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Herbs & Plants

Onopordum acanthium

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Botanical Name: Onopordum acanthium
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Carduoideae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Onopordum
Species: O. acanthium
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Synonyms-: Woolly Thistle.

Common Names: Cotton thistle, Scotch thistle

Habitat : Cotton thistle is native to Europe and Asia. The plant prefers habitats with dry summers, such as the Mediterranean region, growing best in sandy, sandy clay and calcareous soils which are rich in ammonium salts. It grows in ruderal places, as well as dry pastures and disturbed fields. Its preferred habitats are natural areas, disturbed sites, roadsides, fields, and especially sites with fertile soils, agricultural areas, range/grasslands, riparian zones, scrub/shrublands valleys and plains along with water courses. Temperature and moisture, rather than soil nutrient concentrations determine the ecological performance of Onopordum species.

Description:
Onopordum acanthium is a biennial plant, producing a large rosette of spiny leaves the first year. The plants typically germinate in the autumn after the first rains and exist as rosettes throughout the first year, forming a stout, fleshy taproot that may extend down 30 cm or more for a food reserve.

In the second year, the plant grows (0.2–) 0.5–2.5 (–3) m tall and a width of 1.5 m. The leaves are 10–50 cm wide, are alternate and spiny, often covered with white woolly hairs and with the lower surface more densely covered than the upper. The leaves are deeply lobed with long, stiff spines along the margins. Fine hairs give the plant a greyish appearance. The massive main stem may be 10 cm wide at the base, and is branched in the upper part. Each stem shows a vertical row of broad, spiny wings (conspicuous ribbon-like leafy material), typically 2–3 cm wide, extending to the base of the flower head.

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The flowers are globe shaped, 2–6 cm in diameter, from dark pink to lavender, and are produced in the summer. The flower buds form first at the tip of the stem and later at the tip of the axillary branches. They appear singly or in groups of two or three on branch tips. The plants are androgynous, with both pistil and stamens, and sit above numerous, long, stiff, spine-tipped bracts, all pointing outwards, the lower ones wider apart and pointing downwards. After flowering, the ovary starts swelling and forms about 8,400 to 40,000 seeds per plant.
Edible Uses: Colouring; Oil; Oil.

Flower buds – cooked. A globe artichoke substitute, though they are much smaller and very fiddly to use. Stems – cooked. Used as a vegetable, they are a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) substitute. The stems are cooked in water like asparagus or rhubarb. They are best if the rind is removed. Leaves and young plants – cooked. They are harvested before the flowers develop and the prickles must be removed prior to cooking. The petals are an adulterant for saffron, used as a yellow food colouring and flavouring. A good quality edible oil is obtained from the seed. The seed contains about 25% oil.

Parts Used in medicines: Leaves, root.

Medicinal Uses:
Astringent; Cancer; Cardiotonic.

Onopordum acanthium is a cardiotonic. It is used in some proprietary heart medicines. The juice of the plant has been used with good effect in the treatment of cancers and ulcers. A decoction of the root is astringent. It is used to diminish discharges from mucous membranes.

Other Uses:
Oil; Oil; Stuffing.

The cotton is occasionally collected from the stem and used to stuff pillows, and the oil obtained from the seeds has been used on the Continent for burning, both in lamps and for ordinary culinary purposes.

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onopordum_acanthium
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Onopordum+acanthium
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thistl11.html#hol

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Herbs & Plants

Subsuban

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Botanical Name :Polygonum barbatum Linn.
Family  : Polygonaceae

Other Scientific Names :  Polygonum stoloniferum Blanco, Polygonum serrulatum Hook. Polygonum persicaria Walp. ,Polygonum serulatum Lagasca ,Polygonum fissum Blume Persicaria barbata Linn.  Polygonum fissum Hassk. Persicaria omerostroma (Ohki.)Sasaki. Polygonum fissum Miers., Polygonum omerostromum Ohki.   Polygonum eruthrodes Miq.,Polygonum stagnimum Miers.
.

Local Common Names: Bukakau (Bik.),Kanubsubang (Pamp.)Kaykayu (If.),Saimbangan-tubig (Sul.),Sigan-lupa (Tag.),Bearded knotweed (Engl.),Subsuban (Tag.),Jointweed (Engl.),Knotgrass (Engl.),Smart-weed (Engl.)

Other Common name: Bearded Knotweed, water milkwort
Bengali: bekh-unjubaz
Kannada: konde malle, kondemalle
Malayalam: belutta-modela-mucca
Manipuri:  Yelang
 Marathi: dhaktasheral
Mizo: anbawng
Nepali:  Bish
Tamil: niralari, neer alari
Telugu: kondamalle, neeruganneru

Habitat :It is found in the streamsides, wet areas, water sides; sea level to 1300 m.In the places like  Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].

Description:
Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Stems erect, 40-90 cm tall, robust, pubescent, simple or branched above. Petiole 5-8 mm, densely hispidulous; leaf blade lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 7-15 × 1.5-4 cm, both surfaces pubescent, base cuneate, margin ciliate, apex acuminate; ocrea tubular, 1.5-2 cm, membranous, densely hispidulous, apex truncate, cilia 1.5-2 cm. Inflorescence terminal, spicate, erect, 4-8 cm, several spikes aggregated and panicle-like, rarely solitary; bracts funnel-shaped, glabrous, margin ciliate, each 3-5-flowered. Pedicel short. Perianth white or greenish, 5-parted; tepals elliptic, 1.5-2 mm. Stamens 5-8, included. Styles 3; stigmas capitate. Achenes included in persistent perianth, black, shiny, ovoid, trigonous, 1.5-2 mm. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 60.

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Edible Uses: Young leaves and shoots cooked as vegetable.

Medicinal Uses:
Parts used: Leaves, seeds, and roots.

Properties:
Considered astringent, carminative, parasiticide.

Folkloric :-
*Pounded leaves applied to wounds as cicatrizant.
*Seeds are used for colic.
*Decoction of leaves and stems used to wash wounds and ulcers.
*It has been tried for diabetes with no observed benefits.
*Sap applied to wounds as antiseptic.
*Paste of roots used for treatment of scabies.

Studies
• Anti-Ulcer: A study on the aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of P barbatum showed reduction of gastric volume, total acidity, free acidity and ulcer index. The antiulcer activity may be due to the presence of flavanoids and tannins.
Wound-Healing: A study of wound healing on albino rats of Wistar strain showed a significant increase in wound closure rate, tensile strength and decrease in epithelization perioe in PB treated group. Study concludes that ethanolic extract of P B had greater wound healing activity than nitrofurazone ointment.

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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:

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Subsuban.html

http://medplants.blogspot.in/2014/05/persicaria-barbata-polygonum-barbatum.html

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=200006714

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Herbs & Plants

Cirsium Setosum

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Botanical Name : Cirsium setosum
Family : Compositae
Genus  : Cirsium

Synonyms : Breea segetum – (Bunge.)Kitam.,Breea setosum – (M.Bieb.)Kitam.,Cirsium segetum – Bunge.,Serratula setosa – Willd.Breea arvensis,  Cirsium incanum, Cirsium arvense var. vestitum, Cirsium arvense var. mite, Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium, Cirsium arvense var. horridum, Cirsium arvense var. argenteum, Carduus arvensis, Breea incana, Serratula arvensis
Species :  Cirsium arvense

Habitat : E. Asia – China, S. Japan, Korea, Manchuria. Edges of fields and streams. Mountain slopes, by rivers, water lands and farmlands at elevations of 100 – 2700 metres throughout

Description:

Perennial growing to 0.5m.
It is hardy to zone 0. 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, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies), beetles. The plant is self-fertile.

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The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.


Cultivation:

There is a difference amongst botanists as to how this species should best be treated. In the Flora of China it is treated as one aggregate species, but in the Flora of Japan it is split into two distinct species and moved to a different genus as Breea segetum and Breea setosum. The plant has wide-ranging roots that send up adventitious shoots and so it has the potential to become an invasive plant in areas to which it is introduced. This species is dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position.


Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Young leaves – cooked.

Medicinal Uses
The whole plant is antipyretic, depurative and haemostatic. It resolves clots and is used in the treatment of haemoptysis, haematemesis, metrorrhagia, boils and carbuncles and traumatic bleeding .

Other Uses
Oil.

The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression. No details of potential yields etc are given.

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:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Cirsium+setosum
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_arvense

 
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