Herbs Garden Research

Tahi Ayam Plant
Common Name : Tahi Ayam Plant
Family : Verbenaceae
Scientific Name : Lantara Camara, Lantana Aculeata L.
Other Names : Yellow Sage, Shrub Verena, Vandreblomst,
Lantana, Red Sage
Explanation : It is a type of which is hairy and small. Lantana consists of 100 types of plants. Its height can reach up to 3-5 feet. The width of this plant can reach to 8 feet. The bark and leaves smell not very pleasant. This umbrella-shaped flower plant comes in various colors of yellow, pink, purple and reddish yellow.
The colour of the flower also changes according to the level from white to yellow, orange to red and the color pink to reddish rose colour. The colour changes according to the climate. Its fruits are green, red and blue black. This plant grows from stem cuttings and seedlings. The Lantana tree is very rarely damaged by animals and insects, because essentially this is poisonous.
The poison can also cause vomiting and breathing difficulties. It is an erect or slightly climbing much-branched shrub. The leaves are opposite or rarely in whorls of 3, egg-shaped to oblong-ovate, 5-8 cm x 3-5.5 cm. The stalk is 1.5-3 cm long. The inflorescence is flat or hemispherical and slightly headed. Its fruit is a spherical glossy drupe, deep blue when ripe.
Aloe Vera Plant
Common Name : Aloe Vera Plant
Family : Aspodelaceae
Scientific Name : Aloe Vera var. Chinensis, Medicinal Aloe
Special usage : Aloe Vera is now widely used on face tissues, where it is promoted as a moisturiser and/or anti-irritant to reduce chafing of the nose of users who suffer hay-fever or cold. Aloe Vera extracts have antibacterial and antifungal activities. Aloe Vera extracts have been shown to inhibit the growth of fungi that cause tinea; however, evidence for control beneath human skin remains to be established.
For its anti-fungal properties, Aloe Vera is used as a fish tank water conditioner. For bacteria, inner-leaf gel from Aloe Vera was shown to inhibit growth of Streptococcus and Shigella species in vitro. In contrast, Aloe Vera extracts failed to show antibiotic properties against Xanthomonas species.
Explanation : It is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in North Africa, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Aloe Vera grows in arid climates and is widely distributed in Africa and other arid areas.
The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine. Many scientific studies of the use of Aloe Vera have been undertaken, some of them conflicting. Despite these limitations, there is some preliminary evidence that Aloe Vera extracts may be useful in the treatment of wound and burn healing, diabetes and elevated blood lipids in humans. These positive effects are thought to be due to the presence of compounds such a polysaccharides, mannans, anthraquinones and lectins. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm (35 in) tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long.
Lidah Mertua Plant
Common Name : Lidah Mertua Plant
Family : Agavaceae
Scientific Name : Trojan Sansiviera, Sansiviera Trifasciata
Other Names : Snake Plant, Mother-in-law’s tongue, Daughter-in-law’s tongue, Lidah Jin Plant
Usage : Like some other members of its genus, S. trifasciata yields bowstring hemp, a strong plant fiber once used to make bowstrings. It is now used predominantly as an ornamental plant, outdoors in warmer climates, and indoors as a houseplant in cooler climates.
It is popular as a houseplant as it is tolerant of low light levels and irregular watering; during winter it needs only one watering every couple of months. It will rot easily if overwatered.^[1] It improves indoor air quality by removing toxins such as nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde. Numerous cultivars have been selected, many of them for variegated foliage with yellow or silvery-white stripes on the leaf margins.
Popular cultivars include 'Compacta', 'Goldiana', 'Hahnii', 'Laurentii', 'Silbersee', and 'Silver Hahnii'. It can be propagated by cuttings or by dividing the rhizome. The first method has the disadvantage that the variegation is likely to be lost. S. trifasciata is currently considered a weed in Australia.^[2]
Explanation : This plant is placed in the kitchen and toilet to kill off the stinky smell. If the leaf of this plant is cut and drank as a juice, it can cure diabetes. This plant is continuously producing oxygen and absorb the dreadful smell in the room, even to remove cigarette smell . This has been proven by NASA. Sansevieria so far have found 60 species that are divided from dozens of sub-species.




Curry Plant
Common Name : Curry Plant
Family : Rutaceae
Scientific Name : Murraya Koenigii
Other Names : Karipulei, Curry Leaves
Explanation : It is a small tree, growing 4-6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2-4 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. They are highly aromatic. The flowers are small white, and fragrant. The small black, shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous. The species name commemorates the botanist Johann König.
Usage : The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in South,West-coastal Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, much like bay leaves and especially in curries with fish or coconut milk. They are also used as an ingredient in the popular Marathi dish karhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life though they may be stored in a freezer for quite some time; however, this can result in a loss of their flavour. They are also available dried, though the aroma is much inferior.
The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Their properties include much value as an anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc. Curry leaves are also known to be good for hair, for keeping them healthy and long.
Although most commonly used in curries, leaves from the Curry Tree can be used in many other dishes to add spice.


Dukung Anak Plant
Common Name : Dukung Anak Plant
Family : Eurphorbiaceae
Scientific Name : Phyllanthus Niruri
Other Names : -
Explanation : Dukung Anak Plant is a small annual herb, grows up to 50-70 cm high. The leaf is about 6-10 mm.
The stem of this plant grows upright and open branching. The flowers appear alone on the leaves. There are two types of flowers, male and female, both very small, measuring only 1 mm long. The whole herb plant is used for medicinal purposes
Usage : Dukung Anak Plant is used to cure high blood pressure. The whole plant is boiled and the juice is drank daily to bring down blood pressure. It can also treat wounds and sores. Drop the juice on the wounded area as often as possible. It is also effective in treating jaundice that often strikes infants newly born. The tree is cooked with a little goat's milk. The same method can cure hepatitis.
Hempedu Bumi Plant
Common Name : Hempedu Bumi Plant
Family : Acanthaceae
Scientific Name : Andrographis Paniculata
Other Names : Hempedu Tanah, King of Bitter, Sambiloto
Explanation : Hempedu Bumi Plant are widely found in India, Thailand and easily found in peats. It is a herbaceous annual that grows vertically. The plant can reach 60-70 cm high. Its’ green leaves are thick, smooth and regular in cross. The leaf shape is oval, pointy at the end and thin at the base.
Usage : The Hempedu Bumi Plant can be used to lower high blood pressure medications and diabetes. If the leaves are pounded and dropped onto the wound, it can cure the wound. Chemical content of these leaves allows it to break the molecules of fat. The broth bitter leaf that has been stimulated can break down fat molecules.
Henna Plant
Common Name : Henna Plant
Family : Lythraceae
Scientific Name : Lawsonia Inermis
Other Names : Hina
Explanation : Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Additionally, the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which do not derive from the plant. Henna is a tall shrub or small tree, 2–6 m high. It is glabrous, multibranched with spine tipped branchlets. Leaves are opposite, entire, glabrous, sub-sessile, elliptical, and broadly lanceolate (1.5–5.0 cm x 0.5–2 cm), acuminate, having depressed veins on the dorsal surface. Henna flowers have four sepals and a 2 mm calyx tube with 3 mm spread lobes.

Usage : Henna has been used since the Bronze Age to dye skin (including body art), hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. In several parts of the world it is traditionally used in various festivals and celebrations. There is mention of henna as a hair dye in Indian court records around 400 CE, in Rome during the Roman Empire, and in Spain during Convivencia. It was listed in the medical texts of the Ebers Papyrus (16th c BCE Egypt)^[4] and by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (14th c CE (Syria and Egypt) as a medicinal herb. In Morocco, wool is dyed and ornamented with henna, as are drumheads and other leather goods. Use of henna for body art has enjoyed a recent renaissance due to improvements in cultivation, processing, and the emigration of people from traditional henna-using regions.
Misai Kucing Plant
Common Name : Misai Kucing Plant
Family : Lamiaceae
Scientific Name : Orthosiphon Stamineus, Beth
Other Names : Java tea, Kidney tea, Yaa Nuat Meo
Explanation : Misai Kucing Plant is a tree of tropical shrub in Malaysia. Malaysia is one of the 12 countries recognized as having a diverse city. Misai Kucing Plant is a tree that grows up to a height of 1.5 meters. Misai Kucing Plant is a flowering tree and is often planted as an ornamental tree. Flowers are the about 16 cm long. The flowers are bluish-white color with a long filament, like a cat mustache.
Usage : This plant is best used for treating the ailments or problems of kidney and bladder due to it's mild diuretic action. It is believed to have antiallergenic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.It is used as a remedy for kidney stone and nephretis. It is also used for treating gout, diabetes, hypertension and rheumatism. It is also reported to possess antifungal and it exhibits considerable antibacterial activity.
Mulberry Plant


Common Name : Mulberry Plant
Family : Moraceae
Scientific Name : M. Rubra L.
Other Names :
Explanation : Red mulberry is a tree that can reach 20 m in height and 45 cm in diameter. Red mulberry has a short trunk and stout, spreading branches that form a round-topped crown. The bark can be smooth or scaly and is dark brown in color. The branchlets are covered with short hairs. The leaves are simple, alternate, and up to 2 dm long. The leaves are broad, egg-shaped, and lobed. The base of the leaf is square, as if it has been cut off abruptly. The tip of the leaf is pointed. The leaves have sharply serrated margins. The upper leaf surface is rough to the touch. The lower surface is soft and covered with short hairs. The petioles are 2 to 3 cm long and produce a milky fluid when broken. The catkins that bear stamens are 2 to 5 cm long. The catkins that bear pistils are 2 to 2.5 cm long. Red mulberry has aggregate fruits that are 2 to 3 cm long. The fruits are juicy and have a dark purple color.
Usage : Ethnobotanic: Red mulberry was used by several Native American tribes to treat a variety of ailments. The sap was used to treat ringworm (Foster and Duke 2000). The Cherokee made a tea from the leaves of the plant for treatment of dysentery, weakness, and difficulty urinating (Hamel and Chiltoskey 1975). The Comanche used the fruit of the red mulberry as a food source (Carlson and Jones 1940, Moerman 1998).
Mas Cotek Plant

Common Name : Mas Cotek Plant
Family : Moraceae
Scientific Name : Ficus Deltoieda
Other Names : Mistletoe fig
Explanation : Mas Cotek is a small perennial herb, growing up to about 2m tall. The different shapes of the leaves represent different varieties some having a rounded shape and others having an elongated egg shape. The color at the top of the leaf is shining green while underneath, the surface color is golden yellow with black spots in between the leaf veins. Mas Cotek plant species are male and female. The leaves of female species are big and round in shape, while the male species are small, round and long in shape. Mas Cotek plants grow wild in eastern peninsular Malaysia and it is popular among traditional medical practitioners. The trees can be found in the jungle in Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan.
Usage : Mas Cotek, also known as "mistletoe fig", has been scientifically researched by two local institutions, the University of Malaya and the Malaysian Planting Research Institute (MARDI). Research results show that Mas Cotek possesses five (5) active components which are required by the human body, namely flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, proanthocyanins and phenols. These active components have been shown to assist in human memory and are used by doctors to treat patients with disabilities in concentration. Traditionally used as a postpartum treatment to help in contracting the muscles of the uterus and in the healing of the uterus and vaginal canal, it is also used as a libido booster by both men and women.^[1] The leaves of male and female plants are mixed in specific proportions to be taken as an aphrodisiac. Among the traditional practices, Mas Cotek has been used for regulating blood pressure, increasing and recovering sexual desire, womb contraction after delivery, reducing cholesterol, reducing blood sugar level, treatment of migraines, toxin removal, delay menopause, nausea, joints pains, piles pain and improving blood circulation.
Limau Purut Plant

Common Name : Limau Purut Plant
Family : Rutaceae
Scientific Name : Citrus Hystrix
Other Names : Kaffir lime, Jeruk purut, Jeruk limo, Jeruk sambal
Explanation : The leaves of this fruit are oblong or egg-shaped, and seemed to be a combination and linking of two leaves, like wings. The top side of the leaf is dark green and shiny, while the bottom side of the leaf is lighter or yellowish green in color. The leaf will give a fresh lime (or lemon-like) fragrance when squashed with the fingers. And in traditional Malay dishes, the leaves are added to give the dish the unique taste of lime. The flower of this fruit is star-shaped, and reddish white or yellowish in color. The fruit is smaller than an ordinary apple or orange, and round and pear-like in shape with uneven skin, having sort of big pimples or "mini-volcanoes" on the skin!
Usage : Limau purut contains tannin, triterpenouid and saponin. It is used in herbal medicines and traditional treatments, as the fruit and especially its leaves, have those special properties to encourage the growth of skin. The Malays of Pahang, in the old days, used limau purut juice to treat hair and promote healthy growth of hair follicles. Nowadays to achieve this better, hair is first washed with ordinary shampoo, and then the hair and scalp are washed with the juice extracted from the fruit. The juice is then left for a few minutes on the head to let it soak into the hair follicles, and then the head and hair is rinsed finally with plain water. To alleviate colds, lack of energy and tiredness, the juice extracted from the fruit is mixed with plain water and drank three times a day. The juice actually tastes very sour and bitter, perhaps a lot more bitter than lemon juice. It is traditionally believed that it is good for blood circulation. The leaves are also utilised as one of the ingredients in traditional Malay sauna bath or "mandi wap" because of its fragrance, while the essence of the fruit is now popularly used in modern aromatherapy.
Limau Kasturi Plant

Common Name : Limau Kasturi Plant
Family : Rutaceae
Scientific Name : Citrus Microcarpa
Other Names : Limau Cuit, Musk Lime, Calamansi, Bugarom, Calamondin Orange
Explanation : Calamondin or Calamansi is a fruit tree in the family Rutaceae that was developed in and is very popular throughout Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, where it is most commonly used for cooking. In the west it is variously known as acid orange, calamondin orange, Chinese Orange or Panama orange. In the Philippines it is called kalamansi/calamansi. It is a shrub or small tree growing to 3–6 m, and bears small citrus fruit used to flavour foods and drinks. Although sometimes described as a native of the Philippines or other areas of Southeast Asia, the tree is in fact the result of a hybrid between species in the genus Citrus and unknown in the wild. Hybrids between Citrus species have been cultivated for so long that the origins of most are obscure. It is generally held that most species in cultivation are ancient apomictic hybrids and selected cultivars of these hybrids, including crosses with segregate genera such as Fortunella and Poncirus. The calamandin is usually described as a cross between Citrus reticulata (Tangerine or Mandarin orange) and Citrus japonica Oval Kumquat group.
Usage : In cooking, lime is valued both for the acidity of its juice and the floral aroma of its zest. It is a very common ingredient in authentic Mexican, Southwestern United States, Vietnamese and Thai dishes. It is also used for its pickling properties in ceviche. The use of dried limes (called black lime or loomi) as a flavouring is typical of Persian cuisine and Iraqi cuisine, as well as in Gulf-style baharat (a spice mixture that is also called kabsa or kebsa). Lime is an essential ingredient of any cuisine from India and many varieties of pickles are made e.g. Sweetened lime pickle, salted pickle, Lemon Chutney. Lime leaves are also a herb in South, East, and Southeast Asia.
Melur Plant

Common Name : Melur Plant
Family : Oleaceae
Scientific Name : Jasminum officinale
Other Names : Jasmine, Melati
Explanation : Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae), with about 200 species, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World. Most species grow as climbers on other plants or are trained in gardens on chicken wire, trellis gates or fences, or made to scramble through shrubs of open texture. The leaves can be either evergreen (green all year round) or deciduous (falling in autumn).
Usage : Widely cultivated for its flowers, jasmine is enjoyed in the garden, as a house plant, and as cut flowers. The flowers are worn by women in their hair in southern and southeast Asia. The delicate jasmine flower opens only at night and may be plucked in the morning when the tiny petals are tightly closed, then stored in a cool place until night. The petals begin to open between six and eight in the evening, as the temperature lowers.
Jasmine Tea : Jasmine tea is consumed in China, where it is called jasmine-flower tea (茉莉花茶; pinyin: mò lì huā chá). Jasminum sambac flowers are also used to make so-called jasmine tea, which often has a base of green tea, but sometimes an Oolong base is used. Flowers and tea are "mated" in machines that control temperature and humidity. It takes four hours or so for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavour of the jasmine blossoms, and for the highest grades, this process may be repeated as many as seven times. Because the tea has absorbed moisture from the flowers, it must be refired to prevent spoilage. The spent flowers may or may not be removed from the final product, as the flowers are completely dry and contain no aroma. Giant fans are used to blow away and remove the petals from the denser tea leaves. If present, they simply add visual appeal and are no indication of the quality of the tea.
Jasmine Syrup : The French are known for their jasmine syrup, most commonly made from an extract of jasmine flowers. In the United States, this French jasmine syrup is used to make jasmine scones and marshmallows.

Jasmine Essential Oil : Jasmine essential oil is in common use. Its flowers are either extracted by the labour-intensive method of enfleurage or through chemical extraction. It is expensive due to the large number of flowers needed to produce a small amount of oil. The flowers have to be gathered at night because the odour of jasmine is more powerful after dark. The flowers are laid out on cotton cloths soaked in olive oil for several days and then extracted leaving the true jasmine essence. Some of the countries producing jasmine essential oil are India, Egypt, China and Morocco.

Jasmine Absolute used in Perfume and Incense : Its chemical constituents include methyl anthranilate, indole, benzyl alcohol, linalool, and skatole. Many species also yield an absolute, which is used in perfumes and incense.

Bunga Butang

Common Name : Bunga Butang
Family : Amaranthaceae
Scientific Name : Gomphrena Globosa
Other Names : Globe Amaranth, Bachelor Button, Bozu, Vadamalli, Sennichisou
Explanation : Bunga Butang is from the plant families Amaranthaceace. This tree is also called the "Pink Flower Button." It’s scientific name is Gomphrena Globosa. The flowers are button shaped and round, with many flowers, planted by seed propagation. This tree is also called “The Plant of 40 days”.
Senduduk Plant

Common Name : Senduduk Plant
Family : Melastomataceae
Scientific Name : Malestoma Malabathricum
Other Names : Keduduk, Senggani, Straits Rhododendron, Malabar Melastome, Indian Rhododendron
Explanation : The Senduduk Plant is a shrub which can grow up to a height of 2 metres. It has attractive purple flowers and a dark purplish edible fruit. It is widely found in wasteland and by the roadside.
Usage : If the young shoots of the Senduduk plant is eaten as ulam, it can cure diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also threat piles by doing this :-
i. Use roots of the shrub.
ii. Cut the roots into small pieces.
iii. Boil the cut roots with a pot of water until 1/3 of the pot.
iv. Drink the concoction.
v. Take about 3 times a week.
vi. You should see some results.
vii. Continue until piles is fully threated.
Kuku Bima Plant

Common Name : Kuku Bima Plant
Family : Agavaceae
Scientific Name : Trojan Sansiviera, Sansiviera Trifasciata
Other Names : Snake Plant, Mother-in-law’s tongue, Daughter-in-law’s tongue, Lidah Jin Plant
Usage : Like some other members of its genus, S. trifasciata yields bowstring hemp, a strong plant fiber once used to make bowstrings. It is now used predominantly as an ornamental plant, outdoors in warmer climates, and indoors as a houseplant in cooler climates.
It is popular as a houseplant as it is tolerant of low light levels and irregular watering; during winter it needs only one watering every couple of months. It will rot easily if overwatered. It improves indoor air quality by removing toxins such as nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde. Numerous cultivars have been selected, many of them for variegated foliage with yellow or silvery-white stripes on the leaf margins.
Popular cultivars include 'Compacta', 'Goldiana', 'Hahnii', 'Laurentii', 'Silbersee', and 'Silver Hahnii'. It can be propagated by cuttings or by dividing the rhizome. The first method has the disadvantage that the variegation is likely to be lost. S. trifasciata is currently considered a weed in Australia.
Explanation : This plant is placed in the kitchen and toilet to kill off the stinky smell. If the leaf of this plant is cut and drank as a juice, it can cure diabetes. This plant is continuously producing oxygen and absorb the dreadful smell in the room, even to remove cigarette smell . This has been proven by NASA. Sansevieria so far have found 60 species that are divided from dozens of sub-species.
Morning Glory

Common Name : Morning Glory
Family : Convolvulaceae
Scientific Name : Ipomoea Purpurea
Other Names : Bunga Seri Pagi
Explanation : The flower usually lasts for a single morning and dies in the afternoon. On a cloudy day, the flower may last until night. New flowers bloom each day. The flowers usually start to fade a couple of hours before the petals start showing visible curling. They prefer full sun throughout the day and mesic soils. Some morning glories, such as Ipomoea muricata, are night blooming flowers.
In some places such as Australian bushland, morning glories develop thick roots and tend to grow in dense thickets. They can quickly spread by way of long creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.
Usage : Ipomoea aquatica, known as water spinach, water morning-glory, water convolvulus, Ong-Choy, Kang-kung, or swamp cabbage, is popularly used as a green vegetable especially in East and Southeast Asian cuisines. It is a Federal Noxious Weed, however, and technically it is illegal to grow, import, possess, or sell within the USA. See: USDA weed factsheet. As of 2005, the state of Texas has acknowledged that water spinach is a highly prized vegetable in many cultures and has allowed water spinach to be grown for personal consumption. This is in part because water spinach is known to have been grown in Texas for more than fifteen years and has not yet escaped cultivation. The fact that it goes by so many names means that it easily slips through import inspections, and it is often available in Asian or specialty produce markets.
Kemunting Cina Plant

Common Name : Kemunting Cina Plant
Family : Apocynaceae
Scientific Name : Catharanthus Roseus
Other Names : Madagascar Periwinkle, Vinca Rosea
Explanation : In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also however widely cultivated and is naturalised in subtropical and tropical areas of the world. It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–1.8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker red centre, with a basal tube 2.5-3 cm long and a corolla 2–5 cm diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2–4 cm long and 3 mm broad.
Usage : The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used to treat numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's disease. The substances vinblastine and vincristine extracted from the plant are used in the treatment of leukemia. This conflict between historical indigenous use, and recent patents on C.roseus-derived drugs by western pharmaceutical companies, without compensation, has led to accusations of biopiracy. It can be dangerous if consumed orally. It can be hallucinogenic, and is cited (under its synonym Vinca rosea) in Louisiana State Act 159. As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in dry and nutritionally deficient conditions, popular in subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 °C to 7 °C, and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred. Numerous cultivars have been selected, for variation in flower colour (white, mauve, peach, scarlet and reddish-orange), and also for tolerance of cooler growing conditions in temperate regions.

A Clothing Clearance Where More Than Just the Prices Have Been Slashed

By JIM DWYER
Published: January 5, 2010
In the bitter cold on Monday night, a man and woman picked apart a pyramid of clear trash bags, the discards of the HM clothing store that reigns in blazing plate-glass glory on 34th Street, just east of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times
Cynthia Magnus with mutilated clothing she found on West 35th Street last month. She said she was appalled by the waste.

At the back entrance on 35th Street, awaiting trash haulers, were bags of garments that appear to have never been worn. And to make sure that they never would be worn or sold, someone had slashed most of them with box cutters or razors, a familiar sight outside H & M’s back door. The man and woman were there to salvage what had not been destroyed.
He worked quickly, never uttering a word. A bag was opened and eyed, and if it held something of promise, was tossed at the feet of the woman. She said her name was Pepa.
Were the clothes usually cut up before they were thrown out?
“A veces,” she said in Spanish. Sometimes.
She packed up a few items that had escaped the blade — a bright green T-shirt that said “Summer of Surf,” and a dark-blue hoodie in size 12, with a Divided label. The rest was returned to the pyramid.
It is winter. A third of the city is poor. And unworn clothing is being destroyed nightly.
A few doors down on 35th Street, hundreds of garments tagged for sale in Wal-Mart — hoodies and T-shirts and pants — were discovered in trash bags the week before Christmas, apparently dumped by a contractor for Wal-Mart that has space on the block.
Each piece of clothing had holes punched through it by a machine.
They were found by Cynthia Magnus, who attends classes at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York on Fifth Avenue and noticed the piles of discarded clothing as she walked to the subway station in Herald Square. She was aghast at the waste, and dragged some of the bags home to Brooklyn, hoping that someone would be willing to take on the job of patching the clothes and making them wearable.
A Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, said the company normally donates all its unworn goods to charities, and would have to investigate why the items found on 35th Street were discarded.
During her walks down 35th Street, Ms. Magnus said, it is more common to find destroyed clothing in the H & M trash. On Dec. 7, during an early cold snap, she said, she saw about 20 bags filled with H & M clothing that had been cut up.
“Gloves with the fingers cut off,” Ms. Magnus said, reciting the inventory of ruined items. “Warm socks. Cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor. Men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.” The jackets were tagged $59, $79 and $129.
This week, a manager in the H & M store on 34th Street said inquiries about its disposal practices had to be made to its United States headquarters. However, various officials did not respond to 10 inquiries made Tuesday by phone and e-mail.
Directly around the corner from H & M is a big collection point for New York Cares, which conducts an annual coat drive.
“We’d be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us,” said Colleen Farrell, a spokeswoman for New York Cares.
More than coats were tossed out. “The H & M thing was just ridiculous, not only clothing, but bags and bags of sturdy plastic hangers,” Ms. Magnus said. “I took a dozen of them. A girl can never have enough hangers.”
H & M, which is based in Sweden, has an executive in charge of corporate responsibility who leads the company’s sustainability efforts. On its Web site, H&M reports that to save paper, it has shrunk its shipping labels.
“How about all the solid waste generated by throwing away usable garments and plastic hangers?” Ms. Magnus asked in a letter to the executive, Ingrid Schullstrom. She volunteered to help H & M connect with a charity or agency in New York that could put the unsold items to better use than simply tossing them in the trash. So far, she said, she has gotten no response.
On Monday night, Pepa’s shopping bag held a few items. She pointed to her gray sweatpants. “From here,” she said.
How about coats?
“Maybe tomorrow,” she said.

Fruit Orchard Research

Buah Mentega

Local Name : Buah Mentega
Scientific Name : Diospyros blancoi
Other Names : Butter fruit, Buah margarine, Bisbul, Mabolo,
Sembolo (Java), Velvet apple, Mabolo, Buah
lemak, Marit.
Family : Ebenaceae
Explanation :
Fruit butter is the fruit which is difficult to be found. It is a tree that has two sexes; this means that there are male and female trees. It can grow up to approximately 30 meters high with a diameter of about 50 to 80 cm. They reproduce through seeds and the seed usually takes about 24 days to grow with enough water.
Usage:
The fragrant fruit is delicious when eaten alone. It can also be sliced and mixed with other fruits and made rojak buah. Fruit butter is a sweet spread made of fruit cooked to a paste, then lightly sweetened. It falls into the same category as jelly and jam. Apple butter is a common example. The fruit is cooked at first, but not too much, as the fruit will burn and soon lose its sugary taste. However, if done right, the newly made fruit butter, true to its name, has the same texture as, but different flavour than regular butter.

Ceri Terengganu

Local Name : Ceri Terengganu
Scientific Name : Lepisanthes alata
Other Names : -
Family :
Explanation :
The tree is non-seasonal and produces fruit throughout the year. The fruits are arranged closely and attractively in a big bunch of cluster of which each bunch consists of about 20 fruits. The fruits, about 2cm- 3cm in width are dark red, shiny and round with pointed tip. Each fruit contains 1-3 pieces of seeds and its flesh is soft and tastes fairly sweet.
Usage:
The tree is small but can reach medium height. Its canopy spreads out and purplish colour of the young leaves adds to the attractiveness of the tree. Due to this, Ceri Terengganu is usually planted for landscaping purposes.

Assam Jawa

Local Name : Assam Jawa
Scientific Name : Tamarindus indica
Other Names : Tamarind, Tentuli, Tentul, Sambalog, Loan-tz,
Tamarindo, Ma-kham.
Family : Fabaceae
Explanation :
It is a long-lived, medium-growth bushy tree which attains a maximum crown height of 12.1 to 18.3 metres (40 to 60 feet). The leaves are evergreen and bright green in colour. At night, the leaflets close up. The tree grows well in full sun in clay, loam, sandy and acidic soil types, with a high drought and aerosol salt (wind-borne salt as found in coastal area) resistance.
Usage:
The tamarind is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and high in acid, sugar, vitamin B and interestingly for a fruit, calcium. The fruit pulp is edible. It is often used as a component of savory dishes. The leaves are used as an herbal infusion for malarial fever, the fruit juice as an anti-septic and even cough cure. Tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring and has recently become popular in bonsai culture. In temples, especially in Buddhist Asian countries, the fruit pulp is used to polish brass shrine furniture, removing dulling and the greenish patina that forms.
Tampoi



Local Name : Tampoi
Scientific Name : Baccaurea macrocarpa
Other Names : Baccaurea griffithii
Family : Phyllanthaceae
Explanation :
Baccaurea macrocarpa, also called Tampoi, is a small, tropical rainforest sub storey fruit trees native to Southeast Asia, especially Borneo. It is dioecious, and the female trees bear fruit directly on the trunk and large branches. The fruit is large, orange-skinned, white-fleshed, with a delicious tangy flavour somewhat like mandarin (tangerine). Depending on conditions, the fruit may closely clothe the trunk beautifully, like the fruit of many Ficus species.
Usage:
The fruit is edible and delicious sweet taste. Kayunya kuat dan tahan lama oleh karena itu dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan bangunan.The wood is strong and durable and therefore, it can be used as building material.



Belimbing Buluh


Local Name : Belimbing Buluh
Scientific Name : Averrhoa bilimbi
Other Names : Balimbing, Bilimbi, Blim-blim, Bimbli,
Belimbing, Blimbling, Biling, Bimbiri, Cucumber
tree, Tree sorrel, Soure.
Family : Phyllanthaceae
Explanation :
The bilimbi tree reaches a height of 16 to 35 ft. It has a short trunk dividing into upright branches. The dark-red flowers, appearing in panicles, from the trunk and oldest branches, are small and fragrant. The bright-green fruit, 2-3½" in length, emerge directly from the trunk, often in clusters. The brown seeds are flattened and very small. The origin of this plant is Indonesia and since this plant is a tropical species it is sensitive to the cold, especially young plants. This fruit is too acid for eating raw but the green uncooked fruits are prepared as a relish in Suriname. They are also used to prepare chutney (a sweet and sour condiment).
Usage:
In Malaysia the leaves of bilimbi are used as a treatment for venereal disease. A leaf decoction is taken as a medicine to relieve rectal inflammation. It seems to be effective against coughs and thrush.
Nam-Nam



Local Name : Nam-nam
Scientific Name : Cynometra cauliflora
Other Names : -
Family : Fabaceae
Explanation :
Cynometra cauliflora or commonly Nam-nam is a native of Malaysia, grown mainly in northern Peninsular Malaysia and can be more widely cultivated in other states, mainly in kampungs and villages. This tree belongs to the bean family. It is a small tree with a thick much branched stem. The flowers are rather small about 1.2 cm across. They appear on the stem in clusters.
Usage :
The mature fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked with sugar to make sweets (compote). It can also be made into a fruit salad, pickled, or be used to prepare a special 'sambal.' The tree makes an attractive ornamental plant in home gardens and is also potted and grown as bonsai plant.
Cermai Belanda

Local Name : Cermai Belanda
Scientific Name : Eugenia Uniflora L.
Other Names : -
Family : Myrtaceae
Explanation :
It is widely planted in the tropical rainforests in America. It will start flowering and producing fruits after 2 years.
Usage :
The seed of this plant has toxic chemicals that can shrink tissues and proteins of the skin. It is also rich in Vitamin C. The leaf can be boiled and drank as a cure for high fever.

Kedondong
Local Name : Kedondong
Scientific Name : Spondias Cytherea Sonnerat
Other Names : Umbra, Spondias dulcis, ambarella,
Pomarosa
Family : Anacardiaceae
Explanation :
This fast growing tree can reach up to 60 ft (18 m) in its native homeland of Melanesia through Polynesia; however, it usually averages out at 30 to 40 ft (9-12 m) in other areas. Spondias dulcis has deciduous, “pinnate leaves, 8 to 24 in (20-60 cm) in length, composed of 9 to 25 glossy, elliptic or obovate-oblong leaflets 2 1.2 to 4 in (6.25-10 cm) long, finely toothed toward the apex” (Morton 1987).
Usage :
The kedondong fruit has Vitamin C that is important for blood hemoglobin and sitokrom molecular. It can also reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.
Rhedia
Local Name : Achacharu Plant
Scientific Name : Rhedia SP
Other Names : -
Family : Rhediae
Explanation :
This plant grows about 6 to 9 feet only. It starts fruiting after three to four years. These trees will thrive under a humid, wind-free environment if provided with a low pH soil and ample moisture.
Usage:
In its native land the achacharu remains as a home garden fruit and is consumed fresh out-of-hand or made into delicate and refreshing juices. In tropical America the achacharu has considerable potential as a cross purpose ornamental, home garden and commercial fruit crop. Due to its small stature it is perfect for small spaces or even permanent use in a container.
Jambu Bol

Local Name : Jambu Bol
Scientific Name : Syzygium Malaccense
Other Names : Malacca Apple, Malay Rose Apple,
Pommerac
Family : Myrtaceae
Explanation :
Syzygium Malaccense, commonly known as Malacca Apple, is a species of flowering tree that is native to Malaysia and Indonesia. It is also known as Jambu Bol, Malay Rose Apple, Otaheite Cashew and Pommerac. The fruit is Oblong-shaped and dark red in color, although some varieties have white or pink skin. The flesh is white and surrounds a large seed. They flower in early summer, bearing fruit three months afterward. In Costa Rica they flower earlier, with ripe fruit in June.
Usage:
Highly ambiguous terms, such as rose apple, water apple, mountain apple, pomarrosa or plum rose are sometimes used for this plant or its fruit; they can refer to almost any species of Syzygium grown for its fruit. Jam is prepared by stewing the flesh with brown sugar and ginger.

Kundang

Local Name : Kundang
Scientific Name : Bouea macrophylla
Other Names : Marian Plum, Gandaria, Plum Mango
Family : Anacardiaceae
Explanation :
The evergreen tree grows to height of 25 meters. The fruit (resembling a mango) are green in color and mature to an orange or yellow. They grow to roughly 2 to 5 cm in diameter. The entire fruit, including its single seed, is edible. The fruit range from sweet to sour in flavor, and have a light smell of turpentine.
Usage :
Both the leaves and fruit from the tree can be eaten. The leaves can be eaten raw when they are still young, and can be used in salads. While the seed is edible, the endosperm is generally bitter. Fruit can be eaten raw, or made into dishes such as pickle, compote, or sambal. Unripened fruit can be used to make rojak and asinan.

Binjai

Local Name : Binjai
Scientific Name : Mangifera Caesia
Other Names : Malaysian Mango
Family : Anacardiaceae
Explanation :
Mangifera Caesia is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. Common names include Malaysian Mango, Binjai , Wani, yaa-lam (Thai language), and Bayuno. It belongs to the same genus as the mango and is widely cultivated in areas of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. The tree lives in lowlands or gentle slopes in sandy clay soils.
Usage :
The Binjai is believed to originate from the island of Borneo, but is commonly grown elsewhere for its edible fruit. The fruit can be eaten dipped in chili and dark soy sauce. The wood is used for light construction. Binjai is almost always propagated by seed.
Banana

Local Name : Banana
Scientific Name : Musa SP
Other Names : -
Family : Musaceae
Explanation :
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red. In popular culture and commerce, "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet "dessert" bananas. Bananas from a group of cultivars with firmer, starchier fruit are called plantains.
Usage :
The banana is widely used in cooking. It can be deep fried, baked in their skin in a split bamboo, or steamed in glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaf. The tender core of the banana plant’s trunk is also used in a Burmese dish which is Mohinga.
Jambu Air

Local Name : Jambu Air
Scientific Name : Syzygium SP
Other Names : Wax Apple , Chambekka, Jamrul
Family : Myrtaceae
Explanation :
It is a tropical tree growing to 12 m tall, with evergreen leaves 10-25 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The flowers are white, 2.5 cm diameter, with four petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is a bell-shaped edible berry, with colors ranging from white, pale green, green, red, purple, crimson, to deep purple or even black, 4-6 cm long in wild plants. When mature, the tree is considered a heavy bearer and can yield a crop of up to 700 fruits
Usage :
The sweetest fruits, which are the red ones, are eaten after the core is removed. The fruit is usually served uncut, in order to preserve the unique bell shape presentation.
Jackfruit

Local Name : Jackfruit
Scientific Name : Artocarpus Heteropyllus
Other Names : -
Family : Moraceae
Explanation :
It is a plant which grows well in lowlands. It’s fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world, seldom less than about 25 cm in diameter. The jackfruit has played a significant role in Indian agriculture for centuries. Archeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago.
Usage :
This fruit can be found in Asian countries especially Phillipines. The flesh of the jackfruit is starchy and fibrous. It provides food energy and dietary fibre. In many cultures, the young jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a staple food.
Pomegrana te

Local Name : Pomegranate
Scientific Name : Punica Granatum
Other Names : Punica Malus
Family : Lythraceae
Explanation :
A pomegranate is a fruit-bearing shrub growing to between five and eight meters tall. It is widely cultivated throughout Armenia, the drier parts of southeast Asia, peninsular Malaysia, and tropical Africa. In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May.
Usage :
This fruit can be eaten after it’s shell has been open. After opening the pomegranate, the arils are separated from the peel and internal white pulp membranes. The pomegranate juice is popular in Persia and India.
Jambu Mawar

Local Name : Jambu Mawar
Scientific Name : Syzygium Jambos
Other Names : Eugenia Jambos, Rose Apple
Family : Myrtaceae
Explanation :
This plant is native to Southeast Asia but is neutralized in India, especially Kerala. It can be quite invasive in areas where it has been introduced. It is a threat to several ecosystems, including those on several Hawaiian islands.
Usage :
It is usually eaten fresh or used in preserves. Rose apples spoil very quickly so fruits should be used soon after picking. The large, hollow seed cavity is sometimes utilized to stuff the fruits and bake them. Fruit extract can be used to make a sweet smelling rose water.

Orchid Walkway Research

Anota Violacea Orchid

Common Name : Rhynchostylis retusa
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Rhynchostylis Violacea, Epidendrum retusum, Aerides guttata, Aerides praemorsa, Aerides retusa, Aerides spicata, Aerides undulate, Epidendrumhippium, Epidendrum indicum, Gastrochilus blumei, Gastrochilus garwalicus.
Explanation :
These monopodial orchids originally came from the Philippines. These orchids have a full spray of many miniature lavender and white flowers. This plant blooms in the winter and in the spring. The orchid prefers intermediate to warm temperatures, filtered light, and even moisture.
Anguloa Uniflora Orchid


Common Name : Anguloa Uniflora Orchid
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Anguloa uniflora var. treyeranii
Explanation :
Anguloa uniflora (boat orchid, tulip orchid) was named in honor of Don Francisco de Angulo, Director-General of Mines, in Peru, at the end of the 18th century. The tulip orchid usually blooms in the spring and in the summer. It prefers intermediate to cold temperatures and shade. It should be kept evenly moist. It needs less water in winter. To encourage flowering, watering should be decreased after it has finished its growth.


Ascocentrum Curvifolium Orchid

Common Name : Ascocentrum curvifolium
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Saccolabium curvifolium, Saccolabium miniatum, Gastrochilus curvifolius, Ascocentrum curvifolium f. luteum.
Explanation :
A six inch monopodial plant from Thailand, Ascocentrum curvifolium has a full spray of half-inch, orange-red flowers. The offspring have the small plant size of the ascocentrum combined with the larger flower size of the vanda. It blooms in late spring and in the summer. It prefers intermediate to warm temperatures, filtered light, and even moisture.

Brassavola Orchid


Common Name : Brassavola
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Eudisanthema, Lysimnia, Tulexis
Explanation :
Brassavola is a genus of 20 orchids. The name comes from the Venetian nobleman and physician Antonio Musa Brassavola. These species are native to the lowlands of Central America and tropical South America. They are epiphytes, and a few are lithophytes. A single, apical and succulent leaf grows on an elongated pseudobulb. The orchid yields a single white or greenish white flower, or a raceme of a few flowers. The three sepals and two lateral petals are greenish, narrow and long. The base of the broad fringed lip enfolds partially the column. This column has a pair of falciform ears on each side of the front and contains twelve (sometimes eight) pollinia.
Bulbophyllum Lobbii Orchid

Common Name : Bulbophyllum Lobbii
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Sarcopodium lobbii, Sestochilos uniflorum, Bulbophyllum siamense, Phyllorkis lobbii, Bulbophyllum claptonense, Bulbophyllum polystictum, Bulbophyllum sumatranum.
Explanation :
Bulbophyllum lobbii has two inch, egg-shaped pseudobulbs with a single leaf. The plant is usually under twelve inches tall. The fragrant, single, four inch flower is buff with a yellowish lip. This plant blooms in late spring and summer. Bulbophyllum lobbii prefers cool to cold temperatures, filtered light, and to be kept evenly moist.
Cattleya Orchid

Common Name : Cattleya
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : -
Explanation :
Cattleya is a genus of 42 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America. The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after Sir William Cattley, who received and successfully cultivated specimens of Cattleya labiata that were used as packing material in a shipment of other orchids. They are widely known for their large, showy flowers, and were used extensively in hybridization for the cut-flower trade until quite recently. The flowers of the hybrids can vary in size from 5 cm to 15 cm or more. They occur in all colors except true blue and black.
Chysis Laevis Orchid

Common Name : Chysis Laevis
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : -
Explanation :
A deciduous orchid, the pseudobulbs of the Chysis laevis are often bare most of the year. The waxy, yellow flowers are touched with violet. The flower stem, which grows from the base of the plant, sometimes grows down rather than up.
Chysis laevis blooms in the spring and in the summer. The flowers last two to three weeks. It prefers intermediate temperatures, filtered light, and to be kept evenly moist during active growth.

Cycnoches Loddigesii Orchid
Common Name : Loddiges' Cycnoches
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Cycnoches Cucullata Lindley,
Cycnoches Loddigesii Var Leuchochilum
Explanation :
This plant is found growing in French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia and a few more places. Grow in intermediate to warm conditions. We must water it regularly during growing season. Plants can die easily from over watering. Female flowers will often be produced when high light and low moisture is present.
Cymbidium Orchid
Common Name : Boat Orchids
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Cyperochis Blume, Iridorchis Blume, Jensoa, Pachyrhizanthe Nakai
Explanation :
Cymbidium plants can grow up to a height of 60 cm. Each flower can have a diameter of 5 - 10 cm. They bloom during the winter, and each plant can have up to fifteen or more flowers. The fantastic range of colours for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red but not blue and black. The flowers last about ten weeks.
Dendrobium Orchid
Common Name : Pink Rock Orchid
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Callista Lour. Ceratobium, Pierardia, Thelychiton
Explanation :
Dendrobium species have adapted to a wide variety of habitats, from the high altitudes in the Himalayan Mountains to lowland tropical forests and even to the dry climate of the Australian desert. These orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a rest during winter. Reproduction is usually through seed, but a few species reproduce asexually through keikis; produced along the stem, usually after flowering and sometimes as a result of injury to the growing tip.
Doritis Orchid
Common Name : Phalaenopsis pulcherrima
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Phalaenopsis pulcherrima, Grafia A. D. Hawkes, Kingidium P. F. Hunt , Kingiella Rolfe
Explanation :
Doritis pulcherrima is a plant from east Asia. It is the only species in its genus. Doritaenopsis hybrids are derived from crossing Doritis with Phalaenopsis. Doritis pulcherrima is a highly variable phalaenopsis-like plant. The leathery leaves grow about eight inches long. Long lasting flowers bloom on a tall spike. Give Doritis intermediate to warm temperatures, filtered light, and even moisture.
Epidendrum Orchid
Common Name : Epidendrum
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Amphiglottis, Anacheilium, Anocheile, Auliza, Coilostylis
Explanation :
Epidendrum are found from the Carolinas to Argentina. The flowers range in size from a quarter of an inch to six inches. Many of the flowers are fragrant. Epidendrum aromaticum has very fragrant flowers which appear from summer to fall. It prefers intermediate temperatures. Epidendrum cochleatum flowers from summer to fall.

Laelia Orchid
Common Name : Laelia
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Amalia
Explanation :
Laelias are closely related to Cattleya. Laelia orchids vary tremendously in size. Some have flower sprays eight to ten feet long. The bright yellow, red, bronze, deep purple, and green flowers have been very attractive to all.
Lockhartia Oerstedii Orchid
Common Name : Braided Orchid
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Phalaenopsis pulcherrima, Grafia A. D. Hawkes, Kingidium P. F. Hunt , Kingiella Rolfe, Polychilos Breda
Explanation :
Lockhartia oerstedii which is found growing from Mexico to Panama, belongs to a genus that was named in honor of David Lockhart. Lockhartia oerstedii grows one to two feet tall and has one-half to one inch, red spotted, yellow flowers.
Lycaste Orchid


Common Name : Lycaste
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Deppia
Explanation :
The Lycaste were named after Lycaste, a beautiful daughter of Priam, the King of Troy. They grow in Central and South America and the West Indies. The white form of Lycaste virginalis, which is often sold under the name Lycaste skinneri, is the national flower of Guatemala. Lycaste orchids can bloom more than once a year. Lycastes prefer cool to warm temperatures and shady to filtered light. More light is needed after the pseudobulbs mature.
Maxillaria Houtteana Orchid

Common Name : Houtte's Maxillaria
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Maxillariella houtteana
Explanation :
Maxillaria houtteana belongs to a genus of over 300 very different species found from Florida to Brazil. The single, leathery, cinnamon-brown flowers usually appear in the fall, in the winter, and in the spring. Some plants are ever-blooming. Give Maxillaria houtteana orchids intermediate to warm temperatures and filtered to bright light. Drench and let dry. This plant needs good air circulation and excellent drainage.
Miltonia Orchid


Common Name : Miltonia
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Anneliesia, Macrochilus
Explanation :
The genus Miltonia was named after Viscount Milton, an English patron of horticulture. The species is divided into the warmer growing, small-flowered varieties from Brazil, and the cooler growing, large-flowered varieties from the Colombian Andes. The greatest difficulty in growing Miltonias is keeping them cool enough in the summer so they do not exhaust themselves. These orchids are attractive even out of bloom.
Odontoglossum Orchid


Common Name : Odontoglossum
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Tiger Orchid
Explanation :
The genus Odontoglossum contains about 300 diverse species of orchids that grow from Mexico to Bolivia. The flowers vary greatly in size and are long-lasting. The flowers bloom between fall and spring. Odontoglossum generally do best when the roots are tightly confined. They need high humidity, excellent drainage, and even moisture.
Oncidium Orchid


Common Name : Oncidium
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Cohnia, Xaritonia, Lophiaris
Explanation :
Oncidium is a large genus of over 700 species of orchids found growing from southern Florida to Argentina. Oncidium orchids adjust well to indoor living. Generally, they prefer cool to intermediate temperatures, full sun, and plenty of water while they are actively growing. There are many small Oncidiums that like it warm and grow easily under lights. Some have flower sprays four to six feet long. It may be necessary to move the plant foliage out of the way so the flower sprays can get light when the plant begins to bloom.
Paphiopedilum Orchid

Common Name : Paphiopedilum
Family : Orchidaceae
Other Names : Cordula, Menephora, Stimegas
Explanation :
Paphiopedilum orchids are mostly terrestrial, dwarf to moderate sized plants that have flat leaves growing from a fanlike base. After the new leaves form, the flower stem rises up from between the leaves. The long lasting, two to five inch flowers usually grow on individual stems six to twenty inches tall.
Phalaenopsis Orchid

Common Name: Phalaenopsis
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Name: Moth Orchids
Explanation:
They are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia. Orchid Island of Taiwan is named after this genus. In the wild, some species grow below the canopies of moist and humid lowland forests, protected against direct sunlight; others grow in seasonally dry or cool environments. The species have adapted individually to these three habitats.
They bloom in their full glory for several weeks. If kept in the home, the flowers may last two to three months. Some Phalaenopsis species in Malaysia are known to use subtle weather cues to coordinate mass flowering.
Pleurothallis Orchid

Common Name: Pleurothallis
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Name: Bonnet Orchids
Explanation:
They grow in dry or wet, tropical or temperate climates.
As a group they show a huge range in vegetative form, and can be found as tall cane-like plants, pendent or climbing, erect or creeping, tufted and tiny, delicate moss-like species that can grow on the thinnest of twigs. They all have two pollinia; and they have reduced their pseudo bulbs and instead, some species have thick succulent leaves. Their flowers are among the most diverse and unusual, although they are often very small.
Renanthera Orchid

Common Name: Renanthera
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Names: Nephranthera Hassk
Explanation:
Abbreviated as Ren, it is a genus of large scrambling monopodial epiphytic and terrestrial species distributed from India, New Guinea, and through to the Philippines. They produce a branched inflorescence containing numerous flowers ranging in color from yellow and orange to red and possess large lateral sepals. They usually require an intermediate to hot climate with good air movement and generally bright light. Their scrambling style of growth means they are best grown on a hanging mount or basket. If they are grown in pots there must be excellent drainage.

Rodriguezia Secunda Orchid

Common Name: Rodriguezia
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Name: Byurlingtonia Lindl.
Explanation:
Rodriguezia secunda was named in honor of Don Manuel Rodriguez, the Spanish botanist and apothecary. An epiphyte with compressed pseudobulbs and narrow leaves, Rodriguezia secunda is a small to miniature plant that does especially well under artificial light. The six inch spray has 20 to 30 rosy flowers that grow on one side of the stem. Its blooming time is quite variable. Rodriguezia secunda prefers cool temperatures, bright to filtered light, perfect drainage, and to be kept evenly moist.
Sophronitella Violacea Orchid

Common Name: Sophronitella
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Names: -
Explanation:
It is a small plant, rarely more than 2" tall, with longitudinally keeled, fusiform and darkly pigmented pseudo bulbs. The inflorescence is protected by a small sheath on top of the pseudo bulb, and can produce more than one flower on a long succession, meaning that usually only one flower (or rarely 2) is open at a time. They produce fairly large flowers (about 1" or slightly more across) for such a small plant. The flowers themselves are quite showy and very colorful. Even with such a wide distribution range, the flowers look always about the same regardless of where the plants came from.
Stanhopea Orchid

Common Name: Stanhopea
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Names: Aptly upside-down orchids.
Explanation:
The abbreviation used is Stan. These epiphytic, but occasionally terrestrial orchids can be found in damp forests from Mexico to NW Argentina. Their ovate pseudo bulbs carry from the top one long, plicate, elliptic leaf. It is noted for its complex and usually fragrant flowers that are generally spectacular and short-lived. Their pendant inflorescences are noted for flowering out of the bottom of the containers in which they grow, lending themselves to culture in baskets that have enough open space for it to push through. They are sometimes called aptly upside-down orchids.
Vanda Orchid

Common Name: Vanda
Family: Orchidaceae
Other Names: Blue Orchid (Vanda Coerulea)
Explanation:
The genus has a monopodial growth habit with leaves that are highly variable according to habitat. Some have flat, typically broad, ovoid leaves (strap-leaves), while others have cylindrical (terete), fleshy leaves and are adapted to dry periods. Most show a yellow-brown color with brown markings, but they also appear in white, green, orange, red and burgundy shades. They bloom every few months and the flowers last for two to three weeks. This genus is one of the five most horticulturally important orchid genera, because it has some of the most magnificent flowers to be found in the entire orchid family. Many Vanda orchids are endangered, because of habitat destruction.