Category: Herbs & Plants (Spices)

Botanical Name: Syzygium anisatum
Family: Myrtaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales
Genus: Syzygium
Species: S. anisatum

Common Names:Aniseed myrtle, Anise myrtle. Ringwood and Aniseed tree

Habitat: Aniseed myrtle is native to the Nambucca and Bellinger Valleys in New South Wales. It grows in subtropical rainforest, often along streams or on lower slopes; rare.

Description:
Aniseed myrtle a medium sized tree to 15m, developing a dense, spreading crown. In its natural environment, the rainforests of the Bellingen & Nambucca river valleys in north-eastern NSW, the Anise Myrtle can reach up to 45m. Lanceolate, opposite leaves are shiny green with wavy margins and a strong aniseed smell when crushed. New growth tips are a light burgundy colour. Clusters of small white flowers are borne at the ends of branchlets. Suitable for large gardens or acreage and will handle reasonable frosts but requires protection for the first two of years.

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Edible Uses:
Used as a flavouring spice and herbal tea ingredient. Although previously known, it was first sold in the early 1990s as a bushfood spice, and in the mid 1990s cultivated in plantations to meet demand.

The essential oil of S. anisatum contains anethole and methyl chavicol, imparting licorice and aniseed flavours respectively.

‘Aniseed myrtle’ is the name originally coined to specifically describe high quality selections of the trans-anethole chemotype (90%+) – generally recognized as safe for flavouring. These selections are propagated from cutting for consistent essential oil quality. The aniseed myrtle selections are also low in methyl chavicol and cis-anethole (less than 0.1%).

Medicinal Uses: Research indicates that aniseed myrtle oil has antimicrobial activity, including on the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Traditionally Aboriginal people used it medicinally as a tonic which had a vitalising effect.

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/Syzygium_anisatum
https://www.witjutigrub.com.au/index.php/info-sheets/16-anise-myrtle-syzygium-anisatum

Botanical Name: Alkanna tinctoria
Family: Boraginaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Boraginales
Genus: Alkanna
Species: A. tinctoria

Common Names:Alkanet, Dyers’ bugloss, Orchanet, Spanish bugloss, or Languedoc bugloss.

Habitat: Alkanet is native to the Mediterranean region. It grows on maritime sands, uncultivated ground, calcareous soils and pine forest.

Description:
Alkanna tinctoria is a perennial plant, growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower in June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).A. tinctoria has a bright blue flower. The plant has a dark red root of blackish appearance externally, but blue-red inside, with a whitish core. The root produces a fine red colouring material, which has been used as a dye in the Mediterranean region since antiquity. The root as a dyestuff is soluble in alcohol, ether, and the oils, but is insoluble in water.

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Cultivation:
Prefers a well-drained sandy or loamy soil in sun or partial shade. Dislikes acid soils but thrives in alkaline soils. A very drought tolerant plant when established, succeeding in a hot dry position, it is a useful plant for dry sandy or alkaline soils. Plants are hardy to about -10°c. This species is occasionally cultivated as a dye plant[61]. One report says that it is cultivated for its seed.

Edible Uses:
Used as a vegetable. No further details are given. A red dye obtained from the roots is used as a food colouring.

Medicinal Uses:
The root is antibacterial, antipruritic, astringent and vulnerary.It is used externally in the treatment of varicose veins, indolent ulcers, bed sores and itching rashes. Used internally to treat cough and bronchial catarrh (see known hazards above). Used in the treatment of skin wounds and diarrhoea .The root is harvested in the autumn and can be dried for later use. All plant parts are demulcent and expectoran

Other Uses:
Dye Litmus

A red dye is obtained from the roots, it is used by pharmacists as well as in perfumes and to stain wood or marble. The dye is also used in thermometers and as a litmus to test for acids and alkalines. It can make wood look like rosewood or mahogany.It is used to give colour to wines and alcoholic tinctures, to vegetable oils, and to varnishes.

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.

Resounces:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkanna_tinctoria
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Alkanna+tinctoria

Botanical Name: Smyrnium olusatrum
Family: Apiaceae
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Apiales
Genus: Smyrnium
Species: S. olusatrum

Common Names: Alexanders, Alisanders, Horse parsley, and Smyrnium

Habitat: Alexanders is native to continental Europe and has long been naturalised in Britain and Ireland where it is widely dispersed and – in addition to other disturbed habitats – commonly found on the sites of medieval monastery gardens as a persistent relic of former cultivation. Irish localities include: Counties Down, Antrim and Londonderry and throughout most of Ireland.It grows on waste ground and field margins, especially near the sea, where it may also be found on cliff paths and near the shore.

Description:
Alexanders is a stout biennial growing to 150 centimetres (59 in) high, with a solid stem which becomes hollow and grooved with age. The leaves are bluntly toothed, the segments ternately divided the segments flat, not fleshy. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.

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Cultivation:
Succeeds in most soils but prefers an open sunny position in a well-drained moisture retentive soil. Hardy to about -15°c. At one time this plant was extensively grown for its edible leaves and stems but it has now fallen into virtual disuse, having been replaced by celery. The seeds are highly aromatic with a myrrh-like scent. A good bee plant. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fleshy. Thick or swollen – fibrous or tap root.

Edible Uses:
Leaves and young shoots – raw in salads or cooked in soups, stews etc. The plant comes into growth in the autumn and the leaves are often available throughout the winter. They have a rather strong celery-like flavour and are often blanched (by excluding light from the growing plant) before use. Leafy seedlings can be used as a parsley substitute. Stem – raw or cooked. It tastes somewhat like celery, but is more pungent. The stem is often blanched (by excluding light from the growing plant) before use. Flower buds – raw. Added to salads, they have a celery-like flavour. The spicy seeds are used as a pepper substitute. Root – cooked. Boiled and used in soups, its flavour is somewhat like celery. The root is said to be more tender if it has been kept in a cool place all winter.

Medicinal Uses:
The whole plant is bitter and digestive. It has been used in the past in the treatment of asthma, menstrual problems and wounds, but is generally considered to be obsolete as a medicinal plant.The plant is used as traditional medicine in China.

Other Uses: A good wildlife plant. Scented. A good plant for food forests/forest gardens.It is a fodder plant, Alexanders is a feed source much appreciated by horses.

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/Smyrnium_olusatrum
https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Smyrnium+olusatrum

Botanical Name: Solanum centrale
Family: Solanaceae
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Solanales
Genus: Solanum
Species:S. centrale

Common Names: Akudjura,Bush raisin, Bush tomato, Bush sultana,Kutjera, or Australian desert raisin

Habitat: Akudjura is native to the more arid parts of Australia. Like other “bush tomatoes”, it has been used as a food source by Central Australia and Aboriginal groups for millennia.

Description:
Akudjura is a clonal, perennial herb or undershrub to 45 cm, often sprawling, pale or rusty yellowish-green, densely pubescent with stellate hairs; prickles absent, or few and sparsely scattered on stems, 1–5 mm long.

Leaves ovate-oblong; lamina 3–6 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, sometimes larger, concolorous, entire to slightly undulate; petiole 5–15 (sometimes 30) mm long.

Inflorescence 1–6–flowered, peduncle absent or to 10 mm long; rachis 5–15 mm long, sometimes to 40 mm, pedicels 6–10 mm long. Calyx 4–6 mm long; lobes triangular, 1.5–2.5 mm long. Corolla stellate, 15–25 mm diam., pale or deep purple. Anthers 4.5–6.5 mm long.

Berry globular, 10–15 mm diam., yellow, drying brown and raisin-like in appearance. Seeds 2–4 mm long, pale yellow or light brown. n=24.

Like many plants of the genus Solanum, desert raisin is a small bush and has a thorny aspect. It is a fast-growing shrub that fruits prolifically the year after fire or good rains. It can also grow back after being dormant as root stock for years after drought years.

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Cultivation:
Traditionally, the dried fruit are collected from the small bushes in late autumn and early winter. In the wild, they fruit for only two months. These days they are grown commercially by Aboriginal communities in the deserts of central Australia. Using irrigation, they have extended the fruiting season to eight months. The fruit are grown by Amata and Mimili communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, by the Dinahline community near Ceduna, by the Nepabunna community in the northern Flinders Ranges, and on the Tangglun Piltengi Yunti farm in Murray Bridge, and are marketed by Outback Pride.

Edible Uses:
The vitamin C-rich fruit are 1–3 cm in diameter and yellow in color when fully ripe. They dry on the bush and look like raisins. These fruits have a strong, pungent taste of tamarillo and caramel that makes them popular for use in sauces and condiments. They can be obtained either whole or ground, with the ground product (sold as “kutjera powder”) easily added to bread mixes, salads, sauces, cheese dishes, chutneys, stews or mixed into butter.Martu people would skewer bush tomatoes and dry them so the food was readily transportable.

Medicinal Uses:
Some people use the plant to treat symptoms of the common cold and flu, with some also viewing it as a cure. Other plants used in bush medicine includes the leaves of the emu bush, which some Northern Territory Aboriginal people used to sterilise sores and cuts.

Known Hazards
The unripe fruit is toxic.
Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant

The species most commonly called nightshade in North America and Britain is Solanum dulcamara, also called bittersweet or woody nightshade. Its foliage and egg-shaped red berries are poisonous, the active principle being solanine, which can cause convulsions and death if taken in large doses.

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/Solanum_centrale
http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanum%20species/key/Australian%20Solanum%20species/Media/Html/Solanum_centrale.htm
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Solanum+centrale

Botanical Name: Amaranthus
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily:Amaranthoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales
Genus: Amaranthus

Synonyms:
*Amaranthus abyssinicus L.H.Bailey
*Amaranthus alopecurus Hochst. ex A.Br. & C.D.Bouché
*Amaranthus cararu Moq.
*Amaranthus caudatus subsp. mantegazzianus (Pass.) Hanelt
*Amaranthus caudatus subsp. saueri V.Jehlík

Common Name: Amaranth.
Amaranth possess various vernacular names such as Hindi: Lal sag, Thotakura Chaulai; Marathi: Shavrani math, Rajgira; Tamil: Punkirai; Telegu: Chilaka thotakoora etc. It is also known as Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Amaranthus frumentaceus, Amaranto, Chua, Amaranthus leucocarpus, Red Cockscomb, Velvet Flower.

Habitat: Amarnath is native to Central America and South America, it is also cultivated in the countries having warm climate.

Description:
Amaranth is an annual, large and bushy plant usually about 90-130 cm high. It has oblong-lanceolate pointed green leaves normally arranged alternately in 2-4 inches long. The stems are erect branched. The plant yields flowers at summer or autumn (August and October) which is pink or white in color. The seeds are yellow, white, red, brown, pink, or black in a spherical or flattened lenticular shape. It prefers the warm climate and thrives in well-drained soils. As the plant is annual, it has got the lifespan of one year.

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Food Uses:
The younger greens and small varieties are consumed as salad and older greens are used as a substitute for spinach. Amaranth is added as an ingredient in pasta, bread, instant drinks, baby’s food, etc. It could be added to soups or stews and also taken as a cereal for breakfast. Popped Amaranth is added to bread, tofu or meat. Amaranth flour could be mixed with wheat flour to make bread or other foods. The seed could be cooked or roasted like germ vegetables.

Nutritional Value:
In 98 grams of Amaranth, 9.35 grams of protein is found along with 45.98 grams of Carbohydrate and 5.2 grams of fiber. This grain is rich in various minerals and vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, panthothenic acid, calcium, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and potassium. It also possess huge amount of lysine, which is not oftenly found in other grains.

Health Benefits:
Amaranth is rich in antioxidants, , proteins, vitamins and minerals which make it the healthy food by preventing the chronic diseases, enhancing immune system, stimulating repair and growth, lowering inflammation and blood pressure, lessening varicose veins, and promoting the strength of bones and others. It could be consumed either as a leaf vegetable, grain flour or a cereal grain.

Medicinal Uses:
This herb is used by the practitioners to obstruct bleeding. Amaranth is used as an astringent and as treatment for diarrhea, mouth ulcers and excessive menstrual flow. Gargling with this herb assist to alleviate the pharynx tenderness and assist the mouth ulcer treatment. This herb if used externally helps to cure vaginal discharges, nose bleeding and other abrasions. Amaranth greens are used to enhance eyesight.

Known Hazards:
Raw Amaranth possesses some toxic or undesirable components so; Amaranth should be consumed by cooking. Children are intolerant to lysinuric protein which may cause stomach pain and diarrhea. Lysine increases the absorption of calcium in the body which leads to the damage causing amount of calcium in the body. So one should avoid huge intake of calcium and lysine at the same time. Pregnant or breast feeding women should avoid Amaranth in order to be in the safe side.

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://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/amaranth/