Rainforest Plants
How To Identify Rainforest Plants
Rainforest plants are a privileged few, hardy enough to withstand 100% humidity in 100 degree temperatures, and drinking up 100 inches of rain per year without so much as a hiccup. Tropical areas prone toward the equator are prime territory for rainforest plants, though some people are lucky enough to enjoy them as indoor plants in their homes year round. They cannot withstand temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so climate control and proper water and sun levels are of the utmost importance. If you are interested in owning and nurturing plants of this type, there is some very important information available to you within this piece. For those who merely wish to learn and enjoy, don’t go away just yet.
Many rainforest plants are small, flowering, delicate, and endangered, and these are the least likely specimens you are bound to encounter at your local specialty greenhouse. It is estimated that 100 new species of flowers and shoots are discovered in the rainforest every year, and this causes great concern where the tropical forests are being ravaged to logging and excavation. Bamboo, for in stance, in a rainforest plant which is also the only food source for some of the worlds most endangered animals, the great panda bear being the most likely. As the rainforest slims and its ecology suffers, bamboo runs in short supply, and the pandas continue to thin in girth and numbers. Scientists estimate that we have already lost several species of rainforest plants that we never had a chance to discover and document.
Bougainvillea is a flowered rainforest plant which is named for the biomes which have inherited its wild versions. This particular plant has many types, and can be found all along the forest floor, climbing up tree trunks, and even chaining itself with tree limbs some 120 feet in the air. It is not endangered, and very hardy, and as such has been a lovely addition to the household plant collection all over the world. It needs plenty of water, but can do well in either full sun or full shade conditions.
Curare are rainforest plants which have been used by the natives of their perspective regions as salves, poisons, and food bases since the dawn of history. The active ingredient in these huge, hairy leaves is known as an alkaloid. This potent poison works as a paralyzing agent, and first effects the ears, toes, fingers, eyes, and throat. When fatal doses are consumed, the legs, arms, and spine will go numb as well, followed by the respiratory tract of the victim. As the numbing is a muscular reaction, rather than a nervous system reaction, those who ingest too much of this alkaloid will perish by suffocation.