Belemnopteris

tangential longitudinal section of Rauvolfia serpentina wood

This is the tangential longitudinal section of Rauvolfia serpentia ( electron microscopic view) credit of this section goes to my friends sandeep and bhoopesh including me...

the image shows sieve tube and pits and medullary rays..

Fifty Trees Suitable for Bonsai

sl.no.	Botanical Name	Common Name	Remarks
1.	Ficus Virens/ Infectoria	Pilkhan	Hardy. Leaf size reduces with training.
2.	Ficus Religiosa	Peepal	Hardy. Reluctant to put out branches.Prone to scale.
3.	Ficus Religiosa var.	Paras Peepal	Hardy.Leaf size reduces with training.
4.	Ficus Retusa/microcarpa	Chilkhan	Hardy. Develops aerial roots at a young age.
5.	Ficus Benjamina		Needs winter protection.Variegated variety also.
6.	Ficus Nuda		Appreciates extra humidity and winter protection.
7.	Ficus Panda		Hardy.Golden yellow leaves.
8.	Ficus Nitida	Indian Laurel	Appreciates extra humidity and winter protection.
9.	Ficus Longisland		Hardy.Responds well to pruning.
10.	Ficus Glomerata	Gular	Semi-shade in summer.Prone to scale.
11.	Ficus Tseila		Golden trunk. Prune only after3-4 pairs of leaves develop.
12.	Ficus Benghalensis	Barh,Bargad	Hardy.Large leaves-suitable for large bonsai.
13.	Morus	Mulberry/Shehtoot	Hardy.Cultivated and wild varieties.Fruiting.
14.	Bougainvillea		Hardy.Flowering.Wire only soft branches.
15.	Portulicaria Afra	Jade	Succulent.Water sparingly.Keep well pruned.
16.	Diospyros Montana	Basendu	Small leaved,attractive bark.Responds to pruning.
17.	Acacia sp.	Subabul	Hardy.Compound leaves that fold at night.Fast grower.
18.	Hamaelia		Hardy.Flowers year round.Keep well pruned.
19.	Malphigia Coccigera		Flowering.Remove leaves from the trunk and crooks of branches.
20.	Juniperus Prostrata	Juniper	Repot in October,with minimum root disturbance.
21.	Gmelina Hysterix		Hardy.Small leaved.Suitable for groups.
22.	Calliandra Emarginata	Powder puff	Flowering.Wire only soft branches.
23.	Callistemon Lanceolatus	Bottlebrush	Flowering.Large bonsai only.
24.	Tamarindus Indica	Imli	Attractive compound leaves. Protect in winter.
25.	Hibiscus	Shoe flower	Hardy.Flowering,but flowers too large for bonsai.
26.	Lagerstroemia Indica	Gulbahar	Flowers on this year's growth during the monsoons. Wire only soft branches.
27.	Pithocellobium Dulce	Jungle Jalebi	Hardy.Needs good sunlight.
28.	Murraya Exotica	Kamini	A hedge plant with great potential. Wiring difficult.
29.	Celtis Australis		Difficult to find as it grows only from seed. Likes full sun.
30.	Schefflera		Shade in summer. Plenty of water.
31.	Carissa Spinarum	Karaunda	Repot in spring with minimum root disturbance.
32.	Casurina Equestifolia	Jhau	Keep top growth in strong check.
33.	Lantana Camara	Lantana	Flowering. Wire only soft branches.
34.	Clerodendron Enermi		Flowering hedge plant with a lot of potential.
35.	Citrus Japonica	China Orange	Flowering and Fruiting.A good framework for the tree should be designed before looking for fruit.
36.	Ehretia/Carmona	Wax Malphigia	Small leaved, flowering and fruiting.Lots of water. Winter protection.
37.	Manikara Hexandra	Khirni	Hardy.Big leaves take time to reduce.
38.	Duranta Repens		Hedge plant.Repot with minimum root removal.
39.	Mimusops Elengi	Maulsari	Hardy.
40.	Braaya		Flowering. Beautiful fissured bark.
41.	Punica Granatum nana	Dwarf Pomegranate	Fruiting.Repot with minimum root removal.
42.	Divi Divi		Attractive compound leaves. Suitable for groups.
43.	Feronia Lemonia	Wood Apple
44.	Arundicaria	Bamboo	Repotted by removing old growth and planting a rhizome with growing points into the pot.
45.	Nandina Domestica	Heavenly Bamboo	Cannot be pruned by cutting off the top.
46.	Psidium Cattleianum	Strawbwerry Guava	Fruiting.
47.	Brazilian Rain Tree		Lots of water. Winter protection.
48.	Strebulus Asper	Sand Paper Tree, Sewra	Winter protection.
49.	Ulmus sp.	Chinese Elm
50.	Pinus Roxburgii	Pine, Chir	Repot in December.

Hibiscus

                                                                          Hibiscus

                                                                        Hibiscus

 MEDICINAL USE OF Hibiscus:-

Hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa-sinensis , Family: Malvaceae) acts as an antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cholagogue, demulcent, digestive, diuretic, emollient, purgative, refrigerant, resolvent, sedative, stomachic and tonic. All the parts of Hibiscus plant are useful medicinally. Hibiscus leaves are emollient, diuretic, refrigerant and sedative. Leaves, seeds, and mature calyces exhibit diuretic and antiscorbutic properties. Succulent calyx, boiled in water, is used as a drink in bilious problems. Fruits act as antiscorbutic. Bitter roots are used as aperitive and tonic. Mucilaginous leaves can be used as an emollient and as a soothing cough remedy. Hibiscus leaves make excellent shampoo. Flower extract has been used in many folk remedies for liver disorders, high blood pressure and as aphrodisiac. Hibiscus relieves stomach problems, sweetens breath and soothes nerves. An extract of the hibiscus flowers lower cholesterol content in blood serum and helps to prevent oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol). Daily uptake of Hibiscus tea is useful for reducing high blood pressure.

(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) Hibiscus is one of the most common garden shrubs used for hedges. It grows in any soil with little care. The flower is solitary, half opened in the morning, but as the weather warms up, it opens fully. The foliage of this shrub is deep green in color or variegated.

Parts Used: The whole plant

Medicinal Use

• Coughs and colds

• Gentle laxative and a softener of inflamed parts

• Soothes internal and external wounds and sores, it also soothes the alimentary tract and relieves inflammation

• Lowers body heat

How to Use

• The decoction of hibiscus roots is used for coughs and colds.

• The leaves make a gentle laxative and soften inflamed parts.

• The application of the crush flowers soothes external wounds and sores. The infusion of the petals of the flower soothes and protects the alimentary tract, relieves inflammation and lowers body heat.

• In fevers, an infusion of the flowers help to reduce body temperature

Medicinal Uses of Datura

 

                                                                           Datura

                                                              Datura

Datura metel.
Common names: Downy Thorn-Apple, Devil's Trumpet.
Common Hindi name: Dhatura.
A wild plant in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Plant: 80cm shrub-like annual herb.
Flower: 7cm across.
Highly poisonous. This plant may be toxic if ingested in any quantity, symptomatically expressed as flushed skin, headaches, hallucinations, and possibly convulsions or even a coma.
One of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Chinese herbology.

                                                              fruits of Datura

MEDICINAL USES:-

Datura metel is known as an anticholinergic, meaning it reduces spasms by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses. Additionally, datura metel is a well-known plant with deliriant properties, or capable of causing hallucinations or delirium. It has been the choice of many cultures over the years for astral or shamanistic journeys, or as a rite of passage.
Its ability to control spasms has led to datura metel being used frequently in Chinese herbology to treat the wheezing of asthma, and in Vietnam datura metel is added to asthmatic cigarettes. Great care must be taken when using this herb, as the toxic dose is very close to the medicinal dose. The wrong dosage can induce hallucinations, severe intoxication, and even death. Use of datura metel should be closely monitored by an experienced practitioner trained in herbology.
The alkanoids contained within the plant is what makes it effective as a anesthetic. Alkanoids are chemical compounds produced by a large number of organisms, and many have pharmaceutical effects. The alkanoids in datura are hycosamine, hycosine, and atropine.

Ginkgo biloba

                                                              Ginkgo biloba

                                               single bilobed leaf of G. biloba

Other Names: Ginkgo, Maidenhair Tree, Golden Fossil Tree

Medicinal use of G. biloba:-

 Extracts of the fruit and leaves of the Ginkgo tree have been used in China for over 5,000 years. Ginkgo Biloba has been historically used in alternative medicine for Heart disease, Kidney disorders, Alzheimer's, Asthma and as an energy builder. Recently western researchers have been studying ginkgo biloba as a treatment for senility, hardening of the arteries, and as a treatment for oxygen deprivation. In over 34 human studies on Ginkgo it increases the body's production of the universal energy molecule adenosine triphosphate, commonly called ATP. This activity has been shown to boost the brains energy metabolism of glucose and increase electrical activity. Scientists also discovered that ginkgo contains an abundance of useful compounds including the antioxidants Vitamin C and carotenoids, but it is the flavanoid compounds collectively known as "ginkgolides" that are the most remarkable. The ginkgo flavonoids act specifically to dilate the smallest segment of the circulatory system, the micro-capillaries, which has a widespread affect on the organs, especially the brain. Researchers have also reported that Ginkgo extracts effectively increase blood circulation and increase oxygen levels in brain tissues. Ginkgo is also a powerful antioxidant that prevents platelet aggregation inside arterial walls, keeping them flexible and decreasing the formation of arteriosclerositic plaque. It has also been shown to help restore circulation to areas of the brain damaged by stroke. Ginkgo has a positive effect in Dementia cases, fighting free radicals in the blood system, protecting against chromosomal damage (proven with Chernobyl workers). Ischemia-induced spinal cord injury protection, heart muscle ischemia and reper-fusion injury protection. Protection against retinal damage, helping with tinnitus, headaches, vertigo, hearing loss, depression, allergies, atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmia, diabetic peripheral disease, eczema, glaucoma, impotency, retinitis, to treat asthma, to aid digestion, and bring back sexual energy as well as treating early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The brain is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the human body. It uses a great deal of energy which requires a steady supply of oxygen and glucose. Unlike most other tissues, the brain has very little energy reserve which makes it extremely susceptible to the effects of poor blood supply. When circulation is inadequate, the brain cannot function at its full capacity. The big news for ginkgo came in October 1997 when the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study that confirmed that ginkgo had a positive effect in cases of dementia. They used only patients whose main problem was mental impairment, whether someone had termed it Alzheimer’s or not. They used every control imaginable and rated progress on three different scales to make sure that their results were accurate. Researchers even went so far as to switch everyone from the placebo to the real medicine and vice versa in the middle of the study. There is no doubt about it. Ginkgo stopped the progress of the disease in most cases, and many cases reversed the damage. A Swedish study showed that ginkgo improved the distance-vision of people who already showed signs of degeneration in the retina. The disease macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, is strongly related to hemorrhages in the fine blood vessels in the eye, possibly due to oxidative stress. By strengthening the tiny blood vessels in the eye, and by acting as an antioxidant, ginkgo provides a double whammy against eye diseases. It eliminates waste material and inhibits the clumping of blood platelets and prevents circulating platelets from sticking together, which contributes to heart problems, strokes and artery conditions. Ginkgo is an adaptogen herb, which helps the body with stressful situations. It is also helpful in the treatment of allergies, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety attacks, arthritis, ADD, circulatory disorders, cancer, coughs, depression, dizziness, equilibrium problems, headaches, heart & lung problems, memory loss, mood swings, muscular degeneration, tinnitus, toxic shock syndrome, varicose veins, vascular impotence & vertigo. Studies have shown that the length of time a person uses this plant leaf is very important. With ginkgo, the effectiveness may not be felt for twelve weeks. While most people note some improvement in just two to three weeks, others take longer to respond. Ginkgo biloba extracts are relatively considered safe and free of side effects, though taking very large doses may lead to diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, which can be controlled by reducing the amount consumed. Those taking blood thinners should consult with their physician before taking ginkgo biloba in high doses, due to their blood thinning tendencies. It is also advisable to discontinue use prior to surgery.

                                 

Calotropis gigantea

                                                            Calotropis gigantea

                                                       Calotropis gigantea


Common name: Milkweed, Rui (madar)

Nature of  Calotropis gigantea

A common shurb of wasteland and rode side. the leaves are thick, opposite, decussate in arrangement and coated with white powder. flowers are in umble and blue in colour.
Distribution: Throughout india on plains on wastelands.

Special characteristics of Calotropis gigantea :
Its typical leaves and flowers, which are quite unique in structure.

Medicinal uses of Calotropis gigantea :

Dry leaf powder used for treating wounds and boils. leaves found to be effective on elephantiasis.
flowers along with jaggery are useful against cough and improving appetite.
the mixture of latex, turmeric and sesame oil, useful in treating scabies.

Leaves and flowers used for worshiping lord Hanuman.
position : Very common.