Special Note...
The information in this flora page
has been compiled from reliable sources through other webpage , such as reference works on medicinal plants and edible vegetable plants.
It is not a substitute
for food and for medical treatment and it does not purport to provide any advice.
In the field of wild fruits, wild herbs and wild vegetables,
each and every individual body absorbing system is different and It should not be consume or used without any expert guidance.
Readers should always consult the expert
in the field before consuming any wild vegetable and for using it as medicinal purposes.
The information in this flora page
has been compiled from reliable sources through other webpage , such as reference works on medicinal plants and edible vegetable plants.
It is not a substitute
for food and for medical treatment and it does not purport to provide any advice.
In the field of wild fruits, wild herbs and wild vegetables,
each and every individual body absorbing system is different and It should not be consume or used without any expert guidance.
Readers should always consult the expert
in the field before consuming any wild vegetable and for using it as medicinal purposes.
Diospyros blancoi (synonym Diospyros discolor) commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree,
Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of
deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs.
The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees.
Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants.
Diospyros blancoi, (synonym Diospyros discolor), commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree, is a tree of the genus
Diospyros of ebony trees and persimmons. It produces edible fruit with a fine, velvety, reddish-brown fur-like covering. The fruit has a soft, creamy, pink flesh, with a taste and aroma comparable to peaches.
The leaves of Diospyros blancoi have been shown to contain isoarborinol methyl ether (also called
cylindrin) and fatty esters of α- and β-amyrin.
Both isoarborinol methyl ether and the amyrin mixture demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Trichophyton interdigitale. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties have also been shown for the isolated amyrin mixture.
It is widely distributed and native to the Philippines, but it is also native to eastern and southern Taiwan. It has also been introduced to other parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Caribbean,
Florida, and other tropical regions.
It is a dioecious tropical tree that grows well in a diversity of soil, from sea level to 750 metres (2,400 ft) above sea level.
Seed trees are normally planted 10–15 metres (30–45 ft) from each other, this one can be planted from 7.5–9 metres (25–30 ft) from each other. It needs a good distribution of rainfall through the year. Trees that were planted by seeds could take 6 or 7 years to give out fruit, but trees that were propagated by cuttings produce fruit in 3 or 4 years. It is a very productive tree.
The fact that fruits vary greatly – in shape, color, hairiness and taste – suggests that there is a great deal of genetic variation in the plant. Seedless cultivars exist, and are highly favored since in the normal varieties the large seeds occupy a considerable volume of the fruit.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Ericales
Family : Ebenaceae
Genus : Diospyros
Species : D. blancoi
Binomial name Diospyros blancoi
A.DC.
deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs.
The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees.
Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants.
Diospyros blancoi, (synonym Diospyros discolor), commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree, is a tree of the genus
Diospyros of ebony trees and persimmons. It produces edible fruit with a fine, velvety, reddish-brown fur-like covering. The fruit has a soft, creamy, pink flesh, with a taste and aroma comparable to peaches.
The leaves of Diospyros blancoi have been shown to contain isoarborinol methyl ether (also called
cylindrin) and fatty esters of α- and β-amyrin.
Both isoarborinol methyl ether and the amyrin mixture demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Trichophyton interdigitale. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties have also been shown for the isolated amyrin mixture.
It is widely distributed and native to the Philippines, but it is also native to eastern and southern Taiwan. It has also been introduced to other parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Caribbean,
Florida, and other tropical regions.
It is a dioecious tropical tree that grows well in a diversity of soil, from sea level to 750 metres (2,400 ft) above sea level.
Seed trees are normally planted 10–15 metres (30–45 ft) from each other, this one can be planted from 7.5–9 metres (25–30 ft) from each other. It needs a good distribution of rainfall through the year. Trees that were planted by seeds could take 6 or 7 years to give out fruit, but trees that were propagated by cuttings produce fruit in 3 or 4 years. It is a very productive tree.
The fact that fruits vary greatly – in shape, color, hairiness and taste – suggests that there is a great deal of genetic variation in the plant. Seedless cultivars exist, and are highly favored since in the normal varieties the large seeds occupy a considerable volume of the fruit.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Ericales
Family : Ebenaceae
Genus : Diospyros
Species : D. blancoi
Binomial name Diospyros blancoi
A.DC.
Coffea liberica
commonly known as the Liberian coffee
commonly known as the Liberian coffee
Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Coffea species are shrubs or small trees
native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia.
The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor various beverages and products. The fruits, like the seeds, contain a large amount of caffeine, and have a distinct sweet taste.
Liberica originated in Liberia, West Africa. However, today, it is mostly grown and consumed in Southeast Asia – namely the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Coffea liberica, commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from which coffee is produced. It is native to western and central Africa (from Liberia to Uganda and Angola), and has become naturalised in areas including Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Borneo and Java.
Coffea liberica trees are very tall, reaching up to 20 m (66 ft) high. They are harvested using ladders. The size of the cherries, the beans, and the leaves of barako are also among the largest of all coffee varieties.
The shape of the liberica beans is unique among other commercial species (arabica, robusta) and varieties (liberica var. dewevrei). It is asymmetric, with one side shorter than the other side, creating characteristic "hook" at the tip. The central furrow is also more jagged in comparison to other coffee beans.
Coffee Liberica beans are larger than Arabica and Robusta beans, with a unique shape that resembles a teardrop. They also have a distinct aroma, with a floral and fruity scent that is often described as similar to jackfruit.
The flavor profile of Coffee Liberica is also unique, with a bold and full-bodied taste that is often described as smoky, woody, and slightly nutty.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Gentianales
Family : Rubiaceae
Genus : Coffea
Species : C. liberica
Binomial name Coffea liberica
Hiern
Synonyms
• Coffea dewevrei De Wild. & T.Durand
• Coffea dybowskii Pierre ex De Wild.
• Coffea excelsa A.Chev.
native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia.
The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor various beverages and products. The fruits, like the seeds, contain a large amount of caffeine, and have a distinct sweet taste.
Liberica originated in Liberia, West Africa. However, today, it is mostly grown and consumed in Southeast Asia – namely the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Coffea liberica, commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from which coffee is produced. It is native to western and central Africa (from Liberia to Uganda and Angola), and has become naturalised in areas including Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Borneo and Java.
Coffea liberica trees are very tall, reaching up to 20 m (66 ft) high. They are harvested using ladders. The size of the cherries, the beans, and the leaves of barako are also among the largest of all coffee varieties.
The shape of the liberica beans is unique among other commercial species (arabica, robusta) and varieties (liberica var. dewevrei). It is asymmetric, with one side shorter than the other side, creating characteristic "hook" at the tip. The central furrow is also more jagged in comparison to other coffee beans.
Coffee Liberica beans are larger than Arabica and Robusta beans, with a unique shape that resembles a teardrop. They also have a distinct aroma, with a floral and fruity scent that is often described as similar to jackfruit.
The flavor profile of Coffee Liberica is also unique, with a bold and full-bodied taste that is often described as smoky, woody, and slightly nutty.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Gentianales
Family : Rubiaceae
Genus : Coffea
Species : C. liberica
Binomial name Coffea liberica
Hiern
Synonyms
• Coffea dewevrei De Wild. & T.Durand
• Coffea dybowskii Pierre ex De Wild.
• Coffea excelsa A.Chev.
Sesbania grandiflora
vegetable hummingbird or west indian pea
vegetable hummingbird or west indian pea
Sesbania grandiflora, commonly known as vegetable hummingbird, katurai, agati, or West Indian pea, is a small leguminous tree native to Maritime Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It has edible flowers and leaves commonly eaten in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Sesbania grandiflora is a fast-growing tree. The leaves are regular and rounded and the flowers white, red or pink. The fruits look like flat, long, thin green beans. The tree thrives under full exposure to sunshine and is extremely frost sensitive.
It is a small soft wooded tree up to 3–8 m (10–26 ft) tall. Leaves are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long, with leaflets in 10–20 pairs or more and an odd one.
Flowers are oblong, 1.5–10 cm (1–4 in) long in lax, with two to four flower racemes. The calyx is campanulate and shallowly two-lipped. Pods are slender, falcate or straight, and 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, with a thick suture and approximately 30 seeds 8 mm (0.3 in) in size.
It is native to Maritime Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei)to Northern Australia, and is cultivated in many parts of South India and Sri Lanka. It has many traditional uses. It grows where there is good soil and a hot, humid climate.
The flowers of S. grandiflora are eaten as a vegetable in Southeast Asia and South Asia, including Java and Lombok in Indonesia, the Ilocos Region of the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
In the Thai language, the flowers are called ดอกแค (dok khae) and are used in the cuisine both cooked in curries, such as kaeng som and kaeng khae, and raw or blanched with nam phrik.
S.grandiflora flowers are 92% water, 7% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain no fat. In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), the flowers supply 27 calories, and are a rich source of vitamin C (88% of the Daily Value, DV) and folate (26% DV).
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade : Rosids
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Subfamily : Faboideae
Clade : Robinioids
Tribe : Sesbanieae
Genus : Sesbania
Species : S. grandiflora
Binomial name Sesbania grandiflora
(L.) Poiret
Sesbania grandiflora is a fast-growing tree. The leaves are regular and rounded and the flowers white, red or pink. The fruits look like flat, long, thin green beans. The tree thrives under full exposure to sunshine and is extremely frost sensitive.
It is a small soft wooded tree up to 3–8 m (10–26 ft) tall. Leaves are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long, with leaflets in 10–20 pairs or more and an odd one.
Flowers are oblong, 1.5–10 cm (1–4 in) long in lax, with two to four flower racemes. The calyx is campanulate and shallowly two-lipped. Pods are slender, falcate or straight, and 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, with a thick suture and approximately 30 seeds 8 mm (0.3 in) in size.
It is native to Maritime Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei)to Northern Australia, and is cultivated in many parts of South India and Sri Lanka. It has many traditional uses. It grows where there is good soil and a hot, humid climate.
The flowers of S. grandiflora are eaten as a vegetable in Southeast Asia and South Asia, including Java and Lombok in Indonesia, the Ilocos Region of the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
In the Thai language, the flowers are called ดอกแค (dok khae) and are used in the cuisine both cooked in curries, such as kaeng som and kaeng khae, and raw or blanched with nam phrik.
S.grandiflora flowers are 92% water, 7% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain no fat. In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), the flowers supply 27 calories, and are a rich source of vitamin C (88% of the Daily Value, DV) and folate (26% DV).
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade : Rosids
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Subfamily : Faboideae
Clade : Robinioids
Tribe : Sesbanieae
Genus : Sesbania
Species : S. grandiflora
Binomial name Sesbania grandiflora
(L.) Poiret
Hippobroma longiflora
star of bethlehem
star of bethlehem
Hippobroma longiflora, also called Star of Bethlehem, madamfate and Horse poison, Malay - Bunga bintang, Dedalu Cina, Hipobroma is a flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae.
It is the only species in the genus Hippobroma.
It is endemic to the West Indies, but has become naturalized across the American tropics and Oceania.
All parts of the plant is poisonous, containing an acrid poison (lobelanidine) in the form of a white sap.
Damaged leaves and stems of this plant issue copious milky juice. The juice is rich in two well known and powerful alkaloids, nicotine and lobeline, which affect human nervous systems similarly.
The effects of nicotine and lobeline are quite similar, small doses of the juice may have medicinal value with psychoactive effects but higher dosages can induce vomiting, muscle paralysis and trembling.
For this reason, H. longiflora and its various synonyms is often referenced for both its toxicity and its ethnobotanical uses.
Medicinally, various cultures have learned to apply the plant to cauterize wounds and promote healing.
It's been used to treat venereal diseases, asthma, bronchitis, "rheumatism," and even epilepsy and hydrophobia.
When uprooting this weed, it is important to wear gloves: the sap is an irritant which can be absorbed through the skin, and a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause blindness.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Asterales
Family : Campanulaceae
Subfamily : Lobelioideae
Genus : Hippobroma G.Don
Species: H. longiflora
Binomial name Hippobroma longiflora
(L.) G.Don
It is the only species in the genus Hippobroma.
It is endemic to the West Indies, but has become naturalized across the American tropics and Oceania.
All parts of the plant is poisonous, containing an acrid poison (lobelanidine) in the form of a white sap.
Damaged leaves and stems of this plant issue copious milky juice. The juice is rich in two well known and powerful alkaloids, nicotine and lobeline, which affect human nervous systems similarly.
The effects of nicotine and lobeline are quite similar, small doses of the juice may have medicinal value with psychoactive effects but higher dosages can induce vomiting, muscle paralysis and trembling.
For this reason, H. longiflora and its various synonyms is often referenced for both its toxicity and its ethnobotanical uses.
Medicinally, various cultures have learned to apply the plant to cauterize wounds and promote healing.
It's been used to treat venereal diseases, asthma, bronchitis, "rheumatism," and even epilepsy and hydrophobia.
When uprooting this weed, it is important to wear gloves: the sap is an irritant which can be absorbed through the skin, and a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause blindness.
Clade : Tracheophytes
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Eudicots
Clade : Asterids
Order : Asterales
Family : Campanulaceae
Subfamily : Lobelioideae
Genus : Hippobroma G.Don
Species: H. longiflora
Binomial name Hippobroma longiflora
(L.) G.Don
Passiflora quadrangularis
Passiflora quadrangularis, the giant granadilla, barbadine (Trinidad), grenadine (Haiti), giant tumbo or badea, is a species of plant in the family Passifloraceae.
P. quadrangularis produces the largest fruit of any species within the genus Passiflora and it is a perennial climber native to the Neotropics.
It is a vigorous, tender evergreen perennial climber with nodding red flowers, each surrounded by white and purple filaments. It has smooth, cordate, ovate or acuminate leaves; petioles bearing from 4 to 6 glands; an emetic and narcotic root; scented flowers; and a large, oblong fruit, up to 12 inches (30 cm) in length, containing numerous seeds, embedded in a subacid edible pulp.
The badea is sometimes grown in greenhouses. The fruits of several other species of Passiflora are eaten. P. laurifolia is the water lemon and P. maliformis the sweet calabash of the West Indies.
The fruit juice of the badea is used as a beverage. In some parts of Sri Lanka the fruit, where it is known as ටං ටිං ([ tʌŋ tIŋ]), රට පුහුල් or ටුං ටුං, is cooked as a vegetable curry, and the seeds are consumed as a snack or used to extract juice.
A tea is made from the leaves which is used for high blood pressure and diabetes. A drink and ice-cream are made from the fruit.
Passiflora quadrangularis is also grown as an ornamental. Requiring a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), in temperate zones it must be grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species: P. quadrangularis
Binomial name : Passiflora quadrangularis
L.
P. quadrangularis produces the largest fruit of any species within the genus Passiflora and it is a perennial climber native to the Neotropics.
It is a vigorous, tender evergreen perennial climber with nodding red flowers, each surrounded by white and purple filaments. It has smooth, cordate, ovate or acuminate leaves; petioles bearing from 4 to 6 glands; an emetic and narcotic root; scented flowers; and a large, oblong fruit, up to 12 inches (30 cm) in length, containing numerous seeds, embedded in a subacid edible pulp.
The badea is sometimes grown in greenhouses. The fruits of several other species of Passiflora are eaten. P. laurifolia is the water lemon and P. maliformis the sweet calabash of the West Indies.
The fruit juice of the badea is used as a beverage. In some parts of Sri Lanka the fruit, where it is known as ටං ටිං ([ tʌŋ tIŋ]), රට පුහුල් or ටුං ටුං, is cooked as a vegetable curry, and the seeds are consumed as a snack or used to extract juice.
A tea is made from the leaves which is used for high blood pressure and diabetes. A drink and ice-cream are made from the fruit.
Passiflora quadrangularis is also grown as an ornamental. Requiring a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), in temperate zones it must be grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species: P. quadrangularis
Binomial name : Passiflora quadrangularis
L.
Cayratia mollissima 多毛乌蔹莓
Bush grape
Bush grape
Cayratia mollissima 多毛乌蔹莓 (formerly Vitis mollissima), belonging to the grape family, Vitaceae.
Cayratia mollissima is an evergreen species of climber
plant contains calcium oxalate raphides native to India, Indo - china , Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.
Cayratia mollissima is an long stiffly hairy climbing plant producing stems 2 - 10 metres long that climb into the surrounding vegetation and support themselves by means of tendrils.
The leaves are 3-foliolate, measure up to 5 cm long petiole and hairy. The leaflets are elliptical to obliquely ovate in shape, serrate margins while both surfaces are softly hairy.
The corymb is axillary, wide-spreading and measure up to 7.5 cm in diametre. The peduncle is measure up to 5 cm long, the dull bluish-green flowers are small.
The berry is ovoid in shape, measure up to 2.5 cm in diametre, white to pinkish in colour and with crystals.
C.mollissima is a Terrestrial plant (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Freshwater Swamp Forest) grows on the fringe and understory of lowland dipterocarp and secondary forests.
Its flowers are pollinated by bees, and butterflies, It has 3-foliate leaves with small bluish green flowers and produces pinkish white berries, and usually grows at forest margins.
Fruit of Cayratia mollissima contains raphides, a calcium oxalate crystals in the form of a needle.
Raphides are sharp needle shaped crystals of calcium oxalate which is found in various tissues including leaves, roots, shoots and fruits etc..
These sharp needle crystals penetrate the soft tissues of the mouth also call oral cavity or buccal cavity causing intense pain.
Oxalates are found in some fruits and vegetables, such as starfruit, rhubarb, beetroot, spinach and amaranth.
Oxalates are in many forms. Calcium oxalates may be in the forms of needles, clusters or crystal sands. When they exist in needle shape, they penetrate the skin and mucous membranes more readily and cause irritation. A wild plant elephant ears (Giant Alocasia) is known to contain calcium oxalate raphides.
According to the affected persons of suspected calcium oxalate food poisoning cases, their commonly reported symptoms, which included numbness and burning sensation of the tongue, mouth and lips, swelling of tongue or lips. Furthermore, some patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea as well.
To prevent calcium oxalate food poisoning, it is advised that the trade shall not use the leaves of Giant Alocasia to cover vegetables during transportation and
processing as it is not an appropriate practice.
Due to the contains of raphides in C. mollissima the ripe fruits failed to attract birds, squirrels or any other wild animals and even ants were not interested in the fruits, although they taste sweet.
The plant of C.mollissima is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.
The leaves are known to be used to make tea. In Medicinal ( The plant is used in folk medicine to treat swelling and fever.) The fruits are used to poultice swellings and aches; they are also rubbed on the belly to ease pain during labour. An infusion of the leaves is applied as a cooling lotion.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Cayratia
Species: C. mollissima
Binomial name Cayratia mollissima
(G.C.Wall) Gagnep.
Cayratia mollissima is an evergreen species of climber
plant contains calcium oxalate raphides native to India, Indo - china , Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.
Cayratia mollissima is an long stiffly hairy climbing plant producing stems 2 - 10 metres long that climb into the surrounding vegetation and support themselves by means of tendrils.
The leaves are 3-foliolate, measure up to 5 cm long petiole and hairy. The leaflets are elliptical to obliquely ovate in shape, serrate margins while both surfaces are softly hairy.
The corymb is axillary, wide-spreading and measure up to 7.5 cm in diametre. The peduncle is measure up to 5 cm long, the dull bluish-green flowers are small.
The berry is ovoid in shape, measure up to 2.5 cm in diametre, white to pinkish in colour and with crystals.
C.mollissima is a Terrestrial plant (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Freshwater Swamp Forest) grows on the fringe and understory of lowland dipterocarp and secondary forests.
Its flowers are pollinated by bees, and butterflies, It has 3-foliate leaves with small bluish green flowers and produces pinkish white berries, and usually grows at forest margins.
Fruit of Cayratia mollissima contains raphides, a calcium oxalate crystals in the form of a needle.
Raphides are sharp needle shaped crystals of calcium oxalate which is found in various tissues including leaves, roots, shoots and fruits etc..
These sharp needle crystals penetrate the soft tissues of the mouth also call oral cavity or buccal cavity causing intense pain.
Oxalates are found in some fruits and vegetables, such as starfruit, rhubarb, beetroot, spinach and amaranth.
Oxalates are in many forms. Calcium oxalates may be in the forms of needles, clusters or crystal sands. When they exist in needle shape, they penetrate the skin and mucous membranes more readily and cause irritation. A wild plant elephant ears (Giant Alocasia) is known to contain calcium oxalate raphides.
According to the affected persons of suspected calcium oxalate food poisoning cases, their commonly reported symptoms, which included numbness and burning sensation of the tongue, mouth and lips, swelling of tongue or lips. Furthermore, some patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea as well.
To prevent calcium oxalate food poisoning, it is advised that the trade shall not use the leaves of Giant Alocasia to cover vegetables during transportation and
processing as it is not an appropriate practice.
Due to the contains of raphides in C. mollissima the ripe fruits failed to attract birds, squirrels or any other wild animals and even ants were not interested in the fruits, although they taste sweet.
The plant of C.mollissima is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.
The leaves are known to be used to make tea. In Medicinal ( The plant is used in folk medicine to treat swelling and fever.) The fruits are used to poultice swellings and aches; they are also rubbed on the belly to ease pain during labour. An infusion of the leaves is applied as a cooling lotion.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Cayratia
Species: C. mollissima
Binomial name Cayratia mollissima
(G.C.Wall) Gagnep.
Raphides
The raphides are packed together lengthwise in a gelatinous mass and if the plant is damaged the operculum of the ideoblast is dislodged, sap of the plant or saliva causes the gelatinous mass to swell and the needles are expelled under the pressure.
(Frohne and Pfänder, 1983).
From: Veterinary Toxicology, 2007
The raphides were denatured by heat, methanol, or Ginger extract and the denaturing activity of Ginger on raphides was found to be attributable to its lipophilic and thermostable components, which may explain the meaning of the processing of Pinellia Tuber with Ginger in TCM, and may lead to the development of an easier and safer protocol to administer Pinellia Tuber.
In addition, it was found that rinsing the mouth with salad oil can effectively relieve irritation of the oral mucosa caused by unprocessed Pinellia Tuber, probably due to the lipophilicity of the raphides.
Oxalate-Containing Plants
Credit info by : Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT, in Small Animal Toxicology (Third Edition), 2013
Mechanism of Toxicity : IO crystals (raphides) resembling dual-pointed needles are arranged and packed in bundles and located within specialized cells (idioblasts) found throughout the plant.
Damage to the tip of the idioblast, such as during chewing, allows water to enter the cell, causing swelling of a gelatinous material surrounding the raphides. This stimulates the forceful propulsion of the raphides from the cell and into the surrounding environment. This “darting” of alimentary soft tissue by the needlelike crystals is responsible for much of the discomfort associated with chewing on IO plants.
An idioblast is an isolated plant cell that differs from neighboring tissues. They have various functions such as storage of reserves, excretory materials, pigments, and minerals. They could contain oil, latex, gum, resin, tannin or pigments etc. Some can contain mineral crystals such as acrid tasting and poisonous calcium oxalate or carbonate or silica. Any of the tissue or tissue systems of plants can contain idioblasts. Idioblasts are divided into three main categories: excretory, tracheoid, and
sclerenchymatous.
The idioblasts may continue to expel raphides for some time after the plant material has been swallowed, extending the irritation to the throat, esophagus, and stomach. Barbs found on raphides of some species of IO plants are responsible for prolongation of the irritation from the crystals, and some Aracaea plants have raphides with grooves that deposit proteolytic enzymes, which activate kinins and histamines, further potentiating the irritant effect through stimulation of an intense inflammatory reaction.
Poisonous Plants
Info credit by : Rosalind Dalefield BVSc PhD DABVT DABT, in Veterinary Toxicology for Australia and New Zealand, 2017
Plants With Toxic Effects on the Gastrointestinal TractPlants Containing Insoluble Oxalates
Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals in a number of plants form needle-like raphides that penetrate the oral and pharyngeal mucosa, causing inflammation, hypersalivation, and edema that may be sufficient to cause choking or to significantly inhibit respiration. Cooling liquids or demulcents may be helpful. Antihistamines should be administered, and respiration maintained, by tracheostomy if necessary. Effects may last for hours.
The raphides are packed together lengthwise in a gelatinous mass and if the plant is damaged the operculum of the ideoblast is dislodged, sap of the plant or saliva causes the gelatinous mass to swell and the needles are expelled under the pressure.
(Frohne and Pfänder, 1983).
From: Veterinary Toxicology, 2007
The raphides were denatured by heat, methanol, or Ginger extract and the denaturing activity of Ginger on raphides was found to be attributable to its lipophilic and thermostable components, which may explain the meaning of the processing of Pinellia Tuber with Ginger in TCM, and may lead to the development of an easier and safer protocol to administer Pinellia Tuber.
In addition, it was found that rinsing the mouth with salad oil can effectively relieve irritation of the oral mucosa caused by unprocessed Pinellia Tuber, probably due to the lipophilicity of the raphides.
Oxalate-Containing Plants
Credit info by : Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT, in Small Animal Toxicology (Third Edition), 2013
Mechanism of Toxicity : IO crystals (raphides) resembling dual-pointed needles are arranged and packed in bundles and located within specialized cells (idioblasts) found throughout the plant.
Damage to the tip of the idioblast, such as during chewing, allows water to enter the cell, causing swelling of a gelatinous material surrounding the raphides. This stimulates the forceful propulsion of the raphides from the cell and into the surrounding environment. This “darting” of alimentary soft tissue by the needlelike crystals is responsible for much of the discomfort associated with chewing on IO plants.
An idioblast is an isolated plant cell that differs from neighboring tissues. They have various functions such as storage of reserves, excretory materials, pigments, and minerals. They could contain oil, latex, gum, resin, tannin or pigments etc. Some can contain mineral crystals such as acrid tasting and poisonous calcium oxalate or carbonate or silica. Any of the tissue or tissue systems of plants can contain idioblasts. Idioblasts are divided into three main categories: excretory, tracheoid, and
sclerenchymatous.
The idioblasts may continue to expel raphides for some time after the plant material has been swallowed, extending the irritation to the throat, esophagus, and stomach. Barbs found on raphides of some species of IO plants are responsible for prolongation of the irritation from the crystals, and some Aracaea plants have raphides with grooves that deposit proteolytic enzymes, which activate kinins and histamines, further potentiating the irritant effect through stimulation of an intense inflammatory reaction.
Poisonous Plants
Info credit by : Rosalind Dalefield BVSc PhD DABVT DABT, in Veterinary Toxicology for Australia and New Zealand, 2017
Plants With Toxic Effects on the Gastrointestinal TractPlants Containing Insoluble Oxalates
Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals in a number of plants form needle-like raphides that penetrate the oral and pharyngeal mucosa, causing inflammation, hypersalivation, and edema that may be sufficient to cause choking or to significantly inhibit respiration. Cooling liquids or demulcents may be helpful. Antihistamines should be administered, and respiration maintained, by tracheostomy if necessary. Effects may last for hours.
Resins
In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds.
Plant resins are valued for the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents. They are also prized as raw materials for the synthesis of other organic compounds and provide constituents of incense and perfume.
The hard transparent resins, such as the copals, dammars, mastic, and sandarac, are principally used for varnishes and adhesives, while the softer odoriferous oleo-resins (frankincense, elemi, turpentine, copaiba), and gum resins containing essential oils (ammoniacum, asafoetida, gamboge, myrrh, and scammony) are more used for therapeutic purposes, food and incense. The resin of the Aleppo Pine is used to flavour retsina, a Greek resinated wine.
Many materials are produced via the conversion of synthetic resins to solids. Important examples are bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, which is a resin converted to epoxy glue upon the addition of a hardener. Silicones are often prepared from silicone resins via room temperature vulcanization.
Alkyd resins are used in paints and varnishes and harden or cure by exposure to oxygen in the air.
Plants secrete resins for their protective benefits in response to injury. The resin protects the plant from insects and pathogens. Resins confound a wide range of herbivores, insects, and pathogens, while the volatile phenolic compounds may attract benefactors such as parasitoids or predators of the herbivores that attack the plant.
Most plant resins are composed of terpenes. Specific components are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, delta-3 carene, and sabinene, the monocyclic terpenes limonene and terpinolene, and smaller amounts of the tricyclic sesquiterpenes, longifolene, caryophyllene, and delta-cadinene. Some resins also contain a high proportion of resin acids.
Rosins on the other hand are less volatile and consist of diterpenes among other compounds. Rosin is a solidified resin from which the volatile terpenes have been removed by distillation.
Typical rosin is a transparent or translucent mass, with a vitreous fracture and a faintly yellow or brown colour, non-odorous or having only a slight turpentine odour and taste. Rosin is insoluble in water, mostly soluble in alcohol, essential oils, ether, and hot fatty oils. Rosin softens and melts when heated and burns with a bright but smoky flame.
Rosin consists of a complex mixture of different substances including organic acids named the resin acids.
Related to the terpenes, resin acid is oxidized terpenes. Resin acids dissolve in alkalis to form resin soaps, from which the resin acids are regenerated upon treatment with acids. Examples of resin acids are abietic acid (sylvic acid), C20H30O2, plicatic acid contained in cedar, and pimaric acid, C20H30O2, a constituent of galipot resin.
Abietic acid can also be extracted from rosin by means of hot alcohol. Pimaric acid closely resembles abietic acid into which it passes when distilled in a vacuum, it has been supposed to consist of three isomers.
Rosin is obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers. Plant resins are generally produced as stem secretions, but in some Central and South American species of Dalechampia and Clusia they are produced as pollination rewards, and used by some stingless bee species in nest construction.
Propolis, consisting largely of resins collected from plants such as poplars and conifers, is used by honey bees to seal small gaps in their hives, while larger gaps are filled with beeswax.
Resin is first visible on the bark of a tree as a tiny bubble, it is a chemical that oozes out of various trees. It is known as a secretion rather than an excretion.
Excretions are purely waste products whereas, although the reasons behind resin are still a little obscure, most scientists believe that it has some sort of purpose or function. It is probably not simply to trap insects, although there is something almost morbidly satisfying about the sight of an insect being ‘consumed’ by resin.
Resin is a hydrocarbon that is it is made up of two elements and two elements only hydrogen and carbon. So, it also qualifies as a compound, which is when something is made up of two or more elements. What is more it can also be called an organic compound which is when one of the elements has to be carbon.
Some hydrocarbons are impure as they contain traces or have bonded with other substance, and the same can be said of resin, so in this sense it is impure. So, all in all resin is an impure organic compound hydrocarbon.
Tree resin is a fluid (Sap) produced by plants (most commonly trees); however, sap and tree resins are not the same thing. Sap is generally a watery, sugary substance, while resin is thicker and stickier.
Similar to beeswax, resin is heralded for its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties which makes it antibacterial . Resins do not dissolve in water; they harden when exposed to air and melt when exposed to heat.
Resin has a multitude of uses and is highly valued over the world. It is used in varnishes, which is a hard and transparent finish and it is pretty obvious why that idea first occurred to someone centuries ago.
It can also be used as an adhesive perhaps the insects trapped inside it gave one of our ancestors that idea and is one of the ingredients that can be used to glue or stick one thing to another. More surprisingly, perhaps, it is also used in the manufacture of perfume and incense.
Before 1700 BC, humans have used resins for thousands of years. The history of resin can be traced to before 1700 BC during the Bronze Age. People used resin as adhesives and medicines. Because tree resin is waterproof, ship builders often used it to seal boats, ropes and tarps.
Resin is usually a viscous liquid in every day terms viscosity is thickness, for example, water is thin and honey is thick.
This liquid is made up of a large and very varied class of hydrocarbons known as terpenes.
Strangely enough, plants are not the only living things that produce them some termites and butterflies do as well. The bits that makes the resin sticky are dissolved solids. The constituents of resins can be separated by a lengthy process known as fractional distillation. The different compounds in resin have different boiling points and so they can be separated at the temperature at which they become gaseous and they can then be collected on their own.
There are some resins which, when they are soft, are called oleo-resins. When they contain either cinnamic or benzoic acid they are known as balsams and these have traditionally been used in optics.
They are also used in oil painting to produce a warm glow effect and have made their way in to at least one cough mixture as well.
There's other usage of tree resin in many ways too.
It’s used as a sealant, rosin for the bows of string instruments, and even used in soaps. You can also use it for wilderness survival in emergency situations, including the treatment of wounds, stopping bleeding and soothing rashes.
Burning incense, especially the burning of tree resin, has been known throughout the history as a sacred activity.
Plant resins are valued for the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents. They are also prized as raw materials for the synthesis of other organic compounds and provide constituents of incense and perfume.
The hard transparent resins, such as the copals, dammars, mastic, and sandarac, are principally used for varnishes and adhesives, while the softer odoriferous oleo-resins (frankincense, elemi, turpentine, copaiba), and gum resins containing essential oils (ammoniacum, asafoetida, gamboge, myrrh, and scammony) are more used for therapeutic purposes, food and incense. The resin of the Aleppo Pine is used to flavour retsina, a Greek resinated wine.
Many materials are produced via the conversion of synthetic resins to solids. Important examples are bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, which is a resin converted to epoxy glue upon the addition of a hardener. Silicones are often prepared from silicone resins via room temperature vulcanization.
Alkyd resins are used in paints and varnishes and harden or cure by exposure to oxygen in the air.
Plants secrete resins for their protective benefits in response to injury. The resin protects the plant from insects and pathogens. Resins confound a wide range of herbivores, insects, and pathogens, while the volatile phenolic compounds may attract benefactors such as parasitoids or predators of the herbivores that attack the plant.
Most plant resins are composed of terpenes. Specific components are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, delta-3 carene, and sabinene, the monocyclic terpenes limonene and terpinolene, and smaller amounts of the tricyclic sesquiterpenes, longifolene, caryophyllene, and delta-cadinene. Some resins also contain a high proportion of resin acids.
Rosins on the other hand are less volatile and consist of diterpenes among other compounds. Rosin is a solidified resin from which the volatile terpenes have been removed by distillation.
Typical rosin is a transparent or translucent mass, with a vitreous fracture and a faintly yellow or brown colour, non-odorous or having only a slight turpentine odour and taste. Rosin is insoluble in water, mostly soluble in alcohol, essential oils, ether, and hot fatty oils. Rosin softens and melts when heated and burns with a bright but smoky flame.
Rosin consists of a complex mixture of different substances including organic acids named the resin acids.
Related to the terpenes, resin acid is oxidized terpenes. Resin acids dissolve in alkalis to form resin soaps, from which the resin acids are regenerated upon treatment with acids. Examples of resin acids are abietic acid (sylvic acid), C20H30O2, plicatic acid contained in cedar, and pimaric acid, C20H30O2, a constituent of galipot resin.
Abietic acid can also be extracted from rosin by means of hot alcohol. Pimaric acid closely resembles abietic acid into which it passes when distilled in a vacuum, it has been supposed to consist of three isomers.
Rosin is obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers. Plant resins are generally produced as stem secretions, but in some Central and South American species of Dalechampia and Clusia they are produced as pollination rewards, and used by some stingless bee species in nest construction.
Propolis, consisting largely of resins collected from plants such as poplars and conifers, is used by honey bees to seal small gaps in their hives, while larger gaps are filled with beeswax.
Resin is first visible on the bark of a tree as a tiny bubble, it is a chemical that oozes out of various trees. It is known as a secretion rather than an excretion.
Excretions are purely waste products whereas, although the reasons behind resin are still a little obscure, most scientists believe that it has some sort of purpose or function. It is probably not simply to trap insects, although there is something almost morbidly satisfying about the sight of an insect being ‘consumed’ by resin.
Resin is a hydrocarbon that is it is made up of two elements and two elements only hydrogen and carbon. So, it also qualifies as a compound, which is when something is made up of two or more elements. What is more it can also be called an organic compound which is when one of the elements has to be carbon.
Some hydrocarbons are impure as they contain traces or have bonded with other substance, and the same can be said of resin, so in this sense it is impure. So, all in all resin is an impure organic compound hydrocarbon.
Tree resin is a fluid (Sap) produced by plants (most commonly trees); however, sap and tree resins are not the same thing. Sap is generally a watery, sugary substance, while resin is thicker and stickier.
Similar to beeswax, resin is heralded for its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties which makes it antibacterial . Resins do not dissolve in water; they harden when exposed to air and melt when exposed to heat.
Resin has a multitude of uses and is highly valued over the world. It is used in varnishes, which is a hard and transparent finish and it is pretty obvious why that idea first occurred to someone centuries ago.
It can also be used as an adhesive perhaps the insects trapped inside it gave one of our ancestors that idea and is one of the ingredients that can be used to glue or stick one thing to another. More surprisingly, perhaps, it is also used in the manufacture of perfume and incense.
Before 1700 BC, humans have used resins for thousands of years. The history of resin can be traced to before 1700 BC during the Bronze Age. People used resin as adhesives and medicines. Because tree resin is waterproof, ship builders often used it to seal boats, ropes and tarps.
Resin is usually a viscous liquid in every day terms viscosity is thickness, for example, water is thin and honey is thick.
This liquid is made up of a large and very varied class of hydrocarbons known as terpenes.
Strangely enough, plants are not the only living things that produce them some termites and butterflies do as well. The bits that makes the resin sticky are dissolved solids. The constituents of resins can be separated by a lengthy process known as fractional distillation. The different compounds in resin have different boiling points and so they can be separated at the temperature at which they become gaseous and they can then be collected on their own.
There are some resins which, when they are soft, are called oleo-resins. When they contain either cinnamic or benzoic acid they are known as balsams and these have traditionally been used in optics.
They are also used in oil painting to produce a warm glow effect and have made their way in to at least one cough mixture as well.
There's other usage of tree resin in many ways too.
It’s used as a sealant, rosin for the bows of string instruments, and even used in soaps. You can also use it for wilderness survival in emergency situations, including the treatment of wounds, stopping bleeding and soothing rashes.
Burning incense, especially the burning of tree resin, has been known throughout the history as a sacred activity.
Nepenthes rafflesiana
Raffles' pitcher-plant
Raffles' pitcher-plant
Nepenthes rafflesiana, raffles pitcher plant grows well under bright indirect sunlight, withstands full sun. Plants grown in deep shade tend to produce few or no pitchers, prefers moist, poor-nutrient acidic media like peatmoss, sphagnum moss or salt-free cocopeat.
Avoid fertilizing, especially with fast-release fertilizers, which may burn or kill the plant, or result in excessive foliage growth without pitcher formation.
Species' diet typically insectivorous.
Native, vulnerable, and threatened with habitat loss. International trade of plant controlled by CITES ProtectionTrue (Appendix II)
Nepenthes rafflesiana (after Stamford Raffles), or Raffles' pitcher-plant, is a species of tropical pitcher plant. It has a very wide distribution covering Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is extremely variable, with numerous forms and varieties described.
In Borneo alone, there are at least three distinct varieties. The giant form of this species produces enormous pitchers rivalling those of N. rajah in size.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is a widespread lowland species. It is common in Borneo and parts of the Riau Archipelago, but has a restricted distribution in both
Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
It is only widespread in the southeastern region of the Malay Peninsula, particularly in the state of Johor, where it is relatively abundant.
Nepenthes rafflesiana has only been recorded from the west coast of Sumatra, between Indrapura
and Barus. It is also found in Singapore and on a number of smaller islands, including Bangka,
Labuan, Natuna, and the Lingga Islands.
Nepenthes rafflesiana generally occurs in open, sandy, wet areas. It has been recorded from kerangas
forest, secondary formations, margins of peat swamp forest, heath forest, and seaside cliffs. It grows at elevations ranging from sea-level to 1200 m or even 1500 m.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is a scrambling vine. The stem may climb to a height of 15 m and is up to 10 mm thick. Internodes are up to 20 cm long. Tendrils may be over 110 cm long.
The lower pitchers of N. rafflesiana are bulbous and possess well-developed fringed wings. These terrestrial traps rarely exceed 20 cm in height, although the giant form of N. rafflesiana is known produce pitchers up to 35 cm long and 15 cm wide.
Upper pitchers are funnel-shaped and often bear a distinctive raised section at the front of the peristome. Both types of pitchers have a characteristically elongated peristome neck that may be 3 cm or more in length.
Pitcher colouration varies greatly from dark purple to almost completely white. The typical form of N. rafflesiana is light green throughout with heavy purple blotches on the lower pitchers and cream-coloured aerial pitchers.
The inflorescence is a raceme and grows between 16 and 70 cm tall. The red or purple flowers usually occur singly, or sometimes in pairs, on each flower-stalk.
Young plants are wholly covered with long, caducous, brown or white hairs. Mature plants often have a sparse indumentum of short, brown hairs, though they may be completely glabrous.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is found in tropical lowlands. It produces two distinct types of pitchers (heavily modified leaves), which are used to capture and kill insect prey for nutrients.
The lower pitchers are generally round, squat and 'winged', while the upper pitchers are more narrow at their base. The species is widely variable and comes in a variety of shapes and colors most contain varying amounts of green, white, and maroon streaks.
All Nepenthes are passive carnivores with no moving parts, unlike their distant cousins the Venus flytrap.
Nepenthes rafflesiana kills by luring its prey into its pitchers, whose peristomes secrete a sweet-tasting nectar. Once the insect is inside, it quickly finds the walls of the pitcher too slippery to scale and drowns.
Digestive enzymes released by the plant into the liquid break down the prey and release soluble nutrients, which are absorbed by the plant through the walls of the pitcher.
The carnivorous nature of Nepenthes is supposedly a consequence of living in nutrient-poor soils; since the main method of nutrient absorption in most plants (the root) is insufficient in these soils, the plants have evolved other ways to gain nutrients. As a result, the roots of Nepenthes and most other carnivorous plants are slight and fragile; hence care must be taken when repotting.
All Nepenthes are dioecious, meaning that each individual plant has only male or female characteristics.
Nepenthes rafflesiana was discovered by Dr. William Jack in 1819.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is very popular in cultivation; it is a lowland Nepenthes (enjoying hot, humid conditions most of the time, as found in tropical jungle lowlands) but can be grown as an intermediate, with cooler nights and less humidity.
The plant should be grown in shaded conditions, diffuse sunlight, or in a large grow chamber under artificial lights. Watering and misting should be performed frequently, and preferably with distilled water, to avoid mineral build-up that is not only unsightly but that may damage the delicate roots of Nepenthes (and most other carnivorous plants). Standing water is inadvisable.
A wet, well-draining potting medium is a necessity. Methods of feeding are varied, some growers feed freeze-dried bloodworms or Koi pellets (both available in the fish section of most pet stores), others prefer orchid mixes.
No carnivorous plant should ever be fed mammalian meat, this will result not only in an unpleasant smell but also the probable rotting of the pitcher and potential death of the plant. The digestive enzymes present have not evolved to handle large prey items, and the rotting material gives opportunistic bacteria and fungi a chance to take hold.
The giant form is a much larger plant than the typical form in all respects. The stem may climb to a height of 15 m. Leaf blades are around two and a half times as long as usual.
Lower pitchers reach 35 cm in height by 15 cm in width and sometimes exceed 1 litre in volume, making them some of the largest in the genus. They vary widely in pigmentation, from white with red blotches to dark purple.
Upper pitchers may be spotted or green throughout. The inflorescence is also massive, reaching over 1 m in length. The individual flowers measure up to 1.5 cm in diameter and have dark red tepals.
Most wild populations of Nepenthes, including N. rafflesiana, are endangered due to habitat destruction and (to a lesser extent) poaching.
N. rafflesiana is currently listed as a CITES Appendix II plant, so it does have some international trade restrictions (though not an outright ban).
Today, most N. rafflesiana plants on the market are propagated by plant tissue culture or other forms of vegetative propagation. When purchasing any plant, especially those protected by CITES, it is important to ask the vendor about the plant's provenance.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species: N. rafflesiana
Binomial name Nepenthes rafflesiana
Jack (1835)
Avoid fertilizing, especially with fast-release fertilizers, which may burn or kill the plant, or result in excessive foliage growth without pitcher formation.
Species' diet typically insectivorous.
Native, vulnerable, and threatened with habitat loss. International trade of plant controlled by CITES ProtectionTrue (Appendix II)
Nepenthes rafflesiana (after Stamford Raffles), or Raffles' pitcher-plant, is a species of tropical pitcher plant. It has a very wide distribution covering Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is extremely variable, with numerous forms and varieties described.
In Borneo alone, there are at least three distinct varieties. The giant form of this species produces enormous pitchers rivalling those of N. rajah in size.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is a widespread lowland species. It is common in Borneo and parts of the Riau Archipelago, but has a restricted distribution in both
Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
It is only widespread in the southeastern region of the Malay Peninsula, particularly in the state of Johor, where it is relatively abundant.
Nepenthes rafflesiana has only been recorded from the west coast of Sumatra, between Indrapura
and Barus. It is also found in Singapore and on a number of smaller islands, including Bangka,
Labuan, Natuna, and the Lingga Islands.
Nepenthes rafflesiana generally occurs in open, sandy, wet areas. It has been recorded from kerangas
forest, secondary formations, margins of peat swamp forest, heath forest, and seaside cliffs. It grows at elevations ranging from sea-level to 1200 m or even 1500 m.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is a scrambling vine. The stem may climb to a height of 15 m and is up to 10 mm thick. Internodes are up to 20 cm long. Tendrils may be over 110 cm long.
The lower pitchers of N. rafflesiana are bulbous and possess well-developed fringed wings. These terrestrial traps rarely exceed 20 cm in height, although the giant form of N. rafflesiana is known produce pitchers up to 35 cm long and 15 cm wide.
Upper pitchers are funnel-shaped and often bear a distinctive raised section at the front of the peristome. Both types of pitchers have a characteristically elongated peristome neck that may be 3 cm or more in length.
Pitcher colouration varies greatly from dark purple to almost completely white. The typical form of N. rafflesiana is light green throughout with heavy purple blotches on the lower pitchers and cream-coloured aerial pitchers.
The inflorescence is a raceme and grows between 16 and 70 cm tall. The red or purple flowers usually occur singly, or sometimes in pairs, on each flower-stalk.
Young plants are wholly covered with long, caducous, brown or white hairs. Mature plants often have a sparse indumentum of short, brown hairs, though they may be completely glabrous.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is found in tropical lowlands. It produces two distinct types of pitchers (heavily modified leaves), which are used to capture and kill insect prey for nutrients.
The lower pitchers are generally round, squat and 'winged', while the upper pitchers are more narrow at their base. The species is widely variable and comes in a variety of shapes and colors most contain varying amounts of green, white, and maroon streaks.
All Nepenthes are passive carnivores with no moving parts, unlike their distant cousins the Venus flytrap.
Nepenthes rafflesiana kills by luring its prey into its pitchers, whose peristomes secrete a sweet-tasting nectar. Once the insect is inside, it quickly finds the walls of the pitcher too slippery to scale and drowns.
Digestive enzymes released by the plant into the liquid break down the prey and release soluble nutrients, which are absorbed by the plant through the walls of the pitcher.
The carnivorous nature of Nepenthes is supposedly a consequence of living in nutrient-poor soils; since the main method of nutrient absorption in most plants (the root) is insufficient in these soils, the plants have evolved other ways to gain nutrients. As a result, the roots of Nepenthes and most other carnivorous plants are slight and fragile; hence care must be taken when repotting.
All Nepenthes are dioecious, meaning that each individual plant has only male or female characteristics.
Nepenthes rafflesiana was discovered by Dr. William Jack in 1819.
Nepenthes rafflesiana is very popular in cultivation; it is a lowland Nepenthes (enjoying hot, humid conditions most of the time, as found in tropical jungle lowlands) but can be grown as an intermediate, with cooler nights and less humidity.
The plant should be grown in shaded conditions, diffuse sunlight, or in a large grow chamber under artificial lights. Watering and misting should be performed frequently, and preferably with distilled water, to avoid mineral build-up that is not only unsightly but that may damage the delicate roots of Nepenthes (and most other carnivorous plants). Standing water is inadvisable.
A wet, well-draining potting medium is a necessity. Methods of feeding are varied, some growers feed freeze-dried bloodworms or Koi pellets (both available in the fish section of most pet stores), others prefer orchid mixes.
No carnivorous plant should ever be fed mammalian meat, this will result not only in an unpleasant smell but also the probable rotting of the pitcher and potential death of the plant. The digestive enzymes present have not evolved to handle large prey items, and the rotting material gives opportunistic bacteria and fungi a chance to take hold.
The giant form is a much larger plant than the typical form in all respects. The stem may climb to a height of 15 m. Leaf blades are around two and a half times as long as usual.
Lower pitchers reach 35 cm in height by 15 cm in width and sometimes exceed 1 litre in volume, making them some of the largest in the genus. They vary widely in pigmentation, from white with red blotches to dark purple.
Upper pitchers may be spotted or green throughout. The inflorescence is also massive, reaching over 1 m in length. The individual flowers measure up to 1.5 cm in diameter and have dark red tepals.
Most wild populations of Nepenthes, including N. rafflesiana, are endangered due to habitat destruction and (to a lesser extent) poaching.
N. rafflesiana is currently listed as a CITES Appendix II plant, so it does have some international trade restrictions (though not an outright ban).
Today, most N. rafflesiana plants on the market are propagated by plant tissue culture or other forms of vegetative propagation. When purchasing any plant, especially those protected by CITES, it is important to ask the vendor about the plant's provenance.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species: N. rafflesiana
Binomial name Nepenthes rafflesiana
Jack (1835)
Nepenthes ampullaria
flask-shaped pitcher-plant.
flask-shaped pitcher-plant.
Nepenthes ampullaria is a unique lowland tropical pitcher plant, it prefers bright indirect sunlight, moist, poor-nutrient acidic media like peatmoss, sphagnum moss or salt-free cocopeat.
Avoid fertilizing, especially with fast-release fertilizers, which may burn or kill the plant, or result in excessive foliage growth without pitcher formation.
N. ampullaria produces small, oblong, squat ground pitchers in numerous colorful shades. It is a detritivore, consuming detris. This means it eats decomposing plants and animals as well as feces.
Often find a cluster of 1 to 3 inch (2.5-7.5 cm) pitchers resting on the forest floors where they collect not only insect prey, but also leaf debris, as well as playing host to some uniquely evolved local critters.
Nepenthes ampullaria is a variable little tyke, with pitchers ranging from pure green, to red-spotted, all the way to nearly black. All forms have egg-shaped pitchers with circular peristomes that funnel snacks into rainwater-diluted digestive pools.
The lid of N. ampullaria is thin and points away from the mouth, providing no protection from falling rain. The open-door policy of these tubby pitchers also allow for leaf debris from overhead plants to fall into the opening where they decompose with the help of mutualistic organisms.
N. ampullaria produces an abundance of runners and offshoots, a bit unusual for Nepenthes. The result is a “carpet” of pitchers covering the soil, increasing the likelihood that falling leaves find their way into an open mouth.
Native, vulnerable, and threatened with habitat loss. International trade of plant controlled by CITES ProtectionTrue (Appendix II)
Nepenthes ampullaria ( Latin ampulla meaning
"flask") is a very distinctive and widespread species of tropical pitcher plant, present in Borneo, the Maluku Islands, New Guinea, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Thailand.
Nepenthes ampullaria generally grows in damp, shady forest from sea-level to 2100 m altitude.
The species has developed several unique traits as a consequence of its adaptation to trapping leaf litter.
It is one of the few species in the genus to lack "lunate" cells in its pitchers. These are modified stomatal
guard cells which, it is thought, deny prey a foothold in the pitcher.
The pitcher lid is atypical, being very small and reflexed, such that leaf litter is allowed to fall directly into the pitcher. Nectar glands, which play an important role in prey capture, are very rare and in some cases completely absent from the pitcher lid.
The marginal glands of the peristome are greatly reduced compared to those of other species.
In terrestrial pitchers, the glandular region extends almost to the peristome, such that there is little or no conductive waxy zone. The waxy zone functions by causing prey to slip and fall into the digestive fluid.
The plant's architecture, consisting of subsurface runners and offshoots, is unusual for the genus. The species often forms a "carpet" of pitchers covering the soil. This serves to maximise the area over which falling debris may be intercepted.
The pitchers of N. ampullaria are relatively long-lived, as the species relies on a slow accumulation of nutrients over time.
It is thought that in faunal organisms, such as
mosquito larvae, facilitate breakdown of leaf litter and aid in the transfer of nitrogen from it to the plant by means of the excretion of ammonium ions.
Bacterial breakdown of leaf matter is also known to produce ammonium ions.
It has been shown that foliar stable nitrogen isotope (15N) abundance in N. ampullaria plants growing under forest canopy (litterfall present) is significantly lower than in plants without access to litterfall.
Conversely, total nitrogen concentrations are higher in these plants compared to those growing in open sites with no litterfall.
Nepenthes ampullaria, unlike other members of its genus, has evolved away from carnivory and the plants are partly detritivores, collecting and digesting falling leaf litter in their pitchers. It is thus partially
detritivorous.
Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritusfeeders, or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs
that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus
(decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces).
There are many kinds of invertebrates, vertebrates
and plants that carry out coprophagy. By doing so, all these detritivores contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles.
They should be distinguished from other
decomposers, such as many species of bacteria, fungi and protists, which are unable to ingest discrete lumps of matter, but instead live by absorbing and metabolizing on a molecular scale (saprotrophic nutrition).
The terms detritivore and decomposer are often
used interchangeably, but they describe different organisms. Detritivores are usually arthropods and help in the process of remineralization.
Detritivores perform the first stage of remineralization, by fragmenting the dead plant matter, allowing decomposers to perform the second stage of remineralization.
In the 1996 book Pitcher-Plants of Borneo, N. ampullaria is given the vernacular name flask-shaped pitcher-plant. This name, along with all others, was dropped from the much-expanded second edition, published in 2008.
Due to its unique pitcher morphology and unusual growth habit, it is difficult to confuse N. ampullaria
with any other species in the genus.
The stem of N. ampullaria is light brown in colour and may climb to 15 m in height. Leaves are light green, up to 25 cm long, and 6 cm wide. Pitchers are produced at the ends of short tendrils no more than 15 cm long.
The urceolate pitchers are generally quite small, rarely exceeding 10 cm in height and 7 cm in width. The peristome is greatly incurved, with the inner section accounting for around 85% of its total cross-sectional surface length.
Upper pitchers are very rarely produced and are considerably smaller than those formed on rosettes or offshoots. Pitchers range in colouration from light green throughout to completely dark red, with many intermediate forms recorded.
The pitchers of N. ampullaria from Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia are almost exclusively green throughout or green with red speckles; the red forms are mostly confined to Borneo. A large-pitchered form has been recorded from New Guinea.
The inflorescence of N. ampullaria is a dense panicle. It is the only Nepenthes species recorded from Sumatra or Peninsular Malaysia that produces paniculate inflorescences.
All parts of the plant are densely covered with short, brown hairs when young. The indumentum of mature plants is more sparse, except on the inflorescenes.
N. ampullaria flowers once or twice annually for several weeks at a time. Its flowering period often coincides with those of other Nepenthes species; consequently, it readily forms natural hybrids.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species: N. ampullaria
Binomial name Nepenthes ampullaria
Jack (1835)
Avoid fertilizing, especially with fast-release fertilizers, which may burn or kill the plant, or result in excessive foliage growth without pitcher formation.
N. ampullaria produces small, oblong, squat ground pitchers in numerous colorful shades. It is a detritivore, consuming detris. This means it eats decomposing plants and animals as well as feces.
Often find a cluster of 1 to 3 inch (2.5-7.5 cm) pitchers resting on the forest floors where they collect not only insect prey, but also leaf debris, as well as playing host to some uniquely evolved local critters.
Nepenthes ampullaria is a variable little tyke, with pitchers ranging from pure green, to red-spotted, all the way to nearly black. All forms have egg-shaped pitchers with circular peristomes that funnel snacks into rainwater-diluted digestive pools.
The lid of N. ampullaria is thin and points away from the mouth, providing no protection from falling rain. The open-door policy of these tubby pitchers also allow for leaf debris from overhead plants to fall into the opening where they decompose with the help of mutualistic organisms.
N. ampullaria produces an abundance of runners and offshoots, a bit unusual for Nepenthes. The result is a “carpet” of pitchers covering the soil, increasing the likelihood that falling leaves find their way into an open mouth.
Native, vulnerable, and threatened with habitat loss. International trade of plant controlled by CITES ProtectionTrue (Appendix II)
Nepenthes ampullaria ( Latin ampulla meaning
"flask") is a very distinctive and widespread species of tropical pitcher plant, present in Borneo, the Maluku Islands, New Guinea, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Thailand.
Nepenthes ampullaria generally grows in damp, shady forest from sea-level to 2100 m altitude.
The species has developed several unique traits as a consequence of its adaptation to trapping leaf litter.
It is one of the few species in the genus to lack "lunate" cells in its pitchers. These are modified stomatal
guard cells which, it is thought, deny prey a foothold in the pitcher.
The pitcher lid is atypical, being very small and reflexed, such that leaf litter is allowed to fall directly into the pitcher. Nectar glands, which play an important role in prey capture, are very rare and in some cases completely absent from the pitcher lid.
The marginal glands of the peristome are greatly reduced compared to those of other species.
In terrestrial pitchers, the glandular region extends almost to the peristome, such that there is little or no conductive waxy zone. The waxy zone functions by causing prey to slip and fall into the digestive fluid.
The plant's architecture, consisting of subsurface runners and offshoots, is unusual for the genus. The species often forms a "carpet" of pitchers covering the soil. This serves to maximise the area over which falling debris may be intercepted.
The pitchers of N. ampullaria are relatively long-lived, as the species relies on a slow accumulation of nutrients over time.
It is thought that in faunal organisms, such as
mosquito larvae, facilitate breakdown of leaf litter and aid in the transfer of nitrogen from it to the plant by means of the excretion of ammonium ions.
Bacterial breakdown of leaf matter is also known to produce ammonium ions.
It has been shown that foliar stable nitrogen isotope (15N) abundance in N. ampullaria plants growing under forest canopy (litterfall present) is significantly lower than in plants without access to litterfall.
Conversely, total nitrogen concentrations are higher in these plants compared to those growing in open sites with no litterfall.
Nepenthes ampullaria, unlike other members of its genus, has evolved away from carnivory and the plants are partly detritivores, collecting and digesting falling leaf litter in their pitchers. It is thus partially
detritivorous.
Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritusfeeders, or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs
that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus
(decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces).
There are many kinds of invertebrates, vertebrates
and plants that carry out coprophagy. By doing so, all these detritivores contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles.
They should be distinguished from other
decomposers, such as many species of bacteria, fungi and protists, which are unable to ingest discrete lumps of matter, but instead live by absorbing and metabolizing on a molecular scale (saprotrophic nutrition).
The terms detritivore and decomposer are often
used interchangeably, but they describe different organisms. Detritivores are usually arthropods and help in the process of remineralization.
Detritivores perform the first stage of remineralization, by fragmenting the dead plant matter, allowing decomposers to perform the second stage of remineralization.
In the 1996 book Pitcher-Plants of Borneo, N. ampullaria is given the vernacular name flask-shaped pitcher-plant. This name, along with all others, was dropped from the much-expanded second edition, published in 2008.
Due to its unique pitcher morphology and unusual growth habit, it is difficult to confuse N. ampullaria
with any other species in the genus.
The stem of N. ampullaria is light brown in colour and may climb to 15 m in height. Leaves are light green, up to 25 cm long, and 6 cm wide. Pitchers are produced at the ends of short tendrils no more than 15 cm long.
The urceolate pitchers are generally quite small, rarely exceeding 10 cm in height and 7 cm in width. The peristome is greatly incurved, with the inner section accounting for around 85% of its total cross-sectional surface length.
Upper pitchers are very rarely produced and are considerably smaller than those formed on rosettes or offshoots. Pitchers range in colouration from light green throughout to completely dark red, with many intermediate forms recorded.
The pitchers of N. ampullaria from Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia are almost exclusively green throughout or green with red speckles; the red forms are mostly confined to Borneo. A large-pitchered form has been recorded from New Guinea.
The inflorescence of N. ampullaria is a dense panicle. It is the only Nepenthes species recorded from Sumatra or Peninsular Malaysia that produces paniculate inflorescences.
All parts of the plant are densely covered with short, brown hairs when young. The indumentum of mature plants is more sparse, except on the inflorescenes.
N. ampullaria flowers once or twice annually for several weeks at a time. Its flowering period often coincides with those of other Nepenthes species; consequently, it readily forms natural hybrids.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species: N. ampullaria
Binomial name Nepenthes ampullaria
Jack (1835)
Potamogeton
Pondweed
Pondweed
The Potamogetonaceae, commonly referred to as the pondweed family, is an aquatic family of monocotyledonous flowering plants.
Potamogeton species are found worldwide in many aquatic ecosystems.
The roughly 110 known species are divided over six genera. The largest genus in the family by far is Potamogeton, which contains about 100 species.
Potamogeton is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae.
Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed (Elodea canadensis). The genus name means "river neighbor", originating from the Greek potamos
(river) and geiton (neighbor).
Potamogeton species range from large (stems of 6 m or more) to very small (less than 10 cm). Height is strongly influenced by environmental conditions, particularly water depth. All species are technically perennial, but some species disintegrate in autumn to a large number of asexually produced resting buds called turions, which serve both as a means of overwintering and dispersal.
Turions may be borne on the rhizome, on the stem, or on stolons from the rhizome. Most species, however, persist by perennial creeping rhizomes. In some cases the turions are the only means to differentiate species.
The leaves are alternate, which contrasts with the closely related genus Groenlandia, where the leaves are opposite or whorled. In many species, all the leaves are submerged, and in these cases, they are typically thin and translucent.
Some species, especially in ponds and very slow-moving waters, have floating leaves which tend to be opaque with a leathery texture. Leaf shape has been found to be highly plastic, with variability due to changes in light, water chemistry, planting depth, sediment conditions, temperature, photo period, waves, and seasonality.
All Potamogeton have a delicate membranous sheathing scale, the stipule, at the leaf axil. This may be wholly attached, partly attached, or free of the leaf, and it may have inrolled margins or appear as a tube. The morphology of the stipule is an important character for species identification. The stems have small scales.
The flowers, which are often overlooked, are greenish-brown and are composed of four rounded segments borne in a spike. They are 2-4 merous, with superior ovaries and anthers that turn outward. The fruits are spheroidal and green to brown, usually 1–3 mm in diameter, with a noticeable 'beak'. Their pollen is inaperturate, monad, apolar and spherical.
This species of pondweed do gives out interesting ultra violet effect.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Potamogetonaceae
Genus: Potamogeton L.
Potamogeton species are found worldwide in many aquatic ecosystems.
The roughly 110 known species are divided over six genera. The largest genus in the family by far is Potamogeton, which contains about 100 species.
Potamogeton is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae.
Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed (Elodea canadensis). The genus name means "river neighbor", originating from the Greek potamos
(river) and geiton (neighbor).
Potamogeton species range from large (stems of 6 m or more) to very small (less than 10 cm). Height is strongly influenced by environmental conditions, particularly water depth. All species are technically perennial, but some species disintegrate in autumn to a large number of asexually produced resting buds called turions, which serve both as a means of overwintering and dispersal.
Turions may be borne on the rhizome, on the stem, or on stolons from the rhizome. Most species, however, persist by perennial creeping rhizomes. In some cases the turions are the only means to differentiate species.
The leaves are alternate, which contrasts with the closely related genus Groenlandia, where the leaves are opposite or whorled. In many species, all the leaves are submerged, and in these cases, they are typically thin and translucent.
Some species, especially in ponds and very slow-moving waters, have floating leaves which tend to be opaque with a leathery texture. Leaf shape has been found to be highly plastic, with variability due to changes in light, water chemistry, planting depth, sediment conditions, temperature, photo period, waves, and seasonality.
All Potamogeton have a delicate membranous sheathing scale, the stipule, at the leaf axil. This may be wholly attached, partly attached, or free of the leaf, and it may have inrolled margins or appear as a tube. The morphology of the stipule is an important character for species identification. The stems have small scales.
The flowers, which are often overlooked, are greenish-brown and are composed of four rounded segments borne in a spike. They are 2-4 merous, with superior ovaries and anthers that turn outward. The fruits are spheroidal and green to brown, usually 1–3 mm in diameter, with a noticeable 'beak'. Their pollen is inaperturate, monad, apolar and spherical.
This species of pondweed do gives out interesting ultra violet effect.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Potamogetonaceae
Genus: Potamogeton L.
Crinum moore
Natal lily
Natal lily
Crinum is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants that have large showy flowers on leafless stems, and develop from bulbs.
They are found in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps, depressions and along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide.
Crinum leaves are basal, typically long and strap-shaped, with colors ranging from light green to green.
Several species are used in aquariums.
C.moorei, common name's : moore's crinum, natal lily is a bulb that produces clumps of strappy leaves reaching 1m. Elegant, nodding clusters of amaryllis-type flowers open in late summer to early autumn. These are white, sometimes tinged light pink.
The flowers are scented in the evening, indicating that they are moth-pollinated.
Crinum moorei is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, and native to South Africa (the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal).
C. moorei is used in traditional medicine for urinary tract infections and to treat cattle. The bulbs are also used by traditional healers to cleanse the blood and to treat infected sores and acne.
C. moorei (bulbs) extracts (methanol, ethanol, petroleum ether, and DCM) have been found to show good inhibitory activity against both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagale
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Crinum
Species: C. moorei
Binomial name Crinum moorei
Hook.f.
They are found in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps, depressions and along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide.
Crinum leaves are basal, typically long and strap-shaped, with colors ranging from light green to green.
Several species are used in aquariums.
C.moorei, common name's : moore's crinum, natal lily is a bulb that produces clumps of strappy leaves reaching 1m. Elegant, nodding clusters of amaryllis-type flowers open in late summer to early autumn. These are white, sometimes tinged light pink.
The flowers are scented in the evening, indicating that they are moth-pollinated.
Crinum moorei is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, and native to South Africa (the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal).
C. moorei is used in traditional medicine for urinary tract infections and to treat cattle. The bulbs are also used by traditional healers to cleanse the blood and to treat infected sores and acne.
C. moorei (bulbs) extracts (methanol, ethanol, petroleum ether, and DCM) have been found to show good inhibitory activity against both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagale
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Crinum
Species: C. moorei
Binomial name Crinum moorei
Hook.f.
Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume
Tiger orchid
Tiger orchid
Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume, also called giant orchid, tiger orchid, sugar cane orchid or queen of the orchids, is a species of orchid native to Indonesia. It is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's tallest orchid, with specimens recorded up to 7.62 metres (25 ft) in height.
It is an epiphytic and occasionally a lithophytic plant, forming spectacular root bundles. Its cylindric
pseudobulbs can grow to a length of 2.5 m. It can grow to gigantic clusters weighing from several hundred kilograms to more than one ton.
Each raceme can grow to a height of 3m, bearing up to eighty flowers, each 10 cm wide. The flowers are yellow colored with maroon or dark red spots, the lowest flowers have no lip and these flowers function as osmophores for the entire inflorescence and continue to emit chemical scent to attract pollinators as flowers open in succession. Once a plant has reached maturity it flowers every two to four years, with flowers lasting for up to two months.
It is native to New Guinea, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines, growing in crotches of large trees on exposed areas of the lowland tropical rainforest.
A giant orchid weighing two tons was one of the highlights in the 1851 exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. Because of its enormous size, it is rarely cultivated as this species is usually too large to be accommodated in most greenhouses. Cultivated specimens of this species are always grown as terrestrials, as the plants grow as both an epiphyte and terrestrial in habitat.
In addition, this plant has been found to have potential medicinal benefits extract from the pseudobulb. The pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed heteroblastic and homoblastic respectively.
All leaves and inflorescences usually arise from this structure. Pseudobulbs formed from a single internode produce the leaves and inflorescence from the top, while those that are formed from several internodes can possess leaves along its length. The modified sheath leaves that appear at the base of a pseudobulb and often enfold all or part of it are usually dry and papery, though in some orchids the sheaths bear leaf blades and the leaves at the pseudobulb's apex are reduced to scales.
For example one research article by Saraporn Harikarnpakdee and Verisa Chowjarean found it specifically aided in wound healing in humans.
G. speciosum contains various phytochemical compounds such as glucosyloxybenzyl derivatives, grammatophyllosides, cronupapine, vandateroside II, gastodin, vanilloloside, orcinol glucoside, and isovitexin.
Due to their benefits, these phytochemicals in this plant may be used as medicine; however, the effect of G. speciosum on tissue wound healing has never been investigated.
Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume is a plant in Orchidaceae family mostly found in Southeast Asia. The pseudobulb extract of G. speciosum was used for relieving pains from scorpion venom (Heterometrus laoticus). In addition, G. speciosum ethanolic extract (GSE) was reported to have potential for an increase in stem cell phenotypes of human keratinocytes. Moreover, the extract also had an ability to protect the cells against superoxide anion-induced cell death.
This study examined the potential wound healing effects of GSE in human primary skin fibroblast cells. Also, the in vitro antioxidant activity of GSE was evaluated for its ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radicals. The results from this study might be beneficial for the development of further novel active compounds for tissue wound healing treatment.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Grammatophyllum
Species: G. speciosum
Binomial name Grammatophyllum speciosum
Blume
It is an epiphytic and occasionally a lithophytic plant, forming spectacular root bundles. Its cylindric
pseudobulbs can grow to a length of 2.5 m. It can grow to gigantic clusters weighing from several hundred kilograms to more than one ton.
Each raceme can grow to a height of 3m, bearing up to eighty flowers, each 10 cm wide. The flowers are yellow colored with maroon or dark red spots, the lowest flowers have no lip and these flowers function as osmophores for the entire inflorescence and continue to emit chemical scent to attract pollinators as flowers open in succession. Once a plant has reached maturity it flowers every two to four years, with flowers lasting for up to two months.
It is native to New Guinea, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines, growing in crotches of large trees on exposed areas of the lowland tropical rainforest.
A giant orchid weighing two tons was one of the highlights in the 1851 exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. Because of its enormous size, it is rarely cultivated as this species is usually too large to be accommodated in most greenhouses. Cultivated specimens of this species are always grown as terrestrials, as the plants grow as both an epiphyte and terrestrial in habitat.
In addition, this plant has been found to have potential medicinal benefits extract from the pseudobulb. The pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed heteroblastic and homoblastic respectively.
All leaves and inflorescences usually arise from this structure. Pseudobulbs formed from a single internode produce the leaves and inflorescence from the top, while those that are formed from several internodes can possess leaves along its length. The modified sheath leaves that appear at the base of a pseudobulb and often enfold all or part of it are usually dry and papery, though in some orchids the sheaths bear leaf blades and the leaves at the pseudobulb's apex are reduced to scales.
For example one research article by Saraporn Harikarnpakdee and Verisa Chowjarean found it specifically aided in wound healing in humans.
G. speciosum contains various phytochemical compounds such as glucosyloxybenzyl derivatives, grammatophyllosides, cronupapine, vandateroside II, gastodin, vanilloloside, orcinol glucoside, and isovitexin.
Due to their benefits, these phytochemicals in this plant may be used as medicine; however, the effect of G. speciosum on tissue wound healing has never been investigated.
Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume is a plant in Orchidaceae family mostly found in Southeast Asia. The pseudobulb extract of G. speciosum was used for relieving pains from scorpion venom (Heterometrus laoticus). In addition, G. speciosum ethanolic extract (GSE) was reported to have potential for an increase in stem cell phenotypes of human keratinocytes. Moreover, the extract also had an ability to protect the cells against superoxide anion-induced cell death.
This study examined the potential wound healing effects of GSE in human primary skin fibroblast cells. Also, the in vitro antioxidant activity of GSE was evaluated for its ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radicals. The results from this study might be beneficial for the development of further novel active compounds for tissue wound healing treatment.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Grammatophyllum
Species: G. speciosum
Binomial name Grammatophyllum speciosum
Blume
Chestnuts
The chestnuts are a group of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus Castanea, in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Chestnuts belong to the family Fagaceae, which also includes oaks and beeches. The four main species groups are commonly known as American, European, Chinese, and Japanese chestnuts.
The unrelated horse chestnuts (genus Aesculus) are not true chestnuts but are named for producing nuts of similar appearance that are mildly poisonous to humans. They should not be confused with water chestnuts, which are tubers of an aquatic herbaceous plant in the sedge family Cyperaceae.
Other species commonly mistaken for chestnut trees are the chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) and the American beech (Fagus grandifolia), both of which are also in the Fagaceae.
Chestnut trees are of moderate growth rate (for the Chinese chestnut tree) to fast-growing for American and European species. Their mature heights vary from the smallest species of chinkapins, often shrubby, to the giant of past American forests, C. dentata that could reach 60 m. Between these extremes are found the Japanese chestnut (C. crenata) at 10 m average, followed by the Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima) at about 15 m, then the European chestnut (C. sativa) around 30 m.
The Chinese and more so the Japanese chestnuts are both often multileadered and wide-spreading, whereas European and especially American species tend to grow very erect when planted among others, with little tapering of their columnar trunks, which are firmly set and massive. When standing on their own, they spread on the sides and develop broad, rounded, dense crowns at maturity. The latter two's foliage has striking yellow autumn coloring.
Its bark is smooth when young, of a vinous maroon or red-brown color for the American chestnut, grey for the European chestnut. With age, American species' bark becomes grey and darker, thick, and deeply furrowed; the furrows run longitudinally, and tend to twist around the trunk as the tree ages; it sometimes reminds one of a large cable with twisted strands.
The leaves are simple, ovate or lanceolate, 10–30 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with sharply pointed, widely spaced teeth, with shallow rounded sinuates between.
The flowers follow the leaves, appearing in late spring or early summer or into July. They are arranged in long catkins of two kinds, with both kinds being borne on every tree. Some catkins are made of only male flowers, which mature first.
Each flower has eight stamens, or 10 to 12 for C. mollissima. The ripe pollen carries a heavy, sweet odor that some people find too sweet or unpleasant. Other catkins have these pollen-bearing flowers, but also carry near the twig from which these spring, small clusters of female or fruit-producing flowers. Two or three flowers together form a four-lobed prickly calybium, which ultimately grows completely together to make the brown hull, or husk, covering the fruits.
Chestnut flowers are not self-compatible, so two trees are required for pollination. All Castanea species readily hybridize with each other.
The fruit is contained in a spiny (very sharp) cupule 5–11 cm in diameter, also called "bur" or "burr". The burrs are often paired or clustered on the branch and contain one to seven nuts according to the different species, varieties, and cultivars. Around the time the fruits reach maturity, the burrs turn yellow-brown and split open in two or four sections. They can remain on the tree longer than they hold the fruit, but more often achieve complete opening and release the fruits only after having fallen on the ground; opening is partly due to soil humidity.
The chestnut fruit has a pointed end with a small tuft at its tip (called "flame" in Italian[6]), and at the other end, a hilum – a pale brown attachment scar. In many varieties, the fruit is flattened on one or two sides. It has two skins. The first one is a hard, shiny, brown outer hull or husk, called the pericarpus; the industry calls this the "peel". Underneath the pericarpus is another, thinner skin, called the pellicle or episperm. The pellicle closely adheres to the seed itself, following the grooves usually present at the surface of the fruit. These grooves are of variable sizes and depths according to the species and variety.
The fruit inside these shows two cotyledons with a creamy-white flesh throughout, except in some varieties which show only one cotyledon, and whose episperm is only slightly or not intruded at all. Usually, these varieties have only one large fruit per burr, well rounded (no flat face) and which is called "marron" (marron de Lyon in France, marron di Mugello in Italy, or paragon).
Chestnut fruit has no epigeal dormancy and germinate right upon falling to the ground in the autumn, with the roots emerging from the seed right away and the leaves and stem the following spring. Because the seeds lack a coating or internal food supply, they lose viability soon after ripening and must be planted immediately.
The superior fruiting varieties among European chestnuts have good size, sweet taste, and easy-to-remove inner skins. American chestnuts are usually very small (around 5 g), but sweet-tasting with easy-to-remove pellicles. Some Japanese varieties have very large nuts (around 40 g), with typically difficult-to-remove pellicles. Chinese chestnut pellicles are usually easy to remove, and their sizes vary greatly according to the varieties, although usually smaller than the Japanese chestnut.
It has been a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey, and southwestern and eastern Asia. Chestnuts depart from the norm for culinary nuts, as they have little protein or fat; their calories come chiefly from carbohydrates. Fresh chestnut fruits provide about 800 kJ (190 kcal) of food energy per 100 g of edible parts, which is much lower than walnuts, almonds, other nuts, and dried fruit (about 2,500 kJ or 600 kcal per 100 g).[45] Chestnuts contain very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten.
Their carbohydrate content compares with that of wheat and rice. Chestnuts have twice as much starch as the potato on an as-is basis. They contain about 8% of various sugars, mainly sucrose, glucose, fructose, and in lesser amounts, stachyose and raffinose, which are fermented in the lower gut, producing gas.
When chestnuts are just starting to ripen, the fruit are mostly starch and are very firm under finger pressure from the high water content.
As the chestnuts ripen, the starch is slowly converted into sugars, and moisture content decreases. Upon pressing the chestnut, a slight 'give' can be felt; the hull is not so tense, and space occurs between it and the flesh of the fruit. They are the only "nuts" that contain vitamin C, with about 40 mg per 100 g of raw product, about 65% of the US recommended daily intake. The amount of vitamin C decreases by about 40% after heating. Fresh chestnuts contain about 52% water by weight, which evaporates relatively quickly during storage. They can lose as much as 1% of weight in one day at 20 °C (68 °F) and 70% relative humidity.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Subfamily: Quercoideae
Genus: Castanea
Mill.
Chestnuts belong to the family Fagaceae, which also includes oaks and beeches. The four main species groups are commonly known as American, European, Chinese, and Japanese chestnuts.
The unrelated horse chestnuts (genus Aesculus) are not true chestnuts but are named for producing nuts of similar appearance that are mildly poisonous to humans. They should not be confused with water chestnuts, which are tubers of an aquatic herbaceous plant in the sedge family Cyperaceae.
Other species commonly mistaken for chestnut trees are the chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) and the American beech (Fagus grandifolia), both of which are also in the Fagaceae.
Chestnut trees are of moderate growth rate (for the Chinese chestnut tree) to fast-growing for American and European species. Their mature heights vary from the smallest species of chinkapins, often shrubby, to the giant of past American forests, C. dentata that could reach 60 m. Between these extremes are found the Japanese chestnut (C. crenata) at 10 m average, followed by the Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima) at about 15 m, then the European chestnut (C. sativa) around 30 m.
The Chinese and more so the Japanese chestnuts are both often multileadered and wide-spreading, whereas European and especially American species tend to grow very erect when planted among others, with little tapering of their columnar trunks, which are firmly set and massive. When standing on their own, they spread on the sides and develop broad, rounded, dense crowns at maturity. The latter two's foliage has striking yellow autumn coloring.
Its bark is smooth when young, of a vinous maroon or red-brown color for the American chestnut, grey for the European chestnut. With age, American species' bark becomes grey and darker, thick, and deeply furrowed; the furrows run longitudinally, and tend to twist around the trunk as the tree ages; it sometimes reminds one of a large cable with twisted strands.
The leaves are simple, ovate or lanceolate, 10–30 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with sharply pointed, widely spaced teeth, with shallow rounded sinuates between.
The flowers follow the leaves, appearing in late spring or early summer or into July. They are arranged in long catkins of two kinds, with both kinds being borne on every tree. Some catkins are made of only male flowers, which mature first.
Each flower has eight stamens, or 10 to 12 for C. mollissima. The ripe pollen carries a heavy, sweet odor that some people find too sweet or unpleasant. Other catkins have these pollen-bearing flowers, but also carry near the twig from which these spring, small clusters of female or fruit-producing flowers. Two or three flowers together form a four-lobed prickly calybium, which ultimately grows completely together to make the brown hull, or husk, covering the fruits.
Chestnut flowers are not self-compatible, so two trees are required for pollination. All Castanea species readily hybridize with each other.
The fruit is contained in a spiny (very sharp) cupule 5–11 cm in diameter, also called "bur" or "burr". The burrs are often paired or clustered on the branch and contain one to seven nuts according to the different species, varieties, and cultivars. Around the time the fruits reach maturity, the burrs turn yellow-brown and split open in two or four sections. They can remain on the tree longer than they hold the fruit, but more often achieve complete opening and release the fruits only after having fallen on the ground; opening is partly due to soil humidity.
The chestnut fruit has a pointed end with a small tuft at its tip (called "flame" in Italian[6]), and at the other end, a hilum – a pale brown attachment scar. In many varieties, the fruit is flattened on one or two sides. It has two skins. The first one is a hard, shiny, brown outer hull or husk, called the pericarpus; the industry calls this the "peel". Underneath the pericarpus is another, thinner skin, called the pellicle or episperm. The pellicle closely adheres to the seed itself, following the grooves usually present at the surface of the fruit. These grooves are of variable sizes and depths according to the species and variety.
The fruit inside these shows two cotyledons with a creamy-white flesh throughout, except in some varieties which show only one cotyledon, and whose episperm is only slightly or not intruded at all. Usually, these varieties have only one large fruit per burr, well rounded (no flat face) and which is called "marron" (marron de Lyon in France, marron di Mugello in Italy, or paragon).
Chestnut fruit has no epigeal dormancy and germinate right upon falling to the ground in the autumn, with the roots emerging from the seed right away and the leaves and stem the following spring. Because the seeds lack a coating or internal food supply, they lose viability soon after ripening and must be planted immediately.
The superior fruiting varieties among European chestnuts have good size, sweet taste, and easy-to-remove inner skins. American chestnuts are usually very small (around 5 g), but sweet-tasting with easy-to-remove pellicles. Some Japanese varieties have very large nuts (around 40 g), with typically difficult-to-remove pellicles. Chinese chestnut pellicles are usually easy to remove, and their sizes vary greatly according to the varieties, although usually smaller than the Japanese chestnut.
It has been a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey, and southwestern and eastern Asia. Chestnuts depart from the norm for culinary nuts, as they have little protein or fat; their calories come chiefly from carbohydrates. Fresh chestnut fruits provide about 800 kJ (190 kcal) of food energy per 100 g of edible parts, which is much lower than walnuts, almonds, other nuts, and dried fruit (about 2,500 kJ or 600 kcal per 100 g).[45] Chestnuts contain very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten.
Their carbohydrate content compares with that of wheat and rice. Chestnuts have twice as much starch as the potato on an as-is basis. They contain about 8% of various sugars, mainly sucrose, glucose, fructose, and in lesser amounts, stachyose and raffinose, which are fermented in the lower gut, producing gas.
When chestnuts are just starting to ripen, the fruit are mostly starch and are very firm under finger pressure from the high water content.
As the chestnuts ripen, the starch is slowly converted into sugars, and moisture content decreases. Upon pressing the chestnut, a slight 'give' can be felt; the hull is not so tense, and space occurs between it and the flesh of the fruit. They are the only "nuts" that contain vitamin C, with about 40 mg per 100 g of raw product, about 65% of the US recommended daily intake. The amount of vitamin C decreases by about 40% after heating. Fresh chestnuts contain about 52% water by weight, which evaporates relatively quickly during storage. They can lose as much as 1% of weight in one day at 20 °C (68 °F) and 70% relative humidity.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Subfamily: Quercoideae
Genus: Castanea
Mill.
Millettia pinnata
Millettia is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. It consists of about 150 species, which are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
The genus was formerly known by the name Pongamia, but that name was rejected in favor of the name Millettia, and many species have been reclassified. Due to recent interest in biofuels, Pongamia is often the generic name used when referring to Millettia pinnata, a tree being explored for producing biodiesel.
Millettia pinnata is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym Pongamia pinnata as it was moved to the genus Millettia only recently.
Common names : include Indian beech and Pongam oil tree, Seashore Mempari, Poonga Oil tree, Karum tree, 水黄皮, 水流豆、臭腥仔、九重吹。
Millettia pinnata is a legume tree that grows to about 15–25 metres (50–80 ft) in height with a large canopy which spreads equally wide. It may be deciduous for short periods. It has a straight or crooked trunk, 50–80 centimetres (20–30 in) in diameter, with grey-brown bark which is smooth or vertically fissured. Branches are glabrous with pale stipulate scars. The imparipinnate leaves of the tree alternate and are short-stalked, rounded or cuneate at the base, ovate or oblong along the length, obtuse-acuminate at the apex, and not toothed on the edges. They are a soft, shiny burgundy when young and mature to a glossy, deep green as the season progresses with prominent veins underneath.
Flowering generally starts after 3–4 years with small clusters of white, purple, and pink flowers blossoming throughout the year. The raceme-like inflorescence bear two to four flowers which are strongly fragrant and grow to be 15–18 millimetres (0.59–0.71 in) long. The calyx of the flowers is bell-shaped and truncate, while the corolla is a rounded ovate shape with basal auricles and often with a central blotch of green color.
Croppings of indehiscent pods can occur by 4–6 years. The brown seed pods appear immediately after flowering and mature in 10 to 11 months. The pods are thick-walled, smooth, somewhat flattened and elliptical, but slightly curved with a short, curved point.
The pods contain within them one or two bean-like brownish-red seeds, but because they do not split open naturally the pods need to decompose before the seeds can germinate. The seeds are about 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) long with a brittle, oily coat and are unpalatable to herbivores.
Naturally distributed in tropical and temperate Asia, from India to Japan to Thailand to Malesia to north and north-eastern Australia to some Pacific islands.
Withstanding temperatures slightly below 0 °C (32 °F) and up to about 50 °C (120 °F) and annual rainfall of 500–2,500 mm (20–100 in), the tree grows wild on sandy and rocky soils, including oolitic limestone, and will grow in most soil types, even with its roots in salt water.
The tree is well suited to intense heat and sunlight and its dense network of lateral roots and its thick, long taproot make it drought-tolerant. The dense shade it provides slows the evaporation of surface water and its root nodules promote nitrogen fixation, a symbiotic process by which gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air is converted into ammonium (NH4+, a form of nitrogen available to the plant). M. pinnata is also a fresh water flooded forest species as it can survive total submergence in sweet water for few months continuously. M. pinnata tree is common in Tonlesap lake swamp forests in Cambodia
Millettia pinnata is well-adapted to arid zones and has many traditional uses. It is often used for landscaping purposes as a windbreak or for shade due to the large canopy and showy fragrant flowers.
The flowers are used by gardeners as compost for plants requiring rich nutrients. The bark can be used to make twine or rope and it also yields a black gum that has historically been used to treat wounds caused by poisonous fish. The wood is said to be beautifully grained but splits easily when sawn thus relegating it to firewood, posts, and tool handles.
While the oil and residue of the plant are toxic and will induce nausea and vomiting if ingested, the fruits and sprouts, along with the seeds, are used in many traditional remedies.
Juices from the plant, as well as the oil, are antiseptic and resistant to pests. In addition M. pinnata has the rare property of producing seeds of 25–40% lipid content of which nearly half is oleic acid.
Oil made from the seeds, known as pongamia oil, is an important asset of this tree and has been used as lamp oil, in soap making, and as a lubricant for thousands of years. The oil has a high content of triglycerides, and its disagreeable taste and odor are due to bitter flavonoid constituents including karanjin, pongamol, tannin and karanjachromene. It can be grown in rainwater harvesting ponds up to 6 m (20 ft) in water depth without losing its greenery and remaining useful for biodiesel production.
The residue of oil extraction, called press cake, is used as a fertilizer and as animal feed for ruminants and poultry.
Long used as shade tree, M. pinnata is heavily self-seeding and can spread lateral roots up to 9 m (30 ft) over its lifetime. If not managed carefully it can quickly become a weed leading some, including Miami-Dade County, to label the tree as an invasive species. However this dense network of lateral roots makes this tree ideal for controlling soil erosion and binding sand dunes.
Millettia pinnata is an outbreeding diploid legume tree, with a diploid chromosome number of 22. Root nodules are of the determinate type (as those on soybean and common bean) formed by the causative bacterium Bradyrhizobium.
It has been propagated and distributed further around the world in humid and subtropical environments from sea level to 1200m
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Millettia
Species: M. pinnata
Binomial name Millettia pinnata
(L.) Panigrahi
水黄皮(学名:Millettia pinnata)是蝶形花科崖豆藤属的植物,为乔木植物,分布于印度、中国、日本、台湾、马来群岛、澳大利亚和太平洋三大岛群
台湾的水黄皮
水黄皮是生长高度为15-25米的常绿乔木或半落叶乔木,寿命可达100年。树干呈弯曲状;种植5年后开始开花,花朵为白、紫或粉红色,成熟的豆荚为褐色;卵形叶子光滑,深绿色。根系发达,为耐旱的阳性植物,其共生的根瘤菌可固定空气中的氮气。
叶编辑
叶互生,一回奇数羽状复叶。小叶革质,长椭圆形或卵形,5-7枚对生,叶片长约6-23公分,宽约 4-13 公分。基部钝形或圆形,先端钝凸尖,全缘或皱曲缘,两面光滑无毛。叶柄具横向纹路。叶搓揉后有臭腥味。
花编辑
花两性,总状花序,腋生,长15~20 cm;花冠蝶形,长约8-10 mm,花瓣淡紫色且基部愈合,外侧面被有平贴伏毛(appressed hairs),内面无毛或被有稀疏细毛。雄蕊10束,其中9束花丝单体,一束游离。花药被毛。子房无柄且被有伏毛,花柱向内弯曲。胚珠2颗,偶见3颗。
果编辑
荚果扁平且厚,椭圆形刀状,一般不开裂。木质,光滑无毛。长约 4–7 cm,宽约 1.5–3 cm。果实末端具短喙。种子横向椭圆1-2颗,约12 x 9 mm
自然史编辑
水黄皮一年有春、秋两次花期,每年4-5月及9-11月会开花。果荚耐水耐盐,可以随水流传播,甚至海漂。
用途编辑
本物种根系发达,且耐盐性强,可抵抗强风,在台湾常用作景观设计、 行道树及防风林植物。木材致密,过去台湾农家会拿来制作牛车车轮和农具,坚固耐用。种子可供榨油,油含量约为重量的25%,在印度为生物柴油的原料。
澳大利亚原住民会将其用于毒鱼,但本种同时在民俗医药中也用作医药,特别是印度。
别名编辑
水流豆、臭腥仔、九重吹。
界:植物界 Plantae
演化支:被子植物 Angiosperms
演化支:真双子叶植物 Eudicots
演化支:蔷薇类植物 Rosids
目:豆目 Fabales
科:豆科 Fabaceae
亚科:蝶形花亚科 Faboideae
属:崖豆藤属 Millettia
种:水黄皮 M. pinnata
二名法 Millettia pinnata
(L.) Panigrahi
The genus was formerly known by the name Pongamia, but that name was rejected in favor of the name Millettia, and many species have been reclassified. Due to recent interest in biofuels, Pongamia is often the generic name used when referring to Millettia pinnata, a tree being explored for producing biodiesel.
Millettia pinnata is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym Pongamia pinnata as it was moved to the genus Millettia only recently.
Common names : include Indian beech and Pongam oil tree, Seashore Mempari, Poonga Oil tree, Karum tree, 水黄皮, 水流豆、臭腥仔、九重吹。
Millettia pinnata is a legume tree that grows to about 15–25 metres (50–80 ft) in height with a large canopy which spreads equally wide. It may be deciduous for short periods. It has a straight or crooked trunk, 50–80 centimetres (20–30 in) in diameter, with grey-brown bark which is smooth or vertically fissured. Branches are glabrous with pale stipulate scars. The imparipinnate leaves of the tree alternate and are short-stalked, rounded or cuneate at the base, ovate or oblong along the length, obtuse-acuminate at the apex, and not toothed on the edges. They are a soft, shiny burgundy when young and mature to a glossy, deep green as the season progresses with prominent veins underneath.
Flowering generally starts after 3–4 years with small clusters of white, purple, and pink flowers blossoming throughout the year. The raceme-like inflorescence bear two to four flowers which are strongly fragrant and grow to be 15–18 millimetres (0.59–0.71 in) long. The calyx of the flowers is bell-shaped and truncate, while the corolla is a rounded ovate shape with basal auricles and often with a central blotch of green color.
Croppings of indehiscent pods can occur by 4–6 years. The brown seed pods appear immediately after flowering and mature in 10 to 11 months. The pods are thick-walled, smooth, somewhat flattened and elliptical, but slightly curved with a short, curved point.
The pods contain within them one or two bean-like brownish-red seeds, but because they do not split open naturally the pods need to decompose before the seeds can germinate. The seeds are about 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) long with a brittle, oily coat and are unpalatable to herbivores.
Naturally distributed in tropical and temperate Asia, from India to Japan to Thailand to Malesia to north and north-eastern Australia to some Pacific islands.
Withstanding temperatures slightly below 0 °C (32 °F) and up to about 50 °C (120 °F) and annual rainfall of 500–2,500 mm (20–100 in), the tree grows wild on sandy and rocky soils, including oolitic limestone, and will grow in most soil types, even with its roots in salt water.
The tree is well suited to intense heat and sunlight and its dense network of lateral roots and its thick, long taproot make it drought-tolerant. The dense shade it provides slows the evaporation of surface water and its root nodules promote nitrogen fixation, a symbiotic process by which gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air is converted into ammonium (NH4+, a form of nitrogen available to the plant). M. pinnata is also a fresh water flooded forest species as it can survive total submergence in sweet water for few months continuously. M. pinnata tree is common in Tonlesap lake swamp forests in Cambodia
Millettia pinnata is well-adapted to arid zones and has many traditional uses. It is often used for landscaping purposes as a windbreak or for shade due to the large canopy and showy fragrant flowers.
The flowers are used by gardeners as compost for plants requiring rich nutrients. The bark can be used to make twine or rope and it also yields a black gum that has historically been used to treat wounds caused by poisonous fish. The wood is said to be beautifully grained but splits easily when sawn thus relegating it to firewood, posts, and tool handles.
While the oil and residue of the plant are toxic and will induce nausea and vomiting if ingested, the fruits and sprouts, along with the seeds, are used in many traditional remedies.
Juices from the plant, as well as the oil, are antiseptic and resistant to pests. In addition M. pinnata has the rare property of producing seeds of 25–40% lipid content of which nearly half is oleic acid.
Oil made from the seeds, known as pongamia oil, is an important asset of this tree and has been used as lamp oil, in soap making, and as a lubricant for thousands of years. The oil has a high content of triglycerides, and its disagreeable taste and odor are due to bitter flavonoid constituents including karanjin, pongamol, tannin and karanjachromene. It can be grown in rainwater harvesting ponds up to 6 m (20 ft) in water depth without losing its greenery and remaining useful for biodiesel production.
The residue of oil extraction, called press cake, is used as a fertilizer and as animal feed for ruminants and poultry.
Long used as shade tree, M. pinnata is heavily self-seeding and can spread lateral roots up to 9 m (30 ft) over its lifetime. If not managed carefully it can quickly become a weed leading some, including Miami-Dade County, to label the tree as an invasive species. However this dense network of lateral roots makes this tree ideal for controlling soil erosion and binding sand dunes.
Millettia pinnata is an outbreeding diploid legume tree, with a diploid chromosome number of 22. Root nodules are of the determinate type (as those on soybean and common bean) formed by the causative bacterium Bradyrhizobium.
It has been propagated and distributed further around the world in humid and subtropical environments from sea level to 1200m
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Millettia
Species: M. pinnata
Binomial name Millettia pinnata
(L.) Panigrahi
水黄皮(学名:Millettia pinnata)是蝶形花科崖豆藤属的植物,为乔木植物,分布于印度、中国、日本、台湾、马来群岛、澳大利亚和太平洋三大岛群
台湾的水黄皮
水黄皮是生长高度为15-25米的常绿乔木或半落叶乔木,寿命可达100年。树干呈弯曲状;种植5年后开始开花,花朵为白、紫或粉红色,成熟的豆荚为褐色;卵形叶子光滑,深绿色。根系发达,为耐旱的阳性植物,其共生的根瘤菌可固定空气中的氮气。
叶编辑
叶互生,一回奇数羽状复叶。小叶革质,长椭圆形或卵形,5-7枚对生,叶片长约6-23公分,宽约 4-13 公分。基部钝形或圆形,先端钝凸尖,全缘或皱曲缘,两面光滑无毛。叶柄具横向纹路。叶搓揉后有臭腥味。
花编辑
花两性,总状花序,腋生,长15~20 cm;花冠蝶形,长约8-10 mm,花瓣淡紫色且基部愈合,外侧面被有平贴伏毛(appressed hairs),内面无毛或被有稀疏细毛。雄蕊10束,其中9束花丝单体,一束游离。花药被毛。子房无柄且被有伏毛,花柱向内弯曲。胚珠2颗,偶见3颗。
果编辑
荚果扁平且厚,椭圆形刀状,一般不开裂。木质,光滑无毛。长约 4–7 cm,宽约 1.5–3 cm。果实末端具短喙。种子横向椭圆1-2颗,约12 x 9 mm
自然史编辑
水黄皮一年有春、秋两次花期,每年4-5月及9-11月会开花。果荚耐水耐盐,可以随水流传播,甚至海漂。
用途编辑
本物种根系发达,且耐盐性强,可抵抗强风,在台湾常用作景观设计、 行道树及防风林植物。木材致密,过去台湾农家会拿来制作牛车车轮和农具,坚固耐用。种子可供榨油,油含量约为重量的25%,在印度为生物柴油的原料。
澳大利亚原住民会将其用于毒鱼,但本种同时在民俗医药中也用作医药,特别是印度。
别名编辑
水流豆、臭腥仔、九重吹。
界:植物界 Plantae
演化支:被子植物 Angiosperms
演化支:真双子叶植物 Eudicots
演化支:蔷薇类植物 Rosids
目:豆目 Fabales
科:豆科 Fabaceae
亚科:蝶形花亚科 Faboideae
属:崖豆藤属 Millettia
种:水黄皮 M. pinnata
二名法 Millettia pinnata
(L.) Panigrahi
Crataegus mexicana
Common names tejocote, manzanita, tejocotera and Mexican hawthorn
Common names tejocote, manzanita, tejocotera and Mexican hawthorn
Crataegus mexicana is a species of hawthorn known by the common names tejocote, manzanita, tejocotera and Mexican hawthorn. It is native to the mountains of Mexico and parts of Guatemala, and has been introduced in the Andes. The fruit of this species is one of the most useful among hawthorns.
The plant is a large shrub or small tree growing to 5–10 m tall, with a dense crown. The leaves are semi-evergreen, oval to diamond-shaped, 4–8 cm long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are off-white, 2 cm diameter. The fruit is a globose to oblong orange-red pome 2 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter, ripening in late winter only shortly before the flowers of the following year.
The fruit is eaten in Mexico cooked, raw, or canned. It resembles a crabapple, but it has three or sometimes more brown hard stones in the center. It is a main ingredient used in ponche, the traditional Mexican hot fruit punch that is served at Christmas time and on New Year's Eve.
On Day of the Dead tejocote fruit as well as candy prepared from them are used as offerings to the dead, and rosaries made of the fruit are part of altar decorations. A mixture of tejocote paste, sugar, and chili powder produces a popular Mexican candy called rielitos, because it resembles a tiny train rail.
Due to its high pectin content, the fruit is processed to extract pectin for food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and textile uses.
Other uses include food for livestock (for which the leaves and fruits are used) and traditional medicinal uses; a Mexican hawthorn root infusion is used as a diuretic and as a remedy for diarrhea, and fruit-based preparations are a remedy for coughing and several heart conditions.
The Mexican hawthorn tree's wood is hard and compact, it is useful for making tool handles as well as for firewood.
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Crataegus
Series: Mexicanae
(Loudon) Rehder
Species: C. mexicana
Binomial name Crataegus mexicana
Moc. & Sessé ex DC.
The plant is a large shrub or small tree growing to 5–10 m tall, with a dense crown. The leaves are semi-evergreen, oval to diamond-shaped, 4–8 cm long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are off-white, 2 cm diameter. The fruit is a globose to oblong orange-red pome 2 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter, ripening in late winter only shortly before the flowers of the following year.
The fruit is eaten in Mexico cooked, raw, or canned. It resembles a crabapple, but it has three or sometimes more brown hard stones in the center. It is a main ingredient used in ponche, the traditional Mexican hot fruit punch that is served at Christmas time and on New Year's Eve.
On Day of the Dead tejocote fruit as well as candy prepared from them are used as offerings to the dead, and rosaries made of the fruit are part of altar decorations. A mixture of tejocote paste, sugar, and chili powder produces a popular Mexican candy called rielitos, because it resembles a tiny train rail.
Due to its high pectin content, the fruit is processed to extract pectin for food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and textile uses.
Other uses include food for livestock (for which the leaves and fruits are used) and traditional medicinal uses; a Mexican hawthorn root infusion is used as a diuretic and as a remedy for diarrhea, and fruit-based preparations are a remedy for coughing and several heart conditions.
The Mexican hawthorn tree's wood is hard and compact, it is useful for making tool handles as well as for firewood.
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Crataegus
Series: Mexicanae
(Loudon) Rehder
Species: C. mexicana
Binomial name Crataegus mexicana
Moc. & Sessé ex DC.
Syzygium malaccense
Malay rose apple, or simply Malay apple,
mountain apple, rose apple.
Malay rose apple, or simply Malay apple,
mountain apple, rose apple.
Syzygium malaccense is a species of flowering tree native to Malesia and Australia. It is one of the species cultivated since prehistoric times by the Austronesian peoples. They were carried and introduced deliberately to Remote Oceania as canoe plants. In modern times, it has been introduced throughout the tropics, including many Caribbean countries and territories.
Syzygium malaccense has a number of English common names. It is known as a Malay rose apple, or simply Malay apple, mountain apple, rose apple, Otaheite apple, pink satin-ash and pommerac (derived from pomme Malac, meaning "Malayan apple" in French).
The combination of tree, flowers and fruit has been praised as the most beautiful of the genus Syzygium. The fruit is oblong-shaped and dark red in color, although some varieties have white or pink skins. The flesh is white and surrounds a large seed. Its taste is bland but refreshing. Jam is prepared by stewing the flesh with brown sugar and ginger.
Malay apple is a strictly tropical tree and will be damaged by freezing temperatures. It thrives in humid climates with an annual rainfall of 152 cm (60 in) or more. It can grow at a variety of altitudes, from sea level up to 2,740 m (8,990 ft). The tree can grow to 12–18 m (39–59 ft) in height. It flowers in early summer, bearing fruit three months afterward.
The mountain apple is an edible fruit that can be consumed when raw and ripe. In Puerto Rico, the Malay apple is used to make wines, in Hawai'i, the fruits are consumed the same way a Pacific Northwest apple is eaten. Indonesians consume the flowers of the tree in salads and in Guyana the skin of the mountain apple is cooked down to make a syrup. A mountain apple has a white fleshy fruit that has a similar texture to a pear but less sweet than an apple.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Syzygium
Species: S. malaccense
Binomial name Syzygium malaccense
(L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry, 1938
马六甲蒲桃Syzygium malaccense(L.)Merr. Et Perry又名马来蒲桃,是桃金娘科常绿乔木。原产马来西亚,印度、老挝以及云南、台湾等地,生长于海拔150米至600米的地区, 是一种珍稀的热带果树,也是蒲桃类果树中果实风味最佳的树种。
果实梨形,白色或红色,具薄荷香气,以红色果香气较浓。红色的马来蒲桃色泽艳丽,肉厚而多汁,风味清香,可生食;马来蒲桃喜高温高热,最适宜在马来西亚的气候条件下生长。广州地区需温室栽培。广东湛江南亚热带作物研究所有结果植株,曾引入广州试种,因不耐冬季低温而死亡。
中文名 : 马六甲蒲桃
别名 : 马来蒲桃,大果连雾
马六甲蒲桃(学名:Syzygium malaccense),又名马来莲雾,为桃金娘科蒲桃属的植物。分布在越南、马来西亚.
马来蒲桃的果实
中草药【药名】马来蒲桃
【汉语拼音】mm lai pu tao
【拉丁植物动物矿物名】Syzygium malaccense(L.)Merr. Et Perry Eugenia malaccense L.
【功效】泻火解毒
【性味】味苦;性凉
【科属分类】桃金娘科
【主治】口舌生疮;鹅口疮
【生态环境】栽培或驯化为半野生。
【采收和储藏】全年均可采,鲜用或晒干。
【资源分布】分布:台湾、云南。原产马来群岛。
【功效分类】泻火解毒药
【药材基源】为桃金娘科植物马六甲蒲桃的叶或树皮。
【用法用量】外用:适量,煎汤漱口,或研末。
【出处】《中华本草》
Syzygium malaccense has a number of English common names. It is known as a Malay rose apple, or simply Malay apple, mountain apple, rose apple, Otaheite apple, pink satin-ash and pommerac (derived from pomme Malac, meaning "Malayan apple" in French).
The combination of tree, flowers and fruit has been praised as the most beautiful of the genus Syzygium. The fruit is oblong-shaped and dark red in color, although some varieties have white or pink skins. The flesh is white and surrounds a large seed. Its taste is bland but refreshing. Jam is prepared by stewing the flesh with brown sugar and ginger.
Malay apple is a strictly tropical tree and will be damaged by freezing temperatures. It thrives in humid climates with an annual rainfall of 152 cm (60 in) or more. It can grow at a variety of altitudes, from sea level up to 2,740 m (8,990 ft). The tree can grow to 12–18 m (39–59 ft) in height. It flowers in early summer, bearing fruit three months afterward.
The mountain apple is an edible fruit that can be consumed when raw and ripe. In Puerto Rico, the Malay apple is used to make wines, in Hawai'i, the fruits are consumed the same way a Pacific Northwest apple is eaten. Indonesians consume the flowers of the tree in salads and in Guyana the skin of the mountain apple is cooked down to make a syrup. A mountain apple has a white fleshy fruit that has a similar texture to a pear but less sweet than an apple.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Syzygium
Species: S. malaccense
Binomial name Syzygium malaccense
(L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry, 1938
马六甲蒲桃Syzygium malaccense(L.)Merr. Et Perry又名马来蒲桃,是桃金娘科常绿乔木。原产马来西亚,印度、老挝以及云南、台湾等地,生长于海拔150米至600米的地区, 是一种珍稀的热带果树,也是蒲桃类果树中果实风味最佳的树种。
果实梨形,白色或红色,具薄荷香气,以红色果香气较浓。红色的马来蒲桃色泽艳丽,肉厚而多汁,风味清香,可生食;马来蒲桃喜高温高热,最适宜在马来西亚的气候条件下生长。广州地区需温室栽培。广东湛江南亚热带作物研究所有结果植株,曾引入广州试种,因不耐冬季低温而死亡。
中文名 : 马六甲蒲桃
别名 : 马来蒲桃,大果连雾
马六甲蒲桃(学名:Syzygium malaccense),又名马来莲雾,为桃金娘科蒲桃属的植物。分布在越南、马来西亚.
马来蒲桃的果实
中草药【药名】马来蒲桃
【汉语拼音】mm lai pu tao
【拉丁植物动物矿物名】Syzygium malaccense(L.)Merr. Et Perry Eugenia malaccense L.
【功效】泻火解毒
【性味】味苦;性凉
【科属分类】桃金娘科
【主治】口舌生疮;鹅口疮
【生态环境】栽培或驯化为半野生。
【采收和储藏】全年均可采,鲜用或晒干。
【资源分布】分布:台湾、云南。原产马来群岛。
【功效分类】泻火解毒药
【药材基源】为桃金娘科植物马六甲蒲桃的叶或树皮。
【用法用量】外用:适量,煎汤漱口,或研末。
【出处】《中华本草》
Gustavia superba
莲玉蕊
莲玉蕊
Gustavia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae described by Linnaeus in 1775.
Gustavia superba is an understory tree that grows in Central and north-western South America. Common names include membrillo, sachamango and heaven lotus. The trunk is around 5-10m high with the leaves radiating from the top (like palms).
Gustavia superba grows naturally as an understory tree, where it is abundant, especially in secondary forests. It appreciates abundant moisture, sun and well drained soil. It branches little until mature, and has a bunch of leaves at the top, so that it resembles a palm. Seeds are dispersed by agoutis. The leaves are a favourite food of iguanas.
It bears rounded pear shaped fruit, on the trunk (cauliflorous). Inside the hard green shell are several large seeds about 4 cm in diameter. The yellowish-orange pulp is edible, is usually boiled after which it is said to resemble meat in taste. It is rich in A, B and C vitamins.
The tree is not widely known outside its native range from Ecuador to Panama and Venezuela, but has been planted in tropical botanical gardens, including in Singapore (where it is referred to as 'pungol') and Australia.
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae
Genus: Gustavia
Species: G. superba
Binomial name Gustavia superba
(Kunth) O. Berg (1856)
莲玉蕊(Gustavia superba),别名天堂荷花、半果树、荷花玉蕊等。
花瓣一面粉紫色,一面白里透着浅粉色,开放的那一刻,焦点便聚在了中心的花蕊上。花蕊数量众多,初开时团成一团。
树上挂了不少果,向下垂着,看起来结实而厚重,形状像切了一半的果子,兴许就是半果树别名的由来。
Gustavia superba is an understory tree that grows in Central and north-western South America. Common names include membrillo, sachamango and heaven lotus. The trunk is around 5-10m high with the leaves radiating from the top (like palms).
Gustavia superba grows naturally as an understory tree, where it is abundant, especially in secondary forests. It appreciates abundant moisture, sun and well drained soil. It branches little until mature, and has a bunch of leaves at the top, so that it resembles a palm. Seeds are dispersed by agoutis. The leaves are a favourite food of iguanas.
It bears rounded pear shaped fruit, on the trunk (cauliflorous). Inside the hard green shell are several large seeds about 4 cm in diameter. The yellowish-orange pulp is edible, is usually boiled after which it is said to resemble meat in taste. It is rich in A, B and C vitamins.
The tree is not widely known outside its native range from Ecuador to Panama and Venezuela, but has been planted in tropical botanical gardens, including in Singapore (where it is referred to as 'pungol') and Australia.
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae
Genus: Gustavia
Species: G. superba
Binomial name Gustavia superba
(Kunth) O. Berg (1856)
莲玉蕊(Gustavia superba),别名天堂荷花、半果树、荷花玉蕊等。
花瓣一面粉紫色,一面白里透着浅粉色,开放的那一刻,焦点便聚在了中心的花蕊上。花蕊数量众多,初开时团成一团。
树上挂了不少果,向下垂着,看起来结实而厚重,形状像切了一半的果子,兴许就是半果树别名的由来。
Passiflora laurifolia
樟叶西番莲 / 水柠檬
樟叶西番莲 / 水柠檬
Passiflora laurifolia, commonly known as the water lemon, Jamaican honeysuckle, golden bellapple, pomme liane on Martinique & Guadeloupe and orange lilikoi (yellow lilikoi, or simply lilikoi, is the name given to passiflora edulis v. flavicarpa for the valley where it first grew in Hawai'i), is a species in the family Passifloraceae. It is native to tropical Americas.
The water lemon is an invasive plant in its home region, and has spread to other parts of the world. As a tropical species, water lemon will not tolerate any frost. Water lemon is only occasionally cultivated, but the fruits are usually available in markets wherever the vine grows in wild. It is not yet widely known outside those regions.
The fruit is medium-sized, ovoid in shape, about 2 in (5.1 cm) long with a diameter of 3 in (7.6 cm), with a green or deep orange skin and white-yellow, extremely juicy pulp.
The water lemon has an excellent mild, perfumed taste, without the tartness of the common Passionfruit. It grows on a vigorous vine up to 30 feet long. Growing better in slightly humid climates, the vine is not particular about soil or water requirements, other than liking ground moisture year-round. It is almost always grown from seeds, but can be propagated by cuttings. Bottom-heating the seeds at 70-80 °F (21-27 °C) can result in germination at 1–2 weeks; at lower temperatures, seeds can take up to 10 weeks to germinate. The fruits are eaten fresh, or used in drinks and beverages.
Waterlemon Cay in the Virgin Islands is named after the fruit.
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species: P. laurifolia
Binomial name Passiflora laurifolia
L.
樟叶西番莲(学名:Passiflora laurifolia)是西番莲科西番莲属的植物。分布在美洲以及中国大陆的广东等地,目前尚未由人工引种栽培。
别名 : 水柠檬
The water lemon is an invasive plant in its home region, and has spread to other parts of the world. As a tropical species, water lemon will not tolerate any frost. Water lemon is only occasionally cultivated, but the fruits are usually available in markets wherever the vine grows in wild. It is not yet widely known outside those regions.
The fruit is medium-sized, ovoid in shape, about 2 in (5.1 cm) long with a diameter of 3 in (7.6 cm), with a green or deep orange skin and white-yellow, extremely juicy pulp.
The water lemon has an excellent mild, perfumed taste, without the tartness of the common Passionfruit. It grows on a vigorous vine up to 30 feet long. Growing better in slightly humid climates, the vine is not particular about soil or water requirements, other than liking ground moisture year-round. It is almost always grown from seeds, but can be propagated by cuttings. Bottom-heating the seeds at 70-80 °F (21-27 °C) can result in germination at 1–2 weeks; at lower temperatures, seeds can take up to 10 weeks to germinate. The fruits are eaten fresh, or used in drinks and beverages.
Waterlemon Cay in the Virgin Islands is named after the fruit.
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Passiflora
Species: P. laurifolia
Binomial name Passiflora laurifolia
L.
樟叶西番莲(学名:Passiflora laurifolia)是西番莲科西番莲属的植物。分布在美洲以及中国大陆的广东等地,目前尚未由人工引种栽培。
别名 : 水柠檬
Vanlencia 404 Sunkist
Self growing Orange with seeding
Self growing Orange with seeding
The best way to grow a healthy tree that produces fruit is to purchase a young tree or seedling.
However, you can plant an orange seed directly into the soil if you want the experience of growing it from the beginning.
An orange tree grown from seed will be more vulnerable to disease, and its oranges may not taste like the fruit the seed came from. The tree could also take between four and fifteen years to bear fruit for the first time.
A young tree purchased from the nursery is actually a combination of two plants: one tree bred for healthy roots and other attributes, plus branches of another tree grafted onto the first. These branches come from a tree that produces high quality fruit, and because they are already mature, the tree should produce fruit within a year or two after purchase.
Select seeds before they have dried out. Cut open an orange carefully without breaking the seeds inside, or simply use the seeds that aren't damaged by the knife. Pick out seeds without any dents or discolorations. Seeds that appear withered and dry, usually after they've been left out of the fruit for too long, have a lower chance of growing.
Wash the seeds. Hold the seeds under running water and gently rub off any pulp or other material that has gathered onto the seeds. Be careful not to damage the seeds, especially if some are already beginning to sprout.There is no need to dry the seeds afterwards. Keeping them moist will make them more likely to sprout.
Get the seeds to sprout faster by keeping them moist. Assuming you're using seeds that haven't yet begun to germinate (sprout), you can shorten the time it takes to reach that point by keeping them in a moist environment. You could keep damp seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 30 days before planting, or simply keep the soil they're planted in moist, but not soggy.
If you are using seeds that have dried out, they are in a dormant state and can take months to germinate, or fail to do so at all.
Plant each seed in a small pot of well-draining potting mix or soil. Plant them about 1/2 inch (1.2cm) beneath the surface. Orange trees aren't too picky about which potting mix you pick, but it is important that water does not pool around the seeds (and later roots) and cause rot.
Water should drain through the pot quickly when you water the soil. Optionally, you can purchase citrus potting compost to add to the mix, which will increase its ability to hold nutrients and create the more acidic (low pH) environment that citrus trees thrive in. If the soil is poor at draining, mix in hardwood bark chips. This makes the soil less compact, which lets water drain through faster.
Keep the soil in full sunlight. Whether indoors or outdoors, the soil does best at temperatures between 75º and 85ºF (24º–29ºC). Sunlight is the best way to warm your soil to the correct level, since a radiator could dry out the soil too quickly. If you live in a cold or low-sun region, you may need to keep your orange tree in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, even before it's germinated.
If you'd like to speed up the tree's growth, adding a small amount of fertilizer to the soil every 10–14 days will help. To get the best results, you would need to tailor your choice of fertilizer to the level of nutrients in your soil, which should be on the label of the potting soil if you purchased it. Otherwise, choose a balanced fertilizer with relatively even amounts of nutrients.
Stop adding fertilizer once the plant has grown into a young tree. Follow the instructions for a Seedling or Young Tree instead. It shouldn't need additional fertilizing until its second year.
Remove the weakest of the three sprouts when the seeds sprout. Citrus seeds have the unusual ability to produce exact clones of the mother plant, called nu-cellar seedlings. These are typically the two fastest-growing sprouts, while a third "genetic" offspring tends to be smaller and slower-growing. Cut off this weak third sprout in order to produce a tree with the consistent quality the parent was bred for.
Plant the tree into a pot slightly larger than its roots whenever necessary. Whether you just purchased a tree or have been growing it for years, you should plant it in a container that the roots easily and comfortably fit into, but not into one far larger than the root ball.
The best time to re-pot your orange tree is in the spring, before it has put a lot of energy into growing. Cut off any dead or broken roots before planting.
Pack the soil gently around the roots to remove pockets of air. The top roots should end up just under the surface of the soil.
Choose an area protected from the wind. To allow for root growth, plant standard-sized orange trees at least 12 feet (3.7m) from walls and other large obstacles, and 25 feet (7.6 m) from other trees. If using dwarf orange trees, look up your variety's requirements.The trunk itself can grow to be 10 feet (3m) wide. Plant the tree at least 5 feet (1.5m) from foot paths to keep them clear.
Plant outdoor trees in existing soil. When planting orange trees outside, dig a hole just deep enough to cover the roots. Cover the roots with the soil you just dug out. Potting mixes tend to hold too much water for orange trees, which can lead to rot. Do not cover the trunk with soil, or the orange tree could die.
Keep your tree in full sun and warm temperature. Keep an eye on young seedlings, since they are always more vulnerable to burning or other dangers than established plants, but orange trees should do best in full sun. The best temperatures for orange trees are between 75ºand 90ºF (24–32ºC). They will do poorly in spring or summer temperatures below 45ºF (7ºC), and depending on variety might die in temperatures of 32ºF (0ºC) or below. Sustained temperatures above 100ºF (38ºC) for several days will likely cause leaf damage.
If your adult tree is exposed to too high temperatures, hang a sun shade or sheet over the tree until the temperature decreases below 100ºF (38ºC).
Citrus trees are more vulnerable to frost than heat, although some varieties may be able to survive a mild period of frost.
Water the plant with infrequently but heavily. Orange trees, once grown into young trees rather than sprouts, prefer to be in soil that dries out before being watered again. Wait until the soil feels dry when you make a deep hole with your finger, then water heavily until the soil is soaked. A large adult plant should be left alone until the soil is dry to 6 inches (15 cm) beneath the surface. Typically, the tree can be watered once to twice a week, but this varies depending on temperature, humidity, and amount of sunlight received. Use your judgement and water more regularly during hot, dry seasons, although you should generally avoid watering plants while the sun is high in the sky. If your tap water is hard (mineral-heavy, leaving white scale on kettles or pipes), use filtered water or rainwater instead to water orange trees.
Fertilize carefully according to age. Adding fertilizer or manure at the right time gives the trees all the nutrients they require to grow and produce fruit, but incorrect use can burn the tree or cause other damage.
Use a special citrus tree fertilizer, or any fertilizer that is especially high in nitrogen.
Young trees 2–3 years old should have two tablespoons (30mL) of nitrogen-high fertilizer spread under the tree 3 or 4 times a year, immediately before watering. Alternatively, mix one gallon (4L) of high quality composted manure into the soil, but only in the fall when rains can wash away excess salts before they cause damage.
Adult trees 4 years or older grown outside require 1–1.5 lb. (0.45–0.68 kg) of nitrogen a year. Your fertilizer should say what percentage of nitrogen it contains, which will allow you to calculate how much fertilizer you need to use to achieve the correct amount of nitrogen. Scatter over the root area of the tree and water into the soil, either annually during the winter or in three equal batches in February, July, and September.
Remove dust from indoor plants regularly. Dust or grime buildup on a plant's leaves can prevent it from photosynthesizing, which is part of how it gains energy. Brush or rinse the leaves every few weeks if the plant is kept indoors.
Water needed for growing orange trees varies by climate and yearly rainfall totals, but as a rule of thumb, orange tree care involves regular watering in spring to prevent wilting and withholding of irrigation in fall. When taking care of an orange tree, remember that water lowers the solid content of the fruit. Depth of planting also affects how much water you provide during orange tree care.
Understand that pruning is rarely required. Unlike some varieties of trees, orange and other citrus will do fine without pruning. Only remove completely dead branches, and suckers near the base that look especially unhealthy. You may prune your tree to shape its direction of growth and keep it short enough to pick all the fruit, but only remove heavy branches during winter months to avoid sunburning the exposed inner tree.
Protect burned or withered trees by wrapping the trunk in newspaper. If your tree is still young and has just been planted outdoors, it may be especially vulnerable to sunburn. Tie newspaper loosely around the trunk and large branches if you see signs of sun damage, or are living in an area with strong sun.
Test soil pH if the leaves are turning yellow. Yellow leaves may be a sign of alkalinity, or too much base salt in the tree. Test your soil pH to confirm this. If the soil is too alkaline, apply an acidic (low pH) fertilizer and heavily wash the soil to leach out alkaline salts. Too much manure fertilizer, or manure applied during the dry season, can be a cause of alkalinity.
Wash off aphids with soapy water. Aphids are small green pests that feed on many types of plants. If you see them on your orange tree, wash them off with soapy water. Many other solutions are detailed in the Control Aphids article if this does not work.
Get rid of ants and other pests feeding on the tree. Ants can be difficult to eradicate, but placing the pot in a larger container of standing water makes it impossible for them to get to it. Use pesticides sparingly and as a last resort, especially if the tree is bearing fruit.
Insulate trees that will be exposed to frost. If possible, young trees should be brought indoors before the frost.
However, if they are planted outside and you have no space indoors, you should wrap the trunks with cardboard, corn stalks, fleece, or other insulating material. Cover the trunk all the way up to the main branches. Healthy adult orange trees will rarely die due to frost, but they can experience leaf damage. Wait until spring to see which branches survive before pruning the dead ones off.
Encourage fruit growth next year by picking all the ripe fruit this year. Leaving fruit on the tree may reduce the amount the tree produces next year, although if you are only using fruit for home purposes an adult tree should produce more than you need. Some varieties, such as mandarins and Valencia oranges, alternate years of heavy production with years of light production. Fertilize less during the year leading up to light production, since the tree has lower nutrient needs.
Do not pick a shady place to ground your tree, young orange trees need plenty of sun because of its extra energy needs.
Do not let animals into your orange grove. You may need to build fences or use pest-repelling plants or odors.
Once your tree is fully grown, you can trim it once a year to manage its growth.
The glossy-leaved evergreen trees bear fragrant, white waxy flowers in spring, followed by tasty decorative orange fruits.
It may be helpful to thin the oranges at this stage to lighten the load and allow the tree to direct its resources to the remaining fruit if there are too many green oranges
and afraid the branches of the tree will break as they grow..
Co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
However, you can plant an orange seed directly into the soil if you want the experience of growing it from the beginning.
An orange tree grown from seed will be more vulnerable to disease, and its oranges may not taste like the fruit the seed came from. The tree could also take between four and fifteen years to bear fruit for the first time.
A young tree purchased from the nursery is actually a combination of two plants: one tree bred for healthy roots and other attributes, plus branches of another tree grafted onto the first. These branches come from a tree that produces high quality fruit, and because they are already mature, the tree should produce fruit within a year or two after purchase.
Select seeds before they have dried out. Cut open an orange carefully without breaking the seeds inside, or simply use the seeds that aren't damaged by the knife. Pick out seeds without any dents or discolorations. Seeds that appear withered and dry, usually after they've been left out of the fruit for too long, have a lower chance of growing.
Wash the seeds. Hold the seeds under running water and gently rub off any pulp or other material that has gathered onto the seeds. Be careful not to damage the seeds, especially if some are already beginning to sprout.There is no need to dry the seeds afterwards. Keeping them moist will make them more likely to sprout.
Get the seeds to sprout faster by keeping them moist. Assuming you're using seeds that haven't yet begun to germinate (sprout), you can shorten the time it takes to reach that point by keeping them in a moist environment. You could keep damp seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 30 days before planting, or simply keep the soil they're planted in moist, but not soggy.
If you are using seeds that have dried out, they are in a dormant state and can take months to germinate, or fail to do so at all.
Plant each seed in a small pot of well-draining potting mix or soil. Plant them about 1/2 inch (1.2cm) beneath the surface. Orange trees aren't too picky about which potting mix you pick, but it is important that water does not pool around the seeds (and later roots) and cause rot.
Water should drain through the pot quickly when you water the soil. Optionally, you can purchase citrus potting compost to add to the mix, which will increase its ability to hold nutrients and create the more acidic (low pH) environment that citrus trees thrive in. If the soil is poor at draining, mix in hardwood bark chips. This makes the soil less compact, which lets water drain through faster.
Keep the soil in full sunlight. Whether indoors or outdoors, the soil does best at temperatures between 75º and 85ºF (24º–29ºC). Sunlight is the best way to warm your soil to the correct level, since a radiator could dry out the soil too quickly. If you live in a cold or low-sun region, you may need to keep your orange tree in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, even before it's germinated.
If you'd like to speed up the tree's growth, adding a small amount of fertilizer to the soil every 10–14 days will help. To get the best results, you would need to tailor your choice of fertilizer to the level of nutrients in your soil, which should be on the label of the potting soil if you purchased it. Otherwise, choose a balanced fertilizer with relatively even amounts of nutrients.
Stop adding fertilizer once the plant has grown into a young tree. Follow the instructions for a Seedling or Young Tree instead. It shouldn't need additional fertilizing until its second year.
Remove the weakest of the three sprouts when the seeds sprout. Citrus seeds have the unusual ability to produce exact clones of the mother plant, called nu-cellar seedlings. These are typically the two fastest-growing sprouts, while a third "genetic" offspring tends to be smaller and slower-growing. Cut off this weak third sprout in order to produce a tree with the consistent quality the parent was bred for.
Plant the tree into a pot slightly larger than its roots whenever necessary. Whether you just purchased a tree or have been growing it for years, you should plant it in a container that the roots easily and comfortably fit into, but not into one far larger than the root ball.
The best time to re-pot your orange tree is in the spring, before it has put a lot of energy into growing. Cut off any dead or broken roots before planting.
Pack the soil gently around the roots to remove pockets of air. The top roots should end up just under the surface of the soil.
Choose an area protected from the wind. To allow for root growth, plant standard-sized orange trees at least 12 feet (3.7m) from walls and other large obstacles, and 25 feet (7.6 m) from other trees. If using dwarf orange trees, look up your variety's requirements.The trunk itself can grow to be 10 feet (3m) wide. Plant the tree at least 5 feet (1.5m) from foot paths to keep them clear.
Plant outdoor trees in existing soil. When planting orange trees outside, dig a hole just deep enough to cover the roots. Cover the roots with the soil you just dug out. Potting mixes tend to hold too much water for orange trees, which can lead to rot. Do not cover the trunk with soil, or the orange tree could die.
Keep your tree in full sun and warm temperature. Keep an eye on young seedlings, since they are always more vulnerable to burning or other dangers than established plants, but orange trees should do best in full sun. The best temperatures for orange trees are between 75ºand 90ºF (24–32ºC). They will do poorly in spring or summer temperatures below 45ºF (7ºC), and depending on variety might die in temperatures of 32ºF (0ºC) or below. Sustained temperatures above 100ºF (38ºC) for several days will likely cause leaf damage.
If your adult tree is exposed to too high temperatures, hang a sun shade or sheet over the tree until the temperature decreases below 100ºF (38ºC).
Citrus trees are more vulnerable to frost than heat, although some varieties may be able to survive a mild period of frost.
Water the plant with infrequently but heavily. Orange trees, once grown into young trees rather than sprouts, prefer to be in soil that dries out before being watered again. Wait until the soil feels dry when you make a deep hole with your finger, then water heavily until the soil is soaked. A large adult plant should be left alone until the soil is dry to 6 inches (15 cm) beneath the surface. Typically, the tree can be watered once to twice a week, but this varies depending on temperature, humidity, and amount of sunlight received. Use your judgement and water more regularly during hot, dry seasons, although you should generally avoid watering plants while the sun is high in the sky. If your tap water is hard (mineral-heavy, leaving white scale on kettles or pipes), use filtered water or rainwater instead to water orange trees.
Fertilize carefully according to age. Adding fertilizer or manure at the right time gives the trees all the nutrients they require to grow and produce fruit, but incorrect use can burn the tree or cause other damage.
Use a special citrus tree fertilizer, or any fertilizer that is especially high in nitrogen.
Young trees 2–3 years old should have two tablespoons (30mL) of nitrogen-high fertilizer spread under the tree 3 or 4 times a year, immediately before watering. Alternatively, mix one gallon (4L) of high quality composted manure into the soil, but only in the fall when rains can wash away excess salts before they cause damage.
Adult trees 4 years or older grown outside require 1–1.5 lb. (0.45–0.68 kg) of nitrogen a year. Your fertilizer should say what percentage of nitrogen it contains, which will allow you to calculate how much fertilizer you need to use to achieve the correct amount of nitrogen. Scatter over the root area of the tree and water into the soil, either annually during the winter or in three equal batches in February, July, and September.
Remove dust from indoor plants regularly. Dust or grime buildup on a plant's leaves can prevent it from photosynthesizing, which is part of how it gains energy. Brush or rinse the leaves every few weeks if the plant is kept indoors.
Water needed for growing orange trees varies by climate and yearly rainfall totals, but as a rule of thumb, orange tree care involves regular watering in spring to prevent wilting and withholding of irrigation in fall. When taking care of an orange tree, remember that water lowers the solid content of the fruit. Depth of planting also affects how much water you provide during orange tree care.
Understand that pruning is rarely required. Unlike some varieties of trees, orange and other citrus will do fine without pruning. Only remove completely dead branches, and suckers near the base that look especially unhealthy. You may prune your tree to shape its direction of growth and keep it short enough to pick all the fruit, but only remove heavy branches during winter months to avoid sunburning the exposed inner tree.
Protect burned or withered trees by wrapping the trunk in newspaper. If your tree is still young and has just been planted outdoors, it may be especially vulnerable to sunburn. Tie newspaper loosely around the trunk and large branches if you see signs of sun damage, or are living in an area with strong sun.
Test soil pH if the leaves are turning yellow. Yellow leaves may be a sign of alkalinity, or too much base salt in the tree. Test your soil pH to confirm this. If the soil is too alkaline, apply an acidic (low pH) fertilizer and heavily wash the soil to leach out alkaline salts. Too much manure fertilizer, or manure applied during the dry season, can be a cause of alkalinity.
Wash off aphids with soapy water. Aphids are small green pests that feed on many types of plants. If you see them on your orange tree, wash them off with soapy water. Many other solutions are detailed in the Control Aphids article if this does not work.
Get rid of ants and other pests feeding on the tree. Ants can be difficult to eradicate, but placing the pot in a larger container of standing water makes it impossible for them to get to it. Use pesticides sparingly and as a last resort, especially if the tree is bearing fruit.
Insulate trees that will be exposed to frost. If possible, young trees should be brought indoors before the frost.
However, if they are planted outside and you have no space indoors, you should wrap the trunks with cardboard, corn stalks, fleece, or other insulating material. Cover the trunk all the way up to the main branches. Healthy adult orange trees will rarely die due to frost, but they can experience leaf damage. Wait until spring to see which branches survive before pruning the dead ones off.
Encourage fruit growth next year by picking all the ripe fruit this year. Leaving fruit on the tree may reduce the amount the tree produces next year, although if you are only using fruit for home purposes an adult tree should produce more than you need. Some varieties, such as mandarins and Valencia oranges, alternate years of heavy production with years of light production. Fertilize less during the year leading up to light production, since the tree has lower nutrient needs.
Do not pick a shady place to ground your tree, young orange trees need plenty of sun because of its extra energy needs.
Do not let animals into your orange grove. You may need to build fences or use pest-repelling plants or odors.
Once your tree is fully grown, you can trim it once a year to manage its growth.
The glossy-leaved evergreen trees bear fragrant, white waxy flowers in spring, followed by tasty decorative orange fruits.
It may be helpful to thin the oranges at this stage to lighten the load and allow the tree to direct its resources to the remaining fruit if there are too many green oranges
and afraid the branches of the tree will break as they grow..
Co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
枇杷
枇杷
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a large evergreen shrub or tree, grown commercially for its orange fruit, and also cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Eriobotrya japonica was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar. It is also known as Japanese plum and Chinese plum, as well as pipa in China.
Eriobotrya japonica is a large evergreen shrub or small tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5–10 metres (16–33 ft) tall, but is often smaller, about 3–4 metres (10–13 ft). The fruit begins to ripen during spring to summer depending on the temperature in the area. The leaves are alternate, simple, 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) long, dark green, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densely velvety-hairy below with thick yellow-brown pubescence.
Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe at any time from early spring to early summer. The flowers are 2 cm (1 in) in diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance.
Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar.
Each fruit contains from one to ten ovules, with three to five being most common. A variable number of the ovules mature into large brown seeds (with different numbers of seeds appearing in each fruit on the same tree, usually between one and four).
The fruits are the sweetest when soft and orange. The flavour is a mixture of peach, citrus and mild mango. The loquat is originally from China, where related species can be found growing in the wild. The loquat is easy to grow in subtropical to mild temperate climates where it is often primarily grown as an ornamental plant, especially for its sweet-scented flowers, and secondarily for its delicious fruit. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with many other plants.
The loquat has a high sugar, acid and pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly and chutney, and are often served poached in light syrup. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts.
Loquats can also be used to make light wine. They are fermented into a fruit wine, sometimes using just crystal sugar and white liquor. The loquat is low in sodium and high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.
Like most related plants, the seeds (pips) and young leaves of the plant are slightly poisonous, containing small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (including amygdalin) which release cyanide when digested.
In China, the loquat is known as the 'pipa' (枇杷). Loquat is a plant with high medicinal value and different organs that have been used historically as folk medicines for thousands of years. Loquat extracts have been used for the treatment of cough, chronic bronchitis (CB), inflammation, diabetes, and cancer in Chinese folk medicine.
The efficacy of loquat, as used in traditional Chinese medicine, is supported by current scientific evidence regarding the pharmacologically active compounds in plant extracts and their structure–activity relationships. The phytonutritional composition of extracts of different organs varies considerably: loquat leaf and flower are rich in phenolics and triterpenes; fruit is rich in sugars, organic acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and vitamins; the kernel is a good source of proteins, starch, tannins, and minerals. Different loquat extracts have been shown to exhibit a wide range of activities. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the current research on the health-promoting effect of loquat extracts, the reported biological activities as well as the key bioactive compounds are summarized in the present review.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Eriobotrya
Species: E. japonica
Binomial name Eriobotrya japonica
(Thunb.) Lindl.
枇杷,别名:金丸、芦枝,拉丁文名:Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl。蔷薇科、枇杷属植物,枇杷原产中国东南部,其叶可入药。
树高3~5米,叶子大而长,厚而有茸毛,呈长椭圆形,状如琵琶。别名又叫芦橘、芦枝、金丸、炎果、焦子。枇杷与大部分果树不同,在秋天或初冬开花,果子在春天至初夏成熟,比其它水果都早,因此被称是“果木中独备四时之气者”。枇杷的花为白色或淡黄色,有五块花瓣,直径约2厘米,以五至十朵成一束,可以作为蜜源作物。
常绿小乔木,高可达10米;小枝粗壮,黄褐色,密生锈色或灰棕色绒毛。
叶片革质,披针形、倒披针形、倒卵形或椭圆长圆形,长12~30厘米,宽3~9厘米,先端急尖或渐尖,基部楔形或渐狭成叶柄,上部边缘有疏锯齿,基部全缘,上面光亮,多皱,下面密生灰棕色绒毛,侧脉11~21对;叶柄短或几无柄,长6~10毫米,有灰棕色绒毛;托叶钻形,长1~1.5厘米,先端急尖,有毛。
圆锥花序顶生,长10~19厘米,具多花;总花梗和花梗密生锈色绒毛;花梗长2~8毫米;苞片钻形,长2~5毫米,密生锈色绒毛;花直径12~20毫米;萼筒浅杯状,长4~5毫米,萼片三角卵形,长2~3毫米,先端急尖,萼筒及萼片外面有锈色绒毛;花瓣白色,长圆形或卵形,长5~9毫米,宽4~6毫米,基部具爪,有锈色绒毛;雄蕊20,远短于花瓣,花丝基部扩展;花柱5,离生,柱头头状,无毛,子房顶端有锈色柔毛,5室,每室有2胚珠。
果实球形或长圆形,直径2~5厘米,黄色或桔黄色,外有锈色柔毛,不久脱落;种子1~5,球形或扁球形,直径1~1.5厘米,褐色,光亮,种皮纸质。花期10~12月,果期5~6月。
成熟的枇杷果子亦成束挂在树上,每个果子长3~5厘米,成圆形、椭圆、或长状“琵琶形”。枇杷表面被有绒毛,未熟时青绿色,较硬实,芳香气味较浓。成熟后外皮一般为淡黄色,亦有颜色较深,接近橙红色的。果肉软而多汁,主要可分为白色及橙色两种;称“白沙”(白枇杷)及“红沙”。当中白沙甜,果型较小;红沙较酸或颇酸,相对较大。每个枇杷果子内有五个子房,当中一至五颗发育成棕色的种子,人工开发的无籽品种则无种子。
成熟的枇杷味道甜美,营养颇丰,有各种果糖、葡萄糖、钾、磷、铁、钙以及维生素A、B、C等。当中胡萝卜素含量在各水果中为第三位。中医认为枇杷果实有润肺、止咳、止渴的功效。吃枇杷时要剥皮。除了鲜吃外,亦有以枇杷肉制成糖水罐头,或以枇杷酿酒。枇杷不论是叶、果和核都含有扁桃苷。
枇杷叶亦是中药的一种,以大块枇杷叶晒干入药,有清肺胃热,降气化痰的功用,常有与其他药材制成“川贝枇杷膏”。但枇杷与其他相关的植物一样,种子及新叶轻微带有毒性,生吃会释放出微量氰化物,但因其味苦,一般不会吃足以致害的分量。
枇杷果肉色泽分类法,是根据果肉的色泽,将枇杷分为红肉类(红砂)和白肉类(白砂)两大类。红肉类枇杷,果肉呈橙红或橙黄色,树体生长比较健壮,抗性较强,容易栽培。
白肉类枇杷,果肉呈白色、乳白色或淡黄色。植株一般生长稍弱,抗性较差。果皮薄,肉质细,味甜,品质佳,适于鲜食。
Eriobotrya japonica was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar. It is also known as Japanese plum and Chinese plum, as well as pipa in China.
Eriobotrya japonica is a large evergreen shrub or small tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5–10 metres (16–33 ft) tall, but is often smaller, about 3–4 metres (10–13 ft). The fruit begins to ripen during spring to summer depending on the temperature in the area. The leaves are alternate, simple, 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) long, dark green, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densely velvety-hairy below with thick yellow-brown pubescence.
Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe at any time from early spring to early summer. The flowers are 2 cm (1 in) in diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance.
Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar.
Each fruit contains from one to ten ovules, with three to five being most common. A variable number of the ovules mature into large brown seeds (with different numbers of seeds appearing in each fruit on the same tree, usually between one and four).
The fruits are the sweetest when soft and orange. The flavour is a mixture of peach, citrus and mild mango. The loquat is originally from China, where related species can be found growing in the wild. The loquat is easy to grow in subtropical to mild temperate climates where it is often primarily grown as an ornamental plant, especially for its sweet-scented flowers, and secondarily for its delicious fruit. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with many other plants.
The loquat has a high sugar, acid and pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly and chutney, and are often served poached in light syrup. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts.
Loquats can also be used to make light wine. They are fermented into a fruit wine, sometimes using just crystal sugar and white liquor. The loquat is low in sodium and high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.
Like most related plants, the seeds (pips) and young leaves of the plant are slightly poisonous, containing small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides (including amygdalin) which release cyanide when digested.
In China, the loquat is known as the 'pipa' (枇杷). Loquat is a plant with high medicinal value and different organs that have been used historically as folk medicines for thousands of years. Loquat extracts have been used for the treatment of cough, chronic bronchitis (CB), inflammation, diabetes, and cancer in Chinese folk medicine.
The efficacy of loquat, as used in traditional Chinese medicine, is supported by current scientific evidence regarding the pharmacologically active compounds in plant extracts and their structure–activity relationships. The phytonutritional composition of extracts of different organs varies considerably: loquat leaf and flower are rich in phenolics and triterpenes; fruit is rich in sugars, organic acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and vitamins; the kernel is a good source of proteins, starch, tannins, and minerals. Different loquat extracts have been shown to exhibit a wide range of activities. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the current research on the health-promoting effect of loquat extracts, the reported biological activities as well as the key bioactive compounds are summarized in the present review.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Eriobotrya
Species: E. japonica
Binomial name Eriobotrya japonica
(Thunb.) Lindl.
枇杷,别名:金丸、芦枝,拉丁文名:Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl。蔷薇科、枇杷属植物,枇杷原产中国东南部,其叶可入药。
树高3~5米,叶子大而长,厚而有茸毛,呈长椭圆形,状如琵琶。别名又叫芦橘、芦枝、金丸、炎果、焦子。枇杷与大部分果树不同,在秋天或初冬开花,果子在春天至初夏成熟,比其它水果都早,因此被称是“果木中独备四时之气者”。枇杷的花为白色或淡黄色,有五块花瓣,直径约2厘米,以五至十朵成一束,可以作为蜜源作物。
常绿小乔木,高可达10米;小枝粗壮,黄褐色,密生锈色或灰棕色绒毛。
叶片革质,披针形、倒披针形、倒卵形或椭圆长圆形,长12~30厘米,宽3~9厘米,先端急尖或渐尖,基部楔形或渐狭成叶柄,上部边缘有疏锯齿,基部全缘,上面光亮,多皱,下面密生灰棕色绒毛,侧脉11~21对;叶柄短或几无柄,长6~10毫米,有灰棕色绒毛;托叶钻形,长1~1.5厘米,先端急尖,有毛。
圆锥花序顶生,长10~19厘米,具多花;总花梗和花梗密生锈色绒毛;花梗长2~8毫米;苞片钻形,长2~5毫米,密生锈色绒毛;花直径12~20毫米;萼筒浅杯状,长4~5毫米,萼片三角卵形,长2~3毫米,先端急尖,萼筒及萼片外面有锈色绒毛;花瓣白色,长圆形或卵形,长5~9毫米,宽4~6毫米,基部具爪,有锈色绒毛;雄蕊20,远短于花瓣,花丝基部扩展;花柱5,离生,柱头头状,无毛,子房顶端有锈色柔毛,5室,每室有2胚珠。
果实球形或长圆形,直径2~5厘米,黄色或桔黄色,外有锈色柔毛,不久脱落;种子1~5,球形或扁球形,直径1~1.5厘米,褐色,光亮,种皮纸质。花期10~12月,果期5~6月。
成熟的枇杷果子亦成束挂在树上,每个果子长3~5厘米,成圆形、椭圆、或长状“琵琶形”。枇杷表面被有绒毛,未熟时青绿色,较硬实,芳香气味较浓。成熟后外皮一般为淡黄色,亦有颜色较深,接近橙红色的。果肉软而多汁,主要可分为白色及橙色两种;称“白沙”(白枇杷)及“红沙”。当中白沙甜,果型较小;红沙较酸或颇酸,相对较大。每个枇杷果子内有五个子房,当中一至五颗发育成棕色的种子,人工开发的无籽品种则无种子。
成熟的枇杷味道甜美,营养颇丰,有各种果糖、葡萄糖、钾、磷、铁、钙以及维生素A、B、C等。当中胡萝卜素含量在各水果中为第三位。中医认为枇杷果实有润肺、止咳、止渴的功效。吃枇杷时要剥皮。除了鲜吃外,亦有以枇杷肉制成糖水罐头,或以枇杷酿酒。枇杷不论是叶、果和核都含有扁桃苷。
枇杷叶亦是中药的一种,以大块枇杷叶晒干入药,有清肺胃热,降气化痰的功用,常有与其他药材制成“川贝枇杷膏”。但枇杷与其他相关的植物一样,种子及新叶轻微带有毒性,生吃会释放出微量氰化物,但因其味苦,一般不会吃足以致害的分量。
枇杷果肉色泽分类法,是根据果肉的色泽,将枇杷分为红肉类(红砂)和白肉类(白砂)两大类。红肉类枇杷,果肉呈橙红或橙黄色,树体生长比较健壮,抗性较强,容易栽培。
白肉类枇杷,果肉呈白色、乳白色或淡黄色。植株一般生长稍弱,抗性较差。果皮薄,肉质细,味甜,品质佳,适于鲜食。
Tabernaemontana divaricata
Pinwheel flower , Crape Jasmine
Pinwheel flower , Crape Jasmine
Tabernaemontana divaricata commonly called pinwheel flower, crape jasmine, East India rosebay and Nero's crown is an evergreen shrub native to India and now cultivated throughout South East Asia and the warmer regions of continental Asia.
In zones where it is not hardy it is grown as a house/glasshouse plant for its attractive flowers and foliage. The stem exudes a milky latex when broken, whence the name milk flower.
The plant contains several alkaloids and, like many other plants in the family Apocynaceae, is toxic and medicinal. Since, it contains lot of iboga alkaloid it may prove to be psychoactive and treat addiction.
The plant generally grows to a height of 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) and is dichotomously branched. The large shiny leaves are deep green and about 6 inches (15 cm) in length and 2 inches (5.1 cm) in width.
Flowers trumpet-shaped, about 4 cm (1.6 in ) across, with five waxy white petals in a pin-wheel arrangement. They are borne singularly or in small clusters at the tips of the branches and come into bloom from spring through autumn. Though sweetly fragrant, their scent must be enjoyed at night, as this evaporates in the heat of the day. Their best display is also at night, especially on moonlight nights, due to the waxy petals making the flowers luminous.
The waxy blossoms are found in small clusters on the stem tips. The (single) flowers have the characteristic 'pinwheel' shape also seen in other genera in the family Apocynaceae such as Vinca and Nerium.
Fruit are rare but when produced are curved, ribbed, cylindrical seedpods up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. These are borne in pairs and have inside three to six small seed, embedded in fleshy orange or bright red pulp.
Both single and double-flowered forms are cultivated, the flowers of both forms being white. The plant blooms in spring but flowers appear sporadically all year. The flowers of the single form are unscented but the double-flowered form has a pleasing fragrance.
The roots have a bitter taste.
Crape Jasmine is commonly cultivated in gardens for its showy, sweetly fragrant flowers, glossy green foliage and shapely form which, with its low-branching habit, lends to it being grown as a fragrant hedge. It is considered a sacred plant in India, with the flowers offered as Puja in Hindu temples.
The wood is aromatic and it is sometimes burnt as an incense substitute in parts of its native range.
Traditional medicine, the plant is used in ayurvedic medicine and the traditional medicine of South East Asia, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, and Ambon Island. Its useful in Kapha, biliousness, and diseases of the blood. It acts as aphrodisiac and tonic and it is also a purgative. The milky Juice from the flower buds is mixed with oil and applied to the skin to treat inflammation and externally to the eyes as treatment against Ophthalmia, or inflammation of the eyes.
It kills intestinal worms, and its root when chewed relieves tooth ache.
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Tabernaemontana
Species: T. divaricata
Binomial name Tabernaemontana divaricata
R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult.
In zones where it is not hardy it is grown as a house/glasshouse plant for its attractive flowers and foliage. The stem exudes a milky latex when broken, whence the name milk flower.
The plant contains several alkaloids and, like many other plants in the family Apocynaceae, is toxic and medicinal. Since, it contains lot of iboga alkaloid it may prove to be psychoactive and treat addiction.
The plant generally grows to a height of 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) and is dichotomously branched. The large shiny leaves are deep green and about 6 inches (15 cm) in length and 2 inches (5.1 cm) in width.
Flowers trumpet-shaped, about 4 cm (1.6 in ) across, with five waxy white petals in a pin-wheel arrangement. They are borne singularly or in small clusters at the tips of the branches and come into bloom from spring through autumn. Though sweetly fragrant, their scent must be enjoyed at night, as this evaporates in the heat of the day. Their best display is also at night, especially on moonlight nights, due to the waxy petals making the flowers luminous.
The waxy blossoms are found in small clusters on the stem tips. The (single) flowers have the characteristic 'pinwheel' shape also seen in other genera in the family Apocynaceae such as Vinca and Nerium.
Fruit are rare but when produced are curved, ribbed, cylindrical seedpods up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. These are borne in pairs and have inside three to six small seed, embedded in fleshy orange or bright red pulp.
Both single and double-flowered forms are cultivated, the flowers of both forms being white. The plant blooms in spring but flowers appear sporadically all year. The flowers of the single form are unscented but the double-flowered form has a pleasing fragrance.
The roots have a bitter taste.
Crape Jasmine is commonly cultivated in gardens for its showy, sweetly fragrant flowers, glossy green foliage and shapely form which, with its low-branching habit, lends to it being grown as a fragrant hedge. It is considered a sacred plant in India, with the flowers offered as Puja in Hindu temples.
The wood is aromatic and it is sometimes burnt as an incense substitute in parts of its native range.
Traditional medicine, the plant is used in ayurvedic medicine and the traditional medicine of South East Asia, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, and Ambon Island. Its useful in Kapha, biliousness, and diseases of the blood. It acts as aphrodisiac and tonic and it is also a purgative. The milky Juice from the flower buds is mixed with oil and applied to the skin to treat inflammation and externally to the eyes as treatment against Ophthalmia, or inflammation of the eyes.
It kills intestinal worms, and its root when chewed relieves tooth ache.
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Tabernaemontana
Species: T. divaricata
Binomial name Tabernaemontana divaricata
R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult.
Duranta erecta
金露花
金露花
Duranta erecta is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places. It is considered an invasive species in Australia, China, South Africa and on several Pacific Islands. Common names include golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and skyflower.
Duranta is a prolific, fast growing weed that is spread by birds from domestic areas to natural reserves. It was introduced and marketed as a hedge plant some years ago.
Duranta erecta is a sprawling shrub or (infrequently) a small tree. It can grow to 6m (20 ft) tall and can spread to an equal width. Mature specimens possess axillary thorns, which are often absent on younger specimens. The leaves are light green, elliptic to ovate, opposite, and grow up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) broad, with a 1.5 cm petiole.
Flowers are light-blue or lavender, produced in tight clusters located on terminal and axillary stems, blooming almost all year long. The fruit is a small globose yellow or orange berry, up to 11 mm (0.43 in) diameter and containing several seeds.
The leaves and unripened berries of the plant are toxic. Fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions. Deaths have been reported from ingestion.
The berries change colour from orange to a dark purple similar to mulberries once ripened. The fruit berries, about 6mm in diameter, with one hard seed in the centre. The sap is clear. Spines occur on the stems of older plants. Symptoms: If eaten, the fruit can cause gastro-intestinal irritation, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Duranta
Species: D. erecta
Binomial name Duranta erecta
L.
金露花(学名:Duranta erecta),又名蕾丝金露花、洋刺、番子刺、花墙刺、篱笆树、小本苦林盘、如意草、假连翘、英文名有Golden Dewdrop、Pigeon Berry、 Skyflower,是马鞭草科金露花属的植物。原生于热带美洲以及加勒比地区。
常绿性灌木,可供绿篱树,株高3至5米,分枝多。小枝柔软而下垂,幼嫩的部分有毛;叶对生或丛生,全缘; 春至秋季开花,总状花序腋出顶生,花冠蓝紫或白色;核果球形,成熟后橙黄色,聚生或串,内含种子4到8粒 ,但果实和叶子有小毒。
果实有毒,误食会引起腹痛、腹、昏睡、发热、痉等症状。孕妇忌服。
用途
茎叶治疟疾、止痒、祛瘀消肿、治跌打胸痛损伤。果实治疗疟疾,花为兴奋剂。适合缘栽、盆栽或绿篱,可用扦插或高压法来繁殖。
Duranta is a prolific, fast growing weed that is spread by birds from domestic areas to natural reserves. It was introduced and marketed as a hedge plant some years ago.
Duranta erecta is a sprawling shrub or (infrequently) a small tree. It can grow to 6m (20 ft) tall and can spread to an equal width. Mature specimens possess axillary thorns, which are often absent on younger specimens. The leaves are light green, elliptic to ovate, opposite, and grow up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) broad, with a 1.5 cm petiole.
Flowers are light-blue or lavender, produced in tight clusters located on terminal and axillary stems, blooming almost all year long. The fruit is a small globose yellow or orange berry, up to 11 mm (0.43 in) diameter and containing several seeds.
The leaves and unripened berries of the plant are toxic. Fruit is slightly poisonous with alkaloid type reactions. Deaths have been reported from ingestion.
The berries change colour from orange to a dark purple similar to mulberries once ripened. The fruit berries, about 6mm in diameter, with one hard seed in the centre. The sap is clear. Spines occur on the stems of older plants. Symptoms: If eaten, the fruit can cause gastro-intestinal irritation, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Duranta
Species: D. erecta
Binomial name Duranta erecta
L.
金露花(学名:Duranta erecta),又名蕾丝金露花、洋刺、番子刺、花墙刺、篱笆树、小本苦林盘、如意草、假连翘、英文名有Golden Dewdrop、Pigeon Berry、 Skyflower,是马鞭草科金露花属的植物。原生于热带美洲以及加勒比地区。
常绿性灌木,可供绿篱树,株高3至5米,分枝多。小枝柔软而下垂,幼嫩的部分有毛;叶对生或丛生,全缘; 春至秋季开花,总状花序腋出顶生,花冠蓝紫或白色;核果球形,成熟后橙黄色,聚生或串,内含种子4到8粒 ,但果实和叶子有小毒。
果实有毒,误食会引起腹痛、腹、昏睡、发热、痉等症状。孕妇忌服。
用途
茎叶治疟疾、止痒、祛瘀消肿、治跌打胸痛损伤。果实治疗疟疾,花为兴奋剂。适合缘栽、盆栽或绿篱,可用扦插或高压法来繁殖。
Couroupita guianensis
cannonball tree (炮弹树)
cannonball tree (炮弹树)
The tree Couroupita guianensis was named by the French botanist Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet in 1775.
It is known by a variety of common names including cannonball tree (炮弹树), Ayauma tree and Sal tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Lecythidaceae, which also includes the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and Paradise nut Lecythis zabucajo.
It is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, and is cultivated in many other tropical areas throughout the world because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers and large interesting fruits.
There are medicinal uses for many parts of Couroupita guianensis, and the tree has cultural and religious significance in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
Couroupita guianensis is planted as an ornamental for its showy, scented flowers, and as a botanical specimen for its interesting fruit.
The flowers are zygomorphic, yellow with red or pink measuring 5-6 cm across and 6 cm wide. The flowers are strongly scented, and are especially fragrant at night and in the early morning.
The fruit are spherical with a woody shell and reach diameters of up to 25 centimeters (10 inches), which give the species the common name "cannonball tree".
Although the fruits are edible but is not usually eaten by people because the smell of the white flesh discourages most people from trying them. It is fed to livestock such as pigs and domestic fowl.
The cannonball fruit can weight up to few kilos each and when the fruits ripen and fall, they usually burst open with a loud crack, and the foul smell they give off attracts animals. The fruit hard shell are use as utensils or containers.
The fruits take up to a year to mature in most areas, sometimes as long as 18 months. The fruit flesh is white and turns blue upon oxidation, a reaction with air.
There are many medicinal uses for the plant. Native Amazonians use extracts of several parts of the tree to treat hypertension, tumors, pain, and inflammation. It has been used to treat the common cold, stomachache, skin conditions and wounds, malaria, and toothache.
Precautions...
Unripe fruit is harmful and might cause an allergic reaction. One who intake the unripe fruits may experience tingling and burning sensation on the lips and tongue.
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae
Genus: Couroupita
Species: C. guianensis
Binomial name Couroupita guianensis
炮弹树为热带雨林里著名的干生花大型乔木,树干笔直,高可达35米。果实直径可达20多公分,成熟期,一颗颗挂满笔挺的树干,实为壮观。
炮弹树的花艳丽、芳香四溢,常种植为观赏植物。果实喂养家畜和家禽,人亦可食用,但因令人不悦的气味而不为人们所喜欢。
白色果肉在空气氧化下有转变成蓝色的现象。花序由树干生出,呈总状花序排列,大而艳丽的花朵造型特异,花瓣内侧橘红,外侧淡黄。雄蕊量多,分可孕性与不孕性两部分,雌蕊单一位于花朵最内里的中心部位。
印度教徒认为炮弹树是圣树,因其花看起来像娜迦,种植于湿婆神庙宇。炮弹果的提取物具有一定的抗菌活性,能抑制生物膜的形成。土著亚马逊人用其治疗高血压、肿瘤、疼痛和炎症。
中文学名: 炮弹树
拉丁学名: Couroupita guianensis Aubl.
别称: 炮弹果、炮弹花 。
It is known by a variety of common names including cannonball tree (炮弹树), Ayauma tree and Sal tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Lecythidaceae, which also includes the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and Paradise nut Lecythis zabucajo.
It is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, and is cultivated in many other tropical areas throughout the world because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers and large interesting fruits.
There are medicinal uses for many parts of Couroupita guianensis, and the tree has cultural and religious significance in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
Couroupita guianensis is planted as an ornamental for its showy, scented flowers, and as a botanical specimen for its interesting fruit.
The flowers are zygomorphic, yellow with red or pink measuring 5-6 cm across and 6 cm wide. The flowers are strongly scented, and are especially fragrant at night and in the early morning.
The fruit are spherical with a woody shell and reach diameters of up to 25 centimeters (10 inches), which give the species the common name "cannonball tree".
Although the fruits are edible but is not usually eaten by people because the smell of the white flesh discourages most people from trying them. It is fed to livestock such as pigs and domestic fowl.
The cannonball fruit can weight up to few kilos each and when the fruits ripen and fall, they usually burst open with a loud crack, and the foul smell they give off attracts animals. The fruit hard shell are use as utensils or containers.
The fruits take up to a year to mature in most areas, sometimes as long as 18 months. The fruit flesh is white and turns blue upon oxidation, a reaction with air.
There are many medicinal uses for the plant. Native Amazonians use extracts of several parts of the tree to treat hypertension, tumors, pain, and inflammation. It has been used to treat the common cold, stomachache, skin conditions and wounds, malaria, and toothache.
Precautions...
Unripe fruit is harmful and might cause an allergic reaction. One who intake the unripe fruits may experience tingling and burning sensation on the lips and tongue.
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae
Genus: Couroupita
Species: C. guianensis
Binomial name Couroupita guianensis
炮弹树为热带雨林里著名的干生花大型乔木,树干笔直,高可达35米。果实直径可达20多公分,成熟期,一颗颗挂满笔挺的树干,实为壮观。
炮弹树的花艳丽、芳香四溢,常种植为观赏植物。果实喂养家畜和家禽,人亦可食用,但因令人不悦的气味而不为人们所喜欢。
白色果肉在空气氧化下有转变成蓝色的现象。花序由树干生出,呈总状花序排列,大而艳丽的花朵造型特异,花瓣内侧橘红,外侧淡黄。雄蕊量多,分可孕性与不孕性两部分,雌蕊单一位于花朵最内里的中心部位。
印度教徒认为炮弹树是圣树,因其花看起来像娜迦,种植于湿婆神庙宇。炮弹果的提取物具有一定的抗菌活性,能抑制生物膜的形成。土著亚马逊人用其治疗高血压、肿瘤、疼痛和炎症。
中文学名: 炮弹树
拉丁学名: Couroupita guianensis Aubl.
别称: 炮弹果、炮弹花 。
Manilkara zapota,
commonly known as sapodilla, sapota,
chikoo, naseberry, 人心果
commonly known as sapodilla, sapota,
chikoo, naseberry, 人心果
Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla, sapota, chikoo, naseberry, or nispero is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species. It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in Singapore, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Mexico.
Sapodilla can grow to more than 30 m (98 ft) tall with an average trunk diameter of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The average height of cultivated specimens, however, is usually between 9 and 15 m (30 and 49 ft) with a trunk diameter not exceeding 50 cm (20 in). It is wind-resistant and the bark is rich in a white, gummy latex called chicle.
The ornamental leaves are medium green and glossy. They are alternate, elliptic to ovate, 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long, with an entire margin. The white flowers are inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla.
Unripe fruit has a firm outer skin and when picked, releases white chicle from its stem. A fully ripened fruit has saggy skin and does not release chicle when picked.
The fruit is a large berry, 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) in diameter. Inside its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. Each fruit contains one to six seeds. The seeds are hard, glossy, and black, resembling beans, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.
The fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. The unripe fruit is hard to the touch and contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin, drying out the mouth.
The trees can survive only in warm, typically tropical environments, dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing. From germination, the sapodilla tree will usually take anywhere from five to eight years to bear fruit. The sapodilla trees yield fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round.
Sapodilla or sapota (chikoo) is another popular tropicalfruit in line with mango, banana, jackfruit. Sapota composes of soft, easily digestible pulp made of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose. Sapota is a tropical evergreen, fruit-bearing tree belongs to the family of Sapotaceae, in the genus: Manilkara.
An aqueous extract of the sapodilla seed (Achras sapota L.) was acutely toxic to mice and rats with symptoms of dyspnoea, apnoea and convulsions.
It is proposed that the toxicity of the sapodilla seed is due mainly to the saponin content.
Sapodilla / Sofeda is endowed with minerals such as potassium, copper, iron, folate, niacin, and pantothenic acid which are good for many metabolic body activities. Sapodilla is having vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Manilkara
Species: M. zapota
Binomial name Manilkara zapota
(L.) P.Royen
人心果别名,
吴凤柿、赤铁果、奇果等
人心果(学名:Manilkara zapota (Linn.) van Royen),乔木,高15-20米,小枝茶褐色,具明显的叶痕。叶互生,密聚于枝顶,革质,长圆形或卵状椭圆形;叶柄长1.5-3厘米。花1-2朵生于枝顶叶腋;花梗长2-2.5厘米,密被黄褐色或锈色绒毛;花萼外轮3裂片长圆状卵形;花冠白色,先端具不规则的细齿;能育雄蕊着生于冠管的喉部,花丝丝状,花药长卵形;退化雄蕊花瓣状;子房圆锥形;花柱圆柱形,基部略加粗。浆果纺锤形、卵形或球形;种子扁。花果期4-9月。
人心果,别称仁心果、赤铁果、在台湾又称吴凤柿、人参果、台语查某李仔、查某囡仔、英文称Sapodilla、马来文称Ciku、印尼文称Sawo、越南称Hồng xiêm、老挝称Lamood或Rarmood。是一种山榄科铁线子属的常绿中乔木。人心果之称来自广东,因纵剖面似人心而得。
原产美洲热带地区,中国广东、广西、云南(西双版纳)有栽培。人心果是一种山榄科的热带水果,因为人心果的果实长得很像人的心脏,所以被人们命名叫做人心果。因为人心果的果形像柿子,也可以叫做“吴凤柿”。是营养价值很高的一种水果。果可食,味甜可口;树干之乳汁为口香糖原料;种仁含油率20%;树皮含植物碱,可治热症。
人心果营养丰富,含有蛋白质、脂肪、糖分、多种氨基酸,维生素B1、维生索B2、维生素E,以及磷、钙、铁等多种微量元素和矿物质。硒和钙的含量更是高居水果、蔬菜之首。
人心果中含有的微量元素钼也有防癌作用 。
硒能激活人体细胞,增强活力,具有防癌、抑制心血管疾病的作用。
Sapodilla can grow to more than 30 m (98 ft) tall with an average trunk diameter of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The average height of cultivated specimens, however, is usually between 9 and 15 m (30 and 49 ft) with a trunk diameter not exceeding 50 cm (20 in). It is wind-resistant and the bark is rich in a white, gummy latex called chicle.
The ornamental leaves are medium green and glossy. They are alternate, elliptic to ovate, 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long, with an entire margin. The white flowers are inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla.
Unripe fruit has a firm outer skin and when picked, releases white chicle from its stem. A fully ripened fruit has saggy skin and does not release chicle when picked.
The fruit is a large berry, 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) in diameter. Inside its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. Each fruit contains one to six seeds. The seeds are hard, glossy, and black, resembling beans, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.
The fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. The unripe fruit is hard to the touch and contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin, drying out the mouth.
The trees can survive only in warm, typically tropical environments, dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing. From germination, the sapodilla tree will usually take anywhere from five to eight years to bear fruit. The sapodilla trees yield fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round.
Sapodilla or sapota (chikoo) is another popular tropicalfruit in line with mango, banana, jackfruit. Sapota composes of soft, easily digestible pulp made of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose. Sapota is a tropical evergreen, fruit-bearing tree belongs to the family of Sapotaceae, in the genus: Manilkara.
An aqueous extract of the sapodilla seed (Achras sapota L.) was acutely toxic to mice and rats with symptoms of dyspnoea, apnoea and convulsions.
It is proposed that the toxicity of the sapodilla seed is due mainly to the saponin content.
Sapodilla / Sofeda is endowed with minerals such as potassium, copper, iron, folate, niacin, and pantothenic acid which are good for many metabolic body activities. Sapodilla is having vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Manilkara
Species: M. zapota
Binomial name Manilkara zapota
(L.) P.Royen
人心果别名,
吴凤柿、赤铁果、奇果等
人心果(学名:Manilkara zapota (Linn.) van Royen),乔木,高15-20米,小枝茶褐色,具明显的叶痕。叶互生,密聚于枝顶,革质,长圆形或卵状椭圆形;叶柄长1.5-3厘米。花1-2朵生于枝顶叶腋;花梗长2-2.5厘米,密被黄褐色或锈色绒毛;花萼外轮3裂片长圆状卵形;花冠白色,先端具不规则的细齿;能育雄蕊着生于冠管的喉部,花丝丝状,花药长卵形;退化雄蕊花瓣状;子房圆锥形;花柱圆柱形,基部略加粗。浆果纺锤形、卵形或球形;种子扁。花果期4-9月。
人心果,别称仁心果、赤铁果、在台湾又称吴凤柿、人参果、台语查某李仔、查某囡仔、英文称Sapodilla、马来文称Ciku、印尼文称Sawo、越南称Hồng xiêm、老挝称Lamood或Rarmood。是一种山榄科铁线子属的常绿中乔木。人心果之称来自广东,因纵剖面似人心而得。
原产美洲热带地区,中国广东、广西、云南(西双版纳)有栽培。人心果是一种山榄科的热带水果,因为人心果的果实长得很像人的心脏,所以被人们命名叫做人心果。因为人心果的果形像柿子,也可以叫做“吴凤柿”。是营养价值很高的一种水果。果可食,味甜可口;树干之乳汁为口香糖原料;种仁含油率20%;树皮含植物碱,可治热症。
人心果营养丰富,含有蛋白质、脂肪、糖分、多种氨基酸,维生素B1、维生索B2、维生素E,以及磷、钙、铁等多种微量元素和矿物质。硒和钙的含量更是高居水果、蔬菜之首。
人心果中含有的微量元素钼也有防癌作用 。
硒能激活人体细胞,增强活力,具有防癌、抑制心血管疾病的作用。
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
面包树 , 面包果
面包树 , 面包果
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of Artocarpus camansi originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines. It was initially spread to Oceania via the Austronesian expansion and was further spread to other tropical regions of the world during the Colonial Era.
Today it is grown in some 90 countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor.
Breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. Most breadfruit varieties produce fruit throughout the year. Both ripe and unripe fruit have culinary uses, it can be roasted, baked, fried or boiled. When cooked, the taste of moderately ripe breadfruit is described as potato-like, or similar to freshly baked bread.
Breadfruit can be eaten once cooked, or can be further processed into a variety of other foods. A common product is a mixture of cooked or fermented breadfruit mash mixed with coconut milk baked in banana leaves. Whole fruits can be cooked in an open fire, then cored and filled with other foods, such as coconut milk, sugar and butter, cooked meats, or other fruits. The filled fruit can be cooked further so the flavor of the filling permeates the flesh of the breadfruit.
Breadfruit was widely used in a variety of ways among Pacific Islanders. Its lightweight wood (specific gravity of 0.27) is resistant to termites and shipworms, so it is used as timber for structures and outrigger canoes. Its wood pulp can also be used to make paper, called breadfruit tapa. Native Hawaiians used its sticky latex to trap birds, whose feathers were made into cloaks. The wood of the breadfruit tree was one of the most valuable timbers in the construction of traditional houses in Samoan architecture.
Breadfruit contains phytochemicals having potential as an insect repellent. The parts of the fruits that are discarded can be used to feed livestock. The leaves of breadfruit trees can also be browsed by cattle.
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Artocarpus
Species: A. altilis
Binomial name Artocarpus altilis
(Parkinson) Fosberg
面包树(Artocarpus altilis)
别名,面包果、罗蜜树、马槟榔、面磅树 。
面包树是桑科常绿乔木,高10-15米;树皮灰褐色,粗厚。叶大,互生,厚革质,卵形至卵状椭圆形,两面无毛,表面深绿色,有光泽,背面浅绿色,全缘;叶柄长8-12厘米;托叶大,披针形或宽披针形,黄绿色,被灰色或褐色平贴柔毛。花序单生叶腋,雄花序长圆筒形至长椭圆形或棒状,黄色;雄花花被管状,被毛,上部2裂,裂片披针形,花药椭圆形,花柱长,聚花果倒卵圆形或近球形,绿色至黄色,表面具圆形瘤状凸起,成熟褐色至黑色,柔软,内面为乳白色肉质花被组成;核果椭圆形至圆锥形。栽培的很少核果或无核果。
原产太平洋群岛及印度、菲律宾,为马来群岛一带热带著名林木之一。中国台湾、海南亦有栽培。木材质轻软而粗,可作建筑用材,果实为热带主要食品之一风味类似面包,果实内的淀粉含量特别的高,味道也比较的香甜,因此而得名面包果。
面包树是一种木本粮食植物,果实富含淀粉,烧烤后可食用。烤制过的面包果,味如面包,松软可口,酸中有甜,常被用作口粮。可以烤食。
成熟的面包果果质油润,酸甜适口,以个大、肉厚、色紫黑、糖分足。
新鲜面包果应该色泽鲜艳,个头匀称,皮薄肉厚,质嫩多汁,味甜,富有香气。挑选时可先在手里轻捏,好面包果的手感应该富有弹性。从外表看,新鲜面包果的颜色一般给人一种很亮的感觉。若面包果果实有些发黑的颜色,表示已经变质,不宜食用。
面包果营养价值丰富,其果肉及种子富含蛋白质,碳水化合物,钙、铁、磷等矿物质,维生素及丰富的膳食纤维。
1. 烤着吃
面包果切成薄薄的片,可以削皮也可以不削皮,然后把他放在火上面,记得一定要用小火,像平时烤面包一样进行小火的烘烤,这样就可以让它的颜色烤的明亮的金黄色,而且还比较的脆,吃起来味道也是特别的香,所以采用烤面包果的方法进行食用,是一种比较省时省力又美味的一道菜。味道也是一点不低于面包的味道,甚至更好吃。
2. 炸着吃
炸面包果跟烘烤出来的味道是不一样的。把面包果切成非常薄的小片,同样可以削皮也可以不削皮,然后找来几粒鸡蛋,还有黄油、糖、面粉和水适量把它们放到一起混合成糊状,然后将切好的果片给它们一一裹上这些混合糊。
在找来一个煎锅,让锅先进行预热,然后在慢慢的倒入适量的油,把油给烧热了,然后再把裹好的面包片放进去,开始炸,等到面包片变成金黄色的时候就可以取出来进行食用,这种方法做出来的面包果味道会更加的好吃,因为它里面伴着鸡蛋还有黄油的味道夹杂在一起,吃起来也是又脆又香,所以是一道非常不错的甜品。
3. 蒸着吃
将洗干净的面包果放进锅中进行蒸,就跟平时蒸马铃薯一样,大约是来分钟过后,就熟了,然后把它们取出来,这种方法做出来的面包果味道就跟马铃薯的味道很像的,不仅松软可口,而且还酸中带一点点甜。
Today it is grown in some 90 countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor.
Breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. Most breadfruit varieties produce fruit throughout the year. Both ripe and unripe fruit have culinary uses, it can be roasted, baked, fried or boiled. When cooked, the taste of moderately ripe breadfruit is described as potato-like, or similar to freshly baked bread.
Breadfruit can be eaten once cooked, or can be further processed into a variety of other foods. A common product is a mixture of cooked or fermented breadfruit mash mixed with coconut milk baked in banana leaves. Whole fruits can be cooked in an open fire, then cored and filled with other foods, such as coconut milk, sugar and butter, cooked meats, or other fruits. The filled fruit can be cooked further so the flavor of the filling permeates the flesh of the breadfruit.
Breadfruit was widely used in a variety of ways among Pacific Islanders. Its lightweight wood (specific gravity of 0.27) is resistant to termites and shipworms, so it is used as timber for structures and outrigger canoes. Its wood pulp can also be used to make paper, called breadfruit tapa. Native Hawaiians used its sticky latex to trap birds, whose feathers were made into cloaks. The wood of the breadfruit tree was one of the most valuable timbers in the construction of traditional houses in Samoan architecture.
Breadfruit contains phytochemicals having potential as an insect repellent. The parts of the fruits that are discarded can be used to feed livestock. The leaves of breadfruit trees can also be browsed by cattle.
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Artocarpus
Species: A. altilis
Binomial name Artocarpus altilis
(Parkinson) Fosberg
面包树(Artocarpus altilis)
别名,面包果、罗蜜树、马槟榔、面磅树 。
面包树是桑科常绿乔木,高10-15米;树皮灰褐色,粗厚。叶大,互生,厚革质,卵形至卵状椭圆形,两面无毛,表面深绿色,有光泽,背面浅绿色,全缘;叶柄长8-12厘米;托叶大,披针形或宽披针形,黄绿色,被灰色或褐色平贴柔毛。花序单生叶腋,雄花序长圆筒形至长椭圆形或棒状,黄色;雄花花被管状,被毛,上部2裂,裂片披针形,花药椭圆形,花柱长,聚花果倒卵圆形或近球形,绿色至黄色,表面具圆形瘤状凸起,成熟褐色至黑色,柔软,内面为乳白色肉质花被组成;核果椭圆形至圆锥形。栽培的很少核果或无核果。
原产太平洋群岛及印度、菲律宾,为马来群岛一带热带著名林木之一。中国台湾、海南亦有栽培。木材质轻软而粗,可作建筑用材,果实为热带主要食品之一风味类似面包,果实内的淀粉含量特别的高,味道也比较的香甜,因此而得名面包果。
面包树是一种木本粮食植物,果实富含淀粉,烧烤后可食用。烤制过的面包果,味如面包,松软可口,酸中有甜,常被用作口粮。可以烤食。
成熟的面包果果质油润,酸甜适口,以个大、肉厚、色紫黑、糖分足。
新鲜面包果应该色泽鲜艳,个头匀称,皮薄肉厚,质嫩多汁,味甜,富有香气。挑选时可先在手里轻捏,好面包果的手感应该富有弹性。从外表看,新鲜面包果的颜色一般给人一种很亮的感觉。若面包果果实有些发黑的颜色,表示已经变质,不宜食用。
面包果营养价值丰富,其果肉及种子富含蛋白质,碳水化合物,钙、铁、磷等矿物质,维生素及丰富的膳食纤维。
1. 烤着吃
面包果切成薄薄的片,可以削皮也可以不削皮,然后把他放在火上面,记得一定要用小火,像平时烤面包一样进行小火的烘烤,这样就可以让它的颜色烤的明亮的金黄色,而且还比较的脆,吃起来味道也是特别的香,所以采用烤面包果的方法进行食用,是一种比较省时省力又美味的一道菜。味道也是一点不低于面包的味道,甚至更好吃。
2. 炸着吃
炸面包果跟烘烤出来的味道是不一样的。把面包果切成非常薄的小片,同样可以削皮也可以不削皮,然后找来几粒鸡蛋,还有黄油、糖、面粉和水适量把它们放到一起混合成糊状,然后将切好的果片给它们一一裹上这些混合糊。
在找来一个煎锅,让锅先进行预热,然后在慢慢的倒入适量的油,把油给烧热了,然后再把裹好的面包片放进去,开始炸,等到面包片变成金黄色的时候就可以取出来进行食用,这种方法做出来的面包果味道会更加的好吃,因为它里面伴着鸡蛋还有黄油的味道夹杂在一起,吃起来也是又脆又香,所以是一道非常不错的甜品。
3. 蒸着吃
将洗干净的面包果放进锅中进行蒸,就跟平时蒸马铃薯一样,大约是来分钟过后,就熟了,然后把它们取出来,这种方法做出来的面包果味道就跟马铃薯的味道很像的,不仅松软可口,而且还酸中带一点点甜。
Etlingera elatior 火炬姜
Etlingera elatior is a species of herbaceous perennial plant native to South East Asia.
Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, and Alpinia magnifica.
Etlingera elatior (also known as torch ginger, ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger, combrang, bunga kantan, Philippine wax flower, ගොඩ ඕලු (goda olu), ගොඩ නෙලුම් (goda nelum), සිද්ධාර්ථ (siddartha), 火炬姜 (pinyin: Huǒjù jiāng), Indonesian tall ginger, boca de dragón, rose de porcelaine, and porcelain rose)
Flowers of E. elatior are in shades of pink and red and the inflorescence of the plant are borne on erect stalk of the plants. The young shoots and flower buds of the plants are consumed raw by indigenous communities in Malaysia and Thailand.
Inflorescence of E. elatior is used for flavoring the food and also as ornamentals. The flowers and flower buds are commonly used in Malaysian dishes such as, Penang laksa, nasi kerabu and nasi ulam.
Torch Ginger is a rather peculiar plant that is full of wax until it is cut where the bud releases an aromatic, floral, grassy fragrance. Intake of raw ginger can help in a variety of ways which include reducing diabetes and hypertension. For women, consuming it with the ginger’s bitter leaves can help relieve postpartum flatulence.
The ginger root itself has many healing properties and is high in antioxidants. The antiviral herb can be used as a decongestant and expectorant to fight respiratory problems and sinus infections.
Its anti-inflammatory properties can help those who are suffering from arthritis. The plant helps to relieve indigestion, alleviates intestinal cramps, gastrointestinal problems, and reduce nausea (including morning sickness). It is also believed to be a natural libido enhancer, and help treat a loss of appetite.
E. elatior has been well known for its medicinal properties among indigenous communities in Malaysia. Decoction prepared from the fruit of
E. elatior has been used to treat ear ache and the leaves have been used in wound healing. The young flower shoot of E. elatior was reported to have antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-tumor promoting properties. E.elatior inflorescence is known to have high antioxidant properties.
Decoction prepared from the fruit of E. elatior has been used to treat ear ache and the leaves have been used in wound healing. The young flower shoot of E. elatior was reported to have antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-tumor promoting properties.
The young flower shoots and half-ripe fruiting shoots are used locally as a substitute for tamarind. Used as a condiment in curries. The stalks of the inflorescence are chopped and added to laksa pots (various curries or soups made with rice noodles)
The fruits are candied. Half-ripe fruits are eaten in soups and stews. The ripe seeds are eaten raw. The fruits and leaves are utilized medicinally.
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Etlingera
Species: E. elatior
Binomial name Etlingera elatior
火炬姜,又名瓷玫瑰,菲律宾蜡花,姜科茴香砂仁属多年生大型草本植物,植株丛生,株高3-7米,叶互生,二行排列,长圆状披针形,叶色深绿,光滑,长50厘米左右,宽15厘米左右,头状花序由地下茎抽出,玫瑰花型,花瓣革质,表面光滑,亮丽如瓷,有50-100瓣不等。花期夏季。
火炬姜原产于东南亚的印度尼西亚、马来西亚、泰国南部等热带地区,中国广东、福建、台湾、云南等地有引种栽培。
惟不同品種於不同地域成長,常有不同用途。最普遍的用途是截取新長莖株,剝去外面老鞘,幼嫩的莖心可生吃、烹煮,或作佐料、調味香料。Etlingera 這屬香甜帶酸的果實,也可食用,特別適合烹飪新鮮的魚。有些品種更可做藥用,可治頭痛、腹痛。
在熱帶地區,火炬薑常年開花,花序從地下單獨長出,花梗約 3至 5 呎高,而非開在枝葉的頂端。花色有紅色、粉紅、及白色 (較罕見)。這花序由臘質的苞片組成,真正的花開在苞片之上,形態類似松毬。新鮮的切花瓶插壽命約6至8天,留在株上的花,則可開更久。切花常和赫蕉花 (Heliconia) 及葉子組合併插。
根據馬來西亞Monash University 一博士論文,曾發表於 2009年Food Science and Technology雜誌的分析資料,火炬薑的葉子含有高成份的咖啡酰奎寧酸 (Caffeoylquinic acids--CQA),包括綠原酸 (Chlorogenic acid--CGA)。綠原酸為一種抗氧化劑 (Antioxidant),據說有抗菌、抗過瀘性病毒、抗黴菌等功效,另有聲稱它具有預防或減輕第2型糖尿病、及心臟病的作用,且其毒性低、副作用少。此原料可作藥物、食品、飼料及化粧品的添加劑。
Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa, Phaeomeria speciosa, Alpinia elatior, and Alpinia magnifica.
Etlingera elatior (also known as torch ginger, ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger, combrang, bunga kantan, Philippine wax flower, ගොඩ ඕලු (goda olu), ගොඩ නෙලුම් (goda nelum), සිද්ධාර්ථ (siddartha), 火炬姜 (pinyin: Huǒjù jiāng), Indonesian tall ginger, boca de dragón, rose de porcelaine, and porcelain rose)
Flowers of E. elatior are in shades of pink and red and the inflorescence of the plant are borne on erect stalk of the plants. The young shoots and flower buds of the plants are consumed raw by indigenous communities in Malaysia and Thailand.
Inflorescence of E. elatior is used for flavoring the food and also as ornamentals. The flowers and flower buds are commonly used in Malaysian dishes such as, Penang laksa, nasi kerabu and nasi ulam.
Torch Ginger is a rather peculiar plant that is full of wax until it is cut where the bud releases an aromatic, floral, grassy fragrance. Intake of raw ginger can help in a variety of ways which include reducing diabetes and hypertension. For women, consuming it with the ginger’s bitter leaves can help relieve postpartum flatulence.
The ginger root itself has many healing properties and is high in antioxidants. The antiviral herb can be used as a decongestant and expectorant to fight respiratory problems and sinus infections.
Its anti-inflammatory properties can help those who are suffering from arthritis. The plant helps to relieve indigestion, alleviates intestinal cramps, gastrointestinal problems, and reduce nausea (including morning sickness). It is also believed to be a natural libido enhancer, and help treat a loss of appetite.
E. elatior has been well known for its medicinal properties among indigenous communities in Malaysia. Decoction prepared from the fruit of
E. elatior has been used to treat ear ache and the leaves have been used in wound healing. The young flower shoot of E. elatior was reported to have antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-tumor promoting properties. E.elatior inflorescence is known to have high antioxidant properties.
Decoction prepared from the fruit of E. elatior has been used to treat ear ache and the leaves have been used in wound healing. The young flower shoot of E. elatior was reported to have antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-tumor promoting properties.
The young flower shoots and half-ripe fruiting shoots are used locally as a substitute for tamarind. Used as a condiment in curries. The stalks of the inflorescence are chopped and added to laksa pots (various curries or soups made with rice noodles)
The fruits are candied. Half-ripe fruits are eaten in soups and stews. The ripe seeds are eaten raw. The fruits and leaves are utilized medicinally.
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Etlingera
Species: E. elatior
Binomial name Etlingera elatior
火炬姜,又名瓷玫瑰,菲律宾蜡花,姜科茴香砂仁属多年生大型草本植物,植株丛生,株高3-7米,叶互生,二行排列,长圆状披针形,叶色深绿,光滑,长50厘米左右,宽15厘米左右,头状花序由地下茎抽出,玫瑰花型,花瓣革质,表面光滑,亮丽如瓷,有50-100瓣不等。花期夏季。
火炬姜原产于东南亚的印度尼西亚、马来西亚、泰国南部等热带地区,中国广东、福建、台湾、云南等地有引种栽培。
惟不同品種於不同地域成長,常有不同用途。最普遍的用途是截取新長莖株,剝去外面老鞘,幼嫩的莖心可生吃、烹煮,或作佐料、調味香料。Etlingera 這屬香甜帶酸的果實,也可食用,特別適合烹飪新鮮的魚。有些品種更可做藥用,可治頭痛、腹痛。
在熱帶地區,火炬薑常年開花,花序從地下單獨長出,花梗約 3至 5 呎高,而非開在枝葉的頂端。花色有紅色、粉紅、及白色 (較罕見)。這花序由臘質的苞片組成,真正的花開在苞片之上,形態類似松毬。新鮮的切花瓶插壽命約6至8天,留在株上的花,則可開更久。切花常和赫蕉花 (Heliconia) 及葉子組合併插。
根據馬來西亞Monash University 一博士論文,曾發表於 2009年Food Science and Technology雜誌的分析資料,火炬薑的葉子含有高成份的咖啡酰奎寧酸 (Caffeoylquinic acids--CQA),包括綠原酸 (Chlorogenic acid--CGA)。綠原酸為一種抗氧化劑 (Antioxidant),據說有抗菌、抗過瀘性病毒、抗黴菌等功效,另有聲稱它具有預防或減輕第2型糖尿病、及心臟病的作用,且其毒性低、副作用少。此原料可作藥物、食品、飼料及化粧品的添加劑。
Lansium parasiticum,
commonly known as langsat
commonly known as langsat
Lansium parasiticum, commonly known as langsat or lanzones in English; or duku or dokong in Malay, is a species of tree in the Mahogany family with commercially cultivated edible fruits. The species is native to Southeast Asia.
The larger size variety of langsat is known as Duku. Langsat grows in clusters and is widely cultivated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Sumatra.
Lansium parasiticum is cultivated mainly for its fruit, which can be eaten raw. The fruit can also be bottled in syrup.
These fruits have a tangy, sour and sweet combination of flavors, and tastes a lot like grapes. Some people find its taste similar to that of pomelo. Its aril is juicy and translucent when ripe. Once ripe, the taste of langsat is really refreshing and exotic. Only the fresh langsat tastes the best because if kept for days after plucking, it may lose its taste and become bland.
Nutritional Value : Langsat is a nutritionally rich fruit containing many vital elements like proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber in abundance. It is rich in vitamin A, thiamine and riboflavin, which are necessary for many body functions.
Health Benefits of Langsat
Riboflavin Enhances RBC Formation: Langsat is rich in vitamins like riboflavin and thiamine. Riboflavin is important for the production of red blood cells and overall body growth. Consuming langsat enhances the production of RBCs in the blood and also helps in the break down of carbohydrates to provide energy to the body.
Vitamin A Maintains Proper Body Function: Vitamin A is an essential co-factor for many vital body functions. It is necessary for maintaining healthy skin, eyes, teeth and tissues. Langsat being high in vitamin A, keeps eyes, skin, skeletal tissues and mucous membranes healthy.
Antioxidants Prevent and Protect from Cell Damages: Langsat contains many powerful antioxidants that fight the free radical damages to cells. Oxidative damage to cells may lead to the formation of tumors and cancers; langsat contains limonoids, which are anti-cancerous in nature and protects the body from many cancer-causing elements.
Seeds are Proven Anti-Malarial: Many studies are in progress to prove the ability of its seeds as potential anti-malarial therapeutic. Also, its skin and leaves are shown to possess anti-pathogenic nature against Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite. They contain such chemical compounds that interrupt the life cycle of the pathogen and kill them.
Its Bark and Skin Cures Diarrhea: Langsat fruit helps in curing digestive tract problems. It being rich in fiber is good for gut health. The bark of the tree, when made into astringent has been proven to exhibit anti-spasmodic properties and can be efficiently used to treat dysentery and diarrhea. Also, the peel of langsat fruit contains oleoresin that helps in curing diarrhea and its symptoms.
Cures Fever: Langsat fruit is helpful in treating fever and cold. It contains vitamin C, which helps in reducing flu and cold symptoms. Crushed seeds of langsat help lower the body temperature.
Treat Inflammation: The bark and seed resins of langsat helps in reducing inflammation. The bark resin can be used to treat gastrointestinal colic, swellings, ulcers and flatulence. The powder from the bark can also be applied to scorpion stings to cure its allergic reaction and inflammation.
Burning the peel of langsat keeps mosquitoes at bay and emits aromatic fragrance.
Eliminate Skin Problems: The rind of langsat is used to treat various skin problems like rashes, acne, itching etc. Rubbing its rind over the affected area can reduce the redness, inflammation and itching.
The wood is hard, thick, heavy, and resilient, allowing it to be used in the construction of rural houses.
Some parts of the plant are used in making traditional medicine. The bitter seeds can be pounded and mixed with water to make a dewormingand ulcer medication. The bark is used to treat dysentery and malaria; the powdered bark can also be used to treat scorpion stings. The fruit's skin is used to treat diarrhea, and in the Philippines the dried skin is burned as a mosquito repellent. The skin, especially of the langsat variety, can be dried and burned as incense.
The greatest producers of Lansium parasiticum are Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. The production is mostly for internal consumption, although some is exported to Singapore, Hong Kongand Kuwait.
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Lansium
Species: L. parasiticum
Binomial name Lansium parasiticum
(Osbeck) Sahni & Bennet
The larger size variety of langsat is known as Duku. Langsat grows in clusters and is widely cultivated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Sumatra.
Lansium parasiticum is cultivated mainly for its fruit, which can be eaten raw. The fruit can also be bottled in syrup.
These fruits have a tangy, sour and sweet combination of flavors, and tastes a lot like grapes. Some people find its taste similar to that of pomelo. Its aril is juicy and translucent when ripe. Once ripe, the taste of langsat is really refreshing and exotic. Only the fresh langsat tastes the best because if kept for days after plucking, it may lose its taste and become bland.
Nutritional Value : Langsat is a nutritionally rich fruit containing many vital elements like proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber in abundance. It is rich in vitamin A, thiamine and riboflavin, which are necessary for many body functions.
Health Benefits of Langsat
Riboflavin Enhances RBC Formation: Langsat is rich in vitamins like riboflavin and thiamine. Riboflavin is important for the production of red blood cells and overall body growth. Consuming langsat enhances the production of RBCs in the blood and also helps in the break down of carbohydrates to provide energy to the body.
Vitamin A Maintains Proper Body Function: Vitamin A is an essential co-factor for many vital body functions. It is necessary for maintaining healthy skin, eyes, teeth and tissues. Langsat being high in vitamin A, keeps eyes, skin, skeletal tissues and mucous membranes healthy.
Antioxidants Prevent and Protect from Cell Damages: Langsat contains many powerful antioxidants that fight the free radical damages to cells. Oxidative damage to cells may lead to the formation of tumors and cancers; langsat contains limonoids, which are anti-cancerous in nature and protects the body from many cancer-causing elements.
Seeds are Proven Anti-Malarial: Many studies are in progress to prove the ability of its seeds as potential anti-malarial therapeutic. Also, its skin and leaves are shown to possess anti-pathogenic nature against Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite. They contain such chemical compounds that interrupt the life cycle of the pathogen and kill them.
Its Bark and Skin Cures Diarrhea: Langsat fruit helps in curing digestive tract problems. It being rich in fiber is good for gut health. The bark of the tree, when made into astringent has been proven to exhibit anti-spasmodic properties and can be efficiently used to treat dysentery and diarrhea. Also, the peel of langsat fruit contains oleoresin that helps in curing diarrhea and its symptoms.
Cures Fever: Langsat fruit is helpful in treating fever and cold. It contains vitamin C, which helps in reducing flu and cold symptoms. Crushed seeds of langsat help lower the body temperature.
Treat Inflammation: The bark and seed resins of langsat helps in reducing inflammation. The bark resin can be used to treat gastrointestinal colic, swellings, ulcers and flatulence. The powder from the bark can also be applied to scorpion stings to cure its allergic reaction and inflammation.
Burning the peel of langsat keeps mosquitoes at bay and emits aromatic fragrance.
Eliminate Skin Problems: The rind of langsat is used to treat various skin problems like rashes, acne, itching etc. Rubbing its rind over the affected area can reduce the redness, inflammation and itching.
The wood is hard, thick, heavy, and resilient, allowing it to be used in the construction of rural houses.
Some parts of the plant are used in making traditional medicine. The bitter seeds can be pounded and mixed with water to make a dewormingand ulcer medication. The bark is used to treat dysentery and malaria; the powdered bark can also be used to treat scorpion stings. The fruit's skin is used to treat diarrhea, and in the Philippines the dried skin is burned as a mosquito repellent. The skin, especially of the langsat variety, can be dried and burned as incense.
The greatest producers of Lansium parasiticum are Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. The production is mostly for internal consumption, although some is exported to Singapore, Hong Kongand Kuwait.
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Lansium
Species: L. parasiticum
Binomial name Lansium parasiticum
(Osbeck) Sahni & Bennet
Pouteria campechiana
(commonly known as the canistel)
(commonly known as the canistel)
Pouteria campechiana (commonly known as the canistel) is an evergreen tree native to, and cultivated in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It is also cultivated in other countries, such as Costa Rica, Brazil, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
The edible part of the tree is its fruit, which is colloquially known as an egg fruit.
The canistel displays climacteric fruit ripening.
A fully mature fruit shows an intense yellow skin color. It eventually softens and drops from the tree. Insects and birds avoid the fruit flesh, perhaps because of its astringent properties, that are much reduced in senescent fruits, but still perceptible to the human palate. Apparently mature fruits severed from the tree while still hard often fail to develop the desired climacteric changes in terms of reduced astringency and a texture reminiscent of egg yolk.
Canistel flesh is sweet, with a texture often compared to that of a hard-boiled egg yolk, hence its colloquial name "eggfruit".
The Egg Fruit tree is approximately 8 meters tall and bears oblong fruits that range from 7-12 centimeters in length. The fruits can vary in shape, some with a straight pointed end others curved at the tip.
The shape and size of the fruit is highly variable, depending on the cultivar. The better selections consistently produce large, ovate fruit with glossy skin. The flesh is somewhat pasty, although the best varieties have a creamy, mousse-like texture. The flavor is rich and is reminiscent of an egg custard.
When ripe, the Egg Fruit turns a golden-orange color and occasionally exhibits rusty brown blotches, which is no indication of the inner flesh’s quality.
The interior is both the color and texture of a hard-boiled egg yolk, and contains 1 to 4 hard black seeds. Some people find the strong musky aroma of ripe Egg Fruit to be offensive. Its flavor is rich with a mellow sweetness like that of roasted pumpkin or sweet potato. The sweetness of the fruit varies; it tastes something like a baked yam. Egg Fruit is available in fall into summer in tropical climates.
It is a member of the Sapotaceae Family and a close relative of the more popular tropical fruit, Sapota.
Egg Fruit is also sometimes referred to as yellow sapote.
In Nutritional Value wise, Egg Fruit is rich in niacin, iron, calcium, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid.
Common names : In Taiwan, it is called danhuang guo (蛋黃果), "egg yolk fruit" or xiantao (仙桃) "peach of the immortals".
In Thailand, it is known by different traditional popular names such as lamut Khamen (ละมุดเขมร="Khmer sapodilla") or tho Khamen (ท้อเขมร="Khmer peach")
In Sri Lanka, this fruit is known as laulu, lavulu, or lawalu.
In Indonesian language, it is called alkesah, or sawo mentega (butter sapodilla, for its color and texture).
The plant's name in the Vietnamese language is cây trứng gà ("chicken egg" plant) because of the fruit's appearance.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Pouteria
Species: P. campechiana
Binomial name Pouteria campechiana
Baehni
The edible part of the tree is its fruit, which is colloquially known as an egg fruit.
The canistel displays climacteric fruit ripening.
A fully mature fruit shows an intense yellow skin color. It eventually softens and drops from the tree. Insects and birds avoid the fruit flesh, perhaps because of its astringent properties, that are much reduced in senescent fruits, but still perceptible to the human palate. Apparently mature fruits severed from the tree while still hard often fail to develop the desired climacteric changes in terms of reduced astringency and a texture reminiscent of egg yolk.
Canistel flesh is sweet, with a texture often compared to that of a hard-boiled egg yolk, hence its colloquial name "eggfruit".
The Egg Fruit tree is approximately 8 meters tall and bears oblong fruits that range from 7-12 centimeters in length. The fruits can vary in shape, some with a straight pointed end others curved at the tip.
The shape and size of the fruit is highly variable, depending on the cultivar. The better selections consistently produce large, ovate fruit with glossy skin. The flesh is somewhat pasty, although the best varieties have a creamy, mousse-like texture. The flavor is rich and is reminiscent of an egg custard.
When ripe, the Egg Fruit turns a golden-orange color and occasionally exhibits rusty brown blotches, which is no indication of the inner flesh’s quality.
The interior is both the color and texture of a hard-boiled egg yolk, and contains 1 to 4 hard black seeds. Some people find the strong musky aroma of ripe Egg Fruit to be offensive. Its flavor is rich with a mellow sweetness like that of roasted pumpkin or sweet potato. The sweetness of the fruit varies; it tastes something like a baked yam. Egg Fruit is available in fall into summer in tropical climates.
It is a member of the Sapotaceae Family and a close relative of the more popular tropical fruit, Sapota.
Egg Fruit is also sometimes referred to as yellow sapote.
In Nutritional Value wise, Egg Fruit is rich in niacin, iron, calcium, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid.
Common names : In Taiwan, it is called danhuang guo (蛋黃果), "egg yolk fruit" or xiantao (仙桃) "peach of the immortals".
In Thailand, it is known by different traditional popular names such as lamut Khamen (ละมุดเขมร="Khmer sapodilla") or tho Khamen (ท้อเขมร="Khmer peach")
In Sri Lanka, this fruit is known as laulu, lavulu, or lawalu.
In Indonesian language, it is called alkesah, or sawo mentega (butter sapodilla, for its color and texture).
The plant's name in the Vietnamese language is cây trứng gà ("chicken egg" plant) because of the fruit's appearance.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Pouteria
Species: P. campechiana
Binomial name Pouteria campechiana
Baehni
Ipomoea aquatica
Chinese watercress
Chinese watercress
In English it is known as water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names Chinese spinach, Chinese Watercress, Chinese convolvulus, swamp cabbage or kangkong in Southeast Asia.
In Thailand, where it is called phak bung
(Thai: ผักบุ้ง)
Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots, it is not known where it originated. This plant is known in English as water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names Chinese spinach, Chinese Watercress, Chinese convolvulus, swamp cabbage or kangkong in Southeast Asia.
Ipomoea aquatica grows in water or on moist soil. Its stems are 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) or longer, rooting at the nodes, and they are hollow and can float.
The leaves vary from typically sagittate (arrow head-shaped) to lanceolate, 5–15 cm (2–6 in) long and 2–8 cm (0.8–3 in) broad. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in diameter, and usually white in colour with a mauve centre. Propagation is either by planting cuttings of the stem shoots, which will root along nodes, or by planting the seeds from flowers that produce seed pods.
Ipomoea aquatica is most commonly grown in east, south, and southeast Asia. It flourishes naturally in waterways, and requires little if any care. It is used extensively in Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese cuisine, especially in rural or kampung (village) areas. The vegetable is also extremely popular in Taiwan, where it grows well. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, the vegetable grew remarkably easily in many areas, and became a popular wartime crop.
The vegetable is a common ingredient in East, South and Southeast Asian dishes, such as in stir-fried water spinach.
In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the tender shoots along with the leaves are usually stir-fried with chili pepper, garlic, ginger, dried shrimp paste (belacan/terasi) and other spices.
In Penang and Ipoh, it is cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet and spicy sauce. Also known as eng chhai in the Hokkien dialect, it can also be boiled with preserved cuttlefish, then rinsed and mixed with spicy rojak paste to become jiu hu eng chhai. Boiled eng chhai also can be served with fermented krill noodle belacan bihun and prawn mee.
In Indonesian cuisine it is called kangkung, boiled or blanched together with other vegetables it forms the ingredient of gado-gado or pecel salads in peanut sauce. Some recipes that use kangkung is plecing kangkung from Lombok, and mie kangkung(kangkong noodle) from Jakarta.
In Thailand, where it is called phak bung (Thai: ผักบุ้ง), it is eaten raw, often along with green papaya salad or nam phrik, in stir-fries and in curries such as kaeng som.
In the Philippines, where it is called kangkóng, the tender shoots are cut into segments and cooked, together with the leaves, in fish and meat stews, such as sinigang. The vegetable is also commonly eaten alone.
In adobong kangkóng (also called apan-apan), it is sautéed in cooking oil, onions, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce.
In ensaladang kangkóng (or kinilaw na kangkóng), it is blanched and served in vinegar or calamansi juice and fresh tomatoes and onions with salt and pepper to taste.
In binagoongang kangkóng (or ginisang kangkóng), it is sautéed with garlic and topped with bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) or bagoong isda (fermented fish) and sliced fresh tomatoes and onions, commonly also with cubed crispy liempo (pork belly) or pork adobo. It can also be spiced with siling haba or siling labuyopeppers, soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar. It differs from adobong kangkóng in that it does not use vinegar. A local appetiser called crispy kangkóng has the leaves coated in a flour-based batter and fried until crisp, similar to Japanese vegetable tempura.
Medicinal use, l. aquatica is used in the traditional medicine of southeast Asia and in the traditional medicine of some countries in Africa.
In southeast Asian medicine it is used against piles, and nosebleeds, as an anthelmintic, and to treat high blood pressure.
In Ayurveda, leaf extracts are used against jaundice and nervous debility.
In indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka, water spinach is supposed to have insulin-like properties. Water extracts of I. aquatica showed a blood sugar-lowering effect in Wistar rats. An aqueous juice of 100g plant material was given 30 minutes before eating glucose to diabetes 2 patients. After 2 hours it could be observed that blood glucose peak level was reduced by around 30%.
Also antioxidant bioactive compounds and anti-microbial substances could be detected in water spinach. Furthermore, plant extracts of water spinach inhibit cancer cell growth of Vero, Hep-2 and A-549 cells, though have moderate anti-cancer activity.
Health risk, many of the waters where water spinach grows are fed by domestic or other waste. Pigs in south east Asia are a natural reservoir for the parasite Fasciolopsis buski. Infections in the Mekong regions resulted from feeding water spinach. Infections of F. buski in humans through water spinach can be anticipated. The infection can be prevented by a proper perparation like frying or boiling.
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Ipomoea
Species: I. aquatica
Binomial name Ipomoea aquatica
In Thailand, where it is called phak bung
(Thai: ผักบุ้ง)
Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots, it is not known where it originated. This plant is known in English as water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, or by the more ambiguous names Chinese spinach, Chinese Watercress, Chinese convolvulus, swamp cabbage or kangkong in Southeast Asia.
Ipomoea aquatica grows in water or on moist soil. Its stems are 2–3 metres (7–10 ft) or longer, rooting at the nodes, and they are hollow and can float.
The leaves vary from typically sagittate (arrow head-shaped) to lanceolate, 5–15 cm (2–6 in) long and 2–8 cm (0.8–3 in) broad. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in diameter, and usually white in colour with a mauve centre. Propagation is either by planting cuttings of the stem shoots, which will root along nodes, or by planting the seeds from flowers that produce seed pods.
Ipomoea aquatica is most commonly grown in east, south, and southeast Asia. It flourishes naturally in waterways, and requires little if any care. It is used extensively in Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese cuisine, especially in rural or kampung (village) areas. The vegetable is also extremely popular in Taiwan, where it grows well. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, the vegetable grew remarkably easily in many areas, and became a popular wartime crop.
The vegetable is a common ingredient in East, South and Southeast Asian dishes, such as in stir-fried water spinach.
In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the tender shoots along with the leaves are usually stir-fried with chili pepper, garlic, ginger, dried shrimp paste (belacan/terasi) and other spices.
In Penang and Ipoh, it is cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet and spicy sauce. Also known as eng chhai in the Hokkien dialect, it can also be boiled with preserved cuttlefish, then rinsed and mixed with spicy rojak paste to become jiu hu eng chhai. Boiled eng chhai also can be served with fermented krill noodle belacan bihun and prawn mee.
In Indonesian cuisine it is called kangkung, boiled or blanched together with other vegetables it forms the ingredient of gado-gado or pecel salads in peanut sauce. Some recipes that use kangkung is plecing kangkung from Lombok, and mie kangkung(kangkong noodle) from Jakarta.
In Thailand, where it is called phak bung (Thai: ผักบุ้ง), it is eaten raw, often along with green papaya salad or nam phrik, in stir-fries and in curries such as kaeng som.
In the Philippines, where it is called kangkóng, the tender shoots are cut into segments and cooked, together with the leaves, in fish and meat stews, such as sinigang. The vegetable is also commonly eaten alone.
In adobong kangkóng (also called apan-apan), it is sautéed in cooking oil, onions, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce.
In ensaladang kangkóng (or kinilaw na kangkóng), it is blanched and served in vinegar or calamansi juice and fresh tomatoes and onions with salt and pepper to taste.
In binagoongang kangkóng (or ginisang kangkóng), it is sautéed with garlic and topped with bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) or bagoong isda (fermented fish) and sliced fresh tomatoes and onions, commonly also with cubed crispy liempo (pork belly) or pork adobo. It can also be spiced with siling haba or siling labuyopeppers, soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar. It differs from adobong kangkóng in that it does not use vinegar. A local appetiser called crispy kangkóng has the leaves coated in a flour-based batter and fried until crisp, similar to Japanese vegetable tempura.
Medicinal use, l. aquatica is used in the traditional medicine of southeast Asia and in the traditional medicine of some countries in Africa.
In southeast Asian medicine it is used against piles, and nosebleeds, as an anthelmintic, and to treat high blood pressure.
In Ayurveda, leaf extracts are used against jaundice and nervous debility.
In indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka, water spinach is supposed to have insulin-like properties. Water extracts of I. aquatica showed a blood sugar-lowering effect in Wistar rats. An aqueous juice of 100g plant material was given 30 minutes before eating glucose to diabetes 2 patients. After 2 hours it could be observed that blood glucose peak level was reduced by around 30%.
Also antioxidant bioactive compounds and anti-microbial substances could be detected in water spinach. Furthermore, plant extracts of water spinach inhibit cancer cell growth of Vero, Hep-2 and A-549 cells, though have moderate anti-cancer activity.
Health risk, many of the waters where water spinach grows are fed by domestic or other waste. Pigs in south east Asia are a natural reservoir for the parasite Fasciolopsis buski. Infections in the Mekong regions resulted from feeding water spinach. Infections of F. buski in humans through water spinach can be anticipated. The infection can be prevented by a proper perparation like frying or boiling.
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Ipomoea
Species: I. aquatica
Binomial name Ipomoea aquatica
Pometia pinnata 番龙眼
Pometia pinnata is a large tropical hardwood and fruit tree species, with common names including matoa,
taun tree, island lychee, tava, Lansir, Pacific Lychee, Fijian Longan, Kasai Daun Besar, Kasai Langsir, Kelisar, Obahu, Kawa, Tawa, 番龙眼 of the plant family Sapindaceae. This tree grow through Southeast Asia, Malaysia and the Pacific region.
Pometia pinnata grows into medium tree of 40 m
(130 ft) tall. It has pinnate leaves. The fruits are green, yellow, or dark red up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long, each with one seed surrounded by a fleshy aril.
The semi-transparent white flesh is aromatic, juicy and sweet with a pleasant flavour. The globose fruit is up to 35mm long, containing a single large seed.
The oily seeds are eaten after boiling or roasting.
It is often used in traditional medicine in the Pacific Islands. It is used to treat deep pains in the bones, migraine headache, to aid expulsion of placenta after childbirth, to relieve rheumatic aching of muscles and joints, to relieve fever, as a remedy for flu and cold, to cure diarrhoea, stomach trouble, cough, fever, constipation, and diaper rash.
The leaves are antimicrobial. A decoction of the leaves or bark is used medicinally against fever and sores.
An infusion of the leaves is rubbed onto the heads of infants or is given internally to treat unclosed fontanelles.
An abundant, thin, red gum obtained from the inner bark is considered to have many medicinal properties.
An infusion of the bark is used as an emetic for mouth infections, colds and mucous congestion, and to treat abdominal pains. A decoction of the bark is used to treat mouth cancers.
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Pometia
Species: P. pinnata
Binomial name Pometia pinnata
番龙眼(学名:Pometia pinnata J. R. et G. Forst. )是无患子科车桑子属植物,常绿大乔木,高20余米,最高达50米,树冠阔大,有发达的板根。叶甚大,连柄长可至1.5米,叶轴和小叶近无毛至被绒毛。花序顶生或腋生,主轴和分枝均粗壮而坚挺。果椭圆形或有时近球形,长3厘米,宽2厘米,无毛,有光泽。
分布于菲律宾至萨摩亚群岛及中国等地;在中国分布于台湾和云南。喜生于地形阴,热量条件较高,冬季流影向微弱,干湿季节分明,但干季前期常有浓雾,空气湿度大,土壤深厚潮湿的环境。
边材淡红,心材暗红揭色,质坚而重,是优良建筑用材。
常绿大乔木,高20余米,最高达50米,树冠阔大,有发达的板根;小枝有直槽,有时被短硬毛。叶甚大,连柄长可至1.5米,叶轴和小叶近无毛至被绒毛;小叶密挤,5-9对,有时达15对,近对生,第一对小,圆形、基部心形、托叶状,其余的长圆形或上部的近楔形,长15-40厘米,宽5-10厘米,顶端短尖或渐尖,边缘有整齐的锯齿;小叶柄短,肿胀。
花序顶生或腋生,主轴和分枝均粗壮而坚挺,长30-50厘米,被微柔毛;花梗长6毫米,基部有关节;萼片长约1毫米,被微柔毛;花瓣倒卵状三角形,长、宽均约2毫米;雄蕊长5毫米。果椭圆形或有时近球形,长3厘米,宽2厘米,无毛,有光泽。
番龙眼是热带季节雨林的主要成分,要求高温、高湿的环境条件。世界分布于印度、老挝、泰国、越南、缅甸、斯里兰卡、安达曼群岛、马来西亚、新加坡、印度尼西亚、菲律宾群岛及东达萨摩亚岛。
在中国分布于台湾(台东和兰屿)和云南(勐腊、景洪、沧源、耿马、镇康、河口、勐海、金平、屏边、元阳、绿春、江城、西盟、马关、麻栗坡、双江等县)。
番龙眼有什么作用用途:
番龙眼是兰屿岛上最重要的经济用材与果树。木材暗红褐色,致密而坚重,具有弯弧状的黑色木质纹理,可制住屋的宗柱、栋木、横梁板、侧墙、地板也可以用来制作拼板舟的船底龙骨与半圆形支架。
近年来,番龙眼的稳定性、高耐磨性被广泛用于楼梯、家具、地板等产品中。
番龙眼果实于7月下旬开始成熟,成熟果呈黄绿色,球形或短椭圆形,外表光滑,而质较软,果肉乳白色,稍带透明,多汁,内含大粒种子一颗。 种皮栗褐色,光滑,种脐大,表面稍粗糙,种仁富含脂肪。
番龙眼果实主要供生食,亦可煮食,种子可作灯油代替品,脂肪油可食用,种子像栗子,亦可炒熟或煮熟后供人食用。利用番龙眼的根来煎汁,可驱虫或退热。
龙眼都有以下功效作用:
益心脾,气血不足,补气血 能够起到非常好的滋养补益、益智宁心、脑力衰退安神定志的功效,主治年老体弱,同时,能够治疗心脾虚损、气血不足所引起的失眠、健忘、惊悸、眩晕等病证。根据药理研究发现,龙眼含有丰富的葡萄糖、蔗糖和维生素A、维生素B等多种营养物质。在其中,含量较多的有蛋白质、脂肪和多种矿物质。这些营养素能够对人体起良好的补...
现代药理研究表明,龙眼富含高碳水化合物、蛋白质、多种氨基酸和B族维生素、维生素C、钙、磷、铁等,其中尤以维生素P含量丰富,有保护血管、防止血管硬化和变脆的作用。
龙眼除了果肉可以食用以外,它的叶子、表壳、花等等都是有很多药用价值的。龙眼除鲜食外,还可加工制干、制罐、煎膏等。龙眼有壮阳益气、补益心脾、养血安神、润肤美容等多种功效,可治疗贫血、心悸、失眠、健忘、神经衰弱及病后、产后身体虚弱等等。现代医学实践证明 ,它还有美容、延年益寿之功效。
龙眼含丰富的葡萄糖、蔗糖和蛋白质等,含铁量也比较高,可在提高热能、补充营养的同时促进血红蛋白再生,从而达到补血的效果。研究发现,龙眼肉除了对全身有补益作用外,对脑细胞特别有效,能增强记忆,消除疲劳。
龙眼治疗虚劳赢弱、失眠、健忘、惊悸、怔忡、心虚头晕效果显著。此外龙眼还有抗老防衰的作用,因为它能抑制人体内使人衰老的一种酶的活性,加上所含的丰富的蛋白质 维生素及矿物质,久食可“使人轻身不老”;龙眼还能补气养血,对神经衰弱、更年期妇女的心烦汗出、智力减退都有很好的疗效,是健脑益智的佳品;而产后妇女体虚乏力,或营养不良引起贫血,食用龙眼是不错的选择。
龙眼是安神的,但是疲乏的人不要吃;否则会嗜睡。主治氕脏邪气,治厌食、食欲不振,驱肠叶寄生虫及血吸虫。长期食用,强体魄,延年益寿,安神健脑长智慧,开胃健脾,补体虚。新鲜龙眼用沸汤淘过食,不伤脾。李时珍说:食品以荔枝为贵,而强身健脑则以龙眼为良。因为荔枝性热,而龙眼性平。可治思虑过度伤及心脾。
中文名: 番龙眼
拉丁学名: Pometia pinnata J. R. et G. Frost.
别名: 金花梨、唐木、胡桃木、绒毛番龙眼
taun tree, island lychee, tava, Lansir, Pacific Lychee, Fijian Longan, Kasai Daun Besar, Kasai Langsir, Kelisar, Obahu, Kawa, Tawa, 番龙眼 of the plant family Sapindaceae. This tree grow through Southeast Asia, Malaysia and the Pacific region.
Pometia pinnata grows into medium tree of 40 m
(130 ft) tall. It has pinnate leaves. The fruits are green, yellow, or dark red up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long, each with one seed surrounded by a fleshy aril.
The semi-transparent white flesh is aromatic, juicy and sweet with a pleasant flavour. The globose fruit is up to 35mm long, containing a single large seed.
The oily seeds are eaten after boiling or roasting.
It is often used in traditional medicine in the Pacific Islands. It is used to treat deep pains in the bones, migraine headache, to aid expulsion of placenta after childbirth, to relieve rheumatic aching of muscles and joints, to relieve fever, as a remedy for flu and cold, to cure diarrhoea, stomach trouble, cough, fever, constipation, and diaper rash.
The leaves are antimicrobial. A decoction of the leaves or bark is used medicinally against fever and sores.
An infusion of the leaves is rubbed onto the heads of infants or is given internally to treat unclosed fontanelles.
An abundant, thin, red gum obtained from the inner bark is considered to have many medicinal properties.
An infusion of the bark is used as an emetic for mouth infections, colds and mucous congestion, and to treat abdominal pains. A decoction of the bark is used to treat mouth cancers.
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Pometia
Species: P. pinnata
Binomial name Pometia pinnata
番龙眼(学名:Pometia pinnata J. R. et G. Forst. )是无患子科车桑子属植物,常绿大乔木,高20余米,最高达50米,树冠阔大,有发达的板根。叶甚大,连柄长可至1.5米,叶轴和小叶近无毛至被绒毛。花序顶生或腋生,主轴和分枝均粗壮而坚挺。果椭圆形或有时近球形,长3厘米,宽2厘米,无毛,有光泽。
分布于菲律宾至萨摩亚群岛及中国等地;在中国分布于台湾和云南。喜生于地形阴,热量条件较高,冬季流影向微弱,干湿季节分明,但干季前期常有浓雾,空气湿度大,土壤深厚潮湿的环境。
边材淡红,心材暗红揭色,质坚而重,是优良建筑用材。
常绿大乔木,高20余米,最高达50米,树冠阔大,有发达的板根;小枝有直槽,有时被短硬毛。叶甚大,连柄长可至1.5米,叶轴和小叶近无毛至被绒毛;小叶密挤,5-9对,有时达15对,近对生,第一对小,圆形、基部心形、托叶状,其余的长圆形或上部的近楔形,长15-40厘米,宽5-10厘米,顶端短尖或渐尖,边缘有整齐的锯齿;小叶柄短,肿胀。
花序顶生或腋生,主轴和分枝均粗壮而坚挺,长30-50厘米,被微柔毛;花梗长6毫米,基部有关节;萼片长约1毫米,被微柔毛;花瓣倒卵状三角形,长、宽均约2毫米;雄蕊长5毫米。果椭圆形或有时近球形,长3厘米,宽2厘米,无毛,有光泽。
番龙眼是热带季节雨林的主要成分,要求高温、高湿的环境条件。世界分布于印度、老挝、泰国、越南、缅甸、斯里兰卡、安达曼群岛、马来西亚、新加坡、印度尼西亚、菲律宾群岛及东达萨摩亚岛。
在中国分布于台湾(台东和兰屿)和云南(勐腊、景洪、沧源、耿马、镇康、河口、勐海、金平、屏边、元阳、绿春、江城、西盟、马关、麻栗坡、双江等县)。
番龙眼有什么作用用途:
番龙眼是兰屿岛上最重要的经济用材与果树。木材暗红褐色,致密而坚重,具有弯弧状的黑色木质纹理,可制住屋的宗柱、栋木、横梁板、侧墙、地板也可以用来制作拼板舟的船底龙骨与半圆形支架。
近年来,番龙眼的稳定性、高耐磨性被广泛用于楼梯、家具、地板等产品中。
番龙眼果实于7月下旬开始成熟,成熟果呈黄绿色,球形或短椭圆形,外表光滑,而质较软,果肉乳白色,稍带透明,多汁,内含大粒种子一颗。 种皮栗褐色,光滑,种脐大,表面稍粗糙,种仁富含脂肪。
番龙眼果实主要供生食,亦可煮食,种子可作灯油代替品,脂肪油可食用,种子像栗子,亦可炒熟或煮熟后供人食用。利用番龙眼的根来煎汁,可驱虫或退热。
龙眼都有以下功效作用:
益心脾,气血不足,补气血 能够起到非常好的滋养补益、益智宁心、脑力衰退安神定志的功效,主治年老体弱,同时,能够治疗心脾虚损、气血不足所引起的失眠、健忘、惊悸、眩晕等病证。根据药理研究发现,龙眼含有丰富的葡萄糖、蔗糖和维生素A、维生素B等多种营养物质。在其中,含量较多的有蛋白质、脂肪和多种矿物质。这些营养素能够对人体起良好的补...
现代药理研究表明,龙眼富含高碳水化合物、蛋白质、多种氨基酸和B族维生素、维生素C、钙、磷、铁等,其中尤以维生素P含量丰富,有保护血管、防止血管硬化和变脆的作用。
龙眼除了果肉可以食用以外,它的叶子、表壳、花等等都是有很多药用价值的。龙眼除鲜食外,还可加工制干、制罐、煎膏等。龙眼有壮阳益气、补益心脾、养血安神、润肤美容等多种功效,可治疗贫血、心悸、失眠、健忘、神经衰弱及病后、产后身体虚弱等等。现代医学实践证明 ,它还有美容、延年益寿之功效。
龙眼含丰富的葡萄糖、蔗糖和蛋白质等,含铁量也比较高,可在提高热能、补充营养的同时促进血红蛋白再生,从而达到补血的效果。研究发现,龙眼肉除了对全身有补益作用外,对脑细胞特别有效,能增强记忆,消除疲劳。
龙眼治疗虚劳赢弱、失眠、健忘、惊悸、怔忡、心虚头晕效果显著。此外龙眼还有抗老防衰的作用,因为它能抑制人体内使人衰老的一种酶的活性,加上所含的丰富的蛋白质 维生素及矿物质,久食可“使人轻身不老”;龙眼还能补气养血,对神经衰弱、更年期妇女的心烦汗出、智力减退都有很好的疗效,是健脑益智的佳品;而产后妇女体虚乏力,或营养不良引起贫血,食用龙眼是不错的选择。
龙眼是安神的,但是疲乏的人不要吃;否则会嗜睡。主治氕脏邪气,治厌食、食欲不振,驱肠叶寄生虫及血吸虫。长期食用,强体魄,延年益寿,安神健脑长智慧,开胃健脾,补体虚。新鲜龙眼用沸汤淘过食,不伤脾。李时珍说:食品以荔枝为贵,而强身健脑则以龙眼为良。因为荔枝性热,而龙眼性平。可治思虑过度伤及心脾。
中文名: 番龙眼
拉丁学名: Pometia pinnata J. R. et G. Frost.
别名: 金花梨、唐木、胡桃木、绒毛番龙眼
Calamus rotang
Calamus rotang, also known as common rattan, is a plant species native to India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar(Burma), it is also found in Singapore.
C. rotang yields the best rattan cane among other species. It is split into strips and plaited, used in baskets, chairs, and carriages, made into ropes.
It is one of the scandent (climbing) rattan palms used to make Malacca cane furniture, baskets, walking-sticks, umbrellas, tables and general wickerwork and is found in Southwest Asia.
It is common in coastal fresh water swamp forests, frequent along fresh water streams of lower hill valleys.
The basal section of the plant grows vertically for 10 metres or so, after which the slender, tough stem of a few centimetres in diameter, grows horizontally for 200 metres or more. It is extremely flexible and uniform in thickness, and frequently has sheaths and petioles armed with backward-facing spines which enable it to scramble over other plants. It has pinnate, alternate leaves, 60–80 cm long, armed with two rows of spines on the upper face. The plants are dioecious, and flowers are clustered in attractive inflorescences, enclosed by spiny spathes.
Sometimes the fruit is pickled with salt and eaten at tea-time. The globose fruits are about 13mm in diameter.
Young shoots are cooked and eaten as vegetable.
When ripe the fruit is roundish, as large as a hazelnut and is covered with small, shining scales, laid like shingles, one upon the other. The subacid pulp which surrounds the kernel is sucked out and eaten as a means of quenching the thirst.
The edible fruits are top-shaped, covered in shiny, reddish-brown imbricate scales, and exude an astringent red resin known medicinally and commercially as "dragon's blood".
Dragon's blood is a bright red resin which is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus. The red resin has been in continuous use since ancient times as varnish, medicine, incense, and dye.
The resin of Dracaena species, "true" dragon's blood, and the very poisonous mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide) were often confused by the ancient Romans.
In ancient China, little or no distinction was made among the types of dragon's blood from the different species. Both Dracaena and Daemonorops resins are still often marketed today as dragon's blood, with little or no distinction being made between the plant sources; however, the resin obtained from Daemonorops has become the most commonly sold type in modern times, often in the form of large balls of resin.
Dragon's blood resin is also produced from the rattan palms of the genus Daemonorops in the islands of Indonesian and it is known there as jerang or djerang. It is gathered by breaking off the layer of red resin encasing the unripe fruit of the rattan. The collected resin is then rolled into solid balls before being sold.
Dragon's blood was used as a dye, painting pigment, and medicine for respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. It is also used as treatment for wound, diarrhoea, fever, dysentery, mouth ulcers, and skin conditions. The wood of Calamus rotang is also used medicinally to expel intestinal worms and the leaves are used for biliousness and blood diseases, and the root for fevers and as antidote to snake venom.
Dragon's blood from both Daemonorops were used for ceremonies in India. Sometimes Dracaena resin, but more often Daemonorops resin, was used in China as red varnish for wooden furniture. It was also used to colour the surface of writing paper for banners and posters, used especially for weddings and for Chinese New Year.
In American Hoodoo, African-American folk magic, and New Orleans voodoo, it is used in mojo hands for money-drawing or love-drawing, and is used as incense to cleanse a space of negative entities or influences. It is also added to red ink to make "Dragon's Blood Ink", which is used to inscribe magical seals and talismans.
In folk medicine, dragon's blood is used externally as a wash to promote healing of wounds and to stop bleeding. It is used internally for chest pains, post-partum bleeding, internal traumas and menstrual irregularities.
In neopagan Witchcraft, it is used to increase the potency of spells for protection, love, banishing and sexuality.
Dragon's blood incense is also occasionally sold as "red rock opium" to unsuspecting would-be drug buyers. It actually contains no opiates, and has only slight psychoactive effects, if any at all.
Thaspine from the Dragon's Blood of the species Croton lechleri has possible use as a cancer drug.
The canes are sought-after and expensive, but have to a large extent been replaced by sticks made from plants, such as bamboos, rushes and osier willows.
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Calamus
Species: C. rotang
Binomial name Calamus rotang L.
C. rotang yields the best rattan cane among other species. It is split into strips and plaited, used in baskets, chairs, and carriages, made into ropes.
It is one of the scandent (climbing) rattan palms used to make Malacca cane furniture, baskets, walking-sticks, umbrellas, tables and general wickerwork and is found in Southwest Asia.
It is common in coastal fresh water swamp forests, frequent along fresh water streams of lower hill valleys.
The basal section of the plant grows vertically for 10 metres or so, after which the slender, tough stem of a few centimetres in diameter, grows horizontally for 200 metres or more. It is extremely flexible and uniform in thickness, and frequently has sheaths and petioles armed with backward-facing spines which enable it to scramble over other plants. It has pinnate, alternate leaves, 60–80 cm long, armed with two rows of spines on the upper face. The plants are dioecious, and flowers are clustered in attractive inflorescences, enclosed by spiny spathes.
Sometimes the fruit is pickled with salt and eaten at tea-time. The globose fruits are about 13mm in diameter.
Young shoots are cooked and eaten as vegetable.
When ripe the fruit is roundish, as large as a hazelnut and is covered with small, shining scales, laid like shingles, one upon the other. The subacid pulp which surrounds the kernel is sucked out and eaten as a means of quenching the thirst.
The edible fruits are top-shaped, covered in shiny, reddish-brown imbricate scales, and exude an astringent red resin known medicinally and commercially as "dragon's blood".
Dragon's blood is a bright red resin which is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus. The red resin has been in continuous use since ancient times as varnish, medicine, incense, and dye.
The resin of Dracaena species, "true" dragon's blood, and the very poisonous mineral cinnabar (mercury sulfide) were often confused by the ancient Romans.
In ancient China, little or no distinction was made among the types of dragon's blood from the different species. Both Dracaena and Daemonorops resins are still often marketed today as dragon's blood, with little or no distinction being made between the plant sources; however, the resin obtained from Daemonorops has become the most commonly sold type in modern times, often in the form of large balls of resin.
Dragon's blood resin is also produced from the rattan palms of the genus Daemonorops in the islands of Indonesian and it is known there as jerang or djerang. It is gathered by breaking off the layer of red resin encasing the unripe fruit of the rattan. The collected resin is then rolled into solid balls before being sold.
Dragon's blood was used as a dye, painting pigment, and medicine for respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. It is also used as treatment for wound, diarrhoea, fever, dysentery, mouth ulcers, and skin conditions. The wood of Calamus rotang is also used medicinally to expel intestinal worms and the leaves are used for biliousness and blood diseases, and the root for fevers and as antidote to snake venom.
Dragon's blood from both Daemonorops were used for ceremonies in India. Sometimes Dracaena resin, but more often Daemonorops resin, was used in China as red varnish for wooden furniture. It was also used to colour the surface of writing paper for banners and posters, used especially for weddings and for Chinese New Year.
In American Hoodoo, African-American folk magic, and New Orleans voodoo, it is used in mojo hands for money-drawing or love-drawing, and is used as incense to cleanse a space of negative entities or influences. It is also added to red ink to make "Dragon's Blood Ink", which is used to inscribe magical seals and talismans.
In folk medicine, dragon's blood is used externally as a wash to promote healing of wounds and to stop bleeding. It is used internally for chest pains, post-partum bleeding, internal traumas and menstrual irregularities.
In neopagan Witchcraft, it is used to increase the potency of spells for protection, love, banishing and sexuality.
Dragon's blood incense is also occasionally sold as "red rock opium" to unsuspecting would-be drug buyers. It actually contains no opiates, and has only slight psychoactive effects, if any at all.
Thaspine from the Dragon's Blood of the species Croton lechleri has possible use as a cancer drug.
The canes are sought-after and expensive, but have to a large extent been replaced by sticks made from plants, such as bamboos, rushes and osier willows.
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Calamus
Species: C. rotang
Binomial name Calamus rotang L.
Garcinia atroviridis
Asam keping
Asam keping
Garcinia atroviridis, known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping (in Malay, Thai: ส้มแขก) is a large rainforest tree native to Peninsular Malaysia.
This species grows wild throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia is a large perennial plant commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand and Malaysia.
The tree grows to a height of more than 20 m and has a long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round fruits are borne singly on twig ends about 7–10 cm in diameter. The ripe fruits are bright orange yellow, which are sliced, dried and used in curries or stewed in plenty of sugar to be eaten.
The fruit contains citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acidand ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid, and flavonoids.
Ripe asam fruit is bright-yellow orange. Sun-dried slices of the fruits, locally known as "asam keping", are commercially available and are popularly used as a vegetable salad and is considered extremely sour. The fruit is sliced, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient in Asian dishes such as curries and soups.
Asam gelugor is a perennial fruit tree native to the tropical climate in Malaysia. The trees can also be found in other parts of South East Asia, particularly in Thailand where demand for the Asam fruit is increasing.
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Genus: Garcinia
Species: G. atroviridis
Binomial name Garcinia atroviridis
This species grows wild throughout Peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia is a large perennial plant commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand and Malaysia.
The tree grows to a height of more than 20 m and has a long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round fruits are borne singly on twig ends about 7–10 cm in diameter. The ripe fruits are bright orange yellow, which are sliced, dried and used in curries or stewed in plenty of sugar to be eaten.
The fruit contains citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acidand ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid, and flavonoids.
Ripe asam fruit is bright-yellow orange. Sun-dried slices of the fruits, locally known as "asam keping", are commercially available and are popularly used as a vegetable salad and is considered extremely sour. The fruit is sliced, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient in Asian dishes such as curries and soups.
Asam gelugor is a perennial fruit tree native to the tropical climate in Malaysia. The trees can also be found in other parts of South East Asia, particularly in Thailand where demand for the Asam fruit is increasing.
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Clusiaceae
Genus: Garcinia
Species: G. atroviridis
Binomial name Garcinia atroviridis
Chrysophyllum cainito
Numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple,
golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella,
milk fruit and aguay.
Numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple,
golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella,
milk fruit and aguay.
Chrysophyllum cainito is a tropical tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is native to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies. It has spread to the lowlands of Central America and is now grown throughout the tropics, including Southeast Asia. It grows rapidly and reaches 20 m in height.
It has numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay. It is also known by the synonym Achras cainito. In Vietnam, it is called Vú Sữa (literally: milky breast). In Malayalam it is called "Swarnapathry" meaning '[the tree with] golden leaves'. In Cambodia, this fruit is called "Plae Teuk Dos" which means milk fruit due to its milky juices inside.
Full-grown trees can reach 25 feet or higher. With proper pruning, they can be trained to grow a bit smaller. The canopy is round and dense, making it an excellent source of shade. Plus, it rarely drops fruit on you! Unless there’s a strong wind that dislodges fruits, they will remain on the plant and dry into hard round balls.
In late summer and fall, it produces cone-shaped clusters of purplish-white flowers. The harvest is ready by late winter or early spring. These trees are self-fruitful, meaning that they do not need a second tree to cross-pollinate.
Cainito is said to have a distinctive aroma at night when it attracts nocturnal pollinators. The scent is alternately described as “earthy” or “unpleasant”. This lures in the right kind of insects to handle its pollination. When looking up into the canopy, the yellow undersides of leaves are visible.
The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple oval, entire, 5–15 cm long; the underside shines with a golden color when seen from a distance. The tiny flowers are purplish white and have a sweet fragrant smell. The tree is also hermaphroditic (self-fertile). It produces a strong odor.
The fruit is globose and typically measures from 2 to 3 inches in diameter. When ripe, it usually has purple-skinned with a faint green area appearing around the calyx. A radiating star pattern is visible in the pulp. Greenish-white and yellow-fruited cultivars are sometimes available. The skin is rich in latex, and both it and the rind are not edible. The flattened seeds are light brown and hard. It is a seasonal fruit bearing tree.
The fruits are used as a fresh dessert fruit; it is sweet and often served chilled. Infusions of the leaves have been used against diabetes and articular rheumatism. The fruit has antioxidant properties. The bark is considered a tonic and stimulant, and a bark decoction is used as an antitussive. The fruit also exists in three colors, dark purple, greenish brown and yellow. The purple fruit has a denser skin and texture while the greenish brown fruit has a thin skin and a more liquid pulp; the yellow variety is less common and difficult to find.
A number of closely related species, also called star apples, are grown in Africa including C. albidum and C. africanum.
In Vietnam, the most famous variety is Lò Rèn milk fruit coming from Vĩnh Kim commune, Châu Thành District, Tiền Giang Province.
In Sierra Leone the fruit is referred to as "Bobi Wata" or Breast Milk Fruit.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus:bChrysophyllum
Species: C. cainito
Binomial name Chrysophyllum cainito
It has numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay. It is also known by the synonym Achras cainito. In Vietnam, it is called Vú Sữa (literally: milky breast). In Malayalam it is called "Swarnapathry" meaning '[the tree with] golden leaves'. In Cambodia, this fruit is called "Plae Teuk Dos" which means milk fruit due to its milky juices inside.
Full-grown trees can reach 25 feet or higher. With proper pruning, they can be trained to grow a bit smaller. The canopy is round and dense, making it an excellent source of shade. Plus, it rarely drops fruit on you! Unless there’s a strong wind that dislodges fruits, they will remain on the plant and dry into hard round balls.
In late summer and fall, it produces cone-shaped clusters of purplish-white flowers. The harvest is ready by late winter or early spring. These trees are self-fruitful, meaning that they do not need a second tree to cross-pollinate.
Cainito is said to have a distinctive aroma at night when it attracts nocturnal pollinators. The scent is alternately described as “earthy” or “unpleasant”. This lures in the right kind of insects to handle its pollination. When looking up into the canopy, the yellow undersides of leaves are visible.
The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple oval, entire, 5–15 cm long; the underside shines with a golden color when seen from a distance. The tiny flowers are purplish white and have a sweet fragrant smell. The tree is also hermaphroditic (self-fertile). It produces a strong odor.
The fruit is globose and typically measures from 2 to 3 inches in diameter. When ripe, it usually has purple-skinned with a faint green area appearing around the calyx. A radiating star pattern is visible in the pulp. Greenish-white and yellow-fruited cultivars are sometimes available. The skin is rich in latex, and both it and the rind are not edible. The flattened seeds are light brown and hard. It is a seasonal fruit bearing tree.
The fruits are used as a fresh dessert fruit; it is sweet and often served chilled. Infusions of the leaves have been used against diabetes and articular rheumatism. The fruit has antioxidant properties. The bark is considered a tonic and stimulant, and a bark decoction is used as an antitussive. The fruit also exists in three colors, dark purple, greenish brown and yellow. The purple fruit has a denser skin and texture while the greenish brown fruit has a thin skin and a more liquid pulp; the yellow variety is less common and difficult to find.
A number of closely related species, also called star apples, are grown in Africa including C. albidum and C. africanum.
In Vietnam, the most famous variety is Lò Rèn milk fruit coming from Vĩnh Kim commune, Châu Thành District, Tiền Giang Province.
In Sierra Leone the fruit is referred to as "Bobi Wata" or Breast Milk Fruit.
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus:bChrysophyllum
Species: C. cainito
Binomial name Chrysophyllum cainito
Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora)
Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora) with common names pitanga, Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry, or Cerisier Carré is a plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to tropical South America’s east coast, ranging from Suriname, French Guiana to southern Brazil, as well as Uruguay and parts of Paraguay and Argentina.
Eugenia uniflora is a large shrub or small tree with a conical form, growing slowly to 8 metres (26 ft) high. When bruised, crushed or cut, the leaves and branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, which can cause respiratory discomfort in susceptible individuals. The leaves are without stipules, ovate, glossy and held in opposite pairs. New leaves are bronze, copper or coppery-pinkish in color, maturing to a deep glossy green, up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long. During winter the leaves turn red.
Flowers have four white petals and are borne on slender long stalks, with a conspicuous central cluster of white stamens ending in yellow anthers. Flowers develop into ribbed fruits 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.57 in) long, starting out as green, then ranging through orange, scarlet and maroon as they ripen. Because the seeds are distributed by fruit-eating birds it can become a weed in suitable tropical and sub-tropical habitats, displacing native flora.
Surinam Cherry is rich in antioxidants which help to prevent the free radicals that are the major cause for inflammation and diseases. Fruits are rich in phosphorus, Vitamin C, riboflavin, iron and niacin. It possesses antiseptic, antitumor, astringent and antibacterial properties; provide relief from diarrhea and gastro-intestinal problems.
This edible fruit is a botanical berry. The taste ranges from sweet to sour, depending on the cultivar and level of ripeness (the darker red to black range is quite sweet, while the green to orange range is strikingly tart). Its predominant food use is as a flavoring and base for jams and jellies. The fruit is high in vitamin C and a source of vitamin A.
The leaves are spread on some house floors in Brazil, so that when crushed underfoot, they exude a smell which repels flies. The leaves are also used for tea in certain parts of Uruguay.
In medical Eugenia uniflora has several significant pharmacological properties. Its essential oil
is antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antitumor and analgesic, and it has shown antiviral and antifungal activity. It has performed against microorganisms such as Trichomonas gallinae (in vitro), Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania amazonensis.
It also shows significant anti-inflammatory properties, and is used extensively as a folk remedy in South America against stomach diseases.
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eugenia
Species: E. uniflora
Binomial name Eugenia uniflora
Eugenia uniflora is a large shrub or small tree with a conical form, growing slowly to 8 metres (26 ft) high. When bruised, crushed or cut, the leaves and branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, which can cause respiratory discomfort in susceptible individuals. The leaves are without stipules, ovate, glossy and held in opposite pairs. New leaves are bronze, copper or coppery-pinkish in color, maturing to a deep glossy green, up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long. During winter the leaves turn red.
Flowers have four white petals and are borne on slender long stalks, with a conspicuous central cluster of white stamens ending in yellow anthers. Flowers develop into ribbed fruits 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.57 in) long, starting out as green, then ranging through orange, scarlet and maroon as they ripen. Because the seeds are distributed by fruit-eating birds it can become a weed in suitable tropical and sub-tropical habitats, displacing native flora.
Surinam Cherry is rich in antioxidants which help to prevent the free radicals that are the major cause for inflammation and diseases. Fruits are rich in phosphorus, Vitamin C, riboflavin, iron and niacin. It possesses antiseptic, antitumor, astringent and antibacterial properties; provide relief from diarrhea and gastro-intestinal problems.
This edible fruit is a botanical berry. The taste ranges from sweet to sour, depending on the cultivar and level of ripeness (the darker red to black range is quite sweet, while the green to orange range is strikingly tart). Its predominant food use is as a flavoring and base for jams and jellies. The fruit is high in vitamin C and a source of vitamin A.
The leaves are spread on some house floors in Brazil, so that when crushed underfoot, they exude a smell which repels flies. The leaves are also used for tea in certain parts of Uruguay.
In medical Eugenia uniflora has several significant pharmacological properties. Its essential oil
is antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antitumor and analgesic, and it has shown antiviral and antifungal activity. It has performed against microorganisms such as Trichomonas gallinae (in vitro), Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania amazonensis.
It also shows significant anti-inflammatory properties, and is used extensively as a folk remedy in South America against stomach diseases.
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eugenia
Species: E. uniflora
Binomial name Eugenia uniflora
Sonneratia caseolaris
Commonly known as mangrove apple,
Commonly known as mangrove apple,
Sonneratia caseolaris, commonly known as mangrove apple, is a species of plant in the family Lythraceae. The fruit is noted for its outward similarity to the persimmon fruit.
This tree is a type of mangrove growing up to 20 m in height and with a trunk reaching a maximum diameter of 50 cm. It is present in tropical tidal mud flats from Africa to Indonesia as well as in Singapore, southwards down to Northeast Australia and New Caledonia and northwards up to Hainan Island in China and the Philippines.
Its usually found in Coastal mangrove communities, tidal creeks, in muddy soil. Less salt parts of mangrove-forests on a deeply muddy soil.
The fruit of this tree is the subject of a legend of Maldivian folklore, Kulhlhavah Falhu Rani.
The tree is associated with congregating fireflies throughout southeast Asia and is the food source of moth and other insects.
The leaves and the fruit are edible and appreciated as food in certain areas, such as Maldives. In Sri Lanka, where the fruit is known as kirala gédi (කිරල ගෙඩි) in Sinhala, the pulp of the fruit is mixed with coconut milk extract and made into a milk shake. Many tourist resorts situated in the South of Sri Lanka where the trees grow abundantly alongside rivers, offer fresh fruit drinks made from the fruit. In the Maldives the fruits are used as a refreshing drink and also eaten with scraped coconut & sugar.
The tree is also sometimes known as cork tree, because fishermen in some areas make fishing net floats by shaping the pneumatophores into small floats.
The young fruit is sour and used to flavour curries and chutnies. When ripe, the fruit have a "cheese-like taste" and it can be eaten as a raw friluit or cooked as a vegetable. The fruits are a source of pectin
The plant is said to be haemostatic. It is a folk remedy for sprains, swellings, and worms. The old fruit walls are used as a treatment for worms. Half-ripe fruits are a treatment for coughs. The fruits are used to make poultice. The pounded leaves are used as a treatment for haematuria and smallpox. The leaves are crushed, mixed with salt and applied as a poultice onto cuts and bruises.
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Sonneratia
Species: S. caseolaris
Binomial name Sonneratia caseolaris
This tree is a type of mangrove growing up to 20 m in height and with a trunk reaching a maximum diameter of 50 cm. It is present in tropical tidal mud flats from Africa to Indonesia as well as in Singapore, southwards down to Northeast Australia and New Caledonia and northwards up to Hainan Island in China and the Philippines.
Its usually found in Coastal mangrove communities, tidal creeks, in muddy soil. Less salt parts of mangrove-forests on a deeply muddy soil.
The fruit of this tree is the subject of a legend of Maldivian folklore, Kulhlhavah Falhu Rani.
The tree is associated with congregating fireflies throughout southeast Asia and is the food source of moth and other insects.
The leaves and the fruit are edible and appreciated as food in certain areas, such as Maldives. In Sri Lanka, where the fruit is known as kirala gédi (කිරල ගෙඩි) in Sinhala, the pulp of the fruit is mixed with coconut milk extract and made into a milk shake. Many tourist resorts situated in the South of Sri Lanka where the trees grow abundantly alongside rivers, offer fresh fruit drinks made from the fruit. In the Maldives the fruits are used as a refreshing drink and also eaten with scraped coconut & sugar.
The tree is also sometimes known as cork tree, because fishermen in some areas make fishing net floats by shaping the pneumatophores into small floats.
The young fruit is sour and used to flavour curries and chutnies. When ripe, the fruit have a "cheese-like taste" and it can be eaten as a raw friluit or cooked as a vegetable. The fruits are a source of pectin
The plant is said to be haemostatic. It is a folk remedy for sprains, swellings, and worms. The old fruit walls are used as a treatment for worms. Half-ripe fruits are a treatment for coughs. The fruits are used to make poultice. The pounded leaves are used as a treatment for haematuria and smallpox. The leaves are crushed, mixed with salt and applied as a poultice onto cuts and bruises.
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Sonneratia
Species: S. caseolaris
Binomial name Sonneratia caseolaris
Theobroma cacao
Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of Mesoamerica. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Theobroma cacao
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Higher classification: Theobroma
Rank: Species
Scientific name: Theobroma cacao
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Higher classification: Theobroma
Rank: Species
Nelumbo nucifera
lotus
lotus
Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, Egyptian bean or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae.
It is often colloquially called a water lily. Under favorable circumstances the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.
It has a very long history (c. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds, and it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is the national flower of India and Vietnam.
The roots of lotus are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on the water's surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The leaf stalks (petioles) can be up to 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) long, allowing the plant to grow in water to that depth, and a horizontal spread of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The leaves may be as large as 80 cm (31 in) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter.
The rhizomes of lotus are consumed as a vegetable in Asian countries, extensively in China and Japan: sold whole or in cut pieces, fresh, frozen, or canned. They are fried or cooked mostly in soups, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar (with sugar, chili and garlic). Lotus rhizomes have a crunchy texture with sweet-tangy flavours and are a classic dish at many banquets where they are deep-fried, stir-fried, or stuffed with meats or preserved fruits. Salads with prawns, sesame oil or coriander leaves are also popular. Unfortunately, fresh lotus root slices are limited by a fast browning rate. Lotus root tea is consumed in Korea.
Fresh lotus seeds (simplified Chinese: 鲜 莲子; traditional Chinese: 鮮 蓮子; pinyin: xiān liánzĭ; Cantonese Yale: sīn lìhnjí) are nutritious but also vulnerable to microbial contamination, especially fungal infections. Therefore, mostly dry lotus seed-based products are found on the market. Traditional sun baking combining with charcoal processing dries the seeds but results in loss of nutrients. Freeze-driedlotus seeds have a longer shelf life and maintain original nutrients , while no differences in flavour are found after rehydration compared to fresh lotus seeds.
Traditional Eastern medicine claims that fresh lotus seed wine has thirst quenching, spleen healing and anti-diarrheal advantages after drinking, attributed to unspecified bioactive compounds. Lotus seed tea is consumed in Korea, and lotus embryo tea is consumed in China and Vietnam.
In China and Korea, lotus leaf tea (Korean: 연잎차 yeonipcha) is made from the leaves of the lotus. It is also used as a wrap for steaming rice and sticky rice and other steamed dishes in Southeast Asian cuisine, such as lo mai gai in Chinese cuisine or kao hor bai bua (Thai: ข้าวห่อใบบัว), fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf in Thai cuisine.
In Korea, lotus flower tea (연꽃차 yeonkkotcha) is made from the dried petals of the white lotus.
The stamens can be dried and made into a fragrant herbal tea (Chinese: 蓮花 茶; pinyin: liánhuā cha; Cantonese Yale: lìhnfāa chah), or used to impart a scent to tea leaves (particularly in Vietnam). This Vietnamese lotus tea is called trà sen, chè sen, or chè ướp sen.
The petals, leaves and rhizome can also all be eaten raw, but there is a risk of parasite transmission (e.g., Fasciolopsis buski): it is therefore recommended that they be cooked before eating.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Proteales
Family: Nelumbonaceae
Genus: Nelumbo
Species: N. nucifera
Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera
It is often colloquially called a water lily. Under favorable circumstances the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.
It has a very long history (c. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds, and it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is the national flower of India and Vietnam.
The roots of lotus are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on the water's surface or are held well above it. The flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the leaves. The leaf stalks (petioles) can be up to 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) long, allowing the plant to grow in water to that depth, and a horizontal spread of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The leaves may be as large as 80 cm (31 in) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter.
The rhizomes of lotus are consumed as a vegetable in Asian countries, extensively in China and Japan: sold whole or in cut pieces, fresh, frozen, or canned. They are fried or cooked mostly in soups, soaked in syrup or pickled in vinegar (with sugar, chili and garlic). Lotus rhizomes have a crunchy texture with sweet-tangy flavours and are a classic dish at many banquets where they are deep-fried, stir-fried, or stuffed with meats or preserved fruits. Salads with prawns, sesame oil or coriander leaves are also popular. Unfortunately, fresh lotus root slices are limited by a fast browning rate. Lotus root tea is consumed in Korea.
Fresh lotus seeds (simplified Chinese: 鲜 莲子; traditional Chinese: 鮮 蓮子; pinyin: xiān liánzĭ; Cantonese Yale: sīn lìhnjí) are nutritious but also vulnerable to microbial contamination, especially fungal infections. Therefore, mostly dry lotus seed-based products are found on the market. Traditional sun baking combining with charcoal processing dries the seeds but results in loss of nutrients. Freeze-driedlotus seeds have a longer shelf life and maintain original nutrients , while no differences in flavour are found after rehydration compared to fresh lotus seeds.
Traditional Eastern medicine claims that fresh lotus seed wine has thirst quenching, spleen healing and anti-diarrheal advantages after drinking, attributed to unspecified bioactive compounds. Lotus seed tea is consumed in Korea, and lotus embryo tea is consumed in China and Vietnam.
In China and Korea, lotus leaf tea (Korean: 연잎차 yeonipcha) is made from the leaves of the lotus. It is also used as a wrap for steaming rice and sticky rice and other steamed dishes in Southeast Asian cuisine, such as lo mai gai in Chinese cuisine or kao hor bai bua (Thai: ข้าวห่อใบบัว), fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf in Thai cuisine.
In Korea, lotus flower tea (연꽃차 yeonkkotcha) is made from the dried petals of the white lotus.
The stamens can be dried and made into a fragrant herbal tea (Chinese: 蓮花 茶; pinyin: liánhuā cha; Cantonese Yale: lìhnfāa chah), or used to impart a scent to tea leaves (particularly in Vietnam). This Vietnamese lotus tea is called trà sen, chè sen, or chè ướp sen.
The petals, leaves and rhizome can also all be eaten raw, but there is a risk of parasite transmission (e.g., Fasciolopsis buski): it is therefore recommended that they be cooked before eating.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Proteales
Family: Nelumbonaceae
Genus: Nelumbo
Species: N. nucifera
Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera
Pipturus albidus
Pipturus albidus, known as māmaki (sometimes waimea, for its resemblance to olomea ) in Hawaiian and known as Waimea pipturus in English, is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family.
Mamaki is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 - 10 metres tall
The fibres obtained from the stems were traditionally used to make a fine cloth, cordage etc. The plant also yields food and medicines. It is one of the very few Hawaiian plants that are available commercially as a tea.
Succeeds in full sun and in dappled shade. Requires a moist to wet, but well-drained soil. Plants flower and produce seed all year round. Young plants can commence bearing fruit when only two years old from seed. The flowers are either male or female. Both types are usually found on each plant, but occasional plants produce either all male or all female flowers.
White fruits resembling small raspberries are produced along the branches. These are edible but bland to subtly sweet.
The leaves are used to make a mild but invigorating and healthy tea.
In medicinal the leaves are made into a tea and used as a cleansing agent and tonic for a generally 'run-down' person. The small white fruits are used as a mild laxative for children.
Applied externally, the fruit has been used in healing sores and wounds. The seeds are given to infants for general debility of the body. The fruits and seeds are eaten during the later months of pregnancy in order to ease the birth.
A tea made from the dried or fresh leaves is mild but invigorating. It is used to treat listlessness, and to help with many internal disorders, such as for the stomach, colon, bladder, liver, and bowels.
Other Uses, the inner bark fibres are used in making kapa cloth. The sap was also sometimes used in a wetting solution during the kapa-making process. Kapa was made by removing a section of the bark and then beating it thinner and thinner with a wooden mallet on a flat surface until eventually a fine cloth used for clothing was produced.
The long strong fibres were used for rope and cordage and the wood has been used to make clubs and kapa beaters.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Pipturus
Species: P. albidus
Binomial name Pipturus albidus
Mamaki is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 - 10 metres tall
The fibres obtained from the stems were traditionally used to make a fine cloth, cordage etc. The plant also yields food and medicines. It is one of the very few Hawaiian plants that are available commercially as a tea.
Succeeds in full sun and in dappled shade. Requires a moist to wet, but well-drained soil. Plants flower and produce seed all year round. Young plants can commence bearing fruit when only two years old from seed. The flowers are either male or female. Both types are usually found on each plant, but occasional plants produce either all male or all female flowers.
White fruits resembling small raspberries are produced along the branches. These are edible but bland to subtly sweet.
The leaves are used to make a mild but invigorating and healthy tea.
In medicinal the leaves are made into a tea and used as a cleansing agent and tonic for a generally 'run-down' person. The small white fruits are used as a mild laxative for children.
Applied externally, the fruit has been used in healing sores and wounds. The seeds are given to infants for general debility of the body. The fruits and seeds are eaten during the later months of pregnancy in order to ease the birth.
A tea made from the dried or fresh leaves is mild but invigorating. It is used to treat listlessness, and to help with many internal disorders, such as for the stomach, colon, bladder, liver, and bowels.
Other Uses, the inner bark fibres are used in making kapa cloth. The sap was also sometimes used in a wetting solution during the kapa-making process. Kapa was made by removing a section of the bark and then beating it thinner and thinner with a wooden mallet on a flat surface until eventually a fine cloth used for clothing was produced.
The long strong fibres were used for rope and cordage and the wood has been used to make clubs and kapa beaters.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Pipturus
Species: P. albidus
Binomial name Pipturus albidus
Leucaena leucocephala
Leucaena leucocephala is a small fast-growing mimosoid tree native to southern Mexico and northern Central America (Belize and Guatemala) and is now naturalized throughout the tropics.
Common names include white lead tree, jumbay, river tamarind, subabul,and white popinac.
During the 1970s and 1980s, it was promoted as a "miracle tree" for its multiple uses. It has also been described as a "conflict tree" because it is used for forage production but spreads like a weed in some places.
The legume is promoted in several countries of Southeast Asia (at least Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand), most importantly as a source of quality animal feed, but also for residual use for firewood or charcoal production.
The legume provides an excellent source of high-protein cattle fodder. However, the fodder contains mimosine, a toxic amino acid. Horses and donkeys which are fed it lose their hair.
In many cases this acid is metabolized by ruminants to goitrogenic DHP [3-hydroxy-4(1H) pyridone] in the rumen, but in some geographical areas, ruminants lack the organisms (such as Synergistes jonesii) that can degrade DHP.
In such cases, toxicity problems from ingestion of Leucaena have sometimes been overcome by infusing susceptible animals with rumen fluid from ruminants that possess such organisms, and more recently by inoculating cattle rumina with such organisms cultured in vitro.
Such measures have facilitated Leucaena use for fodder in Australia and elsewhere.
Leucaena leucocephala has been considered for biomass production because its reported yield of foliage corresponds to a dried mass of 2,000–20,000 kg/ha/year, and that of wood 30–40 m³/ha/year, with up to twice those amounts in favorable climates. In India it is being promoted for both fodder and energy.
It is also efficient in nitrogen fixation, at more than 500 kg/ha/year.
It has a very fast growth rate: young trees reach a height of more than 20 ft in two to three years.
The young pods are edible and occasionally eaten in Javanese vegetable salad with spicy peanut sauce, and spicy fish wrapped in papaya or taro leaves in Indonesia, and in papaya salad in Laos and Thailand, where they are known as phak krathin (Thai: ผักกระถิน). In Mexico it is eaten in soups and also inside tacos, it is known as guaje. Additionally, the state of Oaxaca in Mexico derives its name from the Nahuatl word huaxyacac, the name for Leucaena leucocephala trees that are found around Oaxaca City.
Recently, the wood part of the Subabul tree is used for making pulp in the pulp and paper industry. In the southern and central states of India, Subabul is the most important pulpwood species for making pulp. It has huge positive socio-economic impact on the livelihood of the small farmers where Subabul is grown as an industrial crop. This provides an alternate crop choice to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India where they are also growing cotton and chillies.
L. leucocephala is used for a variety of purposes, such as fencing, soil fertility, firewood, fiber, and livestock fodder.
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
(unranked): Mimosoid clade
Genus: Leucaena
Species: L. leucocephala
Binomial name Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit
Common names include white lead tree, jumbay, river tamarind, subabul,and white popinac.
During the 1970s and 1980s, it was promoted as a "miracle tree" for its multiple uses. It has also been described as a "conflict tree" because it is used for forage production but spreads like a weed in some places.
The legume is promoted in several countries of Southeast Asia (at least Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand), most importantly as a source of quality animal feed, but also for residual use for firewood or charcoal production.
The legume provides an excellent source of high-protein cattle fodder. However, the fodder contains mimosine, a toxic amino acid. Horses and donkeys which are fed it lose their hair.
In many cases this acid is metabolized by ruminants to goitrogenic DHP [3-hydroxy-4(1H) pyridone] in the rumen, but in some geographical areas, ruminants lack the organisms (such as Synergistes jonesii) that can degrade DHP.
In such cases, toxicity problems from ingestion of Leucaena have sometimes been overcome by infusing susceptible animals with rumen fluid from ruminants that possess such organisms, and more recently by inoculating cattle rumina with such organisms cultured in vitro.
Such measures have facilitated Leucaena use for fodder in Australia and elsewhere.
Leucaena leucocephala has been considered for biomass production because its reported yield of foliage corresponds to a dried mass of 2,000–20,000 kg/ha/year, and that of wood 30–40 m³/ha/year, with up to twice those amounts in favorable climates. In India it is being promoted for both fodder and energy.
It is also efficient in nitrogen fixation, at more than 500 kg/ha/year.
It has a very fast growth rate: young trees reach a height of more than 20 ft in two to three years.
The young pods are edible and occasionally eaten in Javanese vegetable salad with spicy peanut sauce, and spicy fish wrapped in papaya or taro leaves in Indonesia, and in papaya salad in Laos and Thailand, where they are known as phak krathin (Thai: ผักกระถิน). In Mexico it is eaten in soups and also inside tacos, it is known as guaje. Additionally, the state of Oaxaca in Mexico derives its name from the Nahuatl word huaxyacac, the name for Leucaena leucocephala trees that are found around Oaxaca City.
Recently, the wood part of the Subabul tree is used for making pulp in the pulp and paper industry. In the southern and central states of India, Subabul is the most important pulpwood species for making pulp. It has huge positive socio-economic impact on the livelihood of the small farmers where Subabul is grown as an industrial crop. This provides an alternate crop choice to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India where they are also growing cotton and chillies.
L. leucocephala is used for a variety of purposes, such as fencing, soil fertility, firewood, fiber, and livestock fodder.
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
(unranked): Mimosoid clade
Genus: Leucaena
Species: L. leucocephala
Binomial name Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit
Sandoricum koetjape
Sandoricum koetjape, the santol or cotton fruit, is a tropical fruit grown in Southeast Asia.
The santol is native to the Malesian floristic region, but have been introduced to Indochina, Sri Lanka, India, northern Australia, Mauritius, and Seychelles. It is commonly cultivated throughout these regions and the fruits are seasonally abundant in the local and international markets.
There are two varieties of santol fruit, previously considered two different species, the yellow variety and the red. The difference is in the color that the older leaves turn before falling. The red appears to be more common and the reddish leaves mixed with the green ones add to the distinction and attractiveness of the tree. The fruits are often the size, shape and slightly fuzzy texture of peaches, with a reddish tinge. Both types have a skin that may be a thin peel to a thicker rind, according to the variety. It is often edible and in some cultivars may contain a milky juice. The central pulp near the seeds may be sweet or sour and contains inedible brown seeds. In some varieties the outer rind is thicker and is the main edible portion, with a mild peachy taste combined with some taste and the pulpy texture of apples. In others the outer rind is thinner and harder and the inner whitish pulp around the seeds is eaten. This may be rather sour in many cultivars, which has reduced the general acceptance of the tree. Most improved varieties have increased thickness of the edible outer rind, which can be eaten with a spoon leaving just the outer skin, and should increase the acceptance of the santol worldwide.
The fruit grows on a fast-growing tree that may reach 150 feet in height. It bears ribbed leaves and pink or yellow-green flowers about 1 centimeter long.
The ripe fruits are harvested by climbing the tree and plucking by hand, alternatively a long stick with a forked end may be used to twist the fruits off. The pulp is eaten raw and plain or with spices added. It is also cooked and candied or made into marmalade.
In Filipino cuisine, grated rind is cooked in coconut milk (with bits of pork and hot pepper) and served as sinantolan in Southern Luzon. The partly ripe sour fruits are also used as a souring agent in sour broth dishes like sinigang.
In Thai cuisine this fruit is used to make som Tam when still not fully ripe. It is also one of the main ingredients in the santol and pork (แกงหมูกระท้อน) and santol and prawn Thai curries (แกงคั่วกระท้อนกุ้ง).
The wood of the tree is useful for construction, being plentiful and usually easy to work and polish. It makes a good shade tree. The leaves and bark have been used medicinally as a poultice. Several parts of the plant may have anti-inflammatory effects, and some chemical extracts from santol stems have shown anti-cancer properties in vitro. Extracts from santol seeds have insecticidal properties.
Sandoricum is a tree of humid tropical regions that grows from sea level to an elevation of 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. It grows better in deep and organic grounds, and with rainfall distributed throughout the year, although it also tolerates long, dry periods. The distance of planting from each other is 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m). It requires fertilization two times a year so it can grow better. Normally, seed trees produce fruit after 5 or 7 years of age, though some cultivars need only 3 or 4. The santol is a very productive tree. A mature tree can produce between 18,000 and 24,000 fruits per year. In Puerto Rico it produces in the months of August and September.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Sandoricum
Species: S. koetjape
Binomial name Sandoricum koetjape
(Burm.f.) Merr.
The santol is native to the Malesian floristic region, but have been introduced to Indochina, Sri Lanka, India, northern Australia, Mauritius, and Seychelles. It is commonly cultivated throughout these regions and the fruits are seasonally abundant in the local and international markets.
There are two varieties of santol fruit, previously considered two different species, the yellow variety and the red. The difference is in the color that the older leaves turn before falling. The red appears to be more common and the reddish leaves mixed with the green ones add to the distinction and attractiveness of the tree. The fruits are often the size, shape and slightly fuzzy texture of peaches, with a reddish tinge. Both types have a skin that may be a thin peel to a thicker rind, according to the variety. It is often edible and in some cultivars may contain a milky juice. The central pulp near the seeds may be sweet or sour and contains inedible brown seeds. In some varieties the outer rind is thicker and is the main edible portion, with a mild peachy taste combined with some taste and the pulpy texture of apples. In others the outer rind is thinner and harder and the inner whitish pulp around the seeds is eaten. This may be rather sour in many cultivars, which has reduced the general acceptance of the tree. Most improved varieties have increased thickness of the edible outer rind, which can be eaten with a spoon leaving just the outer skin, and should increase the acceptance of the santol worldwide.
The fruit grows on a fast-growing tree that may reach 150 feet in height. It bears ribbed leaves and pink or yellow-green flowers about 1 centimeter long.
The ripe fruits are harvested by climbing the tree and plucking by hand, alternatively a long stick with a forked end may be used to twist the fruits off. The pulp is eaten raw and plain or with spices added. It is also cooked and candied or made into marmalade.
In Filipino cuisine, grated rind is cooked in coconut milk (with bits of pork and hot pepper) and served as sinantolan in Southern Luzon. The partly ripe sour fruits are also used as a souring agent in sour broth dishes like sinigang.
In Thai cuisine this fruit is used to make som Tam when still not fully ripe. It is also one of the main ingredients in the santol and pork (แกงหมูกระท้อน) and santol and prawn Thai curries (แกงคั่วกระท้อนกุ้ง).
The wood of the tree is useful for construction, being plentiful and usually easy to work and polish. It makes a good shade tree. The leaves and bark have been used medicinally as a poultice. Several parts of the plant may have anti-inflammatory effects, and some chemical extracts from santol stems have shown anti-cancer properties in vitro. Extracts from santol seeds have insecticidal properties.
Sandoricum is a tree of humid tropical regions that grows from sea level to an elevation of 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. It grows better in deep and organic grounds, and with rainfall distributed throughout the year, although it also tolerates long, dry periods. The distance of planting from each other is 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m). It requires fertilization two times a year so it can grow better. Normally, seed trees produce fruit after 5 or 7 years of age, though some cultivars need only 3 or 4. The santol is a very productive tree. A mature tree can produce between 18,000 and 24,000 fruits per year. In Puerto Rico it produces in the months of August and September.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Sandoricum
Species: S. koetjape
Binomial name Sandoricum koetjape
(Burm.f.) Merr.
Stenochlaena Palustris
Stenochlaena is a genus of ferns of the plant family Blechnaceae. Six species were formally accepted in an April 2013 scientific review of the genus, first written some years earlier and submitted in 2009.
One additional species S. hainanensis awaits confirmation of its difference from S. palustris by means of differences in fertile material and/or its formal publication. One additional likely species grows naturally in Cameroon, Africa, recognised with the descriptive name Stenochlaena sp. 'Cameroon' but it awaits formal description.
Some species of Stenochlaena are common as climbing ferns in South-East Asian rainforests. After the end-Cretaceous mass extinction caused by an asteroid impact, a species of Stenochlaena was essentially the only common plant across North America for several thousand years. [citation needed]
Stenochlaena palustris is known as midin in Sarawak, Malaysia and it is eaten as a popular vegetable similar to fiddlehead ferns, which is usually flavoured with shrimp paste.
In India and parts of Indonesia, it is flavoured and eaten with garlic cloves. In South Kalimantan it is called kalakai.
Vernacular name:
prong suan, phak kuut daeng, lam theng
Common name: -
Epiphytic fern, rhizome long-creeping, often climbing high up the tree. Stipe up to 15 cm long. Frond 40-70 cm long, bearing up to 15 pairs of pinnae. Sterile pinnae ovate-lanceolate, irregularly serrate, shiny on the upper surface, with a network of narrow parallel veins on the lower surface, about 15 cm long, 3 cm wide, but variable in size, short stalked. Fertile pinnae c. 2 cm long, 3 mm wide, with sporangia on the whole of the lower surface.
Common in shady, in both wet and dry places at low altitude in the north-east, southeast and south of Thailand.
The young shoots and fronds are cooked and served with nam phrik or put into sweet and sour curry or mixed vegetable soup. No cultivation of this plant has been recorded so far, however it can be multiply by division of rhizome and young sapling from mother clump.
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Aspleniineae
Family: Blechnaceae
Subfamily: Stenochlaenoideae
Genus: Stenochlaena
One additional species S. hainanensis awaits confirmation of its difference from S. palustris by means of differences in fertile material and/or its formal publication. One additional likely species grows naturally in Cameroon, Africa, recognised with the descriptive name Stenochlaena sp. 'Cameroon' but it awaits formal description.
Some species of Stenochlaena are common as climbing ferns in South-East Asian rainforests. After the end-Cretaceous mass extinction caused by an asteroid impact, a species of Stenochlaena was essentially the only common plant across North America for several thousand years. [citation needed]
Stenochlaena palustris is known as midin in Sarawak, Malaysia and it is eaten as a popular vegetable similar to fiddlehead ferns, which is usually flavoured with shrimp paste.
In India and parts of Indonesia, it is flavoured and eaten with garlic cloves. In South Kalimantan it is called kalakai.
Vernacular name:
prong suan, phak kuut daeng, lam theng
Common name: -
Epiphytic fern, rhizome long-creeping, often climbing high up the tree. Stipe up to 15 cm long. Frond 40-70 cm long, bearing up to 15 pairs of pinnae. Sterile pinnae ovate-lanceolate, irregularly serrate, shiny on the upper surface, with a network of narrow parallel veins on the lower surface, about 15 cm long, 3 cm wide, but variable in size, short stalked. Fertile pinnae c. 2 cm long, 3 mm wide, with sporangia on the whole of the lower surface.
Common in shady, in both wet and dry places at low altitude in the north-east, southeast and south of Thailand.
The young shoots and fronds are cooked and served with nam phrik or put into sweet and sour curry or mixed vegetable soup. No cultivation of this plant has been recorded so far, however it can be multiply by division of rhizome and young sapling from mother clump.
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Aspleniineae
Family: Blechnaceae
Subfamily: Stenochlaenoideae
Genus: Stenochlaena
Solanum torvum Turkey Berries
水茄
水茄
Solanum torvum 水茄, the turkey berry, devil's fig, pea eggplant, platebrush or susumber, is a bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant used horticulturally as a rootstock for eggplant. Grafted plants are very vigorous and tolerate diseases affecting the root system, thus allowing the crop to continue for a second year.
The plant is about 2 or 3 m in height and 2 cm in basal diameter and may reach to 5m in height and 8 cm in basal diameter.
The shrub has a single stem at ground level and sometimes it may branch on the lower stem. The stem bark is gray and nearly smooth with raised lenticels. The inner bark has a green layer over an ivory color. The plants growing on firm soil, had weak taproots and well-developed laterals. The roots are white. Foliage is confined to the growing twigs.
The twigs are gray-green and covered with star-shaped hairs. The spines are short and slightly curved and vary from thick throughout the plant, including the leaf midrib, to entirely absent.
The leaves are opposite or one per node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. The petioles are 1 to 6 cm long and the blades are 7 to 23 by 5 to 18 cm and covered with short hairs. The flowers are white, tubular with 5 pointed lobes, and grouped in corymbiform cymes. They are shed soon after opening.
The fruits are berries that grow in clusters of tiny green spheres 1 cm in diameter that look like green peas. They become yellow when fully ripe. They are thin-fleshed and contain numerous flat, round, brown seeds.
Turkey berry apparently is native from Florida and southern Alabama through the West Indies and from Mexico through Central America and South America through Brazil because of its rapid spread as a weed in disturbed lands, it is difficult to tell which populations are native and which are introduced.
Turkey berry has been introduced and naturalized throughout tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa. In Jamaica this berry is called susumba, or gully beans, and is usually cooked in a dish along with saltfish and ackee. It is believed to be full of iron (it does have a strong iron like taste when eaten) and is consumed when one is low in iron.
Turkey berry grows on all types of moist, fertile soil at elevations from near sea level to almost 1,000 m and 2,000 m in Papua New Guinea.
Given an equal start after disturbance, turkey berry quickly overtops most herbs, grasses, and other shrubs. It grows best in full sunlight and does well in light shade or shade for part of the day, but cannot survive under a closed forest canopy. Turkey berry single plants, groups, and thickets are most frequently seen on roadsides, vacant lots, brushy pastures, recently abandoned farmland, landslides, and river banks.
Flowering and fruiting is continuous after the shrubs reach about 1 to 1.5 m in height. Frugivorous birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds. Turkey berry can be propagated vegetatively by placing branch cuttings, with or without leaves, in a mist chamber for one month.
Turkey berry grows about 0.75 to 1.5 m in height per year. The species is not long-lived; most plants live about 2 years. Physical control of the shrub may be done by grubbing out the plants; lopping will not kill them. They can be killed by translocated herbicides applied to the leaves or the cut stumps.
The green fresh fruits are edible and used in Thai cuisine, as an ingredient in certain Thai curries or raw in certain Thai chili pastes (nam phrik). They are also used in Lao cuisine (Royal Horticultural Society 2001) and Jamaican cuisine. The fruits are incorporated into soups and sauces in the Côte d'Ivoire.
In Tamil Nadu, India, the fruit is consumed directly, or as cooked food. In siddha medicine, one of the traditional medicine systems of India, an extract of this berry is used to improve digestion.
Turkey berry contains a number of potentially pharmacologically active chemicals including the sapogenin steroid chlorogenin.
Aqueous extracts of turkey berry are lethal to mice by depressing the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets in their blood.
Extracts of the plant are reported to be useful in the treatment of hyperactivity, colds and cough, pimples, skin diseases, and leprosy.
Methyl caffeate, extracted from the fruit of S. torvum, shows an antidiabetic effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. torvum
Binomial name Solanum torvum
Sw.
水茄(学名:Solanum torvum Swartz)是双子叶植物纲、茄科、茄属灌木,高可达3米,叶单生或双生,叶片卵形至椭圆形,先端尖,基部心脏形或楔形,两边不相等,裂片通常上面绿色,毛被较下面薄,下面灰绿,伞房花序腋外生,毛被厚,花白色;萼杯状,不孕花的花柱短于花药,能孕花的花柱较长于花药;柱头截形;浆果黄色,光滑无毛,圆球形,种子盘状,全年均开花结果。
分布于中国云南、广西、广东、台湾。喜生长于热带地方的路旁,荒地,灌木丛中,沟谷及村庄附近等潮湿地方,海拔200-1650米。普遍分布于热带印度,东经缅甸、泰国,南至菲律宾、马来亚,新加坡,也分布于热带美洲。该种果实可明目,叶可治疮毒,嫩果煮熟可供蔬食。
中文学名: 水茄
拉丁学名: Solanumtorvum Swartz
别名: 刺茄,山颠茄、金纽扣、鸭卡
灌木,高1-2(3)m,小枝,叶下面,叶柄及花序柄均被具长柄,短柄或无柄稍不等长5-9分枝的尘土色星状毛。小枝疏具基部宽扁的皮刺,皮刺淡黄色,基部疏被星状毛,长2.5-10mm,宽2-10mm,尖端略弯曲。叶单生或双生,卵形至椭圆形,长6-12-(19)cm,宽4-9-(13)cm,先端尖,基部心脏形或楔形,两边不相等,边缘半裂或作波状,裂片通常5-7,上面绿色,毛被较下面薄,分枝少(5-7)的无柄的星状毛较多,分枝多的有柄的星状毛较少,下面灰绿,密被分枝多而具柄的星状毛;中脉在下面少刺或无刺,侧脉每边3-5条,有刺或无刺。叶柄长约2-4cm,具1-2枚皮刺或不具。
伞房花序腋外生,2-3歧,毛被厚,总花梗长1-1.5cm,具1细直刺或无,花梗长约5-10mm,被腺毛及星状毛;花白色;萼杯状,长约4mm,外面被星状毛及腺毛,端5裂,裂片卵状长圆形,长约2mm,先端骤尖;花冠辐形,直径约1.5cm,筒部隐于萼内,长约1.5mm,冠檐长约1.5cm,端5裂,裂片卵状披针形,先端渐尖,长0.8-1cm,外面被星状毛;花丝长约1mm,花药长了mm,为花丝长度的4-7倍,顶孔向上;子房卵形,光滑,不孕花的花柱短于花药,能孕花的花柱较长于花药;柱头截形;
浆果黄色,光滑无毛,圆球形,直径约1-1.5cm,宿萼外面被稀疏的星状毛,果柄长约1.5cm,上部膨大;种子盘状,直径约1.5-2mm。全年均开花结果。水茄有耐贫瘠、耐污染和抗病虫害等特性,作为茄属野生种质资源,在育种及嫁接上利用较多。
在传统中医上水茄干燥的根与茎具有药用功效。《广西药植名录》提到水茄可散血、止痛,治咳血、牙痛和无名肿毒。《常用中草药手册》上记有水茄具散瘀、消肿、止痛,治跌打瘀痛、腰肌劳损和胃痛的功效。《贵州民间药物》记录其清暑、止咳、补虚,治痧症、劳弱虚损、久咳;果可明目,叶可治疮毒。
食用: 未熟的绿色果实外观类似碗豆,可以煮熟食用,带有苦味。常见的用法是煮在某种酱料中,例如在原产地加勒比海常和洋葱、甜椒等材类炖煮配鱼吃,在泰国常会加进咖喱,在云南则和煮熟后和香草一起舂成酱。
水茄,中药材名。本品为茄科植物水茄的根。全年可采。洗净,切片,晒干备用。功能主治为:活血,散瘀,止痛。治跌打瘀痛,腰肌劳损,咳血,痧症,胃痛,疔疮,痈肿。①《广西药植名录》:散血,止痛。治咳血,牙痛,无名肿毒。②广州部队《常用中草药手册》:散瘀,消肿,止痛。治跌打瘀痛,腰肌劳损,胃痛。③《贵州草药》:清暑,止咳,补虚。治痧症,劳弱虚损,久咳。
Health Benefits of Turkey Berry
Turkey Berries (Solanum torvum) a sought-after commodity can be found in Ghana, China, Thailand, The Caribbean, South America, Indonesia, Florida, Alabama, Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico and other places in the world.
It has taken a long time for its true values to be recognized and some doctors now highly recommend it in our meals.
In Ghana, Turkey berry has several names given to it. Some of the names include Ama Julie or Anona Ntroba in Fante, Kwahu Nsusuwa, Yaa Asantewa, Beduru, and Kantosey by the Gas.
Turkey berries are found in most Ghanaian markets and are also mostly available in the wild and backyard gardens. The leaves of the berry plant are similar to that of the eggplants. It has thorns and can last for about 3 years before replanting from seeds may be required.
Turkey berries have some amazing healing benefits which includes the following:
Treatment of Anemia
Turkey berries contain lots of iron and so very good for treating anemia. They stimulate the production of red blood cells. The berries can be used in soups and consumed daily to increase red blood cell production.
Treatment of Indigestion and diarrhea
Turkey Berries are good for digestion and help to treat indigestion, stomachaches, and diarrhea. The berries are also capable of neutralizing acid in the stomach making them important for healing gastric ulcers.
Prevents intestinal worms
Regular intake of the berries can prevent the formation of worms in the intestine. Dried and powdered berries can be added to gravies and eaten.
Treatment of Diabetes
Add dried powdered leaves of the Turkey Berry plant to cooked berries to control diabetes. They are used to lower blood sugar.
Prevention and healing of Colds and flu
The berries also help in the prevention and healing colds and flu. Use the berries to prepare soup and take.
Protection from Cancer
Research indicates that the Turkey berry is indeed highly medicinal. Some researchers indicate it can be used to treat skin diseases, ulcers, and abscesses. The berry is also said to be an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic for stomach problems and for the control of diabetes. Dr. Paul Haider says; turkey Berries are antibacterial, anti-fungal, and stops the excessive cell growth making it important for cancer. Studies show that extract of Turkey Berry can protect against lung cancer.
Treatment of Phlegm and mucus
Turkey berries can also help get rid of phlegm and mucus. Dry berries and make it into powder, this will dry up the mucus, helps with asthma, coughing, lung inflammation etc.
Prevention and treatment of Kidney disease
Studies show that berries can also help prevent and treat kidney disease and even reverse tubular necrosis and glomerular congestion, therefore making it important for treating kidney disease.
Prevention of cardiovascular diseases and strokes
Additionally, the berries contain saponins, flavonoids, torvosides, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, cholorogenome, etc. and are powerful antioxidants that prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. The dried berries made into a powder helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks.
Regulate menstruation
Turkey Berries help regulates menstruation and so help with regular menstrual periods.
Prevention of Pains, redness, and gout
Berries help flush out uric acid thus helping to prevent or reduce pain, redness, and symptoms of gout.Moreover, Turkey Berry Leaf contains powerful anti-inflammatory agent and natural steroids called soasoline, great for arthritis, lower back pain and swelling, and pain in general. Turkey Berries are very important for health since inflammation is the first step towards all diseases.
Weight Gain
People underweight can also blend raw turkey berries with water and take half a glass last thing before going to bed. Drinking this and eating well consistently improves weight gain. Blended raw berry should be refrigerated so it doesn’t go bad and also for the bitterness to lessen.
The plant is about 2 or 3 m in height and 2 cm in basal diameter and may reach to 5m in height and 8 cm in basal diameter.
The shrub has a single stem at ground level and sometimes it may branch on the lower stem. The stem bark is gray and nearly smooth with raised lenticels. The inner bark has a green layer over an ivory color. The plants growing on firm soil, had weak taproots and well-developed laterals. The roots are white. Foliage is confined to the growing twigs.
The twigs are gray-green and covered with star-shaped hairs. The spines are short and slightly curved and vary from thick throughout the plant, including the leaf midrib, to entirely absent.
The leaves are opposite or one per node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. The petioles are 1 to 6 cm long and the blades are 7 to 23 by 5 to 18 cm and covered with short hairs. The flowers are white, tubular with 5 pointed lobes, and grouped in corymbiform cymes. They are shed soon after opening.
The fruits are berries that grow in clusters of tiny green spheres 1 cm in diameter that look like green peas. They become yellow when fully ripe. They are thin-fleshed and contain numerous flat, round, brown seeds.
Turkey berry apparently is native from Florida and southern Alabama through the West Indies and from Mexico through Central America and South America through Brazil because of its rapid spread as a weed in disturbed lands, it is difficult to tell which populations are native and which are introduced.
Turkey berry has been introduced and naturalized throughout tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa. In Jamaica this berry is called susumba, or gully beans, and is usually cooked in a dish along with saltfish and ackee. It is believed to be full of iron (it does have a strong iron like taste when eaten) and is consumed when one is low in iron.
Turkey berry grows on all types of moist, fertile soil at elevations from near sea level to almost 1,000 m and 2,000 m in Papua New Guinea.
Given an equal start after disturbance, turkey berry quickly overtops most herbs, grasses, and other shrubs. It grows best in full sunlight and does well in light shade or shade for part of the day, but cannot survive under a closed forest canopy. Turkey berry single plants, groups, and thickets are most frequently seen on roadsides, vacant lots, brushy pastures, recently abandoned farmland, landslides, and river banks.
Flowering and fruiting is continuous after the shrubs reach about 1 to 1.5 m in height. Frugivorous birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds. Turkey berry can be propagated vegetatively by placing branch cuttings, with or without leaves, in a mist chamber for one month.
Turkey berry grows about 0.75 to 1.5 m in height per year. The species is not long-lived; most plants live about 2 years. Physical control of the shrub may be done by grubbing out the plants; lopping will not kill them. They can be killed by translocated herbicides applied to the leaves or the cut stumps.
The green fresh fruits are edible and used in Thai cuisine, as an ingredient in certain Thai curries or raw in certain Thai chili pastes (nam phrik). They are also used in Lao cuisine (Royal Horticultural Society 2001) and Jamaican cuisine. The fruits are incorporated into soups and sauces in the Côte d'Ivoire.
In Tamil Nadu, India, the fruit is consumed directly, or as cooked food. In siddha medicine, one of the traditional medicine systems of India, an extract of this berry is used to improve digestion.
Turkey berry contains a number of potentially pharmacologically active chemicals including the sapogenin steroid chlorogenin.
Aqueous extracts of turkey berry are lethal to mice by depressing the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets in their blood.
Extracts of the plant are reported to be useful in the treatment of hyperactivity, colds and cough, pimples, skin diseases, and leprosy.
Methyl caffeate, extracted from the fruit of S. torvum, shows an antidiabetic effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. torvum
Binomial name Solanum torvum
Sw.
水茄(学名:Solanum torvum Swartz)是双子叶植物纲、茄科、茄属灌木,高可达3米,叶单生或双生,叶片卵形至椭圆形,先端尖,基部心脏形或楔形,两边不相等,裂片通常上面绿色,毛被较下面薄,下面灰绿,伞房花序腋外生,毛被厚,花白色;萼杯状,不孕花的花柱短于花药,能孕花的花柱较长于花药;柱头截形;浆果黄色,光滑无毛,圆球形,种子盘状,全年均开花结果。
分布于中国云南、广西、广东、台湾。喜生长于热带地方的路旁,荒地,灌木丛中,沟谷及村庄附近等潮湿地方,海拔200-1650米。普遍分布于热带印度,东经缅甸、泰国,南至菲律宾、马来亚,新加坡,也分布于热带美洲。该种果实可明目,叶可治疮毒,嫩果煮熟可供蔬食。
中文学名: 水茄
拉丁学名: Solanumtorvum Swartz
别名: 刺茄,山颠茄、金纽扣、鸭卡
灌木,高1-2(3)m,小枝,叶下面,叶柄及花序柄均被具长柄,短柄或无柄稍不等长5-9分枝的尘土色星状毛。小枝疏具基部宽扁的皮刺,皮刺淡黄色,基部疏被星状毛,长2.5-10mm,宽2-10mm,尖端略弯曲。叶单生或双生,卵形至椭圆形,长6-12-(19)cm,宽4-9-(13)cm,先端尖,基部心脏形或楔形,两边不相等,边缘半裂或作波状,裂片通常5-7,上面绿色,毛被较下面薄,分枝少(5-7)的无柄的星状毛较多,分枝多的有柄的星状毛较少,下面灰绿,密被分枝多而具柄的星状毛;中脉在下面少刺或无刺,侧脉每边3-5条,有刺或无刺。叶柄长约2-4cm,具1-2枚皮刺或不具。
伞房花序腋外生,2-3歧,毛被厚,总花梗长1-1.5cm,具1细直刺或无,花梗长约5-10mm,被腺毛及星状毛;花白色;萼杯状,长约4mm,外面被星状毛及腺毛,端5裂,裂片卵状长圆形,长约2mm,先端骤尖;花冠辐形,直径约1.5cm,筒部隐于萼内,长约1.5mm,冠檐长约1.5cm,端5裂,裂片卵状披针形,先端渐尖,长0.8-1cm,外面被星状毛;花丝长约1mm,花药长了mm,为花丝长度的4-7倍,顶孔向上;子房卵形,光滑,不孕花的花柱短于花药,能孕花的花柱较长于花药;柱头截形;
浆果黄色,光滑无毛,圆球形,直径约1-1.5cm,宿萼外面被稀疏的星状毛,果柄长约1.5cm,上部膨大;种子盘状,直径约1.5-2mm。全年均开花结果。水茄有耐贫瘠、耐污染和抗病虫害等特性,作为茄属野生种质资源,在育种及嫁接上利用较多。
在传统中医上水茄干燥的根与茎具有药用功效。《广西药植名录》提到水茄可散血、止痛,治咳血、牙痛和无名肿毒。《常用中草药手册》上记有水茄具散瘀、消肿、止痛,治跌打瘀痛、腰肌劳损和胃痛的功效。《贵州民间药物》记录其清暑、止咳、补虚,治痧症、劳弱虚损、久咳;果可明目,叶可治疮毒。
食用: 未熟的绿色果实外观类似碗豆,可以煮熟食用,带有苦味。常见的用法是煮在某种酱料中,例如在原产地加勒比海常和洋葱、甜椒等材类炖煮配鱼吃,在泰国常会加进咖喱,在云南则和煮熟后和香草一起舂成酱。
水茄,中药材名。本品为茄科植物水茄的根。全年可采。洗净,切片,晒干备用。功能主治为:活血,散瘀,止痛。治跌打瘀痛,腰肌劳损,咳血,痧症,胃痛,疔疮,痈肿。①《广西药植名录》:散血,止痛。治咳血,牙痛,无名肿毒。②广州部队《常用中草药手册》:散瘀,消肿,止痛。治跌打瘀痛,腰肌劳损,胃痛。③《贵州草药》:清暑,止咳,补虚。治痧症,劳弱虚损,久咳。
Health Benefits of Turkey Berry
Turkey Berries (Solanum torvum) a sought-after commodity can be found in Ghana, China, Thailand, The Caribbean, South America, Indonesia, Florida, Alabama, Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico and other places in the world.
It has taken a long time for its true values to be recognized and some doctors now highly recommend it in our meals.
In Ghana, Turkey berry has several names given to it. Some of the names include Ama Julie or Anona Ntroba in Fante, Kwahu Nsusuwa, Yaa Asantewa, Beduru, and Kantosey by the Gas.
Turkey berries are found in most Ghanaian markets and are also mostly available in the wild and backyard gardens. The leaves of the berry plant are similar to that of the eggplants. It has thorns and can last for about 3 years before replanting from seeds may be required.
Turkey berries have some amazing healing benefits which includes the following:
Treatment of Anemia
Turkey berries contain lots of iron and so very good for treating anemia. They stimulate the production of red blood cells. The berries can be used in soups and consumed daily to increase red blood cell production.
Treatment of Indigestion and diarrhea
Turkey Berries are good for digestion and help to treat indigestion, stomachaches, and diarrhea. The berries are also capable of neutralizing acid in the stomach making them important for healing gastric ulcers.
Prevents intestinal worms
Regular intake of the berries can prevent the formation of worms in the intestine. Dried and powdered berries can be added to gravies and eaten.
Treatment of Diabetes
Add dried powdered leaves of the Turkey Berry plant to cooked berries to control diabetes. They are used to lower blood sugar.
Prevention and healing of Colds and flu
The berries also help in the prevention and healing colds and flu. Use the berries to prepare soup and take.
Protection from Cancer
Research indicates that the Turkey berry is indeed highly medicinal. Some researchers indicate it can be used to treat skin diseases, ulcers, and abscesses. The berry is also said to be an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic for stomach problems and for the control of diabetes. Dr. Paul Haider says; turkey Berries are antibacterial, anti-fungal, and stops the excessive cell growth making it important for cancer. Studies show that extract of Turkey Berry can protect against lung cancer.
Treatment of Phlegm and mucus
Turkey berries can also help get rid of phlegm and mucus. Dry berries and make it into powder, this will dry up the mucus, helps with asthma, coughing, lung inflammation etc.
Prevention and treatment of Kidney disease
Studies show that berries can also help prevent and treat kidney disease and even reverse tubular necrosis and glomerular congestion, therefore making it important for treating kidney disease.
Prevention of cardiovascular diseases and strokes
Additionally, the berries contain saponins, flavonoids, torvosides, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, cholorogenome, etc. and are powerful antioxidants that prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer. The dried berries made into a powder helps to lower blood pressure and prevent heart attacks.
Regulate menstruation
Turkey Berries help regulates menstruation and so help with regular menstrual periods.
Prevention of Pains, redness, and gout
Berries help flush out uric acid thus helping to prevent or reduce pain, redness, and symptoms of gout.Moreover, Turkey Berry Leaf contains powerful anti-inflammatory agent and natural steroids called soasoline, great for arthritis, lower back pain and swelling, and pain in general. Turkey Berries are very important for health since inflammation is the first step towards all diseases.
Weight Gain
People underweight can also blend raw turkey berries with water and take half a glass last thing before going to bed. Drinking this and eating well consistently improves weight gain. Blended raw berry should be refrigerated so it doesn’t go bad and also for the bitterness to lessen.
Coccinia grandis
Coccinia grandis, the ivy gourd, also known as scarlet gourd, tindora and kowai fruit, is a tropical vine. It grows primarily in tropical climates and is commonly found in the southern Indian states, where it forms a part of the local cuisine. Coccinia grandis is cooked as a vegetable.
Scientific name: Coccinia grandis
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Order: Cucurbitales
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Coccinia
Kingdom: Plantae
红瓜(学名:Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt)是葫芦科,红瓜属攀援草本植物;根粗壮;茎纤细,多分枝,叶柄细,有纵条纹,叶片阔心形,先端钝圆,基部有数个腺体,卷须纤细,雌雄异株;花单生。雄花花梗细弱,无毛;花萼筒宽钟形,裂片线状披针形,花丝及花药合生,花药近球形,子房纺锤形,花柱纤细,果实纺锤形,种子黄色,长圆形,两面密布小疣点,顶端圆。
分布于中国广东、广西和云南。非洲热带、亚洲和马来西亚也有分布。常生于海拔100-1100米的山坡灌丛及林中。
该种繁殖,可用种子繁殖,也可扦插繁殖。中国云南省南部地区傣族多在庭院内少量种植。台湾地区用来作观赏植物,或采摘嫩茎叶作菜用。
主要价值
红瓜嫩茎叶蛋白质含量为2.1%(鲜重),蛋白质中氨基酸种类齐全,氨基酸含量93.8%,必需氨基酸占总氨基酸的42%,第一限制性氨基酸为含硫氨基酸(Met+Cys)。红瓜嫩茎叶蛋白质中必需氨基酸贴近度(以鸡蛋蛋白质为标准)0.8070,氨基酸比值系数71.946,均高于菜芹菜、芦笋、莼菜、黄豆芽、蕹菜、马兰头、生菜。红瓜具有耐高温、高湿的特点,可作为耐热叶用蔬菜开发。
Scientific name: Coccinia grandis
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Order: Cucurbitales
Rank: Species
Higher classification: Coccinia
Kingdom: Plantae
红瓜(学名:Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt)是葫芦科,红瓜属攀援草本植物;根粗壮;茎纤细,多分枝,叶柄细,有纵条纹,叶片阔心形,先端钝圆,基部有数个腺体,卷须纤细,雌雄异株;花单生。雄花花梗细弱,无毛;花萼筒宽钟形,裂片线状披针形,花丝及花药合生,花药近球形,子房纺锤形,花柱纤细,果实纺锤形,种子黄色,长圆形,两面密布小疣点,顶端圆。
分布于中国广东、广西和云南。非洲热带、亚洲和马来西亚也有分布。常生于海拔100-1100米的山坡灌丛及林中。
该种繁殖,可用种子繁殖,也可扦插繁殖。中国云南省南部地区傣族多在庭院内少量种植。台湾地区用来作观赏植物,或采摘嫩茎叶作菜用。
主要价值
红瓜嫩茎叶蛋白质含量为2.1%(鲜重),蛋白质中氨基酸种类齐全,氨基酸含量93.8%,必需氨基酸占总氨基酸的42%,第一限制性氨基酸为含硫氨基酸(Met+Cys)。红瓜嫩茎叶蛋白质中必需氨基酸贴近度(以鸡蛋蛋白质为标准)0.8070,氨基酸比值系数71.946,均高于菜芹菜、芦笋、莼菜、黄豆芽、蕹菜、马兰头、生菜。红瓜具有耐高温、高湿的特点,可作为耐热叶用蔬菜开发。
Benefits of Ivy Gourd And Its Side Effects
Ivy gourd is a popular vegetable in African and Asian countries. This vegetable resembles watermelon, and grows quickly as a climber. It is used in several recipes. Each part of this plant offers great health benefits. It can be made into a paste and applied on the skin or can be directly consumed as a tonic. The leaves when eaten raw offer optimal benefits. The ivy gourd plant is known to improve the metabolism, reduce the blood sugar level, and prevent conditions like diabetes. It is also very good for the heart and the nervous system. Studies have even shown that it helps deal with kidney stones. Ivy gourd does not cause side effects, if it is cleaned, boiled or cooked.
Ivy Gourd
The scientific name of ivy gourd in Coccinia Grandis. It is also referred to as scarlet gourd. This vegetable is famous in West Bengal and north-eastern states of Assam. It is also cultivated in different parts of South-east Asia. The whole vegetable is consumed in some regions, while only the shoots are eaten in other parts of the globe. This vegetable is widely cultivated in China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Africa. The seeds or parts of this climber is used to cultivate this vegetable. This vegetable grows to about 4 inches a day. It has attractive flowers. But more importantly, the vegetable has many health benefits.
Nutritional Value of Ivy Gourd
The fruits of ivy gourd are used in preparing traditional medicines for effectively treating several diseases and infections. The leaves of this climber contain mast cell stabilizing and antihistamine properties, and hence used for treating fever, bronchitis, jaundice, and osteoarthritis. Ivy gourd is rich in beta-carotene that ensure the optimal functioning of the heart and prevents heart ailments. This fruit also referred to as baby watermelon offers delicious taste and loads of essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. About 100 grams of this fruit gives 1.4mg of iron, 40mg of calcium, 0.07 mg of vitamins B1 and B2, and 1.6 mg of dietary fiber. Most of this fruit just like the watermelon is made up of water.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ivy gourd is used in Ayurvedic medicines to treat diabetes. The stems of this climber plant and the leaves are cooked and consumed or added to soups. The raw leaves of this vegetable have shown successful results in increasing glucose tolerance. By eating this vegetable in your diet few times a week can do wonders in controlling the blood sugar levels.
Prevents Obesity
Research indicates that ivy gourd has anti-obesity properties. What it does is that it prevents the pre-adipocytes from converting to fat cells. The plant even increases the metabolic rate and has a lowering effect on the blood sugar level. Subsequently, it is used in many Indian recipes.
Fatigue
Iron is an essential element for the optimal bodily functions. Including iron-rich food in the diet is the key to avoiding fatigue. Anemia is often caused by iron deficiency in the body. Ivy gourd has 1.4mg of iron and thus is a valuable source of iron. This vegetable will keep you energized, healthy and fit. Iron deficiency can lead to several health ailments that can be corrected if this vegetable is consumed.
Defends Nervous System
Like watermelon, ivy gourd has water-soluble vitamins like B2. This vitamin plays a big role in maintaining your energy levels. It has minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants that can help make the nervous system stronger. It also helps the body deal with epilepsy, sclerosis, and Alzheimer's. When combined with vitamin B6, it is also effective in curing the symptoms of Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Increased Metabolism
Thiamine is a nutrient that converts carbohydrates into glucose, which keeps the energy levels in the body high, and regulates metabolism. Upon consuming ivy gourd, thiamine enters the blood plasma that generates more energy. This nutrient also helps to manufacture the red blood cells. This energy-boosting vegetable also cures some genetic diseases.
Improved Digestion
Ivy gourd facilitates digestion. It contains fiber that aids in digestion. This vegetable thus adds roughage to the stool and enables smooth bulk elimination. It also cures other gastrointestinal disorders like constipation, ulcers, and disease.
Prevents Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are crystallized form of calcium and other minerals that get deposited in the urinary tract. If the salts exceed the acceptable rate, it can cause kidney stones. The calcium present in this vegetable is healthy and can be combined with other vegetables like spinach to treat kidney stones.
Cures Diseases
This vegetable has shown to cure many diseases. Its anti-oxidant properties are responsible for killing the free radicals responsible for ageing and other degenerative illnesses. It is used to cure fever, asthma, jaundice, leprosy, and resolve bowel problem. It is imperative that you follow the right diet with the ivy gourd included for a few weeks to experience its benefits.
Protection against Allergies
This vegetable has high amounts of saponin, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids and glycosides. These nutrients protect the body from anaphylactic conditions and other allergies, as well.
Treats Infection
The root, fruits, and leaves of the plant are made into a paste to treat scabies and leprosy. While many medicines are available in the market, but ivy gourd is one of the most effective natural remedies. It also works well as an antibiotic against bacterial infections.
Prevents Cancer
The anti-oxidant properties of ivy gourd and the high amounts of beta-carotene can help prevent cancer. These nutrients are known to suppress the growth of tumor cells and so they aid in stopping the multiplication of cancer cells. Include the ivy plant in your diet to reduce your chances of getting cancer.
Improves Heart’s Health
Ivy gourd is a rich source of potassium. This mineral is essential for the optimal health of the heart by regulating blood flow and preventing heart diseases, too.
Uses of Ivy Gourd
Each part of the ivy gourd offers several health benefits. The root is grounded into a paste and given in small doses in children to stop bedwetting. The ivy gourd plant helps treat mouth ulcers. The leaves can be directly wrapped on wounds to reduce swelling. The juice of the leaves can be made into a tonic and consumed as well. The juice treats diabetes, jaundice, and keeps the blood sugar levels in control. The paste can be applied on the affected area for those treating ringworm and eczema. Finally, the fruits of this plant are used as a vegetable.
Side-Effects & Allergies of Ivy Gourd
While for the most part ivy gourd is beneficial to us, it may have side effects in a few cases. The leaves, fruit, and stemare used to make medicines. There can be those for whom ivy gourd can inflict wounds on the skin. The allergic reaction to the plant will appear on the skin. The reaction time will vary based on when the person consumed the food. The allergy can easily be treated with the help of doctors. It is essential to immediately consult the doctor if any reactions are visible on the skin.
Origin And Cultivation of Ivy Gourd
While for the most part ivy gourd is beneficial to us, it may have side effects in a few cases. The leaves, fruit, and stemare used to make medicines. There can be those for whom ivy gourd can inflict wounds on the skin. The allergic reaction to the plant will appear on the skin. The reaction time will vary based on when the person consumed the food. The allergy can easily be treated with the help of doctors. It is essential to immediately consult the doctor if any reactions are visible on the skin.
Ivy gourd is a popular vegetable in African and Asian countries. This vegetable resembles watermelon, and grows quickly as a climber. It is used in several recipes. Each part of this plant offers great health benefits. It can be made into a paste and applied on the skin or can be directly consumed as a tonic. The leaves when eaten raw offer optimal benefits. The ivy gourd plant is known to improve the metabolism, reduce the blood sugar level, and prevent conditions like diabetes. It is also very good for the heart and the nervous system. Studies have even shown that it helps deal with kidney stones. Ivy gourd does not cause side effects, if it is cleaned, boiled or cooked.
Ivy Gourd
The scientific name of ivy gourd in Coccinia Grandis. It is also referred to as scarlet gourd. This vegetable is famous in West Bengal and north-eastern states of Assam. It is also cultivated in different parts of South-east Asia. The whole vegetable is consumed in some regions, while only the shoots are eaten in other parts of the globe. This vegetable is widely cultivated in China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Africa. The seeds or parts of this climber is used to cultivate this vegetable. This vegetable grows to about 4 inches a day. It has attractive flowers. But more importantly, the vegetable has many health benefits.
Nutritional Value of Ivy Gourd
The fruits of ivy gourd are used in preparing traditional medicines for effectively treating several diseases and infections. The leaves of this climber contain mast cell stabilizing and antihistamine properties, and hence used for treating fever, bronchitis, jaundice, and osteoarthritis. Ivy gourd is rich in beta-carotene that ensure the optimal functioning of the heart and prevents heart ailments. This fruit also referred to as baby watermelon offers delicious taste and loads of essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. About 100 grams of this fruit gives 1.4mg of iron, 40mg of calcium, 0.07 mg of vitamins B1 and B2, and 1.6 mg of dietary fiber. Most of this fruit just like the watermelon is made up of water.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ivy gourd is used in Ayurvedic medicines to treat diabetes. The stems of this climber plant and the leaves are cooked and consumed or added to soups. The raw leaves of this vegetable have shown successful results in increasing glucose tolerance. By eating this vegetable in your diet few times a week can do wonders in controlling the blood sugar levels.
Prevents Obesity
Research indicates that ivy gourd has anti-obesity properties. What it does is that it prevents the pre-adipocytes from converting to fat cells. The plant even increases the metabolic rate and has a lowering effect on the blood sugar level. Subsequently, it is used in many Indian recipes.
Fatigue
Iron is an essential element for the optimal bodily functions. Including iron-rich food in the diet is the key to avoiding fatigue. Anemia is often caused by iron deficiency in the body. Ivy gourd has 1.4mg of iron and thus is a valuable source of iron. This vegetable will keep you energized, healthy and fit. Iron deficiency can lead to several health ailments that can be corrected if this vegetable is consumed.
Defends Nervous System
Like watermelon, ivy gourd has water-soluble vitamins like B2. This vitamin plays a big role in maintaining your energy levels. It has minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants that can help make the nervous system stronger. It also helps the body deal with epilepsy, sclerosis, and Alzheimer's. When combined with vitamin B6, it is also effective in curing the symptoms of Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Increased Metabolism
Thiamine is a nutrient that converts carbohydrates into glucose, which keeps the energy levels in the body high, and regulates metabolism. Upon consuming ivy gourd, thiamine enters the blood plasma that generates more energy. This nutrient also helps to manufacture the red blood cells. This energy-boosting vegetable also cures some genetic diseases.
Improved Digestion
Ivy gourd facilitates digestion. It contains fiber that aids in digestion. This vegetable thus adds roughage to the stool and enables smooth bulk elimination. It also cures other gastrointestinal disorders like constipation, ulcers, and disease.
Prevents Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are crystallized form of calcium and other minerals that get deposited in the urinary tract. If the salts exceed the acceptable rate, it can cause kidney stones. The calcium present in this vegetable is healthy and can be combined with other vegetables like spinach to treat kidney stones.
Cures Diseases
This vegetable has shown to cure many diseases. Its anti-oxidant properties are responsible for killing the free radicals responsible for ageing and other degenerative illnesses. It is used to cure fever, asthma, jaundice, leprosy, and resolve bowel problem. It is imperative that you follow the right diet with the ivy gourd included for a few weeks to experience its benefits.
Protection against Allergies
This vegetable has high amounts of saponin, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids and glycosides. These nutrients protect the body from anaphylactic conditions and other allergies, as well.
Treats Infection
The root, fruits, and leaves of the plant are made into a paste to treat scabies and leprosy. While many medicines are available in the market, but ivy gourd is one of the most effective natural remedies. It also works well as an antibiotic against bacterial infections.
Prevents Cancer
The anti-oxidant properties of ivy gourd and the high amounts of beta-carotene can help prevent cancer. These nutrients are known to suppress the growth of tumor cells and so they aid in stopping the multiplication of cancer cells. Include the ivy plant in your diet to reduce your chances of getting cancer.
Improves Heart’s Health
Ivy gourd is a rich source of potassium. This mineral is essential for the optimal health of the heart by regulating blood flow and preventing heart diseases, too.
Uses of Ivy Gourd
Each part of the ivy gourd offers several health benefits. The root is grounded into a paste and given in small doses in children to stop bedwetting. The ivy gourd plant helps treat mouth ulcers. The leaves can be directly wrapped on wounds to reduce swelling. The juice of the leaves can be made into a tonic and consumed as well. The juice treats diabetes, jaundice, and keeps the blood sugar levels in control. The paste can be applied on the affected area for those treating ringworm and eczema. Finally, the fruits of this plant are used as a vegetable.
Side-Effects & Allergies of Ivy Gourd
While for the most part ivy gourd is beneficial to us, it may have side effects in a few cases. The leaves, fruit, and stemare used to make medicines. There can be those for whom ivy gourd can inflict wounds on the skin. The allergic reaction to the plant will appear on the skin. The reaction time will vary based on when the person consumed the food. The allergy can easily be treated with the help of doctors. It is essential to immediately consult the doctor if any reactions are visible on the skin.
Origin And Cultivation of Ivy Gourd
While for the most part ivy gourd is beneficial to us, it may have side effects in a few cases. The leaves, fruit, and stemare used to make medicines. There can be those for whom ivy gourd can inflict wounds on the skin. The allergic reaction to the plant will appear on the skin. The reaction time will vary based on when the person consumed the food. The allergy can easily be treated with the help of doctors. It is essential to immediately consult the doctor if any reactions are visible on the skin.
Diplazium esculentum
Diplazium esculentum. This fern also called "The fiddle head fern", which is the most commonly consumed fern occurs throughout Asia and Oceania.
It is known as pucuk paku and paku tanjung in Malaysia, pakô in the Philippines, dhekia (ঢেকীয়া) in Assam"Dhenkir Shaak (ঢেঁকির শাক) in Bengali ", paloi saag (পালই শাগ ) Sylheti, ningro in Nepali and linguda in northern India, referring to the curled fronds. In Thailand it is known as phak khut (Thai: ผักกูด). They may have mild amounts of fern toxins but no major toxic effects are recorded.
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Aspleniineae
Family: Athyriaceae
Genus: Diplazium
Species: D. esculentum
Binomial name Diplazium esculentum
The genus Diplazium is in the family Athyriaceae, in the eupolypods II clade of the order Polypodiales, in the class Polypodiopsida.
Description
This plant is a large perennial fern with ascending rhizome of about 20 cm high and covered with short rufous scales of about 1 cm long. The plant is bipinnate with long brownish petioles, and the petiole base is black and covered with short scales. The frond can reach 1.5 cm in length, and the pinnae is about 8 cm long and 2 cm wide.
Uses
The young fronds are stir-fried and used in salads.
Pharmacological effects
The extract also had alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity.
It is known as pucuk paku and paku tanjung in Malaysia, pakô in the Philippines, dhekia (ঢেকীয়া) in Assam"Dhenkir Shaak (ঢেঁকির শাক) in Bengali ", paloi saag (পালই শাগ ) Sylheti, ningro in Nepali and linguda in northern India, referring to the curled fronds. In Thailand it is known as phak khut (Thai: ผักกูด). They may have mild amounts of fern toxins but no major toxic effects are recorded.
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Aspleniineae
Family: Athyriaceae
Genus: Diplazium
Species: D. esculentum
Binomial name Diplazium esculentum
The genus Diplazium is in the family Athyriaceae, in the eupolypods II clade of the order Polypodiales, in the class Polypodiopsida.
Description
This plant is a large perennial fern with ascending rhizome of about 20 cm high and covered with short rufous scales of about 1 cm long. The plant is bipinnate with long brownish petioles, and the petiole base is black and covered with short scales. The frond can reach 1.5 cm in length, and the pinnae is about 8 cm long and 2 cm wide.
Uses
The young fronds are stir-fried and used in salads.
Pharmacological effects
The extract also had alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity.