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Herbs & Plants

Crataegus acclivis

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Botanical Name : Crataegus acclivis
Family: Rosaceae
Division:Magnoliophyta – Flowering Plants
Class:Magnoliopsida
Sub Class:Rosidae
Order:Rosales
Genus :Crataegus
Species: Crataegus coccinea L. var. coccinea

Common Name:Scarlet hawthorn

Habitat : Crataegus acclivis is native to North-eastern N. America – New York to the borders of southern Canada. It grows in banks of streams and steep gorges.
Description:
Crataegus acclivis is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 7 m (23ft).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Midges.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.

CLICK  &  SEE THE PICTURES

It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Cultivation:
A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution. Plants are hardy to at least -18°c. We have very little specific information on this plant, and it is regarded as no more than a form of C. pedicellata by most botanists. However, a tree seen at Kew in early September 1997 had a good crop of almost ripe fruit. This fruit was more elongated than C. pedicellata and was also ripe about 4 weeks before that species. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Seedling trees take from 5 – 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones. Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted.
Propagation:
Seed – this is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, some of the seed will germinate in the spring, though most will probably take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic to germinate, it should be warm stratified for 3 months at 15°c and then cold stratified for another 3 months at 4°c. It may still take another 18 months to germinate. Scarifying the seed before stratifying it might reduce this time. Fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed up the germination process. Another possibility is to harvest the seed ‘green’ (as soon as the embryo has fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow it immediately in a cold frame. If timed well, it can germinate in the spring. If you are only growing small quantities of plants, it is best to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in individual pots for their first year, planting them out in late spring into nursery beds or their final positions. When growing larger quantities, it might be best to sow them directly outdoors in a seedbed, but with protection from mice and other seed-eating creatures. Grow them on in the seedbed until large enough to plant out, but undercut the roots if they are to be left undisturbed for more than two years.

Edible Uses:
Fruit – raw or cooked. The fruit ripens in early September, it is about 18mm long with a pleasantly sweet juicy flesh and makes an excellent dessert fruit. The fruit contains up to 5 seeds in the centre, these usually stick together and so the effect is like eating a cherry with its single large seed.

Medicinal Uses:
Cardiac; Hypotensive.

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture

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.newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=2671
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Crataegus+acclivis

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Herbs & Plants

Achillea santolina

Botanical Name : Achillea santolina
Family:  Asteraceae
Genus : Achillea
Kingdom : Plantae
Division:  Marchantiophyta
Class : Angiospermae
Order :  Asterales

Common Name : Santolina yarrow

Habitat: Achillea santolina is native to E. Asia – Himalayas. It grows well in cultivated bed.

Description:
Achillea santolina is a herbaceous perennial plant, growing to 0.3 m (1ft). The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in most soils but prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Plants in this genus generally live longer when growing in a poor soil. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring or early autumn in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 1 – 3 months. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, the divisions can be planted direct into their permanent positions. Basal cuttings of new shoots in spring. Very easy, collect the shoots when they are about 10cm tall, potting them up individually in pots and keeping them in a warm but lightly shaded position. They should root within 3 weeks and will be ready to plant out in the summer.
Medicinal Uses:
The plant is carminative and tonic. It is used to treat stomach aches in children.

Other Uses : … Repellent……..The plant is insect repellent.

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/Achillea
http://eol.org/pages/6173218/names/common_names
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Achillea+santolina

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Solidago leavenworthii

Botanical Name : Solidago leavenworthii
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Solidago
Species: S. leavenworthii
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Name: Leavenworth‘s goldenrod

Habitat : Solidago leavenworthii is native to southeastern United States from Florida north to Mississippi and the Carolinas. It grows on damp soil of the coastal plain.

Description:
Solidago leavenworthii is a perennial herb up to 200 cm (80 inches or 6 2/3 feet) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Leaves are crowded together, with as many as 75 leaves on one stem, though none gathered around the base of the stem as in some related species. One plant can produce as many as 350 small yellow flower heads in a tall, branching array at the top of the plant. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.It is noted for attracting wildlife…...CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation:
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture retentive soil in sun or semi-shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils. A rather greedy plant, it is apt to impoverish the soil. The plant attracts various beneficial insects such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies to the garden, these insects will help to control insect pests in the garden.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on for their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Medicinal Uses: Antiseptic. An infusion of the dried powdered herb can be used.
Other Uses:…...Dye; Latex…..A good quality rubber can be made from a latex that is obtained from the leaves. This species is the most promising source of latex in this genus, it has commercial possibilities. Mustard, orange and brown dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.

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/Solidago_leavenworthii
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Solidago+leavenworthii

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Gentianella diemensis

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Botanical Name: Gentianella diemensis
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Gentianella
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Synonyms: Gentiana diamensis.

Common Name: Mountain Gentian

Habitat : Gentianella diemensis is native to Australia – New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria. It grows on swamps, usually found at high elevations.

Description:
Gentianella diemensis is a annual/perennial  plant, growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bumblebees, butterflies….CLICK & SEE THE  PICTURES

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 moist soil.

Cultivation:
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. In general, gentians require a moist well-drained soil in a sheltered position, a certain minimum of atmospheric humidity, high light intensity but a site where temperatures are not too high. They are therefore more difficult to grow in areas with hot summers and in such a region they appreciate some protection from the strongest sunlight. Most species will grow well in the rock garden. A moisture loving plant, preferring to grow with full exposure to the sun but with plenty of underground moisture in the summer, it grows better in the north and west of Britain. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance.

Propagation :
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame. It can also be sown in late winter or early spring but the seed germinates best if given a period of cold stratification and quickly loses viability when stored, with older seed germinating slowly and erratically. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture. Following this with a period of at least 5 – 6 weeks with temperatures falling to between 0 and -5°c will usually produce reasonable germination. It is best to use clay pots, since plastic ones do not drain so freely and the moister conditions encourage the growth of moss, which will prevent germination of the seed. The seed should be surface-sown, or only covered with a very light dressing of compost. The seed requires dark for germination, so the pots should be covered with something like newspaper or be kept in the dark. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The seedlings grow on very slowly, taking 2 – 7 years to reach flowering size. When the plants are of sufficient size, place them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.

Medicinal Uses:
Bitter; Tonic.

The root is a bitter tonic. It is taken internally as a tonic to the digestive system.

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/Gentianella_barringtonensis
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Gentianella+diemensis
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/dbpages/rbgcensus/index.php/census/species_detail/14001

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Saussurea gracilis

 

 Botanical Name : Saussurea gracilis
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Saussurea
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Names : Saussurea gracilis

Habitat ; Saussurea gracilis is native to E. Asia – Japan, Korea. It grows in the mountains of central and southern Japan.

Description:
Saussurea gracilis is a perennial plant. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Cultivation & Propagation :

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.

Seed – we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in the spring. Surface sow, or only just cover the seed, and make sure that the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring might be possible.
Edible Uses:…Leaves…..Young leaves – cooked. They are usually eaten with rice.

Medicinal Uses: Not known.
Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Saussurea+gracilis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glebionis_segetum

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