Plants & Fungi A - Z Explore our profiles of plants and fungi.
These illustrated profiles contain a wealth of facts, including
details on conservation, uses and habitats – as well as Kew’s
connections with the species. They have been chosen to inspire
interest in plants, detail our science and conservation work and
showcase star plants in the Gardens. This is a constantly
growing resource with new profiles added every week - so do be
sure to check back regularly. Keep up to date with events and
news from Kew Widely cultivated for its nutritious seeds,
chickpea is thought to have originated in Turkey, Syria and
Iran. Watermelon has long been valued for its refreshing fruits,
which have also been used as an ingredient in cosmetics.
Clathrus archeri, also known as devil's fingers, has a
gelatinous egg stage from which the fruitbody arises, its four
to eight reddish arms each coated with dark, foul-smelling
tissue. The pagoda flower, so called because of its tall,
pyramidal inflorescences, is one of the most spec