Month: September 2011

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Herbs & Plants

Buddleia officinalis

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Botanical Name : Buddleia officinalis
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Tribe: Buddlejeae
Genus: Buddleja
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales

Synonyms  : Buddleja officinalis

Common Names:Butterfly Bush,Mi Meng Hua

Habitat ; Buddleia officinalis  is native to E. Asia – western China. River valleys of Szechwan in dry rocky areas to 1000 metres. It grows on the cliffs, scrub and waste places at elevations up to 1,000 metres

Description:
Buddleia officinalis is an evergreen Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft 7in).
It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Dec to February. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera.The plant is not self-fertile.

click to see the pictures:…>…...(01).…..…(1)..………(2).………..(3).…

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils.

It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Cultivation:
Requires a sunny position. Prefers a rich loamy soil but succeeds in most well-drained soils. Very tolerant of alkaline soils. Requires a site sheltered from the wind because the leaves are easily damaged. Tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c, this species is hardy in Cornwall but not in most parts of Britain. It resprouts freely from the base if cut back by severe weather. A very ornamental plant, it hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants flower on the current years growth and can be pruned back hard in spring to encourage freer flowering. An excellent plant for bees and butterflies. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation
Seed – cold stratify for 4 weeks at 4°c and surface sow the seed in February/March in a greenhouse (the pre-chilling might not be required for this species). Germination usually takes place within 3 – 4 weeks at 21°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Seedlings are inclined to damp off and so should be watered with care and kept well-ventilated. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Use short side-shoots. Very high percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season’s growth, 15 – 20cm long, October/November in a frame.

Medicinal Uses:
Antispasmodic;  Febrifuge;  Ophthalmic.

Febrifuge. The flowers and flower buds are antispasmodic, slightly cholagogue and ophthalmic. They have an action similar to vitamin P, reducing the permeability and fragility of the blood vessels of the skin and small intestine. They are used in the treatment of various eye problems. They are also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, hepatitis and hernia. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of collyrium. Also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, hepatitis and hernia

The flowers and flower buds have an action similar to vitamin P, reducing the permeability and fragility of the blood vessels of the skin and small intestine. They are used in the treatment of various eye problems like night blindness, cataract and eyestrain. They are also used in the treatment of gonorrhea, hepatitis and hernia. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of collyrium. Also used in the treatment of gonorrhea, hepatitis and hernia.  The root has been used for asthma and coughing with blood. Leaf used as decoction for collyrium, used in gonorrhea, hepatitis, hernia.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddleja_officinalis
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Buddleia+officinalis
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_LMN.htm

http://www.naturalherbalextracts.com/Natural-Herbal-Extracts/Buddleja-Officinalis-Extract.html

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Herbs & Plants

Argemone mexicana

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Botanical Name :Argemone mexicana
Family: Papaveraceae
Genus: Argemone
Species: A. mexicana
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales

Synonyms:   A. ochroleuca

Common Names : Mexican poppy, Mexican prickly poppy, cardo or cardosanto, Prickly Poppy.   In Bengali it is called sheyal kanta

Habitat :  Argemone mexicana  is native to   South-western N. America. Naturalized in C. and S. Europe. It grows on the dry soils along roadsides and in waste places and fields.  

Description;

Argemone mexicana is a perennial plant, growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 8. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)The plant is self-fertile.
Argemone species such as Mexican poppies have a continuous display of yellow, white or red poppy like flowers, which are very fragrant, from late summer to early autumn. They are best grown in the mid section of borders as they have a very spiky foliage.

click to see the pictures.……(01)....(1)..……....(2)..…....(3).…....(4)…

Cultivation:
Easily grown in a light soil in a sunny position. Does best in a poor well-drained soil. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Usually grown as a hardy annual in Britain. It resents being transplanted and should be sown in situ.

Propagation:
Seed – sow April in situ[200]. The seed usually germinates in 3 – 4 weeks at 15°c

Chemical constituents:
The seeds contain 22–36% of a pale yellow non-edible oil, called argemone oil or katkar oil, which contains the toxic alkaloids sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine. Four quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, dehydrocorydalmine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, and oxyberberine, have been isolated from the whole plant of Argemone mexicana

Medicinal Uses:
The fresh latex of Mexican poppy contains protein-dissolving constituents, and is used to treat warts, cold sores, and blemishes on the lips. The whole plant acts as a mild painkiller.  An infusion of the seeds—in small quantities—is used in Cuba as a sedative for children suffering from asthma.  In greater quantities, the oil in the seeds is purgative.  The flowers are expectorant, and are good for treating coughs and other chest conditions.
The juice of the plant has a rubifacient and slightly caustic effect; used straight for warts, diluted for skin ulcerations, externally.  The fresh juice, greatly diluted, has a long traditional history as a treatment for opacities of the cornea.  The preserved juice, with three or four parts water, can be used for heat rash, hives, and jock itch.  One-half teaspoon in water in the morning for a few days will lessen the irritability of urethra and prostate inflammations.  The whole plant can be boiled into a strong tea and used for bathing sunburned and abraded areas for relief of pain. The dried plant is a feeble opiate and helps to reduce pain and bring sleep, a rounded tablespoon in t4ea.  The seeds are a strong cathartic, a teaspoon or two crushed in water and drunk. They have somewhat of a sedative and narcotic effect when eaten and have traditionally been smoked alone or with tobacco.

The Seri of Sonora, Mexico use the entire plant both fresh and dried. An infusion is made to relieve kidney pain, to help expel a torn placenta, and in general to help cleanse the body after parturition.

When the Spanish arrived in Sonora they added this plant to their pharmacopia and called it cardosanto, which should not be mistranslated to blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus). Use in Hispanic cultures includes as a sedative and analgesiac tea, including for use to help alleviate migrane headaches. The seeds are taken as a laxative.

The seed-pods secrete a pale-yellow latex substance when cut open. This argemone resin contains berberine and protopine, and is used medicinally as a sedative.[citation needed]

Argemone mexicana is used by traditional healers in Mali to treat malaria.

Katkar oil poisoning causes epidemic dropsy, with symptoms including extreme swelling, particularly of the legs.

Other Uses :
Essential; Oil.

A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed, used for lighting, soap etc. A medicinal fixed oil is obtained from the seed.

Known Hazards :  All parts of the plant, including the seed, contain toxic alkaloids

Toxin rendering:
The seeds resemble the seeds of Brassica nigra (mustard). As a result, mustard can be adulterated by argemone seeds, rendering it poisonous. Several significant instances of katkar poisoning have been reported in India, Fiji, South Africa and other countries. The last major outbreak in India occurred in 1998. 1% adulteration of mustard oil by argemone oil has been shown to cause clinical disease

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argemone_mexicana
http://www.plant-biology.com/Argemone-Mexican-poppy.php
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_LMN.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Argemone+mexicana

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Meadow rue

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Botanical Name :Thalictrum aquilegifolium
Family : Ranunculaceae – Buttercup family
Genus : Thalictrum L. – meadow-rue
Species: Thalictrum aquilegifolium L. – columbine meadow-rue
Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision : Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Order : Ranunculales

Common Name : Columbine-leaved meadow rue

Habitat :Meadow-rues are usually found in shaded or damp locations, with a sub-cosmopolitan range throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and also south to southern Africa and tropical South America, but absent from Australasia. It is most common in temperate regions of the world, twenty-two species are found in North America.

Description:
Meadow Rue is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant.The leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound, commonly glaucous blue-green in colour.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
The flowers are small and apetalous (no petals), but have numerous long stamens, often brightly white, yellow, pink or pale purple, and are produced in conspicuous dense inflorescences. In some species (e.g. T. chelidonii, T. tuberosum), the sepals are large, brightly coloured and petal-like, but in most they are small and fall when the flower opens or soon after.

Medicinal Uses;
Meadow rue is a purgative and diuretic.  It is a bitter digestive tonic that contains berberine or a similar alkaloid.  The leaves were sometimes added to spruce beer in the 19th century as a digestive tonic.

Other Uses:
Thalictrum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Setaceous Hebrew Character.

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.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalictrum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thalictrum_aquilegifolium_02.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thalictrum_aquilegifolium_02.jpg
http://www.hort.net/gallery/view/ran/thaaq00

http://search.myway.com/search/GGcached.jhtml?pg=GGmain&ord=1&action=click&searchfor=Thalictrum%2Baquilegifolium&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fplants.usda.gov%2Fjava%2Fprofile%3Fsymbol%3DTHAQ&isDirResults=false&tpr=sbt&cid=Q1_eOsCTSrkJ&st=site&ptnrS=mw&ct=GC

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Maianthemum canadense

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Botanical Name : Maianthemum canadense
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Nolinoideae
Genus: Maianthemum
Species: M. canadense
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales

syn.: Maianthemum canadense var. interius Fern., Maianthemum canadense var. pubescens Gates & Ehlers, Unifolium canadense (Desf.) Greene

Common Names :Canadian May-lily, Canada Mayflower, False Lily-of-the-valley, Canadian Lily-of-the-valley, Wild Lily-of-the-valley, Two-leaved Solomonseal

Habitat :Maianthemum canadense is  native to the sub-boreal conifer forests in Canada and the northern United States, from Yukon and British Columbia east to Newfoundland and south to Nebraska and Pennsylvania, and also in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. It can be found growing under both evergreen and deciduous trees.

Description;
It grows to 10–25 cm tall, and has 1–3 leaves, with clusters of 12–25 starry shaped, white flowers held above the leaves. The flowers are produced from late spring to mid summer, and have 4 tepals and 4 stamens, as in the very closely related Maianthemum bifolium and Maianthemum dilatatum. The fruit is a berry containing 1–2 round seeds that becomes red and translucent when ripe. The berries are mottled red in early summer and turn deep red in mid summer. Seed is produced infrequently and most plants in a location are vegetative clones, the plants spreading by their rhizomes, which are shallow, trailing, and white.
...CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Leaves are alternate, stalkless, oval, and slightly notched at base. They are not oppressed to the stem. The plant appears in two forms, either two or three leaves growing with a fruiting stem, or a single leaf rising from the ground with no fruiting structures.

Medicinal Uses:
A tea made from the plant has been used in the treatment of headaches and as a kidney tonic for pregnant women. It is also used as a gargle for sore throats and as an expectorant.

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.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maianthemum_canadense
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_LMN.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maianthemum_canadense.jpg

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Cacalia decomposita

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Botanical Name :Cacalia decomposita
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribus: Senecioneae
Genus: Psacalium
Species: Psacalium decompositum
Order: Asterales

Synonym :Psacalium decompositum  (Gray) H.E. Robins. & Brett.

Common Name : Cacalia decomposita Desert Indianbrush, Indian plantain, Matarique, Maturi

Habitat : Native to Maxico

Description;
Cacalia decomposita is a  Perennial herb.Grows to a height of 3ft to 6 ft.Flowers are flat top cluster of small flower heads each containing five or more white to yellowish green flowers; five lobes; stiff, slender bracts. Blooms during summer….

click to see the pictures.
Foliage: Undersides of leaves and stems have a waxy, white coating; leaves are irregular, fan shaped; coarsely lobed or toothed

Medicinal Uses:
Folk uses include diabetes, as a purgative, sprains and strains (external), and wounds (Kay 1996).

The roots are used to treat adult-onset, insulin-resistant diabetes.  An eighth of an ounce is taken in a cold infusion once or twice a day for several days, then handing to Bricklebush for maintenance.  Maturique seems to be the best initial therapy when a person is overweight, soft and tired.  But it is strong and most people who use it slip into a gentler approach for the long haul. The root tea or tincture is an excellent liniment for sprains, hyperextensions, and acute arthritis.  Folk uses also includes the plant as a purgative, and wounds.  The dried rhizome and root  may work to prevent gluconeogenesis (the formation of glycogen from noncarbohydrates such as protein or fat, by conversion of the later into glucose) in the liver. Its method of action is unclear, but it appears to dramatically lower serum-glucose.

Known Hazards:
Contains toxic pyrrolizidine-like alkaloids. Plants containing these alkaloids have caused fatalities (Kay 1996)

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.azcert.org/medical-pros/herbs/plantDetail.cfm?plantID=65
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/wildflowers/cacalia_atriplicifolia.html
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?430221
http://www.madrean.org/maba/symbflora/taxa/index.php?taxon=2287
http://131.230.176.4/imgs/pso/r/Asteraceae_Cacalia_decomposita_2709.html
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_LMN.htm
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/psacalium_decompositum.html

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