Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.
There are about 380,000 known species of plants, of which the majority, some 260,000, produce seeds. They range in size from single cells to the tallest trees. Green plants provide a substantial proportion of the world's molecular oxygen. The sugars they produce by photosynthesis provide the energy for most of Earth's ecosystems, and other organisms, including animals, are herbivores or otherwise dependent on plant materials. (Full article...)
These are featured articles, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.
Image 1
Banksia dentata, commonly known as the tropical banksia, is a species of tree in the family Proteaceae. It occurs across northern Australia, southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Growing as a gnarled tree to 7m (23ft) high, it has large green leaves up to 22cm (8.7in) long with dentatemargins. The cylindrical yellow inflorescences, up to 13cm (5.1in) high, appear between November and May, attracting various species of honeyeaters, sunbirds, the sugar glider and a variety of insects. Flowers fall off the ageing spikes, which swell and develop follicles containing up to two viable seeds each.
Banksia dentata is one of four Banksia species collected by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770, and one of the four species published in 1782 as part of Carolus Linnaeus the Younger's original description of Banksia. Within the genus, it is classified in the seriesSalicinae, a group of species from Australia's eastern states. Genetic studies show it is a basal member within the group. Banksia dentata is found in tropical grassland known as savanna, and associated with Pandanus and Melaleuca. It regenerates from bushfire by regrowing from its woody base, known as a lignotuber. (Full article...)
Image 2
Dracophyllum fiordense, commonly known as the Fiordland grass tree, is a species of tree or shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. It reaches a height of 1.5–5.0 metres (5–16 feet) and has tufts of long green leaves at the ends of its branches. Each leaf has a distinctive curled spiral tip. D.fiordense has a pyramid-shaped inflorescence (flower spike) hidden under each clump of leaves, with between 113 and 120 pink flowers on each spike, and later reddish-brown dry fruit; both are around just 2 by 2 mm. It inhabits shrubland, lowland and subalpine forests, and tussock grassland of mountain slopes, gullies, and ridges. Its range covers two main areas: one in Fiordland National Park, and one in Aoraki / Mount Cook and Westland National Parks.
D. fiordense was first described by the New Zealand naturalist Walter Oliver in 1928 and placed by him in the subgenus Dracophyllum. A cladistic analysis using genetic sequencing was published in 2010, which revealed that D.fiordense is closely related to D.menziesii as Oliver had hypothesised. Its conservation status was assessed in 2023 as "Declining". The kākāpō, a flightless bird, feeds on the bases of the leaves by making careful incisions in new shoots. D.fiordense is likely pollinated by insects, and its seeds are later dispersed by the wind. (Full article...)
Image 3
Banksia scabrella, commonly known as the Burma Road banksia, is a species of woody shrub in the genus Banksia. It is classified in the series Abietinae, a group of several species of shrubs with small round or oval inflorescences. It occurs in a number of isolated populations south of Geraldton, Western Australia, with the largest population being south and east of Mount Adams. Found on sandy soils in heathland or shrubland, it grows to 2m (7ft) high and 3m (10ft) across with fine needle-like leaves. Appearing in spring and summer, the inflorescences are round to oval in shape and tan to cream with purple styles. Banksia scabrella is killed by fire and regenerates by seed.
Originally collected in 1966, B.scabrella was one of several species previously considered to be forms of Banksia sphaerocarpa, before it was finally described by banksia expert Alex George in his 1981 revision of the genus. Like many members of the Abietinae, it is rarely seen in cultivation; however, it has been described as having horticultural potential. (Full article...)
Image 4
Alloxylon flammeum, commonly known as the Queensland tree waratah or red silky oak, is a medium-sized tree of the family Proteaceae found in the Queensland tropical rain forests of northeastern Australia. It has shiny green elliptical leaves up to 18cm (7.1in) long, and prominent orange-red inflorescences that appear from August to October, followed by rectangular woody seed pods that ripen in February and March. Juvenile plants have large (up to 25cm (9.8in) long) deeply lobed pinnate leaves. Previously known as Oreocallis wickhamii, the initial specimen turned out to be a different species to the one cultivated and hence a new scientific name was required. Described formally by Peter Weston and Mike Crisp in 1991, A.flammeum was designated the type species of the genus Alloxylon. This genus contains the four species previously classified in Oreocallis that are found in Australasia.
Alloxylon flammeum is a canopy or emergent tree of the Mabi rainforest community of north Queensland. Its terminal tubular flowers indicate that the species is pollinated by birds. Readily adaptable to cultivation, Alloxylon flammeum prefers a site with good drainage and responds well to extra moisture and fertilisers low in phosphorus. It is listed nationally as vulnerable under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) as most of its habitat has been cleared for agriculture and logging. (Full article...)
Banksia sessilis, commonly known as parrot bush, is a species of shrub or tree in the plantgenusBanksia of the family Proteaceae. It had been known as Dryandra sessilis until 2007, when the genus Dryandra was sunk into Banksia. The Noongar peoples know the plant as budjan or butyak. Widespread throughout southwestWestern Australia, it is found on sandy soils over laterite or limestone, often as an understorey plant in open forest, woodland or shrubland. Encountered as a shrub or small tree up to 6m (20ft) in height, it has prickly dark green leaves and dome-shaped cream-yellow flowerheads. Flowering from winter through to late spring, it provides a key source of food—both the nectar and the insects it attracts—for honeyeaters in the cooler months, and species diversity is reduced in areas where there is little or no parrot bush occurring. Several species of honeyeater, some species of native bee, and the European honey bee seek out and consume the nectar, while the long-billed black cockatoo and Australian ringneck eat the seed. The life cycle of Banksia sessilis is adapted to regular bushfires. Killed by fire and regenerating by seed afterwards, each shrub generally produces many flowerheads and a massive amount of seed. It can recolonise disturbed areas, and may grow in thickets.
Banksia sessilis has a somewhat complicated taxonomic history. It was collected from King George Sound in 1801 and described by Robert Brown in 1810 as Dryandra floribunda, a name by which it was known for many years. However, Joseph Knight had published the name Josephia sessilis in 1809, which had precedence due to its earlier date, and the specific name was formalised in 1924. Four varieties are recognised. It is a prickly plant with little apparent horticultural potential; none of the varieties are commonly seen in cultivation. A profuse producer of nectar, B.sessilis is valuable to the beekeeping industry. (Full article...)
Image 6
Banksia telmatiaea, commonly known as swamp fox banksia or rarely marsh banksia, is a shrub that grows in marshes and swamps along the lower west coast of Australia. It grows as an upright bush up to 2 metres (6feet 7inches) tall, with narrow leaves and a pale brown flower spike, which can produce profuse quantities of nectar. First collected in the 1840s, it was not published as a separate species until 1981; as with several other similar species it was previously included in B.sphaerocarpa (fox banksia).
The shrub grows amongst scrubland in seasonally wet lowland areas of the coastal sandplain between Badgingarra and Serpentine in Western Australia. A little studied species, not much is known of its ecology or conservation biology. Reports suggest that a variety of birds and small mammals pollinate it. Like many members of the series Abietinae, it has not been considered to have much horticultural potential and is rarely cultivated. (Full article...)
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the mulberry and fig family Moraceae. It is native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland in the north to the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The infraspeciesFicus macrophylla f. columnaris is endemic to Lord Howe Island. Its common name refers to Moreton Bay in Queensland. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots.
Ficus macrophylla is called a strangler fig because seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a host tree, where the seedling lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground, when it enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a freestanding tree by itself. Individuals may reach 60m (200ft) in height. The greatest exact height to be reported is 70.6m (232ft). It has an obligate mutualism with fig wasps; figs are pollinated only by fig wasps, and fig wasps can reproduce only in fig flowers. The wasp partner of the Moreton Bay fig is Pleistodontes froggattii. Many species of birds, including pigeons, parrots, and various passerines, eat the fruit. (Full article...)
Image 8
Banksia lemanniana, the yellow lantern banksia or Lemann's banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the familyProteaceae, native to Western Australia. It generally grows as an open woody shrub or small tree to 5m (16ft) high, with stiff serrated leaves and unusual hanging inflorescences. Flowering occurs over summer, the greenish buds developing into oval flower spikes before turning grey and developing the characteristic large woody follicles. It occurs within and just east of the Fitzgerald River National Park on the southern coast of the state. B.lemanniana is killed by bushfire and regenerates from seed.
Described by Swiss botanist Carl Meissner in 1856, Banksia lemanniana was named in honour of English botanist Charles Morgan Lemann. It is one of three or four related species all with pendent inflorescences, which is an unusual feature of banksias. No subspecies are recognised. Banksia lemanniana is classified as Not Threatened under the Wildlife Conservation Act of Western Australia. Unlike many Western Australian banksias, it appears to have some resistance to dieback from the soil-borne water mouldPhytophthora cinnamomi, and is one of the easier Western Australian species to grow in cultivation. (Full article...)
Image 9
Ficus rubiginosa, the rusty fig or Port Jackson fig (damun in the Dharug language), is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ficusnative to eastern Australia. Beginning as a seedling that grows on other plants (hemiepiphyte) or rocks (lithophyte), F.rubiginosa matures into a tree 30m (100ft) high and nearly as wide with a yellow-brown buttressed trunk. The leaves are oval and glossy green and measure from 4to 19.3cm (1+1⁄2–7+1⁄2in) long and 1.25to 13.2cm (1⁄2–5+1⁄4in) wide.
The fruits are small, round, and yellow, and can ripen and turn red at any time of year, peaking in spring and summer. Like all figs, the fruit is in the form of a syconium, an inverted inflorescence with the flowers lining an internal cavity. F.rubiginosa is exclusively pollinated by the fig wasp species Pleistodontes imperialis, which may comprise four cryptospecies. The syconia are also home to another fourteen species of wasp, some of which induce galls while others parasitise the pollinator wasps and at least two species of nematode. Many species of bird, including pigeons, parrots, and various passerines, eat the fruit. Ranging along the Australian east coast from Queensland to Bega in southern New South Wales (including the Port Jackson area, leading to its alternative name), F.rubiginosa grows in rainforest margins and rocky outcrops. It is used as a shade tree in parks and public spaces, and when potted is well-suited for use as an indoor plant or in bonsai. (Full article...)
Image 10
Flowers, also known as blossoms and blooms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants. Typically, they are structured in four circular levels around the end of a stalk. These include: sepals, which are modified leaves that support the flower; petals, often designed to attract pollinators; male stamens, where pollen is presented; and female gynoecia, where pollen is received and its movement is facilitated to the egg. When flowers are arranged in a group, they are known collectively as an inflorescence.
The development of flowers is a complex and important part in the life cycles of flowering plants. In most plants, flowers are able to produce sex cells of both sexes. Pollen, which can produce the male sex cells, is transported between the male and female parts of flowers in pollination. Pollination can occur between different plants, as in cross-pollination, or between flowers on the same plant or even the same flower, as in self-pollination. Pollen movement may be caused by animals, such as birds and insects, or non-living things like wind and water. The colour and structure of flowers assist in the pollination process. (Full article...)
Image 11
Approximate distribution of Hypericum sechmenii within Turkey
Hypericum sechmenii is a perennial herb that usually grows in clusters of stems 3–6 centimeters (1–2 inches) tall and blooms in June and July. The stems of the plant are smooth and lack hairs, while the leaves are leathery and do not have leafstalks. Its flowers are arranged in clusters that form a flat-topped shape known as a corymb, and each flower possesses five bright yellow petals. Several species are similar in appearance to H. sechmenii, with only minor physical differences that set them apart. The most closely related of these are Hypericum huber-morathii, Hypericum minutum, and Hypericum thymopsis. (Full article...)
Image 12
Telopea oreades, commonly known as the Gippsland-, mountain- or Victorian waratah, is a large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. Native to southeastern Australia, it is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest on rich acidic soils high in organic matter. No subspecies are recognised, though a northern isolated population hybridises extensively with the Braidwood waratah (T.mongaensis). Reaching a height of up to 19 metres (62 feet), T.oreades grows with a single trunk and erect habit. It has dark green leaves with prominent veins that are 11–28 centimetres (4.3–11in) long and 1.5–6cm (0.6–2.4in) wide. The red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear in late spring. Each is composed of up to 60 individual flowers.
In the garden, T.oreades grows in soils with good drainage and ample moisture in part-shaded or sunny positions. Several commercially available cultivars that are hybrid forms with T.speciosissima have been developed, such as the 'Shady Lady' series. The timber is hard and has been used for making furniture and tool handles. (Full article...)
Banksia spinulosa, the hairpin banksia, is a species of woody shrub, of the genus Banksia in the family Proteaceae, native to eastern Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an understorey plant in open dry forest or heathland from Victoria to northern Queensland, generally on sandstone though sometimes also clay soils. It generally grows as a small shrub to 2 metres (7ft) in height, though can be a straggly tree to 6 metres (20ft). It has long narrow leaves with inflorescences which can vary considerably in coloration; while the spikes are gold or less commonly yellowish, the emergent styles may be a wide range of colours – from black, purple, red, orange or yellow.
Banksia spinulosa was named by James Edward Smith in England in 1793, after being collected by John White, most likely in 1792. He gave it the common name prickly-leaved banksia, though this has fallen out of use. With four currently recognised varieties, the species has had a complicated taxonomic history, with two varieties initially described as separate species in the early 19th century. A fourth, from the New England region, has only recently been described. However, there has been disagreement whether one, var.cunninghamii, is distinct enough to once again have specific status. The pre-eminent authority on Banksia, Alex George, concedes there is still more work to be done on the Banksia spinulosa complex. (Full article...)
Its aromatic, "labrusca" flavor is similar to that of Concord, but mellowed by the mild, sweet taste from Thompson Seedless. Thomcord grows well in hot, dry climates, ripens between late July and mid-August, and tolerates powdery mildew. It is a productive variety, yielding an average of 15.1kg (33lb) of grapes per vine, but has produced as much as 32kg (71lb) per vine in grower trials. The berries weigh between 2.72 and 3.38g (0.096 and 0.119oz) and have a medium-thick, blue-black skin that adheres to the fruit, unlike Concord, which has a thick skin that can slip off the pulp easily. The aborted seeds in the fruit body are relatively small, but larger than those in Thompson Seedless. (Full article...)
Cotyledon from a Judas-tree (Cercis siliquastrum, a dicot) seedling A cotyledon (/ˌkɒtɪˈliːdən/KOT-ih-LEE-dən) is a "seed leaf" – a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant – and is formally defined as "the embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, one or more of which are the first to appear from a germinating seed." Botanists use the number of cotyledons present as one characteristic to classify the flowering plants (angiosperms): species with one cotyledon are called monocotyledonous ("monocots"); plants with two embryonic leaves are termed dicotyledonous ("dicots"). Many orchids with minute seeds have no identifiable cotyledon, and are regarded as acotyledons. The Dodders (Cuscuta spp.) also lack cotyledons, as does the African tree Mammea africana (Calophyllaceae). A very small number of dicots have more than two cotyledons, with perhaps Psittacanthus schiedeanus being the most extreme, having up to twelve.
In the case of dicot seedlings whose cotyledons are photosynthetic, the cotyledons are functionally similar to leaves. However, true leaves and cotyledons are developmentally distinct. Cotyledons form during embryogenesis, along with the root and shoot meristems, and are therefore present in the seed prior to germination. True leaves, however, form post-embryonically (i.e. after germination) from the shoot apical meristem, which generates subsequent aerial portions of the plant. (Full article...)
The arrival of humans around 50,000 years ago and the settlement by Europeans from 1788, has had a significant impact on the flora. The use of fire-stick farming by Aboriginal people led to significant changes in the distribution of plant species over time, and the large-scale modification or destruction of vegetation for agriculture and urban development since 1788 has altered the composition of most terrestrial ecosystems, leading to the extinction of 61 plant species by 2006, and endangering over 1000 more. (Full article...)
Structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre from Rhodopseudomonas viridis (PDB: 1PRC). Middle transmembrane section is the two subunits in this family; green blocks represent chlorophyll. Top section is the 4-heme (red) cytochrome c subunit (infobox below). The bottom section along with its connected TM helices is the H subunit.
Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria have one type of PRC for each of its two photosystems. Non-oxygenic bacteria, on the other hand, have an RC resembling either the Photosystem I centre (Type I) or the Photosystem II centre (Type II). In either case, PRCs have two related proteins (L/M; D1/D2; PsaA/PsaB) making up a quasi-symmetrical 5-helical core complex with pockets for pigment binding. The two types are structurally related and share a common ancestor. Each type have different pockets for ligands to accommodate their specific reactions: while Type I RCs use iron sulfur clusters to accept electrons, Type II RCs use quinones. The centre units of Type I RCs also have six extra transmembrane helices for gathering energy. (Full article...)
Nectar is also useful in agriculture and horticulture because the adult stages of some predatory insects feed on nectar. For example, a number of predacious or parasitoid wasps (e.g., the social wasp species Apoica flavissima) rely on nectar as a primary food source. In turn, these wasps then hunt agricultural pest insects as food for their young. (Full article...)
Orchids are plants that belong to the familyOrchidaceae (/ˌɔːrkɪˈdeɪsi.iː,-si.aɪ/), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants, living in diverse habitats on every continent except Antarctica. The world's richest diversity of orchid genera and species is in the tropics. Many species are epiphytes, living on trees. The flowers and their pollination mechanisms are highly specialized, attracting insect pollinators by colour, pattern, scent, pheromones, and sometimes by mimicking female insects. Orchids have very small seeds, relying on fungal partners for germination. Some orchids have no leaves, either photosynthesizing with their roots or relying entirely on fungal partners for food.
Orchidaceae is one of the two largest families of flowering plants. It contains about 28,000 currently accepted species in around 700 genera. That represents some 6–11% of all species of seed plants. Horticulturists run many orchid societies around the world; they have produced many hybrids and cultivars. (Full article...)
Image 7
Zosterophyllum species fossils; left: with coiled (circinate) branch tips, right: with sporangium
The zosterophylls are a group of extinct land plants that first appeared in the Silurian period. The taxon was first established by Banks in 1968 as the subdivisionZosterophyllophytina; they have since also been treated as the divisionZosterophyllophyta or Zosterophyta and the class or plesionZosterophyllopsida or Zosteropsida. They were among the first vascular plants in the fossil record, and had a world-wide distribution. They were probably stem-grouplycophytes, forming a sister group to the ancestors of the living lycophytes. By the late Silurian (late Ludlovian, about 420million years ago) a diverse assemblage of species existed, examples of which have been found fossilised in what is now Bathurst Island in ArcticCanada. (Full article...)
Image 8
An ethylene signal transduction pathway. Ethylene permeates the cell membrane and binds to a gasoreceptor on the endoplasmic reticulum. The gasoreceptor releases the repressed EIN2. This then activates a signal transduction pathway which activates regulatory genes that eventually trigger an ethylene response. The activated DNA is transcribed into mRNA which is then translated into a functional enzyme that is used for ethylene biosynthesis. Ethylene (CH 2=CH 2) is an unsaturatedhydrocarbon gas (alkene) acting as a naturally occurring plant hormone. It is the simplest alkene gas and is the first gas known to act as a hormone. It acts at trace levels throughout the life of the plant by stimulating or regulating the ripening of fruit, the opening of flowers, the abscission (or shedding) of leaves and, in aquatic and semi-aquatic species, promoting the 'escape' from submergence by means of rapid elongation of stems or leaves. This escape response is particularly important in rice farming. Commercial fruit-ripening rooms use "catalytic generators" to make ethylene gas from a liquid supply of ethanol. Typically, a gassing level of 500 to 2,000 ppm is used, for 24 to 48 hours. Care must be taken to control carbon dioxide levels in ripening rooms when gassing, as high temperature ripening (20°C; 68°F) has been seen to produce CO2 levels of 10% in 24 hours. (Full article...)
Image 9
The Yecoro wheat (right) cultivar is sensitive to salinity, plants resulting from a hybrid cross with cultivar W4910 (left) show greater tolerance to high salinity
Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. It is used to improve the quality of plant products for use by humans and animals. The goals of plant breeding are to produce crop varieties that boast unique and superior traits for a variety of applications. The most frequently addressed agricultural traits are those related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, grain or biomass yield, end-use quality characteristics such as taste or the concentrations of specific biological molecules (proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins, fibers) and ease of processing (harvesting, milling, baking, malting, blending, etc.).
Plant breeding can be performed using many different techniques, ranging from the selection of the most desirable plants for propagation, to methods that make use of knowledge of genetics and chromosomes, to more complex molecular techniques. Genes in a plant are what determine what type of qualitative or quantitative traits it will have. Plant breeders strive to create a specific outcome of plants and potentially new plant varieties, and in the course of doing so, narrow down the genetic diversity of that variety to a specific few biotypes. (Full article...)
Image 10
Acclimatisation societies were voluntary associations, founded in the 19th and 20th centuries, that encouraged the introduction of non-native species in various places around the world, in the hope that they would acclimatise and adapt to their new environments. The societies formed during the colonial era, when Europeans began to settle in numbers in unfamiliar locations. One motivation for the activities of the acclimatisation societies was that introducing new species of plants and animals (mainly from Europe) would enrich the flora and fauna of target regions. The movement also sought to establish plants and animals that were familiar to Europeans, while also bringing exotic and useful foreign plants and animals to centres of European settlement. (Full article...)
Image 11
Ethylene chemical structure. Ethylene signaling pathway is a signal transduction in plant cells to regulate important growth and developmental processes. Acting as a plant hormone, the gas ethylene is responsible for promoting the germination of seeds, ripening of fruits, the opening of flowers, the abscission (or shedding) of leaves and stress responses. It is the simplest alkene gas and the first gaseous molecule discovered to function as a hormone.
Most of the understanding on ethylene signal transduction come from studies on Arabidopsis thaliana. Ethylene can bind to at least five different membrane gasoreceptors. Although structurally diverse, the ethylene gasoreceptors all exhibit similarity (homology) to two-component regulatory system in bacteria, indicating their common ancestry from bacterial ancestor. Ethylene binds to the gasoreceptors on the cell membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. Although homodimers of the gasoreceptors are required for functional state, only one ethylene molecule binds to each dimer. (Full article...)
Image 12
Succulent plants have thickened stems or leaves, such as this Aloe.
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions.
Succulents may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. The water content of some succulent organs can get up to 90–95%, such as Glottiphyllum semicyllindricum and Mesembryanthemum barkleyii. Some definitions also include roots, thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs (caudex) may be regarded as succulents. The habitats of these water-preserving plants are often in areas with high temperatures and low rainfall, such as deserts, but succulents may be found even in alpine ecosystems growing in rocky or sandy soil. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in ecosystems that contain scarce water sources. (Full article...)
Image 13
Soil scientists use the capital letters O, A, B, C, and E to identify the master horizons, and lowercase letters for distinctions of these horizons. Most soils have three major horizons—the surface horizon (A), the subsoil (B), and the substratum (C). Some soils have an organic horizon (O) on the surface, but this horizon can also be buried. The master horizon, E, is used for subsurface horizons that have a significant loss of minerals (eluviation). Hard bedrock, which is not soil, uses the letter R. Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality (see also soil health). A fertile soil has the following properties:
The ability to supply essential plant nutrients and water in adequate amounts and proportions for plant growth and reproduction; and
The absence of toxic substances which may inhibit plant growth e.g. Fe2+ which leads to nutrient toxicity.
The following properties contribute to soil fertility in most situations:
Sufficient soil depth for adequate root growth and water retention;
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family Moraceae. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor.
Breadfruit was spread into Oceania via the Austronesian expansion and is believed to have been selectively bred in Polynesia from the breadnut (Artocarpus camansi). British and French navigators introduced a few Polynesian seedless varieties to Caribbean islands during the late 18th century. Today it is widely grown in tropical regions throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Caribbean islands, lowland Central America, northern South America and Africa. (Full article...)
In botany, the term perennial (per- + -ennial, "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also loosely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth (secondary growth in girth) from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials. An estimated 94% of plant species are perennials.
Perennials (especially small flowering plants) that grow and bloom over the spring and summer, die back every autumn and winter, and then return in the spring from their rootstock or other overwintering structure, are known as herbaceous perennials. However, depending on the rigours of the local climate (temperature, moisture, organic content in the soil, microorganisms), a plant that is a perennial in its native habitat, may be treated by a gardener as an annual and planted out every year, from seed, from cuttings, or from divisions. Tomato vines, for example, live several years in their natural tropical/ subtropical habitat but are grown as annuals in temperate regions because their above-ground biomass does not survive the winter. (Full article...)
Wild species of cherry tree are widely distributed, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. They are common in East Asia, especially in Japan, where they have been cultivated, producing many varieties. (Full article...)
Image 2
Portrait by Joseph Hornung, 1839
Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (UK: /kænˈdɒl/, US: /kɒ̃ˈdɔːl/, French:[kɑ̃dɔl]; 4 February 1778–9 September 1841) was a Swissbotanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle had established a new genus, and he went on to document hundreds of plant families and create a new natural plant classification system. Although de Candolle's main focus was botany, he also contributed to related fields such as phytogeography, agronomy, paleontology, medical botany, and economic botany.
De Candolle originated the idea of "Nature's war", which influenced Charles Darwin and the principle of natural selection. De Candolle recognized that multiple species may develop similar characteristics that did not appear in a common evolutionary ancestor; a phenomenon now known as convergent evolution. During his work with plants, de Candolle noticed that plant leaf movements follow a near-24-hour cycle in constant light, suggesting that an internal biological clock exists. Though many scientists doubted de Candolle's findings, experiments over a century later demonstrated that "the internal biological clock" indeed exists. (Full article...)
Image 3
Sophora microphylla in full bloom
Sophora microphylla, commonly known as kōwhai, weeping kōwhai, and small-leaved kōwhai, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. It reaches 25 metres (80 feet) in height, with a trunk up to 90cm (35in) in diameter. It is endemic to New Zealand; its range mainly covers the South Island, but is also present in the North Island. S. microphylla is found in various habitats. The species is known for its vibrant, yellow, drooping flowers and weeping branches.
Sophora microphylla was first described by the Scottish botanist William Aiton in 1789. S. microphylla is pollinated by birds; the tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) are especially attracted to the flowers, and will travel long distances in search of them. The seeds are dispersed by gravity, wind, or by water. All parts of the plant, especially the seeds, are poisonous. The primary alkaloid responsible for the toxicity is called cytisine. S. microphylla did have a variety of uses for indigenous Māori people and European settlers, both as timber and medicinally. The flowers of the New Zealand kōwhai (Sophora sp.) are unofficially recognised as the national flowers of New Zealand. (Full article...)
Buxbaumia (bug moss, bug-on-a-stick, humpbacked elves, or elf-cap moss) is a genus of twelve species of moss (Bryophyta). It was first named in 1742 by Albrecht von Haller and later brought into modern botanical nomenclature in 1801 by Johann Hedwig to commemorate Johann Christian Buxbaum, a German physician and botanist who discovered the moss in 1712 at the mouth of the Volga River. The moss is microscopic for most of its existence, and plants are noticeable only after they begin to produce their reproductive structures. The asymmetrical spore capsule has a distinctive shape and structure, some features of which appear to be transitional from those in primitive mosses to most modern mosses. (Full article...)
Wheat is grown on a larger area of land than any other food crop (219.5million hectares or 542million acres in 2024). World trade in wheat is greater than that of all other crops combined. In 2024, world wheat production was 799million tonnes (881million short tons), making it the second most-produced cereal after maize (known as corn in North America and Australia). Since 1960, world production of wheat and other grain crops has tripled and is expected to grow further through the middle of the 21st century. Global demand for wheat is increasing because of the usefulness of gluten to the food industry. (Full article...)
Image 7
A leaf-mimicking katydid, Cratioma oculatum, of Southeast Asia Leaf mimicry is the evolved resemblance of an organism to a leaf, a form of mimicry. This may serve directly as camouflage, or it may function as Batesian mimicry if the leaf model is distasteful; for example, if it has chemical defences. The mimicking organism can be a plant, such as the vine Boquila trifoliolata, or an animal. The vine senses and adopts different leaf shapes according to its surroundings. Among animals, many leaf mimics are insects, especially butterflies, katydids, and phasmids. Others are vertebrates, including leaffishes and toads. The mimicry, both in insects and among vertebrates, can involve behaviour as well as coloration and body shape.
Carpodetus serratus, commonly known as marbleleaf and putaputawētā, is a species of tree in the family Rousseaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand; its range mainly covers the North, South, and Stewart Islands. The species is commonly found on river banks and the margins of forests. It is a monoecious tree reaching up to 10 metres (30 feet) in height. Its young stage resembles a divaricating tangled shrub with branchlets arranged in a zig-zag pattern.
Dianella nigra, commonly known as turutu, inkberry, and the New Zealand blueberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Its range mainly covers the North and South Islands. It is typically found in coastal to montane environments, and the species can colonise various different habitats. A perennial herb, the species is known for its vibrant violet-blue berries and long green leaves.
Dianella nigra was first described in 1884 by the New Zealand botanist William Colenso. D. nigra's pollination strategy is not well-studied. Berries are recorded to be eaten by the silvereye, a small native bird. Despite this, there is a historical record from the late 1800s of an infant death linked to ingestion of the berries, as such, they may be poisonous to humans. Its 2023 conservation status in the New Zealand Threat Classification System is "Not Threatened". (Full article...)
Quercus crispula, commonly known as 'water oak' (Japanese: 水楢, Hepburn: mizunara), Japanese oak and Mongolian oak, is a deciduous broad-leaved tree of the genus Quercus. Quercus mongolica var. crispula, it is considered a variety of Quercus mongolica by some authorities, and is widely distributed in Northeast Asia from Sakhalin to southern Japan, and parts of Russia, Korea, and China. It is often colocated with Fagus crenata (Japanese beech) and Acer mono (Painted maple) in dense deciduous forests. The nuts can be eaten. The wood is highly valued for making whisky and is also used for furniture and construction. The outer bark has medicinal properties. (Full article...)
Image 12
Foliage of Schefflera digitata
Schefflera digitata, commonly known as patē, seven finger (or seven-finger), is a species of tree in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is widespread in the North, South, and Stewart Islands. It occurs in lowland to montane forests from sea level to 1,200m (3,900ft). It prefers damp, shady parts of the forest and is common along stream banks. It is the only New Zealand member of the genus Schefflera, which has 12 other species in Oceania.
Welwitschia is a monotypic genus of gnetophytes containing only the species Welwitschia mirabilis. It is named after the Austrian botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, who documented the plant in the 1850s. In common use, it is sometimes referred to as the tree tumbo or onyanga. It is native to Angola and Namibia, where it grows in the extreme conditions of the Namib desert, tolerating high heat and low precipitation. Welwitschia is the only living genus of the family Welwitschiaceae and order Welwitschiales, and is one of three extant genera of gnetophytes, alongside Gnetum and Ephedra.
Welwitschia is well known for its unique morphology. The plant has only two leaves that grow out of a large woody stem, known as a crown, and continue to grow throughout the plant's life. Welwitschia is one of the longest-living plants on Earth, with some individuals being thousands of years old. Because of the long lifespan the leaves can become quite large, often reaching several meters in length. (Full article...)
Coronariae (literally a crown or garland) is a term used historically to refer to a group of flowering plants, generally including the lilies (Liliaceae), and later replaced by the orderLiliales. First used in the 17th century by John Ray, it referred to flowers used to insert in garlands. Coronariae soon came to be associated with Liliaceae in the Linnaean system. The term was abandoned at the end of the 19th century, being replaced with Liliiflorae and then Liliales. (Full article...)
Image 15
Hyacinthoides non-scripta/ˌhaɪəsɪnˈθɔɪdiːznɒnˈskrɪptə/ (formerly Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta) is a bulbousperennial plant found in Atlantic areas from the north-western part of the Iberian Peninsula to the British Isles, and also frequently used as a garden plant. It is known in English as the common bluebell, English bluebell or simply bluebell, a name which is used in Scotland to refer to the harebell, Campanula rotundifolia. In spring, H.non-scripta produces a nodding, one-sided inflorescence of 5–12 tubular, sweet-scented violet–blue flowers, with strongly recurved tepals, and 3–6 long, linear, basal leaves.
H.non-scripta is particularly associated with ancient woodland where it may dominate the understory to produce carpets of violet–blue flowers in "bluebell woods", but also occurs in more open habitats in western regions. It is protected under UK law, and in some other parts of its range. A related species, H.hispanica, has also been introduced to Britain and Ireland and hybridises with H.non-scripta to produce intermediates known as H.×massartiana. (Full article...)
... that the name of Diaphoretickes, a group containing a huge diversity of organisms including plants and kelps, is derived from a Greek word meaning diverse?
... that police officers had to be flown in by helicopter to seize hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of cannabis plants found growing illegally in Jerrawangala National Park?
... that some pale stonecrops in Spain closely resemble Israeli specimens, while neighboring plants in Spain can look vastly different?
... that the themes of Somuk's artwork range from the bombing of his island during World WarII to the origin of trees and plants?
... that the Kīlauea lava cricket disappears from a lava field as soon as any plants start to grow there?
... that Erna Meyer urged the Jewish immigrant readers of How to Cook in Palestine to try olives and eggplants, but doubted their ability to eat spicy food like the "native population"?
Image 7The Devonian marks the beginning of extensive land colonization by plants, which – through their effects on erosion and sedimentation – brought about significant climatic change. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 15A nineteenth-century illustration showing the morphology of the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of the rice plant Oryza sativa (from Botany)
Image 161 An oat coleoptile with the sun overhead. Auxin (pink) is evenly distributed in its tip. 2 With the sun at an angle and only shining on one side of the shoot, auxin moves to the opposite side and stimulates cell elongation there. 3 and 4 Extra growth on that side causes the shoot to bend towards the sun. (from Botany)
Image 17Five of the key areas of study within plant physiology (from Botany)
Image 18Thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, the first plant to have its genome sequenced, remains the most important model organism. (from Botany)
Image 22Echeveria glauca in a Connecticut greenhouse. Botany uses Latin names for identification; here, the specific name glauca means blue. (from Botany)
Image 23Micropropagation of transgenic plants (from Botany)
Image 27A banded tube from the Late Silurian/Early Devonian. The bands are difficult to see on this specimen, as an opaque carbonaceous coating conceals much of the tube. Bands are just visible in places on the left half of the image. Scale bar: 20μm (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 28The branching pattern of megaphyll veins may indicate their origin as webbed, dichotomising branches. (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 30The fruit of Myristica fragrans, a species native to Indonesia, is the source of two valuable spices, the red aril (mace) enclosing the dark brown nutmeg. (from Botany)
Image 31Paper chromatography of some spinach leaf extract shows the various pigments present in their chloroplasts: yellowish xanthophylls, greenish chlorophylls a and b. (from Botany)
Image 32A botanist preparing a plant specimen for mounting in the herbarium (from Botany)
Image 33Structure of a plant cell (from Plant cell)
Image 34The evolution of syncarps. a: sporangia borne at tips of leaf b: Leaf curls up to protect sporangia c: leaf curls to form enclosed roll d: grouping of three rolls into a syncarp (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 35Structure of azadirachtin, a terpenoid produced by the neem plant, which helps ward off microbes and insects. Many secondary metabolites have complex structures (from Evolutionary history of plants)
Image 36Transverse section of a fossil stem of the Devonian vascular plant Rhynia gwynne-vaughani (from Botany)
Image 37The food we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants such as rice. (from Botany)
.jpg)
.jpg)
%E3%81%A8%E8%8A%9D%E6%A1%9C(%E3%81%97%E3%81%B0%E3%81%96%E3%81%8F%E3%82%89).jpg)
,_botaniste_genevois,_professeur_%C3%A0_l'Acad%C3%A9mie,_recteur_de_1830_%C3%A0_1832.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=small}
Commons
Wikibooks
Wikidata
Wikiquote
Wikisource
Wikiversity
Wiktionary
