There are about 380,000 known
species of plants, of which the majority, some 260,000,
produce seeds. They range in size from single cells to the tallest trees. Green plants provide a substantial proportion of the world's molecular oxygen; the sugars they create supply the energy for most of Earth's
ecosystems and other
organisms, including animals, either
consume plants directly or rely on organisms which do so. (Full article...)
These are
featured articles, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.
Image 1
Florida strangler fig in Deering Park, Florida
Ficus aurea, commonly known as the Florida strangler fig (or simply strangler fig), golden fig, or higuerón, is a tree in the family
Moraceae that is native to the U.S. state of
Florida, the northern and western
Caribbean, southern
Mexico and
Central America south to
Panama. The specific epithet aurea was applied by English botanist
Thomas Nuttall who described the species in 1846.
Ficus aurea is a
strangler fig. In
figs of this group, seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a
host tree with the seedling living as an
epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground. After that, it enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a free-standing tree in its own right. Individuals may reach 30 m (100 ft) in height. Like all figs, it has an obligate
mutualism with
fig wasps: figs are only pollinated by fig wasps, and fig wasps can only reproduce in fig flowers. The tree provides habitat, food and shelter for a host of tropical lifeforms including epiphytes in
cloud forests and
birds,
mammals,
reptiles and
invertebrates. F. aurea is used in
traditional medicine, for
live fencing, as an
ornamental and as a
bonsai. (Full article...)
Image 2
Persoonia linearis, commonly known as the narrow-leaved geebung, is a
shrub native to
New South Wales and
Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 3 m (9.8 ft), or occasionally 5 m (16 ft), in height and has thick, dark grey papery bark. The leaves are, as the species name suggests, more or less linear in shape, and are up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long, and 0.1 to 0.7 cm (0.039 to 0.276 in) wide. The small yellow flowers appear in summer, autumn and early winter (December to July), followed by small green fleshy fruit known as
drupes. Within the genus Persoonia, it is a member of the Lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. P. linearis interbreeds with several other species where they grow together.
Found in dry
sclerophyll forest on
sandstone-based nutrient-deficient soils, P. linearis is adapted to a fire-prone environment; the plants resprout
epicormic buds from beneath their thick bark after
bushfires. The fruit are consumed by vertebrates such as
kangaroo,
possums and
currawongs. As with other members of the genus, P. linearis is rare in
cultivation as it is very hard to
propagate by seed or by
cuttings, but once propagated, it adapts readily, preferring
acidic soils with good drainage and at least a partly sunny aspect. (Full article...)
Image 3
Grevillea juniperina, commonly known as juniper- or juniper-leaf grevillea or prickly spider-flower, is a
plant of the family
Proteaceae native to eastern
New South Wales and southeastern
Queensland in Australia. Scottish botanist
Robert Brown described the species in 1810, and seven
subspecies are recognised. One subspecies, G. j. juniperina, is restricted to
Western Sydney and environs and is threatened by
loss of habitat and housing development.
A small, prickly-leaved
shrub between 0.2–3 m (0.66–9.84 ft) high, G. juniperina generally grows on
clay-based or
alluvial soils in
eucalyptwoodland. The flower heads, known as
inflorescences, appear from winter to early summer and are red, orange or yellow. Birds visit and pollinate the flowers. Grevillea juniperina plants are killed by
bushfire, regenerating afterwards from seed. Grevillea juniperina adapts readily to cultivation and has been important in horticulture as it is the parent of many popular garden
hybrids. (Full article...)
Image 4
Banksia aquilonia, commonly known as the northern banksia and jingana, is a
tree in the
familyProteaceae and is
endemic to north
Queensland on Australia's northeastern coastline. With an average height of 8 m (26 ft), it has narrow glossy green leaves up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long and 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 in) high pale yellow flower spikes, known as
inflorescences, appearing in autumn. As the spikes age, their flowers fall off and they develop up to 50
follicles, each of which contains two seeds.
Banksia petiolaris is a rare
species of
flowering plant in the
familyProteaceaenative to
Western Australia, where it is found in sandy soils in the south coastal regions from
Munglinup east to
Israelite Bay. It was first described by
Victorian state
botanistFerdinand von Mueller in 1864, and no
subspecies are recognised. B. petiolaris is one of several closely related species that will all grow as
prostrate shrubs, with horizontal stems and thick, leathery upright leaves. Those of this species can be viable for up to 13 years—the longest-lived of any flowering plant recorded. It bears yellow cylindrical flower spikes, known as
inflorescences, up to 16 cm (6+1⁄4 in) high in spring. As the spikes age, they turn grey and develop up to 20 woody seed pods, known as
follicles, each.
Insects such as bees, wasps and even ants can pollinate the flowers. B. petiolaris is nonlignotuberous, meaning it regenerates by seed after
bushfire. B. petiolaris adapts readily to cultivation, growing in well-drained sandy soils in sunny locations. It is suitable for
rockeries and as a
groundcover. (Full article...)
Image 6
'Blue Spire' cultivar
Salvia yangii, previously known as Perovskia atriplicifolia (/pəˈrɒvskiəætrɪplɪsɪˈfoʊliə/), and commonly called Russian sage, is a flowering
herbaceousperennial plant and
subshrub. Although not previously a member of Salvia, the genus widely known as sage, since 2017 it has been included within them. It has an upright
habit, typically reaching 0.5–1.2 metres (1+1⁄2–4 feet) tall, with square stems and gray-green leaves that yield a distinctive odor when crushed. It is best known for its flowers. Its flowering season extends from mid-summer to late October, with blue to violet blossoms arranged into showy, branched
panicles.
It is native to the
steppes and hills of southwestern and central Asia. Successful over a wide range of climate and soil conditions, it has since become popular and widely planted. Several
cultivars have been developed, differing primarily in leaf shape and overall height; 'Blue Spire' is the most common. This variation has been widely used in gardens and landscaping. S. yangii was the Perennial Plant Association's 1995 Plant of the Year, and the 'Blue Spire' cultivar received the
Award of Garden Merit from the
Royal Horticultural Society. (Full article...)
The
fruits are small, round, and yellow, and can
ripen and turn red at any time of year, peaking in spring and summer. Like all figs, the fruit is in the form of a
syconium, an inverted
inflorescence with the flowers lining an internal cavity. F. rubiginosa is exclusively
pollinated by the
fig wasp species Pleistodontes imperialis, which may comprise four
cryptospecies. The syconia are also home to another fourteen species of
wasp, some of which induce
galls while others parasitise the pollinator wasps and at least two species of
nematode. Many species of bird, including
pigeons,
parrots, and various
passerines, eat the fruit. Ranging along the Australian east coast from
Queensland to
Bega in southern
New South Wales (including the
Port Jackson area, leading to its alternative name), F. rubiginosa grows in
rainforest margins and rocky
outcrops. It is used as a
shade tree in parks and public spaces, and when potted is well-suited for use as an
indoor plant or in
bonsai. (Full article...)
The tree grows rapidly, and is capable of reaching heights of 15 metres (50 ft) in 25 years. While the species rarely lives more than 50 years, some specimens exceed 100 years of age. Its
suckering ability allows this tree to clone itself indefinitely. It is considered a
noxious weed and vigorous
invasive species, and one of the worst invasive plant species in Europe and North America. In 21st-century North America, the invasiveness of the species has been compounded by its role in the life cycle of the also destructive and invasive
spotted lanternfly. (Full article...)
Image 9
Adenanthos obovatus, commonly known as basket flower (which usually refers to Centaurea, though), or, jugflower, is a shrub of the
plantfamilyProteaceaeendemic to
Southwest Australia. Described by French naturalist
Jacques Labillardière in 1805, it had first been collected by
Archibald Menzies in 1791. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the
sectionEurylaema and is most closely related to A. barbiger. A. obovatus has hybridized with A. detmoldii to produce the hybrid A. × pamela. Several common names allude to the prominent red flowers of the species. It grows as a many-stemmed spreading bush up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high, and about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across, with fine bright green foliage. Made up of single red flowers, the
inflorescences appear from April to December, and peak in spring (August to October).
The shrub grows on sandy soils in seasonally wet lowland areas as well as hills and dunes. It regenerates after bushfire by resprouting from its underground
lignotuber. Pollinators include
honeyeaters, particularly the
western spinebill, which can access the nectar with its long curved bill, and the
silvereye, which punctures the flower tube. The most commonly cultivated Adenanthos species in Australia, it has a long flowering period and attracts honeyeaters to the garden. It is harvested for the
cut flower industry. (Full article...)
Image 10
Banksia caleyi, commonly known as Caley's banksia or red lantern banksia, is a species of woody
shrub of the family
Proteaceae native to
Western Australia. It generally grows as a dense shrub up to 2 m (7 ft) tall, has
serrated leaves and red,
pendent (hanging)
inflorescences which are generally hidden in the foliage. First
described by Scottish naturalist
Robert Brown in 1830, Banksia caleyi was named in honour of the English botanist
George Caley. No subspecies are recognised. It is one of three or four related species with hanging inflorescences, which is an unusual feature within the genus.
Persoonia levis, commonly known as the broad-leaved geebung, is a
shrub native to
New South Wales and
Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 5 m (16 ft) in height and has dark grey papery bark and bright green asymmetrical sickle-shaped leaves up to 14 cm (5.5 in) long and 8 cm (3.2 in) wide. The small yellow flowers appear in summer and autumn (December to April), followed by small green fleshy fruit, which are classified as
drupes. Within the genus Persoonia, it is a member of the Lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. P. levis interbreeds with several other species where they grow together.
Brachychiton rupestris (
commonly known as the narrow-leaved bottle tree or Queensland bottle tree) is a
tree in the
familyMalvaceae,
endemic to
Queensland,
Australia.
Described by Sir
Thomas Mitchell and
John Lindley in 1848, it earned its name from its bulbous
trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) in
diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching around 10–25 metres (33–82 ft) high, the Queensland bottle tree is
deciduous, losing its leaves seasonally, between September and December. The
leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow
leaf blades up to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.8 in) wide. Cream-coloured
flowers appear from September to November, and are followed by woody, boat-shaped
follicles that
ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.
As a
drought deciduoussucculent tree, much like the
baobab (Adansonia) of
Madagascar, B. rupestris adapts readily to cultivation, and is quite tolerant of a range of soils and temperatures. It is a key component and
emergent tree in the endangered central semi-evergreen vine thickets (also known as bottletree scrub) of the Queensland
Brigalow Belt. Remnant trees are often left by farmers on cleared land for their value as shade and fodder trees, and as homes for various birds and animals. (Full article...)
Banksia spinulosa, the hairpin banksia, is a species of woody
shrub, of the genus Banksia in the family
Proteaceae, native to eastern
Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an
understorey plant in open dry forest or
heathland from
Victoria to northern
Queensland, generally on sandstone though sometimes also clay soils. It generally grows as a small shrub to 2 metres (7 ft) in height, though can be a straggly tree to 6 metres (20 ft). It has long narrow leaves with
inflorescences which can vary considerably in coloration; while the spikes are gold or less commonly yellowish, the emergent styles may be a wide range of colours – from black, purple, red, orange or yellow.
Banksia spinulosa was named by
James Edward Smith in England in 1793, after being collected by
John White, most likely in 1792. He gave it the common name prickly-leaved banksia, though this has fallen out of use. With four currently recognised varieties, the species has had a complicated
taxonomic history, with two varieties initially described as separate species in the early 19th century. A fourth, from the
New England region, has only recently been described. However, there has been disagreement whether one, var. cunninghamii, is distinct enough to once again have specific status. The pre-eminent authority on Banksia,
Alex George, concedes there is still more work to be done on the Banksia spinulosa complex. (Full article...)
Image 14
Adenanthos cuneatus, also known as coastal jugflower, flame bush, bridle bush and sweat bush, is a shrub of the family
Proteaceae, native to the
south coast of Western Australia. The French naturalist
Jacques Labillardière originally described it in 1805. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the
sectionAdenanthos and is most closely related to A. stictus. A. cuneatus has hybridized with four other species of Adenanthos. Growing to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high and wide, it is erect to prostrate in
habit, with wedge-shaped lobed leaves covered in fine silvery hair. The single red flowers are insignificant, and appear all year, though especially in late spring. The reddish new growth occurs over the summer.
It is sensitive to Phytophthora cinnamomidieback, hence requiring a sandy soil and good drainage to grow in cultivation, its natural habitat of sandy soils in
heathland being an example. Its pollinators include bees,
honey possum,
silvereye and
honeyeaters, particularly the
western spinebill. A. cuneatus is grown in gardens in Australia and the western United States, and a dwarf and prostrate form are commercially available. (Full article...)
Image 15
Banksia prionotes, commonly known as acorn banksia or orange banksia, is a species of
shrub or
tree of the genus Banksia in the family
Proteaceae. It is native to the
southwest of
Western Australia and can reach up to 10 m (33 ft) in height. It can be much smaller in more exposed areas or in the north of its range. This species has serrated, dull green leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white before opening to a bright orange. Its common name arises from the partly opened
inflorescence, which is shaped like an
acorn. The tree is a popular garden plant and also of importance to the
cut flower industry.
Banksia prionotes was first described in 1840 by English botanist
John Lindley, probably from material collected by
James Drummond the previous year. There are no recognised varieties, although it has been known to
hybridise with Banksia hookeriana. Widely distributed in
south-west Western Australia, B. prionotes is found from
Shark Bay (
25° S) in the north, south as far as
Kojonup (33°50′S). It grows exclusively in sandy soils, and is usually the dominant plant in
scrubland or low
woodland.
Pollinated by birds, it provides food for a wide array of
vertebrate and
invertebrate animals in the autumn and winter months. It is an important source of food for
honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), and is critical to their survival in the
Avon Wheatbelt region, where it is the only nectar-producing plant in flower at some times of the year. (Full article...)
Bernard de Jussieu was born in
Lyon. He took a
medical degree at
Montpellier and began practice in 1720, but finding the work uncongenial he gladly accepted his brother's invitation to
Paris in 1722, when he succeeded
Sebastien Vaillant (1669–1722) as sub-demonstrator of plants in the
Jardin des Plantes. In 1725 he brought out a new edition of
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort's Histoire des plantes qui naissent aux environs de Paris, 2 vols., which was afterwards translated into English by
John Martyn, the original work being incomplete. In the same year he was admitted into the
French Academy of Sciences, and communicated several papers to that body. (Full article...)
Image 2
Ethylene (CH 2=CH 2) is an
unsaturatedhydrocarbon gas (
alkene) acting as a naturally occurring
plant hormone. It is the simplest alkene gas and is the first gas known to act as hormone. It acts at trace levels throughout the life of the plant by stimulating or regulating the
ripening of
fruit, the opening of
flowers, the
abscission (or shedding) of
leaves and, in aquatic and semi-aquatic species, promoting the 'escape' from submergence by means of rapid elongation of stems or leaves. This escape response is particularly important in
rice farming. Commercial fruit-ripening rooms use "catalytic generators" to make ethylene gas from a liquid supply of ethanol. Typically, a gassing level of 500 to 2,000 ppm is used, for 24 to 48 hours. Care must be taken to control carbon dioxide levels in ripening rooms when gassing, as high temperature ripening (20 °C; 68 °F) has been seen to produce CO2 levels of 10% in 24 hours. (Full article...)
Image 3
Coconuts falling from their trees and striking individuals can cause serious injury to the back, neck, shoulders and head, and are occasionally fatal.
Following a 1984 study on "Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts", exaggerated claims spread concerning the number of deaths by falling coconuts. Falling coconuts, according to
urban legend, kill a few people a year. This legend gained momentum after the 2002 work of a noted expert on
shark attacks was characterized as saying that falling coconuts kill 150 people each year worldwide. This statistic has often been contrasted with the number of shark-caused deaths per year, which is around five. (Full article...)
Image 4
Pollination of
fruit trees is required to produce seeds with surrounding fruit. It is the process of moving pollen from the
anther to the
stigma, either in the same flower or in another flower. Some tree species, including many fruit trees, do not produce fruit from
self-pollination, so
pollinizer trees are planted in orchards.
The pollination process requires a carrier for the pollen, which can be animal, wind, or human intervention (by
hand-pollination or by using a pollen sprayer).
Cross pollination produces seeds with a different
genetic makeup from the parent plants; such seeds may be created deliberately as part of a
selective breeding program for fruit trees with desired attributes. Trees that are cross-pollinated or pollinated via an insect pollinator produce more fruit than trees with flowers that just self-pollinate. In fruit trees, bees are an essential part of the pollination process for the formation of fruit. (Full article...)
Image 5
Agroforestry (also known as agro-sylviculture or forest farming) is a
land use management system that integrates
trees with
crops or
pasture. It combines
agricultural and
forestry technologies. As a
polyculture system, an agroforestry system can produce timber and
wood products, fruits, nuts, other edible plant products, edible mushrooms, medicinal plants, ornamental plants, animals and animal products, and other products from both domesticated and wild species.
Agroforestry can be practiced for economic, environmental, and social benefits, and can be part of
sustainable agriculture. Apart from production, benefits from agroforestry include improved farm productivity, healthier environments, reduction of risk for farmers, beauty and aesthetics, increased farm profits, reduced soil erosion, creating wildlife habitat, less pollution, managing animal waste, increased biodiversity, improved soil structure, and
carbon sequestration. (Full article...)
Image 6
The olive, botanical name Olea europaea, meaning 'European olive', is a
species of small
tree or
shrub in the family
Oleaceae, found traditionally in the
Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea'Montra', dwarf olive, or little olive. The species is cultivated in all the countries of the
Mediterranean, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa. It is the
type species for its genus, Olea. The tree and its fruit give their name to the
Oleaceae plant family, which also includes species such as
lilac,
jasmine,
forsythia, and the true
ash tree.
The olive's fruit, also called an "olive", is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of
olive oil; it is one of the core ingredients in
Middle Easternand Mediterranean cuisines. Thousands of
cultivars of the olive tree are known. Olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. Olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". About 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 20% are used as table olives. (Full article...)
Prunus is a genus of
trees and
shrubs in the
flowering plant family
Rosaceae that includes
plums,
cherries,
peaches,
nectarines,
apricots, and
almonds. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, being native to the North American temperate regions, the
neotropics of South America, and temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Africa, There are 340 accepted species. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for their fruit and for decorative purposes. Prunus fruit are
drupes, or stone fruits. The fleshy
mesocarp surrounding the
endocarp is edible while the endocarp itself forms a hard, inedible shell called the
pyrena ("stone" or "pit"). This shell encloses the seed (or "kernel"), which is edible in some species (such as sweet almonds), but poisonous in many others (such as
apricots). Besides being eaten off the hand, most Prunus fruit are also commonly used in processing, such as jam production, canning, drying, and the seeds for roasting. (Full article...)
Image 8
Cornus kousa var. chinensis
Cornus is a
genus of about 30–60
species of
woody plants in the
familyCornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are
deciduoustrees or
shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous
perennial subshrubs, and some species are
evergreen. Several species have small heads of inconspicuous flowers surrounded by an
involucre of large, typically white petal-like
bracts, while others have more open clusters of
petal-bearing flowers. The various species of dogwood are
native throughout much of
temperate and
boreal Eurasia and North America, with China, Japan, and the southeastern United States being particularly rich in native species.
Species include the common dogwood Cornus sanguinea of Eurasia, the widely cultivated flowering dogwood (
Cornus florida) of eastern North America, the Pacific dogwood Cornus nuttallii of western North America, the Kousa dogwood Cornus kousa of eastern Asia, and two low-growing boreal species, the Canadian and Eurasian dwarf cornels (or bunchberries), Cornus canadensis and Cornus suecica respectively. (Full article...)
Image 9
Ornamental bulbous plants, often called ornamental bulbs or just bulbs in
gardening and
horticulture, are
herbaceousperennials grown for ornamental purposes, which have underground or near ground
storage organs. Botanists distinguish between true
bulbs,
corms,
rhizomes,
tubers and tuberous roots, any of which may be termed "bulbs" in horticulture. Bulb species usually lose their upper parts during adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat or winter cold. The bulb's storage organs contain moisture and nutrients that are used to survive these adverse conditions in a dormant state. When conditions become favourable the reserves sustain a new growth cycle. In addition, bulbs permit vegetative or asexual multiplication in these species. Ornamental bulbs are used in
parks and
gardens and as
cut flowers. (Full article...)
Image 10
The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN or ICNafp) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal
botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "traditionally treated as algae, fungi, or plants". It was formerly called the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN); the name was changed at the
International Botanical Congress in
Melbourne in July 2011 as part of the Melbourne Code which replaced the Vienna Code of 2005.
The current version of the code is the Shenzhen Code adopted by the
International Botanical Congress held in
Shenzhen, China, in July 2017. As with previous codes, it took effect as soon as it was ratified by the congress (on 29 July 2017), but the documentation of the code in its final form was not published until 26 June 2018. For fungi the Code was revised by the San Juan Chapter F in 2018. (Full article...)
Image 11
The scuppernong is a large variety of
muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), a species of
grape native to the Southern United States. It is usually a greenish or bronze color and is similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and larger and first known as the 'big white grape'. The grape is commonly known as the "scuplin" in some areas of the
Deep South. It is also known as the "scufalum", "scupanon", "scupadine", "scuppernine", "scupnun", or "scufadine" in some parts of the South. The scuppernong is the state fruit of North Carolina. (Full article...)
Image 12
The Meilland Family is a multi-generational family of
French rose breeders. The family's first rosarian was gardener,
Joseph Rambaux, who first started breeding roses in 1850 in
Lyon. He is best known for developing the
Polyantha'Perle d'Or'. His wife, Claudine and son-in-law, Francois Dubreuil, took over the nursery after Rambaux died in 1878. Dubreuil became a successful rose breeder and grower. In 1900, Dubreuil hired sixteen year old, Antoine Meilland, as a gardening assistant, where he met Dubreuil's daughter, Claudia. Antoine and Claudia married in 1909 and their son,
Francis was born in 1912. The couple took over Dubreuil's nursery after his death in 1916.
After
World War I, Antoine and Claudia bought property in
Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, near Lyon and started a new nursery. Their son, Francis, married Marie-Louise (Louisette) Paolino, daughter of an Italian rose breeder in 1939. Francis expanded the rose business over time into a large, international company, and became the most famous and prolific rose breeder in the family. His legendary 'Peace' rose, brought the family international attention and great commercial success when it was introduced after
World War II. The Meilland family merged their business with Francisque Richardier in 1946, so that Francis Meilland could focus solely on breeding roses. After Francis's early death in 1958, Louisette continued to breed roses, introducing many awarding winning new varieties. The new company, Meilland-Richardier grew into
Meilland International (AKA House of Meilland), and is located in
Le Luc en Provence, France. Francis and Louisette's children, Alain and Michele, are both successful rose breeders and continue to manage the company. (Full article...)
Image 13
Entomophily or insect pollination is a form of
pollination whereby
pollen of plants, especially but not only of
flowering plants, is distributed by
insects. Flowers pollinated by insects typically
advertise themselves with bright colours, sometimes with conspicuous patterns (honey guides) leading to rewards of pollen and
nectar; they may also have an attractive scent which in some cases
mimics insect
pheromones. Insect pollinators such as
bees have adaptations for their role, such as lapping or sucking mouthparts to take in nectar, and in some species also pollen baskets on their hind legs. This required the
coevolution of insects and flowering plants in the development of pollination behaviour by the insects and pollination mechanisms by the flowers, benefiting both groups. Both the size and the density of a population are known to affect pollination and subsequent reproductive performance. (Full article...)
Image 14
The Botanical Magazine, 1845 title page
The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
Each of the issues contains a description, in formal yet accessible language, and is renowned for featuring the work of two centuries of
botanical illustrators. Many plants received their first publication on the pages, and the description given was enhanced by the keenly detailed illustrations. (Full article...)
Image 15
Foliage and fruit drawn in 1771
The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the
flowering plant family
Moraceae,
native to the
Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the
type species of the genus Ficus, containing over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.
A fig plant is a small
deciduous tree or large shrub growing up to 7–10 m (23–33 ft) tall, with smooth white bark. Its large leaves have three to five deep
lobes. Its fruit (referred to as
syconium, a type of
multiple fruit) is tear-shaped, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) long, with a green skin that may ripen toward purple or brown, and sweet soft reddish flesh containing numerous crunchy seeds. The milky
sap of the green parts is an
irritant to human skin. In the Northern Hemisphere, fresh figs are in season from late summer to early autumn. They tolerate moderate seasonal frost and can be grown even in hot-summer continental climates. (Full article...)
These are
good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards..
Image 1
The lily
family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15
genera and 610
species of
flowering plants within the
orderLiliales. They are
monocotyledonous,
perennial,
herbaceous, often
bulbousgeophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair amount of morphological diversity despite genetic similarity. Common characteristics include large flowers with parts arranged in threes: with six colored or patterned
petaloidtepals (undifferentiated petals and sepals) arranged in two
whorls, six
stamens and a superior
ovary. The leaves are linear in shape, with their veins usually arranged parallel to the edges, single and arranged alternating on the stem, or in a rosette at the base. Most species are grown from bulbs, although some have
rhizomes. First described in 1789, the lily family became a
paraphyletic "catch-all" (
wastebasket) group of
lilioid monocots that did not fit into other families and included a great number of genera now included in other families and in some cases in other orders. Consequently, many sources and descriptions labelled "Liliaceae" deal with the broader sense of the family.
The family evolved approximately 68
million years ago during the
Late Cretaceous to
Early Paleogene epochs. Liliaceae are widely distributed, mainly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the flowers are insect pollinated. Many Liliaceae are important
ornamental plants, widely grown for their attractive flowers and involved in a major
floriculture of
cut flowers and dry bulbs. Some species are
poisonous if eaten and can have adverse health effects in humans and household pets. (Full article...)
Image 2
The frontispiece to an illustrated 1644 edition, Amsterdam
Historia Plantarum was written some time between c. 350 BC and c. 287 BC in ten volumes, of which nine survive. In the book, Theophrastus described plants by their uses, and attempted a
biological classification based on how plants reproduced, a first in the
history of botany. He continually revised the manuscript, and it remained in an unfinished state on his death. The condensed style of the text, with its many lists of examples, indicate that Theophrastus used the manuscript as the working notes for lectures to his students, rather than intending it to be read as a book. (Full article...)
Image 3
Carex binervis, the green-ribbed sedge, is a European species of
sedge with an Atlantic distribution. It is found from
Fennoscandia to the
Iberian Peninsula, and occurs in
heaths,
moorland and other damp, acidic environments. It typically grows to a height of 15–120 cm (6–50 in), and has
inflorescences comprising one male and several female
spikes, each up to 45 mm (1.8 in) long. The
utricles have two conspicuous green veins, which give rise to both the
scientific name and the
common name of the species. In the vegetative state, it closely resembles C. bigelowii, a species that usually grows at higher altitude. C. binervis was first described by
James Edward Smith in 1800, and is classified in
Carex sect. Spirostachyae; several
hybrids with other Carex species are known. (Full article...)
Image 4
A cereal is a
grass cultivated for its edible
grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore
staple foods. They include
rice,
wheat,
rye,
oats,
barley,
millet, and
maize. Edible grains from other plant families, such as
buckwheat and
quinoa are
pseudocereals. Most cereals are
annuals, producing one crop from each planting, though rice is sometimes grown as a
perennial. Winter varieties are hardy enough to be planted in the autumn, becoming dormant in the winter, and harvested in spring or early summer; spring varieties are planted in spring and harvested in late summer. The term cereal is derived from the name of the
Roman goddess of grain crops and fertility,
Ceres.
A display of commercially-grown
bulbs, including red and yellow cultivars.
An onion (Allium cepa L., from
Latincepa meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a
vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The
shallot is a
botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2011. Its close relatives include
garlic,
scallion,
leek, and
chive.
This genus also contains several other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion Allium fistulosum, the
tree onionAllium × proliferum, and the Canada onion Allium canadense. The name wild onion is applied to a number of Allium species, but A. cepa is exclusively known from cultivation. Its ancestral wild original form is not known, although escapes from cultivation have become established in some regions. The onion is most frequently a
biennial or a
perennial plant, but is usually treated as an
annual and harvested in its first growing season. (Full article...)
The name Fritillaria is thought to refer to the checkered pattern of F. meleagris, resembling a box in which
dice were carried. Fritillaries are commercially important in
horticulture as
ornamental garden plants and also in
traditional Chinese medicine, which is also endangering some species. Fritillaria flowers have been popular subjects for artists to depict and as emblems of regions and organizations. (Full article...)
Image 7
Mature kahikatea tree
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, commonly known as kahikatea (from
Māori) and white pine, is a
coniferous tree
endemic to
New Zealand. A
podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m over a life span of 600 years. It was first described botanically by the French botanist
Achille Richard in 1832 as Podocarpusdacrydioides, and was given its current
binomial nameDacrycarpus dacrydioides in 1969 by the American botanist
David de Laubenfels. Analysis of DNA has confirmed its evolutionary relationship with other species in the genera Dacrycarpus and Dacrydium.
In
Māori culture, it is an important source of timber for the building of
waka and making of tools, of food in the form of its berries, and of dye. Its use for timber and its damp fertile habitat, ideal for
dairy farming, have led to its decimation almost everywhere except
South Westland. (Full article...)
Image 8
Asplenium montanum, commonly known as the mountain spleenwort, is a small fern endemic to the eastern United States. It is found primarily in the
Appalachian Mountains from
Vermont to
Alabama, with a few isolated populations in the
Ozarks and in the
Ohio Valley. It grows in small crevices in
sandstone cliffs with highly acid soil, where it is usually the only
vascular plant occupying that
ecological niche. It can be recognized by its tufts of dark blue-green, highly divided leaves. The species was first
described in 1810 by the botanist
Carl Ludwig Willdenow. No subspecies have been described, although a discolored and highly dissected
form was reported from the
Shawangunk Mountains in 1974. Asplenium montanum is a diploid member of the "Appalachian Asplenium complex," a group of spleenwort species and hybrids which have formed by
reticulate evolution. Members of the complex descended from A. montanum are among the few other vascular plants that can tolerate its typical habitat. (Full article...)
Image 9
Dracophyllum arboreum, commonly known as Chatham Island grass tree and tarahinau (
Moriori), is a species of tree in the heath family
Ericaceae. Endemic to the
Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it reaches a height of 18 m (60 ft) and has leaves that differ between the juvenile and adult forms.
D. arboreum has wide light green leaves in its juvenile form, which become thin needles as it gains maturity. Flowering occurs from November through to February, yielding small white flowers which later become tiny brown fruit. It inhabits many different types of
vegetation communities from near sea level to 270 m (886 ft), including swamps, cliffs, bogs, and shrublands. It has a range restricted to three Islands some 800 km (497 mi) east of New Zealand: the
Chatham,
Pitt, and
Rangatira Islands. (Full article...)
First described in 1821 by
Jacques Choisy, the ambiguity of its original description meant that the species was often misidentified. Specimens were variously called H. elatum, H. anglicum, Androsaemum webbianum, and others. The species was placed into section Androsaemum of Hypericum by
Norman Robson in 1984, and it is most closely related in appearance and classification to the other species in the section, especially H. androsaemum, H. hircinum, and H. × inodorum. The species is not used in modern medical applications, but may have
anticancer potential and could be used to treat ear
edemas. (Full article...)
Durio graveolens, sometimes called the red-fleshed durian, orange-fleshed durian, or yellow durian, is a species of tree in the family
Malvaceae. It is one of six species of
durian named by Italian naturalist
Odoardo Beccari. The
specific epithetgraveolens ('strong smelling' or 'rank') is due to the odor. Although most species of Durio (most notably Durio dulcis) have a strong scent, the red-fleshed type of D. graveolens has a mild scent. It is native to Southeast Asia.
D. graveolens is an edible durian, perhaps the most popular 'wild' species of durian, and it is sold commercially regionally. However, its
congenerDurio zibethinus is the typical species eaten and dominates sales worldwide. (Full article...)
Image 12
A botanical garden or botanic garden is a
garden with a documented collection of living plants for the purpose of scientific research, conservation, display, and education. It is their mandate as a botanical garden that plants are labelled with their
botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as
cacti and other
succulent plants,
herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be
glasshouses or
shadehouses, again with special collections such as
tropicalplants,
alpine plants, or other
exotic plants that don't grow natively within that region.
Most are at least partly open to the public, and may offer guided tours, public programming such as workshops, courses, educational displays,
art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment. (Full article...)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (formerly Aster novae-angliae) is a
species of flowering plant in the aster
family (
Asteraceae)
native to central and eastern North America.
Commonly known as New England aster, hairy Michaelmas-daisy, or Michaelmas daisy, it is a
perennial,
herbaceous plant usually between 30 and 120 centimeters (1 and 4 feet) tall and 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) wide.
The usually deep purple flowers have up to 100
ray florets which are rarely pink or white. These surround the flower centers which are composed of just as many tiny yellow
disk florets. The plant grows naturally in clumps, with several erect
stems emerging from a single point. The stems are stout,
hairy, and mostly unbranched. The untoothed, lance-shaped leaves clasp the stem with earlobe-like appendages, and the lower stem leaves often wither by the time of flowering. (Full article...)
The book is organised chronologically and mainly describes the voyage from England to Tahiti, the time spent there, and the encounters with New Zealand and Australia. It contains Parkinson's vocabularies of several Pacific languages and also many plant names given by
Daniel Solander, but most of these have not been accepted as
botanical names. The book is illustrated by engravings based on Sydney Parkinson's drawings. It has been praised for its authenticity but criticised by botanists for the low quality of the botanical content. (Full article...)
Cicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a
genus of four species of highly
poisonous plants in the family
Apiaceae. They are
perennialherbaceous plants which grow up to 2.5 meters (8 ft) tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape (
umbel). Plants in this genus may also be referred to as cowbane or poison parsnip. Cicuta is native to
temperate regions of the
Northern Hemisphere, mainly
North America and
Europe, typically growing in
wet meadows, along streambanks and other wet and marshy areas. These plants bear a close resemblance to other members in the family Apiaceae and may be confused with a number of edible or poisonous plants. The common name hemlock may also be confused with poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), or with the
Hemlock tree.
Water hemlock is considered one of North America's most toxic plants, being highly poisonous to humans. Three members of the genus contain a
toxin named
cicutoxin which causes
central nervous system stimulatory effects including
seizures following ingestion. Medical treatment of poisoning may include the use of
activated charcoal to decrease
gastrointestinal absorption of the toxic principle along with supportive care including
anticonvulsant drugs such as a
benzodiazepine. High doses of anticonvulsant medicine are often required to halt seizure activity and further medical care including
intubation and
mechanical ventilation may be required. (Full article...)
The following are images from various plant-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Structure of
Azadirachtin, a terpenoid produced by the
Neem plant, which helps ward off microbes and insects. Many secondary metabolites have complex structures (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 2This is an electron micrograph of the epidermal cells of a Brassica chinensis leaf. The stomates are also visible. (from Plant cell)
Image 5A
late Siluriansporangium, artificially colored. Green: A spore tetrad. Blue: A spore bearing a trilete mark – the Y-shaped scar. The spores are about 30–35 μm across. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 7The fruit of Myristica fragrans, a species native to
Indonesia, is the source of two valuable spices, the red aril (
mace) enclosing the dark brown
nutmeg. (from Botany)
Image 9The trunk of early tree fern Psaronius, showing internal structure. The top of the plant would have been to the left of the image (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 10The Devonian marks the beginning of extensive land colonization by plants, which – through their effects on erosion and sedimentation – brought about significant climatic change. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 21The food we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants such as rice. (from Botany)
Image 22Micropropagation of transgenic plants (from Botany)
Image 23Thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, the first plant to have its genome sequenced, remains the most important model organism. (from Botany)
Image 241 An oat
coleoptile with the sun overhead.
Auxin (pink) is evenly distributed in its tip. 2 With the sun at an angle and only shining on one side of the shoot, auxin moves to the opposite side and stimulates
cell elongation there. 3 and 4 Extra growth on that side causes the shoot to
bend towards the sun. (from Botany)
Image 27A botanist preparing a plant specimen for mounting in the
herbarium (from Botany)
Image 28Echeveria glauca in a Connecticut greenhouse. Botany uses Latin names for identification; here, the specific name glauca means blue. (from Botany)
Image 29The
Linnaean Garden of Linnaeus' residence in Uppsala, Sweden, was planted according to his Systema sexuale. (from Botany)
Image 32A
banded tube from the Late Silurian/Early Devonian. The bands are difficult to see on this specimen, as an opaque carbonaceous coating conceals much of the tube. Bands are just visible in places on the left half of the image. Scale bar: 20 μm (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 33Leaf lamina. The megaphyllous
leaf architecture arose multiple times in different plant lineages (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 37The evolution of syncarps. a: sporangia borne at tips of leaf b: Leaf curls up to protect sporangia c: leaf curls to form enclosed roll d: grouping of three rolls into a syncarp (from Evolutionary history of plants)
There are about 380,000 known
species of plants, of which the majority, some 260,000,
produce seeds. They range in size from single cells to the tallest trees. Green plants provide a substantial proportion of the world's molecular oxygen; the sugars they create supply the energy for most of Earth's
ecosystems and other
organisms, including animals, either
consume plants directly or rely on organisms which do so. (Full article...)
These are
featured articles, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.
Image 1
Florida strangler fig in Deering Park, Florida
Ficus aurea, commonly known as the Florida strangler fig (or simply strangler fig), golden fig, or higuerón, is a tree in the family
Moraceae that is native to the U.S. state of
Florida, the northern and western
Caribbean, southern
Mexico and
Central America south to
Panama. The specific epithet aurea was applied by English botanist
Thomas Nuttall who described the species in 1846.
Ficus aurea is a
strangler fig. In
figs of this group, seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a
host tree with the seedling living as an
epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground. After that, it enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a free-standing tree in its own right. Individuals may reach 30 m (100 ft) in height. Like all figs, it has an obligate
mutualism with
fig wasps: figs are only pollinated by fig wasps, and fig wasps can only reproduce in fig flowers. The tree provides habitat, food and shelter for a host of tropical lifeforms including epiphytes in
cloud forests and
birds,
mammals,
reptiles and
invertebrates. F. aurea is used in
traditional medicine, for
live fencing, as an
ornamental and as a
bonsai. (Full article...)
Image 2
Persoonia linearis, commonly known as the narrow-leaved geebung, is a
shrub native to
New South Wales and
Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 3 m (9.8 ft), or occasionally 5 m (16 ft), in height and has thick, dark grey papery bark. The leaves are, as the species name suggests, more or less linear in shape, and are up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long, and 0.1 to 0.7 cm (0.039 to 0.276 in) wide. The small yellow flowers appear in summer, autumn and early winter (December to July), followed by small green fleshy fruit known as
drupes. Within the genus Persoonia, it is a member of the Lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. P. linearis interbreeds with several other species where they grow together.
Found in dry
sclerophyll forest on
sandstone-based nutrient-deficient soils, P. linearis is adapted to a fire-prone environment; the plants resprout
epicormic buds from beneath their thick bark after
bushfires. The fruit are consumed by vertebrates such as
kangaroo,
possums and
currawongs. As with other members of the genus, P. linearis is rare in
cultivation as it is very hard to
propagate by seed or by
cuttings, but once propagated, it adapts readily, preferring
acidic soils with good drainage and at least a partly sunny aspect. (Full article...)
Image 3
Grevillea juniperina, commonly known as juniper- or juniper-leaf grevillea or prickly spider-flower, is a
plant of the family
Proteaceae native to eastern
New South Wales and southeastern
Queensland in Australia. Scottish botanist
Robert Brown described the species in 1810, and seven
subspecies are recognised. One subspecies, G. j. juniperina, is restricted to
Western Sydney and environs and is threatened by
loss of habitat and housing development.
A small, prickly-leaved
shrub between 0.2–3 m (0.66–9.84 ft) high, G. juniperina generally grows on
clay-based or
alluvial soils in
eucalyptwoodland. The flower heads, known as
inflorescences, appear from winter to early summer and are red, orange or yellow. Birds visit and pollinate the flowers. Grevillea juniperina plants are killed by
bushfire, regenerating afterwards from seed. Grevillea juniperina adapts readily to cultivation and has been important in horticulture as it is the parent of many popular garden
hybrids. (Full article...)
Image 4
Banksia aquilonia, commonly known as the northern banksia and jingana, is a
tree in the
familyProteaceae and is
endemic to north
Queensland on Australia's northeastern coastline. With an average height of 8 m (26 ft), it has narrow glossy green leaves up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long and 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 in) high pale yellow flower spikes, known as
inflorescences, appearing in autumn. As the spikes age, their flowers fall off and they develop up to 50
follicles, each of which contains two seeds.
Banksia petiolaris is a rare
species of
flowering plant in the
familyProteaceaenative to
Western Australia, where it is found in sandy soils in the south coastal regions from
Munglinup east to
Israelite Bay. It was first described by
Victorian state
botanistFerdinand von Mueller in 1864, and no
subspecies are recognised. B. petiolaris is one of several closely related species that will all grow as
prostrate shrubs, with horizontal stems and thick, leathery upright leaves. Those of this species can be viable for up to 13 years—the longest-lived of any flowering plant recorded. It bears yellow cylindrical flower spikes, known as
inflorescences, up to 16 cm (6+1⁄4 in) high in spring. As the spikes age, they turn grey and develop up to 20 woody seed pods, known as
follicles, each.
Insects such as bees, wasps and even ants can pollinate the flowers. B. petiolaris is nonlignotuberous, meaning it regenerates by seed after
bushfire. B. petiolaris adapts readily to cultivation, growing in well-drained sandy soils in sunny locations. It is suitable for
rockeries and as a
groundcover. (Full article...)
Image 6
'Blue Spire' cultivar
Salvia yangii, previously known as Perovskia atriplicifolia (/pəˈrɒvskiəætrɪplɪsɪˈfoʊliə/), and commonly called Russian sage, is a flowering
herbaceousperennial plant and
subshrub. Although not previously a member of Salvia, the genus widely known as sage, since 2017 it has been included within them. It has an upright
habit, typically reaching 0.5–1.2 metres (1+1⁄2–4 feet) tall, with square stems and gray-green leaves that yield a distinctive odor when crushed. It is best known for its flowers. Its flowering season extends from mid-summer to late October, with blue to violet blossoms arranged into showy, branched
panicles.
It is native to the
steppes and hills of southwestern and central Asia. Successful over a wide range of climate and soil conditions, it has since become popular and widely planted. Several
cultivars have been developed, differing primarily in leaf shape and overall height; 'Blue Spire' is the most common. This variation has been widely used in gardens and landscaping. S. yangii was the Perennial Plant Association's 1995 Plant of the Year, and the 'Blue Spire' cultivar received the
Award of Garden Merit from the
Royal Horticultural Society. (Full article...)
The
fruits are small, round, and yellow, and can
ripen and turn red at any time of year, peaking in spring and summer. Like all figs, the fruit is in the form of a
syconium, an inverted
inflorescence with the flowers lining an internal cavity. F. rubiginosa is exclusively
pollinated by the
fig wasp species Pleistodontes imperialis, which may comprise four
cryptospecies. The syconia are also home to another fourteen species of
wasp, some of which induce
galls while others parasitise the pollinator wasps and at least two species of
nematode. Many species of bird, including
pigeons,
parrots, and various
passerines, eat the fruit. Ranging along the Australian east coast from
Queensland to
Bega in southern
New South Wales (including the
Port Jackson area, leading to its alternative name), F. rubiginosa grows in
rainforest margins and rocky
outcrops. It is used as a
shade tree in parks and public spaces, and when potted is well-suited for use as an
indoor plant or in
bonsai. (Full article...)
The tree grows rapidly, and is capable of reaching heights of 15 metres (50 ft) in 25 years. While the species rarely lives more than 50 years, some specimens exceed 100 years of age. Its
suckering ability allows this tree to clone itself indefinitely. It is considered a
noxious weed and vigorous
invasive species, and one of the worst invasive plant species in Europe and North America. In 21st-century North America, the invasiveness of the species has been compounded by its role in the life cycle of the also destructive and invasive
spotted lanternfly. (Full article...)
Image 9
Adenanthos obovatus, commonly known as basket flower (which usually refers to Centaurea, though), or, jugflower, is a shrub of the
plantfamilyProteaceaeendemic to
Southwest Australia. Described by French naturalist
Jacques Labillardière in 1805, it had first been collected by
Archibald Menzies in 1791. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the
sectionEurylaema and is most closely related to A. barbiger. A. obovatus has hybridized with A. detmoldii to produce the hybrid A. × pamela. Several common names allude to the prominent red flowers of the species. It grows as a many-stemmed spreading bush up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high, and about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across, with fine bright green foliage. Made up of single red flowers, the
inflorescences appear from April to December, and peak in spring (August to October).
The shrub grows on sandy soils in seasonally wet lowland areas as well as hills and dunes. It regenerates after bushfire by resprouting from its underground
lignotuber. Pollinators include
honeyeaters, particularly the
western spinebill, which can access the nectar with its long curved bill, and the
silvereye, which punctures the flower tube. The most commonly cultivated Adenanthos species in Australia, it has a long flowering period and attracts honeyeaters to the garden. It is harvested for the
cut flower industry. (Full article...)
Image 10
Banksia caleyi, commonly known as Caley's banksia or red lantern banksia, is a species of woody
shrub of the family
Proteaceae native to
Western Australia. It generally grows as a dense shrub up to 2 m (7 ft) tall, has
serrated leaves and red,
pendent (hanging)
inflorescences which are generally hidden in the foliage. First
described by Scottish naturalist
Robert Brown in 1830, Banksia caleyi was named in honour of the English botanist
George Caley. No subspecies are recognised. It is one of three or four related species with hanging inflorescences, which is an unusual feature within the genus.
Persoonia levis, commonly known as the broad-leaved geebung, is a
shrub native to
New South Wales and
Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 5 m (16 ft) in height and has dark grey papery bark and bright green asymmetrical sickle-shaped leaves up to 14 cm (5.5 in) long and 8 cm (3.2 in) wide. The small yellow flowers appear in summer and autumn (December to April), followed by small green fleshy fruit, which are classified as
drupes. Within the genus Persoonia, it is a member of the Lanceolata group of 58 closely related species. P. levis interbreeds with several other species where they grow together.
Brachychiton rupestris (
commonly known as the narrow-leaved bottle tree or Queensland bottle tree) is a
tree in the
familyMalvaceae,
endemic to
Queensland,
Australia.
Described by Sir
Thomas Mitchell and
John Lindley in 1848, it earned its name from its bulbous
trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) in
diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching around 10–25 metres (33–82 ft) high, the Queensland bottle tree is
deciduous, losing its leaves seasonally, between September and December. The
leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow
leaf blades up to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.8 in) wide. Cream-coloured
flowers appear from September to November, and are followed by woody, boat-shaped
follicles that
ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.
As a
drought deciduoussucculent tree, much like the
baobab (Adansonia) of
Madagascar, B. rupestris adapts readily to cultivation, and is quite tolerant of a range of soils and temperatures. It is a key component and
emergent tree in the endangered central semi-evergreen vine thickets (also known as bottletree scrub) of the Queensland
Brigalow Belt. Remnant trees are often left by farmers on cleared land for their value as shade and fodder trees, and as homes for various birds and animals. (Full article...)
Banksia spinulosa, the hairpin banksia, is a species of woody
shrub, of the genus Banksia in the family
Proteaceae, native to eastern
Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an
understorey plant in open dry forest or
heathland from
Victoria to northern
Queensland, generally on sandstone though sometimes also clay soils. It generally grows as a small shrub to 2 metres (7 ft) in height, though can be a straggly tree to 6 metres (20 ft). It has long narrow leaves with
inflorescences which can vary considerably in coloration; while the spikes are gold or less commonly yellowish, the emergent styles may be a wide range of colours – from black, purple, red, orange or yellow.
Banksia spinulosa was named by
James Edward Smith in England in 1793, after being collected by
John White, most likely in 1792. He gave it the common name prickly-leaved banksia, though this has fallen out of use. With four currently recognised varieties, the species has had a complicated
taxonomic history, with two varieties initially described as separate species in the early 19th century. A fourth, from the
New England region, has only recently been described. However, there has been disagreement whether one, var. cunninghamii, is distinct enough to once again have specific status. The pre-eminent authority on Banksia,
Alex George, concedes there is still more work to be done on the Banksia spinulosa complex. (Full article...)
Image 14
Adenanthos cuneatus, also known as coastal jugflower, flame bush, bridle bush and sweat bush, is a shrub of the family
Proteaceae, native to the
south coast of Western Australia. The French naturalist
Jacques Labillardière originally described it in 1805. Within the genus Adenanthos, it lies in the
sectionAdenanthos and is most closely related to A. stictus. A. cuneatus has hybridized with four other species of Adenanthos. Growing to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high and wide, it is erect to prostrate in
habit, with wedge-shaped lobed leaves covered in fine silvery hair. The single red flowers are insignificant, and appear all year, though especially in late spring. The reddish new growth occurs over the summer.
It is sensitive to Phytophthora cinnamomidieback, hence requiring a sandy soil and good drainage to grow in cultivation, its natural habitat of sandy soils in
heathland being an example. Its pollinators include bees,
honey possum,
silvereye and
honeyeaters, particularly the
western spinebill. A. cuneatus is grown in gardens in Australia and the western United States, and a dwarf and prostrate form are commercially available. (Full article...)
Image 15
Banksia prionotes, commonly known as acorn banksia or orange banksia, is a species of
shrub or
tree of the genus Banksia in the family
Proteaceae. It is native to the
southwest of
Western Australia and can reach up to 10 m (33 ft) in height. It can be much smaller in more exposed areas or in the north of its range. This species has serrated, dull green leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white before opening to a bright orange. Its common name arises from the partly opened
inflorescence, which is shaped like an
acorn. The tree is a popular garden plant and also of importance to the
cut flower industry.
Banksia prionotes was first described in 1840 by English botanist
John Lindley, probably from material collected by
James Drummond the previous year. There are no recognised varieties, although it has been known to
hybridise with Banksia hookeriana. Widely distributed in
south-west Western Australia, B. prionotes is found from
Shark Bay (
25° S) in the north, south as far as
Kojonup (33°50′S). It grows exclusively in sandy soils, and is usually the dominant plant in
scrubland or low
woodland.
Pollinated by birds, it provides food for a wide array of
vertebrate and
invertebrate animals in the autumn and winter months. It is an important source of food for
honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), and is critical to their survival in the
Avon Wheatbelt region, where it is the only nectar-producing plant in flower at some times of the year. (Full article...)
Bernard de Jussieu was born in
Lyon. He took a
medical degree at
Montpellier and began practice in 1720, but finding the work uncongenial he gladly accepted his brother's invitation to
Paris in 1722, when he succeeded
Sebastien Vaillant (1669–1722) as sub-demonstrator of plants in the
Jardin des Plantes. In 1725 he brought out a new edition of
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort's Histoire des plantes qui naissent aux environs de Paris, 2 vols., which was afterwards translated into English by
John Martyn, the original work being incomplete. In the same year he was admitted into the
French Academy of Sciences, and communicated several papers to that body. (Full article...)
Image 2
Ethylene (CH 2=CH 2) is an
unsaturatedhydrocarbon gas (
alkene) acting as a naturally occurring
plant hormone. It is the simplest alkene gas and is the first gas known to act as hormone. It acts at trace levels throughout the life of the plant by stimulating or regulating the
ripening of
fruit, the opening of
flowers, the
abscission (or shedding) of
leaves and, in aquatic and semi-aquatic species, promoting the 'escape' from submergence by means of rapid elongation of stems or leaves. This escape response is particularly important in
rice farming. Commercial fruit-ripening rooms use "catalytic generators" to make ethylene gas from a liquid supply of ethanol. Typically, a gassing level of 500 to 2,000 ppm is used, for 24 to 48 hours. Care must be taken to control carbon dioxide levels in ripening rooms when gassing, as high temperature ripening (20 °C; 68 °F) has been seen to produce CO2 levels of 10% in 24 hours. (Full article...)
Image 3
Coconuts falling from their trees and striking individuals can cause serious injury to the back, neck, shoulders and head, and are occasionally fatal.
Following a 1984 study on "Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts", exaggerated claims spread concerning the number of deaths by falling coconuts. Falling coconuts, according to
urban legend, kill a few people a year. This legend gained momentum after the 2002 work of a noted expert on
shark attacks was characterized as saying that falling coconuts kill 150 people each year worldwide. This statistic has often been contrasted with the number of shark-caused deaths per year, which is around five. (Full article...)
Image 4
Pollination of
fruit trees is required to produce seeds with surrounding fruit. It is the process of moving pollen from the
anther to the
stigma, either in the same flower or in another flower. Some tree species, including many fruit trees, do not produce fruit from
self-pollination, so
pollinizer trees are planted in orchards.
The pollination process requires a carrier for the pollen, which can be animal, wind, or human intervention (by
hand-pollination or by using a pollen sprayer).
Cross pollination produces seeds with a different
genetic makeup from the parent plants; such seeds may be created deliberately as part of a
selective breeding program for fruit trees with desired attributes. Trees that are cross-pollinated or pollinated via an insect pollinator produce more fruit than trees with flowers that just self-pollinate. In fruit trees, bees are an essential part of the pollination process for the formation of fruit. (Full article...)
Image 5
Agroforestry (also known as agro-sylviculture or forest farming) is a
land use management system that integrates
trees with
crops or
pasture. It combines
agricultural and
forestry technologies. As a
polyculture system, an agroforestry system can produce timber and
wood products, fruits, nuts, other edible plant products, edible mushrooms, medicinal plants, ornamental plants, animals and animal products, and other products from both domesticated and wild species.
Agroforestry can be practiced for economic, environmental, and social benefits, and can be part of
sustainable agriculture. Apart from production, benefits from agroforestry include improved farm productivity, healthier environments, reduction of risk for farmers, beauty and aesthetics, increased farm profits, reduced soil erosion, creating wildlife habitat, less pollution, managing animal waste, increased biodiversity, improved soil structure, and
carbon sequestration. (Full article...)
Image 6
The olive, botanical name Olea europaea, meaning 'European olive', is a
species of small
tree or
shrub in the family
Oleaceae, found traditionally in the
Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea'Montra', dwarf olive, or little olive. The species is cultivated in all the countries of the
Mediterranean, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa. It is the
type species for its genus, Olea. The tree and its fruit give their name to the
Oleaceae plant family, which also includes species such as
lilac,
jasmine,
forsythia, and the true
ash tree.
The olive's fruit, also called an "olive", is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of
olive oil; it is one of the core ingredients in
Middle Easternand Mediterranean cuisines. Thousands of
cultivars of the olive tree are known. Olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. Olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". About 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 20% are used as table olives. (Full article...)
Prunus is a genus of
trees and
shrubs in the
flowering plant family
Rosaceae that includes
plums,
cherries,
peaches,
nectarines,
apricots, and
almonds. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, being native to the North American temperate regions, the
neotropics of South America, and temperate and tropical regions of Asia and Africa, There are 340 accepted species. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for their fruit and for decorative purposes. Prunus fruit are
drupes, or stone fruits. The fleshy
mesocarp surrounding the
endocarp is edible while the endocarp itself forms a hard, inedible shell called the
pyrena ("stone" or "pit"). This shell encloses the seed (or "kernel"), which is edible in some species (such as sweet almonds), but poisonous in many others (such as
apricots). Besides being eaten off the hand, most Prunus fruit are also commonly used in processing, such as jam production, canning, drying, and the seeds for roasting. (Full article...)
Image 8
Cornus kousa var. chinensis
Cornus is a
genus of about 30–60
species of
woody plants in the
familyCornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are
deciduoustrees or
shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous
perennial subshrubs, and some species are
evergreen. Several species have small heads of inconspicuous flowers surrounded by an
involucre of large, typically white petal-like
bracts, while others have more open clusters of
petal-bearing flowers. The various species of dogwood are
native throughout much of
temperate and
boreal Eurasia and North America, with China, Japan, and the southeastern United States being particularly rich in native species.
Species include the common dogwood Cornus sanguinea of Eurasia, the widely cultivated flowering dogwood (
Cornus florida) of eastern North America, the Pacific dogwood Cornus nuttallii of western North America, the Kousa dogwood Cornus kousa of eastern Asia, and two low-growing boreal species, the Canadian and Eurasian dwarf cornels (or bunchberries), Cornus canadensis and Cornus suecica respectively. (Full article...)
Image 9
Ornamental bulbous plants, often called ornamental bulbs or just bulbs in
gardening and
horticulture, are
herbaceousperennials grown for ornamental purposes, which have underground or near ground
storage organs. Botanists distinguish between true
bulbs,
corms,
rhizomes,
tubers and tuberous roots, any of which may be termed "bulbs" in horticulture. Bulb species usually lose their upper parts during adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat or winter cold. The bulb's storage organs contain moisture and nutrients that are used to survive these adverse conditions in a dormant state. When conditions become favourable the reserves sustain a new growth cycle. In addition, bulbs permit vegetative or asexual multiplication in these species. Ornamental bulbs are used in
parks and
gardens and as
cut flowers. (Full article...)
Image 10
The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN or ICNafp) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal
botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "traditionally treated as algae, fungi, or plants". It was formerly called the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN); the name was changed at the
International Botanical Congress in
Melbourne in July 2011 as part of the Melbourne Code which replaced the Vienna Code of 2005.
The current version of the code is the Shenzhen Code adopted by the
International Botanical Congress held in
Shenzhen, China, in July 2017. As with previous codes, it took effect as soon as it was ratified by the congress (on 29 July 2017), but the documentation of the code in its final form was not published until 26 June 2018. For fungi the Code was revised by the San Juan Chapter F in 2018. (Full article...)
Image 11
The scuppernong is a large variety of
muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), a species of
grape native to the Southern United States. It is usually a greenish or bronze color and is similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and larger and first known as the 'big white grape'. The grape is commonly known as the "scuplin" in some areas of the
Deep South. It is also known as the "scufalum", "scupanon", "scupadine", "scuppernine", "scupnun", or "scufadine" in some parts of the South. The scuppernong is the state fruit of North Carolina. (Full article...)
Image 12
The Meilland Family is a multi-generational family of
French rose breeders. The family's first rosarian was gardener,
Joseph Rambaux, who first started breeding roses in 1850 in
Lyon. He is best known for developing the
Polyantha'Perle d'Or'. His wife, Claudine and son-in-law, Francois Dubreuil, took over the nursery after Rambaux died in 1878. Dubreuil became a successful rose breeder and grower. In 1900, Dubreuil hired sixteen year old, Antoine Meilland, as a gardening assistant, where he met Dubreuil's daughter, Claudia. Antoine and Claudia married in 1909 and their son,
Francis was born in 1912. The couple took over Dubreuil's nursery after his death in 1916.
After
World War I, Antoine and Claudia bought property in
Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, near Lyon and started a new nursery. Their son, Francis, married Marie-Louise (Louisette) Paolino, daughter of an Italian rose breeder in 1939. Francis expanded the rose business over time into a large, international company, and became the most famous and prolific rose breeder in the family. His legendary 'Peace' rose, brought the family international attention and great commercial success when it was introduced after
World War II. The Meilland family merged their business with Francisque Richardier in 1946, so that Francis Meilland could focus solely on breeding roses. After Francis's early death in 1958, Louisette continued to breed roses, introducing many awarding winning new varieties. The new company, Meilland-Richardier grew into
Meilland International (AKA House of Meilland), and is located in
Le Luc en Provence, France. Francis and Louisette's children, Alain and Michele, are both successful rose breeders and continue to manage the company. (Full article...)
Image 13
Entomophily or insect pollination is a form of
pollination whereby
pollen of plants, especially but not only of
flowering plants, is distributed by
insects. Flowers pollinated by insects typically
advertise themselves with bright colours, sometimes with conspicuous patterns (honey guides) leading to rewards of pollen and
nectar; they may also have an attractive scent which in some cases
mimics insect
pheromones. Insect pollinators such as
bees have adaptations for their role, such as lapping or sucking mouthparts to take in nectar, and in some species also pollen baskets on their hind legs. This required the
coevolution of insects and flowering plants in the development of pollination behaviour by the insects and pollination mechanisms by the flowers, benefiting both groups. Both the size and the density of a population are known to affect pollination and subsequent reproductive performance. (Full article...)
Image 14
The Botanical Magazine, 1845 title page
The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
Each of the issues contains a description, in formal yet accessible language, and is renowned for featuring the work of two centuries of
botanical illustrators. Many plants received their first publication on the pages, and the description given was enhanced by the keenly detailed illustrations. (Full article...)
Image 15
Foliage and fruit drawn in 1771
The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the
flowering plant family
Moraceae,
native to the
Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the
type species of the genus Ficus, containing over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.
A fig plant is a small
deciduous tree or large shrub growing up to 7–10 m (23–33 ft) tall, with smooth white bark. Its large leaves have three to five deep
lobes. Its fruit (referred to as
syconium, a type of
multiple fruit) is tear-shaped, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) long, with a green skin that may ripen toward purple or brown, and sweet soft reddish flesh containing numerous crunchy seeds. The milky
sap of the green parts is an
irritant to human skin. In the Northern Hemisphere, fresh figs are in season from late summer to early autumn. They tolerate moderate seasonal frost and can be grown even in hot-summer continental climates. (Full article...)
These are
good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards..
Image 1
The lily
family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15
genera and 610
species of
flowering plants within the
orderLiliales. They are
monocotyledonous,
perennial,
herbaceous, often
bulbousgeophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair amount of morphological diversity despite genetic similarity. Common characteristics include large flowers with parts arranged in threes: with six colored or patterned
petaloidtepals (undifferentiated petals and sepals) arranged in two
whorls, six
stamens and a superior
ovary. The leaves are linear in shape, with their veins usually arranged parallel to the edges, single and arranged alternating on the stem, or in a rosette at the base. Most species are grown from bulbs, although some have
rhizomes. First described in 1789, the lily family became a
paraphyletic "catch-all" (
wastebasket) group of
lilioid monocots that did not fit into other families and included a great number of genera now included in other families and in some cases in other orders. Consequently, many sources and descriptions labelled "Liliaceae" deal with the broader sense of the family.
The family evolved approximately 68
million years ago during the
Late Cretaceous to
Early Paleogene epochs. Liliaceae are widely distributed, mainly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the flowers are insect pollinated. Many Liliaceae are important
ornamental plants, widely grown for their attractive flowers and involved in a major
floriculture of
cut flowers and dry bulbs. Some species are
poisonous if eaten and can have adverse health effects in humans and household pets. (Full article...)
Image 2
The frontispiece to an illustrated 1644 edition, Amsterdam
Historia Plantarum was written some time between c. 350 BC and c. 287 BC in ten volumes, of which nine survive. In the book, Theophrastus described plants by their uses, and attempted a
biological classification based on how plants reproduced, a first in the
history of botany. He continually revised the manuscript, and it remained in an unfinished state on his death. The condensed style of the text, with its many lists of examples, indicate that Theophrastus used the manuscript as the working notes for lectures to his students, rather than intending it to be read as a book. (Full article...)
Image 3
Carex binervis, the green-ribbed sedge, is a European species of
sedge with an Atlantic distribution. It is found from
Fennoscandia to the
Iberian Peninsula, and occurs in
heaths,
moorland and other damp, acidic environments. It typically grows to a height of 15–120 cm (6–50 in), and has
inflorescences comprising one male and several female
spikes, each up to 45 mm (1.8 in) long. The
utricles have two conspicuous green veins, which give rise to both the
scientific name and the
common name of the species. In the vegetative state, it closely resembles C. bigelowii, a species that usually grows at higher altitude. C. binervis was first described by
James Edward Smith in 1800, and is classified in
Carex sect. Spirostachyae; several
hybrids with other Carex species are known. (Full article...)
Image 4
A cereal is a
grass cultivated for its edible
grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore
staple foods. They include
rice,
wheat,
rye,
oats,
barley,
millet, and
maize. Edible grains from other plant families, such as
buckwheat and
quinoa are
pseudocereals. Most cereals are
annuals, producing one crop from each planting, though rice is sometimes grown as a
perennial. Winter varieties are hardy enough to be planted in the autumn, becoming dormant in the winter, and harvested in spring or early summer; spring varieties are planted in spring and harvested in late summer. The term cereal is derived from the name of the
Roman goddess of grain crops and fertility,
Ceres.
A display of commercially-grown
bulbs, including red and yellow cultivars.
An onion (Allium cepa L., from
Latincepa meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a
vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The
shallot is a
botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2011. Its close relatives include
garlic,
scallion,
leek, and
chive.
This genus also contains several other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion Allium fistulosum, the
tree onionAllium × proliferum, and the Canada onion Allium canadense. The name wild onion is applied to a number of Allium species, but A. cepa is exclusively known from cultivation. Its ancestral wild original form is not known, although escapes from cultivation have become established in some regions. The onion is most frequently a
biennial or a
perennial plant, but is usually treated as an
annual and harvested in its first growing season. (Full article...)
The name Fritillaria is thought to refer to the checkered pattern of F. meleagris, resembling a box in which
dice were carried. Fritillaries are commercially important in
horticulture as
ornamental garden plants and also in
traditional Chinese medicine, which is also endangering some species. Fritillaria flowers have been popular subjects for artists to depict and as emblems of regions and organizations. (Full article...)
Image 7
Mature kahikatea tree
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, commonly known as kahikatea (from
Māori) and white pine, is a
coniferous tree
endemic to
New Zealand. A
podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m over a life span of 600 years. It was first described botanically by the French botanist
Achille Richard in 1832 as Podocarpusdacrydioides, and was given its current
binomial nameDacrycarpus dacrydioides in 1969 by the American botanist
David de Laubenfels. Analysis of DNA has confirmed its evolutionary relationship with other species in the genera Dacrycarpus and Dacrydium.
In
Māori culture, it is an important source of timber for the building of
waka and making of tools, of food in the form of its berries, and of dye. Its use for timber and its damp fertile habitat, ideal for
dairy farming, have led to its decimation almost everywhere except
South Westland. (Full article...)
Image 8
Asplenium montanum, commonly known as the mountain spleenwort, is a small fern endemic to the eastern United States. It is found primarily in the
Appalachian Mountains from
Vermont to
Alabama, with a few isolated populations in the
Ozarks and in the
Ohio Valley. It grows in small crevices in
sandstone cliffs with highly acid soil, where it is usually the only
vascular plant occupying that
ecological niche. It can be recognized by its tufts of dark blue-green, highly divided leaves. The species was first
described in 1810 by the botanist
Carl Ludwig Willdenow. No subspecies have been described, although a discolored and highly dissected
form was reported from the
Shawangunk Mountains in 1974. Asplenium montanum is a diploid member of the "Appalachian Asplenium complex," a group of spleenwort species and hybrids which have formed by
reticulate evolution. Members of the complex descended from A. montanum are among the few other vascular plants that can tolerate its typical habitat. (Full article...)
Image 9
Dracophyllum arboreum, commonly known as Chatham Island grass tree and tarahinau (
Moriori), is a species of tree in the heath family
Ericaceae. Endemic to the
Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it reaches a height of 18 m (60 ft) and has leaves that differ between the juvenile and adult forms.
D. arboreum has wide light green leaves in its juvenile form, which become thin needles as it gains maturity. Flowering occurs from November through to February, yielding small white flowers which later become tiny brown fruit. It inhabits many different types of
vegetation communities from near sea level to 270 m (886 ft), including swamps, cliffs, bogs, and shrublands. It has a range restricted to three Islands some 800 km (497 mi) east of New Zealand: the
Chatham,
Pitt, and
Rangatira Islands. (Full article...)
First described in 1821 by
Jacques Choisy, the ambiguity of its original description meant that the species was often misidentified. Specimens were variously called H. elatum, H. anglicum, Androsaemum webbianum, and others. The species was placed into section Androsaemum of Hypericum by
Norman Robson in 1984, and it is most closely related in appearance and classification to the other species in the section, especially H. androsaemum, H. hircinum, and H. × inodorum. The species is not used in modern medical applications, but may have
anticancer potential and could be used to treat ear
edemas. (Full article...)
Durio graveolens, sometimes called the red-fleshed durian, orange-fleshed durian, or yellow durian, is a species of tree in the family
Malvaceae. It is one of six species of
durian named by Italian naturalist
Odoardo Beccari. The
specific epithetgraveolens ('strong smelling' or 'rank') is due to the odor. Although most species of Durio (most notably Durio dulcis) have a strong scent, the red-fleshed type of D. graveolens has a mild scent. It is native to Southeast Asia.
D. graveolens is an edible durian, perhaps the most popular 'wild' species of durian, and it is sold commercially regionally. However, its
congenerDurio zibethinus is the typical species eaten and dominates sales worldwide. (Full article...)
Image 12
A botanical garden or botanic garden is a
garden with a documented collection of living plants for the purpose of scientific research, conservation, display, and education. It is their mandate as a botanical garden that plants are labelled with their
botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as
cacti and other
succulent plants,
herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be
glasshouses or
shadehouses, again with special collections such as
tropicalplants,
alpine plants, or other
exotic plants that don't grow natively within that region.
Most are at least partly open to the public, and may offer guided tours, public programming such as workshops, courses, educational displays,
art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment. (Full article...)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (formerly Aster novae-angliae) is a
species of flowering plant in the aster
family (
Asteraceae)
native to central and eastern North America.
Commonly known as New England aster, hairy Michaelmas-daisy, or Michaelmas daisy, it is a
perennial,
herbaceous plant usually between 30 and 120 centimeters (1 and 4 feet) tall and 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) wide.
The usually deep purple flowers have up to 100
ray florets which are rarely pink or white. These surround the flower centers which are composed of just as many tiny yellow
disk florets. The plant grows naturally in clumps, with several erect
stems emerging from a single point. The stems are stout,
hairy, and mostly unbranched. The untoothed, lance-shaped leaves clasp the stem with earlobe-like appendages, and the lower stem leaves often wither by the time of flowering. (Full article...)
The book is organised chronologically and mainly describes the voyage from England to Tahiti, the time spent there, and the encounters with New Zealand and Australia. It contains Parkinson's vocabularies of several Pacific languages and also many plant names given by
Daniel Solander, but most of these have not been accepted as
botanical names. The book is illustrated by engravings based on Sydney Parkinson's drawings. It has been praised for its authenticity but criticised by botanists for the low quality of the botanical content. (Full article...)
Cicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a
genus of four species of highly
poisonous plants in the family
Apiaceae. They are
perennialherbaceous plants which grow up to 2.5 meters (8 ft) tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape (
umbel). Plants in this genus may also be referred to as cowbane or poison parsnip. Cicuta is native to
temperate regions of the
Northern Hemisphere, mainly
North America and
Europe, typically growing in
wet meadows, along streambanks and other wet and marshy areas. These plants bear a close resemblance to other members in the family Apiaceae and may be confused with a number of edible or poisonous plants. The common name hemlock may also be confused with poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), or with the
Hemlock tree.
Water hemlock is considered one of North America's most toxic plants, being highly poisonous to humans. Three members of the genus contain a
toxin named
cicutoxin which causes
central nervous system stimulatory effects including
seizures following ingestion. Medical treatment of poisoning may include the use of
activated charcoal to decrease
gastrointestinal absorption of the toxic principle along with supportive care including
anticonvulsant drugs such as a
benzodiazepine. High doses of anticonvulsant medicine are often required to halt seizure activity and further medical care including
intubation and
mechanical ventilation may be required. (Full article...)
The following are images from various plant-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Structure of
Azadirachtin, a terpenoid produced by the
Neem plant, which helps ward off microbes and insects. Many secondary metabolites have complex structures (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 2This is an electron micrograph of the epidermal cells of a Brassica chinensis leaf. The stomates are also visible. (from Plant cell)
Image 5A
late Siluriansporangium, artificially colored. Green: A spore tetrad. Blue: A spore bearing a trilete mark – the Y-shaped scar. The spores are about 30–35 μm across. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 7The fruit of Myristica fragrans, a species native to
Indonesia, is the source of two valuable spices, the red aril (
mace) enclosing the dark brown
nutmeg. (from Botany)
Image 9The trunk of early tree fern Psaronius, showing internal structure. The top of the plant would have been to the left of the image (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 10The Devonian marks the beginning of extensive land colonization by plants, which – through their effects on erosion and sedimentation – brought about significant climatic change. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 21The food we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants such as rice. (from Botany)
Image 22Micropropagation of transgenic plants (from Botany)
Image 23Thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, the first plant to have its genome sequenced, remains the most important model organism. (from Botany)
Image 241 An oat
coleoptile with the sun overhead.
Auxin (pink) is evenly distributed in its tip. 2 With the sun at an angle and only shining on one side of the shoot, auxin moves to the opposite side and stimulates
cell elongation there. 3 and 4 Extra growth on that side causes the shoot to
bend towards the sun. (from Botany)
Image 27A botanist preparing a plant specimen for mounting in the
herbarium (from Botany)
Image 28Echeveria glauca in a Connecticut greenhouse. Botany uses Latin names for identification; here, the specific name glauca means blue. (from Botany)
Image 29The
Linnaean Garden of Linnaeus' residence in Uppsala, Sweden, was planted according to his Systema sexuale. (from Botany)
Image 32A
banded tube from the Late Silurian/Early Devonian. The bands are difficult to see on this specimen, as an opaque carbonaceous coating conceals much of the tube. Bands are just visible in places on the left half of the image. Scale bar: 20 μm (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 33Leaf lamina. The megaphyllous
leaf architecture arose multiple times in different plant lineages (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 37The evolution of syncarps. a: sporangia borne at tips of leaf b: Leaf curls up to protect sporangia c: leaf curls to form enclosed roll d: grouping of three rolls into a syncarp (from Evolutionary history of plants)