Marigold (African or American Marigold)

Scientific Name: Tagetes erecta

Date Collected: April 21, 2011

Location: Home Depot Flower Center

Nativity: Southwest North America, South America

Habitat: The require well-drained soil and a sunny area.

Clade: Vascular

Special Notes: This marigold is said to be edible, but has a bitter taste to it.

References:

• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5746415_marigold-flower.html
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365165/marigold

Weeping Bottlebrush

Scientific Name: Callistemon viminalis

Date Collected: April 20, 2011

Location: Botanical Gardens at LA Zoo

Habitat: Full sun and does well in dry or wet soil.  The weeping bottlebrush is mostly a landscaping plant just because it does not need much attention.

Nativity: The weeping bottlebrush is native to Australia

Clade: Vascular, Dicot, has seeds

Special Notes: The bottlebrush flowers grow on knobs that form on the end of the branches, and as the flowering period is over, the bristles will fall off but the branches will continue growing with the knobs moving out farther as well.

Resources:

• http://www.floridata.com/ref/c/call_vim.cfm
• http://tree-species.blogspot.com/2007/11/weeping-bottlebrush.html

Alexandria Cycad

Scientific Name: Encephalartos arenarius

Date Collected: April 20, 2011

Location: Botanical Gradens at LA Zoo

Nativity: South Africa

Habitat: Sun to partial shade, mostly around the coastal dune areas in Cape, South Africa

Clade: vascular,conifer

Special Notes: The Alexandria Cycad has been classified as endangered due to the poachers in S. Africa taking down their habitat.

Resources:

• http://zipcodezoo.com/Plants/E/Encephalartos_arenarius/
• http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/encepharenarius.htm

Shrubby Euphorbia (Baja Spurge)

Scientific Name: Euphorbia xantii

Date Collected: April 20, 2011

Location: Botanical Gardens at LA Zoo

Nativity: Baja California, Mexico

Habitat: Drought tolerance, likes full sun, well-drained soil.  Can be easy garden plants as well.

Clade: Vascular, Shrub

Special Note: If it needs to be cut make sure to wear eye protection ,a long sleeve, and gloves due to the toxic white sap.

Resources:

• http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3622
• http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/373/

Silverberry

Scientific Name: Elaeagnus pungens

Date Collected: April 20, 2011

Location: Botanical Gardens at LA Zoo

Nativity: China and Japan

Habitat: Part or full sun, water needed when plant is dry

Clade: Dicot, Vascular, Shrub

Spcial Notes: The leaves of the silverberry bush have two different colors on opposite sides; dusky olive on the top and silver on the bottom of the leaf.

Resources:

• http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pages/elaeagnus_pungens.htm
• http://www.floridata.com/ref/e/elaeag_p.cfm

Bird of Paradise

Scientific Name: Strelitzia reginae

Date Collected: April 20, 2011

Location: Botanical Gardens at LA Zoo

Nativity: South Africa

Habitat: Tropical, direct sunlight or semi-shade, plenty of water, grows well in coastal gardens.

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular

Special Notes: The plant gets its common name because of the its flower, showing at bird in flight.

Resources:

• http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/strelitziareginae.htm
• http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg106

Petunia

Scientific Name: Petunia Juss.

Date Collected: April 21, 2011

Location: Home Depot Flower Center

Nativity: White-flowered and violet-flowered petunias from Aregntina

Habitat: Good sunlight, moist to well-drained soil

Clade: Dicot, Vascular

Special Notes: Most known varieties of petunias are hybrids from the white-flowered P. axillaris and the violet-flowered P. integrifolia.

Resources:

• http://www.ehow.com/about_6699734_columbine-plant.html
• http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PETUN

Columbine

Scientific Name: Aquilegia canadensis

Date Collected: April 21, 2011

Location: Home Depot Flower Center

Nativity: Many parts of northern and Central America and Europe

Habitat: Partial shade, well-drained soil, woodland wildflower

Clade: Vascular, Dicot

Special Notes: There is supposedly a resemblance of this plant that five doves are nestled together, part of the reason of why it's name is from the Latin word "Columba" meaning dove.  It was also said that Native Americans would rub the crushed seeds in their palms as a love charm.

Resources:

• http://landscaping.about.com/od/perennialflowers/p/columbine_plant.htm
• http://www.ehow.com/about_6699734_columbine-plant.html
• http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AQCA

Regal Geranium (Martha Wahington Geranium)

Scientific Name: Pelargonium domesticum

Date Collected: April 21, 2011

Location: Home Depot Flower Center

Habitat: Good amount of sunlight, but not too much, and cooler nights, not exceeding 60 degrees at night.  Also in an area where there is good water drainage

Nativity: South Africa

Clade: Vascualr, Dicot
Special Note: People have smelled different fragrants in the geranium plant like rose, orange, apple and peppermint.

Resources:

• http://www.colegardens.com/content/martha-washington-geranium
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5434936_geraniums.html
• http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch

Kangaroo Paw

Scientific Name: Anigozanthos flavidus

Date Collected: April 20, 2011 and April 21,2011

Location: Botanical Gardens at the LA Zoo, Home Depot Flower Center

Habitat: The kangaroo paw does well in full sun to part shade, but must have well-drained soil.  Should not be eposed to temperatures below 41 degrees.

Nativity: Austarlia

Special Notes: The shape of the flower and the position of the anthers that contain the pollen is a feature that allows the pollen to be deposited on the head of the feeding birds.

Clade: Vascular plants

Resources:

• http://www.anbg.gov.au/anigozanthos/index.html
• http://www.ehow.com/way_5251872_kangaroo-paw-plant-care.html