Tag Archives: Vegetation

Asparagus

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Asparagus

Long asparagus.

  • Asparagus are long, spear-headed, edible vegetables that are popular across the globe.
  • Asparagus can be green, white or purple in colour, and is native to west Asia, north Africa and Europe.
  • The scientific name of asparagus is ‘asparagus officinalis’, which is one of the 300 species in the asparagaceae family, although some other asparagus species are edible.
  • Asparagus are the young shoots of the perennial plant with the same name that grows from 1 to 1.5 metres (3 to 5 feet) in height.
  • Historically, asparagus was commonly eaten in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Spain and Syria.

Asparagus, Green, Long, Sticks, Multiple, Spears, Lily, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Vegetable

  • Asparagus is is 93% water and very high in vitamin K, and is high in vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, folate and iron.
  • In 2010, China was by far the biggest producer of asparagus, harvesting nearly 7 million tonnes (7.6 million tons) of the vegetable.
  • The word ‘Asparagus’ has Latin, Greek and Persian origins, originally meaning ‘shoot’ or ‘sprout’ in Persian,  and was originally termed as ‘sperage’ in English.
  • After consumption, asparagus can cause a foul smell emitted from the consumer’s urine due to the organic chemicals found in the vegetable.
  • Asparagus is served and eaten in stirfries, soup, raw in salad, grilled, and pickled, and when raw or lightly cooked, it has a crunchy texture.
Bibliography:
Asparagus, 2013, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12
Asparagus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

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Illawarra Flame Tree

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Illawarra Flame Tree

The Illawarra flame tree will not cause a fire!

  • Illawarra flame trees are big trees that grow to a typical height of 20 metres (66 feet), but can grow up to 40 metres (130 feet).
  • Illawarra flame trees are deciduous and are native to the eastern coastal areas of Australia.
  • Illawarra flame trees are from the family Malvaceae, which is the family of mallows, to which hibiscus, hollyhocks, cotton, cacao and okra all belong.
  • The scientific name of Illawarra flame trees is Brachychiton acerifolius, and they are one of the 31 species in the Brachychiton genus, which also includes bottle trees.
  • When Illawarra flame trees lose all of their leaves, the tree becomes shrouded in 1 to 2 centimetre (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long red coloured, bell shaped flowers.

illawarre flame tree, Red, Flowers, Australia, Bright, Tall, Large, Ten Random Facts

  • Illawarra flame trees gr0w 10 cm (4 inch) long, dark brown seed pods and green, maple-shaped leaves.
  • Illawarra flame tree seed pods are potentially hazardous as they contain hairs that can be inhaled, irritate on contact with skin, and in the worse-case scenario, cause blindness.
  • The yellow seeds of Illawarra flame tree seeds have been eaten by indigenous Australians, who would carefully toast the seeds.
  •  ‘Illawarra flame trees’ are also known as ‘kurrajongs’ or ‘flame trees’ and they grow best in temperatures that are warm.
  • The inner bark of Illawarra flame trees has been used to create fishing line.

 

Bibliography:
Brachychiton Acerifolius, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_acerifolius
Brachychiton Acerifolius, n.d, Royal Botanic Gardens, http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/education/Resources/bush_foods/Brachychiton_acerifolius

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Woolly Nightshade

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Woolly Nightshade

Woolly nightshades may look harmless, but they can be deadly.

  • Woolly nightshades are shrubs or small trees that generally grow up to 4 metres (33 feet) in height, however they can sometimes grow much taller than this.
  • Woolly nightshades are native to South America and can live up to 30 years.
  • Woolly nightshades have become an invasive weed where they were introduced as ornamental vegetation in New Zealand, and are also a significant problem in Australia, India, some countries of southern Africa, and many islands, particularly in the Pacific.
  • ‘Woolly nightshades’ are also known as ‘ear-leaved nightshades’, ‘flannel weeds’, ‘bugweeds’, ‘tobacco weeds’, ‘wild tobacco trees’, and ‘kerosene plants’.
  • The scientific name for woolly nightshade is Solanum mauritianum, and it comes from the Solanaceae family, which is the family of tomatoes, potatoes and nightshades.

Woolly Nightshade, green, plant, pest, weed, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Flower

  • Woolly nightshades have a hairy green stem, or trunk, with large leaves covered in very fine hairs  and smell like herbicide, especially when torn or scrunched.
  • Woolly nightshades have purple coloured flowers with yellow middles, which flower mostly in early spring, although they can flower throughout the year.
  • All parts of woolly nightshades are highly poisonous and can cause fatalities, particularly if the yellow berries are consumed, and the hairs can cause irritation to the skin.
  • Woolly nightshades can produce at least 2,000 seeds a year, which come from the yellow berries the plant produces, that are often dispersed by birds.
  • Woolly nightshades is a fast growing plant, and can be killed by cutting or uprooting the plant, and spraying with herbicide.

 

Bibliography:
Solanum mauritianum, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_mauritianum
Woolly Nightshade (Solanum mauritianum), n.d, Vegetation Specialists, http://www.vegetationspecialists.co.nz/woolly-nightshade.html

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Broccoli

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Broccoli

Don’t let the broccoli grow too high!

  • Broccoli is an edible flower head and colours rang from green to purple-green.
  • Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean region and is also known as ‘Italian asparagus’, due to the popularity of the vegetable in Italy.
  • Broccoli is from the family Brassicaceae, which is the family of cabbages, and its scientific name is Brassica oleracea italica.
  • Broccoli is often cooked, steamed or boiled, but can be eaten raw, with leaves of the plant sometimes included.
  • ‘Broccoli’ is named after the plural of ‘broccolo’, an Italian word, meaning the flower head of a cabbage, which comes from ‘brocco’ meaning ‘branch’ or ‘shoot’.

Broccoli, Green, Stalk, Woolworths, Vegetable, Ten Random Facts, Single, Australia

  • Broccoli is very high in vitamin C and vitamin K, and has significant cancer preventing and DNA cell repairing properties.
  • Broccoli likes growing in cool weather, being at best supply during winter and preferring temperatures from 18 to 23°C (64 to 73°F) during the day.
  • There are three types of broccoli typically grown, and the most common type, Calabrese, has large heads that are 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) in diameter.
  • In 2008, China produced over two fifths of the total world production of 19,000,000 tonnes (21,000,000 tons).
  • Bitter, yellow flower heads grow from broccoli, so they are best stored in temperatures less than 2°C (35.6°F) to prevent their onset.

 

Bibliography:
Broccoli, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/broccoli/broccoli.html
Broccoli, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli

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Delphinium

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Delphinium

The tall, tall delphiniums.

  • There are over 400 species of Delphiniums, which is a group of tall, perennial flowering plants.
  • Delphiniums are native to the North Hemisphere, and the mountainous African tropics.
  • Delphiniums are from the Rananculaceae family, which is the family of buttercups, and are a popular garden plant due to their height in the garden and their showy flowers.
  • ‘Delphiniums’ are also known as ‘larkspurs’, however, the name ‘larkspur, usually refers to plants in the Consolida genus which is closely related and are annuals, rather than perennials.
  • The name ‘delphinium’ is from the word meaning ‘dolphin’ in Latin, which originally came from the Greek , named due to the plant’s bud and spur that resembles the shape of a dolphin.

Delphinium, Flowers, white, Blue, Garden, mutliple, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The flowers of delphiniums, grow on tall spikes and range from purple, pink, red, yellow, and white in colour.
  • Delphiniums have small, black coloured seeds.
  • Most delphinium plants and seeds are poisonous to humans as well as to cattle, and ingestion can be fatal, and the plant can also cause irritation to the skin, although the plant has been used in medicine.
  • Delphiniums typically grow up to 2.1 metres (7 feet) in height, athough this depends on the species.
  • Historically, parts of delphinium plants have been used to create blue dyes and inks.
Bibliography:
Delphinium, 2013, National Garden Association, <http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2046>
Delphinium, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphinium>

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Mustard

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Mustard

Pass the mustard, please!

  • Mustard is a type of spice and can be in the form of a paste, a sauce, a seed and a ground spice and is often added as a flavouring addition to poultry, wholemeal breads, meats, salads or other mixtures such as dressings.
  • Mustard comes from the seeds of  native European and Asian mustard plant’s from the Brassicaceae family, the family of mustards.
  • Mustard seeds can be coloured from white to yellow to black, and this gives mustard condiments their colour and also their heat, with white seeds being the mildest, and brown and black seeds being the hottest.
  • Mustard paste is made by grinding or cracking the seeds, adding a liquid and sometimes flavours.
  • Romans made a type of mustard by grinding the seeds and then adding grape juice or other liquids, and a recipe using the spice has been found in a Roman cookbook dating back to 300-400 AD .

Mustard, Yellow, Seeds, Mixture Powder, Yellow, Brown, Blobs, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Mustard is very high in selenium, and significantly high in fibre, omega 3 and manganese, phosphorous, iron, calcium and magnesium and is good for the digestive system, although some people are allergic to mustard.
  • Romans probably brought mustard to Gaul in the 900s, which then became popular in Europe, and by the 1200s, Paris was making the mustard paste.
  • ‘Mustard’ is from the words ‘mostarde’ and ‘mustarde’, from Old-French and Anglo-Norman respectively, which is a combination of the Latin words ‘mustum ardens‘ which means ‘burning’ or ‘hot’ ‘must’ (as in wine grape juice).
  • The type of mustard sauce used on hot dogs is called ‘yellow’ or ‘American’, due to its vivid yellow colour and popularity in America, and it sometimes has honey added.
  • Mustard was originally used for medicinal purposes, which included the treatment of tooth aches and scorpion stings.
Bibliography:
Mustard (Condiment), 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_(condiment)>
Mustard Seeds, 2013, The World’s Healthiest Foods, <http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=106>

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