A culm sheath (vaina de la hoja o bráctea del culmo en Español) is a specialized, protective, and often deciduous leaf that encloses the young, developing internode of a bamboo shoot. It provides structural support and protection as the new shoot lengthens and strengthens. After the culm hardens, the sheath typically falls off, and its unique features like shape and hairiness are highly specific to each … Continue reading The Culm Sheet
Wodyetia bifurcata, the foxtail palm, or palma de zorra, is a species of palm in the family Arecaceae, native to Queensland, Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Wodyetia. The genus name for this Australian endemic species Wodyetia is in honor of the Aboriginal man who brought it to acknowledgment in 1978. The Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) is a monoecious palm, meaning a single plant produces both male and … Continue reading Wodyetia bifurcata (The Foxtail Palm)
Ixora, AKA Jungle Geranium, West Indian Jasmine, Jungle Flame, Needle Flower, Flame of the Woods or Cruz de Malta, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is the only genus in the tribe Ixoreae. It consists of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs. Its centre of diversity is in Tropical Asia. There is Ixora coccinea and there is Ixora chinensis. Ixora coccinea has large and small … Continue reading Ixora coccinea and Ixora chinensis
Cyrtostachys renda, also known as red sealing wax palm, lipstick palm, or red palm, is a palm that is native to Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Even when it’s not the source of sealing wax, the ‘red sealing wax palm’ got its name because its bright red crownshafts and leaf sheaths which have the same color as the wax used to … Continue reading Cyrtostachys renda (Red Sealing Wax Palm)
Bambusa vulgaris, AKA common bamboo, golden bamboo, Bambú, Bambúa, or Mambúa, is an open-clump type bamboo species. It is native to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, South America, and China, but it has been widely cultivated across the globe. It has naturalized in several regions of the world, such as the Caribbean and North America. Bamboo is originally an Old World species. It belongs to the grass family Poaceae. Bambusa vulgaris, is … Continue reading Bambusa vulgaris (Common Bamboo)
Raphis excelsa, also known as broadleaf lady palm, bamboo palm, or palmera china, palmera rafis o palmera bambú is a species of fan palm (Arecaceae subfamily Coryphoideae, tribe Trachycarpeae) in the genus Rhapis. It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam. The genus name is Greek – rhapis, meaning “needle”; and the species name ‘excelsa’ is Latin for “tall”, though R. excelsa is not the tallest in the genus, but simply has gracefully slender high canes . It is … Continue reading Rhapis excelsa (Lady Palm)
Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia (commonly called song of India or song of Jamaica, and D. marginata) is a tree native to Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean. It has naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Song of India is salt tolerant. Its variegated form is often planted as ornamental plants by the ocean in Puerto Rico. While it may reach a height of 4–5 … Continue reading Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia (Song of India)
Cupressus sempervivens ‘Stricta’, aka C. S. var. sempervirens, C. S. var. fastigiata, ciprés Italiano, graveyard cypress, or pencil pine, is hardy to USDA Zone (7-10). It is believed to have originated in the Aegean islands. It is commonly cultivated in southern Europe and especially in the Mediterranean region, as well as in southern California, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Australia. Cupressus sempervirens Stricta is … Continue reading Cupressus sempervirens ‘Stricta’ and ‘Horizontalis’
Dianella revoluta, commonly known as lirio de arándano, lino azul, blueberry lily, blue flax-lily, or black-anther flax-lily, a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, and is endemic to, and widespread in Australia, but currently cultivated worldwide as a popular garden plant. Botanically known by the genus ‘Dianella’ but commonly called ‘Flax Lily’ because they resemble a similar plant called flax or Phormium. Plants in this genus are tufted herbs with more or … Continue reading Dianella revoluta (Blue Flax Lily)
Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the fiddle-leaf fig, higuera hoja de violín, banjo fig, fiddle-leaved fig tree, lyre leaf fig tree, or lyre-leaved fig tree, is a species of plant in the mulberry and fig family Moraceae. It is a popular indoor house plant, but what’s amazing is to watch how big it grows in the wild. It is native to Western Africa, but naturalized in tropical areas of the world. … Continue reading Ficus lyrata (Fiddle-leaf Fig)
Cucurbita moschata, aka pumpkin, squash, calabaza or gourd, is in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, and is native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. It is cultivated worldwide. The ancestral species were present in the Americas before the arrival of humans. Calabaza crops were widely cultivated by the indigenous people from all the Americas. The French term calebasse, and hence the English “calabash”, is based on the older Spanish. The Spanish word is … Continue reading Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata)
Zamioculcas zamiifolia, aka Zanzibar gem, ZZ plant, Zuzu plant, aroid palm, eternity plant and emerald palm, is native to Eastern Africa. Zamioculcas is a genus of plant in the family Araceae. This family includes Anthuriums, philodendrons, peace lilies, monstera, dieffenbachia, and aglaonema. Its popular name ‘Eternity Plant’ refers to its hardiness and long lasting growth under adverse conditions. According to NASA and other studies, Eternity Plants are considered ambient purifying and can remove harmful … Continue reading Zamioculcas zamiifolia (The Eternity Plant)
Beaucarnea recurvata, aka the elephant’s foot, ponytail palm, pata de elefante, nolina despeinada o palma barrigona, is in the family of Asparagaceae. The species is native to Mexico but is now critically endangered (only present in Veracruz). However, it has become popular worldwide as an ornamental plant. Its popular name of ‘ponytail palm’ bears no relevance to the genus Arecaceae as it does not belong to the palm family. The name ‘ponytail’ stems … Continue reading The Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
‘Invasion biology’ is the science that spawned the native plant movement and the “restoration” industry that attempts to eradicate non-native plants and trees, many times using herbicides and deforestation. In the process, countless of wildlife is destroyed, in favor of re-planting ‘native’ plants, thus ‘restoring’ the once native vegetation. The native plant movement is based on the belief that native plants are superior to introduced plants, that … Continue reading Why I’m not a Nativist
This is the Date Palm I recently blogged about. Epiphytes are plants that love growing in the inside structure of the palm called ‘boot’. Palms don’t have bark. What appears to be bark is simply dried-out tissue left over after the fronds are shed. The pseudobark of a palm tree is the outermost, dead tissue that covers and protects the living trunk. However, it is the … Continue reading The Monarch Fern (Microsorum scolopendria)
Phoenix canariensis, aka Canary Island date palm, palmera canaria or pineapple palm, is a species from the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Canary Islands. It is a relative of Phoenix dactylifera, the true date palm, and Phoenix roebelenii, the miniature date palm. This specimen was fruiting. The dates from the Canary Date Palm are completely edible, but are not the ones used for commercial production. Only the relative Phoenix dactylifera, native to … Continue reading Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)
Aloe vera, aka Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., sábila, Aloe barbadensis var. chinensis, Aloe chinensis (Haw.), Aloe elongata Murray, or Aloe flava, is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is an evergreen perennial native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. Aloe is derived from the Arabic word alloeh, meaning ‘bitter and shiny substance’ and vera comes from verus in Latin, meaning ‘true’. The other botanic name for Aloe … Continue reading Aloe vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller)
Aka Hylocereus tricostatus, Pitaya, pitahaya, dragon fruit, or strawberry pear, is the fruit of several cactus species native to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. According to Wikipedia, Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, Brazil, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is named for its unique appearance, which is said to resemble the … Continue reading Selenicereus undatus (Pitaya, Dragon Fruit)
Aka Opuntia rubescens, Consolea rubescens, Opuntia guanicana, Consolea guanicana, Cactus rubescens, Road Kill Cactus, Sour Pricklypear, is native to the Caribbean and Florida. It can grow up to 20 feet tall. The trunk can reach up to 8 inches in diameter and has reddish or grayish brown, peeling bark. They belong to the subfamily of Opuntiads, and the family of cacti (Cactaceae). Consolea is a group of Opuntiads from … Continue reading Consolea Rubescens (Consolea)
Zamia furfuracea, aka cardboard cycad, cardboard plant, cardboard sago, Jamaican sago, and Mexican cycad, is endemic to Mexico. It is presently cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world as an ornamental plant. It belongs to the Zamiaceae family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. Although they’re referred to as a “palms”, they’re actually cycads. Cycads are ancient seed plants that date back to the Jurassic period. The illegal harvesting … Continue reading Zamia furfuracea (Cardboard Palm)
Journals from the Caribbean 
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