Forget-me-not — The Forget-me-nots are the genus Myosotis of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, and among them there is considerable variation. Nevertheless a considerable number of the species fit the same description, of a small (1 cm diameter or less) rather flat 5-petalled blue flower growing profusely on straggly stems, flowering …

Flax — Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. The New Zealand flax is unrelated. Flax is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. It was extensively cultivated in ancient Egypt. It is an erect …

Fir — Firs (Abies) are a genus of between 45-55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. All are trees, reaching heights of 10-80 m (30-260 ft) tall and trunk diameters of 0.5-4 m (2-12 ft) when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by their needle-like leaves, attached to the twig by a …

Filbert — The filbert, or hazelnut or Corylus maxima, is the fruit of plants belonging to the genus Corylus of the birch family, Betulaceae. Of the 10 major species, the most widely grown are the European filbert (C. avellana), the American filbert (C. americana), the Turkish filbert (C. colurna), and the beaked filbert (C. cornuta). Filberts are deciduous shrubs or …

Fig — Ficus is a genus of about 800 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemi-epiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the warm temperate zone. The so-called Common Fig (F. carica) is a temperate species from the Middle East and southern Europe, which …

Fennel — Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists). It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves, grows wild in most parts of temperate Europe, but is generally considered indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, whence it spreads eastwards …

Evening Primrose — Oenothera is a genus of about 125 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants, native to North and South America. It is the type genus of the family Onagraceae. Common names include evening primrose, suncups, and sundrops. The species vary in size from small alpine plants 10 cm tall (e.g. O. acaulis from Chile), to …

Endive — Endive, Cichorium endivia is a leaf vegetable belonging to the daisy family. Endive can be cooked or used raw in salads. The technique for growing endives was accidentally discovered in the 1830s in the Josaphat valley in Schaerbeek, Belgium. Endive is cultivated for culinary use by cutting the leaves from the growing plant, then keeping the living stem …

Elm — Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae, found throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Siberia to Indonesia, Mexico to Japan. Many species and cultivars have also been introduced as ornamentals to parts of the Southern Hemisphere, notably Australasia. Elms have alternate, simple, single- or doubly-serrate leaves, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at …

Eggplant — The eggplant, aubergine or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking. As a night-shade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to southern India and Sri Lanka. …