Rainforest Plants
By Jamie
rain_forest_plants.013.doc
Rainforest vegetation is the source of many items that we all use in our own homes. We eat several foods from the rainforest, and many medicines are made from ingredients found only in this precious ecosystem. Some of the common household products that come from rainforests are:
Some of the most interesting rainforest plants are:
- Chocolate
- sugar
- cinnamon
- rubber
- medicine
- pineapples
- coffee
- Anti-cancerous herbal medicine
Some of the most interesting rainforest plants are:
Coffee Shrub (Coffea arabica)
Coffea is a genus of flowering shrubs and trees in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical rainforests in Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds or 'beans' of several species are the source of the popular beverage, coffee. Coffee is one of the world's most valuable commodities and is an important fair trades product of several countries. There are several species of Coffea that can be grown for their beans. The trees produce red or purple fruits, nicknamed "coffee cherries" that are called epigynous berries. The cherries contain two seeds. These are the "coffee beans", which, despite their name, are not real beans. In about 10% of any crop of coffee cherries, there is usually only one bean. These trees have 7 subspecies that can be harvested. They are: C. ambongensis, C. arabica, C. boinensis, C. labatii, C. pterocarpa, C. bissetiae, and C. namorokensis.
Heliconia Plant (Heliconia)
Heliconia, from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of about 200 species of flowers native to tropical Central and South America and the Pacific Ocean islands. Contrary to popular belief, these plants are not actually considered flowers, but are actually herbs. These herb plants range from 0.5 to nearly 5 meters tall, depending on the species. These plants do not grow well in cold, dry conditions. They can not handle droughts, but can endure large floods, making them perfect for rainforest habitats. Heliconias need a great amount of water, sunlight, and soils that are rich in minerals in order to grow well. These flowers are grown all over the world as ornamental plants. Their fruits are blue-purple when ripe and are mostly eaten by birds. Heliconias are almost exclusively pollinated by hummingbirds, but bat pollination has also been seen. Many bats also use Heliconia leaves for shelter. The Honduran White Bat, Ectophylla alba (see animals), uses Heliconia plants to make tent shaped roosts. The bat cuts the side veins of the leaf, causing the leaf to fold like a tent. This structure provides the bat with shelter from rain, sun, and predators.
Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra)
The Kapok ( pronounced Kah-po-cuh) is a tropical tree of the order Malvales, and is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America, and tropical west Africa, but can also be found in parts of India and Java. Kapok is the most used common name for the tree and the fibre found in its seed pods. The tree is also known as Java cotton, Java kapok, Silk cotton or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in Mayan mythology. The tree grows to about 70 m tall and has a very large trunk; up to 3 m around, and reach their peak height at the emergent layer. The fibre they make is light, very buoyant and resistant to water. It is difficult and expensive to make into fabric, but can be used as an alternative to real feathers in mattresses, pillows, upholstery, stuffed toys such as teddy bears, and insulation in houses. In fact, because the trees are so common and grow many pods, there is a large chance that you have an item in your own home that is filled with kapok. It was previously used in life jackets until synthetic materials, like polyester, replaced it. The seeds produce oil used in soap and can be used as garden fertilizer. The largest known Kapok tree has been found in Bangalore, India.
Orchid (Orchidaceae)
Popular around the globe for their beauty and variety, orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. There are 30,000 different species of orchid, at least 10,000 of which can be found in tropical rainforest. Orchid species can differ greatly from one another, with many differences in size, weight and color. While some orchids are only the size of a nickel, others can weigh up to one ton! Their petals can be as long as 30 inches, and sprays of small flowers can be 12 - 14 feet long. While they are most often thought of as purple, Orchid blossoms appear in almost every color except for black. Orchids are extremely adaptable, and grow in almost all climates except for the Arctic and Antarctica. Most orchid species grow in tropical rainforests, but others can be found in desert regions, near seashores and in tundra. The majority of tropical orchids can be found in southern Central America, northwest South America, and countries along the Andes Mountains. Because most orchids depend on a single species of bird, bee, bat, or insect for pollination, if that species were to go extinct, the particular orchid that depends on that species may also become extinct.
Self-Destructing Palm Tree (Tahina spectabillis)
The Self-Destructing Palm Tree is a recently discovered, endangered palm species found only in Madagascar. What makes this tree so interesting is that these trees flower every 100 years and then self-destruct. The exact location of the trees is being kept a secret and seeds are being carefully harvested so the palm can be grown at botanic gardens around the world to make sure it does not go extinct. These trees have a strange lifecycle, when after growing for as long as 100 years to an extremly large height, the stem develops a giant flower cluster and bursts into branches of hundreds of tiny, yellow flowers. Each flower is pollinated and developes into fruit that appear to be tiny orange-like fruits that drip with nectar, attracting swarms of insects and birds. The effort of the colourful display and the production of fruit is so taxing that the reserves of the palm run dry as soon as it fruits, and the entire tree collapses and dies. The tree was found by accident by Xavier Metz just a few years ago.