Citronella

Citronella

5/25/2015   medicinalherb, wildborder,

Cymbopogon nardus. Native tropical Asia. Continue Reading

Andrographis paniculata

Andrographis paniculata

5/19/2015   limeborder, medicinalherb,

Andrographis paniculata is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka. It is widely cultivated in Southern and Southeastern Asia, where it has been traditionally used to treat infections and some diseases. Mostly the leaves and roots were used for medicinal purposes.

Medicinal use
Since ancient times, A. paniculata is used in traditional Siddha and Ayurvedic[5] systems of medicine as well as in tribal medicine in India and some other countries for multiple clinical applications. The herb has a number of purported medicinal uses, although research has found evidence of its effectiveness is limited to treatment of upper respiratory infection, ulcerative colitis and rheumatic symptoms; in particular, there is no evidence of its effectiveness in cancer treatment.[6] According to the Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine from Wikipedia Continue Reading

Cuban Oregano

Cuban Oregano

5/19/2015   medicinalherb,

Plectranthus amboinicus, once identified as Coleus amboinicus, is a tender fleshy perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae with an oregano-like flavor and odor, native to Southern and Eastern Africa,  It is widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere in the Old and New World tropics.

The leaves are strongly flavoured and make an excellent addition to stuffings for meat and poultry. Finely chopped, they can also be used to flavour meat dishes, especially beef, lamb and game. Such use as a flavouring and its geographic spread is indicated by some of the common names, and documented for Cambodia[5] and South Africa[1] It is also used as a vegetable, for example in South East Asia.[1] The herb is used as a substitute for oregano in the food trade and food labelled "oregano-flavoured" may well contain this herb.

The leaves have also had many traditional medicinal uses, especially for the treatment of coughs, sore throats and nasal congestion, but also for a range of other problems such as infections, rheumatism and flatulence. from Wikipedia Continue Reading

Cassia Alata

Cassia Alata

5/19/2015   medicinalherb,

Seven Golden Candlesticks

Cassia alata, Senna Alata
Candle Bush, Gelenggang (Malay),

Native to the Americas

Traditional medicinal uses: Leaves or sap are used to treat fungal infections such as ringworm. They contain a fungicide, chrysophanic acid. Because of its anti-fungal properties, it is a common ingredient in soaps, shampoos and lotions in the Philippines. The effectiveness of this plant against skin diseases is confirmed by modern scientific studies.

Other chemicals contained in the plant includes saponin which acts as a laxative and expels intestinal parasites. In Africa, the boiled leaves are used to treat high-blood pressure. In South America, besides skin diseases, it is also used to treat a wide range of ailments from stomach problems, fever, asthma to snake bite and venereal diseases (syphilis, gonorrhoea).

Role in the habitat: It is the food plant of some butterflies. The plant recruits ant bodyguards against these caterpillars. It has "extrafloral nectaries" near the base of the leaves, that produce sweet nectar to attract ants. As a short-lived plant that grows commonly in wastelands which are damp and on flood plains, it helps to colonise these areas and pave the way for regeneration of growth. from Sungai Buloh Nature Park Continue Reading