Heracleum mantegazzianum, commonly known as giant hogweed, is a monocarpic perennial herbaceous plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. H. mantegazzianum is also known as cartwheel-flower, giant cow parsley, giant cow parsnip, or hogsbane. In New Zealand, it is also sometimes called wild parsnip (not to be confused with Pastinaca sativa) or wild rhubarb.
Giant hogweed is native to the western Caucasus region of Eurasia. It was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in the 19th century, and has also spread to other areas in Western Europe, the United States, and Canada. Its close relatives, Sosnowsky's hogweed and Persian hogweed, have similarly spread to other parts of Europe.
The sap of giant hogweed is phototoxic and causes phytophotodermatitis in humans, resulting in blisters and scars.  These serious reactions are due to the furanocoumarin derivatives in the leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and seeds of the plant. Consequently, it is considered to be a noxious weed in many jurisdictions.


The life cycle of giant hogweed consists of four phases:
Pre-flowering plants: In the first year, leaves sprout from seed. In subsequent years, leaves sprout from overwintering roots as well as seeds. This pre-flowering phase continues for several years.
Flowering plants (midsummer): After several years of growth, the plant flowers.
Seeds (late summer/early autumn): A flowering plant produces 20,000 or more seeds.
Dead stems (late autumn/winter): After producing seeds, the plant dies, leaving dried stems and seed heads standing.
During the first few years of growth, the leaves and stem of a pre-flowering plant die over the winter. In the spring, the plant grows back from its root. In other words, the giant hogweed is a herbaceous perennial.
A giant hogweed plant usually produces a flowering stalk in 3–5 years, but plants may take up to eight years to flower if conditions are unfavorable. In the Czech Republic, a single plant reached twelve years old before flowering. In any case, when the plant finally flowers, it does so between June and July (in the northern hemisphere).
Seeds are typically produced in August. A single flowering plant will produce 20,000 seeds on average with seed production varying between 10,000 and 50,000 seeds per plant.
Giant hogweed is a monocarpic perennial, that is, after a mature plant flowers and produces seed, the entire plant dies. During the following winter, tall dead stems mark the locations where the flowering plants once stood.
The seeds are dispersed short distances by wind, but can travel longer distances by water, animals, and people. Most seeds (95%) are found in the top 5 cm (2 in) of the soil within a few meters of the parent plant. Seeds may stay alive in the seed bank for more than five years.
A seed deposited in the seed bank is initially dormant. Dormancy is broken by the cold and wet conditions of fall and winter, and so freshly deposited seeds lie dormant until at least the following spring, at which time approximately 90% of the previously dormant seeds will germinate. The rest remain dormant in the seed bank.
Seeds normally result from cross-pollination between two or more plants but self-pollination is also possible. More than half the seeds produced by self-pollination will germinate and give rise to healthy seedlings. Hence a single isolated seed may give rise to a colony of new plants.


Because of its phototoxicity and invasive nature, giant hogweed is often actively removed. The European Union funded the Giant Alien project to combat the plant.
On August 2, 2017, it added the species to its List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern,
thus placing restrictions on keeping, importing, selling, breeding and growing it and requiring governments to detect and eradicate it throughout the EU. In the United Kingdom, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to plant or cause giant hogweed to grow in the wild.
In the United States, hogweed is regulated as a federal noxious weed by the U.S. Government, and is illegal to import into the United States or move interstate without a permit from the Department of Agriculture.  The USDA Forest Service states pigs and cattle can eat it without apparent harm. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has had an active program to control giant hogweed since 2008. In 2011, Maine state horticulturists, describing the plant as "Queen Anne's lace on steroids", reported that it has been found at 21 different locations in Maine, with the number of plants ranging from one to a hundred.


The flowers are small and greenish, produced in inconspicuous clusters in late spring, and mature in late summer or early fall into small hard purplish-black berries 5 to 7 mm (3⁄16 to 1⁄4 in) diameter. These berries contain toxic amounts of oxalic acid and have been known to cause kidney damage and death  to humans. The berries are not toxic to birds and provide an important winter food source for many bird species.


Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering vine in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala.


Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a prolific deciduous climber, reaching heights of 20–30 m (70–100 ft) in the wild. It climbs smooth surfaces using small forked tendrils tipped with small strongly adhesive pads 5 mm (3⁄16 in) in size.


Juglans regia is a large deciduous tree, attaining heights of 25–35 metres (80–120 feet), and a trunk up to 2 m (6 ft) in diameter, commonly with a short trunk and broad crown.
The bark is smooth, olive-brown when young and silvery-grey on older branches, and features scattered broad fissures with a rougher texture. Like all walnuts, the pith of the twigs contains air spaces; this chambered pith is brownish in color. The leaves are alternately arranged, 25–40 cm (10 to 16 in) long, odd-pinnate with 5–9 leaflets, paired alternately with one terminal leaflet. The largest leaflets are the three at the apex, 10–18 cm (4 to 7 in) long and 6–8 cm (2 to 3 in) broad; the basal pair of leaflets are much smaller, 5–8 cm (2 to 3 in) long, with the margins of the leaflets entire. The male flowers are in drooping catkins 5–10 cm (2 to 4 in) long, and the female flowers are terminal, in clusters of two to five, ripening in the autumn into a fruit with a green, semifleshy husk and a brown, corrugated nut. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in autumn; the seed is large, with a relatively thin shell, and edible, with a rich flavour.


Juglans regia, the Persian walnut, English walnut, Carpathian walnut, Madeira walnut, or especially in Great Britain, common walnut, is an Old World walnut tree species native to the region stretching from the Balkans eastward to the Himalayas and southwest China. It is widely cultivated across Europe.
It is the origin of cultivated varieties which produce the edible walnut, consumed around the world. China is the major commercial producer of walnuts.


Ilex cassine is a holly native to the southeastern coast of North America, in the United States from Virginia to southeast Texas, in Mexico in Veracruz, and in the Caribbean on the Bahamas, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. It is commonly known as dahoon holly or cassena, the latter derived from the Timucua name for I. vomitoria.
It is a large shrub or small tree growing to 10–13 m tall. The leaves are evergreen, 6–15 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, glossy dark green, entire or with a few small spines near the apex of the leaf. The flowers are white, with a four-lobed corolla. The fruit is a red drupe, 5–6 mm in diameter, containing four seeds.
As with other hollies, it is dioecious with separate male and female plants. Only the females have berries, and a male pollenizer must be within range for bees to pollinate them.


Erythrina herbacea can be readily grown in gardens within its natural range.  Although its use in gardens is not particularly common, it is popular among those who do grow it as a source of early season color, for its hardiness (USDA Zones 7-10), and because it attracts hummingbirds.
Native American people had many medicinal uses for this plant, varying between nations and localities. Creek women used an infusion of the root for bowel pain; the Choctaw used a decoction of the leaves as a general tonic; the Seminole used an extract of the roots for digestive problems, and extracts of the seeds, or of the inner bark, as an external rub for rheumatic disorders.
In Mexico, the seeds are used as a rat poison, while a fish poison is made from the bark and leaves.
In some Central American countries the flowers are used in traditional cuisine. Mostly added to bean soup or meat patties, it is known for its mild narcotic properties.


Erythrina herbacea, commonly known as the coral bean, Cherokee bean, Mamou plant in South Louisiana, red cardinal or cardinal spear, is a flowering shrub or small tree found throughout the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico; it has also been reported from parts of Central America and, as an introduced species, from Pakistan.  Various other systematic names have been used for this plant in the past, including Erythrina arborea, Erythrina hederifolia, Erythrina humilis, Erythrina rubicunda, Corallodendron herbaceum and Xyphanthus hederifolius.


Coral bean grows as a low shrub or small tree, reaching around 5 m (16 ft) in height in areas that do not kill it back by freezing; elsewhere it may only reach 1.2 m (3.9 ft).  Stems are covered in curved spines. The leaves are yellowish-green, 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) long and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide.  The leaves are divided into three 2.5–8 cm (0.98–3.15 in) arrowhead-shaped leaflets.  The bark is smooth and light gray. The tubular flowers are bright red and grow in long spikes, each flower being 4–6.5 cm (1.6–2.6 in) long; the tree blooms from April to July. They are followed by 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) pods containing bright red seeds, from which the tree gets its name. The plant forms a woody caudex. Toxic alkaloids, including erysopine, erysothiopine, erysothiovine, erysovine, erythrinine, erythroresin, coralin, erythric acid, and hypaphorine, are found throughout the plant. The leaves were found to contain erysotrine and erythrartine. These cause paralysis upon ingestion, much like curare.


Digitaria sanguinalis is a species of grass known by several common names, including hairy crabgrass, hairy finger-grass, large crabgrass, crab finger grass, purple crabgrass. It is one of the better-known species of the genus Digitaria, and one that is known nearly worldwide as a common weed. It is used as animal fodder, and the seeds are edible and have been used as a grain in Germany and especially Poland, where it is sometimes cultivated.  This has earned it the name Polish millet.


During the European Middle Ages, Digitaria sanguinalis was cultivated by Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe, where it was cooked in soups and porridges.
The plant was brought to the United States by immigrants to serve as hand-foraged grain.  The grass is also highly nutritious, especially before the plant exhausts itself producing seed.  It is frequently sown in fields to provide graze for animals, or clipped and bundled as hay. Compared to other grasses, it has a relatively high protein percentage.  Farmers will sometimes till patches in their pastures in the late spring, with the intent of encouraging crabgrass seed.
For human consumption, crabgrass necessarily must be harvested by hand, because it produces grain throughout summer, rather than simultaneously.  Machine harvesting would require monthly passes, and even then much of the seed would go to waste. Crabgrass produces an exceptionally high amount of grain, it smothers other weeds, it acts as its own mulch, and it can survive both heat and drought.  Its adaptability makes it a candidate for environmental small-farming.


It is an annual grass with an inflorescence of up to nine very long, very thin, radiating branches atop its stems. Each branch is lined with pairs of very tiny spikelets. The inflorescences may be reddish or purplish.


Geraea canescens, commonly known as desert sunflower, hairy desert sunflower, or desert gold, is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae. The genus name comes from the Greek geraios ("old man"), referring to the white hairs on the fruits.
G. canescens bears yellow sunflower-like flowers on slender, hairy stems. It grows 0.30–0.91 metres (1–3 feet) high. The leaves are gray-green and grow to 8 centimetres (3 inches) long. It flowers February through May after sufficient rainfall, and sometimes in October and November. The flowers are 5 cm (2 in) wide with 10–20 ray florets, which are each about 2 cm (3⁄4 in) long.
The plant is native to western North America, specifically Arizona, Nevada, California, and Utah. A drought-resistant annual plant, it can be found in the California, Mojave, and Sonoran Deserts. It grows below sea level, from −40 to 1,130 m (−130 to 3,700 ft), in sandy desert soils along with creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). It is one of the flowers which participates in the occasional superblooms of desert flowers.
There are two varieties:
Geraea canescens var. canescens
Geraea canescens var. paniculata S.F.Blake
The flowers attract bees and birds, and the seeds are eaten by birds and rodents.


Tragopogon porrifolius is a plant cultivated for its ornamental flower and edible root.  It also grows wild in many places and is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus, Tragopogon. It is commonly known as purple or common salsify, oyster plant, vegetable oyster, Jerusalem star, Jack go to bed, goatsbeard or simply salsify (although these last two names are also applied to other species).
The Latin specific epithet porrifolius means "with leaves like leek" (Allium porrum).


The plant is edible, but the roots and leaves are most palatable when collected before the flower stalk is produced. The root is noted for having a mild taste when uncooked, described as like asparagus or oysters, from which the plant derives its alternative name of oyster plant. The outer layers can be scraped off, with the root dipped in cold water to preserve its colour. If too tough for eating, they can be boiled with a pinch of baking soda and a change of water. Raw young roots can be grated for use in salads, but older roots are better cooked. They can be added to soups, stews or stir-fries. Salsify purée (alone or including potato) is recommended with fish.
The flowering shoots can be used like asparagus, either raw or cooked and the flowers can be added to salad, while the sprouted seeds can be used in salads or sandwiches.
Raw salsify is 77% water, 19% carbohydrates, 3% protein and contains negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, raw salsify supplies 82 calories and moderate contents of riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and phosphorus.


The seeds need 8–10 days of germination time. T. porrifolius is a biennial plant. In the first year only the vegetative parts of the plant are developed. In autumn, the energy is stored in the root system, which is depending on the variety more or less branched. In the second season the generative purple flowers evolve. They bloom from early to mid summer.


Tragopogon porrifolius is a common biennial wildflower, native to southeast Europe and north Africa, but introduced elsewhere, for example, into the British Isles (mainly in central and southern England), other parts of northern Europe, North America and southern Africa, and in Australia. In the United States, it is now found growing wild in almost every state, including Hawaii, except in the extreme south-east.


Few pests or diseases affect T. porrifolius. White rust (Albugo tragopogonis) is the most common disease of T. porrifolius. Closely related wild species (e.g. Tragopogon pratensis), black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica), gerbera (Gerbera) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) are also found to be hosts of this fungus. At an early stage chlorotic spotting is visible on leaves and stems. These develop during the course of disease into small white blisters.
Occasional problems are reported with rust diseases caused by Puccinia hystericum, Puccinia jackyana and Puccinia scorzonera. Mulching with oats and the use of spring vetch (Vicia sativa) or blue tansy (Phacelia tanacetifolia) as cover crops reduces the number of fungi infecting seedlings and roots. The following fungi have been isolated from T. porrifolius seedlings and roots: Alternaria alternata, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
When the rows are planted too close together, powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoriacearum) can affect the plants.
When the roots are left in the ground over winter, mice and voles may nibble them.


The plant grows to around 1.2 m (4 ft) in height. As with other Tragopogon species, its stem is largely unbranched and the leaves are somewhat grasslike. It exudes a milky juice from the stems. The taproots can become 15–30 cm (6–11+3⁄4 in) long and 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) thick.
In the UK it flowers from May to September, but in warmer areas such as California it can be found in bloom from April. The flower head is about 5 cm (2 in) across and each is surrounded by green bracts which are longer than the petals (technically, the ligules of the ray flowers). The flowers are like that of Tragopogon pratensis, but are larger and dull purple, 3–5 cm (1+1⁄4–2 in) across. The flowers are hermaphroditic and pollination is by insects.
The fruits are beaked achenes, rod-shaped with light ribs. They have hairs at one end that facilitate wind dispersal. The achenes are 10–17 mm long and 1–3 mm wide without counting the beak, which is up to 55 mm in length. When the fruits are formed fully, the hairs from the fruits give the appearance of a ball of fluff which gives the plant its name "goatsbeard".


The leaves of this tree contain the liver toxin Ngaione, which can cause sickness and or death in stock such as horses, cattle, sheep and pigs.


Ngaio is a fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree which sometimes grows to a height of 10 metres (30 ft) with a trunk up to 0.3 metres (1 ft) in diameter, or spreads to as much as 4 metres (10 ft). It often appears dome-shaped at first but as it gets older, distorts as branches break off. The bark on older specimens is thick, corky and furrowed. The leaves are lance-shaped, usually 52–125 millimetres (2–5 in) long, 15–30 millimetres (0.6–1 in) wide, have many translucent dots in the leaves and edges which have small serrations in approximately the outer half.

The flowers are white with purple spots and are borne in groups of 2 to 6 on stalks 7–15 millimetres (0.3–0.6 in) long. There are 5 egg-shaped, pointed sepals and 5 petals joined at their bases to form a bell-shaped tube 3.5–4.5 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) long. The petal lobes are 4.5–5.5 millimetres (0.18–0.22 in) long making the flower diameter 15–20 millimetres (0.6–0.8 in). There are four stamens which extend slightly beyond the petal tube and the ovary is superior with 2 locules. Flowering occurs from mid-spring to mid-summer and is followed by the fruit which is a bright red drupe 6–9 millimetres (0.2–0.4 in) long.


The sweet-scented flowers are a good nectar source for honeybees and butterflies.  In Central America, the thornbug (Umbonia spinosa) prefer its branches for mating and overwintering.
There is conflicting information on the toxicity of pods and seeds to humans and animals; some parts of the plant may contain neurotoxin.
Silk tree wood may be used to make furniture.
Pink silk tree can be used to treat the effects of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) by rubbing the leaves in hand and then applying to the rash area. Relief is almost instantaneous.


Albizia julibrissin is a small deciduous tree with a broad crown of level or arching branches, growing to 5–16 m (16–52 ft) tall. Its bark is dark greenish grey, becoming vertically striped with age. Its leaves are large and frond-like: They are bipinnate, divided into 6–12 pairs of pinnae, each with 20–30 pairs of leaflets. Individual leaflets are oblong, 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) long and 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) broad. The true leaves are 20–45 cm (8–18 in) long and 12–25 cm (5–10 in) broad.
The flowers bloom throughout the summer in dense inflorescences, which resemble starbursts of pink silky threads. The true flowers have small calyx and corolla (except the central ones), with a tight cluster of prominent stamens, 2–3 cm long and white or pink with a white base. They have been observed to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Its fruit is a flat brown pod 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1.0 in) broad, containing several seeds inside.
There are two varieties:
Albizia julibrissin var. julibrissin – the typical variety, described above
Albizia julibrissin var. mollis – differs in the shoots being densely hairy


Albizia julibrissin, the Persian silk tree or pink silk tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to southwestern and eastern Asia.
The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid-18th century. It is sometimes incorrectly spelled Albizzia. The specific epithet julibrissin is a corruption of the Persian word gul-i abrisham (گل ابریشم), which means "silk flower" (from gul گل "flower" + abrisham ابریشم "silk").
Albizia julibrissin was described by Antonio Durazzini. John Gilbert Baker used the same scientific name to refer to Prain's Albizia kalkora, the Mimosa kalkora of William Roxburgh.


In the wild, the tree tends to grow in dry plains, sandy valleys, and uplands. It has become an invasive species in the United States, where it has spread from southern New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, west to Missouri and Illinois, and south to Florida and Texas. It is cultivated in California and Oregon. Its seeds are wind-dispersed and numerous, and they are fertile even over long periods of drought. Each pod, which resembles a flattened bean pod made of paper, holds about 8 seeds on average. The pod bursts in strong winds, and the seeds can carry over surprisingly long distances.
Breeding work is currently underway in the United States to produce ornamental plants which will not set seed and can be planted without risk. However, in the eastern United States it is generally a short-lived tree, being highly susceptible to mimosa vascular wilt, a fungal disease caused by a species of Fusarium, though the disease does not seem to have seriously impacted its populations. Because of its invasive tendencies and disease susceptibility, it is rarely recommended as an ornamental plant in the United States, though it is still widely planted in parts of Europe.


Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus is a species of moss known as springy turf-moss in the United Kingdom, and square goose neck moss in the United States. It is widespread in Eurasia and North America, and has been introduced to the Southern Hemisphere. It has broad ecological tolerances, and is usually found in man-made habitats such as lawns and golf courses. It is most closely related to R. subpinnatus, with which it is often confused.


Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus grows as an extensive mat of branching stems, up to 15 centimetres (6 in) tall, sheathed in leaves that are 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.10 in) long and bend sharply back at a right angle, and thus spread outwards from the stem. The leaf bases are broad and include a pair of short nerves. The plant rarely produces capsules, so most of the species' reproduction is asexual.


Yucca treculeana Carrière is a plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Texas, New Mexico and Coahuila. Common names include Spanish dagger, Spanish bayonet and Don Quixote's lance.
Yucca treculeana is a large, tree-like species up to 10 m (33 feet) tall, often branching above the ground. Leaves are up to 128 cm (50 inches) long. Flowers are cream-colored, sometimes tinged with purple. Fruits are fleshy and succulent, up to 19 cm (7.5 inches) long.
In the last three generations, it has experienced a population decline of 30 percent, attributable due to habitat loss.
Some sources list this species as "Yucca spinosa Kunth."  However, the type specimen for this name at the herbarium in Berlin appears to be Dasylirion sp., thus rendering the name a "nomen confusum."


Smilax bona-nox, also known as saw greenbrier, is a flowering vine that is prickly with a one-seeded fruit. This plant needs full sun but can also survive in partial shade. It prefers moist soil but is tolerant of numerous soil types. They are commonly found in wooded disturbed areas. Smilax bona-nox is dioecious, meaning it is either male or female.
Smilax bona-nox produces fruits, one seeded drupes, that are dispersed by animals.Fruits are black and blue in color. The fruits are edible to humans and wildlife. Fruit harvest is during the fall and summer months.
Bullbriar, Catbriar, Dunes Saw Greenbrier, Greenbriar, Streychberry Vine, and Tramp's Trouble are common names for Smilax bona-nox.


Smilax bona-nox is edible whether cooked or not. If cooked, the roots can be made into gelatin if grounded into a powder. Younger shoots are edible raw or cooked. The fruits are also edible; they are black and blue.


Smilax bona-nox ranges across much of the eastern part of the U.S. It is distributed as far south as southern Florida, west to the edge of Texas and eastern Mexico, north to Maryland, Kentucky and southern parts of Indiana and Illinois, Missouri and Southeastern Kansas. Smilax bona-nox also occurs in Bermuda and Mexico.
Smilax bona-nox are dispersed by being eaten and passed by wildlife. Mainly small animals and songbirds partake in their fruits but they are also eaten by deer and black bears.


Poa pratensis, commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (or blue grass), smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Although the species is spread over all of the cool, humid parts of the United States, it is not native to North America. The Spanish Empire brought the seeds of Kentucky bluegrass to the New World in mixtures with other grasses. In its native range, Poa pratensis forms a valuable pasture plant, characteristic of well-drained, fertile soil. It is also used for making lawns in parks and gardens and has established itself as a common invasive weed across cool moist climates like the Pacific Northwest and the Northeastern United States. When found on native grasslands in Canada, for example, it is considered an unwelcome exotic plant, and is indicative of a disturbed and degraded landscape.


Poa pratensis is a herbaceous perennial plant 30–70 centimetres (12–28 in) tall. The leaves have boat-shaped tips, narrowly linear, up to 20 centimetres (8 in) long and 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in) broad, smooth or slightly roughened, with a rounded to truncate ligule 1–2 millimetres (0.039–0.079 in) long. The conical panicle is 5–20 centimetres (2–8 in) long, with 3 to 5 branches in the basal whorls; the oval spikelets are 3–6 millimetres (0.12–0.24 in) long with 2 to 5 florets, and are purplish-green or grey. They are in flower from May to July, compared to annual meadowgrass (Poa annua) which is in flower for eight months of the year. Poa pratensis has a fairly prominent mid-vein (center of the blade).
The ligule is extremely short and square-ended, making a contrast with annual meadowgrass (Poa annua) and rough meadowgrass (Poa trivialis) in which it is silvery and pointed. The Kentucky bluegrass is a dark green/blue compared to the apple-green color of Poa annua and Poa trivialis.
The rootstock is creeping, with runners (rhizomes). The broad, blunt leaves tend to spread at the base, forming close mats.


This cactus has stems about 1/2-1 inch wide with 6-9 edges. Its flowers are white, up to 30 centimetres in diameter with a scent redolent of vanilla. The flowers open after sundown, closing and wasting after a few hours. By 9 am the next day they are gone.
They usually bloom one night a year in June or July.  In any given area, they all bloom at the same time.  They look dead during the rest of the year. They have a large tuber that tastes a bit like a potato.  They tend to be ubiquitous throughout the higher Sonoran Desert area around Tucson.  See "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert" published by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, pg 197.
Tohono Chul in Tucson, Arizona  has the largest private collection of Sonoran Desert native Night-blooming Cereus - Peniocereus greggii. Each summer this botanical garden/museum hosts "Bloom Night," the one night each summer it is predicted the greatest number of cereus flowers will be in bloom, opening from 6pm until midnight to allow guests to stroll the grounds and view the flowers.


Peniocereus greggii is a cactus species native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas (USA); and Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Sonora, and Zacatecas (Mexico). Common names include Arizona queen of the night, nightblooming cereus and Reina de la noche.  The species name greggii honors Josiah Gregg (1806 – 1850), a merchant, explorer, naturalist, and author of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico.


Coast teatree is salt-resistant, very hardy and is commonly used in amenities plantings and coastal plantings. It has also been planted in Western Australia where it has become a weed.
This species has been planted along the Central Coast of California in the United States to stabilize sand. It is known there as the Australian tea tree.  The seeds can be dispersed by wind and water.
It has now become naturalised in New Zealand, southern Africa, California and Hawaii.
The larvae of Holocola thalassinana feed on Leptospermum laevigatum.


Leptospermum laevigatum is a bushy shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of 1.5–6 m (4 ft 11 in–19 ft 8 in) and has thin, rough bark on the older stems. The young stems are covered with silky hairs at first and have a groove near the base of the petiole. The leaves are greyish green, narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) wide on a short petiole. The flowers are borne on short side shoots, usually in pairs of different ages, and are usually 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) wide. There are many reddish brown bracts around the flower buds but most fall off as the flower opens. The floral cup is mostly glabrous, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long with the upper part expanded. The sepals are triangular, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the petals white, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and the stamens 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from August to October and the fruit is a capsule 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) wide with the remains of the sepals initially attached. The fruit mostly fall from the plant shortly after reaching maturity.


Spigelia marilandica, the woodland pinkroot or Indian pink, is a perennial wildflower in the Loganiaceae family. It flowers in June and tends to be found in low moist woods, ravines, or streambanks in partial or full shade. It will grow 30–61 cm (1–2 ft) high with a spread of 15–46 cm (0.5–1.5 ft).

It is used as an ornamental plant.


Leaves and seed may cause severe discomfort to humans if ingested. The seeds contained within the cherries are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin. This chemical composition is what gives the smell of almonds when the leaves are crushed.  Laurel water, a distillation made from the plant, contains prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) and other compounds and is toxic.


Prunus laurocerasus is an evergreen shrub or small to medium-sized tree, growing to 5 to 15 metres (16 to 49 ft) tall, rarely to 18 metres (59 ft), with a trunk up to 60 cm broad. The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, (5–)10–25(–30) cm long and 4–10 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin. The leaves can have the scent of almonds when crushed. The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer in erect 7–15 cm racemes of 30–40 flowers, each flower 1 cm across, with five creamy-white petals and numerous yellowish stamens with a sweet smell. The fruit is a small cherry 1–2 cm broad, turning black when ripe in early autumn.


It has become naturalised widely. In some regions (such as the United Kingdom and the Pacific Northwest of North America), this species can be an invasive plant. Its rapid growth, coupled with its evergreen habit and its tolerance of drought and shade, often allow it to out-compete and kill off native plant species.  It is spread by birds, through the seeds in their droppings.


Drosera brevifolia (the dwarf, small or red sundew), is a carnivorous plant of the family Droseraceae and is the smallest sundew species native to the United States. This species differs considerably from the pink sundew, Drosera capillaris, by its wedge-shaped leaves, and distinctly deeper red to reddish purple color, noticeable when side by side with D. capillaris.
D. brevifolia is usually a small plant, typically no more than 3 centimeters across, though some are known to grow up to 5 cm in the open sandy woods in west Louisiana, with flower spikes up to 15 cm. It is often found growing in areas drier than what most carnivorous plants prefer, where it often will set seed and die when the dry hot summer arrives and return as seedlings in late fall or winter.
The range of D. brevifolia is from east Texas to Florida and north to Virginia. Flowers can be large compared to the rosette and can be pink or white and come in the spring.
Most of the plants die off in the dry summer after setting seed. New seedlings return in the fall with cooler, damper weather.
According to the USDA, it is endangered in the State of Kentucky and threatened in the State of Tennessee.


Vitis riparia Michx, with common names riverbank grape or frost grape, is a vine indigenous to North America. As a climbing or trailing vine, it is widely distributed across central and eastern Canada and the central and northeastern parts of the United States, from Quebec to Texas, and eastern Montana to Nova Scotia. There are reports of isolated populations in the northwestern USA, but these are probably naturalized. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest trees. It produces dark fruit that are appealing to both birds and people, and has been used extensively in commercial viticulture as grafted rootstock and in hybrid grape breeding programs.
Riverbank grape is a translation of the scientific name Vitis riparia; rīpārius means "of riverbanks" in Latin, deriving from rīpa "riverbank".


Nothofagus menziesii, commonly known as silver beech (Māori: tawhai, tahina), is a tree of the southern beech family endemic to New Zealand. Its common name probably comes from the fact that its bark is whitish in colour, particularly in younger specimens. It is found from Thames southwards in the North Island (except Mount Taranaki/Egmont), and throughout the South Island. Silver beech is a forest tree up to 30 m tall. The trunk, which is often buttressed, may be up to 2 m in diameter. The leaves are small, thick and almost round in shape, 6 to 15 mm long and 5 to 15 mm wide with rounded teeth which usually occur in pairs, 1 or 2 hair fringed domatia are found on the underside of each leaf. Its Māori name is tāwhai. It grows from low altitudes to the mountains. Nothofagus menziesii was proposed to be renamed Lophozonia menziesii in 2013.


Lupinus truncatus is a species of lupine known by the common name collared annual lupine.
It is native to the coastal mountain ranges and canyons of Baja California and California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area. It grows in slope habitat such as chaparral and woodland, including areas that have recently burned.


Lupinus truncatus is an annual herb growing no more than 0.5 metres (1.6 ft) tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 8 narrow linear leaflets measuring 2 to 4 centimeters in length and just a few millimeters wide. The leaflets usually have truncate tips, or tips that appear sharply cut off and squared, the characteristic that gives the plant its species name.
The inflorescence is a raceme of widely spaced flowers each roughly a centimeter long. The flower is magenta or reddish purple in color with a yellowish or magenta patch on its banner.
The fruit is a hairy legume pod about 3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide.


It is a short-lived perennial plant, and is often treated as an annual. The leaves are pinnate, lobed, and lance-shaped – up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long. All parts are downy. The winged flower stems appear in summer, and are about 70 cm (28 in) tall. The flowers present in short, papery clusters in colours ranging from white to pink, purple, and yellow. It has been known to become invasive.


Pittosporum crassifolium, commonly called karo, is a small tree or shrub native to New Zealand. Karo's original distribution was generally the top half of the North Island, although now it has naturalised throughout New Zealand and overseas in Norfolk Island, Hawaii and the Isles of Scilly. P. crassifolium occurs in lowland and coastal forests. Mature trees grow to about 5 metres (16 ft) in height. Other common names include stiffleaf cheesewood, and in Māori, kaikaro and kīhihi.
Karo has dense dark gray-green leathery leaves that are furry underneath. An early coloniser, P. crassifolium is able to withstand high winds and salt spray. Clusters of small red-purple flowers appear in spring, developing into seed pods that split to expose the sticky seeds.
Pittosporum crassifolium is considered to be "weeds in cultivation" in California, where they are being kept under observation to ensure they do not escape into the wild. In New Zealand birds easily spread karo seed and in areas south of its natural range it has become a pest plant.


Bahiopsis parishii grows to 2 feet tall, with bright yellow flowers.  It is a plant of desert areas, usually associated with creosote bush, and ranges from sea level to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) in elevation.  It blooms after periods of rain, both in spring and in fall, or after the monsoon season in Arizona.


Bahiopsis parishii known commonly as Parish goldeneye or shrubby goldeneye, is a North American species of flowering shrubs in the family Asteraceae.
It is native to the southwestern United States, (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico), as well as adjacent parts of northwest Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora).


Some Plateau Indian tribes boiled the stalks to produce a drink used as a diuretic and to  treat venereal disease.
It is used as a homeopathic remedy.


Equisetum hyemale (commonly known as rough horsetail, scouring rush, scouringrush horsetail and, in South Africa, as snake grass) is a perennial herbaceous vascular plant in the horsetail family Equisetaceae. It is a native plant throughout the Holarctic Kingdom, found in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.


Equisetum hyemale has vertical jointed reed-like stalks of medium to dark green. The hollow stems are up to 3 feet (0.91 m) in height. The stems are seldom branched. The stems themselves have conspicuous ridges, which are impregnated with silica. This makes the ridges feel rough and harsh.
The tiny leaves are joined together around the stem, forming a narrow black-green band or sheath at each joint. Like other ferns and their relatives, the plant reproduces by spores and does not produce flowers or seeds.
The stems are generally deciduous in cold climates, and remain during winter in warmer climates. It forms dense spreading colonies, in full to partial sun.
Subspecies
Equisetum hyemale subsp. affine—endemic to North America.
Two Equisetum plants are sold commercially under the names Equisetum japonicum (barred horsetail) and Equisetum camtschatcense (Kamchatka horsetail). These are both types of E. hyemale var. hyemale, although they may also be listed as varieties of E. hyemale.


The plant spreads very aggressively by underground runners, reaching under/past pavements and garden walls. Root barriers or large sunken planters ease containment in the garden.
In South Africa and Australia, the plant is an invasive species of moist natural habitats.


Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are toxic compounds readily absorbed via the stomach or skin, and have potential to increase the risk of fatal liver toxicity. In 2001, the US Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission banned the sale of comfrey products for internal use and use on open wounds due to its potential toxicities. A 2018 review on pyrrolizidine alkaloids present in comfrey indicated widespread potential toxicity to humans and livestock, and the opportunity for drug development from these compounds.


In folklore, Symphytum officinale roots were used in traditional medicine internally (as an herbal tea or tincture) or externally (as ointment, compresses, or alcoholic digestion) for treatment of various disorders, including commonly as a treatment for reducing the pain of osteoarthritis. John Gerard, an English herbalist (1545–1612), mentions "the slimie substance of the roote made in a possett of ale" would help back pains. The leaves were also thought to be edible as a vegetable, similar to spinach.
A 2013 review of clinical studies assessing the possible effect of comfrey on osteoarthritis found the research quality was too low to allow conclusions about its efficacy and safety. In Europe as of 2015, there were no comfrey products for oral use, and those for topical uses to treat bruises or joint pain were evaluated as having risk of liver toxicity.


Comfrey is a perennial plant found in moist grasslands in western Asia, Europe, and North America. The hardy plant can grow to a height of 1–3 ft (0.3–0.9 m). It is a perennial herb with a black, turnip-like root and large, hairy broad leaves. The leaves on the stem have margins which extends down the stems. The hairy stems are branched. Between May and June it bears small bell-shaped flowers of various colours, typically cream, white, pink or purplish. They are coiled at first and then open out.
A common hybrid is formed between Symphytum officinale and S. asperum, Symphytum × uplandicum, also known as Blue Comfrey, or Russian comfrey, which is widespread in the British Isles, and which interbreeds with S. officinale. Compared to S. officinale, S. × uplandicum is generally more bristly and has flowers which tend to be more blue or violet. Symphytum × uplandicum flowers later than S. officinale, in June and August. The plant produces significant nectar when compared to other UK plants tested. Although, it has a long tube, meaning only insects with long tongues reach the nectar, some bees have been known to bite into the side of the flower to reach the nectar.


Rhododendron columbianum has been used medicinally as a tea astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and laxative properties. The plant can, however, be toxic if the tea is allowed to steep too long. The fragrance of the leaves has also been shown useful in repelling insects and rodents.


Rhododendron columbianum, commonly known as western Labrador tea, swamp tea, or muskeg tea, is a shrub that is widespread in the western United States and in western Canada, reported from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. It grows in wet places from sea level up to 3,500 m (11,000 ft). It was formerly known as Ledum columbianum. Its origins date back to the late Pliocene.


Rhododendron columbianum is a shrub up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. The evergreen leaves are ovate to lanceolate, fragrant when crushed. Flowers are white to cream, borne in groups of 10 to 35. The leaves grow very close to the stalk and their bottoms bear tiny white hairs.


The coprosma rhamnoides has a small seed with fleshy red berry surrounding it.  The seedlings  start to appear after two/three months   Once the shrub is grown, small flowers occur.  This would be during Spring time from September to October.  The flowers are wind pollinated.   Soon after, in November, the flowers turn into small green berries.  These red berries ripen and turn red by June the next year.   Once they are red, the berry is now ripe, and encompasses only two small seeds inside it.  The berries can remain on the shrub, and over ripen as they turn a crimson or black colour.


Coprosma rhamnoides (also known as twiggy coprosma or red-currant coprosma) is an endemic shrub in New Zealand.  It forms a small shrub up to 2 m tall. The leaves are very small, simple and variable in shape. The inconspicuous flowers are unisexual and believed to be wind pollinated.  It is widespread in occurrence and can be the dominant small leaved divaricating shrub in some locations


The coprosma rhamnoides is preyed upon by many species.  Geckos and skinks are common herbivores of the berries.  They eat the berries at night time.  Birds such as kereru, tui, korimako (bellbird), stitchbird, and weka will eat the berries by day.  Lastly, rats will eat the berries too.
The leaves are appetising for mammals such as goats, deer or cattle.   However, as the twiggy coprosma name suggests, the twig-like structure makes it difficult for grazers to access the leaves and berries.
A slightly more adapted herbivore to the twiggy coprosma is the ‘coprosma leaf beetle’.  This species can chew holes in the young leaves.  This beetle appears around Spring time on the shrub. It can jump from leaf to leaf.   Other herbivorous insects include three native caterpillars.  These are the
Dark Coprosma Carpet moth - Austrocidaria similata
Coprosma pug moth - Pasiphila sandycias
Pallid Coprosma leafroller - Leucotenes coprosmae
Lastly, two coprosma scale insects are herbivores of the coprosma rhamnoides.
Two gall mites are parasites of the coprosma rhamnoides and also several gall midges.  The mites can cause a discolouration in the leaves.  They make the leaves turn yellow.


Senna armata is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names spiny senna and desert senna. It is native to the desert regions around the intersection of Nevada, Arizona, eastern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in sandy and rocky habitat, such as arroyos. It is a shrub growing up to a meter tall, its grooved, branching stems often narrowing to thorns at their tips. The spiny branches are coated in tubular hairs which help protect it from hot desert air. The spine-tipped leaves are each made up of two to four pairs of small leaflets. The leaves are ephemeral, dropping soon after emerging, leaving the shrub naked most of the time. Flowers occur singly or in small clusters in leaf axils. They are fragrant and showy, with five petals in shades of yellow to salmon pink, each measuring roughly a centimeter long. The fruit is a legume pod up to 4 centimeters long.


Chylismia brevipes is a species of wildflower native to the American desert southwest known by the common names yellow cups, Mojave suncup, and golden suncup. This is a hairy annual with tall stems often reaching over half a meter in height and surrounded by basal leaves which may be simple or composed of several leaflets. It produces an inflorescence which has one to several blooms in it. The flowers are bright yellow, often with reddish speckling at the base of each petal. The center of the flower has a long pistil and several shorter stamens with large anthers. The fruits are hanging capsules which may be several centimeters long.


The berries can be eaten raw or cooked, used to make jelly or pies, or dried to make pemmican. Bog bilberry is used in infused liquor in Korea.


Vaccinium uliginosum (bog bilberry, bog blueberry, northern bilberry or western blueberry) is a Eurasian and North American flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium within the heath family.


This orchid can be found in most parts of Europe, northern Africa, Turkey and the Caucasus. It usually grows in sloping woodlands, particularly in mixed deciduous / oak forests, but occasionally occur in meadows. It prefers limestone or chalk soil and partially shaded locations at an altitude of 0–1,350 metres (0–4,429 ft) above sea level.


Orchis purpurea reaches on average 30–100 centimetres (12–39 in) of height. The leaves are broad and oblong-lanceolate, forming a rosette about the base of the plant and surrounding the flower spike. They are fleshy and bright green, and can be up to 15 cm long. The inflorescence is densely covered with up to 50 flowers. The sepals and upper petals are violaceous or purple (hence the Latin name purpurea of the species). The flower's labellum is pale pink or white, with a center spotted by clusters of violaceous or purple hairs. It is divided into three lobes; the outer two are small and narrow, and the inner is large, rounded, and heart-shaped. Flowering occurs in late April to June.


The root is edible. Native Americans used the plant for various medicinal purposes.
Some describe using A. caudatum as a ginger substitute and as a tea with medicinal properties. In a study on its effects on fungus, A. caudatum had antifungal properties when tested against nine fungal species.


A. caudatum reproduces rhizomatously, meaning many mats are formed by one clonal plant connected by a rhizome. It can also reproduce sexually, with its seeds dispersed by ants. The flowers are pollinated by flies. However, cross-pollination is rare. Ants are attracted by a fatty appendage attached to the seed. The ants carry the entire package back to their colonies. The seed is often dropped outside the nest once the ant realizes only the appendage is edible. Due to the costs of producing seeds with an appendage to attract ants, it is more energetically favorable for the plant to reproduce rhizomatously.


Betula pumila (dwarf birch or bog birch) is a deciduous shrub native to North America. Bog birch occurs over a vast area of northern North America, from Yukon in the west to New England in the east and all the way to Washington and Oregon, inhabiting swamps and riparian zones in the boreal forests.


It reaches 1–4 m (3–13 ft) in height. Like other birches, it is monoecious and its reproductive structures are catkins. Leaves are alternate but close together, especially on slow growing individuals. Leaves are coarsely dentate and rounded at the base.


There are a few medicinal uses for Smilax glauca. The stem prickles have been rubbed on the skin to act as a counterirritant to relieve pain and muscle cramps. The stems and leaves have also been used to make a tea that relieves stomach issues. Smilax glauca root can be boiled and made into a jelly-like food; the root can also be dried and made into a powder.


Smilax glauca is a woody vine that succeeds in most soils in sun and in semi-shaded areas. It can grow over trees, shrubs, or stumps. It is a dioecious plant; an evergreen climber that can grow to 5 meters, it flowers in June and is leafy all year. This species can survive in sandy, loamy, and clay soils. Smilax glauca produces berries, generally in the winter. The leaves of the species are simple; there is a single leaf per node that dies in the winter. This plant has fleshy berries. Smilax glauca is a monocot liana.


Smilax glauca, the cat greenbriar or catbriar is a woody vine in the family  Smilacaceae. It is native to central and eastern portions of the United States, where it is a common and conspicuous part of the forest vegetation. It is also common across much of Mexico.
Smilax glauca has prickly stems and climbs by means of tendrils. Leaves are notably gray-glaucous to whitish beneath. It commonly inhabits wooded areas and fences and is often found growing with other species of Smilax. The plants tend to be evergreen in the more southern United States.


Z. aethiopica is native to southern Africa, specifically Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. It has naturalised in Kenya, Madeira, Azores, Malawi, New Zealand, Tanzania, Zambia, coastal California and Australia, particularly in Western Australia, where it has been classified as a toxic weed and pest. The cultivar 'Green Goddess' is listed in the New Zealand National Pest Plant Accord, which proscribes its cultivation, sale, and distribution.


Zantedeschia aethiopica is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant, evergreen where rainfall and temperatures are adequate, deciduous where there is a dry season. Its preferred habitat is in streams and ponds or on the banks. It grows to 0.6–1 m (2.0–3.3 ft) tall, with large clumps of broad, arrow shaped dark green leaves up to 45 cm (18 in) long. The inflorescences are large and are produced in spring, summer and autumn, with a pure white spathe up to 25 cm (9.8 in) and a yellow spadix up to 90 mm (3+1⁄2 in) long. The spadix produces a faint, sweet fragrance.
Zantedeschia aethiopica contains calcium oxalate, and ingestion of the raw plant may cause a severe burning sensation and swelling of lips, tongue, and throat; stomach pain and diarrhea may occur.


Zantedeschia aethiopica, commonly known as calla lily and arum lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to southern Africa in Lesotho, South Africa, and Eswatini.


The leaves and shoots are eaten raw, having a bitter flavor, or cooked like spinach, and are sometimes added to salads.  An extract is sometimes added as a flavoring in vodkas.


Rhodiola rosea is from 5 to 40 centimetres (2.0 to 15.7 in) tall, fleshy, and has several stems growing from a short, scaly rootstock. Flowers have 4 sepals and 4 petals, yellow to greenish yellow in color sometimes tipped with red, about 1 to 3.5 millimetres (0.039 to 0.138 in) long, and blooming in summer. Several shoots growing from the same thick root may reach 5 to 35 centimetres (2.0 to 13.8 in) in height.  R. rosea is dioecious – having separate female and male plants.


Rhodiola rosea (commonly golden root, rose root, roseroot, Aaron's rod, Arctic root, king's crown, lignum rhodium, orpin rose) is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It grows naturally in wild Arctic regions of Europe (including Britain), Asia, and North America ( N.B., Nfld. and Labrador, N.S., QC.; Alaska, Maine, N.Y., N.C., Pa., Vt), and can be propagated as a groundcover.
Although Rhodiola rosea has been used in traditional medicine, there is no high-quality clinical evidence of its effectiveness to treat any disease. The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued several warnings to manufacturers of R. rosea dietary supplements for making false health claims about its safety and efficacy.
The plant is threatened in many countries due to rapidly growing demand. Supply comes mostly from wild harvesting on an industrial scale, and a combination of growing scarcity and a lack of regulation has led to environmental degradation, substitution or adulteration in the market, and illegal harvesting in protected areas.


After fertilization, the flower stem coils tightly, starting at the end. Seeds, amber when ripe, are held in a round pod, which ripens the summer a year after flowering and opens by 5-10 flaps.


Cyclamen purpurascens, the Alpine, European or purple cyclamen, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cyclamen of the family Primulaceae, native to central Europe, northern Italy, and Slovenia. It is an evergreen tuberous perennial with (usually) variegated leaves, and deep pink flowers in summer.


Clematis terniflora is a vine with opposite, pinnately compound leaves, on climbing stems. The flowers are white, borne in fall. The blooms are nicely fragrant and visited by bees. In late fall the fertilized flowers become fruit (seed) clusters of 5-6 fruits connected at the heads and each having a long white tail. As these dry, the color of the fruits fade and the tail becomes feather-like. In the spring the fruits detach and are dispersed by wind.


Clematis terniflora (sweet autumn clematis, sweet autumn virginsbower) is a plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to northeastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia), Taiwan). It was introduced into the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental garden plant, and has naturalized in many of the eastern states. It is considered a Category II invasive plant in Florida (north and central) and some other eastern states, meaning invading native plant communities but not yet seen as displacing native species.


Prefers full sun, but will prosper and bloom in partial shade. These woody-stemmed plants can be pruned in fall or early spring to within a couple of feet from the ground, and will vine up fence, trellis, arbors (or other plants) to heights of 10 to 30 feet. Can also be allowed to sprawl along the ground as a dense ground cover. Blooms on new growth. No serious insect or disease problems. Does not require fertilizer or frequent watering, although will benefit from a low nitrogen fertilizer such as 5-10-10 in spring. Considered deer resistant.


Silene gallica is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by several common names, including common catchfly, small-flowered catchfly, and windmill pink. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it can be found throughout much of the temperate world as a common roadside weed.


Silene gallica is an erect or semi-erect annual herb growing up to 50 cm (20 in) tall, its branching stem clad in long, curling hairs and shorter, glandular hairs. The opposite, entire, lance-shaped leaves have acute apexes, are up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long on the lower parts of the plant, and smaller on the upper parts. The flowers grow in a terminal inflorescence at the top of the stem, and some appear in the leaf axils. Each flower has a tubular calyx of fused sepals lined with ten green or purple-red veins. The calyx is coated in long, sometimes glandular, hairs and becomes inflated in fruit. There are  five white, pink or bicolored, spatulate petals, each with a small appendage at the base. There are ten stamens and three styles. The fruit is a brown, ovoid capsule with six apical teeth.


Calamagrostis epigejos, common names wood small-reed or bushgrass, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae which is native to Eurasia and Africa. It is found from average moisture locales to salt marsh and wet habitats.


The foliage is a medium green and is perennial with lengthy rhizomes. The culms are erect and are 60–200 centimetres (24–79 in) long while the leaf-blades are 70 centimetres (28 in) long and 3–14 millimetres (0.12–0.55 in) (in some cases even 20 millimetres or 0.8 inches) wide. Its ligule is 4–12 millimetres (0.16–0.47 in) long and is  acute and lacerate. The species also have an erect panicle which is 15–30 centimetres (5.9–11.8 in) long and is also oblong and almost lanceolate. The spikelets are 4.5–7 millimetres (0.18–0.28 in) long while the rhachilla is prolonged. The glumes are scaberulous and lanceolate while the lemma is only a half of its length. Its awns are 1–2.5 millimetres (0.04–0.10 in) and are located closer to the lemmas middle.
The large inflorescence is a rich brown colour. The flowers form dense and narrow spikes 25–35 centimetres (10–14 in) long.


Most Asclepias are toxic if consumed in large quantities due to cardiac glycoside content.


Asclepias quadrifolia is a species of milkweed commonly called fourleaf milkweed or whorled milkweed. The plant occurs in the eastern United States and Canada.


Insects that take nectar from the plant include bumblebees and other bees, wasps, ants, flies, and butterflies. The caterpillars of the monarch butterfly feed on the foliage.


Fourleaf milkweed is a perennial herb from a fleshy rhizome. The plant is small and slender compared to other milkweeds at only 45 cm tall. Leaves usually elliptic to ovate, opposite in arrangement but clustered to form a false whorl, 2.5-12.0 cm long, 1–6 cm wide. Pale pink to white flowers are borne in rounded, usually pendulous clusters from the leaf axils and terminus. The fruit is a follicle or pod which is very slender, 3.2 to 5.6 inches long, 1/4 to 1/3 thick, lacking tubercles, minutely hairy to glabrous; seeds broadly oval, to 1/3 inch long, tufted with white to tan hairs at tips.


E. crus-galli was domesticated in southern Hokkaido 4,500 years ago.
A warm-season grass used as cattle fodder and is sometimes cultivated for this purpose. It is also suited for silage, but not for hay. It is fed green to animals and provides fodder throughout the year; hay made from this plant can be kept up to 6 years. This grass is also used for reclamation of saline and alkaline areas, especially in Egypt.
This grass is readily eaten by wild animals: rabbits, deer, waterfowls, etc.
The grain of some varieties is eaten by humans in times of scarcity and sometimes used for adulterating fennel. The roots are boiled to cure indigestion in the Philippines. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. The plant extract is used in diseases of the spleen. Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable in Java. Reported to be preventative and tonic, barnyard grass is a folk remedy in India for carbuncles, haemorrhages, sores, spleen trouble, cancer and wounds.
In the Hisar district of the Indian state of Haryana the seeds of this grass are commonly eaten with cultivated rice grains to make rice pudding or khir on Hindu fast days.
Barnyard grass was one of the five most cultivated crops during Joseon Dynasty in Korea. Rural Development Administration of South Korean government discovered barnyard grass effectively lowers blood sugar and cholesterol when consumed, according to Yonhap.
Japanese barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta syn. E. cg. var. utilis), a domesticated form of E. crus-galli, is cultivated on a small scale in Japan, Korea and China. It underwent selection for larger grain size over a span of one or two millennia in Japan.


Echinochloa crus-galli is a type of wild grass originating from tropical Asia that was formerly classified as a type of panicum grass. It is commonly known as cockspur (or cockspur grass), barnyard millet, Japanese millet, water grass, common barnyard grass, or simply "barnyard grass" (which may refer to any species of Echinochloa or the genus as a whole however). This plant can grow to 60" (1.5 m) in height and has long, flat leaves which are often purplish at the base. Most stems are upright, but some will spread out over the ground. Stems are flattened at the base. The seed heads are a distinctive feature, often purplish, with large millet-like seeds in crowded spikelets.
Considered one of the world's worst weeds, it reduces crop yields and causes forage crops to fail by removing up to 80% of the available soil nitrogen. It acts as a host for several mosaic virus diseases. Heavy infestations can interfere with mechanical harvesting.
Individual plants can produce up to 40,000 seeds per year. Water, birds, insects, machinery, and animal feet disperse it, but contaminated seed is probably the most common dispersal method.


The alternate name throatwort is derived from an old belief that C. trachelium is a cure for sore throat, and the species name trachelium refers to its use as treatment of the throat in folk medicine.
Other folknames include Our Lady's Bells because the color blue was identified with the Virgin Mary's scarf, veil, or shawl; Coventry Bells because C. trachelium was especially common in fields around Coventry; and "Bats-in-the-Belfry" or in the singular "Bat-in-the-Belfry", because the stamens inside the flower were like bats hanging in the bell of a church steeple.


Campanula trachelium, the nettle-leaved bellflower, is a species of bellflower. It is a Eurasian blue wildflower native to Denmark and England and now naturalized in southeast Ireland. It is also found southward through much of Europe into Africa.


Native Americans grew sprouts from the seeds for consumption, wove baskets from the inner bark, and used the leaves to cover food in cooking pits. They also carved the wood into dishes, utensils, and canoe paddles.
Maple syrup has been made from the sap of bigleaf maple trees. While the sugar concentration is about the same as in Acer saccharum (sugar maple), the flavor is somewhat different. Interest in commercially producing syrup from bigleaf maple sap has been limited. Although not traditionally used for syrup production, it takes about 40 volumes of sap to produce 1 volume of maple syrup.


Bigleaf maple can grow up to 48 metres (158 feet) tall, but more commonly reaches 15–20 m (50–65 ft) tall and 90–120 cm (35–47 in). The species' current national champion for size is located in Lane County, Oregon. It is 36 m (119 ft) tall with a crown spread of 28 m (91 ft), with an average diameter at breast height (dbh) of about 3.7 m (12 ft). The previous national champion is located in Marion, Oregon, and is 27 m (88 ft) tall with a crown spread of 32 m (104 ft), with an average dbh of about 2.5 m (8 ft). The bark is gray brown, darkening and developing ridges with age.
The bigleaf maple has the largest leaves of any maple, typically 15–30 centimetres (6–12 inches) across with five deeply incised palmate lobes, with the largest running to 61 cm (24 in). The stems are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and contain milky sap. In autumn, the leaves turn gold and yellow, contrasting against backdrops of evergreen conifers.
In spring, the tree produces flowers in pendulous racemes 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long, greenish-yellow with inconspicuous petals. It is hermaphroditic, bearing both male and female flowers in each raceme. The flowers appear in early spring, before the leaves.
The fruit is a paired winged samara, each seed 1–1.5 cm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) in diameter with a 4–5 cm (1+5⁄8–2 in) wing. Bigleaf maple begins bearing seed at about ten years of age.
In May 2018 the oldest two Oregon maples in Europe, 175 years old, were removed from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland. The first had an interior which was beginning to rot, and it fell after inclement windy weather. The second, also infected, was cut down as the same fate was expected. Both were in the adjoining grassy area which was originally the cemetery of All Hallows and is now the Front Square of TCD.


Acer macrophyllum, the bigleaf maple or Oregon maple, is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer.
It is native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California. Some stands are also found inland in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California, and a tiny population occurs in central Idaho.


The tree can live in a wide range of habitats, but thrives in fairly well-hydrated hardwood forests, occurring with red alder, black cottonwood, and willows. It is fairly shade tolerant, but not as much so as vine maple, and benefits from disturbances.
It is not considered to be fire-resistant due to its thin bark, but large trees with thick bark may survive moderate fires. Along with red alder, bigleaf maple often dominates early postfire succession in Douglas-fir forests, and fire can increase its forest presence. It spreads and grows vegetatively from cuttings and stumps of any size in a prolific manner.
Insects fertilize the tree's flowers. The winged fruits are eaten by squirrels, and by grosbeaks in the winter. Deer mice have been observed consuming bigleaf maple seeds in the spring in the Sierra Nevada. The foliage is browsed by ungulates such as black-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and horses, as well as by mountain beavers and other rodents.
A western Oregon study found that 60% of bigleaf maple seedlings over 25 cm (10 in) tall had been browsed by deer, most several times.
Bigleaf maple is preferred as habitat by the barred owl, and the presence of the tree is positively associated with Hammond's flycatchers.
In the more humid parts of its range, such as in the Olympic National Park, the bark is covered with epiphytes such as club moss and licorice fern.
Older trees suffer from heart rot.


Evidence from archaeological excavations suggests that Fragaria vesca has been consumed by humans since the Stone Age.
Woodland strawberry fruit is strongly flavored, and is still collected and grown for domestic use and on a small scale commercially for the use of gourmets and as an ingredient for commercial jam, sauces, liqueurs, cosmetics and alternative medicine. In Turkey, hundreds of tons of wild fruit are harvested annually, mainly for export.
Most of the cultivated varieties have a long flowering period (and have been considered by botanists as belonging to Fragaria vesca var. vesca ssp. semperflorens). They are usually called alpine strawberries. They either form runners or multiple crowns in a cluster, fruit over a very long period with larger fruit than the common wood strawberry, and are usually propagated by seeds or division of the plants. The type in cultivation is usually everbearing and produces few runners. Plants tend to lose vigour after a few years due to their abundant fruiting and flowering with final decline caused by viral diseases. Large-fruiting forms are known since the 18th century and were called "Fressant" in France. Some cultivars have fruit that are white or yellow when fully ripe, instead of the normal red.
Cultivars that form stolons are often used as groundcover, while cultivars that do not may be used as border plants. Some cultivars are bred for their ornamental value. Hybrids, Fragaria × vescana, have been created from crosses between woodland strawberry and garden strawberry. Hybrids between the woodland strawberry and the European species Fragaria viridis were in cultivation until around 1850, but are now lost.
Alpine strawberry has an undeserved reputation among home gardeners as hard to grow from seed, often with rumors of long and sporadic germination times, cold pre-chilling requirements, etc.  In reality, with proper handling of the very small seeds (which can easily be washed away with rough watering), 80% germination rates at 70 °F (21 °C) 1–2 weeks are easily achievable.
Alpine strawberries are sometimes included as edging plants in herbaceous borders.


Vilmorin-Andrieux (1885) makes a distinction between wild or wood strawberries (Fragaria vesca) and alpine strawberries (Fragaria alpina), a distinction which is not made by most seed companies or nurseries, which usually sell Fragaria vesca as "alpine strawberry".
Under wild or wood strawberry, Vilmorin says:
It has seldom been seen in gardens since the introduction of the Red Alpine Strawberry. ... Wood Strawberry possesses a quite particular perfume and delicacy of flavour. 2,500 seeds to the gramme.
Under alpine strawberry, Vilmorin says:
A very different plant to the Wood Strawberry, and distinguished by the greater size of all its parts — the fruit in particular — and especially by the property (which is particular to it) of producing flowers and fruit continuously all through the summer. ... The fruit has nearly the same appearance and flavour as that of the Wood Strawberry, but is generally larger, longer, and more pointed in shape. The seed is also perceptibly larger and longer. A gramme contains only about 1,500 seeds.


Fragaria vesca, commonly called the wild strawberry, woodland strawberry, Alpine strawberry, Carpathian strawberry or European strawberry, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the  rose family that grows naturally throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, and that produces edible fruits.
The Latin specific epithet vesca means "thin, feeble".


Typical habitat is along trails and roadsides, embankments, hillsides, stone- and gravel-laid paths and roads, meadows, young woodlands, sparse forest, woodland edges, and clearings. Often plants can be found where they do not get sufficient light to form fruit. In the southern part of its range, it can grow only in shady areas; further north it tolerates more sun.  It is tolerant of a variety of moisture levels (except very wet or dry conditions). It can survive mild fires and/or establish itself after fires.
Although F. vesca primarily propagates via runners, viable seeds are also found in soil seed banks and seem to germinate when the soil is disturbed (away from existing populations of F. vesca).
Its leaves serve as significant food source for a variety of ungulates, such as mule deer and elk, and the fruit are eaten by a variety of mammals and birds that also help to distribute the seeds in their droppings.
It is a larval host to the two-banded checkered skipper.


Gymnadenia rhellicani grows 5–22 centimetres (2.0–8.7 in) high, with a dense, globose to cylindrical inflorescence of red-brown to chocolate-brown flowers with a chocolate-like aroma. Some plants, especially in the south of the species' range have noticeably paler flowers.


The species was described as a distinct species in 1990 by Herwig Teppner and Erich Klein, who noted that it was diploid and reproduced sexually, in contrast to the rest of the wider Gymnadenia nigra group, which is polyploid and apomictic. At the time, all these taxa were in the genus Nigritella, but that was later subsumed into Gymnadenia. The specific epithet "rhellicanus" commemorates Johannes Rhellicanus, who in 1536 made the earliest description of the species known to the authors.Rhellicanus himself called the plant Christimanus (Latin: Christi manus, "Christ's hand").


Pedicularis groenlandica is a showy flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is known by the common names elephant's head, elephanthead lousewort and butterfly tongue.
This erect plant can grow to a height of 80 centimetres (31 in). Its sharply-toothed fernlike leaves are located low on the stout stem. The stem is topped with a large inflorescence of bright pink to purple or white flowers. Each flower has a long, pointed beak which curves upward, superficially resembling the trunk of an elephant, and the lateral lobes of the flower resemble an elephant's ears. Flowers bloom June to August. Like other louseworts and related broomrape genera, this is a root parasite which obtains nutrients from the roots of other plants by piercing them with haustoria. This plant is found in the high mountain ranges of western North America, particularly the Cascades and High Sierra, much of Canada and Greenland. It grows in moist mountain meadows.


Romaleon antennarium (formerly Cancer antennarius), commonly known as the Pacific, Brown or California rock crab, is a crab of the genus Romaleon found on the western coast of North America.


Oreaster reticulatus, commonly known as the red cushion sea star or the West Indian sea star, is a species of marine invertebrate, a starfish in the family Oreasteridae. It is found in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.


The red cushion star is an omnivore and feeds on the seabed sediment and the epiphytic algae, sponges and small invertebrates it finds there. It rakes together heaps of sediment and then turns its cardiac stomach inside out and engulfs the mass. Edible sponge species are chosen in preference to other prey and tend to be eliminated from areas where the starfish abound.
The sexes are separate in the red cushion star. In subtropical areas it breeds in the summer, but in more tropical locations it breeds all year. Large numbers of individuals may collect together in one location at breeding time with densities sometimes reaching fourteen per square metre (yard). This concentration of individuals enhances the chance of fertilization when the gametes are liberated into the sea. The larvae form part of the zooplankton and drift with the currents. After passing through several developmental stages they settle on the seabed, usually among seagrass, and undergo metamorphosis into juvenile starfish.


The red cushion star is the largest sea star found within its range, sometimes growing to about 50 centimetres (20 in) in diameter. It usually has five thick, broad arms projecting from a broad cushioned disc but some specimens have four, six or seven. The upper surface is hard and is covered with blunt spines. The color of adults is some shade of red, orange, yellow or brown. The juveniles are greenish-brown with mottled markings.


Anadenobolus monilicornis, known as the yellow-banded millipede or bumble bee millipede, is a species of millipede in the family Rhinocricidae. It is native to the Caribbean and has also been introduced to the southeastern United States.


Individuals are dark brown with distinctive yellow bands, and measure 2.5–3 centimetres (1.0–1.2 in) long. The legs and antennae are red.


Semibalanus balanoides (common barnacle, common rock barnacle, northern rock barnacle)  is a common and widespread boreo-arctic species of acorn barnacle. It is common on rocks and other substrates in the intertidal zone of north-western Europe and both coasts of North America.


Adult S. balanoides grow up to 15 millimetres (0.6 in) in diameter, and are sessile, living attached to rocks and other solid substrates. They have six greyish wall plates surrounding a diamond-shaped operculum. The base of the shell is membranous in Semibalanus, unlike other barnacles which have calcified bases. When the tide rises to cover the barnacles, the operculum opens, and feathery cirri (modified thoracic appendages) are extended into the water to filter food from the seawater. When the tide falls, the operculum closes again to prevent desiccation; the reduction from the primitive condition of eight wall plates to six is believed to decrease water loss even further by reducing the number of sutures through which water can escape.


Predators of Semibalanus balanoides include the whelk Nucella lapillus, the shanny Lipophrys pholis, the sea star Asterias vulgaris, and nudibranchs. Although they have no eyes, barnacles are aware of changes in light, and withdraw into their shells when threatened. Parasites of S. balanus include Pyxinoides balani, a protozoan which lives in the barnacle's midgut, and Epistylis horizontalis, a ciliate which lives on the gills. The isopod Hemioniscus balani occurs from France to the Faroe Islands and the Oslofjord, and from Labrador to Massachusetts, and is a parasite of S. balanoides, effectively castrating the barnacle if it is heavily infested. The lichens Arthropyrenia sublittoralis and Pyrenocollema halodytes may colonise the shells of barnacles.


Cardisoma guanhumi, also known as the blue land crab, is a species of land crab found in tropical and subtopical estuaries and other maritime areas of land along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from Brazil and Colombia, through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, to the Bahamas, and north to Ponce Inlet, Florida Princess Place Preserve on the Palm Coast, and Bermuda.  The species varies in colour from dark blue to brown or pale grey, and may grow to 15 centimetres (6 in) in carapace width and weigh over 500 grams (18 oz).


Cardisoma guanhumi is omnivorous, collecting and eating leaves and fruits close to its burrow whilst also eating insects and carrion. Like many crabs, this species is cannibalistic. They move in the shade during the day and will eschew moving in prolonged direct sunlight to feed at night instead. According to a fisherman who's been catching them for 50 years, once captured, the smaller ones take two weeks to filter (clean) before they are consumable and the larger ones take a month.


Panulirus argus, the Caribbean spiny lobster, is a species of spiny lobster that lives on reefs and in mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic Ocean.


Like most decapods, P. argus hatches from eggs carried externally by the female for around four weeks. They begin life as a free-swimming, microscopic phyllosoma larvae. After about one year, the larvae settle in algae (Laurencia sp., Neogoniolithon sp.), in Thalassia testudinum seagrass beds or among mangrove roots. After undergoing several molts, they migrate to the coral reefs and live in holes or crevices. As they grow, they molt or shed their exoskeleton to make room for their larger bodies. As in other decapods, after molting, the new exoskeleton or shell is soft, and has to harden. During this time, the lobster is highly vulnerable to predation and as a result they are usually very retiring until the new exoskeleton hardens fully. The diet is mostly composed of mollusks, but they also consume detritus, vegetable material, and dead animals and fish they find on the bottom.
P. argus is a nocturnal species, taking to cover during the day. While lunar cycle affects their larvae settlement in part, it variably affects adult activity based on location and other undetermined factors. Adult P. argus demonstrate physiological resilience to human-caused light pollution.
P. argus serve as prey for skates, nurse sharks, octopuses, snappers and groupers. They were the first major fisheries species found to be directly supported by chemosynthetic primary productivity from their prey, as opposed to photosynthetic primary productivity.
Although they generally prefer to remain near cover, at times groups of hundreds will line up and march across the floor off Florida and the Bahamas. The purpose of these migrations is not known, but they generally occur in the fall and may be in response to the onset of autumn storms.


P. argus is a popular seafood item for human consumption. It is the most important food export of the Bahamas, and rivals the shrimp industry in the Florida Keys in commercial value. They are eagerly sought by both commercial lobstermen and sport divers in South Florida, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.
In Florida, there is a season where the spiny lobster may be taken, usually from the beginning of August to the end of March, to protect the species during its main breeding season. A special "mini season" a few days before the start of the regular lobster season gives recreational divers a "head start" in catching them. Divers catch them by gloved hand or net, often "tickling" them out of their dens with a dowel or small stick. In the Bahamas and Caribbean, they are often also speared or gigged (Florida game regulations prohibit taking them by these methods). In Bermuda, licensed individuals can only take lobsters by free-diving and using an approved noose within designated areas; all other methods and use of air tanks are prohibited.  Commercial fisherman typically use lobster traps similar to those used by lobster fishermen in New England. The traps are usually baited with dead fish or chicken necks.


P. argus have long, cylindrical bodies covered with spines. Two large spines form forward-pointing "horns" above the eyestalks. They are generally olive greenish or brown, but can be tan to mahogany. There is a scattering of yellowish to cream-colored spots on the carapace and larger (usually four to six) yellow to cream-colored spots on the abdomen. They have no  pair of antennae are longer than the body, and covered with forward pointing spines. The bases of the second antennae are thick, can have a bluish tinge, and are likewise covered with rows of spines. The legs are usually striped longitudinally with blue and yellow and terminate in a single spine-like point. The somites of the abdomen are smooth and have a shallow furrow across the middle. Each has pairs of swimmerets on the underside that are yellow and black. The lobes of the tail are colored similarly to the swimmerets.
P. argus may reach up to 60 cm (24 in) long, but typically around 20 cm (7.9 in), and is fished throughout its range. Sexual maturity in females is reached at a carapace length of 54–80 mm (2.1–3.1 in).


Procambarus clarkii, known variously as the red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish or mudbug, is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of northern Mexico, and southern and southeastern United States, but also introduced elsewhere (both in North America and other continents), where it is often an invasive pest.


P. clarkii is eaten in China, Cambodia, Thailand, Europe, Africa, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean.  In the United States, crayfish are particularly popular in Louisiana, where the standard culinary terms vary between "crawfish", "crayfish", "crawdaddy" or "mudbug", and crawfish boils are popular social gatherings centered around eating the crustaceans. Louisiana crawfish are usually boiled in a large pot with heavy seasoning (salt, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic, bay leaf, etc.) and other items such as potatoes and corn on the cob. Many differing methods are used to season the dish, and there are an equal number of opinions on which one is correct.
In 1990, Louisiana produced 90% of the crawfish in the world, and consumed 70% locally. However, as early as 2003, Asian fish farms and fisheries produced more and continued to outpace production in any other part of the world.  By 2018, P. clarkii crawfish production in the Americas represented just 4% of total global P. clarkii supply. Louisiana crawfish remain in demand for local production and consumption. In 2018, 93% of crawfish farms in the US were located in Louisiana.


P. clarkii is most commonly found in warm freshwater bodies such as slow-flowing rivers, marshes, reservoirs, irrigation systems and rice paddies. It is considered to be the most ecologically plastic species in the order Decapoda, and is able to grow quickly even in only seasonally present water, being able to tolerate dry spells of up to four months. P. clarkii grows quickly, and is capable of reaching weights in excess of 50 g (1.8 oz) and sizes of 5.5–12 cm (2.2–4.7 in) long. It is also able to tolerate slightly saline water, which is unusual for a crayfish.  Additionally, P. clarkii are physiologically capable of tolerating relatively low dissolved oxygen concentrations.  The average lifetime of Procambarus clarkii is five years, although some individuals are known to have reached ages (in nature) of over six years.
The burrowing activities of P. clarkii can lead to damage to existing water courses and to crops, particularly rice, and its feeding can disrupt native ecosystems. It may outcompete the native crayfish species, and is a vector for the crayfish plague fungus Aphanomyces astaci, for crayfish virus vibriosis and for a number of worms parasitic on vertebrates.  Their burrowing activities may also be a threat to civil infrastructure such as storm ponds and levees.


Aurelia aurita (also called the common jellyfish, moon jellyfish, moon jelly or saucer jelly) is a species of the genus Aurelia. All species in the genus are very similar, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus. The most common method used to identify the species consists of selecting a jellyfish from a harbour using a device, usually a drinking glass and then photographing the subject. This means that they can be released in to the harbour shortly afterwards and return to their natural habitat.
The jellyfish is almost entirely translucent, usually about 25–40 cm (10–16 in) in diameter, and can be recognized by its four horseshoe-shaped gonads, easily seen through the top of the bell. It feeds by collecting medusae, plankton, and mollusks with its tentacles, and bringing them into its body for digestion. It is capable of only limited motion, and drifts with the current, even when swimming.


The species Aurelia aurita is found in the North, Black, Baltic and Caspian Seas, Northeast Atlantic, Greenland, northeastern USA and Canada, Northwest Pacific and South America. In general, Aurelia is an inshore genus that can be found in estuaries and harbors.
Aurelia aurita lives in ocean water temperatures ranging from 6–31 °C (43–88 °F); with optimum temperatures of 9–19 °C (48–66 °F). It prefers temperate seas with consistent currents. It has been found in waters with salinity as low as 6 parts per thousand.
The relation between summer hypoxia and moon jellyfish distribution is prominent during the summer months of July and August where temperatures are high and dissolved oxygen (DO) is low. Of the three environmental conditions tested, bottom DO has the most significant effect on moon jellyfish abundance. Moon jellyfish abundance is the highest when bottom dissolved oxygen concentration is lower than 2.0 mg L⁻¹. Moon jellyfish show a strong tolerance to low DO conditions, which is why their population is still relatively high during the summer. Generally, hypoxia causes species to move from the oxygen depleted zone, but this is not the case for the moon jellyfish. Furthermore, bell contract rate, which indicates moon jellyfish feeding activity, remains constant although DO concentrations are lower than normal. During July and August it is observed that moon jellyfish aggregations of 250 individuals consumed an estimated 100% of the mesozooplankton biomass in the Seto Inland Sea. Other major fish predators that are also present in these coastal waters do not seem to show the same high tolerance to low DO concentrations that the moon jellyfish exhibit. The feeding and predatory performance of these fish significantly decreases when DO concentrations are so low. This allows for less competition between the moon jellyfish and other fish predators for zooplankton. Low DO concentrations in the coastal waters such as the Tokyo Bay in Japan and Seto Inland Sea prove to be advantageous for the moon jellyfish in terms of feeding, growth, and survival.


Aurelia aurita have high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids comparative to other prey types which provides vital nutritions to predators. Aurelia aurita are known to be eaten by a wide variety of predators, including the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the scyphomedusa Phacellophora camtschatica, and a very large hydromedusa (Aequorea victoria). Recently it was reported from the Red Sea that Aurelia aurita was seasonally preyed upon by two herbivorous fish. Moon jellies are also fed upon by sea birds, which may be more interested in the amphipods and other small arthropods that frequent the bells of Aurelia, but in any case, birds do some substantial amount of damage to these jellyfish that often are found just at the surface of bays.
Aurelia jellyfish naturally die after living and reproducing for several months. It is probably rare for these moon jellies to live more than about six months in the wild, although specimens cared for in public aquarium exhibits typically live several to many years. In the wild, the warm water at the end of summer combines with exhaustive daily reproduction and lower natural levels of food for tissue repair, leaving these jellyfish more susceptible to bacterial and other disease problems that likely lead to the demise of most individuals. Such problems are responsible for the demise of many smaller species of jellyfish. In 1997, Arai summarized that seasonal reproduction leaves the gonads open to infection and degradation.
Some metazoan parasites attack Aurelia aurita, as well as most other species of jellyfish.


Pisaster ochraceus, generally known as the purple sea star, ochre sea star, or ochre starfish, is a common seastar found among the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Identified as a keystone species, P. ochraceus is considered an important indicator for the health of the intertidal zone.


At the larval stage, Pisaster ochraceus are filter feeders and their diet consists of plankton. As an adult, P. ochraceus feeds on mussels such as Mytilus californianus and Mytilus trossulus.  They also feed on chitons, limpets, snails, barnacles, echinoids, and even decapod crustacea.
P. ochraceus uses its tube feet to handle its prey. If the prey is too large to be swallowed whole, then it can use its tube feet to open shells. It can evert its stomach through its mouth and engulf its prey, liquify it with digestive enzymes and ingest the processed food. Mussels hold their valves together very securely but P. ochraceus can insert part of its everted stomach, or some digestive juices, through the narrow gap that exists where the byssal threads emerge from the shell. The mussel needs to open its valves periodically to feed and breathe and the sea star can exert a powerful traction with its tube feet, pulling the two valves further open. Once the stomach is inside the mussel, digestion takes place. It is thought one sea star can consume eighty Californian mussels in a year.


This sea star has five stout rays that range in length from 10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 in). The rays are arranged around an ill-defined central disk. While most individuals are purple, they can be orange, orange-ochre, yellow, reddish, or brown. The aboral surface contains many small spines (ossicles) that are arranged in a netlike or pentagonal pattern on the central disk. The ossicles are no higher than 2 mm. In Pisaster the tube feet have suckers on their distal ends which allow them to attach to the rocky substrate and live in heavily wave-swept areas. P. ochraceus has a simple nervous system and does not have a brain. A nerve ring connects and relays impulses between the star's radial nerves.
Two species that can be mistaken for P. ochraceus are P. giganteus, which has blue rings around white or purple spines, and P. brevispinus, which is pink with small white spines. These two species have different aboral spines and coloration which allows one to distinguish between the species. Evasterias troscheli may be confused with P. ochraceus at times as well.  It can be distinguished by its smaller disk size and longer, tapering rays which are often thickest a short distance out from their base rather than at the base as in P. ochraceus.


Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of the Americas. It is known as the red rock crab, or, along with crabs such as Percnon gibbesi, as the Sally Lightfoot crab.


This crab lives among the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the sea spray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling other plant matter and dead animals. It is an agile crab, capable of leaping, and consequently hard to catch. Not considered very edible by humans, it is used as bait by fishermen. It is preyed upon by the chain moray eel, Echidna catenata.
G. grapsus has been observed in an apparent cleaning symbiosis taking ticks from marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands.
Grapsus grapsus was collected by Charles Darwin during his voyages on HMS Beagle, and also by the first comprehensive study of the fauna of the Gulf of California, carried out by Ed Ricketts, together with John Steinbeck and others. Steinbeck records:
These little crabs, with brilliant cloisonné carapaces, walk on their tiptoes, They have remarkable eyes and an extremely fast reaction time. In spite of the fact that they swarm on the rocks at the Cape [San Lucas], and to a less degree inside the Gulf [of California], they are exceedingly hard to catch. They seem to be able to run in any of four directions; but more than this, perhaps because of their rapid reaction time, they appear to read the mind of their hunter.


Grapsus grapsus is a typically shaped crab, with five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae (claws). The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching the substrate. The crab's round, flat carapace is slightly longer than 8 centimetres (3.1 in). Young G. grapsus are black or dark brown in colour and are camouflaged well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in colour; some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow.


Grapsus grapsus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as "Cancer grapsus".
The species Grapsus         grapsus and G. adscensionis were not separated until 1990. The latter is found in the eastern Atlantic, while the former is not. While the validity of the separation into two species has been questioned, there are constant morphological differences in the colouration of the pereiopods and the form of the first zoea larva, and no evidence for any genetic connection between the two populations, and they are generally treated as separate species.


Pagurus samuelis, the blueband hermit crab, is a species of hermit crab from the west coast of North America, and the most common hermit crab in California. It is a small species, with distinctive blue bands on its legs. It prefers to live in the shell of the black turban snail, and is a nocturnal scavenger of algae and carrion.


Pagurus samuelis is a small hermit crab, at up to a total length of 40 mm (1.6 in) and a carapace width of up to 19 mm (0.75 in). The base colour of the exoskeleton is brown or green, but the antennae are red, and adults have bright blue bands near the tips of their legs. In smaller individuals, the bands may be white. The legs and carapace are covered in setae, and the rostrum at the front of the carapace is triangular.


Porcellio laevis (commonly called the swift woodlouse, dairy cow isopod, or smooth slater in Australia) is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio. As the species epithet laevis as well as the vernacular name "swift woodlouse" suggests, the species is capable of quick bursts of speed when provoked.
This species of woodlice is distinctively large, appearing up to 20mm long with a smooth dorsal surface. The males can be identified by their long, spear-shaped uropods
It is commonly kept as a pet due to its somewhat easy care requirements and the variety of color morphs available. The species is easy to keep and can be easily established in a terrarium within a few weeks.


Porcellio laevis was first recorded in Britain in the 13th century but it likely originated in North Africa. It as has a cosmopolitan distribution, and has been introduced to Australia, including Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. The species is also found in North and South America, Western Asia, Japan, Australia and some Pacific islands.
This species is found under rocks and fallen logs in damp areas, and is otherwise rarely encountered. Records from Ireland and Britain also place them in agricultural areas like gardens, farms, and stables where they can be found in dung and compost piles.


Patiriella regularis, or New Zealand common cushion star, is a sea star of the family Asterinidae, native to New Zealand. It has an arm spread of up to 60 mm (2.4 in).
It is one of New Zealand's most common rocky shore starfish. It is abundant in shallow water around both mainland islands. They come in a large range of colours and have 4–6 arms.
They feed on algae, barnacles and invertebrates. To catch their food the cushion star inflates its cushion and then deflates on top of its prey.
They were introduced into waters in south east Tasmania, where they have become well established. Concern exists that they may be an invasive species. They breed in January to March. Once fertilised,  9–10 weeks are needed  for them to grow from larvae.