Argent was taking steroids for an intestinal problem for several years. After she died earlier in the month, we had several pills left. Recently, Bonkers' rear legs stopped working very well (or, to be more accurately, worse than their normally bad working condition) and the vet prescribed steroids. (Bonkers also got a steroid shot while at the vet.) So, Argent's remaining steroid pills will help Bonkers.

 

Bonkers is walking around today the same as he used to - not well. But, that's a lot better than recently when he had a very hard time to walk at all. In this picture, he is walking by Norio, and is on his rounds through my room to make sure no one unauthorized is in the room.

Dagga is the South African terminology for cannabis. This however is not cannabis but a beautiful wild flower (Leonotis leonorus) which flowers at this time of year and is native to Southern Africa. It is known for its medicinal and mild psychoactive properties. It attracts birds, mainly sunbirds, as well as various insects such as butterflies - and as you can see many little flying insects. Its medicinal uses include fevers, headaches, dysentery, flu, chest infections, epilepsy, constipation, delayed menstruation, intestinal worms, spider bites, scorpion stings, hypertension and snakebites. One experimental animal study suggests that "the aqueous leaf extract of Leonotis leonurus possesses antinociceptive, antiinflammatory, and hypoglycemic properties; thus lending pharmacological credence to folk usage of the herb in the management and/or control of painful, arthritic, and other inflammatory conditions, as well as for adult-onset, type-2 diabetes mellitus in some communities of South Africa."

 

Information taken from Wikipedia.

 

I do thank all of you for your kind wishes yesterday, I had a wonderful day. At present I am loaded with work which is lovely but time-consuming so I may not be around as much as I like. On the other hand I will try to sneak a peak whenever I can.

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), a subspecies of the red junglefowl, is a type of domesticated fowl, originally from Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult male bird. A younger male may be called a cockerel; a male that has been castrated is a capon. The adult female bird is called a hen. "Chicken" was originally a term only for an immature, or at least young, bird, but thanks to its usage on restaurant menus has now become the most common term for the subspecies in general, especially in American English. In older sources common fowl or domestic fowl were typically used for this.

 

Originally raised for cockfighting or for special ceremonies, chickens were not kept for food until the Hellenistic period (4th–2nd centuries BCE). Humans now keep chickens primarily as a source of food (consuming both their meat and eggs) and as pets.

 

Chickens are one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23.7 billion as of 2018, up from more than 19 billion in 2011. There are more chickens in the world than any other bird. There are numerous cultural references to chickens – in myth, folklore and religion, and in language and literature.

 

Genetic studies have pointed to multiple maternal origins in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia,[5] but the clade found in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa originated from the Indian subcontinent. From ancient India, the chicken spread to Lydia in western Asia Minor, and to Greece by the 5th century BCE. Fowl have been known in Egypt since the mid-15th century BCE, with the "bird that gives birth every day" having come from the land between Syria and Shinar, Babylonia, according to the annals of Thutmose III

 

Etymology

According to Merriam-Webster, the term "rooster" (i.e. a roosting bird) originated in the mid- or late 18th century as a euphemism to avoid the sexual connotation of the original English "cock", and is widely used throughout North America. "Roosting" is the action of perching aloft to sleep at night, which is done by both sexes.

 

General biology and habitat

Chickens are omnivores. In the wild, they often scratch at the soil to search for seeds, insects and even animals as large as lizards, small snakes, or young mice.

The average chicken may live for five to ten years, depending on the breed. The world's oldest known chicken was a hen which died of heart failure at the age of 16 years according to the Guinness World Records.

 

Roosters can usually be differentiated from hens by their striking plumage of long flowing tails and shiny, pointed feathers on their necks (hackles) and backs (saddle), which are typically of brighter, bolder colours than those of females of the same breed. However, in some breeds, such as the Sebright chicken, the rooster has only slightly pointed neck feathers, the same colour as the hen's. The identification can be made by looking at the comb, or eventually from the development of spurs on the male's legs (in a few breeds and in certain hybrids, the male and female chicks may be differentiated by colour). Adult chickens have a fleshy crest on their heads called a comb, or cockscomb, and hanging flaps of skin either side under their beaks called wattles. Collectively, these and other fleshy protuberances on the head and throat are called caruncles. Both the adult male and female have wattles and combs, but in most breeds these are more prominent in males. A muff or beard is a mutation found in several chicken breeds which causes extra feathering under the chicken's face, giving the appearance of a beard. Domestic chickens are not capable of long-distance flight, although lighter chickens are generally capable of flying for short distances, such as over fences or into trees (where they would naturally roost). Chickens may occasionally fly briefly to explore their surroundings, but generally do so only to flee perceived danger.

 

Behavior

Social behaviour

Chickens are gregarious birds and live together in flocks. They have a communal approach to the incubation of eggs and raising of young. Individual chickens in a flock will dominate others, establishing a "pecking order", with dominant individuals having priority for food access and nesting locations. Removing hens or roosters from a flock causes a temporary disruption to this social order until a new pecking order is established. Adding hens, especially younger birds, to an existing flock can lead to fighting and injury. When a rooster finds food, he may call other chickens to eat first. He does this by clucking in a high pitch as well as picking up and dropping the food. This behaviour may also be observed in mother hens to call their chicks and encourage them to eat.

 

A rooster's crowing is a loud and sometimes shrill call and sends a territorial signal to other roosters. However, roosters may also crow in response to sudden disturbances within their surroundings. Hens cluck loudly after laying an egg, and also to call their chicks. Chickens also give different warning calls when they sense a predator approaching from the air or on the ground.

 

Crowing

Roosters almost always start crowing before four months of age. Although it is possible for a hen to crow as well, crowing (together with hackles development) is one of the clearest signs of being a rooster.

 

Rooster crowing contests

Rooster crowing contests are a traditional sport in several countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States, Indonesia and Japan. The oldest contests are held with longcrowers. Depending on the breed, either the duration of the crowing or the times the rooster crows within a certain time is measured.

 

Courtship

To initiate courting, some roosters may dance in a circle around or near a hen ("a circle dance"), often lowering the wing which is closest to the hen. The dance triggers a response in the hen and when she responds to his "call", the rooster may mount the hen and proceed with the mating.

 

More specifically, mating typically involves the following sequence: 1. Male approaching the hen. 2. Male pre-copulatory waltzing. 3. Male waltzing. 4. Female crouching (receptive posture) or stepping aside or running away (if unwilling to copulate). 5. Male mounting. 6. Male treading with both feet on hen's back. 7. Male tail bending (following successful copulation).

 

Nesting and laying behaviour

Hens will often try to lay in nests that already contain eggs and have been known to move eggs from neighbouring nests into their own. The result of this behaviour is that a flock will use only a few preferred locations, rather than having a different nest for every bird. Hens will often express a preference to lay in the same location. It is not unknown for two (or more) hens to try to share the same nest at the same time. If the nest is small, or one of the hens is particularly determined, this may result in chickens trying to lay on top of each other. There is evidence that individual hens prefer to be either solitary or gregarious nesters.

 

Broodiness

Under natural conditions, most birds lay only until a clutch is complete, and they will then incubate all the eggs. Hens are then said to "go broody". The broody hen will stop laying and instead will focus on the incubation of the eggs (a full clutch is usually about 12 eggs). She will "sit" or "set" on the nest, protesting or pecking in defense if disturbed or removed, and she will rarely leave the nest to eat, drink, or dust-bathe. While brooding, the hen maintains the nest at a constant temperature and humidity, as well as turning the eggs regularly during the first part of the incubation. To stimulate broodiness, owners may place several artificial eggs in the nest. To discourage it, they may place the hen in an elevated cage with an open wire floor.

 

Breeds artificially developed for egg production rarely go broody, and those that do often stop part-way through the incubation. However, other breeds, such as the Cochin, Cornish and Silkie, do regularly go broody, and they make excellent mothers, not only for chicken eggs but also for those of other species — even those with much smaller or larger eggs and different incubation periods, such as quail, pheasants, ducks, turkeys, or geese.

Hatching and early life

 

Fertile chicken eggs hatch at the end of the incubation period, about 21 days. Development of the chick starts only when incubation begins, so all chicks hatch within a day or two of each other, despite perhaps being laid over a period of two weeks or so. Before hatching, the hen can hear the chicks peeping inside the eggs, and will gently cluck to stimulate them to break out of their shells. The chick begins by "pipping"; pecking a breathing hole with its egg tooth towards the blunt end of the egg, usually on the upper side. The chick then rests for some hours, absorbing the remaining egg yolk and withdrawing the blood supply from the membrane beneath the shell (used earlier for breathing through the shell). The chick then enlarges the hole, gradually turning round as it goes, and eventually severing the blunt end of the shell completely to make a lid. The chick crawls out of the remaining shell, and the wet down dries out in the warmth of the nest.

 

Hens usually remain on the nest for about two days after the first chick hatches, and during this time the newly hatched chicks feed by absorbing the internal yolk sac. Some breeds sometimes start eating cracked eggs, which can become habitual. Hens fiercely guard their chicks, and brood them when necessary to keep them warm, at first often returning to the nest at night. She leads them to food and water and will call them toward edible items, but seldom feeds them directly. She continues to care for them until they are several weeks old.

 

Defensive behaviour

Chickens may occasionally gang up on a weak or inexperienced predator. At least one credible report exists of a young fox killed by hens. A group of hens have been recorded in attacking a hawk that had entered their coop.

 

Reproduction

Sperm transfer occurs by cloacal contact between the male and female, in a maneuver known as the "cloacal kiss".

 

Embryology

Chicken embryos have long been used as model systems to study developing embryos. Large numbers of embryos can be provided by commercial chicken farmers who sell fertilized eggs which can be easily opened and used to observe the developing embryo. Equally important, embryologists can carry out experiments on such embryos, close the egg again and study the effect later on. For instance, many important discoveries in the area of limb development have been made using chicken embryos, such as the discovery of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) and the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA) by John W. Saunders.

 

In 2006, scientists researching the ancestry of birds "turned on" a chicken recessive gene, talpid2, and found that the embryo jaws initiated formation of teeth, like those found in ancient bird fossils. John Fallon, the overseer of the project, stated that chickens have "...retained the ability to make teeth, under certain conditions... ."

 

Genetics and genomics

Given its eminent role in farming, meat production, but also research, the house chicken was the first bird genome to be sequenced. At 1.21 Gb, the chicken genome is considerably smaller than other vertebrate genomes, such as the human genome (3 Gb). The final gene set contained 26,640 genes (including noncoding genes and pseudogenes), with a total of 19,119 protein-coding genes in annotation release 103 (2017), a similar number of protein-coding genes as in the human genome.

 

Physiology

Populations of chickens from high altitude regions like Tibet have special physiological adaptations that result in a higher hatching rate in low oxygen environments. When eggs are placed in a hypoxic environment, chicken embryos from these populations express much more hemoglobin than embryos from other chicken populations. This hemoglobin also has a greater affinity for oxygen, allowing hemoglobin to bind to oxygen more readily.

 

Breeding

Origins

Galliformes, the order of bird that chickens belong to, is directly linked to the survival of birds when all other dinosaurs went extinct. Water or ground-dwelling fowl, similar to modern partridges, survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event that killed all tree-dwelling birds and dinosaurs. Some of these evolved into the modern galliformes, of which domesticated chickens are a main model. They are descended primarily from the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) and are scientifically classified as the same species. As such, domesticated chickens can and do freely interbreed with populations of red junglefowl. Subsequent hybridization of the domestic chicken with grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl and green junglefowl occurred; a gene for yellow skin, for instance, was incorporated into domestic birds through hybridization with the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii). In a study published in 2020, it was found that chickens shared between 71% - 79% of their genome with red junglefowl, with the period of domestication dated to 8,000 years ago.

 

The traditional view is that chickens were first domesticated for cockfighting in Asia, Africa, and Europe. In the last decade, there have been a number of genetic studies to clarify the origins. According to one early study, a single domestication event which took place in what now is the country of Thailand gave rise to the modern chicken with minor transitions separating the modern breeds. However, that study was later found to be based on incomplete data, and recent studies point to multiple maternal origins, with the clade found in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, originating from the Indian subcontinent, where a large number of unique haplotypes occur. The red junglefowl, known as the bamboo fowl in many Southeast Asian languages, is well adapted to take advantage of the vast quantities of seed produced during the end of the multi-decade bamboo seeding cycle, to boost its own reproduction. In domesticating the chicken, humans took advantage of this predisposition for prolific reproduction of the red junglefowl when exposed to large amounts of food.

 

Several controversies still surround the time the chicken was domesticated. Recent molecular evidence obtained from a whole-genome study published in 2020 reveals that the chicken was domesticated 8,000 years ago. Though, it was previously thought to have been domesticated in Southern China in 6000 BC based on paleoclimatic assumptions which has now raised doubts from another study that question whether those birds were the ancestors of chickens today. The majority of the world's domestic chickens may be traced to the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley. Eventually, the chicken moved to the Tarim basin of central Asia. It reached Europe (present-day Romania, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine) about 3000 BC. Introduction into Western Europe came far later, about the 1st millennium BC. Phoenicians spread chickens along the Mediterranean coasts as far as Iberia. Breeding increased under the Roman Empire, and was reduced in the Middle Ages. Genetic sequencing of chicken bones from archaeological sites in Europe revealed that in the High Middle Ages chickens became less aggressive and began to lay eggs earlier in the breeding season.

 

Middle Eastern chicken remains go back to a little earlier than 2000 BC, in Syria; chickens went southward only in the 1st millennium BC. They reached Egypt for purposes of cockfighting about 1400 BC, and became widely bred only in Ptolemaic Egypt (about 300 BC). Little is known about the chicken's introduction into Africa. It was during the Hellenistic period (4th-2nd centuries BC), in the Southern Levant, that chickens began widely to be widely domesticated for food. This change occurred at least 100 years before domestication of chickens spread to Europe.

Three possible routes of introduction into Africa around the early first millennium AD could have been through the Egyptian Nile Valley, the East Africa Roman-Greek or Indian trade, or from Carthage and the Berbers, across the Sahara. The earliest known remains are from Mali, Nubia, East Coast, and South Africa and date back to the middle of the first millennium AD.

 

Domestic chicken in the Americas before Western contact is still an ongoing discussion, but blue-egged chickens, found only in the Americas and Asia, suggest an Asian origin for early American chickens.

 

A lack of data from Thailand, Russia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa makes it difficult to lay out a clear map of the spread of chickens in these areas; better description and genetic analysis of local breeds threatened by extinction may also help with research into this area.

 

South America

An unusual variety of chicken that has its origins in South America is the Araucana, bred in southern Chile by the Mapuche people. Araucanas, some of which are tailless and some of which have tufts of feathers around their ears, lay blue-green eggs. It has long been suggested that they pre-date the arrival of European chickens brought by the Spanish and are evidence of pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contacts between Asian or Pacific Oceanic peoples, particularly the Polynesians, and South America. In 2007, an international team of researchers reported the results of analysis of chicken bones found on the Arauco Peninsula in south-central Chile. Radiocarbon dating suggested that the chickens were Pre-Columbian, and DNA analysis showed that they were related to prehistoric populations of chickens in Polynesia. These results appeared to confirm that the chickens came from Polynesia and that there were transpacific contacts between Polynesia and South America before Columbus's arrival in the Americas.

 

However, a later report looking at the same specimens concluded:

A published, apparently pre-Columbian, Chilean specimen and six pre-European Polynesian specimens also cluster with the same European/Indian subcontinental/Southeast Asian sequences, providing no support for a Polynesian introduction of chickens to South America. In contrast, sequences from two archaeological sites on Easter Island group with an uncommon haplogroup from Indonesia, Japan, and China and may represent a genetic signature of an early Polynesian dispersal. Modeling of the potential marine carbon contribution to the Chilean archaeological specimen casts further doubt on claims for pre-Columbian chickens, and definitive proof will require further analyses of ancient DNA sequences and radiocarbon and stable isotope data from archaeological excavations within both Chile and Polynesia.

 

The debate for and against a Polynesian origin for South American chickens continued with this 2014 paper and subsequent responses in PNAS.

 

Use by humans

 

Farming

Main articles: Poultry farming and Chicken as food

More than 50 billion chickens are reared annually as a source of meat and eggs. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and more than 300 million chickens are reared for egg production.

The vast majority of poultry are raised in factory farms. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry meat and 68 percent of eggs are produced this way. An alternative to intensive poultry farming is free-range farming.

Friction between these two main methods has led to long-term issues of ethical consumerism. Opponents of intensive farming argue that it harms the environment, creates human health risks and is inhumane. Advocates of intensive farming say that their highly efficient systems save land and food resources owing to increased productivity, and that the animals are looked after in state-of-the-art environmentally controlled facilities.

 

Reared for meat

Main article: Broiler

Chickens farmed for meat are called broilers. Chickens will naturally live for six or more years, but broiler breeds typically take less than six weeks to reach slaughter size. A free range or organic broiler will usually be slaughtered at about 14 weeks of age.

 

Reared for eggs

Main article: Egg as food

Chickens farmed primarily for eggs are called layer hens. In total, the UK alone consumes more than 34 million eggs per day. Some hen breeds can produce over 300 eggs per year, with "the highest authenticated rate of egg laying being 371 eggs in 364 days". After 12 months of laying, the commercial hen's egg-laying ability starts to decline to the point where the flock is commercially unviable. Hens, particularly from battery cage systems, are sometimes infirm or have lost a significant amount of their feathers, and their life expectancy has been reduced from around seven years to less than two years. In the UK and Europe, laying hens are then slaughtered and used in processed foods or sold as "soup hens". In some other countries, flocks are sometimes force moulted, rather than being slaughtered, to re-invigorate egg-laying. This involves complete withdrawal of food (and sometimes water) for 7–14 days or sufficiently long to cause a body weight loss of 25 to 35%, or up to 28 days under experimental conditions. This stimulates the hen to lose her feathers, but also re-invigorates egg-production. Some flocks may be force-moulted several times. In 2003, more than 75% of all flocks were moulted in the US.

 

As pets

Keeping chickens as pets became increasingly popular in the 2000s among urban and suburban residents. Many people obtain chickens for their egg production but often name them and treat them as any other pet. Chickens are just like any other pet in that they provide companionship and have individual personalities. While many do not cuddle much, they will eat from one's hand, respond to and follow their handlers, as well as show affection.

 

Chickens are social, inquisitive, intelligent[84] birds, and many find their behaviour entertaining. Certain breeds, such as Silkies and many bantam varieties, are generally docile and are often recommended as good pets around children with disabilities. Many people feed chickens in part with kitchen food scraps.

 

Chickens can carry and transmit salmonella in their dander and feces. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise against bringing them indoors or letting small children handle them.

 

Cockfighting

 

A cockfight is a contest held in a ring called a cockpit between two cocks known as gamecocks. This term, denoting a cock kept for game, sport, pastime or entertainment, appears in 1646, after "cock of the game" used by George Wilson in the earliest known book on the secular sport, The Commendation of Cocks and Cock Fighting of 1607. Gamecocks are not typical farm chickens. The cocks are specially bred and trained for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are removed from a young gamecock because, if left intact, they would be a disadvantage during a match. This process is called dubbing. Sometimes the cocks are given drugs to increase their stamina or thicken their blood, which increases their chances of winning. Cockfighting is considered a traditional sporting event by some, and an example of animal cruelty by others and is therefore outlawed in most countries. Usually wagers are made on the outcome of the match, with the survivor or last bird standing declared winner.

Chickens were originally used for cockfighting, a sport where 2 male chickens or "cocks" fight each other until one dies or becomes badly injured. Cocks possess congenital aggression toward all other cocks to contest with females. Studies suggest that cockfights have existed even up to the Indus Valley Civilisation as a pastime. Today it is commonly associated with religious worship, pastime, and gambling in Asian and some South American countries. While not all fights are to the death, most use metal spurs as a "weapon" attached above or below the chicken's own spur and with this typically results in death in one or both cocks. If chickens are in practice owners place gloves on the spurs to prevent injuries. It has been banned it most western countries and debated by animal rights activist for its brutality.

 

Artificial incubation

Incubation can successfully occur artificially in machines that provide the correct, controlled environment for the developing chick. The average incubation period for chickens is 21 days but may depend on the temperature and humidity in the incubator. Temperature regulation is the most critical factor for a successful hatch. Variations of more than 1 °C (34 °F) from the optimum temperature of 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) will reduce hatch rates. Humidity is also important because the rate at which eggs lose water by evaporation depends on the ambient relative humidity. Evaporation can be assessed by candling, to view the size of the air sac, or by measuring weight loss. Relative humidity should be increased to around 70% in the last three days of incubation to keep the membrane around the hatching chick from drying out after the chick cracks the shell. Lower humidity is usual in the first 18 days to ensure adequate evaporation. The position of the eggs in the incubator can also influence hatch rates. For best results, eggs should be placed with the pointed ends down and turned regularly (at least three times per day) until one to three days before hatching. If the eggs aren't turned, the embryo inside may stick to the shell and may hatch with physical defects. Adequate ventilation is necessary to provide the embryo with oxygen. Older eggs require increased ventilation.

 

Many commercial incubators are industrial-sized with shelves holding tens of thousands of eggs at a time, with rotation of the eggs a fully automated process. Home incubators are boxes holding from 6 to 75 eggs; they are usually electrically powered, but in the past some were heated with an oil or paraffin lamp.

 

Diseases and ailments

See also: Poultry disease

Chickens are susceptible to several parasites, including lice, mites, ticks, fleas, and intestinal worms, as well as other diseases. Despite the name, they are not affected by chickenpox, which is generally restricted to humans.

  

History

An early domestication of chickens in Southeast Asia is probable, since the word for domestic chicken (*manuk) is part of the reconstructed Proto-Austronesian language (see Austronesian languages). Chickens, together with dogs and pigs, were the domestic animals of the Lapita culture, the first Neolithic culture of Oceania.

The first pictures of chickens in Europe are found on Corinthian pottery of the 7th century BC.

Chickens were spread by Polynesian seafarers and reached Easter Island in the 12th century AD, where they were the only domestic animal, with the possible exception of the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans). They were housed in extremely solid chicken coops built from stone, which was first reported as such to Linton Palmer in 1868, who also "expressed his doubts about this".

 

[Credit: en.wikipedia.org]

My Blog

 

DESCRIZIONE:

 

La Margherita è fornita di un rizoma corto da cui, durante la stagione autunnale, si sviluppano alcune rosette di foglie che nella primavera successiva producono dei fusti semplici o ramificati alti fino a un metro.

Le foglie sono di varie forme con margine dentato o inciso.

I fiori sono riuniti in capolini di alcuni centimetri di diametro.

Vi sono due tipi di fiori: quelli periferici dotati di una lunga ligula bianca che termina all’apice con due o tre denti, e quelli interni gialli che hanno una corolla tubulare divisa invece all’apice in cinque piccoli lobi.

 

PROPRIETA':

 

I fiori della Margherita hanno proprietà tossifughe, antispasmodiche, astringenti.

Infatti, mediante infuso, possono essere utilizzati per calmare la tosse, i dolori addominali dovuti a coliche intestinali e per regolare e stimolare il ciclo mestruale.

Mediante sciacqui, gargarismi, lavaggi, possono essere utilizzati come astringenti e lenitivi nel caso di abrasioni, piccole scottature, infiammazioni di bocca, gola e gengive.

Può essere usata nella cosmesi per normalizzare le pelli grasse, impure, con pori dilatati.

The outer skin and spines enfold the internal skeleton and structures as seen here. These animals are essentially covered in a muscular skin which invaginates into a closed pocket to protect itself. In the process the spines become erect making them very prickly, indeed. When not rolled up in defense they are quite soft to the touch. When they are used to people they can be quite endearing pets. The black areas inside are air (in the lungs) and stomach / intestinal gas. And like many pet hedgies, this one is a tad over-conditioned.

Negli ultimi anni la consapevolezza sui danni provocati dal Glutine sulla salute delle persone è molto cresciuta.

 

Secondo un sondaggio, pubblicato nel 2013, un terzo degli americani ha deciso di fare cose concrete per eliminare il Glutine dalla propria dieta (Guarda qui il grafico).

 

Ma l’alimentazione senza Glutine non è soltanto una delle solite mode. Ormai sono tantissimi gli studi che dimostrano i danni gravi che il Glutine provoca sulla salute.

 

Ecco, di seguito, 6 scioccanti motivi che rendono il Glutine dannoso per la salute e perché devi iniziare subito ad eliminarlo.

 

1. La Celiachia è in forte aumento, eppure ampiamente non diagnosticata nella maggior parte delle persone che potrebbero esserne affette.

Il Glutine è un complesso proteico contenuto in molti cereali: frumento, farro, segale, orzo, kamut ecc.

 

E’ composto da due proteine: Gliadina e Glutenina. Fra le due proteine è la Gliadina quella a cui la stragrande maggioranza delle persone sviluppa una reazione di intolleranza allergica.

 

Quando le farine dei cereali contenenti Glutine si mischiano con l’acqua, questo inizia a formare un legame colloso con parecchie altre proteine e conferisce una proprietà elastica all’impasto, cosa che permette di ottenere, man mano che viene lavorato, il pane.

 

Non a caso il termine Glutine richiama alla mente il verbo agglutinare, che significa saldare due o più elementi con sostanze adesive, incollare.

 

Cosa succede nei soggetti sensibili al glutine

 

Quando il Glutine arriva nel tratto digestivo, entra in contatto con le cellule del sistema immunitario. Le cellule, per errore, lo scambiano per un invasore esterno, un po’ come avviene per i batteri.

 

Nei soggetti più sensibili al Glutine, accade che, il sistema immunitario inizia a scatenare attacchi contro la sostanza, percepita come estranea e nemica. Nella Celiachia, la forma più acuta e grave di intolleranza al Glutine, il sistema immunitario non si limita ad attaccare la proteina, ma estende il suo attacco anche all’enzima presente nel tratto digestivo, la Transglutaminasi.

 

Quindi il contatto col Glutine, nelle persone soggette a Celiachia, porta il sistema immunitario ad attaccare la proteina e la parete intestinale, causando carenze nutrizionali, problemi di digestione, anemia, affaticamento, accresciuta difficoltà a contrastare le malattie, maggiore esposizione al rischio di contrarre malattie gravi.

 

La Celiachia colpisce l’1% della popolazione, con un aumento negli anziani ma, approfondite ricerche, evidenziano che la percentuale della popolazione celiaca è in rapida, costante crescita (Leggi qui gli studi 1, 2).

 

Bisogna tenere a mente che la maggior parte dei celiaci non ha sintomi intestinali, per questo è molto difficile diagnosticare il disturbo. I sintomi possono riguardare non solo l’affaticamento o l’anemia, ma possono anche mostrarsi in modo più grave, nell’aumento dei rischi di mortalità (Leggi qui gli studi 1, 2).

 

Si pensa che l’80% dei malati di Celiachia ignora del tutto di essere vittima di questa gravissima intolleranza (Leggi qui lo studio).

 

Conclusione: la Celiachia colpisce almeno l’1% della popolazione, è in forte aumento, l’80% dei malati non ne è consapevole.

 

Continua a leggere "Le 6 sconvolgenti verità sui danni provocati dal Glutine"

 

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Avena selvatica

 

Pianta erbacea che cresce ai bordi delle strade, ma in passato era una importante fonte alimentare. Fiorisce da maggio ad agosto.

 

Esistono almeno 50 specie di avena; le più comuni in Italia sono l'avena fatua, la sterilis e la barbada.

 

L'avena è un erba annua, abbastanza rustica, che si adatta facilmente a climi umidi e freddi. Viene coltivata soprattutto a scopo di foraggio, ma trova un ottimo impiego anche nell'alimentazione umana.

 

Contiene ferro, glutine, amido e materie azotate ad azione stimolante. L'avena è ricca di vitamine e sali minerali ad azione energetica.

 

Generalmente si utilizzano i semi, raccolti a perfetta maturazione e conservati lontano dall'umidità.

 

Fonte: benessere/erboristeria...

  

reddenoticias.com/salud-y-vida/dice-rostro-salud/

El color de nuestros ojos, el tipo de piel, las arrugas, las ojeras, las facciones,… todo nuestro rostro habla de nosotras, de nuestra salud, de nuestro estado emocional, de nuestra alimentación.

En este artículo explicamos algunas de estas señales que no sólo pueden ser una curiosidad, sino que nos pueden ayudar a conocernos mejor a nosotras mismas y a mejorar algunas cuestiones de salud.

El cutis

El tipo de piel de nuestro cutis hace referencia a la alimentación, la cual debe contener ácidos grasos esenciales y recibir la suficiente hidratación (a través del agua y los alimentos crudos) para lucir nutrida. Por el contrario, cuando tiene un exceso de grasa o granitos significa que estamos consumiendo un exceso de grasas y que éstas no son saludables para nuestro organismo.

skin treatment applying

La tensión facial

Cuando una persona es demasiado exigente con ella misma o con los demás, esa tensión suele manifestarse también en los rasgos de la cara, los cuales aparecen rígidos, y en tensiones en la zona de la mandíbula, que en algunos casos pueden ocasionar bruxismo, dolores de cabeza y otros problemas de salud.

El color de nuestros ojos

Los colores se dividen en tres:

Azul: personas activas, físicamente resistentes, motivadas y sensibles, con tendencia a problemas del sistema nervioso.

Castaño: personas que no suelen padecer problemas de salud hasta pasados los treinta años, cuando pueden aparecerles problemas circulatorios, alérgicos o trastornos en las analíticas.

Verde o mezcla de ambos colores: son una combinación de los ojos azules y castaños, y por lo tanto pueden reunir las características de unos u otros según si su color es más claro o más oscuro.

ojo neuroticcamel

Las ojeras

Muchas personas suelen tener ojeras habitualmente, y esto, además de dar un aspecto cansado y envejecido a nuestro rostro, puede tener un significado según el color de las ojeras:

Color amarillo: casi siempre señala al hígado y la vesícula, y en este caso significa que estos órganos están trabajando por encima de sus posibilidades.

Color oscuro o negro: nos indican que los que están afectados son los riñones, la vejiga y los órganos reproductivos, fruto de algún antiguo problema en el sistema digestivo.

Color pálido o gris: hace referencia también a los riñones o, en algunos casos, a los pulmones. En este caso alguno de estos órganos no funciona correctamente por culpa de un drenaje linfático incorrecto. En otros casos podría hacer referencia al sistema hormonal.

Patas de gallo

Las patas de gallo o arrugas que aparecen en los laterales de los ojos también indican que el hígado está debilitado, por lo que si las empezamos a tener desde temprana edad convendrá cuidar a este órgano con una buena alimentación y teniendo en cuenta que las emociones negativas como la ira también le afectan directamente.

Las pupilas

Ya sabemos que las pupilas adaptan su tamaño a la luz del lugar donde estamos, pero cuando observamos que están más grandes de lo normal, independientemente de la iluminación, esto puede deberse a estados de estrés o bien a la presencia de parásitos intestinales. La parasitosis la confirmaremos si también notamos picor en la punta de la nariz, tenemos problemas intestinales o digestivos, apetito alterado, ansiedad, etc.

Bolsas debajo de los ojos

Las bolsas de agua que aparecen debajo de los ojos, que suelen dar un aspecto de tristeza y agotamiento, nos están diciendo que los órganos digestivos y excretores están congestionados. El cuerpo no está expulsando correctamente las sustancias tóxicas. A veces estas bolsas aparecen al despertarnos, después de haber cenado tarde o en exceso, y pueden desaparecer en unas horas, pero de todas maneras hay que tenerlo en cuenta para ayudar a depurar el organismo.

Cuando estas bolsas se vuelven crónicas y en vez de agua contienen grasa ya es un estado más grave, convendría hacernos un chequeo para descartar posibles órganos inflamados o la presencia de algún quiste.

La punta de la nariz enrojecida

La punta de la nariz enrojecida hace referencia a un corazón que trabaja en exceso, por lo que deberemos controlarlo especialmente si tenemos antecedentes familiares o personales de problemas cardíacos, cuidando la alimentación, realizando ejercicio suave, controlando las analíticas, entre otros.

Macro Mondays - Poisonous

 

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a widespread, tall, strong scented herb, with deeply toothed leaves. The entire plant is toxic and capable of causing severe illness and sometimes death. The volatile oil of Tansy contains toxic compounds including thujone, which can cause convulsions and liver & brain damage. Tansy is sometimes misused as an herbal tea. Poisoning symptoms include rapid and feeble pulse, stomach lining inflammation, spasms and convulsions. The dried leaves and flowers have been used to kill intestinal worms, promote menstruation, and cause abortion. www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/?cid=fsm9_019170

Aahhhh... the month of December ....... I was in the hospital most of that month following intestinal surgery with Several complications. So it stands to reason, that I didn't have time to decorate Lauren's house. My hospital was already built so I made Lauren suffer like I did! Only she just had a severe case of intestinal flu!!

These photos show her when she 1st arrived and the progress she made, & then her release.

 

A case where dolls mimic us!!!

Gibson's worm cakes used chocolate to disguise the taste

of medicines used to treat intestinal roundworm infestations.

 

-- The Canadian Druggist, Toronto

---------

ROBERT GIBSON, 1832 - 1911,

the former Lord Mayor, died in Manchester Town Hall.

He was head of the firm of Robert Gibson & Sons of Hulme, Manchester.

 

-- Roots Chat

Deep down in the bowels and intestinal catacombs shadowy figuers carry out their insecent work.......Somewhere below 1 2017.

Primeiramente, Feliz dia das Mulheres! :)

 

Essa semana foi muito, mas muiiiiiiiiiito tensa pra mim. Quem não quiser ler isso pode pular pro final do post hauahau Segunda tinha exame de curva de lactose pra fazer (em busca do causador do meu problema intestinal que dura mais de 1 ano)... E aí que eu caí da escada as 6 horas da manhã antes de ir fazer o exame. 3 horas de hospital, depois de chamar o hugo, chorar de dor, achar que nunca mais ia sentar novamente, descobri que foi só uma lasquinha no cóccix. Esse esmalte usei pra homenagear a cor que minha bunda ficou :( Com certeza, o maior roxão da história (e olha que eu era campeã de roxos quando era pequena) hauahau.

O exame ficou pra quarta, quando eu já podia encostar minha bunda numa cadeira sem chorar, e adivinhem quantos furos no braço pra tirar sangue? SETE!

Além de não sentar eu não mexia os braços, e tinha vontade de nunca mais sair da minha cama (aliado ao fato de que etava/estou na tpm).

 

Desanimei total e fui passando pelas galerias que estou atrasada, e comentei até não aguentar mais sentar, mas ainda falta muita gente, então esperem, qdo eu melhorar bem eu deito no sofá e bora comentar (coisa que ainda não consigo fazer sem dizer: ai ai ai)

 

___________________

Agora, sobre o esmalte.

 

Logo que cheguei do hospital resolvi pintar a unha, coisa que ia me fazer esquecer a dor. Foi de pé merrrmo, mas até que ficou digna. Esse esmalte é mto mto mto mto lindo, e adivinha com o que ele parece? Com os Liquid Sand! Ele tem muita textura, aí ele tem 2 camadas de TC e como vocês podem ver, ainda ta meio fosco e arenoso. Sem TC, ele fica lindo tbm, mas me arrependi de ter passado essas 2 camadas, queria me sentir rica e feliz achando que estava com um OPI HAUAHAU

 

1x Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

2x Color Club - Gift of Sparkle

2x TC Lorena

 

Quem sabe amanha posto fotos dele com mais TC (5 camadas) hauahau sim.

 

Torçam pela minha recuperação, e tbm, pra meu presentinho de dia das mulheres chegar (já que o correio empacou ahuaha)

 

Beijos meninas, um lindo dia pra vocês <3

  

Il a neigé cette nuit , mais ce matin le soleil a tout fait fondre ...

Figareine m'a gardé à l'intérieur jusqu'à midi , car il ne fait actuellement que 3 ° et j'ai eu de nouveaux problèmes intestinaux hier et cette nuit ...

Je crois que je vais battre Isa pour les allergies aux médicaments !!!

... and another Green Eyed Flower Bee??

 

Elecampane is an herb. The root is used to make medicine.

 

Elecampane is used for conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, intestinal worms, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses!

 

In foods and beverages, elecampane is used to provide flavour.

 

In other manufacturing processes, elecampane is used as a fragrance in cosmetics and soaps.

 

Elecampane contains chemicals that can kill worms that infest the gut. Elecampane also contains chemicals that seem to reduce inflammation.

 

As with all the wild plants that have uses in local lore, it comes laden with many folk names - see tags!!

.

Abused & Abandoned Jungle Dogs.

 

No# 1 & Mr Little Larry The Pipsqueak.

 

Mr Larry is going crazy trying to say hello

to me and no# 1 plus stuffing food in his

mouth all at the same time. He did it too.

 

So here's the deal ---

 

Once Mr Larry was washed we headed

to the dog clinic. His blood was checked

and found to have parasites causing lung

problems and intestinal problems as well.

 

Mr Dog Doctor pumped Larry full of antibodies

and some other stuff too. No# 1 is talking with

Mr Dog Doctor about taking him home with us

or back to The Dog Palace ? Mr Dog Doctor said

Larry has enough antibodies in him to last a few

days as long as the nuns will give him some pills.

 

No# 1 & I decided the car was running well enough

to get Mr Larry back to the temple, hand off the

pills to the nuns and check on him in a few days.

 

We really didn't want to bring Mr Larry to our place.

As much as we love dogs it would be a tremendous

problem and right now we have enough problems !

 

Mr Larry is back at The Dog Palace with Mr LegMan.

The nuns have his medications and I will be going

back out there soon to do a checkup on him. If

he needs to go back to the clinic I will do that.

Right now it's best he stay with Mr LegMan.

 

He can heal up better there then

being stressed out at our place.

 

We are home now and it is still pouring rain !

  

Thank you for your comments and donations.

 

Thank You.

Jon&Crew.

 

Please help with your temple dog donations here.

www.gofundme.com/saving-thai-temple-dogs.

  

Please,

No Political Statements, Awards, Invites,

Large Logos or Copy/Pastes.

© All rights reserved.

     

.

Bailey suffers from both Sarcoptic Mange and Demodectic mange (as well as other infections and intestinal parasites).

 

After a nice warm bath that washed away the dirt, he started wagging his tail and then he really enjoyed his early dinner.

Every Chinese Doctor I have been to says that I have cold energy in my stomach. So I am always willing to try anything to get rid of this cold energy. Rather than living a healthy life of constant physical activity, restricted computer use, and all the other modern things that we do to make us unbalanced creatures - I chose to put myself through ancient practices - like STOMACH FIREBURNING or MOXA (mugwart) steaming!!!!

 

So the philosophy behind fireburning is that the fire's heat will warm up your stomach - it will start moving the cold energy out and help you restore your yin energy. After 5 times of lighting a fire and putting the fire out on my stomach - I felt so wonderful. In between each fireburning, the doctor massaged my stomach - it's the best feeling in the world. It felt as if he was caressing every part of my large and small intestinal track and giving it lots of love and care. And the best part is that in the end- when the fire burning is done correctly - he takes off the saran wrap, medicine cloth, and starts Doggy Paddling down from the top of my stomach to the very bottom of my intestines - you can HEAR A RIVER of activity going on inside! it's totalllly FREAKY - I could hear a river gurgling - as if he was totally giving me a full plumbing system overhaul!

he said that when performed with the right type of fire shapes, the doggy paddling takes all the released coldness and moves it out.

 

the whole entire time I focused on using qi gong breathing techniques - because I am super sensitive to energy I could feel the cold air flowing out of the bottom of my feet.

 

But then for a few min before or after the process - sometimes I feel that I am inadequate as a human being when I do these things because it reminds me of how out of touch I am with my body, the earth, and the stars. So going to the Chinese doctor for me is like a form of rebirth and a bit of self-punishment (for not being healthy when I am living in the states). But then I think - is it only when I travel - when I'm farthest away from everything and everyone that I intimately know - is that the only time I feel that I can take care of myself without feeling guilty? Is it only when I am unreachable that I recover from everyday life in the states - when my family stuff is so far away that it is absolutely out of my control? Then I start thinking that's stupid tricia - peace is where you are - but sometimes I feel that the only way to really extract myself out of my own life is to leave the country and cross an ocean away. I wonder if this is a pattern of modern life now - middle class people overworking and then leaving for a few months every year or few years to prevent burn out and just to re-balance. It certainly has become a pattern in my life - is the amount of traveling we do equivalent to the amount of stress we have at home? sometimes I think so...

 

well anyways this is seriously the best form of self-punishment - when the doctor tells me that my yin-yang isn't balanced - it actually makes me really excited to become more balanced again. I am always excited for them to say - "ok here your energy is blocked, so that's why your hair is turning white or that's why your bowel movements aren't regular." When they tell me how unbalanced I am, I start thinking about how I can take better care of myself.

 

AFter fireburning, the doctor told me of all the herbs and foods that I should eat to heal my body. for example, I need to eat more lemon peels. This time the doctor told me that my health was pretty good, but my back and neck is messed up from years of sitting in front of a computer. Plus I haven't been meditating or dancing as much lately :(

 

So I love this herbal/ancient practice - only in china...only in china. In India I tried going to the medicinal doctor - I actually went to 3 of them because I really wanted to give it a chance - well each on told me that I was too much of a "pita" and they threw my naked body on a slap of hard wood and started dumping herbal oil on me and then the woman rubbed the oil on me forcing my bones into the wood table and I slid around like a dead fish - I tried to grab onto the wood but it was impossible! - may sound wonderful-(hmm hands + oil) BUT NOT!!!!!! it was painful and the worst part was that I didn't feel more balanced afterwards. SO I've decided China is the place for me to go for medicinal care.

 

Edición por el mexicano Tadeo , basada en una foto original de Leopoldo Correa

 

La foto original veala Acá

Carline thistle, is a medicinal plant herbaceous perennial thorny, whitish green.

The ground has a thick rhizome, swivel.

The stem is aerial, 1-2 cm short or missing.

The leaves are arranged in rosette, rigid, pinnate sector, pronounced edgy, spiky, thorn long, sharp silicon.

The flowers are arranged in a terminal inflorescence, large diameter of 7-12 (15) cm, reddish brown.

Calatidiul is surrounded by involucral leaflets rigid green, off-white glossy inwards, outwards black.

Carline thistle fruit - achene 4-5 mm, with puppets.

It is prevalent in mountain regions up on hills, through hay fields and pastures, rocks, soils poor in minerals, alkaline dry.

It blooms in August and September.

Body plant used: rhizome and roots.

Harvesting: is done with the spade, the earth and shake well, only if necessary, rinse quickly under running water, cut into pieces 5-6 cm.

Natural drying in ventilated or air bridges electric to 40 degrees C.

Carline thistle-Natural treatments

Carline thistle preparations are complementary renal disease, detoxification, digestive dyspepsia, biliary dyskinesia, staph infections, eliminate intestinal worms, bronchial catarrh. ... read more ...

   

Esta atractiva planta perenne, miembro de la familia de la menta (Lamiaceae), se originó en las colinas bajas de la India. En la actualidad se cultiva en todo el mundo como planta de ornato. La raíz y hojas se utiliza con fines medicinales.

 

NOMBRE CIENTIFICO:

Plectranthus barbatus

Solenostemun barbatus.

OTROS NOMBRES:

Coleus Forskolin

 

Propiedades medicinales: antidispéptica, anti-reumáticas, broncodilatador, calmante, cardioativa, Carmine, colagoga, colerética, estomáquica, el hígado, el estómago hiposecretora, hipotensor, tónico. Indicaciones: asma, bronquitis, diarrea (extracto crudo de las hojas es antiviral), la fatiga del hígado, trastornos intestinales, hepatitis, cólicos y congestión del hígado, estreñimiento, inapetencia, cálculos biliares, de organización debilidad, insomnio, alcohol resaca. Parte utilizada: hojas frescas, las raíces.

 

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca.)

Pandas can spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo (around 14 Kg) which is 99% of their diet.. They still have the gastro-intestinal system of a carnivore ,which is rather inefficient for a vegetarian ; hence the large quantity of bamboo needed.

Taken at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in China.

Another trip to the beautiful Kallithea Springs.

 

The Kallithea facilities were inaugurated by the Italians in a grand ceremony on 1 July 1929, attracting large numbers of patients and scientists from across the world.

The thermal springs at Kallithea, Rhodes, have been known since antiquity for the beneficial properties of the red waters springing from the surrounding rocks.

In August and September, crowds of visitors came to the area regularly or set up makeshift camps in the surrounding area to be near the spring.

Since the time of the Dorian Hexapolis and the era of the Knights, this wonderful spring has attracted visitors from the surrounding islands and the coasts of Asia Minor, even from the depths of the Orient. The spring was a meeting place for Orthodox, Muslims and Jews.

At this point on the island, known to the locals as "Tsillonero" after the water's cleansing properties, the political governor of the islands, Mario Lago, took the initiative in 1927 to conduct a systematic study of its waters, for creating a modern-day hydrotherapy clinic.

In December 1928, the first buildings were constructed.

The waters at Kallithea were suited for the treatment of conditions such as arthritis, skin conditions, obesity, diabetes, tropical diseases, dysentery, malaria, allergies, asthma, cystitis, diarrhoea and intestinal conditions.

Following years of desolation and abandonment, the Municipality of Kallithea and Mayor Ioannis Iatridis undertook the work of restoration in 1999. The doors to the springs reopened on 1 July 2007 after years of renovation and restoration.

   

Having a poo whilst being pregnant. You can see the intestinal tract and the poo.

For 15 months our hearts were breaking. It was like watching Bruno die in slow motion. Two regular vets, two internal medicine specialists, ultrasounds, endless blood work, two different antibiotics, probiotics, extremely expensive prescription food, all with nearly no improvement as he continued to waste away. For the doctors, the next (and only) alternative was invasive surgery to collect biopsies of Bruno's intestinal tract, which terrified us. Feeling there was nothing to lose we decided to try transitioning Bruno to a raw diet. It was the one thing all the doctors never seemed willing to suggest.

 

I'll cut to the chase.

 

35 days ago we started by giving him a raw turkey neck in addition to the ground beef and oatmeal the second specialist had him on. Under close supervision, he knew exactly how to eat it, mashing it up very well before swallowing. The same on day 2, but this time he was not so interested in the ground beef/oatmeal. This was very surprising because he loved it. On day 3, he would not eat the ground beef/oatmeal. We were shocked. What we had planned to be a slow transition over several weeks was over in three days. His condition has improved dramatically almost overnight. He has not had blood and mucous in his stool, he has stopped vomiting and has gained three pounds. We're fine tuning the diet to get it well balanced nutritionally, but this is not difficult as dogs' bodies are able to get nearly everything they need from meat, fat and bone.

 

I know he's not completely out of the woods, but this turn around has given us great hope and tears of joy.

It's been different around here. First, let me thank you all for the wonderful support you're giving me through your comments. I appreciate you all very much! I wish you all lived right here by me so I could hug y'all!

 

I've been really, really sick this past week and a half. I'm doing MUCH better. The doctor says I have an intestinal infection. It hurt bad, but there's hardly any pain left now. However, I haven't been in the mood for packing, and the house has started looking (and smelling) funky, so it's a good thing I'm almost better. I was able to work a few hours yesterday, and have already put in a couple of hours today. I should be out of here by next week if all goes well. I still have to coordinate with the man who's moving me.

 

It shouldn't be a hard move. I've sold literally tons of furniture and appliances I won't need, given another ton or two of do-dads and nic-nacs to the thrift store, and brought another ton or two to the dump. I still have lots of stuff left, but it all makes for a much lighter move. And I've discovered a hidden talent I didn't know I had--selling furniture and appliances. Something to fall back on if my retirement account disappears. (Not so LOL!)

 

I hope to be back on Flickr in about 2 weeks. Once I get everything to the new house, I have to unpack--ugh! No more moves after this one, except into the Promised Land. Amen!

 

I've still been taking pictures, and I work on them at night for recreation, so I have plenty to post once I'm back. Be prepared for something wonderful, because I've been taking my time on each picture and practice makes perfect.

 

Well, I'd better shut up and get out of here before I embarrass myself. See y'all soon!

Abbiamo cenato in uno dei ristorantini sfuocati sullo sfondo. Qualcuno iniziava ad accusare sintomi di un virus intestinale che avrebbe caratterizzato l'ultima parte della vacanza ;)

certain areas of this background reminds me of what might happen in your stomach after a huge meal at your favorite buffet...

         

Some action shots at: www.molotow.com/magazine/blog/blog/2011/01/01/geser-5/

  

Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. Geranium is also the botanical name and common name of a separate genus of related plants, also known as cranesbills. Both genera belong to the family Geraniaceae. Carl Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, Geranium, and they were later separated into two genera by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1789.

 

While Geranium species are mostly temperate herbaceous plants, dying down in winter, Pelargonium species are evergreen perennials indigenous to warm temperate and tropical regions of the world, with many species in southern Africa. They are drought and heat tolerant but can tolerate only minor frosts. Some species are extremely popular garden plants, grown as houseplants and bedding plants in temperate regions. They have a long flowering period, with flowers mostly in red, orange, or white, but intensive breeding has produced a huge array of cultivars with great variety in size, flower colour, leaf form and aromatic foliage.

 

Etymology

 

One of hundreds of garden and houseplant cultivars

The name Pelargonium is derived from the Greek πελαργός, pelargós (stork), because the seed head looks like a stork's beak. Dillenius originally suggested the name 'stork', because Geranium was named after a crane — "a πελαργός, ciconia, sicuti vocamus Gerania, γερανός, grus" (from pelargos, stork, as we call the Gerania, geranos, crane).

 

Description

Pelargonium occurs in a large number of growth forms, including herbaceous annuals, shrubs, subshrubs, stem succulents and geophytes. The erect stems bear five-petaled flowers in umbel-like clusters, which are occasionally branched. Because not all flowers appear simultaneously, but open from the centre outwards, this is a form of inflorescence is referred to as pseudoumbels.

 

The flower has a single symmetry plane (zygomorphic), which distinguishes it from the Geranium flower, which has radial symmetry (actinomorphic). Thus the lower three (anterior) petals are differentiated from the upper two (posterior) petals. The posterior sepal is fused with the pedicel to form a hypanthium (nectary tube). The nectary tube varies from only a few millimeters, up to several centimeters, and is an important floral characteristic in morphological classification. Stamens vary from 2 to 7, and their number, position relative to staminodes, and curvature are used to identify individual species. There are five stigmata in the style. For the considerable diversity in flower morphology, see figure 1 of Röschenbleck et al. (2014).

 

Leaves are usually alternate, and palmately lobed or pinnate, often on long stalks, and sometimes with light or dark patterns. The leaves of Pelargonium peltatum (Ivy-leaved Geranium), have a thick cuticle better adapting them for drought tolerance.

 

Taxonomy

 

Dillenius' introduction of the term 'Pelargonium' in Hortus Elthamensis 1732

 

Pelargonium inquinans, (Geranium Afric. arborescens), Hortus Elthamensis

Pelargonium is the second largest genus (after Geranium) within the family Geraniaceae, within which it is sister to the remaining genera of the family in its strict sense, Erodium, Geranium, and Monsonia including Sarcocaulon. The Geraniaceae have a number of genetic features unique amongst angiosperms, including highly rearranged plastid genomes differing in gene content, order and expansion of the inverted repeat.

 

Genus history

The name Pelargonium was first proposed by Dillenius in 1732, who described and illustrated seven species of geraniums from South Africa that are now classified as Pelargonium. Dillenius, who referred to these seven species with apparent unique characteristics as Geranium Africanum (African Geranium) suggested "Possent ergo ii, quibus novi generis cupido est, ea, quorum flores inaequales vel et irrregulares sunt, Pelargonia vocare" (Those who wish a new genus can therefore call those, whose flowers are unequal or irregular, ‘Pelargonia’). The name was then formally introduced by Johannes Burman in 1738. However Carl Linnaeus who first formally described these plants in 1753 did not recognise Pelargonium and grouped together in the same genus (Geranium) the three similar genera Erodium, Geranium, and Pelargonium. Linnaeus' reputation prevented further differentiation for forty years. The eventual distinction between them was made by Charles L’Héritier based on the number of stamens or anthers, seven in the case of Pelargonium. In 1774, P. cordatum, P. crispum, P. quercifolium and P. radula were introduced, followed by P. capitatum in 1790.

 

Circumscription

Pelargonium is distinguished from the other genera in the family Geraniaceae by the presence of a hypanthium, which consists of an adnate nectar spur with one nectary, as well as a generally zygomorphic floral symmetry.

 

Subdivision

De Candolle first proposed dividing the genus into 12 sections in 1824, based on the diversity of growth forms. Traditionally the large number of Pelargonium species have been treated as sixteen sections, based on the classification of Knuth (1912) who described 15 sections, as modified by van der Walt et al. (1977-1997) who added Chorisma, Reniformia and Subsucculentia.

 

These are as follows;

 

section Campylia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle

section Chorisma (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle

section Ciconium (Sweet) Harvey

section Cortusina (DC.) Harvey

section Glaucophyllum Harvey

section Hoarea (Sweet) de Candolle

section Isopetalum (Sweet) de Candolle

section Jenkinsonia (Sweet) de Candolle

section Ligularia (Sweet) Harvey

section Myrrhidium de Candolle

section Otidia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle

section Pelargonium (Sweet) Harvey

section Peristera de Candolle

section Polyactium de Candolle

section Reniformia (Knuth) Dreyer

section Subsucculentia J.J.A. van der Walt

Phylogenetic analyses

All subdivision classifications had depended primarily on morphological differences till the era of phylogenetic analyses (Price and Palmer 1993). However phylogenetic analysis shows only three distinct clades, labelled A, B and C. In this analysis not all sections were monophyletic, although some were strongly supported including Chorisma, Myrrhidium and Jenkinsonia, while other sections were more paraphyletic. This in turn has led to a proposal, informal at this stage, of a reformulation of the infrageneric subdivision of Pelargonium.

 

In the proposed scheme of Weng et al. there would be two subgenera, based on clades A+B, and C respectively and seven sections based on subclades. Subsequent analysis with an expanded taxa set confirmed this infrageneric subdivision into two groups which also correspond to chromosome length (<1.5 μ, 1.5-3.0μ), but also two subclades within each major clade, suggesting the presence of four subgenera, these correspond to clades A, B, C1 and C2 of the earlier analysis, A being by far the largest clade with 141 taxa. As before the internal structure of the clades supported monophyly of some sections (Myrrhidium, Chorisma, Reniformia, Pelargonium, Ligularia and Hoarea) but paraphyly in others (Jenkinsonia, Ciconium, Peristera). A distinct clade could be identified within the paraphyletic Polyactium, designated section Magnistipulacea. As a result, Polyactium has been split up to provide this new section, which in itself contains two subsections, Magnistipulacea and Schizopetala, following Knuth's original treatment of Polyactium as having four subsections.

 

Subgenus Pelargonium section Otidia: P. crithmifolium

Thus Röschenbleck et al. (2014) provide a complete revision of the subgeneric classification of Pelargonium based on four subgenera corresponding to their major clades (A, B, C1, C2);

 

subgenus Magnipetala Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium praemorsum (Andrews) F Dietrich

subgenus Parvulipetala Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium hypoleucum Turczaninow

subgenus Paucisignata Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium zonale (L.) L'Hér. in Aiton

subgenus Pelargonium L'Hér. Type: Pelargonium cucullatum (L.) Aiton

Sixteen sections were then assigned to the new subgenera as follows, although many species remained only assigned to subgenera at this stage

 

subgenus Magnipetala 3 sections

section Chorisma (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 4 species

section Jenkinsonia (Sweet) de Candolle - 11 species

section Myrrhidium de Candolle - 8 species

subgenus Parvulipetala 3 sections

section Isopetalum (Sweet) de Candolle - 1 species (Pelargonium cotyledonis (L.) L'Hér.)

section Peristera de Candolle - 30 species

section Reniformia (Knuth) Dreyer - 8 species

subgenus Paucisignata 2 sections

section Ciconium (Sweet) Harvey - 16 species

section Subsucculentia J.J.A. van der Walt - 3 species

subgenus Pelargonium 8 sections

section Campylia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 9 species

section Cortusina (DC.) Harvey - 7 species

section Hoarea (Sweet) de Candolle - 72 species

section Ligularia (Sweet) Harvey - 10 species

section Magnistipulacea Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium schlecteri Knuth - 2 subsections

subsection Magnistipulacea Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium schlecteri Knuth - 2 species (P. schlecteri & P. luridum)

subsection Schizopetala (Knuth) Roeschenbl. & F. Albers Type: Pelargonium caffrum (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Steudel - 3 species (P. caffrum, P. bowkeri, P. schizopetalum)

section Otidia (Lindley ex Sweet) de Candolle - 14 species

section Pelargonium L'Hér. - 34 species

section Polyactium de Candolle - 2 subsections

subsection Caulescentia Knuth - 1 species (Pelargonium gibbosum)

subsection Polyactium de Candolle - 7 species

Subgenera

Subgenus Magnipetala: Corresponds to clade C1, with 24 species. Perennial to short lived, spreading subshrubs, rarely herbaceous annuals. Petals five, but may be four, colour mainly white. Mainly winter rainfall region of South Africa, spreading into summer rainfall region. One species in northern Namibia and Botswana. Two species in East Africa and Ethiopia. Chromosomes x=11 and 9.

 

Subgenus Parvulipetala: Corresponds to clade B, with 39-42 species. Perennials, partly annuals. Petals five and equal, colour white or pink to deep purplish red. Mainly South Africa, but also other southern hemisphere except South America. a few species in East Africa and Ethiopia. Chromosomes x=7-19.

 

Subgenus Paucisignata: Corresponds to clade C2, with 25-27 species. Erect sometimes trailing shrubs or subshrubs, rarely geophytes or semi-geophytes. Petals five and equal, colour pink to red sometimes white. Summer rainfall region of South Africa, spreading into winter rainfall region and northern Namibia, with a few species in tropical Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia Minor. Chromosomes x=mainly 9 or 10, but from 4-18.

 

Subgenus Pelargonium: Corresponds to clade A, with 167 species. Frequently xerophytic deciduous perennials with many geophytes and succulent subshrubs, less frequently woody evergreen shrubs or annual herbs. Petals five, colour shades of pink to purple or yellow. Winter rainfall region of South Africa and adjacent Namibia, spreading to summer rainfall area, and two species in tropical Africa. Chromosomes x=11, may be 8-10.

 

Species

Main article: List of Pelargonium species

Pelargonium has around 280 species. Röschenbleck et al lists 281 taxa. There is considerable confusion as to which Pelargonium are true species, and which are cultivars or hybrids. The nomenclature has changed considerably since the first plants were introduced to Europe in the 17th century.

 

Distribution

Pelargonium is a large genus within the family Geraniaceae, which has a worldwide distribution in temperate to subtropical zones with some 800 mostly herbaceous species. Pelargonium itself is native to southern Africa (including Namibia) and Australia. Southern Africa contains 90% of the genus, with only about 30 species found elsewhere, predominantly the East African rift valley (about 20 species) and southern Australia, including Tasmania. The remaining few species are found in southern Madagascar, Yemen, Iraq, Asia Minor, the north of New Zealand and isolated islands in the south Atlantic Ocean (Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha) and Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The centre of diversity is in southwestern South Africa where rainfall is confined to the winter, unlike the rest of the country where rainfall is predominantly in the summer months. Most of the Pelargonium plants cultivated in Europe and North America have their origins in South Africa.

 

Ecology

Pelargonium species are eaten by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the noctuid moth angle shades, Phlogophora meticulosa. The diurnal butterflies Cacyreus marshalli and C. tespis (Lycaenidae), native to southern Africa, also feed on Geranium and Pelargonium. C. marshallii has been introduced to Europe and can develop into a pest on cultivated Pelargoniums. It has naturalised along the Mediterranean, but does not survive the winter in Westen Europe.

 

The Japanese beetle, an important agricultural insect pest, becomes rapidly paralyzed after consuming flower petals of the garden hybrids known as "zonal geraniums" (P. × hortorum). The phenomenon was first described in 1920, and subsequently confirmed. Research conducted by Dr. Christopher Ranger with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and other collaborating scientists have demonstrated the excitatory amino acid called quisqualic acid present within the flower petals is responsible for causing paralysis of the Japanese beetle. Quisqualic acid is thought to mimic L-glutamic acid, which is a neurotransmitter in the insect neuromuscular junction and mammalian central nervous system.

 

A study by the Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects group at the University of Sussex on the attractiveness of common garden plants to pollinators found that a cultivar of Pelargonium × hortorum was unattractive to pollinators in comparison to other selected garden plants such as Lavandula (lavender) and Origanum.

 

Pests and diseases

Main articles: List of geranium diseases, Pelargonium flower break virus, and Pelargonium line pattern virus

The geranium bronze butterfly is a pest of Pelargonium species. The larvae of the geranium bronze bore into the stem of the host plant, causing the stem to typically turn black and die soon after. Geranium bronze are currently listed as an A2 quarantine pest by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization and can cause significant damage to Pelargonium species.

 

Cultivation

 

Pelargonium triste, the first species of its genus to be cultivated, here shown in its native habitat in Cape Town

Various types of Pelargonium are regular participants in flower shows and competitive events, with numerous societies devoted exclusively to their cultivation. They are easy to propagate vegetatively from cuttings. It is recommended that cuttings should have at least two nodes. Zonal geraniums grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 12. Zonal geraniums are basically tropical perennials. Although they are often grown as annuals, they may overwinter in zones as cool as zone 7.

 

Cultivation history

The first species of Pelargonium known to be cultivated was P. triste, a native of South Africa. It was probably brought to the Botanical Garden in Leiden before 1600 on ships which had stopped at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1631, the English gardener John Tradescant the elder bought seeds from Rene Morin in Paris and introduced the plant to England. By 1724, P. inquinans, P. odoratissimum, P. peltatum, P. vitifolium, and P. zonale had been introduced to Europe.

 

Cultivars

 

Zonal pelargonium

There was little attempt at any rational grouping of Pelargonium cultivars, the growing of which was revived in the mid-twentieth century, and the origins of many if not most were lost in obscurity. In 1916 the American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858–1954) introduced two new terms for zonal and regal pelargoniums. Those pelargoniums which were largely derived from P. zonale he referred to as P. × hortorum (i.e. from the garden), while those from P. cucullatum he named P. × domesticum (i.e. from the home) In the late 1950s a list (the Spalding List) was produced in the United States, based on nursery listings and the 1897 list of Henri Dauthenay. It described seven groups, listing each cultivar with the list of its originator, and in most cases a date. These were Species, Zonals, Variegated-Leaved, Domesticum (Regals), Ivy-Leaved, Scented-Leaved and Old. In the 1970s the British Pelargonium and Geranium Society produced a checklist and the Australian Geranium Society started to produce a register but it was not completed till its author, Jean Llewellyn's death in 1999. None of these were published. The most complete list in its time was the 2001 compilation by The Geraniaceae Group, which included all cultivars up to 1959.

 

Registration of cultivars is the responsibility of the Pelargonium & Geranium Society (PAGS: formed in 2009 from the British Pelargonium and Geranium Society and the British and European Geranium Society) which administers the International Register of Pelargonium Cultivars. PAGS is the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) of the International Society for Horticultural Science for pelargoniums.

  

Contrasting leaves: Ivy-leaved Group (Left) Zonal Group (Right)

Cultivated pelargoniums are commonly divided into six groups in addition to species pelargoniums and primary hybrids. The following list is ordered by position in the PAGS classification. Abbreviations indicate Royal Horticultural Society usage.

 

A. Zonal (Z)

B. Ivy-leaved (I)

C. Regal (R)

D. Angel (A)

E. Unique (U)

F. Scented-leaved (Sc)

G. Species

H. Primary hybrids

Of these, A, U and Sc groups are sometimes lumped together as Species Derived (Sppd). This term implies that they are closely related to a species from which they were derived, and do not fit into the R, I or Z groups.

 

In addition to the primary groups, additional descriptors are used. The Royal Horticultural Society has created description codes. These include;

 

Cactus (Ca)

Coloured foliage (C)

Decorative (Dec)

Double (d)

Dwarf (Dw)

Dwarf Ivy-leaved (Dwl)

Frutetorum (Fr)

Miniature (Min)

Miniature Ivy-leaved (MinI)

Stellar (St)

Tulip (T)

Variegated (v)

These may then be combined to form the code, e.g. Pelargonium 'Chelsea Gem' (Z/d/v), indicating Zonal Double with variegated foliage. Crosses between groups are indicated with an ×, e.g. Pelargonium 'Hindoo' (R × U), indicating a Regal × Unique cross.

 

A. Zonal pelargoniums (Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey)

 

Pelargonium × hortorum (Zonal)

These are known as zonal geraniums because many have zones or patterns in the center of the leaves,[36] this is the contribution of the Pelargonium zonale parent. Common names include storksbill, fish or horseshoe geraniums.[50] They are also referred to as Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey. Zonal pelargoniums are tetraploid, mostly derived from P. inquinans and P. zonale, together with P. scandens and P. frutetorum.

 

Zonal pelargoniums are mostly bush-type plants with succulent stems grown for the beauty of their flowers, traditionally red, salmon, violet, white or pink. The scarlet colouring is attributed to the contribution of P. inquinans. Flowers may be double or single. They are the pelargoniums most often confused with genus Geranium, particularly in summer bedding arrangements. This incorrect nomenclature is widely used in horticulture, particularly in North America.

 

Zonals include a variety of plant types along with genetic hybrids such as hybrid ivy-leaved varieties that display little or no ivy leaf characteristics (the Deacons varieties), or the Stellar varieties. Hybrid zonals are crosses between zonals and either a species or species-derived pelargonium. There are hundreds of zonal cultivars available for sale, and like other cultivars are sold in series such as 'Rocky Mountain', each of which is named after its predominant colour, e.g. 'Rocky Mountain Orange', 'White', 'Dark Red', etc.

  

'Rocky Mountain Orange' (Zonal)

(i) Basic plants – Mature plants with foliage normally exceeding 180 mm (7 in) in height above the rim of the pot. For exhibition these should be grown in a pot exceeding 120 mm (4+3⁄4 in) in diameter but not normally exceeding 165 mm (6+1⁄2 in).

(ii) Dwarf plants – Smaller than basic. Mature plants with foliage more than 125 mm (5 in) above the rim of the pot, but not normally more than 180 mm (7 in). For exhibition should be grown in a pot exceeding 90 mm (3+1⁄2 in) but not exceeding 120 mm (4+3⁄4 in). They should not exceed 200 mm in height, grown in an 11 cm pot.

(iii) Miniature plants – Slowly growing pelargoniums. Mature plants with foliage normally less than 125 mm (5 in) above the rim of the pot. For exhibition should be grown in a pot not exceeding 90 mm (3+1⁄2 in). They should not exceed 125 mm in height, grown in a 9 cm pot.

(iv) Micro-miniature plants – Smaller and more slowly growing than miniature pelargoniums. Mature plants with foliage normally less than 100 mm (4 in) above the rim of the pot. They should not exceed 75 mm in height, grown in a 6 cm pot. Usually no separate classes for these in exhibition and will therefore normally be shown as Miniature Zonals.

(v) Deacon varieties –Genetic hybrid similar to a large Dwarf. For exhibition (when shown in a separate class), usually grown in a pot not exceeding 125 mm (5 in), otherwise as for Dwarf Zonals.

(vi) Stellar varieties – A relatively modern genetic hybrid originating from the work done by the Australian hybridiser Ted Both in the late 1950s and 1960s from crosses between Australian species and Zonal types. Easily identifiable by their distinctive half-star-shaped leaves and slim-petalled blooms which create an impression of being star shaped (or five fingered). Single varieties tend to have larger elongated triangular petals whereas doubles tend to have thin feathered petals that are tightly packed together. For exhibition purposes there is a separate class for 'Stellar' varieties, but being Zonals could be shown in an open class for Basic, Dwarf or Miniature Zonals (unless otherwise stated). Also known as "The Five-fingered Geraniums", "Staphysagroides", "Both’s Staphs", "Both’s Hybrid Staphs", "Fingered Flowers" and "Bodey’s Formosum Hybrids".

Fancy-leaf zonal pelargoniums – besides having green leaves with or without zoning, this group also have variable coloured foliage[50] that is sometimes used in classifying for exhibition purposes, e.g. ‘Bicolour’, ‘Tricolour’, ‘Bronze’ or ‘Gold’. Other foliage types are: ‘Black’ or ‘Butterfly’. There are an increasing number of these plants with showy blooms;

 

(a) Bicolour – includes those with white or cream veined leaves or those with two distinct colours with clearly defined edges, other than the basic zone.

(b) Tricolour – (May be Silver Tricolour (usually called a Silver Leaf) or a Gold Tricolour).

(i) Gold Tricolour – Leaves of many colours including red and gold, but usually with clearly defined edges of golden yellow and having a leaf zone, usually red or bronze, that overlays two or more of the other distinct leaf colours, so that the zone itself appears as two or more distinct colours.

(ii) Silver Tricolour or Silver Leaf – These tend to resemble a normal bi-colour leaf plant with two distinct colours usually of green and pale cream or white; the third colour is usually made up of bronze zoning. When this zoning overlays the green part of the leaf it is deemed to represent a silver colour.

(c) Bronze Leaved – Leaves of Green or Golden/Green with a heavy bronze or chestnut coloured centre zone which is known as a medallion. For exhibition purposes, when exhibited in specific ‘Bronze’ Leaf class – Must have over 50% of leaf surface bronze coloured. The dwarf plant ‘Overchurch’ which has a heavy bronze medallion.

(d) Gold Leaved – Leaves coloured golden/yellow or green/yellow but not showing a tendency to green. For exhibition purposes, when exhibited in specific ‘Gold’ Leaf class – Must have over 50% of leaf surface gold coloured.

(e) Black Leaved – Leaves coloured black, purple-black or with distinct large dark zones or centre markings on green.

(f) Butterfly Leaved – Leaves with a butterfly marking of distinct tone or hue in centre of leaf. This can be encompassed in many of the coloured leaf varieties.

Zonal pelargoniums have many flower types, as follows:

 

(a) Single flowered (S) – each flower pip normally having no more than five petals. This is the standard flower set for all Pelargoniums.

(b) Semi-double flowered (SD) – each flower pip normally having between six and nine petals.

(c) Double flowered (D)– each flower pip composed of more than nine petals (i.e. double the standard flower set) but not ‘hearted’ like the bud of a rose, e.g. the dwarf ‘Dovepoint’ which has full double blooms.

(d) Rosebud (or noisette) flowered – each bloom fully double and ‘hearted’. The middle petals are so numerous that they remain unopened like the bud of a rose.

(e) Tulip flowered – having semi-double blooms that never fully open. The large cup shaped petals open just sufficiently to resemble a miniature tulip.

(f) Bird's-egg group – having blooms with petals that have spots in a darker shade than the base colour, like many birds eggs.

(g) Speckled flowered group – having petals that are marked with splashes and flecks of another colour, e.g. ‘Vectis Embers’.

(h) Quilled (or cactus-flowered group, or poinsettia in USA) – having petals twisted and furled like a quill.

“Zonquil” pelargoniums result from a cross between Zonal pelargonium cultivars and P. quinquelobatum.

 

B. Ivy-leaved pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium peltatum)

 

Pelargonium peltatum (Ivy-leaved)

Also known as "ivy geraniums". Usually of lax growth (trailing), mainly due to the long thin stems, with thick, waxy ivy-shaped stiff fleshy evergreen leaves developed by the species P. peltatum to retain moisture during periods of drought. Much used for hanging pots, tubs and basket cultivation. In the UK the bulbous double-headed types are preferred whilst on the European continent the balcon single types for large-scale hanging floral displays are favoured. Ivy-leaved pelargoniums embrace all such growth size types including small-leaved varieties and genetic hybrid crosses, which display little or no zonal characteristics. May have bicolour leaves and may have flowers that are single, double or rosette. Ivy pelargoniums are often sold as series such as 'Great Balls of Fire', in a variety of colours such as 'Great Balls of Fire Burgundy'.

 

Additional descriptive terms include;

 

Hybrid Ivy — the result of ivy × zonal crosses, but still more closely resemble ivy-leaved pelargoniums.

Fancy leaf — leaves with marked color variation, together with or other than green.

Miniature — miniature leaves and flowers, stems with short nodes, and compact growth. e.g. 'Sugar Baby' listed as Dwarf Ivy (DwI) by RHS.

C. Regal pelargoniums (Pelargonium × domesticum Bailey)

 

'Karl Offenstein' (Regal)

These are large bush-type floriferous evergreen pelargoniums. In addition to "Regals" they are also known as “Show Pelargoniums”. In the United States they are often known as the "Martha Washington" or ‘"Lady Washington" pelargoniums. They are grown primarily for the beauty and richness of their flower heads, which are large. Most of those cultivars grown currently are the result of hybridization over the last 50 years. They are very short-jointed and compact, which results in their requiring very little work in order to create a floriforous and well-rounded plant. Flowers are single, rarely double, in mauve, pink, purple or white. They have rounded, sometimes lobed or partially toothed (serrated) leaves, unlike the Zonal groups, without any type of zoning.

 

Additional descriptive terms include;

Decorative pelargoniums (Decoratives) – Descendants of older, less compact, smaller-flowered varieties that are more suited to outdoor conditions. These have smaller flowers than Regal, but are otherwise similar. e.g. ‘Royal Ascot’

Miniature – Flowers and leaves similar to Regal, but miniature in form, with compact growth. Other terms include “Pansy Geraniums” or “Pansy Pelargoniums”. e.g. ‘Lara Susan’

Oriental pelargoniums – The result of crosses between Regals and members of the Angel group (see below). Some have bicolour foliage.

D. Angel pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium crispum)

 

'Angeleyes Randy' (Angel)

Angel pelargoniums are similar to Regal pelargoniums but more closely resemble P. crispum in leaf shape and growth habit. The majority of Angel cultivars originate from a cross between P. crispum and a Regal variety in the early part of the 20th century. Angels have grown in popularity in the last 30 years or so due mainly to an explosion of new varieties being released by specialist nurseries resulting from the work done by dedicated amateur hybridisers. These hybrisers have managed to obtain many new flower colour breaks and tighter growth habits resulting in plants suitable for all sorts of situations. Angels basically have the appearance of a small Regal with small serrated leaves and much smaller flowers and are more compact and bushy. The group extends to include similar small-leaved and -flowered types but usually with P. crispum in their parentage. They are mostly upright bush-type plants but there are some lax varieties that can be used for basket or hanging pot cultivation. Often called "pansy-faced" in the US. Some varieties have bicolour foliage. Other terms include ‘Langley-Smith Hybrids’.

 

E. Unique pelargoniums (derived from Pelargonium fulgidum)

 

Unique in sense of not fitting into any of the above categories. The parentage of Unique pelargoniums is confused and obscure. One theory being a derivation from P. fulgidum, but a derivation from an older cultivar 'Old Unique’, also known as or ‘Rollinson’s Crimson’, in the mid-19th century is also claimed. Unique pelargoniums resemble upright Scented Leaf pelargoniums in being shrubby and woody evergreens. They have distinctly scented leaves, and small flowers with blotched and feathered petals. They may have bicolour foliage. Some types, popularly known in the hobby as hybrid Uniques, have been crossed with Regal pelargoniums and, as a result of this cross, are much more floriferous.

 

Cultivar

Pelargonium graveolens (Scented leaf)

Shrubby evergreen perennials grown chiefly for their fragrance, may be species or cultivars but all must have a clear and distinct scented foliage. Scent is emitted when the leaves are touched or bruised with some scents aromatic, others pungent and in a few cases, quite unpleasant. Several of the scented leaved pelargoniums are grown for the oil geraniol, which is extracted from the leaves and is an essential oil much used commercially in perfumery. The scent of some species growing in their natural habitat, acts as a deterrent to grazing animals who appear to dislike the emitted scent. Conversely, it also attracts other insect life to visit the bloom and pollinate the plant. The scented leaves can be used for potpourri and they also have a use as flavourings in cooking. Occasionally scented types can be found in some of the other groups mentioned; for example, the Angels, having P. crispum in their genetic makeup, can often have a strong citrus scent. Leaves are lobed, toothed, incised or variegated. Growth habit is very variable, but the flowers are less prominent than other groups, and most closely resemble the species they originated from.

 

These include:

Pelargonium ionidiflorum (Scented leaf)

Almond - Pelargonium quercifolium

Apple - Pelargonium odoratissimum

Apple - Pelargonium cordifolium

Apple/Mint - Pelargonium album

Apricot/Lemon - Pelargonium scabrum

Balsam - Pelargonium panduriforme

Camphor - Pelargonium betulinum

Celery - Pelargonium ionidiflorum

Cinnamon - Pelargonium 'Ardwyck Cinnamon'

Coconut - Pelargonium grossalarioides (Pelargonium parriflorum)

Eau de Cologne - Pelargonium 'Brilliantine'

Eucalyptus - Pelargonium 'Secret Love'

Grapefruit - Pelargonium 'Poquita'

Ginger - Pelargonium 'Torrento' or 'Cola Bottles' which is a variety of Pelargonium x nervosum

Hazelnut - Pelargonium 'Odorata Hazelnut

Lavender - Pelargonium 'Lavender Lindy'

Lemon - Pelargonium crispum

Lemon - Pelargonium citronellum (Synonym - Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey')

Lemon Balm - Pelargonium x melissinum

Lime - Pelargonium x nervosum

Myrrh - Pelargonium myrrhifolium

Nutmeg - Pelargonium x fragrans

Old Spice - Variety of Pelargonium x fragrans

Orange - Pelargonium x citriodorum (Synonym - Pelargonium 'Prince of Orange')

Peach - Pelargonium 'Peaches and Cream'

Peppermint - Pelargonium tomentosum

Pine - Pelargonium denticulatum

Pineapple - Pelargonium 'Brilliant'

Raspberry - Pelargonium 'Red Raspberry'

Rose - Pelargonium graveolens (Synonym - Pelargonium roseum)

Rose - Pelargonium capitatum

Rose - Pelargonium radens

Southernwood - Pelargonium abrotanifolium

Spicy - Pelargonium exstipulatum

Strawberry - Pelargonium x scarboroviae

Cultivars

'Attar of Roses' - a cultivar of P. capitatum

'Crowfoot Rose' - a cultivar of P. radens

'Dr. Livingston' - a cultivar of P. radens

'Grey Lady Plymouth' - a cultivar of P. graveolens

'Prince Rupert' - a cultivar of P. crispum

G. Species pelargoniums

The species are the forefathers of all the cultivar groups listed above. In general, the definition of a species is that it breeds true, and is to be found doing this in the "wild". Species pelargoniums have a large diversity of characteristics in habit, shape, size and colour, which probably accounts for them having retained their popularity for more than 300 years.

 

H. Primary hybrids

A primary hybrid is recognised as being the resultant plant from a first-time cross between two different known species. Examples are P. × ardens – from P. lobatum × P. fulgidum (1810). P. × glauciifolium – from P. gibbosum × P. lobatum (1822). Usually, but not always, primary hybrids are sterile.

 

The following is a selection of pelargoniums which have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

 

'Attar of Roses' (rose scented leaves, pink flowers)

'Citriodorum' (lemon scented leaves, rose pink flowers

'Dolly Varden' (variegated leaves, scarlet flowers)

'Frank Headley' (cream vareigated leaves, salmon pink flowers)

'Fringed Aztec' (white & purple fringed flowers)

'Gemstone' (scented leaves, pink flowers)

'Grace Thomas' (lemon scented leaves, pale pink flowers)

'Joy' (pink & white frilled flowers)

'Lady Plymouth' (P. graveolens variegata - small mauve flowers)

'Lara Candy Dancer' (scented leaves, pale mauve flowers)

'Lara Starshine' (aromatic leaves, lilac flowers.

'L'Élégante' (ivy-leaved, trailing, white and purple flowers)

'Mabel Grey' (lemon-scented leaves, mauve flowers)

'Mrs Quilter' (bronze leaves, salmon pink flowers)

'Radula' (lemon & rose scented leaves, pink & purple flowers)

'Royal Oak' (balsam scented leaves, mauve flowers)

'Spanish Angel' (lilac & magenta flowers)

'Sweet Mimosa' (balsam-scented leaves, pale pink flowers)

'Tip Top Duet' (pink & wine-red flowers)

'Voodoo' (crimson & black flowers)

P. tomentosum (peppermint-scented leaves, small white flowers)

Usage

Ornamental plants

Pelargoniums rank as one of the highest number of potted flowering plants sold and also in terms of wholesale value.

 

Scented leaf pelargoniums

Other than being grown for their beauty, species such as P. graveolens are important in the perfume industry and are cultivated and distilled for their scents. Although scented pelargoniums exist which have smells of citrus, mint, pine, spices or various fruits, the varieties with rose scents are most commercially important. Pelargonium distillates and absolutes, commonly known as "scented geranium oil" are sometimes used to supplement or adulterate expensive rose oils. The oils of the scented pelargoniums contain citronellol, geraniol, eugenol, alpha-pinene and many other compounds. The edible leaves and flowers are also used as a flavouring in desserts, cakes, jellies and teas. Scented-leafed pelargoniums can be used to flavor jellies, cakes, butters, ice cream, iced tea and other dishes, The rose-, lemon- and peppermint-scents are most commonly used. Also used are those with hints of peach, cinnamon and orange. Commonly used lemon-scented culinary species include P. crispum and P. citronellum. Rose-scenteds include P. graveolens and members of the P. graveolens cultivar group. Other species and cultivars with culinary use include the lime-scented P. ‘Lime’, the lemon balm-scented P. ‘Lemon Balm’, the strawberry-lemon-scented P. ‘Lady Scarborough’ and the peppermint-scented P. tomentosum.[81] Scented leaf pelargoniums have also been historically used as toilet paper by fishermen in remote places, such as the Minquiers.

 

Herbal medicine

In herbal medicine, Pelargonium has been used for intestinal problems, wounds and respiratory ailments, but Pelargonium species have also been used for fevers, kidney complaints and other conditions. Geranium (Pelargonium) oil is considered a relaxant in aromatherapy, and in recent years, respiratory/cold remedies made from P. sidoides and P. reniforme have been sold in Europe and the United States. P. sidoides along with Echinacea is used for bronchitis. P. odoratissimum is used for its astringent, tonic and antiseptic effects. It is used internally for debility, gastroenteritis, and hemorrhage and externally for skin complaints, injuries, and neuralgia and throat infections. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy.

 

Pets

According to the ASPCA, these plants are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

 

Chemistry

Pelargonin (pelargonidin 3,5-O-diglucoside) is a petal pigment of the scarlet pelargonium.

 

Culture

The chemist, John Dalton, realized that he was color blind in 1794 when he heard others describe the color of the flowers of the pink Pelargonium zonale as pink or red, when to him it looked either pink or blue, having no relationship to red at all.

The Scary Dairy is only half of the attraction at this semi-off limits location. There is also a barn that is 12,400 years old. I saw on a local website that both this barn and dairy are considered haunted. Now I don't really believe in ghosts, but I do know if I was at either one of these locations in the middle of the night that my intestinal fortitude would be tested.

 

Here it is LARGE and you don't even have to pay the extended warranty.

 

It's Saturday night at 10pm, and I'm at home drinking some Country Time lemonade and looking at pictures I took last week. I rock! Tomorrow, however, a fun beach wedding with my father in law, so I am looking forward to that.

i turned 43 today. typically for birthdays i remove myself from whatever the day's activities would normally entail and go for a walk, either to a favourite part of the city or to some new unexplored place. given my knees, this year (and last) i decided to stay close to home and play around with hallowe'en costumes as i was invited to a small party by neighbours. the awful dress pants are a bit of the costume i left on - more of the rest later.

 

six years and two days ago i was diagnosed with cancer, exact specification unknown at the time, but likely non-hodgkin's lymphoma. nhl (the hockey cancer, a nurse brightly informed me) is the most common type of cancer and includes many diverse subtypes, some of them not terribly worrisome and some more deadly than a thousand cobras with guns soaked in cholesterol. my usual luck held up and i wound up on the nasty end of that continuum, though not at the extreme of it. that diagnosis comes with some cautions, though, as what i'm afflicted with is rare enough that no doctor wants to give much of a prediction for future events. i do know that not many people survive it, that it hits males of advanced age most typically, and that the subtype is still being nailed down and was first described in the late 70s or early 80s (and even that is argued about).

 

initially the doctors thought i had crohn's disease or some super form of colitis or ileitis. after having had my gallbladder removed when it rebelled and transformed itself into a toxic pudding ten years ago, i was warned about potential gastric freakouts down the road. i paid attention to my pancreas (who doesn't?) and had my bile tested from time to time. no real warning came until some heavy gastro-intestinal distress (the details of which i'll spare you) hit in the summer of 2004, followed by light-headedness. thankfully i have a smart doctor for a gp and he ordered dozens of tests, finally resulting in the cancer diagnosis (by a group of young french interns who had a camera ten kilometres up my ass). after visiting sunnybrook hospital i had a team of oncologists and began chemotherapy.

 

chemo is rarely easy, but my initial experience wasn't too bad. the first treatments made me feel a lot better right away, and having a plan of attack does wonders for you psychologically. my hair fell out in clumps and the skin around the follicles actually hurt, so shaving my head wasn't pleasant. being bald was not a problem, but the pain was annoying, as was seeing my beard fall out in patches, along with pubic hair. i don't shave, pluck, tweeze or manscape anything and frankly find that behaviour unappealing in the extreme, so i wasn't happy with the situation. eventually they fine-tuned the basic CHOP therapy i was receiving and the alteration of some of the chemicals stopped the hair apocalypse.

 

the second stage of my chemo involved some rather more serious chemicals. initially the cancer was found only in my intestine, a large section of which was promptly removed (and hopefully made into a bitter haggis), but as testing continued, it was found that my pet cancer had invaded other areas of my body and more bits and bobs had to be excised. i signed on from the beginning to be a part of as many studies as wanted me, some that were meant to educate new oncology doctors and nurses and some that were narrowly studying my subtype so that oncologists globally could learn more about it. that decision helped me later on when my knees needed attention, as a doctor in munich i found on the internet had treated someone there with a similar cancer and we used some of his techniques on me.

 

the third stage was simultaneously much easier and much more difficult at times. by the time i was receiving the third variation of chemo, i was well used to it and my body was dealing well with the healing poisons. then my oncologist found cancer cells present in my spinal fluid and had to whip out a big gun. i had to get injections directly in my spine, and that is not a comfortable feeling. as well, i began donating and banking (for myself) bone marrow in case the cancer invaded there. donating bone marrow is easier now than it was in the past, i'm told, but they still have to restrain people at times. new positioning dulls some of the pain and stress, but the essential problem remains: dealing with a large-bore needle as it's pushed deep into your back, penetrating your spine. inside that needle is a screw mechanism, and that is bored into the centre of your bone until it twists out a fairly big section of bone marrow. it's a unique feeling to have someone insert a rather large gauge needle into your back and screw bits out of the core of your bones while you can hear this awful scraping sound, your back turned, knowing that you pretty much have to do this or go buy a headstone. the pain is fleeting, though - once the needle and auger are removed, you feel very little. at this stage of my cancer i felt great and was back to work, even riding my bike up to the hospital (6 kilometres, approx.) for some treatments.

 

some of the stress and trauma is terrible, some of it far less problematic. each patient is affected differently, and some warnings i received in my initial "so you have cancer!" class never manifested as irritations. i only ever had very mild nausea, thankfully, but patients around me could keep nothing down. some foods changed, though - avocados tasted like crap the whole time i was in therapy, but i now enjoy them again. acidic foods are to be avoided when in chemo, but i love tomatoes and citrus so would eat them as much as i could stand - small mouth lesions often develop in patients, but i either have an iron mouth to match my gut or the chemicals didn't hurt me in that manner. i did wind up having to take steroids, though, and that's the source of much of my knee trouble. they cut off or impair oxygenated blood flow to the joints and extremities and as i was warned, this can result in bone death. avascular necrosis is the official diagnosis, and i have it in spades. so, two knees are gone and i'm now a cyborg, something that surprised all the doctors - apparently it's rare enough that one knee would die, let alone two. luck, as ever, is with me.

 

i mention all this now for a few reasons. at first i told very few people - those who know me well are familiar with my habit of not revealing personal data much unless it is required or those who i am informing are trustworthy, sensible people. i don't believe that anyone has a right to know all of our secrets and private information, and i've stopped being bothered by the hurt looks of people who react badly when i tell them they are prying. i also thought that once the whole cancer deal was done and over with i would just resume my quiet little life and no-one would be the wiser. now, of course, with the knee replacements and gastro-adventures and other medical nonsense, it's just too much work to not explain it all. even online, where it's easy to misdirect others with shiny things, it still requires gymnastics at times to edit out some details, gymnastics i can no longer easily perform given the inert matter in my knees and skull. i explained this to a few people here and in real, non-online life recently since i knew this year i'd be letting the internet in on the secret. some i told earlier, particularly if they had to begin dealing with cancer or any other troubling illness and i felt i could help out. if you received no personal memo on the matter and you know me in real life or via komputron, don't be offended, please. i've been busy.

 

this is a terrible photograph to attach all this to, but it had a certain charm to me. the hat was a gift from an old friend and it arrived last night. it's too small and i don't wear hats often, but it may stay. the shot also reveals a bit of what cancer does to a body, which is why i used it. not being able to use my legs the way i used to means more body fat and less muscle. that gut alarms me, and the time i'm allowed on the bike or in the pool at the gym isn't enough to make me lose the fat yet. another six months or so and i should be in better shape, but that depends if nothing else goes wrong. the short-term prognosis is unclear - i've been doing bloodwork a lot, lately. the longterm? i've already lived past my initial expiry date, since the doctors collectively predicted i should have been dead withing two years of diagnosis, so i've had more than four extra years so far.

 

one final thing: one reason i've been reluctant to mention this to a whole host of people is due to bad reactions. for me, that includes having people fumble for words and then run off, never to be heard from again (really, it happens) to my least favourite, the gloopy outpouring of sympathy. usually accompanied by sad eyes and manifestations of enya songs, the hand-holding, weepy "i'm-so-sorry" routine is exactly what i don't want and antimatter to my health. so, if you have syrup to pour, do me a favour and pour it down the gullet of a nearby child.

Liver snacks for Rib and Calobe

 

For friendly intestinal flora. Fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber and foot toast!

is the miracle fruit...!

 

professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

 

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

 

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

 

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

 

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

 

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

 

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

 

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

 

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

 

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

 

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

 

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

 

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

 

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

 

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

 

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

 

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

 

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

 

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

 

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal..

 

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack..

 

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

 

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

 

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

This was his face after I told him that I was going to clean his nose and eyes for a picture. He's a groomer- but he neglects his little face. So, his Momma has help him. This picture will tell you how much he loves it. I couldn't help but process this one with the mood when it was shot.

 

Mercy me! I can't believe how many people have looked at Tiberius. Though his name is Tiberius Claudius Maximus, we just call him Ti. It took me over two full year after the death of my female cat from a long bought of intestinal cancer before I even entertained the thought of having a new famiily member. The 1st poster on this thread showed a foster kitty on her photostream which just pushed me over the edge, and it was time to go find Ti. He's an incredibly smart, sweet and loving boy. I am really blessed that I was led directly to this litlte boy.

The new man in my life....

Found this guy dodging traffic on a rural highway this weekend. He's a mess. He has a horrible case of Demodectic Mange with secondary skin infections, ear infections, and intestinal parasites. Lucky for him, he's an incredibly sweet dog. He loves other dogs, seems to like cats, and wants nothing more than to please people. He's calm, laid back, and has good manners when it comes to food.

 

He'll either be the new "mascot" at my husband's animal hospital or be coming home to stay with us.

 

When I put him in my van, he rested his chin on my camera bag during most of the hour and a half drive home. Hence the name "Nikon".

Celosia spicata. Not only pretty, but useful: it is used as a treatment for intestinal worms (particularly tapeworm), blood diseases, mouth sores, eye problems. The seeds treat chest complaints and the flowers treat diarrhea. The leaves are used as dressings for boils and sores, and the boiled vegetables are said to be slightly diuretic. Some are edible.

My mad pic for the Freak Show in SL.

 

"Intestine as a life swirl...

It gnaws, troubles, attacks and you perish under its action.

And your soul wounds come out on body sometimes.

You can see and feel them...

You stitch wounds edges with the wire of the time but the intestine comes again to fight against you."

 

You can download here the Freak Book with pics of all artists.

Canon 500D+ Canon EF-S 55-250 F4/5.6 IS II+Extension Tube.

F5.6,1/30,ISO400.No flash fired.

 

@ Clicked at Botanical garden,Pondicherry.

Tutta la pianta di Helleboro è altamente velenosa. Le parti più velenose sono il rizoma e le radici. La precauzione di lavarsi le mani dopo aver toccato le Rose di Natale (nome popolare con cui è conosciuta questa pianta) è una buona norma.

Se vengono ingerite radici o rizomi, questi possono provocare alterazioni del ritmo cardiaco, narcosi, vomito e forte irritazione intestinale. Inoltre è un allucinogeno noto sin dai tempi di Plinio il Vecchio.

Attorno a questa pianta sono sorte innumerevoli leggende.

   

link.library.utoronto.ca/anatomia/application/index.cfm

 

I could spend months here.

This is a fantastic collection of wonderful historical,medical illustrations.

If you have a body you will love this site.

Un reportage de COEUR et de léger regret.

Louise est décédée brutalement en 2007 dans sa cinquante troisième année le jour de son anniversaire, d'une rupture d'anévrisme au retour du bloc opératoire....

Opérée d'un cancer intestinal pour l'autre part...

Il a bien fallu vider l'appartement.

Dure tâche, et quelle étreinte !

 

A l'époque, je n'avais pas encore repris la photo comme maintenant.

Je n'avais pas d'appareil.

J'étais simplement en engagement de réinsertion professionnelle dans l'écriture.

La photo est venue plus tard grâce à François, Brök, qui m'a offert un appareil.

 

Pour cette expérience forte et d'une extrême importance, je voulais absolument un souvenir de l'appartement de Louise, adorable, tendre, doux, accueillant et plein de charme, dans lequel on se sentait si bien.

Tout simple.

Mais quel goût.

 

Voici la première approche pour un pèlerinage tout spécial.

Le ton est donné n'est-ce-pas !

 

Ainsi, munie de l'appareil de mon fils confié pour un moment, j'ai fait ce que j'ai pu.

Pour l'heure, ce n'était pas tant la propreté et la technique qui comptait, mais l'émotion.

Et là on est servi...

Soyez donc indulgent les amis...

MERCI BEAUCOUP;

Allegiant's 'Winter the Dolphin' livery marking it's partnership with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Winter was a 2 month old, rescued bottlenose dolphin that was injured and treated at Clearwater Aquarium in 2005. She was fitted with a prosthetic tail after losing her entire tail fluke due to it getting caught in a crab trap. Sadly, Winter passed away in November 2021 after an intestinal illness.

  

KPSM Pease ANGB

I don't know if any of you do this, but sometimes when I cut a stencil out of paper (especially delicate ones) I put another layer of paper underneath and 'double cut' it. This way you get two stencils for the price of one!

 

WOULD YOU LIKE "STENCIL LOBOTOMY" ON YOUR WALL?

If you do; post or send me a pic of the wall + dimensions and I'll come and put it up at you convenience................ I'm looking for a nice outside wall and maybe a can of beer too. : D

 

The full size piece measures 150cmx116

 

www.onepennypiece.com

C'est un champignon toxique pouvant provoquer de graves troubles gastro-intestinaux et neurologiques.

Il existe une variété d'Amanite tue-mouches où les flocons sont jaunes : il s'agit de la variété formosa

Si l'Amanite tue-mouches est délavée, qu'elle a perdu ses flocons certaines personnes peuvent la confondre avec l'amanite des Césars ou Oronge, qui est un champignon comestible.

O Amanita muscaria é com toda a certeza o cogumelo mais conhecido... desde crianças que nos habituamos a vê-lo nos filmes da Disney.

 

O seu aspecto característico, vermelho com pintas brancas, é no entanto sinal dos perigos que a sua ingestão provoca. Para além de problemas gastro-intestinais e nervosos, é também alucinogénico.

 

Convém por isso ter cuidado ou, ainda acabamos a acreditar que estamos no "país das maravilhas"...

 

Parque Biológico de Gaia, Avintes, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. (26/11/08)

  

Amanita muscaria is, with all the certainty, the most known mushroom… since children we are accustomed to see it in the films of Disney.

 

Its characteristic aspect, red with white dots, is however signal of the danger that its ingestion provokes. It provokes gastric, intestinal and nervous problems, and it is also hallucinating.

 

So we have to be careful or we still finish to believe that we are in the "wonderland" …

 

Biological Park of Gaia, Avintes, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. (26/11/08)

La légende veut que ce fut, à l’origine, le nom d’une nymphe que le dieu Hadès pourchassait de ses assiduités. Mais, l’épouse d’Hadès ne l’entendait pas de cette manière et fit le projet de tuer la jeune Menthe, qu’Hadès sauva en la transformant en plante.

La menthe est la plante rafraîchissante par excellence. Mais pas uniquement : elle est aussi l’une des plantes médicinales les plus courantes et les plus facilement utilisées. La menthe possède en effet des vertus digestives, antiseptiques, toniques et stimulantes parmi d’autres.

 

La menthe est réputée pour son pouvoir revitalisant. Après une journée de marche ou si vous vous sentez fatigué(e), un bain de pieds additionné de gros sel et de menthe saura vous redonner du tonus.

 

Les infusions de menthe sont stimulantes et aphrodisiaques

 

L'infusion de menthe, parfait digestif, stimule le foie et régularise les fonctions digestives en agissant favorablement en cas d’intoxication alimentaire, d’intestins douloureux, de coliques, de ballonnements ou de gaz intestinaux .

Des études ont noté une réduction des symptômes du côlon irritable notamment au niveau des douleurs abdominales en cas de prise quotidienne d’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée. En tisane, infusion, ou une goutte d'HE sur un sucre ou dans une petite cuillère de miel.

 

Les tisanes de menthe poivrée apaisent les nausées et calment les vomissements. Prenez 3 gouttes d’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée sur un sucre après un repas pour prévenir les troubles digestifs ou en cas de nausées prenez 3 grandes respirations d’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée en cas de nausées, elle les apaisera rapidement.

 

Il est souvent conseillé de sucer des bonbons à la menthe lorsque l’on souffre du mal des transports, vous pouvez aussi respirer de l’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée.

 

Elle a des vertus anesthésiantes, on en trouve d’ailleurs dans la composition d’un bon nombre de crèmes antidouleur. l’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée produit une sensation rafraîchissante après application qui soulage les douleurs musculaires. Elle peut s’employer en massage (diluée avec de l’huile végétale) sur la zone douloureuse.

 

Elle élimine un grand nombre de bactéries, elle est donc conseillée dans les cas d’infections bactériennes (bronchite, mal de gorge, angine, sinusite, gastroentérite…).

En inhalation, elle soulage les sinus, les rhumes, les congestions pulmonaires. Et aussi en diffusion ou en respirant directement au dessus du flacon.

 

L’huile de menthe poivrée, en raison de ses propriétés antiseptiques et anti-inflammatoires, est utile dans les soins dentaires. Elle élimine la mauvaise haleine, combat les germes et calme les douleurs.

Vous pouvez utiliser l’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée en bain de bouche. Pour réaliser un bain de bouche, mélangez 5 gouttes d’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée à 60 ml de vodka et 40 ml d’eau.

 

Elle soulage certaines migraines, notamment les migraines d’origine nerveuse. Pour soulager rapidement la douleur, il suffit d’appliquer l’huile essentielle de menthe sous une forme diluée directement sur le front ou les tempes (1 goutte d’HE de menthe poivrée mélangée à 1 cuillerée à café d’huile végétale). On constate généralement une amélioration dans les 15 minutes suivant l’application, mais attention aux yeux !!!

 

Elle apaise les piqûres d’insectes. Prenez une feuille, broyez là et frottez-la directement sur la piqûre. Son odeur a aussi des vertus insectifuges.

 

Attention toutefois que ce soit pour ses propriétés cosmétiques ou médicinales, le menthol contenu dans l’huile essentielle de menthe poivrée est très puissant. Il peut être irritant .

S'utilise de façon ponctuelle et à doses limitées.

Respectez donc les dosages : 2 gouttes 3 fois par jour en ingestion. En application externe, 1 goutte pour une cuillerée à café d’huile végétale. Déconseillé aux femmes enceintes, allaitantes et aux enfants de moins de 6 ans. et ne pas appliquer sur les muqueuses.

Iberogast "is a liquid formulation of nine herbs used for functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. A proprietary blend, it was developed in Germany in 1961 and is available (without prescription) in other countries. Named after the genus (Iberis) of one of its ingredients, it is also claimed to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and free radical–inhibiting properties as well as the ability to reduce gastric acid secretion. [...]

 

In Germany, Iberogast has come under investigation after one patient died of liver failure. In 2018, the company producing Iberogast (Bayer) has been forced by authorities to print warnings about rare cases of liver toxicity. A former employee of Bayer was under criminal investigation related to Bayer's long resistance to declare the dangers of Iberogast."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberogast

medwatch.de/arzneimittel/auch-nach-todesfall-bayer-kaempf...

 

Detail of the painting "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" (2022) from the exhibition "Eva Beresin

Thick Air" in the ALBERTINA in Vienna

www.albertina.at/en/exhibitions/eva-beresin/

Woke up today with sunshine....man does that ever make a difference in my mood....all the gloom is gone! LOL...went outside and all the birds and doves were just going bonkers...apparently they've needed the sunshine too! :) The doves are having a cooing war...back and forth...it's a riot!

 

Rocket is doing better...took him to the vet and he has very bad intestinal infection....being treated and doing better! :)

El aceite de ricino, en muchas ocasiones traducido como aceite de castor por su denominación en inglés (castor oil), se obtiene a partir de la planta Ricinus communis, que contiene aproximadamente un 40-50 % del aceite. El aceite a su vez contiene el 70-77 % de los triglicéridos del ácido ricinoleico. A diferencia de las propias semillas, no es tóxico.

 

Desde los tiempos faraónicos se utiliza la planta de ricino con fines medicinales. La aplicación más conocida es como purgante. Una dosis típica contiene entre 10 y 30 ml de aceite de ricino. De éste, las enzimas del intestino liberan el ácido ricinoleico (un ácido carboxílico con 18 átomos de carbono), que es el principio activo. La reacción se produce a las dos o cuatro horas de haber suministrado la dosis.

 

Antiguamente se utilizaba también como combustible o como añadido a la gasolina en competición.

 

Actualmente se baraja su aplicación en la elaboración de biodiésel (biocombustible) y se utiliza como lubricante en motores de explosión de aviones de aeromodelismo y coches de radiocontrol siendo la mezcla aproximadamente un 20% aceite de ricino, un 10% de nitrometano y el 70% restante metanol (alcohol de quemar, o también llamado alcohol metílico).

 

También se suele usar en cosmética para alargar las pestañas.

 

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceite_de_ricino

 

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Castor oil, often translated as castor oil by name in English (castor oil), is derived from the plant Ricinus communis, which contains approximately 40-50% of the oil. The oil itself contains 70-77% of the triglyceride of ricinoleic acid. Unlike the seeds themselves, is not toxic.

 

Since Pharaonic times used castor plant for medicinal purposes. The most well known is as a purgative. A typical dose contains between 10 and 30 ml of castor oil. Of this, intestinal enzymes released ricinoleic acid (a carboxylic acid with 18 carbon atoms), which is the active ingredient. The reaction occurs in two to four hours after the dose delivered.

 

Formerly used as fuel or as an additive to gasoline in competition.

 

Deck application is currently in the development of biodiesel (biofuel) and used as a lubricant in combustion engines for model airplanes and radio control cars mixture being approximately 20% castor oil, 10% nitromethane and 70% remaining methanol (wood alcohol, also called methyl alcohol).

 

It is also often used in cosmetics to lengthen eyelashes.