Jacaranda - Pretoria

Jacaranda mimosifolia - Although native to South America, the jacaranda tree is grown throughout the world as an ornamental plant. Mature trees grow to heights of 20 meters. The lavender blue flowers are 5 centimeters in length and clustered in panicles 30 centimeters in diameter. The tree is well known for its spectacular display of blooms and carpet of blue left on the ground when the flowers fall. The hardy blue jacaranda is able to survive freezing temperatures for short periods and if damaged, can easily resprout as a multi-branched shrub. 

- - - - -

Pretoria is one of three cities serving as capitals of South Africa. Each branch of South Africa’s government, administrative, judicial, and legislative, is based in a different city. Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. The city was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius and was named after Boer leader Andries Pretorius, the father of Marthinus. Pretoria is located along the banks of the Apies River and lies in a fertile valley nestled on the foothills of the Magaliesberg Mountains. Pretoria and Johannesburg, the seat of South Africa’s Constitution Court, are located in Gauteng province and are separated by 55 kilometers.

Gambier - Malaysia

Uncaria gambir - Gambier, referred to as “kachu” in Malaysia, is one of about forty species of flowering shrubs within the uncaria genus. The plants are distributed throughout the tropics, most species being native to Southeast Asia. Gambier is used locally for tanning and dying purposes. The leaves are also made into a paste, spread on betel leaves, and chewed to produce a mild narcotic effect. Lozenges made from gambier had been produced in Malaysia as early as the 17th century.

- - - - -

The Malacca Sultanate flourished in Southeast Asia from 1400 to 1511. It was centered in the present day Malaysian state of Malacca. At the height of power, it had spread into parts of Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Being situated along the heavily used trade route connecting Europe to Asia brought enormous wealth and prosperity to the Malacca Sultanate. Under Sultan Mansur Shah, reigning from 1459 to 1477, Malacca reached its apex. The Sultanate fell to the Portuguese in 1511.

Common Jasmine - Pakistan

Jasminum officinale - Common jasmine is a flowering plant in the Oleaceae family; the same family featuring the olive. It is native to central Asia and distributed from the Caucasus to China. Jasmine is a deciduous climber and grows to heights of 2.5 meters. The fragrant white flowers bloom in summer. It is a hardy plant tolerant of drought conditions and pollution. Jasmine has been cultivated since ancient times. Chinese texts dating from the 3rd century give mention of the plant.

- - - - -

There are eight countries using the suffix “stan” in their names: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Armenia is referred to as Hayastan in its native language. The term is of Persian origin and translates as “place of.” The word is also the root used in other languages to convey a similar meaning; “stadt” in German meaning “city,” “stan” in Russian meaning “settlement” and “stand” in English, also meaning “settlement.”

Desert Hyacinth - Qatar

Cistanche tubulosa - The desert hyacinth is a plant widely distributed throughout the Arabian Peninsula. It is a holoparasitic plant, a plant lacking the ability to produce chlorophyll and having to rely on other nearby plants for nutrients. The desert hyacinth grows into the shape of a steep pyramid and produces yellow flowers emitting a pungent odor. This odor attracts flies and other insects acting as pollinators in carrying the pollen from one plant to another.

- - - - -

Qatar had been ruled by nearby Bahrain, the Ottoman Turks, and by the British. The end of World War I placed Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani into a position of leadership of an semi-independent Qatar, an area including the entire Qatar Peninsula; his dynastic line continues to this day. By 1935, Qatar and Great Britain had negotiated several treaties placing Qatar under a British protectorate. In 1971, after a brief stint as a member of the Trucial States, Qatar opted for full independence.

Olive Tree - Spain

Olea europaea - The olive tree is a small evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean region and Western Asia. The trees are drought, disease, and fire resistant. Their specialized root system is able to regenerate the entire tree even if all the above ground features are destroyed. Olive trees have long lives; some are hundreds of years old. Olives have been cultivated for over 6,000 years. Raw olives are bitter and must be cured and fermented to remove a compound known as oleuropein.

- - - - -

In 1469, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united through the marriage of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. This set the foundation for the growth of the Spanish Empire. During the 16th and 17th century Spain established itself as the world’s leading power and reached its greatest height during the reign of Philip II, 1556 to 1598. The Spanish Empire eventually controlled outposts on every continent. The Napoleonic Wars, fought from 1803 to 1814, began a cycle of decline for imperial Spain.