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Botanical Name:Narcissus jonquilla
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:Amaryllidoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Genus: Narcissus
Species:N. jonquilla

Common Names: Jonquil or Rush daffodil.

Habitat: Jonquil is native to Spain and Portugal but has now become naturalised in many other regions: France, Italy, Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, Madeira, British Columbia in Canada, Utah, Illinois, Ohio, and the southeastern United States from Texas to Maryland. It prefers to grow on Rocky hillsides, often on limestone, also in meadows and damp places.

Description: Narcissus jonquilla is a BULB growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It bears long, narrow, rush-like leaves (hence the name “jonquil”, Spanish junquillo, from the Latin juncus = “rush”). In late spring it bears heads of up to five scented yellow or white flowers. It is a parent of numerous varieties within Division 7 of the horticultural classification. Division 7 in the Royal Horticultural Society classification of Narcissus includes N. jonquilla and N. apodanthus hybrids and cultivars that show clear characteristics of those two species.

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Cultivation:
The plant prefers a deep rather stiff soil but succeeds in most soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Easily grown in a dry sunny position. Prefers an alkaline soil with a pH between 7 and 8. A very ornamental plant, it is widely cultivated around the Mediterranean for its essential oil. The blooms, which are almost intoxicatingly scented, have an undertone of orange in their perfume. The double form, ‘flora Pleno’ is even more powerfully scented.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A short stratification will improve the germination of stored seed. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first two years of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in the summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 – 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer. Division of bulbs after the leaves die down in early summer. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, or can be stored in a cool place and then be planted out in the autumn. It is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year before planting them out when dormant in the autumn.

Edible Uses:
Flowers are eaten- raw or candied and made into desserts.

Medicinal Uses:
No medicinal uses could be found nby us.

Other Uses: An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery. 1 kg of flowers yields 1g absolute of essential oil.

Known Hazards:Although no records could be found for this species, many if not all members of this genus are poisonous.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only.

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_jonquilla
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Narcissus+jonquilla

Botanical Name: Anemone narcissiflora
Family: Ranunculaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ranunculales
Genus: Anemone
Species: A. narcissiflora

Common Names:Narcissus-Flowered Anemone, Narcissus anemone

Habitat : Anemone narcissiflora is native to north western North America and Eurasia where it can be found growing in high mountain alpine grasslands, in thickets, grassy meadows with moist soils, tundra, open woods, along roadsides and in pastures. It grows on grassy, peaty but well-drained alpine meadows, occasionally in partial shade.

Description:
Anemone narcissiflora is a herbaceous perennial plant, it grows 7 to 60 cm (2 .75 to 23.5 inches) tall, from a caudex (woody-like perennial base), flowering spring to mid summer but often found flowering till late summer. They have 3-10 basal leaves that are ternate (arranged with three leaflets), rounded to rounded triangular in shape with 4-to-20-millimetre (5/32-to-25/32-inch) long petioles.

The flowers are produced in clusters (umbels) with 2 to 8 flowers, but often appear singly. The inflorescence have 3 leaf-like bracts similar in appearance to the basal leaves but simple and greatly reduced in size, pinnatifid in shape. Flowers have no petals, but instead have 5-9 petal-like sepals that are white, blue-tinted white or yellow in color. The flowers usually have 40 to 80 stamens but can have up to 100.

After flowering, fruits are produced in rounded heads with 5–14-centimetre (2–5.5-inch) long pedicels. When the fruits, called achenes, are ripe they are ellipsoid to ovate in outline, flat in shape and 5 to 9 millimetres (3/16 to 11/32 in) long and 4–6 millimetres (5/32–1/4 in) wide. The achenes are winged with no hairs and have 0.8–1.5-millimetre (0.031–0.059-inch) long beaks that are curved or recurved.

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Cultivation:
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil but prefers a rich sandy loam and full sun. Succeeds in full sun or part shade. Plants succeed in maritime gardens. Hardy to about -20°c. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes. A very ornamental and highly polymorphic plant. There are a large number of sub-species.

Edible Uses:
Leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves , together with other salad greens and oil, were beaten to a creamy consistency and frozen into an ‘ice cream’.Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Root – raw. The upper root ends have been used for food. Some caution is advised, see the notes below on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses:
The plant has been used as an antihaemorrhagic.

Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, many members of this genus contain protoanemonin, an irritating acrid oil that is an enzymatic breakdown product of the glycoside ranunculin. While protoanemonin can cause severe topical and gastrointestinal irritation, it is unstable and changes into harmless anemonin when plants are dried or heated.

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/Anemone_narcissiflora
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Anemone+narcissiflora

Botanical Name: Narcissus poeticus
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:Amaryllidoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Tribe: Narcisseae
Genus: Narcissus

Common Names: Poet’s Narcissus (it has various common names including daffodil, narcissus and jonquil)

Habitat:Poet’s Narcissus ia native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa with a centre of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian peninsula. Both wild and cultivated plants have naturalised widely, and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century.

Description:
Poet’s Narcissus is a genus of perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, which die back after flowering to an underground storage bulb. They regrow in the following year from brown-skinned ovoid bulbs with pronounced necks, and reach heights of 5–80 cm depending on the species. Dwarf species such as N. asturiensis have a maximum height of 5–8 cm, while Narcissus tazetta may grow as tall as 80 cm. The flowers are generally white or yellow (also orange or pink in garden varieties), with either uniform or contrasting coloured tepals and corona.

The plants are scapose, having a single central leafless hollow flower stem (scape). Several green or blue-green, narrow, strap-shaped leaves arise from the bulb. The plant stem usually bears a solitary flower, but occasionally a cluster of flowers (umbel). The flowers, which are usually conspicuous and white or yellow, sometimes both or rarely green, consist of a perianth of three parts. Closest to the stem (proximal) is a floral tube above the ovary, then an outer ring composed of six tepals (undifferentiated sepals and petals), and a central disc to conical shaped corona. The flowers may hang down (pendent), or be erect. There are six pollen bearing stamens surrounding a central style. The ovary is inferior (below the floral parts) consisting of three chambers (trilocular). The fruit consists of a dry capsule that splits (dehisces) releasing numerous black seeds.

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The bulb lies dormant after the leaves and flower stem die back and has contractile roots that pull it down further into the soil. The flower stem and leaves form in the bulb, to emerge the following season. Most species are dormant from summer to late winter, flowering in the spring, though a few species are autumn flowering.

Cultivation:
Prefers a deep rather stiff soil but succeeds in most soils and situations. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Easily grown in a moist soil, doing well in grass but it is slow to establish. The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -5°c. Cultivation details
Prefers a deep rather stiff soil but succeeds in most soils and situations. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Easily grown in a moist soil, doing well in grass but it is slow to establish. The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -5°c.

Propagation:
Poet’s Narcissus tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are also insect-pollinated. Known pests, diseases and disorders include viruses, fungi, the larvae of flies, mites and nematodes. Some Narcissus species have become extinct, while others are threatened by increasing urbanisation and tourism.

Medicinal Uses:
The bulb is powerfully emetic and irritant. A homeopathic remedy is made from the bulb.

Other Uses: An essential oil is obtained from the flowers. 500kg of the flowers yields 1kg concrete, 300gr absolute of the essential oil.A very ornamental plant, but it is sometimes shy to flower. The flowers are powerfully scented.
The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and the symbol of cancer charities in many countries. The appearance of the wild flowers in spring is associated with festivals in many places.

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/Narcissus_(plant)
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Narcissus+poeticus

Botanical Name: Cyrilla racemiflora
Family: Myrtaceae/ Cyrillaceae

Subfamily: Myrtoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales
Tribe: Myrteae
Genus: Myrtus
Type species: Myrtus communis

Species:
*Myrtus communis L.
*Myrtus nivellei Batt. & Trab.

Synonyms: Myrthus Scop.

Common Names: Myrtle, Leatherwood, Swamp titi, Black Titi, Swamp, Titi Swamp, Leatherwood

Habitat: Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe.
Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa.

Now they are growing in Southern North America – Virginia to Florida and Texas.

Grows in Rich shaded river bottoms, the borders of sandy swamps and shallow ponds of the coastal pine-belt. Also found on high, sandy, exposed ridges rising above streams.

Description:

Common myrtle: Myrtus communis, the “common myrtle”, is native across the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia, western Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is also cultivated.

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The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 metres (16 ft) tall. The leaf is entire, 3–5 cm long, with a fragrant essential oil.

The star-like flower has five petals and sepals, and numerous stamens. Petals usually are white. The flower is pollinated by insects.

The fruit is a round berry containing several seeds, most commonly blue-black in colour. A variety with yellow-amber berries is also present. The seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the berries.

Saharan myrtle: Myrtus nivellei, the Saharan myrtle, (Tuareg language: tefeltest), is endemic to the mountains of the central Sahara Desert. It is found in a restricted range in the Tassili n’Ajjer Mountains in southern Algeria, and the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad.

It occurs in small areas of sparse relict woodland at montane elevations above the central Saharan desert plains.

It is a traditional medicinal plant for the Tuareg people.

Edible Uses:
Myrtus communis is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called Mirto by macerating it in alcohol. Mirto is one of the most typical drinks of Sardinia and comes in two varieties: mirto rosso (red) produced by macerating the berries, and mirto bianco (white) produced from the less common yellow berries and sometimes the leaves.

Many Mediterranean pork dishes include myrtle berries, and roasted piglet is often stuffed with myrtle sprigs in the belly cavity, to impart an aromatic flavour to the meat.

The berries, whole or ground, have been used as a pepper substitute. They contribute to the distinctive flavor of Mortadella sausage and the related American Bologna sausage.

In Calabria, a myrtle branch is threaded through dried figs and then baked. The figs acquire a pleasant taste from the essential oils of the herb. They are then enjoyed through the winter months.

Medicinal Uses:
Myrtle, along with willow tree bark, occupies a prominent place in the writings of Hippocrates, Pliny, Dioscorides, Galen, and the Arabian writers.-
— It has been prescribed for fever and pain by ancient physicians since at least 2,500 BC in Sumer.

Myrtle’s effects are due to high levels of salicylic acid, a compound related to aspirin and the basis of the modern class of drugs known as NSAIDs.

In several countries, particularly in Europe and China, there has been a tradition for prescribing this substance for sinus infections. A systematic review of herbal medicines used for the treatment of rhinosinusitis concluded that the evidence that any herbal medicines are beneficial in the treatment of rhinosinusitis is limited, and that for Myrtus there is insufficient data to verify the significance of clinical results.

Other Uses:
It has several Mythological and ritual uses.

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/Myrtus
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cyrilla+racemiflora

Botanical Name: Myriophyllum spicatum
Family: Haloragaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Saxifragales
Genus: Myriophyllum
Species: M. spicatum

Common Names: Water Milfoil, Eurasian watermilfoil, Spiked water-milfoil

Habitat: Water Milfoil is native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but has a wide geographic and climatic distribution among some 57 countries, extending from northern Canada to South Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, grows in still or slow-moving water, and is considered to be a highly invasive species in lakes, ponds, ditches etc, to 450 metres. Locally common, especially in calcareous waters.

Description:
Water Milfoil has slender stems up to 250 centimetres (8.2 ft) long. The submerged leaves (usually between 15–35 mm long) are borne in pinnate whorls of four, with numerous thread-like leaflets roughly 4–13 mm long. Plants are monoecious with flowers produced in the leaf axils (male above, female below) on a spike 5–15 cm long held vertically above the water surface, each flower is inconspicuous, orange-red, 4–6 mm long. Eurasian water milfoil has 12- 21 pairs of leaflets while northern watermilfoil M. sibiricum only has 5–9 pairs. The two can hybridize and the resulting hybrid plants can cause taxonomic confusion as leaf characters are intermediate and can overlap with parent species.

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Cultivation:
Requires a sandy medium, rich in decaying organic matter, in full sun. Plants overwinter as resting buds at the bottom of the pond. Another report says that the plants do not form winter buds, but persist at the bottom of the pond. This species is considered to have the potential to be invasive when introduced into some areas such as Texas. A good water oxygenato.

Edible Uses:
Root is eaten – raw or cooked. Sweet and crunchy, the roots were a much relished food for several native North American Indian tribes

Medicinal Uses:
The plant is demulcent and febrifuge.

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/Myriophyllum_spicatum
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Myriophyllum+spicatum