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Herbs & Plants

Viburnum cylindricum

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Botanical Name :Viburnum cylindricum
Family: Adoxaceae
Genus: viburnum
Kingdom :Plants
Division: vascular plants
Class:Dicotyledonous angiosperms
Order: dipsacales

Common Names:

Habitat :Viburnum cylindricum is native to E. Asia – China to Burma and the Himalayas. It grows on rather dry forests, mainly with rhododendron and oak, 1200 – 2400 metres from Himachel Pradesh to S.W. China.

Description:
Viburnum cylindricum is a large, bold evergeen species growing 8-10′ with heights reaching 10-15′ on old specimens. Overall habit is slightly wider than tall. Leaves can be quite long giving them a drooping appearance. Leaf shapes can be extremely variable depending upon origin. Margins are usually toothed on younger leaves and entire on mature plants. On a common ground, the leaves are all dull, dark green and pale below. The inflorescence is 7 rayed which then branches 3 or 4 more times before setting the individual flowers. Flowers are white, scented and very cylindrical (tube shaped), hence its name. Each flower is accentuated with purple to lilac anters which extend above the flower. Fruits, which are rarely set, are egg shaped, ¼” or smaller and black....CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is not self-fertile.

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

Cultivation:
An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but ill-adapted for poor soils and dry situations. Prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring. Plants are self-incompatible and need to grow close to a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed. The flowers are sweetly scented.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested ‘green’ (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[80]. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of soft-wood, early summer in a frame. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 – 8 cm long with a heel if possible, July/August in a frame. Plant them into individual pots as soon as they start to root. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter, it is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out. Cuttings of mature wood, winter in a frame. They should root in early spring – pot them up when large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if sufficient new growth is made, otherwise keep them in a cold frame for the next winter and then plant them out in the spring. Layering of current seasons growth in July/August. Takes 15 months

Edible Uses: Oil; Oil…..An edible oil is obtained from the seed. It is used for cooking.
Medicinal Uses:

The oil from the seed is used to soothe itchy skin.

Other Uses: … Oil; Wood…..An oil from the seed is used as a luminant. Wood – hard, close grained

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.classicviburnums.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/7117/whichname/genus/index.htm
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsv.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FViburnum_cylindricum&edit-text=
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Viburnum+cylindricum

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Asparagus racemosus

Botanical Name : Asparagus racemosus
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily:Asparagoideae
Genus: Asparagus
Species:A. racemosus
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales

Synonyms:
*Asparagus rigidulus Nakai,
*Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.

Common names in trade (local and foreign languages):
Satavari (Sanskrit); Shakakul, Satavari, Chatwal, Satawar (Hindi); Satmuli, Shatarnuli (Bengal); Satavar, Ekalkanto, Satavari, Satawar (Gujarati); Shatavari, Aheruballi, Ashadhi, Satmuli (Kanada); Sejnana (Kashmir); Shatavali, Chatavali, Satavari (Malayalam); Shatavari-mull, Asvel, Shatmuli, Satavari-mull (Marathi); Chhotaru, Mohajolo, Sotabari (Oriya); Tannirvittan-kizhangu, Ammaikodi, Kadumulla, Shimai Shadavari, Kilavari (Tamil); Satavari, Philli-taga, Challagadda, Pilli-gaddalu (Telugu)

Habitat : Asparagus racemosus is native to E. Asia – China, Japan, India. It is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres in the Himalayas, eastwards from Kashmir. Broad-leaved forests along streams or valleys at elevations of 2100 – 2200 metres in western China.

Description:
Asparagus racemosus is a perennial plant growing to 7 m (23ft). It is a tall, much branched, prickly climber with fascicle of fusiform roots. Cladodes 1.3-2.5 cm long, curved, in tufts of 2-6. Flowers small, white, in solitary or fascicled, simple or branched racemes.

It has has small pine-needle-like phylloclades (photosynthetic branches) that are uniform and shiny green. In July, it produces minute, white flowers on short, spiky stems, and in September it fruits, producing blackish-purple, globular berries.It has an adventitious root system with tuberous roots that measure about one metre in length, tapering at both ends, with roughly a hundred on each plant….CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Cultivation:
Easily grown in any good garden soil[200]. Prefers a rich sandy loam. This species is not very frost-hardy and generally needs to be grown in a frost-free or fairly frost-free climate. It can be grown as a half-hardy perennial in areas where the winter is too cold for it to survive outdoors. The tubers are harvested in the autumn, stored in a cool frost-free place and replanted in the spring. The rots of this species are commonly collected from the wild for medicinal use. Overcollection in some areas of its range are causing conservation concerns. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation:
Seed – pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring or as soon as the seed is ripe in early autumn in a greenhouse. It usually germinates in 3 – 6 weeks at 25°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.
Edible Uses:
Tender young shoots – cooked as a vegetable. A preserve prepared from the blanched shoots is said to be very agreeable. The tuber are candied as a sweetmeat. The only flavour is said to be that of the sugar. The roots are 5 – 13cm long.

Chemical Constituents:
Asparagus contains steroidal glycosides (asparagosides), bitter glycosides, asparagin and flavonoids. Fresh leaves yield diosgenin and other saponins such as shatavarin I to IV. Flowers and fruits contain glycosides of quercetin, rutin, and hyperoside. Ripe fruit contains cyanidin 3-glycosides. Presence of sitosterol, stigmasterol, their glucosides and sarsasapogenin; two spirostanolic and two furostanolic saponins have been reported in the fruits. Tubers and roots contain saccharine matters and mucilage. An antioxytocic compound, named racemosal (a 9, 10-dihydorphenanthrene derivative), has been isolated from this plant (Ghani, 2003).

Medicinal Uses:

Alterative; Antispasmodic; Aphrodisiac; Demulcent; Digestive; Diuretic; Galactogogue; Infertility; Women’s complaints.

Shatavari (this is an Indian word meaning ‘a woman who has a hundred husbands’) is the most important herb in Ayurvedic medicine for dealing with problems connected women’s fertility. The rhizome is a soothing tonic that acts mainly on the circulatory, digestive, respiratory and female reproductive organs. The root is alterative, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, demulcent, diuretic, galactogogue and refrigerant. It is taken internally in the treatment of infertility, loss of libido, threatened miscarriage, menopausal problems, hyperacidity, stomach ulcers and bronchial infections. Externally it is used to treat stiffness in the joints. The root is used fresh in the treatment of dysentery. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for use in treating other complaints. The whole plant is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, rheumatism, diabetes and brain complaints.

The premier herb for women in Ayurveda, shatavari is similar to dong quai in its action and effects, but is not a ?connoisseur herb? like dong quai, so it’s not as expensive. Internally for infertility, loss of libido, threatened miscarriage, menopausal problems, hyperacidity, stomach ulcers, dysentery, and bronchial infections. It increases milk, semen and nurtures the mucous membranes. It both nourishes and cleanses the blood and the female reproductive organs. It is a good food for menopause or for those who have had hysterectomies, as it supplies many female hormones. It nourishes the ovum and increases fertility, yet its quality is sattvic and aids in love and devotion. Three grams of the powder can be taken in one cup of warm milk sweetened with raw sugar. It’s especially good for pitta types. Externally for stiffness in joints and neck. The most important herb in Ayurvedic medicine for women. Used internally by Australian Aborigines for digestive upsets and externally for sores.

Other Uses:….Soap…..The squeezed root is used for washing clothes

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:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus_racemosus
http://www.mpbd.info/plants/asparagus-racemosus.php
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asparagus+racemosus
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_RST.htm

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