Rye (Secale cereale): grain, cultivation, uses and history Rye Rye (Secale cereale) is a hardy cereal of the grass family grown for grain, forage, flour and spirits. It tolerates poor soils and cool climates and is important in bread, distille…
Sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) — the bodhi or peepal tree Sacred fig Ficus religiosa, the sacred fig or bodhi tree, is a fig species native to South and Southeast Asia. Revered in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it is noted for its strangler growth,…
Saintpaulia (African violets): overview, care, and varieties Saintpaulia Saintpaulia, known as African violets, are small perennial houseplants from East African cloud forests, valued for fuzzy rosettes and long-lasting blooms. Widely cultivated with ma…
Salak (Salacca zalacca) — snake fruit of Southeast Asia Salak Salak, or snake fruit (Salacca zalacca), is a scaly‑skinned palm fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is eaten fresh, preserved, and used locally in food and traditional remedies; ma…
Salal (Gaultheria shallon): description, distribution, uses and ecology Salal Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is an evergreen shrub native to western North America, known for leathery foliage, edible berries, use in floristry, traditional medicinal roles, and its…
Salicaceae: the willow and poplar family of temperate flowering plants Salicaceae Overview of Salicaceae: morphology, reproduction, taxonomy, ecology, uses and identification of willows (Salix), poplars (Populus) and related genera.
Salicornia: the glassworts — salt-tolerant succulents of coasts and marshes Salicornia Salicornia is a group of succulent, salt-tolerant plants found in coastal and saline inland habitats; they have culinary uses, historical industrial value, and growing interest for…
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis): appearance, habitat, and uses Salmonberry Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) is a bramble of the rose family native to western North America. It produces red to orange aggregate fruits, grows in moist forests, and is used for…
Salvia — the sage genus of the mint family Salvia Salvia is a large genus of aromatic flowering plants in the mint family, including culinary sage and many ornamental species valued for foliage, flowers, and pollinator attraction.
Salvia pratensis (Meadow Clary): description, habitat and uses Salvia pratensis Salvia pratensis is a perennial wild sage native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa, known for its blue-purple bilabiate flowers, opposite leaves, meadow habitats, and use in…
Sambucus (Elder, Elderberry): overview, characteristics, uses and history Sambucus Sambucus, commonly called elder or elderberry, is a genus of shrubs and small trees in Adoxaceae. This article covers its traits, notable species, traditional uses, modern research…
Sandalwood: species, uses, history and conservation Sandalwood Sandalwood is fragrant heartwood and its oil, valued for perfume, ritual, carving and medicine; derived mainly from Santalum species across India, Australia, Indonesia and the Paci…
Santalaceae — the sandalwood and mistletoe family Santalaceae Santalaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Santalales. Many members are hemiparasitic and include familiar plants such as sandalwoods and several mistletoe lineages w…
Santalales: the order of parasitic flowering plants Santalales Santalales is an order of flowering plants whose members are partially or wholly parasitic. It contains about eight families, 151 genera and roughly 1,000 species, including mistle…
Sapindaceae (soapberry family) Sapindaceae Sapindaceae, the soapberry family, is a diverse group of flowering plants including maples, horse chestnuts, lychee and longan; important ecologically and economically across tropi…
Sapindales: order of flowering plants Sapindales Sapindales is an order of mostly woody flowering plants that includes citrus, maples, mango, cashew, lychee, frankincense and mahogany; important for fruit, timber, resins and orna…
Sapotaceae: pantropical family of evergreen trees and shrubs Sapotaceae Sapotaceae is a pantropical family of about 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, including the shea tree and sapodilla, valued for fruits, timber, latex and plant fats.
Sapote: varieties, origins, cultivation and culinary uses Sapote Sapote denotes several soft, edible tropical fruits from different botanical families native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America, used fresh, in desserts, and in…
Sarcostemma clausum (white vine) — description, habitat, and notes Sarcostemma clausum Sarcostemma clausum, commonly called white vine or white twinevine, is a leafless, twining milkweed relative native to the southeastern United States (including Florida and parts o…
Sargassum — free‑floating brown algae and its ecological role Sargassum Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae, including free‑floating species that form rafts in the Atlantic's Sargasso Sea and coastal blooms. It provides habitat but can also create…
Sarracenia — North American trumpet pitcher plants Sarracenia Sarracenia is a genus of carnivorous, pitcher-forming plants native to eastern North America. This article covers their appearance, habitat, ecology, cultivation and conservation.
Sarracenia purpurea — the purple pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea Encyclopedic entry on Sarracenia purpurea: appearance, trapping mechanism, distribution, ecology, traditional uses, cultivation, propagation and conservation notes.
Sarsaparilla (Smilax regelii): plant, traditional uses, and beverages Sarsaparilla Sarsaparilla (Smilax regelii) is a tropical perennial vine whose aromatic roots have been used as a flavoring and in traditional remedies; source of historical sarsaparilla and rel…
Sassafras Sassafras is a small genus of aromatic deciduous trees in the laurel family, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia, known for distinctive leaves, culinary use, and an es…
Savory (Satureja): aromatic herbs of the mint family Savory (herb) Savory (genus Satureja) is a group of aromatic Mediterranean herbs in the Lamiaceae family, used as culinary seasonings, traditional remedies, and ornamentals. Summer and winter sa…
Saxifragaceae (saxifrage family) Saxifragaceae A temperate family of mostly herbaceous flowering plants, often alpine or rock-dwelling, with about 36 genera and roughly 460 species. Includes familiar ornamental genera such as S…
Saxifragales: an order of flowering plants Saxifragales Saxifragales is an order of primarily temperate flowering plants that unites several diverse families — including saxifrages, peonies and stonecrops — important in horticulture and…
Schefflera actinophylla — the umbrella tree Schefflera actinophylla Schefflera actinophylla, called umbrella or octopus tree, is a tropical Araliaceae tree grown as a large houseplant and ornamental; native to Australia, New Guinea and Java and oft…
Schinus (pepper trees): overview, species, uses and ecological notes Schinus Schinus is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), commonly called pepper trees. They are valued as ornamentals and for 'pink peppercorns', but some speci…
Schinus areira — pepper tree (Anacardiaceae) Schinus areira Schinus areira is an evergreen ornamental tree in the cashew family, grown for shade and berries; valued in landscaping but regarded as invasive in some regions where bird-disperse…
Schizanthus (butterfly flower): description, species, cultivation and notable facts Schizanthus Schizanthus, commonly called butterfly flower, is a small genus of ornamental plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). This article covers appearance, species, origin, cultiva…
Schlumbergera: the holiday cacti genus and its cultivation Schlumbergera Schlumbergera is a small genus of epiphytic cacti from southeastern Brazil, widely grown as holiday houseplants for their showy winter blooms and numerous cultivars.
Sciadopitys (Japanese umbrella-pine) Sciadopitys Sciadopitys, the Japanese umbrella-pine, is the sole living member of Sciadopityaceae; an endemic, morphologically distinctive conifer valued for horticulture and noted in the foss…
Sclerophyll — hard‑leaved vegetation adapted to dry, nutrient‑poor climates Sclerophyll Sclerophyll denotes plants with hard, leathery leaves and short internodes, adapted to Mediterranean-type climates with dry summers, low-nutrient soils and frequent fire. Found wor…
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris): description, distribution, ecology and uses Scots pine Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a widely distributed Eurasian conifer, valued for timber, habitat value and adaptability across boreal and montane landscapes from western Europe t…
Scrophulariaceae: the figwort family Scrophulariaceae A family of flowering plants historically known as the figworts. Mostly temperate herbs with zygomorphic flowers; modern molecular studies have narrowed its scope and reclassified…
Scrubland: ecology, types, and importance Scrubland Scrubland is a plant community dominated by low shrubs intermixed with grasses and herbs. This article explains its characteristics, origins, ecological roles, regional types, mana…
Seagrass (marine flowering plants) Sea grass Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that form underwater meadows on continental shelves. They stabilize sediment, sequester carbon, provide habitat and food for many animals, an…
Seaweed: types, ecology, uses, and cultural importance Seaweed Overview of seaweed—marine macroalgae groups, physical traits, ecological roles, common uses in food and industry, and notable cultural and environmental significance.
Seed (botany): structure, germination, and ecological importance Seed A seed is the reproductive unit of seed plants, containing an embryo, stored nutrients and a protective coat. Seeds enable dormancy, dispersal and germination and are central to ec…
Seed dispersal: mechanisms, history, and ecological importance Seed dispersal Comprehensive overview of seed dispersal: main mechanisms, evolutionary history, ecological roles, research methods, and conservation implications, with examples and links to relat…
Seed fern (Pteridospermatophyta): extinct seed-bearing plants with fern-like foliage Seed fern Seed ferns were several groups of extinct seed plants with fern-like leaves. They arose in the Late Devonian, peaked in the Carboniferous–Permian, and largely disappeared by the en…
Seed plants (Spermatophytes): overview, structure, classification, and history Seed plants Seed plants (spermatophytes) are land plants that form seeds. This article explains seed structure, major living groups, evolutionary history, and their ecological and economic imp…
Seedling: the early stage of a plant's life Seedling A seedling is a young plant that emerges from a germinated seed. This article explains its anatomy, growth requirements, common types (e.g., maize, pine), uses in agriculture and f…
Senna (herb): botany, uses, cultivation, and taxonomy Senna (herb) Senna is a large genus of leguminous flowering plants used ornamentally and medicinally; this article covers its characteristics, history, cultivation, uses and important taxonomic…
Sepal (botany) Sepal A sepal is one of the outer floral organs that usually form a green, leaf-like whorl (the calyx), protecting buds and sometimes assisting in pollination, fruiting, or photosynthesi…
Sequoia and Sequoyah: redwood trees, the Cherokee scholar, and modern namesakes Sequoia Overview of Sequoia and Sequoyah: the towering redwood genera and giant sequoias, the Cherokee scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary, and modern parks, companies, vehicles and…
Sesame (Sesamum indicum): plant, seeds, uses and cultivation Sesame Sesame is an ancient oilseed crop grown for its nutrient-rich seeds and oil. This article explains its botany, history, culinary and industrial uses, cultivation, nutrition, and he…
