Aanathottavadi ( Mimosa diplotrica)

Common name: 

Gient sensitive plant

Botanical name:

Mimosa diplotrica.

Family:

Fabaceae

 It is a wild invasive plant native from Brazil.

Square-sided stems that scramble or climb on other plants and have many small spines along their length.

It has many small green pinnate leaves having many leaflets.

Flowers are found in round pink inflorescence that may become pale with age.

Seed pods are small pale green turning to brown if they dry and found in groups of 5 to 20.

Eradication of this plant is very difficult and it is a big threat to forest ecosystems, agricultural land and pastures.

This plant can grow to at least 5 meters high and the four angled stem is covered with prickly, hooked spines that face in opposite directions. Its dense growths can also prevent the growth of other plants.

It is difficult to remove manually because of its thorns and readily grows back from plant remnants and the seed bank it leaves in the soil.

All parts of the plant are toxic to herbivores if ingested.

It produces a toxin, which can cause vascular endothelial damage, necroses of the heart and liver and anemia in cattle.

The prickly, hooked spines causes pain and irritation on contact with skin.

Vellila ( Mussaenda glabrata)

Common name: 

English:

Dhobi Tree,

Flag bush,

Wild mussaenda.

Hindi:

Bedina

Tamil:

Velli matantai

Kannada:

Bellotti.

Sanskrit:

Shrivati.

Botanical name:

Mussaenda  glabrata.

Synonym:

Mussaenda frondosa

Family:

Rubiaceae

 An ornamental wild shrub, the development of one calyx segment of each flower in to a white leafy structure makes the plant attractive.

Leaves:

The leaves are broadly elliptic, 7.5-13.5 cm long, 4.5-8 cm broad, tip shortly tapering.

Flowers:

Flowers are found in clusters of orange-yellow in colour and in tubular form.

Fruits:

Fruits are Berries are obovoid, 1-1.3 cm long.

Medicinal properties:

Wild Mussaenda leaves make excellent herbal shampoo.

It is an antiseptic, applied on ulcers.

 In a recent studies it shows that that the Wild Mussaenda could be pharmaceutically exploited for antioxidant properties.

In tribal medicine shoot extract is used for cough in childrens and also for eye diseases.

Planthoppers

A planthopper is any insect form the large, diverse superfamily “   Fulgoroidea”,  with 12,000 described species placed among 20 families.

Long Nosed Planthopper 

(Dictyophara nakanonis)

 Dictyopharidae

Ricaniid Planthopper.

Ricaniidae 

(Auchenorrhyncha)

Wasp Moths Mating

Euchromia polymena

Family  " Euchromia polymena" . 

MATHI PULI (Hibiscus sabdariffa.)

Common name: 

English:

Roselle.

Jamaica sorrel,

Red sorrel .

Hindi:

Lal Ambari. 

Tamil:

Simaikkasuru, Sivappukkasuru.

Telugu:

Erragomgura, Erragonkaya.

Kannada:

Kempupundrike.

Sanskrit:

 Ambasthaki 

Botanical name:

Hibiscus sabdariffa.

Family:

Malvaceae

 It is an annual crop, cultivated for its edible leaves and calyx (the outer whorl of the flower) ,They

have an acidic/ sourin tste.This plant is also cultivated for its jute-like fiber. It is an erect, branched and half-woody plant, 

growing to a height of 1 to 2 meter.

Leaves:

 The leaves are alternate, 3 to 5 in long.

Green with reddish veins and long or short petioles.

Leaves of young seedlings and upper leaves of older plants are simple;

lower leaves are deeply 3 to 5lobed; the margins are toothed.

Flowers:

Flowers, borne singly in the leaf axils, are up to 5 in wide.

Yellow  with a rose or maroon eye, and turn pink as they wither at the end of the day. At this time, the typically red calyx, consisting of 5 large sepals with a collar (epicalyx), pointed bracts (or bracteoles) around the base, begins to enlarge, becomes fleshy, crisp but juicy.

 Fruits:

Fruits are small, tapering capsules.

5-valved, with each valve containing 3 to 4 kidney-shaped, light-brown seeds.

Nutrient value:

Each 100 g edible portion of Calyx contains:

Water 86.0 g

Carbohydrates 11.31 g

Protein 0.96 g

Fat 0.64 g

Vitamin A 14 μg

Vitamin B1     0.011 mg

 Vitamin B2    0.028 mg

 Vitamin B3    0.31 mg

Vitamin C 12 mg

Calcium    215 mg

Iron      1.48 mg

Magnesium 51 mg

Phosphorous 37 mg

Potassium  208 mg

Sodium  6 mg

Energy Value 205 kJ (49 kcal)

Cultivation:

It can be cultivated from seeds .

Food value:

Sepals of roselle are used in making juices, squashes, jellies, wines and pies.

Its leaves are used for making Pickels.

In Kerala it is mainly used for making Fish Curries.

Medicinal properties:

Infusion of calyces shows cooling, digestive, diuretic, emollient, sedative properties and cures scurvey.

It is reported that it reduces Cancer promotion.

It also shows  Anti hypertensive properties and Antioxidant properties.

EAST INDIAN SCREW TREE ( Idampiri valampiri)

Malayalam:  IDAMPIRI  VALAMPIRI

Botanic name:Helicteres isora

Family: Sterculaceae

Common names:

English:

East Indian Screw tree

Hindi:

Maror phal

Sanskrit:

Avartani, Mriga sringa

Tamil:

Valampuri

Deciduous shrubs or small trees, up to 3 m tall, with pale greyish  bark.

Leaves 5-12 x 3-8 cm ovate in shape.

Flowers  pink-red, axillary, solitary or in few-flowered cymes.

 Petals 5, unequal.

Fruits of five spirally twisted hairy follicles,black on maturity.

Seeds 2-3 mm long, angular, black, wrinkled.

Its bark is a good source of fibre.

Medicinal properties:

Fruits, root  and bark constitute the drug.

In folk medicine it is used for treating dysentery, diarrhoea and diabetes.

ഇടമ്പിരി വലമ്പിരിയെ കുറിച്ച് മലയാളത്തിൽ അറിയുവാൻ 

http://manu33nair.blogspot.in/2014/11/blog-post_25.html

സന്ദർശിക്കുക.

Grewia serrulata (Narutha)

Family: Malvaceae

Malayalam: narutha

Synonyms: Grewia barberi
Bengali: panisara

Hindi: bhansuli, dun, kakki
Kannada: gurguri, javanigalle

നറുത യെ കുറിച്ച് മലയാളത്തിൽ വായിക്കുവാൻ ദയവായി  http://manu33nair.blogspot.in/ 
സന്ദർശിക്കുക.

KANTHARI MULAKU (Capsicum frutescences)

Common name: 

English:

Birds eye chilli,

Thai chilli,

Siling labuyo.

Botanical name: 

Capsicum frutescences.

Family:

Solanaceae

                                       Kanthari mulaku are perennial crop in Kerala which can be cultivated or naturally germinated by bird dropping. It is an erect, branched and half-woody plant, growing to a height of 0.5 to 1meter. It is an introduced plant; Native Americans have used this plant as both food and medicine for at least 9,000 years.

Leaves:

Leaves are oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3 to 10 centimeters long, and pointed at the tip, and 8 to 9 millimeters in diameter.

Flowers:

Flowers are solitary or several in each axil, stalked, pale green or yellowish-green and facing down.

Fruits:

Fruits are small, tapering capsules, often 2-3, at a node. The fruits of most varieties are white, dark green, pale green or purple getting red on ripening. They are with distinguishable flavour, Fruit length  is about 2–3 cm and Seeds per fruit are 10–20 Nos.

Fruits and leaves of the plants are edible. Tribes of Wayanad districts use its leaves as vegetable.

Nutrient value:

Each 100 g edible portion of fruits contains:

Water 86.0 g

Protein 1.9 g

Fat 1.9 g

Carbohydrates 9.2 g

Iron 1.2 mg

Calcium 14.4 mg

Vitamin A 700-21600 IU

Vitamin C 242.0 mg

Energy Value 257.0 kJ

Cultivation:

Birds eye chilis are seeds are dispersed by birds and naturally distributed by birds dropping.

It can be cultivated from seeds extracted from the red fruits, with very care; direct contact of fruit pulp with skin may cause burning sensation, which may last for few days. The seeds should be pre- treated with hot water (hot but not boiling) and followed by ash powder for improving germination.

Medicinal properties:

It reduces Blood sugar.

It lowers cholesterol and works against arthritis and rheumatism.

Capsaicin has very powerful pain-relieving properties.

It increases appetite by stimulating the gut.

Various studies show that birds eye chilli has antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial activities.

It is also reported that it prevents blood clots, halts bleeding quickly, knocks out cold and flu miseries.

It also reduces risk of heart diseases and tuberculosis.

Precautions:

Khanthari mulaku may cause stomach irritation for the persons with ulcers or heart burn, Capsaicin can increase stomach acid, making certain drugs less effective.

Foot note: .

               Chilis are used as relishes, pickled, used in curries, or made into a fine powder for using as spices. Chilis derive their pungency from the compound Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-enamide).

          Capsaicin is a substance characterized by burning taste. It is a tasteless, odourless white crystalline substance. Pungency levels vary with variety, by geographical region, and in maturity levels and it is usually represented in Scoville heat values. The Pungency levels of birds eye chilli fruits are around 100,000–225,000 scoville units.