Eucalyptus is a very unique looking tree. It has leathery leaves which hang downwards and a tall, straight trunk which is mostly white in colour. It is a very fast growing tree which can sometimes grows 4 metres in a year. Some eucalyptus trees grow as tall as 140 metres. These trees are very useful […]

When a tree-trunk is cut down, several alternating dark and light bands can be seen. A pair of dark and light band is referred as an annual ring. The annual ring is an indicator of the age of a tree. The older tree, the more the number of rings it will have. The bands in

There are certain plants that feed upon insects. These plants are called carnivorous plants. Most of carnivorous plants are found in and around water. Bladderwort, Venus flytrap, Pitcher plant and Cobra lily are the examples of carnivorous plants. These plants grow in soil that lacks nutrients. Due to this reason they have evolved and developed

Cellulose is a type of carbohydrate present in the cell walls of plants. It gives flexibility to the plant. It is found in many foods, like lettuce, celery and bran. Cellulose provides roughage in human diet. However, it cannot be digested by humans. Only herbivores such as horses and cows can digest it. Raw cotton

Water lilies are aquatic plants that are found growing along the sides of ponds, lakes or streams. Lilies can be seen growing near gardens and small pools. They are also found growing in wilderness. They have big rounded leaves or lilypads and white, yellow or pink flowers. Each flower at least has six petals. Water

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of grapes or other fruit like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The natural and appropriate quantities of sugar present in grapes make them the most suitable product for wine making. Grapes also have natural wine yeast on their skin that converts sugar into alcohol and carbon

The word deciduous literally means, ‘Falling off’. The shrubs and trees that shed their leaves every year at the end of every growing season are known as deciduous plants. They shed all of their leaves to adapt to the changing weather conditions and grow some new leaves when seasons change again. In some parts of

Diatoms are single-celled plants that have transparent cell walls. They are found in both fresh and marine waters. They are very small in size. Each diatom is enclosed in a box-like shell whose edges are held by a girdle. They float over water and attach themselves to rock or large plants with a jelly-like material.

Olive oil is oil obtained from the fruits of olive trees. Earlier, olive oil was obtained by crushing olive fruits between stone rollers. The mashed olive pulp was then squeezed between cloth mats and the oil was filtered. However in modern times, the process is mechanised by using large grinders, hydraulic presses and advanced filtrating

Cacti are usually found in deserts. Cactus spines are modified leaves. They protect the plant from predators. These spines also provide shade to the surface of the cacti by protecting them from the harsh sun. The shade created by the spines also helps to lower the temperature of the surface of cacti, which reduces the

Mushrooms are a type of fungi. They do not contain chlorophyll and hence cannot manufacture their own food. Most mushrooms are edible but there a few varieties that are also poisonous. Toadstools are traditionally poisonous or inedible mushrooms containing a poison which is lethal. However, scientifically, there is no difference between mushrooms and toadstools. Some

Plankton are a floating mass of life formed by billions of tiny living organisms. Some plankton are as big as large jellyfish whereas some are so tiny that they are not visible even under a microscope. Some common plankton are algae, bacteria, protozoan, etc. Two main categories of plankton are plant like, phytoplankton and animal

A vegetable is any part of a plant likes seed, root, tuber, bulb, stem, leaf, bud, fruit or flower, which can be eaten as food. Some common vegetables are beans, eggplant, potato, onion, capsicum, tomato, cauliflower, peas, cucumber, etc. Mushrooms and other edible fungi are also categorised as vegetables but they are not green plants.

A fruit is the fleshy part of the plant that contains a seed or seeds. It is eaten as food. The fleshy part is often covered by a peel. In some fruits, the peel can be eaten while in some it cannot be eaten. Nutritionally, fruits are an important source of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates

Paprika belongs to the Capsicum family. It is a spice made from the fruit of chilli pepper. It is generally referred to as sweet pepper. It is milder than many other kinds of pepper. The colour of the fruit ranges from orange-red to dark red. Paprika is used for seasoning food. It is native to