Living things

The Pandanaceae family consists of cold-hardy evergreen trees or vines. Over 700 species across 3-4 genera are distributed in the former tropical regions of Asia and Africa and Polynesia, with native species found in the Ogasawara Islands and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Pandanus species produce aerial roots from the nodes of their stems, resembling the legs of an octopus….

The family Dioscoreaceae consists of herbaceous or climbing plants, comprising over 630 species across three genera distributed worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. In Japan, only the genus Dioscorea is found. This article provides a comprehensive, field-guide-style introduction to plants of the Dioscoreaceae family. Basic information is available from the Kanagawa Prefectural Botanical Garden...

The family Potamogetonaceae originally consisted of two genera, Potamogetonaceae and Groenlandia, but the genus *Groenlandia* was separated from Potamogetonaceae. Also, the family Zanichelliaceae was included within Potamogetonaceae...

The family Hydrocharitaceae consists of annual or perennial aquatic plants that grow in freshwater or saltwater. Their morphology is extremely diverse. The base of the leaves often forms a leaf sheath, containing 2 to 10 or more small scales. They are monoecious or dioecious, with inflorescences...

The Alismataceae family consists of submerged or wetland herbs. All leaves are basal, with parallel and reticulate venation. Flowers are bisexual or unisexual. Inflorescences are racemes or panicles, with three flowers or branches arranged in whorls at each node. The sepals and petals are three in number and white; the calyx is persistent...

The Araceae family consists of perennial herbs, sometimes shrub-like, lilac-like, or floating aquatic plants. They often have tubers or thick rhizomes underground, and some species form pseudostems with tubular bases on the petioles. The plant body is succulent, filled with cells containing bundles of needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals...

The Acoraceae family is a perennial herb with a rhizome. The leaves emerge from the rhizome in a skirt-like fashion, arranged in two longitudinal rows, and are linear and sword-shaped. The basal flower stalk is erect and bears a single spadix with a single leaf-like bract. The inflorescence bears numerous flowers; the flowers are bisexual, triperous, with six perianth segments arranged in two whorls, and six stamens...

The Lauraceae family consists of evergreen or deciduous woody plants. Their leaves are arranged alternately or oppositely. Many species are fragrant. Approximately 31 genera and 2,000 species are known from tropical to temperate regions, with 9 genera and 29 species distributed in Japan. Several species are cultivated. This article focuses on plants of the Lauraceae family...

The family Hernandiaceae consists of evergreen trees, shrubs, or vines. It comprises 5 genera and approximately 58 known species. They are distributed throughout tropical regions worldwide, with some species widely found in coastal areas, even at depths exceeding 2000 meters above sea level.

The Calycanthaceae family consists of fragrant, deciduous shrubs reaching 2-4 meters in height, with the exception of Idiospermum, which grows into a large evergreen tree. It comprises 3 genera and 10 species, and its distribution is limited to warm temperate and tropical regions. Calycanthus (3 species; western North America...).