Also known as the golden fig or higueron, the Florida strangler fig is a tree that is native to Florida in the USA, southern Mexico, northern and western Caribbean, and in Central America as far south as Panama. This plant was first scientifically described by Thomas Nuttall in 1846. The Florida strangler fig tree is
The Parrot Bush is a shrub or tree species that belongs to the genus, Banksia. This plant is found throughout south-west Western Australia. It was first collected in 1801 at King George Sound, and was described 9 years later by Robert Brown as Dryandra floribunda. Joseph Knight had actually published the flower as Josephia sessils
The New South Wales waratah, also known as just waratah, is a large shrub. It is also native to the Australian state of New South Wales, and is also their floral emblem. As a result, it has featured prominently in architecture, art, and advertising. The Waratahs are also New South Wales’ Rugby Union team, and
Also known as the Orange Banksia, the Acorn Banksia is a tree or shrub species of the genus Banksia. It was first described by the English Botanist, John Lindley, in 1840. It was thought that he collected the materials from James Drummond in 1839. There are actually no recognised varieties of Acorn Banksias, also it
The Gyromitra esculenta is one of several fungi species that are also known as false morsels. They are widely found in both Europe and North America. Gyromitra esculenta normally sprout in sandy soils under coniferous trees during the spring and early summer. Its fruiting body (mushroom) has quite a distinct look from a regular mushroom.
More commonly known as the ‘death cap’, the Amanita phalloides is a deadly type of fungus that is in the genus, Amanita. These fungi are found widely across Europe, and can be found near trees with broad leaves. They have also been accidentally introduced into regions with non-native species such as chestnut, oak, and pine.
Also known as the port wine banksia or the strawberry banksia, the firewood banksia is a flowering plant species in the genus, Banksia. It is actually either a gnarled up tree that stands 10 metres tall, or a shrub that spreads about 1 to 3 metres in the northern parts of its distribution range. It
The Amanita ocreata is known as the Western North American destroying angel (destroying angel for short) and the death angel. This is because it is a poisonous basidiomycete fungus. It primarily lives in the Pacific Northwest and the California floristic provinces of North America. It is strongly associated with oak trees, particluarly the coast live
Also known as the fly Agaric or the fly Amanita, the Amanita muscaria is a poisonous and psychoactive basidiomycete fungi, which is one of many in the genus Amanita. There are several subspecies, and each of them have a different cap color. These include the yellow-range flavivolata guessowii, formosa, the pink persicina, and the brown
Also known as the Eastern North American Destroying Angel, this dastardly sounding ‘angel’ is actually a poisonous species of fungi from the family Amanitaceae. Its latin name is Amanita bisporigera. It is also known as the Destroying Angel, but this name is shared with other lethal species of the white Amanita such as the Amanita
Aiphanes are a type of spiny palm trees that are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. There are 26 species in the genus Aiphanes, which range from small understorey shrubs with subterranean stems, to sub-canopy trees that can be as tall as 20 metres. A tree
Also known as chouchun or ailanthus, the Tree of Heaven is a deciduous tree that is native to north-east and central China and Taiwan. Unlike this tree’s other family members in the genus Ailanthus, it prefers to live in temperate climates rather than in tropical environments. This tree is a large, rapidly growing tree that
Also known as pepperidge bushes, barberries are a genus that contain about 450-500 species of both evergreen and deciduous shrubs. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all of the continents in the world except for Australia and Antarctica. The barberry plant's autumn red leaves These plants are about 1 to 5
Stephanotis is a genus which is originally from Africa. Its name derives from the Greek words, ‘stephanos’ (crown) and ‘otis’ (ear). Although this may sound strange, this actually refers to how the stamens in each flower are supposedly shaped. There are about 5-15 species in this genus, which are all evergreen and woody-stemmed climbers from
Although Jasmine is from the Old French word, Jasminum, it actually derives from the Persian word ‘yasmin’, which means “Gift from God”. It is a type of vine and shrub from the olive family, and there are about 200 species of jasmine around the world that are native to warm temperate and tropical regions of
