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.