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.
Follow Kew
Keep up to date with events and news from Kew
Acacia anegadensis (poke-me-boy)
Few trees are under greater threat from increases in sea level due to climate change than poke-me-boy, found almost exclusively on one of the British Virgin Islands (Anegada), which stands only 8 m above the Caribbean Sea.
More: Building materials, Gums and resins, Kew discoveries, Legume family, Trees
Adonidia maturbongsii (manjek)
Adonidia maturbongsii is a solitary palm recently discovered on Biak Island in Indonesia and considered to be Endangered.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries, Building materials
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
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
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
Carapichea lucida
This newly discovered member of the coffee family was found in the threatened Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, Brazil.
More: Coffee family, Kew discoveries
Coffea ambongensis
The giant beans of Coffea ambongensis are more than twice the size of those used in commercial coffee production.
More: Coffee family, Kew discoveries
Coffea pterocarpa
Coffea pterocarpa is a newly identified coffee species with distinctive winged berries.
More: Coffee family, Kew discoveries
Cyrtostachys bakeri
A spectacular new species of canopy palm recently discovered by Kew botanists in the remote Western Province of Papua New Guinea.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Dendrobium daklakense
Dendrobium daklakense is a showy, attractive Vietnamese orchid that has evaded discovery until very recently.
More: Orchids, Kew discoveries
Dioscorea elephantipes (elephant's foot yam)
Elephant's foot yam is a spectacular shrubby climber from South Africa, which is threatened due to over-collection.
More: Kew discoveries
Dioscorea orangeana (Angona)
Dioscorea orangeana is a newly described, threatened species of edible yam from northern Madagascar.
More: Making the news, Kew discoveries
Dioscorea strydomiana (Strydom's yam)
Dioscorea strydomiana is a recently discovered yam from South Africa. It is critically endangered and one of the most unusual yam species anywhere in the world.
More: Medicinal, Out of the ordinary, Kew discoveries, Making the news
Dracaena jayniana (red dragon tree)
Dracaena jayniana is an endangered dragon tree from Thailand, the dried red sap of which is used to make a tonic drink.
More: Ornamentals, Food, Amazing adaptations, Kew discoveries, Making the news
Dransfieldia micrantha
Only recently placed in a genus of its own, the Latin name of this palm honours a Kew botanist and palm expert.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries, Building materials
Dypsis ankirindro
A beautiful new species of palm discovered by Kew botanists in Madagascar’s newest protected area.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Dypsis gronophyllum
A clustering palm, with leaflets that look as though they have been ‘nibbled’, Dypsis gronophyllum is known only from the Vondrozo area of south-east Madagascar.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Dypsis humilis
A highly threatened new species of stemless palm discovered by Kew botanists on the edge of Madagascar’s newest protected area.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Dypsis makirae
This stunning new species of palm was discovered by Kew botanists in Madagascar’s newest protected area.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Encephalartos altensteinii (Eastern Cape giant cycad)
The Eastern Cape giant cycad originates from South Africa, is long-lived and slow growing, and is popular as an ornamental plant.
More: Great plant hunters, Ornamentals, Kew discoveries, Ancient
Encholirium agavoides
This striking new species of bromeliad was discovered during conservation-based fieldwork in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
More: Kew discoveries
Encholirium ctenophyllum
This new species of bromeliad, with comb-like leaves, was discovered during conservation-based fieldwork in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
More: Kew discoveries
Eucalyptus brandiana (Brand's mallet)
Brand's mallet is a rare and endangered ornamental Eucalyptus recently described from Fitzgerald River National Park in SW Australia.
More: Eucalyptus family, Kew discoveries
Eucalyptus sweedmaniana (Sweedman's mallee)
Sweedman's mallee is a knee-high rare eucalypt of horticultural merit recently discovered on the burnt coastal slopes of the Mount Arid granite inselberg in SW Australia.
More: Eucalyptus family, Kew discoveries
Galanthus panjutinii (Panjutin’s snowdrop)
Galanthus panjutinii is an endangered snowdrop from Russia and Georgia.
More: Alpines, Kew discoveries
Gymnosiphon afro-orientalis
This flowering plant does not photosynthesise, but depends on fungi instead for survival.
More: Kew discoveries, Little and large, Plant fungal relationships, Out of the ordinary
Helixanthera schizocalyx
A striking new mistletoe, recently discovered in the ‘lost forest’ of Mt Mabu in northern Mozambique, is currently known from just five collections made in the same small area.
More: Kew discoveries, Making the news
Heterospathe barfodii
Heterospathe barfodii is a critically endangered palm from Papua New Guinea with a striking white crownshaft and maroon young flowering stems.
More: Palms, Kew discoveries
Isoetes eludens
Part of an ancient group of plants related to the ferns, this species eluded discovery until 2007, hence its Latin name eludens.
More: Little and large, Ancient, Kew discoveries
Isoglossa variegata
A newly described rare species of forest floor herb, discovered growing in the glasshouses at Kew!
More: Kew discoveries
Jasminum leptophyllum
On one of Kew’s collecting trips to Pakistan, 100 plants of the rare Jasminum leptophyllum were discovered; no other populations are known to local expedition members.
More: Kew discoveries, Saving species
Khaosokia caricoides (Khaosok sedge)
Khaosok sedge was discovered in 2001 on limestone cliffs, accessible only by boat, in southern Thailand.
More: Kew discoveries, Saving species
Mastigostyla chuquisacensis
An attractive member of the iris family, Mastigostyla chuquisacensis is known from only two localities in Bolivia.
More: Kew discoveries
Mastigostyla torotoroensis
Found only in Torotoro National Park in Bolivia, Mastigostyla torotoroensis is a bulbous perennial herb with eye-catching blue flowers.
More: Kew discoveries
Micrargeriella aphylla
Micrargeriella aphylla is a rare and poorly known herb that was discovered for the first time in Angola by a Kew-led botanical team in 2011.
More: Kew discoveries, Saving species
Nepenthes robcantleyi (Robert Cantley’s pitcher plant)
A pitcher plant from the Philippines, description of Nepenthes robcantleyi was based on plants known from only a single location, where the forest has since been cut down.
More: Carnivorous, Amazing adaptations, Kew discoveries
Paris japonica (Japanese canopy plant)
The genome of the Japanese canopy plant contains 50 times more DNA than the human genome and is 15% larger than the previous record holders (the marbled lungfish and a trillium).
More: Alpines, Kew discoveries, Food, Making the news
Rondeletia buxifolia (pribby)
In 2006 Kew botanists discovered several populations of pribby using data from specimens rescued from Montserrat’s volcano-damaged herbarium.
More: Coffee family, Kew discoveries, Saving species
Solanum phoxocarpum (osigawai)
Solanum phoxocarpum is a spiny African tree with bright yellow pointed fruits that may have medicinal properties.
More: Kew discoveries
Solanum ruvu
A rare, African spiny aubergine, Solanum ruvu has been collected only once and is now likely to be extinct in the wild.
More: Kew discoveries
Strelitzia reginae (bird-of-paradise flower)
A bold, architectural plant, the bird-of-paradise flower has been grown at Kew since 1773.
More: Kew discoveries, Ornamentals, Great plant hunters
Urocystis primulicola (bird’s-eye primrose smut)
Bird’s-eye primrose smut, regarded as an extinct British fungus until its rediscovery in 2010, lives concealed inside its pink-flowered host, only attracting attention when it replaces the plant’s seeds with masses of blackish smut spores.
More: Fungi, Kew discoveries
- Print friendly
- Send to a friend
-
Send to a friend Close
- Spread the word
-
Spread the word Close
- Blog this
- Donate
