Tuesday, April 4, 2017

April 4, 2017


Location: Fellsmere, my yard

On the left is a Chinese Violet,
On the right, Cairo Morning Glory.
They are both not native to Florida,
And both having interesting stories:

Chinese Violet, aka "Creeping Foxglove"
Is used by butterflies and honeybees;
And in some places such as Africa,
It is used in herbal remedies.1

Cairo Morning Glory is a mosquito larvicide2
And has many medicinal properties3
On the other hand, it's an invasive exotic,
Which is expected to worsen with global warming.4

(Thanks to Raleigh for helping me identify these plants!)

Sources:
  1. Wikipedia, Asystasya gangetica
  2. Mosquito larvicidal properties of essential oil of an indigenous plant, Ipomoea cairica Linn.
  3. Ipomoea cairica: a medicinal weed with promising health benefits 
  4. Elevated temperature may accelerate invasive expansion of the liana plant Ipomoea cairica
Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

No comments: