Japanese Aralia

Scientific Name: Fatsia japonica

Clade: Gymnosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is an outdoor plant, which normally grows well in a frost-free climates. Bright light and moist soil is necessery for this plant. F. japonica is native to southern Japan.

Special Notes: This fast-growing, evergreen shrub is easy to care for. It seems to shrug off pests and diseases, and needs little attention to thrive. Also, the name "Fatsia" or "Fatsi" is older Japanese, meaning 'eight', referring to the eight lobes.

Resources: 

• Guide to Houseplants
  
  

Silver King Euonymus

Scientific Name: Euonymus japonica

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is an evergreen shurb, which needs full extensive sunlight; and regular watering- weekly, or more often in extreme heat. E. japonica is native to Japan, Korea and China.

Special Notes: E. japonica is a good plant to use where heat tolerance is important and soil conditions are unfavorable. This plant attracts birds and butterflies, but it is completely poisonous to humans.

Resources:

• Monrovia
• Backyard Gardener

Dumb Cane

Scientific Name: Dieffenbachia

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is a houseplant, which normally grows indoors; bright filtered light and water 1-2 times per week is highly recommended. The Dieffenbachia plant is native to South America where it is commonly found growing in tropical jungles, especially in Brazil.

Special Notes: The Dieffenbachia was named by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, the director of the Botanical gardens in Vienna, to honor his head gardener Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863). If this plant's leaf is chewed, there can be a burning sensation in the throat, due to raphides (needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals).In Brazil the plant is said to ward against "negative energies".

Resources:

• Britannica: Dumb Cane
• ucc.edu