Passiflora incarnata, Nymphaea odorata, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Asclepius incarnata! Sounds like spells from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, doesn’t it? While these words could come ...

Often when we receive questions about a plant, all we're told is the plant’s common name. For most of our ornamental plants, that isn’t a problem, but when it comes to edible plants, figuring out the ...

The scientific name for potato, Solanum tuberosum, shows where it fits in the larger world of plants and why it's important ...

Support local journalism: Find offers for new subscribers here: Special Offers — FLORIDA TODAY. Typically, when we are asked questions about plants, the person asking may only know its common name, ...

For hundreds of years, people have thought of rice as a common food. But have you ever thought about what rice is called in science? This grain is very useful and is a staple in many cultures and ...

This native tree is known by several common names — among them, ‘black gum,’ ‘black tupelo,’ ‘sour gum’ and ‘tupelo’ — that vary by geographic region and association, illustrating the need for its ...

Are you waiting for your snowdrops to bloom? Or do you prefer to call them Galanthus nivalis? “Nearly every kind of plant has more than one name,” said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic manager at The ...

Many of us see bananas as a simple, everyday snack, but only a few know about their history and precise scientific ...

Thousands of American homes have added splashes of color and luster to indoor spaces with just a handful of easy-to-care-for house plants. As well as looking great, most common house plants are also ...

For almost 300 years, researchers have classified life on Earth with scientific names — two-word monikers like Homo sapiens that become a kind of permanent label. But there are those who argue that ...

Typically, when we are asked questions about plants, the person asking may only know its common name, not the Latin or scientific name of the plant in question. Many have no desire to learn it. Here ...