Kingdom: Plantae Family: Apiaceae Order: Apiales Genus: Anethum Tribe: Apieae Dill Annual Herb — Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a short-lived annual herb. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum, though classified by some botanists in the related genus Peucedanum as Peucedanum graveolens (L.) C.B. Clarke. It grows to 40-60 cm tall, with slender stems and alternate, finely divided, …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Araliaceae Order: Genus: Panax Tribe: Ginseng: Medicinal Root of Plant: Ginseng refers to species within Panax, a genus of 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, in the family Araliaceae. They grow in the Northern Hemisphere in eastern Asia (mostly northern China, Korea, and eastern Siberia), typically in cooler climates; Panax vietnamensis, discovered in Vietnam, is …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Malvaceae Order: Fagales Genus: Gossypium Cotton Plant — Cotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant (Gossypium sp.), a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India, and Africa. However, virtually all of the commercial cotton grown today worldwide is grown from varieties of …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Piperaceae Order: Piperales Genus: Piper Betel Medical Plant — The Betel (Piper betle) is a spice whose leaves have medicinal properties. The plant is known by a series of different names in the regions in which it is consumed – among these are Vetrilai (Tamil), Vettila (Malayalam). The plant is evergreen and perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Poaceae Order: Poales Genus: Hordeum Barley — Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an annual cereal grain, which serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food. It is a member of the grass family Poaceae. In 2005, barley ranked fourth in quantity produced and in area of cultivation of cereal …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Asteraceae Order: Asterales Genus: Bellis Daisy: Bellis perennis — is the common name for many different members of the composite family, Compositae. The name originally referred to the English daisy, Bellis perennis, a Eurasian perennial seldom exceeding 15 cm (6 in) in height. Its flowers have yellow centers and white or rose outer petals. In the United …

Paripally Gajamela: Every celebration is regarded incomplete without the participation of elephants in Kerala. Elephants are worshiped as an incarnation of the elephant headed god Ganesha. Elephants tamed in some of the temples in India bear the images of the gods in temple processions on some special days. Elephants hold important place as they have the privilege of escorting the …

International Yoga Week: Yoga literally means “union”. It is a union of breath and the body, the mind and muscles and most importantly, union of the self to the divine. What can be a better place to become “united” other than the sacred banks of Ganga river. To promote the ancient science of Yoga, a week long event is organised …

Kingdom: Plantae Family: Polemoniaceae Order: Ericales Genus: Phlox Phlox Flower — Phlox (pronounced “flocks” and meaning ‘flame’ in Latin) is a genus of 67 species of annual or perennial flowering plants. Some species flower in early spring while others flower in summer into fall. Most species are native to temperate North America but a few species are also from northeastern …

Kingdom: Animalia Family: Cercopithecidae Order: Primates Genus: Mandrillus Drill — The Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) is a primate of the Cercopithecidae (Old-world Monkeys) family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the Mandrill. The Drill is similar in appearance to the Mandrill, but lacks the colorful face. It is found only in Cameroon, Nigeria, north of the Sanaga …