Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of animals, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea. Elephantidae has three living species: the Savannah Elephant and Forest Elephant (which were collectively known as the African Elephant) and the Asian Elephant (formerly known as the Indian Elephant). Other species have become extinct since the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago. Elephants are the largest land animals and largest land mammals alive today. At birth it is common for an elephant ...

Including:

• Elephant - Zoology
• Elephant - The African Elephant
• Elephant - Asian Elephant
• Elephant - Body characteristics
• Elephant - Evolution
• Elephant - Varieties
• Elephant - Diet
• Elephant - Social behavior
• Elephant - Reproduction
• Elephant - Motherhood and calf rearing
• Elephant - Usefulness to the environment
• Elephant - Habitat loss
• Elephant - National Parks
• Elephant - Deforestation
• Elephant - Overgrazing
• Elephant - Overhunting
• Elephant - Asia's dwindling habitat
• Elephant - Sri Lanka
• Elephant - Southeast Asia
• Elephant - The Malayan Elephant
• Elephant - Eastern Africa
• Elephant - Western Africa
• Elephant - Southern Africa
• Elephant - Involving the Local Community
• Elephant - Man and Elephants
• Elephant - Harvest from the Wild
• Elephant - Domestication and use
• Elephant - The Elephant Trap
• Elephant - Elephants in Culture
• Elephant - Elephant rage
• Elephant - Footnotes

Read more here: » Elephant: Encyclopedia - Elephant

Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. Orchids (Orchidaceae family) are among the largest and most diverse of the flowering plant (angiospermae) families, with over 800 described genera and 25,000 (some sources give 30,000) species, and another 100,000 + hybrids and cultivars produced by horticulturalists. The Kew World Checklist of Orchids includes about 24,000 accepted species. About 800 new species are added each year. Orchids, through their floral complexity and th ...

Including:

• Orchidaceae - General description
• Orchidaceae - Leaves
• Orchidaceae - Stem
• Orchidaceae - Plant thallus and roots
• Orchidaceae - Orchid flowers
• Orchidaceae - Reproduction
• Orchidaceae - Fruits and seeds
• Orchidaceae - Orchids in commerce
• Orchidaceae - Taxonomy
• Orchidaceae - See Also
• Orchidaceae - Reference

Read more here: » Orchidaceae: Encyclopedia - Orchidaceae

Pears are usually grafted onto quince rootstocks, which produce small to medium sized trees. Some varieties however are not compatible with quince, and these require double working. This means that a piece of pear graft-work compatible with both the quince rootstock and the pear variety is used as an intermediate between the two. If this is not done the pear and the rootstock could eventually separate at the graft. Varieties that require double working include 'Bristol Cross', 'Dr Jules Guyot', 'Doyenné d' été' and 'Williams Bon Chrétien ...

See also:

Fruit tree propagation, Fruit tree propagation - Grafting, Fruit tree propagation - Bud grafting, Fruit tree propagation - Whip and Tongue grafting, Fruit tree propagation - Apple rootstocks, Fruit tree propagation - Pear Rootstocks, Fruit tree propagation - Cherries, Fruit tree propagation - Plums, Fruit tree propagation - Own-Root Fruit Trees, Fruit tree propagation - Own-root apples in a Permaculture design, Fruit tree propagation - External link

Read more here: » Fruit tree propagation: Encyclopedia II - Fruit tree propagation - Pear Rootstocks

Plants have a number of mechanisms for asexual or vegetative reproduction, these have been taken advantage of by horticulturists, and gardeners to produce plants rapidly. Plants are produced using material from a single parent and as such there is no exchange of genetic material, therefore vegetative propagation methods almost always produces plants that are identical the parent. Techniques for vegetative propagation include: Air layering Cuttings Grafting and bud grafting, widely used in fruit tree propagation Bulbs and corms Tubers and rhizom ...

See also:

Plant propagation, Plant propagation - Sexual propagation seed, Plant propagation - Asexual propagation, Plant propagation - External link

Read more here: » Plant propagation: Encyclopedia II - Plant propagation - Asexual propagation

Mammee apple - Tree. The mammee tree is 18-21 m high and looks like the southern magnolia tree. Its trunk is short and reaches 1.9-1.2 m in diameter. The tree's upright branches form a oval head. Its dark-green foliage is quite dense, with opposite, leathery, elliptic leaves. The leaf can reach 10 cm wide and twice as long. The mammee flower is fragrant, has 4 or 6 white petals, reaches 2.5-4 cm wide when fully blossomed. The flowers are borne either singly, or in clusters of 2 or 3 on short stalks. There can be in one flower pistils, stamens or both, so there can be male, female or herm ...

See also:

Mammee apple, Mammee apple - Description, Mammee apple - Tree, Mammee apple - Fruit, Mammee apple - Propagation, Mammee apple - Distribution and habitat, Mammee apple - Uses, Mammee apple - Medical uses, Mammee apple - Culinary interest, Mammee apple - Other

Read more here: » Mammee apple: Encyclopedia II - Mammee apple - Description

Seeds and spores can be used to propagate plants. Seeds are typically produced from sexual reproduction within a species, since genetic recombination has occurred plants grown from seed may have different characteristics to its parents. Some species produce seed that requires special conditions to germinate like cold treatment. The seed of many Australian plants and plants from southern Africa and the American west require smoke or fire to germinate. Some plant species, including many trees do not produce seed until they reach maturity, which may take many years. Seed can be dif ...

See also:

Plant propagation, Plant propagation - Sexual propagation seed, Plant propagation - Asexual propagation, Plant propagation - External link

Read more here: » Plant propagation: Encyclopedia II - Plant propagation - Sexual propagation seed

Plum fruit is sweet, juicy and edible, and it can be eaten fresh or used in jam-making or other recipes. Plum juice can be fermented into plum wine; when distilled, this produces a brandy known in Eastern Europe as Slivovitz. Dried plums are known as prunes. Prunes are sweet and juicy, and they have a very high dietary fiber content, so prune juice is often used to help regulate the functioning of the digestive system. It also contains several antioxidants that may slow aging. Prune marketers in the United States have, in recent years ...

See also:

Plum, Plum - Cultivation and uses

Read more here: » Plum: Encyclopedia II - Plum - Cultivation and uses

Formative pruning of apple (Malus domesticata) and pear (Pyrus communis) trees (the ‘pome’ fruits- the ‘stone’ fruits such as cherries, plums, gages, etc have different requirements and should not be pruned during the dormant months) should be carried out during the dormant winter months between November and March during the early years of the tree’s life in order to develop a strong framework capable of bearing the weight of the crops that will be borne in later years. This involves hard pruning, although in later years pruning will be lighter and ca ...

See also:

Pruning fruit trees, Pruning fruit trees - Overview, Pruning fruit trees - Formative pruning of bush trees, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning the cropping tree, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning of tip bearers

Read more here: » Pruning fruit trees: Encyclopedia II - Pruning fruit trees - Formative pruning of bush trees

Before pruning it is important to distinguish between spur bearing and tip bearing varieties. The former, which is the most common type, bear most of their fruit on older wood, and include apples such as ‘Coaxes Orange Pippin’, ‘James Grieve’ and ‘Sunset’, and the pears ‘Conference’, ‘Doyenne du Commice’ and ‘Williams Bon Chretien’. Tip bearers on the other hand produce most of their fruit buds at the tips of slender shoots grown the previous summer, and include the apples ‘Worcester Pearmain’ and ‘Irish Peach†...

See also:

Pruning fruit trees, Pruning fruit trees - Overview, Pruning fruit trees - Formative pruning of bush trees, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning the cropping tree, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning of tip bearers

Read more here: » Pruning fruit trees: Encyclopedia II - Pruning fruit trees - Pruning the cropping tree

In order to obtain a better understanding of how to prune plants properly, it is useful to have some underlying knowledge of how pruning works, and how it affects the way in which plants grow. Plants form new tissue in an area called the meristem, located near the tips of roots and shoots, where active cell division takes place. Meristem growth is aimed at ensuring that leaves are quickly elevated into sunlight, and that roots are able to penetrate deeply into the soil. Once adequate height and length is achieved by the stems and root ...

See also:

Pruning fruit trees, Pruning fruit trees - Overview, Pruning fruit trees - Formative pruning of bush trees, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning the cropping tree, Pruning fruit trees - Pruning of tip bearers

Read more here: » Pruning fruit trees: Encyclopedia II - Pruning fruit trees - Overview

Orchard - Tropical areas. Banana Coconut Cacao Coffee Guava Mango Papaya Tea Orchard - Subtropical areas. Date Palm Citrus (Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, etc.) Lychee Orchard - Temperate areas. Apple Cherry Hazel Peach Pear Pecan Walnut < ...

See also:

Orchard, Orchard - Crops, Orchard - Tropical areas, Orchard - Subtropical areas, Orchard - Temperate areas, Orchard - Orchards by region

Read more here: » Orchard: Encyclopedia II - Orchard - Crops

The most extensive orchards in the United States are apple and orange orchards, although citrus orchards are more commonly called groves. The most extensive apple orchard area is in eastern Washington state, while there are extensive orange orchards in Florida and southern California. A particular advantage of growing apples on the high plateau areas of Washington state is that it is possible to grow high-quality organic apples. In eastern North America many orchards are along the shores of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Murc ...

See also:

Orchard, Orchard - Crops, Orchard - Tropical areas, Orchard - Subtropical areas, Orchard - Temperate areas, Orchard - Orchards by region

Read more here: » Orchard: Encyclopedia II - Orchard - Orchards by region

The tree comes from tropical South America. In 1529 it was included by Oviedo in his Review of the Fruits of the New World. It was then introduced to various regions in the Old World: West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, Zanzibar, Southeast Asia and Hawaii. In the United States, the species is uniquely found in Hawaii and Florida. In this latter state, mammee apples were probably introduced from the Bahamas. The Mammea apple tree is confined to tropical or subtropical climates. In Central America the species is found to grow ...

See also:

Mammee apple, Mammee apple - Description, Mammee apple - Tree, Mammee apple - Fruit, Mammee apple - Propagation, Mammee apple - Distribution and habitat, Mammee apple - Uses, Mammee apple - Medical uses, Mammee apple - Culinary interest, Mammee apple - Other

Read more here: » Mammee apple: Encyclopedia II - Mammee apple - Distribution and habitat

"Oleum Amygdalae", the fixed oil, is prepared from either variety of almond and is a glyceryl oleate, with slight odour and a nutty taste. It is almost insoluble in alcohol but readily soluble in chloroform or ether. It may be used as a substitute for olive oil. The sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernel of the plant. This oil has been traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, being considered ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Almond oil

There are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The kernel of the former contains a fixed oil and emulsion. As late as the early 20th century the oil was used internally in medicine, with the stipulation that it must not be adulterated with that of the bitter almond; it remains fairly popular in alternative medicine, particularly as a carrier oil in aromatherapy, ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Sweet and bitter almond

While the almond is most often eaten raw, it is used in some dishes. It, along with other nuts, is often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. It is also used in Baklava. There is also almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter. The sweet almond itself contains practically no starch and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and biscuits for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria. Almond extract is also a popular substitute for vanilla extract among ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Culinary uses

The word 'almond' comes from the Old French almande or alemande, late Latin amandola, derived through a form amingdola from the Greek amugdale, an almond; the al- for a- may be due to a confusion with the Arabic article al, the word having first dropped the a- as in the Italian form mandorla; the British pronunciation ar-mond and the modern French amande ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Etymology

There are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The kernel of the former contains a fixed oil and emulsion. As late as the early 20th century the oil was used internally in medicine, with the stipulation that it must not be adulterated with that of the bitter almond; it remains fairly popular in alternative medicine, particularly as a carrier oil in aromatherapy, ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Sweet and bitter almond

"Oleum Amygdalae", the fixed oil, is prepared from either variety of almond and is a glyceryl oleate, with slight odour and a nutty taste. It is almost insoluble in alcohol but readily soluble in chloroform or ether. It may be used as a substitute for olive oil. The sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernel of the plant. This oil has been traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, being considered ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Almond oil

While the almond is most often eaten raw, it is used in some dishes. It, along with other nuts, is often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. It is also used in Baklava. There is also almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter. The sweet almond itself contains practically no starch and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and biscuits for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria. Almond extract is also a popular substitute for vanilla extract among ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Culinary uses

The word 'almond' comes from the Old French almande or alemande, late Latin amandola, derived through a form amingdola from the Greek amugdale, an almond; the al- for a- may be due to a confusion with the Arabic article al, the word having first dropped the a- as in the Italian form mandorla; the British pronunciation ar-mond and the modern French amande ...

See also:

Almond, Almond - Production, Almond - Pollination, Almond - Sweet and bitter almond, Almond - Almond oil, Almond - Culinary uses, Almond - Cultural aspects, Almond - Etymology

Read more here: » Almond: Encyclopedia II - Almond - Etymology

The wild ancestor of Malus domestica is Malus sieversii. It has no common name in English, but is known where it is native as "alma"; in fact, the city where it is thought to originate is called Alma-Ata, or "father of the apples". This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Xinjiang, China. Some individual M. sieversii, recently planted by the US government at a research facility, resist many diseases and pests that affect domestic apples, and are the subject of continuing resear ...

See also:

Apple, Apple - Botanical origins, Apple - Apple cultivars, Apple - Growing apples, Apple - Apple breeding, Apple - Starting an orchard, Apple - Location, Apple - Pollination, Apple - Thinning, Apple - Pests and diseases, Apple - Harvest, Apple - Commerce and uses, Apple - Health benefits, Apple - Cultural aspects, Apple - Apples as symbols, Apple - Traditions

Read more here: » Apple: Encyclopedia II - Apple - Botanical origins