Growing With Science Blog

Month: April 2013 (Page 2 of 5)

Seed of the Week: Arizona Grape Ivy

April 23, 2013 / / 2 Comments

Our somewhat obscure mystery seed from last week was from an Arizona grape ivy, Cissus trifoliata.

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It is called by other common names, such as cow-itch vine and sorrelvine. The name cow-itch comes from the fact that the leaves can cause skin irritation in some people.

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Arizona grape ivy is a hardy vine that can tolerate the high summer temperatures. It is native throughout the southern United States.

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The name “grape” ivy fits because it belongs to the same family as grapes, Vitaceae. The fruit are not edible, however.

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Doesn’t the seed look a little like a grape seed?

 

Seed of the Week: Monkey Puzzle Tree

April 16, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Mary recognized that our mystery seeds from last week were from a cone, which is true. In fact they are from the cones of a monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana.

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Monkey puzzle trees are bizarre gymnosperms native to Chile and Argentina, although they are now grown throughout the world.

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They are slow-growing trees with sharp, triangular leaves and spines on the trunks. The story goes that supposedly the name comes from man who suggested that the trees would be a real puzzle for a monkey to climb.

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In South America, the seeds are used as food. The trees are also used for lumber, although efforts are being made to protect the trees because they are rapidly disappearing.

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All of these photographs were taken in Chile, but it can be grown in North America (see map at bottom).

Have you ever seen a monkey puzzle tree? Where was it?

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Thanks to my husband and his colleagues for making this post possible.

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