June 6th, 2010
Ara Dani, also called as Rangoon Creeper, Red Jasmine and Drunken Sailor, is a creeping plant. The leaves are elliptic and pointed at the ends, in pairs along the stems. The stems are hard and elastic. Young stems are green in colour while older ones are black.
The flowers grow and bloom in bunch and clusters. Flower buds are white and will eventually turn red when blooming and pink when near drop. The stems are long that make them look attractively cascading. The plant is suitable as fence decoration.
The flowers normally bloom at night and produce sweet scent. The fruits are small, about 3cm long and black-like in colour.
The scientific name is Quisqualis indica L. Also known as the dani root, udani, redani, and the vampire root, the plant is easy to grow by branch cuttings. Slicing the tip of the branch can also help the plant to branch out.
Kamarudin Mat-Salleh (2002) quoted from Burkill (1935) that the water that has been dipped with young Ara Dani fruits can be consumed as remedy for diarrhoea and as a vermifuge agent to get rid of worms from our body. It is also useful to cure headaches.
Tags: Binomial nomenclature, Biology, Business, Diarrhea, Flower, Fruit, Plant, Water
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June 6th, 2010
The Angsana tree is categorized as a timber plant that can reach up to 30 meters in height and the trunk measures up to 3 to 3 ½ meters in diameter. The wood is suitable to make furniture.
The trunk base spots artistic curvy and decorative veneer surface and if angularly sliced into thick pieces can be used as unique table tops. The trunk however will produce reddish-like resin if cut or ‘injured.’
Pterocarpus indicus is its scientific name from the Legumisosae family. Popularly known as the ‘Pokok Sena’ or ‘Pokok Sano’ in Malaysia, its leaves are pinnate and densely grown at the branch tips that make them stoop downwards. The tree is suitable as shades.
The flowers are produced in panicles containing a few to numerous flowers, slightly fragrant and have yellow or orange-yellow petals. The fruit is a semi orbicular pod 2–3 cm diameter, surrounded by a flat 4–6 cm diameter membranaceous wing which aids dispersal by the wind. It contains one or two seeds, and does not split open at maturity; it ripens and becomes brown when dry.
The central part of the pod can be smooth, bristly or intermediate.
In the alternative medicine sphere, the Angsana has been proven effective especially the leaf, bark and resins. The young leaves are used as remedy to help cure high fever, boils, dry skin (at the heel) and mouth ulcer.
For treating high fever, the leaves are fondled with little water and dapped onto the body. For boils, the leaves are seared near fire for heat and applied with cooking oil and seared again near fire and patched on the boils. Resins from the bark can be used to heal dry skins at the heel by applying it on the problematic area; the bark is boiled with water and when lukewarm, the water can be gargled to treat mouth ulcers.
Tags: Business, Flower, Fruit, Health, Lumber, Madagascar, Seed, Water
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May 18th, 2010
It is called Akar Cerita in the Malay Language, but known as the King of Bitter. It is a kind of herbaceous plant in the Acanthaceae family. At a glance it looks like the henna plant, with dark green leaves. Its flower bud is like the small chili, and the flower, white in colour with purple spots at one end of the petals. It grows easily in an open area.
Known scientifically as Andrographis paniculata but also known as the ‘hempedu bumi’ or the ‘earth bile’ in Malaysia, it tastes so bitter after being rubbed with hands. If consumed as blended juice the bitter taste can be described as of the same with the ‘petawali’ plant (Tinospora Tuberculata), and will linger at the tongue for a while.
It is widely cultivated in southern Asia, where it is used to treat infections and some diseases, often being used before antibiotics were created. Mostly the leaves and roots were used for medicinal purposes. It is used as part of the remedy to help cure high blood pressure and diabetes. Normally the leaves, stems and roots together with the flowers of the plant are boiled and later drank to treat ailments.
The bitter taste from the mix will linger and cause the tongue to feel numb. For diabetes the mix is usually added with the java tea or the misai kuching (Orthosiphon Stamineus).
It is also used as alternative remedy to treat cold and sore throat by simply dipping a few leaves in a glass of hot water and consumed slowly while the water turns lukewarm. Experts however advise that the intake frequency be scheduled for controlling measures.
The plant is also used to treat insect bites including bee sting and snake bites. Simple procedure includes pounding the leaves and applying them on the part affected by insect sting and snake bites.
Tags: Asia, Flower, Health, Herbaceous plant, Hypertension, Malay Language, Plant, Taste
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