Plant, Herb, and Tree Lore
Wax Jasmine: Jasminum simplicifolium
02 6th, 2012
Jasminum simplicifolium: Jasmine
Common Names: Wax Jasmine, Simple Jasmine, Jasmine.
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Plantae; Angiosperms; Eudicots; Asterids; Lamiales; Oleaceae; Jasmineae; Jasminum simplicifolium. Other species include Jasminum abyssinicum (Forest Jasmine), J. adenophyllum (Pinwheel or Princess Jasmine), J. angulare, J. auriculatum, J. dichotomum (Gold Coast Jasmine), J. didymum, J. grandiflorum (Spanish Jasmine / Royal Jasmine), and J. humile (Italian Yellow Jasmine) as the most prevalent. Others include but are not limied to J. lanceolarium, mesnyi Hance, multiflorum Hance, multipartitum Hochst, nervosum Lour, nudiflorum Lindl., odoratissimum L., offininale L., parkeri Dunn, polyanthum Franch., sambac, sinense Hemsl., urophyllum Hemsl. to name a few.
Location/Environment: Grows best in moist, well drained soils with full sun or partial shade. Native to warm temperate climates, tropical regions, especially within the Old World. Similiar species found throughout the Americas and Australia. The species fluminense and dichotomum is seen as a invasive species in Hawaii and Florida.
Description: A creeper, shrub, and/or vine, coming from the Olive family, Jasmine has over two hundred different species. The term “Jasminum” comes from the Arabic/Persian “Yasameen” meaning “gift from God”. It is revered as a botanical essence in some regions and as a weed in others. The green leaves of the plant are either deciduous (brown in fall) or evergreen (green year round) depending on the species and region they are found. Along the opposite pinnate or ternate dark green leaves in three pairs with an odd one and are pointed with terminals larger with a tapering point. These reside on the vine-like branches or woody stalks of the shrub, are delicate 5-8 cleft calyx white or yellow flowers with a cylindrical corolla-tube with a spreading limb blooming from June to October, that open between 6-8 pm evenings when temperatures lower exposing two stamens and a two-celled ovary, and close at first heat of the day. Jasmine officinale has oval, shiny leaves and tubular, waxy-white flowers. Each species has a variable differences. Yellow Jasmine or False Jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens) has the jasmine fragrance, but also contains toxic alkaloids that are extremely poisonous. Care needs to be taken not to harvest such flowers for internal consumption or use on skin. The vine or branches can grow upwards of twelve to twenty feet, with a feeble stem.
Cultivation: The plant is mainly cultivated for its flowers as a garden ornamental in the yard, or as a house plant.
Common Uses: Most popular for its scent, it is used in various perfumes, essential oils, incense, and fragrances. Flowers are cultivated for ornamental purposes in gardens and houses as well as for its cut flowers. Flowers are worn in women’s hair in many parts of Asia for decoration. The essential oil is an expensive process to make as a large amount of flowers is required to create a small amount of oil, and the fact the flowers have to be gathered at night, then run through labor intensive procedures for extraction. These essential oils are commonly made in Morocco, China, India, and Egypt. Also used to produce jasmone, benzyl acetate, linalool, linalyl acetate, and benzyl alcohol. Long slender pipestems are made from Jasmine wood in Catalonia and Turkey.
Culinary: Jasmine is used in syrup and as a tea. The tea, most commonly called “jasmine tea”, is made from the jasminum sambac flowers mixed into a base of green or oolong tea commonly brewed in China or as “Sanpin Cha” in Okinawa Japan. Blossoms are also poured onto green tea to make dragon pearl tea. The French make a jasmine syrup from the jasmine flower extracts and in the United States is mused to make jasmine marshmallows and scones. Contrary to popular thought, Jasmine flowers have nothing to do with jasmine rice, except sharing a similar scent.
Medicinal: J. officinale Jasmine flowers are used to regulate cramps, ease digestion, ease childbirth, IBS, and Hormone Balance, and good as a facial cream. Jasmine is an anodyne, aphrodisiac, aromatic, astringent, anti-cancer, emmenagogue, galactagogue, parturient, sedative, and uterine tonic. The oil, when mixed in a tonic, aids cold weak stomachs as well as digestion. It can also relieve uterine spasms and menstrual pain. Should not be used during pregnancy. Be careful with the particular species. Some species are poisonous and have been known to cause death, coma, dilated pupils, snoring respiration, cold and pale surfaces, slow and feeble pulses, violent convulsions, and rigidity of muscle around head and throat (most common in the Americas). Jasminum angustifolium has a bitter root when if ground and mixed with Acorus calamus makes a external application for ringworm. Jasminum nervosum is taken as a blood purifier. Jasminum floribundum is used mixed with kousso as a powerful anthelmintic to rid one of tapeworm while leaves and branches are added to fermented liquors to increase intoxication ability.
Folklore and Magic: Jasmine flowers are used as an aphrodisiac and to attract love, wealth, and dreams of prophecy. Commonly used as offerings to deities and nature spirits, Jasmine flowers are very common as sacred symbols in marriages and romances. Common for regular worship and to attract love when worn in hair as ornamentation. The plant represents “night magic” symbolizing mystery, love, psychic dreams, and enchantment. The vapors are used to uplift spirit, create a sensual aroma, and ease apathy, depression, menopausal disorders, and lack of confidence. It also has a profound effect on frigidity and impotence. It is believed to relieve the pain of childbirth, relaxing the mother, and thought to increase breast milk production. It also acts on male sexual organs – warming and strengthening them.
Mythology: The flower is a powerful symbol in many different cultures, especially in Syria as the symbol of Damascus which is otherwise known as the City of Jasmine. In Thailand, the jasmine flower symbolizes “the mother”. It is also the “national flower” in Indonesia, Tunisia, and utilized is many wedding ceremonies. It is also a national flower in Pakistan and the Phillippines. Very popular in Hawaii, it is weaved into leis. The Hindu also weave these flowers together into neck garlands for welcoming guests. As the double variety species is sacred to Vishnu, they are used as votive offerings in Hindu ceremonies. In India, it is believed that a princess fell hopelessly in love with the sun god Surya-Deva, who spurns her affection as he was unmoved by her beauty. She became devastated and took her own life. Her ashes were scattered and wherever they fell, out grew the jasmine flower, which due to her heart being broken by the sun God, refuse to open during the day so he can see, but rather at night when he cannot see her.
Photos from:
Australian National Botanical Gardens*
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia *
Allocasuarina portuensis: Nielsen Park She-Oak
01 25th, 2012
Common Names: The Nielsen Park She-Oak
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Plantae; Angiosperms; Eudicots; Rosids; Fagales; Casuarinaceae; Allocasuarina portuensis.
Location/Environment: Originally found at Nielsen Park in Sydney, Australia within a tree forest atop sandstone based soils though its original range is unknown as it has been cleared. Fossils found show evidence of its existence back to the time of Gondwana.
Description:
The species is considered endangered and extremely rare by the EPBC Act found in in Sydney, Australia. It appears as a dioecious small slender tree or shrub that can achieve a height upwards of sixteen feet tall (5 meters), with green drooping branchlets ranging upwards of eleven inches in length (27 cm) which produces 1.2-1.5 (l) x .8-1 (w) cm male and female flowers born on separate shrubs with .2-1.5 cm long peduncles arising from the branchlets as a perched cone. Originally described and defined in 1989 by Lawrie Johnson relating to “portuensis” from the Latin meaning for “inhabiting a port” for it was originally found in Port Jackson. By differences of its male flowers, it resembles the A. rigida and distyla first being found a separate species in Nielsen Park sometime in 1986. As a species of the Allocasuarina genus which is endemic to southern Australia. All members of this Genus are called “She-Oaks” as they are notable for their long segmented branchlets that function as leaves that resemble pine needles that are actually flowering vs. what it resembles. These form into “spiny cones” about the size of an acorn with a conifer cone-like texture that are woody fruits. The tree is much less bushfire tolerant than the eucalypts.
Cultivation: The tree is rare and endangered as its original plants have died, but propogation and reintroduction has been successful since its discovery.
Common Uses: Trees from this Genus are often used by wood turners for its hard wood and rich texture for woodworking. Also a excellent firewood as when it burns it has very little ash leftover. The trees from this Genus is also often used to stabilize soils in erosion prone areas and sand dunes as well as an ornamental shrub.
Culinary: Currently Unknown.
Medicinal: Currently Unknown.
Folklore and Magic: Currently Unknown.
Mythology: Currently Unknown.
NOTE: This article is in constant state of research, updating, and evolution. If you have information to add, please submit to science@technogypsie.com
Photos from:
Australian National Botanical Gardens*
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia *
Pimelea spicata: Spiked Rice-flower
01 7th, 2012
Pimelea spicata: Spiked Rice-flower
Common Names: Spiked Rice-flower, Pink Pimelea, Rice Flower.
Taxonomy: Plantae; Angiosperms; Eudicots; Rosids; Malvales; Thymelaeaceae; Pimelea spicata.
Location/Environment: The Pimelea prefers woodland habitats and can range from partial shade to full sun throughout the New South Wales(where it is native). Prefers clay soils.
Description:
A National Rare Species, The Spiked Rice-flower is a endangered (schedule 1) small slender shrub ranging from erect to decumbent upwards of 50 centimeteres in height, with taproots that resemble carrots, extending into the earth upwards of 18 cm length and 24 mm diameter. These shrubs can live from 20-30 years old. Its leaves are small and elliptical growing upwards of 20 mm in length. They have small white or pale pink flowers (often tinged with pink) on spikes that blossom throughout the year, especially after rainfall notably in Spring. Each spike contains upwards of 20 flowers. They bear a one seeded green nut that is roughly 3 mm long. The fruits contain black seeds. It is named from the Greek “pimele” meaning “soft fat” that probably describes its oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons and the latin “spica” meaning “spike” describing its flowering in terminal spikes.
Cultivation:
Seeds are collected in June and stored in soil while dormant before planting. The plant can resprout from tap roots as some have been observed after fire. Keep away from invasive weeds that compete with it for resources, especially the bridal creeper (Asparagus asparagoides), bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus agg.), St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), lantana (Lantana camara), African olive (Olea africana subsp. africana) and privet (Ligustrum lucidum). It is difficult to cultivate but not impossible. It is very difficult to germinate with the most success from cuttings, though propogating material is scarce.
Common Uses: Unknown.
Culinary: Unknown.
Medicinal: Unknown.
Folklore and Magic: Unknown.
Mythology: Unknown.
NOTE: This article is in constant state of research, updating, and evolution. If you have information to add, please submit to science@technogypsie.com
Photos from:
Australian National Botanical Gardens*
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia *
Acacia viscidula: Sticky Wattle
01 7th, 2012
Acacia viscidula in * National Botanical Gardens *
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia * – April 2011
Acacia viscidula: Sticky Wattle
Common Names: Sticky Wattle
Taxonomy: Kingdom: Plantae; Fabaceae, Mimosoideae; Acacia viscidula.
Location/Environment: The viscidula is found mainly on the Tablelands north from Tamworth and west to Mt. Kaputar National Park eastward to Tenterfield and principally in the Darling Downs of south-eastern Queensland as well as adjacently in New South Wales, extending inland in Queensland to the Injune area as well as New South Wales to the Coonabarabran areas. Most common in upland granitic derived soils in low woodlands or dry scherophyll forests and in heath within crevices of granite outcrops with Acacia and Eucalyptus species plentiful nearby.
Description:
The “sticky wattle” is named after its viscous sticky nature. A small erect tree or more properly classified as a spreading ornamental shrub, the viscidula grows to a height of approximately 1-5 meters (6-12 feet) tall and 4-6 feet wide. It is very fast growing. It has smooth grey to greyish brown bark; It has angular or flattened, ribbed, hairy, and usually puberulous resinous branches with linear incurved ascending phyllodes that are approximately 4-8 centimeters long and 1-3 millimeters wide. It is often described as curved-acute to mucronate or apiculate, usually innocuous, thin, puberulous, or glabrous with three to seven distant impressed resinous nerves and occasional anastomoses. It inflorescences simple with 1-2 per axil, giving to 2-6 mm long peduncles that are puberulous; and 4-5.5 mm diameter globular heads giving to 20-35 light to bright yellow golden flowers which flower between August and October. Its flowers are 4-5 merous with free to half united sepals. It has linear pods sometimes curved containing puberulous longitudinal oblong raised over glossy dark brown seeds that are approximately 4-7.5 centimeters long by 2.5-3 millimeters wide; aril is terminal.
Cultivation:
It is hardy surviving moderate frosts upwards of 25 degrees fahrenheit or minus 4 degrees celsius; requires well-drained soil for best growing success. It is ideal in light to full sun or partially shady conditions for fastest growth. It is drought tolerant once taken growth. To prepare the seeds, pour boiling water over the seeds and soak overnight, cover lightly with seed mix or washed river sand, drench seeds with a fungicide to prevent damping off. It can also be propogated from cuttings.
Common Uses: Ornamental shrub.
Culinary: ~ currently unknown.
Medicinal: ~ currently unknown.
Folklore and Magic: ~ currently unknown.
Mythology:~ currently unknown.
NOTE: This article is in constant state of research, updating, and evolution. If you have information to add, please submit to science@technogypsie.com
Photos from:
Australian National Botanical Gardens*
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia *
Wildflowerizer
Olympic Mountain groundsel, Senecio neowebsteri, by mgsbird2 in Wildflower Field Guide, North America
