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is a perennial, cultivated as an annual of the POACEAE (GRAMINEAE) family. The root system of the plant is fibrous, with roots rising from the lower nodes of the culm. The plant tiller usually bears four or five culms, to 0.6–2.4 m high. Each culm has 10–20 internodes and is surrounded by sheathes of leaves. Leaf blades are narrow, flat, 30–50 cm long and 7–25 mm wide, slightly pubescent with spiny hairs on the margin. The inflorescence is a panicle, 7.5–37.5 cm long, varying from close and compact in some, to loose and spreading in others; exerting or partially exerting. Panicle branches arise in whorls, each branch bears 75–150 spikelets, each with single floret. Large numbers of spike-lets are usually associated with smaller size and a densely packed arrangement. The flower consists of two lodicules, six stamens, and two plumose stigmas on two styles, surrounded by the floral bracks and two small outer glumes.

is a stemless, soft, hairy annual herb of the PLANTAGINACEAE family that grows to a height of 30–45 cm. The leaves are 7.5–23 cm long, 0.5–1 cm broad, narrowly linear, linear lanceolate or filiform, opposite, finely acuminate entire or distantly toothed, attenuated at the base and usually three-nerved. The root system has a well-developed taproot with few fibrous secondary roots. A number of flowering shoots arise from the base of the plant. The flower spikes turn reddish brown at ripening, the lower leaves dry, and the upper leaves yellow. Plants flower approx 60 days after planting. Flowers are numerous, small, and white, in ovoid or cylindrical spikes 1.3–3.8 cm long, bracts 4 mm long and broad. The corolla gives attachment to four protruded stamina, ovary free with one or two cells, containing one or more ovules.

is a tropical perennial grass of the GRAMINEAE family. It is 3–4 m tall, approx 5 cm in diameter, with unbranched stems, which have many nodes and short conspicuous internodes filled with solid, juicy pulp. Each stem produces its own root system. Two types of roots develop: the first type, from the primordia of the cutting after planting, are thin and branched, and the second type, from the primordia of the tillers, which are thick, fleshy, and less branched. With age, all roots become brown, shrivel, and die. Leaves are up to 1.5 m long, falling from the lower stems when they wither. Each leaf consists of linear-lanceolate blade, up to 10 cm wide in the base, narrowing into sheath clasping the stem, sharp serrate on the margin and siliceous. The midrib is prominent and broad, white and concave on the upper surface, and green below.

The saw palmetto is a creeping, horizontal periennial of the PALMAE family. Saw palmetto usually grows as a small shrub to a height of 0.6–2.1 m. Occasionally, it grows as a small tree with erect or oblique stems, 6–7.5 m tall. In its procumbent form, saw palmetto branches form a tangled mass, with the root crown projecting above to support the foliage. The stem systems run parallel to the soil surface, eventually branching beneath the substrate to form rhizomes. The bright-green, fan-shaped evergreen leaves are approx 1 m wide, with 15 to 30 divisions that are roundish in outline and are borne on slender stalks edged with spines. The white, small flowers are borne on stalked panicles that grow from the leaf axils. The flower spike is thickly hairy and considerably shorter than the leaves.

Sesame is an erect annual (or occasionally, a perennial) of the PEDALIACEAE family that grows to a height of 0.5–1.5 m, depending on the variety and the growing conditions. Some varieties are highly branched, whereas others are unbranched. Leaves, 7.5–12.5 cm, simple or, when variable, with upper ones narrowly oblong, middle ones ovate and toothed and the lower ones lobate or pedatisect. Flowers are white, pink, or mauve-pink with dark markings, borne in racemes in the leak axils. The fruit is capsular, oblong-quadrangular, slightly compressed, deeply four grooved, 1.5–5 cm long. Seeds are black, brown, or white, 2.5–3 mm long and approx 1.5 mm wide. In general, the unbranched varieties mature earlier. At maturity, leaves and stems tend to change from green to yellow to red. The leaves will begin to fall off the plants.

is a perennial herb belonging to the ZINGIBERACEAE family. The rhizome is horizontal, branched, fleshy, aromatic, white or yellowish to brown. Stem is leafy, thick, to 60 cm high. Leaves are pointed, narrowly or linear-lanceolate, approx 20 cm long and 1.5–2 cm wide, clasping the stem by long sheaths. The inflorescences, rarely produced by cultivated plants, are separate, approx 20 cm high, consisting of threefold flowers subtending with bracts and bracteoles. Bracts are ovate, approx 2.5 cm long, closely pressed against each other, pale green. Calyx is short, three-lobed. Corolla has two yellow-green, pointed segments and shorter, an oblong-ovate, dark-purple lip spotted and striped with yellow. Each flower has only one short-stalked, fertile stamen and solitary stigma. The fruit, which is rarely formed, is a dehiscent capsule containing relatively large seeds.