School Science Lessons
2024-01-04
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Genus names, PP, (Pratia to Pyrus)
Table of contents
White star creeper, (Pratia pedunculata), blue star creeper, perennial herb, ground cover, small white or blue flowers, garden plant. but garden invasive, Australia, Campanulaceae
Primrose, (Primula vulgaris), common primrose, English primrose, (houseplant), flowers and leaves edible in salads, Primulaceae
Oxslip, (Primula elatior), the primrose family, Primulaceae
Fairy primrose, (Primula malacoides), (houseplant), Primulaceae
German primrose, (Primula obconica), large rounded heads, pink and blue flowers, hairy leaves allergic reactions, (houseplant), China, Primulaceae
Cowslip, (Primula veris), common cowslip, paigles, herb Peter, St. Peter's keys, herbal medicine, herbal tea, Primulaceae
Kerguelen cabbage, (Pringlea antiscorbutica), Kerguelen Island, (first identified by Captain Cook's botanist, Mr Anerson, as "a miracle food for sailors" in 1776), harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine, contains oil reich in Vitamin C, only genus of Brassicaceae
Loulu palm, (Pritchardia pacifica), Fiji fan palm, Fiji, Pacific islands, Arecaceae
Brisbane lily, (Proiphys cunninghamii), Moreton Bay lily, grow from bulbs in lightly shaded areas, fragrant white flowers, garden plant Australia, Liliaceae
Mesquite, (Prosopis glandulosa), multi-stemmed shrub up to 5 m, small zigzag-shaped branches with smooth, dark red or green bark, fern-like leaves, paired thorns above each leaf axil, can form dense, impenetrable thickets, once used for soil stabilisation and as a shade tree around homesteads, significantly invasive in Queensland, North and South America, Fabaceae
African mesquite, (Prosopis africana) iron tree, used as food, tannins, Patuletin, arid western Asia, Fabaceae.
"Mesquite", (Prosopis glandulosa), honey mesquite, screw bean, thorny shrub, up to 6 m, paired spines on twigs, large seedpods, used to make flour, Mesquite gum =arabinogalactan + sugar components, clear light coloured exudate, folk medicine, used as adhesive
to make the sweet "gum drops", pods and shoots used as cattle fodder, invasive, southern US, Mexico, Peru, Fabaceae.
Dried herb is sold as root powder.
Bayahonda blanca, (Prosopis juliflora), Juliflorine, Mesquite gum, tryptamine, widespread invasive, Mexico, Fabaceae.
Vinal, (Prosopis ruscifolia), Cassine, folk medicine, useful timber, invasive, Argentina, Fabaceae.
velvet mesquite, (Prosopis velutina), Mesquite gum, herbal medicine, used to treat sore throat and stomach ache, desert plant, native American food, USA, Fabaceae.
Cut-leaf mintbush, (Prostanthera incisa var. incisa), highly aromatic, leaves give off mint smell when rubbed, Australian native food, Lamiaceae
Prostanthera incisa, Cut-leaf Mintbush, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Singleton Mint Bush, Prostanthera cineolifera, Australia, Lamiaceae
Monarto mint bush, (Prostanthera euphrasioides), spreading shrub, less than 1 m high, purple petals purple flowers with purple dots, Australia, Lamiaceae
Oval leaf mint bush, (Prostanthera ovalifolia), mintbush, purple mintbush, shrub, purple flowers, Australian native food, Australia, Lamiaceae
Mountain mint bush, (Prostanthera phylicifolia), spiked mint bush, up to 1.6 m, masses of violet/purple flowers, Australia, Lamiaceae
Round-leaf mint bush, (Prostranthera rotundifolia), native bush mint, round-leaved mintbush, native thyme mint, evergreen branched shrub, up to 4 m, dark green, aromatic, round leaves, cup-shaped purple flowers, cultivated, essential oils extracted from leaves, Australian native food, Lamiaceae
Prostranthera rotundifolia, Tucker Bush
Native mint bush, (Prostanthera sieberi 'Minty'™), up to 1.2 m, aromatic edible leaves, mauve flowers, Australia, Lamiaceae
Brown Pine, Prumnopitys ladei, Mount Spurgeon black pine, Australia, conifer, Podocarpaceae
Self-heal, (Prunella vulgaris), heal-all, halal, sicklewort, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, perennial, garden herb, groundcover, herbal medicine sore throats, wash, sprains, Lamiaceae
Self-heal, Mudbrick Herb Cottage, See text below Description.
Almond, (Prunus amygdalus, Prunus dulcis var. dulcis) | Geraniin | Amygdalin | (occurs in Bible Numbers 17: 8), India, North Africa, world wide.
Prunus dulcis, Almond, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Almond fruit is a drupe, eaten raw or cooked, green or mature, whole or sliced or ground, as almond oil, almond butter, almond milk.
It is used in marzipan, nougat, cookies, cakes and is a source of nutrients especially antioxidant vitamin E.
Almond extract flavouring purchased in small bottles used in cooking, contains | Benzaldehyde | from Cassia bark,
but no cyanide.
See diagram Almond self-pollinating, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Bitter almond, (Prunus dulcis var. amara), essential oil mostly contains | Benzaldehyde | causing bitter taste, and is used for cleaning bone and ivory.
When almonds are damaged or bitten, enzymes convert the glucoside amygdalin to Benzaldehyde and cyanide.
So the essential oil contains mostly benzaldehyde and some cyanide.
Bitter almonds or bitter almond essential oil is toxic, not to be ingested and may irritate skin, but in Europe may be added as spice to flavour marzipan, amaretto cookies and liqueur.
Mandelic acid, C8H8O3, C6H5CH(OH)CO2H, hydroxyphenylacetic acid, occurs in bitter almonds and is used to treat urinary infection.
Prunus species: | Genistein
| Isosakuranetin | Lutein
| Pincembrin | Prunasin
| Prunetin | Amygdalin |
in apricot kernels, almond, peach, plum, but no evidence it is an anti-cancer agent
African cherry, (Prunus africana), red stinkwood pygeum extract, traditional medicine | 1-Docosanol | herbal remedy, bark extract "pygeum", used to treat enlarged prostate gland, Cameroon, USA, dried herb sold as bark, Rosaceae
Apricot, (Prunus armeniaca), (similar species are called "apricots"), leaves and seeds poisonous, North China, Rosaceae
Prunus armeniaca, Apricot, Daleys Fruit Trees
Prunus armeniaca, Apricot - Glengarry, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Cherry, (Prunus avium), cherry, wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, all parts of plant except ripe fruit slightly toxic, cyanogenic glycosides, England, Rosaceae
9.3.3 Cherry flower
Prunus avium, Cherry, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Myrobalan plum, (Prunus cerasifera), abundant, used as rootstock, England, Rosaceae
Prunus cerasifera, myrobalan-h29c rootstock, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Sour cherry, (Prunus cerasus), England, (naturalized), Rosaceae
Plum, (Prunus domestica), common plum, English plum, (naturalized), Rosaceae
Prunus domestica, Plum tree, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
The "plums" in plum cakes by Little Jack Horner and Xmas plum puddings are raisins!
Damson plum, (Prunus domestica subsp. institia), damascene, small plum used in preserves, Great Britain, Rosaceae
Cherry laurel, (Prunus laurocerasus), "common laurel", English laurel, evergreen ornamental, poisonous leaves contain prussic acid, England, Rosaceae
Portugal laurel, (Prunus lusitanica), England, (naturalized), Rosaceae
St Lucie cherry, (Prunus mahaleb), England, (naturalized), Rosaceae
Russian almond, (Prunus nana), Rosaceae
Bird cherry, (Prunus padus), England, Rosaceae
Peach, (Prunus persica), small tree, fruit medium, yellow and red, sweet, used fresh, frozen, cooked, deciduous, fast growing, propagation from seeds, grafting, poisonous leaves and seeds, Rosaceae
Prunus persica, Peach, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Peachcot ora tree, hybrid between a peach and an apricot, firmer flesh with a sweeter and less tart flavour than an apricot, small orange fruit like an Apricot, small clingstone seed that is easy to remove when the fruit is ripe, white flowers, plant in pots
Peachcot Ora A, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Nectarine, (Prunus persica var. nucipersica), hairless smooth skin, fruit is smaller, firmer and more aromatic than peach, Rosaceae
Prunus persica, Nectarine, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Chinese plum, (Prunus salicina), Japanese plum, North China, Rosaceae
Prunus salicina, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Capulin cherry, (Prunus salicifolia), aromatic fruit eaten raw or stewed, preserved whole, made into jam, in Mexican
tamales, South America, Rosaceae
Prunus salicifolia, Capulin cherry, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Sargent's cherry, (Prunus sargentii), large timber tree, Korea, Rosaceae
Black cherry, (Prunus serotina), wild cherry, herbal medicine, wild cherry bark, for coughs and tonic | Prunasin | England, (naturalized), Rosaceae
Tibetan cherry, (Prunus serrula), Western China, Rosaceae
Sloe plum, (Prunus spinosa), blackthorn , (fruit called a sloe), long sharp thorns, white flowers, hedgerow tree, small astringent fruits used to make sloe gin, stem used to make walking sticks, England, Europe, western Asia, Rosaceae
Nanking cherry, (Prunus tomentosa), fast-growing, sets fruit within two years, up to 4.5 m, white flowers, dark red fruit about 1 cm diameter, edible, tart taste, used for juice and syrup, China, Rosaceae
Prunus tomentosa, Nanking Cherry, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Monos plum, (Pseudanamomis umbellulifera), ciruelas, medium shrub, evergreen, fast growing, up to 5 metres tall. fruit small, yellow, juicy sweet pulp, used fresh, from reeds, gathered in wild hot, tropical lowlands, Northwestern S. America, Myrtaceae
Love flower, (Pseuderanthemum variabile), pastel flower, night and afternoon, small perennial herb, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Acanthaceae
Cherry palm, (Pseudophoenix vinifera), used for making wine, Hispaniola, Arecaceae
Winged bean, (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), Goa bean, "as bean", Fabaceae
Babchi, (Psoralea corylifolia), bu gu zhi, scurf pea | Trioxsalen | Isoflavone | Genistein | psoralen | Indian and Chinese herbal medicine, Fabaceae
Psoralea glandulosa, deciduous shrub, hermaphrodite, tea substitute, South America, Fabaceae
Psoralidium, scurf pea, slim flower, Fabaceae
Small-leaved psychotria, (Psychotria daphnoides), smooth psychotria, smooth turkey bush, dense clumping bushy shrub, up to 4m, small cream flowers & fruit, rainforests, Australia, Rubiaceae
Hairy psychotria, (Psychotria loniceroides), attractive garden shrub, narrow glossy leaves, small white flowers, edible translucent white fruit, Australia, Rubiaceae
Chacruna, (Psychotria viridis), wild coffee, alkaloids | dimethyltryptamine, (DMT), C13H16N2 | herbal medicine, hallucinogenic, Ecuador, Rubiaceae
Pteridophyta, Ferns
Pteridophyta Division Pteridophyta
Pterocarpus indicus, angsana, deciduous, wayside tree, reaches 21 metres, used for furniture, herbal medicine, South China, Fabaceae
Pterocarpus santalinus, purple or red sandalwood, purple rosewood, zitan, slow growing, denser than water, zitan wood reserved for Qing dynasty royalty, because of purple colour, South China, Fabaceae
Pterocarya fraxinifolia, Caucasian wingnut, Asteraceae
Pterostyrax hispidus, epaulette tree, Japan, China, Styracaceae
Ptilotus drummondii, pussytails, Amaranthaceae
Ptilotus obovatus, silvertails, Amaranthaceae
Marapuama, (Ptychopetalum olacoides), "Muira Puama, potency wood" | Coumarin
| Lupeol | Sterols | folk medicine from bark and root, Brazil,
Dried herb sold as bark, Olacaceae
Solitaire palm, (Ptychosperma elegans), raphides, North East Australia, Arecaceae
Macarthur palm, (Ptychosperma macarthurii), Australia, Papua New Guinea, Arecaceae
Ptychosperma salomonense, Solomon Islands, Arecaceae
Kudzu, (Pueraria montana, var. lobata), Japanese arrowroot, perennial vine, climbing up to 30 m, purple-pink, fragrant flowers, fleshy roots, massive taproot, compound leaves with three broad leaflets, brown, flat, hairy pods, small, hard, oval seeds, dangerous invasive weed, ornamental, Fabaceae
Pueraria montana var. thomsonii, invasive, Fabaceae
Thai kudzu, (Pueraria montana var. chinensis), phytoestrogens with estrogen-like effects, folk medicine, anti-aging, menopausal symptoms, Thailand, Burma, Fabaceae
Tropical kudzu, (Pueraria phaseoloides), "puero", "pueraria", tropical pasture legume, invasive, Australia, Fabaceae
Nepalese kudzu, (Pueraria tuberosa), climbing vine, woody stem, big tuberous roots, contains steroid sapogenin | Disogenin, C27H42O3 | used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, may cause death of human colon carcinoma cells, South Asia, Fabaceae
Lungwort, (Pulmonaria officinalis), Our Lady's milk drops, herbaceous, evergreen, rhizome, ovate spotted leaves, red to purple trumpet-like flowers, herbal medicine, chest diseases, acid-base dye, Boraginaceae.
Orange bush pea, (Pultenaea euchila), orange pultenaea, erect shrub, hairless stems, dry sclerophyll forest, tough drought tolerant shrub, showy yellow flowers. Australia, Fabaceae
Notched bush pea, (Pultenaea retusa), blunt leaf pea, Australia, Fabaceae
Hairy bush pea, (Pultenaea villosa), Australia, Fabaceae
Pultenaea species may be called "eggs and bacon"
Pomegranate, (Punica granatum), dadima, (French pome, apple | Latin granatum many seeds), hardy shrub, more than 2 metres, semi-deciduous, deep-green leaves poisonous to sheep and cattle, slow growing, grown from seeds and cuttings, round orange-size fruit with yellow-brown rind, many seeds in juicy pulp, herbal medicine, anxiety, menopause, rich in antioxidants, Punicalagin C48H28O30 antioxidant polyphenol, Pelletirrine alkaloid C8H15NO expulsion of tapeworms, fruit eaten raw, juice, in fruit salad, tannins extracted from root bark, in Bible Exodos 28:33, Ayurvedic medicine, cultivated throughout India, North America, China, Lythraceae
Dried herb is sold as freeze-dried fruit juice dried powder.
See diagram Punica granatum.
Pomegranate, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Billy buttons, (Pycnosorus globosus), drumsticks, perennial, long stem golden globe "flowers", narrow wooly grey-green leaves, long flowering, (pseudanthium of florets surrounded by bracts), popular garden plant, used for cut flowers or dried flowers, Australia, Asteraceae
Pycnosorus globosus, Billy buttons, Southern Harvest
Flame vine, (Pyrostegia venusta), bignonia, orange-flowered Stephanotis, orange tubular flowers, ornamental tree, Brazil, Bignoniaceae
Pear, (Pyrus communis), common pear, European pear. (Latin pirium, pear), dioecious, attractive deciduous tree, clusters of pink flowers in corymbs, edible fruit, juice ferments to "Perry", Rosaceae
Pyrus species, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
Callery pear, (Pyrus calleryana), up to 11 m, deciduous, attractive white flowers, inedible fruit, ornamental garden plant, Rosaceae
Plymouth pear, (Pyrus cordata), wild pear, unpleasant smell, rare tree, was used as a hedge, England, Rosaceae
Nashi pear, (Pyrus pyrifolia), nashi fruit, Asian pear, Chinese pear, sand pear, served raw and peeled, high water content and crisp grainy texture, Australian native food, India, New Zealand, and USA, Rosaceae