Month: January 2010

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Herbs & Plants

Acalypha Australis – L.

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Botanical Name:Acalypha Australis – L.
Family : Euphorbiaceae
Genus : Acalypha
Synonyms :  Acalypha chinensis – L., Acalypha pauciflora – Hornem.,Acalypha virgata – Thunb. non L
Habitat: E. Asia – China, Japan. Waste places and cultivated fields in lowland areas all over Japan. Disturbed habitats such as cultivated fields, roadsides and riverbanks.

Description:
Annual  Herb growing to  10–50 cm high. Leaves with lamina ovate, 2–4 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, margins toothed, sparsely pubescent; petiole at least as long as the lamina. Male inflorescences 1–2 cm long. Female flowers 1 or 2, concealed within bract c. 10–15 mm diam., peduncle c. 10 mm long. Fruit c. 3 mm diam.

You may click to see the pictures  of Acalypha Australis       
……
It is hardy to zone 0. It is in flower from July to November. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant)

Cultivation:
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Medicinal Action & Uses:-
Depurative; Febrifuge; Vulnerary.

Febrifuge, detoxifies, vulnerary

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Acalypha+australis
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acalypha~australis
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Acalypha_australis

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Yoga

Get Rid Of Diabetes & Obsesity Through These Yoga Practices

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The following are some basic Asanas or Yoga Poses for Obesity and Diabetes:

Easy Pose (Sukhasana)_...click to see
This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and is usually performed after doing the Corpse Pose. The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down metabolism, promoting inner tranquility, and keeping your mind still.

Shoulder Stretches:-…...click to see
Shoulder Stretches are great in relieving stress and tension on your shoulders, as well as your entire upper back. Practice them daily for several weeks and notice the changes. Learn some basic stretches for the shoulders in this section.

Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar):-…..click to see
The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a Yoga Pose which limbers up the whole body in preparation for the Yoga Asanas. It is a graceful sequence of twelve Yoga positions performed as one continuous exercise. Learn how to practice Sun Salutation in this section.

Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana):-..click to see
If done properly, the Half Spinal Twist lengthens and strengthens the spine. It is also beneficial for your liver, kidneys, as well as adrenal glands. Practice this Yoga Pose under the supervision of a Yoga instructor. In this section, learn how to perform the Half Spinal Twist.

Stand Spread Leg Forward Fold:-….click to see
Practicing the Standing Spread Leg Forward Fold can strengthen and stretch your inner and back legs and your spine. People with lower back problems should avoid doing the full forward bend. For beginners, you may use props like a folding chair to support your forearms.

Tree Pose (Tadasana):-…. click to see
The Tree Pose helps strengthen your thighs, calves, ankles and back. It can also increase the flexibility of your hips and groin. Your balance and concentration can also be improved with constant practice. This Yoga Pose is recommended for people who have sciatica and flat feet.

Double Leg Raises:-...click to see
A Double Leg Raise is similar to a Single Leg Raise, only this time, you will raise both legs. In doing this Yoga Pose, make sure that the full length of your back is resting on the floor and your shoulders and neck are relaxed. This section covers the steps and guidelines on how to do this pose properly.

Fish Pose (Matsyasana):-...click to see
Doing the Fish Pose relieves stiffness of the neck and shoulder muscles and improves flexibility of your spine. It is the counter-pose of the Shoulderstand. Hold the Fish Pose for at least half the amount of time you spent in the Shoulderstand in order to balance the stretch.

Yoga Exercise – Corpse Pose (Savasana):-...click to see
The Corpse Yoga Pose is considered as a classic relaxation Yoga Pose and is practiced before or in between Asanas as well as a Final Relaxation. While it looks deceptively simple, it is actually difficult to perform. Learn more on how to do it with the help of this article.

Kapalabhati:-…..click to see
Kapalabhati is a Breathing Technique used specifically for cleansing. If you have a lot of mucus in the air passages or feel tension and blockages in the chest it is often helpful to breathe quickly. This article will introduce you to this breathing techniques and show you its its benefits.

Simple Meditation Technique…..click to see
This Meditation process is good to induce relaxation response and promotes a peaceful and relaxed mind. Meditation has also been scientifically proven to have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and aiding the asthmatics in their breathing.

Anuloma Viloma…...click to see
Anuloma Viloma is also called the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril. Learn how to do this technique for beginners by following the steps found in this article.

Relaxation Pose:-...click to see.
There are three parts to proper relaxation – physical, mental and spiritual relaxation. Relaxation Yoga Pose relaxes your body and mind, and makes you feel refreshed after doing the Asanas and the pranayama. This is why it is an essential part of Yoga practice. Source

Source: Yoga.am  14th.Jan.2010

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Herbs & Plants

Acaenia anserinifolia

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Botanical Name: Acaenia anserinifolia
Family : Rosaceae
Subfamilia: Rosoideae:
Genus : Acaenia
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Ordo: Rosales
Tribus: Sanguisorbeae
Subtribus: Sanguisorbinae
Genus: Acaena
Species: Acaena anserinifolia

Synonyms: Acaena novae-zelandiae Kirk
Common Name: Pirri-Pirri Bur,  Bidibid, hutiwai, piripiri
Habitat:Eastern Australia, New Zealand. Naturalized in Britain. Open positions from lowland to the montane zone in North, South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand.  Ground Cover;

Description:

Acaenia anserinifolia is a stoloniferous, prostrate, evergreen trailing and perennial herb, forming diffuse to dense patches up to 1 m diam. Prostrate stems 1-1.5 mm diam. and < 1 m long, erect stems 1-1.5 mm diam., < 150 mm long (unless scrambling up through surrounding vegetation, in which case taller). Leaves 10-75 mm long, stipules 3-8-fid, leaflets 9-13, oblong, 4-17 x 2-9 mm, 7-15-toothed to base, dull green to yellow-green, basal leaves often mottled brown, upper surface sparsely to densely hairy, undersides paler, glaucescent to silvery, and very silky hairy, teeth tipped with a tuft of brush-like hairs. Inflorescence scape 40-120 mm long, covered in long, appressed hairs. Capitulum 5-8 mm diam. at flowering, 10-20 mm diam. (including spines) at fruiting; florets c. 50-60; sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers white or rose; style 1; white; achene 1. Fruit obconic, 3 x 12 mm, hairy, spines 4, pale brown, 4-9 mm long, barbed.

It is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The flower colours are Red,Pink & White. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.Fruiting time is December – April
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. Requires a warm position. Adaptable to poorly-drained soils in Australia. A very invasive plant, spreading freely by its procumbent rooting stems. It is low-growing, however, and so can be grown as a ground cover amongst taller plants.

Propagation:
Seed – sow March in a greenhouse. Germination, which can be very poor, usually takes place within 1 – 3 months at 10°c. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots, planting them out in the summer. Division in April or October. Very easy, the plants can be divided at any time of the year if required, though it will need to be done in a greenhouse during the winter months. Cuttings – August in a cold frame.

Edible Uses
Edible Uses: Tea.

The leaves are used as a substitute for tea.

Medicinal Uses.

Antiphlogistic; Diuretic; Vulnerary.

The leaves are antiphlogistic, carminative, diuretic and vulnerary.

Other Uses:-
Ground cover.

A good ground-cover plant, tolerating some treading. A carpeting plant, rooting as it spreads.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Acaenia+anserinifolia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Acaena_anserinifolia
http://luirig.altervista.org/photos/a/acaena_anserinifolia.htm
http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/plant%20portraits%20a/acaena%20anserinifolia.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACNO7

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1436

 

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China Jute (Abutilon theophrasti – Medik.)

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Botanical Name : Abutilon theophrasti – Medik.
Family :  Malvaceae
Genus :  Abutilon
Synonyms: Abutilon avicennae – Gaertn., Sida abutilon – L.

Common Names:Indian Mallow. Abutilon Theophrasti, Medic. (Abutilon Avicennoe, Gaertn.). Velvet Leaf, American Jute, Butter Print

Habitat: Asia – tropical. Naturalised in S.E. Europe and the Mediterranean.  Cultivated ground and waste places in the Mediterranean.Cultivated Beds.
Range: Maine to South Dakota, southward to Florida and Texas.

Description:
Annual growing to 1m.
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf from May to October, in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)
Time of bloom: July to October.  Seed-time: August to November.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Stem stout, erect, round, softly hairy, three to six feet in height, and branching widely. Leaves alternate, pointed-heart-shaped, three inches to nearly a foot broad, velvety above and below with a dense coat of exceedingly fine, soft hair; petioles slender and nearly as long as the blades. Flowers solitary in the axils, each about a half-inch broad, with five yellow petals and a velvety green, five-lobed calyx, many stamens, united in a ring around the several pistils which are also united at the base, but distinct above, projecting beyond the stamens. The compound seed-vessel is much larger than the flower, being about an inch broad, composed of a ring of twelve to fifteen awn-tipped carpels, splitting at the top when ripe and each containing three to nine seeds, which are rounded kidney-shaped, grayish brown, slightly rough, about one-eighth of an inch long. These seeds are shaken from the carpels by winter winds and blown for long distances over crusted snow.

Cultivation:-
Requires full sun or part day shade and a fertile well-drained soil. Tolerates a pH in the range 5 to 8.2. This species is cultivated for its fibre in China and Russia where it succeeds as far north as latitude 56°n in W. Siberia. It is hardier and more disease-resistant than Jute (Corchorus spp.). Introduced to N. America in the eighteenth century, it has become a pestilential weed in many parts of the country.

Propagation:-
Seed – sow early April in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 2 – 3 weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May or June, after the last expected frosts. An outdoor sowing in April to early May in situ could also be tried, especially in those areas with warm summers.

Edible Uses:-
Edible Parts: Fruit; Seed.

Seeds – raw or cooked. They can be eaten raw when they are under-ripe. The ripe seed is dried and ground into a powder then used in soups, bread etc. It is washed first to remove any bitterness. The seed contains about 17.4% protein, 16% fat, 33.8% carbohydrate, 4.4% ash. Unripe fruit – raw. This is really more of a seedpod[K].

Composition:-
Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.

Seed (Fresh weight)
0 Calories per 100g
*Water: 0%
*Protein: 17.4g; Fat: 16g; Carbohydrate: 33.8g; Fibre: 0g; Ash: 4.4g;
*Minerals – Calcium: 0mg; Phosphorus: 0mg; Iron: 0mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 0mg; Zinc: 0mg;
*Vitamins – A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 0mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0mg; Niacin: 0mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;

Medicinal Uses:-
Astringent; Demulcent; Diuretic; Emollient; Laxative; Ophthalmic; Poultice; Stomachic.

Ophthalmic. Used in the treatment of dysentery and opacity of the cornea. The leaves contain 0.01% rutin and are used as a demulcent. A tea made from the dried leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery and fevers. A poultice of the leaves is applied to ulcers. The bark is astringent and diuretic. A tea made from the dried root is used in the treatment of dysentery and urinary incontinence. It is also used to treat fevers. The seed is powdered and eaten in the treatment of dysentery, stomach-aches etc. It is demulcent, diuretic, emollient, laxative and stomachic.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Other Uses:-
Fibre; Oil; Paper.

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a jute substitute. It is coarse but flexible and strong. It is also used in rope-making. It takes dyes well. The fibre is also used for making paper, the stems are harvested in the summer, the leaves removed and the stems steamed in order to remove the fibres. The seeds contain about 19% of a semi-drying oil.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Abutilon+theophrasti
http://chestofbooks.com/flora-plants/weeds/Manual-Of-Weeds/Indian-Mallow-Abutilon-Theophrasti-Medic-Abutilon-Avicen.html
http://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/dgpar/arico/herbierv/malvherbier-abuth.htm

 

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Desert Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa – S.Watson.)

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Botanical Name : Abronia villosa – S.Watson.
Family : Nyctaginaceae
Common names: desert sand verbena, yellow hairy sand verbena
Genus : Abronia

Habitat: South-western N. America – Nevada and Arizona to California. Found in creosote bush scrub from sea level to elevations of 2500 metres in California.Cultivated Beds;

Description:
Annual,glandular-hairy growing to 0.1m by 0.5m.
It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)
CLICK  & SEE THE PICTURES

Stem: prostrate to ascending, < 80 cm
Leaf: petiole 0.5–5 cm; blade 1–5 cm, 1–4.5 cm wide, triangular-ovate to ± round
Inflorescence: peduncle 2–10 cm; bracts 3–11 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate; flowers 15–35
Flower: perianth tube 1.3–3.5 cm, ± pink, limb 6–18 mm wide, pale to bright magenta
Fruit: 5–10 mm; base of flower tube hardened as a beak on top of fruit body; wings 3–5, thin, rounded or angled, or 0
Ecology: Sandy places in creosote-bush or coastal-sage scrub

Cultivation :-
Prefers a light well-drained sandy soil in full sun. This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the southern part of the country, especially if given a warm sheltered site. Seed is rarely ripened on plants growing in Britain.

Propagation:-
Seed – sow autumn or early spring very shallowly in pots of sandy soil in a greenhouse. Germination can be very slow unless you peel off the outer skin and pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water. The seed usually germinates in 1 – 2 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Medicinal  Actions and Uses:-
The plant is used to induce the flow of urine. A poultice of the mashed roots has been used to treat burns.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Abronia+villosa
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ABVI
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=22
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5194,5195,5206

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