Day 73

Kalanchoe Delagoensis

Mother of Millions

This one took me a while to find.  It's a succulent plant native to Madagascar and it's flourishing at the end of my street.  Due to it's popularity as a garden plant and it's drought tolerance, the mother of millions is becoming an invasive weed in places like Eastern Australia and many Pacific Islands.  It can cause cardiac poisoning especially in grazing animals and is blamed for the death of 125 head of cattle in NSW in 1997.

Day 72

Dombeya

Strawberry Snowball

Native to Africa and Madagascar, it's name commemorates French botanist and explorer Joseph Dombey (1742-1794).  The Dombeya is a narrow upright tree whose flowers drop to the ground before they dry so it makes a beautiful and colorful bed of flowers.  It also boasts large maple-like leaves.

Day 71

Acalypha Pendula

Chenille, Firetail or Red-hot Cat's Tail

Native to the Americas and Africa, mainly in the tropics and subtropics, the chenille is commonly cultivated as a houseplant.  I love it's fuzzy bloom.

Day 70

Datura Metel

Devil's Trumpet or Metel

The Devil's Trumpet is cultivated worldwide for it's chemical and ornamental properties.  It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine. However, it can be extremely toxic and should be used with caution.  If ingested it has been known to cause headaches, hallucinations convulsions and even coma.  It contains tropane alkaloids which if ingested can lead to severe side effects.

Day 69

Impatiens Walleriana

Bizzie Lizzie, Balsam or Impatiens

Native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique, Impatiens are commonly cultivated in parks and gardens.  They come in a wide variety of colors and are typically grown in containers.

Day 68

Pachystachys Lutea

Lollypop or Golden Shrimp

Native to Peru, the golden shrimp is a tropical evergreen shrub that can grow up to 6' tall in optimum conditions.  Usually it only reaches around 3' and is a popular garden flower in South America.  

Day 67

Geranium

Cranesbills

Geraniums are found in temperate climates around the world, but especially in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean.  Scientists from Germany have found that extracts from the South African geranium plant show potential for a new class of anti-HIV-1 agents for the treatment of AIDS.

Day 66

Begonia

The genus Begonia was named by Charles Plumier to honor the former governor of the French colony of Haiti, Michel Bégon.  Most begonias are sour to the taste, but are edible.  However, they can be toxic if ingested in large quantities due to the presence of oxalic acid in the tissues.

Day 65

Dianthus

Pink or Sweet William

The name Dianthus is derived from the Greek words "dios" meaning God and "anthos" meaning flower.  Before the word "pink" was used to describe a color, it was a verb which means to "decorate with a perforated or punched pattern".  Carnations are also included in the same genus.

Day 64

Holmskioldia Sanguinea

Chinese Hat Plant, Mandarin's Hat or Cup and Saucer Plant

It's name is derived from Danish botanist Johan Theodor Holmskiold (1731-1793).  Native to tropical regions of Asia, this flowering plant is in the mint family.  It contains oroxindin which is a flavonoid believed to have anti-tumor properties.

Day 63

Anthurium

Tailflower, Flamingo Lily or Painters Palette

Anthurium is native to the Americas from Northern Mexico and Argentina to the Caribbean.  It is poisonous and the sap is irritating to the skin and eyes.  

Day 62

Torenia

Wishbone Flower or Crown Flower

Torenia was named after Olaf Tore'n (1718-53), chaplain to the Swedish East India Company.  The name "wishbone" comes from the way the anthers arch and join at the tip.  When bees are pollenating the flowers they actually break the wishbone.  They are loved by hummingbirds and deer avoid them.  So today, everybody make a wish.  I know I will.

  

Day 61

Aeschynanthus Radicans

Lipstick Plant

This is a vine-like plant that is native to the humid tropics of the Malay Peninsula south to Java.  It makes an excellent indoor hanging plant.  It's flowers have a dark tubular buds out from which a bright red flower blossoms resembling a tube of lipstick.

Day 60

Senecio Confusus

Mexican Flame Vine

The translation for senecio confusus is "confused old man".  If the vine is not supported it will grow wildly, piling up on itself and become a sprawling shrub.  It is native to Mexico as its common name implies.  They are used as a decorative plant draping over porch rails, climbing chain link fences and growing up tall tree trunks.  The bright orange flowers attract many butterflies.

Day 59

Calotropis Gigantae

Crown Flower

The Crown Flower is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China.  It serves as a host to a variety of insects and butterflies.  There are numerous medicinal uses of this plant from treating the common cold to reducing fevers and swelling.  It's even useful in treating paralysis.  The fibers from the tree are used to make ropes, carpets, fishing nets and sewing thread.  It is commercially known as Bowstring of India.  

Day 58

Hibiscus Syriacus

Rose of Sharon, Rose Mallow or St Joseph's Rod

Native to much of Asia, the Rose of Sharon is the national flower of South Korea.  It is used on various national emblems, it's name in Korean means "eternity" or "inexhaustible abundance".  The flower is edible and the leaves can be brewed as an herbal tea.

Day 57

Lignum Vitae

Guayacan or Pockholz

Latin for "tree of life" the lignum vitae tree is native to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America.  Since the beginning of the 16th century it has been an important export to Europe.  It is the national flower of Jamaica as well as the national tree of the Bahamas.  Lignum vitae is a small slow growing tree that is known for it's extraordinary strength and density.  It's wood chips can be used to brew tea and it's sap has medicinal qualities that have been used to treat a range of ailments from coughs to arthritis.  Lignum vitae is considered a "potentially" endangered species.  Time to plant one in our yard.

Day 56

Adenium Obesum

Lots of common names:

Sabi Star, Desert Rose, Kudu, Mock Azelia and Impala Lily

Native to regions south of the Sahara from Senegal to Sudan, and parts of eastern and southern Africa and Arabia.  The sap from it's roots and stems is toxic and is used as arrow poison in Africa for hunting large game.  It is also used as a toxin for fishing.  In our neck of the woods it is an ornamental plant and can be grown indoors as a bonsai.