Tag Archives: Vegetation

Pomegranate

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Pomegranate

“Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.” Song of Solomon 4:3

  • Pomegranates are fruit that grow on small trees or shrubs that reach approximately 5 to 8 metres (16 to 26 feet) in height, and are native to the Middle East’s Iran.
  • Pomegranates have the scientific name Punica granatum, that are from the family Lythraceae, the family of flowering herbs, although they were originally classified as part of the Punicaceae family.
  • Pomegranates are large, red coloured, roughly spherical berries with diameters of around 5 to 12 centimetres (1.9 to 4.7 inches).
  • Pomegranates contain white membranes and edible red arils (commonly called seeds), that contain a sweet to sour juicy flesh and a seed; with approximately 200 to 1400 seeds in a single berry.
  • ‘Pomegranate’ comes from the words ‘pōmum grānātum’ in Medieval Latin, that mean ‘apple with many seeds’.

Pomegranate, Red, Open, Plant, Two, Arils, Ten Random Facts, Fruit

  • Pomegranate arils are easily accessed by scoring the fruit with a knife, breaking it open, and banging the fruit or placing the fruit in water, where the arils will separate from the membranes.
  • Pomegranates can be eaten raw, and are used in Middle Eastern cuisine as well as Greek dishes, and are made into beverages including alcohol or juice, or used as a flavouring.
  • Pomegranates are sometimes recognised as a symbol of fertility, prosperity and ambition, or in Greek mythology, death.
  • Pomegranates have been used in traditional medicine to treat digestive problems, as well as internal parasites.
  • Pomegranates are very high in vitamin K, vitamin C and fibre, and are high in folate, potassium, copper and manganese.
Bibliography:
The Fruit, 2008, Pomegranates 101, http://www.pomegranates.tv/information.html
Pomegranate, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate

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Maidenhair Fern

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Maidenhair Fern

Keep up the water to your maidenhair ferns.

  • Maidenhair ferns are a group of ferns of which there are approximately 200 species.
  • Maidenhair ferns are from the family Pteridaceae, the family of ferns, and has the scientific name Adiantum.
  • Maidenhair ferns have soft textures and lacy appearances, although textures and appearance vary among the species.
  • Maidenhair ferns are generally green in colour with black or brown leaf stems, although the colours of the leaves can be variegated.
  • Maidenhair ferns are deciduous, grow from rhizomes, and reach up to 1 metre (3 feet) in height.

Maidenhair Fern, Green, Plant, Vegetation, Genus, Adiantum, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Maidenhair ferns are typically used as an ornamental plant, both indoors and outdoors, and are often grown in pots, terrariums and hanging baskets.
  • Maidenhair ferns prefer a shady position in the garden, and if kept inside, then need to be grown in a well lit area.
  • ‘Adiantum’, the scientific name of maidenhair ferns, is from the Greek word ‘adiantos’, meaning ‘unwettable’, referring to the foliage of the plant that repels water.
  • Maidenhair ferns dry out quickly if not watered, but can be resurrected by cutting off dead branches and keeping the soil moist, and are not technically dead until green growth has not been seen for 18 months.
  • Maidenhair ferns are native to all continents except Antarctica, and grow best in moist habitats, particularly among rocks or near water features.
Bibliography:
Adiantum, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiantum
Maidenhair Fern, 2006, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Indoor-and-Potted-Plant/Maidenhair-Fern/2156

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Cyclamen

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Cyclamen

Cyclamen… a hardy but beautiful plant.

  • Cyclamens are flowering perennial plants, that grow from tubers and are also called ‘sowbread’, as the tubers have been commonly eaten by wild pigs.
  • Cyclamens are native to parts of Europe, north Africa and west Asia.
  • Cyclamens were originally considered to belong to the family Primulaceae, the family of primroses, but are now considered to be part of the family Myrsinaceae, the family of myrsine.
  • Cyclamens develop flowers with five petals that point upwards, in various shades of white, red, pink or purple colours.
  • There are approximately 20 species of cyclamens, and they have different flowering seasons, depending on the species.

Cyclamen, Red, Green, Flower, Plant, Large, Fence, Decorative, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Cyclamens can be found in woody or rocky areas, and are generally hardy plants, although some species do not cope with frost.
  • Cyclamens prefer shady conditions and are popularly used as a decorative house or garden plant, and are often grown in pots.
  • Cyclamen leaves are are often heart shaped, and typically green with sometimes a red coloured underside, and the leaves usually have a distinctive pattern in a lighter colour.
  • Cyclamens grow to be 15 to 25 centimetres (6 to 10 inches) in height and the flowers usually sit above the leaves of the plant on thin stems.
  • Some cyclamens go dormant in summer and appear to be dead, however, they will generally re-sprout leaves in autumn.
Bibliography:
Cyclamen, 2014, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Flowering-Plants-and-Shrubs/Cyclamen/1296
Cyclamen, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen
Perry L, Considering Cyclamen, n.d., University of Vermont Extension, http://perrysperennials.info/articles/cyclamen.html

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Oregano

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Oregano

Oregano can flavour your food or restore your health.

  • Oregano is a herb, or the leaves, of a typically perennial plant that grows to be 20 to 80 centimetres (8 to 31.5 inches) in height.
  • Oregano has the scientific name of Origanum vulgare and is from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint, that also includes many other common herbs.
  • ‘Oregano’ is also known as ‘wild marjoram’, although is not true marjoram, and it is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.
  • Oregano is typically used as a fresh or dried herb, although its flavour can be quite overpowering when used fresh, so it is recommended that it be removed from the food after cooking, or use dried oregano instead.
  • Oregano has a fragrant flavour of warmness and slight bitterness.

Oregano, Herb, Dried, leaves, lots, pile, black, Ten Random Facts, Food

  • Due to World War II, oregano became more popular in the United States, due to the soldiers returning, having experienced the flavour in Italy.
  • Oregano is typically eaten as a seasoning on meat, vegetables, pizza and other dishes, or included in sauces, tea or oils.
  • Oregano is a great source of vitamin K, a good source of iron, fibre, manganese and calcium, and very high in antioxidants.
  • Oregano is a leafy herb, and is green when used fresh, and when dried, the leaves are crushed and are a brown-green colour.
  • Oregano can be used to treat respiratory, nervous and digestive problems, often in the form of ointment or tea, and was historically used as an antiseptic.

 

Bibliography:
Oregano, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=73
Oregano, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregano

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Malabar Spinach

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Malabar Spinach

Malabar spinach is not spinach at all.

  • Malabar spinach is eaten like a leafy vegetable, and is a perennial vine, although it is often grown as an annual in cooler climates as frost affects the plant.
  • ‘Malabar spinach’ is also known as ‘creeping spinach’,  ‘climbing spinach’, ‘Indian spinach’, ‘Chinese spinach’, ‘vine spinach’, ‘Vietnamese spinach’ and ‘Ceylon spinach’.
  • Malabar spinach has the scientific name of Basella alba, a white flowering, green stem variety, or Basella rubra, a plant that has red stems.
  • Malabar spinach is from the family Basellaceae, the family of some flowering plants including a number of other vines, with edible leaves and roots.
  • In a tropical environment, a Malabar spinach vine can grow up to a height of 10 metres (33 feet).

Malabar Spinach, Green, Glossy, Plant, Compost, Leaf, Vegetable, Food, Ten Random Facts

  • Malabar spinach has thick, green glossy leaves that can grow quite large, and berries that contain a red liquid that can be used as dye.
  • Malabar spinach leaves are commonly used in Asian cuisine, either cooked or raw, and they are said to have pepper and citrus flavours when raw, as well as being high in iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre and other vitamins and minerals.
  • Malabar spinach, although named ‘spinach’, is not from the spinach family at all, although it tends to resemble spinach when it is cooked.
  • Malabar spinach is a great thickener for soup and other dishes, due to the mucilage (glutinous carbohydrate) content in the plant, that tends to cause the leaves to become slimy if they are cooked for more than a short time.
  • Malabar spinach grows best in a sunny area and warm climate, and is a great summer vegetable.
Bibliography:
Basella Alba, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba
Malabar Spinach, 2013, Survival Food Plants, http://www.survivalfoodplants.com/malabar-indian-spinach-basella-alba/
Stunning (Malabar) Spinach, 2013, A Farm of Your Home, http://www.afarmofyourhome.com/stunning-malabar-spinach/

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Camphor Laurel

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Camphor Laurel

Sit under the shade of a camphor laurel tree.

  • Camphor laurels are large shade trees that are evergreen and are typically used in parkland areas and gardens as an ornamental tree.
  • ‘Camphor laurels’ are also known as ‘camphor trees’ and ‘camphorwood’.
  • The scientific name of a camphor laurel tree is Cinnamomum camphora, from the family Lauraceae, the family of laurels.
  • Camphor laurels grow to be 20 to 30 metres (65 to 100 feet) in height and can live for hundreds of years.
  • Camphor laurel leaves are typically green and glossy, and if they are crushed they give off a camphor scent.

camphor laurel, tree, water, Brisbane, vegetation, large, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • In spring, camphor laurel trees have tiny flowers that are generally white in colour, that develop into small green berries that turn black when ripe, that contain a seed.
  • Camphor laurels are a significantly invasive species in Australia’s Queensland and New South Wales and in the United State’s Florida, as well as a weed in other states of the United States, and they are commonly spread by birds and animals that eat the berries and expel the seeds.
  • Camphor laurel trees produce camphor, that is extracted from the wood, which are chemical crystals that have a waxy texture and are used as a moth repellent, as well as for medicinal and culinary purposes.
  • Camphor laurels have a tendency to have a spreading and invasive root system that can disturb buildings and underground water and waste services.
  • Camphor laurels are native to south-east Asia, including China, Japan, Borneo, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea and prefer hot, damp conditions.
Bibliography:
Cinnamomum camphora, 2009, Metropolitan Tree Growers, http://www.metrotrees.com.au/treehandbook/page-listings/cinnamomum-camphora.html
Cinnamomum camphora, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_camphora
D Firth, Camphor laurel, 2009, NSW Government: Department of Primary Industries, http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/camphor-laurel

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