How did different Plants get their Names?

            Ever since the evolution of languages, different plants and trees have been given names to distinguish one plant form the other. The nomenclature is essential for general use for a gardener’s catalogue and is often very interesting and hence worth-knowing.

The names of all the trees have interesting origins 

            Some names have simply been borrowed form other languages, while some others take the name of the places of their origin. Some plants have been named according to their shapes and colors while others owe their names to some unique features. Some may have come after the names of their discoverers. Over the years even the names have undergone changes. The origin of names of some important plants and trees are discussed below.

            The pine tree got its name from the Latin word pinus that means a point. The spruce tree should really be called the Prussia tree because it was long thought to be a native of Prussia. The name gradually got corrupted to spruce.

            A buttercup is a flower, which has the shape of a cup and the color of butter. Lady’s mantle was the name given when ladies wore collars that were plated with serrated edges like the leaves of the plant. Honeysuckle has flowers rich in nectar and is, therefore, popular with bees collecting substance for making honey.

            The magnolia has been named after Pierre Magnol of France who was a professor of botany. The cypress is called so because it was first brought from the island of Cyprus. In Madagascar, there is a tree called, The Travelers Tree. It has large, fan-shaped leaves that catch the rainwater and the passing travelers sometimes quench their thirst with this water.

            The barber plant has been named so because the natives of orient used to rub its leaves on their faces to check the beard from growing. The names dandelion comes from the French words dent die lion because the leaves of this plant resemble the teeth of a lion. Thyme comes form the Latin word thymus that means to sacrifice; the Romans used to burn this plant on their altars.

            A plant called self-heal got its name because it was thought to have a healing effect on wounds. Since carpenters are supposed to cut wood with sharp tools more often than other people. This plant is also called carpenter’s herb. The farm workers used this plant as a bandage and hence it has two other names also- hook-heal and sickle-wart.

            The names of many plants often carry a warning. Deadly nightshade is a poisonous plant that grows among the ruins supposedly haunted by ghosts and evil spirits.

Do some Plants Eat Insects?

            Insect eating plants have always fascinated botanists. These plants cannot prepare their own protein; therefore they obtain it by eating insects and worms. These plants are called insectivorous plants. Every plant of this kind has its own unique technique of capturing insects. The leaves of these specialized plants are adapted to trap and digest insects- which supplement their food supply.

Pitcher Plant 

            One of the most well-known insectivorous plants is the pitcher plant. The upper part of its leaf resembles a small pitcher. The color of this plant is very attractive and it contains a sticky liquid. The opening of the pitcher has small fibers, which allow the insect to go inside but obstruct its coming out. On being attracted by the beautiful color, when some insect enters this pitcher, it is unable to come out. It gets entangled produces certain enzymes and digests it. The cobra plant of America, which appears like a snake, also eats insects. It also has a pitcher shaped mouth.

            Another part, which feeds on insects, is the sundew plant. The sundew plants have hair on their leaves. The tips of these hairs have droplets of a liquid, which appear very attractive. As soon as some insect is attracted towards the leaf, the hair bends with the help of their own juice. The digested flesh is absorbed through their leaves. After that, the hair returns to normal.

            There is a plant called Venus fly trap which is found in America. Its leaves have beautiful red colored elevations o both sides. Whenever an insect sits on a leaf, it closes like a fork and the plat digests the trapped insect by digestive juices. The uticularia is a water plant. It is found all over the world. The roots of this plant that are submerged in water have bulbous bladders. When some aquatic insect enters the bladder, the hair on its opening does not allow it to come out. The walls of these bladders give out a digestive juice, which suck the proteins out of the bodies of the insect.

            Similarly, a plant called Indian pipe is found in the hills of shimla. It also eats insects. In addition to these, there are many other insectivorous plants all over the world.

Why don’t Some Trees Shed Their Leaves?

            Most of the trees and plants shed their leaves once a year usually during autumn, and new leaves sprout on them during spring. After the defoliation, these trees appear quite barren. The trees which shed leaves every year are called deciduous trees. However, there are other trees, which do not shed all their leaves at once, and thus they appear green throughout the year. Such trees are called evergreen trees. Why these trees do not shed their leaves at once?

Cypress Tree

Fir Tree

 Fir and cypress are well-known evergreen trees with dark leaves and hard wood

            The leaves of the trees, which undergo defoliation every year, live only for one year. On the other hand, leaves of the evergreen trees last for two to three years. As soon as leaf withers, it falls down and a new leaf takes its place. Thus all leaves of not fall at a time. As a result, the tree always retains a large number of leaves and this cycle continues.

            Among the well-known evergreen trees are pines and firs. Besides these, there are many other trees that always remain green. The Italian cypress found in Europe is one such tree. The olive plant also comes under the category of evergreen plants. Its oil is very useful to us. The magnolia plants are used for decoration because their white flowers are very beautiful and do not undergo defoliation.

            Perfumes are extracted from the evergreen plants of the rosemary. The juniper plants, having short and bitter leaves, which are found in North Britain, are famous for their greenness.

            In addition to these, other evergreen plants and trees are myrtle of Britain, oleander of North Africa, oak tree, ivy creeper, orange tree and tall palm tree. The tea plant also comes under the category of the evergreen plants.

How do we Estimate the Age of a Tree?

            On the basis of age, plants are divided into three categories- Annuals, Bi-annuals and Perennials. Annuals are those plants, which take birth, grow up, give fruits and die within a year. Wheat, barley, gram, peas and tomato- all live for one year only. Bi-annuals are plants that live for two years. In the first year they bear only leaves, and in the second year- they bear flowers and fruits, after which they die. Plants like the foxglove and hollyhock come under this category.

The age of a tree can be estimated by counting the number of rings on its sliced trunk

            Perennial plants live for more than two years. Generally, they are called trees or bushes. They blossom and bear fruits many times. The trees of the Neem, Mango, Jamun (black plum), Guava, etc. come under this category. Some perennial trees have a life of more than 4000 years. The great sequoia trees found in California are reported to have life of more than 400 years. The yew trees live for 3000 years. The chestnut and the oak trees live for 2000 and 1500 Years respectively.

            But how is the age of any perennial tree determined?

            Scientists have devised a very simple technique to do this. This technique refers to the number of rings present in the trunk of a tree. If you cut off a slice form the tree trunk, you will notice many concentric rings in it. These rings are the record of the tree’s age. In fact, the trunk, underneath the bark, keeps on growing thicker with age.

            However, the wood, which grows in winters and autumn, is denser and harder as compared to those grown in spring and summers. This results in the formation of a ring in the trunk every year. These rings are brown and cream in color. Thus the number of rings counted from the centre of the trunk of a tree tells its age in years. It central portion is called the path.