My first plant, which happens to have the scientific name, Echinopsis, is commonly known as a cactus. Cactus is actually a good plant, due to the fact that they are easy to care for. Cactus belong to phylum tracheoplyta. Cactus's belong to the cactacea family. This species of cactus happens to be more popular in Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. The stems of a cactus can be up to four to five feet in length and three to four inches in diameter.Each stem can possible have up to twelve ribs with are oles which are about half an inch apart. In the Summer, this species of cactus actually grows nocturnal, white flowers that attract moths and bats. The flowers bloom and open up at night and close early morning. If it's a cloudy day, sometimes the flowers will stay in bloom and opened all day long. Blooming time starts around April. Cactus's don't need much water, they are a low water use plant, but they prefer deep infrequent irrigation and likes well drained soils. This species can also grow fruits which are red in color, has a red pulp, and black seeds. Cactus's are usually found in sandy, flat land while being exposed to full sun. The cactus in some areas is also knows as 'Sea-Urchin' and 'Easter Lily Cactus'.
My next plant, which is also my 'bad' plant is commonly known as the Lily Of The Valley, or the scientific name is Convalloria Majalis. This plant belongs to the phylum anthophyta. This particular plant is commonly found in England. This innocent sounding plant is actually very poisonous. If ingested, it can cause irregular heart beat and pulse, digestive upset, and mental confusion. If the poisonous part of the plant, which is the leaves and the flowers, is eaten, you will need to be treated with charcoal. This sweet smelling, white plant blooms during May and has bell shaped blossoms, which come in pink and white. The plant grows in moist, but drained soil, and also spreads easily. This plant smells very sweet and is also herbaceous.Works Cited
"Cactus Classification." Web. 13 Feb. 2012.
"Cactus Identification -The Top 10 Most Requested Cacti IDs On-line Guide to the Positive Identification of Members of the Cactus Family." On-line Guide to the Positive Identification of Members of the Cactus Family. CactusGuide.com, 2002. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"Common Poisonous Plants and Plant Parts." Aggie Horticulture. Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. .
"Echinopsis." Windowsill Cactus. Window Sill Cactus, 2004. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"How Poisonous Is Lily of the Valley? - Mental Floss." Random, Interesting, Amazing Facts - Fun Quizzes and Trivia - Mental Floss. Mental Floss Inc, 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"Lily of the Valley - Convallaria Majalis." Wiseacre Gardens. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"Lily of the Valley." The Plant Expert. A. Steinbergs, 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
Paun, Lou. "About Lily-of-the-Valley | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the Expert in You. | EHow.com. Demand Media, Inc, 1999. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"What Is the Scientific Name for Lily-of-the-valley." The Q&A Wiki. Answer Corporation., 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"What Is the Scientific Name for the Echinopsis (ECHIN11) Plant?" Plants Database Reference. Compare Reviews & Ratings. USDA Plants DataBase, 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
"Xeriscape Landscaping Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment Pictures, Photos, And Information, Cactus, Echinopsis, Echinopsis Thelegona." George and Eve DeLange Homepage. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
K. Buell
ReplyDeleteIf you go back to edit this post, it would be helpful to add two more facts to your good plant because there is only 13. Keep in mind that scientific name, phylum name, common name, and whether it is a good plant or bad plant does not count for any of the 15 facts.
Also, be sure to add a works cited.
S Tumbleson
DeleteThanks! I'll keep that in mind for next time. And works cited has been added!
Mrs. Smith
ReplyDeleteI think cactus is a great group to talk about, they have a wonderful set of adaptations that make them remarkably capable of living in a very dry region. They also have adaptations that allow them to provide their offspring the best chance possible of survival in their beginning stages of life (some cacti grow close to dry "creek beds" where seeds will only germinate after it has rained so much that the seed's outer coating gets eroded away from colliding with rocks as it is washed down the creek bed. This assures that the seed will have enough water to start it's life in the dry region.)
do you know which species of cactus you have pictured above? Echinopsis is a genus name that has around 180 species.
I have Lily of the Valley in my garden at home!! I was not aware that it was poisonous, thank you for that information I will be sure to keep an eye out when my daughter is playing outside. I was also no aware that there was a pink variation, I think I might like to add it to my garden.
S. Tumbleson
DeleteActually, I'm not sure what species the cactus is above. I had no idea there were 180 species!
N.Covault
ReplyDeleteThe Lily of Valley is harmful when peple eat them. Could they also be harmful to animals?
The only animals I find that could be harmed by Lily Of The Valley are cats, dogs, and horses but those are just common pets that might be outdoors. So, I'm going to assume that other animals different from cats, dogs, or horses, would also be harmed by this plant.
Delete-S. Tumbleson
Z. Carter
ReplyDeleteOn your bad plant you said if you eat the leaves or flowers you will have to be treated with charcoal. What does that mean?
S Tumbleson
DeleteActivated Charcoal is used to help absorb poison in the system.
Mrs. Hauck - What does the term herbaceous mean?
ReplyDeleteS Tumbleson
DeleteHerbaceous is a characteristic of a non woody herb or plant.
T.Murray- Where is the lily of the valley native to?
ReplyDeleteS Tumbleson
DeleteLily of the valley is Native to Asia an also Europe.
J. Burton
ReplyDeleteWhy is your bad plant, called The Lily of the Valley?
S Tumbleson
DeleteI couldn't really find out how Lily of the valle got it's name, but I did find that this plant is appearently found in the bible a few times and has many different meanings. For example, it is believed to represent the second coming of Christ.
J. Reilman-So how many days can the Cactus go without water?
ReplyDeleteS Tumbleson
DeleteThe cactus can actually go a pretty long time without water, due to the fact that it has a thick stalk that holds water. Also, the cactus has roots that can find water easily in dry places.
H. Willoughby
ReplyDeleteDoes this cactus stay nocturnal because the sun will harm it?
S Tumbleson
DeleteIt's not that the Cactus it's self it nocturnal, it's the flowers of the cactus that are nocturnal. I couldn't find an answer as to why the flowers are nocturnal, but I would assume that it's nocturnal due to the fact that the cactus is found in generally ot areas and that's how the flower stays cool. Maybe. But I'm not for sure.
B. Flottman
ReplyDeletewhat are the ribs in the stem for?
S Tumbleson
DeleteI couldn't really find why the cactus has ribs in the stems! But I'm sure it's just something to help the plant survuve!
W. Schuster
ReplyDeleteWhat makes a cactus a "good" plant?
S. Tumbleson
DeleteThe cactus is a good plant because it does not need much water to survive!
S.Sanders
ReplyDeleteis there a new phylum name for tracheoplyta?
R.Sharp
ReplyDeleteDoes your good plant, cactus, benefit any other plants or people?
A.Iding
ReplyDeleteHow do the white ones get sunlight???
S Tumbleson
DeleteI assume you are talking about the white flowers that the cactus develops. If the flower is nocturnal, I guess the flower doesn't need sun to survive.
A.Hardin
ReplyDeleteWhere does the Cactus originate from?
K.Marlow
ReplyDeleteCactus need little water cause they store much in the plant itself. If you are lost in the desert, look for cactus. Water can be obtain from them.
S Tumbleson.
DeleteCorrect! Due to the plant's thick stalk, it holds a lof of water. Also, the roots are very good at finding water in dry areas!
t.pancake
ReplyDeleteif i eat this where should i go to get treated?
S Tumbleson
DeleteDue to the fact that this plant is poisonous, I would recommend going to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, you will recieve a Charcoal treatment to help absorb and poison in your system.
J.Planck
ReplyDeleteHow much of the Lily Of The Valley will it take to kill you?
S Tumbleson
DeleteI haven't read any cases about anyone dieing from eating this plant. There are many symptoms you could expierence after eating this plant though such as a rash, stomach pains, diarrhea, mental confusion, vomiting, and so much more. And if you call for help within a 24 hour period, you should recover.