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Lei (Hawaii)
A lei () is a garland or wreath common in Hawaii, across Polynesia, and the Philippines. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. Lei of various styles are given as gifts to honour people throughout the Pacific, being presented, for example, to visiting dignitaries, graduates, or to loved ones who are departing. Lei gained popularity in the United States due to the common practice of presenting one to arriving or leaving tourists in Hawaii. Sampaguita leis are also used in the Philippines for religious reason, typically worn to their Anito or religious statues. Symbolism A lei can be given to someone for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, these reasons include peace, love, honor, or friendship. Common events during which leis may be distributed include graduations, weddings, and school dances. Often the composition of a lei determines its significance. A lei made using a hala fruit, for instance, is said to be connected t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maile
''Alyxia stellata'', known as ''maile'' in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, ''Apocynaceae'', that is native to Hawaii. It grows as either a twining liana, scandent shrub, or small erect shrub, and is one of the few vines that are endemic to the islands. The binomial nomenclature means "chain resembling olive" in Latin. The leaves are usually ternate, sometimes opposite, and can show both types on the same stem.Wagner et al. 1990Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii1, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, p. 214 Flowers are quite inconspicuous and have a sweet and light fragrance of honey. The bark is most fragrant and exudes a slightly sticky, milky sap when punctured, characteristic of the family Apocynaceae. The entire plant contains coumarin, a sweet-smelling compound that is also present in vanilla grass ('' Anthoxanthum odoratum''), woodruff (''Galium odoratum'') and mullein (''Verbascum'' spp.). Fruit are oval and dark purple when ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wiliwili
Wiliwili (''Erythrina sandwicensis''), is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the only species of ''Erythrina'' that naturally occurs there. It is typically found in Hawaiian tropical dry forests on leeward island slopes up to an elevation of . ''Wiliwili'' means "repeatedly twisted" in the Hawaiian language and refers to the seedpods, which dehisce, or twist open, to reveal the seeds. Description ''Wiliwili'' trees grow to a height of with a gnarled and stout trunk that reaches in diameter. The bark is smooth, slightly fissured, and covered in gray or black spines up to in length. The bark on the main trunk of mature trees has a distinct orange cast, which is caused by a terrestrial alga. The ''wiliwili'' is summer (dry season) drought deciduous. The dry season usually begins in late April or in May, and trees in the wild typically lose all of their leaves before they bloom. Trees in cultivation may retain much o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnation
''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med-Checklist''Dianthus caryophyllus''/ref>Flora Europaea''Dianthus caryophyllus''/ref>Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan . Taxonomy Carnations were mentioned in Greek literature 2,000 years ago. The term ''dianthus'' was coined by Greek botanist Theophrastus, and is derived from the Ancient Greek words for divine ("dios") and flower ("anthos"). The name "carnation" is believed to come from the Latin ''corona-ae'', a "wreath, garland, chaplet, crown",Cassell's Latin Dictionary, Marchant, J.R.V, & Charles, Joseph F., (Eds.), Revised Edition, 1928 as it was one of the flowers used in Greek and Roman ceremonial crowns, or possibly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Their flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and often are fragrant. Roses have acquired cultural significance in many societies. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach seven meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses. Etymology The name ''rose'' comes from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bougainvillea
''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. Different authors accept from 4 to 22 species in the genus. The inflorescence consists of large colourful sepal-like bracts which surround three simple waxy flowers, gaining popularity for the plant as an ornamental. Description The species grow tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plant Stem A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant, the other being the root. It supports leaves, flowers and fruits, transports water and dissolved substances between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem, stores nutrients, and produces new living tissue. The stem can also be called halm or haulm. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes: * The nodes hold one or more leaves, as well as buds which can grow into branches (with leaves, conifer cones, or flowers). Adventitious roots may also be produced from the nodes. * The internodes distance one node from another. The term " shoots" is often confused with "stems"; "shoots" generally refers to new fresh plant growth including both stems and other structures like leaves or flowers. In most plants stems are located above the soil surface but some plants have undergroun |
