Big Yellow Moon

Date collected: April 18, 2011
Location: Collected from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden on the campus of University of California, Los Angeles
 
Nativity: Not native to California (Native to southern parts of Africa)
Scientific name: Cotula lineariloba
Other names: Big Yellow Moon, Brass Buttons
Habitat: This plant prefers muddy areas where water is plentiful. They love to be near beaches, salt marshes, and estuaries. They originated in wet areas in Africa.

Special Notes: Big Yellow Moons are nonstop bloomers. Blooming will slow down in the winter, but will not stop completely. They have a very unique appearance: they look like daisies with all of their petals plucked!

Source: 
California Gardens

Cosmos

Date collected: April 18, 2011

Location: Collected from a pot in Jin's backyard (Koreatown, Los Angeles)
 
Nativity: Not native to California 
(Native to Mexico and the southwestern part of the United States)
Scientific name: Cosmos binnipatus
Other names: Garden Cosmos, Mexican Aster
Habitat: This plant likes sunny areas with moist soil. It is drought tolerant and likes flat or hilly areas. They originate from Mexico and the southwestern part of the United States, where it is very sunny and warm.

Special Notes: Cosmos are annual plants that are very easy to grow. Some people consider it to be a weed. They shouldn't be eaten as they are poisonous.

Source:  

Floridata

USDA: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Dave's Garden

Eucalyptus Tree

Date collected: April 18, 2011

Location: Collected from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles
 

Nativity: Not native to California (Native to the east coast of Australia)

Scientific name: Eucalyptus grandis

Other names: Eucalyptus tree, Rose Gum/Flooded Gum
Habitat: These trees favor tropical, humid climates near coastlines, 
where the land is considerably flat and has soil that is fertile and moist. Eucalyptus trees originated in the eastern coastline of Australia, which has warm temperatures.

Special notes: Koalas have a diet that relies almost entirely on leaves from eucalyptus trees. Because the leaves consist of about 50% water, they seldom need to drink water in its liquid form.

Sources: 

Eucalyptus grandis

Wild Animals in Australia

Lester Rowntree

Scientific name: Arctostaphylos 'Lester Rowntree'

Date collected: April 18th, 2011

Location: Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden located in the University of California, Los Angeles
Habitat: This plant needs full sunlight and is found on hillsides, but rarely because it is an endangered species of plant.
Nativity: The plant's nativity is in the West Coast and Mexico. There are some areas in California as well where you can see this plant, bu they are rare due to them being endangered.

Special notes: This plant has hard fruit that are berries for songbirds to eat after winter. The astonishing thing about this fact is that the berries resemble a mini apple. It is also thought that this plant was a hybrid of two other species of Arctostaphylos, but no one knows for sure.

Resources:
        Lester Rowntree Manzanita
        ARCTOSTAPHYLOS.
        Lester Rowntree

Cuban Royal Palm

Scientific name: Roystonea regia
Date collected: April 18th, 2011

Location: Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden located in the University of California, Los Angeles
Habitat: This plant needs rich, well drained soil and needs sun throughout the day. They can be grown in Cuba and Florida, due high amounts of sunlight.

Nativity: The Cuban Royal Palm is cultivated in Florida, but its nativity is in Cuba.

Special notes: The R. regia is known to be a very good landscape icon. Many restaurants, hotels, and resorts use this palm tree because it could be placed in neat columns.

Resources:
       Royal Palm Trees
       Cuban Royal Palm

San Diego Barrel Cactus

Scientific name: Ferocactus viridescens

Date collected: April 18th, 2011

Location: Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden located in the University of California, Los Angeles
Habitat: The F. viridescens can be grown in a variety of soil types and need plenty of bright sunlight. This cactus is found on rocky coastal bluffs near the slopes of a crest sometimes in numerous amounts. It can also be located in areas with hillsides and coastal chaparrals.

Nativity: The native region of this plant is located in the United States and Mexico. In the United States, it is near southern California and in Mexico it is located near northern Baja California.

Special notes: The F. viridscens is very similar to the F. cylindraceus, but in taxonomic views they are different.They cannot be distinguished very well, but the San Diego Barrel Cactus have shorter stems, while also containing different spines.
Resources:

        Ferocactus viridscens
       

Kidney Weed

Scientific name: Dichondra repens
Date collected: April 18th, 2011

Location: Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden located in the University of California, Los Angeles

Habitat: It grows in plainy areas, grasslands, and other low valleyed areas. The soil that the plant lives in is mostly well drained and it grows very fast in cultivation. It is in most shady, dim areas.

Nativity: D. argentea is native in Australia, but not very grown due to some people considering them as weeds.

Special notes: The name "Kidney Weed" is from the fact that the plant has leaves shaped like kidneys.This helps the plant by giving it ground cover.

Resources:
        Kidney Weed
        Dichondra repens