Find Me A Cure

Botanical Name: Ipomopsis aggregata
Family: Polemoniaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales
Genus: Ipomopsis
Species: I. aggregata

Synonyms: Cantua aggregata Pursh, Gilia aggregata (Pursh) Spreng.

Common Names: Skyrocket, Scarlet gilia

Habitat: Ipomopsis aggregata is native to western N. America – Oregon to California to Texas, north to N. Dakota. It grows on dry rocky slopes in sagebrush, scrub and clearings in pine forests to 3000 metres in California.

Description:
Ipomopsis aggregata is a binnial/perennial plant .It has characteristic red, trumpet-shaped flowers and basal leaves stemming from a single erect stem. Depending on elevation, height can range from 12 inches, in Rocky Mountain alpine areas, to over 5 feet, in areas of southern Texas. Trumpet flowers can range from white, red, orange-red, and pink. Pink flowers are especially common in high mesa areas of Colorado, such as the Flat Tops, Grand Mesa, or the Uncompahgre Plateau. Yellow flowers have been reported for plant but are extremely rare. Fernlike leaves are low to the ground, helping encourage warmth in colder areas, and have silver specks and a fine white pubescence. A well known delicacy in nature, Ipomopsis aggregata is well adapted to herbivory, as it can regrow multiple flowering stalks once lost. Although herbivory initially reduces seed and fruit count of the plant, intermediate herbivory and its stimulating factors could lead to the plant growing larger over time. Elk and mule deer are common herbivores on Ipomopsis aggregata. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
The plant needs a well-drained dry soil in sun or partial shade[. Requires a light very well drained fertile soil in full sun. Plants are cold-hardy to about -15°c, but they are susceptible to rot in areas with wet winters. It is best to cover the plants with a pane of glass in wet winter areas. A slow-growing and short-lived perennial or biennial species. A polymorphic species[60]. The leaves have a musky scent. The crushed leaves smell like a skunk.

Propagation:
Through seeds – sow spring in situ. In its first year, the plant appears as a group of leaves, which collect energy into the taproot, from which it rapidly grows in its second year.

Edible Uses: The plant has been boiled up as a tea. The nectar is sucked from the flowers by children.

Medicinal Uses:
The whole plant is cathartic and emetic. The leaves are steeped in hot water until the water turns a bright green, this liquid is taken in small doses as a tonic for the blood. An infusion of the whole plant has been used to treat blood diseases. A decoction has been used as a disinfectant wash on itchy skin. A poultice of the whole plant has been applied to rheumatic joints. An infusion of the roots is used as a laxative and in the treatment of high fevers, colds. Some Plateau Indian tribes boiled it as a drink for kidney health.

Other Uses:
The plant is reported to contain saponins and so could possibly be used as a soap substitute. A decoction of the plant has been used as a face and hair wash by adolescent girls. The whole plant has been boiled up to make a glue.

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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomopsis_aggregata
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ipomopsis+aggregata

Botanical Name: Ipomopsis congesta
Family: Polemoniaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales
Genus: Ipomopsis
Species:I. congesta

Synonyms : Gilia congesta
Common Name: Ballhead ipomopsis

Habitat: Ipomopsis congesta is native to South-western N. America – Oregon to California, eastwards to North Dakota and West Nebraska. It grows on dry open slopes, lowland to high elevations.

Description:
Ipomopsis congesta is a perennial flowering plant which varies in appearance, especially across subspecies and climates. It may take the form of a squat patch with stems under 10 centimeters in height or a more erect form up to 30 centimeters tall. The stems are often hairy to woolly. The thick leaves are usually fork-shaped with a number of clawlike lobes and 1 to 4 centimeters long. The flowers appear in a rounded, dense cluster atop the stem. Each flower is bell-shaped to funnel-shaped and white with a pale yellow throat and protruding yellow or white stamens. There are several subspecies, many of which were formerly considered species of Gilia.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

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

Propagation: Through seeds.

Medicinal Uses: Very good tonic is made from this plant.

Other Uses: Flowers are very beautiful when it blooms in the flower garden.

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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomopsis_congesta
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ipomopsis+congesta

Botanical Name: Justicia gendarussa
Family: Acanthaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Genus: Justicia
Species: J. gendarussa

Synonyms: Gendarussa vulgaris Nees

Common Names: Willow-leaved justicia , Kala adulasa; Sanskrit: Kasanah, ,Lapsulis in Creole Seychelles.

Habitat: Justicia gendarussa is native of China and distributed in Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia. It grows on the beds of streams in moister areas of the Himalayas.

Description:
Justicia gendarussa is an erect, branched shrub . It is a dicotyledonous plant that can reach heights up to 1.5 m. Its leaves are lanceolate, 4–14 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide. The color of the leaves can be white, green or grey and hairy on both sides. They are bitter, acrid and thermogenic. The rather small flowers grow as 4–12 cm long spikes at the end of branches or in leaf axils. The color of the flowers is white or pink with purple spots. The flowers are hermaphrodite and the bark has a dark purple. The capsule of J. gendarussa is about 1.2 cm long and smooth. The plant contains a wide range of biologically active compounds like flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids and phenolic compounds.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Cultivation:
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
It might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas. One report says that it should be grown in a warm greenhouse and treated like a Fuchsia.

Propagation:
Through seed – sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in the greenhouse for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection over the winter.

Medicinal Uses:
Justicia gendarussa was proved to contain several phytochemicals, which are natural secondary plant compounds. Overall in the plant, roots, stem and leaves, following phytochemicals were found: alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenols. The ingredients of the plant may vary depending on the age, physiological stage of the organ parts or the geographic region of cultivation.

The plant was proved to have both anti-microbial and anti-fungal action on selected pathogen strains, and therefore this plant can be used to develop herbal drugs.

Justicia gendarussa leaf extract was proven to potentially become a male, non-hormonally contraceptive method due to its competitive and reversible inhibition of the spermatozoan hyaluronidase enzyme. The plant is already used as traditional contraceptive method in Indonesia.
The plant compound Patentiflorin A contained in Justicia gendarussa has shown to have a positive activity against several HIV strains, higher than the clinically used first anti-HIV drug, zidovudine AZ
Further, extracts of the leaves have an anti-inflammatory effect. This has been demonstrated especially in mice, specific for the carrageenan-induced paw edema.

The juice of the leaves can be drizzled into the ear for earache. To treat external edema, an oil made from the leaves can be used.

Other Uses:
Justicia gendarussa can be considered as a potential phytoremediator. It can absorb high amounts of aluminium, iron and copper in leaves, roots and stems. The problem is that when the plant is used as a phytoremediator, it can no longer be used for medicinal use.
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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justicia_gendarussa
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Justicia+gendarussa

Botanical Name: Khaya anthotheca
Family: Meliaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Genus: Khaya
Species: K. anthotheca

Synonyms: Khaya nyasica Stapf ex Baker f. Garretia anthotheca Welw. Khaya agboensis A.Chev. Khaya euryphylla Harms .

Common Names: Nyasaland, red or white mahogany East African mahogany

Habitat:
Khaya anthotheca is native to Tropical Africa (Guinea Bissau east to Uganda and Tanzania, and south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.) Khaya anthotheca is native to Tropical Africa (Guinea Bissau east to Uganda and Tanzania, and south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.) A canopy tree of lowland rain-forest and riverine fringe forest, from sea level to about 1,500 metres. Prefers terraces and stable, gently sloping riverbeds in riparian forests; grows well on adjacent colluvial slopes at margins of floodplains

Description:
Khaya anthotheca is a deciduous Tree growing to 50 m (164ft) by 30 m (98ft) at a fast rate. They have greyish-brown bark. On mature trees, white scented flowers are borne at the ends of the branches. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 – 28°c, but can tolerate 14 – 36°c. The plant cannot tolerate frosts. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 – 1,600mm, but tolerates 500 – 1,800mm. Requires a position in full sun. Prefers a deep, fertile, medium to light, well-drained soil. Trees tend to be unstable in shallow clay soils. Prefers a pH in the range 5 – 7, tolerating 4.5 – 7.5. In Ghana the average height of seedling trees after 30 months was 2.5 metres and the average stem diameter 4 – 4.5cm. In Côte d’Ivoire, young trees planted in the open in the semi-deciduous forest zone reached an average height of 12 metres and an average bole diameter of 18cm after 10 years. However, trees planted in the evergreen forest zone were only 6 metres tall and 9cm in diameter after 8 years. In Malawi, planted trees reached a height of 8 metres and a diameter of 9cm after 7 years. Trees may already develop fruits when they have a bole diameter of 18cm, but abundant fruiting usually starts at diameters above 70cm. This means that the removal of trees of diameter classes below 70 cm from the forest may result in lack of natural regeneration. For plantations at an age of 30 years, the annual production is 2 – 4 m³/ha. Dispersal of the seeds is by wind. The maximum dispersal distance is over 50 metres, but about 75% of all seeds are dispersed within 30 metres of the parent tree. The tree has a network of surface roots that can cause damage to nearby buildings. Coppices poorl.

Propagation:
Through Seed – which can remain viable for a year or more, but germination is much better from seed sown fresh, often nearly 100%. Sowing in lightly shaded nursery seedbeds has been shown to give better results than sowing in containers. Germination can begin in about 3 weeks. Seedlings are potted up into individual containers when they are about 5cm tall and are then grown on for about 12 months until they are 30cm tall and ready for planting out. The tree has been successfully planted as bare rooted, but use of containerized seedlings yields better results. Seed capsules are clipped from trees when the capsules begin to split. The capsules are sun dried until they split and then shelled by hand. The seed is further dried and then stored in sealed containers in a refrigerator, because viability is lost quickly at ambient air temperature.

Medicinal Uses:
The bitter-tasting bark is widely used in traditional medicine. An infusion is drunk to treat colds and fevers. A decoction or infusion of the bark is taken in the treatment of fevers, colds, pneumonia, abdominal pain, vomiting and gonorrhoea. The pulverized bark is taken as an aphrodisiac and to treat male impotence. Applied externally, the bark is used to treat wounds, sores and ulcers. The oil from the seeds is rubbed into the hair to kill lice. Root decoctions are drunk to treat anaemia, dysentery and rectal prolapse. The use of the bark as an anti-anaemic agent has been confirmed in preliminary tests. The tests also showed the presence of iron (16 mg/100 g), copper (0.7 mg/100g) and ascorbic acid. The stem, bark and seeds contain limonoids.

Other Uses:
Shade tree. Avenue tree. Public open space. Agroforestry Uses: The tree is occasionally planted to provide shade in agroforestry systems. Other Uses A reddish-brown dye can be obtained from the bark. The heartwood is pinkish brown to deep red with a copper reflection; it is more or less distinctly demarcated from the 3 – 8cm wide band of pale brown sapwood. The texture is medium to rather coarse; the grain is straight or interlocked; the wood has an attractive figure with irregular ripple marks. The wood is light to moderately heavy, soft to moderately hard; moderately durable, being resistant to dry wood borers, fairly resistant to fungi, but susceptible to termites. It seasons rapidly, with only a slight risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. The wood is usually fairly easy to saw and work, although the presence of interlocked grain may cause some difficulties; saws should be kept sharp to prevent a woolly finish and a cutting angle of 20° is recommended; it can be finished to a smooth surface, but the use of a filler is required before staining and varnishing; it takes a good polish; it holds nails and screws well, but may split upon nailing; it glues satisfactorily; bending properties are usually poor. The wood peels and slices well, producing an excellent quality of veneer. It turns fairly well. A very valuable wood with a handsome grain, it is used in furniture making, high-class cabinet work, for the production of veneers and for any application where a good quality, medium weight hardwood is needed. Large logs are traditionally used to make dugout canoes. The wood is suitable for fuel and can be used to make charcoal.

Known Hazards : The leaves are said to be used for making an arrow-poison. The wood dust may cause irritation to the skin.

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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaya_anthotheca
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Khaya+anthotheca

Botanical Name: Leplaea cedrata
Family: Meliaceae
Subfamily: Melioideae
Tribe: Guareeae
Genus: Leplaea
Species: Leplaea cedrata

Synonyms: Guarea alatipetiolata De Wild. Guarea cedrata (A.Chev.) Pellegr. Khaya canaliculata De Wild. Trichil

Common Names: Light bossé or Scented guarea

Habitat: : Leplaea cedrata is native to Tropical Africa – Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. It is threatened by habitat loss.. It grows in the lowland rain-forest to semi-deciduous forest. A canopy and sub-canopy tree of evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, occurring at elevations ranging from sea-level to 1,300 metres.

Description:
Leplaea cedrata is an Evergreen, large tree up to 45(–55) m tall; bole branchless for up to 26 (–41) m, usually straight and cylindrical, sometimes fluted, up to 150(–200) cm in diameter, sometimes with spreading, blunt buttresses up to 3 m high. The plant is not self-fertile. The bark surface is greyish to yellowish brown and smooth but exfoliating in small circular scales leaving concentric rings of markings (mussel shell pattern), inner bark pinkish or reddish pale brown, fibrous, with cedar-like smell.
Heartwood initially a pale pinkish brown, darkening with age to a more golden to medium brown. Pale yellowish sapwood is well defined. Can be highly figured, with grain patterns such as pommele being sought after in veneer form. Grain is irregular, wavy or interlocked, slightly moiré. Texture is medium to fine, with a good natural luster. The wood has a cedar-like smell when fresh. It may have a gummy exudate.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
ALeplaea cedrata is a plant of the moister, lowland tropics up to elevations of 1,100 metres. It is found in regions with more than 1,600 mm annual rainfall and attains its highest density in regions with 2,000 mm annual rainfall. Prefers a well-drained soil, tolerating infertile soils. The tree is classified as a shade-bearer. Seedlings are most common in the shade, although they are occasionally found in full sunlight. They are often even common in deep shade, where they can survive for a long time. All sizes of seedlings and saplings are less abundant in forest affected by recent logging, in comparison with undisturbed, not too dense forest. However, for further development, some opening of the forest canopy seems essential. Initial growth of seedlings is slow, less than 30 cm after 1 year. They show their best growth at 10% of full sunlight. If they are exposed to more sunlight after 1 year, growth may speed up, reaching annual growth rates of up to 1 metre in height in plots managed by the tropical shelterwood system. In Guinea trees planted in the understorey showed a mortality of about 50% and reached a mean height of 2.5 – 3 metres at 6 years of age, for those planted in forest paths the mortality was 25 – 30% but the height only 1.2 metres, and all seedlings planted in full sun died within 2 years. It is recommended to start thinning the upper storey of the forest 4 years after planting so that the saplings receive progressively more light. Planted trees in Ghana reached a height of up to 15 metres and 19 cm in bole diameter in 14 years. Under natural conditions in Cote d’Ivoire an average annual diameter increment of 2.9 mm was recorded, and in Ghana it was 3.2 – 5.5 mm. In Nigeria it has been estimated that it takes more than 170 years for the trees to reach 100 cm in bole diameter. Trees can flower and produce fruit twice a year, or even all year round in some areas. The ripe fruits often develop at the beginning of the dry season. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Medicinal Uses:
The bark is used in traditional medicine. Bark decoctions or macerations are taken to treat stomach-ache, food poisoning and gonorrhoea, and used as a wash against kidney pain, bleeding after childbirth, rheumatism and leprosy. An essential oil and limonoids, including dregeanin, have been isolated from the bark.

Other Uses:
Agroforestry Uses: The trees are sometimes left after forest clearing to serve as shade trees for coffee and cocoa plantations. Other Uses The bark contains an essential oil, which consists exclusively of sesquiterpenes, with as major constituents ß -caryophyllene (45%) and globulol (11%). The heartwood is pale pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to reddish brown upon exposure. It is usually distinctly demarcated from the yellowish white, 5 – 10 cm wide sapwood. The grain is straight or interlocked, texture fine to moderately coarse. The wood sometimes shows a mottled or curly figure, and has a cedar-like smell when fresh. It may have a gummy exudate. The wood is medium-weight, moderately durable and only occasionally attacked by termites and pinhole borers. It is usually fairly easy to saw and work, with moderate blunting effects on cutting edges because the wood contains some silica (up to 1.0%). It can be finished to a smooth surface, but there may be a slight tendency to pick up in planing quarter-sawn material and gum may appear at the surfaces. The wood holds nails and screws well, but may split upon nailing. It glues satisfactorily except when gum is present; the use of a filler is recommended for staining and polishing. The bending properties are usually satisfactory. The heartwood is strongly resistant to impregnation, the sapwood permeable to moderately resistant. The wood is valued for house building, flooring, joinery, interior trim, panelling, window frames, doors, ship building, vehicle bodies, furniture, cabinet work, decorative boxes, crates, veneer and plywood. It is suitable for musical instruments, toys, novelties, carving and turnery, but gum exudation may have adverse effects on the products. Good-quality veneer can be produced by both rotary cutting and slicing, the wood is also suitable for pulping to make paper. Traditionally, the wood is used for dug-out canoes. The wood is also used as fuel wood and for charcoal production

Known Hazards : The wood dust may cause irritation to the skin. The bark is used locally as a fish poison.

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:
https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Leplaea_cedrata
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Leplaea+cedrata