Morus nigra: Black mulberry, Murbei

Morus nigra, the black mulberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown.

Morus nigra is a deciduous tree. The edible fruit is dark purple, almost black when ripe in a  compound cluster of several small drupes; it is richly flavoured, similar to the red mulberry [Morus rubra] but unlike the more insipid fruit of the white mulberry [Morus alba].

Black mulberry has long been cultivated for its edible fruit and is planted and often naturalised west across much of Europe, including Ukraine, and east into China.

Photo: Jakarta, Indonesia [20140611, 20150505]

Source: Wikipedia

Nelsonia canescens: Blue Pussyleaf

Nelsonia canescens belongs to the group of annual and biennial plants, is a species in the genus Nelsonia which contains approximately 4 to 6 species and belongs to the family of the Acanthaceae [Genus: Nelsonia; Family: Acanthaceae;  subfamily: Nelsonioideae]. Perennial herb with several trailing stems from a central taproot or rootstock, a ground cover.

Nelsonia canescens is a weedy species. The fresh leaves have a sour lemon-like taste and are often reported to be eaten.

Native: AFRICA.

Naturalized: naturalized elsewhere.

Photo: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20140122, 20140305]

Source: Hortipedia

Nelumbo lutea: Yellow Lotus

Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the monotypic family Nelumbonaceae. Common names include American lotus, yellow lotus, water-chinquapin, and volée. It is native to North America. The Linnaean binomial Nelumbo lutea is the currently recognized name for this species.

American lotus is an emergent aquatic plant. It grows in lakes and swamps, as well as areas subject to flooding. The roots are anchored in the mud, but the leaves and flowers emerge above the water’s surface.

Photos: Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia, USA  [20130913]

Source: Wikipedia

Nelumbo nucifera: Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera, known by numerous common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply lotus, is one of two species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. The Linnaean binomial Nelumbo nucifera is the currently recognized name for this species. This plant is an aquatic perennial.

Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lake bed in northeastern China.

Lotus seed – 莲子- iánzǐ

Lotus seeds or lotus nuts are the seeds of plants in the genus Nelumbo, particularly the species Nelumbo nucifera. The seeds are of great importance to East Asian cuisine and are used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese desserts. The seeds are most commonly sold in the shelled and dried form. Fresh lotus seeds are relatively uncommon in the market except in areas of lotus root and seed production, where they are sometimes sold as a raw snack.

Photos: Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia, USA  [20130913]

Source: Wikipedia

Mahonia sp.: Mahonia

Mahonia is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North America and Central America. Mahonia typically have large, pinnate leaves 10–50 cm long with 5-15 leaflets, and flowers in racemes [5–20 cm long].

Several species are popular garden shrubs, grown for their ornamental, often spiny, evergreen foliage, yellow flowers in autumn, winter and early spring, and blue-black berries. The flowers are borne in terminal clusters or spreading racemes, and may be among the earliest flowers to appear in the growing season. The berries are edible, and rich in vitamin C, though with a very sharp flavor.

Source: Wikipedia

Photo: Sharp Mountain, Jasper, GA [20140111]

Coix lacryma-jobi : Job’s tears beads

Job’s Tears [Coix lacryma-jobi], Coixseed, Tear Grass, is a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae [grass family] native to Southeast Asia but elsewhere cultivated in gardens as an annual. It has been naturalized in the southern United States and the New World tropics. In its native environment it is grown in higher areas where rice and corn do not grow well. Job’s Tears are also commonly sold as Chinese pearl barley in Asian supermarkets, although Coix lacryma-jobi is not closely related to barley [Hordeum vulgare].

Job’s tears are known by many different names across the world:

Sanskrit: Vyjanti beads ~ Chinese: The plants are called chuān gǔ [川谷) or yì yǐ (薏苡]. The grains are called yì rén [薏仁] or yì mǐ [薏米]. ~ Vietnamese: bo bo, hột bo bo [hột meaning “seed”] ~ Japanese: juzudama [ジュズダマ] or hatomugi [ハトムギ] ~ Korean: yulmu [율무] ~ Malay: bali ~ Thai: luk dueai [ลูกเดือย] ~ Indonesian: jali, hanjeli ~ Filipino: adlai.

Photo: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, 20120704

Source: Wikipedia

Mesona procumbens: Grass Jelly plant

  

Mesona is a genus in the mint family,  Lamiaceae. Mesona procumbens, Mesona palustris, Mesona chinensis, generically called xiān cǎo [仙草] in Chinese.

The plants are from 15–100 cm high with hairy stems and leaves. The leaves are tear-drop shaped and serrated and primarily cultivated and used in making grass jelly.

Photos: HortPark,  Singapore, 20130126

Source: Wikipedia