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Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolum )

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Botanical Name :Viburnum prunifolum
Family: Adoxaceae/CAPRIFOLIACEAE Honeysuckle
Genus: Viburnum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Dipsacales
Species: V. prunifolium

Common Names :  Black Haw , Stagbush, sweet viburnum, guelder-rose, water elder, arrowwood

Habotat :Native to southeastern North America, from Connecticut west to eastern Kansas, and south to Alabama and Texas.

Description:
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 2–9 m tall with a short crooked trunk and stout spreading branches; in the northern parts of its range, it is a shrub, becoming a small tree in the southern parts of its range. The bark is reddish-brown, very rough on old stems. The branchlets are red at first, then green, finally dark brown tinged with red. The winter buds are coated with rusty tomentum. The flower buds ovate, 1 cm long, much larger than the axillary buds. The leaves are simple, up to 9 cm long and 6 cm broad, oval, ovate or orbicular, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, serrate, acute, with serrated edges with a grooved and slightly winged red petiole 1.5 cm long; they turn red in fall. The leaves are superficially similar to some species of Prunus (thus “prunifolium”); they come out of the bud involute, shining, green, tinged with red, sometimes smooth, or clothed with rusty tomentum; when full grown dark green and smooth above, pale, smooth or tomentose beneath.
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The flowers are creamy white, 9 mm diameter; the calyx is urn-shaped, five-toothed, persistent; the corolla is five-lobed, with rounded lobes, imbricate in bud; the five stamens alternate with the corolla lobes, the filaments slender, the anthers pale yellow, oblong, two-celled, the cells opening longitudinally; the ovary is inferior, one-celled, with a thick, pale green style and a flat stigma and a single ovule. The flowers are borne in flat-topped cymes 10 cm in diameter in mid to late spring. The fruit is a drupe 1 cm long, dark blue-black with glaucous bloom, hangs until winter, becomes edible after being frosted, then eaten by birds; the stone is flat and even, broadly oval. Wherever it lives, black haw prefers sunny woodland with well-drained soil and adequate water.

Uses :
It has both value in the pleasure garden, providing good fall color and early winter provender for birds, and medicinal properties.

It has hybridized with Viburnum lentago in cultivation, to give the garden hybrid Viburnum × jackii.

The wood is brown tinged with red; heavy, hard, close-grained with a density of 0.8332.

Benefits:
•Flowers provide nectar for butterflies and other pollinators
•Plants provide excellent nesting sites and cover for birds
•Red-purple foliage contrasts with blue-black fruit in the fall
•Berries are a great source of food for birds and other wildlife in fall
•Grows well in dry soil

Cultivation:
*Easy to grow in full sun or part shade.
*Plant in well-drained, dry to average soil. Tolerates drought.
*Prune immediately after flowering since flower buds form in summer for the following year.
*Can be grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree.

Medicinal uses:
For centuries, black haw has been used for medical purposes, mainly for gynecological conditions. The bark is the part of the plant used in treatments.

The active components include scopoletin, aesculetin, salicin, 1-methyl-2,3 clibutyl hemimellitate, and viburnin. Tannin is another chemical component of black haw.

Native Americans used a decoction of black haw to treat gynecological conditions, including menstrual cramps, aiding recovery after childbirth, and in treating the effects of menopause. As a folk remedy, black haw has been used to treat menstrual pain, and morning sickness. Due to its antispasmodic properties, the plant may also be of use in treating cramps of the digestive tract or the bile ducts.

Black haw’s primary use was to prevent miscarriages. American slaveholders also used the plant to prevent abortions. Slaves were a valuable asset, and their owner also owned their offspring, so ensuring that female slaves gave birth was of paramount importance. In defiance, some slave women would attempt to use cotton seeds to cause a miscarriage. The slaveowners would therefore force pregnant slaves to drink an infusion of black haw to prevent that.

The primary use of black haw today is to prevent menstrual cramps. The salicin in black haw may also be of use in pain relief.

Black haw Viburnum prunifolum and cramp bark V. opulus act in similar ways and both have a long history of use by Native and pioneer women to prevent threaten miscarriage, relieve uterine cramps, and painful periods. Black haw is a stronger uterine relaxant than cramp bark, and large or frequent doses may lower blood pressure. The herb is also included in herbal mixtures for treating asthma. These tradition uses are born out with modern chemical analysis, both viburnums contain phytochemicals that facilitate uterine relaxation, two of which (aesculetin and scopoletin) also work against muscle spasms, and the pain-relieving salicin in the herb is also closely related to aspirin.

Side Effects:
Some evidence suggests black haw may aggrevate tinnitus. Not recommend for use for those with kidney stones

Safety issues
Like many other plants, including many food plants and those used as culinary herbs, black haw contains salicin, a chemical relative of aspirin. Those who are allergic to that substance should not use black haw. In addition, due to the connection between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome, young people or people afflicted with a viral disease should not use black haw.

The chemicals in black haw do relax the uterus and therefore probably prevent miscarriage; however, the salicin may be teratogenic. Consequently, pregnant women should not use black haw in the first two trimesters.Furthermore, anyone using herbs for medical reasons should only use them under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.

Black haw is not on the “generally recognized as safe list” of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail71.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viburnum_prunifolium
http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantdetail/plant_ID/20/index.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VIPR&photoID=vipr_006_avp.jpg

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Wild Cherry(Prunus serotina)

Botanical Name ;Prunus serotina
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Subgenus: Cerasus
Species: P. avium
Common Names :  Wild Cherry , Black Cherry, chokecherry
Parts Used: bark, fruit

Habitat :Native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles   south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus, and northern Iran, with a small disjunct population in the western Himalaya. The sweet cherry originated in northern Iran. This species has a diploid set of sixteen chromosomes (2n=16). All parts of the plant except for the ripe fruit are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides.

Description:
It is a deciduous tree growing to 15–32 m tall, with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. Young trees show strong apical dominance with a straight trunk and symmetrical conical crown, becoming rounded to irregular on old trees. The bark is smooth purplish-brown with prominent horizontal grey-brown lenticels on young trees, becoming thick dark blackish-brown and fissured on old trees. The leaves are alternate, simple ovoid-acute, 7–14 cm long and 4–7 cm broad, glabrous matt or sub-shiny green above, variably finely downy beneath, with a serrated margin and an acuminate tip, with a green or reddish petiole 2–3.5 cm long bearing two to five small red glands. The tip of each serrated edge of the leaves also bear small red glands.  In autumn, the leaves turn orange, pink or red before falling. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves, borne in corymbs of two to six together, each flower pendent on a 2–5 cm peduncle, 2.5–3.5 cm diameter, with five pure white petals, yellowish stamens, and a superior ovary; they are hermaphroditic, and pollinated by bees. The fruit is a drupe 1–2 cm in diameter (larger in some cultivated selections), bright red to dark purple when mature in mid summer, edible, variably sweet to somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh; it contains a single hard-shelled stone 8–12 mm long, 7–10 mm wide and 6–8 mm thick, grooved along the flattest edge; the seed (kernel) inside the stone is 6–8 mm long.
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The fruit are readily eaten by numerous birds and mammals, which digest the fruit flesh and disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some rodents, and a few birds (notably the Hawfinch), also crack open the stones to eat the kernel inside. All parts of the plant except for the ripe fruit are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides.

The leaves provide food for some animals, including Lepidoptera such as the case-bearer moth Coleophora anatipennella.

The tree exudes a gum from wounds in the bark, by which it seals the wounds to exclude insects and fungal infections.

Wild cherry has been known as Gean or Mazzard (also ‘massard’), both largely obsolete names in modern English, though more recently ‘Mazzard’ has been used to refer to a selected self-fertile cultivar that comes true from seed, and which is used as a seedling rootstock for fruiting cultivars.The name “wild cherry” has also been applied in a general or colloquial sense to other species of Prunus growing in their native habitats, particularly to Black Cherry Prunus serotina. Literally,. the scientific name Prunis avium means “bird cherry”, which as a common name typically refers to P. padus though.

Some eighteenth and nineteenth century botanical authors ascribed an origin to western Asia based on the writings of Pliny; however, archaeological finds of seeds from prehistoric Europe contradict this view .

Cultivation:
As the main ancestor of the cultivated sweet cherry, the Wild cherry is one of the two cherry species which supply most of the world’s commercial cultivars of edible cherry (the other is the Sour cherry Prunus cerasus, mainly used for cooking; a few other species have had a very small input). Various cherry cultivars are now grown worldwide wherever the climate is suitable; the number of cultivars is now very large. The species has also escaped from cultivation and become naturalised in some temperate regions, including southwestern Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the northeast and northwest of the United States.

Plants grown from seeds harvested in classified French stands,recently, plants grown from seeds harvested in seed orchards, cultivars propagated by vegetative methods (cuttings, root cuttings).

Medicinal Uses:
Common Uses: Bronchitis * Colds * Congestion/Chest & Sinus * Cough * Insomnia *
Properties: Anti-inflammatory* Astringent* Sedative* Expectorant* Antiscrofulous*

Constituents: acetylcholine, hcn, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, prunasin, quercetin, scopoletin, tannins

Black cherry is an very effective herbal cough remedy. The main use of the bark main use is to still irritated, nagging coughs. Black cherry is used in many commercial cough products such as Smith Brothers, Lunden’s and Vicks for the flavor as well as the decongestant and sedative properties.

Side Effects:
Safe in recommended amounts, but not meant for long term use. Although prussic acid is highly poisonous, if wild cherry bark is used in medicinal doses, the low prussic acid content (0.07-0.16%) ensures that the remedy is quite safe.
How to Use: Wild Cherry
Preparation Methods :Use one teaspoon of the powdered bark to 1 cup of hot water up to 3 times daily as a warm infusion, or 2 teaspoons of bark syrup once daily

Other uses:-

Ornamental
It is often cultivated as a flowering tree. Because of the size of the tree, it is often used in parkland, and less often as a street or garden tree. The double-flowered form, ‘Plena’, is commonly found, rather than the wild single-flowered forms.

Two interspecific hybrids, P. x schmittii (P. avium x P. canescens) and P. x fontenesiana (P. avium x P. mahaleb) are also grown as ornamental trees.

Timber
The hard, reddish-brown wood (cherry wood) is valued as a hardwood for turnery, and making cabinets and musical instruments.

The gum from bark wounds is aromatic and can be chewed as a substitute for chewing gum.

Medicine can be prepared from the stalks of the drupes that is astringent, antitussive, and diuretic.

A green dye can also be prepared from the plant.

Cultural history
Pliny distinguishes between Prunus, the plum fruit, and Cerasus, the cherry fruit. Already in Pliny quite a number of cultivars are cited, some possibly species or varieties, Aproniana, Lutatia, Caeciliana, and so on. Pliny grades them by flavour, including dulcis (“sweet”) and acer (“sharp”).

He goes so far as to say that before the Roman consul Lucius Licinius Lucullus defeated Mithridates in 74 BC, Cerasia … non fuere in Italia, “There were no cherry trees in Italy”. According to him, Lucullus brought them in from Pontus and in the 120 years since that time they had spread across Europe to Britain.

Seeds of a number of cherry species have however been found in Bronze Age and Roman archaeological sites throughout Europe. The reference to “sweet” and “sour” supports the modern view that “sweet” was Prunus avium; there are no other candidates among the cherries found. In 1882 Alphonse de Candolle pointed out that seeds of Prunus avium were found in the Terramare culture of north Italy (1500-1100 BC) and over the layers of the Swiss pile dwellings.[20] Of Pliny’s statement he says (p. 210):

Since this error is perpetuated by its incessant repetition in classical schools, it must once more be said that cherry trees (at least the bird cherry) existed in Italy before Lucullus, and that the famous gourmet did not need to go far to seek the species with the sour or bitter fruit.

De Candolle suggests that what Lucullus brought back was a particular cultivar of Prunus avium from the Caucasus. The origin of cultivars of P. avium is still an open question. Modern cultivated cherries differ from wild ones in having larger fruit, 2–3 cm diameter. The trees are often grown on dwarfing rootstocks to keep them smaller for easier harvesting.

Wild cherries have been an item of human food for several thousands of years. The stones have been found in deposits at bronze age settlements throughout Europe, including in Britain. In one dated example, Wild cherry macrofossils were found in a core sample from the detritus beneath a dwelling at an Early and Middle Bronze Age pile-dwelling site on and in the shore of a former lake at Desenzano del Garda or Lonato, near the southern shore of Lake Garda, Italy. The date is estimated at Early Bronze Age IA, carbon dated there to 2077 plus or minus 10 B.C. The natural forest was largely cleared at that time.

By 800 BC, cherries were being actively cultivated in Asia Minor, and soon after in Greece.

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.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail256.php
http://hubpages.com/hub/Cherry-Prunus-avium-as-herbal-and-traditional-medicine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Cherry
http://www.international.inra.fr/research/some_examples/turning_point_in_the_cultivation_of_wild_cherry_trees

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Citrus Begamia

Botanical Name :Citrus begamia
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Citrus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Species: Citrus bergamia

Synonym: Citrus bergamia Risso

Common names : Bergamot orange bergamot

Other Names:Italian bergamotto, modification of Turkish bey armudu; literally, the Bey’s pear

.
Parts Used: Essence expressed from peel

Habitat : Citrus bergamot is native to Asia and is commercially grown in Calabria (Italy), in France, and in Ivory Coast.

Description:
Bergamot grows on small trees which blossom during the winter. The distinctive aroma of the bergamot is most commonly known for its use in Earl Grey tea, though the juice of the fruit has also been used in Calabrian indigenous medicine as an herbal remedy for malaria and its essential oil is popular in aromatherapy applications.

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The bergamot orange is unrelated to the herbs of the same name, Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa, which are in the mint family.

Cultivation
Propagule  Buds   Cutting   Seed Pollination method  Parthenocarpic Planting style    Crop spacing    Row spacing    Cold frame  Planting period    Harvesting period  Dec 01 – Feb 28 Frost tolerance    Heat requirement    Fertilizer  Typical Time to harvest

Constituents: linalyl acetate, bergamotine, beraptene, d-limonene, linalool

Uses  In food
An essence extracted from the aromatic skin of this sour fruit is used to flavour Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas, and confectionery. An Italian food manufacturer, Caffé Sicilia in Noto, Syracuse, Sicily, produces a commercial marmalade using the fruit as its principal ingredient. It is also popular in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus as a preserve, made with bergamot peel boiled in sugar syrup.

As a fragrance
Bergamot peel is used in perfumery for its ability to combine with an array of scents to form a bouquet of aromas which complement each other. Approximately one third of all men’s and about half of women’s perfumes contain bergamot essential oil.[citation needed] Bergamot was a component of the original Eau de Cologne developed by Italian perfumers in 17th century Germany. One hundred bergamot oranges will yield about 3 ounces of bergamot oil.

Bergamot peel is also used in aromatherapy to treat depression and as a digestive aid.

Companion plant
Bergamot’s aromatic roots are thought to mask other nearby plants from pests that attack their roots, and so are sometimes grown as a companion in vegetable gardens.

Common Uses: Anxiety/Panic * Candida/Yeast Infection * Deodorants/Perfumes * Depression * Digestion/Indigestion * Herpes * Sore Throat/Laryngitis *

Properties: Antibacterial* Antispasmodic* Carminative* Cisatrisant* Deodorant* Digestive* Febrifuge* Sedative* Skin tonic* Vermifuge* Vulnerary* Analgesic*

uplifting scent of bergamot essential oil is used to stabilize the emotions, calm and tone the nervous system, relieve tension and insomnia, and is beneficial for anxiety and depression.

Bergamot essential oil has been used in traditional medicine for intestinal worms and fever, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and skin problems. Bergamot essential oil is very useful as an anti-infectious agent and is effective against a wide number of microorganisms.

Bergamot essential oil aids the digestion and can relieve symptoms of colic and gas when massaged into the abdomen.

Toxicology
In several studies, application of some sources of bergamot oil directly to the skin was shown to have a concentration-dependent phototoxic effect of increasing redness after exposure to ultraviolet light (due to the chemical bergapten, and possibly also citropten, bergamottin, geranial, and neral) . Bergapten has also been implicated as a potassium channel blocker, which in one case study of a patient who consumed 4 liters of Earl Grey tea per day led to muscle cramps.

Bergamot is also a source of bergamottin which, along with the chemically related compound 6’,7’-dihydroxybergamottin, is believed to be responsible for the grapefruit juice effect in which the consumption of the juice affects the metabolism of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs.

Bergamot orange and sun exposure
In the past psoralen — extracted from bergamot oil — has been used in tanning accelerators and sunscreens. Psoralens penetrate the skin where they increase the amount of direct DNA damage. This damage is responsible for sunburn and for an increased melanin production.
It can also lead to phytophotodermatitis, a darkening of the skin as a result of a chemical reaction that makes the skin extra sensitive to ultraviolet light.

These substances were known to be photocarcinogenic since 1959, but they were only banned from sunscreens in 1995. These photocarcinogenic substances were banned years after they had caused many cases of malignant melanoma and deaths.Psoralen is now used only in the treatment of certain skin disorders, as part of PUVA therapy.

Bergamot oil is cold-pressed from the peel of the nearly ripe fruit. The aroma of bergamot oil is sweet and citrusy, but has a warm floral quality absent in lemon and orange. Along with neroli and lavender it is one of the principal ingredients in the classic Eau-de-Cologne. It is an excellent deodorizer or room spray and a refreshing and relaxing bath oil. Bergamot’s fresh uplifting aroma is used in aromatherapy to stabilize emotions and relieve tension. It is a nervous system tonic, with a calming influence on states on anxiety and depression. Use the oil in massage blends, aroma lamps, and baths.

Herbal medicine
Medicinal properties  antispasmodic   digestive tonic Medicinal parts  Essential oil Has medicinal uses  yes Do not self-administer  no Do no use if pregnant  no Legally restricted  no Toxicity precautions  Do not take essential oil internally. Medicinal notes  The fruit is 2 to 3 inch diameter, round slightly flattened at one end, and an orange colored aromatic rind which is used commercially for its oil. Citrus bergamia is most often used as oil. Bergamot (sometimes called Bergamot orange) has been used in traditional herbal healing as either an antispasmodic or a digestive tonic. Traditional medicinal remedies are made from the essential oil. Do not take essential oil internally.

Neuroprotective effects
Recently, bergamot essential oil has been found to reduce excitotoxic damage to cultured human neuronal cells in vitro and may therefore have neuroprotective properties.

Side Effects:
Increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. Bergamot oil has a slightly irritation effect on the skin in high concentrations, but the reverse if used in moderation (1%). It must never be used neat on the skin in the presence of sunlight.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange
http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail7.php
http://www.crescentbloom.com/plants/specimen/ci/Citrus%20bergamia.htm

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White Bryony (Bryonia alba)

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Botanical Name :Bryonia alba
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Bryonia
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Violales
Species: B. alba

Common names: Kudzu of the Northwest, Devil’s Turnip, English Mandrake,
false mandrake, wild vine, and wild hops, wild nep, tamus, ladies’ seal, and tetterbury.

Habitat :White bryony is native to Europe and Northern Iran. It was first reported in the United States in 1975. It probably arrived as a medicinal plant; used to induce vomiting, the plant and berries are poisonous to people. Forty berries constitutes a lethal dose for adult humans.

Currently identified in only four states (Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) this invasive species is declared a Class B noxious weed. This classification indicates that bryony is already abundant in many areas. Containment is the goal in those areas, but it is to be prevented/eradicated in new regions.Vineyards and woods.Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Hedgerow;


Description:
An herbaceous, perennial vine of the cucumber family, white bryony is monoecious but diclinous (separate male and female flowers found on the same plant) with a tuberous yellow root. Greenish-white flowers are 1 cm across. Long curling tendrils, flowers, and fruit all stem from axils of palmately lobed leaves. The fruit is a 1.5 cm berry which blackens as it ripens, and seeds of which are disseminated by birds.

CLICK & SEE THE  PICTURES

White bryony thrives in full sun. Due to birds depositing seeds where they like to eat and nest, bryony is prevalent in native hawthorn patches and in windbreak, shelterbelt, riparian buffer, and wildlife plantings.

This invasive weed grows aggressively; it can produce three vines at a time, which each grow up to 15 cm per day. Since the growth pattern of the vine leads it to climb, it emulates the growth pattern of kudzu, and will also simply grow into a mat when it cannot climb. Once it establishes itself, it will climb other plants and trees as well as fences and buildings. Effectively blocking the sun and even rain from its host, the dense shade of the bryony eventually destroys what it covers. If not the lack of sun, then winter snow or heavy rains weighing down the mat of bryony create too much extra weight leading to breakage of host limbs or even felling of entire host trees.

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

Cultivation
A rapid grower, it is of easy cultivation succeeding in most soils that are well drained[1], avoiding acid soils in the wild[17]. A climbing plant, attaching itself to other plants by means of tendrils. Plants can be easily encouraged by scattering ripe seed at the base of hedgerows. Plants in the north of their range are monoecious, but those growing in the south are dioecious. Where necessary, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation
Bryonia alba spreads by seed.   Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. 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. Division in early spring.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves.

One report says that the young shoots are edible, though cautioned .

Toxicity:
All parts of Bryonia alba contain bryonin which is poisonous and may cause illness or death. Livestock may also be poisoned by consuming the fruit and leaves. Forty berries constitutes a lethal dose for adult humans.

Medicinal Uses

Homeopathy.

The root is cathartic, hydrogogue, irritant, pectoral and purgative. The root is harvested in the autumn and can be used either fresh or dried. It should be used with great caution, see notes above on toxicity. The fresh root, gathered before the plant comes into flower, is made into a homeopathic remedy. This is used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints. It is said to be one of the best diuretics and an excellent remedy for gravel as well as all other obstructions and disorders of the urinary passage.

Other Uses:
Birds are the most common dispersal mechanism for this plant. They deposit seeds where they eat and nest, and so bryony is prevalent in native hawthorn patches and in windbreak, shelterbelt, riparian buffer, and wildlife plantings. Bryonia alba leaves may be used as a food plant by the larvae of Cabbage Moths.

Known Hazards: All parts of the plant, and especially the root, are poisonous. The root can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting, resulting in death within a matter of hours.

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?Bryonia+alba
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bryonia_alba
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryonia_alba

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Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum )

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Botanical Name :Ocimum basilicum
Family: Lamiaceae or LABIATAE Mint Family
Genus: Ocimum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Species: O. basilicum
Common Names :  Basil , Sweet Basil
Parts Used: leaves, essential oil

Etymology
The word basil comes from the Greek (basileus), meaning “king”, as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered  the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in “some royal unguent, bath, or medicine”. Basil is still considered  the “king of herbs” by many cookery authors.

Habitat :It’s original habitat is obscure. Most probably  Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years Asia.Now grows everywhere. Long cultivated..Cultivated Beds;

Description:
Perennial growing to 0.45m by 0.3m. It is a tender low-growing herb. Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in  the Southeast Asian cuisines of Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell.There are many varieties of basil. That which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil, which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including African Blue and Holy Thai basil..
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It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.  The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow  in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Ocimum has several Species grows in different places as follows:
1.Ocimum × africanum Lour. – Africa, Madagascar, China, Indian Subcontinent, Indochina; naturalized in Guatemala, Chiapas, Netherlands Antilles, eastern Brazil
2.Ocimum americanum L. (tropical Africa), Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America
3.Ocimum amicorum A.J.Paton – Tanzania
4.Ocimum angustifolium Benth. – southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal
5.Ocimum basilicum L. – Basil, Sweet basil – China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America, and various oceanic islands
6.Ocimum burchellianum Benth. – Cape Province of South Africa
7.Ocimum campechianum Mill. – Amazonian basil – widespread across Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America
8.Ocimum canescens A.J.Paton – Tanzania
9.Ocimum carnosum (Spreng.) Link & Otto ex Benth. – Mexico, South America
10.Ocimum centraliafricanum R.E.Fr – Zaïre, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
11.Ocimum circinatum A.J.Paton – Ethiopia, Somalia
12.Ocimum coddii (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton – Northern Province of South Africa
13.Ocimum cufodontii (Lanza) A.J.Paton – Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
14.Ocimum dambicola A.J.Paton – Tanzania, Zambia
15.Ocimum decumbens Gürke – from Zaïre to South Africa
16.Ocimum dhofarense (Sebald) A.J.Paton – Oman
17.Ocimum dolomiticola A.J.Paton – Northern Province of South Africa
18.Ocimum ellenbeckii Gürke – Ethiopia, Zaïre
19.Ocimum empetroides (P.A.Duvign.) ined. – Zaïre
20.Ocimum ericoides (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke) A.J.Paton – Zaïre
21.Ocimum filamentosum Forssk. – eastern + southern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
22.Ocimum fimbriatum Briq. – central Africa
23.Ocimum fischeri Gürke – Kenya, Tanzania
24.Ocimum formosum Gürke – Bale Province of Ethiopia
25.Ocimum forskoelei Benth. – eastern Africa from Egypt to Kenya, Angola, Arabian Peninsula
26.Ocimum fruticosum (Ryding) A.J.Paton – Somalia
27.Ocimum grandiflorum Lam. – Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia
28. – African basil – Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, Bismarck Archipelago; naturalized in Polynesia, Mexico, Panama, West Indies, Brazil, Bolivia
29.Ocimum hirsutissimum (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton – Zaïre
30.Ocimum irvinei J.K.Morton – West Africa
31.Ocimum jamesii Sebald – Ethiopia, Somalia
32.Ocimum kenyense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton – Kenya, Tanzania
33.Ocimum kilimandscharicum Baker ex Gürke – Camphor basil – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia; naturalized in Angola, India, Myanmar, Thailand
34.Ocimum labiatum (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton – Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland
35.Ocimum lamiifolium Hochst. ex Benth – eastern + central Africa
36.Ocimum masaiense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton – Ngong Hills in Kenya
37.Ocimum mearnsii (Ayob. ex Sebald) A.J.Paton – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
38.Ocimum metallorum (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton – Zaïre
39.Ocimum minimum L. – India, Sri Lanka
40.Ocimum minutiflorum (Sebald) A.J.Paton – eastern + central Africa
41.Ocimum mitwabense (Ayob.) A.J.Paton – Zaïre
42.Ocimum monocotyloides (Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton – Zaïre
43.Ocimum motjaneanum McCallum & K.Balkwill – Swaziland
44.Ocimum natalense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton – Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
45.Ocimum nudicaule Benth. – Brazil, Paraguay, Misiones Province of Argentina
46.Ocimum nummularia (S.Moore) A.J.Paton – Somalia
47.Ocimum obovatum E.Mey. ex Benth. – tropical Africa, Madagascar
48.Ocimum ovatum Benth. – Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
49.Ocimum pseudoserratum (M.R.Ashby) A.J.Paton – Northern Province of South Africa
50.Ocimum pyramidatum (A.J.Paton) A.J.Paton – Tanzania
51.Ocimum reclinatum (S.D.Williams & M.Balkwill) A.J.Paton – Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
52.Ocimum serpyllifolium Forssk. – Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia
53.Ocimum serratum (Schltr.) A.J.Paton – South Africa, Swaziland
54.Ocimum somaliense Briq. – Ethiopia
55.Ocimum spectabile (Gürke) A.J.Paton – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia
56.Ocimum spicatum Deflers….. Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Somalia
57.Ocimum tenuiflorum L. – Holy Basil, Tulsi – China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland; naturalized in Kenya, Fiji, French Polynesia, West Indies, Venezuela
58.Ocimum transamazonicum C.Pereira – Brazil
59.Ocimum tubiforme (R.D.Good) A.J.Paton – Northern Province of South Africa
60.Ocimum urundense Robyns & Lebrun – Burundi, Tanzania
61.Ocimum vandenbrandei (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton – Marungu Province in Zaïre
62.Ocimum vanderystii (De Wild.) A.W.Hill. – Zaïre, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, Zambia
63.Ocimum viphyense A.J.Paton – Malawi, Zambia
64.Ocimum waterbergense (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton – Northern Province of South Africa

Hybrids:
1.Ocimum × citriodorum (O. americanum × O. basilicum) – Lemon basil
2.Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum ‘Dark Opal’ – African blue basil

Formerly placed here:
1.Basilicum polystachyon (L.) Moench (as O. polystachyon L.)
2.Isodon inflexus (Thunb.) Kudô (as O. inflexum Thunb.)
3.Frankenia salina (Molina) I.M.Johnst. (as O. salinum Molina)
4.Mosla scabra (Thunb.) C.Y.Wu & H.W.Li (as O. punctulatum J.F.Gmel. and O. scabrum Thunb.)
5.Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. (as O. aristatum Blume)
6.Perilla frutescens var. crispa (Thunb.) W.Deane (as O. crispum Thunb.)
7.Perilla frutescens var. frutescens (as O. frutescens L.)
8.Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R.Br. (as O. scutellarioides L.)

Cultivation:
Prefers a rich light well-drained to dry soi. Requires a sunny sheltered position if grown outdoors. Tolerates a pH in the range 5 to 8. Sweet basil is commonly grown as an aromatic culinary and medicinal herb in warm temperate and tropical climates. There are a number of different constituents that make up the essential oil in basil, and the proportions of these vary considerably between plants growing in different regions of the world. From this variety many named varieties with differing flavour characteristics have been developed. Basil is a perennial plant in the tropics, but it is frost tender and needs to be grown as a half-hardy annual in temperate zones. It is a very good companion plant to grow in the house or greenhouse, its aromatic foliage helping to reduce problems caused by insect pests[K]. It requires a good hot summer in Britain if it is to do well outdoors. Sweet basil is a good companion plant for tomatoes but it grows badly with rue and sage. When grown near raspberries it can retard their fruiting.

Propagation
Seed – sow mid to late spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination is usually free and quick, prick out the seedlings into individual pots when  they are large enough to handle. If growing basil outdoors, plant out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivars
No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Common Uses: ConcentrationMemory/Focus * Culinary * Facial and Skin care * General Health Tonics * Insect Bites/Rashes * Insect Repellent *
Properties:  Antispasmodic* Carminative* Cephalic* Digestive* Emmenagogue* Expectorant* Febrifuge* Nervine* Stomachic* Diaphoretic* Stimulant* Antifungal*
Galactagogue* Aromatic* Refrigerant*

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves; Seed.

Edible Uses: Condiment; Drink; Tea.

Leaves and flowers – raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring or as a spinach, they are used especially with tomato dishes, pasta sauces, beans, peppers and aubergines.
The leaves are normally used fresh but can also be dried for winter use. A very pleasant addition to salads, the leaves have a delightful scent of cloves. Use the
leaves sparingly in cooking because the heat concentrates the flavour. A refreshing tea is made from the leaves. The seed can be eaten on its own or added to bread
dough as a flavouring. When soaked in water it becomes mucilaginous and can be made into a refreshing beverage called ‘sherbet tokhum’ in the Mediterranean. An
essential oil obtained from the plant is used as a food flavouring in mustards, sauces, vinegars etc.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.
The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are “Genovese”, “Purple Ruffles”, “Mammoth”, “Cinnamon”, “Lemon”, “Globe”, and “African Blue”. The Chinese also
use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai Basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles).

Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and sauces—in particular with strawberries, but also raspberries or dark-colored plums. Arguably the flat-leaf basil used in Vietnamese cooking, which has a slightly different flavour, is more suitable for use with fruit.

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This is the variety of Sweet Basil that gives many Thai dishes their distinctive flavor. It is characterised by its purplish upper stems and inflorescence branches and smaller, less convex leaves than European Basil, and with a stronger hint of anise in the flavor and aroma. There does not seem to be any widely accepted varietal or cultivar name for it, which is a pity. I am therefore using its Thai common name ‘Horapha’ as a pseudo-cultivar name. Pronounced “hora pah”.

Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavour, and what little flavour remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.

Basil seeds:-
When soaked in water the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or Sherbet. Such seeds are known variously as sabza, subza, takmaria, tukmaria, tukhamaria, falooda, selasih (Malay/Indonesian) or h?t é (Vietnamese). They are used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medicine. They are also used as popular drinks in Southeast Asia.

Constituents: camphor, cineole, estragol, (or methyl chavicol),eugenol, linalool, pinene

Medicinal Actions &  Uses
Antibacterial; Antispasmodic; Aromatherapy; Aromatic; Carminative; Digestive; Galactogogue; Ophthalmic; Stomachic; Tonic.

Sweet basil has been used for thousands of years as a culinary and medicinal herb. It acts principally on the digestive and nervous systems, easing flatulence, stomach cramps, colic and indigestion. The leaves and flowering tops are antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, galactogogue, stomachic and tonic. They are taken internally in the treatment of feverish illnesses (especially colds and influenza), poor digestion, nausea, abdominal cramps, gastro-enteritis, migraine, insomnia, depression and exhaustion. Externally, they are used to treat acne, loss of smell, insect stings, snake bites and skin infections. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season and are used fresh or dried. The mucilaginous seed is given in infusion in the treatment of gonorrhoea, dysentery and chronic diarrhoea. It is said to remove film and opacity from the eyes. The root is used in the treatment of bowel complaints in children. Extracts from the plant are bactericidal and are also effective against internal parasites. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is ‘Clearing’.

An infusion of the leaves is a quick remedy for bronchitis and colds and an infusion of the seeds is an excellent diuretic.  A decoction of the roots is thought to relieve malarial fever. Leaves are diaphoretic, antiperiodic, bronchitis, gastric & hepatic disorders etc. A tea prepared with the leaves of O. sanctum is commonly used in cough, cold, mild, indigestion, diminished appetite and malaise. Anthelmintic, deodorant, stimulant, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, blood purifier, useful in skin diseases, antipyretic particularly in malarial fevers. Externally applied on chronic non healing ulcers, inflammation, skin disorders, useful in nausea, pain in abdomen, worms, allergic rhinitis, all types of cough, respiratory disorders. It acts as a powerful mosquito repellent.

In a 1997 study at M.S. University of Baroda, India, 17 NIDDM patients were supplemented with 1 g basil leaf per day for 30 days. Ten NIDDM patients served as controls, receiving no supplementation. All subjects were taking antidiabetic medications and did not change their diets. Holy basil lowered fasting blood glucose 20.8 percent, total cholesterol 11.3 percent and triacylglycerols 16.4 percent.18 I recommend 1­4 g of dried leaf daily. . It is said that eating Holy basil along with other foods will relieve stomach problems including cramps and digestive disorders.

The ethanolic extract of the leaves exhibited a hypoglycemic effect in rats and an antispasmodic effect in isolated guinea pig ileum. Tulsi extract was administered to 20 patients with shortness of breath secondary to tropical eosinophia in an oral dosage of 500 mg TID and an improvement in breathing was noted. The aqueous extract showed a hypotensive effect on anesthetised dogs and cats and negative inotropic and chronotropic activity (reduces the force and rate, respectively) on rabbit’s heart. Antibacterial activity has been shown against Staphlococcus aureus and Mycoplasma tuberculosis in vitro as well as against several other species of pathogens including fungi. The plant has had general adaptogenic effects in mice and rats and has been shown to protect against stress-induced ulcers. The leaf extract was found to protect guinea pigs against histamine and pollen induced asthma. Adaptogenic activity of Ocimum sanctum is reported in rats & mice.

Recent research studied the effect of Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi)on experimental cataract in rats and rabbits by P. SHARMA, S. KULSHRESHTHA AND A.L. SHARMA
Department of Pharmacology, S.N. Medical College, Agra – 282 001.
SUMMARY Objective: Methods: Two models of experimental cataract were induced: (1) Galactosaemic cataract in rats by 30% galactose, (2) Naphthalene cataract in rabbits by 1 gm/kg naphthalene. Ocimum sanctum (O.S.) was administered orally in both models at two dose levels 1 and 2 gm/kg of body weight for curative and prophylactic effects. The study was conducted for 40 days.

Results: O.S. delayed the onset of cataract as well as the subsequent maturation of cataract significantly in both models. In addition to delay in reaching various stages of development of cataract, IV stage did not develop with high doses till completion of 40 days of experimental period.

Conclusion: O.S. delayed the process of cataractogenesis in both models.  The higher doses are more effective and have got promising prophylactic role rather than curative one. This effect is more clear in galactosaemiccataract.  (Indian J Pharmacol 1998; 30: 16-20) More research: Surender Singh and D.K. Majumdar University of Delhi, New Delhi, India: The fixed oil of O. sanctum seeds was screened for antiarthritic activity using Freund’s adjuvant arthritis, formaldehyde-induced arthritis and also turpentine oil-induced joint edema in rats. The oil was administered intraperitoneally for 14 days in the case of adjuvant-induced arthritis and 10 days in formaldehyde-induced arthritis. The mean changes in diameter of paw were noted at regular intervals. X-rays of paws were taken at the end of study and SGOT & SGPT levels were also estimated. The fixed oil showed significant anti-arthritic activity in both models and anti-edema activity against turpentine oil-induced joint edema.

Traditional Uses: The leaf infusion or fresh leaf juice is commonly used in cough, mild upper respiratory infections, bronchospasm, stress-related skin disorders and indigestion. It is combined with ginger and maricha (black pepper) in bronchial asthma. It is given with honey in bronchitis and cough. The leaf juice is taken internally and also applied directly on cutaneous lesions in ringworm. The essential oil has been used in ear infections. The seeds are considered a general nutritious tonic.

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Other Uses
Essential; Repellent; Strewing.

An essential oil obtained from the whole plant is used as a food flavouring and in perfumery, dental applications etc. An average yield of 1.5% essential oil is obtained from the flowering tops. When applied to the skin it makes a good mosquito repellent. The growing or dried plant is an effective insect repellent. It is a good plant to grow in the home, where it repels flies, or in the greenhouse where it can keep all manner of insect pests away from nearby plants. It has been used in the past as a strewing herb.

Scented Plants
Leaves: Fresh Crushed Dried
The leaves are strongly aromatic. There are many named forms with different scents.

Known Hazards: None known .A toxicity study against fungi has been conducted by Dube et al. , which demonstrated that the plant is of insecticidal potent. Similar
researches confirmed recently that the plant is very toxic to mosquitos . However, the plant is safe to rats . Neverthless, further scientific researches should be warranted, since there are no equivalent reports of its use against humans.

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/Ocimum_basilicum
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ocimum+basilicum
http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail4.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil
Ocimum basilicum 'Horapha' 040924-1345

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_FGH.htm

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