Tag: Invasive species

Mysore Thorn (Caesalpinia decapetala )

Post author By Mukul
Post date July 2, 2010
No Comments on Mysore Thorn (Caesalpinia decapetala )

Botanical Name: Caesalpinia decapetala
Family: Leguminosae
Genus : Caesalpinia
Synonyms: Caesalpinia sepiaria – Roxb.
Common names: Arrete-boeuf, bois sappan (French), caniroc, cat’s claw, kraaldoring (Afrikaans), kraaldoring, liane croc chien (English), Mauritius thorn (English), mauritiusdoring (Afrikaans), mubage, Mysore thorn (English), puakelekino (Hawaii), sappan (French-Reunion (La Réunion)), shoofly (English), thorny poinciana, ubobo-encane (Zulu), ufenisi (Zulu), ulozisi (Zulu-South Africa), wait-a-bit (English)

Habitat : E. Asia – Himalayas to China.Hedges and open bushy places. Swampy localities and ravines to 1800 metres.Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedge;

Description:
It is a tropical tree species originating in India.

It is as a robust, thorny, evergreen shrub 2-4 m high or climber up to 10 m or higher; often forming dense thickets; the stems are covered with minute golden-hair; the stem thorns are straight to hooked, numerous, and not in regular rows or confined to nodes. The leaves are dark green, paler beneath, not glossy, up to 300 mm long; leaflets up to 8 mm wide. The flowers are pale yellow, in elongated, erect clusters 100-400 mm long. Fruits are brown, woody pods, flattened, unsegmented, smooth, sharply beaked at apex, ± 80 mm long.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES

The medium-sized seeds may be dispersed by rodents and granivorous birds and running water. Trailing branches root where they touch the ground.

It has been introduced to Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawai‘i, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues, and South Africa. Is has become a seriously problematic invasive species in many locations.

In Hawai‘i, where it has the local name p?poki, it forms impenetrable brambles, climbs high up trees, closes off pastures to animals and impedes forest pathways

It is hardy to zone 8. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen.
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 and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Similar Species: Caesalpinia scortechinii, Caesalpinia subtropica

Cultivation:
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in any moderately fertile well-drained soil[200] including limy soils. This species is on the borderline of hardiness in Britain. However, C. japonica, which is considered to be no more than a variety of this species by many botanists, succeeds on a wall at Wisley to the west of London and is said to be hardy to about -10°c. Its natural range is Japan where it grows at heights up to 2000 metres on rocky mountain slopes in the cooler regions of the country. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation
Seed – pre-soak for 12 – 24 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Softwood cuttings in sand in a frame.

Medicinal Uses:
Anthelmintic; Antiperiodic; Astringent; Emmenagogue; Febrifuge; Laxative; Purgative.

Anthelmintic, antiperiodic, astringent, febrifuge. The leaves are emmenagogue and laxative.The bitter tasting stems and roots can be used medicinally. They are applied externally to burns. The root is purgative.

Other Uses
Hedge; Tannin; Wood.

The bark is a rich source of tannin. Plants are often grown as field boundaries in Nepal. An excellent hedge plant. However, due to its doubtful hardiness it is not a good candidate for this use in Britain. Wood – moderately hard.

Caesalpinia decapetala is used as a landscaping plant as a hedge or an ornamental in China and elsewhere. Bark & other parts of the plant are useful in the chemical industry (Hao et al. 2004). The fruits and bark are rich in tannin. With an oil content of 35 percent, the seeds serve as a source of lubricant and soap (Hao et al. 2004).

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?Caesalpinia+decapetala
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesalpinia_decapetala
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=510

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/229822/

Tags 2010 FIFA World Cup, Hawaii, India, Invasive species, London, Plant, Wine tasting descriptors, Wood

Herbs & Plants

White Bryony (Bryonia alba)

Post author By Mukul
Post date June 19, 2010
No Comments on White Bryony (Bryonia alba)

[amazon_link asins=’B00020HTSY,B001EPQ7OS,B005P0XVL0,B000FPC6NY,B0083V72E0,B013LWL6E2,B014HAA1XY,B0006NYIPO,B06Y1MPHT5′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9baa82a1-6c91-11e7-b6b1-2f61e613d16a’]

Botanical Name :Bryonia alba
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Bryonia
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Violales
Species: B. alba

Common names: Kudzu of the Northwest, Devil’s Turnip, English Mandrake,
false mandrake, wild vine, and wild hops, wild nep, tamus, ladies’ seal, and tetterbury.

Habitat :White bryony is native to Europe and Northern Iran. It was first reported in the United States in 1975. It probably arrived as a medicinal plant; used to induce vomiting, the plant and berries are poisonous to people. Forty berries constitutes a lethal dose for adult humans.

Currently identified in only four states (Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) this invasive species is declared a Class B noxious weed. This classification indicates that bryony is already abundant in many areas. Containment is the goal in those areas, but it is to be prevented/eradicated in new regions.Vineyards and woods.Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Hedgerow;

Description:
An herbaceous, perennial vine of the cucumber family, white bryony is monoecious but diclinous (separate male and female flowers found on the same plant) with a tuberous yellow root. Greenish-white flowers are 1 cm across. Long curling tendrils, flowers, and fruit all stem from axils of palmately lobed leaves. The fruit is a 1.5 cm berry which blackens as it ripens, and seeds of which are disseminated by birds.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

White bryony thrives in full sun. Due to birds depositing seeds where they like to eat and nest, bryony is prevalent in native hawthorn patches and in windbreak, shelterbelt, riparian buffer, and wildlife plantings.

This invasive weed grows aggressively; it can produce three vines at a time, which each grow up to 15 cm per day. Since the growth pattern of the vine leads it to climb, it emulates the growth pattern of kudzu, and will also simply grow into a mat when it cannot climb. Once it establishes itself, it will climb other plants and trees as well as fences and buildings. Effectively blocking the sun and even rain from its host, the dense shade of the bryony eventually destroys what it covers. If not the lack of sun, then winter snow or heavy rains weighing down the mat of bryony create too much extra weight leading to breakage of host limbs or even felling of entire host trees.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Cultivation
A rapid grower, it is of easy cultivation succeeding in most soils that are well drained[1], avoiding acid soils in the wild[17]. A climbing plant, attaching itself to other plants by means of tendrils. Plants can be easily encouraged by scattering ripe seed at the base of hedgerows. Plants in the north of their range are monoecious, but those growing in the south are dioecious. Where necessary, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation
Bryonia alba spreads by seed. Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves.

One report says that the young shoots are edible, though cautioned .

Toxicity:
All parts of Bryonia alba contain bryonin which is poisonous and may cause illness or death. Livestock may also be poisoned by consuming the fruit and leaves. Forty berries constitutes a lethal dose for adult humans.

Medicinal Uses

Homeopathy.

The root is cathartic, hydrogogue, irritant, pectoral and purgative. The root is harvested in the autumn and can be used either fresh or dried. It should be used with great caution, see notes above on toxicity. The fresh root, gathered before the plant comes into flower, is made into a homeopathic remedy. This is used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints. It is said to be one of the best diuretics and an excellent remedy for gravel as well as all other obstructions and disorders of the urinary passage.

Other Uses:
Birds are the most common dispersal mechanism for this plant. They deposit seeds where they eat and nest, and so bryony is prevalent in native hawthorn patches and in windbreak, shelterbelt, riparian buffer, and wildlife plantings. Bryonia alba leaves may be used as a food plant by the larvae of Cabbage Moths.

Known Hazards: All parts of the plant, and especially the root, are poisonous. The root can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting, resulting in death within a matter of hours.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Bryonia+alba
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bryonia_alba
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryonia_alba

Bryonia Side Effects and Adverse Reactions (herbalmedicine.suite101.com)
Homeopathy to Help Relieve Fibromyalgia (homeopathy.suite101.com)
Homeopathic Remedies for Fibromyalgia Pain (homeopathy.suite101.com)
Careful what you grow, that pretty bloom might be a destructive plant (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Use Homeopathy to Treat a Sprained Muscle (homeopathy.suite101.com)

Tags Herbalism, Homeopathy, Invasive species, Noxious weed, Plants, Shopping, United States, Washington

Herbs & Plants

Cirsium Setosum

[amazon_link asins=’B076YLXP1V,B076YJLVFT,B076YJDRLD,B076YHC8SR,B076YJGX9J,B076YJRTS1,B076YJR91N’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c5cbd3ba-be50-11e7-8042-a34154774ea0′]

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.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

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.

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

Tags Acer platanoides, Amaranthus palmeri, Botany, Cirsium, Cirsium arvense, Doug Goehring, Flora of China, Flower, Invasive species, Japanese knotweed, Korea, Linaria dalmatica, North Dakota, North Dakota State University, Noxious weed, Plant, South Dakota

Herbs & Plants

Shortawn Foxtail(Alopecurus aequalis)

Post author By Mukul
Post date April 6, 2010
No Comments on Shortawn Foxtail(Alopecurus aequalis)

[amazon_link asins=’B003QCILI2,B00F4LF9VU,1878257021,B07434CVSJ,B01CFRCNMS,B01JGAHQJM,B009QCQWD2′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’948a2eab-af14-11e7-b155-ababb17e9b85′]

BotanicalName: Alopecurus aequalis
Family : Gramineae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus : Alopecurus

Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Species: A. aequalis

Synonyms : Alopecurus fulvus – Sm.

Common names: Short Awned Foxtail, Sonoma Alopecurus, Water Foxtail, short awn foxtail, shortawn foxtail

Habitat : It is native to much of the temperate Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America, where it can be found in many types of habitat. Much of Europe, including Britain, to N. Asia. Wet meadows and the edges of ponds and ditches .Meadow; Bog Garden;

Description:
Alopecurus aequalis, a monocot, is a perennial herb . It produces bunches of erect stems between 10 and about 70 centimeters in height. The leaves are short, rarely exceeding 10 centimeters long. The cylindrical inflorescence is a few centimeters long and blooms with white to yellow to bright orange anthers.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
It is hardy to zone 0. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil.

Cultivation :
See the plants native habitat for ideas on its cultivation needs. This species is a weed of cultivated cereals and can harbour pests common to cultivated crops.

Propagation:
Seed – we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ in April and only just covering it.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Seed.

Seed – cooked. It can be used whole like millet, but is more usually ground into a flour and used with other cereals in making bread etc. The seed is small and fiddly, it is very much a famine food.

Medicinal Actions & Uses
Antiphlogistic; Depurative; Diuretic.

The whole plant is antiphlogistic, depurative and diuretic. It is used in the treatment of oedema, chickenpox and snakebites.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Alopecurus+aequalis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alopecurus_aequalis
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=1800
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=256

Tags Alopecurus, Ant, Arctic, Asia, Atmosphere, Biome, Britain, Carbon dioxide, Eurasia, Flower, Inflorescence, Invasive species, North America, Northern Hemisphere, Soil, Temperateness, United States

Herbs & Plants

Crow Garlic (Allium vineale )

Post author By Mukul
Post date March 31, 2010
No Comments on Crow Garlic (Allium vineale )

[amazon_link asins=’0890877254,B001E4R2SO,B074D149JW,B06XZYN1TR,B004PRLWUG,B01M02DQ87,B07487NKHG,B06ZYJ47NQ,B074CZB2GX’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’45f5ba6c-9073-11e7-9308-a525ef60ba74′]

Botanical Name : Allium vineale
Family : Alliaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus : Allium
Synonyms : Allium kochii – Lange.
Common Name : Crow Garlic
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Tribe: Allieae
Species: A. vineale

Habitat : Much of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa and Lebanon. The species was introduced in Australia and North America, where it has become an invasive species.Habitat Fields and roadsides to elevations of 450 metres in Britain, often a serious weed of pastures.meadow;

Description:
It is a perennial bulbflower growing to 0.6m by 0.05m.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from October to August, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.

click & see

All parts of the plant have a strong garlic odour. The underground bulb is 1-2 cm diameter, with a fibrous outer layer. The main stem grows to 30-120 cm tall, bearing 2-4 leaves and an apical inflorescence 2-5 cm diameter comprising a number of small bulbils and none to a few flowers, subtended by a basal bract. The leaves are slender hollow tubes, 15-60 cm long and 2-4 mm thick, waxy textured, with a groove along the side of the leaf facing the stem. The flowers are 2-5 mm long, with six petals varying in colour from pink to red or greenish-white. It flowers in the summer, June to August in northern Europe. Plants with no flowers, only bulbils, are sometimes distinguished as the variety Allium vineale var. compactum, but this character is probably not taxonomically significant.

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

Click to learn more:

Cultivation :
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. This species is a pernicious weed of grassland in Britain, spreading freely by means of its bulbils. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation:
Plants do not need any encouragement, they are more than capable of propagating themselves. Bulbils are produced in abundance in the summer and are the main means by which the plant spreads

Uses and problems
While Allium vineale has been suggested as a substitute for garlic, it has an unpleasant aftertaste compared to that of garlic itself. It imparts a garlic-like flavour and odour on dairy and beef products when grazed by livestock. It is considered a pestilential invasive weed, as grain products may become tainted with a garlic odour or flavour in the presence of aerial bulblets at the time of harvest.Wild garlic is resistant to herbicides due to the structure of its leaves, being vertical, smooth and waxy. Herbicides do not cling well to it and are therefore not as effective

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Leaves – raw or cooked. Rather stringy, they are used as a garlic substitute. The leaves are available from late autumn until the following summer, when used sparingly they make a nice addition to the salad bowl. Bulb – used as a flavouring. Rather small, with a very strong flavour and odour. The bulbs are 10 – 20mm in diameter. Bulbils – raw or cooked. Rather small and fiddly, they have a strong garlic-like flavour.

Medicinal Actions & Uses

Antiasthmatic; Blood purifier; Carminative; Cathartic; Diuretic; Expectorant; Stimulant; Vasodilator.

The whole plant is antiasthmatic, blood purifier, carminative, cathartic, diuretic, expectorant, hypotensive, stimulant and vasodilator. A tincture is used to prevent worms and colic in children, and also as a remedy for croup. The raw root can be eaten to reduce blood pressure and also to ease shortness of breath. Although no other specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.

Other Uses
Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles. The juice of the plant can be rubbed on exposed parts of the body to repel biting insects, scorpions etc.

Known Hazards: There have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of this species. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Allium+vineale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_vineale
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALVI&photoID=alvi_002_ahp.tif
http://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5007060

Tags Allium, Allium vineale, Australia, Britain, Bulb, Flower, Invasive species, Seed

Related articles

Related articles by Zemanta

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles