Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen): description, habitat and cultivation Cyclamen persicum Overview of Cyclamen persicum (Persian cyclamen): identification, native eastern Mediterranean habitat, and practical cultivation and care tips for garden and houseplant growers.
Cymbidium (boat orchids) — description, cultivation and uses Cymbidium Cymbidium is a genus of orchids native to Asia and Australia, known for long-lasting, showy flowers and pseudobulbs. About fifty species and many hybrids are grown for floristry an…
Cymbopogon (lemongrass): overview, characteristics, uses and notable species Cymbopogon Cymbopogon, commonly called lemongrass or citronella grass, is a genus of aromatic perennial grasses used in cooking, traditional medicine, and essential-oil production across trop…
Cynanchum laeve (Honeyvine Milkweed) — description, habitat, and notes Cynanchum laeve Cynanchum laeve, commonly called honeyvine or sand vine, is a native North American twining milkweed vine. This article covers identification, habitat, bloom period, ecology, and m…
Cyperaceae (Sedges): overview, identification, diversity, ecology and uses Cyperaceae Cyperaceae, the sedge family, is a large group of grass-like monocots (~5,500 species) that dominate many wetlands. Key genera include Carex and Cyperus; species are important ecol…
Cyperus papyrus — the papyrus sedge and its historical uses Cyperus papyrus Cyperus papyrus is a tall perennial sedge native to Africa, best known for producing ancient papyrus paper. It grows in marshes and shallow water, and has been used for mats, rope,…
Cypress — trees of the Cupressaceae family Cypress Cypress refers to several genera of coniferous trees in the family Cupressaceae, valued for timber, ornament, and ecology; includes true and false cypresses and species adapted to…
Cypripedioideae (lady's slipper orchids) Cypripedioideae Subfamily of orchids known as lady's slipper orchids, notable for a slipper-shaped labellum that traps pollinators; includes several genera, distinct floral anatomy, and conservati…
Cypripedium reginae (Showy Lady's-slipper) Cypripedium reginae A temperate North American terrestrial orchid with large white and pink slipper-shaped flowers; noted for its distinctive pouch, specialized pollination, and conservation concerns.
Cyprus cedar (Cedrus brevifolia): description, habitat, and significance Cyprus cedar An encyclopedic overview of the Cyprus cedar (Cedrus brevifolia): appearance, taxonomy, natural range in the Troödos Mountains, ecology, cultivation, and conservation consideration…
D'Anjou pear: varieties, characteristics, history and culinary uses D'Anjou D'Anjou is a widely grown pear cultivar originating in the Anjou region of France. This article describes its varieties, appearance, flavor, storage, cultivation and common culinar…
Dahlia — Tuberous flowering plants of the Asteraceae family Dahlia Dahlias are tuberous perennial plants, native to Mexico and parts of Central and South America, prized for large, colorful blooms and many cultivated varieties used in gardens and…
Daisy Common name for several flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, featuring a composite flower head with central disc florets and peripheral ray florets; widely cultivated, symbol…
Damson (plum): characteristics, history and culinary uses Damson Damson is a small, tart European plum variety used for jams, jellies and liqueurs. It belongs to the Rosaceae family and is valued for firm flesh, deep color, and high pectin conte…
Dandelion (Taraxacum): description, ecology, uses and reproduction Dandelion Dandelion (genus Taraxacum) is a widespread flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. This article covers appearance, distribution, reproduction, uses, history and notable facts.
Dasypogonaceae: a small family of Australian flowering plants Dasypogonaceae Dasypogonaceae is a small, endemic Australian family of monocot flowering plants (about 16 species in four genera). Its circumscription and placement have been debated by taxonomis…
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Date palm A comprehensive overview of the date palm — its botany, cultivation, uses, historical importance and key varieties. Covers structure, propagation, harvest stages, economic role and…
Datura stramonium (jimson weed): description, chemistry, uses and risks Datura stramonium Datura stramonium, jimson weed, is a toxic annual in the nightshade family known for spiny seed capsules and tropane alkaloids. It has historical medicinal and ritual uses but can…
Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) Dawn redwood A deciduous conifer native to China, Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a fast-growing 'living fossil' prized in cultivation but still rare in the wild and subject to conservation eff…
Daylily (Hemerocallis): garden perennial and edible flower Daylily Perennial Hemerocallis plants prized for showy short-lived blooms, wide cultivar range, easy cultivation, use in gardens and some culinary traditions; notes on care, pests and safe…
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna): overview, characteristics, and uses Deadly nightshade Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) is a poisonous perennial plant known for its dark berries and anticholinergic alkaloids; historically used in medicine and cosmetics but hazar…
Deciduous: Meaning, plant behavior, teeth, and ecological importance Deciduous Deciduous describes organisms that shed parts seasonally—commonly trees and shrubs losing leaves—or temporary structures such as childhood teeth. Covers causes, types, roles, and n…
Defence against herbivory Overview of plant defences that reduce damage from herbivores, covering chemical, physical, phenological and mutualistic strategies, evolutionary origins, and agricultural importan…
Defoliant (leaf‑removing chemical agents) Defoliant A defoliant is a chemical formulated to cause plants to lose their leaves. Used in agriculture, forestry and historically in military operations, defoliants vary in chemistry, effe…
Dendrobium — overview of the large orchid genus Dendrobium Dendrobium is a diverse genus of orchids with around 1,000 species native to the Eastern Hemisphere. This article covers its traits, distribution, cultivation, uses and conservatio…
Dermatophyllum (mescalbean): overview, identification, taxonomy and uses Dermatophyllum Dermatophyllum, commonly called mescalbean, is a small genus of shrubs and trees in the pea family. This article summarizes its appearance, taxonomy, distribution, uses and importa…
Dianthus — carnations, pinks and Sweet William Dianthus Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, valued for their fragrant, often fringed flowers and widely cultivated as garden and cut…
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) — the small grass pink wildflower Dianthus armeria Dianthus armeria, commonly Deptford or grass pink, is a small annual or biennial in the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae). Native to Europe, it is grown ornamentally and has natur…
Dianthus superbus (Large Pink): description, habitat, cultivation, and uses Dianthus superbus Dianthus superbus, the Large Pink, is a fragrant perennial wildflower of the pink family, native to Europe and northern Asia, valued in gardens and declining in some regions due to…
Dicotyledon (dicot): historical group and modern understanding Dicotyledon Dicotyledons (dicots) were a traditional grouping of flowering plants with two seed leaves. Molecular studies split them into several lineages; the eudicots form the largest monoph…
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) — tropical ornamental houseplant Dieffenbachia Dieffenbachia is a genus of tropical aroids grown for large, patterned leaves. Shade-tolerant houseplants notable for decorative foliage, simple care, and sap that can irritate ski…
Digitalis (foxgloves): botany, medicinal compounds, cultivation and risks Digitalis Digitalis, commonly called foxglove, is a small genus of flowering plants used ornamentally and medicinally; they produce cardiac glycosides (e.g., digoxin) and are highly toxic if…
Dill (Anethum graveolens): description, cultivation, and culinary uses Dill Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a feathery annual herb in the carrot family, grown for its aromatic leaves and seeds and used widely in cooking, pickling, and traditional remedies.
Dioscoreales Dioscoreales is an order of monocot flowering plants that includes yams and several families of mainly herbaceous or mycoheterotrophic plants, notable for tubers, steroidal compoun…
Diospyros: ebony and persimmon trees — overview, characteristics and uses Diospyros Diospyros is a genus of about 450–500 trees and shrubs including ebony and persimmon species, valued for dense timber, edible fruit and ornamental planting across tropical and some…
Dipsacaceae (teasel family): overview, characteristics and taxonomy Dipsacaceae Dipsacaceae, traditionally the teasel family, comprised temperate perennial and biennial herbs and shrubs. Modern systems place its genera within an expanded Caprifoliaceae; famili…
Dipsacus fullonum (Fuller's Teasel) Dipsacus fullonum Dipsacus fullonum, or Fuller's Teasel, is a biennial wildflower native to Eurasia and North Africa known for spiny seedheads used historically in textile fulling and valued in wild…
Division (botany): the taxonomic rank equivalent to phylum Division (botany) In botany, a division is a high-level taxonomic rank equivalent to the zoological phylum. This article explains its meaning, naming conventions, history, examples, and how it diffe…
Dodder (Cuscuta): a parasitic flowering plant genus Dodder Dodder (Cuscuta) is a genus of about 100–170 species of obligate parasitic flowering plants. This article summarizes appearance, life cycle, taxonomy, distribution, ecological effe…
Dracaena — overview, species, cultivation and uses Dracaena (plant) Dracaena is a small genus of woody trees and succulent shrubs known for ornamental houseplants like 'lucky bamboo' and large dragon trees native to tropical regions.
Dracaena sanderiana (Lucky Bamboo): description, cultivation, and uses Dracaena sanderiana A concise encyclopedia entry on Dracaena sanderiana (Lucky Bamboo): its appearance, origin, cultivation, uses in interiors and feng shui, propagation, and how it differs from true…
Dracophyllum — grass-tree shrubs and trees of the southern hemisphere Dracophyllum Dracophyllum is a genus of over 60 evergreen shrubs and trees (family Ericaceae) native to New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia and nearby Pacific islands, noted for long grass‑li…
Dracunculus (dragon arum): appearance, range, and cultivation Dracunculus Dracunculus is a small genus of tuberous arums notable for a large purple spathe and foul odor; grown for dramatic flowers and foliage in Mediterranean climates and gardens.
Drimys winteri — Winter's bark (canelo): description, ecology and uses Drimys winteri Drimys winteri, called Winter's bark or canelo, is an evergreen tree of southern South America valued for its fragrant foliage, showy flowers, cultural importance to the Mapuche, a…
Drosera (sundews): sticky-leaved carnivorous plants Drosera Drosera, commonly called sundews, are a widespread genus of carnivorous plants that trap insects with sticky mucilage on glandular hairs. Overview, traits, distribution, life cycle…
Droseraceae — the sundew family of carnivorous flowering plants Droseraceae Droseraceae is a small family of carnivorous flowering plants including sundews, the Venus flytrap and aquatic relatives, adapted to nutrient-poor habitats and valued for study and…
Dryadoideae: a nitrogen‑fixing subfamily of the rose family Dryadoideae Dryadoideae is a small subfamily of Rosaceae comprising four genera of subshrubs, shrubs, or small trees that form symbioses with Frankia bacteria and produce achenes or aggregates…
Dryas (plant): arctic–alpine mat-forming shrubs Dryas (plant) Dryas is a small genus of mat-forming shrubs in the rose family, native to cold arctic and alpine regions. Noted for low growth, showy flowers and importance in ecology and palaeoe…
