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Insectary Plants
Insectary plants are those that attract insects. As such, beneficial insectary plants are intentionally introduced into an ecosystem to increase pollen and nectar resources required by the natural enemies of the harmful or unwanted insects pest (organism), pests. Beyond an effective natural control of pests, the beneficial insects also assist in pollination. The "friendly insects" include ladybeetles, bees, ground beetles, Hoverfly, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. Other animals that are frequently considered beneficial include lizards, spiders, toads, and hummingbird, hummingbirds. Beneficial insects are as much as ten times more abundant in the insectary plantings area. Mortality of scale insects (caused by natural enemies) can be double with insectary plantings. In addition, a diversity of insectary plants can increase the population of beneficial insects such that these levels can be sustained even when the insectary plants are removed or die off. For maximum benefit in the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angelica
''Angelica'' is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Greenland. They grow to tall, with large bipinnate leaves and large compound umbels of white or greenish-white flowers. Found mainly in China, its main use was for medicine. It shows variations in fruit anatomy, leaf morphology, and subterranean structures. The genes are extremely polymorphic. Some species can be found in purple moor and rush pastures. Characteristics ''Angelica'' species grow to tall, with large bipinnate leaves and large compound umbels of white or greenish-white flowers. Their large, sparkling, starburst flowers are pollinated by a great variety of insects (the generalist pollination syndrome), the floral scents are species-specific, and even specific to particular subspecies. The active ingredients of angelica are found in the r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peppermint
Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.Euro+Med Plantbase Project''Mentha'' × ''piperita''/ref> It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.Flora of NW Europe''Mentha'' × ''piperita'' Although the genus ''Mentha'' comprises more than 25 species, the one in most common use is peppermint. While Western peppermint is derived from ''Mentha × piperita'', Chinese peppermint, or ''bohe'', is derived from the fresh leaves of ''M. haplocalyx''. ''M. × piperita'' and ''M. haplocalyx'' are both recognized as plant sources of menthol and menthone, and are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal products. Botany Peppermint was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England; he treated it as a species,Linnaeus, C. (1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
