Month: January 2013

Species: Alternanthera bettzickiana English Name: Calico-plant Chinese Name: 錦繡莧 Family: Amaranthaceae Description: Herbs perennial, 20-50 cm tall. Stem erect or creeping, much branched, apical part quadrangular, basal part cylindric, hairy at apex and nodes. Petiole 1-4 mm, slightly hairy; leaf blade green or red, or tinged red or yellow, oblong, oblong-ovate, or spatulate, 1-6 × 0.5-2 mm, hairy when…

Species: Spinacia oleracea English Name: Spinach Chinese Name: 菠菜 Family: Chenopodiaceae Description: Plants to 1 m tall. Root reddish, rarely white, conic. Stem simple or few branched, hollow. Leaf blade light green, hastate to ovate, slightly succulent, margin entire or with a few lobelike teeth. Male flowers: perianth segments usually 4; filaments filiform, flattened; anthers without an appendage. Fruiting…

Species: Chenopodium ficifolium English Name: Small Goosefoot Chinese Name: 小藜 Family: Chenopodiaceae Description: Herbs annual, 20-50 cm tall. Stem erect, green striate, ribbed. Leaf blade ovate-oblong, 2.5-5 × 1-3.5 cm, margin usually 3-lobed; central lobe margins almost parallel, subentire to sinuate-dentate, apex obtuse or subacute, mucronate; lateral lobes positioned in proximal 1/3 or near base of leaf blade, margin…

Species: Chenopodium ambrosioides English Name: American Wormseed Chinese Name: 土荊芥 Family: Chenopodiaceae Description: Photos used under a Creative Commons license References:

Species: Chenopodium acuminatum English Name: Pigweed Chinese Name: 狹葉尖頭葉藜 Family: Chenopodiaceae Description: Herbs annual, 20-80 cm tall. Stem erect, much branched, green striate, sometimes reddish purple striate, ribbed; branches obliquely spreading, slender. Petiole 1.5-2.5 cm; leaf blade broadly to narrowly ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, 2-4 × 1-3 cm, abaxially ± gray-white farinose, adaxially light green and not farinose (or…

Species: Beta vulgaris English Name: Swiss Chard Chinese Name: 厚皮菜 Family: Chenopodiaceae Description: Herbs annual or biennial. Root stout, tuberlike, and napiform or fusiform, or branched and not tuberlike. Stem erect, ± branched, ribbed, striate. Basal leaves long petiolate; petiole stout, abaxially convex, adaxially flattened or slightly concave; leaf blade oblong, 20-30 × 10-15 cm, adaxially crisped, sublustrous, abaxially…

Species: Schlumbergera truncata English Name: Crab Cactus Chinese Name: 蟹爪蘭 Family: Echinocactus Description: Photos used under a Creative Commons license References:

Species: Opuntia stricta Haw. var. dillenii English Name: Prickly-pear Chinese Name: 仙人掌 Family: Echinocactus Description: Photos used under a Creative Commons license References:

Species: Hylocereus undatus English Name: Night Blooming Cereus Chinese Name: 量天尺 Family: Echinocactus Description: Plants clambering or sprawling. Stems deep green, 3-15 m. Joints 20-50 × 3-8(-12) cm, winged or angled, margins of wings or angles coarsely crenate, horny. Areoles 3-6 cm apart, 2-5 mm in diam. Spines 1-3(-6) per areole, spreading in various directions, gray-brown, conic to subulate,…