Passion Flower (Passiflora Kewinsis)

Date Collected: April 2, 2012
Location Collected: At my aunts house in the Mar Vista area.
Clade: The Passion flower belongs to the vascular plants. It can also be classified into the Eudicot Angiosperms. The Passion Flower also gives off fruit.

Habitat: This beautiful area grows in partially shaded, dry areas and along wood and fences all around the United States of America.

Nativity: It is native to the southeastern portions of the Americas but is now being cultivated all around Europe.

Special notes: It was initially used in the Americas and Europe as a calming herb for anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria. Up to this date it is still being used to treat insomnia and anxiety.

Resources: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/passionflower-000267.htm

                  http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/herbs_passion_flower.html

Lemon Tree (Citrus Lemon)

Date Collected: April 4, 2012

Location Collected: The Lemon Tree pictures were taken at a local flower store in Mar Vista.

Clade: The Citrus Lemon is a vascular plant. The plant belongs to the dicot angiosperms and produces fruit.

Habitat: The lemon attains best quality in the coast where the summers are too cool for proper ripening of the oranges and grapefruits. A temperature of twenty degrees Fahrenheit will severely damage the citrus lemon. It is widely known that the lemon tree can grow in infertile, poor soil.

Nativity: The great lemon is native to Asia although it is widely believed that it first grew in Southern India, Burma, and China.

Special notes:  It is largely used in the culinary industry as garnishes, iced  or hot tea , cookies, puddings, icing, preserves, pharmaceuticals, and most importantly lemonade.

Resources: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lemon.html

Grapes (Vitis Vinifera)

Date Collected: April 4, 2012

Location Collected: The grapevine was in my grandfathers backyard. 

Clade: The Vitis Vinifera is a vascular plant. The plant belongs to the dicot angiosperms and produces fruit.

Habitat: Grapes require full sun but will survive in shade with organic soil. The frost at nighttime can be fatal to these crops Commonly found in the grapevines of the California valley. Manure, hay, straw, or weeds may be used to maintain the organic matter in soil.

Nativity: Vitis Vinifera are native to Asia Minor, where these delicious grow up to this date but are limited to the Northern Hemisphere.

Special notes:  These grapes are grown as food, eaten fresh, or processed into products like raisins, wine, and juice. Grape seeds contain 6-20% oil; which is used for edible reasons, soaps, and some cultures eat the leaves.

Resources: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Vitis_vinifera.html