edible

07.0318 Smilax china, upper surface of the leaf

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #072] What are the species of the Smilax family? Photo list

The family Smilacaceae, also known as the Smilax family, is a perennial herb or subshrub, mostly climbing plants. They typically have short rhizomes. Leaves are alternate, with tendrils on the petioles. Inflorescences are usually umbels. Perianth segments are usually free, with three of each being identical in shape and texture to the outer and inner segments. The ovary is...

2022.08.02

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

07.0298 Pandanus (Japanese screwpine) young tree leaves

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #063] What are the species of the Pandanaceae family? Photo list

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….

2022.08.01

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

07.0284 Dioscorea tokoro (male inflorescence)

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #058] What are the species of the Dioscoreaceae family? Photo list

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...

2022.08.01

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #041] What are the species of Araceae? Photo List

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...

2022.07.29

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #032] What are the species of the Annonaceae family? Photo list

The Annonaceae family consists of evergreen, rarely deciduous, trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing woody plants. Approximately 130 genera and 2,300 species are known, found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, America, and Africa. In Japan, there is one species, Monoon liukiuense, found in the Ryukyu Islands...

2022.07.27

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #003] What are the species of the Ginkgo family? Photo list

The Ginkgoaceae family consists of deciduous trees. The leaves are flattened and spread out, with veins repeatedly branching dichotomously from the base of the petiole, becoming parallel veins that reach the upper leaf margin. They are dioecious; male flowers bear numerous anthers on a slender stalk. Female flowers typically have two ovules facing upwards at the end of the pedicel. Fertilization occurs...

2022.07.14

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

[Seed Plant Encyclopedia #001] What are the species of the Cycadaceae family? Photo list

The family Cycadaceae is a family of plants belonging to the order Cycadales in the class Cycadae. All extant species are evergreen woody plants. The leaves are pinnately compound, with long, pointed leaflets. Numerous leaves grow at the tip of the stem, with the base remaining on the stem. The family is dioecious, with flowers borne terminally or laterally on the stem. The stamens (microsporophylls) are scale-like...

2022.07.13

Seed Plant Encyclopedia

What are the differences between sunflowers, dwarf sunflowers, and white sunflowers? We'll explain how to distinguish between similar varieties! Is it a myth that sunflowers face the sun? Why are they the national flowers of Russia and Ukraine?

Sunflowers are said to face the sun, giving them a cheerful and bright image, and they are now very familiar plants in Japan. Originally from North America, there are many species, but the types of sunflowers found in Japan are limited, mostly consisting of the common sunflower, dwarf sunflower, and dusty sunflower. Humans and sunflowers...

2022.05.10

plant

What are the differences between pomegranates, dwarf pomegranates, and flowering pomegranates? What is their history? What are their health benefits? Is the saying "birds visit the flowers" a myth? What part of the pomegranate is referred to as the "fruit"?

Pomegranates are native to Iran and northern India and are cultivated worldwide. While there are no closely related species in Japan, making differentiation relatively easy, several cultivated varieties are known, with the dwarf pomegranate (Pomegranate japonica) and the flowering pomegranate (Pomegranate humilis) being representative examples. The leaves of the pomegranate and dwarf pomegranate are...

2021.09.20

plant