Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew
Jan 14, 2025 · Discover a world of science hiding behind our beautiful botanical collections filled with over 40,000 living plants
Rafflesia arnoldi - Kew
While it isn’t listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, numbers of Rafflesia species across Indonesia are falling due to the impact of ecotourism.. To assist with pollination, Rafflesia flowers also produce heat which helps to spread their foul aroma. Rafflesia arnoldi pollen, unlike many other pollens, is a thick sticky liquid that dries on the back of …
Titan arum - Amorphophallus titanum | Plants - Kew
Titan arum has the world’s largest unbranched inflorescence (flowering structure) that can reach 3m tall.. When titan arum bloomed for the second time at Kew in 1926, it attracted such big crowds that the police were called to control them.. When in bloom, titan arum’s flower spike (spadix) produces heat.
Mycelium: Exploring the hidden dimension of fungi | Kew
Mar 11, 2023 · Making the connection. The mycelium also plays a crucial role in fungal reproduction. The mycelia of two compatible fungi can fuse together, allowing the cells of each fungus to combine and their DNA to mix.
Ginkgo tree - Ginkgo biloba | Plants - Kew
The ginkgo tree is classified as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List and has also been given a high priority conservation status by the Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) method.. Living gymnosperms (naked-seed-bearing plants that include ginkgos, conifers, cycads, and gnetophytes) are one of the most threatened groups of living organisms on the planet, with 40% of ...
Sunflower - Helianthus annuus - Kew
Sunflowers can remove toxic elements from soils, like lead and uranium, and have been used in clean-up operations at both Chernobyl and Fukushima.. As ornamentals, there are a wide variety of sunflower cultivars, including ‘Aztec Sun’, ‘Mongolian Giant’ and ‘Teddy Bear’.. Despite their name, sunflower seeds are actually the fruit of the sunflower, known as an ‘achene’.
The first global list of all legume species | Kew
Feb 10, 2022 · Legumes are one of the most economically important and versatile plant families. There are nearly 23,000 species (22,939 to be precise) of legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, soya beans, peanuts, and many valuable timbers, including the much-prized rosewoods.
Tomato - Solanum lycopersicum | Plants - Kew
As members of the nightshade family (Solanceae), tomatoes were thought to be poisonous when brought to Europe and grown only as ornamental plantsBotanically, tomatoes are berries and considered fruit.However, in 1893 the US Supreme Court defined them as vegetables for tax purposes. The first genetically-engineered food to be sold in shops was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was modified to extend ...
Striking seasonal wonders of the Lesser Sundas | Kew
Dec 18, 2020 · Stretching from Bali to Timor, the Lesser Sunda islands are covered in seasonal tropical forests that are home to unique flora and fauna, including the world’s largest lizard the Komodo dragon and 74 bird species found nowhere else.
Cacao tree - Theobroma cacao | Plants - Kew
One of the world’s most popular products, chocolate, comes from the cacao, or cocoa tree. It is made from cocoa beans: The seeds stored in the yellow fruit of the cacao tree. Cacao beans have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs mixed ground cacao beans with chilli to make a bitter and spicy drink.