artifactrix:

odditiesoflife:

Monkey Orchids

Mistakenly referred to as “Monkey Orchids,” none of the above species are in the Orchis simia family which is the genus for the monkey orchid. The above orchids are in the Dracula genus. Although they are constantly being misclassified, they still have adorable monkey faces which is good enough for me.

@tumbletower

Rum is most commonly made from molasses, which is made from sugarcane. Yeast and water are added to the molasses, allowing it to ferment. It must then be distilled, to pull out the alcohol, and then aged for at least a year. Sugarcane is in the Poaceae family, making it a grass. [x]  

Dandelions are in full swing where I live. They are in the Asteraceae  family, which is one of the largest plant families known, alongside the orchid family. Dandelions spread with their wind-carried seeds, and their yellow flowers close at night. They are all in the Taraxacum genus, and the weeds found globally are T. officinale and T. erythospermum. [x]

This is Brassica nigra, a member of the Brassicaceae family, the mustard family. Members of the Brassicaceae family have four petals, and it was once called the Cruciferae family, referring to the cross-shape of the flowers. [x]

Stachys byzantina, Lamb’s Ear, is originally from Turkey, Armenia and Iran, but has been introduced globally as an ornamental. It is in the Lamiaceae family, which also contains most of the herbs you are familiar with, such as rosemary, basil and mint. It is commonly known as the mint family. [x]

Wheat is in the grass family, Poaceae. It is the third-most produced grain, behind maize and rice. 

Nerium oleander is in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It contains several toxic chemicals, including cardiac glycosides. Cardiac glycosides are medicinal in small amounts, but are poisonous in large amounts. [x]

Poison sumac, Toxicodendron vernix, is far more poisonous than poison ivy or poison oak. If inhaled, smoke from burning poison sumac can cause pulmonary edema. This is because of the urushiol, the same compound in poison ivy. [x]