Plants (domesticated)

This page contains questions about plants, that don't come under Natural History. It's mainly about plants that are used for food or other purposes.

Gum arabic (used as a stabiliser, particularly in food) comes from		Acacia
Poison obtained from(also an alternative name for) wolfs–bane		Aconite
Genus of succulent plants, often confused with cacti, from one species of which tequila is distilled		Agave (a–GAH–vee)
The dried, unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica tree, native to the Caribbean and Central America; also known as Jamaica pepper; a key ingredient of Jamaican jerk seasoning; name dates to 1621 and reflects the idea that its flavour combines those of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves		Allspice
Plant of the carrot family, stems crystallised and used in baking and cake decoration (bright green colour)		Angelica
Costard is an archaic term for an		Apple
Name given to two distinct, unrelated types of vegetable (globe and Jerusalem)		Artichoke
Vegetable that's a cultivated variety of a type of thistle, also known as the cardoon		(Globe) artichoke
Arrows, and cricket stumps, are traditionally (most commonly) made from		Ash
Formerly known as sparrowgrass; the Vale of Evesham (in Worcestershire) has a "protected food name" for, and hosts an annual festival to promote (vegetable)		Asparagus
Occurs naturally in the bark of the white willow tree (Salix alba)		Aspirin
Fruit: name is a native American word for a testicle, and also the Spanish word for a lawyer		Avocado
Common name for Ochroma pyramidale, a tree native to Central and South America, said to produce the world's lightest wood (density about 0.12 g/cm3); used by Thor Heyerdahl to make his raft Kon–Tiki, also for the frame of the De Havilland Mosquito WWII combat aircraft		Balsa
Individual fruits known as fingers, bunches as hands		Banana
The plantain used as a vegetable is a hybrid variety of
Cinnamon, quinine and aspirin are all derived from		Bark
Grain used to make whisky		Barley
Herb known in ancient Greece as 'the royal plant', and sometimes in modern France as 'the royal herb'; its English name (also a boy's name, now somewhat unfashionable) is derived from the Greek word for 'royal'		Basil
Pinto, borlotti, canneline, mung, lima (or butter), velvet: types of		Bean
Windsor chairs – generally made from		Beech
Hybrid citrus fruit (of obscure origin) – sometimes described as a type of orange: inedible, but extracts have been used to scent food, drinks (most famously tea), perfumes, and cosmetics		Bergamot
More common name for the areca nut (the seed of the areca palm tree)		Betel nut
Common name shared by various plants, originating in Africa or North America but now widely cultivated, having orange or yellow petals and black, brown or purple centres		Black–eyed Susan
Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts: family		Brassica
Calabrese, white or purple sprouting, and purple cauliflower are the four main types of (vegetable, in the cabbage family)		Broccoli
Genus of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia; incudes the tea plant, as well as a popular garden shrub giving a striking floral display in early spring		Camellia
Common name for Anthemis nobilis – a plant that can be used in lawns and beverages, and whose finely dissected leaves and daisy–like flowers are used medicinally		Camomile
Strong–smelling, oily, crystalline substance distilled from a far–eastern species of laurel, used in medicines and insect repellents		Camphor
Product of the rattan palm, used to make furniture		Cane
National flower of Spain, Monaco and Slovenia		Carnation
Mediterranean shrub: the flesh of its seed pods is used as a healthier alternative to chocolate (contains less fat and no psychoactive substances); also known as St. John's Bread		Carob
Obtained by pressing the seeds of the plant Ricinus communis (to which it gives its English name); the name comes from the Latin name for the beaver, probably via that of a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver, for which it's used as a substitute; also used as a food additive, and for various medical purposes, including as a laxative		Castor oil
Red Indian seaweed from which agar is made		Ceylon moss
Made from chicle (the dried fruit of saspodilla tree) mixed with sugar and starch		Chewing gum
Said to be the smallest edible member of the onion family		Chive
Tree of the laurel family, native of Sri Lanka: its spicy bark is used in cooking		Cinnamon
Cross between an orange and a tangerine		Clementine (or ortanique)
Any of four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America, from which cocaine is obtained; its leaves are chewed as a stimulant or made into tea		Coca
Major fruit crop: the drupe is known as a cherry, with (usually) two seeds covered in a 'silver skin' and an outer 'parchment coat'; the seeds are known as		Coffee
First consumed in its modern form in what is now Yemen, where it was grown from the mid–15th century having been imported from Ethiopia via Somali coastal intermediaries
The dried kernel of the coconut – used to extract coconut oil		Copra
Obtained from the bark of Quercus suber (a variety of oak tree)		Cork
Known in French as the bleuet; a symbol of remembrance in France – particularly in relation to the First World War, equivalent to the poppy in the UK		Cornflower
The boll weevil is a pest that lives on		Cotton (bolls)
More familiar name, originating in the American colonies, for what was traditionally known in England as the fenberry		Cranberry
Saffron is obtained from a species of		Crocus
Spiky–leaved top of the pineapple		Crown
Amygdalin – a substance found in apple pips and the stones of cherries, peaches and apricots – is a source of (a poison that prevents the blood from carrying oxygen and thereby causes death by asphyxiation)		Cyanide
Atropine – used to dilate the pupils, for medical and cosmetic purposes (sometimes administered in a preparation called belladonna, which is also the technical and alternative name for the plant) is obtained from		Deadly nightshade
Known in South East Asia as "the King of Fruits", but banned in some public places (e.g. on public transport) because of its pungent odour		Durian
Type of wood, traditionally used to make the black keys on a piano		Ebony
National flower of Switzerland and Austria		Edelweiss
Wood used for canal lock gates because of its water–resistance, and butchers' blocks because of its hardness; also traditionally for coffins		Elm
Common name for the oenothera genus of plants (the type genus of the Onagracea family), which produces an oil traditionally used to treat eczema and pre–menstrual symptoms, and to reduce the duration of pregnancy and labour (although scientific evidence is scant)		Evening primrose
Balkan species of hazel, or its nut		Filbert
Linen and linseed oil are obtained from		Flax
Garden shrub, known for its bright yellow flowers: named after the Scottish botanist who was head gardener to King George III		Forsythia (William Forsyth, 1737–1804)
Source of digitalis, and the heart drug digoxin		Foxglove
Fragrant gum obtained from the genus Boswellia; a.k.a. olibanum; used in the Bible (as one of the gifts of the three wise men) to symbolise divinity		Frankincense
Dark yellow pigment obtained from the Hanbury's garcinia (tree); name derived from the Latin name for Cambodia		Gamboge
The world's biggest tree: a giant sequoia in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, California		General Sherman
One of the oldest living tree species, and the only living species in its order, all others being extinct; native to China, but cultivated all around the world; also known as the maidenhair tree, it's one of the best–selling herbal supplements in the USA and Europe		Ginkgo (biloba)
Calabash: West African drinking vessel, made from a		Gourd
Reine Claude Verte is the original cultivar – still available in France, where it was first cultivated – of the		Greengage
Created in 1868 by Maria Ann Smith of Ryde, New South Wales		Granny Smith apples
Believed to be a natural cross between an orange and a pomelo, or shaddock (both of which were imported to the West Indies from the East Indies in the 17th century)		Grapefruit
Viticulture is the cultivation of		Grape vines
The insect phylloxera (related to aphids) attacks
Noble rot affects
Fruit of the may tree		Haw
Divining rods are traditionally made from		Hazel
Filbert and cobnut are alternative names for, or varieties of		Hazelnut
Genus of flowering plants, whose name is also used to describe their pinkish–purple colour, and is also the name of a mineral (also known as bloodstone) that's a variety of jasper or chalcedony		Heliotrope(s)
Poison obtained from a plant of the family Umbelliferae (of the same name)		Hemlock
Tree from which the pecan nut is obtained		Hickory
Latin name humulus; closely related to cannabis; Goldings, Fuggles and Challenger are varieties of		Hops
Wandering Sailor		Houseplant
The world's largest tree–borne fruit – seldom less than 10" in diameter		Jackfruit
The shamouti is an alternative name for the		Jaffa orange
Flowering plant of the sunflower family, native to North America, its tuber used as a root vegetable; name is a double misnomer		Jerusalem artichoke
Species of daffodil (or narcissus), also known as the rush daffodil: gives its name to a shade of yellow		Jonquil
Common name (of Biblical origin) for the flowering tree Cercis siliquastrum – which in turn was used for a novel by A. J. Cronin, a ballet by Kenneth Macmillan, and an episode of the crime drama television series Jonathan Creek		Judas tree
Shrub or small tree, whose berries (strictly cones) are used to give gin its distinctive flavour		Juniper
Corchorus capsularis or oliturus — tropical plant, cultivated for strong fibres of the same name, used to make sacks, ropes etc.		Jute or hemp
Edible seed of a nut or fruit		Kernel
Previously known (prior to the 1950s, when it began to be exported in large quantities from New Zealand) as the Chinese gooseberry, after its country of origin		Kiwi fruit
Tree of the genus Fortunella, or its fruit, which is like a small oval orange (not a citrus fruit – Citrus is a separate genus – and therefore not a type of orange)		Kumquat
Garden shrub with yellow flowers, all parts poisonous, sometimes known as "golden chain tree"		Laburnum
Milky fluid obtained from rubber trees, which coagulates to form rubber		Latex
Common (Latin) name, meaning 'wood of life', for the wood from trees of the genus Guaiacum, often said to be the hardest and densest known		Lignum vitae
Mixture of dyes, extracted from lichens, absorbed onto filter paper and used to test for pH (turns red in acid, blue in alkali)		Litmus
Cross between a raspberry and a blackberry (or American dewberry) – named after the American lawyer who created it (accidentally) in 1883 – see also tayberry		Loganberry
Fruit of the vine–like plant Luffa aegyptiaca, of the family Cucurbitacea – same family as cucumbers, pumpkins etc. (Nothing to do with the sea cucumber – that's an animal)		Loofah
Genus of trees, native to Australia – grown commercially for their nuts: named in 1857 by the German–Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller after his friend, a Scottish–born chemist		Macadamia
Spice obtained from the seed covering of nutmeg		Mace
Principal wood used by Thomas Chippendale		Mahogany
Processed germinated barley		Malt
Plant of the nightshade family, once perceived to resemble the shape of the human body and used in magic and witchcraft (having emetic and narcotic properties); said to shriek in pain when pulled from the ground		Mandrake
Wood traditionally used to make violins, and other members of the violin family		Maple
Species of grass introduced in places to combat sand erosion; also used as thatch		Marram grass
Cantaloupe and Honeydew are types of		Melon
Biblical name given to what is probably the world's oldest living tree – a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) in the White Mountains of California, measured by ring count to be 4,856 years old		Methuselah
Pennyroyal (used in aromatherapy) is a type of (member of the genus)		Mint
Believed to be the Golden Bough of classical mythology; used in solstitial rites by the Druids		Mistletoe
Dried gum of the commiphora tree, native to Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia; used by the ancient Egyptians in embalming, and in the Bible (as one of the gifts of the three wise men) to symbolise mortality. Said to be literally worth its weight in gold		Myrrh
Garden plant whose name means literally "nose–tweaker"; flowers can be used in salads, unripe seed pods can be pickled and used instead of capers		Nasturtium
Cross between a plum and a peach		Nectarine
A full Cornish Yarg cheese is covered with or wrapped in		Nettle leaves
The so–called Golden Triangle, comprising parts of Burma, Thailand and Laos, is notorious for the cultivation of		Opium
Natural vanilla flavouring comes from a genus of (family of flowering plants)		Orchid
Powdered root of the white Florentine iris, smells of violets, used in perfumes and some medicines		Orris
Shrub closely related to the willow, used for making wicker (baskets, etc.)		Osier
Acid found in wood sorrel, rhubarb and other plants, used in dying and bleaching		Oxalic
Word derived from Malay, for rice where grain is still in the husk		Paddy
Sago is a starch obtained from (the pith of the stem of) a specific type of		Palm tree
Developed from wild viola tricolour or heartsease		Pansy
Persil is the French name for (herb)		Parsley
Granadilla is an alternative name (in some parts of the English–speaking world, e.g. Australia and South Africa) for		Passion fruit
The largest edible fruit that's indigenous to the USA		Pawpaw (or paw–paw)
The jargonelle is an early–ripening, originally very gritty variety of		Pear
Stinking Bishop cheese (made famous by Wallace and Gromit) is named after a variety of		Pear
Nut of the North American hickory tree – from its Native American name		Pecan
Fruit originating in the Far East, that gave its name to the winner of the 1896 Derby, and thence to a British housebuilding company; the Sharon fruit (named after the plain in Israel where it's grown) is a variety of		Persimmon
Turpentine is obtained from		Pine trees
Native to Central America, and named after the first US Minister to Mexico who is credited with introducing it to the USA in the 1820s; known for its red and green foliage, widely used in floral displays at Christmas		Poinsettia
Name used for some flowering forms of primula – those that aren't primroses: from the Latin, meaning "many flowers"		Polyanthus
Name means "seeded apple"; the French version (pomme–grenade –; from which the English word is derived) also gives us the word "grenade"		Pomegranate
The largest citrus fruit (15 to 25 cm in diameter): similar to a grapefruit, but sweeter and milder		Pomelo
Opium (hence laudanum, morphine and codeine) is/are obtained from a species of		Poppy
Crop attacked by the Colorado beetle (a notifiable pest in the UK)		Potatoes
Fruit – similar to a pear – known in Portuguese as the marmelo, from which marmalade was originally made		Quince
Anti–malarial drug extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree		Quinine
An area of West Yorkshire, between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell, has Protected Designation of Origin status for (vegetable)		(Forced) Rhubarb
Toxin derived from the seeds of the castor oil plant		Ricin
Alba, bourbon, centifolia, climber, damask, English, floribunda, gallica, groundcover, hybrid musk, hybrid spinosissima, hybrid tea, moss, polyantha, rambler, rugosa and shrub are types of		Rose
Common English name is derived from its Latin name, which means 'dew of the sea'		Rosemary
Grown nowadays as a vegetable but originally for its flowers		Runner bean
Has purple or white flowers, but gives its name to an orange or yellow dye; also the source of one of the world's most valuable spices		Saffron crocus
Herb associated with wisdom (as indicated by dseveral English words)		Sage
Hypericum perforatum, also known as Tipton's Weed or Klamath weed, used by herbalists to treat depression		St. John's wort
Citrus fruit, named after a former province of Japan		Satsuma
Commonly known as the spring onion or green onion; also a dialect name for a shallot, leek or defective onion – from the Latin for onion		Scallion
Alternative (original) name for the pomelo, after the sea captain who introduced it to the West Indies around 1700		Shaddock
Fruit of the blackthorn		Sloe
World's most commonly–grown bean		Soya
Poison obtained from the seeds of the nux vomica tree		Strychnine
Tree, native to south–eastern Canada and the north–eastern United States: famous for its bright orange–red autumn (fall) foliage, and a principal source of maple syrup; the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin		Sugar maple
Root vegetable, related to oilseed rape: developed, probably in the 16th century, as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip		Swede (rutabaga)
Tree, native to tropical Africa: produces edible, pod–like fruit, used extensively in cuisines around the world – also for traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used in carpentry. Name often confused with that of a small new–world monkey		Tamarind
Cereal obtained from the root of the cassava plant		Tapioca
The process of getting latex from a rubber tree		Tapping
Cross between a tangerine and a pomelo (or grapefruit) – similar to an orange, but has a characteristic 'knob' at the top. See also ugli fruit		Tangelo
Fruit named after a Moroccan port on the Straits of Gibraltar (Tangiers) – a variety of mandarin orange		Tangerine
Cross between a blackberry and a raspberry, patented by Derek L. Jennings of Dundee in 1979 and named after a Scottish river – said to be larger and sweeter than a loganberry but difficult to harvest (too soft), therefore not produced commercially		Tayberry
Choppy, fannings, flowery, golden flowery and tippy are words used in the grading of		Tea leaves
The manuka tree, native to New Zealand, whose nectar produces an aromatic honey, is also known as the		Tea tree
Sometimes (formerly) known as the love apple		Tomato
Trade name for a natural cross between a grapefruit, an orange and a tangerine – discovered in Jamaica circa 1917; described in Wikipedia as a "Jamaican tangelo"		Ugli fruit
Plashing: collecting or gathering		Walnuts
Also known as Japanese horseradish – used to produce a strong condiment		Wasabi
Cricket bats are traditionally made from		Willow
Common English name for shrubs in the genus Hamamelis, whose leaves, bark or twigs are used to make a preparation for treating minor skin irritations such as acne and insect bites		Witch–hazel
Rayon (a "semi–synthetic" fibre, also known as viscose) is made from		Wood
English longbows are traditionally made from; traditionally grows in churchyards		Yew
Small flower of the cananga tree, native to the Philippines and Indonesia, yielding a highly fragrant essential oil of the same name – extensively used in the perfume industry		Ylang–ylang

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24