Fitzroya

Fitzroya is a genus in the cypress family Cupressaceae with a single species, Fitzroya cupressoides native to the Andes mountains of southern Chile and adjoining Argentina, where it is an important member of the Valdivian temperate rain forests. The scientific name of the genus honours Robert FitzRoy; common names include Lahuan, Alerce, and Patagonian Cypress.

It is a very large evergreen tree, the largest tree species in South America, growing to 40-60 m tall and up to 5 m trunk diameter. The leaves are in decussate whorls of three, 3-6 mm long (to 8 mm long on seedlings) and 2 mm broad, marked with two white stomatal lines. The cones are globose, 6-8 mm diameter, opening flat to 12 mm across, with nine scales in three whorls of three. Only the central whorl of scales is fertile, bearing 2-3 seeds on each scale; the lower and upper whorls are small and sterile. The seeds are 2-3 mm long, flat, with a wing along each side. The seeds are mature 6-8 months after pollination.

In 1993 a specimen from Chile was dated as 3622 years old. This gives it the third-greatest fully verified age recorded for any living tree, after the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine and the as yet unnamed 9,550 year old spruce tree discovered in Sweden in 2008. Much larger specimens existed in the past before the species was heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries; Charles Darwin reported finding a specimen 12.6 m in diameter, which, if accurately measured, would have made it the stoutest tree ever measured anywhere in the world.

Terminalia

Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family, Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves... more >>>

Liatris

Liatris (common names: Blazing-star, Gay-feather or Button snakeroot) is a genus of ornamental plants in the Asteraceae family. These plants are used as a popular summer flowers for bouquets.


Speciesmore >>>

Gentianopsis

Gentianopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the gentian family known commonly as fringed gentians. These are similar to the gentians of genus Gentiana. Most have flowers which are blue to purple in color. They may be annual or perennial.... more >>>

Vanda

Vanda is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) which, although not large (about fifty species), is one of the most important florally.

The name "Vanda" is derived from the Sanskrit name for the species Vanda... more >>>

Talinum - fameflower

Talinum is a genus of herbaceous succulent plants in the family Portulacaceae whose common names include fameflower and flameflower. Several species bear edible leaves, and Talinum fruticosum is widely grown in tropical regions as a leaf... more >>>