Category: Herbs & Plants

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Milkweed

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Botanical Name: Calotropis gigantea/Asclepias syrica or Asclepias Gigantea
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Genus: Calotropis
Species: C. gigantea
Common Names: Milkweed, Rui (madar) In India it is called Akand,Gurakand,Akanda,Swe-Takand in English it is called Bowstring Hemp, Madar,Gigantic Swallowwort and Milkwed.

Habitat :Throughout india on plains on wastelands. A common shurb of wasteland and rode side. the leaves are thick, opposite, decussate in arrangement and coated with white powder. flowers are in umble and blue in colour.

It grows throughout most of the United States; this species is not found in the Western states, but similar milkweeds are available: found in old fields, roadsides, meadows, waste places and disturbed habitats.

Origin:  native to the United States and Canada

Description:
The common milkweed is thick-stemmed and upright.  It grows to be 3-5 feet tall.  Its leaves are elliptical, and opposite; they are velvety on their upper surface, and downy underneath.  They are 4-9 inches long and quite wide.

click to see…..>...(01).……....(1).…....(2)..…...(3).…….(4).…….(5)…………………
The pinkish-purple flower buds look like loose broccoli; the flower itself is large and made up of individual florets gathered in an umbrella shaped globe that droops from the stem.  The stem is hairy.  The seed pods are the most recognizable feature of the common milkweed; they are green, elliptical shaped and about 1-4 inches in length with a pointed tip; inside, they contain myriad seeds with silky parachute-like attachments.  Another easily recognizable characteristic of the common milkweed is the profuse, milky white sap that flows from any broken part.

Common milkweed is a member of the Asclepiadaceae, or milkweed, family.  Its relatives include other milkweeds such as swamp milkweed, the butterfly weed, and showy milkweed.  The butterfly weed and Western states versions of milkweed are toxic.

In lore, legend and life: In World War II, children in the United States were encouraged to collect milkweed pods and turn them in to the government, where the fluffy silk was used to stuff lifevests and flying suits.  The silk was especially good because of its exceptional buoyancy and lightweight. Also in World War II, because of the shortage of natural rubber, scientists in the United States tried to turn common milkweed’s latex into a rubber like substitute.

Monarch butterflies are particularly attracted to the flowers of the common milkweed and other milkweed relatives.

In Hindu mythology, relatives of the common milkweed were considered to be the king of plants; it was believed that the creating god was under the influence of milkweed juice when he created the universe.
Click to see :->Scarlet Milkweed 

Active constituents:- beta carotene, vitamin C, latex, alkaloids, asclepiadin, volatile oils

Medicinal uses :-
Dry leaf powder used for treating wounds and boils. leaves found to be effective on elephantiasis.
flowers along with jaggery are useful against cough and improving appetite.
the mixture of latex, turmeric and sesame oil, useful in treating scabies.Leaves and flowers used for worshiping lord Hanuman. position : Very common.

Common milkweed has been used traditionally a tea prepared from its root as a diuretic for kidney stones, a laxative, and an expectorant.  It has been used to treat asthma and bronchitis and it induces sweating.  The sap has been used for chewing gum, which is considered very dangerous because of the presence of cardioactive compounds in the plant. The sap has also been used as a topical remedy for worts, ringworm and moles.  Some Native Americans used milkweed as a contraceptive. It was also a folk remedy for cancer. Today, milkweed has limited medicinal use; other milkweed species, such as the swamp milkweed, have more widespread use. Parts of the milkweed plant can be eaten, but the similarity of this plant to toxic look-alikes would serve as a caution against this practice. It is used by some as an emetic, a potion to sooth the nerves, and as a stomach tonic.  It is also believed to kill parasitic worms.

Click to see it’s different Ayurvedic medicinal uses :-.

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://green-source.blogspot.com/2009/06/rui-madar-calotropis-gigantea-milkweed.html
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/Ethnobotany/milkweed.html

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Bear’s Breeches(Acanthus mollis – L.)

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Botanical Name:Acanthus mollis – L.
Family : Acanthaceae
Synonyms: Acanthus latifolius – Hort. ex Goeze.
Common Name :Bear’s Breeches,
Genus: Acanthus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Species: A. mollis

Habitat : South-western Europe – Portugal to the Balkans. Naturalized in Britain in W. Cornwall.  Woodland scrub and stony hillsides.Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; Meadow;

Description:–
It is a herbaceous perennial plant .It grows to 2 m tall, with basal clusters of deeply lobed and cut, shining dark green leaves up to 1 m long and 20 cm broad. The flowers are tubular, whitish, lilac or rose with spiny green or purplish bracts, and produced on stout spikes which grow up to 2.5 m (8 ft) above the leaves. It flowers in late spring or early summer. It grows in dry areas, and is tolerant of drought and shade. The plants are propagated from tubers and tend to form large, localized clumps which can survive for several decades. The leaves of this plant are generally considered by historians[who?] to have been the design inspiration for the Corinthian column capitals of Roman architecture.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES….>…....(01)…..…(1).
It is hardy to zone 0. It is in flower from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.

Cultivation :–
Prefers a deep loamy soil in a sheltered position in full sun but tolerates partial shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils if they are well-drained but dislikes heavy damp soils and will not overwinter in wet soils. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant. Hardy to about -15°c, though young plants may require protection in the winter and even older ones may need protection in cold winters. A very ornamental plant. The leaves can wilt on hot summer days when plants are grown in full sun. Plants can become invasive, spreading by suckers, and they are difficult to eradicate due to their deep roots. Does well in the lawn or wild garden. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut in the autumn. Members of this genus are not usually browsed by deer.

Propagation:-
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame or outside as soon as the seed is ripe. It usually germinates in 3 – 4 weeks at 10°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for two years before planting out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, they can be planted straight out into their permanent positions. Root cuttings – winter in a coldframe

Medicinal Actions & Uses:

Astringent; Detergent; Emollient; Vulnerary.
The leaves and roots are astringent, detergent, emollient and vulnerary. The plant contains appreciable quantities of mucilage and tannin. Traditionally it was used as a treatment for dislocated joints and for burns. A paste made from the plant, when applied to a dislocated joint, tends to normalize the affected muscles and ligaments, simultaneously relaxing and tightening them to encourage the joint back into its proper place. The crushed leaves have been used as a poultice to soothe burns and scalds. For internal use, the plant’s emollient properties are useful in treating irritated mucous membranes within the digestive and urinary tracts.

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.

Other Uses:-
Ground cover.

The sub-species A. mollis latifolia makes a good ground cover plant. Relatively slow to cover the ground at first but it can eventually become invasive.


Source:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Acanthus+mollis
http://www.floradecanarias.com/acanthus_mollis.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthus_mollis

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Acalypha Australis – L.

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Botanical Name:Acalypha Australis – L.
Family : Euphorbiaceae
Genus : Acalypha
Synonyms :  Acalypha chinensis – L., Acalypha pauciflora – Hornem.,Acalypha virgata – Thunb. non L
Habitat: E. Asia – China, Japan. Waste places and cultivated fields in lowland areas all over Japan. Disturbed habitats such as cultivated fields, roadsides and riverbanks.

Description:
Annual  Herb growing to  10–50 cm high. Leaves with lamina ovate, 2–4 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, margins toothed, sparsely pubescent; petiole at least as long as the lamina. Male inflorescences 1–2 cm long. Female flowers 1 or 2, concealed within bract c. 10–15 mm diam., peduncle c. 10 mm long. Fruit c. 3 mm diam.

You may click to see the pictures  of Acalypha Australis       
……
It is hardy to zone 0. It is in flower from July to November. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant)

Cultivation:
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.

Medicinal Action & Uses:-
Depurative; Febrifuge; Vulnerary.

Febrifuge, detoxifies, vulnerary

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?Acalypha+australis
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acalypha~australis
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Acalypha_australis

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Acaenia anserinifolia

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Botanical Name: Acaenia anserinifolia
Family : Rosaceae
Subfamilia: Rosoideae:
Genus : Acaenia
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Ordo: Rosales
Tribus: Sanguisorbeae
Subtribus: Sanguisorbinae
Genus: Acaena
Species: Acaena anserinifolia

Synonyms: Acaena novae-zelandiae Kirk
Common Name: Pirri-Pirri Bur,  Bidibid, hutiwai, piripiri
Habitat:Eastern Australia, New Zealand. Naturalized in Britain. Open positions from lowland to the montane zone in North, South and Stewart Islands of New Zealand.  Ground Cover;

Description:

Acaenia anserinifolia is a stoloniferous, prostrate, evergreen trailing and perennial herb, forming diffuse to dense patches up to 1 m diam. Prostrate stems 1-1.5 mm diam. and < 1 m long, erect stems 1-1.5 mm diam., < 150 mm long (unless scrambling up through surrounding vegetation, in which case taller). Leaves 10-75 mm long, stipules 3-8-fid, leaflets 9-13, oblong, 4-17 x 2-9 mm, 7-15-toothed to base, dull green to yellow-green, basal leaves often mottled brown, upper surface sparsely to densely hairy, undersides paler, glaucescent to silvery, and very silky hairy, teeth tipped with a tuft of brush-like hairs. Inflorescence scape 40-120 mm long, covered in long, appressed hairs. Capitulum 5-8 mm diam. at flowering, 10-20 mm diam. (including spines) at fruiting; florets c. 50-60; sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers white or rose; style 1; white; achene 1. Fruit obconic, 3 x 12 mm, hairy, spines 4, pale brown, 4-9 mm long, barbed.

It is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The flower colours are Red,Pink & White. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.Fruiting time is December – April
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. Requires a warm position. Adaptable to poorly-drained soils in Australia. A very invasive plant, spreading freely by its procumbent rooting stems. It is low-growing, however, and so can be grown as a ground cover amongst taller plants.

Propagation:
Seed – sow March in a greenhouse. Germination, which can be very poor, usually takes place within 1 – 3 months at 10°c. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots, planting them out in the summer. Division in April or October. Very easy, the plants can be divided at any time of the year if required, though it will need to be done in a greenhouse during the winter months. Cuttings – August in a cold frame.

Edible Uses
Edible Uses: Tea.

The leaves are used as a substitute for tea.

Medicinal Uses.

Antiphlogistic; Diuretic; Vulnerary.

The leaves are antiphlogistic, carminative, diuretic and vulnerary.

Other Uses:-
Ground cover.

A good ground-cover plant, tolerating some treading. A carpeting plant, rooting as it spreads.

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://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Acaenia+anserinifolia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Acaena_anserinifolia
http://luirig.altervista.org/photos/a/acaena_anserinifolia.htm
http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/plant%20portraits%20a/acaena%20anserinifolia.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACNO7

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1436

 

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China Jute (Abutilon theophrasti – Medik.)

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Botanical Name : Abutilon theophrasti – Medik.
Family :  Malvaceae
Genus :  Abutilon
Synonyms: Abutilon avicennae – Gaertn., Sida abutilon – L.

Common Names:Indian Mallow. Abutilon Theophrasti, Medic. (Abutilon Avicennoe, Gaertn.). Velvet Leaf, American Jute, Butter Print

Habitat: Asia – tropical. Naturalised in S.E. Europe and the Mediterranean.  Cultivated ground and waste places in the Mediterranean.Cultivated Beds.
Range: Maine to South Dakota, southward to Florida and Texas.

Description:
Annual growing to 1m.
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf from May to October, in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)
Time of bloom: July to October.  Seed-time: August to November.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Stem stout, erect, round, softly hairy, three to six feet in height, and branching widely. Leaves alternate, pointed-heart-shaped, three inches to nearly a foot broad, velvety above and below with a dense coat of exceedingly fine, soft hair; petioles slender and nearly as long as the blades. Flowers solitary in the axils, each about a half-inch broad, with five yellow petals and a velvety green, five-lobed calyx, many stamens, united in a ring around the several pistils which are also united at the base, but distinct above, projecting beyond the stamens. The compound seed-vessel is much larger than the flower, being about an inch broad, composed of a ring of twelve to fifteen awn-tipped carpels, splitting at the top when ripe and each containing three to nine seeds, which are rounded kidney-shaped, grayish brown, slightly rough, about one-eighth of an inch long. These seeds are shaken from the carpels by winter winds and blown for long distances over crusted snow.

Cultivation:-
Requires full sun or part day shade and a fertile well-drained soil. Tolerates a pH in the range 5 to 8.2. This species is cultivated for its fibre in China and Russia where it succeeds as far north as latitude 56°n in W. Siberia. It is hardier and more disease-resistant than Jute (Corchorus spp.). Introduced to N. America in the eighteenth century, it has become a pestilential weed in many parts of the country.

Propagation:-
Seed – sow early April in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 2 – 3 weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in May or June, after the last expected frosts. An outdoor sowing in April to early May in situ could also be tried, especially in those areas with warm summers.

Edible Uses:-
Edible Parts: Fruit; Seed.

Seeds – raw or cooked. They can be eaten raw when they are under-ripe. The ripe seed is dried and ground into a powder then used in soups, bread etc. It is washed first to remove any bitterness. The seed contains about 17.4% protein, 16% fat, 33.8% carbohydrate, 4.4% ash. Unripe fruit – raw. This is really more of a seedpod[K].

Composition:-
Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.

Seed (Fresh weight)
0 Calories per 100g
*Water: 0%
*Protein: 17.4g; Fat: 16g; Carbohydrate: 33.8g; Fibre: 0g; Ash: 4.4g;
*Minerals – Calcium: 0mg; Phosphorus: 0mg; Iron: 0mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 0mg; Zinc: 0mg;
*Vitamins – A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 0mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0mg; Niacin: 0mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;

Medicinal Uses:-
Astringent; Demulcent; Diuretic; Emollient; Laxative; Ophthalmic; Poultice; Stomachic.

Ophthalmic. Used in the treatment of dysentery and opacity of the cornea. The leaves contain 0.01% rutin and are used as a demulcent. A tea made from the dried leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery and fevers. A poultice of the leaves is applied to ulcers. The bark is astringent and diuretic. A tea made from the dried root is used in the treatment of dysentery and urinary incontinence. It is also used to treat fevers. The seed is powdered and eaten in the treatment of dysentery, stomach-aches etc. It is demulcent, diuretic, emollient, laxative and stomachic.

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.

Other Uses:-
Fibre; Oil; Paper.

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a jute substitute. It is coarse but flexible and strong. It is also used in rope-making. It takes dyes well. The fibre is also used for making paper, the stems are harvested in the summer, the leaves removed and the stems steamed in order to remove the fibres. The seeds contain about 19% of a semi-drying oil.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Abutilon+theophrasti
http://chestofbooks.com/flora-plants/weeds/Manual-Of-Weeds/Indian-Mallow-Abutilon-Theophrasti-Medic-Abutilon-Avicen.html
http://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/dgpar/arico/herbierv/malvherbier-abuth.htm

 

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