ULAM RAJA

NAMA HERBA: Ulam raja

NAMA SAINTIFIK: Cosmos caudatus kunth

BOTANI

Ditanam sebagai pokok hiasan. Sesuai ditanam di tanah lembap. Tumbuh di ketinggian 2 metre. Daunnya lembut, kecil dan bergerigi. Di bawah daun terdapat bulu-bulu halus, bunga kecil, merah jambu pucat atau putih tumbuh di hujung pokok. Membiak melalui biji benih. Biji benih dari sekuntum bunga boleh tersebar menjadi semaian baru apabila di tiup angin.

KEGUNAAN

Dijadikan ulam. Mencuci darah, menguat tulang. Membantu memberi kesegaran badan dan ketegangan pada kulit serta awet muda. Dapat merencat bacteria dan fungus.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Name of herb: Ulam raja

Scientific name: Cosmos caudatus kunth

Botany

Is planted for decorative purposes. Suitable to be planted in wet earth. Grows to a height of 2 metres. Is propagated from seeds.

USES

Can be eaten as ulam (salad). Helps to cleanse the blood and strengthens bones. Eatog ilam raja is said to be able to help one maintain a youthful look. Helps to slow bacterial and fungal growth.

PEPANGGIL/PAGODA FLOWER

NAMA HERBA: Pepanggil, Pokok Pagoda

NAMA SAINTIFIK: Clerodendron Paniculatum

FAMILI: Verbenaceae

BOTANI:

Bunga pepanggil cantik dan menarik. Bunganya bergugus serta bertingkat-tingkat berwarna nerah hampir serupa dengan bunga semarak api. Bezanya ia tidak mempunyai janggut panjang. Daunnya lebar berbentuk tiga layang dan bertangkai panjang. Daunnya warna hijau tua pekat berkilat. Urat daunnya ada yang bertemu dan ada yang tidak. Tumbuh meliar di kawasan redup ketinggian 6 - 8 kaki.

KEGUNAAN

Daunnya digunakan sebagai pelapik bagi melegakan senak perut. Ubat cuci perut anak yang kecacingan.

English version

Name of Herb: Pepanggil, Pagoda Plant

Scientific name: Clerodendron Paniculatum

Family: Verbenaceae

BOTANY

The pagoda flower or pepanggil (Bahasa Melayu) is an erect, open semiwoody shrub with large evergreen leaves and huge showy clusters of orange-red or scarlet flowers held above the foliage. The plant sometimes has many stems and gets 6 - 8 ft tall. Oppositely arranged ovate leaves have heart shaped bases; lower leaves are lobed and upper leaves entire. The flowers are small, funnel shaped with long tubes. The flowers form a pyramid shaped cluster like a pagoda.

USES

The plant are said help relieve inflammation, ulcers, wounds, stomaches and skin diseases. It is also used as traditional medicine for deworming.

MY HAPPINESS BLOG

I am truly flattered that Andrew from Singapore enjoy reading this blog that I maintain for my school Herb Garden. I am even more flattered that he likes me. Heh! Heh! Well, Andrew and the other visitors might also like to visit my personal blog titled Xing Fu meaning happiness. In this blog, I write about Feng Shui, Chinese culture and things that make me happy.

Do take some time to check it out, you might grow fond of it as well.

The URL is: http://shuangxingfu.blogspot.com

GARLIC VINE

I had been looking for the name of this plant for over a year and finally, one of the visitors to my other blog, Xing Fu, wrote in to tell me. It is called garlic vine because the leaves gives off a garlicky smell when crushed. The lovely purplish flowers of this vine blooms every few months and when in bloom the flowers last for about a week or so. My mum plants it in her garden but she has only a small plant whereas the neighbour who lives in the corner lot has planted the vine round the perimeter of her fence. I took the pictures when they were in full bloom last Saturday.

Here is some information about this plant:

Garlic Vine

Scientific name: Mansoa alliacea

Medicinal properties

Besides the crushed leaves emitting a garlicky scent, the flowers are also said to give off a faint garlic odour and that is why the plant is sometimes used as a garlic substitute in the kitchen. The root, stems and leaves are used as traditional medicinal to reduce fevers, treat colds, throat and respiratory problems.

Reference: http://zipcodezoo.com

TANGAN SEJUK (GREEN FINGERS)

Gambar-gambar di atas menunjukkan pembantu pusat sumber sekolah saya sedang menanam pokok bunga balung ayam dalam pasu bunga di Taman Herba Sekolah. Menurut pekerja am sekolah, pokok bunga ini susah untuk hidup tetapi menurut rakan sejawat saya, pokok bunga ini yang ditanam oleh ibunya mudah hidup. Tak tahulah! Tetapi saya berharap pokok yang ditanam oleh Puan Asiah sihat kerana dia mempunyai "tangan sejuk" (Green Fingers).

English Version

The above pictures show my library assistant planting the plumed cockscomb in a pot in the school Herb Garden. According to the school janitor, it is hard to grow this plant but my colleague told me that the cockscomb planted by her mum thrived. I am not sure but I do hope that the ones planted by Puan Asiah will grow well as she has green fingers.

GARUDA

NAMA TEMPATAN: Garuda

NAMA SAINTIFIK: Ruta Angustifolia

NAMA LAIN: Aruda, inggu, Rue,Ruta,Herb of grace, common rue,garden rue, herby grass

KEGUNAAN

Digunakan terutamanya untuk mengubat penyakit seperti epilepsi (gilababi), hernia, histeria, flebis(radang pembuluh darah) dan athritis. Garuda juga digunakan untuk merawat penyakit lain seperti untuk menurunkan kepanasan badan bagi yang mengalami demam tinggi.

Rujukan: melur.com

AMALAN MULIA

Percaya tak kalau saya kata tanaman herba yang ada di atas adalah ditanam di keliling sebuah kedai Hardware di Ipoh? Tuan punya kedai tersebut merupakan seorang peminat herba yang juga suka menderma tanaman herba yang ditanam kepada sesiapa yang memerlukan.

Walaupun tanaman herba beliau sering diambil oleh mereka yang memerlukan, namun tanaman beliau masih kelihatan rimbun dan menghijau. Ini menunjukkan seolah-olah Tuhan yang Maha Kuasa merestui perbuatan beliau yang mulia ini.

English version

A NOBLE GESTURE

Would you believe me if I tell you that the herbal plants in the above pictures are actually planted around a Hardware shop in Ipoh? The proprietor of the shop is a herbal enthusiast who likes to give away the herbs that he has planted to whoever needs them.

Eventhough his herbs are frequently plucked by others, there always seem to be an abundance of plants that are growing healthily there. Could this be a sign that God is giving His blessing for the noble intentions of the proprietor?

FARMASI SEMULAJADI

Unggas dan binatang secara naluri dan semulajadi mengenali tumbuhan untuk mengubati penyakit yang mereka hidapi. Pada minggu lepas seperti biasa saya akan ke pasar Kampung Simee di Ipoh. Pasar ini berdekatan dengan rumah saya. Setelah memparkir kereta, saya terserempak dengan satu kejadian yang jarang diperhatikan oleh ramai orang. Seekor kucing dilihat meneliti rumput rampai yang terdapat di kawasan depan sebuah kedai serbaguna. Dengan gaya kucing itu yang membongkokkan badan,saya tahu kucing itu tidak sihat. Saya difahamkan bahawa kucing mempunyai kebolehan semulajadi untuk mencari rumput ubat untuk penyakitnya. Saya perhatikan kucing itu mengunyah-ngunyah rumput yang ia dapat dan selepas beberapa lama memuntahkan semula.

Kejadian ini menunjukkan keagungan Tuhan untuk memastikan semua makhluknya terpelihara secukupnya.

English version

Birds and animals have an innate ability to identify plants that can treat illnesses that they are suffering. As usual I would go to the Kampung Simee market in Ipoh which is near my house. After parking my car, I saw an incident that is not usually observed by people. A cat was surveying a clump of grass that was in front of a Hardward shop. The cat seemed to be sick. I know that cats have this inborn ability to look for its own medicine when they are sick. I noticed that the cat chewed the grass for a while before vomiting it out.

This incident shows that God makes sure that all his creatures on earth are well taken care of.