Plants that start with P

Plants that start with P

The most well-known plants and fungi, listed by their common names.
Photo of plant pith
John Tann / CC BY-SA

Pis forPith

Pith is the spongy material found inside plant stems. When you are talking about citrus fruit, pith is the bitter white layer surrounding the sweet flesh of the fruit.
Plant parts
Photo of plums
Eli Duke / CC BY-SA

Pis forPlum

Scientific name: prunus domestica
The plum is a small, dark red fruit related to peaches and cherries. Dried plums are sometimes called prunes. Plums can be eaten raw or used to cook puddings.
Plants, Stone fruit
Photo of peas in pods
Gerwin Sturm / CC BY-SA

Pis forPod (pea)

A pod is a long, thin seed casing found on plants like peas and beans. Pods are made from two halves joined together, and when the seeds inside are ripe they split open. The pods of many kinds of peas and bean can be eaten along with the seeds inside if they are picked early enough.
Plant parts
Photo of a poinsettia
Oregon State University / CC BY-SA

Pis forPoinsettia

Scientific name: euphorbia pulcherrima
leaves, the real flowers are the tiny yellow part in the centre.
Plants
Photo of poison ivy
Pawpaw67 / CC BY-SA

Pis forPoison ivy

Scientific name: toxicodendron radicans
Poison ivy is a vine that grows throughout North America. It is not a true ivy. Poison ivy contains urushiol, a type of oil that causes an itchy rash in most people.
Plants
Photo of pollen in a flower
peasap / CC BY-SA

Pis forPollen

Pollen is made up of fine grains of male genetic material. Bundles of pollen are held inside flowers on the end of stamens, which you can clearly see in the picture. As insects or birds come to the flowers to eat nectar, they brush against the pollen and carry it to the stigma of another flower.
Plant parts
Photo of pomegranates
FrauBucher / CC BY-SA

Pis forPomegranate

Scientific name: punica granatum
The pomegranate is originally native to Asia but has been grown around the Mediterranean area for centuries. It is the fruit of a deciduous shrub. The name means "seeded apple". Pomegranates have a hard outside layer that you cannot eat. The part of the pomegranate you eat is the juicy seeds. You can eat them raw, make them into juice, or use them in desserts or other dishes.
Fruit, Plants
Photo of poppies
John Haslam / CC BY-SA

Pis forPoppy

Scientific name: family: papaveraceae
Poppies are small flowers that are grown mainly because they look pretty. The most well-known poppy is the opium poppy, which is grown for its seeds that are often found on top of bread rolls, and because it contains a substance that can be used to make a very powerful painkiller. Most poppies will grow in very cold climates. Some kinds of poppies grow almost in arctic conditions, and are one of the most northerly growing plants in the world.
Plants
Photo of potatoes
Avlxyz / CC BY-SA

Pis forPotato

Scientific name: solanum tuberosum
Potatoes are tubers - they grow underground but are not the central root of the plant like a carrot or turnip. One potato plant can make many potatoes. Potatoes originally came from Peru but are now grown world wide, and are the fourth biggest crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Potatoes are best known in the form of french fries (chips) or crisps. Potato can be eaten in a huge variety of ways. It can be an ingredient in soups and stews, mashed and eaten with butter, baked, fried, boiled and in a huge variety of other dishes.
Vegetables, Plants
Photo of prickly pears
Ken Bosma / CC BY-SA

Pis forPrickly pear

Scientific name: opuntia stricta
The prickly pear is a kind of cactus. When you eat the fruit of the cactus, you have to be very careful to remove the thorns from the fruit. The entire cactus including the fruit is covered in thorns.
Fruit, Plants, Spikey

And also ...

Pepper tree, Poplar, Protea