PRICKLY PEAR
OPUNTIA are CACTACEAE = cacti with hundreds of species all native to America. Opuntia species are found from Patagonia to Alaska, but it is in the dry and warm regions…
MANGO
The MANGO tree, MANGIFERA INDICA, ANACARDIACEAE, is native to the forests of the Indo-Burman region, it is cultivated in the Indian subcontinent for several thousand years, the Portuguese introduced it…
SHEA BUTTER TREE
The shea butter tree or simply shea tree, VITELLARIA PARADOXA = BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SAPOTACEAE), is a tree of the African savannah (between 1000 and 1500 mm of annual rainfall) present…
POMEGRANATE
The POMEGRANATE tree, PUNICA GRANATUM, LYTHRACEAE , (PUNICACEAE) is often just a bushy shrub, it is native to the Mediterranean basin or the Middle East. It was already cultivated in…
PSIDIUM GUAJAVA
Unlike other members of the MYRTACEAE family, eucalyptus or cloves , guava is not very aromatic. This small tree, PSIDIUM GUAJAVA, of 3 to 10 m, with very hard wood,…
COCONUT
COCONUT TREE, COCOS NUCIFERA, ARECACEAE,is the emblematic tree of the tropical shores, it is probably native to Southeast Asia but is now found in all tropico-equatorial countries. It has been…
CARAPA ANDIROBA TOULOUCOUNA
MELIACEAE are trees or shrubs from tropico-equatorial regions. Many have a desirable wood and have been overexploited such as African mahogany (Kaya), the Caribbean mahogany (Swietenia), or mahogany "female" or…
BORAGE
Boraginaceae are widespread plants all over the world, they very often have a characteristic "scorpioid" inflorescence (scorpion-shaped). The genus Borago comprises 3 or 4 species in Eurasia. Borago officinalis is…
AFRICAN BAOBAB
There are at least 8 species of baobab of the genus Adamsonia (Madagascar, Africa, Australia). The African baobab Adamsonia digitata , BOMBACEAE, is the best known because the most widespread,…
AVOCADO
Avocado, PERSEA AMERICANA, LAURACEAE, is native to Mexico and tropical America; it was quickly spread throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world. A botanical particularity is the virtual necessity of cross-fertilization…