Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: What is the most common houseplant?
A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, but studies have also shown them to have positive psychological effects. Houseplants also help with indoor air purification. Some species, and the soil-dwelling microbes associated with them, reduce indoor air pollution by absorbing volatile organic compounds including benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. While generally toxic to humans, such pollutants are absorbed by the plant and its soil-dwelling microbes without harm. Common houseplants are usually tropical or semi-tropical epiphytes, succulents or cacti.
"Ravenea rivularis" grows in somewhat isolated humid habitats that are found in the otherwise dry, hot semi-arid climate of southwest Madagascar. Often, they grow huddled along the edges of riverbanks and natural lagoons, but also grow in shallow swamps where they receive ample water and humidity year-round. Due to its love for warm, moist air which can be difficult to provide consistently in most homes, the most common problem affecting those kept as houseplants is browning leaf tips. To replicate its natural growing conditions, plants should be misted with warm water daily or kept near a humidifier. It should also be watered more frequently than average houseplants especially in the spring and summer. That being said, fast-draining soil is preferable, such as soil labeled for cacti, in a well-draining container to allow water to seep through the root system and out of the pot. Although they can also suffer from lack of sunlight, "Ravenea rivularis" is much more sensitive to lack of water and humidity. Indoor plants generally grow best in partial shade. An ideal location would be a dim corner in an otherwise brightly lit room with large windows. The plant needs brightly light conditions, but sunlight shouldn’t hit the plant directly. They do not adapt well to sudden fluctuations in sunlight so plants shouldn't be moved often.
Streptocarpus with more than one leaf are called "plurifoliates", and there are two main types of these. First is the rosulate form, which is perennial. Rosulates are made up of a basal rosette of leaves. Flower stems sprout from the upper surfaces of the bases of these leaves. The most common Streptocarpus houseplant is of the rosulate type. The flowers of modern rosulate hybrids are generally three to several centimeters in diameter. The other plurifoliate type is essentially somewhere in between a rosulate and a unifoliate. In this group, two or three leaves grow in addition to the first leaf. The plurifoliates are perennial. Examples are Streptocarpus prolixus, and Streptocarpus polyanthus ssp polyanthus.
Indigenous plant life include numerous species of flowering plants including the endangered phayom, "Hopea ferrea" and "Dalbergia oliveri", the vulnerable "Hopea odorata" and Sumatran pine, and a variety of conifers and clubmosses. Near threatened birds include the Siamese fireback and Oriental darter. The Siamese fireback has been nominated to be the national bird of Thailand.
In botany, an evergreen is a plant that has leaves throughout the year, always green. This is true even if the plant retains its foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season. There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs. Evergreens include:
Striga hermonthica, commonly known as purple witchweed or giant witchweed, is a hemiparasitic plant that belongs to the family Orobanchaceae. It is devastating to major crops such as sorghum ("Sorghum bicolor") and rice ("Oryza sativa"). In sub-Saharan Africa, apart from sorghum and rice, it also infests maize ("Zea mays"), pearl millet ("Pennisetum glaucum"), and sugar cane ("Saccharum officinarum").
Both "civil" (also known as "Roman") and "common" law systems can be considered the most widespread in the world: civil law because it is the most widespread by landmass, and common law because it is employed by the greatest number of people.
Deciduous trees shed their leaves, usually as an adaptation to a cold or dry/wet season. Evergreen trees do lose leaves, but each tree loses its leaves gradually and not all at once. Most tropical rainforest plants are considered to be evergreens, replacing their leaves gradually throughout the year as the leaves age and fall, whereas species growing in seasonally arid climates may be either evergreen or deciduous. Most warm temperate climate plants are also evergreen. In cool temperate climates, fewer plants are evergreen, with a predominance of conifers, as few evergreen broadleaf plants can tolerate severe cold below about .
The spores remain viable for five years in fallen boxwood leaves, and are dispersed by wind and rain over short distances. Since they are sticky the spores may also be spread by birds, animals, and contaminated clothing and footwear. The most common mode of transmitting the blight is by the introduction of asymptomatic plants, or plants treated with fungicide (which can mask the disease) to unaffected areas. Warm and humid conditions facilitate its spread. The fungus does not need a wound to infect a plant, but it does require high humidity or free water.
Over 15 species of moths are referred to with the common name oak leafroller, approximately three-fifths from the "Tortricidae" family, but also from four other families. According to the United States Forest Service, "Archips semiferanus" is the "most important oak leafroller" of these species; other common oak leafroller species such as "Archips argyrosplilus" and "Choristoneura fractivittana" are commonly found on oak trees, but do not cause the damage that "A. semiferanus" does.
Although insects can be a problem, by far the biggest killer of carnivorous plants (besides human maltreatment) is grey mold ("Botrytis cinerea"). This thrives under warm, humid conditions and can be a real problem in winter. To some extent, temperate carnivorous plants can be protected from this pathogen by ensuring that they are kept cool and well ventilated in winter and that any dead leaves are removed promptly. If this fails, a fungicide is in order.
Maize has been a staple food for centuries. It is the most planted crop in the Mexican region. The country grows more than 42 different types of maize, each of which has several varieties whose number is estimated at more than 3,000 by the International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT). The characteristics of each variety depend upon soil conditions, humidity, altitude, and how cultivated. Some of the earliest evidence of maize cultivation suggests that domestication took place in several places at the same time.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are home to the world’s largest species of reptile, the leatherback turtle, as well as one of the largest land lizards, the green iguana. Other species of turtles include the green- and hawksbill turtles, as well as the only non-marine turtle, the red-footed tortoise. Smaller lizards include the Saint Croix's anole, Saint Croix ground lizard, Puerto Rican crested anole, St. Thomas anole, common grass anole and Virgin Islands worm lizard, as well as geckos such as the cotton ginner and house gecko (locally nicknamed “woodslave"). The most common lizard is the ground lizard, and to a lesser extent, the tree lizard.
Tradescantia pallida is a species of spiderwort (a genus of New World plants) more commonly known as wandering jew or walking jew, a name it shares with the closely related species "T. fluminensis" and "T. zebrina". Other common names include purple secretia, purple-heart, and purple queen. It is native to the Gulf Coast region of eastern Mexico. Edward Palmer collected the type specimen near Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas in 1907.
The smooth newt, also known as the common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris; formerly Triturus vulgaris) is a species of amphibian, the most common newt of the genus "Lissotriton". It is found throughout Europe, except the far north, areas of Southern France and the Iberian Peninsula.
Strobilanthes dyeriana, the Persian shield or royal purple plant, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to Myanmar (formerly Burma). Growing to tall and broad, it is a tropical evergreen shrub, cultivated for its dark green foliage with bright, metallic-purple stripes radiating outward from the central leaf vein. In proper conditions, it will also produce pale purple flowers.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree ("Theobroma cacao"), a small, 4–8 m tall (15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. Recent genetic studies suggest the most common genotype of the plant originated in the Amazon basin and was gradually transported by humans throughout South and Central America. Early forms of another genotype have also been found in what is now Venezuela. The scientific name, "Theobroma", means "food of the gods". The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, long and wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighing about when ripe.
Plasmodium vivax is a protozoal parasite and a human pathogen. This parasite is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring (Benign tertian) malaria, "P. vivax" is one of the five species of malaria parasites that commonly infect humans. Although it is less virulent than "Plasmodium falciparum", the deadliest of the five human malaria parasites, "P. vivax" malaria infections can lead to severe disease and death, often due to splenomegaly (a pathologically enlarged spleen). "P. vivax" is carried by the female "Anopheles" mosquito; the males do not bite.
Caladenia excelsa, commonly known as the giant spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species with a single, hairy leaf and up to three cream-coloured to greenish-cream flowers with long, drooping sepals and petals. It is one of the tallest spider orchids in Western Australia and, with "Caladenia splendens", has the largest flowers of any Western Australian orchid.
English breakfast tea is a traditional blend of teas originating from Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas, common in British tea culture.
Tropical evergreen forests (or "tropical rainforests") are usually found in areas receiving more than 234 cm of rainfall and having a monthly mean temperature of 20 °C or higher in the coldest months. They occupy about seven percent of the Earth's surface and harbour more than half of the planet's terrestrial plants and animals. Tropical evergreen forests are dense, multi-layered, and harbour many types of plants and animals. These forests are found in the areas receiving heavy rainfall (more than 200  cm annual rainfall). They are very dense. Even the sunlight does not reach the ground. Numerous species of trees are found in these forests. Different types of trees shed their leaves at different times of the year. Therefore, these forests always appear green and are known as evergreen forests. These forests are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with the slopes of the Western Ghats and parts of Northeastern states of Assam, West Bengal and Odisha. These areas experience hot and humid climate with the short dry season. The important trees of these forests are rosewood, ebony and mahogany
"Hypoestes phyllostachya" is cultivated as an ornamental plant and is familiar as a houseplant, but can also be grown outside as an annual plant in cooler climates or a perennial in the subtropics and tropics. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. The most common type has green leaves with pink spots, although it can range from white to any shade of pink to red. The spots on the undersides of the leaves are far lighter in color, often white. It may produce small, solitary pink/purple flowers at the nodes that resemble honeysuckle. The fruit is a many-seeded dehiscent capsule. Many different cultivars have been created with different foliage colors.
Some species are popular houseplants. If so, they must be kept away from any pets, as they are poisonous. When grown indoors as a decorative houseplant, it needs frequent watering to keep the soil moist. It prefers temperatures that are comfortable to humans, as with most plants. It functions well as a hanging or terrarium plant. The most common of its problems is root rot and can be avoided by providing adequate drainage. This can also be caused by allowing the plant to sit in water. As for other problems, scale insects can also affect it. If this happens, scrape them off and isolate the plant. For this kind of problem, pesticides and sprays do not always work as the shell of the insect protects it. If this becomes a severe problem, you will have to get rid of the plant. Also if this happens, make sure it is moved away from any other surrounding plants because the bugs could infect them as well. Other than that, this plant is very easy to take care of and thus, it is good for beginners. Propagation of "Nephthytis" is fairly easy as well. It can be propagated by layering and from cuttings.
Common names for these cacti generally refer to their flowering season. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are called Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, crab cactus and holiday cactus. In Brazil, the genus is referred to as (May flower), reflecting the period in which they flower in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the popular houseplants are cultivars of "Schlumbergera," with flowers in white, pink, yellow, orange, red or purple. The Easter or Whitsun cactus is also called a holiday cactus and has flowers in red, orange, pink and white. It was until recently placed in the genus "Hatiora". The cultivars of "Schlumbergera" fall into two main groups:
Several species are popular houseplants in temperate regions, with "Sansevieria trifasciata" the most widely sold; numerous cultivars are available. In China, the plant is usually kept potted in a pot often ornamented with dragons and phoenixes. Growth is comparatively slow and the plant will last for many years. The tall-growing plants have stiff, erect, lance-shaped leaves while the dwarf plants grow in rosettes. As houseplants, "Sansevieria" thrive on warmth and bright light, but will also tolerate shade. They can rot from over-watering, so it is important that they are potted in well-drained soil, and not over-watered. They need to be re-potted or split at the root from time to time because they will sometimes grow so large that they break the pot they are growing in.