The Malvacea Part 2

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Malvacea - Part 2

 PART 2 of the 3 part series looking at some of these Genus groups in the Malvacea.

 

Genus Cola

 

Cola acuminate flower

 African Cola (125 species) are noted for having separate male and female flowers borne in often quite large and branched inflorescences. Those sepals are fused and there are no petals. Caffeine-containing seeds of Cola are used in cola drinks. 

Cola nuts

 

Genus Corchorus

 This genus has many species used as a source of jute fiber.

  1. The African hemp (Sparmannia africana) is native to Africa and Madagascar.
  2. Byttneria is pantropical but especially South American.
  3. Hermannia is especially common in Africa.
  4. Melochia is mainly New World.
  5. Ayenia is found in tropical and warm temperate regions of the New World.
  6. Tossa jute Corchorus olitorius is from Africa
  7. White jutes Corchorus capsularis is common in Arab countries

 

Bundles of Jute fiber

 Tossa Jute is cultivated as a source of jute fiber and for its edible leaves. Grown  throughout tropical Asia and Africa.  Its mucilaginous leaves and young stems are commonly eaten as a vegetable similar to okra.The plant is especially popular in a number of Arab countries, where it is used in a soup-based dish known as molokhia, or mulukhiyyah.White Jute, is considered to be somewhat better to those of the Tossa jute. 

Genus Dipterocarpus

 Many species provide a variety of products in addition to useful timber. 

Dipterocarpus glandulosa flowers

- yields gurjun balsam, used in medicines.

  

Shorea robusta tree

- a valuable timber tree that also produces useful resins.

  

Dryobalanops aromatic crystals

- produces Borneo camphor

used in East Asia for medicines, varnishes, and embalming.

  

Vateria indica crystals

- produces a gum resin known as Indian copal

 

Genus Durio

 

The famous durian fruits are obtained from Durio zibethinus

 The massive spiny fruits are opened to reveal large seeds surrounded by a creamy fleshy covering, or aril. Some people cannot stand the smell or taste of durians, whereas others think they are one of the world’s finest delicacies. 

Genus Gossypium

 Cotton! There are 4 species – all produce fibers surrounding their seeds that we harvest and spin into cloth. 

Gossypium arboretum - Tree cotton

 Commonly called tree cotton, is a species of cotton native to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  Is grown in other tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World.There is evidence of its cultivation as long ago as the Harappan civilization of the Indus Valley for the production of cotton textiles.  A Bronze Age people lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. A long time ago !  

Gossypium herbaceum - Levant cotton

 A species of cotton native to the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia, where it still grows perennially in the wild as a shrub. 

Gossypium hirsutum - Mexican cotton

 Also known as upland cotton, it is the most widely planted species of cotton in the world. It is native to Mexico, the West Indies (Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico), northern South America, Central America and possibly tropical Florida.Globally, about 90% of all cotton production is of cultivars derived from this species. In the United States, the world's largest exporter of cotton, it constitutes approximately 95% of all cotton production.Archeological evidence from the Tehuacan Valley in Mexico shows the cultivation of this species as long ago as 3,500 BC.  

Gossypium barbadense - Long fiber cotton - or known as "Egyptian Cotton"

 Originated in southwest Ecuador and northwest Peru.  It is now cultivated around the world. It accounts for about 5% of the world's cotton production.“Egyptian cotton” is a market class representing G. barbadense grown in Egypt. Sometimes the terms "Egyptian long-staple" and Egyptian extra-long staple" are used."Pima" is a name often used for cotton grown in the Southwestern United States. This market class consists of extra-long G. barbadense. It was originally known as "American Egyptian", but eventually the name "Pima" became more popular. 

Stay tuned for next weeks' Part 3 of the Malvacea......

 

In the meantime -

Our Design Team can create a Marvelous Malvacean Garden for you ! 

Call us - let's talk dreams !

  

PLANT SPECIALISTSGREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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