Saturday, September 19, 2015

Bamboos


It belongs to the family Poaceae. It has many species all over the world. Bamboos are one of the fastest growing plants in the world because of a rare rhizome-dependent system.
The tallest bamboo in the world is reported to be about 112ft tall.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Bambusoideae                      

The woody-xylem is absent.
thus,due to the absence of secondary growth,wood causes the stems to be column-like.


CHARACTERISTICS:-

1) When we deal with the study of group of BAMBOOS trees , we term it as "CLUMP". Clump means 'bunch'.
 Generally it has group of 4,5 BAMBOOS trees
Clump

2) when we deal with the study of an individual bamboo tree, than we term it as "CULM".
Culm
3) It has nodes. Between two nodes it has internodes i.e. the space between the 2 nodes is known as "internode".

Inter-node
Node
4) There is CULM sheath present in the nodes of bamboo trees.

Culm Sheath with a Blade on top.


 5) A Blade-like projection is also present above this culm sheath(see at the above image), This Blade like projection is known as "Culm-Blade"


6) This Culm-sheath also has "presence of hairs" on the dorsal side of the sheath.

MEDICINAL USES :-

It is used in INDIAN state of Assam, as a fermented paste for the treatment of menstrual pains,impotence,infertility.

It is also used for the treatment of infections and for healing,in Chineese medicine.

By
- Alok gupta

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Morus alba (White Mulberry) : Morphology, Uses - INDIAN FORESTRY

Morus alba (White Mulberry)

 Belongs to the family Moraceae.
This is native to China. and Usually used in the practice of Sericulture.
Widely distributed across the world,it is commonly known as "White Mulberry"
and in INDIA, citizens name it as  शहतूत.

CHARACTERISTICS :-

 LEAF 

Leaf can be "lobed" i.e. presence of lobes, or "Un-lobed"i.e. complete.

Alternate

Simple

Roughly Orbicular in shape

Roughly smooth from above.

 

 

 

 

FLOWER

Species can be monoecious or dioecious. 
Male flowers are Narrow and LONGER than female flowers.
Whereas, female flowers are plump and shorter than male flowers.

 

BARK

Orange-Brown with lenticels (when young) becoming gray with long and narrow irregular ridges.

MEDICINAL USE

The leaves are taken internally in the treatment of :-

Sore throats

colds

eye infections

nose bleeds.

The stems is used in the treatment of High Blood Pressure,Chronic diseases in digestive tracts,Rheumatic pains.
The fruit has much significance in traditional Chinese medicine, which uses it to treat prematurely graying hair & also used to purify blood and treat constipation and diabetes in Chinese medicine.


By 
- Ashutosh Lohani.