Categories
Herbs & Plants

Allium giganteum

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Botanical Name : Allium giganteum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Tribe: Allieae
Genus: Allium
Species: A. giganteum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales

Common Name : Giant Onion, Ornamental Onion

Habitat : Allium giganteum is native to E. Asia – Afghanistan to Pakistan and north into Russia. It grows on cultivated Beds.

Description:
Allium giganteum is a bulb growing to 2 m (6ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate. It is herbaceous perennial with spreading, glossy, strap-shaped basal leaves which die down before the flowers. Dense globose umbels of bright purple flowers are borne on tall stems in summer.

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It is in flower in May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, insects.Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Cultivation:
Prefers a hot, sunny position in a light well-drained soil, it grows well in the light shade of thinly-clad shrubs that also like hot dry conditions. The bulbs tend to rot when grown in cool wet climates, even if they are given sharp drainage. One report says that this species is only hardy to zone 8, which only covers the mildest areas of Britain, whilst another says that it is much hardier and will succeed in zone 4. It is being grown successfully about 60 kilometres west of London, and so should be hardy at least in the south of Britain. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Attracts butterflies, Suitable for cut flowers, Suitable for dried flowers.
Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle – if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough. Division in spring. The plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season, pot up the divisions in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing well and then plant them out into their permanent positions.

Edible Uses:

Bulb – raw or cooked. We have seen no reports of edibility, but the bulb is certainly not poisonous and has a pleasant mild onion flavour[K]. The fairly large bulbs are 4 – 6cm in diameter. Leaves – raw or cooked. Flowers – raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
Medicinal Uses:
Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.
Other Uses:
Repellent.
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles.

Landscape Uses:Container, Foundation, Massing, Rock garden,  Specimen.

Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.
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/Allium_giganteum
http://www.pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+giganteum
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/829/Allium-giganteum/Details?returnurl=%2Fplants%2Fsearch-results%3Fform-mode%3Dtrue%26context%3Dl%253den%2526q%253d%252523all%2526sl%253dplantForm%26query%3DAllium%2Bgiganteum%26aliaspath%3D%252fplants%252fsearch-results

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Allium ampeloprasum

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Botanical Name : Allium ampeloprasum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Tribe: Allieae
Genus: Allium
Species: A. ampeloprasum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales

Synonyms: Allium adscendens Kunth, Allium albescens Guss.

Common Name : Wild Leek, Broadleaf wild leek

Habitat : Allium ampeloprasum is native range is southern Europe to western Asia, but it is cultivated in many other places and has become naturalized in many countries. It grows on rocky places near the coast in S.W. England and Wales.
Description:
Allium ampeloprasum is a bulb growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). It produces bulbs up to 3 cm across. Scapes are round in cross-section, each up to 180 cm tall, bearing an umbel of as many as 500 flowers. Flowers are urn-shaped, up to 6 mm across; tepals white, pink or red; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow.
It is not frost tender. It is in leaf 8-Oct It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen in August.

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The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, insects.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Allium ampeloprasum has been differentiated into three cultivated vegetables, namely leek, elephant garlic and kurrat.

Cultivation:
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Prefers a dry position. Succeeds in clay soils. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.2 to 8.3. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. The wild leek is a rare native of Britain, found only in the south-west and Wales, though it should be hardy in most parts of the country. It comes into growth in the autumn, dying down in the summer, and makes a very pleasant winter leaf, either raw or cooked. It is a rather variable plant, especially in the amount of flowers and bulbils produced. The species produces mainly flowers with almost no bulbils, whilst the sub-species A. ampeloprasum babbingtonii (Babbington’s Leek) produces lots of bulbils and almost no flowers. The cultivated leek (A. ampeloprasum porrum) is believed to have been developed from this plant whilst, in Germany and Italy, other forms have been selected for their edible bulbils. The cultivar ‘Perizweibel’ is often used, the bulbils are solid rather than made up of layers and are popularly used for making pickles. This cultivar does not set seed. Another cultivated form of this plant produces very large, mild-garlic flavoured bulbs that are up to 500g in weight.They are known as elephant garlic. The wild leek grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, though it can also be sown in a cold frame in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Well-grown plants can be planted out into their final positions in late summer or the autumn, otherwise grow them on for a further year in pots and plant them out the following summer. Division in late summer or early autumn. Dig up the bulbs when the plants are dormant and divide the small bulblets at the base of the larger bulb. Replant immediately, either in the open ground or in pots in a cold frame. Bulbils – plant out as soon as they are ripe in late summer. The bulbils can be planted direct into their permanent positions, though you get better results if you pot them up and plant them out the following spring.
Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Bulb – raw or cooked. The small bulbs can vary considerably in size from 2 – 6cm, they have a fairly strong leek to garlic flavour and are nice as a flavouring in cooked foods. The bulbs of selected cultivars are very large with a mild garlic flavour. Leaves – raw or cooked. A pleasant mild to strong garlic flavour, they are available from late autumn to the spring though they can become rather tough and fibrous as they get older. Flowers – raw. A similar flavour to the leaves but they have a somewhat dry texture and are best used as a flavouring in cooked foods. The bulbils have a mild garlic flavour and make a nice flavouring in salads and cooked foods. Although produced abundantly, they are quite fiddly to use because they are small. They can also be pickled.
Medicinal Uses:
Anthelmintic; Antiasthmatic; Anticholesterolemic; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Cholagogue; Diaphoretic; Diuretic;
Expectorant; Febrifuge; Stimulant; Stings; Stomachic; Tonic; Vasodilator.
This species has the same medicinal virtues as garlic, but in a much milder and less effective form. These virtues are as follows:- Garlic has a very long folk history of use in a wide range of ailments, particularly ailments such as ringworm, Candida and vaginitis where its fungicidal, antiseptic, tonic and parasiticidal properties have proved of benefit. It is also said to have anticancer activity. Daily use of garlic in the diet has been shown to have a very beneficial effect on the body, especially the blood system and the heart. For example, demographic studies suggest that garlic is responsible for the low incidence of arteriosclerosis in areas of Italy and Spain where consumption of the bulb is heavy. The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator. The crushed bulb may be applied as a poultice to ease the pain of bites, stings etc.
Other Uses:
Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles.

Known Hazards : Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.

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/Allium_ampeloprasum
http://www.pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+ampeloprasum

Categories
News on Health & Science

Depression Linked to Alzheimer’s

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People who have had depression may be more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, two studies suggest.

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Depression has been linked to loss of brain cells

Dutch researchers found Alzheimer’s was 2.5 times more likely in people with a history of depression.

It was four times more likely in people with depression before aged 60. Dutch and US research appeared in Neurology and Archives of General Psychiatry.

The Dutch study was small – 486 people over an average of six years, with just 33 people developing Alzheimer’s

The researchers, from the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, said more work was needed to fully understand the link between Alzheimer’s and depression.

Lead researcher Dr Monique Breteler said: “We don’t know yet whether depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, or whether another unknown factor causes both depression and dementia.”

One theory is that depression leads to the loss of cells in two areas of the brain, the hippocampus and the amygdala, which then contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the latest study found no difference in the size of these two brain areas in people with depression and people who had never developed the condition.

Second study :

The findings were echoed in a second study by Rush University in the US published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

The researchers followed more than 900 members of the Catholic clergy for up to 13 years during which time 190 developed Alzheimer’s.

They found that those with more signs of depression at the start of the study were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

But there was little evidence of an increase in depressive symptoms during the early stages of disease.

Even after the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was made there was no general increase in depression, but rather an increase that was confined to individuals with certain personality traits.

The researchers said their findings suggested that depression was a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease – rather than a subtle early sign of its underlying pathology.

Researcher Dr Robert Wilson said: “Depressive symptoms may be associated with distinctive changes in the brain that somehow reduce neural reserve, which is the brain’s ability to tolerate the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said the research was interesting, and potentially useful.

She said: “Identifying people at higher risk could lead to ways to reduce the number of people who develop dementia, help researchers to understand more about dementia and create new avenues of research.”

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “More research is needed to clarify the relationship between dementia and depression and determine whether depression causes changes in the brain that make dementia more likely.”

“We don’t know yet whether depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, or whether another unknown factor causes both depression and dementia”says
Dr Monique Breteler of Erasmus University Medical Center

Sources: BBC NEWS:8Th.April.’08

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