UW Botany Greenhouse 4/5

Today I took a tour of the Botany Greenhouse and learned about some plants that I was formerly unfamiliar with. I was first introduced the the Miracle Berry that increases the perceived sweetness of foods. I ate a frozen berry and then took a bite of lemon and the lemon was suddenly sweet. The effects of a frozen fruit are not as strong as a fresh one, the effect wears off in about 2 hours. I was then introduced to the Ghost Chili, called Bhut Jolokia in its home country of India. The chili's seeds are dispersed by birds who have been favored by evolution to not be able to taste the heat. Birds evolved this trait before chilis existed. I also learned that the largest seed comes from the Coco de Mer, a Type of Palm Tree with an accordion shaped leave. Its seeds can weigh up to 60 pounds. I learned about another palm native to Brazil called Monstreal. This palm has holes in its leaves to discourage butterflys from using it as a hatching ground so it wont get eaten. It has a fruit that tastes like pineapple that will hurt your mouth if you eat it before its ripe. I also learned about Eichornia, a plant that floats on the water. It is good for sewage treatment because it sucks up a lot of nutrience, and was introduced because of its pretty flowers. This plant is thought of as a weed in most of the tropical places that it originates from. One of the coolest plants that I learned about was Welwitchia. This plant is native to the Nibian Desert of Africa where it gets less than 25 mm of rain a year. Its leaves feel stale, and they are also highly reflective. This plant can live to be 2000 years old. The one in the greenhouse is only 10 years old, but because Doug gave it as much water as it wanted it is the size of a Welwitchia that is 100!

Species List:
Miracle Berry (Synsepalum dulcificum)
Ghost Chili or Bhut Jolokia chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens)
Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica)
Monsreal (sp?)
Dischidia (Asclepiadaceae)
Water Lily
Eichornia (Eichhornia)
Welwitchia (Welwitschia mirabilis)
Peperomia (Piperaceae)
Haworthia (Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Sphagnum Moss (genus Sphagnum)
Platycerium (Polypodiaceae)
Dracula Orchid (Pleurothallidinae)

Posted on May 1, 2012 03:45 AM by lmcthe01