Plants

Weirdest Plants
Amazing Plant
Feeding Off Roots
Sunlight Not Necessary
Camel's Foot Climber
Living Houses
How Trees Cope with the Cold
Beautiful And Useful
Seed Power
Dreaded Flowers
A Strange Friendship
Lotus Lore
A Valley of flowers
The Delectable Durian
Red for Safety
Touch Me Not
Eco-Friendly Oil
Crazy Plant
The Civet fruit tree
The Toughest EucalyptusTree
Mutual Benefits
The Plant Clock
Desert Curiosity
In Search of Water
Keep Off!
Kicking Trees!
Velcro Plants!
The Quiver Tree
Helicopter-like Seeds
The New Beginning
Growing From A Bud
The Stranglers
Two-In-One
The Garden of Algae
Ivory Substitutes
Crying Trees
The Largest Seed
Most Expensive Spice
Passion Flowers
Daffodils Dance the Twist!
Dancing Leaves
The Tallest Flowering Tree
The Super Fruit
The White Dhup
Lighthouse of the Pampas
Exploding Leaves
The Titan Arum
Plant Guide
War Paint
The Dragon's Mouth

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Lighthouse of the Pampas

In the pampas or grasslands of South America, grows a strange bush that resembles a tree. This is the ombu. It is the only tree-like plant that lives in this largely arid environment.
The ombu is an evergreen with an umbrella-like canopy. It can grow upto 15 metres wide and 18 m tall and often sprouts multiple trunks. Its wood is soft and spongy, soft enough to be cut with a regular knife. Its sap is poisonous, which protects it against browsing cattle. It is also immune to locusts and other pests.
The tissues inside the ombu’s massive trunks store water. It not only helps keep the plant moist, but also makes the wood resistant to fire. Intense, but short-lived blazes are common in this region.
The ombu is known as the ‘lighthouse’ of the pampas.

It provides ample shade to the gauchos or cowboys as they roam the grasslands with their herds. They even brew a tea-like beverage from its glossy green leaves.

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Last updated on :2/14/2005

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User's Comments

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Ashley Cook: I like this web site but you could add more stuff than just wild life.

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ahaan: Very informative

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