2,112 articles
Parinari
Parinari is a pantropical genus of about 40 accepted species of trees and shrubs in Chrysobalanaceae, described by Aublet in 1775, marked by bilocular ovaries and hair-filled stomatal crypts, and known for the African mobola plum (P. curatellifolia).
Parkia
Parkia R.Br. is a pantropical genus of about 37 leguminous tree species (Fabaceae), including petai (Parkia speciosa) and African locust bean (P. biglobosa), bat-pollinated trees with edible seeds, timber, and medicinal uses.
Parkia biglobosa
Parkia biglobosa, the African locust bean or néré, is a Fabaceae savanna tree from Senegal to South Sudan whose fermented seeds (soumbala, dawadawa, iru) are a staple West African condiment; IUCN least concern.
Parnassia
Parnassia, the grass of Parnassus genus, is a group of about 56–61 species of glabrous perennial herbs in Celastraceae, Pan-Himalayan center, solitary white flowers with five nectar-mimicking staminodes.
Parodia
Parodia (Spegazzini, 1923), including the old genus Notocactus, is a South American globular cactus genus in Cactaceae with 33-76 accepted species, funnel-shaped yellow to red flowers, and many threatened species.
Parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum, garden parsley) is a biennial Apiaceae herb native to the Mediterranean region, grown as curly-leaf, flat-leaf Italian, and Hamburg root types; rich in vitamin K, C, and A, with apiol and myristicin oils.
Parthenium
Parthenium is a New World genus of 19 Asteraceae species, best known for P. hysterophorus (Santa Maria feverfew, Congress grass), an allelopathic annual invasive weed in over 30 countries.
Parthenium argentatum
Parthenium argentatum, guayule, a Chihuahuan Desert aster shrub storing 8–12% natural rubber in bark parenchyma; hypoallergenic latex source, once 10% of world rubber in 1910, now a US domestic rubber crop.
Parthenium hysterophorus
Parthenium hysterophorus (congress grass, famine weed), an Asteraceae annual herb native to tropical America, is a noxious invasive weed in 46 countries, causing dermatitis, asthma, allelopathic crop damage, and managed mainly by biocontrol beetles and rust fungi.
Parthenocissus
Parthenocissus, a genus of 16 climbing vine species in Vitaceae published in 1887, native from Asia to North America; includes Virginia creeper (P. quinquefolia) and Boston ivy (P. tricuspidata), which climb via adhesive tendril pads.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper or five-leaved ivy, is a deciduous woody vine of the grape family, native to eastern and central North America.
Passiflora
Passiflora (passionflower) is a genus of over 500 Passifloraceae vines and lianas native to the Americas, tropical Asia, and the SW Pacific, known for intricate crucifixion-symbolic flowers, four subgenera, and fruits like passionfruit (P. edulis).
Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora caerulea, blue passion flower or bluecrown passionflower, is a hardy South American passion vine climber with white flowers and blue-purple coronas, orange ornamental fruit, and wide use in hybrids and as rootstock.
Passiflora incarnata
Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower, maypop) is a Passifloraceae vine native to central and eastern USA and Bermuda, used traditionally as a sedative; EU-registered for mild stress and sleep, with limited clinical evidence.
Pastinaca
Pastinaca is a genus of 8-16 Apiaceae herbs native from Europe to Mongolia and Lebanon, containing the cultivated parsnip Pastinaca sativa, whose edible taproot and furanocoumarin sap toxicity distinguish it.
Patchouli
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin, 广藿香), Lamiaceae herb of Sri Lanka and Malesia; leaves steam-distilled into earthy patchouli oil rich in patchoulol, dominated by Indonesian production and used as a perfumery fixative.
Paubrasilia echinata
Paubrasilia echinata (pau-brasil, brazilwood, pernambuco), formerly Caesalpinia echinata, is a critically endangered Fabaceae tree endemic to Brazil's Atlantic Forest coast; its red dye wood named the country and makes violin bows.
Paullinia
Paullinia (genus, Sapindaceae) is a group of about 185-220 Neotropical lianas including P. cupana, the caffeine-rich guaraná, and P. yoco; native to tropical America, Africa, and Madagascar.
Paulownia
Paulownia (empress tree, kiri) is a genus of fast-growing East Asian hardwood trees in Paulowniaceae with seven accepted species, very light wood (220–350 kg/m³), hybrid plantations for timber and biomass, and invasive P. tomentosa.
Paulownia tomentosa
Paulownia tomentosa, the princess or empress tree (kiri), is a fast-growing Paulowniaceae tree native to central and eastern China and South Korea, grown for fire-resistant timber and spring lilac flowers, but invasive in the US, Europe, and Colombia.
Pea shoots
Pea shoots are the young, tender vine tips of garden peas (Pisum sativum), a Hmong-introduced specialty green eaten raw, steamed, or stir-fried; rich in vitamins C, E, A, and potassium, grown in cool 55–65°F weather, and used within one to two days of harvest.
Peach gum
Peach gum (桃胶), the injury-induced exudate of Prunus persica, yields type II arabinogalactan polysaccharides with arabinose and galactose as main sugars; extracted fractions emulsify better than gum arabic.
Peanut
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), groundnut: a Fabaceae legume whose flowers pollinate above ground while pods ripen underground (geocarpy). Fourth-ranked global oilseed; ~50 Mt/year led by China, India, Nigeria; key allergen and aflatoxin risks.
Pear
Pear, Pyrus communis and Asian Pyrus species, a temperate pome fruit from the rose family; world production about 26 million tons, propagated by grafting, self-unfruitful, and menaced chiefly by fire blight (Erwinia amylovora).
Pecan
Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), also called sweet pecan or Illinois nut, a North American hickory tree grown for its edible nut; US produces ~80% of world crop, 284 million lb in 2025, with LDL-lowering trial evidence.
Pedaliaceae
Pedaliaceae R.Br., the sesame family, is a Lamiales family of mucilage-gland-covered herbs and shrubs from warm regions, with about 11 accepted genera including Sesamum (sesame), Harpagophytum (devil's claw), and the Malagasy Uncarina.
Pedicularis
Pedicularis (louseworts), largest genus of Orobanchaceae with about 600-681 hemiparasitic herb species, North Temperate mountains, center of diversity in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains; noted for floral diversity, homoplasy, and traditional medicinal use.
Peganum
Peganum (Nitrariaceae, formerly Zygophyllaceae) is a genus of perennial herbs native from the Mediterranean to India and Texas to NE Mexico; P. harmala yields harmine and harmaline alkaloids used in traditional medicine.
Peganum harmala
Peganum harmala (Syrian rue, harmal) is a perennial Nitrariaceae herb native from the Mediterranean to Mongolia and India, whose seeds' β-carboline alkaloids harmine and harmaline act as reversible MAO-A inhibitors, giving folk-medicinal, psychoactive, and toxic properties.
Pelargonium
Pelargonium (geraniums, stork's-bill genus), a Geraniaceae genus of ca. 280 species mostly from southern Africa, with zygomorphic nectar-spurred flowers, four subgenera, and horticulturally important scented species like P. graveolens.