Categories
Herbs & Plants

Schoenocaulon officinale

Botanical Name : Schoenocaulon officinale
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Schoenocaulon
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Liliales

Synonyms: : Asagraea officinalis (Schecht. & Cham.) Lindl., Helonias officinalis D. Don, Sabadilla officinarum Brandt, Veratrum officinale Schlecht. & Cham., Veratrum sabadilla Retz.

Common Name: Sabadilla

Habitat : Schoenocaulon officinale is native to Southern United States & Peru.It grows on brushy or grassy slopes, usually in pine or oak forest, mostly in rather dry and exposed places, sometimes on moist or wet slopes, chiefly at elevations of 500 – 2,000 metres.

Description:
Schoenocaulon officinale is a perennial flowering plant growing up to 1 metre tall from an underground bulb.
The plant is used locally as an insecticide. The seed has been widely used in the past as a means of ridding the body of both internal and external parasites – large quantities of the seeds used to be exported from Venezuela to Europe

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES.

Propagation: By seeds

Medicinal Uses:
Rarely used internally now. It is occasionally used in combination with other herbs to treat rheumatism and gout. It has been used in homeopathic medicine in cases of hysteria, headache, and migraine, Externally, in the form of extracts, sabadilla has been employed mainly to remove head lice. Veratria is useful as an ointment in rheumatism and neuralgia, but is regarded as being less valuable than aconite. The ointment is also employed for the destruction of pedicule. Applied to unbroken skin it produces tingling and numbness, followed by coldness and anaesthesia. Given subcutaneously, it causes violent pain and irritation, in addition to the symptoms following an internal dose.

Other Uses: The seeds are used as an insecticide. They contain veratrin

Known Hazards: The seeds contain alkaloids that are poisonous

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/Schoenocaulon
http://henriettes-herb.com/plants/schoenocaulon/officinale.html
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Schoenocaulon+officinale

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Senna grandis

Botanical Name :Senna grandis
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Cassia
Species: C. grandis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Names ; :Pink Shower Tree,Stinking Toe,Carao in Spanish

Habitat :Native to Central America. The species is distributed from southern México, to Venezuela and Ecuador. It grows in forests and open fields at lower elevations, and is known to be planted as an ornamental.

Description:

Cassia grandis is a large tree with a dense, umbrella-shaped canopy and smooth pale gray bark. The leaves are large and each of them is composed of about 16 pairs of leaflets.

The leaflets have two-toned coloration with green above and maroon below. During the tree short leafless period, between March and April, the tree produces abundant flowers in long axillary racemes. Their display pastel shades of pink and orange, covering the entire crown, since the name Pink Shower. Each flower has five large, lavender sepals and five rounded, peach colored petals, three large stamens and a long, curved pistil. The petals are not uniform in shape and the uppermost petal has a yellow patch in the end.

Fruits are produce from the long pistils as they begin to expand. First, they are visible as green strings dangling below foliage, than as they reach full size and begin to mature, they turn brown and start drying, becoming woody. Each fruit is about 40cm long and cylindrical in shape. Inside they have compartments with papery walls containing flattened, round, tan-colored seeds and large quantities of thick, strong smelling and dark colored honey-like substance with an unpleasant smell. The fruits persist on the tree all year.

The tree’s leaves are pinnate and deciduous, with 10-20 pairs of leaflets of 3-5 cm (1-2 in). During the dry season, the tree sheds its old leaves, giving way to racemes of pastel pink flowers. The long, wood-like fruit capsules reach lengths of up to 50 cm (20 in) and have many seeds, which are separated by resinous membranes that taste somewhat like carob.It is easily grown from seed and can reach a height of over 50 feet. Can be used as an indoor container plant…

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

Medicinal Uses:
Dark juice of pod is taken as a tonic drink for anemia, tiredness, malaise—remove seeds from pods, strain juice and mix with 50% water or milk; drink 1 cup daily.  Juice of fresh leaves is applied to ringworm, fungus, or other skin problems.  For kidney complaints, water retention, backache, or biliousness, boil 3 small branches with leaves in 3 cups water for 10 minutes and drink in sips all day in place of water.  One half cup of fresh leaves infused in 3 cups water and consumed will serve as a diuretic and eliminate toxins from the body tissue.  An infusion of young leaves is used for diabetes.  For a mild laxative and blood tonic, boil ½ cup fresh leaves in 1 cup water for 2 minutes and drink.

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/Cassia_grandis
http://www.especiesseeds.com/servlet/the-770/Senna-grandis–dsh–Tropical/Detail
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm
http://green-24.de/forum/ftopic14492.html

http://ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=2433

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Argyreia nervosa

Botanical Name : Argyreia speciosa
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Argyreia
Species: A. nervosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Solanales
Synonyms: Argyreia speciosa, Convolvulus nervosus, Convolvulus speciosus.
Common Names: Baby Hawaiian Woodrose, Baby Woodrose, Cordon Seda, Coup D’Air, Elephant Creeper, , Adhoguda or Vidhara, Liane A Minguet, Liane D’ Argent, Samudrasokh, Silver Morning Glory, Woolly Morning Glory.

Habitat : Native to eastern India and Bangladesh, Argyreia nervosa, Baby Hawaiian Woodrose has become panTropical.  Now introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa and the Caribbean, it can be invasive, although is often prized for its aesthetic value. Common names include Hawaiian Baby Woodrose,

Description:
Perennial climber, height of  vine is  10m.

click to see the pictures.>…..(01)....(1)..….…(2)..….(3).…....(4).…...(5)...

Flower: clusters of trumpets, 5cm (about 2 inches) violet/lavender inside with a deep coloured throat, white with fine hairs outside. The plant can start growing flowers as early as 18 months from seed. For this to occur, there must be sufficient watering and adequate room for the roots to grow; it can take up to five years for the first signs of flowering to become visible.
Fruit: “Woodrose”; globular berry, 1 to 2cm diameter, with rosette of “wooden” petals. Often sold for dried flower arrangements/pot-pourri.

Foliage: 15 to 40cm long cordate (heart-shaped) prominently nerved leaves, felted (tomentose) beneath with minute silky hairs.

Seeds :
The seeds are found in the pods of dried flowers. These cannot be harvested until the pods are completely dried. There are 3 to 5 seeds, commonly 4, per flower.

Roots

Some people place approximately 1 to 2 inches (2 to 4 cm) in rich potting soil with a good drainage system. It is very important during the first stages of growth to keep the soil moist, though well drained, as saturation will cause root rot and possibly rot. It is important to keep the mix well aerated.

The massive root system of this plant can cause the plant to become rootbound within the first year or so. For example, a 5-year-old plant in a 15-gallon pot (after only six months) will begin to show signs of becoming rootbound. It is suggested to use a 55-gallon drum or a feeding trough (commonly used for livestock and horses).

Cultivation:

Very easy !

Just soak the seeds in water overnight, then keep them on a moist paper towel until the roots start to poke out.

When you can see a little white root starting to push out from one end of a seed sow the seed into a water retaining but free draining growing mix – about an inch (2 cm) or slightly more below the surface with the little root pointing upwards !

Within a few days the first 2 leaves will pull themselves out of the ground.

Chemical constituents — The plant contains tannin and amber-colored resin, soluble in ether, benzole; partly soluble in alkalis; and fatty oil.103

The seeds have shown the presence of alkaloids, viz., chanoclavine, ergine, ergonovine, and isoergine by various workers.10

Pharmacological action — Alterative, aphrodisiac, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, tonic, and emollient.

Medicinal Uses:
Parts used — Root and seeds.
Ayurvedic description — Rasa — katu, tikta, kasaya; Guna — laghu, snigdha; Veerya — ushna; Vipak — madhur.

Action and uses—Kapha vatsamak, branpachan,daran, sodhan, ropan, naribalya, dipan, pachan, ampachan, anulomon, rachan, hiridya sothahar, surkrjanan, pramehangan, balya, rasayan.

Powder of the root is given with “ghee” as an alterative; in elephantiasis the powder is given with rice water. In inflammation of the joints it is given with milk and a little castor oil. A paste of the roots made with rice water is applied over rheumatic swelling and rubbed over the body to reduce obesity. The whole plant is reported to have antiseptic properties.1 The leaves are antiphlogistic; they are applied over skin diseases and wounds;109 the silky side of the leaf is applied over tumors, boils, sores, and carbuncles;, as an irritant to promote maturation and suppuration.50 The leaves are also used for extracting guinea worms. A drop of the leaf juice is used in otitis.

The root of this plant is regarded as alterative, tonic and useful in rheumatic affections, and diseases of the nervous system. As an alterative and nervine tonic it is prescribed in the following manner. The powdered root is soaked, seven times during seven days, in the juice of the tubers of Asparagus racemosus ( satamuli) and dried. The resulting powder is given in doses of a quarter to half a tola, with clarified butter, for about a month. It is said to improve the intellect, strengthen the body and prevent the effects of age.1 In synovitis the powdered root is given with milk.2

Ajamod?di churna.3 Take of ajowan, baberang, rock salt, plumbago root, Cedrus deodara, long pepper root, long pepper, black pepper and dill seeds each two tolsa, chebulic myrobalan ten tolas, root of Argyreia speciosa twenty tolas, ginger twenty tolas; powder and mix. Dose, about two drachms with treacle. This preparation is said to be useful in rheumatic affections and hemiplegia

Other Uses:  Psychotropic, in India it is an Ayurvedic medicinal plant, ornamental (dried flower arrangements).

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/Hawaiian_baby_woodrose
http://b-and-t-world-seeds.com/365.htm
http://www.iamshaman.com/hbwr/ayurvedic.htm
http://chestofbooks.com/health/materia-medica-drugs/Hindus-Materia-Medica/Argyreia-Speciosa-Sweet-Syn-Lettsomia-Nervosa-Roxb-Sans.html

Enhanced by Zemanta
css.php