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Florida Fishpoison Tree(Piscidia piscipula)

Botanical Name :Piscidia piscipula
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Piscidia
Species: P. piscipula
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Names:Florida fishpoison tree, Jamaican dogwood or Fishfuddle

Habitat : The Florida fishpoison tree grows in coastal zones. It prefers well-drained sandy soils, with a top layer of humus. The tree has some tolerance to short-term storm surges of brackish water or seawater. Although it grows in coastal conditions, the tree is usually protected from direct salt spray by adjoining vegetation. Established trees are highly tolerant of drought. Its sensitivity to the cold limits Florida fishpoison tree to areas no colder than plant hardiness zone11.

Description:
Florida fishpoison tree,  is a medium-sized, deciduous, tropical tree endemic to southern Florida, the Florida Keys, Texas, Caribbean, and Latin America.Native Americans of the West Indies discovered extracts from the tree could sedate fish, allowing them to be caught by hand. This practice led to the tree’s common names—fishpoison and fishfuddle. The tree has medicinal value as an analgesic and sedative.

The generic name is Latin for “fish killer”, and the specific name is Latin for “little fish,

 

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Size: The Florida fishpoison tree attains medium size with heights of 12 to 15 m and bole diameters of 46 to 118 cm. An irregular, open crown develops with stout, erect branches.

Foliage: Its deciduous leaves (9 to 23 cm long) are alternate and pinnately compound. Five to 11 leaflets (each 4 to 8 cm long) are present in an opposite arrangement. Leaflets are dark green above and distinctly paler grayish-green below with pubescence.

Flowers/Fruit: The white flowers are tinged with red or pink. They appear in pea-like clusters in May and are attractive to bees. Trees will potentially bloom when about 4 m tall and 4 years old. Flowers develop into a light brown, bean-like pod (8 to 10 cm long) with four papery wings. Ripening in July and August, the pods contain red-brown seeds with oval shapes.

Bark: Stem bark is thin and olive gray in color with irregular dark patches and many smaller scales. The bark has an unpleasant odor and a distinctly acrid and bitter taste, causing a burning sensation in the mouth.

Propagation: After removal from the ripe pod, seeds will germinate in 8 to 10 days when sown about 6 mm deep in moist soil. Until seedlings become well established, they should be fertilized and watered. Cuttings placed in moist soil quickly sprout roots. In fact, rooting has been observed to occur so readily that posts made from fresh timber occasionally take root unintentionally.

Medicinal Uses:
Florida fishpoison tree has long been used in traditional medicine for treating nervous conditions and pain. Recent scientific studies in animals suggest that bark extracts have potential for their anti-inflammatory, sedative, and anti-spasmodic effects.

Other Uses:e
Ornamental: In areas with a suitable climate and soils, Florida fishpoison tre makes a hardy, medium-sized shade tree with attractive seasonal flowers. It is ideal for yards and along fence rows. The species is shade intolerant, requiring full sunlight for maximum development.

Wood: The yellow-brown wood of fishpoison tree is resistant to decay, making its timber suitable for outdoor usage, such as boat building, fence posts, and poles. The dense, tight-grained wood is also used as a fuel, to make charcoal, and as a good carving material.

Fish poison: Indigenous peoples all over the world used local poisonous plants to aid in catching fish, and because of this many plants bear common names descriptive of this use. Within its natural range, Native Americans used an extract from the bark, roots, twigs, and leaves of Florida fishpoison tree to sedate fish, making them easier to catch. A number of chemicals are present in the tree’s tissues that are toxic to fish, the principal one being the well-known Rotenone.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscidia_piscipula

Piscidia piscipula

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Cleome gynandra

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Botanical Name : Cleome gynandra
Family: Cleomaceae /Capparaceae (APG: Brassicaceae)
Genus: Cleome
Species: C. gynandra
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Brassicales
Synonyms  : Cleome pentaphylla L. (1763), Gynandropsis pentaphylla (L.) DC. (1824), Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq. (1914).

Common Names : Cat whiskers,African cabbage,African cabbage, spider wisp (Eng.); oorpeultjie, snotterbelletjie (Afr.); Morotho (Northern Sotho); Muruthu (Venda)
Vernacular names :  Spiderplant, cat’s whiskers, spider flower, bastard mustard (En). Caya blanc, brède caya, mouzambé (Fr). Musambe (Po). Mgagani, mkabili, mkabilishemsi, mwangani mgange (Sw).

Habitat : The origin of Cleome gynandra is not known. There are claims that it has a southern Asian origin, but others suggest that it originates from Africa or Central America. Cleome gynandra occurs throughout the tropics and subtropics. In Africa, it is mainly found near human settlements, possibly escapes from earlier introductions. It occurs probably in all countries of tropical Africa,  has now  become widespread in many tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world.

Description:
Erect annual herb up to 150 cm tall, strongly branched, with long taproot and few secondary roots; stem densely glandular. Leaves alternate, palmately compound with (3–)5(–7) leaflets; stipules absent; petiole 2–10 cm long, glandular; leaflets almost sessile, obovate to elliptical or lanceolate, 2–10 cm × 1–4 cm, cuneate at base, rounded to obtuse, acute or acuminate at apex, margins finely toothed, sparsely to distinctly hairy. Inflorescence a terminal raceme up to 30 cm long, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, white or tinged with purple; pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm long; sepals 4, free, ovate to lanceolate, up to 8 mm long; petals 4, elliptical to obovate, up to 1.5 cm long, clawed; androgynophore 1–1.5 cm long; stamens 6, purple; ovary superior, stalked, 2-celled. Fruit a long, narrow, cylindrical capsule up to 12 cm × 1 cm, stalked and beaked, usually green or yellow, dehiscing from below with 2 valves, many-seeded. Seeds subglobose, 1–1.5 mm in diameter, grey to black, irregularly ribbed. Seedling with oblong cotyledons; first leaves 3-foliolate.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES
Edible Uses:
Fresh leaves are cooked and eaten as spinach or dried and stored for later use as a relish with porridge. They are rich in magnesium, iron and nicotinic acid.
The tender leaves, young shoots and occasionally flowers are eaten boiled as potherb, relish, stew or side dish. The leaves are utilized in fresh form or dried as powder. Sometimes the leaves are bitter and then cooked with milk and/or with other leafy vegetables such as cowpea leaves, amaranth, nightshades (Solanum spp.) and Cleome monophylla L. In other areas the leaves are boiled and the cooking water is discarded. In several countries, pounded groundnut paste (peanut butter) is added to improve the flavour. The leaves may be blanched, made into small balls and sun- or air-dried. This is a popular product in southern Africa, which finds a ready market when available during the rainy season. These balls or leaf powder can be stored up to a year and are soaked in water before being used in cooking. The seeds may be used as a substitute for mustard.

Nutrition analysis has found it to be high in certain nutrients including amino acids, vitamins and minerals as a result it forms an important part of diets in Southern Africa.

Chemical Constituents:
A study has shown that Cleome gynandra uses NAD-malic enzyme type C4 photosynthesis and has the characteristic traits associated with this including changes in “leaf biochemistry, cell biology and development”.  Cleome gynandra is closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana (a C3 photosynthetic plant) in an evolutionary manner and therefore offers comparison with this well studied model plant.


Medicinal Uses:
In several communities, boiled spiderplant leaves are traditionally given to mothers before and after delivery of a child, and in other situations where blood has been lost, e.g. to warriors. Similarly, an infusion of the leaves is used to treat anaemia. The leaves and seeds are used medicinally as rubefacient and vesicant, and to treat rheumatism, externally as well as internally. An infusion of the roots is used as a medicine for chest pain, the leaves to treat diarrhoea. Spiderplant seeds thrown in water can kill fish, which then float to the surface. The glands on the stems and leaves have insect repellent properties; cabbage and related crops intercropped with spiderplant suffer less from diamond back moth larvae. Similarly, in French bean intercropped with spiderplant, the beans are less affected by flower thrips and are therefore of better quality for export.

Other Uses:
The seeds are used to feed birds. The seed contains an edible polyunsaturated oil, which is extracted by simple pressing and does not need refining. The seed cake can be used as animal food.

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.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?h=M4&t=Cleome,gynandra&p=Cleome+gynandra
http://vaniindia.org.whbus12.onlyfordemo.com/herbal/plantdir.asp
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cleomegyn.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleome_gynandra

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Chukrasia tabularis

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Botanical Name : Chukrasia tabularis A.Juss.
Family : Meliaceae
Synonyms :       Chukrasia velutina (M.Roem.) C.DC. (1878).Chikrassia tabularis A. Juss.
Vernacular names : Chickrassy, Chittagong wood, Burma almondwood, East Indian mahogany (En).
Common Names :-

(Bengali) : boga poma, chikrassi, pabba
(Burmese) : kinthatputgyi, tawyinma, yinma
(English) : Burma almond wood, chickrassy, chittagong wood
(Khmer) : voryong
(Lao (Sino-Tibetan)) : nhom, nhom hin, nhom khao
(Malay) : cherana puteh, repoh, suntang puteh, surian batu
(Tamil) : agil, maleivembu
(Thai) : fakdap, siat-ka, siay-ka, yom-hin
(Trade name) : chickrassy
(Vietnamese) : l[as]t hoa


Habitat : Chukrasia tabularis originates from tropical Asia (from India and Sri Lanka eastwards to Borneo and China). It has been planted in many countries outside tropical Asia, in Africa in Nigeria, Cameroon and northern South Africa, and elsewhere e.g. in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Australia.

Description:
Deciduous, medium-sized to large tree up to 30(–40) m tall; bole branchless for up to 20(–25) m, with a diameter of up to 120 cm, with convex buttresses up to 1.5 m high or without buttresses; bark surface rusty brown or deep brown, deeply fissured or cracked, with lenticels, inner bark reddish; crown spreading. Leaves alternate, up to 50 cm long, paripinnate with up to 24 leaflets in larger leaves; stipules absent; petiole 4–9 cm long; leaflets alternate, shortly stalked, ovate to oblong, asymmetric, 4–17.5 cm × 2–6.5 cm, apical ones largest, acute to acuminate at apex, entire, glabrous to pubescent, pinnately veined. Inflorescence an axillary panicle, often appearing terminal, up to 30 cm long. Flowers functionally unisexual, regular, 4–5-merous, sweetly scented; pedicel 2–4 mm long; calyx shallowly cup-shaped, c. 3 mm in diameter, with short lobes; petals free, narrowly oblong to spatulate, 1–1.5 cm long, contorted, cream-coloured to yellowish, often tinged pink; stamens 8–10, filaments united into a cylindrical tube, with the anthers attached to the margin; ovary superior, flask-shaped, pubescent, 3– 5-celled, style slender, stigma head-shaped. Fruit an ovoid or ellipsoid capsule (2.5–)3.5–5 cm long, woody, opening by 3–5 valves from the apex, valves splitting into 2 layers, many-seeded. Seeds c. 12 mm long, flat, with large terminal wing. Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons leafy; first 2 leaves opposite, subsequent ones arranged spirally, seedling leaves often imparipinnate and bipinnate with incised or lobed leaflets.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES…>….(01).….(1).…....(2)....

Medicinal Uses:
A bark extract has powerful astringent properties and is used as a febrifuge and to treat diarrhoea.

The different parts of C. tabularis (leaves, bark, fruits) are having both ethnobotanical and medicinal significance along with biopesticidal activity. The biological activities of plant are due to the abundance of phenolic compounds including different terpenoids and limonoids. During recent years, bioactivities of extracts and pure compounds isolated from C. tabularis have been increasingly investigated. The dire need for such a review arises as the plant is included in the list of threatened species due to its high exploitation for timber utilization.

Other Uses
In tropical Asia, especially India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand and southern China, the wood is highly prized for high-grade cabinet work, decorative panelling, interior joinery such as doors, windows and light flooring, and for carving, toys and turnery. It is also used for light to medium-heavy construction work, e.g. for posts, beams, scantlings and planks, and for railway sleepers, ship and boat building, furniture, musical instruments, packing cases, sporting goods, lorry bodies, mallet heads, anvil blocks, brush wares, drawing equipment, rifle butts, veneer and pulp.In India Chukrasia tabularis is planted as a shade tree in coffee plantations, and in Vietnam and Malaysia as an ornamental tree.

Fuel: The wood can also be used as a fuel. Timber: Heartwood is pale reddish-brown, yellowish-red to red, darkening to dark yellowish-brown, reddish-brown to medium dark brown on exposure, sharply differentiated from the yellowish-white, pale yellowish-brown, pinkish-brown or greyish-brown sapwood; dark streaks may be rather prominent. The density is 625-800 kg/cubic m at 15% mc. The grain is interlocked and sometimes wavy, producing a rose figure; texture moderately fine but uneven. Freshly cut wood has a fragrant odour, but dried wood has no characteristic odour or taste. Planed surfaces have a high lustrous satiny sheen.  The wood peels well and gives exceedingly fine veneer. It is suitable for commercial and moisture proof plywood. Gum or resin: A yellow, transparent gum exudes from the trunk and is marketed in admixture with other gums. Tannin or dyestuff: The flowers contain a red and a yellow dye. The young leaves and bark contain 22% and 15% of tannin respectively.

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://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?ac=qbe_query&bu=http://database.prota.org/search.htm&tn=protab~1&qb0=and&qf0=Species+Code&qi0=Chukrasia+tabularis&rf=Webdisplay
http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR/abstracts/abstracts/abstracts2009/Apr/Kaur%20and%20Arora.htm

Chukrasia tabularis


http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=525

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Centratherum anthelminticum

Botanical Name : Centratherum anthelminticum
Family :Asteraceae/Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Chenopodioideae
Tribe: Atripliceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales

Synonym(s): Conyza anthelmintica Roxb., Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd.

Common Names :-banjira,somraj,somraji,kalijiri, kalenjiri, jangali jiri, kalen jiri. bitter cumine. etc..

Common Vernacular Names:
Arabic : kamoonbarry, kali ziri
Bengali : somraj, kaliziri, hakuch, bakshie, bapchie, babchi
English: Ipecac
Hindi :  bakshi, buckshi, kalijhiri, kaliziri, somraj, vapchi, jangli jeera, ghora jeera, jangli-jeera, ghora-jeera
Kannada :  kadujirige, kalajirige, sahadevi, karijirige, kaadu-jirige, kaadu jeerige, kaal jeerige, kahi jeerige, krishna shadaevi
Malayalam : kalajirakam, kattujirakam, puvankuruntala
Marathi :  kalajira, kalenjiri, kalijiri, karalye, ranachajire, kaalijeeri, kadu jeeren, kadu karelen, kalenjeeri, ranachejeere, sahadevi
Sanskrit : vanya jiraka, agnibija, aranyajiraka, aranyajirakah, atavijiraka, avalguja, braka, brhatpali, kana, kananajiraka, krishnaphala, kshudrapatra, putiphali, somaraji, somraji, tiktajirakah, vakuchi, vakushi, vanajiraka, vanajirakah, vanyajira, ihanyali
Tamil : kattuchiragam, neychitti, nirnochi, sittilai, kattusiragam, nir nochi, kattu cirakam, kaattu seerakam
Telugu: adavijilakatta, garitikamma, nelavavili, vishakantakamulu, adavijilakara, nela vavili, adavi-jilakarra, adavijilakarra, nelavaavili
Urdu : kalyzeery

Habitat :This species is globally distributed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Within India, it is found throughout on disturbed sites such as roadsides. It is sometimes cultivated.

Description :
An erect, pubescent, annual herb up to 90 cm tall. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, 5 to 9 cm long and 2.5 to 3.2 cm wide, apex acute, base tapering into the petiole, margins coarsely serrate, pubescent on both surfaces. Florets violet or purple, in many flowered, homogamous, solitary, axillary or terminal heads, with a linear bract near the top of the peduncle; involucral bracts linear, hairy.Flowers head 1.5-2.54 cm in diameter. & each head with 30-40 minute purplish flowers. Fruits are small  4.4-6.6mm long,cylindrical & hairy with 10 narrow ridges.

Click to see the picture->…...(01)…….. (1)   ..(2)…....(3)…..(4):  (5)
Bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze), is a medicinally important plant. Earlier  it was  reported phenolic compounds, antioxidant, and anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial activity of bitter cumin. Now in  In  study it is  further characterized the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts in various in vitro models.

Medicinal Uses:

Bitter cumin is used extensively in traditional medicine to treat a range of diseases from vitiligo to hyperglycemia. It is considered to be antiparasitic and antimicrobial and science has backed up claims of its use to reduce fever or as a painkiller. New research shows that this humble spice also contains high levels of antioxidants.
Used In Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy and Sidha

Spermicidal and antiviral (50% EtOH seed extract), antimicrobial (Sharma), anthelmintic, febrifuge, tonic, stomachic and diuretic.

This plant is useful as a refreshment and sterile for promoting urination. Its effectiveness in thread worm infections has been confirmed in test in hospitals.

Anti-diabetic effects of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds methanolic fraction on pancreatic cells, ?-TC6 and its alleviating role in type 2 diabetic rats.

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://impgc.com/plantinfo_A.php?id=577&bc=
http://vaniindia.org.whbus12.onlyfordemo.com/herbal/plantdir.asp
http://green-source.blogspot.com/2008/07/centratherum-anthelminticum-kalijiri.html
http://envis.frlht.org.in/botanical_search.php?txtbtname=Centratherum+anthelminticum+&gesp=502%7CCentratherum+anthelminticum+%28L.%29+KUNTZE

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110519202718.htmhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874112005399http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/11/40

http://www.indianetzone.com/38/kaliziri_plant.htm

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Canna indica

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Botanical Name : Canna indica – L.
Family: Cannaceae
Genus: Canna
Species: C. indica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Zingiberales

Synonyms :Canna annaei André.,Canna aurantiaca Roscoe.,Canna barbadica Bouché

Common Name : saka siri, Indian shot, canna, bandera, chancle, coyol, or platanillo, Kardal in Marathi, Sanskrit : vankelee, sarvajaya

Bengali Name:  Kalaboti ful or Kala ful

Habitats :  Original habitat is obscure, but it is found by the coast and in temperate valleys of the Andes.  They grow in  S. America. W. Indies. Locally naturalized in the warmest parts of S. Europe.

Description:
Perennial, growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from Aug to October, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs).
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
The seeds are small, globular, black pellets, hard and heavy enough to sink in water.[4] They resemble shotgun pellets giving rise to the plant’s common name of Indian Shot. They are widely used for jewellery. The seeds are also used as the mobile elements of the kayamb, a musical instrument from Réunion, as well as the hosho, a gourd rattle from Zimbabwe, where the seeds are known as “hota” seeds.

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

Cultivation:
Requires a deep rich well-drained soil in a sunny position. The plant has large leaves and dislikes windy conditions since this can tear the leaves to shreds. This species is probably hardy in the mildest areas of Britain but even then it should be given a good mulch if left in the ground overwinter. Plants have survived temperatures down to about -5°c overwinter with us. This species is often grown as a summer bedding plant in Britain, especially in sub-tropical bedding schemes. In colder areas of the country the tubers can be harvested in late autumn after the top growth has been killed back by frost and stored over winter. They should be kept in a cool but frost-free place covered in moist soil or leaves[1]. Plants are cultivated for their edible root in the Tropics. Slugs love the young growth in spring and can cause serious damage to plants.

Propagation:
Seed – pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow February/March in a warm greenhouse at 20°c. Plant the seeds 2 – 5cm deep in individual pots. Scarifying the seed can speed germination, especially if the seed has not swollen after being soaked. The seed usually germinates in 3 – 9 weeks. Grow the plants on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of the root clump as the plant comes into growth in the spring. Each portion must have at least one growing point. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in the greenhouse until they are well established and then plant them out in the summer. Root cuttings.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Fruit;  Root.

Root – cooked. The source of ‘canna starch’, used as an arrowroot. The arrowroot is obtained by rasping the root to a pulp, then washing and straining to get rid of the fibres. The very young tubers are eaten cooked, they are sweet but fibrousy. Roots contain about 25% starch[61]. There is one report that this plant has an edible fruit but this is somewhat dubious, the fruit is a dry capsule containing the very hard seeds.

Medicinal Uses
Demulcent;  Diaphoretic;  Diuretic;  VD;  Women’s complaints.
The plant is used in the treatment of women’s complaints. A decoction of the root with fermented rice is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and amenorrhoea. The plant is also considered to be demulcent, diaphoretic and diuretic[218].

Other Uses
Dye;  Fibre;  Insecticide;  Paper.

The plant yields a fibre – from the stem.  – it is a jute substitute. A fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making paper. The leaves are harvested in late summer after the plant has flowered, they are scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 2 hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 24 hours with lye and then beaten in a blender. They make a light tan brown paper. A purple dye is obtained from the seed. Smoke from the burning leaves is said to be insecticidal.

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/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Canna%20indica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canna_indica

 

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