Category: Herbs & Plants

Alpine Azalea

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Botanical Name :Loiseleuria procumbens
Family: Ericaceae (er-ek-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Loiseleuria (loy-sel-LEW-ree-uh) (Info)
Species: procumbens (pro-KUM-benz) (Info)
Synonym:Kalmia procumbens,Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv. AZPR Azalea procumbens L. , CHPR8 Chamaecistus procumbens (L.) Kuntze , KAPR Kalmia procumbens (L.) Gift, Kron & P.F. Stevens ex Galasso, Banfi & F. Conti.

Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class : Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass : Dilleniidae
Order: Ericales
Species: Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv. – alpine azalea

Habitat : Alpines and Rock Gardens Shrubs.Northern hemisphere distribution: circumpolar; Greenland, Canada, United States, Eurasia. Alaska, Yukon, Continental Northwest Territories, Nunavut Islands, Continental Nunavut, Northern Québec. Low arctic, or alpine. Range in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago limited. Arctic Islands: Baffin. Occasional to common in dry stony heath on acid; dry bouldery slopes in Precambium bedrock and till; Precambium rock: growing in dry gravel patches on rocky slopes with Arctostaphylos (CAN 541759).

Substrates: tundra, slopes, dry meadows; dry; acidic; rocks, gravel, till; with low organic content.

Description: The alpine azalea is a matted or trailing evergreen Perennial shrub with bell shaped flowers that are white or pink.Whole plant hairless. Calyx and young stems red.It blooms during Late Spring/Early Summer.It’s Foliage is Evergreen, Smooth-Textured, Shiny/Glossy-Textured, Good Fall Color. It often forms a ground mat on well drained rocky sites in arctic and alpine tundra. It ranges throughout Alaska except for on the northern coastal plain.
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Dwarf shrubs, or low shrubs; 5–10 cm high; semi-prostrate, much branched, with small leathery leaves. Aerial stems prostrate; glabrous (sometimes with small trapped sand or soil particles that should not be mistaken for glands). Leaves distributed along the stems; alternate; evergreen and marcescent. Stipules absent. Petioles present; 1–2.5 mm long (often flattened against the stem and easily overlooked); glabrous (abaxial surface), or hairy (adaxial surface); pubescent (if applicable). Petioles hairs appressed, or spreading (conspicuous as tufts in the axils of new leaves); curved. Leaf blade bases truncate, or rounded. Blades 4–8 mm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Blades length-width ratio 3, or 4. Blades leathery; elliptic; involute; veins pinnate (with mid-vein impressed into the adaxial surface), or appearing single-veined. Blades adaxial surface without sessile glands; glabrous (with a thick epidermis). Blades abaxial surface hairy. Blades abaxial surface hairs very dense. Blades abaxial surface tomentose. Blades abaxial surface hairs white, or translucent hairs; curved; appressed, or spreading. Blade margins entire. Leaf apices rounded.

Other details:: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Healing Qualities – helps us achieve unconditional self-acceptance through the release of self-doubt; opens our hearts to the spirit of love; teaches us compassion through understanding.

Resources:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Loiseleuria_procumbens
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/97806/
http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/_ca/www/erlopr.htm
http://www.nawwal.org/~mrgoff/pictures/picpgs/69813a.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=lopr
http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/ericaceae/loiseleuria-procumbens.htm
http://www.essencesonline.com/Alaskan_flowerkit.htm

Tags Biology, Canada, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Ericaceae, Flower, Leaf, Northern Canada, United States

Herbs & Plants

Green Alder

Botanical Name : Alnus crispa
Family: Betulaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Genus: Alnus

Common Names: The common name alder is derived from an old Germanic root. Also found to be the translation of the Old French “verne” for alder or copse of alders. The botanic name Alnus is the equivalent Latin name. Both the Latin and the Germanic words derive from the Proto-Indo-European root el-, meaning “red” or “brown”, which is also a root for the English words elk and another tree: elm, a tree distantly related to the alders. In celtic mythology, Bran the Blessed is associated with the alder tree “The Alder deity is considered to be Bran the Blessed, God of the Underworld. He was also known as the God of Prophecy, Arts, War and Writing. With the size of a giant, it was impossible for Bran to fit in a house or in a boat. According to medieval Christian writings, Bran the Blessed is considered to be the first British man.”

Habitat :The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas also along the Andes southwards to Argentina. Well-drained, moist soils along streams, in ravines and on moist hillsides in eastern forests; common on recently cut-over forest land; from lake country of Manitoba to eastern Saskatchewan and NW Ontario.

Description:-
Alder leaves are deciduous (not evergreen), alternate, simple, and serrated. The flowers are catkins with elongate male catkins on the same plant as shorter female catkins, often before leaves appear; they are mainly wind-pollinated, but also visited by bees to a small extent. They differ from the birches (Betula, the other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are woody and do not disintegrate at maturity, opening to release the seeds in a similar manner to many conifer cones.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
The largest species are Red Alder (A. rubra) on the west coast of North America and Black Alder (A. glutinosa), native to most of Europe and widely introduced elsewhere, both reaching over 30 m. By contrast, the widespread Green Alder (A. viridis) is rarely more than a 5 m tall shrub.

A tall and spreading shrub, 3 – 8 m tall; bark thin, dull, reddish to greyish brown, smooth or slightly grooved; twigs slender, yellowish green to reddish brown, coated with very short grey hairs; buds slender, stalked, covered with grey hairs.

Leaves – Opposite, simple, 6 – 8 cm wide, 3-lobed, end lobe triangular; coarsely and irregularly single-toothed; yellowish green above, with soft, whitish hairs below; stalk slender, reddish, usually longer than blade.
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Flowers – : In dense upright clusters at branchlet tips; sexes in separate flowers usually in same flower cluster; flowers are small, pale yellowish green; appear after leaves in late May to early June.
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Fruit – Samaras, often brilliant red; wings 2 -3 cm long, with acute angle (less than 90 degrees) between them; seed portion indented on 1 side; mature in late summer.

Can sometimes be confused with the Speckled Alder and shrub occurrences of the Paper Birch. The stalked cones of the Green Alder stand it apart from these species; the leaf margins with fine, regularly spaced teeth contrast with the coarsely, double-toothed leaf margins of the Speckled Alder and the leaves are less taper-pointed than those of the Paper Birch.

Medicinal Actions & Uses;
promotes clarity of perception on all levels; helps us integrate seeing with knowing so that we can recognize our highest truth in each life experience.

Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory salicin which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the body. Native Americans used Red Alder bark (Alnus rubra) to treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritations. Blackfeet Indians used an infusion made from the bark of Red Alder to treat lymphatic disorders and tuberculosis. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains betulin and lupeol, compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors

Other Uses:
Nitrogen fixation:
Alder is particularly noted for its important symbiotic relationship with Frankia alni, actinomycete filamentous nitrogen-fixing bacterium. This bacterium is found in root nodules which may be as large as a human fist, with many small lobes and light brown in appearance. The bacterium absorbs nitrogen from the air and makes it available to the tree. Alder, in turn, provides the bacterium with carbon, which it produces through photosynthesis. As a result of this mutually-beneficial relationship, alder improves the fertility of the soils where it grows, and as a pioneer species, it helps provide additional nitrogen for the successional species which follow.

Alder catkins are edible and high in protein. Although they are reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste, they are best remembered for survival purposes. Alder wood is also commonly used to smoke various food items.

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.borealforest.org/shrubs/shrub2.htm
http://www.essencesonline.com/Alaskan_flowerkit.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder

Tags Alder, Biology, Catkin, Deciduous, Flower, Leaf, Temperateness, United States

Herbs & Plants

Aconitum Uncinatum

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Botanical Name: Aconitum uncinatum
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus : Aconitum

Common Name : southern blue monkshood/Wild Monkshood

Habitat: Eastern N. America – Pennsylvania to Indiana and south to Alabama and Georgia. It grows on low woods and damp slopes. Wet areas along streams and in springs, also less mesic locations in woods and clearings at elevations of 200 – 2000 metres.

Description: Perennial growing to 1m.
. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are pollinated by Bees.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES.
Flower/fruit: 1-inch deep purple or purplish blue flowers clustered at the end of stems; five sepals; upper sepal forms a rounded hood, concealing part of two clawlike petals.

Flowering Season: Summer into fall.

Foliage: Up to 6-inch coarsely toothed leaves with three to five lobes; similar to buttercup; slender, weak branching stem

Cultivation:
Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade. Prefers a calcareous soil. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer. Grows well in open woodlands. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legume.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division – best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn. Another report says that division is best carried out in the autumn or late winter because the plants come into growth very early in the year.

Medicinal Actions & Uses
Alterative; Anaesthetic; Antiarthritic; Deobstruent; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Sedative; Stimulant.

The dried root is alterative, anaesthetic, antiarthritic, deobstruent, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative, stimulant. It is harvested as soon as the plant dies down in the autumn. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. A tincture is used as an external anaesthetic.

Known Hazards: The whole plant is highly toxic – simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people. Roots and seeds contain poisonous alkaloides

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?Aconitum+uncinatum
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACUN&photoID=acun_1v.jpg
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACUN

Tags Aconitum, Alabama, Associated Press, Atmosphere, East Chicago, Flower, Garden, Georgia, Home, Humidity, Indiana, Indiana University, Perennial plant, Plant, Relative humidity, Soil, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Weather

Herbs & Plants

Aconitum Palmatum

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Botanical Name :Aconitum bisma
Family : Ranunculaceae
Common English Name : Crowfoot
Sanskrit Name: Prativisha
Hindi Name : Bakhma
Genus : Aconitum
Habitat: E. Asia – Himalayas in Nepal, Sikkim and south Tibet. Alpine regions between 3,000 and 5,000 metres. Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade;

Desciption:
It is biennial & Perennial herb with tuberous and paired roots. The mother root is often dry and cylindrical and the daughter root varies from shortly conical to long cylindrical. It’s external surface is somewhat smooth and light brown.The leaves of the orbicular –cordate to reniform with a very wide shallow sinus. Flowers are greenish blue in few flower panicles. The follicles are 2.5-3.0 cm long. Thew seeds are blakish, obovoid, obscurely winged along the raphe and transversly lamellate. It is hardy to zone 0. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES

Roots, biennial, paired, tuberous; conical or cylindrical 4-10 cm long, 0.75-3 cm thick.

Stem erect. Leaves scattered, upto 10, the lowest usually withered at the time of flowering, glabrous, or the upper most finely pubescent on the nerves below; petiole slender 4-10 cm long; blade orbicular-cordate to reniform , 3-lobed. Inflorescence a very loose, leafy panicle or raceme, 10-20 cm long. Sepals bluish or variegated white and blue, uppermost helmet-shaped. Carpels 5, sub contagious in the flower. Follicles sub contagious or some what diverging in the upper part, oblong, obliquely truncate, 2.5-3 cm long and 5-6 mm broad. Seeds blackish, ovoid, about 3 mm long, round in Cross section…

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Cultivation :
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade. Prefers a calcareous soil. Grows well in open woodlands. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes.

Atidine , hetisine, heteratisine ,Diterpene alkaloids , heterophylline, heterophylline ,heterophyllidine heterophyllisine, hetidine, atidine & ,Atisenol, a new entatisene diterpenoid lactone from roots.

F-dishydrçatisine, hetidine, hetisinone, heteratisine, hetisine, benzylleteratisine, beta —sitosterol, carotene and 3— isoatisine from rhizomes

Toxicology: One report says that this species has a non-poisonous root, though this should be treated with caution. The following notes are based on the general toxicity of the genus. The whole plant is highly toxic – simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people

Medicinal Actions & Uses :-
Antiperiodic; Tonic.
The root of this species is said to be non-toxic, though some caution should be applied to this statement. The root is antiperiodic and tonic. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism and diarrhoea.

Click to see different Ayurvedic & medicinal uses

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Aconitum+palmatum
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/herbfinder/h_aconitum.htm
http://www.indianmedicinalplants.info/d2/index.htm

Tags Flower, Garden, Inflorescence, Leaf shape, Plant, Rhizome, Seed, Tuber

Herbs & Plants

Alaska Wild Rhubarb

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Botanical Name:Polygonum alaskanum
Family : Polygonaceae
Genus : Polygonum

Synonyms: Aconogonon alaskanum – (Small.)Soják.
Common Names in English: Alaska Wild Rhubarb

Habitat: Northwestern N. America – Alaska to Yukon and eastern Russia. Sub-alpine to alpine meadows, talis slopes and ridges. Montane slopes above treeline, steep hillsides, steep cut banks or sandy loam of rivers; 100-1300 metres .

Description:
Perennial growing to 1.8m.
It is hardy to zone 0. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
click to see the picture
Herbs, shrubs , or small trees , sometimes monoecious or dioecious. Stems erect , prostrate , twining , or scandent , often with swollen nodes, striate , grooved , or prickly. Leaves simple , alternate, rarely opposite or whorled , petiolate or subsessile ; stipules often united to a sheath (ocrea) . Inflorescence terminal or axillary , spicate , racemose, paniculate , or capitate. Pedicel occasionally articulate . Flowers small, actinomorphic , bisexual , rarely unisexual . Perianth 3-6-merous, in 1 or 2 series, herbaceous, often enlarged in fruit or inner tepals enlarged, with wings, tubercles , or spines. Stamens usually (3-) 6-9, rarely more; filaments free or united at base ; anthers 2-loculed, opening lengthwise; disk annular (often lobed ) . Ovary superior, 1-loculed; styles 2 or 3, rarely 4, free or connate at lower part. Fruit a trigonous , biconvex , or biconcave achene; seed with straight or curved embryo and copious endosperm.

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

Cultivation:
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. It is quite possibly no more than a synonym for P. alpinum[257]. Although very closely related to P. alpinum, it is distinct[270]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[200]. Repays generous treatment[1]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].

Propagation:-
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Leaves; Seed; Stem.

Edible Uses: Drink.
Leaves – raw or cooked. They have an acid flavour and can be used as a sorrel substitute. The chopped leaves and stems have been added to a thick pudding of flour and sugar then eaten. Leaf stems – raw or cooked. An acid flavour, they can be cut into sections and used like rhubarb (Rheum spp). The juice from the plant has been sweetened and used as a refreshing drink. Seed – raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Medicinal Actions & Uses:-
Astringent; Pectoral.
The whole plant is astringent. The raw roots and stem bases have been chewed as a treatment for coughs and colds.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Polygonum+alaskanum
http://public.fotki.com/bottomdollar/wildflowers_of_east/papaveraceae_–/polygonaceae_buckwh/p_alaskanum3.html
http://zipcodezoo.com/Plants/P/Polygonum_alpinum/

Tags Flower, Garden, Home, Inflorescence, Leaf, Plant, Plant sexuality, Stamen

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