Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in northeast Indonesia, between Sulawesi and
New Guinea. They were for many centuries the
main area for the production of
pepper
,
cloves
and
nutmeg
(
mace
also comes from the nutmeg plant).
These products were traded with countries such
as China and India, and also were taken overland
via the '
Silk Route
'
to cities such as Venice. Sea
routes to Europe, established from about 1520, led
to increased trade in spices between Indonesia and
Europe. The resulting competition for dominance in
this trade between Portugal, Holland and Britain was
part of the reason for the colonial expansion of these
three nations in the tropical South East Asian area.
7. The
European
Centre includes the Atlantic
European (this includes Britain and Ireland), Central
European and Eastern European areas. About 300
(6%) of ornamental species are from this centre.
These include lime (
Tilia platyphyllos
,
T. cordata
and
T. europaea
), Norway Maple (
Acer platanoides
),
sycamore (
Acer pseudoplatanus
), birch (
Betula
pendula
), hornbeam (
Carpinus betulus
), European
beech (
Fagus sylvatica
), European ash (
Fraxinus
excelsior
), English oak (
Quercus robur
), Scots pine
(
Pinus sylvestris
), European larch (
Larix decidua
) and
yew (
Taxus baccata
), horned violet (
Viola cornuta
),
sweet violet (
Viola odorata
), snowdrop (
Galanthus
nivalis
) and wild daffodil (
Narcissus pseudonarcissus
).
Edible
species deriving from this region include,
damson, blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, parsnip,
turnip, mustard, radish and spinach
8. The
Eastern Asiatic
Centre includes China, Japan
and the extreme eastern section of Russia. About
250 ornamental species from this area represent
5% of the world total in general cultivation today.
About 50% of its imported native species can
be grown outside in Britain and Ireland, including
Rhododendron
(
Azalea
) spp., chrysanthemum,
clematis, day lily (
Hemerocallis
),
Forsythia
, hollyhock
(
Alcea rosea
), peony (
Paeonia lactiflora
), tree peony
(
Paeonia suffruticosa
), royal lily (
Lilium regale
),
Sedum
kamtschatichum
, wisteria (
Wisteria sinensis
), China
aster (
Callistephus chinensis
) and
Kerria japonica
.
2
(a)
(b)
Figure 2.5
(a) Snowdrops (
Galanthus nivalis
)
originates in the European and West Asia centre; (b)
Forsythia
originates from the Eastern Asiatic centre;
(c)
Forsythia x intermedia
(close up)
(c)
