Posts Tagged ‘Flower’

ATI-ATI DAUN MERAH (RED COLEUS) HEALS PAIN IN THE LIVER

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Ati-ati is a species of shrub plant abundantly available in Southeast Asia. Although the species has more than one colour variety, they have the same leaf form and colour.  Different Ati-ati is named after the colour but the leaves produce the same aroma after being crushed.  The leaf has a heart shape with ‘teeth’ edges.

The colour variety of the Ati-ati – green, red, black, yellow and even ‘batik’ like, make it a popular plant for landscapes and interior decoration.  The stems and branches are green in colour, somehow four-angled, soft and easy to break.  It reproduces easily as the branches would usually sag to the ground and cause them to produce roots to form new branches and shrubs.

The branch skins are soft and thin but hard and when the branches are broken, the skin will open. Although easily broken, for bud-grafting purpose or to be taken for alternative medicine it is advisable to use a sharp knife to cut the branches.

The red leaf Ati-ati species, known scientiically as Coleus atropupureus Benth from the Lamiaceae family, has small flowers in the form of elongated bunch at and along the end of branches. It is easily grown by just breaking the branches and inserted into pots or merely erected on the ground. The black leaf Ati-ati is said to be more effective for alternative medicine.

The whole plant contains alkaloids. The crushed leaves are used to treat all kinds of infammations, hemorrhoids, and to relive muscular pain. It is also used as an active medicine. The red leaves are crushed and the red sap is massaged onto the belly to stimualte menstruation. Some women swallow the sap of the leaves as a contraceptive. In the Malay traditional medicine sphere, the leaves are boiled in water and later consumed.

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ASAM GELUGUR (GARCINIA) TREATS CRACKED HEELS

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

The Asam gelugur tree is cetegorised as a flatland forest tree. It grows to a height of 20 m and has long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leaves are dark green, shiny, long narrow and with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The tree also produces yellowish and sticky latex. The flowers are dark red and the round yellow to orange fruits are borne singly on twig ends and are 7-10 cm in diameter. They are heavy, longitudinally grooved by 12 to 16 and are flattened at the apex.

Its other name is Garcinia while scientifically called Garcinia atroviridis from the Guttiferae family.  A full-grown Asam Gelugur tree looks like a cone, with the branches entangling against the length of the trunk.

Young sprout leaves can be consumed as vegetable.  Its main use is as apetiser or culinary ingredient.  The fruit is extremely sour but useful as remedy in the alternative medicine world.

The most known quality of an Asam Gelurur is its remedy for cracked heels. Just boil the dried fruits in water and when lukewarm dip the affected areas into it for a few minutes. A riped fruit is cut into pieces and patched on the forehead to ease prolong headaches.

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ARA SONGSANG (ASYSTASIA), A REMEDY FOR DIFFICULT URINATION

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Ara Songsang or Asystasia, and some called it as the Chinese Violet, is a kind of plant most commonly found along jungle edges.  It is also called ‘Rumput Israel’ and if left growing wild will cover crops and difficult to get rid off, except being sprayed with weed killers that often encroach into the soil and remain active for weeks.  Diuron is one example of solution used for this purpose.

The leaves are thin like those of spinach, whitish with hint of purple.  The branch is soft and black in colour and often watery.  It is a creeping plant and would overpower the plants surrounding it.

Farmers however would often plant them in rows between young growths of rubber and palm oil to hinder the growth of other plants such as grass and wild plants.

The flowers are white, normally blooming out of the stem upwards to the air and do not produce any scent.

It is strongly proven to have good qualities in solving urination problem.  For this purpose the roots and flowers of the plant are collected and boiled to boiling temperature until the volume remains one third, sifted and drank when it is lukewarm.

The leaves of the plant when pounded can also be used to cover wounds.  Another popular use of the leaves is to ease the effect of rheumatism and muscle pull by.  The leaves are pounded and mixed with red onions and pasted on the affected area.

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ARA DANI (RANGOON CREEPER) RELIEVES HEADACHE

Sunday, 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.

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THE MULTI-PURPOSE ANGSANA (BURMESE ROSEWOOD) TREE

Sunday, 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.

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AKAR CERITA (THE KING OF BITTER) HELPS CURE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Tuesday, 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.

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