LI NA HERBS

A BLOG CALLED LI NA HERBS

2011-12-24T19:07:00.001+08:00

Dear Readers,

I changed the title of the blog from Taman Herba Vokasma to Li Na Herbs. Why? This is because my school will be transformed to a college in 2012. Hence, Taman Herba Vokasma will no longer be in use. The new name of the college is Kolej Vokasional Seri Manjung or KVSM for short. Actually, this blog was initially known as Taman Herba STESMA when my school was a technical school but then it was changed to a vocational school in 2009. Two years later, it is undergoing another change.
Hmm ... I get dizzy with all the name changes and so decided that the best thing is the just call the blog Li Na Herbs as the URL for the blog is already www.linaherbs.blogspot.com.
Please keep supporting my blog and I promise to work harder to bring information about more herbs to you.

Sincerely yours,
Li Na a.ka. The Herb Fairy

DRAGON'S TAIL FOR DRAGON YEAR

2011-12-24T18:58:00.000+08:00

I am pictured with the Dragon's Tail Creeper Epipremnum pinnatum that I planted in the school Herb Garden in 2009. It has taken a while but the plant is now growing healthily. The Chinese use this herb for a number of medicinal purposes. It is said to be anti-inflammatory, febrifuge, cooling, swell reducing and for detoxification.
So how to go about preparing the leaves to be used as medication? Fear not I have the prescription. If you are brave enough, do give it a try.

THE PRESCRIPTION
2 leaves of the dragon tail leaf
10 grammes of black beans
5 red dates
5 glasses of water

METHOD
Wash the dragon tail leaves and cook it in a pot of water. If you want it to be thicker than reduce the amount of water.
Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat and then slowly heat the water until the leaves are disintegrated. This is when the concoction is ready. The end product is a green in colour and tastes a bit like Wheat Grass. You can add rock sugar or brown sugar for tasted.

UGLI FRUIT

2011-12-24T18:55:00.000+08:00

The fruit above does not look pretty. In fact it looks ugly and that is why it is so named.

INFO ABOUT UGLI

Ugli is a citrus hybrid between grapefruit and tangerine that grows in Jamaica. Its weird name may be spelled wrong but it really comes from “ugly” in reference to its unappealing, wrinkled skin. But the looks of the Ugli have nothing to do with the taste, it is incredibly delicious and juicy, it takes more from the sweet tangerine and less from the sour grapefruit.
As a curiosity, you should know Ugli is the only fruit in the world that starts with the letter U.

Source: http://blog.hotelclub.com/10-more-must-try-exotic-fruits/

TONG SUI

2011-12-24T18:52:00.002+08:00

During the holidays, I would brush up on my cooking skills by making some dishes for my friends. A few days ago, I prepared Wanton Mee and a couple of days ago, it was Laksa Singapore. However, I must say that my speciality is preparing fruit dessert. The dish above is the Sang Kor Tong Sui (translated to mean Fruit. As I am a Cantonese, I learnt to make Tong Sui from young. For your information, Tong sui, also known as tim tong, is a collective term for any sweet, warm soup or custard served as a dessert at the end of a meal in Cantonese cuisine. Tong sui is a Cantonese specialty and is rarely found in other regional cuisines of China.

It is actually very easy to prepare. Just boil a pot of water, then add in diced Ya Pears, dried longan, wolfberries, red dates and attap chee (Nypa fruticans). After boiling for about half and hour, add brown sugar. Then it is ready to be served.

GOLDEN PENDA

2011-12-24T18:48:00.000+08:00

I was told by the trader at the market that the spike like flowers are from an ornamental Jambu plant. He said that this species does not bear fruits only flowers. It is quite expensive. The ones in the polybags shown in the pictures were priced at RM35. I was told by the trader that the bigger plants sell for more than RM100 as they are prized for their beautiful flowers which looks like a burst of sunshine.

The actual name for this flowering plant is Golden Penda. In close-up, the long protruding stamens of the Golden Penda ( Xanthosemon chrysanthus) resembles fireworks in the night sky. The Golden Penda belongs to the genus Eugenia and they have the characteristic powder puff-like flowers. The "Jambu" ( Eugenia jambos) and Eugenia oleina flowers also have similar masses of flowers.

Reference: http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

Here is how a full grown Penda Tree looks like. It has masses of flowers. Beautiful, isn't it? LINK

BASIL DRINK WITH LEMON AND HONEY

2011-11-29T19:31:00.000+08:00

Let me share with you the recipe for a drink using basil, lemon and honey. This drink is believed to help calm ones nerves as basil is used in traditional medicine as an anti-depressant.

BASIL WITH LEMONADE (3 - 4 SERVINGS)
What you need to make the drink
5 Teaspoon of honey
1 cup hot water
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (remove the stems)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
3 teaspoons of brown sugar.

What do do
Add the honey and brown sugar to the hot water in a bowl and stir until it is dissolved. Then let it cool.
Blender the basil leaves. After that sieve to remove the blended leaves.
Fill a jug with water, add the lemon juice and the honey mixture. Stir.
Cover the jug and place inside the fridge for a few hours to let it steep.

THAI BASIL

2011-11-29T19:29:00.002+08:00

One of the herbs that I like to buy from the market is Thai Basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora). I love the unique aroma of this basil. It is also known as Asian basil. My late Aunt May used it as garnishing for steamed fish and prawns. She said that it adds to the flavour of the dish. What do I do with it? Well, I use it as one of the ingredients for a herbal bath. I also add it to the herbal concoction that I make to keep stress at bay. Thai Basil is said to be useful as an anti-depressant.

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS GRAPE-LIKE FRUIT?

2011-11-29T19:26:00.002+08:00

Someone posted this picture of what looks like grapes in my Facebook account. He wanted to know if I had any idea what it is called. Unfortunately, I don't. Does anyone out there know? If yes, do enlighten me.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Gambar pokok ini yang mempunyai buah seperti anggur dipos dalam akaun Facebook. Orang itu ingin menanya tentang nama pokok ini. Malangnya, saya tidak ada idea apa nama pokok ini. Ada sesiapa yang boleh membantu?

CHECKING HOW MY FRIENDS ARE DOING

2011-11-29T19:19:00.000+08:00

Here in Malaysia, it is the school holidays and so I need not go to school. However, I make sure that I go back and visit my Green Friends in the Herb Garden to see that they are okay. Thankfully, it is the rainy season now and the plants are thriving. See how happy and beautiful my friends have become after having their fill of Sky Juice.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Cuti sekolah telah bermula di Malaysia dan ini bermakna saya tidak perlu ke sekolah. Tetapi saya balik sekali-kala untuk melawat Kawan-kawan Hijau saya di Taman Herba untuk memastikan mereka sihat. Mujurnya sekarang musim hujan dan pokok-pokok tumbuh dengan baik. Tengoklah bertapa riang dan anggun kawan-kawan saya setelah disirami oleh Jus dari Langit.

SABAH SNAKE GRASS (CLINACANTHUS NUTANS L.)

2011-11-02T22:21:00.002+08:00

The news vendor for our school, Mr Chong shared a herbal tip with Miss Cheah, Ustazah Roslina and Puan Asiah yesterday. He told us that his brother who is suffering from leukaemia is trying a type of herb called Sabah Snake Grass or Belalai Gajah. Mr Chong read about this wonder herb in the Chinese newspaper and managed to get hold of it for his brother. It seems that after taking the Sabah Snake Grass for a week, Mr Chong's brother is feeling better.
This morning when he came to the library to send the newspapers, Mr Chong brought along the Sabah Snake Grass for me to plant in the Herb Garden. However, he said that I need to place the plant in a container of water until roots come out before planting. Hopefully, I can grow a lot of the plants in school so that whoever needs them can get it from us.
To find out about the medicinal uses of the Sabah Snake Grass, please click here, here and here.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Mr Chong yang selalu menghantar suratkhabar ke sekolah saya kongsi maklumat tentang sesuatu herba dengan saya dan rakan-rakan di sekolah. Beliau maklumkan yang abangnya yang menghidap penyakit leukaemia diberi makan satu jenis herba bernama Berlalai Gajah atau Sabah Snake Grass. Menurut Mr Chong, keadaan abangnya bertambah baik setelah makan herba ini selama seminggu. Kami dapatkan pucuk pokok Berlalai Gajah dari Mr Chong untuk ditanam di Taman Herba.
Untuk maklumat lebih lanjut tentang herba ini, sila klik link here, here dan here.

BUNGA TELANG (WHITE VARIETY)

2011-11-02T22:19:00.000+08:00

The Bunga Telang or Blue Pea Vine is a natural colouring used to give colour to rice and kuih. One needs to sun dry the blue coloured petals of the flower before boiling them in water to cook a pot of rice which is known as Nasi Kerabu. The rice would naturally turn blue.
The Bunga Telang is also referred to as Clitoria flower as it resembles the female genitals. Recently, while I was talking a walk in my housing area in Ipoh, I spotted some white coloured clitoria. This got me excited and I went to talk a closer look at the flowers. Since they are white in colour, the flowers would be of no use as a colouring agent. Still, it drew my interest.

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE WHITE VARIETY OF CLITORIA:

Botanical name : Clitoria ternatea Linn (White variety)
Family : Fabaceae

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : White Clitoria flower

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
In traditional medicine, the clitoria flower is used to treat migraine, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, ascites, ulcers and fever, jaundice and skin diseases. The seeds are used in abdominal cramps.

Useful part : Root, leaves, seeds

LINK: http://ayurvedicmedicinalplants.com/plants/2462.html

BUNGA CHEMPAKA

2011-10-06T15:11:00.005+08:00

About five years ago, I bought a Bunga Chempaka (Magnolia champaca) plant for the Herb Garden. Its English names are Champak and Champaca but then here in Malaysia we refer to the flower by its Malay name. In the first year, the plant bore a few flowers. Interestingly, the plant bears both yellow and white flowers. Recently, I noticed that the plant is bearing more flowers. It could be because I was always pruning the plant and using the leaves for herbal baths.
The flowers are used for worship at temples or at ones home. The Indian ladies like to wear them in their hair as an ornament. One can float the flowers in a bowl of water to scent the room. The perfume like fragrance of the flowers is really sweet and heady.
I managed to pluck three Champaca flowers from the plant and placed them in a small pot on my work table in school. As I am writing this post, the wonderful scent of the flowers fills my room. Ahhhh! What wondrous pleasure nature's bounty gives.

KEMUNING (MURRAYA PANICULATA)

2011-08-15T21:56:00.002+08:00

Name/Nama Cina/ 中文名：九里香别名：千里香、月橘

Scientific name/Nama Saintifik/学名：Murraya paniculata

English name/Nama Bahasa Inggeris/英文名：Common jasmine-orange,Orange-jasmine,Hawaiian mock-orange,Chinese box,Jasmine-orange.

Nama Melayu: Kemuning/Bunga Sedap Malam

Khasiat:
* Untuk merawat bisul, sakit gigi dan rheumatik
* Melangsingkan badan

Medicinal properties
* To treat boils, toothache and rheumatism
* helps in slimming

Rujukan
http://kiathidupsehat.com/tanaman-obat-manfaatkhasiat-kemuning-murraya-paniculata-l-jack/

MY YOUNG APPRENTICES

2011-08-10T11:18:00.001+08:00

Since it is now the fasting month, school dismisses at 1.30 p.m. and so I have more time in the afternoons to devote to the Herb Garden. For the past few weeks, I have been training a few of my students to identify and choose the herbs that could be used for a traditional herbal bath. This afternoon, I was teaching them about which herbs to choose to treat skin diseases. One of the teachers was bitten by some insects when she visited a wooded area and had developed a big rash and so I was getting herbs for a medicinal bath for her. The herbs that I told them to get from the garden were the leaves of the Lemuni, Inai, Starfruit, Sirih, Kaduk and Hempedu Bumi. I also got herbs for a few other teachers in the school with the help of my young apprentices. After they had selected the herbs, they helped to sort and pack them.

MALAY VERSION

PEMBANTU-PEMBANTU MUDA SAYA
Pelajar-pelajar di sekolah yang saya berkhidmat balik ke asrama pada 1.30 petang pada bulan puasa. Oleh kerana itu saya dapat lebih masa untuk menumpukan perhatian kepada Taman Herba. Sudah beberapa minggu saya memberi latihan kepada tiga empat orang pelajar saya untuk mengecam dan memilih herba ynag boleh digunakan sebagai ramuan untuk Mandian Herba. Pada petang ini saya telah mengajar pelajar saya tentang herba-herba yang boleh digunakan untuk merawat penyakit kulit. Salah seorang guru kelas kami telah digigit oleh hutan semasa beliau ke hutan minggu lepas. Kulitnya rasa gatal akibat gigitan itu. Oleh kerana itu saya berusaha untuk mendapatkan herba untuk beliau. Herba-herba yang boleh digunakan untuk merawat penyakit kulit adalah lemuni, sirih, inai, hempedu bumi, kaduk dan belimbing besi. Pembantu-pembantu muda saya menolong mencari herba dan juga membungkusnya.

KEWANGIAN SERIBU BATU: BUNGA KEMUNING

2011-08-10T11:16:00.004+08:00

I went for traditional massage treatment recently as my blood pressure reading was high. While waiting for my turn to be treated by the traditional masseur, I caught a whiff of some fragrance. When I went to investigate, I found that the fragrance was coming from the flowers of a certain plant in his garden. His wife told me that the Chinese name of the plant was "Chien Lei Heong" or A thousand Mile Fragrance. In Malay it is known as Bunga Kemuning (Muraya Paniculata). In traditional medicine, it alleviates pain, removes toxic substances, antispasmodic, antagonizes muscular spasms, rheumatic pain, skin eczema, improves blood circulation.

MALAY VERSION
Saya mendapatkan rawatan urut tradisional kerana tekanan darah saya tinggi. Semasa menunggu giliran saya di tempat tukang urut, saya dapat menghidu bau yang wangi. Bila saya menyiasat, saya mendapati yang kewangian itu asal daripada bunga satu pohon bunga di taman rumah. Isteri tukang urut memaklumkan bahawa nama Cina pokok itu adalah "Chien Lei Heong" atau "Kewangian seribu batu". Dalam Bahasa Melayu, ia dikenali sebagai Bunga Kemuning (Muraya Paniculata). Dalam perubatan traditional, kemuning berkhasiat sebagai pemati rasa (anestesia), anti toksik, antispasmodik, antiradang, anti-rematik, pelancar peredaran darah dan penghalus kulit.

LABEL THE HERBS CONTEST (PERTANDINGAN MELABEL HERBA)

2011-07-28T12:38:00.003+08:00

My school library held an exhibition on Traditional Herbal Baths from 15th June until 21st July. One of the activities that was held in conjunction with the exhibition was a "Label the Herbs" Contest. There were two categories. One was for the Students and the other for Teachers & Staff.
The contestants had to label 28 types of herbs that could be used as ingredients for a traditional herbal bath. They were given the names of the herbs and needed to match the herbs with their correct labels. This was one way to promote the use of herbs among teachers, staff and students.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

PERTANDINGAN MELABEL HERBA
Perpustakaan sekolah saya telah menganjurkan satu pameran "Mandian Herba Tradisional" dari 15 hb June sehingga 21hb Julai, 2011. Salah satu aktiviti yang telah dijalankan adalah pertandingan "Melabel Herba". Terdapat 2 kategori, satu untuk pelajar dan satu lagi untuk Guru & Staf.
Peserta perlu melabel 28 jenis herba yang boleh digunakan sebagai ramuan dalam Mandian Herba. Mereka diberi nama herba dan perlu padankan herba dengan nama yang betul. Itu adalah salah satu cara untuk mempromosi penggunaan herba di kalangan guru, staf dan pelajar.

BELUNTAS

2011-07-06T22:52:00.005+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common names: Beluntas, Luntas, Luan Yi, Indian Camphorweed,
Indian Fleabane
Nama Saintifik/Scientific name: Pluchea indica (Linn). Less
Famili/Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Pluchea
Kegunaan dan khasiat

Pucuk atau daun muda yang lembut boleh dibuat ulam.
Hilangkan bau nafas dan badan.
Pucuk beluntas boleh juga dibuat kerabu.
Digunakan untuk mengubati demam dan jusnya dibuat ubat cirit-birit. Untuk melegakan demam, daun pokok beluntas yang telah dikeringkan direndam dalam air suam dan diminum.
Untuk mengubati ulser, luka dan kudis, ambil beberapa helai daun pokok beluntas, tumbuk sehingga lumat dan ditampalkan di tempat yang sakit.
Daun muda dan pucuknya dijadikan ubat pupuk untuk mengubati lumbago.
Merawat rheumatisme.
Antioxiden

Uses and medicinal properties

Eaten as ulam.
Eliminates bad breath and body odour.
Used to make Kerabu.
Helps to lower fewer. Its juice is used to treat diarrhoea. To help relieve fever, the dried leaves of the beluntas are brewed in warm water and drunk.
To treat ulcers, wounds and skin diseases, make a poultice from the leaves and place them on the affected area.
The young leaves and shoots are used to treat lumbago.
Treats rheumatism.
Antioxident.

Rujukan/References:
http://khasiat-herba.blogspot.com/2007/11/daun-beluntas-hilangkan-bau-nafas.html
http://rawatantradisional.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

LENGKUAS (GALANGAL)

2011-06-29T21:29:00.004+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common name: Lengkuas (Bahasa Melayu), Galangal (Bahasa Inggeris)

Nama-nama lain/Other names: Blue ginger, Galanga, Laos

Nama saintifik/Scientific name: Alpinia Galanga stuntz

Genus: Alpinia

Famili/Family: Zingiberaceae

Saya gemar beli ubi lengkuas (Alpinia Galanga stuntz) dan simpan di rumah untuk digunakan sebagai salah satu ramuan untuk Mandian Herba.

Selain digunakan sebagai bahan untuk masakan dan untuk Mandi Herba, lengkuas juga ada kegunaan yang lain. Berikut adalah sebahagian daripada khasiat lengkuas.

menambahkan selera makan;
membersihkan darah;
merawat sakit kepala;
merawat penyakit kulit seperti panau dan kudis.
mencairkan kahak;
merangsang otot;
meningkatkan tenaga batin;
mencegah mabuk laut;
afrodisiac;
merawat penyakit rheumatik.

Biasanya ubi lengkuas akan direbus bersama herba-herba lain untuk dijadikan ubat. Misalnya, untuk mencairkan kahak dan merawat bronkitis, 2 ketul lengkuas, 2 ketul temu lawak dan 2 ketul halia sebesar ibu jari direbus bersama daun kayu manis dan 3 cawan air untuk diminum pagi dan malam.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
I like to buy the Galangal Rhizome to keep as home as one of the ingredients for a herbal bath.
Besides it being used for culinary purposes and for Herbal Baths, the Galangal has other uses as well. The following are some of the uses:

as an appetizer;
to cleanse the blood;
to relieve headaches;
to treat skin diseases;
to treat phlegm;
stimulate the muscles;
increase ones stamina;
to prevent seasickness;
as an aphrodisiac;
to treat rheumatism.

Rujukan/Reference:

http://www.melur.com/myherba.asp?plant_id=94

http://i-herbal.blogspot.com/2008/06/khasiat-lengkuas.html

http://dinkes.cilacapkab.go.id/index.php?pilih=news&mod=yes&aksi=lihat&id=39

TEBU HITAM (BLACK STEMMED SUGAR CANE)

2011-06-29T00:09:00.006+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common name: Tebu Hitam, Black Stemmed Sugar Cane
Nama Saintifik/Scientific name: Sacharum Offcinarum
Famili/Family: Gramineae
KHASIAT PERUBATAN
Dalam perubatan tradisional, pokok tebu hitam digunakan untuk mengubati batuk, mengurangkan panas badan, menambah selera makan dan mengatasi masalah jantung berdebar.
Air perahan tebu hitam juga mempunyai khasiat tersendiri termasuk mengubati batuk dan mengurangkan panas badan. Caranya ialah dengan membakar terlebih dahulu lima atau enam ruas tebu hitam. Selepas itu ia dikupas dan diperah sebelum airnya diminum begitu saja. Tebu hitam banyak dipercayai oleh pihak tertentu bahawa ia boleh menghalang serangan santau, ilmu hitam dan ilmu ghaib.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
In traditional medicine, black stemmed sugar cane is used for treating coughs, to reduce heatiness, as an appetiser and to overcome heart palpitations. One needs to roast 5 to 6 joints of the sugar cane before removing the skin and pressing out the juice for drinking. There are some who believe that the black stemmed sugar can be used to ward off attacks of santau, black magic and the supernatural.
Rujukan/Reference: http://mforum.cari.com.my/viewthread.php?tid=228614&extra=&page=2

GETTING HELP FOR EXHIBITION ON HERBAL BATHS

2011-06-22T00:13:00.002+08:00

The lady I am pictured with above is Mak Uda. She is a bidan or midwife. Puan Kamariah and I went to see her this afternoon to get a herb by the name of Seringan which she grows in her compound. Mak Uda was kind enough to give me the leaves for the latest exhibition in the library and I even got the Seringan plant for the Herb Garden. Besides that Mak Uda also imparted quite a bit of knowledge about herbs that were used for ladies in confinement. Besides the seringan, I got the Manjakani, Halban, Cabang Tiga and Pisang Kelat plants as well.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
MENDAPATKAN BANTUAN UNTUK PAMERAN MANDIAN HERBA

Wanita yang bergambar bersama saya di atas ialah Mak Uda. Beliau adalah seorang bidan. Puan Kamariah dengan saya meminta tolong Mak Uda untuk mendapatkan herba yang bernama seringan yang tumbuh di taman rumah beliau.

Mak Uda sedia membantu kami dengan memberi daun-daun seringan untuk pameran "Mandian Herba Tradisional" yang akan diadakan di perpustakaan sekolah dari 20 Jun sehingga 8 Julai 2011. Saya juga dapat pokok seringan untuk ditanam di Taman Herba. Selain itu, Mak Uda juga berkongsi pengetahuan tentang herba-herba yang digunakan untuk mandian wanita selepas bersalin. Mak Uda juga menghadiahkan saya dengan pokok Manjakani, Halban, Cabang Tiga dan Pisang Kelat untuk taman sekolah.

Kamariah plucking some Halban leaves. (Kamariah memetik daun Halban.)

Mak Uda digging up some herbs for me. (Mak Uda mendapatkan herba untuk saya.)

GIVING A TALK ABOUT HERBAL BATHS

2011-06-21T23:59:00.011+08:00

During assembly last Friday, I gave a talk about "Traditional Herbal Baths" to the teachers and students. As herbs is something I am very passionate about, I took great pains to prepare the talk and also look up information to share with everyone about the benefits of taking Herbal Baths or Mandi Herba. My librarians and I also plucked aromatic leaves from the herb garden to distribute to the teachers and students so that they could get a whiff of the wonderful scent of such leaves.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
MEMBERI CERAMAH TENTANG MANDI HERBA
Semasa perhimpunan minggu lepas, saya memberi ucapan tentang "Mandian Herba Tradisional" kepada guru-guru dan pelajar. Memandang herba adalah sesuatu topic kegemaran saya, saya membuat persiapan secukupnya untuk memberi ucapan dan juga telah mendapatkan lebih maklumat untuk berkongsi dengan semua tentang manfaat Mandi Herba. Pengawas Pusat Sumber saya juga membantu memetik daun-daun aromatik dari Taman Herba untuk dibahagi kepada para hadirin supaya mereka dapat bau aroma daun-daun itu.

How effective was the talk? Well, I am please to report that afterwards, there were a few teachers and students who had made enquiries and there were a few more who came and asked for herbs to take Herbal Baths. A couple of students asked for the recipe for the drink to get rid of wind.
Hmm ... not bad.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Berkesan tak ceramah yang saya bagi minggu lepas? BERKESANLAH. Selepas sahaja perhimpunan beberapa orang guru dan pelajar berjumpa saya untuk meminta herba untuk Mandi Herba. Dua orang pelajar juga meminta resipe untuk minuman untuk membuang angin. Boleh tahan juga.

HERBAL BATH / MANDI HERBA

2011-06-21T23:40:00.007+08:00

Here are 27 types of herbs that I had taken from the school herb garden. They include the leaves of the following plants pandan, Indian Jujube, jackfruit, belimbi, guava leaves, Inai, kaffir lime, serai wangi, assam jawa, lemon, custard apple, lengkuas, anona, beluntas, kantan, cinnamon, ficus, bebuas, sirih, kaduk, cempaka, kemangi, cermai, assam gelugor and pomelo. I also added ginger, lengkuas and pandan flower.
When I got home, I gave all the leaves a thorough washing.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Di sini adalah 27 jenis herba yang saya ambil dari Taman Herba sekolah. Berikut adalah daun pokok-pokok yang diambil; pandan, bidara, nangka, belimbing buluh, jambu batu, inai, limau purut, serai wangi, assam jawa, lemon, durian belanda, lengkuas, mengkudu, beluntas, kantan, kayu manis, ara, bebuas, sirih, kaduk, cempaka, kemangi, cermai, assam gelugor dan limau bali. Saya juga tambah halia, lengkuas and bunga kantan.
Bila saya sampai rumah, saya membasuh semua daun tersebut.

I rinsed with water for a few times before placing them in a 5 litre pot to boil for about 45 minutes. Lastly I added a fistful of rock salt to the concoction.
After that I'd wait a while before immersing a towel to absorb the herbal concoction. I'd use the hot towel to dab all over my body over and over again. After that I'd wait for the water to become lukewarm before taking a bath with it. Some of my friends add water to make it less hot, they say that it takes ages for the water to cool. That is okay but the best effect is to use the undiluted herbal concoction for the bath. After taking such a bath, one feels light and also energised. The benefits of the herbal bath is that it helps to rid the body of wind, strengthen the bones, improves blood circulation and improves the quality of the skin. It is also very calming and invigorating.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Saya membasuh daun-daun tersebut beberapa kali sebelum letak dalam pot 5 liter untuk dimasak selama 45 minit. Akhir sekali, saya letak segenggam garam kasar. Lepas itu, saya akan memasukkan sehelai tuala kecil dalam air mandian herba yang telah didih. Saya akan guna tuala itu untuk tuam seluruh badan. Lepas itu saya akan tunggu sehingga air menjadi suam sebelum mandi dengan air yang tinggal dalam pot. Kawan-kawan saya akan tambah air untuk menjadinya suam lebih cepat tetapi adalah lebih baik jika mandi dengan air rebusan yang asal. Selepas mandi herba, seorang akan rasa lebih ringan dan bertenaga. Manfaat mandi herba adalah untuk membuang angin dari badan, menguatkan tulang, membantu pengaliran darah dan menjadi kulit lebih elok. Ia juga ada efek untuk menenteramkan dan menyegarkan seorang.

MEMBUAT PERSIAPAN UNTUK PAMERAN MANDIAN HERBA

2011-06-20T00:16:00.006+08:00

I am currently busy with the exhibition on herbal baths for the school library. This afternoon, a few of my students helped me to write down the information about the different types of herbal baths, e.g. Steam Bath, Mandian Permaisuri, Oil bath, Floral bath, etc.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Kini saya sibuk membuat persiapan untuk pameran Mandian Herba untuk perpustakaan sekolah. Petang ini beberapa pelajar membantu saya menyalin maklumat tentang jenis-jenis mandian herba seperti Mandi Wap, Mandian Permaisuri, Mandi Minyak, Mandi Bunga dsbnya.

A few of the librarians put the information they had written under the sheet of glass./
Pengawas Perpustakaan meletak maklumat yang mereka salin di bawah kaca meja.

Here is what we have done with the exhibition so far. There are more exhibits to be displayed. Next week we will be holding a competition about the herbs used for the baths. The prizes for the competition will be sponsored by the school cooperative.
VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Inilah persiapan untuk pameran yang telah disediakan sehingga kini. Ada lagi bahan-bahan yang belum dipamerkan. Minggu depan, kami akan mengadakan pertandingan tentant herba yang digunakan untuk mandian. Hadiah pertandingan akan disponsor oleh Koperasi sekolah.

HALBAN

2011-06-15T01:33:00.005+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common names: Halban, Leban
Nama saintifik/Scientific name: Vitex pubescens Vahl.
Famili/Famili: Verbenaceae
Botani
Pokok halban boleh ditemui tumbuh liar di kawasan kampung, di tepi sungai dan di hutan. Pokok halban sederhana hingga besar, mencapai 25 m tingginya. Kulit batangnya berwarna kuning kelabu. Kulit batang pokok tua merekah dan berkeping-keping nipis. Terdapat beberapa jenis pokok halban, contohnya halban putih dan halban kuning.
Kegunaan
Daun halban digunakan untuk mengubati luka dan demam. Bagi mengubati luka, daun diramas di tapak tangan dan disapu pada luka. Untuk mengubati demam, daun ditumbuk dan dituam pada kepala dan badan.

Akar pokok halban digunakan sebagai ramuan selepas bersalin, sakit badan, menguatkan tenaga zahir dan batin, juga untuk mengawet muda. Manakala daun dan kulit pokok berperanan untuk memulihkan kesihatan ibu lepas bersalin. Daunnya direbus dan didmakan sebagai ulam untuk membuang angin dari dalam tubuh badan. Daunnya direbus dan dimakan sebagai ulam untuk membuang angin dalam tubuh badan.

ENGLISH VERSION
BOTANY
Halban can be found growing wild in the kampung, the river banks and in the jungle. The average or fully grown halban tree can reach a height of 25m. The bark of the tree is yellowish-grey. There are a few types of halban, example white halban and yellow halban.
USES
Halban leaves are used to treat wounds and fever. To treat wounds, the leaf is crushed in the palm and applied to the wound. To treat fever, the leaf is pounded and applied to the head and body.
The root of the plant is one of the ingredients used for ladies in confinement, body aches and for physical and spiritual uplifting. It is also said to help maintain youthfulness. The bark and leaves of the tree are believed to play a part in aiding ladies in confinement to regain their health. The leaves are boiled and eaten as ulam to help rid the body of wind.

Rujukan/References:
http://karimon.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/halban-kuning/
http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/tugasan/s2_99/a72854.htm
http://rawatantradisional.blogspot.com/2007/08/halban.html

POKOK PISANG KELAT

2011-06-15T01:10:00.005+08:00

Saya dimaklumkan oleh seorang bidan bahawa daun pokok pisang kelat adalah satu-satunya daun pisang yang boleh digunakan sebagai ramuan dalam mandian herba untuk wanita yang lepas bersalin. Pisang kelat juga boleh dimakan oleh ibu dalam tempoh pantang.

Pokok pisang kelat yang dipaparkan di atas terdapat di masjid Kampung DSK, Seri Manjung.

ENGLISH VERSION

I was told my a midwife that the leaves of the Pisang Kelat or Banana Kelat plant is the only banana leaf that can be used as an ingredient in the bath for a woman who has given birth. The pisang kelat can also be safely eaten by ladies in confinement.

The Pisang Kelat plant above can be found in the compound of the Kampung DSK Mosque in Seri Manjung.

Nama tempatan/Common names: Pisang Kelat, Pisang Kelat Keling
Nama saintifik/ Scientific name: Musa acuminata x balbisiana Colla

Rujukan/Reference:
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisang_Kelat_Keling

GOD'S CROWN / MAHKOTA DEWA

2011-06-12T22:16:00.002+08:00

The red fruit of the Mahkota Dewa plant (God's Crown) above looks inviting, doesn't it? It was planted by my former principal in the school compound about 18 months ago and it is now bearing fruit. However, I have to put up a sign soon as a warning not to eat the fruit without processing. If eaten raw, the fruit is poisonous.
To make the fruit safe for consumption, the unripe green fruit as well as the ripened red fruit can be shredded and sun-dried. Take one tablespoon (no more) of this dried shredded flesh and mix it with a glass of boiling hot water to make a beverage infusion. It is believed that the flesh of the Mahkota Dewa fruit contains the anti-oxidant compounds that fight cancer. This is not recommended for pregnant women as consumption of this non-prescribed alternative medicine can endanger the unborn foetus.
Reference: http://hubpages.com/hub/Gods-Crown-the-Forbidden-Fruit

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Buah Pokok Mahkota Dewa di atas nampak sangat sedap, kan? Pokok ini telah ditanam oleh mantan pengetua sekolah saya lebih kurang 18 bulan dahulu. Sekarang pokok ini mula berbuah. Saya akan meletakkan tanda amaran dekat pokok ini supaya tidak ada sesiapa makan buah ini tanpa diproses. Kalau dimakan begitu sahaja, buah ini beracun.
Untuk menjadikan buah ini selamat dimakan, buah yang mentah dan yang masak perlu dihiris dan dijemur. Ambil satu sudu, hirisan ini dan masukkan dalam air panas untuk jadikan minuman herba. Isi buah Mahkota Dewa dipercayai mengandungi anti-oksidan yang boleh melawan penyakit kanser. Perempuan yang hamil tidak digalakkan makan herba ini.
Rujukan: http://hubpages.com/hub/Gods-Crown-the-Forbidden-Fruit

MAKING A HERBAL PILLOW FROM LEMUNI LEAVES

2011-06-09T22:45:00.003+08:00

The teacher in charge of the Herb Garden in my school did a major pruning of the Legundi/Lemuni tree on Wednesday morning. When I saw all the branches, I decided to pluck the leaves to make into a herbal pillow. I also got my library assistant to do the same. It would be a waste to just throw the leaves away, wouldn't it?
This is a great remedy to help relieve or prevent headaches.

MALAY VERSION
MEMBUAT BANTAL HERBA DARI DAUN LEMUNI
Guru Taman Herba sekolah saya telah memotong ranting-ranting pokok legunid/lemuni di taman pada pagi Rabu. Bila saya nampak semua ranting-ranting pokok, saya dapat idea untuk membuat bantal herba dari daun-daun lemuni. Saya juga menyakinkan pembantu perpustakaan sekolah untuk mengutip daun-daun untuk tujuan yang sama. Pada pendapat saya, memang membazir kalau membuang daun lemuni begitu sahaja.
Bantal Herba Lemuni boleh membantu melegakan atau mencegah daripada mendapat sakit kepala.

HERBAL REMEDY FOR COUGH

2011-06-09T00:10:00.002+08:00

One of my friend's wife had been coughing more than two years. She had tried a lot of medication and cures but the cough did not go away. She even had her chest X-rayed on the advice of her doctor. The X-ray showed that the lungs were okay.
I asked my Sifu for advice and he recommended a herbal remedy for her cough. He said that she needed to drink the herbal concoction for 3 times and she'd be okay. Know what? She only drank it once and became better. Last week, I heard from her hubby that she was not coughing any more.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 winter melon (kundur)
a handful of dried longan
a handful of Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis))
1 lo han ko (Arhat Fruit)

Method

Wash the winter melon.
Cut the top to make a lid.
Scoop out the seeds from the winter melon.
Add into the winter melon the lo han ko, the snow fungus and dried longan
Add boiled water to the winter melon.
Close the lid.
Double boil for half an hour before drinking.

** You can add in one lump of rock sugar if you want it a bit sweet but this is optional.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Isteri seorang kawan saya telah batuk selama dua tahun. Beliau telah mencuba banyak jenis rawatan tetapi penyakit tak mahu hilang. X-ray menunjukkan paru-paru beliau adalah sihat.
Saya mendapatkan resipe herba untuk batuk untuk beliau. Ramuan itu mesti diminum tiga kali. Selepas minum hanya sekali ramuan itu, keadaan beliau semakin pulih.

Inilah resipe batuk.

Bahan
1 biji kundur
1 genggam longan kering
1 genggam snow fungus
1 biji buah lo hon ko

Cara

Basuh biji kundur.
Potong bahagian atas biji kundur untuk dijadikan tudung.
Keluarkan biji dari buah kundur.
Masukkan lo han ko, the snow fungus dan longan kering dalam buah kundur.
Tambah air masak dalam buah kundur.
Tutup dengan tudung.
Double boil untuk 30 minit sebelum minum.

** Anda boleh tambah gula batu kalau inginkan lebih manis.

RUMPUT ISRAEL

2011-06-07T00:05:00.009+08:00

NAMA HERBA/HERBAL NAME :Rumput Israel, Israel Grass, Chinese Violet

NAMA SAINTIFIK/SCIENTIFIC NAME: Asystasia Gangetica L.
FAMILY/FAMILI:Acanthaceae
GENUS: Asystasia

BOTANI :
Rumpai merupakan tumbuhan yang banyak terdapat ditepi-tepi jalan, belukar dan ladang. Merupakan rumpai perosak utama diladang-ladang getah dan kelapa sawit di Malaysia. Di bidang penternakan ia boleh dijadikan makanan binatang ternak terutamanya lembu, kambing dan biri-biri.

KEGUNAAN:
Tumbuhan ini digunakan untuk mengubat luka akibat dari gigitan serangga dengan cara melumatkan daunnya dan menampalnya pada tempat luka tersebut.

ENGLISH VERSION

Israel Grass is a plant that is widely found by the roadside, thickets and fields. Grass is considered a weed which causes damage to rubber plantations and palm oil estates in Malaysia. In agriculture, it is used as animal feed especially for cattle, goats and sheep.

USES
This herb can be used to treat wounds from insect bites by pounding the leaves and applying it onto the wound.

Sumber/Sources:
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/asystasiagan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asystasia_gangetica
http://www.melur.com/myherba.asp?plant_id=44&cat=HERBA

PEGAGA GAJAH

2011-06-06T23:47:00.009+08:00

Nama Herba/Herbal Name: Pegaga Gajah, Centella Elephant Tree
Nama Saintifik/Scientific name: Hydrocotyle javanica
Famili/Family: Araliaceae

Genus: Hydrocotyle

BOTANI
Pokok Pegaga Gajah merupakan sejenis pokok renek dalam keluarga pegaga yang sering dimakan sebagai ulam. Ia bersaiz lebih besar berbanding pokok pegaga lain. Jarang terdapat dijual di pasar.

KEGUNAAN

Ulam Pegaga sebagaimana tumbuhan herba hijau yang lain, kaya dengan pelbagai zat makanan seperti protin, gentian, zat besi, vitamin A dan C.

ENGLISH VERSION
Centella Elephant Plant is a shrub belonging to the pennywort family. It is often eaten as a vegetable. This plant is larger than the size of other pennyworts. They are rarely sold in the market.

USES
Pegaga Gajah or Centella Elephant Plant is rich in nutrients such as protein, fiber, iron, vitamins A and C.

Sumber/Source:

http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Pegaga_Gajah

JERUJU PUTIH (SEA HOLLY)

2011-05-15T11:23:00.006+08:00

Nama tempatan: Jeruju Putih, Sea Holly
Nama Saintifik: Acanthus Ilicifolius L.
Genus: Acanthus
Famili: Acanthaceae

Botani

Hidup dikawasan berlumpur dan tebing sungai
Daunnya berduri

Kegunaan:

Digunakan untuk merawat, kanser, hepatitis, bengkak hati dan limpa, gastric.
Daun, biji dan akar digunakan sebagai ubat cacing.
Daun digunakan untuk rawat sengal tulang
Seluruh pokok digunakan untuk merawat batu karang.

Botany:

Grows in muddy areas and river banks.
Prickly leaves

ENGLISH VERSION

Common name: Jeruju Putih, Sea Holly

Scientific name: Acanthus Ilicifolius L.

Genus: Acanthus

Family: Acanthaceae

Medicinal uses

used to treat cancer, hepatitis, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, asthma, gastric.
Leaves, seeds and roots used as vermifuge
Leaves are used to treat rheumatism
Whole plant to treat kidney stone

Sumber/Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthus_ilicifolius
http://www.mpbd.info/plants/acanthus-illicifolius.php
http://agrobiosolution.blogspot.com/2010/04/jeruju-acanthus-ilicifolius.html

WHEN THE CACTUS PLANT BEARS FLOWERS

2011-05-01T17:59:00.003+08:00

The Chinese believe that when a cactus plant growing in ones home starts to bear flowers then it is auspicious sign. The blooming of the cactus flower symbolises that good luck will be upon the owner or occupants of the home. Usually the good luck or good news comes immediately after the flower blooms.

In the above picture, you see a pot of cactus belonging to my mum. The flower is in full bloom today.

Unfortunately, it will only bloom for a day. Nevertheless, I see a few more buds coming out from the cactus.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

BILA POKOK KAKTUS BERBUNGA
Golongan Cina percayai bahawa adalah bertuah atau 'ong' bila pokok kaktus berbunga. Bila kaktus berbunga ini bermaksud tuan rumah dan penghuni-penghuni akan bernasib baik. Biasanya tuah itu akan datang sebaik sahaja kaktus berbunga.
Saya memegang satu pasu pokok kepunyaan ibu saya yang sedang berbunga. Malangnya, bunga ini akan hidup selama satu hari sahaja. Tetapi nampaknya ada bunga-bunga lain yang akan kembang tidak lama lagi.

PEACOCK PLANT

2011-05-01T17:54:00.006+08:00

When my mum first saw this plant at the nursery, she was captivated by the beautiful leaves which resembled that of the peacock's feather. Of course, she bought it and this is how the plant looks after some time in her care. It has grown even more exquisite and beautiful. Look at how the patterns on the leaves are so prominent.

Here is some information about the Peacock Plant:

Scientific name: Calathea roseopicta
Common Names: Rose Painted Calathea, Rose Painted Prayer Plant, Peacock Plant
Family name: Marantaceae
Description: Broad leaf blades are about eight inches (20cm) long and very dark in color with a narrow grey-green jagged line some distance in from the leaf margin.

MALAY VERSION
Ibu saya tertarik dengan daun pokok ini yang bercorak macam bulu burung merak, pertama kali beliau nampaknya di nursery. Semestinya, ibu saya beli pokok ini dan beginilah rupa Pokok Peacock dibawah jagaannya.

Di bawah adalah maklumat tentang pokok ini.

Nama Latin/Nama Saintifik: Calathea roseopicta

Nama Tempatan: Rose Painted Calathea, Rose Painted Prayer Plant, Peacock Plant, Pokok Merak

Famili: Marantaceae

Botani: Daunnya yang panjang berlebar lebih kurang 20 cm. Warna daunnya gelap dengan garis bercorak warna kelabu-hijau.

Rujukan/Reference:
http://www.jaycjayc.com/calathea-roseopicta-marantaceae/

POKOK KAPAL TERBANG

2011-03-15T14:05:00.005+08:00

NAMA HERBA: Pokok Kapalterbang, Pokok Jepun, Pokok Jerman
NAMA SAINTIFIK: Chromolaena odorata
GENUS: Chromolaena
FAMILI: Asteraceae

BOTANI:
Merupakan tumbuhan yang tergolong kumpulan rumpai. Ia merupakan salah satu rumpai yang perlu dibasmi dalam amalan pertanian diladang atau kebun. Dikelaskan sebagai tumbuhan rumpai dan adalah dari Famili Asteraceae, Compositae. Tumbuhan ini hidup di dalam pelbagai jenis tanah, walaupun tanah berbatu, tetapi tiak dapat hidup di dalam kawasan pokok tebal di mana kanopinya tertutup sepenuhnya. Tumbuhan ini mempunyai batang bebusa dan boleh mencapai ketinggian 2.5 meter. Daunnya mempunyai bau.

KEGUNAAN:
Daun dan bunga diguna untuk merawat luka dan sebagai racun serangga. Dari segi perubatan tradisional ia boleh dijadikan ubat penahan darah. Daunnya dihancurkan bersama sedikit kapur makan dan ditampal di tempat luka.

ENGLISH VERSION

NAME OF HERB: Siam Weed, Christmas Bush, and Common Floss Flower.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chromolaena odorata

GENUS: Chromolaena

FAMILY: Asteraceae

BOTANY:

Chromolaena odorata is considered a weed that needs to be destroyed as far as agricultural practice is concerned. It belongs to the Asteraceae, Compositae family. This plant can thrive in whatever type of soil. It can achieve a height of 2.5 metres.

Uses:

The leaves and flowers can be used to treat wounds and as a pesticide. In traditional medicine, it is used to stop bleeding. The young leaves are crushed, and the resulting liquid can be used to treat skin wounds.

Sumber/Source:
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Kapal_Terbang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromolaena_odorata
Taman Herba Perak

CEKUR MANIS

2011-03-15T14:01:00.002+08:00

NAMA HERBA : Daun turi, Cekur manis

NAMA SAINTIFIK : Sauropus androgynus

BOTANI :
Pokok renek yang senang ditanam sama ada melalui biji, keratan batang. Ia perlu dicantas selalu kerana ia akan tumbuh sehingga 3 – 5 m. Berbatang kecil dan pendek jangka hayatnya. Daunnya sama seperti daun asam jawa dan daun petai. Bertangkai pendek dan menyirip sekitar 20 pasang. Daunnya bujur dan memanjang. Bunganya keluar dalam bentuk tandan dari celah ketiak daun. Berwarna putih kuning, ungu dan merah cair. Buahnya berbentuk kacang panjang dan akan pecah apabila masak.

KEGUNAAN:
Digunakan di dalam masakan dan juga sebagai pewarna. Merupakan antioxident. Selain daripada itu ia digunakan untuk menambah susu ibu. Digunakan untuk merawat ulcer dan demam panas. Daunnya boleh mencairkan darah beku, melancarkan pembuangan air kecil, menyembuh luka. Bunganya untuk melembutkan kulit.

ENGLISH VERSION
COMMON NAMES: Katuk, Star Gooseberry, Tropical Asparagus, Sweet Leaf, Mani Cai (马尼菜);

SCIENTIFIC NAME : Sauropus androgynus

BOTANY

Can be propagated using seeds, stem cuttings. Its multiple upright stems can reach 3 - 5 meters in height and bear dark green oval leaves 5–6 cm long.Flat, round, orange/red flowers 1-2cm across, form in the leaf axils.

USES

for culinary uses
used as colouring
increase milk for nursing mothers
antioxidant
treat ulcers and fever
used to treat blood clots
for regular bowel elimination
for treating wounds

Sumber/sources:

http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/sweet-leaf.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauropus_androgynus

http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_cekur_manis

BAYAM PASIR

2011-03-15T13:57:00.003+08:00

NAMA HERBA: Bayam Pasir

NAMA SAINTIFIK : Amaranthus Viridis L./Alternanthera sessilis

BOTANI :
Tumbuh tegak dan batang tegap. Daun lebar berbentuk bujur, urat-urat daun kasar dan jelas kelihatan di permukaan bawah. Menyerupai bayam biasa tetapi daunnya lebih kasar dan batang lebih gemuk. Biasanya tumbuh liar tetapi boleh ditanam dengan biji.

KEGUNAAN:
Seluruh bahagian pokok boleh direbus dan diminum. Dapat membunuh cacing dalam perut dan usus, meredakan bengkak, melawaskan buang air kecil, merangsangkan penghasilan susu ibu, merawat masalah hati dan menghentikan cirit-birit. Bunga dan akar boleh dibancuh seperti teh lalu diminum sebagai tonik perut dan berfungsi untuk menghentikan cirit-birit (najis bercampur darah).

BAYAM ITIK

2011-03-15T13:47:00.005+08:00

NAMA TEMPATAN/COMMON NAME: Bayam Itik

NAMA SAINTIFIK/SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amaranthus Blithum L.

BOTANI:
Ditanam dengan biji dan mudah bercambah dalam masa beberapa hari sahaja. Pokok kecil yang boleh mencapai ketinggian 75 sm. Berwarna hijau atu kemerah-merahan dan hidup separuh menjalar. Daun bersaiz kecil berbentuk bujur. Bunga sangat kecil dalm jambak bunga yang bersaiz sederhana dihasilkan. Biji kecil berwarna hitam.

KEGUNAAN:
Seluruh bahagian pokok dimasak seperti bayam biasa. Sedap dimakan dan rasanya manis. Dimakan sebagai ubat bagi tujuan mengeluarkan racun dalam badan.

ENGLISH VERSION
BOTANY
It can be easily planted from seeds and grows easily within a few days. This small plant can grow until 75 cm. It is either greenish or reddish and is a semi climbing plant. The leaves are small and oval shaped. There are very small flowers in an average size bouquet. The seeds are black in colour.
USES
The whole plant can be cooked like how we cook spinach. This sweet tasting vegetable is delicious. When taken as medicine, it is said to remove toxins or poison from the body.

SKILFUL WORK WITH GARDEN SHEARS

2011-03-13T11:23:00.001+08:00

The new gardener of my school is quite an artistic fella, he managed to fashion the shrubs near the hostel area into such geometric shapes.

MALAY VERSION

MAHIR MENGGUNAKAN GUNTING
Tukang kebun baru sekolah saya merupakan seorang yang artistik, beliau dapat menghasilkan pokok-pokok yang berbentuk geometrik dengan guntingnya.

TAMAN KAKTUS SEKOLAH

2011-03-13T11:16:00.001+08:00

Begini rupa jadinya Taman Herba di sekolah yang saya mengajar selepas Empat Tahun ditanam. Sebenarnya pokok kaktus merupakan tanaman yang sangat senang ditanam dan dijaga. Ada dua daripada pokok kaktus pun dah berbunga. Cantik, kan?

ENGLISH VERSION
This is how the Cactus Garden in my school looks after four years. Actually, the kaktus is easy to plant and maintain. Two of the plants are bearing flowers. Lovely, aren't they?

DESERT ROSE

2011-02-24T10:30:00.003+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common names: Sabi Star, Kudu, Fu Kwai Fa, Desert-rose.
Nama Saintifik:/Scientific name: Adenium obesum
Famili/Family: Apocynaceae
Genus/Genus: Adenium
Spesis/Species: A. obesum

LEMON BASIL: KEMANGI

2011-02-24T10:16:00.002+08:00

Setahu saya ada dua jenis pokok kemangi yang biasa ditanam di taman rumah, satu jenis berbunga ungu dan satu lagi bunganya warna putih. Kedua-dua pun boleh digunakan untuk masakan dan juga sebagai ubat.

Berikut adalah maklumat tentang pokok kemangi:

Nama Tempatan: Kemangi

Nama Saintifik: Ocimum sanctum Linn
Nama Lain: Cemangi
Famili: Lamiaceae /Labiatae

Kegunaan
Tumbuhan ini beraroma dan banyak digunakan dalam masakan. Ia juga digunakan dalam perubatan tradisional.
Air rebusan daun kemangi diminum untuk menangani masalah pernafasan, batuk dan bronkitis yang kronik. Kaedah yang sama juga digunakan untuk merawat masalah gastrik. Untuk asma pula jus dari daunnya diminum.
Rujukan: http://www.melur.com/

ENGLISH VERSION
As far as I know, there are two types of lemon basil (kemangi) that are commonly found in Malaysian gardens. One type has purple flowers while the other has white ones. Both types are used in cooking as well as traditional medicine.

Here is more information about the lemon basil:
Common names; Kemangi, Lemon Basil, Cemangi
Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum Linn
Family: Lamiaceae /Labiatae

USES:
The aromatic plant is used in cooking, especially as a garnish. It is also used in traditional medicine.
The boiled water of the lemon basil leaves aresaid to help ease breathing difficulties, gastric, coughs and chronic bronchitis. The juice of the leaves are recommended for those suffering from asthma.
Reference: http://www.melur.com/

DUKUNG ANAK (PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI)

2011-02-10T23:12:00.002+08:00

This morning I had a call from the Media teacher of SMK Pangkalan TLDM, she had called to ask me about a plant called Dukung Anak. The teacher, Puan Noraini, said that the daughter of her friend was suffering from eczema (a kind of skin disease) and someone recommended her to use this herb as a cure.

Actually, I am very familiar with this plant and it is also very easy to find as it grows wild. We have a lot of it growing in the Herb Garden and also many parts of the school grounds. In the above pictures, you can see some of the Dukung Anak plants growing in the Herb Garden. However, I insisted that Puan Noriani come see me in school so that I could show her the plant. Sometimes, some plants look similar, so I do not wish for the young girl to be treated with the wrong type of herb.

Anyway, I did suggest using the leaves of the Inai plant as another alternative herbal cure for the skin problem. From what I know the Dukung Anak Plant is more known to treat illnesses like hepatitis, urinary disorders and fevers. In Papua New Guinea, the fresh leaf juice or fresh root juice are taken orally for venereal diseases.

SOME INFO ABOUT THE DUKUNG ANAK
THE Malays call it pokok Dukung Anak. They believe drinking the juice of the plant (including its roots) can cure, among others, yellow fever, anaemia, asthma, dysentery and to a certain extent, diabetes.
While its effectiveness in curing these ailments has yet to be proven, one thing for sure is that the plant, which goes by the scientific name of phyllanthus niruri, can indeed cure Hepatitis-B.
Sources: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/86021/novalab_invests_rm3m_on_herbal_cure_for_hepatitisb/index.html
http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/phyllanthus-niruri

TABERNAEMONTANA DIVARICATA

2011-01-08T17:26:00.003+08:00

Nama Saintifik/Saintifik name: Tabernaemontana divaricata
Genus: Tabernaemontana
Famili/Family: Apocynaceae

SKY FRUIT PLANT

2011-01-06T20:31:00.002+08:00

Here is the Sky Fruit Plant in my school which is growing higher and higher by the day. I bought it more than a year ago and planted it behind the school library. It is now more than 15 feet tall but has yet to bear fruit. It is called Sky Fruit (Fructuse Swietena Macrophylla/Swietenia macrophylla) because the fruit points to the sky. According to books on herbs, it is known as the Queen of Plants and has a lot of medicinal values and is said to act as an antioxidant, promote blood circulation, prevent cancer and reduces the risk of coronary heart diseases and body fats.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK TUNJUK LANGIT
Inilah Pokok Tunjuk Langit di sekolah saya yang semakin hari semakin tinggi. Saya beli pokok ini lebih dari setahun dahulu dan menanamnya di belakang pusat sumber. Pokok ini dah lebih 15 kaki tinggi sekarang tetapi masih belum berbuah. Namanya Tunjuk Langit/Sky Fruit (Fructuse Swietena Macrophylla/Swietenia macrophylla) kerana buahnya tunjuk kepada langit. Merujuk kepada buku herba, pokok ini merupakan Permaisuri Pokok dan mempunyai banyak nilai perubatan. Ia dikatakan berperanan sebagai anti oksiden, membantu pengaliran darah, mencegah kanser dan mengurangkan penyakit jantung dan lemak badan.

Reference/Rujukan: http://www.xkl-langkawi.com.my/benefits.aspx

CUCUMBER TREE

2011-01-06T20:29:00.001+08:00

THE Belimbing Buluh tree in the school Herb Garden has been bearing a lot of fruit lately. Its botanical name is Averrhoa bilimbi. Actually, my friends and I usually refer to this tree by its Malay name. In English, it is known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel.
My colleagues and I had a fun time plucking the belimbi fruit from the tree. My colleague, Tuan Haji Hasnin, took the short cut by shaking the plant and the fruits just fell to the ground where we could easily pick them up.
Let me share with you one tip to hasten the tree to bear fruit taught to me by another colleague, Puan Kamariah. She said that all we need to do is to remove the leaves from the stalk. After a while, the plant will start bearing flowers and fruits.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK BELIMBING BULUH
Pokok belimbing buluh di Taman Herba sekolah saya berbuah dengan lebatnya ketika ini. Nama botaninya ialah Averrhoa bilimbi. Sebenarnya, saya dan kawan-kawan saya merujuk kepada nama Melayu pokok ini. Nama Bahasa Inggerisnya adalah Belimbi, Cucumber Tree atau tree sorrel.
Saya dan rakan-rakan sekerja saya seronok memetik buah dari pokok ini. Tuan Haji Hasnin mengambil 'short-cut' dengan mengoncang pokok untuk menjatuhkan buah ke tanah supaya senang kami dapat mengutipnya.
Izinkan saya berkongsii satu tip untuk mencepatkan pokokk berbuah yang diajar oleh rakan sekerja saya, Puan Kamariah. Beliau berkata kita hanya perlu menanggalkan daun-daun dari batangnya. Selepas seketika pokok itu akan berbuah dengan lebatnya.

HERBA DALAM BLOG INI

2011-01-01T23:22:00.000+08:00

JACOBINA CARNEA (JUSTICIA SPP.)

2010-11-22T23:16:00.002+08:00

Common names/Nama tempatan: Jacobina, Shrimp Plant, Brazilian Plume, Flamingo Flower
Scientific name:/Nama Saintifik: Justicia carnia radiant/Justicia spp.
Family/Famili: Acanthaceae
Genus: Justicia

FENG SHUI PLANT

2010-11-02T01:14:00.001+08:00

This is the lovely Feng Shui plant that my former principal, Puan Siti Arfah gave to me as a house warming present. The plant is growing well and I have noticed new plants sprouting up. In Chinese it is known as Fatt Choy Suen. Anyone has any idea as to what it is called in English? Better still, who knows its Scientific name?

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK FENG SHUI

Pokok Feng Shui yang cantik ini merupakan hadiah 'house warming' daripada mantan pengetua saya, Puan Siti Arfah. Pokok ini tumbuh elok dan saya mendapati ada pokok baru yang tumbuh. Dalam Bahasa Cina ia di kenali sebagi Fatt Choy Suen. Ada tak sesiapa yang tahu namanya dalam Bahasa Inggeris? Atau lebih baik lagi, siapa mengenali nama saintifiknya?

POKOK REBEN / RIBBON BUSH

2010-11-02T00:54:00.003+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common names : Pokok Reben, Centipede Plant, Ribbon Bush, Tapeworm plant
Nama Cina/Chinese characters: 山羊百科
Nama Botani/Botanic name: Muehlenbeckia Platyclada (Muell.) Meisn.
Famili/Family: Polygonaceae

Kegunaan:
Daun dan rantingnya ditumbuk lumat dan didtampal pada bisul, luka, lebam, penyakit kulit, kecederaan dan gigitan serangga. Daun dan ranting juga digunakan untuk merawat gusi bengkak, berdarah atau sakit. Hanya perlu tambah sedikit garam pada daun dan ranting yang ditumbuk lumat dan menampal pada bahagian yang sakit.
Daun dan ranting direbus dan airnya boleh diminum untuk merawat kecederaan, darah yang bertakung, serta mengurangkan bengkak dan lebam.

Uses:

The leaves and branches are pounded into a paste and applied to boils, cuts, bruises, skin diseases, injuries and insect bites.
The leaves and branches are also used to treat gums that are swollen, bleeding or painful. Just add a bit of salt to the pounded leaves and branches and apply to the affected area.
The leaves and branches are boiled and the water is drunk to treat injuries, blood clots and also to reduce swelling.

Rujukan/Sources:
Tanaman Hiasan: Khasia Makanan & Ubtan oleh Ong Hean Chooi
http://www.gardenjoy.co.uk/foliageshrubs/gardenshrub0236.htm

BLOGGING INTERRUPTED

2010-10-17T16:34:00.000+08:00

I have not been updating this blog for some time. My apologies to all my regular visitors. The reason is that I had to move from my rented house to a house I bought after the house owner told me that he wanted to sell his house. It took me a few months to get everything settled and also to get back to my normal routine.
After weeks and weeks of getting the new house renovated and all the repairs done, I have moved in. This morning I went and visited a nursery in Ipoh to look at the flowers and plants there. So, watch out for my new posts about plants.

MALAY VERSION
Dah lama saya tak update blog ini. Maaf kepada semua pelawat blog setia ini. Sebab saya tak dapat menulis blog adalah kerana saya sibuk pindah rumah. Dengan sukacitanya saya maklumkan bahawa saya dah selamat berpindah dan pagi ini saya dapat melawat nursery di Ipoh.
Saya akan blog tentang pokok bunga dan herba yang saya jumpai di nursery ini di post-post akan datang.

POKOK KUNCUR

2010-09-12T23:46:00.001+08:00

Nama tempatan herba ini adalah kuncur. Kuncur dimakan sebagai Ulam. Pokok Kuncur dalam gambar-gambar di atas ditanam dibelakang Restoran Silaturahim di Teluk Batik, Manjung.
Saya belum dapat menjumpai nama botani pokok herba ini sampai sekarang.

ENGLISH VERSION
The local name for this herb is Kuncur. It is eaten as a salad or ulam by the locals. The above photographs of the plants were taken at the back of the Silaturahim Restaurant in Teluk Batik where the herb is planted.
I have yet to find the Botanical name of this plant. Can anyone help?

AECHMEA FASCIATA

2010-09-12T23:38:00.000+08:00

Common names/Nama tempatan: Silver-Vase, Urn Plant
Botanical name/Nama Botani: Aechmea fasciata
Genus/Genus: Aechmea
Family/Famili: Bromeliaceae
Species/Spesis: A. fasciata

Reference/Rujukan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aechmea_fasciata

VARIEGATED OYSTER PLANT

2010-09-12T23:05:00.000+08:00

Common names/Nama tempatan: Variegated Oyster Plant, Variegated Boat Lily/Plant, Variegated Moses-in-the-basket, Variegated Moses-in-the-cradle
Botanical names/Nama Botani: Tradescantia bermudensis ‘Variegata’ or Tradescantia spathacea ‘Hawaiian Dwarf’
Family/Famili: Commelinaceae

Reference/Rujukan: http://www.jaycjayc.com/tradescantia-bermudensis-variegata-dwarf/

RUI SIANG

2010-09-12T22:44:00.000+08:00

The Chinese name for the plant above is Rui Siang. Anyone knows its scientific name?

ASHITABA/TOMORROW'S LEAF

2010-08-16T01:13:00.002+08:00

Common names: Tomorrow's Leaf, Ashitaba, Chinese Angelica, Ming Re Ye 明日葉
Botanic name: Angelica keiskei
Family: Apiaceae

Genus: Angelic

How the plant got its name:
Ability of the herbal plant to grow very fast symbolic by its name Ashitaba, means "tomorrow's leaf". Harvesting a leaf at the break of day results often in a new sprout growing over night, being visible the following morning.

Medicinal uses:

Ashitaba known to purify blood and circulation, cleanse the colon, relieve muscle, joint, and nerve discomfort and enhance lung function.
Powerful antioxidants, nutrients, and energetic properties.
Ashitaba improves skin ("Ashitaba exfoliates the dead skin that causes a dull complexion and / or clogged pores".
Also, herb heals scrapes, cuts, insect bites, acne, and ulcers and hair quality. Reduces cell damage and increases blood circulation to the skin thus producing wrinkle free skin and hair grows thicker (fuller and stronger) with a color shine and preventing dry or brittle hair.

How to eat the Ashitaba leaves:

The dried Ashitaba plants can be used to make tea.
Use your Ashitaba plants as a healthy ingredient in soups.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashitaba
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/588995/ashitaba_chinese_herbal_medicinal_and.html?cat=68
http://www.ehow.com/how_5675823_use-ashitaba-plants.html

DAUN PUDINA / MINT LEAVES

2010-08-11T23:45:00.000+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common names: Daun Pudina, Peppermint

Nama botani/Botanic name: Mentha Piperita

Spesis/species: Mentha

Keluarga/Family: Lamiaceae

Kegunaan

Selain digunakan dalam masakan, daun pudina juga ada digunakan sebagai teh untuk minuman.
Kesemua jenis pudina boleh bertindak sebagai perangsang dan membantu penghadaman serta mengurangkan flatulens.
Ia juga bersifat sebagai antiseptik, antiparasit dan anti virus.
Pemakanannya boleh meransangkan tubuh badan mengeluarkan peluh.
Daun pudina juga digunakan untuk membuat ubat sapu untuk merawat selesema, sakit kepala, kekejangan otot dan sakit-sakit badan manakala minyak yang diperbuat daripada daun pudina boleh menghilangkan rasa loya serta kejutan dan mempertingkatkan konsentrasi.

Sumber: http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/tugasan/s3_99/s_norazian.html

RUDRAKSHA TREE

2010-07-31T23:16:00.002+08:00

My former student, Sharveen, got a ride from me to go to school this morning as he was invited to Prize Giving Day of our school. Sharveen scored 5As for the 2009 SPM and was invited back to school to receive a prize. While I was driving him to school, he commented that the Rudraksha beads that I had hanging in the car were fake. After the ceremony in school, Sharveen brought me to a shop selling the real Rudraksha beads. He is holding a strand of 54 prayer beads.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Bekas pelajar saya, Sharveen, menumpang kereta saya ke sekolah pagi ini kerana beliau dijemput menghadiri Hari Anugerah di sekolah. Sharveen mendapat 5A dalam peperiksaan SPM 2009 dan dijemput balik ke sekolah untuk menerima anugerah. Semasa dalam kereta saya, Sharveen menyatakan bahawa manik Rudraksha ayg saya mengantung di kereta adalah palsu. Selepas upacara di sekolah, Sharveen membawa saya ke satu kedai yang menjual manik Rudraksha yang original. Di gambar di atas, Sharveen memegang manik rantai yang mengandungi 54 biji manik sembahyang.

I am holding a longer strand of Rudraksha beads whichs is made up of more than a 100 beads.

Saya memegang rantai Rudraksha yang mengandungi 100 biji manik.

The prayer beads comes in different sizes and lengths.

Saiz dan panjang manik sembahyang ini berbeza.

Rudraksha beads are known as Tears of Lord Siva. They are the original Vedic beads worn by the Yogis of India and the Himalayas for thousands of years to maintain health and gain self-empowement. The Rudraksha beads are actually the seeds from the fruit of the Rudraksha tree.

I learnt about these wonderful beads last year and was trying to find out where to find such a tree. By coincidence, Sharveen saw the fake beads that I bought and he showed me where to buy the real ones. When I asked him if he knew where to find such a tree, he said that it could be found at an ashram in Sitiawan. Of course, I made him take me to the place after I bought the prayer beads.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Manik Rudraksha dikenali sebagai Air Mata Lord Siva. Mereka ini merupakan manik Veda yang asalnya dipakai oleh Yogi-yogi India di Himalaya selama beribu-ribu tahun untuk mengekalkan kesihatan dan untuk mendapat kekuatan diri. Manik Rudraksha adalah biji-biji buah pokok Rudraksha.

Saya mempelajari tentang manik yang hebat ini tahun lepas dan giat mencari dimana boleh menjumpai pokok ini. Secara kebetulan, Sharveen yang nampak manik tiruan saya di kereta menunjukkan tempat untuk membeli manik yang sebenar. Bila saya menanya dia di mana tumbuhnya pokok ini, Sharveen memberitahu yang pokok ini tumbuh di satu ashram di Sitiawan. Selepas membeli rantai manik sembahyang, Sharveen menunjukkan saya di mana ashram itu.

Here is the Rudraksha tree which is planted in front of the Sanathana Dharma Ashram in Sitiawan. As a matter of fact, they have 3 Rudraksha trees in the compound. The founder of the Ashram told me that they got the seedlings of the tree from Hawaii. The children of the Ashram would pick the fruits and process them to be sold. This is one of the activities carried out by the children. I heard that the beads would be sold during religious Hindu festivals. The beads available are the Four Face and Five Face ones.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Inilah pokok Rudraksha yang ditanam di depan Sanathana Dharma Ashram di Sitiawan. Sebenarnya ada 3 pohon pokok Rudraksha di sana. Pengasas Ashram memberitahu saya beliau mendapat biji benih pokok ini dari Hawaii. Budak-budak di Ashram akan mengumpul buah dan prosesnya untuk dijual. Ini adalah satu aktiviti yang dijalankan oleh budak-budak di sana. Saya difahamkan bahawa manik-manik Rudraksha akan di jual semasa perayaan Hindu. Manik-manik yang dijual ada 4 Muka dan 5 Muka.

Common names: Rudraksha
Scientific name: Elaeocarpus ganitrus
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Genus: Elaeocarpus
Species: E. ganitrus

Information:
Rudraksha Mala has been used by Hindus (as well as Sikhs and Buddhists) as rosary for thousands of years for meditation purposes to sanctify the mind, body and soul. The word Rudraksha is derived from Rudra (Shiva—the Hindu God of all living creatures) and aksha (eyes). One Hindu legend says that once Lord Shiva opened his eyes after a long time dyana or yoga, because of extreme fulfillment he shed out tear. This single tear from Shiva’s eye grew into the Rudraksha tree. Rudraksha fruit is blue in color but turns black when dried. The central hard Rudraksha uni-seed has 1 to 108 faces and 2 to 21 faces Rudraksha are available, 1 faced Rudraksha is scarcely available, Rudraksha having 22 to 108 are almost extinct, there are people sayings that 22 to 108 faced Rudrakshas plants are still there at the foot hills of Himalayas and Manasa-sarover regions, but still no one has seen them.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudraksha

POKOK GAJUS

2010-07-28T19:15:00.003+08:00

Nama tempatan: Pokok gajus, jambu golok

Nama saintifik: Anacardium occidentale

Famili: Anacardiaceae.

Keterangan:
Pokok ini berasal dari negara Brazil dan ditanam untuk mendapatkan bijinya. Biji buah gajus yang digoreng atau dipanggang adalah sejenis makanan ringan yang boleh didapati di pasaran. Ia juga boleh digunakan sebagai hidangan masakan dan kuih.
Ia mempunyai daun yang lebar dan licin. Pucuknya boleh dimakan dan sering diambil bagi dimakan dengan dicicah budu. Pucuknya mempunyai rasa yang kelat sedikit tetapi sedap.

Sumber: http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Gajus

POKOK ARA

2010-07-28T19:03:00.004+08:00

Pokok Ara (bahasa Inggeris: ficus) merupakan genus untuk kira-kira 800 spesies pokok berkayu, pokok renek, dan pokok menjalar dalam famili Moraceae. Pokok ini berasal dari seluruh kawasan tropika, dengan beberapa spesies yang bertumbuh juga di kawasan iklim sederhana yang hangat.

ENGLISH VERSION

FICUS
Ficus (Malay language: Ara) is a genus with about 800 species of woody plants, shrubs and climbing plants in the Moraceae family. This plant originates from the tropics, with a few species in temperate climates.

Sumber/Source: http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Ara

TEMU PAUH

2010-07-28T17:52:00.003+08:00

Common names/Nama tempatan: Temu Pauh, Temu Labab, Mango ginger

Botanic name/Nama botani: Curcuma Alba Rhizoma

Family/famili: Zingiberaceae

Genus: Curcuma

Keterangan/Information:
Rasa ubi temu pauh seperti bau mangga tetapi tidak masam. Dimakan untuk membuka selera.
The temu pauh tastes like mangoes but it is not sour. It is used as an appetizer.

Kegunaan/Uses:
Temu Pauh bersama daun inai, temu lawak dan halia bara mampu membakar lemak dibadan.
Caranya/Temu Pauh together with inai leaves, temu lawak and halia baru can help to burn body fats:

Method/Cara:

Bahan-bahan diatas dipotong serong dan kecil kecil./Cut all the ingredients in a slanting manner. Make sure they are cut into small pieces.
Goreng tanpa minyak selama 5 minit./Fry without oil for 5 minutes.
Masukkan garam./Add salt.
Gaul sebati./Mix evenly.
Goreng hingga 1/2 jam, sehingga bahan berbau harum./Fry for half an hour until the ingredients smell fragrant.
Ramuan yang digoreng tadi diletakkan pada tuala, ikat seperti bonjot./The fried ingredients are then placed on a towel and tied like a ball.
Tekapkan perlahan-lahan pada perut, peha dan betis./Apply it slowly on the stomach, thighs and shin.
Do this for a week each night before going to bed.

Secara tradisional digunakan dalam proses penyembuhan kanker payudara, maag, gangguan pencernaan./ Traditionally it helps to treat breast cancer, gastritis and digestive system problem.

References:

http://en.wordpress.com/tag/produk-premium/
http://www.sidomuncul.com/bb_simplisiakering.php

POKOK TENGGEK BURUNG

2010-07-27T14:43:00.012+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common name: Tenggek Burung

Nama botani/Botanic name: Scientific name: Euodia ridleyi/Euodia redlevi/Euodia ridleyi

Famili/Family: Rutaceae

Kegunaan/Uses:

Daun tenggek burung dipercayai boleh

melambatkan keluar air mani lelaki/slows down the emission of sperms in a man;
lebih menegangkan zakar/tightens the penis,
menjadikan zakar lebih sensitif/makes the penis more sensitive,
lebih menambah nikmat sex kepada lelaki/increase sexual satisfaction for males,
ia juga menyegarkan badan/revitalises the body,
mencegah serangan darah tinggi/prevents high blood pressure.
boleh dimakan sebagai ulam dengan sambal belacan/can be eaten as ulam with sambal belacan.
mampu membantu wanita terutamanya wanita yang baru lepas bersalin terutama mengecutkan rahim/aids post-natal mothers especially in tightening the vagina.
melancarkan peraliran darah/helps the flow of blood in the body.

Cara menggunakan:
Kita hanya perlu makan 6 atau 7 helai daun sekali makan. Daun yang dimakan ialah daun yang muda. Rasanya sedikit kelat dan garing, jadi sesuai dimakan sebagai ulam. Makan diwaktu malam atau siang. Kesannya agak segera, selepas 2 atau 3 jam.

How to use:

You only need 6 to 7 leaves for each serving. The leaves that are eaten are young shoots. It is suitable to be eaten as ulam day or night. The health effects can be felt after 2 or 3 hours after consumption.

Sumber/Sources:

http://khaziminrazali.blogspot.com/2009/07/daun-tenggek-burung-dimajlis.html http://fazlisyam.com/2008/01/12/pucuk-tenggek-burung/

KERABU BUNGA BETIK JANTAN

2010-07-25T23:22:00.007+08:00

Selain buah betik, pucuk yang muda juga sedap dibuat ulam mentah. Begitu juga, bunga betik jantan sedap dibuat kerabu.

Lihatlah bunga-bunga betik yang terdapat pada pokok di atas. Yum! Yum! Tetapi bunga betik ini adalah rasa sedikit pahit dan perlu dicelur dahulu.

English translation

PAPAYA FLOWER KERABU

Besides the papaya, its young shoots can also be eaten raw as ulam. The male flowers can also be made into delicious kerabu.

Look at the papaya flowers growing on the plant above. Hmm ... I can already picture the delicious kerabu. However, it can be a bitter. They need to be scalded first before being made into kerabu.

POKOK MALINJA

2010-07-25T01:12:00.007+08:00

This is the fruit of the Malinja tree. When young the fruit is greenish, then it turns yellow, orange and finally maroon when ripe (as in the picture below). The skin of the fruit is peeled and washed before it is cut into thin slices which will then be deep fried. The crackers which have a slightly bitter taste is delicious.

Scientific name: Gnetum gnemon

Family name: Gnetaceae

Malay name:

Gnetum gnemon: Belinjau(3)

Gnetum gnemon: Malinjau

Gnetum gnemon: Melinjau

Gnetum gnemon: Melinjo

Gnetum gnemon: Meninjau(5)

Gnetum gnemon: Tangkil

English name:

Gnetum gnemon: Gnemon tree

Gnetum gnemon: Malinjau

Gnetum gnemon: Spanish joint fir(3)

Scientific names:

Gnetum gnemon: Gnetum acutatum

Gnetum gnemon: Gnetum gnemon(4)

Gnetum gnemon: Gnetum gnenum

Gnetum gnemon: Gnetum vinosum

Family:

Gnetum spp: Gnetaceae fml
The Buah Melinja is also known as Buah Cokok.

How the fruit looks like after the skin is removed.

This is how the Cokok tree looks like.

This is the packet of Malinja crackers that I bought from the Pasar Tani. It tastes bitter sweet. Very delicious.

To find out more about the Buah Malinja, please go to: http://bilikini.blogspot.com/

BOUGAINVILLEA / BUNGA KERTAS

2010-07-25T00:47:00.003+08:00

Nama tempatan/Common name: Bougainvillea, Bunga kertas, Kembang kertas

Nama botani/Botanic name: Bougainvillea glabra Chois

Famili/Family:Nyctaginaceae
Genus: Bougainvillea
Spesis/Species: Bougainvillea buttiana, Bougainvillea peruviana, Bougainvillea spinosa, Boungainvillea spectabilis

Kegunaan Perubatan Bunga Kertas

Bahagian yang berkhasiat
Bahagian dari bunga kertas yang dapat dimanfaatkan adalah bunga dan batangnya, bahagian ini digunakan untuk penyembuhan penyakit.

Khasiat Bunga Kertas

Bunga Kertas berkhasiat sebagai penyegar badan.
Untuk penyegar badan digunakan 10 gram bunga Bougainvillea glabra, dicuci dan direbus dengan 3 gelas air sampai mendidih selama 15 minit, disejukkan dan disaring. Hasil saringan diminum.

Medicinal uses of the Bougainvillea

The part that can be used for medicinal purposes is the flower and the stem. It can be used to revitalise the body. One needs 10 grammes of bougainvillea glabra which needs to be washed and boiled in three glasses of water for about 15 mintues. It is then left to cool and then strained. The concoction is drunk in the morning.

Rujukan/Reference: http://www.scribd.com/doc/23277318/wuri-mortum

STEVIA

2010-07-03T00:39:00.003+08:00

A while back, I had already read about a plant by the name of stevia being ued as a substitute for sugar. I managed to buy this plant at the Farmer's market this week. The guy who sold it to me referred to it as Daun Manis. Actually, it is more commonly known as Daun Gula or Sweet Leaves.
Some countries do not support the use of Stevia as a sugar substitute because they have big investments in the sugar industry using sugar cane as the source. Non agriculture countries that survive totally on trade and commerce will also be against the use of Stevia as sugar is big business.
Stevia has big potential in Malaysia as most of the sweetener demand still using cane sugar. Sooner or later our country also will very likely follow the foot step of Japan, where 40% of sweetener demands are using stevia.
In the three pictures above, you can see my librarians helping to plant the Stevia or Daun Gula in the Herb Garden.
Medicinal uses
In countries like Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, stevia which is called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb") is used as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.
By the way, I tasted the leaf and it is sweet. The guy who sold it to me said that the leaves can be sun dried and then be used to make tea or added to a drink to make it sweet.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stevia_rebaudiana_flowers.jpg
http://sites.google.com/site/pondokmayacom/daun-gula
http://agrobiosolution.blogspot.com/2010/02/stevia-pengganti-gula-stevia-as-sugar.html

MONEY TREE (PACHIRA AQUATICA)

2010-06-11T00:04:00.004+08:00

Fruit of the Pachira/Buah pokok pachira

Common names/Nama tempatan: Money tree, Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut, Provision tree, Saba Nut

Chinese name/Nama Cina: 馬拉巴栗

Scientific name/ Nama saintifik: Pachira aquatica
Genus: Pachira
Family/Famili: Malvaceae

How it was called Money tree:

The name "money tree" seems to refer to a story of its origin, where a poor man prayed for money, found this "odd" plant, took it home as an omen, and made money selling plants grown from its seeds.

Asal usul nama "Money Tree"

Nama 'money tree' (pokok duit) rujuk kepada satu cerita di mana seorang miskin berdoa untuk duit dan lepas itu menjumpai sebuah pokok yang pelik. Dia membawa pokok itu balik ke rumah kerana menganggapnya sebagai satu tanda dari Tuhan. Kemudian dia menjadi kaya dengan menjual pokok yang ditanam dari benihnya.

Reference/Rujukan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachira_aquatica

'SUPERNATURAL POWERS" OF KUNYIT HITAM

2010-06-11T00:00:00.001+08:00

The above is the flower of the Kunyit Hitam which bloomed in the Herb Garden of my school. I did a post of it in the blog for the herb garden and I received the following input from a visitor:

Someone told me if you keep the flower in your wallet, your life will be easy and (you) will not have money problem. I don't know whether it is true or not...

I also visited the blog of the person who left the comment and found that she also did a post on the Kunyit Hitam. Here is what she wrote:

Pakcik A ngan Rosli cakap kunyit hitam tu antara khasiat lain boleh elak org nak hantar ilmu hitam or sihat kat tuan rumah. Biasan nya org2 asing ni kan bila datang Malaysia kena ada ilmu, kalo x mmg xleh nak hidup la kat Mesia ni. Camtu la diaorg bilang. Diorg cakap jugak, nak lagi best, letak jugak pokok limau kat depan rumah. Confirm lagi takut diorg yg ada ilmu x baik ni nak datang dekat. Itu antara pantang larang.

Pakcik A ngan Rosli jugak cakap, kalau kita tanam bende ni sorok2 atau selai daun kita campak dalam hutan, org yg ada ilmu2 ni mmg akan tahu kunyit hitam ni ada berdekatan. Cuma kalau nak amik daun or kunyit hitam ni, xleh amik time senja..bila nak dekat maghrib tu..dikatakan "power" dia akan hilang. Pakcik tu jugak cakap, setiap malam Jumaat, pokok kunyit ni ada bau2 kemenyan. Meremang jap bulu roma aku..
Source: http://duasenaku.blogspot.com/

TRANSLATION

This is what I can best translate because the Malay used here is very colloquial.

A person named Pakcik Rosli said that one of the powers of this plant is that it the plant acts as a shield against those wishing to carry out black magic on the owner of the house where it is planted. He mentioned that foreigners to Malaysia would usually have knowledge of some form of black art so that they can survive in Malaysia. He said that it would be even better if a lime tree was planted in front of the house. This would make sure that those who want to use black magic would not be able to carry out their intent. It is also believed that if the plant is hidden or if a leaf is thrown into the jungle, those who practise the black arts would know that a Kunyit Hitam plant is present. If one wants to pluck the leaves of the Kunyit Hitam, they must not do so at dusk as by Maghrib time it will lose its power. The Pakcik also said that on Friday nights, the plant would give out a smell similar to kemunyan (incense). Eerie, isn't it?

BLACK TURMERIC PLANT/KUNYIT HITAM

2010-05-31T19:32:00.006+08:00

I had a pleasant surprise from I went to check on the plants in the school Herb Garden. The Black Turmeric Plant or Kunyit Hitam was bearing flower. And what an exquisite bloom it was. We had planted it for more than 5 years and only now it has begun to flower. This has gotten me so excited that I will spend more time in the Herb Garden tomorrow. Heh! Heh!

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya amat gembira bila mendapati bahawa pokok kunyit hitam di Taman Herba sekolah sedang berbunga. Cantiknya bunga itu. Kami telah menanam pokok itu selama lima tahun dan sekarang baru berbunga. Saya akan pergi lagi ke Taman Herba esok pagi untuk menjenguk bunga yang cantik ini.

Here is information about the Black Turmeric Plant/Maklumat Kunyit Hitam

Common names/Nama Tempatan: Black Turmeric, Kunyit Hitam, Kali Haldi (Tamil), Black Zedoary
Scientific name/Nama Saintifik: Curcuma Caesia
Family/Famili: zingiberaceae
Genus : Curcuma

Medicinal uses/Kegunaan untuk perubatan

It is claimed to be able to:/ Dipercayai boleh:

1. treat joint tumour/mengubati tumor joint
2. treat leprosy/mengubati penyakit kusta
3. to give longevity to human beings/memanjangkan usia seseorang
4. to treat hemorrhoids/ mengubati hemorrhoids
5. to treat bronchitis and asthma/ mengubati penyakit bronkitis dan asma
6. to treat gonorrhoea/ mengubati penyakit gornoohoea

References:
http://kelapadara-bioaslidesaku.blogspot.com/2008/04/herba-kunyit-hitam.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Turmeric
http://www.greencover.org/Herbs/Black%20Turmeric.html

CREPE MYRTLE (LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA)

2010-05-27T17:45:00.001+08:00

When I went to the State Education Department in the morning, I noticed the Crepe Myrtle Plant by the roadside and just couldn't resist whipping out my camera to take pictures of it. This is one of my habits. My friends and familiar who know me well will know that I will stop the car whenever I see a plant that gets my attention. The ones I saw this morning had pink flowers with crimped petals. There are also white, mauve, purple or carmine flowers.

Scientific name: Lagerstroemia indica

Common names: Crepe Myrtle, Crape myrtle, Rose of India

Genus: Lagerstroemia.

MEDICINAL USE OF THE SAGA TREE

2010-05-25T16:04:00.002+08:00

This is the saga tree (Adenanthera pavonina L.) where we get all the lovely red bead-like saga seeds. Do you know that in India the leaves are boiled and the water is used to treat rheumatism and gout? The saga seeds which are pounded into powder form is used to treat boils, headaches and rheumatism. Its wood is made into a tonic. In Malaysia, the leaves are also used as herbal cures.There are few such saga trees outside the workshops in the school where I teach and there is always an abundance of saga seeds to be found on the ground.

Hmm ... I must start collecting the saga seeds and pound them into powder so that I can use it to treat my headaches. As an afterthought, I better stick to visiting the Massage Uncle as it is too troublesome.

Reference: http://wannura.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/saga-adenanthera-pavonina-l-merawat-reumatik-dan-gout/

COMMON PEPEROMIA

2010-05-24T20:25:00.003+08:00

I am sure that many of you in Malaysia would have seen this herb before. Many would have considered it as a weed as it can be found growing near the drains and by the roadside. As a matter of fact, it can be found in most of our gardens. In Malay it is known as ketumpangan or tumpang air.
It can be eaten as a vegetable and is also used a a medicinal herb. The plant can be eaten raw or cooked. You can actually buy it from the small time Chinese farmers who sell their produce at the wet markets in Malaysia. It is considered a Yang Herb by the Chinese.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya amat pasti anda yang berada di Malaysia pernah melihat herba ini. Ramai mungkin menganggapnya sebagai rumput liar yang boleh dijumpai di longkang atau di tepi jalan. Ia juga tumbuh secara liar di taman bunga kita. Ia dikenali sebagai ketumpangan atau tumpang air.

Ketumpangan boleh dimakan sebagai sayur dan juga sebagai ubat. Ia boleh juga dimakan sebagai ulam atau dimasak. Anda boleh membelinya juga dari petani-petani Cina yang menjual hasil tanaman mereka di pasar. Orang Cina menganggapnya sebagai Herba Yang (mempunyai sifat panas).

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMON PEPEROMIA/MAKLUMAT TENTANG COMMON PEPERONIA

Common Name/Nama tempatan :Common Peperomia, Man-to-man, Ketumpangan, Tumpang Air

Scientific name/Nama Sainfitifk: Peperomia pellucida

Family/Famili : Pepper family (Piperaceae)

Medicinal uses/Kegunaan Perubatan: To treat glaucoma and eyes diseases

How to use/Cara menggunakan:

1.Use the whole plant (4-5 mature plants)/Semua bahagian pokok boleh digunakan (4 -5 pokok matang).

2.Use Chinese Wolfberry (3 table spoons)/3 sudu besar Chinese Wolfberry.

3.Use brown sugar (1 table spoon)/1 sudu besar gula perang.

Method/Cara :

1.Put 4 bowls of water in a pot/Masak 4 mangkuk air dalam periuk.

2.Put peperomia plants, Chinese wolfberry and brown sugar into the pot/Letak ketumpangan air, Chinese wolfberry dan gula perang dalam periuk.

3.Boil the water. When the water is boiled, let it simmer over a slow fire/Masak air. Bila air mendidih, perlahankan api.

4.Boil in slow fire till 8/10 of a bowl/Masak atas api perlahan sehingga tinggal 8/10 mangkuk.

5.Drink the tea when cool/Minum teh bila sejuk.

Prescription/Preskripsi

1.Drink every two days/Minum dua hari sekali.

2.There should be improvement after a week/Boleh dilihat kesannya dalam masa seminggu.

3.Continue until cured/Sambung sampai sembuh.

4.During the course, you could be expected to get watery eyes/Semasa perubatan, air mungkin berair.

Other uses of Common Peperomia/Kegunaan lain Ketumpangan air

1.Can be eaten raw (use it as ulam/salad)/Boleh dimakan sebagai ulam

2.Can be fried as vegetable/Boleh dimasak sebagai lauk.

Sources/Sumber:
http://www.yinyangherbs.com/peperomia2.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peperomia_pellucida

HOW TO MAKE ROSELLE JAM

2010-05-24T20:22:00.000+08:00

1. Wash the Roselle petals thoroughly.

2.Then separate the red calyx (the fleshy cover surrounding the seedpod) from the seedpod

3.Mix in brown sugar, 1 part of roselle petals to 1 part of brown sugar.

4.Leave for 2-3 hours to let the brown sugar become liquid.

5.Next cook the mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes.

6.Let it cool and then blend.

7.Add lime to crystallize the jam.

8.Store in bottles and then refrigerate.

CELOSIA ARGENTEA PLUMOSA

2010-05-23T23:02:00.005+08:00

Common name: Plumed Cockscomb

Botanic name: Celosia Argentia Plumosa

Genus: Celosia

Family: Amaranthaceae

Uses

The leaves and flowers are edible. The leaves are eaten as vegetables in some South East Asian countries.

GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT HERBS

2010-05-23T22:50:00.004+08:00

I like learning about medicinal herbs. If I find magazines on herbs, I would buy them and start reading the moment I reach home. However, I take longer to read those magazines that are in Chinese as I am not that proficient. I don't have much trouble with the Malay language mags and I breeze through those in English.
I find the information very fascinating and would use them when writing post for this blog.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU
Saya minat belajar tentang herba untuk perubatan. Kalau terjumpa majalah tentang herba, saya akan beli dan membaca bila sampai sahaja di rumah. Tetapi, saya mengambil masa yang lebih lama membaca majalah Bahasa Cina kerana saya lambat membaca bahasa ibunda. Saya tidak ada masalah membaca majalah Bahasa Melayu dan Bahasa Inggeris.
Maklumat dalam majalah-majalah ini sangat menarik dan saya boleh menggunakan untuk menulis untuk blog ini.

KANGKUNG AIR

2010-05-18T14:29:00.005+08:00

Kangkung adalah sejenis tumbuhan yang tumbuh di kawasan berair. Ada dua jenis kangkung, basah dan kontang. Kangkung di atas adalah kangkung air - jenis basah. Ia mudah didapati di kampung, di kawasan sawah padi dan paya.

Nama botani: Ipomoea aquatica.
Famili: Convolvulaceae.
Nama umum: kangkung air, kangkung, water morning glory, kangkong, water spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus.

CURE FOR MIGRAINE

2010-05-17T18:48:00.004+08:00

I have been suffering from migraine since the age of 19 and still am suffering from it. Sometimes I am really worried that the amount of painkillers I consume would be bad for my body but then the pain gets so intense that I have to take them.

Recently I read an article in a magazine on Herbs about the use of the Oriental Arbovitae leaves (Platycladus orientalis aurea) to cure migraine. In Cantonese we refer to this as Pien Pak. In Mandarin it is known as Bai Zi Ren 柏子仁) . In traditional Chinese medicine, this herb is also used to calm the mind; to treat palpitation and poor memory.

It seems that preparing the Oriental Arborvitae leaves for consumption is very simple and easy. All one needs to do is to wash one palm size leaf and then put them in a glass of hot water, let it brew for ten to twenty minutes and then it is ready to be drunk. It seems that after drinking the concoction for a few times, one will notice that the migraine attacks will become lesser and lesser.

One thing to remember is that there are several species of the Oriental Arborvitae and not all of them can be used as a cure. The one we are looking for is the ones which are flat in shape. Look at the pictures above and you will have an idea.

Luckily for me, my mum has planted such a tree in our garden. So I have collected quite a lot of the leaves and will start to try them out today. If I am free of migraine, I will certainly let you all know.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya menghidap penyakit migraine semenjak saya berusia 19 tahun. Sehingga kini saya masih lagi menghidap penyakit tersebut. Apabila saya mengambil pil penahan sakit penyakit saya akan berkurangan tetapi ubat itu akan memberi kesan sampingan kepada kesihatan saya.

Baru-baru ini saya terbaca satu artikel daripada satu majalah bernama "Herbs" yang menceritakan tentang kebaikan daun Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis aurea) yang dikatakan dapat mengubat penyakit migraine. Dalam loghat Cantonese ia dikenali sebagai Pien Pak. Dalam bahasa Mandarin dikenali sebagai Bai Zi Ren. Dalam perubatan tradisi Cina, ia digunakan untuk menenangkan fikiran, jantung berdegup kencang dan peringatan yang lemah.

Saya dapati cara untuk menyediakan daun Oriental Arborvitae ini untuk diminum adalah sangat senang. Hanya perlu daun yang sebesar tapak tangan, basuh dan kemudian letak dalam segelas air panas. Biar untuk 10 hingga 20 minit sebelum minum. Dengan minum air ini untuk beberapa kali, penyakit migraine akan berkurangan.

Terdapat beberapa spesis Oriental Arborvitae tetapi bukan semua boleh digunakan sebagai ubat. Hanya jenis yang bentuk leper yang boleh digunakan.

Saya bernasib baik kerana ibu saya menanam pokok ini di taman bunga rumah. Saya telah mengambil beberapa helai daun ini dan akan cuba gunakannya sebagai ubat hari ini. Kalau migraine saya hilang, saya akan maklumkan kepada anda.

IN SEARCH OF THE PUCUK RAWAN

2010-05-11T21:20:00.005+08:00

I managed to find the pucuk rawan growing in a kampung in Tanjung Karang last weekend. This plant grows where there is water. It grows wild and can be found near paddy fields. One can make kerabu with it or ulam. The stem part that I am holding is supposed to be the tastiest.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Mencari pucuk rawan

Saya dapat menemui pucuk rawan di sebuah kampung di Tanjung Karang pada minggu lepas. Tanaman ini tumbuh di kawasan yang ada air. Pucuk rawan tumbuh secara liar dan boleh dijumpai di sawah padi. Boleh dijadikan kerabu atau ulam. Bahagian batang yang saya pegang adalah yang paling sedap.

PADDY FIELD/SAWAH PADI

2010-05-10T22:01:00.004+08:00

I went to Tanjung Karang last Friday and managed to visit a paddy field. Tanjung Karang is paddy growing town in the state of Selangor. It is known as the rice bowl of Selangor. It was a wonderful feeling being able to look at the wide expanse of greenery and be one with nature.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya pergi ke Tanjung Karang pada hari Jumaat minggu lepas dan dapat melihat sawah padi di sana. Tanjung Karang juga di kenali sebagai jelapang padi negeri Selangor. Saya berasa amat berpuas hati melihat kehijauan sawah padi yang terbentang luas di sana.

BUNGA TAHI AYAM (LANTANA CAMARA)

2010-05-10T21:59:00.003+08:00

I spotted this pot of lovely camara flowers on sale at the Farmer's Market in Ipoh. The plant has multi-coloured flowers as a result of bud-grafting.

Medicinal uses:

Research has shown that the leaves of the camara contains sineol (a type of oil)

Lantana bark is astringent and used as a lotion in ulcers and other eruptions of the skin. Lantana camara leaves are boiled and applied for swellings and pain of the body. It is also said to be effective in treating asthmatic symptoms.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya nampak pasu bunga tahi ayam ini dijual di Pasar Tani di Ipoh. Pokok ini ada bunga yang berwarna-warni hasil daripada cantuman tunas.

Kegunaan Bunga Tahi Ayam sebagai ubat
Menurut kajian, daun bunga tahi ayam mengandungi sejenis minyak (sineol) yang amat berkesan untuk mengeluarkan lendir dan kahak daripada penyakit asma. Lendir yang menghalang saluran pernafasan dapat dikeluarkan dengan menghidu bau yang terhasil dari ramasan atau tumbukan daun yang telah dijemur sehingga setengah kering. Daun pokok bunga tahi ayam juga boleh mengurangkan bengkak akibat daripada infeksi kuman. Ini disebabkan oleh kandungan turpineol (minyak atsiri yang bersifat antiseptik yang boleh membunuh kuman) dan furfurol (bersifat fungisida yang berkesan merawat penyakit kulit yang diakibatkan oleh kulat) di dalamnya. Daunnya perlu ditumbuk halus dan ditampal pada bahagian yang sakit.

Sources/Sumber:
http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/tugasan/s3_99/juliana.html
http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/223

POOR MAN'S FOOD

2010-05-05T00:14:00.004+08:00

I had only recently eaten this vegetable at the Tasik Raban restaurant. To me it tastes delicious. In Malay it is known as Paku Rawan (Limnocharis flava). This type of plant grows wild and can be found in paddy fields and also places where there is water. It is also known as Genjer. This vegetable is known as the poor man's food especially in the villages. When the poor do not have enough money, they would eat this vegetable.
In the English language it is known as limnocharis, sawah-flower rush, sawah-lettuce, velvetleaf, yellow bur-head, atau cebolla de chucho.
This afternoon I went with my friend, Puan Kamariah to have a look at the Paku Rawan that could be found growing in drains in Manjung. I had initially wanted to pluck some to cook but after seeing how dirty the water in the drains were I changed my mind. Perhaps, I would go hunting for them near the paddy fields.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

Saya hanya baru makan sayur ini di Restoran Tasik Raban di Ipoh. Hmm... sedap rasanya. Nama saintifik paku rawan adalah Limnocharis flava. Ia adalah sejenis tumbuhan rawa yang banyak dijumpai di sawah atau perairan dangkal. Paku Rawan atau Genjer adalah sumber sayuran "orang miskin", yang dimakan orang kampung apabila tidak ada sayuran lain. Ia juga dikenali sebagai limnocharis, sawah-flower rush, sawah-lettuce, velvetleaf, yellow bur-head, atau cebolla de chucho.

Petang ini saya bersama kawan saya Puan Kamariah mencari Paku Rawan dekat longkang-longkang di kawasan Manjung. Pada mulanya saya bercadang nak memetiknya tetapi ubah fikiran apabila mendapati air longkang itu kotor. Ada kemungkinan, saya akan carinya di sawah padi.

Reference/Rujukan: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genjer

KING OF BITTER TO TREAT SORE THROAT

2010-05-04T06:09:00.003+08:00

Whenever I have a sore throat, I'd go to my garden to pluck the leaves from a plant called "Hempedu Bumi" (Andrographis paniculata) or "King of Bitter" . In Chinese it is called Chuan Xin Lian 穿心蓮. All I need to do is to pluck about 5 to 6 leaves, wash them and then eat them raw. After a while, the sore throat goes away. Seriously, it works!

Versi Bahasa Melayu

Bila saya sakit tekak, saya pergi ke taman bunga di rumah saya untuk memetik daun hempedu bumi (Andrographis paniculata) atau King of Bitter. Herba ini dikenali sebagai Chuan Xin Lian dalam Bahasa Cina. Saya hanya perlu memetik 5 hingga 6 helai daun, basuh dan makan sebagai ulam. Selepas makan, sakit tekak akan hilang. Percayalah, ia mujarab!

KAYU MANIS

2010-04-28T18:08:00.002+08:00

Nama Tempatan : Kayu Manis

Nama Saintifik : Cinnamomum Zeylanicum

Nama Lain : Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon, Gui, Gui Zhi(China), Cassia ,Wood

Famili : Lauraceae

Kegunaan:

* Kulit kayu manis apabila dikeringkan akan menjadi rempah yang digunakan dalam masakan.

* Minyak pati dari kulit kayu manis banyak digunakan dalam perubatan aroma terapi

untuk menghasilkan kesan yang menenangkan jiwa.

* Kayu manis juga digunakan untuk melawaskan pembuangan najis, penawar cirit birit (membunuh bakteria e-coli) dan penahan sakit.

* Ia juga merupakan anti bakteria semula jadi yang dapat mencegah pembentukan plak gigi dan kerosakan gigi.

* Ia juga dapat melegakan senak perut dan juga menghilangkan rasa mual dan loya terutamanya pada wanita hamil.

Rujukan: http://kelapadara-bioaslidesaku.blogspot.com/2008/04/herba-kayu-manis.html

BLUE MUSHROOMS

2010-04-27T20:06:00.003+08:00

I recently discovered that there really exist mushrooms that are blue in colour. The Scientific name for it is Mycena interrupta. The blue mushroom is commonly known as the Pixies' Parasol. It can be found in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Chile.

CENDAWAN BIRU

Saya baru mendapat tahu bahawa ada cendawan yang berwarna biru. Nama saintifik untuk jenis cendawan ini adalah Mycena interrupta. Cendawan biru juga dikenali sebagai Pixies' Parasol dan boleh dijumpai di Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia dan Chile.

Reference/Rujukan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_interrupta

http://cheeserland.com/

LIPSTICK PLANT (BIXA ORELLANA)

2010-04-11T23:35:00.006+08:00

One of the visitors to the Taman Herba Vokasma blog asked me if I knew where to locate the Lipstick Plant. Actually my late grandfather planted it in the compound of our old house many years ago but it has since been chopped down. He used it to make a herbal concoction for sprains.

From books and magazines that I have read, this plant is also used by the Orang Aslis in Malaysia and I guess that if my visitor were to go visit an aboriginal village, he might just find the tree for his research. Anyway, I'll try asking two of my Orang Asli students if they have the plant in their settlement. If yes, I'll let everyone know.

INFORMATION ABOUT BIXA

Lipstick plant is actually the nickname for Achiote (Bixa orellana). It is a shrub or small tree which is native to the Americas. We have the plant here as well. The plant bears pink flowers and bright red rambutan-like fruits which contain red seeds. The fruits dry and harden to brown capsules.

Uses

The fruit cannot be eaten but instead is harvested for its seeds which contain a red dye caleld bixin. The inedible fruit is harvested for its seeds, which contain annatto, also called bixin. It can be extracted by stirring the seeds in water. The achiote has long been used by American Indians to make body paint, especially for the lips, which would explain why it is called Lipstick plant.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixa_orellana

KEGUNAAN DAUN BELIMBING BESI

2010-04-11T23:22:00.004+08:00

Setiap kali emak saya rasa yang kulitnya rasa gatal atau terdapat ruam, dia akan memetik daun belimbing besi sebagai rawatan. Ini adalah rawatan tradisi menggunakan herba yang diajar oleh pengasuhnya yang berasal dari negeri Cina. Untuk merawat kulit yang gatal, anda perlu memetik daun belimbing besi yang boleh mengisi satu beg plastik yang besar. Kemudian basuh daun itu dan kemudian merebus dalam air yang telah ditambah garam. Rebus selama satu jam. Lepas itu, mandi dengan air rebusan itu. Biar air itu di kulit untuk seketika sebelum basuh. Petua ini memang mujarab!

English version

STARFRUIT LEAVES USED TO TREAT ITCHINESS

Every time my mum suffers from itchy skin or rashes, she will go look for the leaves of the starfruit (carambola) plant. This herbal remedy was taught to her by her nanny who hailed from China. All one needs to do is to boil the leaves for about an hour in salt water. Then when the water is lukewarm use it to take a bath. It would be even better if one leaves the starfruit water on the body for a while before rinsing with water.
This morning I drove my mum to a house in our neighbourhood where such a tree could be found. The house has been unoccupied for some time and it seems that a lot of ladies come and pluck the leaves for medicinal purposes as well. My mum has been having sleepless nights because her skin felt itchy. Well, I am sure that after her bath, she'd be okay. Believe me the herbal remedy really works!

TECOMA (Tabebuia Rosea)

2010-04-06T00:23:00.005+08:00

The Tecoma trees (Tabebuia Rosea) in the Seri Manjung area were in full bloom a couple of weeks ago. It reminded one of the Sakura or Cherry Blossom trees in Japan. I managed to take pictures of the trees to share with you here.

MALAY VERSION

Pokok Tecoma (Tabebuia Rosea) yang terdapat di Seri Manjung berbunga dengan lebatnya beberapa minggu yang lepas. Ia menyerupai pokok Sakura atau Cherry Blossom yang terdapat di negeri Jepun. Saya dapat menangkap gambar pokok-pokok ini untuk berkongsi dengan anda.

POKOK BUNGA KERTAS BERWARNA-WARNI

2010-04-05T23:59:00.002+08:00

Pokok-pokok bunga kertas di atas ditanam di kawasan sekolah saya. Ini adalah hasil cantuman tunas yang dibuat oleh seorang guru sekolah saya yang memang suka berkebun. Cantik, kan?

ENGLISH VERSION

The colourful bougainvillea plants above can be found in my school. The different colours of flowers growing on one plant is because of bud-grafting work done by one of the teachers in my school who loves gardening. Beautiful, right?

RAIN TREE (Samanea saman Merr.)

2010-03-24T23:23:00.006+08:00

One of my colleagues told me that the fruit of the rain tree had a very "interesting" name in the Malay language. At first I had thought it was the Golden Shower tree which I did a post on previously. However, when I showed him the fruit from the Golden Shower tree, he told me that it wasn't the one. He said the flowers were pink and continued to give me a description of the plant. I also used the name that he provided me with to find the botanic name for this particular tree. For those who wish to know, the name of the fruit is in the last picture.

Plant information:

Common names: Acacia, Rain Tree, Monkey Pod, Saman. 5 0'clock Tree, Ki Hujan

Botanic name: Samanea saman Merr.

Traditional Uses

In the Phillipines

· Acute bacillary dysentery, enteritis, diarrhea: use 15 to 30 gms dried material in decoction.
· Also for colds, sore throat, headache.
· A decoction of the inner bark or fresh cambium and leaves is used to treat diarrhea.
· Anaphylactic dermatitis, eczema, skin pruritus: use decoction of fresh material and apply as external wash.
· Latex used as gum arabic for gluing

In Venezuala,

. The rain tree is a traditional remedy for colds, diarrhea, headache, intestinal ailments and stomach ache.
· Root decoction used in hot baths for stomach cancer.

In the West Indies,
· The leaf infusion is used as a laxative and seeds chewed for sore throat.
· The alcoholic extract of leaves used for tuberculosis.

References:

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Acacia.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flower_%26_flower_buds-_Samanea_saman_I_IMG_3407.jpg
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/GBASE/data/pf000168.htm
http://kuina.kujie2.com/galak-tua/gongkar/khazanah-rimba-2.html

LAVENDAR

2010-03-23T22:29:00.005+08:00

These lavendar flowers were on sale at a stall in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands.
I saw these pots of lavendar plants sold at one of the tourist centres. I think they cost RM 12.00 per pot.

Common name: Lavendar

Botanic names: Lavandula angustifolia, or Lavandula officinalis

Medicinal use
Lavender is used extensively in herbalism and aromatherapy.

Essential oil of lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. These extracts are also used as fragrances for bath products.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender

LI NA HERBS

A BLOG CALLED LI NA HERBS

DRAGON'S TAIL FOR DRAGON YEAR

UGLI FRUIT

TONG SUI

GOLDEN PENDA

BASIL DRINK WITH LEMON AND HONEY

THAI BASIL

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS GRAPE-LIKE FRUIT?

CHECKING HOW MY FRIENDS ARE DOING

SABAH SNAKE GRASS (CLINACANTHUS NUTANS L.)

BUNGA TELANG (WHITE VARIETY)

BUNGA CHEMPAKA

KEMUNING (MURRAYA PANICULATA)

MY YOUNG APPRENTICES

KEWANGIAN SERIBU BATU: BUNGA KEMUNING

LABEL THE HERBS CONTEST (PERTANDINGAN MELABEL HERBA)

BELUNTAS

LENGKUAS (GALANGAL)

TEBU HITAM (BLACK STEMMED SUGAR CANE)

GETTING HELP FOR EXHIBITION ON HERBAL BATHS

GIVING A TALK ABOUT HERBAL BATHS

HERBAL BATH / MANDI HERBA

MEMBUAT PERSIAPAN UNTUK PAMERAN MANDIAN HERBA

HALBAN

POKOK PISANG KELAT

GOD'S CROWN / MAHKOTA DEWA

MAKING A HERBAL PILLOW FROM LEMUNI LEAVES

HERBAL REMEDY FOR COUGH

RUMPUT ISRAEL

PEGAGA GAJAH

JERUJU PUTIH (SEA HOLLY)

Hidup dikawasan berlumpur dan tebing sungaiDaunnya berduri

WHEN THE CACTUS PLANT BEARS FLOWERS

PEACOCK PLANT

POKOK KAPAL TERBANG

CEKUR MANIS

BAYAM PASIR

BAYAM ITIK

SKILFUL WORK WITH GARDEN SHEARS

TAMAN KAKTUS SEKOLAH

DESERT ROSE

LEMON BASIL: KEMANGI

DUKUNG ANAK (PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI)

TABERNAEMONTANA DIVARICATA

SKY FRUIT PLANT

CUCUMBER TREE

HERBA DALAM BLOG INI

JACOBINA CARNEA (JUSTICIA SPP.)

FENG SHUI PLANT

POKOK REBEN / RIBBON BUSH

BLOGGING INTERRUPTED

POKOK KUNCUR

AECHMEA FASCIATA

VARIEGATED OYSTER PLANT

RUI SIANG

ASHITABA/TOMORROW'S LEAF

DAUN PUDINA / MINT LEAVES

RUDRAKSHA TREE

POKOK GAJUS

POKOK ARA

TEMU PAUH

POKOK TENGGEK BURUNG

KERABU BUNGA BETIK JANTAN

POKOK MALINJA

BOUGAINVILLEA / BUNGA KERTAS

STEVIA

MONEY TREE (PACHIRA AQUATICA)

'SUPERNATURAL POWERS" OF KUNYIT HITAM

BLACK TURMERIC PLANT/KUNYIT HITAM

CREPE MYRTLE (LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA)

MEDICINAL USE OF THE SAGA TREE

COMMON PEPEROMIA

HOW TO MAKE ROSELLE JAM

CELOSIA ARGENTEA PLUMOSA

GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT HERBS

KANGKUNG AIR

CURE FOR MIGRAINE

IN SEARCH OF THE PUCUK RAWAN

PADDY FIELD/SAWAH PADI

Hidup dikawasan berlumpur dan tebing sungai
Daunnya berduri