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Plants & Fungi A - Z

Explore our profiles of plants and fungi.

These illustrated profiles contain a wealth of facts, including details on conservation, uses and habitats – as well as Kew’s connections with the species. They have been chosen to inspire interest in plants, detail our science and conservation work and showcase star plants in the Gardens.

This is a constantly growing resource with new profiles added every week - so do be sure to check back regularly.

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Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood)

A sweetly aromatic herb with small, yellow flower heads, sweet wormwood contains the chemical artemisinin and its aerial parts are used in making anti-malarial drugs.

More: Medicinal, Beauty and cosmetics, Ornamentals

Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit)

Breadfruit is a tall tropical tree with divided leaves and large green to yellow fruits with an edible, starchy, white or cream-coloured flesh.

More: Food, Great plant hunters, Medicinal, Textiles and dyes, Building materials, Trees

Arum pictum

Arum pictum is a low-growing, autumn-flowering arum with beautiful, shiny leaves and a purple spathe.

More: Ornamentals

Asarum asaroides

Asarum asaroides was introduced to Europe by the German, Philipp von Siebold, on his return from Japan in 1830.

More: Ornamentals, Traditions and beliefs, Food

Asparagus officinalis (garden asparagus)

Garden asparagus is a widely grown seasonal vegetable that has been cultivated for thousands of years, and this and a few other species of the genus are still harvested from the wild in parts of the Mediterranean.

More: Food, Medicinal

Astragalus sinuatus (Whited’s milkvetch)

Whited’s milkvetch is a critically endangered legume, restricted to Washington State, USA.

More: Legume family

Avena sativa (oat)

Oat is cultivated throughout the temperate world, to produce food for livestock and humans, and even as an ingredient for cosmetics.

More: Grass family, Food, Beauty and cosmetics

Banksia integrifolia (coast banksia)

Coast banksia is an open tree or large shrub with smooth-edged leaves when mature, and heads of pale yellow flowers. In some forms, the leaf edges are wavy.

More: Great plant hunters, Trees

Barleria aristata

A spectacular blue-flowered undershrub, Barleria aristata was only very recently described, despite its abundance along one of the main transport routes in east Africa!

Bellis perennis (daisy)

The humble yet cheerfully attractive daisy is familiar to most people as a weed of lawns and as a feature of children's games.

Berkheya purpurea (purple berkheya)

Purple berkheya is the only mauve to purple flowered species in the genus, most of the others being yellow or in some cases white.

More: Alpines, Ornamentals

Berlinia korupensis

This rare rainforest giant was recently discovered in Cameroon.

More: Legume family, Kew discoveries, Out of the ordinary

Berlinia razzifera

Berlinia razzifera is a rare rainforest tree from river banks in the Loango National Park of Gabon.

More: Trees, Legume family, Plant fungal relationships, Kew discoveries

Beta vulgaris (beet)

Beetroot, Swiss chard, sugar beet and mangel-wurzel are all cultivars of the same species, Beta vulgaris.

More: Food, Medicinal, Textiles and dyes

Betula papyrifera (paper birch)

Paper birch is a North American tree with waterproof bark used in earlier times to make canoes and tepee covers; its wood is now used commercially for toothpicks and ice lolly sticks.

More: Trees, Building materials, Textiles and dyes, Ornamentals

Betula pendula (silver birch)

The silver birch is a temperate tree, grown as an ornamental plant, also for its timber. It is used for a range of purposes, from broom-making and steeple-chase fencing to medicines.

More: Trees, Medicinal, Building materials

Boesenbergia rotunda (fingerroot)

Fingerroot is a medicinal and culinary herb, with bright yellow, finger-shaped rhizomes.

More: Food, Medicinal

Boswellia sacra (frankincense)

Frankincense, an oily gum resin from the tree Boswellia sacra and related species, is named in the Bible as one the three gifts given to the baby Jesus by the 'Three Wise Men'. It has been used for thousands of years in many different cultures.

More: Gums and resins, Traditions and beliefs, Medicinal

Brachystephanus africanus

When this brightly-coloured, forest floor herb was found by a Kew-led team on Namuli Mountain, it was the first time Brachystephanus africanus had been recorded from Mozambique.

More: Kew discoveries

Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)

Cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are all cultivars of the same species, Brassica oleracea.

More: Food

Brenierea insignis (andrabe)

This bizarre Madagascan species Brenierea insignis has unusual flattened stems and is only really recognisable as a species of legume when in fruit.

More: Legume family

Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry)

A shrub or tree, with mulberry-like leaves, paper mulberry is important as a source of fibre for cloth and paper.

More: Trees, Textiles and dyes, Ornamentals, Medicinal

Bulbophyllum macranthum

Bulbophyllum macranthum is an epiphytic orchid from southeast Asia, with long, creeping rhizomes and large, sweetly-scented, fly-pollinated flowers.

More: Orchids, Ornamentals

Bulbophyllum nocturnum

Bulbophyllum nocturnum was recently discovered on the island of New Britain (part of Papua New Guinea) and is the first known orchid with flowers that consistently open at night and close during the day.

More: Orchids, Kew discoveries, Making the news

Caliphruria tenera (Amazon lily)

A bulbous herb with small white flowers, Caliphruria tenera has not been recorded in the wild since 1853, and is now considered to be possibly extinct.

Callicarpa argentii

Callicarpa argentii is one of four new species of Callicarpa recently described from the island of Borneo.

More: Mint family, Trees

Calocybe gambosa (St George’s mushroom)

St George's mushroom is one of the few good edible fungi to be found in spring, usually appearing in late April close to St George’s Day (23rd April), hence the popular name.

More: Food, Fungi, Medicinal

Calodendrum capense (Cape chestnut)

An African tree producing a spectacular display of pink flowers, Cape chestnut is a popular ornamental.

More: Ornamentals, Trees, Beauty and cosmetics, Building materials

Caloncoba welwitschii

In the dense, green, tropical forest undergrowth in Africa, the profusion of petals of the bright white flowers of Caloncoba welwitschii provide quite a spectacle.

More: Medicinal, Food, Trees

Calvatia gigantea (giant puffball)

Calvatia gigantea produces perhaps the largest fruitbody of any fungus, and is aptly referred to as the giant puffball. The unmistakeable fruitbodies, which appear in late summer and autumn, are often the size of footballs and sometimes much larger.

More: Fungi, Food, Medicinal, Little and large