Plants that start with P

Pis forPalm tree

Scientific name: family: arecaceae

There are many, many different kinds of palm tree. Most have one long trunk with a tuft of fronded leaves at the top. Some branch into a few stems. Palm trees usually grow in warm, wet areas of the world but are also found in deserts. They are not found in really cold places. Some kinds of palm tree grow fruit that people eat, like the coconut palm and the date palm.

Plants

Quinn Daedal / CC BY-SA

Pis forPapaya

Scientific name: carica papaya

A papaya, sometimes called a pawpaw, is a soft, tropical fruit that has a taste a little like a mild peach or pineapple. Papayas are usually eaten fresh. The seeds are also edible, with a very sharp flavour and are sometimes ground up and used instead of pepper.

Fruit

Ian Scott / CC BY-SA

Pis forPapyrus

Scientific name: cyperus papyrus

Papyrus is an Egyptian plant commonly found growing around waterways. It was used for many things, the most famous being for a type of cheap paper. Papyrus leaves and stems were also used to make baskets, mattresses, and boats.

Plants

Phelyan Sanjoin / CC BY-SA

Pis forParsley

Scientific name: Curly leaf: petroselinum crispum, Flat leaf: petroselinum neapolitanum

Parsley is a herb, which means it is not eaten as a food on its own, but it is added to other dishes for flavour. Parsley is used mostly as a garnish, cut up and sprinkled onto food to make it look nicer. You often find a sprig of parsley being used to decorate food from a restaurant.

Herbs & spices, Plants

Robert Couse-Baker / CC BY-SA

Pis forParsnip

Scientific name: pastinaca sativa

The parsnip is an edible root vegetable related to the carrot. It is paler than the carrot, being almost white not bright orange, and has a stronger flavour and is not so crisp. Like carrots, parsnips can be roasted or fried but are most often used in soups and stews.

Vegetables, Plants

Jan Smith / CC BY-SA

Pis forPassionfruit

Scientific name: passiflora edulis

Passionfruits are a small, tropical vine. The fruit itself is hard, and either yellow or almost black. The part of the passionfruit that you eat is the seeds and the flesh around the seeds. You cut the fruit in half and scrape the seeds out. Passionfruit is added to pies, desserts, fruit salad and some drinks.

Fruit, Plants

Lee Jordan / CC BY-SA

Pis forPea

Scientific name: pisum sativum

The pea is the seed of the pea plant. It is eaten for food. With most kinds of pea, you remove the case the peas come in (the pod) before you eat them. Peas are in the same family as beans.

Legumes

Foodista / CC BY-SA

Pis forPeach

Scientific name: prunus persica

Peaches are a large, pale orange fruit related to plums, apricots and cherries. The outside of the peach fruit is covered in fine fuzz, which some people don't like. A fuzzless peach is called a nectarine. Peaches are usually eaten fresh or preserved in jars or tins.

Stone fruit

Till Westermayer / CC BY-SA

Pis forPeanut

Scientific name: arachis hypogea

The peanut is not a true not and, in fact, related to the pea - they are both legumes. Peanuts develop in a pod, like peas, with 1-4 peanuts in each pod. The pods force themselves underground to mature. Peanuts are usually sold in shops removed from their shell, roasted and salted. Peanuts are also frequently ground into a fine paste called peanut butter which is good to eat on sandwiches with jam or jelly. Some people get a violent allergic reaction to eating peanuts, called anaphylactic shock, which can kill them. As this allergy is more common in children and more children each year are being found to have it, peanuts are often banned in schools. The peanuts in the picture are unopened, still in their shells.