Adromischus cristatus

Adromischus cristatus is a species of succulents from the Crassulaceae family, endemic to the eastern cape of South Africa. It is a perennial with short erect branches 20-50 mm long covered with fine aerial roots. Leaves are green to gray-green, with undulating margin, and generally measuring 20-40 x 5-13 mm. During the springtime, it sends up long narrow stalks for its flowers, which are tubular in shape and white in color with hints of red. Common names for this plant include "Key Lime Pie" and "Crinkle Leaf Plant."

This plant grows best given bright light and good airflow. Plant in cacti/succulent potting soil for ample drainage and provide water when the soil is dry. Water less frequently during the winter. While hardy down to freezing temperatures (32°F or 0°C), avoid exposure to frost.

The A. cristatus is in USDA hardiness zone 10.

Polygonatum odoratum (angular Solomon's seal or scented Solomon's seal) syn. P. officinale, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Russian Far East, China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. In the United Kingdom it is one of three native species of the genus, the others being P. multiflorum and P. verticillatum.

Easily grown in moist, humusy, organically rich, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Best performance occurs in cool sun-dappled shady areas. Dislikes hot summer conditions. Slowly spreads by thin rhizomes to form colonies in optimum growing conditions.

Polygonatum odoratum, commonly called fragrant Solomon's seal, is a rhizomatous, shade-loving perennial that typically grows to 18-24” tall on low, gracefully arching, angled (as opposed to cylindrical), unbranched stems. It is native to shaded slopes and woodland areas in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Each stem (to 18” long) rises singly from the rhizome clad with 8-17 alternate, upright, parallel-veined, elliptic to ovate-oblong leaves (to 4” long). Leaves turn an attractive yellow in fall. Greenish-white tubular flowers (to 7/8” long) on short pedicels droop (usually in pairs but sometimes solitarily) from the leaf axils along and beneath the arching stems. Flowers have a sweet, lily-like fragrance. Flowers bloom late spring to early summer (May-June). Flowers are followed by attractive pendulous blue-black berries (each 1/4" diameter) in fall which hang downward from the leaf axils.

Genus name comes from Greek poly meaning many and gonu meaning knee joint in reference to the jointed plant rhizomes.

Specific epithet comes from the Latin word odoratus meaning sweet smelling in reference to the fragrance of plant flowers.

Common name is usually considered to be in reference to the large, circular seals (leaf stalk scars) located on the rhizomes. However, some authorities suggest the common name actually refers to “wound sealing properties” of the plant.
Var. pluriflorum is native to Japan, Korea and China. From Latin, pluriflorum means many flowered.
‘Variegatum’ is a popular cultivar of var. pluriflorum. It features showy light green leaves edged with white. New stems are tinged with maroon red. It is a superior foliage ornamental for shady garden areas. Perennial Plant Association’s 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year. Synonymous with and formerly known as P. odoratum var. thunbergii ‘Variegatum’.

Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. All parts of this plant may cause discomfort if ingested by humans (plants contain small amounts of saponin and convallamarin). Watch for slugs, snails, weevils and sawflies. Leaf spot and rust infrequently appear.

Garden Uses

Best in woodland gardens or shady areas of rock gardens or border fronts. Foliage is attractive in flower arrangements.

Carex appalachica-Appalachian Sedge

Carex appalachica is native to the dry woods of eastern North America. Its fine texture and fountaining habit make it a lovely groundcover in dry shady sites, even in the root zone of trees. Its tidy clumping habit makes it a perfect feature in a container, rock or stump, or in a border planting along a walkway.

Fine-textured Carex appalachica is native to woodlands in the U.S. from Maine to South Carolina and east to Kentucky, where it is considered endangered. Appalachian Sedge is a true clump grower. Its narrow foot-long foliage lies in a sweeping mound six inches from the ground. When planted in masses or on slopes, the weeping foliage appears to curve, swirl and intermingle in a beautiful display of motion. Carex appalachica makes a great low-maintenance lawn substitute as it will grow under many conditions, as long as it is planted in dry to average soil. Appalachian Sedge does best with some shade, particularly in warmer regions.

Benefits

• Thrives in partial or full shade
• Its fine texture adds airy movement in the garden
• Tenacious roots help prevent erosion
• Early bloom is a nectar bonus for native insects
• Seed is plentiful and a delicacy for birds
• Easy to grow and tolerant of many soil types

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' is a branching, tuberous tender perennial cultivar with dark eggplant-colored, almost black, foliage. This produces a stunning contrast with its scarlet flowers. The plant was first bred by Fred Tresedar, a Cardiff nurseryman.

t was selected by and named to honour Pritchard Hughes, Bishop of Llandaff, in 1924 and won the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1928. The plant is about 1 m tall and flowers from June until September. As with all dahlias, frost blackens its foliage, and its tubers need to be overwintered in a dry, frost-free place.

A seed strain has been produced from this plant called 'Bishops Children', they retain the dark foliage color but produce a mix of flower colors and flower shapes from single to semi-double flowers in different sizes.
Plant Profile:- Height:1.1m (3&1/2 ft) Spread: 45 cm (18 in) site: Full Sun Soil: Fertile, free-draining Hardiness: Half hardy
Also comes in rich reds & purples, yellows & oranges, as well as paler shades.

Pringlea antiscorbutica

Pringlea antiscorbutica, commonly known as Kerguelen cabbage, is a flowering plant and the sole member of the monotypic genus Pringlea in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Its common name comes from the archipelago of its discovery, the Kerguelens, and its generic name derives from Sir John Pringle, President of the Royal Society at the time of its discovery by Captain James Cook's Surgeon, William Anderson in 1776.

Distribution
The species grows on the Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Crozet, Prince Edward and Kerguelen Islands. These remote islands are at roughly 50° South Latitude, constantly buffeted by strong winds. This climatic feature is unfavorable for wind pollination, excepting on infrequent mild days, and this plus the absence of potential insect pollinators explains why the Kerguelen cabbage is self-pollinating.
At the mature stage, this species exhibits several adaptations linked to cold tolerance such as high polyamine levels.

The plant is edible, containing high levels of potassium. Its leaves contain a Vitamin C-rich oil, a fact which, in the days of sailing ships, made it very attractive to sailors suffering from scurvy, hence the species name, which means "against scurvy" in Latin. It was essential to the diets of the whalers on Kerguelen when pork, beef, or seal meat was used up. In May 1840, botanist J.D. Hooker was the first to make a technical analysis of the plant, and to assign the Latin name. Hooker also reported having eaten some soup that had been made with Kerguelen cabbage, and described the raw leaves as tasting like cress, the boiled leaves as tasting like "stale" (i.e., dried-out) cabbage, and the root as tasting like horseradish.

Lunaria annua

Lunaria annua, called honesty or annual honesty in English, is a species of flowering plant native to the Balkans and south west Asia, and naturalized throughout the temperate world.

It is an annual or biennial growing to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in) broad, with large, coarse, pointed oval leaves with marked serrations. In spring and summer it bears terminal racemes of white or violet flowers, followed by showy, light brown, translucent, disc-shaped seedpods (silicles) the skin of which falls off to release the seeds, revealing a central membrane which is white with a silvery sheen, 3–8 cm (1–3 in) in diameter; they persist on the plant through winter. These pods are much used in floral arrangements.

The Latin name lunaria means "moon-shaped" and refers to the shape and appearance of the seedpods.
The common name "honesty" arose in the 16th century, and may also relate to the translucence of the seedpods.

 In South East Asia, it is called the "money plant" and in the United States it is commonly known as "silver dollars", "Chinese money", or "Chinese coins" because its seedpods have the appearance of silvery coins. For the same reason, in French it is known as monnaie du pape ("the Pope's money"). In Denmark it is known as judaspenge and in Dutch-speaking countries as judaspenning (coins of Judas), an allusion to the story of Judas Iscariot and the thirty pieces of silver he was paid for betraying Christ.

This plant is easy to grow from seed. It is usually grown as a biennial, being sown one year to flower the next. It is suitable for cultivation in a shady or dappled area, or in a wildflower garden, and the flowers and dried seedpods are often seen in flower arrangements. Numerous varieties and cultivars are available, of which the white-flowered L. annua var. albiflora has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Aubrieta deltoidea

Aubrieta deltoidea is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family. Common names include lilacbush, purple rock cress and rainbow rock cress. Zone 4a to 9b.

It is native to southeastern Europe, but is grown worldwide as an ornamental plant and it grows wild in some areas as a garden escapee. This is a small herbaceous perennial forming carpets of green spoon-shaped to oval-shaped leaves, some of which are lobed. The showy inflorescence bears small flowers with four lavender to deep pink petals. The fruit is an inflated, hairy silique up to two centimeters long.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Purple_rock_cress.JPG)

Cultivation

A. deltoidea is cultivated as groundcover, in the rock garden, or in crevices in the wall, producing masses of brightly coloured flowers in spring.

Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation - Cuttings are usually more successful than division.

Do not prune in fall. Remove damaged foliage in spring.

Short lived if drainage is poor or weather is hot. Divide every 1 to 3 years.

Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings from early- to mid-summer. Remove the lower leaves and root in sand.

Purchased seed is easy to germinate, but saved seed may not breed true to type.

Cultivated varieties, sometimes listed under the hybrid name A. x cultorum, are available in lavender, rose and lilac, but are often offered as a seed mixture. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

• ‘Aurea Variegata’ has green leaves with yellow markings and purple-blue blooms.
• ‘Barker’s Double’ has showy double blue-purple blooms.
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• ‘Bob Sanders’ grows 10 inches tall plants with large double flowers in shades of reddish purple.
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• ‘Campbellii’ has double pinkish-purple blooms.
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• ‘Carnival’ flowers prolifically producing purple blooms.
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• ‘Dr. Mules’ grows 6 inches tall with dark violet flowers.
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• ‘J. S. Baker’ has striking blue-purple flowers with white “eyes.”
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• ‘Parkinsii’ has rosy purple flowers with white “eyes.”
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• ‘Purple Cascade’ grows 4 inches tall with purple flowers.
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• ‘Red Carpet’ grows 4 inches tall with deep red flowers.
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• ‘Variegata’ grows 4 inches tall with gold and green leaves and purple-blue flowers.
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• ‘Whitewall Gem’ grows 8 inches tall reddish-purple flowers.

Cucurbita foetidissima

Cucurbita foetidissima, has numerous common names, including: buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, fetid wild pumpkin, Missouri gourd, prairie gourd, stinking gourd, wild gourd, and wild pumpkin. The plant is tuberous and a true xerophytic plant found in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. The type specimen was collected from Mexico by Humboldt and Bonpland sometime before 1817.

The feral perennial Buffalo gourd has evolved in the semiarid regions and is well adapted to desert environments. It has abundant yields of oil, protein and carbohydrates. The carbohydrates that are formed in the tap root have led to the idea to grow the plant for biofuel.
The fruit is consumed by humans and animals. When the fruit is mature, a stage marked by increasing desiccation of vine, leaves, fruit-stem, and fruit itself, it begins its final gourd stage.
Geographic location and genetics make it highly likely that Cucurbita scabridifolia is a naturally occurring hybrid of C. foetidissima and Cucurbita pedatifolia.

Cucurbita foetidissima requires little water and grows most rapidly in semiarid and arid environments. Warm weather is required during the vegetation period which is 5 to 8 months. This perennial is well adapted to marginal agricultural lands like sandy loam soils which have to be well drained. Germination temperature range is between 15 °C and 37 °C with an optimum at 25 °C.
The maximum depth for a successful germination is 12 cm. The germination is possible in a pH range from 2.2 (germination rate 15% ) up to pH 8 (germination rate 90%). Asexual propagation is possible from nodal roots.
The leaves of the buffalo gourd are typically entire and heart shaped with a 10–13 cm base and 20–25 cm length. 

The flowers are borne singly at the nodes of the vines after a given amount of annual vegetative growth has taken place.
The fruit has a diameter of 7–10 cm, the fruit weight is 120 g to 150 g and number of seed per fruit of 292 to 315.The seeds weigh about 4 g per 100 seeds and the seeds are 12 mm long and 7 mm wide. The seed coat accounts for about 30% of the seed weight. The seeds often remain viable for months or even years within an undamaged gourd. One hectare of can produce 2.5 tons of seed.
A fleshy tap root is formed by the plant which is used as a storage and overwintering structure. The central tap root can weight up to 72 kg. A four-year-old root grown under cultivation can reach a fresh weight of 45 kg and a length of 2.5 meters.

(Full size image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Cucurbita_foetidissima_fruit%2C_leaves%2C_and_vine.JPG )
Distribution

Cucurbita foetidissima is native to North America in the U.S. (Arizona; Arkansas; southern California; Colorado; Kansas; Missouri; southern Nebraska; Southern Nevada, New Mexico; Oklahoma; Texas; and southern Utah) and Mexico (Aguascalientes; Chihuahua; Coahuila; Guanajuato; Guerrero; Hidalgo; northern Jalisco; Mexico; Nuevo León; Querétaro; San Luis Potosí; Sonora; Tamaulipas; and Zacatecas)

Ripe fruit:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Cucurbita_foetidissima_fruit_2003-02-04.jpg)


Ripe fruit on a hand
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Cucurbita_foetidissima_fruit_Rest_of_the_plant_looked_long_dead.jpeg

Jacobaea vulgaris

Jacobaea vulgaris, syn. Senecio jacobaea is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere.

Common names include ragwort, benweed, tansy ragwort, St. James-wort, ragweed, Stinking Nanny/Ninny/Willy, staggerwort, Dog Standard, cankerwort, stammerwort, mare's fart and cushag. In the western US it is generally known as Tansy Ragwort, or "Tansy", though its resemblance to the true tansy is superficial.

The plant is generally considered to be biennial but it has the tendency to exhibit perennial properties under certain cultural conditions (such as when subjected to repeated grazing or mowing). The stems are erect, straight, have no or few hairs, and reach a height of 0.3–2.0 metres (1 ft 0 in–6 ft 7 in). The leaves are pinnately lobed and the end lobe is blunt. The many names that include the word "stinking" (and Mare's Fart) arise because of the unpleasant smell of the leaves. The hermaphrodite flower heads are 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) diameter, and are borne in dense, flat-topped clusters; the florets are bright yellow. It has a long flowering period lasting from June to November (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Tansy

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant of the aster family, native to temperate Europe and Asia. It has been introduced to other parts of the world and in some areas has become invasive. It is also known as Common Tansy, Bitter Buttons, Cow Bitter, Mugwort, or Golden Buttons.

Tansy is a flowering herbaceous plant with finely divided compound leaves and yellow, button-like flowers. It has a stout, somewhat reddish, erect stem, usually smooth, 50–150 cm tall, and branching near the top. 

The leaves are alternate, 10–15 cm long and are pinnately lobed, divided almost to the center into about seven pairs of segments, or lobes, which are again divided into smaller lobes having saw-toothed edges, giving the leaf a somewhat fernlike appearance. The roundish, flat-topped, button-like, yellow flower heads are produced in terminal clusters from mid-to-late summer. The scent is similar to that of camphor with hints of rosemary. The leaves and flowers are toxic if consumed in large quantities; the volatile oil contains toxic compounds including thujone, which can cause convulsions and liver and brain damage. Some insects, notably the tansy beetle Chrysolina graminis, have resistance to the toxins and subsist almost exclusively on the plant.

Tansy is native to Eurasia; it is found in almost all parts of mainland Europe. It is absent from Siberia and some of the Mediterranean islands.

Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica (the Japanese camellia) is one of the best known species of the genus Camellia. Sometimes called the Rose of winter, it belongs to the Theaceae family. It is the official state flower of Alabama. There are thousands of cultivars of C. japonica in cultivation, with many different colors and forms of flowers.
In the wild, it is found in mainland China (Shandong, east Zhejiang), Taiwan, southern Korea and southern Japan. It grows in forests, at altitudes of around 300–1,100 metres (980–3,610 ft).

In the wild, it is found in mainland China (Shandong, east Zhejiang), Taiwan, southern Korea and southern Japan.
It grows in forests, at altitudes of around 300–1,100 metres (980–3,610 ft).

Camellia japonica is a flowering tree or shrub, usually 1.5–6 metres (4.9–19.7 ft) tall, but occasionally up to 11 metres (36 ft) tall. Some cultivated varieties achieve a size of 72m² or more. The youngest branches are purplish-brown, becoming grayish-brown as they age. The alternately arranged leathery leaves are dark green on the top side, paler on the underside, usually 5–11 centimetres (2.0–4.3 in) long by 2.5–6 centimetres (1.0–2.4 in) wide with a stalk (petiole) about 5–10 millimetres (0.2–0.4 in) long. The base of the leaf is pointed (cuneate), the margins are very finely toothed (serrulate) and the tip somewhat pointed.
In the wild, flowering is between January and March. The flowers appear along the branches, particularly towards the ends, and have very short stems. 

They occur either alone or in pairs, and are 6–10 centimetres (2.4–3.9 in) across. There are about nine greenish bracteoles and sepals. Flowers of the wild species have six or seven rose or white petals, each 3–4.5 centimetres (1.2–1.8 in) long by 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.6–1.0 in) wide; the innermost petals are joined at the base for up to a third of their length. (Cultivated forms often have more petals.) The numerous stamens are 2.5–3.5 centimetres (1.0–1.4 in) long, the outer whorl being joined at the base for up to 2.5 centimetres (1.0 in). The three-lobed style is about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long.

The fruit consists of a globe-shaped capsule with three compartments (locules), each with one or two large brown seeds with a diameter of 1–2 centimetres (0.4–0.8 in). Fruiting occurs in September to October in the wild.

C. japonica leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera, such as The Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia). The Japanese white eye bird (Zosterops japonica) pollinates Camellia japonica.

Camellia oleifera

Camellia oleifera, which originated in China, is notable as an important source of edible oil (known as tea oil or camellia oil) obtained from its seeds. It is commonly known as the Oil-seed Camellia or Tea Oil Camellia, though to a lesser extent other species of Camellia are used in oil production too.
It is widely distributed in China and is cultivated extensively there. It is found in forests, thickets, banks of streams and foothills at elevations of 500 to 1,300 metres.

This species looks much similar to Camellia sasanqua except the dark green, evergreen leaves are a bit larger, three to five inches long and two to three inches wide. Single, white, fragrant flowers are produced in late winter, and this large shrub or small tree will reach a height of 20 feet with thin, upright, multiple trunks and branches. The crown forms a rounded or oval vase with lower branches removed.

The seeds of Camellia oleifera can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetical purposes and originates from the leaves of a different plant. Tea-oil Camellia is commonly over 80% monounsaturated fat. As such, it reduces LDL ('bad cholesterol'). Tea Oil is also known as "Tea Seed Oil" when sold as cooking oil in supermarkets throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua (the Christmas or Yuletide camellia) is a species of Camellia native to China and Japan. It is usually found growing up to an altitude of 900 metres.
It is an evergreen shrub growing to 5 m tall. The leaves are broad elliptic, 3–7 cm long and 1.2–3 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 5–7 cm diameter, with 5–8 white to dark pink petals.

At the beginning of the Edo period, cultivars of Camellia sasanqua began appearing; the first record of the cultivars of this plant was made by Ihei Ito (1695–1733). In Japan, it is not considered to be a true Camellia as the Japanese call it Sazanka (サザンカ, 山茶花).
C. sasanqua was not known in western societies until 1869 when Dutch traders imported some specimens into Europe. It is now also introduced to Australia and the United States.
It has a long history of cultivation in Japan for practical rather than decorative reasons. The leaves are used to make tea while the seeds or nuts are used to make tea seed oil,which is used for lighting, lubrication, cooking and cosmetic purposes. Tea oil has a higher calorific content than any other edible oil available naturally in Japan.


C. sasanqua is valued in gardens for its handsome glossy green foliage, and fragrant single white flowers produced extremely early in the season - often as early as Christmas. Various cultivars have been selected, of which 'Crimson King', 'Hugh Evans' and 'Jean May' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Silybum marianum

Silybum marianum has other common names include cardus marianus, milk thistle, blessed milk thistle, Marian Thistle, Mary Thistle, Saint Mary's Thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle. This species is an annual or biennial plant of the Asteraceae family. 

This fairly typical thistle has red to purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. Originally a native of Southern Europe through to Asia, it is now found throughout the world.

Seedling

Description
It grows 30 to 200 cm tall, having an overall conical shape with an approx. 160 cm max. diameter base. The stem is grooved and more or less cottony. With the largest specimens the stem is hollow.
The leaves are oblong to lanceolate. They are either lobate or pinnate, with spiny edges. They are hairless, shiny green, with milk-white veins.
The flower heads are 4 to 12 cm long and wide, of red-purple colour. 

They flower from June to August in the North or December to February in the Southern Hemisphere ( Summer through Autumn ).The bracts are hairless, with triangular, spine-edged appendages, tipped with a stout yellow spine.
The achenes are black, with a simple long white pappus, surrounded by a yellow basal ring.

Stifftia chrysantha

Stifftia chrysantha is a Brazil-centered member of the molecularly circumscribed tribe Stiffteae, in genus Stifftia.  The genus is currently of great interest due to the uncertainty of its position in the basal grade of Compositae.  Certain characteristics of S. chrysantha support its relation with the Guyana tepui-centered Gongylolepis clade.

S. chyrsantha has a woody stem with rough bark and can grow up between 8 and 10 ft.  It has alternate, entire smooth leaves and reticulate veins.  The involucre has 30 to 40 green, imbricated scales with short hairs.  Actinomorphic corollas are pale orange below and darker above.

Cichorium intybus

Cichorium intybus, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or for roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America and Australia, where it has become widely naturalized.

"Chicory" is also the common name in the United States for curly endive (Cichorium endivia); these two closely related species are often confused.

When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to 100 centimetres (10 to 40 in) tall.
The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed.
The flower heads are 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and usually bright blue, rarely white or pink. There are two rows of involucral bracts; the inner are longer and erect, the outer are shorter and spreading. It flowers from July until October.


The achenes have no pappus (feathery hairs), but do have toothed scales on top.

Wild chicory leaves are usually bitter. Their bitterness is appreciated in certain cuisines, such as in the Liguria and Puglia regions of Italy and also in Catalonia (Spain), in Greece and in Turkey. In Ligurian cuisine the wild chicory leaves are an ingredient of preboggion and in Greek cuisine of horta; in the Puglian region wild chicory leaves are combined with fava bean puree in the traditional local dish Fave e Cicorie Selvatiche.

 In Albania the leaves are used as a spinach substitute, mainly served simmered and marinated in olive oil, or as ingredient for fillings of byrek.

By cooking and discarding the water the bitterness is reduced, after which the chicory leaves may be sautéed with garlic, anchovies and other ingredients. In this form the resulting greens might be combined with pasta or accompany meat dishes.

Gerbera jamesonii

This beautiful daisy from the Barberton area in the Northern Province is a deservedly popular garden plant throughout the world and is one of the parents of the many showy Gerbera hybrids seen in florist shops.

Gerbera jamesonii is a perennial herb with deeply lobed leaves covered with silky hairs arising from a crown. The striking inflorescence is borne on a long stalk and the outermost petals (ray florets) may be cream, red, orange or pink, while the central flowers (disc florets) are cream. Flowering occurs in spring and autumn.
Gerbera jamesonii is found naturally in grassland in sandy, well-drained soils in Mpumalanga.

The genus name Gerbera is in honour of the German naturalist Traugott Gerber, and the species was named after Robert Jameson who collected live specimens while on a prospecting expedition to the Barberton district in 1884, even though the species had been collected on three earlier occasions by other people. In 1888, Medley Wood, the curator of the Durban Botanical Garden sent plants to Kew, which subsequently flowered.

A coloured illustration appeared in the Botanical Magazine in 1889, and the species was described by J.D.Hooker. However, it was recently discovered that R.W.Adlam of Pietermaritzburg had published a valid description of the species in Gardener's Chronicle the previous year, so the author's name has changed.

The breeding of Gerbera started at the end of the 19th century in Cambridge, England, when Richard Lynch crossed G.jamesonii and G.viridifolia. Most of the current commercially grown varieties originate from this cross.
This species is grown in gardens throughout the world. It is one of the most popular ornamental flowers in the world, both as a cut flower and as a pot plant, and therefore is of considerable economic importance.


Growing Gerbera jamesoni
Gerbera jamesonii can be grown from seed or crown divisions. Seeds should be germinated within 1 to 2months of collection, at about 20 to 25ºC, and will flower after a year. Clumps can also be divided in spring.

Plants require full sun and moderate watering. Rot will occur if the crowns are buried or the drainage is poor. Plants do best with frequent feeding, especially in summer, to promote flowering. Remove dead flowers regularly to encourage further flowering.
Slugs and snails are partial to the leaves, and Gerbera are prone to some viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.


The genus Gerbera consists of about 30 species which are found in Africa, Madagascar, tropical Asia and South America.

Gerbera aurantiaca

The Hilton daisy is a strikingly beautiful grassland plant that occurs around Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. The species is under considerable threat of extinction due to habitat fragmentation and degradation resulting from agriculture and urban sprawl.

Status: Endangered
Description
The species is a low-growing herb with thick, thong-like roots, and rosettes of elliptical, dark green, leathery leaves. The plants grow vegetatively by underground stems to form clones which can reach over a metre in diameter and are thought to be hundreds of years old. Plants typically die back during the dry winter months and leaves begin to emerge in spring. 
As with all daisy family plants, the 'flowers' are not single flowers but a head made up of many tiny florets massed together. The 'petals' (ray florets) are usually a striking crimson, but may be orange, pink or yellow on the upper surface and are coppery below. It is thought by some that the colour variations might have resulted from hybridization with a close relative, Gerbera ambigua. The disc florets in the 'flower' centre appear black or dark purple when the inflorescence opens, changing to yellow as the pollen is presented. Flowering takes place in spring, from September to November, when the daisies form spectacular masses in the grassland.

Distribution

G. aurantiaca is endemic to the mistbelt grassland region of KwaZulu-Natal and is currently known from approximately 9 scattered populations from Helahela in the south to Babanango in the north. This is a summer rainfall area, which experiences very cold winters, often with snow in some localities.Hilton daisies typically occur in rocky grassland between 900 and 1 500 m, on warm slopes in well-drained, shallow soils associated with doleritic formations.Most localities are burnt annually.

Ecology

Gerbera aurantiaca has been selected as the flagship species of the Natal National Botanical Garden's SABONET-funded Threatened Plants Programme. The programme is combining a study of the population biology of the Hilton daisy in the wild, together with the establishment of ex situ populations from the major localities, and the selection and propagation of some of the most attractive varieties for horticulture.

The pollinator of the Hilton daisy is thought to be the brown hairy monkey beetle which feeds on the pollen, and probably uses the flowers as rendevous platforms for mating. The large pollen grains get caught in the hairy body of the insect and are carried to the next flower that the beetle visits where they may be brushed off and pollinate receptive florets. A number of insects feed on the developing seedheads and can severely reduce seed set.

The seeds with their hairy parachutes which aid in dispersal, are carried short distances by the wind. However, seedlings are seldom seen in the wild, although the seed germinates readily.

Uses and cultural aspects

The Hilton daisy does not appear to be used for traditional healing purposes. However, as it is such an attractive plant, that in the past, keen gardeners frequently dug plants out of the wild to grow in their gardens. This was virtually never successful and the plants are notoriously difficult to grow in cultivation.

Gazania krebsiana

Gazania krebsiana Less. is one of some 19 species of Gazania that are exclusively African and predominantly South African - only Gazania krebsiana subsp. serrulata (DC.) Roessler ventures northwards from the Transvaal into Tanzania.

This ground-hugging grassland species is one of the first plants to flower in spring, appearing in profusion as small clumps between low grass tussocks or burnt stubble, or as leafless single flowers seemingly stuck into the soil. Flowering lasts for only a few weeks after the first rains. The buttercup-yellow rays often occur in forms having dark spots at the base. 
The showy flowers open only in strong sunlight, closing with fading light and re-opening the following day. This plant is perennial and grows from a woody rootstock. The leaves are tufted and linear in shape, white-felted on the underside, and exuding a milky latex when damaged.

Description 
Gazania krebsiana is an extremely showy plant when in flower largely due to its warm and bright flower colour, flower size and its extended flowering period. The plants are semi-decumbent (prostrate to ascending), perennial and herbaceous and reach about 150 mm high. They are therefor aptly referred to as tufted groundcovers and many individuals together may give a rather mat-like appearance, a sight that is all too beautiful when in bloom.

Individually they form rounded tufts on the ground of about 200 mm across with very distinctive foliage. The root system of G. krebsiana is fairly weak and consists of a series of adventitious roots. There is no definite main or taproot meaning the adventitious roots are quite shallow, only about 250 mm deep. This is one of the reasons why these plants react so well to rain and are therefore regarded as excellent pioneer plants.

The leaves may vary in shape especially when young. Mature leaves are usually compound and divided into small, narrow, regular lobes of about 4-6 on each side. They are rough to the touch, dark shiny green on the upper side and woolly white underneath. The main vein is brownish and prominent on the underside. The leaf, including the petiole (leafstalk), can reach a length of 170 mm. Leaves are closely spaced on the short shoots. A distinctive characteristic of Gazania is that the flowering stalks contain a milky sap.


Flowerheads measure 50-60(-90) mm in diameter. The upper side of the ray florets (the florets at the margin of a flowerhead in the Asteraceae) is mainly a magnificent dark red or orange, with dark brown markings on the lower quarter. In some literature the flower colour is referred to as terracotta, hence the common name, terracotta gazania. The dark brown markings may contain black or white spots, adding more eloquence to the flowers. Gazania krebsiana flowers from August till January reaching a peak in October and November.

Status 
Due to its adaptability and the abundance of seeds it produces, Gazania krebsiana is well established in all habitats across its distribution range. Seeds are able to travel across large distances and can remain viable for a number of years. The plants are relatively short-lived, up to about three years depending on various conditions. Currently there is no concern of these plants becoming rare or endangered. However, it must be mentioned that many major populations in certain parts of Namaqualand have become heavily reduced, largely due to overgrazing from domestic livestock.

Distribution and Habitat 
Gazania krebsiana has a very wide distribution range, mainly within the winter rainfall region of South Africa. It is virtually found in all provinces of South Africa from Namaqualand in the west to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in the east. Northward it extends into the drier interior of the Great Karoo, the Free State and then into some parts of the summer rainfall regions of Gauteng and the Lowveld. 

Plants and adaptable and flourish in a host of habitats but are mostly found along roadsides, on flats or lower slopes, exposed hills and rocky outcrops and stony ridges. The latter two habitats are especially ideal in the Namaqualand region of the country. To a lesser extent they may well be found in grassy situations, in montane vegetation and in coastal dune vegetation which is commonly referred to as Strandveld (seaside plants) in the west to south, and thicket in the east. Associated vegetation types include Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo, Fynbos, Dry Valley Bushveld and Grasslands. Plants seem to tolerate a number of soil types but have a noticeable preference for clay and sandy soil.

Derivation of name and historical aspects
The generic name Gazania, was given in honour of Theodor of Gaza (1398-1478). He was responsible for the translation of the botanical works of Theophrastus from Greek into Latin. Another possibility is that gaza is Greek for riches and could refer to the richness in colour, variety and abundance of the plant. The Afrikaans common name botterblom (butter flower), owes its name to the fact that the ray florets are supposed to taste like butter when chewed. The English common name, terracotta gazania, refers to the terracotta colour of the flowers.

Ecology
Gazani krebsiana is one of those plants that adapt extremely quickly to its environment and therefore is able to survive and multiply easily compared to other plants. In the very dry summer months the plants shrivel and all that is visible is a few very dry, curly leaves. Under these conditions the plants may look dead to the observer, but in fact it is minimising its exposure to the hot sun and saving water loss through its leaves. The woolly underside of the leaves often points upwards and in so doing may help cool the plant down a little. As soon as the rain arrives, plants respond rapidly and the whole plant body swells up and becomes a lush green with leaves erect and the formation of flowerbuds.

Time is crucial for these colourful plants and they have to maximise every opportunity to become as visible as possible so that pollination and the dispersal of seeds can take pace. This is why they are one of the most successful survivors of the Asteraceae. Gazania krebsiana is pollinated by a number of insects: bees, bee flies, beetles, butterflies and ants, have all been seen visiting its bright flowers. 

This is another reason why they are able to thrive in most environments, as they do not have any specific pollinators. Monkey beetles are more or less endemic to the winter rainfall region of South Africa. They are essentially pollen feeders, and many species are gregarious, congregating in flowers to feed and mate. The markings at the base of the petals of G. krebsiana, show a striking resemblance to monkey beetles. This appearance of a busy single's bar may well act as an attraction to passing males in search of females. 

The brown monkey beetle ( Pachycnema marginella ) often meets and mates on the flowers of G. krebsiana. Each flower head contains about 25 fruits, which are each provided with silky hairs, which facilitate dispersal, by the wind. Ants also play a role in the dispersal of seeds and have been observed carrying seeds underground.
Seeds germinate with ease at the beginning of the rainy season, which commences in April or May. The seedlings grow fast and manage with very little water. They establish their adventitious roots very close to the soil surface to utilize moisture more effectively.

Uses and cultural aspects

They are very good colonizers and are regarded as very good soil stabilizers. Wild and domesticated herbivores are very fond of these plants. Gazania krebsiana and other members of the genus are very valuable for grazing, but are often underestimated. The plants can make a major contribution to the pasture, especially in the dry areas of the winter rainfall region where denuded, trampled patches occur in the veld. Due to unwise subsistence farming in the Namaqualnd region, many Gazania habitats were completely transformed and the plants have become absent from the land.

Tinantia anomala

Tinantia anomala, common name False dayflower or widow's-tears, is a plant species in the Commelinaceae, related to the Mexican wandering Jew, T. pringlei. It is known only from Texas except for a single specimen from the Mexican state of Durango. It is found on rocky slopes, ravines, the edges of woodlands etc.
Tinantia anomala is an annual herb up to 80 cm (32 inches) tall. Basal leaves have petioles but the stem leaves do not. Flowers are bicolored, white with some blue or lavender.

It grows rapidly in early spring and blooms mid-spring, attracting bumblebees. A few weeks later, its seeds draw squirrels and turkeys. This entire cycle is usually completed by summer, when the plant has usually turned yellow and limp and the fastidious gardener may want to cut it back. Great for naturalizing in a woodland garden, where it can colonize to form a bright green winter groundcover.