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ZIZ-ih-fuss -- an ancient Greek name derived from the Persian word zizafun ... Dave's Botanary
maw-rih-tee-AY-na -- of Mauritius, from the Mascarene islands ... Dave's Botanary
commonly known as: common jujube, Indian jujube, Indian plum • Abor: gange-asing • Ahom: মাক খে maak khe • Arabic: سدر هندي sidr hindi • Assamese: বগৰী bogori • Bengali: বদরি badari, বরই boroi, কুল kula • Bodo: बाइग्री baigree, बैग्रिफिथाय bwigriphithai • Deori: তিকজি tikoji • Dimasa: sam-dilaudi, thaigundi • Dogri: बेरी beri • Garo: theng-khi • Gujarati: બોર bor, બોરડી bordi • Hajong: bogri • Haryanvi: बेर ber • Hmar: theite • Hindi: बदर badar, बेर ber, खिचड़ी khichadi, कोल kol, कुबल kubal, फेनिल phenil, पिच्छल दला picchal-dala • Kachari: thai-ganggi • Kachchhi: બોએડી boedi • Kannada: ಬಾರೆ baare, ಬದರಿ badari, ಬೊಗರಿ bogari, ಬೋರೇ bore, ಎಗಚಿ egaci, ಎಲಚಿ elachi, ಎರ era, ಕರ್ಕಂಧು ಮರ karkandhu mara • Karbi: bogori, thakri-arong • Khasi: dieng-soh-broi, kangkil, u sohplom • Kokborok: barui • Konkani: बॉर्र boaarr, बोर bor • Kuki: boroi • Kumaoni: बेर baer • Malayalam: ബദരി badari, ചിരിമുള്ള് chirimullu, ഇലന്ത ilantha • Manipuri: ꯕꯣꯔꯣꯏ boroi • Marathi: बदरी badari, भेर bher, बोर bor, सौबरी saubari • Mishing: বগৰী bogori • Mizo: bo-rai • Nagamese: bogori, plom • Nepali: अगुजे बयर aguje bayar, बयर bayar • Odia: ବରକୋଳି barakoli, ବିର୍ରୁ କୋଲି bir-ru koli, କର୍କନ୍ଧୁ karkandhu, ଫେନିଳ phenila • Pahari: बेर baer • Pali: बदर badar • Punjabi: ਬੇਰ ber, ਖਿੱਚਡ਼ khichchar, ਉਨਾਬ unab • Rabha: khingkhi • Rajasthani: बोर bor, मिठीबेर mithiber • Sanskrit: बदर badara, बालेष्ट baleshta, दृढबीज drdhabija, कल kala, कर्कन्धु karkandhu, कोल kola, कुहा kuha, कुवल kuvala, फलशैशिर phalashaishira, फेनिल phenila, पिच्छलदला picchaladala, सौवीरक sauviraka, स्निग्धपत्त्र snigdhapattra, सुफल suphala, सुवीर suvira, स्वच्छ svaccha, स्वादुफला svaduphala, वक्रकण्ट vakrakanta • Santali: ᱰᱮᱰᱷᱟᱣᱲᱮ dedhaure, ᱰᱤᱰᱷᱟᱹᱣᱲᱤ didhauri, ᱮᱰᱷᱮ ᱡᱟᱹᱱᱩᱢ edhe janum, ᱡᱚᱢ ᱡᱟᱹᱱᱩᱢ jom janum • Sindhi: ٻيرِ ber • Tamil: இலந்தை ilantai • Tangkhul: boroi • Telugu: బదరి badari, గంగరేగు gangaregu, కరఖండువు karkhanduvu • Tibetan: གྱ་ཤུག gya-shug • Tiwa: pugri • Tulu: ಬೊಗೊರಿ bogori • Urdu: بدر badar, بير ber, کهچڙي khichadi, کول kol, کبل kubal, پهينل phenil
botanical names: Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. ... synonyms: Rhamnus jujuba L. • Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Gaertn. non Mill. • Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Lam. non Mill. ... Hassler, Michael (1994 - 2025): World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 25.02; last update February 13th, 2025. Last accessed 17/02/2025 (dd/mm/yyyy).
NOTE: Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (Chinese jujube) and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Indian jujube) are distinct species | Ziziphus jujuba Mill. has lesser distribution in India - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, while Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. is distributed almost throughout mainland of India including her islands | Confusion arises because of multiple homonyms for Ziziphus jujuba: Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Gaertn. and Ziziphus jujuba (L.) Lam. ... both of these are synonyms of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. and they are found mentioned in old literature, most often without author citations.
Names compiled / updated at Names of Plants in India.
11:58 01-03-2025
Gitgit Waterfall is one of the famous tourist destinations in Bali, with the height about 35 meters and it is surrounded by tropical tree.
Terminalia catappa
Family:Combretaceae
common names: beach almond, sea almond
large tropical tree The leaves are found only at the end of a branch, large, simple.The tree with both male and female flowers white to greenish,no petals.. Both flowers are produced on the same spike,at the tip of the inflorescence are female, and the rest male. The green almond-shaped fruits turn red to purple when ripe.
North Queensland
Kingdom: Plantae Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Tamarindus
Imli or Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), also called Indian Date, is a large, broad-leaved, tropical tree found in Haryana and other parts of India and Asia. The word Tamarind is from Arabic 'tamar-ul-Hind', meaning, "the date palm of India". Apart from Imli, among its other regional names are ambilis, amli, tintiri tintul, titri, and teteli. The tree can grow up to 25 meters with a spread of 12 m, and stays evergreen in regions without a dry season. Tamarind timber consists of hard, dark red heartwood and softer, yellowish sapwood. The leaves consist of 10 to 18 leaflets. The tree produces brown pod-like fruits, which contain pulp and hard-coated seeds. The seeds can be scarified to enhance germination.
Tamarind is a multipurpose plant. Its leaves, flowers, and even seedlings, make a tasty broth. The foliage is good for cattle fodder. It is also used as mulch for tender plants and it composts into good manure. The pulp of the fruit is used as a spice in Asian cuisine. The pulp of a young fruit is very sour, and hence suitable for main dishes, whereas a ripened fruit is sweeter and can be used in desserts, drinks, or as a snack. The pulp, leaves, and the bark also have medical applications. Due to its denseness and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring.
Except for extremely cold tracts, Tamarind grows naturally all over Asia upto an altitude of about 500 m. In the Indian sub-continent, it is grown from Burma to Afghanistan – more so in central and southern India. Tamarind is not so demanding about the quality of soil. It, however, does very well in deep sandy loam soil and tolerates limited salinity. This is a highly sun-loving plant of warm open areas. It likes humid tracts. Annual rainfall of around 70-200 cm is ideal for this tree and draught is injurious. Tamarind being useful as a shady plant, a timber species, etc., it is widely cultivated. The stock is raised in nurseries. Tamarind seeds well and every year. The fruit is dispersed widely because of its taste. Wild animals, especially monkeys, are very helpful in this regard. Once the seed reaches the soil, it is germinates very well.
Tamarind has 1-2 cm thick dark-grey bark with longitudinal fissures. The leaves are pinnate compound with 5-10 cm long rachis. Each leaf has 10-20 pairs of opposite leaflets. The texture is sub-coriaceous and appearance glabrescent. The canopy is beautiful, umbrella like and the foliage dense. Tamarind bears reddish brown inflorescence in sub-terminal racemes during May-June. The fruit pods, 5-8 cm long, 2-4 mm thick, appear during August-September and ripen by March- April.
The tamarind fruit, also called Imli, is the best-known part. A preparation from the seed is useful for sizing cotton, woolens and jute fabrics and dying silk. The fruits, flattish, beanlike, irregularly curved and bulged pods, are borne in great abundance along the new branches and usually vary from 2 to 7 in long and from 3/4 to 1 1/4 in (2-3.2 cm) in diameter. Exceptionally large tamarinds have been found on individual trees. The pods may be cinnamon-brown or grayish-brown externally and, at first, are tender-skinned with green, highly acid flesh and soft, whitish, under-developed seeds. As they mature, the pods fill out somewhat and the juicy, acidulous pulp turns brown or reddish-brown. Thereafter, the skin becomes a brittle, easily-cracked shell and the pulp dehydrates naturally to a sticky paste enclosed by a few coarse strands of fiber extending lengthwise from the stalk. The 1 to 12 fully formed seeds are hard, glossy-brown, squarish in form, 1/8 to 1/2 in (1.1-1.25 cm) in diameter, and each is enclosed in a parchment like membrane.
It is highly wind-resistant, with strong, supple branches, gracefully drooping at the ends, and has dark-gray, rough, fissured bark. The mass of bright-green, fine, feathery foliage is composed of pinnate leaves, 3 to 6 in (7.5-15 cm) in length, each having 10 to 20 pairs of oblong leaflets 1/2 to 1 in (1.25-2.5 cm) long and 1/5 to 1/4 in (5-6 mm) wide, which fold at night. The leaves are normally evergreen but may be shed briefly in very dry areas during the hot season. Inconspicuous, inch-wide flowers, borne in small racemes, are 5-petalled (2 reduced to bristles), yellow with orange or red streaks. The flower buds are distinctly pink due to the outer color of the 4 sepals which are shed when the flower opens.
Cultivation: Nursery-grown trees are usually transplanted during the early rainy season. If kept until the second rainy season, the plants must be cut back and the taproot trimmed. Spacing may be 33 to 65 ft (10-20 m) between trees each way, depending on the fertility of the soil. With sufficient water and regular weeding, the seedlings will reach 2 ft (60 cm) the first year and 4 ft (120 cm) by the second year. In India there are extensive tamarind orchards producing 275,500 tons (250,000 MT) annually. In India, there may be a delay of 10 to 14 years before fruiting. The tree bears abundantly up to an age of 50-60 years or sometimes longer, then productivity declines, though it may live another 150 years.
Harvesting: Tamarinds may be left on the tree for as long as 6 months after maturity so that the moisture content will be reduced to 20% or lower. Fruits for immediate processing are often harvested by pulling the pod away from the stalk which is left with the long, longitudinal fibers attached. In India, harvesters may merely shake the branches to cause mature fruits to fall and they leave the remainder to fall naturally when ripe. Pickers are not allowed to knock the fruits off with poles as this would damage developing leaves and flowers. To keep the fruit intact for marketing fresh, the stalks must be clipped from the branches so as not to damage the shell. A mature tree may annually produce 330 to 500 lbs (150-225 kg) of fruits, of which the pulp may constitute 30 to 55%, the shells and fiber, 11 to 30 %, and the seeds, 33 to 40%.
Preservation: To preserve tamarinds for future use, they may be merely shelled, layered with sugar in boxes or pressed into tight balls and covered with cloth and kept in a cool, dry place. For shipment to processors, tamarinds may be shelled, layered with sugar in barrels and covered with boiling syrup. East Indians shell the fruits and sprinkle them lightly with salt as a preservative. In India, the pulp, with or without seeds and fibers may be mixed with salt (10%), pounded into blocks, wrapped in palm leaf matting, and packed in burlap sacks for marketing. To store for long periods, the blocks of pulp may be first steamed or sun-dried for several days.
Pest control and diseases: One of the major pests of the tamarind tree in India is the Oriental yellow scale, Aonidiella orientalis. Tamarind scale, A. tamarindi, and black, or olive, scale, Saissetia oleae, are also partial to tamarind but of less importance. Butani (1970) lists 8 other scale species that may be found on the tree, the young and adults sucking the sap of buds and flowers and accordingly reducing the crop.
The mealybug, Planococcus lilacinus, is a leading pest of tamarind in India, causing leaf-fall and sometimes shedding of young fruits. Another mealybug, Nipaecoccus viridis, is less of a menace except in South India where it is common on many fruit trees and ornamental plants. Chionaspis acuminata-atricolor and Aspidiotus spp., suck the sap of twigs and branches and the latter also feeds on young fruits. White grubs of Holotrichia insularis may feed on the roots of young seedlings. The nematodes, Xiphinema citri and Longidorus elongatus may affect the roots of older trees. In India, a bacterial leaf-spot may occur. Sooty mold is caused by Meliola tamarindi. Rots attacking the tree include saprot, Xylaria euglossa, brownish saprot, Polyporus calcuttensis, and white rot, Trametes floccosa. The separated pulp has good keeping quality but is subject to various molds in refrigerated storage.
Uses in Cuisine
The food uses of the tamarind are many. The tender, immature, very sour pods are cooked as seasoning with rice, fish and meats in India. The pulp is made into a variety of products. It is an important ingredient in chutneys, curries and sauces, including some brands of Worcestershire and barbecue sauce, and in a special Indian seafood pickle called "tamarind fish". Sugared tamarind pulp is often prepared as a confection. For this purpose, it is desirable to separate the pulp from the seeds without using water. If ripe, fresh, undehydrated tamarinds are available, this may be done by pressing the shelled and de-fibered fruits through a colander while adding powdered sugar to the point where the pulp no longer sticks to the fingers. The seeded pulp is then shaped into balls and coated with powdered sugar.
Formulas for the commercial production of spiced tamarind beverages have been developed by technologists in India. The simplest home method of preparing the ade is to shell the fruits, place 3 or 4 in a bottle of water, let stand for a short time, add a tablespoonful of sugar and shake vigorously. For a richer beverage, a quantity of shelled tamarinds may be covered with a hot sugar syrup and allowed to stand several days (with or without the addition of seasonings such as cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, pepper or lime slices) and finally diluted as desired with ice water and strained.
Young leaves and very young seedlings and flowers are cooked and eaten as greens and in curries in India.
In 1942, two Indian scientists, T. P. Ghose and S. Krishna, announced that the decorticated kernels contained 46 to 48% of a gel-forming substance. Dr. G. R. Savur of the Pectin Manufacturing Company, Bombay, patented a process for the production of a purified product, called "Jellose", "polyose", or "pectin", which has been found superior to fruit pectin in the manufacture of jellies, jams, and marmalades. It can be used in fruit preserving with or without acids and gelatinizes with sugar concentrates even in cold water or milk. It is recommended as a stabilizer in ice cream, mayonnaise and cheese and as an ingredient or agent in a number of pharmaceutical products.
Flowers: The flowers are rated as a good source of nectar for honeybees in South India. The honey is golden-yellow and slightly acid in flavor.
Seeds: The powder made from tamarind kernels has been adopted by the Indian textile industry as 300% more efficient and more economical than cornstarch for sizing and finishing cotton, jute and spun viscose, as well as having other technical advantages. It is commonly used for dressing homemade blankets. Other industrial uses include employment in color printing of textiles, paper sizing, leather treating, the manufacture of a structural plastic, a glue for wood, a stabilizer in bricks, a binder in sawdust briquettes, and a thickener in some explosives. It is exported to Japan, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Tamarind seeds yield an amber oil useful as an illuminant and as a varnish especially preferred for painting dolls and idols. The oil is said to be palatable and of culinary quality. The tannin-rich seedcoat (testa) is under investigation as having some utility as an adhesive for plywoods and in dyeing and tanning, though it is of inferior quality and gives a red hue to leather.
Wood: Tamarind wood, weighing about 20-25 kg per cubic foot, is somewhat hard to work. It is also not very durable in outdoor structures exposed to weather. The sapwood of the tamarind tree is pale-yellow. The heartwood is rather small, dark purplish-brown, very hard, heavy, strong, durable and insect-resistant. It bends well and takes a good polish and, while hard to work, it is highly prized for furniture, panelling, wheels, axles, gears for mills, ploughs, planking for sides of boats, wells, mallets, knife and tool handles, rice pounders, mortars and pestles. It has at times been sold as "Madeira mahogany". Wide boards are rare, despite the trunk dimensions of old trees, since they tend to become hollow-centered. The wood is valued for fuel, especially for brick kilns, for it gives off an intense heat, and it also yields a charcoal for the manufacture of gun-powder.
Twigs and barks: Tamarind twigs are sometimes used as "chewsticks" and the bark of the tree as a masticatory, alone or in place of lime with betelnut. The bark contains up to 7% tannin and is often employed in tanning hides and in dyeing, and is burned to make an ink. Bark from young trees yields a low-quality fiber used for twine and string. Galls on the young branches are used in tanning.
Lac: The tamarind tree is a host for the lac insect, Kerria lacca, that deposits a resin on the twigs. The lac may be harvested and sold as stick-lac for the production of lacquers and varnish. If it is not seen as a useful byproduct, tamarind growers trim off the resinous twigs and discard them.
Medicinal uses of Tamarind are many and it is used extensively in the Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda. Tamarind preparations are universally recognized as refrigerants in fevers and as laxatives and carminatives. Alone, or in combination with lime juice, honey, milk, dates, spices or camphor, the pulp is considered effective as a digestive, even for elephants, and as a remedy for biliousness and bile disorders, and as an antiscorbutic. In native practice, the pulp is applied on inflammations, is used in a gargle for sore throat and, mixed with salt, as a liniment for rheumatism. It is, further, administered to alleviate sunstroke, Datura poisoning, and alcoholic intoxication.
Tamarind leaves and flowers, dried or boiled, are used as poultices for swollen joints, sprains and boils. Lotions and extracts made from them are used in treating conjunctivitis, as antiseptics, as vermifuges, treatments for dysentery, jaundice, erysipelas and hemorrhoids and various other ailments. The fruit shells are burned and reduced to an alkaline ash which enters into medicinal formulas. The bark of the tree is regarded as an effective astringent, tonic and febrifuge. Fried with salt and pulverized to an ash, it is given as a remedy for indigestion and colic. A decoction is used in cases of gingivitis and asthma and eye inflammations; and lotions and poultices made from the bark are applied on open sores and caterpillar rashes. The powdered seeds are made into a paste for drawing boils and, with or without cumin seeds and palm sugar, are prescribed for chronic diarrhea and dysentery. The seedcoat, too, is astringent, and it, also, is specified for the latter disorders. An infusion of the roots is believed to have curative value in chest complaints and is an ingredient in prescriptions for leprosy.
Courtesy: www.haryana-online.com/flora/imli.htm
photo: SANJIB GANGULY
Jambul(Syzygium cumini) is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae. Jambul is native to Bangladesh, India, Nepal,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The name of the fruit is sometimes mistranslated as blackberry, which is a different fruit in an unrelated family.
A fairly fast growing species, it can reach heights of up to 30 m and can live more than 100 years. Its dense foliage provides shade and is grown just for its ornamental value. The wood is strong and is water resistant. Because of this it is used in railway sleepers and to install motors in wells. Jambul trees start flowering from March to April. The flowers of jambul are fragrant and small, about 5 mm in diameter. The fruits develop by May or June and resemble large berries. The fruit is oblong, ovoid, starts green and turns pink to shining crimson black as it matures
According to Tamil legend, Auvaiyar (also known as Auvayar) (Tamil: ஔவையார்), a female poet,ethicist and political activist of the Sangam period was resting under a jambul tree, considering her life's work complete, when Lord Murugan, a guardian deity of the Tamil language, came to her in disguise. After a test of wits he revealed his identity and inspired her to further learning and writing. Her works for children are still widely read in schools in Tamil Nadu, over a millennium after they were written.
It has a high source in vitamin A and vitamin C.-Wiki
It has many medical uses. It possesses anti-diabetic properties. In the indigenous system of medicine this fruits is regarded as specific remedy against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit, the seeds and fruits juice are beneficial in treatment of this disease. Seeds of these fruits are famous for controlling blood glucose level The seeds of the jambul fruits are considered beneficial in the treatment of excessive urination.
Canon ball tree flower-couropita guianensis
This large deciduous tropical tree, 75' tall and indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, is listed as a rare tree and flower in India. The leaves, up to 6" long, are simple with serrate margin; it flowers in racemes which is cauliflorus; the yellow, reddish and pink flowers are stunning fragrant. These are 3" to 5" waxy aromatic smelling, pink and dark-red flowers growing directly on the bark of the trunk. Cannon ball flowers are considered of special significance in Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu, it is called Nagalingam flower. The sivalingam shape is visible at the center of the flower and snake shaped pollen is the specialty of this flower and it has very good fragrance. This rare flower can be used for Shiva Pooja -Flowers of India
Macaranga grandifolia is a species of plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. Common names for this plant include Nasturtium Tree, Coral Tree, Parasol Leaf Tree and Bingabing. It is endemic to the Philippines and has been widely cultivated in Hawaii as a tropical ornamental. This plant has become very popular garden addition in many parts of the tropics for the extraordinary grandiose leaves, rounded-ovate in shape with prominent reddish veins and the stem attached at the center of the leaf blade.
The flowers are pinkish red. The males are held in coral-like, congested inflorescences. The leaf ash was eaten as a cure for enlarged bellies. Twine made from the bark and the wood was used for fishing spears. The leaves were used to wrap food. Birds eat the ripe fruit. The female flower is shown here... www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=iDvttwc...
Macaranga grandilfolia, Nasturtium Tree, Coral Tree, Parasol Leaf Tree, or Bingabing
Biscayne Park FL
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,201, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.
A fern is a member of a group of approximately 12,000 species of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular (i.e. having water-conducting vessels). They have stems and leaves, like other vascular plants. Most ferns have what are called fiddleheads that expand into fronds, which are each delicately divided.
Leptosporangiate ferns (sometimes called true ferns) are by far the largest group, but ferns as defined here (ferns sensu lato) include horsetails, whisk ferns, marattioid ferns, and ophioglossoid ferns. This group may be referred to as monilophytes. The term pteridophyte traditionally refers to ferns plus a few other seedless vascular plants (see the classification section below), although some recent authors have used the term to refer strictly to the monilophytes.
Ferns first appear in the fossil record 360 million years ago in the late Devonian period but many of the current families and species did not appear until roughly 145 million years ago in the early Cretaceous, after flowering plants came to dominate many environments. The fern Osmunda claytoniana is a paramount example of evolutionary stasis. Paleontological evidence indicates it has remained unchanged, even at the level of fossilized nuclei and chromosomes, for at least 180 million years.
Ferns are not of major economic importance, but some are grown or gathered for food, as ornamental plants, for remediating contaminated soils, and have been the subject of research for their ability to remove some chemical pollutants from the air. Some are significant weeds. They also play a role in mythology, medicine, and art.
DESCRIPTION
LIFE CYCLE
Ferns are vascular plants differing from lycophytes by having true leaves (megaphylls), which are often pinnate. They differ from seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) in their mode of reproduction - lacking flowers and seeds. Like all other vascular plants, they have a life cycle referred to as alternation of generations, characterized by alternating diploid sporophytic and haploid gametophytic phases. The diploid sporophyte has 2n paired chromosomes, where n varies from species to species. The haploid gametophyte has n unpaired chromosomes, i.e. half the number of the sporophyte. The gametophyte of ferns is a free-living organism, whereas the gametophyte of the gymnosperms and angiosperms is dependent on the sporophyte.
LIFE CYCLE OF A TYPICAL FERN
A diploid sporophyte phase produces haploid spores by meiosis (a process of cell division which reduces the number of chromosomes by a half).
A spore grows into a haploid gametophyte by mitosis (a process of cell division which maintains the number of chromosomes). The gametophyte typically consists of a photosynthetic prothallus.
The gametophyte produces gametes (often both sperm and eggs on the same prothallus) by mitosis.
A mobile, flagellate sperm fertilizes an egg that remains attached to the prothallus.
The fertilized egg is now a diploid zygote and grows by mitosis into a diploid sporophyte (the typical "fern" plant).
MORPHOLOGY
Like the sporophytes of seed plants, those of ferns consist of stems, leaves and roots.
Stems: Fern stems are often referred to as rhizomes, even though they grow underground only in a some of the species. Epiphytic species and many of the terrestrial ones have above-ground creeping stolons (e.g., Polypodiaceae), and many groups have above-ground erect semi-woody trunks (e.g., Cyatheaceae). These can reach up to 20 metres (66 ft) tall in a few species (e.g., Cyathea brownii on Norfolk Island and Cyathea medullaris in New Zealand).[citation needed]
Leaf: The green, photosynthetic part of the plant is technically a megaphyll and in ferns, it is often referred to as a frond. New leaves typically expand by the unrolling of a tight spiral called a crozier or fiddlehead fern. This uncurling of the leaf is termed circinate vernation. Leaves are divided into two types a trophophyll and a sporophyll. A trophophyll frond is a vegetative leaf analogous to the typical green leaves of seed plants that does not produce spores, instead only producing sugars by photosynthesis. A sporophyll frond is a fertile leaf that produces spores borne in sporangia that are usually clustered to form sori. In most ferns, fertile leaves are morphologically very similar to the sterile ones, and they photosynthesize in the same way. In some groups, the fertile leaves are much narrower than the sterile leaves, and may even have no green tissue at all (e.g., Blechnaceae, Lomariopsidaceae). The anatomy of fern leaves can either be simple or highly divided. In tree ferns, the main stalk that connects the leaf to the stem (known as the stipe), often have multiple leafy. The leafy structures that grow from the stipe are known as pinnae and are often again divided into smaller pinnules.
Roots: The underground non-photosynthetic structures that take up water and nutrients from soil. They are always fibrous and are structurally very similar to the roots of seed plants.
The gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. Instead, they resemble liverworts. A fern gametophyte typically consists of:
Prothallus: A green, photosynthetic structure that is one cell thick, usually heart or kidney shaped, 3–10 mm long and 2–8 mm broad. The prothallus produces gametes by means of:
Antheridia: Small spherical structures that produce flagellate sperm.
Archegonia: A flask-shaped structure that produces a single egg at the bottom, reached by the sperm by swimming down the neck.
Rhizoids: root-like structures (not true roots) that consist of single greatly elongated cells, water and mineral salts are absorbed over the whole structure. Rhizoids anchor the prothallus to the soil.
One difference between sporophytes and gametophytes might be summed up by the saying that "Nothing eats ferns, but everything eats gametophytes." This is an over-simplification, but it is true that gametophytes are often difficult to find in the field because they are far more likely to be food than are the sporophytes.
EVOLUTION, PHYLOGENY AND CLASSIFICATION
Ferns first appear in the fossil record in the early-Carboniferous period. By the Triassic, the first evidence of ferns related to several modern families appeared. The "great fern radiation" occurred in the late-Cretaceous, when many modern families of ferns first appeared.
One problem with fern classification is the problem of cryptic species. A cryptic species is a species that is morphologically similar to another species, but differs genetically in ways that prevent fertile interbreeding. A good example of this is the currently designated species Asplenium trichomanes, the maidenhair spleenwort. This is actually a species complex that includes distinct diploid and tetraploid races. There are minor but unclear morphological differences between the two groups, which prefer distinctly differing habitats. In many cases such as this, the species complexes have been separated into separate species, thus raising the number of overall fern species. Possibly many more cryptic species are yet to be discovered and designated.
Ferns have traditionally been grouped in the Class Filices, but modern classifications assign them their own phylum or division in the plant kingdom, called Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta. The group is also referred to as Polypodiophyta, (or Polypodiopsida when treated as a subdivision of tracheophyta (vascular plants), although Polypodiopsida sometimes refers to only the leptosporangiate ferns). The term "pteridophyte" has traditionally been used to describe all seedless vascular plants, making it synonymous with "ferns and fern allies". This can be confusing since members of the fern phylum Pteridophyta are also sometimes referred to as pteridophytes.
Traditionally, three discrete groups of plants have been considered ferns: two groups of eusporangiate ferns - families Ophioglossaceae (adders-tongues, moonworts, and grape-ferns) and Marattiaceae - and the leptosporangiate ferns. The Marattiaceae are a primitive group of tropical ferns with a large, fleshy rhizome, and are now thought to be a sibling taxon to the main group of ferns, the leptosporangiate ferns. Several other groups of plants were considered "fern allies": the clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts in the Lycopodiophyta, the whisk ferns in Psilotaceae, and the horsetails in the Equisetaceae. More recent genetic studies have shown that the Lycopodiophyta are more distantly related to other vascular plants, having radiated evolutionarily at the base of the vascular plant clade, while both the whisk ferns and horsetails are as much "true" ferns as are the Ophioglossoids and Marattiaceae. In fact, the whisk ferns and Ophioglossoids are demonstrably a clade, and the horsetails and Marattiaceae are arguably another clade. Molecular data—which remain poorly constrained for many parts of the plants' phylogeny - have been supplemented by recent morphological observations supporting the inclusion of Equisetaceae within the ferns, notably relating to the construction of their sperm, and peculiarities of their roots. However, there are still differences of opinion about the placement of the Equisetum species (see Equisetopsida for further discussion). One possible means of treating this situation is to consider only the leptosporangiate ferns as "true" ferns, while considering the other three groups as "fern allies". In practice, numerous classification schemes have been proposed for ferns and fern allies, and there has been little consensus among them.
A 2006 classification by Smith et al. is based on recent molecular systematic studies, in addition to morphological data. Their phylogeny is a consensus of a number of studies. This phylogeny has been refined in more recent years, and is shown below (to the level of orders).
Their classification based on this phylogeny divides extant ferns into four classes:
Psilotopsida (whisk ferns and ophioglossoid ferns), about 92 species
Equisetopsida (horsetails), about 15 species
Marattiopsida, about 150 species
Polypodiopsida (leptosporangiate ferns), over 9000 species
Others have divided extant ferns into five groups (Psilotales, Ophioglossales, Equisetales, Marattiales and Polypodiopsida), separating the whisk ferns and ophioglossoid ferns.
The leptosporangiate ferns are sometimes called "true ferns". This group includes most plants familiarly known as ferns. Modern research supports older ideas based on morphology that the Osmundaceae diverged early in the evolutionary history of the leptosporangiate ferns; in certain ways this family is intermediate between the eusporangiate ferns and the leptosporangiate ferns. Research by Rai and Graham (2010) since this 2006 classification broadly supports the main groups, but queries their relationships, concluding that "at present perhaps the best that can be said about all relationships among the major lineages of monilophytes in current studies is that we do not understand them very well". Grewe et al. (2013) confirmed the inclusion of horsetails within ferns sensu lato, but also suggested that uncertainties remained in their precise placement. For the most recent classification of ferns and lycopods, see: Christenhusz & Chase (2014)
ECOLOGY
The stereotypical image of ferns growing in moist shady woodland nooks is far from a complete picture of the habitats where ferns can be found growing. Fern species live in a wide variety of habitats, from remote mountain elevations, to dry desert rock faces, to bodies of water or in open fields. Ferns in general may be thought of as largely being specialists in marginal habitats, often succeeding in places where various environmental factors limit the success of flowering plants. Some ferns are among the world's most serious weed species, including the bracken fern growing in the Scottish highlands, or the mosquito fern (Azolla) growing in tropical lakes, both species forming large aggressively spreading colonies. There are four particular types of habitats that ferns are found in: moist, shady forests; crevices in rock faces, especially when sheltered from the full sun; acid wetlands including bogs and swamps; and tropical trees, where many species are epiphytes (something like a quarter to a third of all fern species).
Many ferns depend on associations with mycorrhizal fungi. Many ferns only grow within specific pH ranges; for instance, the climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum) of eastern North America will only grow in moist, intensely acid soils, while the bulblet bladder fern (Cystopteris bulbifera), with an overlapping range, is only found on limestone.
The spores are rich in lipids, protein and calories, so some vertebrates eat these. The European woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) has been found to eat the spores of Culcita macrocarpa and the bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina) and the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) also eat fern spores.
USES
Ferns are not as important economically as seed plants but have considerable importance in some societies. Some ferns are used for food, including the fiddleheads of bracken, Pteridium aquilinum, ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, and cinnamon fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. Diplazium esculentum is also used by some tropical people as food. Tubers from the King Fern or para (Ptisana salicina) are a traditional food in New Zealand and the South Pacific. Fern tubers were used for food 30,000 years ago in Europe. Fern tubers were used by the Guanches to make gofio in the Canary Islands. Ferns are generally not known to be poisonous to humans. Licorice fern rhizomes were chewed by the natives of the Pacific Northwest for their flavor.
Ferns of the genus Azolla are very small, floating plants that do not resemble ferns. Called mosquito fern, they are used as a biological fertilizer in the rice paddies of southeast Asia, taking advantage of their ability to fix nitrogen from the air into compounds that can then be used by other plants.
Many ferns are grown in horticulture as landscape plants, for cut foliage and as houseplants, especially the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) and other members of the genus Nephrolepis. The Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) is also popular, as are the staghorn ferns (genus Platycerium). Perennial (also known as hardy) ferns planted in gardens in the northern hemisphere also have a considerable following.
Several ferns are noxious weeds or invasive species, including Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum), mosquito fern and sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis). Giant water fern (Salvinia molesta) is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. The important fossil fuel coal consists of the remains of primitive plants, including ferns.[citation needed]
Ferns have been studied and found to be useful in the removal of heavy metals, especially arsenic, from the soil. Other ferns with some economic significance include:[citation needed]
Dryopteris filix-mas (male fern), used as a vermifuge, and formerly in the US Pharmacopeia; also, this fern accidentally sprouting in a bottle resulted in Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward's 1829 invention of the terrarium or Wardian case
Rumohra adiantiformis (floral fern), extensively used in the florist trade
Microsorum pteropus (Java fern), one of the most popular freshwater aquarium plants.
Osmunda regalis (royal fern) and Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern), the root fiber being used horticulturally; the fiddleheads of O. cinnamomea are also used as a cooked vegetable
Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern), the fiddleheads used as a cooked vegetable in North America
Pteridium aquilinum or Pteridium esculentum (bracken), the fiddleheads used as a cooked vegetable in Japan and are believed to be responsible for the high rate of stomach cancer in Japan. It is also one of the world's most important agricultural weeds, especially in the British highlands, and often poisons cattle and horses.
Diplazium esculentum (vegetable fern), a source of food for some native societies
Pteris vittata (brake fern), used to absorb arsenic from the soil
Polypodium glycyrrhiza (licorice fern), roots chewed for their pleasant flavor
Tree ferns, used as building material in some tropical areas
Cyathea cooperi (Australian tree fern), an important invasive species in Hawaii
Ceratopteris richardii, a model plant for teaching and research, often called C-fern
ORGANISMS CONFUSED WITH FERNS
MISUNDERSTOOD NAMES
Several non-fern plants (and even animals) are called "ferns" and are sometimes confused with true ferns. These include:
"Asparagus fern" - This may apply to one of several species of the monocot genus Asparagus, which are flowering plants.
"Sweetfern" - A flowering shrub of the genus Comptonia.
"Air fern" - A group of animals called hydrozoan that are distantly related to jellyfish and corals. They are harvested, dried, dyed green, and then sold as a "plant" that can "live on air". While it may look like a fern, it is merely the skeleton of this colonial animal.
"Fern bush" - Chamaebatiaria millefolium - a rose family shrub with fern-like leaves.
FERN-LIKE FLOWERING PLANTS
Some flowering plants such as palms and members of the carrot family have pinnate leaves that somewhat resemble fern fronds. However, these plants have fully developed seeds contained in fruits, rather than the microscopic spores of ferns.
WIKIPEDIA
And I'd like it was mine... ;¬)
A cute old house in a street still full of beautiful residences. A bit contrasting with my previous photo. These two buildings are in the same district...
See Large.
Botafogo's District, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Have a great day! :¬)
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Foto tirada em 1977 no "Projeto Jari" do bilionário da época Daniel Ludwig. Foto digitalizada.
Picture taken in 1977 in "Jari Project" at the time of billionaire Daniel Ludwig. Photo scanned.
Portuguese version:
Projeto Jari é o nome de um grandioso empreendimento existente às margens do Rio Jari, para a produção de celulose e outros produtos, que teve início em 1967.
O projeto foi idealizado pelo bilionário norte-americano Daniel Keith Ludwig. Ele mandou construir uma fábrica de celulose no Japão, na cidade de Kobe, usando tecnologia finlandesa da cidade de Tampere, foram construídas duas plataformas flutuantes com uma unidade para a produção de celulose e outra para a produção de energia. A unidade de energia produzia 55 megawatts e era alimentada por óleo BPF a base de petróleo com opção para consumo de cavacos de madeira.
Histórico:
Ludwig adquiriu em 1967, na fronteira entre os estados do Pará e Amapá (então Território Federal) uma área de terra de tamanho pouco menor que a do estado de Sergipe, ou equivalente ao estado norte-americano do Connecticut, para a instalação do seu projeto agropecuário. Ao longo do programa de instalação, enfrentou as desconfianças das autoridades da Ditadura, e também dos integrantes das chamadas esquerdas, que temiam pela soberania brasileira sobre a área inabitada de florestas onde o Jari seria instalado. A "ameaça" rendeu, em 1979, a criação de uma CPI para "apurar a devastação da floresta amazônica e suas implicações". Entretanto, o relatório da Comissão não faz qualquer alusão direta a este projeto.
A área adquirida por Ludwig fez com que fosse provavelmente o maior proprietário individual de terras no Ocidente. A grandiosidade do Jari acentuava-se por ser a região totalmente desprovida de qualquer infraestrutura; foi necessária a construção de portos, ferrovia e nove mil quilômetros de estradas. Ali Ludwig planejava instalar um projeto de reflorestamento com árvores de crescimento rápido[gmelina}, antevendo o aumento da necessidade mundial por celulose. Além disto, pretendia estender as atividades para a mineração, pecuária e agricultura, atraindo críticas de ambientalistas.
Uma usina termelétrica e a própria fábrica de celulose foram rebocadas do Japão, num percurso de 25 mil quilômetros, que durou 53 dias a ser concluído. Além das instalações, todo o projeto ocupava uma área de 16 mil km², a construção de uma cidade para a moradia dos trabalhadores, além de hospital e escolas na sede, chamada Monte Dourado. A fábrica e implementos custaram em torno de 200 milhões de dólares. Em 1982, ano de sua venda, a população do Jari alcançou a marca de trinta mil habitantes.
Neste ano, sem apresentar resultados, Ludwig abandonou o projeto. As negociações envolveram o homem forte do regime militar, general Golbery do Couto e Silva, e cogitou-se na venda para o Banco do Brasil, para um pool de empresas e para o empresário Augusto de Azevedo Antunes. Até o começo dos anos 1980 Ludwig declarava haver gasto no Jari 863 milhões de dólares, atualizados em 1981 para 1,15 bilhão.
No ano 2000 passou a ser controlado pelo Grupo Orsa, de modo que a Jari Celulose não somente tornou-se economicamente viável, como também mostrou-se sustentável, recebendo certificação em 2004 pelo Forest Stewardship Council.
English version:
The Jari project was a brainchild of US entrepreneur and billionaire Daniel K. Ludwig. In the 1950s he noticed that demand for paper was rising. Since the forests of the temperate zone were already in use, the supply of the wood pulp for paper was fixed. Ludwig foresaw a future increase in the price of paper due to the increase of mass media. Since most of the natural forest timber was not suitable for paper production, Ludwig planned a site where the natural forest would be replaced by a tree farm. It would have to be started decades ahead to supply the future paper production.
History
Growth
Ludwig selected the fast-growing tropical tree Gmelina arborea for his tree farm. At first he considered locating his tree farm in Costa Rica but the Brazilian military government encouraged him to settle on the lower reaches of the Rio Jari, a tributary of the Amazon River. In 1967, Ludwig bought 1.6 million acres (6,475 km²) for $3 million.
Ludwig controlled the project mainly from the United States. He built a settlement, Monte Dourado, with houses, schools, hospitals, nurseries, bridges and community buildings. He also built roads and railways. The clearing of the land using heavy bulldozers damaged the topsoil the trees were to be planted in. It became necessary to employ local workers instead for land clearing. The soil turned out to be partially unsuitable for Gmelina. Also, the new trees were damaged by the numerous insects living in the area of the Amazon. Other settlements, the "free cities" of Beiradão and Beiradinho, were built to house workers. In its heyday, the Jari Project had 35,000 workers.
Ludwig had also commissioned two large ship-shaped platforms that were built in Japan and floated to the Jari Project. One barge module contained the pulping sector of the pulp mill. This module housed the digesting the brown stock the bleach plant and the pulp machine. The second module housed the recovery boiler, the evaporators and the recaust. The pulp mill barge was finished in 1978 and launched on February 1. It traveled through the Indian Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope, arriving at the Brazilian city of Munguba on April 28. The power group module arrived four days later. Both barges were floated into specially built locks. Hundreds of gum wood piles had been driven into the ground to support the two barges. By closing the locks and pumping the water out, the barges gently settled on the many piles.
It was found that the growth rate of the Gmelina wood was much lower than that predicted and anticipated. To satisfy the demand of the pulp mill production it became necessary to purchase other species of wood from other Brazilian sources. Later the pulp mill planted Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata. These species grew quite well and reduced the demand on purchased wood from other sources.
Diversification
Ludwig's next idea was to expand into rice growing, which did not turn out well either. Rice growing required large amount of pesticides to keep insects at bay and the soil did not have enough sulfur for rice. Ludwig corrected the situation with the application of ammonium sulfate. He expanded to cattle farming and also discovered a very large source of kaolin. The mining of Kaolin on the Jari river is a large scale commercial operation. Kaolin is exported to numerous countries in Asia and Europe.
Decline
Problems also begun to increase due to so-called Amazon Factor - the combined effects of soil, insects, humidity and tropical disease. Workers contracted malaria. Insects devoured the harvest and supplies.
Then Brazilian government officials began to criticize Ludwig's methods and the extent of his land ownership. They also questioned the project's exemption from taxes, not to mention his methods - he had fired twenty-nine directors during the thirteen years of the project and preferred to decide everything essential by himself.
Ludwig gave up in May 1981. Next year he turned the Jari project over to a consortium of Brazilian businessmen. He did not receive any money but the several hundreds of millions of dollars of debt were transferred to new owners. Ludwig was to receive a gradually diminishing cut of the possible profits until the year 2026. The new owners demanded - as Ludwig had - investment in the local infrastructure.
The remains of the project remain on Brazilian hands in the form of the Jarcel Cellulose company. Ownership is in the hand of Brazilian banks and holding companies.
From Wikipedia !
Tropical portrait of young happy woman with straw hat on a road with coconut palms and tropical trees. Bali island. Indonesia.
Formerly Michelia champaca. A fragrant-flowered tropical Magnolia. Its natural distribution is large, extending from the Maldives and Indonesia northward to Nepal and Yunnan. There is also one isolated relict population in Yemen, on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.
Gujarati cuisine (Gujarati: ગુજરાતી ભોજન) refers to the cuisine of Gujarat, India, a state in western India. Despite having an extensive coastline for seafood, it is primarily a vegetarian cuisine due to the influence of Jain vegetarianism and traditional Hinduism, however many families may choose to add chicken, lamb, and goat to these dishes.
The typical Gujarati Thali consists of Rotli, Dal or Kadhi, Rice, and Shaak/Sabzi (a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be spicy or sweet). Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavour and heat, depending on a given family's tastes as well as the region of Gujarat they are from. North Gujarat, Kathiawad, Kachchh, and Surti Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarat that all bring their own style to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time.
OVERVIEW
Staples include homemade Khichdi (rice and lentil or rice and mung bean), and chaas (buttermilk) and pickles as side. Main dishes are based on steamed cooked vegetables with different spices and dals that are added to a vaghar, which is a mixture of spices sterilized in hot oil that varies depending on the main ingredient. Salt, sugar, lemon, lime, and tomato are used frequently to prevent dehydration in an area where temperatures reach 50°C in the shade. It is common to add a little sugar or jaggery to some of the sabzi/shaak and dal. The sweet flavour of these dishes is believed to neutralize the slightly bland taste of the vegetables.
The cuisine changes with the seasonal availability of vegetables. In summer, when mangoes are ripe and widely available in market, for example, Keri no Ras (fresh mango pulp) is often an integral part of the meal. The spices used also change depending on the season. Garam Masala and its constituent spices are used less in summer. Regular fasting, with diets limited to milk, dried fruits, and nuts, are commonplace.
In modern times, some Gujaratis have become increasingly fond of very spicy and fried dishes. There are many chefs who have come up with fusions of Western and Gujarati food. Gujaratis are predominantly vegetarians, even though pockets of the state consume chicken, beef and fish.
Bajra Roti is a plain flat bread made from flour having nutritional value similar to other foods based on flours. Common meals in villages near Saurashtra during the cold winters consists of thick Rotis, termed Bhakri, made of wheat flour, garlic chutney, onion, and chaas.
Sweets (desserts) served as part of a thali are typically made from milk, sugar, and nuts. "Dry" sweets such as Magas and Ghooghra are typically made around celebrations, such as weddings, or at Diwali.[citation needed]
Gujarati cuisine is also distinctive in its wide variety of farsan — side dishes that complement the main meal and are served alongside it. Some farsan are eaten as snacks or light meals by themselves.
Gujaratis will often refer to Dal-Bhat-Rotli-Saak as their everyday meal. For special occasions, this basic quartet is supplemented with additional shaak, sweet dishes, and farsan. A festive Gujarati thali often contain over a dozen items. Dietary rules restrict the permissible combination of dishes.[citation needed] For example, if kadhi is to be served, then a lentil preparation such as chutti dal, vaal, or mug ni dal will also be included. The sweet dish accompanying kadhi will likely be milk or yogurt–based, like doodhpak or shrikhand. However, a yogurt-based raita would not be served with such a meal. Festive meals based on dal will typically have a wheat-based sweet dish like lapsi or ladoo as the sweet accompaniment. Many Gujarati families make and consume moong dal in their diet on Wednesdays. There are established combinations of spices that some believe to facilitate digestion, that are eaten with different foods.
In coastal Gujarat, the Kharwa community has developed a cuisine consisting of fresh and dried fish. Common seafood are pomfrets, khandwas, gedadas, surmai, prawns, crabs, lobster. and narsinga (calamari).
SPICES & SEASONINGS
Kokum*
Ambli (Tamarind)
Gaur (Jaggery)**
Chaat Masala***
Hardar (Turmeric powder)
Kothmir (Coriander)
Elaichi (Cardamom)
Garam Masala (Mix of dry spices, roasted and made powder)
Hing (asafoetida)
Jeeru (cumin)
Kesar (saffron)
Marchu (chillies)
Lal Marchu (red chili powder)
Methi (Fenugreek - leaves and seeds)
Phoodino (mint)
Soonth (ginger powder)
Laving (cloves)
Mitho Limbdo (curry leaves)****
*Kokum (garcinia indica) is a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae). It is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses.
The genus Garcinia, belonging to the family Clusiaceae, includes about 200 species found in the Old World tropics, mostly in Asia and Africa. Garcinia indica is indigenous to the Western Ghats region of India located along the western coast of the country. Of the 35 species found in India, 17 are endemic. Of these, seven are endemic to the Western Ghats, six in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four in the northeastern region of India.
Garcinia indica is found in forest lands, riversides and wastelands. These plants prefer evergreen forests, but sometimes they also thrive in areas with relatively low rainfall. It is also cultivated on a small scale. It does not require irrigation, spraying of pesticides or fertilizers.
The outer cover of fruit is dried in the sun to get aamsul or kokam. It is used as a slightly sour spice in recipes from Maharashtra. Kokum yields a peculiar flavour and blackish red colour. It is a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries and other dishes from the Konkan region. It is also used in cuisine from Gujarat, where it is frequently used to add flavor and tartness to dal (lentil soup) for flavor balance, and parts of South India.
Kokum squash or kokum concentrate is used in preparing a drink (sherbet) which is bright red in colour. Kokum sherbet improves digestion and cools the body during summers.
Further, the extract/concentrate of this fruit is called aagal in Konkani and Marathi. It is to added during the preparation of solkadhi, along with coconut milk.
**Gaur or Jaggery is an unrefined sugar which is commonly used in India, Africa, the Carribean and Latin America. It is also known as Bellam, Bella, Gur and Gul.
Jaggery is manufactured from sugarcane, date palms or from the sap of the coconut and sago palms. It is made by boiling raw sugarcane or palm juice in iron pans. Afterwards, it is formed or made into blocks.
Unlike refined sugar, jaggery does not go through additional processing, therefore it retains some natural vitamins and minerals. However, as a result of the boiling process, some of the vitamins and minerals are depleted.
Jaggery has a lot of health benefits as opposed to sugar. Jaggery is rich in minerals as opposed to refined sugar. It is very rich in iron since it is processed in iron vessels. Apart from iron, other minerals come from the juice of sugarcane. Considering it does not undergo refining it retains most, or a large percentage, of minerals and vitamins. "Since no preservatives or chemicals are added to it during its preparation and also because it is made in iron vessels and retains a large amount of the element, it is thought to be far more nutritious than refined sugar," states About.com article 'Gud-Jaggery.'
Jaggery also contains a high quantity of protein wjhich does have its disadvantage. It is high in carbohydrates and fats.
But: it is sugar, after all! Therefore having it all the time can lead to obesity and diabetes. It should be taken in moderation especially by diabetics.
***Chaat masala is a spice mix used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It typically consists of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, kala namak (black salt), coriander, dried ginger, salt (often kala namak), black pepper, asafoetida (hing) and chili powder. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate, polystyrene plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl, at chaat carts (especially in Gujarat, Maharastra, Punjab, Sindh and all across Pakistan, Northern India, and even Southern India).
Chaat masala has both a sweet and a sour taste. It is used to flavour fast foods of Pakistan and India like Bhelpuri, Golgappa, Aloo Chaat and Dahi puri. It is a spice that can be added to foods and drinks.
Chaat masala is also sprinkled on fruit, egg toasts and regular salads in Pakistan and northern India. Some spice brands market an alternate spice mix called Fruit Chaat Masala. The Fruit Chaat Masala tastes less of cumin, coriander and ginger, but more of chili pepper, black salt, amchoor and asafoetida. Street vendors usually mix their own chaat masala, which is sprinkled on the chopped up fruit or fresh vegetables (such as raw daikon in Pakistan) unless the customer asks for it not to be added. Sometimes black salt with chili powder alone is used.
In India and Pakistan it is often purchased in large amounts, where it is available in prepackaged form, before the Islamic month of Ramadan as different types of Chaat (especially Fruit Chaat) are prepared at sunset which is the time for breaking the fast.
****The curry tree (Murraya koenigii) is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India and Sri Lanka.
Its leaves are used in many dishes in India and neighbouring countries. Often used in curries, the leaves are generally called by the name "curry leaves", though they are also translated as "sweet neem leaves" in most Indian languages (as opposed to ordinary neem leaves which are bitter).
It is a small tree, growing 4–6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2–4 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. They are highly aromatic. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant. The small black shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous.
The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking ( කරපිංචා), especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life & do not keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior.
The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as an herb in Ayurvedic medicine. They are believed to possess anti-diabetic properties.
Although most commonly used in curries, leaves from the curry tree can be used in many other dishes to add flavor. In Cambodia, Khmer toast the leaves in an open flame or roast it until crispy and then crush it into a soured soup dish called Maju Krueng.
In the absence of tulsi leaves, curry leaves are used for rituals and pujas.
WIKIPEDIA & other sources
Four photos of a beautiful and as yet unidentified tropical tree. I was watching a nature program on TV about unusual animals and there was a segment about the arboreal three-toed sloth. It lives in South and Central America and in one scene it was pictured in this species of tree.
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila, within the boundaries of the former Fort William McKinley. It can be reached most easily from the city via Epifano de los Santos Ave. (EDSA) to McKinley Road, then to McKinley Parkway inside the Bonifacio Global City. The Nichols Field Road is the easiest access from Manila International Airport to the cemetery.[1]
The cemetery, 152 acres (62 ha) or 615,000 square metres in area, is located on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west.[1] With a total of 17,206 graves, it has the largest number of graves of any cemetery for U.S. personnel killed during World War II and holds war dead from the Philippines and other allied nations.[1] Many of the personnel whose remains are interred or represented were killed in New Guinea, or during the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) or the Allied recapture of the islands.[1] The headstones are made of marble which are aligned in eleven plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.[1] The Memorial is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
#wikipedia
Brisbane. Newstead House.
Scottish born Patrick Leslie the pioneer pastoralist of the Darling Downs near Warwick bought 34 acres of land along the Brisbane River in 1845 where the Breakfast Creek flows into it. Patrick Leslie used the exploration dairies of Allan Cunningham from 1827 to locate suitable pastoral sites. The Leslie brothers took up their first Darling Downs runs in 1840 and they erected the first buildings on their Canning Downs run in 1844. They also selected a site on the banks of the Condamine River (which eventually flows into the Darling River) for a fine homestead. But they selected another site on their Canning Downs for the homestead and sold their Glengallan leasehold on the Condamine River to others within a few years. Meanwhile back in Brisbane Patrick Leslie had a simple two storey brick cottage built on the Breakfast Creeks site and he and his family moved into the residence in 1846. It was probably built by assigned convict labour. Four months later the family left Newstead House and moved to their station property on the Darling Downs at Canning Downs. In 1847 Patrick Leslie sold the two storey cottage to his brother-in-law Captain John Wickham. Wickham had arrived in Brisbane in 1843 as the Police Magistrate for the Moreton Bay settlement. In 1854 Captain Wickham was appointed Resident of Moreton Bay and Newstead House became the unofficial government house of the settlement. When Queensland was created as a separate colony on 1859 Wickham and his family left Newstead and returned to England. Newstead house was sold by them in 1862 but Wickham held the mortgage over the property. A successful merchant John Harris and his family moved into the house and when he finally paid for the house in 1864 he made plans for a much bigger and grander house. Extensions began in 1865 and were completed in 1867 by which time Newstead House had become a grand mansion with an encircling veranda to take advantage of the subtropical climate of Brisbane and the Brisbane River views. The original 1846 cottage became the basement rooms of the new Newstead House. Harris sold Newstead House in 1876 as a fine mansion but continued leasing it as his residence until 1890. During his leasehold the owner subdivided the estate in 1878, in 1888 and again in 1890 creating the suburb of Newstead and leaving the mansion with about four acres of gardens. After numerous owners the Brisbane City Council purchased the house in 1918. An Act of Parliament created the Newstead House Trust in 1939 to manage the house and property and to ensure it opens to the public.
Planting around the Upper Lake includes a few ornamental willows, rhododendron, birch pine and amenity grassland. Many waterfowl can be observed here.
A powerful water jet helps maintain the aeration and circulation of the lake and creates a stunning feature. Once used for boating this view is taken from the restored landing platform.
The Upper Lake is the smaller of the two lakes in the park and is set much higher than Waterloo Lake. Roundhay Castle is on the hill between the two lakes. The Upper Lake has a large fountain in the centre.
Planting around the Upper Lake includes a few ornamental willows, rhododendron, birch pine and amenity grassland. Many waterfowl can be observed here.
A powerful water jet helps maintain the aeration and circulation of the lake and creates a stunning feature. Once used for boating this view is taken from the restored landing platform.
1896 upper lake
In 1896 it was reported that high-wire artist Charles Blondin, aged 72 years, crossed the upper lake.
Noah's Ark site
The upper lake at Roundhay Park has been designated a safe haven for an endangered species. Pollution and habitat destruction, together with the menace of the larger North American signal crayfish, are depleting its numbers. So Leeds City Council and Environment Agency have launched the Ark Project to give it a safe refuge. Kerry Fieldhouse, species conservation officer, says this may be the last hope for the creature. Some were rescued four years ago and put into the upper lake and now there is a five-year project to protect them there, It will be a Noah's Ark site.hope to introduce some at the end of this summer and also next summer ,they exist in the Gorge and people say they have seen them in Waterloo Lake. Anglers used to pull them out all the time and one man found one in a Coca Cola can. It had gone in there to moult its shell." Crayfish are at risk from predatory fish and so pike and carp are being moved from the upper lake to other sites. An interpretation board next to the upper lake describes the Ark Project. It urges the public to report any sightings of the crayfish to the Environment Agency and to wash boots and fishing tackle to help limit the spread of disease. It points out that crayfish eat plant material at night and break down plant and animal matter, returning nutrients to the eco-system.Leaf litter offers protection for hiding and feeding, and old walls and other stonework have crevices and gaps which provide refuges and over-wintering sites.
Roundhay Park and has launched a project to identify bat species. volunteers use bat sensors which pick up sounds that are beyond human hearing. and have identified the common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle over Waterloo Lake," "Pipistrelle don't fly very high."They might be small and cute but they are very feisty and don't want to be in captivity."
Roundhay parks secret 300 million year history
ONCE – 300m years ago – an orange lizard called the Europs walked the fields that are now Roundhay Park.
It dwelt among tropical trees and baking heat – for the land was close to the Equator. This is the secret history of the north Leeds playground being brought to life by the Friends of Roundhay Park. They have published 5,000 copies of A Walk Back in Time, a glossy guide to the geology of the parkland. A trail with nine marker stones has been created and will be launched officially on Wednesday. The Friends will gather at the Education Centre in the Mansion at 2pm
to hear a talk by expert geologist Bill Fraser, a teacher in Garforth, before walking the trail. Mr Fraser has a collection of fossils from Roundhay Park and has provided the scientific basis for the guide book.Bob Reid, one of the Friends, was the driving force behind the creation of the trail "The dates given in the guide are not fictitious – they are real, based on the evidence of radioactive decay," he said.
Glacier
At different times, Roundhay Park has been under both freshwater and sea water. We tend to think the park is as it has always been but over millions of years it has been continually changing . "The V-shaped ravine was formed by melt water from a glacier. "And a geological fault runs in front of the Mansion and is said to form the northern boundary of the Yorkshire coalfields .Bob visited viewing site No. 6 – Dog Mouth Spring – which is found in the woodland. The rock here is sandstone which is porous and allows water to bubble from it. At marker No. 9 by the banks of the Waterloo Lake, visitors can look back to the head of the lake where the fault crosses the valley. And the last marker, No. 10, also by the lakeside, reveals sandstone rock where burrowing worms have left their imprint. A Walk Back in Time costs 1 and can be bought at the Roundhay Park visitor centre, City Stationers at Oakwood, and at the tourist centre in Leeds City Station.
The Gorge at Roundhay Park has recently been cleared and new pathways introduced, a waterfall leaves the Upper Lake and tumbles down into this area of outstanding natural beauty. Take a short walk along the edge of the Gorge and emerge at the Caste Folly. You can also take the longer 'Secret Gorge Walk' This peaceful walk passes through an area of outstanding natural beauty. The walk has rough, good quality footpaths with sections of steep ground -
approximately 2.7 km,
Secret Gorge Walk "The Ravine"
This peaceful walk passes through an area of outstanding natural beauty. The walk has rough, good quality footpaths with sections of steep ground.
Approx 2.7Km
Upper Lake Walk
This walk circumnavigates the Upper Lake with wooded areas, natural water space and a host of wildlife.
The walking surface is rough in sections but mainly flat.
Approx 0.7Km
Lake View Walk
This walk circumnavigates Waterloo Lake passing Parkland, Woods and the Dam. The main focus of the walk is the tranquil beauty of the Lake. The walking surface is rough in sections but mainly flat. Approx 2.7Km
Roundhay Park
Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. It has more than 700 acres (2.8 km2) of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens which are owned by Leeds City Council. The park is one of the most popular attractions in Leeds, nearly a million people visit each year. It is situated on the north-east edge of the city, bordered by the suburb of Roundhay to the west and Oakwood to the south.
Old History
In the 11th century William the Conqueror granted the lands on which the park stands to Ilbert De Lacy for his support in the Harrying of the North in the winter 1069-70. De Lacy, who founded Pontefract Castle, was a knight from Normandy. During the 13th century, the area was used as a hunting park for the De Lacys who were the Lords of Bowland on the
Yorkshire-Lancaster border. Ownership of Roundhay passed through succession to John of Gaunt and then to his son, Henry IV. In the 16th century Henry VIII gave the park (though not the manor) to Thomas Darcy. Through succession and marriage, it was acquired by Charles Stourton (1702-1753) in the 18th century.In 1803, Charles Stourton's nephew, another Charles Stourton (1752–1816), sold the estate to Thomas Nicholson and Samuel Elam. Nicholson took the northern part which became Roundhay Park. Thomas Nicholson's land had the remains of quarries and coal mines. He disguised these former industrial areas by constructing the Upper Lake and the Waterloo Lake. The mansion house was built between 1811 and 1826 with a view over the Upper Lake. Nicholson constructed a castle folly. The Nicholson family was responsible for building the Church of St John, almshouses and a school on the south side of the
park. After Thomas Nicholson's death in 1821, the estate passed to his half-brother Stephen. In 1858, his nephew William Nicholson Nicholson inherited the land on the death of his uncle. In 1871 Roundhay Park
was put up for sale. It was purchased for £139,000 by a group including the Mayor of Leeds, John Barran. Leeds City Council was unable to buy such a large tract of land without an Act of Parliament, which was obtained on 21 June 1871. The local authority agreed to pay the same price and gave the estate to the people of Leeds as a public park. Leeds architect, George Corson, won the competition for landscaping Roundhay Park. Some parts of the estate were then sold for building plots to offset the cost to the council and Barran. Prince Arthur officially re-opened the park in 1872 in front of 100,000 people. In 1891 the first public electric tram with overhead power (trolley system) in Britain was inaugurated linking Roundhay Park with Leeds city centre 3 miles (4.8 km) away. The tram terminus is now a car park but some of the trolley poles remain.
Did you ever read The Little Prince? This is the giant tree le petit prince was worried would break apart his small planet.
“On the little prince’s planet there were—as on all planets—good plants and bad plants. The good plants come from good seeds, and the bad plants from bad seeds. But the seeds are invisible. They sleep in the secrecy of the ground until one of them decides to wake up. Then it stretches and begins to sprout, quite timidly at first, a charming, harmless little twig reaching toward the sun. If it’s a radish seed, or a rosebush seed, you can let it sprout all it likes. But if it’s the seed of a bad plant, you must pull the plant up right away, as soon as you can recognize it. As it happens, there were terrible seeds on the little prince’s planet—baobab seeds. The planet’s soil was infested with them. Now if you attend to a baobab too late, you can never get rid of it again. It overgrows the whole planet. Its roots pierce right through. And if the planet is too small, and if there are too many baobabs, they make it burst into pieces.”
* The Little Prince by Saint-Exupery
In the grassy plains of Africa, Baobabs swell with water during the rainy season, attracting thirsty elephants that strip the bark to get to the moist tissue. The Baobab (Adansonia digitata) has long provided people with material for rope, cloth, soap, dye, glue, fodder and medicine. For instance, in West Africa, the young nutritious leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach.
It is impossible to accurately determine the age of Baobabs because the wood is soft and spongy and has no age rings. One thing is for sure, Baobab trunks become very large and sometimes hollow out over time, prompting people to use them as houses, prisons, bars, storage barns and even bus stops! This giant tree was planted in Miami's Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in 1939 and is still growing.
Regarded as the largest succulent in the world, the baobab tree is steeped in a wealth of mystique, legend and superstition wherever it occurs in Africa. It is a tree that can provide food, water, shelter, and relief from sickness. During drought, elephants obtain moisture by chewing on the wood. The stem is covered with a bark layer, which may be 50-100 mm thick. The leaves are hand-sized and divided into 5-7 finger-like leaflets. The baobab is a deciduous, meaning that in winter, it sheds all of its leaves and grows new ones in spring.
The large, pendulous flowers (up to 200 mm in diameter) are white, sweetly scented and pollinated by bats. They are followed by velvety fruits full of edible acidic pulp sought by both monkeys and people. Its leaves are cooked and eaten as greens, and are dried for use as a seasoning and a sauce and stew thickener. Its fruit is rich in vitamin C, calcium, and iron, and is called pain de singe or monkey bread. It can be roasted, ground, and boiled to make a coffee-substitute; it is also soaked in water to make a refreshing drink, and is used as a flavoring.
Also placed in Malvaceae ssf. Bombacoideae.
Source: toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?family=Bo...
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
Cairns-Mossman
Dept No.140721
The Courier Mail
Mon 30 Oct 1933
Along Coast
Northern Road
Cairns-Port Douglas
Road connection between Cairns and Port Douglas has now been established, and districts previously accessible only by motor boat would now be served by one of the finest tourist roads in Australia, said the Minister for Works (Mr. H. A. Bruce) yesterday. He had received from the chairmen of Douglas and Cairns shire councils (Councillors Raymond Rex and Wilfred Simmonds) a telegram informing him that they had arrived at Port Douglas in the first car that had traversed the route on a joint inspection. They congratulated the department on the progress of the construction work.
Mr. Bruce said that he hoped to perform the official opening of the road before Christmas. The road connected Cairns and Port Douglas along the coast by the opening up of 18 miles of hitherto unroaded country. A few years ago access to the Daintree district was possible by motor boat only. When this road was fully completed it should be possible to accomplish
the journey from Cairns to the Daintree in four or five hours.
The route was rich in tropical vegetation, and close to the Barrier Reef. The avenue was being planted with palm trees, such as coconuts, and with mangoes and other tropical trees.
The Jambul season is on and eating jambuls is good for diabetic blood sugar control..
www.best-home-remedies.com/herbal_medicine/fruits/jambul-...
Jambul Fruit - Natural Benefits and Curative Properties
Botanical Name :: Syzygium cumini or Eugenia jambolana
Indian Name :: Jamun
Other English names :: Rose apple, Java plum
Description
The jambul fruit. is a well-known common fruit. It has two varieties. The big one is oval in shape and is commonly called as Suva-jumun. The small one is round in shape and is commonly called as Kutta-jamun. The bigger variety is sweeter than the smaller one.
The fruit is a juicy berry with a single stone. It is black outside and violet inside; has a sourish-sweet pulp and greenish yellow seed.
Jambul Fruit*
Food Value
Minerals and Vitamins
Moisture - 83.7% Calcium - 15 mg
Protein - 0.7% Phosphorus - 15 mg
Fat - 0.3% Iron - 1.2 mg
Minerals - 0.4% Vitamin C - 18mg
Carbohydrates - 14.0% Small amount of Vitamin B Complex
Fibre - 0.9%
* Value per 100 gm's edible portion Calorific Value - 62
Natural Benefits and Curative Properties
The jambul fruit regarded in traditional medicine as a specific against diabetes. because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit as such, the seeds and fruit juice are all useful in the treatment of this disease. The seeds contain a glucose 'Jamboline' which is believed to have the power to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. They are dried and powdered. This powder in doses of three grams should be given three or four times a day mixed in water. It reduces the quantity of sugar in urine and allays the unquenchable thirst.
In Ayurveda, the inner bark of the jambul tree is also used in the treatment of diabetes. The bark is dried and burnt, which produces an ash of white color. This ash should be pest led in the mortar, stramed and bottled. The diabetic patient should be given 65 mg. of this ash an empty stomach with water in the morning and 135 mg. each time in the afternoon and in the evening, an hour after meals, if the specific gravity of the urine is 1.02 to 1.03. If the specific gravity ranges between 1.035 and 1.055, the ash should be given thrice daily in the quantity of about 2 gm. at a time.
* Polyuria :- The powder of the seeds is valuable in polyuria or production of excess urine. It should be taken in dose of 1 gm. in the morning and evening.
* Diarrhea and Dysentery :- Powder of the seed is an effective remedy for diarrhea and dysentery. About 5 to 10 gm. of this powder should be taken with butter-milk in these conditions. An infusion of the tender leaves, which contain a high concentration of gallic and tannic acid is also given as a medicine in diarrhea and dysentery. This infusion, prepared from 30 or 60 gm. of leaves, should be given twice or thrice daily. A decoction of the bark taken with honey is also an useful medicine for chronic diarrhea and dysentery.
* Piles :- The jambul fruit is an effective food remedy for bleeding piles. The fruit should be taken with salt every morning for two or three months in its season. The use of the fruit in this manner in every season will effect radical cure and save the user from bleeding piles for entire life. Fresh jambul fruit taken with honey is also an effective medicine for bleeding piles.
* Liver Disorders :- Natural acids in the jambul fruit play an important role in the secretion of digestive enzymes and stimulate the liver functions. Charaka, the well-known physician
of the ancient India, used this fruit in the treatment of enlargement of the liver.
* Female sterility :- An infusion of the fresh tender leaves of jambul fruit, taken with honey or butter-milk, is an effective remedy for sterility and miscarriage due to ovarian or endometrium functional disorder. The leaves presumably stimu1ate the secretion of progrestrone hormone and help absorption of vitamin E.
Precautions
The jambul fruit should not be consumed in excess. Its excessive use is bad for throat and chest. It may cause cough and accumulation of sputum in the lungs.
Jambul on Wikipedia
Jambul (Syzygium cumini) is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, native to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Indonesia. It is also known as Jamun, Nerale Hannu, Njaval, Jamblang, Jambolan, Black Plum, Damson Plum, Duhat Plum, Jambolan Plum, Java Plum or Portuguese Plum. "Malabar plum" may also refer to other species of Syzygium.
It is also grown in other areas of southern and southeastern Asia including the Philippines, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. The tree was also introduced to Florida, USA in 1911 by the USDA, and is also now commonly planted in Suriname. In Brazil, where it was introduced from India during Portuguese colonization, it has dispersed spontaneously in the wild in some places, as its fruits are eagerly sought by various native birds such as thrushes, tanagers and the Great Kiskadee. Scientific synonyms include Syzygium jambolanum, Eugenia cumini and Eugenia jambolana.
A fairly fast growing species, it can reach heights of up to 30 m and can live more than 100 years. Its dense foliage provides shade and is grown just for its ornamental value. The wood is strong and is water resistant. Because of this it is used in railway sleepers and to install motors in wells. It is sometimes used to make cheap furniture and village dwellings though it is relatively hard to work on.
Jamun trees start flowering from March to April. The flowers of Jamun are fragrant and small, about 5 mm in diameter. The fruits develop by May or June and resemble large berries. The fruit is oblong, ovoid, starts green and turns pink to shining crimson black as it matures. A variant of the tree produces white coloured fruit. The fruit has a combination of sweet, mildly sour and astringent flavour and tends to colour the tongue purple. The seed is also used in various alternative healing systems like Ayurveda (to control diabetes, for example[1].), Unani and Chinese medicine for digestive ailments. The leaves and bark are used for controlling blood pressure and gingivitis. Wine and vinegar are also made from the fruit. It has a high source in vitamin A and vitamin C.
Jambul has been spread overseas from India by Indian emigrants and at present is common in former tropical British colonies.
According to Hindu tradition, Rama subsisted on the fruit in the forest for 14 years during his exile from Ayodhya[citation needed]. Because of this, many Hindus regard Jambul as a 'fruit of the gods,' especially in Gujarat, India, where it is known locally as jamboon.
Lord Krishna has been described as having skin the color of Jamun. In Hindu mythology several protagonists have been described as having the color of jamun.
Syzygium samarangense is a plant species in the family Myrtaceae, native to an area that includes the Greater Sunda Islands, Malay Peninsula and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but introduced in prehistoric times to a wider area and now widely cultivated in the tropics.
Common names in English include Java apple, Semarang rose-apple and wax jambu.
Cultivation and uses:
Syzygium samarangense is a tropical tree growing to 12 m tall, with evergreen leaves 10–25 cm long and 5–10 cm broad. The flowers are white, 2.5 cm diameter, with four petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is a bell-shaped, edible berry, with colors ranging from white, pale green, or green to red, purple, or crimson, to deep purple or even black, 4–6 cm long in wild plants. The flowers and resulting fruit are not limited to the axils of the leaves, and can appear on nearly any point on the surface of the trunk and branches. When mature, the tree is considered a heavy bearer, yielding a crop of up to 700 fruits.
Syzygium samarangense with a cross section of the fruit
When ripe, the fruit will puff outwards, with a slight concavity in the middle of the underside of the "bell". Healthy wax apples have a light sheen to them. Despite its name, a ripe wax apple only resembles an apple on the outside in color. It does not taste like an apple, and it has neither the fragrance nor the density of an apple. Its flavor is similar to a snow pear, and the liquid-to-flesh ratio of the wax apple is comparable to a watermelon. Unlike either apple or watermelon, the wax apple's flesh has a very loose weave. The very middle holds a seed situated in a sort of cotton-candy-like mesh. This mesh is edible, but flavorless. The color of its juice depends on the cultivar; it may be purple to entirely colorless.
A number of cultivars with larger fruit have been selected. In general, the paler or darker the color, the sweeter it is.[clarification needed] In Southeast Asia, the black ones are nicknamed "Black Pearl" or "Black Diamond", while the very pale greenish-white ones, called "Pearl", are among the highest priced ones in fruit markets. The fruit is often served uncut, but with the core removed, to preserve the unique bell-shaped presentation. In Malay peninsula it is also used as bonsai plant as it grows well in pots and has thick trunk.
In the cuisine of Indian Ocean islands, the fruit is frequently used in salads, as well as in lightly sautéed dishes.
In India, water apples are found in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh near the dry land areas of Rajanagaram mandal (mainly around G.Donthamuru village surroundings). In Telugu, these are called kammari kayalu (కమ్మరి కాయలు). It is also found throughout Kerala where it is called as Champakka or Chambakka. It is mainly eaten as a fruit and also used to make pickles (Chambakka Achar).
In Taiwan, it is known as 蓮霧 (Lián wù).
In the Philippines, its local name is macopa. Because of their similarity in appearance, Filipinos always confuse macopa with tambis (Syzygium aqueum), although the latter is more commonly cultivated.
Medicinal uses:
The flowers are astringent and used in Taiwan to treat fever and halt diarrhea. Investigators have found their principal constituent to be tannin. They also contain desmethoxymatteucinol, 5-O-methyl-4'-desmethoxymatteucinol, oleanic acid and B-sitosterol. They show weak antibiotic action against Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Candida albicans.
Samanea saman is a large tropical tree growing as much as 60 m tall, with rough wrinkled bark and developing a symmetrical broad umbrella shaped crown about 80 m wide, making this species a beautiful choice for a shade tree.
Explore Jul 12, 2011 #56
So brilliantly yellow and delightfully curvaceous!
Cananga odorata is a fast-growing tree of the custard-apple family, Annonaceae, that exceeds 15 ft per year and attains an average height of 40 ft. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rain forest habitat. The evergreen leaves are smooth and glossy, oval, pointed, with wavy margins, and 5–8 in long. The flower is drooping, long-stalked with six narrow greenish yellow (rarely pink) petals, rather like a sea star in appearance, and yields a highly fragrant essential oil which is used in making Chanel #5 perfume. Its clusters of black fruit are an important food item for birds, pigeons and doves.
Ylang Ylang has therapeutic properties too: Antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac and hypotensive, sedative.
The name ylang-ylang is derived either from the word "ilang" meaning "wilderness", alluding to its natural habitat, or the word "ilang-ilan," meaning "rare", suggestive of its exceptionally delicate scent. A more widely accepted translation is "flower of flowers". The plant is native to the Philippines and Indonesia and is commonly grown in Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. And here in South Florida.
Ylang Ylang, Cananga odorata
Biscayne Park, FL
A native of Madagascar, the Screw Pine is not a Pine but a tropical tree.
A fruit had started to ripen on a dioecious Female Screw Pine tree.
Pandanus utilis
Family Pandanaceae
Pandanus Lake, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, USA.
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The Map shows the exact GPS Coordinates of my Camera (Latitude / Longitude / Altitude). They have been Geotagged in this image's EXIF file by my accompanying GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr.
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Borneo Bootcamp participants in front of the world's tallest tropical tree rising 88.33m into the sky.
One of the favorite Florida trees. The sound of the wind in them. The piles of pine tags that carpet the ground and make my woodland walk quiet and peaceful.
This variety has especially long pine tags which transition in color from a yellow green to a blue green near the top. The 1/2 inch pine cones are another walking hazard, just the right size to get caught between the toes and pinch and prick.
Australian pine is a large vase-shaped tree that grows 100-150 ft (30.5-45.7 m) in height with wispy grey green twigs reminiscent of pine needles. The weeping branchlets look a little like jointed rushes and are ringed at their nodes by tightly overlapping little scalelike leaves. The stout trunk is covered with thick pebbly textured brownish grey bark. The tree is supported by a dense, spreading, fibrous root system. The male flowers are borne in slender cylindrical spikes at the twig tips. The tiny brownish red female flowers grow in heads attached to the branchlets and are followed by 0.5 in (1.3 cm) diameter fruits that resemble pinecones and contain 70-90 winged seeds each. Australian pine produces minor quantities of fruit constantly, but it usually goes through two major blooming and fruiting cycles each year. In Florida, there is a peak bloom period in April and a secondary one in September, with the largest numbers of seed becoming available in June and December. Australian pine often grows 5-10 ft (1.5-3.1 m) per year and has been known to reach 30 ft (9.1 m) in two years. In Florida, the usual life span of an Australian pine is 40-50 years, but there are reports that they can live hundreds of years in parts of their native range.
Australian pine is native from Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the Pacific, but it has been planted and has naturalized on beaches, berms, and similar open coastal sites in tropical areas throughout the world. In its native region, Australian pine occurs in habitats ranging from subtropical thorn scrubland to wet forest. The trees grow best in slightly uneven topography where holes and swales hold rainwater reserves. Recently disturbed places, cleared vacant lots and filled wetlands are ideal.
Casuarina equisetifolia
Common Names: Australian pine, horsetail casuarina, she-oak, horsetail tree, beefwood, Polynesian ironwood
Family: Casuarinaceae (casuarina Family)
Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, North Miami, FL.
For more, see my set Woods, weeds and streams.
See also, Beautiful but INVASIVE.
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,201, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.
The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles, are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,285 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains.
This a tropical tree view in Santos, Brazil.
Santo Amaro island is seen at the bottom of the image in the Atlantic Ocean.
Azores - São Miguel -
At the edge of the tropical tree line of Lagoa das Furnas there is a charming lake in the middle of São Miguel Island. Emerging from this fairytale landscape is the slim tower of a neo-Gothic church that dates to 1882. What began as a testament to the ailing spouce of a wealthy Azorean gardener and amateur botanist, ended up as one of the most evocative churches in the whole archipelago.
Lychee (variously spelled litchi, liechee, liche, lizhi or li zhi, or lichee) is a tropical tree native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China, where cultivation is documented from 1059 AD. China is the main producer of lychees, followed by India, other countries in Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and South Africa.
A tall evergreen tree, the lychee bears small fleshy fruits. The outside of the fruit is pink-red, roughly textured and inedible, covering sweet flesh eaten in many different dessert dishes. Since the perfume-like flavour is lost in the process of canning, the fruit is usually eaten fresh.
Lychees are extensively grown in China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and the rest of sub-tropical Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and more recently in South Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia and the United States.
They require a tropical climate that is frost-free and is not below the temperature of -4°C. Lychees also require a climate with high summer heat, rainfall, and humidity. Growth is best on well-drained, slightly acidic soils rich in organic matter and mulch.
A wide range of cultivars are available, with early and late maturing forms suited to warmer and cooler climates respectively. They are also grown as an ornamental tree as well as for their fruit.
According to folklore, a lychee tree that is not producing much fruit can be girdled, leading to more fruit production. When the centre opening of trees is carried out as part of training and pruning, stereo fruiting can be achievved for higher orchard productivity.
Description source: Wikipedia
Image source: Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 27212