Categories
Herbs & Plants (Spices)

Rhus wallichii

Botanical Name: Rhus wallichii
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Rhus
Species: R. typhina
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Equisetopsida:  C. Agardh
Subclass: Magnoliidae Novák ex Takht.
Superorder: Rosanae Takht.

Synonyms: Toxicodendron wallichii var. wallichii, R. vernicifera. DC. pro parte.

Common Names:.…Local Names: Kag Bhalayo, Thulo Bhalayo (Nep)

Habitat: Rhus wallichii is native to E. Asia – Himalayas. It grows on shady and open places in forests and shrubberies at elevations of 300 – 2500 metres.
Description:
Rhus wallichii is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft 3in).
It is frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Bees.The plant is not self-fertile.

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Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Cultivation:
Succeeds in a well-drained fertile soil in full sun. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Plants have brittle branches and these can be broken off in strong winds. Plants are also susceptible to coral spot fungus. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Many of the species in this genus, including this one, are highly toxic and can also cause severe irritation to the skin of some people, whilst other species are not poisonous. It is relatively simple to distinguish which is which, the poisonous species have axillary panicles and smooth fruits whilst non-poisonous species have compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs. The toxic species are sometimes separated into their own genus, Toxicodendron, by some botanists. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in hot water (starting at a temperature of 80 – 90c and allowing it to cool) prior to sowing in order to leach out any germination inhibitors[200]. The stored seed also needs hot water treatment and can be sown in early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Root cuttings 4cm long taken in December and potted up vertically in a greenhouse. Good percentage. Suckers in late autumn to winter

Medicinal Uses:….The juice of the leaves is a corrosive vesicant.

Other Uses:
The leaves are rich in tannin. They can be collected as they fall in the autumn and used as a brown dye or as a mordant. An oil is extracted from the seeds. It attains a tallow-like consistency on standing and is used to make candles. These burn brilliantly, though they emit a pungent smoke. A lacquer is obtained from the sap of this plant. The leaf juice is rubbed onto thread to strengthen it. (This might be due to the presence of tannin which would act as a preservative.) Wood. Used for tools, musical instruments. It is also used to make the handle of the Khukuri, the Nepalese curved knife

Known Hazards : This plant contains toxic substances in the sap that can cause severe irritation to some people.

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/Rhus_typhina
http://www.tropicos.org/Name/1300639
http://www.icimod.org/hkhconservationportal/Plant.aspx?ID=1523
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-1300639
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rhus+wallichii

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Fragaria

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Botanical Name: Fragaria
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Rosoideae
Tribe: Potentilleae
Subtribe: Fragariinae
Genus: Fragaria
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales

Common Names: Strawberry, Beach strawberry, Pacific beach strawberry, Sandwich beach strawberry, Virginia strawber

Habitat :A hybrid of garden origin, F. x ananassa x Potentilla palustris. It grows in Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Ground Cover; Cultivated Beds;

Description:
Fragaria is a perennial plant growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to November, and the seeds ripen from Jun to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Strawberries are not true berries. The fleshy and edible part of the fruit is a receptacle, and the parts that are sometimes mistakenly called “seeds” are achenes. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain
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There are more than 20 described species and many hybrids and cultivars. The most common strawberries grown commercially are cultivars of the garden strawberry, a hybrid known as Fragaria × ananassa. Strawberries have a taste that varies by cultivar, and ranges from quite sweet to rather tart. Strawberries are an important commercial fruit crop, widely grown in all temperate regions of the world.

Cultivation:
Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced. This species is a hybrid of garden origin between two species from different genera, the cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa and the marsh cinquefoil, Potentilla palustris. It should eventually get a Latin name that combines parts of the two generic names, but until then it is included here under Fragaria. To date (1995) only one cultivar is available in garden centres etc. Called ‘Pink Panda’ it spreads very freely by means of runners, flowers heavily all through the summer, but does not produce much fruit.

Propagation:
Seed – sow early spring in a greenhouse. The seed can take 4 weeks or more to germinate. The seedlings are very small and slow-growing at first, but then grow rapidly. Prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out during the summer. This plant is a bi-generic hybrid and will not breed true from seed. Division of runners, preferably done in July/August in order to allow the plants to become established for the following years crop. They can also be moved in the following spring if required, though should not then be allowed to fruit in their first year. The runners can be planted out direct into their permanent positions’

Edible Uses: ….Fruit eaten raw. A delicious flavour, the fruit is almost as large as an average cultivated strawberry but it is not very freely produced

Medicinal Uses: The plant is antiseptic, astringent, emmenagogue, galactogogue and odontalgic. It has been used to regulate the menstrual cycle. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been used to treat burns.

Other Uses: Plants spread by means of runners and can be grown as a ground cover.

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/Fragaria
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Fragaria
http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/f/fragaria-chiloensis=beach-strawberry.php

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Artemisia campestris

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Botanical Name: Artemisia campestris
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species: A. campestris
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Names: Field wormwood, Beach wormwood, Northern wormwood, Breckland wormwood, Boreal wormwood, Canadian wormwood, Field sagewort and Field mugwor,Field Southernwood

Habitat :Artemisia campestris is is native to a wide region of Eurasia and North America. It occurs in Temperate regions throughout the northern hemisphere, including Britain. It is a very local plant in Britain, confined to the breckland heaths of eastern Britain. It grows in open sites on dry sandy soils in steppes, rocky slopes, and waste areas.

Description:
Artemisia campestris is perennial plant, like the other species of Artemisia with a rather thick, tapering root, but uniike them, its foliage is not aromatic. The slender, grooved stems, until flowering, are prostrate; the leaves are silky when young, but nearly smooth when mature, the segments few in number, but very slender, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, terminating in a point with their margins recurved. The flower-heads are small and numerous, in long, slender, drooping racemes, the florets yellow and are in bloom in August and September and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind....CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Medicinal Uses:

Abortifacient; Anthelmintic; Antiseptic; Cholagogue; Deobstruent; Emmenagogue; Ophthalmic; Poultice; Stomachic; Tonic.

Related to the southernwood, A. abrotanum, this species has similar though milder medicinal properties. The herb is anthelmintic, antiseptic, cholagogue, deobstruent, emmenagogue, stomachic and tonic. The main use of this herb is as an emmenagogue, it is also a good stimulant tonic and has some nervine principle. The leaves have been chewed in order to treat stomach problems. The plant was used by some native North American Indian tribes as an abortifacient to terminate difficult pregnancies. Externally, the plant has been crushed and applied to rheumatic joints, eczema, bruises and sores. A poultice of the crushed leaves has been applied to sore eyes. An infusion of the roots has been used, especially on children, as a hair tonic and to treat scalp infections. It has been taken internally to promote urination and bowel movements.

Other Uses:
Essential.

The pulverized roots are aromatic and have been used as a perfume

Known Hazards : Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people.

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/Artemisia_campestris
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/southf70.html
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia+campestris

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