Tag Archives: Vegetation

Ground Morning Glory

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Ground Morning Glory

Wake up to the ‘ground morning glory’ early in the morning.

  • Ground morning glories are plants that are native to North Africa and Europe’s Italy and Spain.
  • A ground morning glory has the scientific name Convolvulus sabatius, and it is from the family Convolvulaceae, the family of morning glories.
  • ‘Ground morning glory’ plants are also called ‘Blue rock bindweeds’ and ‘Mauritian bindweeds, and they are also known by the scientific name ‘Convolvulus mauritanicus’.
  • Typically, ground morning glory plants grow to heights of around 15 to 20 centimetres (6 to 8 inches) and spread to a diameter of up to 100 cm (40 inches).
  • Ground morning glories are hardy perennial plants that have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

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  • The flowers of ground morning glory plants are blue or purple in colour, that are like a saucer in shape, and are approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter.
  • The blooming season of ground morning glory flowers ranges from summer to autumn, and they sometimes flower in spring.
  • The best position for growing ground morning glory plants is full sun and they usually thrive in free-draining soils.
  • Ground morning glories are typically used for ornamental purposes in pots, hanging baskets or gardens, as a ground cover or trailing plant.
  • Ground morning glory plants have small green leaves, and the plants can be grown from seeds or cuttings.
Bibliography:
Convolvulus sabatius, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus_sabatius
Convolvulus sabatius, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/convolvulus-sabatius.html
Convolvulus sabatius, 2015, Renaissance Herbs, http://www.renaissanceherbs.com.au/romantic-cottage/convolvulus-sabatius

 

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Lamb’s Ear

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Lamb’s Ear

Lamb’s ears are a bit more on the vegetarian side.

  • Lamb’s ears are primarily perennial evergreen plants native to Turkey, Iran and Armenia in Europe.
  • The scientific name of a lamb’s ear plant is Stachys byzantina, from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint, and the plant is also known as ‘lamb’s tongue’ and ‘woolly woundwort’.
  • The leaves of lamb’s ears have a soft velvety texture and are shaped like the ear of a lamb, hence the common name, and they are a silver grey-green colour, and when the leaves are young, they tend to be more green in colour.
  • Flowers of lamb’s ears bloom during spring and summer on long stems that sit above the plant, and the small flowers range from a pink to purple colour.
  • Lamb’s ears typically grow to be 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) tall, and the flower spikes add another 10 to 22 centimetres (4 to 8.7 inches) to the height of the plant.

Lamb's Ear, Plant, Vegetation, Green, Red, Ten Random Facts, Fuzzy, Group, Australia

  • Lamb’s ears are often used to decorate gardens and recreational areas, and they commonly attract children due to their soft furry texture.
  • The most successful conditions for growing lamb’s ears involve full sun and locations that do not pool water, although they do endure other situations relatively well.
  • Lamb’s ear plants benefit from being divided and it is a good way to obtain more plants, and they can also be grown from seed.
  • Excessive quantities of water and high humidity levels can cause lamb’s ears to become diseased or rot, and they do have the habit of spreading, especially in ideal growing conditions.
  • Lamb’s ear plants have been used as an alternative to toilet paper and medicinally to treat wounds and the like, due to their antiseptic and other medicinal properties, and the leaves are also edible and can be made into a tea.
Bibliography:
Lamb’s Ears, 2014, Plant Care Guides, http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=3370
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Gardening Help, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=p980
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/stachys-byzantina.html
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachys_byzantina

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Sundarbans

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Sundarbans

Large forests like Sundarbans are perfect places to hide.

  • Sundarbans, in Asia, is the world’s biggest connected mangrove forest, and 40% of the forest is in India, while the other 60% can be found in Bangladesh.
  • The area of Sundarbans sits in the Bay of Bengal and covers 10,000 square kilometres (3900 square kilometres).
  • Four parts of Sundarbans are individually protected, as a National Park in India, and as a South, East and West Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh, and the area as a whole, has been reserved since 1878.
  • When translated from the Bengali term ‘Shundorbôn’, ‘Sundarbans’ has the meaning ‘beautiful forest’.
  • Civilisations have lived among the Sundarbans since the third century, and the area was also a common hideout for criminals.
Sundarbans
Part of the Sundarbans
Image courtesy of Marufish/Flickr
  • Sundarbans is the home to hundreds of waterways that connect to nearly every part of the forest, allowing the vast majority of areas to be accessible by water transport.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared part of the Sundarbans as a World Heritage Site in 1997, and the area contains numerous threatened or endangered species.
  • Sundarbans is the home to almost 50 species of mammals, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, nearly 60 reptile species, over 300 species of birds and more than 300 plant species.
  • Up to 50 people suffer fatalities from tiger attacks in Sundarbans annually, although there has been active measures to reduce this number, including releasing livestock into the area, to provide an alternative meal for the tigers.
  • In late 2014, an oil-liner sunk in the Sundarbans area, spilling 358,000 litres (95,000 gallons) of oil, and the spill further threatened already threatened species in the area.
Bibliography:
The Sundarbans, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/798
Sundarbans, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans

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Ribwort Plantain

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Ribwort Plantain

Ribwort plantains have a barren look.

  • Ribwort plantain is a plant native to Asia, Europe and North Africa, and depending on the location and growing conditions, it will grow as a perennial, biennial or annual.
  • ‘Ribwort plantains’ are also known as ‘narrowleaf plantains’, ‘English plantains’, ‘buckhorn plaintains’, ‘lamb’s tongues’, ‘rib grass’ and ‘ribleaves’.
  • The scientific name of a ribwort plantain is Plantago lanceolata, and it is from the family Plantaginaceae, the family of plantains.
  • Ribwort plantain leaves grown in a rosette formation, and the underside of the long green leaves always feature five obvious veins.
  • Ribwort plantains typically grow to be approximately 50 centimetres (20 inches) in height, and they have tall flower spikes, with heads that are surrounded by numerous tiny white petals.

Ribwort Plantain, Vegetation, Weed, Australia, Clump, Grass,, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts

  • The bitter leaves of ribwort plantains are edible and can be eaten cooked or raw, while the seeds can be cooked whole or ground like flour.
  • Ribwort plantains are easily grown from seed in low quality soil, with a preference for full sunlight, and as a result, the plants are increasingly used in pastures for livestock fodder.
  • Ribwort plantain plants have been used medicinally for a variety of purposes, including the slowing or stopping of bleeding, and treating  inflammation, and they can be used to hasten skin healing.
  • Countries such as Australia, has seen ribwort plantains introduced, and this has resulted in them being an invasive weed in some areas.
  • Ribwort plantain plants are useful for textile purposes, as they can be made into dye; the fibres from the leaves can be used; and the seeds can be treated to stiffen fabric.
Bibliography:
Environmental Weed Profiles, 2011, Trees For Life, https://www.treesforlife.org.au/sites/default/files/Ribwort%20Plantain_Weed%20Profile.pdf
Plantago lanceolata – L., 2012, Plants For A Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Plantago+lanceolata
Plantago lanceolata, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au:8080/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Plantago_lanceolata.htm

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Amazon Basin

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Amazon Basin

Take in the beauty of the Amazon Basin.

  • The tropical Amazon Basin includes the Amazon River and surrounding areas, in South America, and it drains large volumes of water into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Approximately two fifths of South America is covered by the Amazon Basin, which equals an area of around 6.9 million square kilometres (2.67 million square miles).
  • The Amazon Basin is the largest of its type on earth, and includes the world’s greatest rainforest, the Amazon rainforest, which covers a majority of the basin.
  • The Amazon Basin contains numerous rivers and tributaries, numbering into the thousands, and the collective flow of water from these sources, into the ocean, is approximately a sixth of the world’s total.
  • The Amazon Basin is said to be the home to over 1500 species of birds, 14,000 mammal species, 2,200 species of fish, 1000 amphibian species, many reptiles, and thousands of insect species.
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Part of the Amazon Basin
Image courtesy of Olga Stavrakis/Flickr
  • The Amazon Basin area houses millions of people, including significant populations of indigenous Americans, with the majority settled around the rivers.
  • Typically, the Amazon Basin has a wet and hot atmosphere; floods are common; and while cold temperatures are not, they do suddenly occur and can be damaging to the flora and fauna.
  • Parts of the Amazon Basin have been cleared for agricultural or mining purposes, notably for soybeans, cattle and gold; and the deforestation has caused extinction of many species.
  • Portuguese and Spanish are the most spoken languages of the Amazon Basin area, while hundreds of indigenous and nearly lost languages are evident.
  • The peak, Yerupajá, in Peru’s Waywash mountain range, is the Amazon Basin’s tallest watershed point, reaching 6,635 metres (21,768 feet) in height.
Bibliography:
Amazon Basin, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_basin
Amazon Basin – Brazil, 2015, World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0168
Amazon Basin Facts, n.d, Meet Our Animals, http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/amazonia/facts/basinfacts.cfm

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Bay Leaf

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Bayleaf, Leaf, Culinary, Bay, Ten Random Facts, Flavour, Dried, Plant

Make tea with style, using a bay leaf, or two.

  • A bay leaf is vegetation that is typically used for culinary purposes, as a flavouring, and the leaves can be derived from a variety of plants.
  • Bay leaves come from plants of the families Lauraceae and Myrtaceae, the family of true laurels and myrtles respectively, while the most commonly available leaves are from the bay laurel tree with the scientific name Laurus nobilis.
  • Bay leaves are typically light in weight, and range from green to a light brown in colour; and they can be used fresh or dried, and are commonly available in a dried form in supermarkets.
  • Ancient Greeks used bay leaves to flavour foods, and they have also been used in Mediterranean, American and some Asian cuisines.
  • The bay leaf has a flavour from sharp to bitter, and if used fresh, the flavour will be mild, while the dried leaf emits an aroma similar to herbs.

Bayleaf, Leaf, Culinary, Bay, Ten Random Facts, Flavour, Dried, Plant

  • Whole, crumbled or ground bay leaves can be used in cooking, while the latter two methods unleash more flavour, however crushed or whole bay leaves are usually removed from the food before serving, as consuming them can be unpleasant and a hazard.
  • The aroma from a bay leaf can ward off insects, especially pantry moths, and they can also inhibit mould; while a special oil can be derived from the leaves, which can be sold as essential oil.
  • Caution should be taken when obtaining bay leaves, as similar looking leaves can be toxic to humans if they are accidentally used instead.
  • Food that can be flavoured with bay leaves includes soup, meat dishes, breads, cream, seafood, vegetables, rice, and condiments; and the leaves are one of the main ingredients in the bundle of herbs called ‘bouquet garnis’.
  • Bay leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6 and manganese and the leaves can be used to make a tea drink.
Bibliography:
Bay Leaf Nutrition Facts, 2015, Nutrition And You, http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/bay-leaf.html
Bay Leaf, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf

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