Tag Archives: Vegetation

Corpse Flower

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Corpse Flower

You get more than you bargained for with the corpse flower.

  • Corpse flowers are large flowering plants native to the Sumatra rainforests of Indonesia, in Asia, and they may also be found in nearby areas.
  • The scientific name of a corpse flower is Rafflesia arnoldii and it is from the family Rafflesiaceae, a family of parasitic plants.
  • Corpse flowers have five large petals that can grow to be up to 1.05 metres (3.4 feet) in length and they are the largest known extant flower recorded.
  • The flower colour of corpse flowers ranges from red, oranges and browns, and is spotted with white.
  • Corpse flowers excrete an odour compared to that of a dead corpse, which serves as an attraction for flies to pollinate the plant.
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Corpse Flower
Image courtesy of Tamara Van Molken/Flickr
  • The buds of corpse flowers reach a length of approximately 0.3 metres (1 foot) and have an appearance similar to a cabbage.
  • There was a race between the French and the British to publish a scientific name for the genus of the corpse flower, as both countries obtained specimens at various times, however it was the British who named the genus in 1820, and in 1821 they named this particular species.
  • Tree shrews eat the fruit produced by corpse flowers, that contain numerous small seeds, which the shrews help to disperse.
  • Corpse flower plants do not have leaves or roots, and instead, they feed from a vine host plant as a parasite, and remain hidden until ready to bloom.
  • Corpse flowers will only bloom when ready for pollination, a period that may last for only a couple of days, though it can take months for the buds to mature and open.
Bibliography:
Rafflesia Arnoldii (Corpse Flower), n.d, KEW Royal Botanic Gardens, http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/rafflesia-arnoldii-corpse-flower
Rafflesia Arnoldii, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia_arnoldii
World’s Largest Flower, Raffelsia Arnoldii, 2013, Facts List, http://factslist.net/2013/04/worlds-largest-flower-rafflesia-arnoldii/

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Langsat

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Langsat

Langsats are just one of those many exotic fruits from Southeast Asia.

  • Langsat is the edible fruit of a tree that originates from countries of Southeast Asia, and it is commonly eaten raw, but can also be cooked.
  • The scientific name of the tree bearing langsats is Lansium parasiticum, also known as Lansium domesticum, and it is from the family Meliaceae, the family of mahogany.
  • ‘Langsat’ fruit is also known as ‘lanzone’, ‘lansone’, ‘langsak’, ‘longkong’, ‘duku’, and other names, depending on the country and language.
  • The langsat tree typically grows to a height of 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 feet), and the trees may bear fruit twice a year, depending on the climate.
  • Langsat fruit are usually around 2 to 5 centimetres (0.8 to 2 inches) in length and ovoid or spherical in shape, and they grown in bunches of two to thirty.
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Langsat
Image courtesy of Yun Huang Yong/Flickr
  • The flavour of langsats is sweet to sour, and is often compared to a blend of grape and grapefruit.
  • The flesh of langsats is a translucent white colour, while the skin is a yellow or brown colour and can either be thick or thin, depending on the variety, and is usually peeled off before eating.
  • Each individual langsat contains five or six segments, and one to three seeds that expel a taste of bitterness once eaten.
  • Langsats are high in vitamin B, phosphorus and vitamin A, and they contain other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
  • When ripe, langsats can drop from their host tree with ease, even with just a few shakes, and once picked, they are best stored in cool conditions, or eaten soon after ripening.
Bibliography:
Health Benefits of Langsat Fruit, 2015, Medindia, http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/top-9-health-benefits-of-langsat-fruit.htm
Langsat and Duku, 1982, The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia, http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/LangsatDuku/LangsatDuku5-82.htm
Lansium Parasiticum, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansium_parasiticum
Morton J, Langsat, 1987, Purdue Agriculture, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/langsat.html
Nelson B, 15 Fruits You’ve Probably Never Heard Of, 2010, Mother Nature Network, http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/photos/15-fruits-youve-probably-never-heard-of/langsat

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Giant Kelp

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Giant Kelp

Don’t mistake undersized kelp for young giant kelp.

  • Giant kelp is a species of large seaweed, native to the waters of the eastern Pacific, as well as southern South America, South Africa and Australia.
  • ‘Giant kelp’ is also known as ‘giant bladder kelp’ and ‘string kelp’, and the plant has large leafy blades that grow on long stems known as ‘stipes’, and to assist the plant to float or stay upright in the water, there is a ‘pneumatocyst’ (a bladder filled with gas) at the bottom of each blade.
  • The scientific name of giant kelp is Macrocystis pyrifera and it is from the family Laminariaceae, the family of brown algal seaweed.
  • Giant kelp can grow up to 40 to 65 metres (44 to 71 yards) in height, and as such, is the earth’s largest ocean plant.
  • With a potential growth rate of up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) daily, giant kelp is among the fastest growing wildlife known.
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Giant Kelp
Image courtesy of NOAA Photo Library/Flickr
  • Young giant kelp grow from the trillions of spores released from the reproductive blades near the bottom of the mature kelp plant, and the young kelp will latch onto a sturdy base, such as a rock, using a root-like system, known as a ‘holdfast’.
  • Giant kelp is common among ecosystems in providing shelter for numerous aquatic life in the form of kelp beds and forests.
  • Giant kelp can be eaten by humans, and contains a high potassium and iodine content, and the plant has historically been used to create potash, while in modern times it is used as a fertiliser; commonly as an emulsifier; and for chemical purposes in various industries.
  • Typically, giant kelp is found at depths of 5 to 20 metres with a water temperature of 6°C to 20°C (43°F to 68°F).
  • Giant kelp is a perennial seaweed, however the blades, or ‘fronds’ as they are also known, last only for a few months or up to a year, after which they die, although the plant continues to grow new ones.
Bibliography:
Bushing W, Giant Bladder Kelp, n.d, Star Thrower, http://www.starthrower.org/research/kelpmisc/kelp_mp.htm
Edyvane K, Conservation, Monitoring & Recovery of Threatened Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) Beds in Tasmania – Final Report, 2003, Australian Government Department of Environment, https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/f250cead-de41-4b9d-9a52-91d5cb66f6b1/files/co01kelp.pdf
Macrocystis Pyrifera, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocystis_pyrifera

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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

Kalanchoe blossfeldina is a toxin in disguise.

  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a species of succulent plant that is perennial and also evergreen.
  • ‘Kalanchoe blossfeldiana’ is also known as ‘florist kalanchoe’, ‘kalanchoe’, ‘Christmas kalanchoe’, ‘flaming Katy’ and ‘Madagascar widow’s-thrill’.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is known as the scientific name of the plant, which is from the family Crassulaceae, the family of stonecrops.
  • The height of kalanchoe blossfeldiana generally reaches around 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) although smaller varieties are available.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is native to the plateaus of Madagascar, Africa, and the plant is slow growing.

Kalanchoe Blossfeldina, Vegetation, Flower, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Pink

  • The flowers of Kalanchoe blossfeldina have four petals, though they can have more if they are a double variety, and they bloom numerously in clusters for long periods during autumn and winter months.
  • The colours of Kalanchoe blossfeldina flowers ranges from yellow, red, orange, purple, pink and white.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is commonly used for ornamental purposes, particularly as a pot plant or in gardens.
  • The best growing conditions for kalanchoe blossfeldina is full sun and warm climates, while the plant needs significant exposure to light to thrive.
  • On consumption, Kalanchoe blossfeldina is toxic, particularly to animals, and the flower contains the highest concentration of toxins.
Bibliography:
Care of the Kalanchoe Plant, 2005, Al Krismers Plant Farm, http://www.krismers.com/Kalanchoe_care.pdf
The Flaming Katy, 2015, Our House Plants, http://www.ourhouseplants.com/plants/flaming-katy
Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalanchoe_blossfeldiana
Smith G, Toxicology Brief: Kalanchoe species poisoning in pets, 2004, dvm360, http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/toxicology-brief-kalanchoe-species-poisoning-pets?rel=canonical

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Broadleaf Stonecrop

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Broadleaf Stonecrop

Broadleaf stonecrops certainly hide stones when growing among them.

  • A broadleaf stonecrop is a variety of a small, perennial and evergreen plant, and is classified as a succulent.
  • Broadleaf stonecrops are native to the rocky sections of mountainous regions in western parts of North America.
  • The scientific name of a broadleaf stonecrop is Sedum spathulifolium and it is from the family Crassulaceae, the family of stonecrops.
  • ‘Broadleaf stonecrops’ are also known as ‘Pacific stonecrops’,  ‘Purdy’s stonecrops’, ‘Yosemite stonecrops’, ‘spoon-leaved stonecrops’, and ‘blood leaf sedums’.
  • A variety of broadleaf stonecrop, the Cape Blanco, has received the Award of Garden Merit from the United Kingdom’s Royal Horticultural Society for its decorative nature, while the species in general is commonly grown as a ground cover.

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  • The leaves of broadleaf stonecrop plants are thick, powdery or waxy on touch, and range from green, to pink and red in colour, and they are roughly 1 to 2 centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches) in length.
  • The small broadleaf stonecrop flowers are star-like in shape, and are of a yellow colour, and they bloom throughout the summer months.
  • Broadleaf stonecrop plants grow roughly 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) in height, and they spread up to 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter.
  • A wide variety of soils can be used to grow broadleaf stonecrops, and the plant thrives best in full sun and is drought tolerant.
  • The leaves of broadleaf stonecrops can be eaten both cooked and raw in small quantities, best picked before the plant blooms, while the plant has been used for a number of medicinal purposes.
Bibliography:
Pacific Stonecrop, Broadleaf Stonecrop ‘Cape Blanco’, 2015, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/37066/#b
Sedum spathulifolium – Hook., Plant For A Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Sedum+spathulifolium
Sedum Spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/sedum-spathulifolium-cape-blanco.html
Sedum Spathulifolium, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum_spathulifolium

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Ixora

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Ixora

You will be able to notice an Ixora in even the darkest parts of a jungle.

  • Ixora is a group of shrubs and trees that are evergreen and produce flowers, and are mostly native to tropical parts of Asia.
  • The name ‘Ixora’ is a genus name, and it is from the family Rubiaceae, the family of madder and coffee, while commonly grown species in the genus include Ixora coccinea and Ixora chinensis.
  • ‘Ixora’ is the common name of a number of species from the genus with the same name, and they are also known as ‘flame-of-the-woods’, ‘jungle flames’, ‘West Indian jasmine’, and ‘jungle geraniums’.
  • The height of Ixora plants grow from 0.6 to 3.6 metres (2 to 12 feet), depending on the species, and they typically have glossy, mid to dark green leaves.
  • The flowers of Ixora have a tube-like appearance with four petals, and grow in groups of up to 60 in a cluster; and after flowering, the plant often produces red, to dark purple or black berries.

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  • Ixora flowers commonly bloom throughout the year in tropical areas, and they come in an assortment of colours including a range of white, pink, yellow, orange, and red shades.
  • There are more than 500 species of Ixora, and numerous varieties, and some species have been used as part of traditional medicine, while others have a tendency to have invasive roots.
  • Ixoras grow best in well-drained acidic soil, located in full sun, and if they are grown too close to concrete, the soil can become too alkaline, causing the leaves to turn yellow.
  • Ixora will fail to flower on the occasion that light levels are insufficient, and the plants prefer warm temperatures.
  • Ixora are commonly used for ornamental purposes, including bonsai and hedges, or individual specimens in the garden.
Bibliography:
Ixora, 2011, Panpit Garden Center, http://www.panpitgardencenter.com/other/ixora.html
Ixora Coccinea, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixora_coccinea
Ikora Facts and Growing Tips, 2015, Hub Pages, http://hubpages.com/living/Ixora-Facts-and-Growing-Tips

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