STEP 2: PLANT STORIES
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Where can we find this plant?
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Who interacts with them? (animals, insects, other plants, people)
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What are the ecological roles of this plant?
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What is this plant's uses?
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What are the cultural links to this plant?
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Are there any myths or stories associated with this plant?
There's more to plants than meets the eye...
We have looked at identifying plants, but plants have stories…
To get us thinking about why different plants are important, we can start by thinking about some questions:
TASK 1:​
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Read the blog posts below and delve into some plant stories!
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Not in the mood for reading? Pop in your headphones instead and listen to the stories instead by using the audio recordings included in the blog posts.
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CLICK HERE
Yew tree, Toxic Compounds & Ancient Celts
Pucker up for Palicourea elata
Standing up for trees
Optional Extension Task:​
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Find out more about a plant that you are already familiar with
OR
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Pick a plant that you don't know anything about
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Investigate how to identify it, find out its story
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and why it is important...
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Make a poster to present your findings!
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Looking for some ideas to get started? Click on the links below!​​
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Dragon's Blood Tree (Draecaena cinnabari) - medicinal
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Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) - most expensive spice
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Cinnamon Tree (Cinnamomum verum)
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Orchid vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)
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Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba)
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Madagascan Periwinkle - (Catharantus roseus) - medicinal
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Cork Oak Tree (Quercus suber)
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Swan's-neck thyme-moss (Mnium hornum)
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Fig trees (Ficus sp.) - interesting interaction with fig wasps
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Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) - deadly and medicinal
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Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) - tasty scent
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Coco-de-mer Palm (Lodoicea maldivica) - largest seed
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Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) - the lotus effect, sacred symbolism
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Orchids (Orchidae) - pollinator interactions, 'smallest seeds'
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Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes)
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English Oak (Quercus robur) - Life supporters
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Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii) - 'largest flower'
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Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) - dangerous
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Baoab tree (Adansonia digitata)
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Akee (Blighia sapida) - national fruit of Jamaica
Aim to persuade the least enthusiastic person that this plant is super interesting and important!
Think about the questions outlined at the top of this page...