The Plant life of Mendoza

The Plant life of Mendoza Dec 11, 2018 16:42:36 GMT

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Post by Carolina on Dec 11, 2018 16:42:36 GMT

The Flora Guide of Mendoza

NOTE: IF A PLANT DOES NOT SAY IT IS SPECIFICALLY NATIVE TO ONE AREA THEN IT MAY BE FOUND ON OTHER PLACES IN MENDOZA!

Plants of the North

	Thin Leafed Alder	A native Respairidor tree with dark green foliage turning yellow in fall. Reddish bark and cone-like seeds in fall and winter. Small clump form tree with upright branching habit. Does well in moist soils.
	Silver Birch	This tall thin tree typically reaches upwards of 82 feet tall, with a thin slender trunk. The bark typically starts out a golden brown color and later turned a papery white as begins to peel from the trunk.
	White Cedar	This evergreen tree does not grow as tall as some of it cousins, only reaching about 49 feet tall. The bark of this tree is red brown color and often peels off in strips during fall. A decoction of the leaves has been used as a herbal steam for treating headaches and backaches. A poultice made from the crushed leaves and bark has been applied to the head to treat headaches.
	Balsam Fir	This small to medium sized evergreen, often reaching heights of 66 feet tall. Though occasionally this tree can reach heights of 89 feet tall. The narrow conic crown consists of dense, dark-green leaves. The bark on young trees is smooth, grey, and with resin blisters becoming rough and fissured, or scaly on old trees. The leaves are flat and needle-likedark green above often with a small patch of stomata near the tip, and two white stomatal bands below, and a slightly notched tip. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but with the leaf bases twisted so that the leaves appear to be in two, more-or-less horizontal rows on either side of the shoot. The needles become shorter and thicker the higher they are on the tree. The resin of this tree is a balm that is generally used as a cold remedy.
	Frosty Blue Lilac	Ceanothus 'Frosty Blue' is an evergreen mountain lilac that grows to six or eight feet tall and about as wide. A little nipping here and there can move it taller or narrower. The flowers are a medium blue with dashes of white. This mountain lilac makes its presence known in Mar-May with vast sprays of blue flowers covering the plant. The foliage is glossy with small dark green leaves. Fast growing, fast enough to make a small tree within three years.
	Farewell-to-Sping	Clarkia bottae is an annual much like Clarkia amoena but with slightly larger flowers. This farewell-to-spring species has green foliage and cup- shaped flowers. Pendant flower buds lift as flowers develop and buds open. Like many Clarkia species C. bottae has multicolored flower parts. It's petals are a dark pink at the outer regions and white with darker spots to the center. It is found in the evergreen forests of the Respairidor.
	Cilician Fir	This tall coniferous tree usually grows up to 39 feet tall and with a thin dark drown trunk. The leaves of this tree are thin spiny needles that give this tree a rather bushy appearance. The resin and its oil derivative were used in mummification, as an antiseptic, a diuretic, to treat wrinkles, extract worms and promote hair growth.
	Holly Shrub	This low growing bush can be found in much of Northern Mendoza. Growing close to many of the trees. This Shrub is characterized by its hard waxy leaves, tipped with sharp spines. These shrubs bare bright red berries. The berries are laxative, emetic and diuretic. They are used in the treatment of children’s diarrhea, colic and indigestion. A tea made from the leaves has been used as a treatment for measles, colds etc. The leaves have also been used externally in the treatment of sore eyes, sore and itchy skin.
	Shad Bush	Shad bush is a very slow-growing, deciduous shrub to 10', with edible blue berries 1/4" across. This good wildlife plant ranges from Byzantine, is an attractive bush with an abundance of 1" white flowers, and the fruits look something like a blueberry. The fruit of this plant is actually edible it looks and tastes like a blueberry.
	BaneBerry	Baneberry is a small perennial that grows in deep woods, north slopes and in meadows. In small doses Baneberry was used by Natives for all that ails you, in moderate doses it will kill you. Small animals and birds seem to be able to eat the berries with no problems. Cattle, horses and sheep can also eat with no problems but it must have a bitter twang, as they'll not favor it if anything else is available

Plants of the West

	Silver Maple	The silver maple tree is a relatively fast-growing deciduous tree, commonly reaching a heights of 82 feet. Its leaf spread will commonly, reach 42 feet wide around the tree. A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 26 feet tall. It is often found along waterways and in wetlands, leading to the colloquial name "water maple". It is a highly adaptable tree, although it has higher sunlight requirements than other maple trees. The leaves of this tree are broad with deep angular notches between the five lobes. The long, slender stalks of the leaves mean that even, a light breeze can produce a striking effect as the downy silver undersides of the leaves are exposed. The autumn color is less pronounced than in many maples, generally ending up a pale yellow, although some specimens can produce a more brilliant yellow and even orange and red colorations. The tree has a tendency to color and drop its leaves slightly earlier in autumn than other maples. This tree is Native to Western Mendoza.
	Ponderosa Pine	Pinus ponderosa is a large coniferous pine (evergreen) tree. The bark helps to distinguish it from other species. Mature to over-mature individuals have yellow to orange-red bark in broad to very broad plates with black crevices. Younger trees have blackish-brown bark, referred to as "blackjacks" by early loggers. It can be characterized by its bright green needles.
	Wild Rose	It's easy to identify this species because of the light-pink, 5 petaled flowers in early summer and the bright red rose hips in the fall. Height can range from 1 to 4 feet depending on slope, soil saturation, and amount of sunlight. Leaves are compound and exhibit a range of green shades in spring and summer. Fall leaves transform into stunning rustic orange and vibrant red.
	Narrow Leaf Cottonwood	Narrowleaf Cottonwood can reach a maximum height of 40 to 50 ft. Leaves are slender and tapered. On a single branch the leaves alternate and are simple. The lengths of the leaves are roughly 3 in. to 4 in. long, are light green in color during summer and can become a rich yellow in the fall.
	Wax Currant	Often grows in rounded clumps and can vary in height from 3 to 5 feet. Leaves are small, obscurely lobed, and have a pine-citrus fragrance. In June, tubular pink flowers blossom. In late August the pink flowers swell to form a translucent orange-red berry. The berries of this plant are edible.
	Boulder Raspberry	Leaves are usually fuzzy. Large white flowers bloom in late spring. The flowers produce raspberries in early and midsummer. These berries can range in taste from tart to sweet, with some even being tasteless. Most of the berries are fuzzy and can be course and seedy. The berries of this plant are edible.
	Bearberry	Bearberry is a low lying shrub reaching a height of 6 inches and a length of 3 to 5 feet. The evergreen leaves are small and rounded. Multiple bearberry plants can form clumps or mats in lodgepole pine forests. The tiny bell shaped flowers hang in small clusters and have a pinkish-white color. Bright red berry-like fruit form in late summer. The berries of this plant are edible.
	Creeping Grape	Creeping grape, also known as holly-grape, is a low lying, evergreen shrub. Each stalk has 5 to 7 alternating leaves, which have short, holly-like spines. Many clusters of yellow flowers bloom April through June. In June small purple-blue clusters of juicy berries are produced. In fall the leaves turn a spectacular color of dark orange to rich red. The berries of this plant are edible.
	Fairy Slipper	Each stem bears a single slipper shaped flower. The petals and petal-like sepals are bright rose-purple; one petal forms a saclike lip, which is whitish with purple stripes and a bright yellow patch . This rare plant blooms in late spring.
	Horse Mint	The purplish rose flowers grow in dense heads at the tops of 1 to 3 ft stems. Because of its spicy aroma, the plant is also known as wild oregano. Can be used for curing upper respiratory infections.

Plants of the the Islands

	Koa Tree	Koa is a large tree, typically attaining a height of 49–82 ft and a spread of 20–39 ft. In deep volcanic ash, a koa tree can reach a height of 98 ft, a circumference of 20 ft, and a spread of 25 ft. It is one of the fastest-growing Hawaiian trees, capable of reaching 20–30 ft in five years on a good site. At about 6–9 months of age, thick sickle-shaped "leaves" begin to grow. This tree produces large pea like pods that house edible fruits.
	Neneleau	Neneleau, is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae that is endemic to Hawaii. It is small tree, reaching a height of 15–25 ft and a trunk diameter of 3.9–11.8 in. Neneleau inhabits dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic and wet forests at elevations of 180–610 m on all islands.
	Areacales	This is a species of palm tree that is endemic to the islands of Mendoza. It inhabits gulch slopes in coastal mesic forests. This palm reaches a height of 13–20 ft) and a trunk diameter of 18–20 cm 7.1–7.9 in.
	Moncots Palm	This tree can reach heights of up to 130 feet tall, with a smooth greyish colored trunk that is only 12 inches around. The large crown of this plant starts with wide spread fronds that reach upwards, and slowly begin to droop.
	Plumeria	Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers yield no nectar, however, and simply trick their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar. Plumeria trees from cross pollinated seeds may show characteristics of the mother tree or their flowers might just have a totally new look
	Bird of Paradise	This flower is rather tall with stately blue and white flowers. These flowers are called the bird of paradise, as the flower looks like the head and crest of a bird.
	Monster Fruit	The tiny flowers are in an upright, fleshy, phallic, pale yellowish, up to 1 foot long spadix enclosed by a large, creamy white, boat-shaped spathe (petal-like bract). The inflorescences look like large, crude calla lilies. The flowers are followed by large, green, fleshy, phallic or corncob-like fruits with hexagonal fruit segments and aromatic white flesh. The leaves are large, up to 3 feet across, glossy dark green, leathery, alternate, heart-shaped, and pinnately dissected with deep slits and oblong, Swiss cheese-like perforations along the midrib. The stems either sprawl on the ground or climb trees using aerial roots that can become long and trailing. The Fruit of this plant is edible.
	Ti tree	The numerous small, 6-lobed flowers are in branched, drooping panicles. The flowers are sometimes followed by small, rounded, shiny, red fruit. Ti plants with green leaves rarely produce fruit and are instead usually propagated by stem cuttings. The leaves are smooth, hairless, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic in shape, up to 2 feet long, alternate, and bright green, red, blackish red, reddish purple, pink, brown, or variegated with yellow, cream, or a combination of colors. The leaves are spirally arranged into a fanlike shape at the stem tips. The stems are slender, upright, usually unbranched, and ringed with leaf scars.
	Sea Grapes	The small, white flowers are on slender, terminal and lateral flower spikes. The female flowers are followed by pendent clusters of round, grape-like, green ripening to purple-red fruits. The leaves are green when mature, sometimes coppery when young, leathery, hairless to almost hairless, often red-veined at the base, alternate, and round to kidney-shaped. The plants branch low to the ground and have unusually thick trunks. The bark is smooth, peeling, and grayish to mottled with patches of white, gray, and light brown. The cut bark oozes astringent, tannin-rich, red sap that has been used as a dye and for medicinal purposes. The ripe, tart to sweet, purple-red fruits are edible raw and can also be made into jelly or wine. The fruits each contain a single hard seed. The flowers contain abundant nectar for honeybees, and the resulting Sea Grape honey is pale-colored and spicy.
	Ohelo Ai

Plants of the Central

	Turkey Grass	This grass is also called Turkey feet because the shape of the seed heads look like turkey feet. It is also called beard grass. The name big bluestem grass comes from the fact that this grass can grow to very big, 3 to 10 feet as a matter of fact. It blooms from June through September. Big bluestem is known as a bunch grass because it grows in little hill shapes. This grass forms 3 inch bronze to purple or green seed heads. The tall and slender stems are blue-green in the summer. The hairy blades, which can get to be 12 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, will get a red tinge on the leaves as they get older, and turn bronze in the fall. Big bluestem grass grows in dense stands. This keeps other grasses from getting any sun and growing. As a result there are usually large areas covered only by big bluestem grass.
	Blue Grama Grass	Blue grama grass is a warm season tufted perennial grass. It is native to the short and tall grass prairies, and makes up 75% to 90% of the grasses found there. Cold artic air currents blow in from the polar regions in the winter. Summers are hot and dry because the prairies lie in the middle of the continent, and don't get moisture from oceans. Blue grama can grow up to 18 inches tall. It grows as a bunch grass, forming open sod mats. As it matures and is grazed on by animals, the bunches grow together and form the thick sod. Blue grama is an important prairie grass because its dense, shallow root mass holds down the soil and keeps it from blowing away.
	Flea Bane

Indian Grass
Indian Grass is a perennial bunchgrass native to Central Mendoza.
It is known as a warm season grass and will start growing in May,
and go to seed in July and August.
It has yellow spikelets (seed heads) that have white hairs,
which make it look silver and gold in the sunlight.
The grass has long, flat, and narrow leaves that usually are called blades.
The blades are 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, 5 to 12 inches long, and pointed at the end.
They have a rough texture to them.
They become yellowish bronze in the fall and becomes dormant in the winter.

It has glossy seed heads.

Purple Coneflower
The purple cone flower has a reddish center and purple,
red or white petals that hang down. It can grow to be 2-3 feet tall.
The center can grow to the size of a child's fist,
and the petals are about as long as the diameter of the center.
It is part of the daisy and dandelion family.
It has anti-bacterial properties, making it good for cleaning wounds when crushed.
It gets the immune system of the body going by activating macrophages,
which are involved in destroying bacteria.
It also provides relief from insect bites and stings.
The flowers also cure acne, boils, and toothaches.

The flower may even be helpful in treating tumors.

Stinging Nettle
This plant is a very interesting plant. When you look at it, it looks like an ordinary
hairy weed with attractive little flowers. It can be a very dangerous plant,
however, because when you touch it with your bare skin,
you will get a terrible sting, which is very painful.
When you get this sting it can be so bad that you might need treatment for it.
The sting feels very much like a bee sting and can last for hours or days.
The stinging sensation is caused by formic acid which
covers the tiny hairs of the plant.

Milkweed
This herb produces red and yellow blossoms in the spring
which are less than an inch across.
The 5 outside petals, or corolla, are red and curve down.
The 5 inside petals are hooded and yellow or orange.
They grow in a cluster at the top of woody stems
The milkweed has a white, poisonous sap from which it gets its name,
and can grow to be 2 to 3 1/2 feet.
It has big leaves that can grow to be 9 inches -1 foot long.
The seeds, which grow in a pod, have a silky tuft of hair which allows
them to be blown by the wind like little parachutes.
It attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Monarch butterflies particularly like it , just like butterfly weed,
which is in the same family.

Blood Flower
A cluster of tiny vibrant orange five pointed blooms on a thin green stalk.
This flower blooms in much of summer and early fall.
The toxic, milky sap from this plant is used as an emetic;
when ingested it induces vomiting. It can also be used as a heart stimulant,
and in large quantities, can also be used to revive those who's hearts have stopped,
if used directly after they have fallen unconscious.

Prairie Turnip
Low growing green stalks with narrow leaves, and clusters of pale blue flowers.
This egg-sized, turnip-shaped, starchy, bean family root was is an important food.
With the flavor of mild raw peanuts it can be eaten as a staple or added to stews.
It can even be dried and stored during winter.

Black Berry
This large wide spread growing shrubs, has small barbed leaves,
and thorns over its winding long stalks.
During summer and early fall this plant bears small white blooms,
that turn into dark purple berries.
The Berries of this plant are edible.
[/table]

Plants of the East

	Red Maple	It is a medium to large sized tree, reaching heights of 90 to 120 ft, and exceptionally over 135 feet. The leaves are usually, 3 1⁄2 to 4 1⁄4 in long on a full-grown tree. The trunk diameter often ranges from 18 to 35 in depending on the growing conditions, however, open grown trees can attain diameters of up to 60 in. The trunk will remain free of branches until, some distance up the tree on forest grown trees, while individuals grown in the open are shorter and thicker with a more rounded crown. Generally the crown is irregularly ovoid with ascending whip-like curved shoots. The bark is a pale grey and smooth when the individual is young. As the tree grows the bark becomes darker and cracks into slightly raised long plates.
	White Ash	The name white ash derives from the glaucous undersides of the leaves. It is similar in appearance to the green ash, making identification difficult. The lower sides of the leaves of white ash are, lighter in color than their upper sides, and the outer surface of the twigs of white ash may be flaky or peeling. Green ash leaves are similar in color on upper and lower sides, and twigs are smoother. Despite some overlap, the two species tend to grow in different locations as well; white ash is a forest tree that commonly occurs alongside sugar maple while, green ash is a pioneer species that inhabits riparian zones and disturbed areas. Its compound leaves more often than not have 7 leaflets per leaf, whereas other ash trees are usually more diverse.
	Spice Bush	Spicebush is a deciduous shrub growing to 6–12 feet tall. It has a colonial nature and often reproduces by root sprouting, forming clumps or thickets. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, simple, 2–6 in long and 1–2 in broad, oval or broadest beyond the middle of the leaf. They have a smooth edge with no teeth and are dark green above and paler below. The leaves, along with the stems are very aromatic when crushed with a spicy, citrusy smell, hence the common names and the specific epithet benzoin. In the fall the leaves turn a very bright and showy yellow color.
	Witch Hazel	The witch-hazels are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 10–25 feet tall, rarely to 40 feet tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, oval, 2–6 inches long and 1–4 inches broad, with a smooth or wavy margin. The genus name, Hamamelis, means "together with fruit", referring to the simultaneous occurrence of flowers, with the maturing fruit from the previous year.
	Mountain Laurel	It is an evergreen shrub growing to 3–9 m tall. The leaves are 3–12 cm long and 1–4 cm wide. Its flowers are round, ranging from light pink to white, and occur in clusters. There are several named cultivars today that have darker shades of pink, near red and maroon pigment. It blooms in May and June. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Roots are fibrous and matted.
	Scarlet Catchfly	This perennial herb grows from a fleshy taproot. There are several erect stems growing up to 1.6 meters tall. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, and up to 12 centimeters long, becoming smaller farther up the stem. The inflorescence is an array of many flowers at the top of the stem. The lobes of the bright red corolla are 1 to 2 centimeters long. The flowers are pollinated by the ruby-throated hummingbird
	Huckleberry	This plant is closely related to the blueberries found farther north. This plant is a hearty and wide spread plant, with sweet delicious berries The berries of this plant are edible.
	Carolina Springbeauty	This is a flowering, woodland perennial herb.[ It grows from March though June and is one of the earliest spring ephemerals. The plant grows from spherical underground tubers in light humus. They sprout and bloom before the tree canopy develops. Once the area is shaded, the plants whither leaving only the tuberous roots underground. The flower consist of five pink and purple petals. Dark pink veins accent the petals and give them a striped appearance.
	Dutchman's Breeches	The rootstock is a cluster of small pink to white teardrop-shaped bulblets. Leaves are 4–14 1⁄4 in long and 1 1⁄2–7 in broad, with a petiole (leaf stalk) 2–9 1⁄2 in long. They are trifoliate, with finely divided leaflets. The flowers usually white, rarely suffused with pink, 1⁄2–3⁄4 in long. They are produced in early spring in
	Mayapple	Mayapples are woodland plants, typically growing in colonies derived from a single root. All the parts of the plant are poisonous, including the green fruit, but once the fruit has turned yellow, it can be safely eaten with the seeds removed. Fruit is toxic in large quantities.

Plants of the South

	Nidularium	This plant is kin to the pineapple, though growing only in swampy areas. This plant lives by hanging from other plants such as mangrove trees.
	Victoria Water-Lily	The species has very large leaves, up to 9.8 ft in diameter, that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 23–26 ft in length. This plant is native to the shallow waters of the Trelor Fen. The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 1.3 ft in diameter, and are pollinated by beetles. This is the largest water lily in the world.
	Fragrant Water-Lily
	Narrow Leafed Cattail	This is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found, in the southern hemisphere in brackish locations. The plant's leaves are flat, very narrow (¼"-½" wide), and 3'-6' tall when mature; 12-16 leaves arise from each vegetative shoot. At maturity, they have distinctive stalks that are about as tall as the leaves; the stalks are topped with brown, fluffy, sausage-shaped flowering heads. The plants have sturdy, rhizomatous roots that can extend 27" and are typically ¾"-1½" in diameter.
	Southern Cattail	Typha domingensis, known commonly as southern cattail or cumbungi, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Typha. It is found throughout temperate and tropical regions worldwide. It is sometimes found as a subdominant associate in mangrove ecosystems
	Common Duckweed	L. minor is a floating freshwater aquatic plant, with one, two, three or four leaves each having a single root hanging in the water. As more leaves grow, the plants divide and become separate individuals. The root is 1–2 cm long. Leaves are oval, 1–8 mm long and 0.6–5 mm broad, light green, with three (rarely five) veins and small air spaces to assist flotation. It reproduces mainly vegetatively by division. Flowers are rarely produced and measure about 1 mm in diameter, with a cup-shaped membranous scale containing a single ovule and two stamens. The seed is 1 mm long, ribbed with 8-15 ribs. Birds are important in dispersing L. minor to new sites. The sticky root enables the plant to adhere to the plumage or feet of birds and can thereby colonize new ponds.
	Watermeal	Commonly called watermeal or duckweed, these aquatic plants resemble specks of cornmeal floating on the water. Wolffia species are free-floating thalli, green or yellow-green, and without roots. The flower is produced in a depression on the top surface of the plant body. It has one stamen and one pistil. Individuals often float together in pairs or form floating mats with related plants, such as Lemna and Spirodela species.
	Feathery Bogmoss	is brown to greenish brown in color with narrow green stems. Individual plants are slender and weak-stemmed. They are moderately sized compared to other peat mosses. Aquatic forms are flaccid and plumose giving a feathery appearance, whereas the emergent forms are much more compact. Branches are spread in quite obvious sickle shaped patterns, giving the capitulum a twisted appearance. The capitula is often green to yellow, tinged with red-brown in color. The leaves on the stems are triangular-ovate in shape, usually a bit longer than 1.2 mm, and are often very compact with one another. The leaves end in sharp points.
	Loop-Root Mangrove
	Black Mangrove	The black mangrove grows just above the high tide in coastal lagoons and brackish water estuaries. It is less tolerant of highly saline conditions than certain other species that occur in mangrove ecosystems. It can reach 10–15 m (33–49 ft) in height, although it is a small shrub in cooler regions of its range. The seeds germinate in midsummer, but may be seen all year on the trees. The seeds can remain viable for over a year once released. he heartwood is dark-brown to black, while the sapwood is yellow-brown. It has the unusual property of having less dense heartwood than sapwood. The sapwood sinks in water while the heartwood floats. The wood is strong, heavy, and hard, but is difficult to work due to its interlocked grain, and is somewhat difficult to finish due to its oily texture. Uses include posts, pilings, charcoal, and fuel. Despite growing in a marine environment, the dry wood is subject to attack by marine borers and termites. Like many species, it contains tannin in the bark and has been used to tan leather products.

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The Plant life of Mendoza

Post by Carolina on Dec 11, 2018 16:42:36 GMT

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