Exotic Plants

Bamboo

 

Bamboo is known around the world as the fastest growing plant. These plants can grow 6 to 15 inches a day and become up to 120 inches tall. Even though bamboo are as hard as wood, they are members of the grass family. Bamboo has many different uses. For example, they are used to bulid houses, rafts, bridges, mats, chopsticks, hats, fish traps, and musical instruments.

Aerial Roots

 

These plants are also known as "air roots." There also called epiphytes. Aerial roots are found in the upper regions of the jungle. They gather water using their sponge-like layers. They often grow in canopies, but their roots do not reach the ground.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil Nuts are nuts that are taken up by native workers and are brought all over the world. They have a very hard shell. The shell is extremely hard to crack. These nuts are found in a round ball, the size of a grapefruit that grows on the tree and contains about 20-25 seeds.

Ferns

Ferns are green, spore producting plants, that often grow in damp, shady places. Even though most of them grow there, others grow in dry soil and rocks and some are air plants that grow on trees. Ferns can be sometimes be very large and other times very small.

Hibiscus

These plants are helped pollinated with the many different speicies of Hummingbirds. The anthers of the Hibiscus wipe onthe Hummmingbirds and help transfer pollen.

Kapok Tree

The Kapok Tree is one of the biggest trees in the rainforest. For this reason it is the home to many of the animals of the jungle.

Lianas

Lians are known has climing plants. they link themselves around tree trunks and branches. The climb the canopy in search of light. The plants hang in midair and are aerial roots.

Rubber

Rubber is one of the many products of the jungle. It comes from a Rubber tree. It produces a sticky material that is used to make Rubber. This material is called latex.

Spices

There are many spices that come from the jungle and it is used all around the world. These spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

Vines

Vines are also climber plants like Lianas. Some reach for sunlight and others get nutrients from the plant. Many vines are strong and help animals swing and climb.

 

Periwinkles

This beautiful plant is part of the "dogband" family. This plant is also help to treat lukemia and Hodgkin's disease.