Purple Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)

Purple Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus. The plant is a biennial belonging to the same family of plants as chicory and dandelion. It is grown as an annual with culture similar to that for parsnips or carrots. The long, slender, pointed, smooth, flat leaves are about 1 inch in diameter at the crown and are 10-12 inches long. Roots are 8-12 inches long, cylindrical, 1 inch or less in diameter, and salmon or brown in colour. Older roots possess a white, milky white sap.

It is grown for the edible root which has a flavour like that of oysters. The plant has also been used in herbalism, also since classical times, and is claimed to have beneficial effects on the liver and gall bladder. The root is regarded as a diuretic.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Asterales
Family : Asteraceae
Genus : Tragopogon
Species : Tragopogon porrifolius

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ay) - The Aster (daisy) family; formerly Compositae.
• Tragopogon (tra-go-POH-gon) - Goat’s beard.
• porrifolius (po-ree-FOH-lee-us) - Leek-like leaves.

Common Names:

• Purple Salsify, Common Salsify, Goat’s Beard Salsify, Oyster Plant, Vegetable Oyster, Wild Quinine

Links:

• Plants for a future - Purple Salsify
• University of Florida : IFAS Extension - Purple Salsify

Image Courtesy of Manuel M. Ramos.

Cockle-Shell Orchid (Prosthechea cochleata)

Cockle-Shell Orchid (Prosthechea cochleata syn. Encyclia cochleata, Anacheilium cochleatum, Epidendrum cochleatum) is an epiphytic, sympodial New World orchid native to Central America, the West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Florida. Each oblong discoid pseudobulb bears one or two linear non succulent leaves. The flowers are unusual in that though the labellum is usually below the column in the orchids, in the members of Prosthechea the labellum forms a “hood” over the column. This makes the flower effectively upside down, or resupinate.

P. cochleata is common in cultivation, and is valued for its uniquely shaped and long-lasting flowers on continually growing racemes. Several hybrids have been produced with this species, including the popular Prosyclia Green Hornet. It is the national flower of Belize, where it is known as the Black Orchid.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Order : Asparagales
Family : Orchidaceae
Subfamily : Epidendroideae
Tribe : Epidendreae
Subtribe : Laeliinae
Alliance : Epidendrum
Genus : Prosthechea
Species : Prosthechea cochleata

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Orchidaceae (or-kid-AY-see-ay) - The Orchid family, from the Latin orchis.
• Prosthechea (pros-THEE-kee-ah) - From the Greek prostheke (appendix), referring to the appendage on the back of the gynostemium.
• cochleata (kok-lee-AY-tuh) - From the Greek, meaning to twist or spiral.

Common Names:

• Cockle-Shell Orchid, Black Orchid, Clamshell Orchid, Green Squid Orchid

Links:

• Orchids Wiki - Cockle-Shell Orchid

Image Courtesy of Donnie (pitik101).

Turquoise Puya (Puya berteroniana)

Turquoise Puya (Puya berteroniana) is a terrestrial Bromeliad from the mountains of Chile. It forms a rosette of silvery-green leaves that stand about 3 feet tall. The leaves are spiny, the flower stalks themselves are soft, and the flowers are silky-smooth. Unlike the tree-dwelling Bromeliads, Puya has fully-functional roots and grows in soil, much like a cactus or succulent. Eventually it will form a large stand of offshoots. Each spring, this Pineapple relative sends up a massive flower stalk 6 feet tall and over a foot wide, covered with the most amazing flowers.

The 2 inch blooms are emerald-turquoise, and have bright orange anthers that contrast perfectly with the petals. The turquoise colour is extremely rare in the plant world, and it’s even rarer to be combined with orange.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Order : Poales
Family : Bromeliaceae
Subfamily : Pitcairnioideae
Genus : Puya
Species : Puya berteroniana

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Bromeliaceae (bro-mee-lee-AY-see-ee) -The Bromelia (bromeliad) family, named for Olof (or Olaf) Bromel, 17th century Swedish botanist.
• Puya (POO-yuh) - The Chilean vernacular name.
• berteroniana (ber-ter-oh-AY-nee-AY-na) - Named for Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, 19th century Italian physician and botanist; he was drowned during his travels.

Common Names:

• Turquoise Puya, Blue Puya

Links:

• Strange Wonderful Things - Turquoise Puya

Image Courtesy of Nhu Nguyen.

Hill Turmeric (Curcuma pseudomontana)

Hill Turmeric (Curcuma pseudomontana) is an erect herb, growing to 75 cm tall, found on moist, shaded areas of wet forests and along sluggish grassy slopes of higher altitude. It has stout rootstock bearing small almond like sub-globose tubers at the ends of the_fibrous roots. The tubers are fleshy and white inside, aromatic. The leaves are 3-5, oblong-lance like, base acute, tip sharp, margin entire, hairless; shiny; leaf stalk and the leaf sheath up to 20 cm long. Flowering spikes seen in the centre of the previously formed tuft of leaves, 10-25 cm long, bearing numerous compactly arranged flowers; flowering bracts conspicuous, inverted egg shaped to lance like, apex rounded to acute, hairless; green with a pinktip.

The Savara tribes in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh use tuber extracts to cure jaundice. Jatapu and Kaya tribes apply warm tuber paste to treat body swellings. Women of Jatapu and Savara tribes eat boiled tubers to increase lactation. Khand tribes apply tuber paste on the head for cooling effect.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Subfamily: Zingiberoideae
Tribe: Zingibereae
Genus: Curcuma
Species: Curcuma pseudomontana

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Curcuma (KER-koo-muh) - From the Arabic kurkum, meaning saffron.
• pseudomontana (SOO-doh-MON-tah-nuh) - From the Greek pseudo (false) and montana (mountain).

Common Names:

• Hill Turmeric (English)
• Kachura (Hindi)
• Raan Halad, Sindarbar, Shindalvan (Marathi)
• Kattu manjal (Tamil, Malayalam)
• Adavi Pasupu (Telugu)

Links:

• Flowers of India - Hill Turmeric

Image Courtesy of Dinesh Valke.

Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major)

Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major) is a fast growing herbaceous perennial ground cover with evergreen foliage and pretty blue flowers. The leaves are in pairs opposite each other along the stems; they are 5-8 cm long and oval or heart shaped. The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils on ascending stems. They are blue-violet, funnel shaped with five petals and about 5 cm across. It flowers profusely all spring and sporadically throughout the summer. The closely related species Vinca minor is similar but smaller, with narrower, hairless leaves.

Greater periwinkle is a excellent ground cover which fills in rapidly and vigorously if provided with moist soil. It is also a great plant for hanging containers or window boxes which allow the glossy foliage to cascade over the sides.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Gentianales
Family : Apocynaceae
Genus : Vinca
Species : Vinca major

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Apocynaceae (a-pos-ih-NAY-see-ay) - Family name for the dogbane family; from the Greek apo (away from or away with) and kuon (dog).
• Vinca (VIN-kuh) - To bind.
• major (MAY-jor) - Larger.

Common Names:

• Greater Periwinkle, Large periwinkle, Big Periwinkle, Vinca, Sorcerer’s violet, Big Leaf Periwinkle, Blue buttons

Links:

• Floridata - Greater Periwinkle
• Missouri Plants - Greater Periwinkle

Image Courtesy of Carron Brown.