CROWN OF THORNS

Common name: Crown of thorns

Scientific name: Euphorbia milii

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Chinese name: 铁海棠

Description

This desert plant has thorny stems. The red part of the flowers are not petals but bracts (modified leaves). The Crown of Thorns was supposedly the plant used for Christ's crown of thorns. It was named after Euphorbius, a Greek physician in 1 AD, who used the sap to make medicine. However, the sap can cause skin irritation or blindness.

Source:
http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=426
http://www.natureloveyou.sg/Plants-E.html

CALABASH

The calabash plant in my school Fruit Garden is fruiting. This is the second season that we are planting the calabash or wu lou. The calabash can be eaten and it can also be made into a water gourd. There is a special exhibit in my school for the calabash.

Here is some information about the calabash:

Common names: Calabash, Water Gourd, Wu Lou, hulu

Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria

Description

The calabash or bottle gourd is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe.

Uses

• used in both western and eastern cuisine.
• the gourd can be dried out and used to smoke pipe tobacco.
• used as a utensils, such as a cups, bowls, and basins.
• the wu lou is believed to absorb negative earth-based qi (energy) that would otherwise affect health and is a traditional Chinese medicine cure.
• to the Chinese it is a symbol of good fortune and longevity and is used as a feng shui cure.
• calabash leaves eaten to treat insomnia.
• the shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.

References:

http://www.holyrudraksha.com/feng-shui/feng-shui-for-health/calabash/prod_347.html

http://www.arubaplaza.com/enc/arubaplaza_encyclopedia.php?group=2&record=31

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

PAPAYA

Common name: Papaya

Scientific name: Carica papaya L.

Family: Caricaceae

The papaya tree that ny student, Sharveen, and I planted in our Fruit Garden at the beginning of the year is now bearing fruit. I can't wait for the papayas to grow bigger so that I can pickle them. Did you know that Christopher Columbus called the papaya the 'fruit of angels" when he first saw the fruit many hundreds of years ago. I guess he did so after he found out about all the goodness one can get from eating them.

For your information, papayas are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients, minerals and fibre.

Here are some other benefits of eating papayas:

• helpful in the prevention of heart diseases.
• helps to lower high cholesterol levels.
• excellent source of vitamins C & E.
• papaya's fibre is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells.
• the enzymes contained in papaya have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns.
• the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya are also very good at reducing inflammation.
• preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.
• a remedy for abdominal disorders.

Sources:

http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/fruits-vegetables/papaya.htm

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

HELP APPRECIATED

I am the Media teacher and also the supervisor for the Resource Centre in the school I am attached to. At the same time I am responsible for the information about the school and the data in the Herb Garden and Fruit Garden.

I started this STESMA Herb Garden blog to provide information about herbs for the teachers, staff and students of the school. Along the way, I discovered that my students weren't that keen on herbs but instead many people not associated with my school began reading this blog and also started to contact me.

I have teachers, students and friends bringing herbal plants for me to add to the Herb Garden. Then I also have knowledgeable visitors who lend a hand by providing me with information and also helping to correct any plant errors. Then I have my colleagues who help me to translate the information into Bahasa Melayu as well.

This English language teacher would really like to express her appreciation and thanks to all who have given their support and assistance. Hopefully, with everyone's help, I will be able to add more and more information about herbs to this blog so that it will be a source of data for people who want to know more about them.

THANK YOU! XIE XIE! KAMSA HAMNIDA! TERIMA KASIH! GRACIAS! MERCI!

BLOOD PRESSURE: NORMAL

In the above picture, you see my colleague helping to take my blood pressure. From the reading, it can be seen that my pressure is normal. I believe that one of the factors contributing to this is that I take a lot of vegetables and herbs. So it is beneficial to eat herbs!

PROTECTING THE GUAVAS

My students, Sharveen and Naqib, helped me to wrap the fruits on the guava tree in the evening when they came to help out at the library. They are doing this to protect the fruit from being eaten by birds.

ULAM RAJA

Ulam raja dalam gambar di atas ditanam di Taman Herba sekolah saya. Saya dan rakan sekerja gemar makan ulam dan kadang-kadang kami membuat kerabu ulam dengan herba yang kami tanam.

Saya pernah buat satu artikel tentang Ulam Raja. Di sini adalah maklumat tambahan yang saya dapati.

Nama Tempatan: Ulam raja, King salad, Intan berayun
Nama Saintifik: Cosmos caudatus
Famili: Asteraceae

Kegunaan:

1. Digunakan secara tradisi untuk memperbaiki peredaran darah dan mencuci darah dari bahan toksid dan juga dapat menguatkan tulang.
2. Klorofom yang diekstrak dari daun ulam raja mengandungi costunolide, stigmasterol, lutein dan bipyridine yang dikatakan dapat merencatkan aktiviti sesetengah bakteria dan fungus seperti candida albicans dan Bacillus subtilis dan juga E.choli.
3. Ulam raja dapat mengurangkan tekanan oksidatif kerana sebahagiannya terdiri daripada kandungan antioksidan yang tinggi.
4. Dimakan sebagai ulam.

Rujukan:

http://www.melur.com/

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

MAN-TO-MAN (KETUMPANGAN AIR)

I am sure many of you would have seen this herb growing by the roadside or near the drains. I am equally sure that almost everyone would think that they are useless weeds, right? Actually the Man-to-Man or Ketumpangan air is a very useful herb that can be added to our salads or used a medicine for quite a number of ailments. Read the information below and you will soon agree with me.

Common names (Nama tempatan):
Ketumpang Air, Ketumpangan air, Rangu-rangu, Salad Pepperomia, Vietnamese Crab Claw Herb, Salad Pepperomia, Sirih Cina, Shiny bush, Pepper elder, Common pepperomia

Scientific name (Nama Saintifik): Peperomia pellucida
Family (Famili): Piperaceae

Chinese name (Nama Cina): 草胡椒

Culinary :
A small plant with bright green heart-shaped shiny succulent leaves used in salad. The best salad plant ever! The whole plant's foliage (all leaves and branches) is washed and tossed into salads. Goes well with any of your favorite salad dressing.

Medicinal :
It can be eaten without cooking or heating. It can cure eye infection, diarrhoea, cough, flu and urinary tract infection. fever, headache, stomachache and weak body. It also helps to lower high blood pressure. The leaves contain antibacterial properties that can be used to treat skin diseases like acne and burns. It can also be used to treat arthritis and rheumatism. Can be used as an antidote for joint pains and stomachaches. Liquid from the stems can be used to treat fever and headaches.

MALAY VERSION

Masakan
Boleh digunakan untuk membuat salad.

Perubatan:
Boleh di makan sebagai ulam tanpa dimasak. Boleh merawat Di surinam jusnya yang segar diminum untuk mengelakkan jangkitan pada mata, cirit-birit, batuk, selesema,dan jangkitan pundi kencing dan untuk menurunkan tekanan darah tinggi. Daunnya mengandungi bahan antibakteria yang boleh merawat penyakit kulit seperti bisul,jerawat dan kulit melecur.Ia juga boleh digunakan untuk merawat athritis dan rheumatik. Ia juga boleh menjadi penawar kepada sakit sendi dan sakit perut.Cairan dari batangnya juga digunakan untuk menyembuhkan demam dan sakit kepala.

References:
http://www.melur.com/myherba.asp?plant_id=55&cat=HERBA
http://www.myherbs.multiply.com/
http://www.yinyangherbs.com/peperomia2.shtml

LETUP-LETUP (RUNNING POP)

Common names: Letup-letup, Foetid Passion Flower, Stinking Passion Flower, Wild Maracuja, Bush passionfruit or Running Pop.

Scientific name: Passiflora foetida

Family: Passifloraceae

USES

The fruits are kumquat sized with a thin, scarlet red shell surrounding a blush-white pulp, mildly sweet, delicately flavored. Young leaves and plant tips are edible. Dry leaves are used in tea in Vietnamese folk medicine to relieve sleeping problems.

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

JARAK PAGAR (PHYSIC NUT)

NAMA HERBA : Jarak pagar, Barbados nut, Physic nut
NAMA SAINTIFIK : Jatropha curcas

BOTANI :
Berdaun hijau yang lebar dan berbuah seperti buah anggur. Mempunyai getah yang terdapat pada batang dan buahnya dan boleh menyebabkan keradangan kulit. Daunnya digunakan sebagai alas tungku wanita selepas bersalin.

KEGUNAAN:
Buahnya boleh dibuat minyak untuk rawatan rambut gugur. Daunnya dijadikan penawar kepada penyakit rheumatism, lumpuh, hernia dan arthritis. Getahnya untuk mengubat sakit gigi. Diguna sebagai biodiesel.

ENGLISH VERSION
Common name: Jarak Pagar, Barbados nut, Physic nut
Scientific name: Jatropha curcas

BOTANY
Has large green to pale-green leaves. The fruits are like grapes. The sap from the stem and fruit may irritate the skin and cause rashes.

USES
Traditional medicine
The fruit can be processed into oil for treating hair loss. The leaves is used as antidote for rheutmatism, paralysis, hernia and arthritis. The sap can be used to treat toothache. Is processed into Jatropha oil which can be used as biodiesel. The large leaves are used to wrap the Batu Tungku (hot stone) to be applied to the stomach of ladies in confinement.

GOLDEN DEWDROP

Click to get a bigger image

Common names: Sky flower, Golden Dew Drop, Pigeon Berry
Scientific name: Duranta erecta
Family: Verbenaceae (verbena family)

Plant information:
Golden Dewdrop is widely planted as an ornamental throughout tropical and warm subtropical regions. Its showy flowers and fruit make it a desirable addition to gardens. The full clusters of fragrant, pale blue flowers attract butterflies in summer and are followed by bunches of golden-orange berries, popular with birds. A native of tropical America introduced to Southeast Asia in relatively recent years, the shrub may grow several meters tall but is generally smaller.

References:
http://www.flowersofindia.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duranta_erecta

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30344835@N03/

PURPLE SHAMROCK

Common names: False Shamrock, Love Plant, Purple Shamrock, Oxalis plant

Scientific name: Oxalis triangularis ssp. papilionacea

Family: Oxalidaceae

References:

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

http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/OxalisTriangularis.htm

DOUBLE PURPLE DEVIL'S TRUMPET

Common names : Kecubung; Devil's trumpet

Scientific name: Datura fastuosa

Usage :

• All parts poisonous, particularly seeds, but occasionally used as an internal medication for lack of virility.
• Most common criminally used poison, rendering subject insensible without killing him. Crushed seeds administered in coffee / tea.
• It has anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic and analgesic properties.

SOURCE: http://malaysianherbs.multiply.com/

CUTE FRUIT

I saw this plant with cute looking fruits growing on the fence of a piece of land near my house in Ipoh. When young the fruit is green, then it turns yellow and then orange before drying up. I know I have seen the plant somewhere but can't remember what it is called. I will go and check on files of plants that I took. Perhaps I saw this plant in Cameron Highlands or at the Taman Herba in Perak.

ZEBRINA

Common name: Zebrina, Sebrina, Silver Inch Plant, Red Wetter Grass, Wandering Jew, 吊竹梅
Scientific name: Tradescantia zebrina;
Synonym: Tradescantia pendula, Zebrina pendula, Zebrina purpusii
Family: Commelinaceae

Ethnobotanical Uses:
Herb & Spice (Medicinal)

Leaves made into tea for kidney ailments.
Is commonly used in southeast Mexico in the region of Tabasco, as a cold herbal tea, which is named Matali. Also commonly used as a lubricant in China

Usage
In Malaysia, Zebrina or Wandering Jew is grown outdoors as a groundcover or a bedding plant, or to effect a tropical atmosphere.

In traditional medicine, it is used for treatment of common cold, hypertension, tuberculosis, uterine disorders.
In Malaysia, Zerbgina is grown outdoors as a groundcover or a bedding plant,

Sources:
http://malaysianherbs.multiply.com/photos/album/257/WANDERING_JEW

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