborescens, n.d, Welcome to Yarra Ranges, http://fe.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Trees_Vegetation/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory/Yarra_Ranges_Local_Plant_Directory/Middle_Storey/Trees_3-25m/Bedfordia_arborescens
Bedfordia arborescens, 2013, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedfordia_arborescens
Bedfordia arborescens—Blanket Leaf, Flannel Leaf, Blanket Bush—ASTERACEAE, 2012, Flora of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, http://floragreatlakes.info/html/rfspecies/bedfordiaa.html
Bedfordia arborescens Hochr., n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Bedfordia~arborescens

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Ray Water-fern

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Ray Water-fern

Ray water-ferns are just another one of those ferns…

  • Ray water-ferns are a species of fern native to Papua New Guinea, south eastern Australia, and New Zealand, as well as some parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.
  • The scientific name of a ray water-fern is Blechnum fluviatile, and it is from the family Blechnaceae, a family of ferns.
  • ‘Ray water-ferns’ are also known as ‘star ferns’, ‘creek ferns’ and, in the native New Zealand language of Māori, ‘kiwikiwi’ or ‘kiwakiwa’.
  • Ray water-ferns are small ferns that grow from a rhizome, and they are found in rainforests, or other moist habitats, often near water.
  • One of the earliest ray water-fern specimens collected was in 1841, by William Colenso, a botanist from England.

Ray Water-fern, Vegetation, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Plant, Australia, Rainforest, Fern

  • The fronds of ray water-ferns range from 20 to 60 centimetres (8 to 24 inches) in length, and the plant can be 20 to 40 centimetres (8 to 16 inches) in height, and up to one metre (3.3 feet) in diameter.
  • Ray water-ferns have leaves that are coloured a vivid to dark green, and they have brown stems that have numerous hairs and scales.
  • Rather than sitting erect, most ray water-fern fronds radiate out from a centre point and sit more parallel with the ground, creating what looks like a star or rosette.
  • Indigenous Australians have used cooked or raw ray water-fern rhizomes as a starchy food, while the Māori people from New Zealand have used the fern leaves medicinally to treat illnesses in the mouth.
  • Ray water-ferns grow best in shady or partly shady environments, and as the plant ages, they will often produce small trunks that grow at the centre of the plant.
Bibliography:
Blechnum fluviatile, 2010, Welcome to Yarra Ranges, http://fe.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Trees_Vegetation/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory/Yarra_Ranges_Local_Plant_Directory/Lower_Storey/Ferns_and_Fern_Allies/Blechnum_fluviatile
Blechnum fluviatile, 2013, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blechnum_fluviatile
Blechnum fluviatile (Kiwakiwa), 2016, T.E.R.R.A.I.N, http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/nz-ferns/star-fern.html
Blechnum fluviatile. Kiwikiwi, 2016, Maori Plant Use, http://maoriplantuse.landcareresearch.co.nz/WebForms/PeoplePlantsDetails.aspx?firstcome=firstcome&PKey=D90C2B5F-2803-48EA-ACFD-D0E90BEB144D

 

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