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Herbs & Plants

Give and Take (Cryosophila argentea)

Botanical Name : Cryosophila argentea
Family :  Arecaceae Arecaceae
Subfamily:  Coryphoideae Coryphoideae
Tribe :  Corypheae Corypheae
Subtribe:  Thrinacinae Thrinacinae
Gender :  Cryosophila Cryosophila
Species :  C. C. stauracantha stauracantha
DivisionMagnoliophyta Magnoliophyta
Class :  Liliopsida Liliopsida
Order :  Arecales Arecales

Synonyms:
*Chamaerops stauracantha Heynh. (1846).
* Acanthorrhiza stauracantha (Heynh.) H.Wendl. former Linden (1871).
*Argentea Cryosophila Bartlett (1935).
* Collinsii Acanthorrhiza OF Cook (1941).
* Bifurcata Cryosophila Lundell (1945).

Common Name :Give and Take, Rootspine Palm

Habitat :This plant is native to Mexico. Belize. Guatemala. Panama. Nicaragua. Honduras.

Description:
Cryosophila stauracantha  is a frost hardy perennial evergreen palm. It grows well in semi-shade and direct sun, and prefers medium levels of water. It has low drought tolerance. This palm has all year round interest.This is a erect plant has an ultimate height of 8m / 26.2ft and spread of 4m / 13.1ft.It has green leaves. They are llanceolate in shape.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES
It is a palm recognizable by their external roots stem base, and its spines branched. Leaves silvery, slender stem, long.
Medicinal Uses:
Its Creole name of “Give and Take” refers to the fact that this palm can give a very bad stinging cut from the thorns, but one can take a remedy for bleeding, infection, and pain from the inner portion of the leaf sheath and petiole.  The inside part of the sheath and petiole is pink, cotton-like and sticky.  It is applied to fresh wounds to staunch bleeding, prevent infection and alleviate pain.  Brooms are made from young, dried leaves tied together on a slender stick.

Other Uses:
Architectural, borders, container plant, security/barrier, specimen/accent plant and tropical effect.This palms the Mayans used to catch fish . Ornamental plant , also used for covering rural housing and brooms.

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.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_FGH.htm
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryosophila_stauracantha

http://www.plantdatabase.co.uk/Cryosophila_stauracantha

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Herbs & Plants

Desmodium triflorum

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Botanical Name : Desmodium triflorum
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Desmodium
Species: D. triflorum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Synonyms:
*Desmodium parvifolium Blanco
*Desmodium granulatum (Schumach. and Thonn.) Walp.
*Hedysarum triflorum L.
*Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze

Common Names ;  
Creeping tick trefoil, Three-flower beggarweed (English);  Amor-do-campo (Portuguese);  Hierba cuartillo (Spanish);  Daun mules, Jukut jarem, Delilan (Indonesia);  Rumput barek putih, Sisek tenggiling (Malaysia);  Kaliskis-dalag, Himbispuyo, Gumadep (Philippines);  Smau hae lolook (Cambodia);  Ya-klethoi, Ya-tanhoi, Ya-tansai (Thailand);  Trang qua ba hoa (Vietnam);  Kuddalia (India);  Olmud (Palau);  Konikoni, Vakathengu (Fiji);  Kihikihi (Tonga).

Habitat : Desmodium triflorum is native to tropical countries  of the world.

Description:
A small prostrate annual or perennial legume with a woody taproot.  Strongly branched stems to 50 cm frequently rooting at the nodes to form a mat.  Trifoliate leaves with leaflets up to 12 mm long and 10 mm wide.  Inflorescence with a cluster of 1–3 pink to purple flowers in leaf axils.  Pods flat, segmented, 6–18 mm long and 2–3.5 mm wide with 3–5 articles, and covered with minute hooked hairs.  The upper suture straight and the lower suture constricted between the articles.  Pods break up into segments when ripe.  Seed quadrangular to orbicular ca1.2 x 1.7 mm..

Click to see the pictures….>...(01).....(1).…...(2)……(3).….

Medicinal Uses:

The plant is used in traditional medicine, in order to treat various health problems. A decoction made with the roots of Desmodium triflorum can help treat respiratory problems, such as asthma and coughing. This decoction can also be consumed in order to treat stomach aches or rheumatism.

The leaves are known to help with dysentery, indigestion, and diarrhea. They can even be used to treat children who are having these problems. The plant has antiseptic properties. Therefore, by using the leaves, you can also treat skin problems. A leaf paste can help with wounds, sores, itches, abscesses, ulcers, and skin eruptions.

Side Effects:      There are no known side effects when it comes to Desmodium triflorum. Although not much is known about this, watch out of symptoms of allergic reactions if you’re using the plant for the first time.

Other Uses;
A naturalised component of short (grazed) native and sown pastures, where it can form up to 50% of the herbage.  Creeping mat can provide good ground cover during the wet season, especially in mown or closely cut uses such as under plantation crops and in lawns.

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.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Desmodium_triflorum.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmodium_triflorum
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_C.htm

http://www.liveandfeel.com/articles/desmodium-triflorum-is-a-good-remedy-for-asthma-and-cough-3342

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Chinese Violet

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Botanical Name: Asystasia gangetica
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Asystasia
Species: A. gangetica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales

Synonyms:
*Asystasia parvula C.B.Clarke
*Asystasia querimbensis Klotzsch
*Asystasia pubescens Klotzsch
*Asystasia subhastata Klotzsch
*Asystasia quarterna Nees
*Asystasia scabrida Klotzsch
*Asystasia floribunda Klotzsch
*Asystasia coromandeliana Nees
*Justicia gangetica L.
*Asystasia acuminata Klotzsch
*Asystasia coromandeliana Nees var. micrantha Nees
*Asystasia multiflora Klotzsch
*Asystasia ansellioides C.B.Clarke var. lanceolata Fiori
*Asystasia podostachys Klotzsch

Common Names : Chinese Violet, Coromandel or Creeping Foxglove,Asystasia

Habitat :Chinese Violet is widespread throughout the Old World Tropics, and introduced into tropical Americas and Hawaii, where it has become naturalized. Both subspecies of this plant have been introduced to Australia where A. g. micrantha is on the National Environmental Alert List and must be reported when found. The original range of the subspecies is unclear, but it is likely that A. g. gangetica was limited to Asia, and A. g. micrantha was limited to Africa

Description:
This plant is a spreading herb or groundcover, reaching 2 feet in height or up to 3 feet  if supported. The stems root easily at the nodes. The leaves are simple and opposite. The fruit is an explosive capsule which starts out green in colour, but dries to brown after opening……

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Edible  Uses:
In some parts of Africa, the leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

Medicinal Uses;
Chinese Violet is  used as an herbal remedy in traditional African medicine. The leaves are used in many parts of Nigeria for the management of asthma, and scientific investigation has shown some basis for this use.

Other Uses;
Chinese Violet is used as an ornamental plant in several places.This is also an important plant for honeybees, butterflies and other insects. In southern Africa there are at least six species of butterfly that use A. g. micrantha as a larval foodplant; Junonia oenone, Junonia hierta, Junonia natalica, Junonia terea, Protogoniomorpha parhassus and Hypolimnas misippus. The vigorous growth of A. g. micrantha in tropical regions makes it a weed which can smother certain indigenous vegetation where it has been introduced.

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/Asystasia_gangetica

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Herbs & Plants

Angelica sylvestris

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Botanical Name : Angelica sylvestris
Family : Apiaceae – Carrot family
Genus : Angelica L. – angelica
Species : Angelica sylvestris L. – woodland angelica
Kingdom : Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom : Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision : Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division : Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order : Apiales

Synonyms:Angelica montana. Brot.

Common Names : Wild Angelica

Habitat :Angelica sylvestris grows in  Most of Europe, including Britain, to W. Asia and Siberia.It is  found in  Moist fields and hedgerows, open woods, marshes and fens, not usually found on acid soils.

Description;
Angelica sylvestris is a bennial plant. The umbels of tiny white flowers, often tinged with pink, are carried upright on tall (up to 2.5m) downy or hairless stems from June to September, giving a frothy appearance from a distance. The much divided, slightly glossy pinnate leaves add to the open, airy appearance. The flat, oval fruit have thin papery wings to aid their wind-borne dispersal.

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It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June  to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles.The plant is self-fertile.

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

Cultivation:
Requires a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun. Succeeds in deep shade. Plants are reliably perennial if they are prevented from setting seed.

Propagation
Seed – best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring. The seed can also be sow in situ as soon as it is ripe.

Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Leaves;  Root;  Seed.
Edible Uses: Condiment.

Leaves, young shoots and stems – used as an aromatic addition to salads, or cooked and used as a vegetable. The taste is somewhat bitter. The chopped leaves are a good addition to cooked acid fruits, especially rhubarb. The stem and leafstalks are used in candies and sweetmeats. Seed – used as an aromatic flavouring in confections and pastries. Root – cooked.

Medicinal Uses :
Antispasmodic;  Carminative;  Diaphoretic;  Diuretic;  Expectorant;  Parasiticide;  Stimulant;  Stomachic;  Tonic.

The root and the seeds are antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic, and tonic. This plant is less rich in active principles than A. archangelica and so is much less used medicinally than that species, but a decoction is sometimes used in the treatment of bronchial catarrh, coughs and dyspepsia. Large doses have the effect of depressing the central nervous system.

As angelica increases the output or urine and relieves flatulence, as well as inducing sweating, its applications are: a tea prepared from leaves, seeds and roots, is recommended for indigestion or stomach pains.  ½ glass of tea 3 times a day improves digestion.  Powdered root is used in cases of catarrh of the respiratory tract, as well as in cases of severe indigestion.  It may be used as a gargle and as an additive to bath-water.  Water-extract mixed with white vinegar, is used for rubbing down in cases of gout and rheumatics, as well as backache. A decoction is sometimes used in the treatment of bronchial catarrh, coughs and dyspepsia.  It is used as a substitute for Angelica archangelica, but is less rich in active principles and so is much less used medicinally than that species.

Other Uses :
Dye;  Parasiticide.

The pulverized fruits are used to kill head parasites. A good yellow dye is obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant).

Known Hazards : All members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis.

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=Angelica+sylvestris
http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/16
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ANSY2

http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

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Herbs & Plants

Achillea moschata

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Botanical Name : Achillea moschata
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribes: Anthemideae
Subtribes: Achilleinae
Genus: Achillea
Sectio: A. sect. Anthemoideae
Species: Achillea erba-rotta
Subspecies: Achillea moschata subsp. moschata

Synonym: Achillea erba-rotta var. moschata

Common Names : Yarrow, Milfoil, Thousand leaf, Musk Milfoil, Musk Yarrow

Habitat :Achillea moschata   occurs in  Europe and temperate areas of Asia. A few grow in North America.It is a common wayside herb, and is also found growing wild in fields, pastures, and waste places

Description:
Achillea moschata is a common perennial plant from 1 to 3 feet in height, bearing dark-green, crowded, alternate,frilly, hairy, aromatic bi-pinnatifid leaves. The flowers, which are grayish-white (occasionally rose-colored), are arranged in a flat-top, corymbose head. The odor is peculiar, being pleasantly and highly aromatic, somewhat resembling chamomile. The taste is sharp, bitterish, astringent, and slightly saline.It flowers from May to October

You may click to see the pictures of Achillea moschata

Chemical Composition:
Achillea moschata contains a reddish-brown, active, bitter principle called achillein (C20H38N2O15), discovered by Zanon, in 1846 (Liebig’s Annalen), and shown by Von Planta (1870) to be alkaloidal and identical with the achilleine of Achillea moschata. Zanon also found an acid which he named achilleic acid, and which was subsequently (1857) shown by Hlasiwetz to be aconitic acid. A small portion of a volatile oil, dark-green in color, may be obtained from yarrow by distillation with water. Milfoil also contains potassium and calcium salts, resin, gum, and tannin.

Medicinal Uses:
During the time of blooming the flowers alongwith leaves should be gathered (preferably during July), and after rejecting the coarser stems, should be carefully dried. The weight, after drying, is but 15 per cent of the amount collected. The leaves are more astringent than the flowers, the latter being more aromatic than the former. The American plant is said to be more valuable than the European species. Achillea was known to the ancients. Pliny states that the generic term, Achillea, was named from Achilles, a physician, who was one of the first to use a species of this plant as a vulnerary. Yarrow is sold by the native herbalists of India, like rosemary, where it is used as a bitter and in medicated vapor baths for fevers (Dymock). The Italians employed it in intermittent fevers, and in the Scottish highlands it is made into ointment for wounds. According to Linnaeus the Dalecarlians used it as a substitute for hops in the making of ale, believing it to impart to it intoxicating qualities. Both Stahl and Haller used this plant extensively.

The plant is known in Switzerland as forest lady’s herb and has been used there for centuries as a stomach tonic.  An infusion is used in the treatment of liver and kidney disorders, as a tonic to the digestive system, exhaustion, nervous headaches etc.    The oil stimulates gastric secretion and improves appetite; it is feebly diuretic and has a mild antitussive action.  The principle uses are lack of appetite, sluggish digestion; flatulence, diarrhea.

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.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/achillea.html
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_UZ.htm
http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Achillea_erba-rotta_subsp._moschata
http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_36l_achillea_moschata_seeds
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Achillea_moschata_Atlas_Alpenflora.jpg
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Achillea_moschata07072002.JPG

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