Category Archives: Students

Asplenium nidus

Asplenium nidus : The bird’s nest fern      Commonly known as a bird’s nest fern,  Asplenium nidus has many names. For instance, in Malaysia it is called: Rumah Langsuyar, in the Philippines: Pakpak-lauin and in China: Tai wan shan su hua. There are also many … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Countries, Ferns, Species, Students | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Multi-tasking in the plant kingdom (Araceae)…

Species in the Spathiphyllum genus are members of the monocotyledonous flowering plant family Araceae, often called the arum or aroid family. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas, and southeastern Asia, most commonly in lowland forests where they … Continue reading

Posted in Americas, Asia, Learning and Teaching, Monocots, Neotropics, Species, Students, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Edible Araceae

Now that winter is on our doorstep, some of us like to think of warmer places. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend December in a tropical country? I like to imagine what a traditional Christmas meal could be in a … Continue reading

Posted in Crops, Learning and Teaching, Neotropics, People, Students | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oryza sativa: A Résumé of Rice

Few plant species can have been better studied than rice. There is a wealth of information out there; I’ve picked a few interesting and enlightening extracts- a résumé of rice if you like.

Posted in Crops, Monocots, Students | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Colocasia esculenta

Taro: The Oldest Food Crop on Earth with a 10,000 Year Culinary History Colocasia esculenta, also known as Taro or Dasheen as well as many other vernacular names, is an important food crop, widely cultivated in a zone spanning across … Continue reading

Posted in Asia, Crops, Species, Students | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tillandsia usneoides Spanish Moss

Lacking ideas this Movember? Why not take inspiration from Spanish Moss and the great Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, from whom the plant was thought to originate. Well at least as the legend goes… Apparently Hernando De Soto pursued an Indian maiden through the forest … Continue reading

Posted in Americas, Learning and Teaching, Neotropics, Species, Students | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Starfruit: food, healer, domestic cleaner and much more

Averrhoa carambola L., the starfruit is one of those strange and unique products that come from the east of Asia, with its funny shape and curious flavours, which you can love or hate, it is beggining to appear broadly in … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Asia, Learning and Teaching, Palaeotropics, Species, Students | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thunbergia alata, the well traveled climber.

Thunbergia alata, commonly known as the Black Eyed Susan vine, is a climbing vine from the Acanthaceae family (Heywood et al, 2007)1, which produces large showy yellow flowers with a black spot in the centre. These large bright flowers and … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, Countries, Palaeotropics, People, Students | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MSc Plant Diversity 2013 – Welcome

The 2013 MSc Plant Diversity intake arrived on Wednesday to a busy session of induction, safety talks and the formative plant ID test.  The students were given 30 numbered plants to identify to family (plus genus and species if they … Continue reading

Posted in Learning and Teaching, People, Students | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Cryptolaemus, Certis and Cotton-wool

This gallery contains 7 photos.

The tropical biodiversity greenhouse has had a year to settle down now and the plant growth has been amazing.  Species that had never grown more than a metre or two high are now double their previous size and several have … Continue reading

More Galleries | 1 Comment