Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey (mostly insects and arachnids). The trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant’s leaves. The plant’s name refers to Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

The Venus flytrap is perhaps one of the best-known and most awesome plants. Its leaves are modified in an extraordinary way in order to feed on insects, although it does still obtain energy from the sun. The plant is an innocuous looking rosette, but the leaf blades terminate in distinctive bivalve traps with sharply toothed edges. The outside of the traps is generally green whilst the insides have red pigment that varies in shade depending on the age of the trap; on the edge of each lobe there are 14-20 teeth that point radially from the trap. The flower stalk is devoid of leaves (known as a scape) and can reach up to 30 cm tall. In season, small white flowers are born with faint green veins; the seed capsules are flat and contain a single, shiny black seed.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Caryophyllales
Family : Droseraceae
Genus : Dionaea
Species : Dionaea muscipula

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Dionaea (dy-OH-nee-uh) - From the Greek name for Venus.
• muscipula (musk-ip-oola) - Fly catching.

Common Names:

• Venus Flytrap

Links:

• Arkive - Venus Flytrap
• How to grow a Venus Flytrap
• How to grow Venus Flytrap

Image Courtesy of David Midgley (petrichor).

Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)

The Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) more often known simply as the “Jacaranda”, is a sub-tropical tree native to South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting blue flowers. The Jacarandas are impressive trees in May when covered with clusters of blue tubular flowers. The ground below them turns rapidly blue, and some gardeners might object to that quantity of litter. A variety ‘Alba’ with white flowers, and denser foliage, is occasionally available.

The tree grows to a height of 5 to 15 metres. Its bark is thin and grey-brown in colour, smooth when the tree is young though it eventually becomes finely scaly. The twigs are slender and slightly zigzag; they are a light reddish-brown in colour. The flowers are up to 5 cm long, and are grouped in 30 cm panicles. They appear in spring and early summer, and last for up to two months. They are followed by woody seed pods, about 5 cm in diameter, which contain numerous winged seeds. The Blue Jacaranda is cultivated even in areas where it rarely blooms, for the sake of its large compound leaves. These are up to 45 cm long and compound, with leaflets little more than 1 cm long.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Lamiales
Family : Bignoniaceae
Genus : Jacaranda
Species : Jacaranda mimosifolia

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Bignoniaceae (big-no-nih-AY-see-ay) - The Bignonia family, named for the Abbe Jean Paul Bignon.
• Jacaranda (jak-uh-RAHN-duh) - From the Portugese jacarandá, having a hard core or branch.
• mimosifolia (mim-moh-sih-FOH-lee-uh) - Mimosa leaf.

Common Names:

• Blue Jacaranda, Brazilian Rose Wood, Green Ebony (English)
• Neeli gulmohur (Hindi)
• Neelkanth (Bengali)

Links:

• Flowers of India - Blue Jacaranda
• University of Florida : IFAS Extension - Blue Jacaranda

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), also known as Sierra Redwood, Wellingtonia or Big Tree, is the sole species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) and Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood).

Giant Sequoia is the world’s largest tree in terms of total volume. They grow to an average height of 50-85 m (150-280 ft) and 5-7 m (16-23 ft) in diameter. Record trees have been reported to be 93.6 m (307 ft) in height and 8.85 m (29 ft) in diameter. The oldest known Giant Sequoia based on ring count is 3,200 years old. Sequoia bark is fibrous, furrowed, and may be 60 cm (2 ft) thick at the base of the columnar trunk. It provides significant fire protection for the trees.

The leaves are evergreen, awl-shaped, 3-6 mm long, and arranged spirally on the shoots. The seed cones are 4-7 cm long and mature in 18-20 months, though they typically remain green and closed for up to 20 years; each cone has 30-50 spirally arranged scales, with several seeds on each scale giving an average of 230 seeds per cone. The seed is dark brown, 4-5 mm long and 1 mm broad, with a 1 mm wide yellow-brown wing along each side. Some seed is shed when the cone scales shrink during hot weather in late summer, but most seeds are liberated when the cone dries out from fire heat and/or insect damage

Giant Sequoia regenerates by seed. Trees up to about 20 years old may produce stump sprouts subsequent to injury. Giant Sequoia of all ages may sprout from the bole when old branches are lost to fire or breakage, but (unlike Coast Redwood) mature trees do not sprout from cut stumps. Young trees start to bear cones at the age of 12 years.

At any given time, a large tree may be expected to have approximately 11,000 cones. The upper part of the crown of any mature Giant Sequoia invariably produces a greater abundance of cones than its lower portions. A mature Giant Sequoia has been estimated to disperse from 300,000-400,000 seeds per year. The winged seeds may be carried up to 180m (600 ft) from the parent tree.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Pinophyta
Class : Pinopsida
Order : Pinales
Family : Cupressaceae
Genus : Sequoiadendron
Species : Sequoiadendron giganteum

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Sequoiadendron (see-kwoy-uh-DEN-dron) - Big tree; Sequoia (named for the famous Native American of the Cherokee tribe), and dendron (tree).
• giganteum (jy-GAN-tee-um) - Large, gigantic.

Common Names:

• Giant Sequoia, Giant Redwood, Big Tree, Sierra Redwood, Wellingtonia

Links:

• Floridata - Giant Sequoia
• Arkive - Giant Sequoia
• Plants for a future - Giant Sequoia
• Gymnosperm Database - Giant Sequoia
• Flickr Giant Sequoia Cluster

Gulmohar (Delonix Regia)

The Royal Poinciana a.k.a Gulmohar (Delonix Regia), is a tropical or subtropical flowering plant. It has been described as the most colourful tree in the world. The tree’s vivid red/orange flowers and bright green foliage in any case make it an exceptionally striking sight.

The Royal Poinciana is native to Madagascar, where it is found in the West Malagasy forest. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In addition to its ornamental value, it is also a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height (typically around 5 m, though it can reach as high as 12 m) but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.

The flowers are large, with four spreading scarlet or orange-red petals up to 8 cm long, and a fifth upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and spotted with yellow and white. The naturally occurring variety flavida has yellow flowers. Seed pods are dark brown and can be up to 60 cm long and 5 cm wide; the individual seeds, however, are small, weighing around 0.4 g on average. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and are a characteristic light, bright green. They are doubly pinnate: Each leaf is 30-50 cm long and has 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets or pinnae on it, and each of these is further divided into 10-20 pairs of secondary leaflets or pinnules.

The Royal Poinciana requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can tolerate drought and salty conditions. The Royal Poinciana is regarded as naturalised in many of the locations where it is grown, and is seen by some as an invasive species in some parts of Australia, partly because its dense shade and root system prevent the growth of other species under it. It is also found in India, where it is referred to as the Gulmohar. In West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh it is called Krishnachura. The seed pods of the Royal Poincianas are used in the Caribbean as a percussion instrument known as the shak-shak or maraca.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Subfamily : Caesalpinioideae
Tribe : Caesalpinieae
Genus : Delonix
Species : Delonix regia

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Delonix (dee-LON-iks) - From the Greek delos (conspicuous) and onux (claw), referring to the long-clawed petals.
• regia (REE-jee-uh) - Royal.

Common Names:

• Royal Poinciana, Flamboyant Tree, Peacock Flower, Flame of the Forest, Flame Tree (English)
• Gulmohar (Hindi)

Links:

• IUCN Red List - Gulmohar
• Arkive - Gulmohar
• Flickr - Gulmohar

Ashoka (Saraca asoca)

The Ashoka (Saraca asoca syn. Saraca indica) is a flowering tree considered sacred throughout India and Sri Lanka where it is found. It is prized for its beautiful foliage and flowers. The Lord Buddha was born under this tree in Lumbini. Also Lord Mahavira renounced the world under the Ashoka tree in Vaishali. The Hindus regard it as sacred, being dedicated to Kama Deva, God of Love. The tree gets a mention in the Ramayana as the Ashoka Vatika (garden of Ashoka trees) where Hanuman first meets Sita.

It belongs to the legume family and genus Saraca. One of its varieties is a very handsome, small, erect evergreen tree, with deep green foliage. Its flowers are very fragrant and are bright orange-yellow in color and later turn red. Found in the foothills of central and eastern Himalayas, almost all over the northern plains of India as well as on the west coast of Bombay, its flowering season is around April and May. Another of its variety is larger and highly spreading. The erect variety (which appears like a poplar) is extremely common in the gardens of modern Indian households.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Subfamily : Caesalpinioideae
Tribe : Detarieae
Genus : Saraca
Species : Saraca asoca

Common Names:

• Ashoka, Sorrowless tree, Sita Ashok (English)
• Anganapriya, Asogam, Asokada, Ashopalava, Asok, Ashok, Asoka, Asupala, Gandapushpa, Kankelli, Kenkalimara, Thawgabo, Vand ichitrah (Sanskrit)
• Ashoka (Hindi)
• Achenge (Kannada)
• Hemapushpam (Malayalam)
• Jasundi (Marathi)
• Asogam (Tamil)

Links:

• Top Tropicals -Ashoka
• ZipCodeZoo - Ashoka
• Himalaya Health Care - Ashoka
• SSS Biotic - Ashoka