Things that are Spiky

Discussion in 'Plants and Biodiversity Stumpers' started by lorax, Dec 17, 2008.

  1. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    All but one of these plants grow in Ecuador. Genus and species for each, and bonus points for pointing out the one I don't have in my garden.
     

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  2. Lila Pereszke

    Lila Pereszke Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    2. Gomphocarpus sp.
    3. Datura sp.
    4. Castanea sp.
     
  3. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    D is Castanea sativa, and is the one you don't have in your garden in Ecuador
     
  4. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    So far, so good... A & E are outstanding.
     
  5. Wojciech

    Wojciech Active Member

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    1 Durio?
     
  6. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Nope. Think smaller!
     
  7. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    #1 - Hybrid between Litchi chinensis and Nephelium lappaceum?? (if such exists!!)
     
  8. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Nope. Much more common, and a species, not a hybrid! The plant is named after the area in Ecuador where it was first described.
     
  9. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

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    E a Raphia palm or perhaps Elaeis oleifera, oil palm?
     
  10. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Right family, wrong genus and species. Think about your elephants and all will become clear....
     
  11. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

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    Phytelephas the only elephant palm realted thing I could thing of? P. aequatorialis being one from Ecuador with identical flowering/seed?
     
  12. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    That would be it, alright - the Tagua palm, and source of sought-after vegetable ivory. It's also edible.

    Is nobody going to take a stab at A, the Ecuadorean-named native shrub? It's in almost all your food.
     
  13. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Never seen one of those in my food!
     
  14. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Well, not the spiky bit directly. But the plant is used in almost every processed food in the US. Not sure for the UK.
     
  15. David in L A

    David in L A Active Member 10 Years

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    More likely the region and plant are both named for thhe same explorer.
     
  16. David in L A

    David in L A Active Member 10 Years

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    The name was applied to the plant in 1687 and the province was created in 1998.
     
  17. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Well, presumably the plant is named after the explorer, but I know that the province was named after the plant, although the capital city of the province in question is also named for the explorer who founded it...

    Is anyone going to come out and say what we're talking about?
     
  18. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Aha . . . Annatto Bixa orellana. Yes, it is used as a food colouring over here, but not a huge lot, and getting less used too since health concerns were raised about it about 15 years ago (linked to hyperactivity in children, and various allergies and intolerance).

    http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factannatto.htm

    Very little of the food that I eat has any in.
     
  19. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Almost all of my cheese has a bit in, but then again... It's not like everything I eat has Annato in it. Equally, Ecuador uses whole-seed extracts rather than the more complex single-dye extracts (160b) that are used in the developed world, so perhaps that has something to do with why none of the symptoms on that site are present in this country. Achiote (annato paste) is a traditional ingredient in a huge number of dishes.

    Ding ding ding WINNER.
     

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