Tag: Siberia

Astragalus propinquus

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Botanical Name :Astragalus propinquus
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Astragalus
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Species: A. propinquus

Synonyms:
*Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge
*Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge)P.K.Hsiao
*Astragalus propinquus Schischkin var. glabra Vydr.
*Phaca membranacea Fisch.

Other Names:huáng qí (yellow leader) or bei qí (traditional Chinese), huáng hua huáng qí (Chinese),

Habitat :E. Asia – China, Mongolia and Siberia. Dry sandy soils. Mountain thickets. Steppes, meadows, xerophytic shrubs, coniferous forests; montane belt at altitudes of 800 – 2000 metres

Description:
It is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a perennial plant
growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It is not listed as being threatened.
click to see the picture
It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera.It can fix Nitrogen.

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

Cultivation:
Requires a dry well-drained soil in a sunny position. Prefers a sandy slightly alkaline soil. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. There is some disagreement over the correct name for this species, with several authorities seeing it as part of A. penduliflorus. The Flora of China treats it as a sub-species of A. mongholicus, as A. mongholicus dahurica. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best planted in their final positions whilst still small. 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. Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil.

Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate[200]. Stored seed, and perhaps also fresh seed, should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in hot water before sowing – but make sure that you do not cook the seed. Any seed that does not swell should be carefully pricked with a needle, taking care not to damage the embryo, and re-soaked for a further 24 hours[. Germination can be slow and erratic but is usually within 4 – 9 weeks or more at 13°c if the seed is treated or sown fresh[134]. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Medicinal Use:
Adaptogen; Antibacterial; Cancer; Cardiotonic; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Hypoglycaemic; Hypotensive; Pectoral; Tonic; Uterine tonic;
Vasodilator.

Huang Qi is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs. The root is a sweet tonic herb that stimulates the immune system and many organs of the body, whilst lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It is particularly suited to young, physically active people, increasing stamina and endurance and improving resistance to the cold – indeed for younger people it is perhaps superior to ginseng in this respect. Huang Qi is used especially for treatment of the kidneys and also to avoid senility. The plant is often used in conjunction with other herbs such as Atractylodes macrocephala and Ledebouriella seseloides. The root contains a number of bio-active constituents including saponins and isoflavonoids. It is adaptogen, antipyretic, diuretic, tonic, uterine stimulant and vasodilator. It is used in the treatment of cancer, prolapse of the uterus or anus, abscesses and chronic ulcers, chronic nephritis with oedema and proteinuria. Recent research in the West has shown that the root can increase the production of interferon and macrophages and thus help restore normal immune function in cancer patients. Patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy recover faster and live longer if given Huang Qi concurrently. The root of 4 year old plants is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use . The plant is antipyretic, diuretic, pectoral and tonic. Extracts of the plant are bactericidal, hypoglycaemic and hypotensive. Cardiotonic, vasodilator.

Herbalism
A. propinquus is used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to speed healing and treat diabetes. In western herbal medicine, Astragalus is primarily considered a tonic for enhancing metabolism and digestion and is consumed as a tea or soup made from the (usually dried) roots of the plant, often in combination with other medicinal herbs. It is also traditionally used to strengthen the immune system and in the healing of wounds and injuries. Extracts of A. propinquus are used in Australia as part of a commercially available pharmaceutical MC-S to stimulate production of peripheral blood lymphocytes.

A. propinquus has been asserted to be a tonic that can improve the functioning of the lungs, adrenal glands and the gastrointestinal tract, increase metabolism, sweating, promote healing and reduce fatigue.

There is a report in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology that Astragalus membranaceus can show “immunomodulating and immunorestorative effects.” It has been shown to increase the production of interferon and to activate immune cells such as macrophages.

Known Hazards : Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage. A number of species can also accumulate toxic levels of selenium when grown in soils that are relatively rich in that element.

Resources:
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/5555518
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Astragalus membranaceus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus_propinquus

Astragalus Herb (lifescript.com)
Boost Your Immune System (brighthub.com)

Tags Astragalus, Astragalus propinquus, China, Fabaceae, Flowering plant, Herbalism, Huang Qi, Immune system, Perennial plant, Plant, Siberia, Traditional Chinese medicine, Wine tasting descriptors

Herbs & Plants

Abies sibirica

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Botanical Name: Abies sibirica –
Family : Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Species: A. sibirica

Common names: Siberian fir

Habitat: Native to the taiga east of the Volga River and south of 67°40′ North latitude through Turkestan, northeast Xinjiang, Mongolia and Heilongjiang N. Europe – Russia to E. Asia – China. Forms extensive forests on cool wet mountainsides in N.E. Russia.

Range:-
China: Xinjiang; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Russian Federation: Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutiya. Subsp. semenovii is confined to Kyrgyzstan: Talasskij Ala Tau, but is suspected to extend into China. The species as a whole is considered threatened in China (Conifer Specialist Group 1998).

Description:
An evergreen coniferous Tree.
It is hardy to zone 1 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.

You may click to see the pictures of Abies Sibirica

The tree lives in the cold boreal climate on moist soils in mountains or river basins at elevations of 1900-2400 m. It is very shade-tolerant, frost-resistant, and hardy, surviving temperatures down to ?50 °C. It rarely lives over 200 years due to the susceptibility to fungal decay in the wood.

Siberian Fir grows 30-35 m tall with a trunk diameter of 0.5-1 m at breast height and a conical crown. The bark is grey-green to grey-brown and smooth with resin blisters typical of most firs. Shoots are yellow-grey, resinous, and slightly pubescent. The leaves are needle-like, 2-3 cm long and 1.5 mm broad on average. They are light green above with two grey-white stomatal bands underneath, and are directed upwards along the stem. They are soft, flattened, and strongly aromatic. The cones are cylindrical, 5-9.5 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm broad, with small bracts hidden by the scales. They ripen from bluish to brown or dark brown in mid-autumn. The seeds, 7 mm long with a triangular wing 0.7-1.3 cm long, are released when the cone disintegrates after maturity.

There are two varieties:–

#Abies sibirica var. sibirica. Described above.

#Abies sibirica var. semenovii (B. Fedtschenko) Farjon. Endemic in Kyrgyzstan. Branchlets noticeably ridged and grooved. Resin canals marginal.

Cones yellow-brown, with broader bracts than those of var. sibirica.

Taxonomic notes:-
Two subspecies, the type and Abies sibirica subsp. semenovii (B. Fedtsch.) Farjon 1990. There is also a widespread natural hybrid found in China: Heilongjiang, Abies × sibirico-nephrolepis Taken. et Chien 1957 (Farjon 1998).

Synonymy for subsp. sibirica (Farjon 1998):

*Pinus sibirica (Ledeb.) Turcz. non Du Tour
*Pinus picea Pall. non L.
*Abies pichta J. Forbes
*Picea pichta (J. Forbes) Loudon
*Pinus pichta Fisch. ex Endl.
Synonymy for subsp. semenovii (Farjon 1998):

*A. semenovii B. Fedtsch.
*A. sibirica var. semenovii (B. Fedtsch.) Liu

Cultivation:-
Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are very shade tolerant, especially when young, but growth is slower in dense shade. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution. Prefers slightly acid conditions down to a pH of about 5. Prefers growing on a north-facing slope. Cultivated for timber in N. Europe but although very hardy, this species does not thrive in Britain, preferring much harsher climates. It tolerates temperatures down to about -50°c but in the mild winters of Britain it is often excited into premature growth and is then very susceptible to damage by late frosts. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. Most if not all trees grown under this name in Britain are in fact A. sachalinensis.

Propagation:-
Seed – sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 – 8 weeks. Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed. One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position

Medicinal Action & Uses:-

Antirheumatic; Expectorant; Stimulant.

The essential oil obtained from the leaves is antirheumatic, expectorant and stimulant.Essential oils extracted from the leaves are used in aromatherapy and perfumes.

Other Uses:-
An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used medicinally. The wood is soft, lightweight, and weak. It is used in construction, furniture, and wood pulp.(Wood light and soft, has no heart or resin ducts; used poorly.)

Scented Plants:-
Leaves: Crushed
The bruised leaves are aromatic.

Ecology. :-
Forests with dominance of Siberian fir or with its participation, along with spruce and Siberian pine, form the “dark” taiga of Siberia. Less often, occurs as an admixture in pine and larch forests, in the European part in broad-leaved forests, in mountains of southern Siberia in lime forests. In the Polar Ural up to 600 m a.s.l., in Altai up to 2400 m a.s.l.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Abies+sibirica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_sibirica
http://www.conifers.org/pi/ab/sibirica.htm

http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/related/Abies_sibirica/

Tags Abies Sibirica, Biology, China, Fir, Kazakhstan, PH, Pinaceae, Pinophyta, Russia, Siberia, Volga River

Ginseng May be a Natural Anti-inflammatory

Post author By Mukul
Post date November 13, 2009
No Comments on Ginseng May be a Natural Anti-inflammatory

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Ginseng, an herb used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine for thousands of years, has anti-inflammatory properties, a new study has found.

Scientists from the University of Hong Kong identified seven ginseng compounds, called ginsenosides, which they believe demonstrate immune-suppressive effects. Specifically, after treating human immune cells with different extracts of ginseng they found the seven ginsenosides had the ability to selectively inhibit expression of the inflammatory gene CXCL-10.

“The [benefits] of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions in humans,” says researcher Allan Lau who led the team.

“Further studies will be needed to examine the potential beneficial effects of [the herb] in the management of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans,” he adds.

Ginseng is a slow-growing perennial plant native to cooler climates of eastern Asia, including northern China, Korea and eastern Siberia, and it is available in the form of roots or nutritional supplements in many health stores across the U.S.

Source: Better Health Research. Nov.9th. 2009

Tags Asia, China, Ginseng, Health, Hong Kong, Korea, Siberia, Traditional Chinese characters

Herbs & Plants

Siberian Squill

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Botanical Name:Scilla siberica
Family: Hyacinthaceae/Liliaceae
Other Names: Wood squill or Spring beauty,
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Genus: Scilla
Species: S. siberica

Common Name :Siberian Squill

Habitat:Native to Siberia.

Description:
It is a small perennial plant.This plant grows to 15 cm (6 inches) tall and produces small, violet-blue flowers with blue pollen early in the spring.

It spends the winter as a small bulb, perhaps as big as the end of a little finger. It puts up short, somewhat grassy foliage very early in the spring, produces one or more tiny blue flowers, goes to seed, and disappears by summer.

CLICK & SEE
This plant can be planted into a lawn, and, if it naturalizes, can give a very pretty early spring display.S. siberica, are grown in gardens for their attractive early spring flowers. It can tolerate light foot traffic while dormant and transplants easily. They are best grown in cool, moist locations with well-drained soil of average fertility. They are very cold-tolerant. It does not do well in hot and/or dry conditions, though it does well in sun or light shade.

Medicinal Uses:
Syrups and tinctures are used as emetics and cathartics as well as diuretics in the treatment of congestive heart failure. It is also used in expectorants to treat lung disorders. It was used by the Greek physician Epimerides hence it is also know as Epemenidiea.

Squill liquid extract, a preparation of powdered squill bulbs extracted in ethanol, is an ingredient in cough medicines and cardiac surgery.

Resources:
http://www.piam.com/mms_garden/plants.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_squill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scilla

Tags Biology, Bulb, Epemenidiea, Flower, Garden, Heart failure, Home, Perennial plant, Plant, Scilla, Siberia, Siberian squill

Herbs & Plants

Susni (Marsilea quadrifolia)

Post author By Mukul
Post date April 8, 2009
No Comments on Susni (Marsilea quadrifolia)

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Botanical Name:Marsilea quadrifolia
Family:Marsileaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta
Class: Pteridopsida
Order: Salviniales
Genus: Marsilea
Species: M. quadrifolia
Common names:Four Leaf Clover’;Water shamrock, European waterclover (USA); Sushni in parts of India
English: European pepperwort, European waterclover
French: fougere d’eau
Japanese: denjiso
Spanish: aigret, viola

Bengali: Susni Sak

Habitat:Grows in shallow water of lakes, ponds, or quiet sections of rivers and streams and on wet shores. It is found in central and southern Europe, Caucasia, western Siberia, Afghanistan, sw India, China, Japan and North America. Considered a weed in some parts of the United States where it has been well established in the north eastern States for over 100 years.

It is native to Europe; it was introduced to America in 1862. It is considered to be potentially invasive in New England, as it may crowd out native wetland plants by forming dense stands. More on this topic from Invasive Plant Atlas of New England.

Description:
Water shamrock, despite its common name, is not related to shamrocks (or clover or pepper) — it is a fern.It is a deciduous plant and grows random.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Aquatic fern bearing 4 parted leaf resembling ‘4-leaf clover’ (Trifolium). Leaves floating in deep water or erect in shallow water or on land. Leaflets obdeltoid, to 3/4″ long, glaucous, petioles to 8″ long; sporocarps ellipsoid, to 3/16″ long, dark brown, on stalks to 3/4″ long, attached to base of petioles.Stipe (leaf stalk) are green, slender and flexible.

Cultivation:
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) 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 and can grow in water.

Marsilea quadrifolia can be grown as a potted plant, either just with soil kept wet, or semi-submerged, with fronds emergent from the water, or fully-submerged, with the fronds floating on the surface of the water.

In the aquarium, water clover is grown fully submerged, usually in the foreground where it spreads by means of runners. It normally seems to be unfussy as to light and water conditions, and doesn’t need a rich substrate.

Marsileas are very easy to germinate from their sporocarps. However, the sporocarps must be abraded, cracked, or have an edge sliced off before submerging them in water so that the water can penetrate to swell the tissues, and germination is infrared-light dependent. Full sunlight is fine for this purpose.

Propagation: Spores and possibly by birds or dispersal by flowing water (Johnson, 1986; pp. 35-39). “Vegetatively by means of creeping rhizomes or following dispersal and establishment of rhizome fragments”

Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Leaves; Seed………..Young stems and leaves. A famine food, only used in times of scarcity. The spores are produced in a sporocarp (like a fairly large container) and in allied species this is ground up and mixed with flour etc and used in making bread etc. It is rich in starch.

Medicinal Uses
A juice made from the leaves is diuretic and febrifuge. It is also used to treat snakebite and applied to abscesses etc. The plant is anti-inflammatory, diuretic, depurative, febrifuge and refrigerant.

Known Hazards: Although no toxicity report for this species is found, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase.

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.ct-botanical-society.org/ferns/marsileaquad.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsilea_quadrifolia
http://www.hear.org/pier/species/marsilea_quadrifolia.htm

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Marsilea+quadrifolia