An aloe is a plant that has thick, fleshy, water–storing leaves. It is native chiefly to dry warm areas of southern Africa. It lives, grows, flowers, and produces seeds for three or more consecutive years.
Historians believe that aloe is one of the most ancient plants used by mankind for medicinal purposes. The ancient Chinese and Egyptians knew it as a means to treat burns, wounds, reduce fever. If you believe the legend, Alexander of Macedon captured the island of Socotra, only for the sake of the aloe, which his wounded warriors needed. It is said that Cleopatra used the juice of this plant daily to care for the skin. And in 1944, the Japanese used a gel made from it for treatment and faster healing of wounds.
More »

It appeared on Earth 200 million years ago. Since then it is killing and … saving from death. It is called the “bread of Devil” and the “spit of God”. It is fabulously beautiful, but it also disgusts. It is omnipresent and ineradicable. It accompanies a person from birth to death. Perhaps it is a keeper of life on Earth, but it can turn into a plague of the XXI century. And we do not even guess what ancient secrets and hidden forces are stored in this damned and blessed mold.
Molds are fungi that are microscopic in size. They are eukaryotic organisms. Molds grow indoors and outdoors, and can grow year-round. They are important in the natural environment because they hasten the decomposition of organic material such as fallen leaves and dead trees. For humans, the molds can cause allergic reactions.
More »

Lilies are plants that are prized for their beautiful and fragrant flowers. There are about 100 species of true lily. They belong to a much bigger plant group called the lily family, which contains about 4,000 species. The lily family includes tulips, hyacinths, and the onion. Water lilies are not part of the lily family.
Most true lily plants are about 30 to 120 centimeters tall. They have narrow leaves. The flowers can be shaped like trumpets, funnels, tubes, or bowls. They can be any of a variety of colors.
The water lily, yellow water lily, lotus, and several other aquatic plants are about 60 species of aquatic herbs. These plants occur in shallow, fresh waterbodies and the usual habitats of these plants are ponds and shallow water around lake edges. The leaves are simple, glossy, dark-green and float on the water surface. In most species, the flowers open at dawn, and close at dusk for the night.
More »

Lemons are yellow fruits that grow on a small tree or spreading bush. Like limes, oranges, and grapefruit, lemons are citrus fruits. The scientific name of the plant is Citrus limon.
The lemon trees can grow quite tall (to about 3 to 6 meters high) if they are not trimmed. Their leaves are reddish when young, but they turn green. Some trees have sharp thorns next to the leaves.
Lemon flowers are large and have a lovely sweet scent. Lemon trees bloom throughout the year.
The fruit is usually picked while it is still green and is stored for three or more months until its color has changed to yellow.
More »

Some pine trees are among the oldest living trees on Earth. A bristlecone pine is the oldest living tree. It is 4,800 years old. Pines are found in mountainous places and the cool areas of the northern half of the Earth. There are about 90 varieties of pines. Their cones are the hard scaly clusters that are often used for decorations. Pine trees have needlelike leaves that stay green all year-round.
Pines vary widely in size. Some are only a few meters tall. Others grow taller than 61 meters.
The wood is used in construction as well as for making paper. Resin makes turpentine, paints, and varnishes. Pine oil can be used as medicine.
More »

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. In fact, it is bigger than all the other planets put together. Its diameter is about 143,000 kilometers.
The planet is named after the king of the Roman gods. Jupiter is a giant ball of gases, mostly hydrogen and helium. The center of the planet is probably made of a hot liquid. Jupiter is extremely hot, thousands of times hotter than the hottest place on Earth. Its center may reach temperatures of 25,000° C. It does not have a solid surface at all.
The planet has more than 60 moons. Most of them are very small.
More »

Once upon a time the ferns covered our entire planet. And they were huge trees! Ferns are flowerless green plants. Their featherlike leaves are called fronds. Young fern leaves are tightly curled. Ferns reproduce by dispersing spores instead of seeds. The spore cases, called sporangia are located in pockets on the margins of the leaves. There are about 12,000 different species of fern throughout the world. Some types first appeared on Earth more than 360 million years ago. Some species are free-floating aquatic plants, some species grow in moist woodlands, and a few species grow in arid or semiarid regions.
Ferns come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
Such animals as deer eat ferns, and some birds use them to line their nests.
More »