Biome Native Plants in a Tropical Forest

Plants

• The sea heart vine (Entada gigas) is identifiable for its long bean pods (3 to 6 feet in length) and heart-shaped seeds. Sea heart vines are lianas, vining plants that grow on trees, rocks and other support structures. Bengal bamboos (Bambusa tulda) is native to the southeast Asian rainforest. Bengal bamboo grows between 40 and 80 feet high and may be 3 inches in diameter. Bamboo displays many shrub-like and tree-like characteristics, but it is a large, fast-growing grass. Strangler figs, which are common in tropical forests, look like a tall column of woody vines, but they are actually trees. The roots of stranger figs are exposed, which gives them their unusual look. The trees are named for their invasive nature; the roots spread out and cover nearby plants, strangling them out of the environment.

Edibles

• Allspice (Pimenta diocia) is an evergreen tree that produces edible berries. Allspice is often used as a seasoning because of its spicy, earthy taste. Other spices that are native to the tropical forest biome include black pepper (Piper nigrum), cardamom (Elleteria cardamom), nutmeg (Myistica fragrans), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). Many citrus trees are native to the tropical forest, including lemons, limes and oranges. Other fruits found in the forest include mango (Magnifera indica) and pineapple (Ananas comosus). Cashews (Anarcardium occindetal) and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are also native to the tropical forest. Cocoa plants (Theobroma cacao), which is used to create chocolate, is native to tropical forest regions. Coffee (Coffea arabica) and vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) are also native to the biome.

Carnivores

• The tropical forest biome is also home to many carnivorous plants, which are very unique in their insect-feeding methods of gaining nutrition. The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), a widely recognized carnivore, is native to tropical forest regions. The pitcher plant (Nepenthes rafflesiana) is native to tropical forests in southeast Asia. Pitcher plants eat lizards, insects and small mammals.

Flowers

• Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis) is found in the Amazon, the South American tropical forest biome. Bougainvillea is a vining plant that will cling to other plants, always striving to get closer to the sunlight. The flowers are brightly colored, with ruffled petals. The giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) is native to tropical forests in South Africa. The flower is named for its unusual shape, which resembles a colorful, tropical bird. Some species of orchids, of which there are more than 25,000, are also native to tropical forests.