Bud of Peace

TEXT 6: THE BUD OF PEACE

The Spathiphyllum has been dubbed the peace lily as its pure white heart-shaped bracts blossom even indoors. It is an excellent plant for low light areas. They grow just as luxuriantly in the temperate climates of Australia and Europe as in any tropical country. In Malaysia, the Spathiphyllum has become a very much sought-after indoor plant alongside the ever popular pink or red bracts of the anthuriums. The Spathiphyllum is a native of Central America and is widely used in indoor and semi-indoor conditions. It is also commonly known as Spathe Flower, Spider Flower and Snowflowers. The plant is widely used in hotels, shopping malls, airports and office lobbies. Hybridists in Hawaii, Europe and Japan have created many cultivars with better aesthetics for the landscape market. But to the uninitiated and untutored eye, all these look very much alike. Some hybrids like the Spathiphyllum wallisii or Spathiphyllum floribundum grow no longer than 25cm with 6cm wide bracts. Others like the Spathiphyllum clevelandii are almost three times larger than the former. The larger varieties have a rather sweet scent while the dwarf varieties do not have any scent.

over long periods if well tended to. The spathes are pure white and measure 10 to 20cm The spathes have a slight scent. This hybrid is very popular in Malaysian gardens. It is combined with deep red or orange anthuriums for indoor landscaping. With good drainage, spathiphyllums will grow well in dark corners, although flowering will be better in brighter locations. The plants produce suckers at the base which can be separated and potted up separately as new plants. You may fertilise the plants with slow-release fertilisers. Young plants should get a balanced NPK grade fertilizer while mature plants should get an NPK grade with high phosphorus and potassium. Always follow the recommended dosage as laid out on the package label. Spathiphyllums should not be placed under direct sunlight as the foliage can get scorched.

For all pot cultures, always remove dead leaves and lightly cultivate the soil on the top. If possible, put a layer of mulch on the Spathiphyllum cannaefolium, a native of soil surface. Venezuela and Guyana, possesses leathery leaves with rather thick, dark You may encounter problems with insects green-black corrugated leaves. It has a like mealy bugs of woolly aphis because of large greenish white spathe and cream the shaded conditions. If they appear, dab spadix inside. This plant grows very well a piece of cotton wool wrapped around the semi- indoors and is very hardy. end of a toothpick in methylated spirit and touch the pests which will freeze to death. By far the most popular in terms of beauty Remove the debris. and flowering potential is the Mauna Loa Source: hybrid. This is a very compact plant with NEW STRAITS TIMES Life & Times dark glossy green leaves and is floriferous

English for Science and Technology

Bud of Peace

A. ORIENTATION 1. Write down as many names of flowers as you can. 2. What are some uses of flowers? 3. What does a flower represent?

B. LANGUAGE FOCUS 1. Identify the hyphenated words in the text. Explain the functions for each of these words. 2. a. Based on the text, write a list of all the comparative adjectives that describe flowers. b. In the box below, list other adjectives that describe the flower and form comparatives. An example has been provided for you. ADJECTIVES example: sweet COMPARITIVES sweeter

3. Identify sentences in the passage that are written in the passive. Rewrite them in the active form/

English for Science and Technology

Bud of Peace

C.

CONTENT FOCUS 1. Complete the graphic organiser below by: a. naming the hybrids b. filling in the characteristics Sparthiphyllum

Hybrids

Characteristics

2. Describe how you would care for these plants: a. b. c. d. D. FOLLOW- UP Some people like fresh flowers while others go for artificial flowers. Which do you prefer? Give reasons for your choice.

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