8 Flora (asteroid) 8 Flora 8 Flora is a bright, S-type asteroid in the inner main belt and the largest member and namesake of the Flora family. It is one of the brightest and innermost large asteroids visibl…
Acacia — genus of shrubs and trees in the legume family Acacia Acacia is a diverse genus of leguminous shrubs and trees known for their yellow flower clusters, phyllodes in many Australian species, ecological roles, and uses in timber, gum and…
Acacia baileyana (Cootamundra wattle): description, origin, uses and impacts Acacia baileyana Acacia baileyana, the Cootamundra wattle, is a fast-growing Australian shrub or small tree valued for bright yellow flowers and shelter, but it can naturalize and become invasive o…
Acaena: a genus of low-growing plants in the rose family Acaena Acaena is a genus of perennial, often mat-forming plants in the Rosaceae family. Found mainly in the Southern Hemisphere, they are notable for pinnate leaves and burr-like seed hea…
Açaí palm (Euterpe): fruit, ecology, uses and cultivation Açaí palm Açaí palms (genus Euterpe) are tropical palms native to the Amazon. Their dark purple berries are used for juice, bowls and oil; the stems yield heart of palm. The species is econo…
Acanthaceae: the acanthus family of flowering plants Acanthaceae Acanthaceae is a mostly tropical family of about 230 genera and ~3,500 species of herbs, shrubs, vines and a few trees, noted for bilabiate flowers, showy bracts and explosive seed…
Acanthomintha — thornmints of the California flora Acanthomintha Acanthomintha is a small genus of mint-family annuals known as thornmints, endemic to the California Floristic Province; several species are rare or threatened and occupy specializ…
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum): description, habitat, uses and cultivation Acer saccharinum Acer saccharinum, the silver maple, is a fast‑growing North American tree noted for silver‑toned leaf undersides, tolerance of wet sites, rapid growth, and both landscape uses and…
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) Achillea millefolium Achillea millefolium, commonly called yarrow, is a widespread perennial herb in the daisy family, valued for its feathery leaves, flat flower clusters, traditional medicinal uses,…
Acinos — a small genus of aromatic Mediterranean plants Acinos Acinos is a small genus of aromatic, tufted annuals and short-lived perennials native to southern Europe and western Asia, valued for their flowers, fragrance and role in rock and…
Aconitum (aconite) — monkshood, wolfsbane and related species Aconitum Aconitum is a genus of about 250 species of perennial, often poisonous flowering plants in the buttercup family, known for hood-shaped flowers and historical medicinal and toxic us…
Acorales — the sweet flag order of flowering plants Acorales Acorales is a small order of flowering plants containing the single family Acoraceae and genus Acorus. It is the earliest-diverging lineage of monocots and includes aromatic, wetla…
Acorn: the nut-like fruit of oak trees — description, ecology and uses Acorn Overview of the acorn: structure, development, ecological importance for wildlife, human uses and processing, tannins and safety, and its role in oak regeneration and culture.
Acrocephalus (plant): a genus in the Lamiaceae family Acrocephalus (plant) Acrocephalus is a plant genus placed in the mint family (Lamiaceae), reported to include about 130 species. This entry outlines its traits, taxonomy, habitat, uses, and noteworthy…
Adansonia gregorii (boab): the Australian baobab Adansonia gregorii Adansonia gregorii, commonly called the boab, is the Australian baobab: a deciduous tree with a swollen bottle-shaped trunk, endemic to northern Australia and culturally important…
Aerial root Roots that develop above ground on stems, trunks or branches; adaptations in support, gas exchange and water uptake found in figs, orchids, mangroves and climbing plants.
Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye): description, range, and significance Aesculus glabra Aesculus glabra, the Ohio buckeye, is a medium deciduous tree of eastern North America known for palmate leaves, spring flower spikes and glossy brown buckeye seeds; culturally imp…
Agastache — genus of aromatic perennial herbs Agastache Agastache is a small genus of aromatic perennial herbs in the mint family, native mainly to North America with one species in eastern Asia. Valued for scented foliage, nectar-rich…
Agathis (kauri): evergreen conifer genus of the southern hemisphere Agathis Agathis is a small genus of large evergreen conifers (kauri) in the Araucariaceae family, native to Southeast Asia, the western Pacific and Australasia, valued for timber, resin an…
Agavaceae: the agave and related plant family Agavaceae Agavaceae is a group of mostly perennial, rosette-forming flowering plants adapted to warm, dry regions. Members include agaves, yuccas and Joshua tree; taxonomy and circumscriptio…
Agave: succulent genus native to Mexico and the southwestern United States Agave Agave is a group of long-lived succulent plants native to the Americas, known for rosettes of thick leaves, a single flowering event, and uses ranging from beverages (tequila, pulq…
Agave deserti — the desert agave Agave deserti Agave deserti, the desert agave, is a rosette-forming succulent native to the deserts of southern California, Arizona and Baja California, valued for its drought adaptations and tr…
Aggregate fruit: formation, types, and distinctions Aggregate fruit Aggregate fruits form when a single flower with multiple ovaries matures into a compound fruit. This article explains how they develop, examples, accessory forms, and how they diff…
Aglaonema — Chinese evergreen, a tropical foliage plant genus Aglaonema Aglaonema, or Chinese evergreen, is a genus of about 40 tropical foliage species (Araceae) from Southeast Asia. Valued as hardy, low-light houseplants with many variegated cultivar…
Aglaophyton — an early Devonian land plant (Aglaophyton major) Aglaophyton Aglaophyton is an early Devonian fossil plant known from the Rhynie chert. Only the sporophyte of a single species, Aglaophyton major, is preserved; its anatomy sheds light on the…
Alburnoides bipunctatus — European spirlin: description, habitat, and conservation Alburnoides bipunctatus Overview of Alburnoides bipunctatus (European spirlin): identification, habitat, range, diet, spawning behavior and conservation concerns for riverine populations across Europe and…
Alder (Alnus): ecology, identification, uses and notable species Alder Alders (genus Alnus) are temperate trees and shrubs in the birch family; they stabilize wet soils, host nitrogen‑fixing bacteria, provide early pollen for insects, and supply versa…
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa): biology, cultivation and uses Alfalfa Comprehensive overview of alfalfa (Medicago sativa): its characteristics, origin, cultivation, livestock and soil uses, varieties, and ecological importance.
Alismatales: an order of aquatic and marsh monocots Alismatales Alismatales is an order of predominantly aquatic and marsh-dwelling monocot flowering plants, comprising roughly 14 families. They are important ecologically and include water-plan…
Alliaceae — the onion family (Allioideae) Alliaceae Alliaceae traditionally denotes the onion family: bulbous, often pungent flowering plants in the order Asparagales, including onions, garlic and ornamental alliums; now commonly tr…
Allium — the onion genus: garlic, onions, leeks and chives Allium Allium is a large genus of bulbous flowering plants (family Amaryllidaceae) that includes onions, garlic, leeks and chives. Species are important for food, ornament and traditional…
Almond (Prunus dulcis): description, cultivation, uses and history Almond Almond (Prunus dulcis) is the seed of a small deciduous tree valued worldwide for its edible kernels, oil and culinary uses. Native to Iran and nearby regions, it thrives in Medite…
Aloe (genus of succulent plants) Aloe Aloe is a genus of succulent plants with roughly 500 species. Known for fleshy, gel-filled leaves and tubular flowers, species are cultivated for ornament, traditional medicine, an…
Aloe vera: overview, characteristics, uses, cultivation and safety Aloe vera Aloe vera is a succulent plant widely grown for its fleshy leaves and inner gel; used in cosmetics, food and traditional medicine. This article covers its traits, history, uses, cu…
Amaranth (Amaranthus): Overview, Uses, and Cultivation Amaranth Amaranth is a genus of about 60 herb species grown worldwide for grain, leafy greens, and ornamental flowers. This article summarizes identification, taxonomy, cultivation, uses, n…
Amaranthaceae (amaranth family) Amaranthaceae A cosmopolitan family of flowering plants—about 160 genera and 2,400 species—mostly herbs or subshrubs; includes food crops (amaranth, quinoa), ornamentals, halophytes and many spe…
Amaryllidaceae — the amaryllis family of flowering plants Amaryllidaceae Amaryllidaceae is a family of mostly bulbous monocot flowering plants that includes daffodils, amaryllis, snowdrops and, in modern classifications, the onion group; important ornam…
Amborella: the basal living angiosperm endemic to New Caledonia Amborella Amborella trichopoda is the sole species of Amborellaceae, an evergreen understory shrub native to New Caledonia and an important reference for the earliest flowering-plant lineage…
Amborellaceae: Amborella trichopoda and the basal lineage of flowering plants Amborellaceae A monotypic family of evergreen shrubs endemic to New Caledonia. Amborellaceae contains Amborella trichopoda, a key taxon for understanding early angiosperm evolution and unique xy…
Amygdaloideae — Rosaceae subfamily including stone fruits and pomes Amygdaloideae Amygdaloideae is a subfamily of Rosaceae that includes classic stone fruits (plums, peaches, almonds) and expanded groups such as pomes (apples) and many ornamentals after modern r…
Anacardiaceae — the cashew and sumac family Anacardiaceae Anacardiaceae is a family of flowering woody plants (about 70 genera, 650 species) including cashew, mango and pistachio. Many are tropical, economically important, and produce res…
Anaphalis — pearly everlasting, a genus of Asteraceae Anaphalis Anaphalis, or pearly everlasting, is a genus of about 110 herbaceous species in the daisy family (Asteraceae), native mainly to Asia with a single widespread North American species…
Andasol Solar Power Station: a parabolic trough solar thermal complex in Andalusia Andasol Solar Power Station Andasol is a concentrated solar power complex near Guadix, Spain, using parabolic troughs and molten-salt thermal storage to deliver dispatchable renewable electricity with a 50 MW…
Anemone coronaria — the poppy anemone of the Mediterranean Anemone coronaria Anemone coronaria is a tuberous perennial from the Mediterranean, prized for brightly coloured cup-shaped flowers. Widely cultivated, it has many garden cultivars and is the nation…
Angelica (genus of aromatic flowering plants) Angelica Angelica is a small genus of tall, aromatic biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, used culinarily…
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG): Molecular-Based Classification of Flowering Plants Angiosperm Phylogeny Group Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG): an international botanist collaboration using molecular phylogenetics to develop consensus, evolution-based classifications of flowering plants, u…
Anise (Pimpinella anisum): plant, flavor, history and uses Anise Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an aromatic annual herb of the Apiaceae family, valued for its licorice-like seeds used in cooking, liqueurs, traditional medicine and perfumery; nativ…
Annonaceae — the custard-apple family of tropical flowering plants Annonaceae Annonaceae is a large, mostly tropical family of flowering plants (Magnoliales) that includes custard-apples, ylang-ylang and pawpaw; important for fruits, timber, aromatic oils an…
