Categories
Herbs & Plants (Spices)

Ribes inebrians

[amazon_link asins=’B00HRWHBV0,B06W2KNXNB,B07CZLWYT7,B07CZLGWGT,B0182IYOJ4′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2464176f-7b41-11e8-bc1d-45b770845482′]

Botanical Name: Ribes inebrians
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Saxifragales

Synonyms : R. cereum pedicellare. Brewer.&S.Wats. R. cereum inebrians.

Common Names: Whisky Currant

Habitat : Ribes inebrians is native to Western N. AmericaCalifornia to Idaho, Nebraska and New Mexico. It grows in dry slopes to 3700 metres in California.

Description:
Ribes inebrians is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). It is in flower in May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES :
Cultivation:
Easily grown in a moisture retentive but well-drained loamy soil of at least moderate quality. Plants are quite tolerant of shade though do not fruit so well in such a position. Hardy to about -20°c. This species is closely related to R. cereum. Plants can harbour a stage of ‘white pine blister rust‘, so they should not be grown in the vicinity of pine trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 4 – 5 months cold stratification at between 0 to 9°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Under normal storage conditions the seed can remain viable for 17 years or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 – 15cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year’s growth, preferably with a heel of the previous year’s growth, November to February in a cold frame or sheltered bed outdoors

Edible Uses: Fruit – raw or cooked. The fruit can also be dried for later use or made into preserves. One report says that although the fruit was eaten by the Hopi Indians, it could make you ill. Another report says that the fruit was highly relished. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter.  Leaves – cooked.
Medicinal Uses: A poultice of the plant has been applied to sores.

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/Ribes
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ribes+inebrians

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Pulsatilla alpina

[amazon_link asins=’B01MXUZHFZ,B01ETYTGQQ,B01ETYTFMG,B01A9VR3K4,B00RUDD2MS,B00CEYGRR0,B01N369D0K’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ea7cbfde-3f7f-11e7-803f-f74dfe2b688d’]

Botanical Name: Pulsatilla alpina
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Pulsatilla
Species: P. alpina
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ranunculales

Synonyms:
*Anemone alpina subsp. apiifolia (Scop.) O. Bolòs & Vigo
*Anemone alpina L.
*Anemone apiifolia Scop.
*Anemone gredensis Rivas Mart.
*Preonanthus alpinus (L.) Fourr.
*Preonanthus apiifolius (Scop.) Skalický
*Pulsatilla alpina subsp. apiifolia (Scop.) Nyman
*Pulsatilla alpina subsp. cantabrica M. Laínz
*Pulsatilla alpina subsp. font-queri M. Laínz & P. Monts.

Common Names : Alpine pasqueflower or Alpine anemone, Pasque-flowe, Anemone, Alpine

Habitat : : Pulsatilla alpina is native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Europe, from central Spain to Croatia. It can be found at altitudes of 1,200–2,700 m (3,900–8,900 ft).

Description:
Pulsatilla alpina is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant growing to 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall by 20 cm (8 in) wide. It has deeply divided, hairy leaves and has more upright flowers than other species of Pulsatilla, which generally have drooping flowers. They are white or, in the case of subsp. apiifolia, yellow. The flowers are produced very early, often opening while still under snow cover. They have prominent yellow stamens. As with all pasqueflowers, the flowers have a silky, hairy texture, and are followed by prominent seedheads which persist on the plant for many week

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES : 

Subspecies:
A number of subspecies are recognised, based largely on the form and hairiness of the leaves. P. alpina subsp. schneebergensis is endemic to the easternmost Alps of Austria, and is named after the Schneeberg mountain. It is replaced further west by the widespread taxon P. alpina subsp. alpina. P. alpina subsp. austroalpina is found in the Southern Alps from Switzerland eastwards, most commonly over dolomite. P. alpina subsp. apiifolia and P. alpina subsp. alba grow over siliceous rock, but are easily distinguished by the flower colour. Further subspecies have been named for local variants in the Cantabrian Mountains (subsp. cantabrica) and Corsica (subsp. cyrnea).

Cultivation: Pulsatilla alpina is suitable for cultivation in an alpine garden, or in any sharply drained soil in full sun. It is extremely hardy but dislikes winter wet. The subspecies P. alpina subsp. apiifolia has gained the Royal Horticultural Society‘s Award of Garden
Medicinal Uses: Anemone patens was the chief medicinal plant of the Minnesota tribes of Indians. They considered it a “cure-all,” and valued it highly, and it was by their recommendation that the plant was brought to the notice of Dr. W. H. Miller.

The first recorded recognition that we can find of American pulsatilla, is a note in Griffith’s Medical Botany (1847), which was followed by a recommendation from Dr. Clapp, in his account of the medical plants of the United States (1850), and by Dr. John King, in his Dispensatory of 1852. These seem to have been only suppositions, drawn both from the relationships which exist between this plant and the European Pulsatillas, and their similar acrid properties. At any rate, these authors bring no evidence to indicate a personal experience with the plant, and produce no reference to show that others had employed it. The whole, dried flowering plant was formerly used in the treatment of toothache and rheumatic pain, but due to its toxicity is has fallen into disuse.

Homeopathic Uses: The uses of this plant coincides nearly with the uses of the European variety introduced by Hahnemann. Those who have used it to any extent, declare it to be of great value in nervous erethism, especially when reflex, and due to disordered states of the sexual organs or the digestive tract. It is useful in chlorosis, with great nervousness, in neuralgia, characterized by its wandering, erratic character. It is as useful in nervous or gastric sick headache, as is the pulsatilla of Europe. The pain commences in the nape of the neck, ascends to one side of the head and eye, and is attended by chilliness and vomiting. It has proved specific in conjunctivitis catarrhalis, ophthalmia tarsi, hordeolum, opacity of the cornea, pustules and granulations in the eyes. It is useful in otitis and otalgia from catarrh; in catarrhal angina, when the mucous surfaces are of a livid, purple hue, and covered with mucus. This light purple, or dark violet hue, attends all the local disorders indicating pulsatilla. The indications for its use in gastric troubles are the same as for Pulsatilla nig. It has great curative power over disorders of menstruation, regulating irregular menses, restoring suppressed menses, and modifying painful or profuse menses. It successful in the treatment of gonorrhoea and orchitis; as well as ovaritis due to suppression of the menses. It is well known that when a catarrhal flux from any organ is suddenly checked, a rheumatic affection of some muscle or joint may result. Here both species of pulsatilla act promptly curative, restoring the discharge and arresting the inflammation. I is advised to use for all the symptoms of Pulsatilla nig. It has the advantage of being indigenous, and obtainable pure, and in inexhaustible quantities.

Known Hazards:  Pasque flower is extremely toxic and should not be ingested or applied to the skin.
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/Pulsatilla_alpina
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsatilla_alpina
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/dmna/anemone-pate.html

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Kentucky coffeetree

Botanical Name :Gymnocladus dioica
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Gymnocladus
Species: G. dioicus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Common Name:Kentucky coffeetree

Habitat :Gymnocladus dioica is native to the midwest of North America. The range is limited, occurring from Southern Ontario, Canada and in the United States from Kentucky (where it was first encountered by Europeans) and western Pennsylvania in the east, to Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and southeastern South Dakota in the west, and to northern Louisiana in the south. It was formerly the state tree of Kentucky.

Description:
DescriptionVaries from 18 to 21 meters (60–70 feet) high with a spread of 12–15 meters (40–50 feet) and a trunk up to one meter (3 feet) in diameter. A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. It usually separates 3 to 4½ meters (10–15 feet) from the ground into three or four divisions which spread slightly and form a narrow pyramidal head; or when crowded by other trees, sending up one tall central branchless shaft to the height of 15–21 m (50–70 ft). Branches stout, pithy, and blunt; roots fibrous.

CLICK TO SEE
The Kentucky Coffeetree is a relatively fast-growing tree and generally grows in parks and along city streets for ornamental purposes. The tree is typically long-lived however often appears dead for the first six months of its growth. This is because the Kentucky Coffeetree sheds its leaves early during the fall and therefore appears bare for up to 6 months. The naked appearance of the tree is reflected through the Kentucky Coffeetrees genus name. (Barnes, Wagner at el. 1977) from Michigan Trees.

Like the Sumac, branches are totally destitute of fine spray; smaller branches are thick, blunt, clumsy and lumpish. While other trees lose their leaves, along their twigs and branchlets are borne the buds, the hope and the promise of the coming year. But the Gymnocladus seems so destitute of these that the French in Canada named it Chicot, the dead tree. Even when spring comes, it gives no apparent recognition of light and warmth until nearly every other tree is in full leaf. The casual observer says it bears no winter buds, but there is a tiny pair, wrapped in down and wool, lying sleeping in the axil of every last year’s leaf.

Among the trees of the eastern United States, there are two others with similarly large leaves: the Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and the Devil’s Walking-Stick (Aralia spinosa). The expanding leaves are conspicuous because of the varied colors of the leaflets; the youngest are bright pink, while those which are older vary from green to bronze.

The bark is ash-gray and scaly, flaking similarly to black cherry, but more so. The flowers are dioecious, and the fruit is a hard-shelled bean in heavy, woody, thick-walled pods filled with sweet, thick, gooey pulp. The shape of the pods varies somewhat: pod length ranges from about 12.7 to 25.4 cm; unfertilized female trees may bear miniature seedless pods. The beans contain the toxin cytisine.

*Bark: Dark gray, deeply fissured, surface scaly. Branchlets at first coated with short reddish down.  CLICK TO SEE
Wood: Light brown; heavy, strong, coarse-grained; durable in contact with the ground, takes a fine polish. Sp. gr., 0.6934; weight of cu. ft., 43.21 lb (19.60 kg).

CLICK TO SEE

*Winter buds: Minute, depressed in downy cavities of the stem, two in the axil of each leaf, the smaller sterile. Bud scales two, ovate, coated with brown tomentum and growing with the shoot, become orange green, hairy and about one inch long, before they fall.CLICK TO SEE

*Leaves: Alternate, bi-pinnately compound, ten to fourteen pinnate, lowest pinnae reduced to leaflets, the other seven to thirteen foliate. One to three feet long, eighteen to twenty-four inches broad, by the greater development of the upper pairs of pinnae. Leaf stalks and stalks of pinnae, are terete, enlarged at base, smooth when mature, pale green, often purple on the upper side. Leaflets ovate, two to two and one-half inches long, wedge-shaped or irregularly rounded at base, with wavy margin, acute apex. They come out of the bud bright pink, but soon become bronze green, smooth and shining above. When full grown are dark yellow green above, pale green beneath. In autumn turn a bright clear yellow. Stipules leaf-life, lanceolate, serrate, deciduous.

CLICK TO SEE

*Flowers: June. Dioecious by abortion, terminal, greenish white. Staminate flowers in a short racemen-like corymb three to four inches (102 mm) long, pistillate flowers in a raceme ten to twelve inches (305 mm) long.

CLICK TO SEE

*Calyx: Tubular, hairy, ten-ribbed, five-lobed; lobes valvate in bud, acute, nearly equal.

*Corolla: Petals five, oblong, hairy, spreading or reflexed, imbricate in bud.CLICK & SEE

*Stamens: Ten, five long and five short, free, included; filaments thread-like; antehrs orange colored, introrse; in the pistillate flower small and sterile.  CLICK & SEE

*Pistil: Ovary superior, sessile, hairy, contracted into a short style, with two stigmatic lobes; ovules in two rows.

*Fruit: Legume, six to ten inches (254 mm) long, one and one-half to two inches wide, somewhat curved, with thickened margins, dark reddish brown with slight glaucous bloom, crowned with remnant of the styles. Stalks and inch or two long. Seeds six to nine, surrounded by a thick layer of dark, sweet pulp.  CLICK & SEE

Cultivation:
Kentucky Coffeetree is easy to grow from seed. Filing the seedcoat by hand with a small file, and then soaking the seeds in water for 24 hours will ensure rapid germination. Propagation is also easy from dormant root cuttings.

It forms large clonal colonies, reproducing by shoots sprouting from roots.

Trees prefer bottom lands, and a rich moist soil. Its growth is largely unaffected by heat, cold, drought, insects, disease, road salt, ice, and alkaline soil.

The Kentucky Coffeetree is typically found on “alluvial soils of river and flood plains and nearby terraces” (Barnes, Wagner at el. 1977) from Michigan Trees.

Medicinal Uses:
The pulvarised root bark is used as an effective enema. A tea made from bark is diuretic. It is used in the treatment of cough due to inflamated mucus membranes and also to help speed up a protected  labour.A snuff made from the pulvarised root bark hasbeen used to cause sneezing in comatose patients. A tea made from the leaves and pulp from the pod is laxative and has also been used in the treatment of reflex  troubles.A decoction of the fresh green pulp of an unriped fruit is used in homeopathic practice.The folk remedy of traditional poisning using Kentacy coffee tree seeds, cornsilk,linden flowers and seaweed Irish moss kelp and dulse.

Other Uses:
Horticulture : In pleasure grounds it is not uncommon, since it is often planted because of its unique appearance and interesting character.

The peculiarly late-emerging and early-dropping leaves, coupled with the fact that the large leaves mean few twigs in the winter profile, make it a tree that is ideal for urban shading where winter sunlight is to be maximized (such as in proximity to solar hot-air systems).

Food :The common name “coffeetree” derives from the use of the roasted seeds as a substitute for coffee in times of poverty. They are a very inferior substitute for real coffee, and caution should be used in trying them as they are poisonous in large quantities.
CLICK & SEE
The pods, preserved like those of the tamarind, are said to be wholesome and slightly aperient.

Woodworking :The wood is used both by cabinetmakers and carpenters. It has very little sapwood

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_IJK.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_coffeetree
http://www.cirrusimage.com/tree_Kentucky_Coffee.htm

http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/g/gydi–frseeds24261.htm

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Yoga

Pigeon Pose (Yoga Exercise)

[amazon_link asins=’B073MWLGT9,B017TP9MTS,B00PWWO9WG,B00NEFX276′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9907183b-63a2-11e7-ae53-07da3a65c4a4′]

Yoga Pigeon Pose Stretches Hip Muscles After Workout:

If you perform regular squats and lunges in your workouts, be sure to include a hip stretch at the end of your routines. This popular yoga position, the pigeon pose, will help loosen your hips and keep your buttock muscles flexible. If you’re very tight in your hips, use a yoga block to support your weight; it will make holding the stretch more comfortable.

CLICK & SEE

Yoga Pigeon Without Block: Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right knee forward to the floor near your right hand and bring your right heel to the floor in front of your left hip. Keep your hips level and squared to the front. Press down into your hands and slide your left leg behind you with your left knee facing the floor. Lower your groin toward the floor. Raise your chest away from the floor and relax the right side of your buttocks as you hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

CLICK & SEE

Yoga Pigeon With Block: Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right knee forward to the floor near your right hand and bring your right heel to the floor in front of your left hip. Place a yoga block under your right hip. Keep your hips level and squared to the front. Extend your left leg behind you with your left knee facing the floor. Place a towel under your knee for extra cushioning. Raise your chest away from the floor and relax as you hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Sources:Los Angeles Times

Zemanta Pixie
Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Chalazion

A chalazion immediately after excision
Image via Wikipedia

Alternative Names:Meibomian gland lipogranuloma

Definition:
A chalazion is a small bump in the eyelid caused by a blockage of a tiny oil gland.
It is a cyst in the eyelid that is caused by inflammation of a blocked meibomian gland, usually on the upper eyelid.

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

..
…………………………………………...Eyelid affected by Chalazion
Chalazions differ from styes (hordeolums) in that they are usually painless apart from the tenderness caused when they swell up, and in size (chalazia tend to be larger than styes). A chalazion may eventually disappear on its own after a few months, though more often than not, some treatment is necessary.
A large chalazion ca. 20 minutes upon excision. This bipartite chalazion was removed via two separate incisions. Further along the lower eyelid, signs of chronic inflammation are visible.

Causes:

A chalazion develops within the glands that produce the fluid that lubricate the eye. These are called Meibomian glands. The eyelid has approximately 100 of these glands, which are located near the eyelashes.

A chalazion is caused by blockage of the duct that drains one of these glands. A chalazion begins as swelling and tenderness, and later forms a cyst-like growth. Many chalazia disappear without treatment after a few months

Signs and symptoms:

*Painful swelling on the eyelid

*Eyelid tenderness

*Sensitivity to light

*Increased tearing

*Swelling on the eyelid

*Heaviness of the eyelid

Diagnosis:
Exams and Tests

Examination of eyelid confirms the diagnosis.
Rarely, the Meibomian gland duct may be blocked by a skin cancer. If this is suspected, a biopsy may be needed to diagnose the disorder.

Treatment:
A chalazion will often disappear without treatment within a month or so.

The primary treatment is application of warm compresses for 10-15 minutes at least 4 times a day. This may soften the hardened oils blocking the duct and promote drainage and healing. If the chalazion continues to get bigger, it may need to be surgically removed. This is usually done from underneath the eyelid to avoid a scar on the skin.

Topical antibiotic eye drops or ointment (eg chloramphenicol or fusidic acid) are sometimes used for the initial acute infection, but are otherwise of little value in treating a chalazion. Chalazia will often disappear without further treatment within a few months and virtually all will resorb within two years.

If they continue to enlarge or fail to settle within a few months, then smaller lesions may be injected with a corticosteroid or larger ones may be surgically removed using local anesthesia. . If the chalazion is located directly under the eyelid’s outer tissue, however, an excision from above may be more advisable so as not to inflict any unnecessary damage on the lid itself. Eyelid epidermis usually mends well, without leaving any visible traces of cicatrisation. Depending on the chalazion’s texture, the excision procedure varies: while fluid matter can easily be removed under minimal invasivion, by merely puncturing the chalazion and exerting pressure upon the surrounding tissue, hardened matter usually necessitates a larger incision, through which it can be scraped out. Any residual matter should be metabolized in the course of the subsequent healing process, generally aided by regular appliance of dry heat. The excision of larger chalazia may result in visible hematoma around the lid, which will wear off within three or four days, whereas the swelling may persist for longer. Chalazion excision is an ambulant treatment and normally does not take longer than fifteen minutes. Nevertheless, owing to the risks of infection and severe damage to the eyelid, such procedures should only be performed by a doctor.

Rarely chalazia may reoccur and these will be biopsied to help rule out tumors.

Antibiotic eye drops are usually used several days before and after removal of the cyst, but are otherwise of little value in treating a chalazion.

A chalazion that keeps coming back should be biopsied to rule out tumor.

Click for :->Chalazion and its online homeopathic treatment

Prognosis: Chalazia usually heal on their own. The outcome with treatment is usually excellent.

Complications:
A large chalazion can cause astigmatism due to pressure on the cornea. This will resolve with resolution of the chalazion.Complications including, but not limitedtohypopigmentation may occur with corticosteroid injection.The presence of recurring chalazion in the same area sometimes leads to a consideration of sebaceous cell carcinoma.The minor operation is quite painless, the eyelid is injected with a local anesthetic a clamp is put on the eyelid, then the eyelid is turned over and the chalazion is scraped out.

When to contact your Healthcare Provider:
Apply warm compresses and call your health care provider if the swelling progresses or persists longer than 1 month.
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if lumps on the eyelid continue to enlarge despite treatment or are associated with an area of eyelash loss.

Prevention:
Proper cleansing of the eyelid may prevent recurrences in people prone to chalazia. Cleaning the eyelash area with baby shampoo will help reduce clogging of the ducts.

Click to see also:-> Stye
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
Resources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001006.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalazion

Enhanced by Zemanta
css.php