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Trivia 2003

How long does a banana tree typically take to produce a bunch of bananas from flower to fruit?

As a general rule it takes two years from the time of first flowering to producing fruit ready for harvest.  Often time the tree will be cut down to get the fruit but it will soon grow back and produce once again.

What  herb was once traditionally sown on December 4^th?

Winter cress or the herb of St. Barbara is traditionally sown on December 4th which was her feast day.  This plant is a wild relative of broccoli and stays green all winter.  It is now thought to be harmful if eaten.

What tree was mistaken for cinnamon by Spanish explorers the 16^th century and became a major colonial export and was used commercially to make common household products until being declared unsafe in the 1960’s?

Sassafras, also known as cinnamonwood, was used in products like root beer, chewing gum, toothpaste and many other products until being declared a carcinogen.

What common weed was once used as a remedy for jaundice?

Commonly known as bindweed and a relative of the morning glory was used for various remedies including laxitives.

How many species of plants do scientists believe exist on the earth?  

Scientists believe that there are 35,000 different  species.

What is the largest seed and how big is it? 

Coco-de-mer can produce a seed that weighs 45 pounds.

The highly honored and national fruit of Jamaica is not really a native. What is it and where did it come from?

Ackee was brought to Jamaica from its native land of West Africa by slave ships that arrived in the Caribbean.

The name Iris was named after who?

The name comes from the Greek goddess of the rainbow.

What tree is native to the Gulf states, is grown as far north as New York, is known as the Indian bean tree or smoking bean tree and was called “catawba” by the Cherokee nation?

The broad shaped leaves and beautiful flowers of the common Catalpa and was introduced to England gardens in 1726.

What ancient civilization practiced, what we consider today, modern farming techniques like hydroponics, companion planting and even bee culture?

The ancient Maya practiced many farming techniques and were quite advanced as farmers.  Bees were utilized for plant pollination and honey. Farmland was even left fallow or at rest to regain nutrients.  They grew orchards for fruit production.  Flowers and vegetables were grown on giant floating hydroponic rafts and where products were produced for sale.

Gardenia gets its botanical name from what famous botanist?

The plant is appropriately named for Scottish physician and botanist Dr. Alexander Garden.

What is the biggest living thing on earth?

Believe it or not the largest living thing is a giant sequoia called General Sherman in California. It has a circumference of over 80 feet.

The word guava or Psidium comes from what original meaning?

Psidium comes from the Greek word Psidion or Pomegranite

The tree Musa or commonly known as banana is named after who?

It is believed that the Musa tree is named for the physician to the first Roman Emperor.

One of the first people to grow orchids with success was William Cattley.  How long ago?

In the early 1800's William Cattley lived and grew epiphytic orchids.  The Cattleya species is named for him.

Members of the anemone species contain a toxic substance called  what?

They contain a poison called anemonin.

What tropical plant is considered to be the best at purifying household air as well as being easy to grow?    

The Areca Palm (Chrusalidocarpus) has one of the highest rate of removing indoor pollution, resists pests and is easy to grow.

How many different varieties of wheat are grown today?      

There are over 20,000 varieties of wheat grown today.

Irrigation is the mother of necessity when it comes to plant and food production.  Do you know when the first irrigation system was created? 

It is estimated that the first irrigation system was built around 3900 BC by early farmers in southern Russia.  Canals were dug to irrigate crops, bringing the water from as far away as 1 1/2 miles.  The canals themselves were quite large with some as big as 10 feet wide and 4 feet deep.

What common herb in the parsley family has escaped cultivated practice and is now considered a weed? 

Common Caraway is now growing wild in the western states, especially Colorado, above the elevation of 4500 - 9000 feet

What common perennial has been dried, powdered, juiced, boiled and made into all kinds of concoctions for the treatment if internal and external wounds for many centuries? It was even written about in the 1597 volume "Herball" by John Gerard.  Hint: Its Latin name refers to money.

Creeping Jenny or moneywort has been used for treatments involving bleeding. It loves moist places and can often be seen on roadsides and makes a terrific groundcover.  Glossy round leaves give it its name and it blooms golden yellow flowers in mid-summer.  However there is no modern scientific evidence to support most of its healing abilities except to aid in the healing of mild external wounds.

When did the practice of chewing gum start and where did it originate?  

The practice of chewing gum is believed to have begun around the time of 1300.  It was made by the Mayans from chicle a milky substance derived from the chicle or sapodilla tree. even one of the Mayan Gods is shown to have been a regular gum chewer.

Plants grow so thick in the rain forest that it can take a long time for a rain drop to reach the ground from the top.  How long does it take on average?  

Although many factors are involved such as tree density, it can take as long as ten minutes for a raindrop to hit the ground from the top of the canopy.

A common indoor and outdoor plant was named after French Governor of Canada, Michael Begon who lived in the late 1600’s.  Do you know what plant it is? 

Cultivated for the King, Begonias were very popular then and are still popular today as hundreds of cultivars have been produced.

A very common houseplant is named for the Swedish botanist Elias Til-Landz who lived in the late 1600’s. What is it? 

Tillandsia commonly known as air plants are named for him.  These plants are found on all kinds of gifts, chunks of wood and other decorations.  the have little to no root and survive mainly from moisture in the air.

What American plant has been highly prized and exported to the Orient since the early 1700's?

Nearly wiped out in the wild, American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, has been used in herbal remedies and exported to China.  Wisconsin now produces the bulk of this product commercially and if seen in the wild it should be left alone.

What common butterfly becomes poisonous by eating its favorite food?

The monarch butterfly caterpillar feeds on the leaves of milkweed. These leaves are poisonous to most animals thereby rendering the butterfly immune from attacking predators that wish to feed upon them.

What is the name of the only deciduous conifer?

The larch bears cones but also looses all of its needles each fall just like a leafy tree.

How many species of plants have been known to have been utilized as a food source by people?

Over 12,000 species have been used as regular crop plants with only about 150 in regular cultivation in modern times.

During Medieval times it was common during feasts to color foods just as commercial food companies do today to make food look better.  What two popular natural substances were used for coloring red and yellow?

Sandalwood was used to make red colorings and saffron for yellow.

What tiny cereal grain has been utilized by native peoples for thousands of years?

It is estimated that the seeds of the amaranth have been used as a food source for 10,000 years.

Where did the Banana derive its name?

It is believed to have come from Antonio Musa a physician in the early Roman Empire.

What common flower grown today was considered a protection against witchcraft in medieval Europe?

Flax Linum usitatissimum was believed to have magical powers as its Latin name suggests, "a most useful plant." 

What palm tree is considered “the tree of life” to the people of the Amazon?

The buriti palm is used to make starch, wine, string and oil among other things.

Spinach wasn’t grown by Europeans until what century?

It wasn't until the twelfth century that spinach seeds were brought to European gardens during the Crusades.

In some parts of the Rainforest, what mammal species can make up more than half of all mammals combined?

There are almost 1000 different kinds of bats in the world today. This animal is extremely important to the rainforest and other regions they inhabit as a major source of seed dispersal.

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