Linnaeus gave the genus its name, Lantana, in 1738. In so doing, he borrowed from the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner (1516-1565) who thus characterized Viburnum in…
A scientist and a writer
Category: Plants
Botany, which I did study awhile in my youth, holds a continued interest.
Plants are remarkable organisms.
In writing about them, in these small vignettes I try to combine the scientific and the cultural, the bucolic and the utilitarian, and to convey some of my sense of wonder – in brief to try and emulate some of the eighteenth-century natural historians, with the information now available to us.
The genus Trigonostemon has 50-60 species. This one grows throughout Southeast Asia : Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. It is found in the open rainforests…
How to be interesting, let alone innovate on such a trite topic ? The olive tree, in its coastal Mediterranean setting, is an all-too familiar sight…
The Dutch botanist Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817) named this genus after Joachim Burser, a fellow-botanist. Burser’s life (1583-1639) antedated that of Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). A…
Mankind can be defined by its diverse addictions. The sweet tooth is one of them. Alcoholic drinks are another. No wonder, accordingly, if sugarcane and…
These are tall trees! They grow to 50-60 m, i.e., about the height of a 15-20 story building. The word bole, of Germanic origin, is…
This genus comprises approximately 170 species of parasitic plants, known in English as dodder — a word of of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch, Middle…
Scientists and laypersons alike,owe so much to Charles Darwin. Collective fascination with carnivorous plants dates to 1875 when he published a book on insectivorous plants, as…
Moringaceae are woody, often quite stout-stemmed shrubs or slender trees. They reach about 10-12 m (30-36 ft) in height. Their leaves often smell unpleasant when crushed.…
This tree deserves admiring its longevity and antiquity. It has earned applause as a living fossil. Lone surviving species, probably domesticated many centuries ago, within a…