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Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis, common juniper, is a circumboreal Cupressaceae shrub or small tree whose fleshy cones flavor gin and are used in herbal medicine; dioecious, IUCN Least Concern, nine accepted varieties.
Juniperus drupacea
Juniperus drupacea (Syrian juniper, Andız) is the tallest juniper, a dioecious Tertiary relict of the eastern Mediterranean and monotypic section Caryocedrus, with three-year, drupe-like cones; Least Concern globally but Endangered in Greece.
Juniperus occidentalis
Juniperus occidentalis, western juniper (also called Sierra juniper for southern populations now split as J. grandis), is a small, long-lived Cupressaceae tree native to Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington, expanding into sagebrush steppe since the late 1800s and killed by fire, regenerating only by seed.
Juniperus osteosperma
Juniperus osteosperma, Utah juniper (syn. J. utahensis), a short Cupressaceae conifer dominating Great Basin and Colorado Plateau pinyon-juniper woodlands; slow-growing, deep-rooted, usually killed by fire, hybridizes with J. occidentalis in Nevada.
Juniperus oxycedrus
Juniperus oxycedrus (prickly juniper, cade juniper) is a western Mediterranean Cupressaceae shrub or tree to 6 m with spiny two-banded needles; its wood yields cade oil, and J. deltoides and J. macrocarpa were split from it.
Juniperus phoenicea
Juniperus phoenicea, Phoenician juniper ('ar'ar), a Mediterranean Cupressaceae shrub or small tree 5–8 m with red-brown berry-like cones; IUCN Least Concern; J. turbinata split from it as a separate species.
Juniperus sabina
Juniperus sabina, savin juniper, also Sabina vulgaris, a dioecious evergreen Cupressaceae shrub native from central and southern Europe to SW Siberia and N China, grown for centuries, IUCN Least Concern.
Juniperus scopulorum
Juniperus scopulorum, Rocky Mountain juniper, is a small evergreen cypress native from western Canada to northern Mexico, with two-year blue cones, hybridizing with J. virginiana, killed by fire but drought tolerant.
Juniperus virginiana
Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a dioecious juniper of eastern North America, not a true cedar, with one-year blue cones, decay-resistant aromatic heartwood (cedrene, cedrol), heavy Great Plains grassland encroachment under fire suppression, and uses in fenceposts, chests, pencils, and cedarwood oil.
Kabocha
Kabocha (カボチャ) is a Japanese-bred winter squash of Cucurbita maxima, named via Portuguese traders bringing squash from Cambodia; small, dark green, sweet, starchy, with half of Japan's 100,000–200,000 ton squash crop grown in Hokkaido.
Kaempferia
Kaempferia (peacock ginger) is a genus of rhizomatous Zingiberaceae herbs native to tropical and subtropical Asia, published by Linnaeus in 1753 with type species K. galanga; about 58 species used as spices and traditional medicine.
Kaffir lime
Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC.), also called makrut lime, Thai lime, or Mauritius papeda, is a thorny Southeast Asian citrus tree grown for aromatic double leaves used in Thai and other cuisines; its bumpy, bitter fruit yields essential oil rich in β-pinene and citronellal.
Kalamata olive
Kalamata olive (Kalamon/Καλαμών cultivar): Greek dual-purpose table olive from the Kalamata region, PDO-protected as Elia Kalamatas, typically brine-cured black and slit for marinades.
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe (mother of thousands, flaming katy) is a genus of about 167–176 succulent Crassulaceae species, mostly Malagasy, with CAM photosynthesis, bufadienolide toxicity to pets, major horticultural use, and invasive escapes worldwide.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Flaming Katy or Florist's kalanchoe, is a succulent Crassulaceae subshrub from NE Madagascar, a short-day winter-flowering houseplant named for nurseryman Robert Blossfeld, sold in millions since the 1930s.
Kalanchoe pinnata
Kalanchoe pinnata, also known as life plant or Bryophyllum pinnatum, is a succulent herb in the stonecrop family native to Madagascar that grows new plantlets along its leaf margins.
Kale
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), a non-heading leafy cruciferous vegetable, oldest Brassica variety; cool-season crop with cultivars like Lacinato and Winterbor, high vitamin K and glucosinolates, sensitive to boiling.
Kalmia
Kalmia (mountain laurel, laurier des montagnes) is a genus of Ericaceae shrubs named for Peter Kalm, published 1753; nine accepted species including Kalmia latifolia, toxic grayanotoxin-bearing plants of acidic soils.
Kalmia angustifolia
Kalmia angustifolia (sheep laurel, lambkill), Ericaceae shrub native to eastern North America; evergreen, pink-flowered, rhizomatous, toxic to livestock via grayanotoxin, and able to form persistent Kalmia barrens after disturbance.
Kalmia latifolia
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel, calico bush) is a toxic evergreen Ericaceae shrub of the eastern United States, state flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with spring-loaded anther pollination; IUCN Least Concern.
Kappaphycus alvarezii
Kappaphycus alvarezii, once known as Eucheuma cottonii and called elkhorn sea moss, is a tropical red alga farmed as the world's principal source of kappa-carrageenan, used in foods.
Kasha
Kasha (каша): roasted buckwheat groats and the porridge made from them; in Slavic usage, porridge from any grain. Gluten-free pseudocereal staple of Russian and Ashkenazi cuisine, e.g. kasha varnishkes.
Kauri dieback
Kauri dieback, also called kauri disease, is a fatal root-rot disease of New Zealand kauri caused by the soil-borne oomycete Phytophthora agathidicida, first reported 1972, formally named 2015, spread only via soil, incurable, managed by the 2022 National Pest Management Plan and phosphite injection.
Kauri gum
Kauri gum (kāpia) is resin from New Zealand kauri trees (Agathis australis), dug from Northland swamps; a major Auckland export for varnish and linoleum from the 1840s until the 1940s.
Kelp
Kelp (Laminariales): large brown algae of cool coastal waters, forming kelp forests on about 25% of the world's coastline. Includes giant kelp Macrocystis, bull kelp, kombu, alginate, blue carbon, urchin barrens, and global decline.
Kelp forest
Kelp forest: underwater ecosystems of large brown algae (Macrocystis, Nereocystis, Laminaria) on temperate rocky coasts, along 25% of world coastlines, threatened by urchin barrens and warming, valued at $684 billion yearly.
Keteleeria
Keteleeria (油杉属) is a relict conifer genus of Pinaceae, sister to Abies in the abietoid clade, native mainly to China. It has axial resin canals, disputed species limits, a Cretaceous fossil record, and endangered, climate-threatened species.
Keteleeria fortunei (油杉)
Keteleeria fortunei (油杉, Fortune's keteleeria) is a Near Threatened Pinaceae tree to 30 m from southern China and northern Vietnam, with erect cylindrical cones, timber and afforestation uses, and varieties fortunei, cyclolepis, and oblonga.
Key lime
Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia, Mexican or West Indian lime) is a small thorny citrus with small, seedy, highly acid fruit, named for the Florida Keys; Mexico is now the main producer and the fruit flavors Key lime pie.
Khao soi (ข้าวซอย)
Khao soi (ข้าวซอย) is Northern Thailand's coconut curry egg noodle soup, the signature dish of Chiang Mai, brought by Yunnanese Muslim caravan traders via Burma, related to ohn no khao swe, ranked TasteAtlas #1 soup in 2022.