IT'S ALL ABOUT PLANT!

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as flowering plants, conifers, ferns, mosses, and green algae, but do not include seaweeds like kelp, nor fungi and bacteria. The group is also called green plants or Viridiplantae in Latin. -

HOUSEPLANTS

A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects, or health reasons such as indoor air purification. Plants used in this fashion are most commonly, though not always, tropical or semi-tropical. -

FLOWERING AND FOLIAGE SHRUBS

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m (15–20 ft) tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience. Small, low shrubs such as lavender, periwinkle and thyme are often termed subshrubs. -

TREES AND HERBS

In general use, herbs are any plants "with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or parts of "such a plant as used in cooking". In botanical use, the term "herb" is employed differently, for any non-woody flowering plant, regardless of its flavor, scent or other properties, and thus includes only grass-like plants and forbs -

AQUATIC PLANTS, VINES, CACTUS, etc.

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, within the order Caryophyllales. Cacti have a variety of uses: some species are used as ornamental plants, others are grown for fodder or forage, others for food (particularly their fruit). Most cacti live in habitats which are subject to at least some degree of drought. -

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Freshwater Plants

The variety of plants that can live in and around fresh water all over the world is quite extensive. Plants that can survive and thrive in wet, marshy areas or that live in and on top of water are called aquatic or hydrophytic plants (hydrophytes). Some aquatic plants grow completely beneath the surface, and some grow partially beneath and partially above. Aquatic plants can grow in the wild, or in aquariums and man-made  ponds.


Requirements


In addition to the hydrogen, oxygen and carbon found in the water and air that they live in, aquatic plants also need the nutrients that are found in the rich soil that is in and around freshwater ecosystems. These nutrients include a large range of macro-elements such as magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Decomposing organic matter that surrounds freshwater areas adds to these nutrients.

Types
There are three major types of hydrophytic plants. There are plants that are rooted in the mud. These plants can have leaves that are either completely submerged in the water or that extend out of the water. The second type is floating plants whose roots do not attach to the bottom but float free in the water. The majority of these plants' leaves or flowers are above the surface. The third type is plants that are rooted in the mud along the edge of the water; they are somewhere between being an aquatic plant and a terrestrial plant.

1) Submerged Aquatic Plants

  • Anacharis
    Submerged aquatic plants help to produce oxygen in the water, and are very beneficial to aquatic life. For this reason, submerged plants are very popular with aquarium owners. There are many species of submerged aquatic plants, including Anacharis, Cabomba, Hornwort, Red Ludwigia and Vallisneria
Vallisneria spiralis

Amazon sword

Riccia fluitans



        2) Floating Aquatic Plants


        • Water Lettuce
          Floating aquatic plants also help to oxygenate and filter the water. Floating plants are a favorite of those who create their own backyard ponds and Koi ponds. Some examples of floating plants are Frogbit, Large Leaf Sensitive Plant, Parrot's Feather, Red Stemmed Parrot's Feather, Water Hyacinth, Jumbo Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce. The most popular versions of floating plants for the backyard Koi pond, mostly because of their beautiful blooms, are the Water Lily and the Lotus.
        Frogbit

        Salvinia natans

        Water hyacinth




          3) Bog Plants


          • Bengal Canna
            Aquatic plants that grow at the sides and on the banks of freshwater areas are sometimes called bog plants. These range from the grasses that grow in marshlands to Elephant Ears and Rushes. Some examples of bog plants are Arrowheads, Cattails and Reeds, Floating Hearts, Bog Irises, Louisiana Irises, Rushes, Cannas, Palms, Papyrus, Elephant Ear and Bog Taro.
          Moccasin flower orchid

          Acorus americanus

          Sarracenia

          Wednesday, December 28, 2011

          10 Amazing Fact About Tree

           
          1) Trees receive an estimated 90% of their nutrition from the atmosphere and only 10% from the soil. 


          2) Trees grow from the top, not from the bottom as is commonly believed. A branch's location on a tree will only move up the trunk a few inches in 1000 years. 



          3) No tree dies of old age. They are generally killed by insects, disease or by people. California Bristlecone Pines and Giant Sequoias are regarded as the oldest trees and have been known to live 4,000 to 5,000 years.



          4) There are about 20,000 tree species in the world. The United States has one of the largest tree treasuries second only to India.



          5) The largest area of forest in the tropics remains the Amazon Basin, amounting to 81.5 million acres.

            

          6) Arbor Day was first observed in Nebraska in 1872. That state is now home to one of the world's largest forests planted by people - over 200,000 acres of trees.

            

          7) Some trees can "talk" to each other. When willows are attacked by webworms and caterpillars, they emit a chemical that alerts nearby willow of the danger. The neighboring trees then respond by pumping more tannin into their leaves making it difficult for the insects to digest the leaves.

            

          8) Knocking on wood for good luck originated from primitive tree worship when rapping on trees was believed to summon protective spirits in the trees.

            

          9) Trees can induce rainfall by cooling the land and transpiring water into the sky from their leaves. An acre of maple trees can put as much as 20,000 gallons of water into the air each day.



          10) The most massive living thing on earth is the Giant Sequoia in the Redwood Forest of California. It stands nearly 30 stories tall and 82.3 feet in circumference. Its weight is estimated at 2,756 tons.

          Tuesday, December 27, 2011

          My Own Cactus & Succulent

          This time I would like to show you guys some of the cacti that I've repot recently. Some of these was bought during vacation on Cameron Highland last year. Actually I don't really know what their  names are and how to propagate them succesfully since I'm new in collecting all of this cactus and succulents. Anyway below are the cactus that I was talking about. Quite unique isn't it?! 













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          WWF Message (Forests for Life)

          WWF Message (Forests for Life)
          Plants are disappearing. Every year over 11.5 million hectares of tropical forest is cut and then burned to clear land for farming and cattle grazing. This kind of change is called deforestation. With fewer trees and other plants to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, too much carbon dioxide builds up. Deforestation is one cause of global warming. The conservation of plants and forests is now something more people and governments are beginning to discuss very seriously as one way to protect the environment.

          WWF Message (Before It's Too Late)

          WWF Message (Before It's Too Late)
          Plants are one of two major Kingdoms of life forms. There are about 300,000 plant species on Earth. Plants are the only life forms that can produce their own food using energy from sunlight. Plants produce almost all of the oxygen in the air that humans and other animals breathe. Plants are also an important source of food, building materials, and other resources that make life possible for Earth’s animals.

          International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest - 2012 Grand Prize

          International Aquatic Plant Layout Contest - 2012 Grand Prize