Lagerstroemia indica is a deciduous shrub or small tree with an upright, vase-shaped crown; it can grow from 3 – 8 metres tall. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is used in soil stabilization projects and is a very ornamental plant, valued especially for its floral display and neat habit, being commonly grown in gardens, as a street tree etc from the warm temperate zone to the tropics – there are many named…

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Spathiphyllum floribundum, the snowflower, peace lily, is a flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to northwestern South America from Panama east to Venezuela and south to Peru. It is a herbaceous perennial plant. The leaves are oval to lanceolate, 12–20 cm long and 5–9 cm broad. The flowers are produced in a spadix, surrounded by a 10–20 cm long, greenish- or yellowish-white spathe. This is among the most popular house plants because it thrives with a minimum of care. Provide several hours of morning sunlight if possible…

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Cyclosorus parasiticus (=Christella parasitica) is a fern that is widespread throughout tropical Asia and some of the Polynesian islands, and also found in a few other parts of the tropics; its spores are likely to be spread long distances by the wind. It is not certain that it was introduced anywhere by humans, but this is thought to be probably the case in Hawaii (although the means of introduction is not known); it is regarded there as a threat to some native plants (sources differ…

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Jackfruit or Artocarpus heterophyllus is a tropical evergreen tree that grows up to 20 m in height. It has one or two main trunks with a smooth and dark green bark. Its fruit is large, spiky, and composite. Its leaves are green, glossy, and leathery. Jackfruit is cultivated for its wide range of uses. Ashes of the leaves are used for treating ulcers, diarrhoea, boils, stomach-ache and boils. Seeds are aphrodisiac and as a cooling tonic like the pulp. Root decoction can reduce fever and…

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Artocarpus hypargyreus is a fairly slow-growing evergreen tree growing 10 – 25 metres tall. The bole can be 40cm in diameter. The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber and edible fruit. It is also cultivated for its fruit in China and USA (Florida). Population numbers have declined because of overexploitation of the tree for timber and habitat loss. The plant is classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011). The little fruits have a red fruit pulp and a…

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Alpinia zerumbet, commonly called shell ginger is native to eastern Asia. It is a rhizomatous, evergreen perennial that grows in upright clumps to 8-10’ tall. It more typically reaches 4-8’ tall in the greenhouse and 3-4’ tall as a houseplant. It is commonly called shell ginger because its individual shell pink flowers, particularly when in bud, resemble sea shells and its rhizomes have a ginger-like aroma. It is distinguished from other members of the ginger family by the fact that its flowers droop from the…

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The species is native to Mexico, Central America (i.e. Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), parts of the Caribbean (i.e. Trinidad and Tobago) and tropical South America (i.e. French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). The younger stems are sometimes slightly bluish-green in colour (i.e. glaucous) and often contain a milky sap (i.e. latex). They are hairless (i.e. glabrous), smooth in texture, and slightly fleshy (i.e. succulent). These stems readily develop roots (i.e. adventitious roots) at their joints (i.e. nodes). Older stems turn pale brown and can become slightly woody (15-25…

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