Tag Archives: Vegetation

Moses-in-the-Cradle

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Moses-in-the-Cradle

It’s actually a flowering plant.

  • Moses-in-the-cradle is a plant from the family Commelinaceae, which is the family of day flowers, wandering jew and spiderworts.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle is a perennial clumping plant native to southern Mexico, and Central America, and grows to approximately 30 cm (11.8 inches).
  • Moses-in-the-cradle’s scientific name was originally Rhoeo discolour, then Rhoeo spathacea and it is now Tradescantia spathacea.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle’s scientific name is named after John Tradescant senior and junior who were plant importers and collectors in the 16th and 17th centuries.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle is also known by many other names, including ‘boat lily’; ‘cradle lily’, ‘oyster plant’ and other variations of ‘Moses-in-the-cradle’.

 Moses-in-a-Cradle, Plant, Green, Purple, white, Background, brick, stone, three, flowerless

  • Moses-in-the-cradle plants have attractive dark green leaves, with a purple underside, and are generally grown for their foliage.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle plants can be easily grown from cuttings, seeds or discarded or damaged plants, and are very hardy, although they don’t like frost.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle plants can self pollinate, and they develop small, white, three petalled flowers that open out of purple boat or cradle shaped bracts, at any time of the year, hence the name ‘Moses-in-the-cradle’.
  • Moses-in-the-cradle plants have been introduced in many parts of the world, and they have become an invasive pest in many areas, including Florida, United States and some parts of Australia, as they can grow almost anywhere and can even be found growing on walls.
  • The sap of Moses-in-the-cradle plants can cause stinging and will burn one’s mouth and throat if any of the plant is consumed.
Bibliography:
Tradescantia Spathacea, 2012, Some Magnetic Island Plants, <http://www.somemagneticislandplants.com.au/index.php/plants/374-tradescantia-spathacea>

Cucumber

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Cucumber

These facts are as cool as a cucumber.

  • Cucumbers are generally torpedo shaped edible fruit or vegetables, and a fruit bearing creeper vine from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of gourds.
  • The scientific name for a cucumber is cucumis sativus, and some of the varieties are apple cucumber, continental or telegraph cucumber, lebanese cucumber and pickling cucumber.
  • Cucumbers are native to India although they have been grown in Egypt, Greece and Rome for thousands of years.
  • Bees (normally honey bees) are often transported to cucumber farms where there aren’t bees, because cucumbers need them to for pollination.
  • China was the top producer of cucumbers in 2010 with 40,709,556 tonnes (40,066,610 tons), producing over 70% of the world’s cucumbers.

Cucumber, Cut, Long, Telegraph, Green, Seeds, Plate, Raw, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Cucumbers have edible skin and seeds, and are most often eaten raw, but are also eaten cooked, sliced and pickled.
  • Cucumbers are made up of 90 – 96% water, and as a result they were often brought as provisions on desert trips.
  • Cucumbers can be green, white or yellow in colour, depending on the variety and the age of the fruit.
  • Cucumbers should not be stored near fruit, especially apples, tomatoes and melons, as they will age quicker.
  • Cucumbers have very little nutritional value, and the flavour is mostly contained in the seeds, which become bitter the older the cucumber gets.
Bibliography:
Cucumber, 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/cucumber/cucumber.html>
Cucumber, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber>

Carnation

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Carnation

So many pretty colours.

  • Carnations are flowering plants from the family Dianthus and their scientific name is Dianthus caryophyllus.
  • It is believed that carnations are native to the Mediterranean area.
  • Carnation plants grow up to 80cm (31.5 inches) in height and the flowers grow to  3 to 9 cm (1.1 to 3.5 inches) in diameter.
  • The world’s biggest producer of carnations is Colombia, South America and the country provides the United States with 4/5 of its carnations.
  • Carnation flowers are generally sweet smelling and usually have serrated single or double petals.

Carnation, white, red, pink, yellow, bunch, valentines, bouquet, pretty, Ten Random Facts

  • Carnations are often worn on special occasions, most notably for weddings and on Mothers Day.
  • Carnations are the national flower of Spain, Monaco and Slovenia.
  • Carnation flowers were originally pink and peach, but now come in a wider variety of colours, including red, white, yellow and green.
  • The Greek botanist and philosopher, Theophrastus, made mention of carnations in his writings in approximately 300 BC, naming them ‘dianthus’, meaning ‘divine flower’.
  • Carnations have always been a popular cut flower, as they last well in water once cut.
Bibliography:
Dianthus caryophyllus, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus_caryophyllus>

Florist’s Cineraria

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Florist’s Cineraria

Intensely coloured flowers…

  • The Florist’s Cineraria is commonly known as ‘Cineraria’.
  • Florist’s Cinerarias are a flowering plant from the family Asteraceae, and their official name is Pericallis x hybrida.
  • Florist’s Cinerarias are a small, bushy plant that grow to 30 -60 cm (1 -2 ft) in height.
  • Florist’s Cinerarias are a hybrid of two types of Pericallis, ‘Pericallis cruenta’ and ‘Pericallis lanata’, which are native to the Canary Islands, off the coast of northwest Africa.
  • The British Royal Gardens developed the hybrid Florist’s Cineraria in 1777.

purple cineraria, lots, bunch, flower, pretty, bundle, AUSTRALIA, Val Laird, Ten Random Facts

Image courtsey of Val Laird
  • Florist’s Cinerarias were originally part of the genus ‘Cineraria’, and were known as ‘Cineraria x hybrida’, however the genus ‘Cineraria’ now only contains South African species.
  • Florist’s Cineraria flowers can be blue, purple, rose, white, or pink coloured, and often the base of the petals are white.
  • The Florist’s Cineraria is a perennial plant, although it is commonly grown as an annual, especially in cold climates.
  • Florist’s Cinerarias are a popular garden plant and are easily grown from seed.
  • Aphids are one of the pests that can attack Florist’s Cineraria, and can damage the plant so that the foliage loses some of its brilliant green colour.
Bibliography:
Cineraria, 2010, Botany.com, <http://www.botany.com/cineraria.html>

Tibouchina

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Tibouchina

They like to put on a show!

  • The tibouchina is also known as ‘glory bush’, ‘princess flower’, ‘lasiandra’ and ‘glory tree’.
  • Tibouchinas are flowering, evergreen shrubs or trees.
  • Tibouchinas have stunning large purple flowers, although there are a few varieties with pink or white flowers.
  • Tibouchinas flower in Autumn and are an attractive and popular garden plant.
  • Tibouchinas are from the family Melastomataceae and there are over 350 species.

Glory Bush, Purple, Plowers, Green, Tree, Australia, Tibouchina, Ten Random Facts

  • Tibouchinas are native to tropical areas of South America, especially Brazil; the Caribbean; and Mexico.
  • Tibouchinas grow to 0.5 to 6 meters (1.6 to 20 feet) depending on the species.
  • Tibouchinas are susceptible to cold weather and frost.
  • Tibouchinas are classified as an invasive weed in Hawaii.
  • Tibouchinas generally like an acid soil type, and sometimes the edges of  the leaves have a burnt appearance due to the soil not being acidic enough, which can be rectified by the addition of sulphur.
Bibliography:
Tibouchina organensis (Glory Bush), n.d., Backyard Gardener, <http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_23c4.html>

Spider Plant

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Spider Plant

No, it is not a spider, it’s a spider plant.

  • Spider plants are an evergreen, perennial herb and are generally grown for their long arching foliage.
  • Spider plants are native to the African tropics and southern Africa.
  • Spider plants grow from 30 to 60 cm (12 – 24 inches) tall and are often grown in hanging baskets.
  • The scientific name for spider plant is chlorophytum comosum and they belong to the Asparagaceae family.
  • The most common spider plant species are variegated and have green leaves with a white stripe in the centre, or dark green leaves with white stripes on the outside.

Spider, Plant, Green, White Central Stripe, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Spider plants can be damaged by fluoride or boron.
  • Spider plants grow ‘babies’, called ‘plantlets’ along runners that grow from the main bush, giving the plant a spidery look.
  • Spider plants grow best in temperatures that are 18°C – 32°C (65°F – 90°F) but can grow at temperatures as low as 2°C (35°).
  • Spider plants are great indoor air cleaners, and 15 spider plants would purify the air of an average size house.
  • Spider plants grow quickly and produce small white flowers.
 Bibliography:
Chlorophytum Comosum, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophytum_comosum>
VanZile, J n.d. Spider Plants (Chlorophytum) , About.com Houseplants, <http://houseplants.about.com/od/foliageplants/p/SpiderPlant.htm>
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