Plants (C)

Name & image of plant

Plant taxonomy

Information

Castor oil plant

  • The castor oil plant or castor bean plant (scientific name: ricinus communis) is species of perennial flowering plant in the Euphorbiaceae (or spurge) family
  • Castor seed is the source of castor oil

  • There is an unrelated plant of similar appearance, the false castor oil plant, that grows in Japan

    The false castor oil plant

Chinese arborvitae

  • Chinese arborvitae (scientific name: Platycladus orientalis) is also known as Chinese thuja, Oriental arborvitae, biota, or Oriental thuja
  • It is native to northeastern parts of East Asia and North Asia

  • It is the only species of the monotypic genus Platycladus in the cypress family Cupressaceae

Chinese hibiscus

  • Chinese hibiscus (scientific name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) also has a Latin name: rosa-sinensis (literally: 'Chinese rose')
  • However, the Chinese hibiscus is NOT closely related to the rose
  • It has prominent orange-tipped red anthers
  • It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions

Chrysanthemum

  • Chrysanthemum (from the Ancient Greek 'chrysos' (gold) and 'anthemon' (flower)) is also called mum or chrysanth
  • It is native to East Asia and northeastern Europe
  • Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as early as the 15th c. B.C.

Common senduduk

  • The common senduduk (scientific name: melastoma malabathricum) is planted around the world for the aesthetic value of its bright purple flowers
  • It is also known as the Singapore rhododendron
  • It is a known hyperaccumulator of aluminium and can be used for phytoremediation
  • The common senduduk is native to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia