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Banana Moth
''Opogona sacchari'', the banana moth, is a moth of the family Tineidae. The species was first described by Wenceslas Bojer in 1856. It is native to the humid tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, where it is also found in Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues Island, the Seychelles and St. Helena. It was first reported from the Canary Islands in the 1920s. In the 1970s, it was introduced into Brazil and Central America, and also appeared in Europe. It has been reported from Florida since 1986. The wingspan is 18–25 mm. Adults are bright yellowish brown. The forewings may show longitudinal darker brown banding, and in the male a dark-brown spot towards the apex. The hindwings are paler and brighter. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including bananas, pineapples, bamboo, maize and sugarcane. In glasshouses in European countries, it has been found infesting various tropical or subtropical ornamentals, including ''Cactaceae'', '' Dracaena'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wenceslas Bojer
Wenceslas Bojer (also Václav Bojer in Czech or Wenzel Bojer in German) (23 September 1795 in Řesanice, Bohemia, now the Czech Republic – 4 June 1856 in Port Louis, Mauritius) was a Czech naturalist, botanist and botanical illustrator. Life he was born to Simon Bojer and Barbara Staub. Career From 1813 till 1820 Bojer worked at the Imperial Museum Vienna. As a young man he was sent on expeditions to Africa and Mauritius by Franz Sieber. In 1821 he arrived at Mauritius. In 1822 the Mauritian governor Robert Townsend Farquhar sent him to Madagascar. He was accompanied by Malagasy Prince Rafaria who studied on Mauritius and James Hastie, a Scottish corporal and British envoy for King Radama I on Madagascar. Bojer explored the west coast of Madagascar before he arrived in Tananarive. In 1824 Bojer was sent to Africa as an interpreter. He explored several coasts of the African continent and collected a huge amount of minerals and plants. In 1829 he was one of the co-founder ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strelitzia
''Strelitzia'' is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, who was born a princess of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower and is featured on the reverse of the 50-cent coin. It is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles; two of the species, '' S. nicolai'' and '' S. reginae'', are frequently grown as houseplants. Description The species ''S. nicolai'' is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m (33 ft) tall, with stately white and blue flowers; the other species typically reach 2.0 to 3.5 m tall, except ''S. caudata'', which is a tree of a typically smaller size than ''S. nicolai''. The leaves are large, 30–200 cm long and 10–80 cm broad, similar to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippeastrum
''Hippeastrum'' () is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. They generally have large fleshy bulbs and tall broad leaves, generally evergreen, and large red or purple flowers. ''Hippeastrum'' is a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae (subfamily Amaryllidoideae, tribe Hippeastreae, and subtribe Hippeastrineae). The name ''Hippeastrum'', given to it by William Herbert, means "knight's star", although precisely what Herbert meant by the name is not certain. For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names ''Amaryllis'' and ''Hippeastrum'', one result of which is that the common name amaryllis is mainly used for cultivars of this genus, often sold as indoor flowering bulbs particularly at Christmas in the northern hemisphere. By contrast the generic name ''Amaryllis'' applies to bulbs from South Africa, usually grown outdoors. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heliconia
''Heliconia'', derived from the Greek word (), is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the ca 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku. Many species of ''Heliconia'' are found in the tropical forests of these regions. Most species are listed as either vulnerable or data deficient by the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia, and Thailand. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan beak, wild plantain, or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers ('' Strelitzia''). Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as "heliconias". Description These herbaceous plants range from 0.5 to nearly 4.5 m (1.5–15 ft) tall, depending on the species. The simple leaves of thes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gloxinia (genus)
''Gloxinia'' is a genus containing three species of tropical rhizomatous herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The species are primarily found in the Andes of South America, but ''Gloxinia perennis'' is also found in Central America and the West Indies, where it has probably escaped from cultivation. ''Gloxinia perennis'' is the original (type) species of the genus, and for much of its history the genus consisted of only ''G. perennis'' and a very small number of other species. The classification of ''Gloxinia'' later changed reflect the 1976 classification of Hans Wiehler, who took a broader view of the genus. A recent analysis of ''Gloxinia'' and related genera based on molecular and morphological work has determined that Wiehler's circumscription of the genus was unnatural, both phylogenetically and morphologically. The analyses demonstrated that the genera ''Anodiscus'' and ''Koellikeria'', each with a single species, were more closely related to ''Gloxinia perenn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The common fig (''F. carica'') is a temperate species native to southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region (from Afghanistan to Portugal), which has been widely cultivated from ancient times for its fruit, also referred to as figs. The fruit of most other species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife. Figs are also of considerable cultural importance throughout the tropics, both as objects of worship and for their many practical uses. Description ''Ficus'' is a pantropical genus of trees, shrubs, and vines occupying a wide variety of ecological niches; most are evergreen, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euphorbia Pulcherrima
The poinsettia ( or ) (''Euphorbia pulcherrima'') is a commercially important flowering plant species of the diverse spurge family Euphorbiaceae. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing the plant to the US in the 1820s. Poinsettias are shrubs or small trees, with heights of . Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous to pets or children. Exposure to the plant, even consumption, most often results in no effect, though it can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Wild poinsettias occur from Mexico to southern Guatemala, growing on mid-elevation, Pacific-facing slopes. One population in the Mexican state of Guerrero is much further inland, however, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dieffenbachia
''Dieffenbachia'' , commonly known as dumb cane or leopard lily, is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. Some species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants, especially as houseplants, and have become naturalized on a few tropical islands. ''Dieffenbachia'' is a perennial herbaceous plant with straight stem, simple and alternate leaves containing white spots and flecks, making it attractive as indoor foliage. Species in this genus are popular as houseplants because of their tolerance of shade. The English names, dumb cane and mother-in-law's tongue (also used for ''Sansevieria'' species) refer to the poisoning effect of raphides, which can cause temporary inability to speak. ''Dieffenbachia'' was named by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, director of the Botanical Gardens in Vienna, to honor his head gardener Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863). Species The World Checklist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cordyline
''Cordyline'' is a genus of about 15 species of woody monocotyledonous flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. The subfamily has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae, or Lomandraceae. Other authors have placed the genus in the Agavaceae (now Agavoideae). ''Cordyline'' is native to the western Pacific Ocean region, from New Zealand, eastern Australia, southeastern Asia and Polynesia, with one species found in southeastern South America. The name ''Cordyline'' comes from the Greek word ''kordyle'', meaning "club," a reference to the enlarged underground stems or rhizomes. Species , the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 24 species: * ''Cordyline angustissima'' K.Schum. – New Guinea * ''Cordyline australis'' (G.Forst.) Endl. (Cabbage Tree) – New Zealand * ''Cordyline banksii'' Hook.f. (syn. ''C. diffusa'' Colenso.) – New Zealand * ''Cordyline cannifolia'' R.Br. – Australia: N.E. Northern Territory, N.E. Que ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chamaedorea
''Chamaedorea'' is a genus of 107 species of palms, native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, palms checklist''Chamaedorea''/ref>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan . They are small palms, growing to tall with slender, cane-like stems, growing in the understory in rainforests, and often spreading by means of underground runners, forming clonal colonies. The leaves are pinnate (rarely entire), with one to numerous leaflets. The flowers are produced in inflorescences; they are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is an orange or red drupe 0.5–2 cm diameter. Perhaps the best-known species is ''Chamaedorea elegans'' (neanthe bella palm or parlor palm) from Mexico and Guatemala. It is popular as a houseplant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bromeliaceae
The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one Embryo#Plant embryos, embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. Th ... flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ''Pitcairnia feliciana''. It is among the basal (phylogenetics), basal families within the Poales and is the only family within the order that has Septal nectary, septal nectaries and Ovary (plants), inferior ovaries.Judd, Walter S. Plant systematics a phylogenetic approach. 3rd ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2007. These Ovary (plants), inferior ovaries characterize the Bromelioideae, a subfamily of the Bromeliaceae. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bougainvillea
''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. Different authors accept from 4 to 22 species in the genus. The inflorescence consists of large colourful sepal-like bracts which surround three simple waxy flowers, gaining popularity for the plant as an ornamental. Description The species grow tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. ''Bouga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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